Life is most peaceful when shared with loved ones over a dinner, talking about the day, filling the air with laughter and love.
"Onii-chan, look! I learned this trick again!" Ritsuki's little sister, a bright child with short blonde hair, a bright smile, sitting on the chair, showed him a trick using a small wooden stick.
"And..." She built suspense before letting out a cute, little, surprising sound.
"Tada!" She exclaimed, making the wood from her hands... disappear.
"Wow," Ritsuki, her brother, a young boy with blonde hair, blue eyes, applauded with a smile. "That is some amazing trick you have there, Hina. I'm really proud of you." With a smile, he patted his sister on the head.
The two parents shared a smile over the warm scene in front of them. The family was simple. A life, in a small village, a stable job, warm and delicious food, a loving daughter, a caring brother, and two parents, madly in love. This is simply the wished life of many.
As the chapters in someone's life pass, they'll encounter waves—waves that'll test themselves. A trial to strengthen that person. But, sometimes... It's something more than just a trial.
A happy story doesn't always have a happy ending. As cruel as it may sound, fate allows that happiness to be immediately ended, in a tragic tragedy.
In a single gust of wind, it is as if the world turned upside down, and everything you've cherished will disappear.
...
Their dinner was quickly... disturbed. Their wooden house shook, as if someone were making the earth tremble in fear. Screams filled the outside, with the footsteps of people running away. It was chaos.
They all quickly looked at one another. His father, taking the initiative, ordered the two children to hide underneath the beds while they checked out what was going on outside.
"Do not ever go outside, no matter what happens, okay?! Wait for us!" His father exclaimed, before commanding them to go inside. They scrambled towards the bedroom, their heart rushing in nervousness.
The chaos outside continued, with sounds of screams following each explosion. The two children hid underneath the bed, Ritsuki, carefully and tightly embracing his sister.
"I-It's going to be o-o-okay..." He tried comforting her. However, even he was scared to death. His whole body was shaking... But if he's scared, who will protect them? Who will protect his sister?
He carries the hope that everything is going to be okay. Maybe it's just one of those days when wild animals would cause a rampage in their village. But his guts tell him something else—that it's entirely something else.
However, as minutes pass, that light of hope slowly dims. Fear began creeping in again. It has been minutes, yet their parents haven't returned.
"What is happening outside?!" He thought over and over again.
Minutes began passing, turning into hours. Still no sign. However, the screaming has... ceased. Maybe everything is fine now?
His sister had already fallen asleep amidst the chaos. Should he check outside? No, his father told him not to. But fear is already settled in his heart. Why aren't they returning yet?
Suddenly, as he was about to adjust his position, their door swung open. A great wave of relief washed over him. Excitedly, he woke his sister up.
"Hina, they're here now." He whispered. Hina slowly awoke, opening her eyes. "W-What?"
"Mom and Dad are here."
Then, the door to their bedroom opened. With a smile, he was about to crawl out of the bed when he noticed something was wrong. There was a figure in front, yet... it doesn't look like their Dad.
It wore a different shoe, an expensive one at that.
Then, it spoke. It wasn't anything they've heard.
"No one is here." The man yelled out. There was a muffled reply that Ritsuki wasn't able to hear. "Oh, right." The man murmured. It took a step towards them. Ritsuki immediately shuffled back to the end near the wall. He covered and embraced his sister tightly, telling her not to make a single noise.
Then, the man reached the edge of the bed. They waited for seconds on what he would do. However, for seconds, he only stood there, unmoving, unspeaking. Then, out of nowhere, the bed that was covering them was raised up, shining the moonlight towards them.
"Bingo. Told you." The man said. Ritsuki froze, his breath caught in his throat. These weren't their parents—these were enemies. Hina, engulfed in fear, clutched his shirt, her tiny hands trembling. Her eyes brimmed with fear, but no sound came from her lips.
The man was covered in darkness, so that any physical features couldn't be discerned. Then, another shadowed figure entered the room.
"Is she one of the people we're looking for?" The man asked the newly arrived shadow.
"Indeed, it is her. Take her away now." The other shadow replied in a monotonous, female voice.
Ritsuki's heart dropped.
The man suddenly reached down with gloved hands and yanked Hina away from his grasp. She screamed for help, loud, terrified, and in pain. However, it was all for naught.
Ritsuki tried to lunge forward, trying to take her little sister back. However, he was too small. He was just a child. What could a child do to an adult?
The man scoffed before kicking him hard in the stomach, sending him flying outside. He coughed, gasping for air.
Outside, it was already hell. Houses, burned down. Corpses, lying all around. Only their house was standing firmly, yet now, is about to collapse.
Hina's screams continued to echo, trashing, and crying out for her brother.
"Onii-chan! Onii-cha—!"
"You're a little too annoying." The female shadow hit Hina in the head, rendering her unconscious. Seeing what happened, Ritsuki screamed.
"B-Bring me back my... my... my sister!" He screamed, weighted and heavy. However, he was ignored. With a weak body and a vision slowly turning blurry, he could only watch as the shadows took away his sister.
He forcefully moved his body, screaming, and screaming, but to no avail. His body had already given up on him. Then, a figure slowly crept towards him.
"Why?" Ritsuki cried. "Why are you doing this?! We didn't do anything! We were just—just living!" He exclaimed, furious and angry.
"You see, it isn't all a fairytale. Maybe this is what your destiny is. To die... while you slowly watch your sister being taken away." The woman's voice was calm, yet heavy. Each word he hears stabs his heart a million times.
"However, we don't have to prolong your pain, Ritsuki. We believe in... mercy."
"T-This... is mercy?" Ritsuki mumbled, his voice weak and weary.
"This is mercy, from the Gods above."
Then, a blade stabbed him right in the back, not once, but multiple times.
As his vision darkened, memories rushed through him. His mother's cooking, the memories of him playing with his sister, and their moments as a family.
And the last thing he heard. The scream for help of his sister.
Her little hand was reaching out to him.
A question reverberated in his mind.
Why...?
What did we do to deserve this?
Why... us?"
His eyes closed as his final breath left his lips.
The world stopped in stillness, however, then continued, as if nothing had happened. All, will forever be forgotten in the long book of history.
Or perhaps...