"Why are we even doing this?" Lumian remarked as he bent down to carry the wood. The shotgun, which was strapped to his shoulder, swayed up and down together with his body.
Extending his hand, Lumian carefully tightened the handle of the shotgun. His co-worker, Higura, chuckled and continued picking up the wood with an axe to his waist. He was holding a black sack in his right hand.
Upon seeing this, Lumian turned silent for a moment as he turned his gaze towards the sunny sky. Scenes from the past month flashed before his eyes as he slowly sat before Higura. Higura looked at Lumian for a while but he ignored him and continued working.
A few minutes passed, and seeing that the sack was almost full, Lumian grabbed the handle of the shotgun and carefully inserted a few slugs into it. After making sure that the gun was properly working, Lumian opened his mouth.
"Do you remember when I told you how I'm an orphan, Higura?"
Hearing Lumian's question, Higura paused for a few seconds before continuing to fill the sack. He nodded but didn't speak. Lumian wasn't disappointed or upset, he was already used to Higura's silent temperament. During the week he worked with him on the farm, Higura rarely spoke.
"Actually, I lied."
This time, Lumian heard Higura reply. It was a flat tone. As if he didn't care.
"I know."
Nodding his head, Lumian raised the shotgun and aimed it at the bush in front of him, as if he was checking something.
"I'm not an orphan Higura. I have a loving mother, father, and grandfather. They're dead, but I was never orphaned. I wandered from street to street, looking for food. Some days I was lucky enough to be given food by people. But most of the time, I steal.
I was a bad child, but I didn't really care at that time; being judged by others was better than being dead. As long as we're alive, we should strive to live. For in death, we are all equal. Seeing that Higura was silent, Lumian continued: "Later, I was adopted by my adorable sister. She was the kindest human you'll ever stumble upon. A goddess. She fed me, taught me, and treated me like a brother.
Through her, I learned compassion, love, hate, and yearning. I love my sister. She speaks like a barbarian, strong as a bull, but docile as a ship. She loves me and adores me. Her name was Aurore.
But fate played us, and she died. Can you hear me, Higura? She died just like Mother and Father. What a tragedy. It was as if hell itself had descended that night.She died...as well as me."
Higura paused for a moment, but he continued. He knew that from his time working with Lumian, he was never this talkative. The other person was probably going through it, something that he wasn't good at helping with.
Not minding the silence, Lumian continued talking.
"I was lost, so lost. That night, it was so blurry that I couldn't help but think it was a dream. Sheep cried, the village celebrated, and we were feasting upon our very own demise, something I don't understand. I heard voices, saw visions, felt its touch, but I can still never understand what it was nor what it wants.
And when I woke up, everything was in ruin. And a voice, it was a voice so beautiful that I thought it was an angel, that it was my sister. It said to me;
Aiming the shotgun in a particular direction, Lumian's smile deepened as he placed his finger on the gun's trigger.
"Destroy worlds with me and your greatest wish will be granted."
Silence
Higura, who was absorbed in Lumian's story, failed to notice as something cold and hard was aimed at his head. The moment he realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
"You're too distracted, Higura."
BANG.