Remembrance

Life was simple for the 17 year old Isamu Reou. He attended school and spent the remainder of his time practising kendo with his clubmates.

His goal was to become a top kendo master and one day win the championships - but he feared this would only ever be a pipe dream considering his life at home, with an alcoholic father and a workaholic mother who were always too busy to take care of his younger brother, Isu.

Isu was 10 years old, half the age of Isamu, but was a super cheerful and bright kid who idolised his older brother. Isamu also adored his younger brother.

Once upon a time his family were happy and put together, but ever since his father lost his job and found life in booze 3 years ago, the whole family dynamic became cold and harsh.

Isamu took over the parental image for Isu at the age of 17, having to take a step back in his priority of partaking in kendo. At first Isamu didn’t mind having to skip kendo practice every now and then to pick up Isu from school – but it slowly became something he’d force himself to smile about.

He wouldn’t blame his brother for his parents shortcomings.

A year later his fathers drinking problems began to show themselves in a dark light – abuse. Instead of doing something about it his mother stopped coming home and started living at work, sending money home in envelopes to keep them going.

But this money would find the hands of his father first, and he would waste it all on gambling and alcohol, and when he’d gambled it all away he’d take his frustrations out on Isamu. The older brother never fought back, knowing it would only kindle the fire in his father even more.

Isu could only watch and cry as he watched his older brother being subjected to harsh physical abuse.

Over time it began affecting Isamu mentally. His once strong disposition melted away into that of a man disconnected from the world.

Isu noticed the big brother he loved and adored was disappearing, and one day he confronted his father. This would end up being the biggest mistake of his life.

Isamu was out buying dinner at the time. He’d returned home, opening the door to see the living room that connected from the hallway of the entrance was pitch black. The bags in his hands dropped to the floor as he stepped through the hallway with quiet steps. “Isu? Old man?”

He could never have been prepared for what he saw as more of the living room came into view.

His younger brother, Isu, dead.

A small light from the open window shone down upon Isu’s head, who was laid out on the floor, his right cheek pressed into the floor, eyes wide open with fear. Bruises marred his once pale face along with a gash on top of his head that was leaking out blood which dribbled down Isu’s face.

Isamu’s body trembled as he neared the living room, only to stop in his footsteps and let out a choked gasp as he came face to face with an even more disturbing fact.

Isu’s head wasn’t attached to his body, that much he could tell, even in the darkness.

Isamu choked back a gag, his legs giving way and the right side of his body crashing into the wall of the hallway. He held his hands over his mouth and shut his eyes tightly trying to erase the image from his mind.

His younger brother.

His adorable little brother.

Tears prickled the corners of his eyes and he coughed bile into his hands. He took a deep inhale and exhaled slowly, wobbling back on to his feet and leaning against the wall for support as he heavily drags his body into the living room.

Staring at the full horrific scene in front of him, Isamu collapses to his knees in front of his younger brothers decapitated head. To the right of him lays the rest of Isu’s body, face down on his front and pooling with blood.

His vision blurs as tears well up inside his eyes. His fingers tremble as they reached out to touch his brothers face, tracing them over his bruised and bloody face.

“Isu...” Isamu whispers out, “Blink for me, open your mouth, do something – please!” He cradles his brothers head into his collarbone, crying out with emotions he thought he’d left behind.

Isamu’s bloodshot eyes trail over to the right of him, locking onto the rest of Isu’s body. His lifeless brown eyes take note of the broken bottles around his younger brothers body, pieces of glass lodged into his back.

As his eyes travel to Isu’s side, they widen in surprise at the kendo shinai that’s clutched loosely in his right hand. Isamu slides over on his knees and pulls the kendo shinai out of Isu’s hand. Blood stains the one side of it, and the other side is cracked slightly in the middle.

“Why would you need my kendo weapon, Isu? Who were you fighting?” Isamu’s eyes shoot open and he stands onto his feet. “Where’s the old man?” He wonders aloud. He proceeds to dash around the house in search for his deadbeat father, but he finds no trace of him. Even his clothes and shoes are gone.

Isamu stands in the living room, staring up at the ceiling fan as it spins, kendo shinai gripped firmly in his hand. “I swear if this is your doing, I’ll make you regret it, dad.”

Isamu heads out of the living room, only stopping for a moment to take one last look at his deceased younger brother before running out the house with determination on his face.

He runs down the dimly lit streets looking for any sort of sign of his father. “He can’t have gotten far.” He murmurs to himself as he continues to dash through streets and alleys.

His eyes spot a familiar head of hair walking with hurried steps towards the train station with a briefcase in hand and follows after him.

“Oi, old man, I know that’s you!” Isamu shouts towards the man, who’s head snaps around to look at him with fear before clutching the briefcase tightly to his body and making a mad dash into the train station. “Get back here you asshole, I know you killed Isu!!”

The dark haired teen chases after his father inside the train station, but is halted in his steps as he’s confronted by a mass crowd of people coming and going. Isamu, in a sudden panic, turns his head in all directions, eyes scanning through the crowds and trying to spot where his cowardly father’s run off to.

Not seeing him, he decides to force his way through the abundance of people. “Please get out of the way, I need to get through!” He uses his kendo shinai to push people aside as he makes his way through the crowds and deeper into the train station. “Don’t think you can escape me you deadbeat bastard!” Isamu shouts out with anger.

Pushing himself through the last person, he’s met with the barrier where the train station meets the platform – his eyes locking onto the figure of his father, who stands facing him with a smirk etched upon on his face.

“It’s not my fault, really. You’re idiot younger brother thought he could beat me, so I showed him what happens when he disrespects his father.” He simply says.

Seeing red, Isamu charges forward and begin climbing over the barrier. “You son-of-a-bitch!” His body is halted as hands grip the back of his hoodie, pulling him backwards as he struggles to free himself from the grip of security. “Let me go! I need to get to that bastard!”

“Not without a ticket you’re not!” The security pulls Isamu back, holding his arms behind his back.

“You don’t get it, that man’s a murderer!” Isamu pleads out, grunting as his arms twisted behind his back.

Isamu can do nothing but watch as the man turns around and walks away with a wave of his hand.

“I’ll get you! I won’t stop until you pay for Isu’s life!” Isamu spits out in a fit of rage.

And so from that moment, Isamu moved to the big city of Tokyo and began to train even harder in kendo, hoping to one day find his deadbeat father and make him pay for his younger brothers death.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

“But somewhere down the line you forgot all about that huh?” Isamu’s shadow self said to him, still circling him like a hawk. His dark eyes carefully watch the trembling form of Isamu. “So what are you going to do now?”

“Kill him...” Isamu mutters quietly.

The shadow stops in front of Isamu, tilting its head to the side. “What was that?”

Isamu raises his head and looks his shadow self dead in the eye, his eyes blazing with a fiery determination. “I’m gonna find and kill that bastard.” He snarls darkly, making his shadow self laugh out sadistically with its arms spread wide.

“That’s more like it!” It takes a step towards Isamu, locking eyes with him. “Shall we get started then?”

It’s sadistic smile widens as Isamu’s facial expression turns into confusion. “What do you mea-”

His question is cut short as his shadow self places its dark shadowy hands on his chest. Without any warning, the shadow engulfs Isamu’s entire body and his shadow self disappears within the skin, crawling over him and clinging to the skin like a lifeline.

Isamu yells out in agony, skin tearing apart – showing the bone that lays underneath as the shawods creep inside and spread through and connecting to his veins. His veins bulge out and turn a glowing purple as they slither out of the cracks in his skin, wrapping around his body like vines.

The skin on his face, neck and parts of his body turn pitch black and shadow like flames weave out of him. The rest of his body keeps it’s skin and bone, with the black creeping around it. His irises turn a deep crimson as he blinks back into consciousness and a sadistic smile leisurely makes its way onto his face.

“Let’s hunt.” Isamu says.