Chapter 19 — You're The Light Of This World

Yasu stumbled towards his parents, his heart pounding with a mix of dread and disbelief. As he knelt beside them, the sight of their lifeless bodies lying in a pool of crimson blood nearly overwhelmed him. He reached out a trembling hand, his voice barely a whisper.
"Mom... Dad..."
The words caught in his throat, choked by the weight of his grief. He knew there was no hope, yet a desperate part of him refused to accept the reality. With shaking hands, he grasped his sword, the cold metal pressing against his neck as he prepared to end his own life.
"At least I'll be joining you..."
Just as he was about to plunge the blade into his flesh, a weak cough interrupted his thoughts. Yasu froze, his eyes widening as he turned to see his mother, Kasumi, reach out a bloodied hand, her fingers brushing against his.
"...Y-Yasu..."
Yasu immediately dropped the sword, his hands trembling as he cradled his mother against his chest. "Mom... please, heal yourself and Dad! I don't want you to die..."
Kasumi managed a faint smile, her eyes already fading. "Sweetie... I used up all my... mana..."
She coughed, a ragged, painful sound that tore at Yasu's heart. "I'm afraid it's useless..."
Yasu's tears fell freely, his voice a desperate plea. "B-but there has to be another way, Mom! Please, there has to be!"
Kasumi gently reached up, her fingers tracing the path of a tear down Yasu's cheek. "Sweetie... we've always loved you..."
Yasu's heart ached, the memories of their life together flooding his mind. "I know, Mom... I know..."
Kasumi's voice grew weaker, her breath shallow as she struggled to speak. "Darling... I want you to live in peace for us, okay? Promise me..."She reached out, her hand barely touching his cheek. "Promise me you'll find happiness, even when we're gone. The world is nothing but corruption and I don't want you to be one of them. You're the light of this world, Yasu. Hold onto that light, no matter what. I love you... always remember that." Her eyes welled up with tears, her voice trembling with emotion. "Please, Yasu... live for us both."
Yasu nodded, his tears flowing unchecked. "I promise, Mom. I'll live... for both of you."
Kasumi's eyes fluttered closed, a soft smile still on her lips. Yasu held her close, his heart breaking as he whispered, "I love you, Mom. Forever..."
As the last of her breath left her body, Yasu's world shattered, leaving him alone in a pool of blood and tears. The rain poured down mercilessly, mixing with his sobs as he clung to her lifeless form, her promise to him echoing in the silence. "Promise me you'll find happiness, even when we're gone," she had whispered, her voice a ghostly echo in his mind. 
The world around him blurred into a watery haze, her words a bitter reminder of the love and light she had urged him to hold onto. Yasu's cries mingled with the rain, each drop a cruel testament to the emptiness that now engulfed him, the weight of her final words a burden he wasn't sure he could bear.