Chapter 2 => Hook, Line, and Sinker…

After a not-so-refreshing night of slumber, I woke up surprisingly early despite my late-night browsing.

I wriggled myself out of bed. The moment my feet touched the floor, I got up all spry. No hint of any lingering drowsiness to be spotted.

But I did have one gnarly bed head.

And I’d somehow pulled off my shirt while I was asleep. So, I got to see my bare upper bod in the mirror.

It still baffles me, though.

Despite having a lackluster workout routine; fifty pushups, fifty sit-ups, fifty squats, and a five-kilometer walk once in a blue moon, I was sculpted.

I could pass as a decent fitness model.

Well, I’ve got my weird lineage to thank for my weird constitution.

Even without looking at my digital alarm clock stationed on my desk, I somehow just knew that it’s six-thirty-ish. My internal clock is crazy accurate.

Enough about me, I’ve got to say hi to Shizuka and wish her a great day at school.

So, I stride to my door, push down the handle, and exit the confines of my room. Down the corridor I went, straight for the kitchen area.

Getting there, I saw a fifteen-year-old girl dressed in a crisp blazer and a skirt, snacking on some onigiri. Beside her, my dad.

She has the same colored eyes as dad and I. And her hair while mostly similar, had bubble gum pink patches sprinkled about. It even spread out to her tips.

Now, this adorable girl—my little sister, Shizuka—was staring at me wide eyed.

I wonder why…

“Morning, Shizuka!”

“W-Why are you shirtless, pervert!”

Next thing you know, I was dodging an airborne sneaker.

“Shizuka, that’s no way to greet your older brother,” my dad said in a reprimanding tone.

Wow. He’s actually being a proper adult for once. I nodded. Go dad.

“Instead, you should start the day with a good old sparring match. No better way to get yourselves energized than to overcome a challenge presented before you!” He laughed.

I stand corrected…

Ignoring my dad’s ramblings, I decided to ask my sister how her day went—since I didn’t get the chance to yesterday.

“How was tennis?” I asked.

Shizuka was said to be gifted, often called the “Queen of the Court.”

But of course, I couldn’t deny that a tiny bit of her proficiency at the sport stems from her unique heritage.

“It was good, I guess. But having to intentionally miss some serves, or returns just so the games can be fair gets pretty exhausting.” She wrinkled her brow, biting into some more onigiri.

I get where she’s coming from. To her, the ball might have as well been moving at snail speeds. The average junior high student—no, even a full-blown pro wouldn’t be able to give her much of a competition.

“But you at least had some fun, right?”

“I suppose…” She hopped of the stool. “Bye, Dad! I’m off!”

She waved as she headed for the door.

“Bye honey!” he waved back. “Have a great day!”

“Hey! Aren’t you forgetting about someone?!”

As much as I didn’t want to delay her from going to school, I couldn’t help but indulge her a little longer.

“Put on a shirt. Later.”

Hmm… What an uncharacteristically cold response.

I hope she’s feeling well…

“Okay… Now that Shizuka’s gone, is there anything you’d like to ask me?”

I turned my head to face my dad who was now grinning smugly from ear to ear.

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“Dad, I believe I made it clear the last time. I’m not interested.”

“…...”

“There’s no way I’m going down the same path as you, diving head first into this—this!—occult stuff!”

“……”

My breathing turned ragged. I really raised my voice at dad just now. The truth is, I’m only doing this to distract my body from asking for the specifics on the Eye of Horus!

“Son, are you some kind of tsundere?”

“Wha…”

Oh yeah, dad has watched Eva. So of course he understands the idea. Hold up, why’d he compare me to one?!

“Ah, I get it now.” Dad cleared his throat. “You’re clearly not interested, so you won’t mind me prattling to myself on the matter, would you?”

Dammit! He got me…

With his steps carefree, he walked over to his favorite sofa and plopped into it. Dad’s hands fell loosely onto the armrests.

“Get this. My sources tell me that the Eye is not some mere belief. It’s an actual relic, enshrined in this unexplored tomb tucked neatly into the furthest reaches of Saqqara. Also, they believe that whoever possesses it would be granted supernatural abilities.”

“……”

“…Since it’s said to be the left eye of a god, naturally it’ll still be chockfull with divine powers. That kind of thing.”

My shoulders wouldn’t stop shaking as I tried to contain the uncontainable urge to inquire further about this damned eye. I wasn’t going to last much longer…

“Okay, I’ve said my piece. Feel free to peruse that tiny notebook of mine if you need something to keep yourself entertained.” Dad gestured with his chin at a counter in the kitchen area as he stood up. “Personally, I’m too occupied to go searching for this one, so it’s up for grabs.”

He winked at me, turned on his heel, and retreated inside.

Dad must think he’s succeeded, huh? Well think again!

I started walking back to my own room defiantly, but not before unconsciously (?) grabbing that notebook…

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“Looks like this is a detailed map with the coordinates of the tomb, huh?”

I was going through the scribbles dad had made in the notebook. Not only did it contain directions, but it also listed various tourist spots.

It was essentially a brochure, like the ones that you’d be given by a tour guide.

All in all, it was well written. Dad sure had some skills.

Gargh! I’m praising the trickster, aren’t I?

Nevertheless, I kept turning the pages out of an unexplained curiosity.

Knock… Knock... Knock…

“Kazuki? I’m back. Are you free right now? There’s something I need to ask you…”

Oh? It’s my lovely sister, Shizuka.

She’s returned from school. How the hours fly by.

I need to answer her quickly. Can’t keep such a sweet girl waiting!

“Coming!”

I tossed the notebook hastily on the bed, hopping out of it with finesse. Fortunately, I’d already been wearing a shirt, so she won’t have to repeat herself again.

Sniffing my underarms, the absence of any unpleasant smells was confirmed.

Alright!

“Welcome home, Shizuka—”

“Are you really going to let yourself be dragged into more of these unexplained and quite frankly dangerous shenanigans…?”

That was a rather lengthy question, but somehow, I already vaguely knew the answer.

“W-what do you mean?” I tried to laugh it off. It came out a lot shakier than I had intended.

Shizuka glared at me with those eyes… They wavered, contemplating.

“I skimmed through the notes Dad left on the counter,” she said flatly. Then she tilted to the right to look into my room, pointing to the notebook on my bed. “Those notes…”

She wasn’t asking this because of any interest in the Eye of Horus per se. Rather, she was clearly concerned about any potential interest I might be developing in it.

See, an Occultist’s desire to explore the unknown had yet be triggered within her. And dad currently wasn’t putting any pressure on her to do so.

But, whether I liked it or not, mine had been inadvertently “nudged” a year ago in high school during that sudden appearance of those strange people. That was my first taste of that way of life.

“Shizuka… I…”

“You’re totally into it now, aren’t you?!” She stared at the ground, head hung low. “Last time, it wasn’t planned. But this time, you’re walking right into it…”

My sister disliked the notion that our family’s purpose lies in exploring the unexplained. Mysteries long buried and lost to the passage of time. And that there was no way around it.

So, she was happy when I’d also been on the same page along with our mom—she wasn’t an Occultist as dad had married from outside the family. Not that you couldn’t find another family with similar roots other than ours.

Though, it would be more accurate to say that mom was a free thinker. She didn’t have any qualms with marrying a “weird and wonderful” man like my dad. Plus, she didn’t have the means to get too involved in the first place.

Shizuka lifted her head up, balled up her trembling fists, and pouted with all her might. It was her signature stance of defiance.

“Shizuka…” I started, raising my hand and placing it softly on her head, “…I’ll be fine. Have a little more trust in your brother. Even if I make a stupid decision, I’d never let it get the better of me.”

My fingers ruffled up her hair.

“But what if it isn’t like last time…and you seriously hurt yourself?” she asked, fighting back some tears.

Geez… She’s really worried over nothing.

“Look at me, Shizuka.” I tilted her head up to meet my eyes with a finger. Then I bonked myself hard. “It’s not only my head that’s tough. The rest of me is just as durable.”

I finally drew out a small laugh from her.

“So please, don’t spend any more time worrying over me.”

“Okay…”

“Good.” I flashed her the brightest smile I could muster.

“If you do go, make sure you bring me back a souvenir. Got it?” She shot a finger at me.

“Got it.” I nodded.

After that, I spent the rest of the day, finalizing my decision.