Gold Foil

Chapter One: Amidst the Fire

Suguru can taste the hot metallic tang of iron on his tongue. All around him, bodies lie scattered around the desecrated village. Billows of thick black smoke hangs heavily in the sky, blotting out the sun and burning hot ash dances around him- staining his now pallid grey shirt. Somewhere, hidden beneath the broken remains of a house, Suguru hears a weak and choked cry for help. He doesn't move from his spot, listening as silence lays claim once again.

Everything had moved so fast that Suguru's head is still spinning. He feels as if he's not in control of his body and he's just looking down at himself from above, wondering how in the world is he going to fix this. If he can even fix it. Suguru's heart begins to thunder frantically against his ribs as a sudden realization dawns over him. For his vile acts, there will be consequences. Ice settles in his veins and he forgets how to breathe.

This has to be some sort of twisted nightmare, Suguru tells himself. Closing his eyes, he tries to count to ten but the soft whimpers of the girls keep bringing him back to reality. There's nowhere to go and nothing else to do. His once bright future is now as dark as a moonless night.

Maybe his future was destined to be so wretched to begin with.

Exhaling, Suguru looks up towards the sky and rubs his eyes, pressing the pads of his fingers against his lids hard enough to be greeted with dancing shapes. He's exhausted from lack of sleep and his eyes are irritated from the stinging smoke and heat. Every intake of breath makes Suguru feel like he's choking on the ash that coats his tongue and mouth. His throat is parched and his lungs are polluted from the smoke, every one of his weak coughs hurts his chest. Ignoring his own problems, Suguru tells himself that he has to check on the two kids that cling so desperately to him. They've been in that cage for who knows how long and the smoke isn't going to do them any favors.

Gathering his frayed nerves, Suguru gives himself a silent pep talk before turning his attention to them. A flash of crimson catches his attention and he blanches when he sees his trembling hands, drenched with a sickening red. Suguru hadn't even realized his bloodied appearance until now. There's no way that he can check over the kids when he's covered in drying blood. A strained noise works its way up his throat and he tries to wipe his hands on his shirt, blood smearing and mixing with the dusting of ash. When he has most of the blood wiped away, he turns to the motionless kids.

Crouching down to their level, he tries to muster up a friendly smile. They don't say anything and their knuckles are white from clutching onto their sole possession- a lumpy and well worn cloth doll. Suguru doesn't have the heart to ask if they're scared of him or if they're frightened because of some unknown reason. He feels a twinge of sympathy at their sorry state, watching as tears run down their grime covered faces. Just as Suguru is about to talk to the kids and figure out what to do with them, he hears shoes stepping over charred pieces of wood from a dilapidated house. Each snap rings off like a gunshot and the girls flinch back in fear. Suguru bolts up to his full height as the girls hide themselves behind him, holding onto his leg and their tiny fingers dig painfully into his skin.

Squinting against the settling smoke and ash, Suguru can't quite make out who's approaching. It's only when he catches a glimmer of sunglasses, he can let out a breath of relief. Out of all the sorcerers, Suguru is thankful it's Gojou that had caught him. At least with him, Suguru knows the girls will be in safe hands.

Gojou stands amongst the death that Suguru created just moments prior. Thick and choking smoke swirls all around Gojou, threatening to engulf him. With his dark clothes, he almost blends right in with the macabre scene but his brilliant white hair glows softly from a nearby fire- making Gojou look more like an angel of death rather than his best friend.

Neither man moves and the seconds that settle around them seems to stretch on for an eternity. Even the girls fall silent as if they're too afraid of breaking the tense silence. It's Gojou who moves first, Suguru stiffens and warily watches as Gojou slowly looks around the ruins.

"Why?" Gojou's voice is gravelly and cracked as if he's trying to reign in all of his conflicting emotions. "Did you-" Gojou looks away and snaps his mouth shut as if he doesn't even want to think about the possibility of Suguru slaughtering an entire village. When Suguru doesn't answer, he makes a strained noise and turns his back on Suguru and the girls. For a long time, none of them say anything and Suguru can just barely make out how Gojou's shoulders heave up and down as if he's crying.

"Did you do this?" Gojou finally asks.

"I think you know the answer." Suguru lowly replies, his voice sounds foreign to him. He wonders if Gojou is thinking the same thing. Judging how he glances over his shoulder at him, Suguru knows the answer.

"Why... how could you do this, Suguru?" Gojou looks away again and starts to pace back and forth. ""Do you know what will happen now? Did you even think about that?"

Suguru has no answers for any of Gojou's questions. Of course death wasn't the right way to handle things but, in the moment, Suguru was too overcome with a churning fury that he lost control of everything. He opts to stay silent, looking down at the pale and fragile hands that cling to his pants. Suguru may have been in the wrong but so were those people. He may have sullied himself but in the act, he saved two young kids and destroyed a horde of monsters.

It was a necessary sacrifice.

The little girls stare up at him with wide and teary eyes. Suguru may have bought them their freedom but in one fell swoop, he sealed his own fate. His death will be called for but Suguru doesn't bother saying it out loud and he's well aware that Gojou already came to the same conclusion. Because Gojou suddenly appears before him and both girls hide behind Suguru once again. Without a word, Gojou takes off his sunglasses and throws them to the ground. Suguru hears a crack and the left lens shatters, a thousand shards shine against the ashen ground but Gojou doesn't even bother looking at his broken shades.

Those blue eyes that Suguru had long since fallen in love with are now tinted red and glassy as Gojou stares at him with a pained expression.

"Marry me." Gojou hoarsely whispers, pleading with him. Suguru's eyes widen as he's overcome with shock and confusion. Suguru had been expecting a lot of things for Gojou to say but he had never thought that a marriage proposal would be it. In the back of his mind, he idly wonders if this is some sort of sick game that Gojou is playing. Since everything is falling to pieces, maybe Gojou just has to have one final laugh. Suguru had always thought that he was subtle about his affections towards Gojou but perhaps Gojou had known all along.

"What?" He hisses out, voice full of venom. Gojou doesn't even blink at Suguru's growing irritation. He wants to take a step back and to leave but he's rooted to the ground by his shock; even if he could move, the girls serve as his shackles. Gojou raises his hands as if to help quell the growing tension. He speaks slowly and carefully.

"Suguru, you'll be on the run. You'll be wanted by every sorcerer on this side of the damn world. Don't you know that you'll be totally isolated and vulnerable? If you leave I won't be able to protect you from them-"

"I'm not asking to be protected." Suguru interrupts but Gojou shakes his head, refusing to let Suguru end the conversation.

"Suguru, listen to me. If we get married, there's no way in hell that they'll try to hurt you. Because when we're together, we're the strongest sorcerers to ever exist. If we're married, I can protect you from everyone. You'll be safe! Please, Suguru. You're my best friend, I can't lose you." Gojou's voice cracks and he reaches over, placing his hands on Suguru's shoulders and he doesn't let go even when Suguru winces from the pain. It's as if Gojou is afraid that if he lets go, Suguru will slip through his fingers and disappear forever.

Suguru opens his mouth to say no. He doesn't see the point in marrying Gojou. He's tired and he'd really rather just live out the rest of his numbered days on his own accord. Marrying Gojou wasn't part of his plans and he never thought that it would be. Especially not now, when he's made an absolute mess out of everything. He wants to lash out and tell Gojou that he's already lost and his only available path is a twisted and dark road full of pain and regret. He means to refuse the offer and to tell Gojou to leave and never try to find him but those words die on his tongue when he sees the absolute desperation and panic in Gojou's eyes.

"Okay." He whispers.