Who We Are (A Zodiac Story)

FLASHBACK

Many, many, years ago...

Location: The Capital...

...The air is thick with the stench of smoke and the crackle of roaring flames as the fire blazes all around. Nearby buildings and trees collapse in a chaotic display of destruction, their charred remains tumbling to the ground in a terrifying cacophony.

Through the haze, a young boy emerges from his hiding spot behind a discarded metal dumpster, his face stained with fresh, glistening tears. His eyes widen in absolute horror as he catches a glimpse of his parents, their wrists and ankles bound tightly with enchanted ropes, their bodies tied against a central wooden stake. Fear is etched across their once-serene features as they struggle against their constraints, their cries for help muffled and strangled.

Surrounding the helpless pair is a large, angry mob, their voices rising in a chilling, rhythmic chant: "Burn them all! Burn the Grim Reapers!" Over and over, the hateful words echoed, their torches raised high like weapons poised to strike. This violent riot has been raging for weeks, and the boy's family are the last of the Reapers left in this once-peaceful village.

Suddenly, a burly man breaks through the frenzied crowd, intent on setting the wooden post ablaze. The child can only watch, helpless to stop the inevitable, as the flames consume his parents, their anguished, strangled screams ripping through the air.

"MAMA!" the boy cries out, his small hand reaching desperately towards them, his heart shattering at the sight. "PAPA!" he wails, rising from his hiding spot, driven by an instinctive need to save them, to spare them from this horrific fate.

But before he can take more than a few steps, a hand quickly grasps his arm, pulling him back. A palm clamps down firmly over his mouth, muffling his agonized screams as the person keeping him concealed seeks to shield the child's presence from the mob.

The boy's world has been shattered, his family taken from him in the most brutal, unimaginable fashion. Trapped and forced to witness their gruesome demise, he can only sob uncontrollably, his cries echoing through the smoke-filled air.

FLASH

The boy tightens his grip on his brother's hand as they approach the small, modest brick home, its weathered facade hinting at the quiet simplicity within. As the brother raises his hand to knock, the boy tugs gently at his shirt, a look of lingering hesitation evident in his features. "Raven," he calls out, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Raven responds with a faint, reassuring smile, crouching down to place a comforting hand on the boy's narrow shoulder. "Look at me," he says, tilting his head to catch his brother's apprehensive gaze. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Where are we?" the boy questions, still hesitant despite his brother's soothing words, his brow furrowed in a mixture of confusion and unease.

"Do you remember Auntie?" Raven asks, straightening the boy's rumpled clothes and tenderly dusting the streaks of dirt from his cheeks. "She was able to escape here," he explains, ensuring his brother looks presentable. "She's going to look after you for a while, okay?"

"You're leaving?" the boy asks, his trembling lips threatening to quiver as he balls his small hands into tight, nervous fists, his gaze shifting away.

The door handle begins to twist, and Raven quickly reaches into his pocket, pulling out a strange-looking pack of unfamiliar pills. "Take this," he says, shaking one out of the bottle and into the palm of the boy's hand before offering a reassuring, if somewhat bittersweet, smile. "You can't have bad memories if you don't remember them."

The boy looks down at the pill, his brow furrowing in a mixture of confusion and trepidation before glancing back up at Raven. "But I'll forget you..." he murmurs, his soft, sad tone tugging at the heartstrings.