A Life Worth Living

Little Brother

Sanemi was about to hyperventilate. He was holding on to Genya with every ounce of strength he had, but he was still slipping away. His mind was whirling as he tried to find a solution before Genya was gone for good.

"Don't you dare die before me!!" he yelled. Genya wore a smile as his body continued to dissipate.

Damn it!! He thought. Why didn't I ask Mira how his power worked? Does he need demon parts? Would that help? But nothing is left of Upper One and the pouch he had with those blood vials was smashed when the demon found out he was using them as a power-up. Hurry, Sanemi! Think! You're brother is dying! You promised yourself and Mira that you'd protect him!

Genya's weak voice immediately drew Sanemi from his thoughts. He looked down at his brother, who was looking back with a sad, yet content expression.

"You had many ... horrible memories... and I wanted you ... to be happy. I didn't want... you to die. Because my brother is... the sweetest person... in the world." Sanemi's tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. 

He couldn't think of a way to save his brother before he crumbled away. He was forced to watch it happen. The only living brother he had left, crumbling away in his arms. The only thing he could hope to do was pray for divine intervention. He wasn't a religious person, but he'd do anything to keep Genya breathing.

"AAGH!! Come on, God! Please!! Please!! Don't take my little brother away! Please!!!" He tried to squeeze Genya tighter against him, but there was nothing in his arms. He looked down and and frantically searched for any trace of his brother, but found nothing. Genya had disappeared. Tears flooded down his cheeks as he let out a guttural scream of pain, anger, and frustration. He slammed his fists into the ground with so much force he was sure he broke something, but he didn't care.

The brother he had said so many horrible things to in order to protect had just died right before his eyes. He couldn't do anything. He was useless. He didn't even get the chance to apologize to him. The chance to let him know why he did what he did. The chance to tell him that he loved him... No. He had the chance. He just neglected to do it. Mira's words echoed in his mind like a knife twisting in his gut.

"If you don't go to Genya, he's going to end up dying trying to get to you ... while there's still time, you should go to him and apologize for being an ass for all these years."

He hadn't done what she said. He thought he had time. He thought he would be able to protect his brother. And now he was suffering the consequences. Genya had died trying to get to him just like she predicted. Now, instead of seeing his brother, all he could see was a puddle of his own tears on the floor. There wasn't even a body to bury.

Why couldn't it have been me!? After everything I've done, I deserved to die more than he did! Why wasn't it me!?

"Genya!!" Mira's frantic voice pulled Sanemi from his thoughts. He looked over to his left to see her crouched down a few feet away from him. He wondered how long she had been there, but he didn't really care. He assumed she had collapsed from seeing Genya disappear, but then he saw a tuft of hair poking out from the other side of her. He leaned forward to get a better look and saw that she was holding onto ... Genya?

He hadn't completely dissipated yet! Mira had only removed him from Sanemi's grasp. He was by her side in a flash and saw that her forearm had a deep gash, and the blood flowed from it into Genya's mouth.

"Hey, what are you doing!?" he asked frantically. "Is that going to help him!? Will he turn into a demon!? Can you save him!? Is it too late!?" His words started to meld together as he continued asking questions in a panic. Panicked herself, Mira sharply turned her head to face him with tears streaming down her face.