Struck By Cupid's Bullet

19. Chase

The place is a mess. The couch is on its back and there's rips in the fabric. The coffee table and TV are smashed and everything in the kitchen is thrown on the floor. Drawers pulled out and cutlery thrown across the room. But that's not what scares me. That's not what pierces my heart.

This is.

Chase lies, slumped against the once cream walls of the living room. His blood stains the walls, the floor. It's everywhere. It obvious he put up a fight. There are wounds all over his hands and arms, and his shirt is torn away to reveal the bulky kitchen knife sticking out of his chest. It's almost like someone tried to claw his heart out, but gave up and just left him, dead.

I don't know what to do. Even though I knew one day it would happen, I had never prepared for the day when Chase would actually die. He's the only one I have, my brother who's always protected me and tried to help me live a good, happy life despite the pain of an assassin, despite the weight that weighed heavily on his shoulders. He was always there for me.

His message rings in my head. Shakily, slowly, I pull out my D Gazer and reread the message, eyes watering.

"Hey, M/N, be good, okay? I love you."

When I look closer, I can see his D Gazer in his hand, screen covered in bloody fingerprints from his last message. That's when it all crashes down on me. Chase is dead.

I fall to my knees and sob. Shark kneels down beside me and Kite shields Hart from the gruesome scene. I ignore it all as I cry. Chase, why? Why did you leave me all alone? Why did you? You know I need you. Big brother, why?

"Big brother, why?" I say it out loud. Shark embraces me and tries to hide me from the sight, but I have to see him one last time. I struggle out of his arms and stumble over to where the corpse lies. Shark places his hand on my arm but I can tell he doesn't want to get any closer. I kneel down in front of Chase and stare into his empty eyes. I've never looked at a dead person's eyes before. Funny, isn't it? I'm an assassin but I'm too much of a coward to look my victims in the eyes as they die.

I take Chase's hand, and it's so cold and limp that I almost burst into tears all over again. Why Chase? I'm the one who broke the rules, the one who failed. The one who...The one who deserves to die.

With shaking hands, I push his bangs out of his eyes and kiss his forehead, like he would do for me whenever I was upset. Every time I had a nightmare, I knew he'd be there, waiting with a warm embrace and gentle words. I close his eyes and stand up. My hands I stained with blood but it doesn't frighten me. I clench my fists and stare down at my brother who was forced into a horrible and painful death.

I have a new mission now. Avenge my brother.