Key to Sirius

prologue

  It was a very quiet evening. It wasn't a bad day, but not remarkable either. I would have forgotten it... no hunts were organized that day, no new kids, nothing. It was just a day for every one of us to relax and take in the paradise. Surprisingly, there weren't even any fights that had to be broken up. Altair was quiet too.
  I finally had the chance to pick up a book to read. After months of stress and few days like this, I could finally pick up something to relax. I loved reading. And I loved quiet. It would have been a paradise.
  The quietest it had ever been in so long... so quiet in my room, that I was startled by the phone. I remember that being a bit jarring, but I managed to swap it for my book.
  Jason. I raised an eyebrow. Jason barely called me twice a year, and not in March. It was... a bit of a strange situation. Family matters, I suppose. I picked up, and barely said a 'Hello' before he started talking.
  "Xander? Hey, uh... so where are you?"
  I didn't feel easy after that. Jason never asked anything like that. Nothing personal.
  "I-I'm in my room. Jason, is something wrong?"
  "Um, probably. So... where do I start..."
  My fingers gripped the phone tighter.
  "Xander, your brother... He's gone."
  My stomach dropped. I suddenly found it hard to talk. I managed, "wh... what? Jason,  what happened?"
"I'm sorry... I couldn't tell you. The orphanage just sent out the word. He's gone. He's been gone for 2 days. Nobody knows where he went. Nobody's seen him. Apparently, the last time someone saw him, he was at a mall. The security footage showed he left... and he left the parking area, and that's all they could reach. He was with another kid, who's also missing. There's a search today, but I don't know if anything'll turn up."
  I couldn't talk. My gut felt like someone was pulling at the organs inside. My... brother. My little brother. A lump formed in my throat as he told me everything. My ears barely heard him.
  "... I'm sorry. I'll keep an eye out... but... I can't do much. Xander... I'm not gonna tell you it'll all be okay. That's not how it works. But... it's kinda unlikely anything serious happened. I... I don't know what to tell you. All I can do is to keep a close eye on this."
  There was silence as my chest tightened. It was a new kind of fear. Not the kind full of adrenaline I had felt before. But a painful, drawn-out fear. Every second brought a new 'what if' that only made me more scared. I didn't know how long it was before I could talk. It felt like ages. And I found I'd lost whatever I'd wanted to say to him. My arm fell, with the phone still in it. I couldn't say anything else. I hung it up and let go.
  I whispered, "God... please... if there's such a thing... help him. Help me."
  I gazed at the ring on my finger. It would have been a beautiful ring in any other circumstance. Pure silver with a band of alexandrite embedded in it. It was all I had from Mother and Father. The thought that I might wear the other one... my brother's... scared me. I never got to tell him how much I cared for him.
  I never got to tell him anything.
  And I wish fate let me speak a thing to him.
  Even though we never met,
  I still cried for him.
 
  The next day, I had no sleep. I couldn't find it in me to relax after that. Then another day like that. Exhaustion drove me to crash. Days... weeks... then months... and now, years. And I've still yet to meet him. I don't know what happened that day. I never told anyone. I forced away the pain and turned to the others I lead. Altair... Altair knew I wasn't well. He kept himself under control for my sake... but I just didn't want to tell him. I probably should have.
  It was the last I'd heard from Jason. Then... my only string to that world was gone. Shot in the chest one day in an altercation with the police. I'm still scared to pull the maroon box from my desk, and put on his ring. After all...
  He never knew he had a brother.