Eight, Nine, Ten

[0] N I N T H

[New Year's Eve, 2017]

It was quiet. Too quiet compared to the previous New Year's eve the King household has celebrated. The only noise that filled the room was Fifth's singing to the karaoke to entertain sweet little Autumn who sat giggling on Fourth's lap; but everyone else could see how the resident drama king was distracted and unable to put all of his heart in his singing.

First, Second and Third - the Alpha Trio as the younger Kings dubbed - sat by the fireplace with their father. All four nursing a glass of their preferred wine. Now typically, Fifth would join and whine on how they would need stronger alcohol but this time he didn't for his memory.

In the kitchen, the King Matriarch was cooking with her sixth son even though it was almost midnight and Sixth welcomed the distraction - taking refuge in his comfort zone to push away the emotions he could not handle. Seventh lounged by the counter, sitting on a stool and browsing a fashion magazine; taking notes now and then in the notebook on the counter while taste testing anything their mother and his twin Sixth shove in front of him mindlessly.

At the bar in the corner, twins Tenth and Eleventh had just opened their second bottle of whiskey. Both silent and withdrawn - only able to withstand each other's presence at the moment and not anyone else.

And just a few steps from the bar sat the two youngest of the King Siblings. Twelfth and Angel shared an earphone and were watching something on Twelfth's laptop that slowly got Angel teary eyed unintentionally.

Green eyes then slowly shifted to the grandfather clock as it stroked twelve, it's noise mixing with the fireworks that has started outside. Ninth looked down at the journal on the table in front of him, then started writing ever so slowly;

January 1, 2018

It's the new year but there's no joy or hope this time. I can only wish that we are recovering even the tiniest bit - everyone of us.

Fifth is a lousy singer - he doesn't have the emotions poured out like you did. But acts like he is the best singer he is. And I'm pretty sure you would agree with him if you were here.

You were our glue - it took awhile for me to figure it out and now you're gone.

I hope and pray that the police were wrong. You would have never taken your own life. You were our free-spirited brother.

You were Eighth King.

And I will not rest until I know the truth.

A single tear dropped on the page that snapped the writer from his deep thoughts which made him notice the towering figure of Third next to him. A subtle look of worry present on the giant's face before he squeezed Ninth's shoulder and offered him a glass of wine.

'Always aware of anyone's mood. It's like a combination of Tenth's sensitivity and Fifth's knack for reading people. If only he realizes it,' Ninth internally mused as he accepted the wine as Third went back to his original spot. Looking down on the glass, debating as he would normally not drink at all but tonight he would.

"For Eighth," he muttered - his first words since that fateful night - before downing the drink as his other hand clenched under the table, denial and anger filling the writer's heart.

[A/N Edited 11/12/19]