It was decided. This plain of reality, existence, whatever he had read up upon it, wasn't made for them. They simply could not exist in this world. There were so many emotions, too many feelings of regret and hatred, binding them to this place, that he at first feared there was no way for them to ever leave.
He was afraid, afraid that what he had planned would not work. Would throw them back even, the excitement and belief to finally be free, but have it taken in the last moment plagued him, keeping him up at night and making him fall asleep in school.
Of course people noticed. Teachers did. But who would they call? Who would they tell, when there was nobody left to tell? In the end he had gotten some troubles in school. He was a perfect student after all. Falling asleep in class, not studying, failing tests and stuff like that just... couldn't happen. And yet they did. And yet, Lec Hijohshiki, a perfect student, turned into one of the worst of his class in less than a month.
But he didn't seem bothered by it, only vaguely displeased when they would call in his brother into the principals office, trying to figure out together with his brother WHY Lec was failing, why he didn't get any sleep. If something had happened, if the child had some sort of burnout or stress.
And Roc Hijohshiki, did as Lec told him. He lied.
“It is stress.” He had claimed. Yes, stress. And as soon as he was out of there, he grinned.
Stress.
It was nothing like that of course, just pure excitement, some worry perhaps but.... Sleepless nights had turned into nights where he would not even attempt to shut an eye, staying up, researching as much as he could. He was close. And in due time, they were going to be free. Free of this world, of this existence, of humanity.
There was a clear goal. Becoming something inhuman. Being something other than a human, less feelings, but still enough where him and his brother could be together forever, without anyone getting between them or telling them it was wrong.
Because to them, their feelings... it wasn't wrong.
Lec and his brother only had each other, in this world where nobody else cared. Nobody understood them. Nobody wanted to understood the two creepy orphans. One with anger issues, the other an annoying bookworm who was seemingly good at everything.
It was rather clear how they felt about their lives. At least Lec thought so.
Yes, surely, his brother must have felt the same way. Unable to live on longer.
There was a story he used to read as a child, about two lovers who were reborn as twins. He wondered, often, if, since they were brothers, theyd get reborn as simple lovers. Suicide was something he thought about a lot. It made Roc upset, so he barely brought it up. But the young boy had practically lost all feelings of life inside him, only living for his beloved brother.
When it had gotten to a point where Lec would try to feel alive, try to hurt himself in order to feel something, anything.... He stopped when his brother caught him. He didn't do it again after that.
The gloomy boy would usually sit in the library. Not even the staff there would want to be around him, but he could burry his nose into books and just forget about most things around him. Except for Roc, of course, never him.
One rainy day, when he had digged deep into the archive to find books which weren't suitable for looking at, books that had been taken from students and locked up. Under a pile of, what he'd like to call, 'adult books', sat a torn apart one with a black cover.
He had dragged it out from under the pile of books, expecting it to be just another porn.
However, it was something else.
Some staff member had complained about him snooping around in the archive and kicked him out, not noticing the black object Lec was clutching.
He forgot his umbrella, due to excitement over his finding, and ran home in the rain. Usually, him and his brother would walk home together, but the latter had gotten sick from all the rain.
And that is when things.... took a turn.
He began reading, the black book containing stories of witchcraft, demons, and similar things. He had shown it to his brother, who shrugged him off, and let him continue his antics.
Finally, one day, he had found a page that explained how to become a demon.
Of course, he was somewhat perplexed by the idea. But it wouldn't leave him.
As he did more research, he found that this was a much better solution than a simple suicide, something that would get them away from their lives, but give them a much better one. A thing that could change them entirely, make them strong, make them.... finally be able to be together.
He had told this to his brother, who seemed... discontent with the idea.
But over time he gave up and accepted Lec's wish.
“Let's become demons together!”
Maybe, his brother didn't believe him. Maybe, he thought, he'd give up on the idea one day, eventually. But he didn't. Grades dropping, no sleep, sleeping in class, not paying attention, barely eating.
“I'll go first, and then, when I'm there, I'll get you!”
That was the plan anyways.
Whatever was happening, was going to happen. And it happened.
It was... rainy that day again. Lec felt ill. More than a little. He.. couldn't breath properly. Roc had begged him to call the ambulance, anything, but Lec assured him that, No, this was what they wanted. Lec was going to go first.
Maybe that's when Roc realized what “going first” actually meant. Maybe he misunderstood it too.
But either way, Lec was slowly closing his eyes, breathing as if he was falling asleep.
He didn't hear whatever his brother said.
“I'll get you as soon as I wake up again, okay?” He weakly told the other, not paying attention, not being able to tell what his brother was doing.
He wasn't sick. He had... prayed the night before. To some entity, something higher than them. He had done everything right, prepared the ritual, he had to hurt himself once more, but it was going to work, he was sure.
And then, he closed his eyes, as if he fell asleep.
