Shu's Twin

Conflicted. Chapter 33

[Edited]

Disclaimer: I don't own the image above and have only done basic editing. The credits go to @Lowarghh on Twitter.

Is this it? Are they just going to suffer from this thirst?

I continue sitting at the edge of my bed and clutch the sheets in my fist as I look over to the door. I take in a deep breath and focus on the silence that suddenly surrounds me after Kou's exit.

"He has trouble controlling himself because he always bottles up his feelings."

Kou's words repeat in my mind as I stare at my bedroom door blankly, not knowing what to conclude with what he had told me. I sigh and bend forward to place my elbows on my knees, not having enough energy to get up.

What am I even going to do? What am I even worried about to begin with?

I shake my head but freeze in the process when I smell blood from somewhere in the mansion. I focus on the scent, knowing the owner instantly, and feel my breathing become heavy. To distract myself, I shakily get up and stumble over to my balcony and open the windows with more force than needed. I place my hands on the railing and look down, towards the forest, focusing on calming my breathing.

"What the-" I mutter when I look up and a strong wind blows in my direction, messing up my hair. I grab onto my strands and move them away from in front of my face as I look around in surprise.

The trees were swaying to the right, their leaves rustling harshly due to the force of the wind. The darkness in the forest doesn't help calm the eerie atmosphere that had been created in no time. Instinctively, I look up to see the moon turned fully red, shining brighter than it had ever. I feel my throat beginning to become dry the longer I stare at the moon so I turn around swiftly and shut the glass doors behind me.

It shouldn't be like this.

I breathe heavily before remembering the pills Yui had given me, claiming that Reiji told her to bring them to me. I didn't get the time to ask Reiji to confirm if he really made them but it was one way to get rid of my thirst. Subconsciously, I begin rubbing my neck as I walk over to my drawer, feeling brave and stupid enough to try them. With shaky hands, I grab onto the bottle and open the cap.

I take a shaky breath before bringing the pills closer to my lips but am interrupted when a knock erupts through my room. I look back to the door and yell a raspy 'come in'. The door opens and I look closely to see Azusa peeking from the crack in the door. I wrap my fingers around the pills, closing my hand in a fist as I look up at him and smile.

"What is it, Azusa?" He enters after I ask in a low voice and walks over with his eyes fixated on my hand.

"Nothing, I was just wondering... how you were doing. What is that in... your hands?" He sits next to me as he continues to stare at my closed fist in curiosity. I follow his gaze and exhale before looking up at him again.

"These are some pills that Reiji, apparently, gave me to help me keep my thirst in control." I shrug as I open my fist and let him have a look at the said pills.

"But, aren't these bad for you?" He mutters as he takes one in his hand and examines it.

"Not these ones, I think. They don't work like my previous pills, I'm guessing." I shrug and mentally scold myself when I realize how uncertain I was about this medication and was still willing to try it out.

"Why are you so unsure about them?" He looks up at me, asking me the question I had been asking myself for the past minutes.

"Because Reiji was not the one to give me these."

"What do you mean?"

"Yui gave them, claiming that Reiji told her to do so." I sigh and turn my head away, not wanting to meet eyes with him.

"And you were going... to try these?" He takes the rest of the pills from my hand, along with the bottle. "4 pills without knowing... if Reiji made them." He mutters to himself as I close my eyes, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"I get it, okay? You don't need to rub it in my face!" I frown and cross my arms against my chest, still looking away from him.

"Alright. Just don't take them... until Reiji says so." He puts the pills back in the bottle and opens my bedside drawer, placing the bottle in there before closing it. Without another word, he gets up from beside me and begins walking away.

"Wait! Why did you come here in the first place? You couldn't have known what I was doing." I look back at him and he turns around to meet my gaze.

"I..." He trails off before breaking eye contact. "I came because I was thirsty." He mutters and grabs a hold of one of the bandages around his arm. "It's alright, though... I will be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Ruki hurt you before... when he lost control... he told me." I tilt my head in confusion at that. "He feels horrible after what he did... and doesn't want to come near you... until he is stable. That's what he... told me." He shrugs and begins to walk away as I look to the ground, processing what Azusa told me.

Once the door to my room closes behind him, I sigh, feeling overwhelmed by everything I was feeling in the moment. I clutch onto my head as I begin feeling dizzy and my body sways slightly.

What the hell is going on?

I clench my teeth and stand up quickly only to stumble soon after and take the support of the wall next to me to keep balance.

Is it the lack of blood in my body? Is it my thirst? What is going on with me?

I gulp down my saliva as I remove my hand from the wall and look towards my balcony to see something pass by. I furrow my eyebrows and go closer to the glass doors but a voice in my head stops me from doing so.

"Where do you think you're going, Shinju?"

I look around in shock when a laugh erupts.

"What are you looking for? I am nowhere you can see, dear."

"What the hell do you want, Cordelia?!"

"Why are you always so harsh to your parents, Shinju? Didn't Beatrix teach you any manners-"

"Shut your mouth before I rip it open!"

I clutch my head, wanting to get out of the conversation but Cordelia was somehow strong enough to control me. All I could do at that point was continue communicating with her telepathically until she decided she had enough fun with me.

"My, my. You are just as violent as some of your brothers. What are you going to do to me? What can you do to me? I'm dead, remember?"

She laughs as I grit my teeth in agony. The pain in my head was slowly becoming unbearable.

"Then, what do you want?!"

"That's simple: you."

My eyes widen as I take in a shaky breath and stumble back onto the edge of the bed. My body trembles as I clutch the bedsheets beneath me and push my head further into the mattress to muffle any whimpers escaping my lips.

"Why are you so surprised, Shinju? I did tell you that I would need you for what I have to do."

"There's no way I'm helping you with anything."

"Oh, but you already have."

"What-"

"You pushed Yui around so much that she began to feel vulnerable every waking moment. That only made her will weaker. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be able to talk to you." She laughed.

"No. Stop. You're doing exactly what you're best at: manipulating people. I'm not going to fall for your trap."

"Once again, Shinju, you already have. Why don't you come to the living room, hm? Maybe, you will get your answers there."

All the pain I had been feeling prior now disappears as I look around one last time. Repeating Cordelia's words, I get up from the bed and sprint outside my room with only one destination in mind: the living room.