Of Everlasting End

45 | reunion; i don't remember you

He stretched out a hand in the air, spreading his bony fingers wide.

"Liars cannot enter."

A premonition rang out in Lucas' ears as he yanked Nora and Rome back, leaving Elliot in the front of the group. Everyone else had reacted except for the mad youth.

Elliot's eyes widened before he choked, collapsing to one knee. He scrambled to wrap his hands around his throat, trying to move. An invisible barrier stopped his hands, trapping him in the space where he fell.

"The... hell... kid? Wanna... die?"

His body convulsed, face losing its colour as he fell onto his elbows, hatred burning in his vision.

Lucas yelled out, "Stop! Unless you want your doctor to lose his hands. If that man dies, you'll trouble Kane."

Expectedly, the boy jolted and swung his hand away. Elliot gasped, gulping for air as Lucas stepped forward expressionlessly, holding out a hand to stop the youth from attacking the child out of anger.

The boy wobbled again and frowned. "Lose his hands...?"

"The pair are under a curse that they experienced in a Story. If they are unable to meet, then they will both lose their hand." stated Lucas calmly before adding solemnly,

"Losing a hand might mean having it directly cut off. Then, there will be an endless pool of blood draining out of their body until they collapse, dying from blood loss."

The boy's pale expression somehow turned paler as he shook his head quickly.

"You're... lying!"

"Want to test that?" Lucas' lips curled slightly, a vague and sinister smile that made the boy tremble. "If you don't, then call your doctor outside and tell him that the person he's been waiting for has arrived."

The boy looked confused and cautious, glancing at them and then back at the doors. Finally, he nodded with great reluctance. "Wait here...."

The doors shut behind him, and Lucas had no doubt the barrier had been put back up, preventing them from sneaking inside. The youth was likely protecting the other children here in Kane's stead.

However, for the young boy to even possess an ability... it would mean he survived a Story and made large contributions, or he defeated somebody during the Ranking.

Either way, being made practically of skin and bones, he was a formidable child.

Lucas' palms felt sweaty while waiting, despite the cool air that brushed past from the aftermath of rainy and foggy weather. His wound painfully throbbed, the ache spreading from his stomach, to his chest before crowding his mind.

Elias—the only one truly aware of the situation for unknown reasons—glanced at Lucas, eager to see the following scenes. Since the existence of a 'brother' had been erased to Lucas' memories, those who knew the connection between the two would also forget.

However, that didn't prevent people from making assumptions based on similar appearances, such as Elliot who thought that Kane and Lucas were definitely related.

Of course, it couldn't erase the memories of the person directly involved, as that would alter the majority of his memories, resulting in a possible mental infliction. Lucas didn't count since he had wished for it himself.

"Nervous?" wondered Elias, hovering nearby in case the slightly hunched man collapsed from a sudden worsening of his condition.

He still recalled the blood, the confused white pupils that stared at him before dimming. The crumpled body slumped against the wall lifelessly.