The Demon Within (Karma x Nagisa)

Chapter 39: The Truth

(Soundtrack above^^^, play while you read. - I wrote it in 45 minutes with this in the background. So I thought you might feel the same emotions while reading as I did. :D)
Before Nagisa could say anything, Hiromi began.

"Long ago, shortly after you was born I was staying with your uncle for a few weeks. Your father was going abroad for a short while and insisted I stayed with his older brother Grisha. Of course I didn't decline, it was nice having help especially when I had you in my arms."

Nagisa caught himself smiling.

"Anyways, I didn't know much about Grisha. Your father didn't speak much about him, he just told me when he was younger he was very 'inquisitive' so to speak. I laughed at that, thinking it meant he was a bit of a trouble maker as a little boy but of course he's long grown out of it now but as you've probably guessed...I was greatly mistaken."

Hiromi's eyes began to frown. It even caused Karma to gulp.

"I was there for about a week, nice and settled in by that time. Grisha was so nice, it was like he could read my mind. Despite me maintaining respect in his household and staying composed he always knew if I was tired, stressed, upset...whatever it was and he would always take you off my hands. It was like he had a magic trick that made you calm down. It didn't matter how much you cried, he could pick you up and you'd stop. Honestly, I kind of envied that...made me wonder if I was doing something wrong."

"Then what changed? I didn't even know he existed for more than half my childhood." Nagisa said, clearing his throat at the end of his sentence.

"Well I woke up one day, I called his name all around the house. Grisha! Grisha! I shouted...but I couldn't find him. That's when I went out into the garden, I remembered him telling me before that if I ever couldn't find him then I should look in the shed. That's what I did."

Karma and Nagisa looked at each other. They both had extremely worried expressions on their faces, it was like they suddenly felt sorry for Hiromi despite all she's done.

Hiromi continued. "Once I entered the shed, it was dark inside. I stepped forward into the centre of the room but once I did I felt a sharp stab in the back of my neck. I fell straight to the groud, you was still asleep in bed which was good or I could have dropped you." She said, looking straight at Nagisa.

Nagisa tensed up. "W-what did he stab you with?"

"A syringe. It gave me some weird abilities, you know what I'm talking about. They're like yours but less...'refined'. He done it to a bunch of innocent people. He was a medical degree so he often gave people private treatment but of course it wasn't usual treatment. He would heal them but also give them the injections when they were asleep and implanted them with trackers."

Nagisa looked down at the ground beneath him.

"He would say he's giving them a gift. He would say that they should be grateful. He would say he's repairing there bodies, giving them the power they could only dream of. A lot of his patients died in the early stages as the 'product' was unstable but the ones who survived could very well be out there still."

"Does that mean Rin went through all this...maybe that's why he can't face his brother." Nagisa thought to himself.

"Something on your mind?" His mother asked.

"N-no." He shook his head.

"Anyways, that's the truth of what happened.

"W-w-why didn't you warn me about him. He injected me with the same stuff. I'm his 'final product'."

"I know...I know, I'm sorry. I should have but I just didn't know if you'd think I'm crazy or go and find out for yourself, that could have been very dangerous."

Nagisa looked away, a tear was forming but he couldn't let it fall.

"Listen you done good, you can cry if you want. It was my fault but you're the one who put a stop to his borderline psychopathic experiments...who knows what he was planning next. Besides you were born to be an assassin were you not."

He lifted his head, only to see his mother give him a genuine, proud smile.

"I know I was hard on you as a child, I just couldn't cope with all I'd been through. I know that's a shitty excuse but it is the truth...I promise. Like I said, what he gave me was unstable. I don't know, maybe it messed with my head or maybe it was the stress of me having to leave your father. He insisted he didn't know what his brother was doing but I just couldn't believe him. He promised me he would prove he was being honest and maybe that's why he's dead now. It was my fault...all my fault. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you." She dropped her head.

Nagisa stood up. Tears glided down the scarlet cheeks upon his pale face. He stepped towards his mother...falling into a loving hug.

"I-it wasn't your fault."

Hiromi cried silently, but Nagisa knew she wanted to let it all out.

Karma had his head dropped, he didn't know what to do or say. He couldn't even look. All this time he thought Hiromi was some horrible person for no reason but clearly he was wrong...it was too late now.

Hiromi moved away from the hug. "Nagisa, I have to go."

Nagisa fell to his knees. "W-why j-just stay, everything's okay n-now."

"I told you, I'd have to leave after this. It's not anything to do with you or what's happened...I swear. I- I just have to." She said, screaming the last part of the sentence.

The room was engulfed in silence. No one could speak.

Hiromi stood up, making her way out of the room, Nagisa couldn't even turn around to look.

"Listen, Nagisa. You have two wonderful parents already, Irina and Karasuma. Don't choose me, someone who has done nothing but fail you, over them."

The door closed.

"H-how did...how did she know they were my parent's."

He saw the image of his mothers smile fade in his mind. It was like a last thought, like something out of a depressing love manga.

"N-nagi, are you okay?" Karma placed a hand on his boyfriends shoulder.

"Yeah." Nagisa turned around, he had the brightest smile, surrounded by tears all along his face. It was sad yet  beautiful.

He stood up.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Karma replied.