The moment Hero’s eyes landed on the violin photo the sudden memory hit him. When everything first began they saw that exact photo. He and the others just thought it was symbolism but…
He felt his blood run cold as the darkness consumed all of them.
Opening his eyes he found out he had been teleported to another room with the others. One filled with synths, broken harps, drum sets, and what looked like messed-up tubas. Hero was unnerved by the room but Sunny on the other hand.
Looking at Sunny made pure fear fill his bones.
It was like watching a zombie movie but the zombie was in front of them. Both ears were torn along with his clothes and the flesh on his face was practically decaying. His eyes were glowing red, the glow being eerily small though.
It was like he became a monster.
Wait, wouldn’t that mean he sees himself as a monster? It makes sense if what Hero is thinking is actually true.
If what he is thinking is true then he doesn’t know what he would feel.
Anger, sadness, maybe even fear were all options.
He has spent years trying to sort his emotions after Mari’s death and now they are about to become more jumbled again.
He can think about everything when he wakes up though. Right now Sunny was still trying to get the photographs despite how much pain he clearly was in.
Sunny was practically wobbling across the room until he almost tripped over. Kel was luckily fast enough to catch him before he fell down though. Once he caught him he began hugging him. Hero could only guess that Kel had the same realization as him of Sunny seeing himself as a monster.
Sunny on the other hand didn’t like the hug at all. He was twisting and turning, trying to escape Kel.
Hero felt his heartache more when he heard the pained groans coming from his mouth.
Kel looked at him and opened his mouth, “Did you...Are we both thinking the same thing or…”
He is probably talking about what actually happened to Mari.
Hero had a bad feeling about this since the beginning but seeing the photo of Sunny and Basil dragging her unconscious body down the stairs really made it click for him.
Something awful had happened.
Mari didn’t commit suicide.
What actually did happen though was a mystery. Hero held back his vomit as he walked over to Sunny and hugged him as well, giving a nod to Kel to show they were on the same page.
Aubrey watched them hold on to Sunny as he squirmed. He was trying harder to escape but he is easily overpowered.
Kel and Hero don’t even have that tight of a hold on him.
Aubrey looked concerned before letting out a sigh and joining them in the hug.
Sunny looked confused and angry at them but eventually gave up moving.
Hero felt tears beginning to show in his eyes.
If he was right then Sunny and Basil had been behind everything the whole time. Mari’s death, Aubrey’s anger, Kel’s loneliness, his depression, and yet Hero couldn’t find it in him to get angry at him. He wanted to be angry. Angry that Sunny could forget something as important as this and yet he has seen Sunny suffering the consequences of his actions.
The consequences of forgetting the truth.
The one-eyed creature, the demon in the lake, the fact that his closet had suddenly disappeared along with the memories of it. That wasn’t normal. Sunny wasn’t okay. He hasn’t been okay for four years.
That is when it hit him.
Sunny had been suffering like this for four whole years.
That isn’t even counting how malnourished he looked and how pale his skin was in the real world. Even Basil was way too light for his age and clearly had problems himself.
Hero remembered the broken violin and the photo of Mari lying at the bottom on top of something. He wonders if that had contributed to her actual death.
As he continued thinking about what happened he let go of Sunny. The others also let go of him as a spotlight appeared with a photograph in it.
Sunny moved forward slowly to the photo, his injuries being the reason why it was taking so long.
Hero wants to help him but he knows he can’t. Sunny would get upset otherwise. He wants to find the truth himself.
Sunny picked up the photo and his determination wavered. Hero walked up behind him but Sunny didn’t seem to notice.
The photo had Sunny and Mari on top of their staircase. Mari looked angry while Sunny looked upset.
She was probably angry at him for breaking his violin.
Hero felt his heart drop to his stomach. He had the feeling what the next part would be.
“Sunny...are you okay?”
Sunny gave him a confused look before slightly jolting. He began covering his ears as if he heard something he didn’t want to hear. He winced in pain and Hero got the feeling that something was wrong.
He moved to comfort Sunny with the others and Sunny moved his hands in front of him.
Sunny looked at them with a mix of sadness and confusion.
He began to rapidly move his hands, definitely trying to convey a message but it was impossible to find out what he wanted to say.
Perhaps his body refused to let him speak? That would make sense with how dead it looked.
Sunny let out an angry sigh, giving up on trying to talk to them.
Then it happened.
Another spotlight meant another photo.
Instead of taking his time, Sunny began running to the photo, desperate for answers. They tried to reach out to him to slow him down but he paid them no mind. He grabbed the last photo and froze.
Time stopped as Hero ran up behind him to see exactly what he was afraid to see.
Sunny pushed Mari.
Sunny killed Mari.
His feelings were all over the place at the confirmation and he could tell the others were feeling the same way. They wanted to be angry and upset. Cry and lash out but one look at Sunny’s body was enough to stop them.
The way he was shaking and tears rolling down his face. He doesn’t even notice he is crying. He seemed lost in his thoughts, not able to process how he killed her.
How he was responsible for everything.
Hero felt overwhelming sadness.
Sunny has been tormented and now he finally has the answer to his torture.
A loud crash broke him free from his thoughts as a giant hole appeared in the ceiling.
“WHAT WAS THAT!?” Hero screamed.
Aubrey immediately latched onto Sunny who looked confused at the sudden contact. She pulled him close, probably in an attempt to protect him from falling glass. Hero and Kel went to her side to help her.
Another shot and the world went white.
~~~~~~
“Why are you afraid?” The masked version of himself asked. It sounded a lot like Basil if he was being honest.
“Wh-What do you-” “You know damn well what I mean.”
Their voice came out harshly.
“You had your chance to end it all and yet you didn’t. What were you so afraid of?” It asked.
“I was….”
Basil trailed off. There were so many things to say yet the words won’t come out.
“Let me guess. You actually don’t want them to hate you, do you? You want to become friends with all of them again.” It looked at him with disappointment, “I thought you knew better than that.”
Basil looked down in shame, rubbing his arm nervously.
He was right. Those were stupid fears to have.
Especially since they already hate him.
“There is another fear you have.” It spoke, breaking Basil’s thoughts.
“You’re scared of hurting your best friend. You wouldn’t hurt him even to save your own life.”
That was true.
He could never hurt Sunny.
He could never go back on his word to protect him.
“You know, I never made that promise.” The face behind the mask grinned.
Basil only felt fear as he looked into the masked copied eyes.
“If you give me control, I could do it all for you. Everything would be okay. Isn’t that what you want?” The being tilted its head.
Basil gulped nervously. Was that...really what he wanted?
No. No, it wasn’t. He doesn’t want Sunny dead.
“So you refuse my offer. Oh well, I guess I need to solve this problem the hard way.”
The copy was suddenly holding a pair of gardening shears, pointed directly at Basil’s neck.
Basil took out his own to show that he wasn’t going down without a fight.
He would protect Sunny.
Even if it cost him his life.
~~~~~~
Mari watched over the sleeping teens at Basil’s house with a soft smile on her face.
“I know you can pull through this. I believe in you.”
With that, she disappeared.