Serving as what he dubbed ‘interim heir’ was harder than Asiah has imagined.

After finding his brother half-dead from whatever it was — he prayed that it wasn’t attempted suicide — he’d taken over his duties after taking him to the hospital.

Pretty much, after that, he hardly got any sleep for the next week or so. Now he saw why Rilon hated Lear, how Rilon felt every single day of his life.

Yet, all that aside, the week was not without its events.

Asiah was very insistent on seeing his brother, even if Lear insisted that he had more important things to do. With his last remaining bit of sanity, he strangled out excuse after excuse from his father.

He swore that the only thing keeping him sane was seeing his brother still alive, and praying that he would stay that way.

Some nights when he went to visit his brother at the nearby hospital, he almost felt this sense of dread, like he wasn’t alone in his mind. Seeing Rilon lying there on that bed only increased that dread. He felt that his older brother would die, and all the burdens would be placed on him instead.

Those weren’t the worst nights.

One night, about four or five days in, Rilon had been startled awake by a nightmare, screaming for his mother. It had taken two nurses — and a weary Asiah — to get him calmed down and sedated again.

From that, Asiah had earned a sprained wrist and a nearly broken jaw. He never wanted to go through this again.

For an eternity, it seemed as Rilon would be like this. Asiah had been watching him constantly, ready to pass out and never wake up.

Yet, one day, in the midst of some sleepless daze, he thought he heard someone speak.

“Hide.”

Somehow, he had lived.

How, he would probably never know.

Rilon’s eyes opened to pitch darkness. Was he still dreaming?

Gradually his eyes adjusted, and dim light filtered in.

Not dreaming.

But he wasn’t in his room; he doubted he was still in the Tower.

He rose into a sitting position, glancing around.

“Rilon?”

He knew that voice. It couldn’t be anyone else, but — “Asiah?”

Asiah? The voice — his echo — repeated after him.

“Glad to hear I’m not alone.” Rilon’s ears started ringing after the voice spoke. “Hyde, was it?”

You don’t remember?

“I thought I was dreaming.”

“Dreaming?” Asiah spoke again, confirming that he was the other presence Rilon had sensed in the room. “You were out for a week.”

A week? Damn, that thing did a number on me, didn’t it?

Asiah came to his bedside and sat on it, before Rilon. “Are you alright?”

After a brief inspection, Rilon pulled a face, and nodded. He seemed fine, at least.

“Rilon.” Asiah got up from the best, his tone dark, a very un-Asiah-like manner. “I need to ask you a question, about what happened.”

The blood began to pound in Rilon’s ears. Asiah had never interrogated him like this. In fact, he never acted like this around him.

Shakily, he took a deep breath, attempting to keep himself calm. “Y-yes, Asiah?”

A million thoughts ran through his head, although it was obvious to see as though he’d been asked it millions of times.

“When I found you, you…” His brother appeared to be collecting his thoughts. Upon closer inspection, it appeared as he had not slept, or if he did, it had been very poorly. “Rilon, did you try to kill yourself?’

He was right. Although he’d personally had these thoughts before, even as young as eleven years old, he wouldn’t consider what happened that night a suicide in itself. It was more of an ‘I kinda poisoned myself against my own will’ kind of thing.

“No, Asiah. That wasn’t what I did. I don’t…” He had his head in his hands; his ears still rang, nearly drowning out his brother. He felt dizzy. “I would never do that, Asiah. Why would you think that?”

He raised his head and stared at his brother, who had his back turned to him. The sun had begun to rise, making him look much clearer of what he was doing. Asiah appeared tense.

“Asiah?”

“I don’t believe you. I just can’t believe you. After what happened with Mother, I find it hard to believe that was an accident.” He turned back to face him, his eyes almost narrowed. If it weren’t for the dark circles under his eyes and his almost sluggish movements, Rilon could swear that his brother would jump at him and strangle him himself.

Yet he had no choice but to accept that Asiah’s disbelief was the truth. Perhaps his brother thought that the doctorate he had earned in chemistry was to gain a better knowledge of what would kill him quicker. He’d almost had a hawk’s eye on Rilon.

“I promise it was an accident.”

“I still don’t believe you.” Asiah strode over to the large window beside Rilon’s bed and stared out with his arms crossed.

He seems too broody. I don’t like him.

“That’s your opinion.” The reply would have been too hesitant to be a reply to Asiah’s statement, but then again, Asiah didn’t appear to be listening.

What happened with your mother?

“That’s none of your business. Be quiet.” Rilon pushed back an image as it appeared in his mind, and got up from the bed.

The world seemed to sway under him; he held out a hand to catch himself on the bed in case he fell. Thankfully, he did not, instead stumbling to his brother and placing a hand on his shoulder, more of a brace than a comforting gesture.

“Don’t touch me, Rilon.”

“You want me to fall. Alright” Rilon joked, although humorlessly. “Leave it alone.”

I want to speak to him. I want to let him know how much of an ass he’s being to you right now.

Although Rilon did not reply, words stuck in his mouth. This is just normal. He gets like this sometimes.

He kept it as a reminder to tell Hyde later, although he felt that it was kind of stupid to remind himself to have a small pep talk with the voice in his head, who he doubted had a physical form besides that mind space figure he had seen.

“Your brain really went to straight to thinking I had committed suicide when you found me, didn’t it?” Rilon asked. When his brother didn’t immediately reply, he added. “Did you ask yourself if that was a good mindset to have?”

“Admittedly, no. Bold of you assume I ask myself anything.” Asiah’s tone had lightened a bit — he was trying to humor himself, at least, from what Rilon heard.. “Maybe I am too quick to assume such drastic things.”

He moved away from the window, and thus Rilon lost the thing he needed to brace himself with. The windowsill was too low for his arms to immediately reach if he did collapse.

“Maybe you are.” His voice darkened. “It’s stupid and pointless.”

His eyes closed as he heard the figure in the room whip around. “Excuse me?”

He sneered. “Maybe you’ll overestimate a situation one day, and where will that get you, Asiah? Where?”

“I’m sorry I get too worried, Rilon.” His tone was exactly where he wanted it. “Maybe you’ll die one day and I won’t have the guts to care.” He heard him turn back around and leave the room, slamming the door behind him.

“You get upset too easily.” He stood up, almost with a perfect posture, and sighed. “I was right: he is an ass to you.”

“Almost too much.” Rilon slouched back over. What was he replying to? “Asiah?”

He turned from the window, only to find that his brother had gone.

Not only that, but what had happened after his brother left the window had been a complete blur.

“Hyde?”

I got him away so we could talk.

“You didn’t upset him, did you?”

I think he hates you.

An inhuman growl escaped from Rilon’s throat. The voice — Hyde — was new, and already he’d already destroyed something that Rilon doubted he was getting back easily.

Plus he was rebuking a voice. Sure, he was aware that Hyde had briefly taken over his body, but it was a voice. A stupid voice.

For your information, the ‘voice’ destroyed your relationship with your brother.

“I want you to shut up, Edward.” Rilon was afraid that his brother — or anyone — was eavesdropping on him. He’d seen what had happened to people who claimed to have voices in their heads and talked to themselves like madmen. It struck a fear in him that he would be sent to Institution if he was caught. That he would never see anyone again. “Just keep quiet.”

If you insist.

“Have you made up your mind?” The door squealed open; Rilon whipped back to the window, pretending to stare out into space. Instead, he watched the Tower, so close, yet so far from where he stood. It brought him anxiety to think about going there, about going back outside onto the street.

“Have you thought about your reactions?” As Asiah joined him beside the window again, Rilon crossed his arms.

His brother didn’t reply to that, instead appearing to be in some inner turmoil with himself. Rilon didn’t bother him, rethinking his own actions.

“You really carried me all the way here?”

“More like dragged. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone thought I had killed you for some odd reason.” Asiah glanced at him. “You weigh like — what — 90-ish kilos? I can’t lift you over my shoulders like a fucking strongman.”

Well, Asiah had forgiven him — or at least Rilon hoped he had. “You could have at least tried.” He chuckled.

Afterwards, he died down, still staring nostalgically out the window. That was all he could go through... memories of when he was normal, before he pretty much had his life shattered like a broken mirror.

He supposed he’d had more of an abnormal life than a normal one.

“Do you want me to leave you alone with your… window?” Asiah broke the silence — Rilon somehow wished he hadn’t. “In all seriousness, do you want me to leave you alone?”

“In all honesty, I would rather talk to you than myself.” Rilon stole a glance at his brother.

Noted… Hyde muttered.

“You seem to like your view there.”

It wasn’t far from the truth, and in all honesty, it was something that Rilon could nearly laugh at. He stared back at the Tower, still the same distance away. “Yeah.” He could admit it. “I guess I do.”

He fell silent, eyes narrowing, and lowered his head from the window. “Maybe I could use some time alone.” He sighed. “Me, myself, and I.”

“Alright,” His brother seemed to be almost relieved, giving Rilon a brief pat on the shoulder before departing from his side. “Call me if you need me.”

As he departed, Rilon went back to the bed and sat down. He couldn’t bear to look outside anymore.

“You seemed more innocent back then.”

Well, appearances can be deceiving, Arlett.

“You do have a point. Just, please, don’t make me look like a bitch in front of my brother.” Rilon fell back upon the bed, loudly groaning.

I can’t make any promises.

“You are the worst form of self-talk.”

Noted…

“Maybe I should talk to you more often, just maybe not in front of anyone, okay?”

Also, noted. May I note that you look like an idiot without your glasses?

“First it was Asiah with the hair, and now you with glasses.” Rilon restlessly turned over in bed, drawing the covers over him. “I- I forgot my glasses at the Tower.”

He whipped out of bed and ran to the door, opening it to find Asiah nearly passed out in a chair across from him. “Asi.”

Disturbed, his brother stirred, staring at him with annoyance. “I thought you said you wanted to be left alone.”

“Glasses.” Rilon held out his hand. “I need them.”

It took several moments for the realization to dawn on Asiah. “Oh, right. I grabbed them from your room.” He quickly fumbled through his coat pockets, searching for what Rilon needed. He then pulled out Rilon’s glasses from a side pocket, holding them out in exasperation. “Now let your poor, tired brother sleep.”

Rilon shut the door without a word of thanks, but leaned back against it, only staring at the glasses in his hand. They felt strange, like a new object he had never seen before. Yet, he supposed it was the fact he hadn’t worn them in the last week.

Can’t exactly wear these while I’m asleep, can I?

He smiled, mainly to himself, and put them on. The room came into sharp focus, almost enough to make him dizzy at the sight. At least he could see.

That thought made him giddy with emotion. He’d never been this way, but the feeling had been … joyous. Rilon nearly danced around the room, but restrained himself from doing so, for he felt that the noise would alert those nearby, and only make a worse embarrassment out of himself.

This wasn’t exactly normal, but then, compared to his other emotions plus the fact he had been out for a week, unable to feel any, he wouldn’t consider it so out of the blue.

At least a brief twirl around was enough to steady his emotions…

It would have helped if it steadied him. The room still spin, Rilon tripped over his own feet and fell to the floor with a loud thud.

Footsteps ran to his door, and it opened. Rilon rolled onto his back and then sat up, expecting it to be Asiah.

Yet it wasn’t him, but it wasn’t a nurse either, but a patient like him, a woman around his age. She crossed her arms, staring at him with a smirk. “Are you alright?”

Indifferent about her concern, Rilon nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Alright.” The woman brushed away dirty blonde hair away from her face. She also appeared indifferent to him. “Just don’t die.”

She left the room, and Hyde promptly chuckled. Whether it was at Rilon’s stupidity, or something else, Rilon didn’t care to know.

Just don’t die. Good luck with that, Arlett.

“Please don’t call me Arlett.”

Fine… Hyde paused, then proceeded to snicker more. Arlett.

Rilon snarled audibly and got to his feet, and impatiently muttered under his breath, “I will kill you when I get the chance.”

Don’t do that.

“Fucking watch me, Edward.” Rilon walked back over to his bed and sat down with an exasperated sigh. “Fucking. Watch. Me.”

He fell back, bouncing briefly, then closing his eyes. Silently, he prayed that Asiah hadn’t heard any of it. Hopefully he was asleep like he had promised.

“Sleep sounds nice, doesn’t it?” He felt drained, even though he had been awake for twenty minutes, if that.

Within moments, after he had closed his eyes, Rilon felt himself slip into a possibly endless darkness.