I flinched in the room, hearing the incoming footsteps. I grabbed a baseball bat I had in my room and prepared myself for the worst. “Your home,” Otou-san said gleefully.

I was left confused, what was this person trying to do? Act as if nothing had happened?

“Clean up the mess outside,” Otou-san said, cleaning the blood splattered on his face.

I acted instinctively and almost nodded to his orders. It was a habit of mine I had developed as his obedient son. “N-no,” I said for the first time. I internally scoffed, I couldn’t believe myself to be debating over helping or not. That was my Okaa-san out there dead on the ground, killed by my own Otou-san.

What could I do?

I flinched as I saw Otou-san approaching me. He grabbed my face, saying, “Put that bat down, or I’ll have you sold. I might even blame the murder on you. My son”.

Just then, Reina called out from behind. “Oni-chan, I've almost finished my ice cream. Can you take me out of here? I’m scared”.

There was nothing I could do, hopeless, I just let it be. I dropped my bat on the floor. “Good boy, now let your sister finish the ice cream peacefully,” he said.

I couldn’t help but scrunch my face in disgust at the man. It was as if my face was glitching I couldn’t control the grin and the disgust I had on my face. This man was such a lousy murderer, he couldn’t even clean up the body himself and left so much evidence.

Otou-san clicked his tongue. “That was the best you could do, how pathetic,” he said before I saw him walk away.

I dropped to the floor. Not knowing what kind of expression I was making. Even though I pretended to overlook things in this household, I couldn’t live with a murderer, well, it was bad for my reputation as a loner. I had to figure out how to make the bastard crippled or in prison. I knew I couldn’t call the police since if I did, as a guardian and the murderer he was, he could blame me. That couldn’t happen.

I turned to open the cabinet behind me and couldn’t help but notice the wide smirk I had on my face in the mirror attached next to the cabinet. Reina clutched my shirt as she came out of the cabinet. “It’s ok,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. I had caught him red-handed. Ever since Reina was born, I knew how unsatisfied he was with Okaa-san I thought sooner or later they would divorce, but to think he would kill his wife.

I busted out laughing. “Hahaha”. “Oni-chan, what happened? Why are you laughing?” she said.

“I’m just happy we don’t have to listen to him anymore,” I said, patting her head. She nodded, enjoying the mere attention she received.

I stood up, walked outside to the living room, and saw the flinching body of Okaa-san. She was still alive from the stab wound; the bleeding wouldn’t stop. The floor near her was drenched in blood.

She gasped as she saw me approaching. “Do the thing I wasn’t able to do. Protect your sister from that monster”, she said, weakly breathing heavily in my arms.

Why? I thought she didn’t care for Reina. However, seeing the Okaa-san who had taken care of me for all these years vanish in front of me was something I’d remember all my life. She was the only person who I had not despised, even though I was a peculiar kid…she cared for me.

“You children deserved better parents than us,” Okaa-san said, grabbing my wrist weakly. I nodded at her and closed her eyes, not wanting to see her struggle. “Sorry, Okaa-san, for not being a better son,” I said with soulless eyes.

I sat there for a few minutes, making sure Okaa-san passed peacefully, but I couldn’t help but look back, noticing Reina staring right at me. Wasn’t she blind?

“Oni-chan, please read this book for me,” she said with the usual cheerful eyes. I nodded, smiling, there was no way she knew what was happening. However, If I could go back now, I wish I had noticed the things I had overlooked that day.

A year later. Reina and I lived in a new, fancier apartment in central Tokyo since we had received money from the government after Otou-san was arrested. Trust me when I say I couldn’t forget the look he had in his deep black eyes when he was put in prison.

There was no way they were going to pardon him after I had submitted the evidence of Okaa-san’s murder. When I took down the hidden cameras from the apartment and handed them in, everyone was shocked, especially the police. They took the body with them, and the murder scene was cleaned up by them. Our old apartment had been broken down since no one wanted to buy a cursed apartment.

With the money given by the government, I had also tried to see if they could cure Reina’s blindness however, unfortunately, they said it was incurable even with eye donation that she would remain blind all her life.

I pretended to be sad at the hospital, but honestly, I didn’t care. Her blindness was an advantage for me; things were made easier for me. I still insisted on the act, and because of that, they admitted her to the hospital for two days.

In the hospital room, Reina, lying on the bed, asked me, “Oni-chan, have you finished the book I gave you to read?”.

“Yeah, it was a good book,” I said. I did read it; it was quite a boring book, though the fighting scenes were awesome.

“I’m glad you liked it,” Reina said, fidgeting with her fingers. “Um, could you read it to me, Oni-chan, when we go home?” she said.

“Yeah, sure,” I agreed since it wasn’t too much of a hassle.

“Yay!” She cheered. “I had been looking forward to the book, but since there was no audiobook, I was quite disappointed,” she explained.

I nodded, smiling, appearing happy for her.

As we were talking, the hakase walked in; I was quite surprised since it was the first day of admitting. Did they complete the tests already?

I bowed to the hakase, and we exchanged greetings then he finally broke the news he had come here to tell. “I don’t think she’ll be able to receive the eye donation even after we ran through more tests…but still do not lose hope there’s still one more exam left. But just in case you need to prepare yourselves”, he said as he broke the news.

I was honestly shocked just what kind of disease did this little girl have? Why was it so deadly? I didn’t know how to feel at the moment.

The hakase bowed politely and walked away, not wanting to disturb any further. I leaned back in the chair, sighing.

“Oni-chan, can you please move me towards the window?” Reina requested. It had been a while since she’d requested anything. I nodded, taking out the wheelchair. I helped her on it and moved her towards the large window in our hospital room.

Reina gazed at the sky in deep thought. I also realized that she seemed to be quite grown up, but she didn’t show a reaction even when I told her we would live separately from our parents. I was right; it didn’t affect her, she didn’t even shed a tear. It was to be expected since they treated her almost like dirt.

“Oni-chan, can you explain to me what this world looks like?” Reina asked with a look of melancholy.

What had gotten into Reina was that she had never acted like this. Was she affected by the news the hakase gave us?

“Sure, the sky is blue and bright. There are soft cotton-candy-like blank white clouds in the sky. Bright green trees and grass swaying from the harsh wind. Kids are playing outside with the soccer ball, and some patients are eating snacks while watching them.” I described the yard, which was seen through the window.

“You care for me, right? Oni-chan?” she asked, glancing at me as if she’d known I was pretending all along. Though I smiled as usual and told her how much I loved her. Like I would do anything for her.

“Arigato, Oni-chan. Only you’re here for me in this world”, she said with her pure black eyes staring right at me. Starting to feel a bit uncomfortable, I avoided her eyes.

“Ne, Oni-chan, you’re sure you read the book, right?” she asked me again, her voice turning deeper.

I nodded, and before I knew it, a knife was lunged at my throat. Reina grinned, “Oh, It’s the same sound I heard when Okaa-san was here. I wonder what happened to her”.

Reina’s whole eyes turned black as if she had been possessed by a demon. I staggered, took the knife out of my neck, and pressed my finger against it, trying not to make the blood flow like a fountain.