Chapter Text
Idia tries to hold back a grin.
Will you look at that—there are stars dancing in Ortho’s big, bright, sparkling yellow eyes.
“Whoa....”
It truly looks like as if actual stars—the ones that spread across the real sky miles above this tiny land resided on the deepest part of the ocean, of course, not the man-made sky that towered over their heads—are twinkling in his eyes, accompanied by little sparkles dancing in its corner. Ah, his little brother is no doubt the most adorable creature on the whole planet. The whole cosmos, even.
“T-t-these are...! These are the... T-t-t-the...!!”
Idia finally breaks into a grin. “The Super Mega Ultra Extremely Rare Hard-to-Find Star Rogue Limited Edition Sneakers?”
Ortho squeals and starts bouncing uncontrollably, hugging the shoebox even tighter into his chest. Idia’s grin softens as he watches the little boy’s flaming hair flicker in excitement. “B-b-b-b-but—!! All of them are already sold out, right!? And they said, the company said that, t-that they won’t be making this super mega ultra-rare edition anymore!!”
“Mm-hmm, they did publish a statement like that.”
“So how–” The younger of the two gasps dramatically. “NIICHAN WHAT DID YOU DO.”
“Well Niichan always says that there’s nothing Niichan can’t do,” Idia puffs his chest out proudly, both hands on each hip. “That includes getting my hands on The Super Mega Ultra Extremely Rare Hard-to-Find Star Rogue Limited Edition Sneakers that’s no longer sold anywhere in the world anymore. You’re welco—whoa!?”
“THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!” Ortho tackles Idia’s stomach with a scream, nearly making both of them sprawled across the ground. “YOU’RE THE BESTEST BROTHER EVER, I LOVE YOU NIICHAN!”
“Okay, okay, enough with the shouting...!” As much as he finds Ortho’s enthusiasm adorable, his ears might seriously start ringing from all the screaming. Idia ruffles that fiery hair lovingly, “And I love you, Ortho. Sorry it took me a while to get them. The transaction was a liiitle harder than expected…”
“No no no don’t be sorry! It’s a MIRACLE that you can get them in the first place!!” Ortho says, tightening his hug. “You’re the bestest, Niichan.”
“Bestest, huh? Hihi, I like the sound of that!” Idia envelops Ortho in an equally tight embrace. “Anything for my baby bro.”
“But these must have cost a lot, right...?” Ortho buries his face even deeper into his brother’s stomach. The flickering of his fiery hair is weaker now, mirroring the boy’s mood. “There must be so many zeros...”
“Ah... Niichan didn’t spend a single Thaumarks, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Ehh!?” That made Ortho pull back in shock. “NO WAY. You mean you got these sneakers FOR FREE!? No wait, earlier Niichan said ‘transaction’...?”
“I did say that, yeah. It’s not uncommon to make an exchange for goods or services without using money,” Idia explains, patting Ortho’s head as he does. “There are things more important than money to some people... That’s why Niichan was able to spend zero Thaumarks on those sneakers. I exchanged them for information.”
His answer, as expected, is met with his little brother tilting his head in confusion. “Information...? But why...”
“Yup. An extremely top-secret information that only Niichan can retrieve. Err, of course Dad and Mom could pull it off easily too, but that’s not the point.”
It takes a few seconds for Ortho to put the two and two together. “OOOHHH. You’ve been hacking again didn’t you! That’s why you’ve spent more and more time in the study room these past weeks...!” And then, with a quieter voice: “That’s why you refused to play with me so many times... Because you’re busy hacking a security system somewhere to get super top-secret information so that you can exchange them with my dream shoes...”
“Fuhihi. I prefer the term information gathering, but yeah, that’s pretty much what happened! I ended up making changes there and there to strengthen this one company's security system though... It's kinda pathetic that I was able to get the info so easily and I thought, yeah okay I could do some charity work... In the end it's a win-win-win situation for everyone involved."
"...you are so cool."
"Like I said, anything for my baby bro~!” Idia’s smile turns mischievous, “Could it be that you’re lonely because we don’t play Star Rogue as often as we used to anymore, hmm?”
“...maybe just a little...”
Idia’s face fell. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Ortho...”
“Nooo don’t be sorry, Niichan, you’re doing this for me! I’m the one who’s sorry... You went through so much trouble for me...”
“Hold up—why are you sorry!? I did this because I want to, dummy. And because you’re the bestest little brother in the world.” Idia’s tone is serious, but those bright yellow eyes look warm. “Besides, it’s only natural that top Star Rogue players like us own a Super Mega Ultra Extremely Rare Hard-to-Find Limited Edition merchandise, right!? I have my t-shirt, and now you got your sneakers!”
“...mm! Thank you, Niichan! I’m gonna take a gooood care of them!” Ah, good, the stars are back now—Ortho’s eyes start sparkling again. “I’ll wear them all the time too so they’ll keep me company anywhere and whenever I go on adventures! Just like how the Hero goes on an adventure with the Pegasus spaceship!”
“Oooh very nice, very nice! You’re definitely a hero material, Ortho, and starting today those sneakers will always be there to witness your journey!”
“YES YES YES! I’ll wear them ALL the time, even to bed!!”
“...err let’s not do that, okay? We don’t wanna get dirt all over your bed.”
“I’LL CLEAN THEM FIRST OF COURSE!! THERE WON’T BE ANY DIRT ‘CUS THEY’LL BE SUPER CLEAN.”
“Pfftt —ahaha! Okay, okay, no need to shout...!” Idia shakes his head in defeat. Kids and their simple thought process... Oh well, anything that makes his brother happy. “Alright, Hero, how about you put them on now?”
“OKAY!”
And so the Shroud brothers crouch down on the soft mat of their playroom. With slightly trembling hands, the younger starts unboxing the Super Mega Ultra Extremely Rare Hard-to-Find Star Rogue Limited Edition Sneakers, while the older of the two watches over him in amusement. Idia can feel his own heartbeat going quicker, though—unwrapping a present is always an exciting experience, even if he’s the one who prepared the present this time. Or maybe he just can't help but get excited too when the legendary Star Rogue is involved...
After deeming himself mentally prepared, little Ortho finally opens the space-themed shoebox and uncover the treasure inside.
Both of them gasp in unison.
“There’s... Little wings on each side...!” Ortho whispers in awe, looking very much like he’s seconds from exploding. “It's Pegasus... Pegasus’ wings...! Niichan, there’s Pegasus’ wings on my sneakers! Look look look!!”
Idia whistles. That is SO freaking cool. “It looks even more awesome than the photos… And you can IMMEDIATELY tell that the material used is top-quality from the first glance! Fuhihi, that’s Star Rogue for you!” His smile widens as he asks, “Want Niichan to put them on for you?”
“No thanks, Niichan,” Ortho shakes his head in reply. Still whispering for some reason. Huh, come to think of it, his brother looks like he’s in some kind of trance. Idia fully understands though—if there’s someone who’s even more of a Star Rogue geek than he is, it’s Ortho. “It’s okay. I can put them on myself.”
“Hmmm. You sure?”
“Hey, what’s with that tone! I’m not a kid anymore!” Aaand the trance spell is broken just like that. “I just turned eight two months ago! I’m a big boy now!!”
“Right, sorry,” Idia sighs dramatically. “That’s right, Ortho’s a big boy now, huh... How could I forget that little Ortho’s a big boy now... He's already eight now, how old...”
“WAAAAAAHHHH now you’re just making fun of meee!!”
“Pfftt—hahahahaha!”
.
Several minutes full of screaming and laughter later...
The two brothers are now on their feet facing each other, donning the most serious look on their faces. Little Ortho with both hands on each hip, Idia with his arms crossed.
Eventually Ortho breaks their intense staring contest. “So. How do I look?”
Idia furrows his eyebrows. Bright yellow eyes scan his little brother’s figure up and down thoroughly like he’s doing a fashion appraisal, staring particularly long at the brand-new sneakers. Still looking serious as ever, he finally gives a thumbs-up: “Like a hero. You know what – even cooler than Star Rogue’s Hero.”
Ortho squeals and starts jumping again. “No waaaayyyy he’s the coolest person in the whole cosmos! I can’t be that cool!!”
“Fine, just a liiittle less cool than the Hero but still super cool anyway! You’re cooler than Niichan, that’s for sure.”
“NO WAYYYY my Niichan is the COOLEST!!”
Is he not the most adorable!? Idia wants to scream it to the whole island, no, to the whole world if possible. Everyone on this planet ought to know that his baby brother is the cutest.
Idia’s starting to get embarrassed for real, though, and it's making his impulsive go-to-solution to deal with praises kicked in: use provocation for diversion. “Oho~? Is that so? So Niichan is even cooler than the Hero, hmm? I see, I see, so that’s how it is, I’ve always known how cool I am but sheesh, even more so than the Star Rogue’s Hero? I see...”
Ortho’s smile disappears in an instant. “Don’t get too carried away.”
“What the–” Idia bursts out laughing. Ortho’s words caught him so off guard yet his shock can’t last for another second, because, the way his little brother delivered it was so deadpan it’s ridiculous. The way Ortho’s sparkly eyes and expressive baby face turned blank, devoid of any emotion is so—Gods, Idia can feel another laughing fit coming. “Hahaha, oh, you little...! Pfftt where did you learn that phrase, huh!? You looked so- ahahahaha!”
Ortho breaks into a smile—his widest smile today, because nothing makes him happier than seeing Idia laughing heartily like this. And the way his big brother’s blue flames are flickering so lively... It really is a pretty sight. “One of the secret enemy bosses said that line when we hit them with big damage, Niichan, don't tell me you forgot!”
“Never do that again Ortho, you almost gave Niichan a heart attack… Pffttt your face was so...! Ow, my sides hurt...”
“That’s what you get for being annoying! Bleehh!!”
.
“I feel like I can start flying if I run fast enough with these on,” Ortho sighs dreamily. He hasn't stopped moving his little feet for some time now. “Look. LOOK at those wings! So cool.”
“It is cool. Don’t run too fast though, we don’t want you hurting yourself.” Idia ponders for a moment. “...you know we can just ride the Chariot if you want to fly, right, Ortho.”
“But I wanna fly with Pegasus wings! It's different. Just riding the Chariot is boring.” This time it’s Ortho’s turn to ponder. “...do you think they’ll ever make an actual Pegasus spaceship? Whoa... That'll be SUPER awesome.”
“An actual real-life size Pegasus spaceship, huh... That does sound awesome,” Idia nods in agreement. It’s not unlikely, given how popular Star Rogue is nowadays. There might be an exclusive Star Rogue exhibition that displays a real-life size Pegasus spaceship in the future, he’s sure of it. “Or maybe, y’know... I could just. Modify one of the Chariots and model them after the Pegasus spaceship. Install the three different colored beams in it as well, of course, 'cus we gotta make it as close to the original.”
“YOU CAN DO THAT!?”
Idia grins. It gives him so much joy to be the receiving end of Ortho’s never-ending explosive energy. “We’ll be needing a bunch of resources and it'll probably take a lot of time since we gotta plan it thoroughly... But yeah, I can. It’s not impossible.”
“You really are the coolest...” Ortho gapes in amazement. “Nothing is impossible when it comes to my big brother... Wow. That’s so cool. You’re so cool, Niichan...!”
“F-fuhihi! My hair's gonna get all weird and pink if you keep saying that, little bro, so enough of that o-okay? …and, even if it’s not impossible, let’s settle with the Pegasus sneakers for the time being, ‘kay?”
“OF COURSE!” The younger of the two jumps to his feet. “Ooh let’s go on an adventure now, Niichan! Let’s go to the garden to find the evil Chronos army and make them taste defeat!”
“N-now!?”
“NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT!” Ortho replies as he starts running around their playroom. He’s quoting another Star Rogue character... His little brother is really such a geek. “Let’s go, Niichan! The whole world—no, the whole cosmos awaits us! Let’s go let’s go let’s gooo!”
“Oh.. Um,” Idia rises to his feet as well, though looking nowhere as enthusiastic. “You go on ahead, Ortho, I gotta go to the main room now for the Cerberus System Project meeting... Dad said he wants my opinion on some things.”
That got Ortho stopping on his tracks. “Awww. Does it have to be now?”
“Y-yeah... I’m so sorry, Ortho. We can play tomorrow though! My schedule should be free for the whole day, so...”
“You once said project meetings are boring, right?” Ortho walks up to his brother to grasp both of his hands. “Soo rather than doing boring things, we should head to the Lilium Garden and start our strategy meeting on defeating the Chronos Army! And test my new Pegasus sneakers of course! You can just answer Dad’s questions through the tablet!”
“...I can just attend the meeting remotely...?” Yellow eyes widen in realization. “Remotely...! You’re so right, my little brother is such a genius, why didn’t I think of that!?”
“Hihi~! I'm a genius 'cus my big brother is a genius!” The eight-year-old starts skipping to the door. “C’mon c’mon let’s go! I wanna try running with my Pegasus sneakers! Let's have a race, Niichan!”
“Just be careful not to trip! Wait, lemme grab my sneakers first...”
“‘Kaaaaay!”
Aaand there he goes, Idia chuckles in defeat. He really can’t say no to Ortho, can he? But then again, what kind of an older brother would so easily say no to their younger siblings? Sure, Idia will have to be a little stricter when Ortho turns a bit older, but all he wants to do now is to spoil his kid brother to his heart’s content and grant his every wish. ...Idia has a hunch that this feeling won’t change even after Ortho turns older, though.
But attending the meeting remotely is a little...
Idia ponders for a moment. His father won’t be pleased, that’s for sure, but then again he’s the one who needs Idia for the project. So it’s only natural for the old man to give into Idia’s whims, right? It’s not like Idia begs to be involved in S.T.Y.X.’s biggest project or anything... And Idia hates having all eyes on him every time he speaks up to state his suggestions and objections in the meeting. It’s so uncomfortable. Why didn’t he ever think of attending the meetings remotely!? Ahh, his little brother really is a genius.
Idia is still rummaging through the brothers’ shared shoe rack when he notices something from the corner of his eye.
There's... there's a chain.
A long, long black chain—
—attached to a shackle that’s cuffed around his ankle.
Huh?
“Niichaaaan why are you taking so long? You’re really such a slowpoke sometimes!”
Idia gasps. He whips his back to see the playroom’s closed door—Ortho sounded like he’s just right outside, his voice echoing throughout the long corridor.
“O-one second, Ortho! I’ll grab my old sneakers real q-quick!”
“Come onnnn.”
He’s trembling. Idia could feel the trembling of his knees, he sees the tremor on his knees now that he’s back to staring at his legs. His yellow eyes blinks repeatedly, trying to make sure he’s not seeing things. This... creepy thing that’s attached to his leg, why is it attached to his leg? And the chain, the chain is so long, why is it so long, how far does it go and where does it end?
Idia is too scared to find out. He refuses to raise his head, to see where the chain ends. Just—what kind of joke is this? Since when has it been attached to his leg? Why didn’t he realize it sooner? And the biggest question is why is it attached to his leg in the first place!?
(It’s like—like the ones on a prisoner—!)
Slowly, Idia closes his eyes. He takes three deep breaths to calm himself down, just like how he always does every time he feels panic building up inside. Just like every time he’s about to speak up amidst the suffocating atmosphere of S.T.Y.X.’s meetings. That’s right, deep breaths relax the mind, helps the brain to think clearly—and thinking clearly is what Idia needs now, instead of panicking unnecessarily.
That’s right, calm down, just calm down first, Idia whispers to himself. Focus on thinking rationally and start assessing the situation. Let’s begin with the weirdest thing about the whole thing: why can’t Idia feel anything, even though he clearly sees that black shackle around his leg?
Idia takes another deep breath. Yeah, that’s good, he can feel the gears on his minds starts running again. He should be feeling the coldness of the metal on his skin, the weight of the shackle, anything. Right? If he sees them but doesn't feel them, sees things that are not actually there... Does that mean he’s just hallucinating? Is that it?
Idia takes an experimental step backward.
Huh. No rustle of the chain, no coldness on his ankle, nothing. Because... there's actually nothing...? So what’s the explanation for all this? Is he dreaming? Or is he really hallucinating from the lack of sleep?
Idia admits he’s been pulling too many all-nighters recently, trying to perfect his research for the upcoming Culture Fair. Ah, that's not it, the content of his presentation is already perfect—he’s been busy trying to come up with another 5-star equipment to conquer the unplayable difficulty that is public presentation, that’s what he’s been doing. Something to go along with his newly created text-to-speech software to make that awful yet unskippable quest more bearable...
Idia blinks.
Wait, what’s this about a Culture Fair...? And what research presentation...
Just what the heck was he thinking about? He’s about to go to the flower garden with Ortho and attend the Cerberus System Project meeting remotely, isn’t he?
My mind is so all over the place... Yeah okay maybe I really am seeing things, Idia nods as he comes into conclusion. He’s determined to get a proper sleep tonight, no more of this creepy chain hallucination—but as of now, he needs to concentrate on the major task at hand: find his old sneakers so that he can race Ortho to the garden.
Now that Idia’s head is much clearer, it doesn't take long for him to find the worn-out, greyish blue sneakers. He wasted no time in grabbing them and straight up bolts towards the door, screaming, “I got ‘em here, Ortho! Let’s go!”
“Yeayyy! Let’s go let’s go let’s gooo!”
“Fuhihi, aren’t you a little too excited for— ah!”
Idia yelps as he’s abruptly jerked back.
That actually hurts! Idia winces, trying to balance himself. Just what did he trip over? Did his pants get caught into one of their toys, or perhaps the shoe rack? That was quite the force just now, as if something was holding him in place—
Idia’s blood runs cold.
There's something... cold around his ankle.
Something cold that weighs his leg down.
Like metal.
He can actually feel a metal cuff around his ankle.
No, Idia scolds himself. What am I so scared for? There’s nothing down there, my brain is messing with me because I haven’t been sleeping enough, that’s it, all I need is a quick power nap and everything will turn back to norma—
A rattle.
Idia hears it crystal clear, just now; there was a sound so eerily similar to a chain rattling when he took a step forward.
“W-what the...!”
“Niichan, you okay?” Ortho yells again from outside, though sounding a little farther than before. Seems like he’s already at the end of the corridor, decided to wait by the elevator. “Oh no, did your sneaker’s soles come off like my old ones?”
“N-No, Ortho, Niichan’s fine! Y-you can head to the garden first if you want to. I’ll catch up in no time, okay?”
“Noo I wanna go with youu.” Ortho is still sounding a little too far from Idia’s liking. “It’s okay, I’ll wait for you here! We’ll go together.”
“O-okay then.” Oh, Ortho, bless his sweet little brother. “Wait for me, ‘kay? We’ll... go together, like we always do.”
“Okaaayyy!”
A smile found its way to Idia’s trembling lips, despite still being creeped out by the whole situation. Hearing Ortho’s cheerful voice, no matter how far, is everything he needed to stay calm. It gives him a warm sense of comfort, like a security blanket, like a promise that everything’s going to be okay. That Idia is going to be okay.
Nothing is impossible when it comes to my big brother. Ortho said that before, didn’t he? That means Idia will be freeing himself from this creepy shackle in no time, hallucination or not.
That's right, Ortho is still waiting for him outside, insisting to wait so that they can go together. That alone gives Idia plenty of courage, and so he crouches down to examine the creepy thing even closer. The quickest way to break free is, of course, to poke around the keyhole and unlock the cuff. He’ll need something like a bobby pin or a paperclip, something just as tiny—
Yellow eyes widen in realization.
...there’s no keyhole found anywhere in the cuff.
Idia gulps. He doesn’t like the implication one bit.
It is as if... as if someone put this shackle on Idia with no intention of ever freeing him.
Stop that! Idia yells at himself for thinking something so disturbing. Start thinking of other ways to escape instead! Don't think about anything other than how to break free! Think about how to leave this place as soon as possible, dammit, Ortho is still waiting outside!
What should he do now? Break the chain with force? Seems like it’s the only plausible option, although Idia's well aware he's got no strength to do so. Maybe... laser beams might work? That’s right, why didn’t he think of it? He should just call for a CHARON’s assistance from the beginning, firing a laser beam should be an easy task for them, right?
And seeing that they’re also responsible for maintaining the safety of HQ, Idia should ask them whether there’s any reports of suspicious behavior or intruders breaching this facility, because someone definitely put him on these chains without him knowing—
“Niichan, are you done?”
“J-just, just give me a minute, Ortho, t-there’s something I need to do real q-quick!”
Ortho. Ortho is still waiting for him, his little brother, he’s been waiting for so long...
Idia realizes he’s trembling and sweating so much now, too much—he’s getting so paranoid now he can’t even think about taking deep breaths, let alone trying to find a solution. It’s like he’s being forcefully strapped down on a Chariot that’s moving at a horrifying speed, blatantly aware that the brakes aren’t working the whole time; all he can do is helplessly sit there engulfed in fear, dreading the inevitable crash that could happen any second.
I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared I'm scared I'm scared I'm scared I'm scared–!
“Niichan?”
...Ortho.
That was... Ortho’s voice, just now. He’s still here, still waiting outside. He sounded so close now, just right outside the door. Probably bored out of his mind despite still sounding cheerful as usual. Oh no, he made Ortho wait too long, what kind of a big brother is he!? He couldn't make Ortho wait any longer than he already has! He needs to get out of here as soon as he can, he needs to get rid of this chain fast. What kind of big brother would Idia be if he ruined his little brother’s first adventure with THE Star Rogue limited edition sneakers? The worst big brother ever in existence, that’s what he’ll become—HE NEEDS TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW.
There’s no time to call a CHARON. Doing so will only make Ortho wait even longer, that's not good, he can’t make Ortho wait any longer, can’t waste his little brother’s time even more than he already has! And so Idia grabs the nearest thing to him—anything, whatever that is, anything within his grasp will do since he can’t move any further than this—and starts pummeling it to the chain.
BANG.
C’mon, c’mon, break now damn it, if I bash it a little stronger these chains will surely break, I need to put in more power–!
BANG.
“N-Niichan!”
BANG. “Not now Ortho!” Idia yells back, still trying his hardest to break the chain. It’s still not breaking, I gotta bash it even stronger, c’mon, COME ON you stupid arm...!
BANG.
“Niichan is a bit... preoccupied at the moment, but we’ll definitely go on that adventure right after this, I promise, just give me a second...!”
BANG.
“Niichan, that’s not it!”
BANG.
“We’ll go... together... okay!? Just like we promised! But I need to... get rid of this... thing... first…!”
BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
...it’s still not breaking.
Idia halts. It just dawns on him; this long, long chain attached to the cuff around his ankle... Where is its other end connected to? If he keeps getting jerked back every time he tries to take a step, it must be because the chain has reached its maximum length. It keeps holding him back from leaving this place, so... Where is it connected to?
The playroom’s wall?
No, the chain is so long it goes beyond this room.
...this room? What room? Where is he at now, anyway?
What exactly is “this place”?
Why can’t he leave “this place”?
Idia grits his teeth and forcefully steps forward. The chain jerks violently in response and Idia pulls his leg again and again and again and again, as hard as he could, and it hurts. It hurts so much and he still can’t move an inch from where he stands, still stuck in this place—he’ll be stuck in this place forever, is that it? Is that what this is all about!?
He jerks his leg for the nth time despite knowing it’s futile, and that’s when Idia finally realizes he’s not in the playroom anymore.
It’s... dark.
The air is cold and suffocating and it’s dark. Idia thinks he sees something blue in the far distance, flickering like flames. He's really sick of blue flames.
Somehow, in the darkness, Idia is still able to see the black chain attached to the cuff on his leg. It stretches far, far away into the distance, and desperation turns to horror when Idia finally realizes where it leads to.
It goes down into a huge, gaping hole that reeks an awfully familiar scent—the scent of blot.
...it goes down into the Tartarus.
Tartarus. The underground prison where phantoms from all over the world are put into a deep slumber when they're not being tested at. The seemingly endless pit that leads to the “graveyard” of the Titans; the very first phantoms that came into existence thousands of moons ago.
And the eldest son of the Shroud family knows exactly what lies at the bottom of it all—The Gate of the Underworld.
The Gate...
Are these chains... connected to The Gate?
Are these chains… keeping me from getting too far from The Gate…?
Fool, a voice calls from the inside of Idia’s head, a voice that sounds too similar to his own. This is nothing to be surprised about—you’ve known about this your whole life, you should’ve known what this is all about, why act like you just had a rude awakening now?
Idia blinks, and thinks, ah, that’s right. How could I forget?
His life, his everything, is already set on stone from the moment he was born.
And The Fates... have long since turned their gazes away from him, from them, from the sinners who are cursed for eternity.
That’s right, Idia whispers to himself. No matter how much I deny it, there’s no escaping this reality—I must spend the rest of my life here, in this cold, dark and gloomy place far beneath the surface, away from the sun’s touch, because this is my destiny, because this is what we deserve.
I must guard The Gate just like Dad, just like Grandma and everyone else did in the past, until my time is up, until they decide I have done enough. Because it’s my duty as a Shroud.
Because that’s what I am, what I will always be; a Shroud, a sinner. And this undying blue flame that is passed down our bloodline, it symbolizes the Gods’ Curse, a constant reminder of our sins—that’s right, I’m one of the sinners, of course I can’t leave this place, how could I forget such a simple thing, how could I even think about leaving this place?
Why did I want to leave in the first pla—
“Niichan!”
Ah.
Ortho’s calling.
It’s Ortho, Idia’s dim yellow eyes widen. I remember now. I want to leave this place because of Ortho. I need to leave this place because Ortho and I, we’re going on an adventure together.
They were about to head to the Lilium Garden, weren’t they? They were about to leave Oceanus Hall and head outside because Ortho wanted to test his brand-new Star Rogue sneakers. Going on an actual adventure in the outside world seems like a far-fetched, unreachable dream, but both of them are content with playing hero like this. It’s enough, if they have each other. It’s more than enough, as long as they have each other.
That’s right, Idia remembers now; he was at the playroom, rummaging through their shared shoe rack, searching for his old sneakers as his little brother waits outside. Ortho has been waiting for him so patiently all this time, just right outside the playroom, because he insisted that he wants to go together with Niichan.
I need to leave this place , Idia concludes. He can think clearly now that he has calmed down. But I can’t even move another step because this stupid chain is in the way.
Idia crouches down and stares blankly at his cuffed ankle. He notes how the skin around it has turned into an angry shade of red, littered with several cuts and scrapes as a result of all the pulling. It hurts a lot, Idia blinks, finally registering the pain. He seems to have forgotten about the throbbing pain of his wounds because he was too focused on trying to break the chain.
“Niichan!”
Ortho’s calling for him again. He's still waiting outside, how long has his little brother been waiting? How many minutes—no, how many hours has passed?
“Niichan!”
Idia needs to go. He needs to go now, there's no time left, he can’t waste any more time than he already has. Yet the chain isn't breaking no matter how hard he hits it... Maybe it is impossible to break. Maybe the chain is made to be unbreakable, for the same reason why there’s no keyhole found in the shackle. Because they put the shackle on Idia with no intention of ever setting him free.
...ah,
If the chain can’t be broken, maybe he should just cut his foot off?
Just a straight cut here, right above the ankle. Yeah, that should work, he’s been looking at it wrong this whole time—the chain won’t break and there’s no keyhole to be unlocked, of course the only solution is to cut off his foot entirely.
“Niichan!”
Sure, it will hurt, but if it’s the only way then why not? It will be messy and won’t be a pretty sight, no doubt about it, but as long as he’s able to cast the perfect spell to stop the bleeding right away, everything will turn out just fine. It will be painful, but the pain is very much short-lived compared to being chained for eternity, no? He’ll need to build a prosthetic to replace his foot afterwards too, of course, and it might take a while to get used to it, but isn’t that a small price to grasp his everlasting freedom?
It’s decided, then.
It’s okay. There’s nothing to be scared of. He can do this, of course he can; he’s Idia Shroud, the promising prodigy in technomantic engineering, the gifted heaven-sent genius who can do anything. What was it again that Ortho said earlier? 'Nothing is impossible when it comes to my big brother'—
“NIICHAN! HELP!”
A panicked scream shatters Idia’s train of thought.
His little brother’s scream.
“NIICHAN!”
“O-Ortho!?”
“NIICHAN!!”
Something’s not right–! “It’s okay Ortho! No need to worry, Niichan's here with you, okay!? Just give me.. a second...”
Idia gasps.
There’s something at the end of the corridor.
Something is growling from the shadows. Something big and menacing. It’s a creature, a monster engulfed in pitch-black liquid, in ink, its size increasing as it approaches. Idia feels sick all of a sudden, like he’s about to throw up any second—the mere sight of this disturbingly familiar black shadow violently unlocked a godawful memory that has been sealed shut—...
...familiar?
Why does the monster seem familiar?
How did Idia end up out here, in the corridor?
...ah.
That monster was—the one from that time—
That means Ortho is—
The small body that was lying at his feet is—
“ORTHO–!”
Idia sees red, and all hell breaks loose.
"ATTENTION. ATTENTION. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. THE HEADQUARTERS’ SECURITY SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY DOWN DUE TO A CYBER ATTACK FROM EXTERNAL SOURCE. ALL CELLS IN TARTARUS HAVE BEEN UNLOCKED, SUBJECT ROS-3367A HAS ESCAPED FROM THE LABORATORY BUILDING. ALL CHARON UNITS, PROCEED TO TARTARUS IMMEDIATELY! ALL NONCOMBATANTS MUST EVACUATE AND PROCEED TO THE SHELTERS! ATTENTION. ATTENTION. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. THE HEADQUARTERS’ SECURITY SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY DOWN DUE TO A CYBER ATTACK FROM EXTERNAL SOURCE. ALL CELLS IN TARTARUS HAVE BEEN UNLOCKED, SUBJECT ROS-3367A HAS ESCAPED FROM THE LABORATORY BUILDING. ALL CHARON UNITS, PROCEED TO TARTARUS IMMEDIATELY! ALL NONCOMBATANTS MUST EVACUATE AND PROCEED TO THE SHELTERS! ATTENTION. ATTENTION. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. THE HEADQUARTERS’ SECURITY SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY DOWN DUE TO A CYBER ATTACK FROM EXTERNAL SOURCE. ALL CELLS IN TARTARUS HAVE BEEN UNLOCKED, SUBJECT ROS-3367A HAS ESCAPED FROM THE LABORATORY—"
.....
....
...
..
.
With a violent jolt, Idia wakes up.
A broken sob breaks out of him seconds after he opens his eyes. His vision is blurry from tears and everything hurts, whether it's the pounding on his head or the tightness in his chest, or the invisible needles pricking on the skin of his feet. He keeps gasping for air as if he was just a hair's breadth from drowning—maybe he is still drowning, because, why is it so difficult to breathe? Why hasn't the burn in his chest died down? Why why why why why—!
BREATHE, a voice screams inside his head amidst the intense panic. A familiar voice, very similar to his own, it is his own. OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND BREATHE. FIND YOUR TABLET. BREATHE AND FIND YOUR TABLET.
Idia chokes on another sob. Everything hurts. Everything still hurts yet he forces his body to move, blindly following the one command that keeps being drilled into his head. Get up and move, find the tablet, his tablet, where is it, he needs to find his tablet, the pain will stop if he can find his tablet, he can breathe normally again if he has his tablet—
Something cold touches his fingers. Something solid yet thin, a rectangular device, it's his tablet. It glows blue when Idia hovers his palm over it, giving access after recognizing his magic energy. It takes Idia a few moments until he realized his hand is moving on its own; fingers tapping the screen with no hesitation albeit trembling, inputting a particular, familiar command. It is as if his body is moving on autopilot.
And then he hears it.
“Ending Sleep Mode abruptly. Total energy charged: 67%. Activating Technomantic Humanoid “ORTHO”. System will start in a moment. ... Complete. Good morning, Niisan! Huh, according to my calculations, there should be several hours left until the scheduled wake up time...?”
Bright yellow eyes identical to Idia's widens, and Ortho crosses the room in a split second. “Niisan, did something happen!? Are you hurt!?”
“Ortho,” Idia calls, voice small and hoarse. Ah, it's much easier to breathe now. “Ortho.”
“I’m here, Niisan! I’m here.” Ortho’s voice. It really is Ortho, Idia notes absentmindedly. “Begin scanning now...”
“Ortho. Come closer.”
Ortho complies, eyes still wide from the scanning process. “Scanning complete. An increase of activity in the prefrontal cortex is found. Autonomic nervous system is highly disrupted, causing irregularity in heartbeats, shortness of breathing, and several other drastic changes. Signs of dehydration are found as well. ...Niisan, I'm here! It's me, Ortho, your little brother! You're safe with me, I'm here for you. Let's take a deep breath and do it slowly, okay?”
Idia quietly reaches for Ortho, instead of replying. The pounding on his head is still there, still hurts, but he tries to breathe. Idia breathes and breathes as he wraps his arms around his little brother’s back, around Ortho's cold, hard, machine of a body. No matter. This is Ortho, this is his little brother, machine or not. Ortho is still Ortho, his little brother, his everything.
Ortho is floating lower now, enabling his whims, letting Idia hug him even closer, tighter. Idia closes his eyes, resting his cheek on Ortho’s cold and hard shoulder, listening to the whirring sound of his brother’s core. Ah, that's right. This is the sound that proves that Ortho is alive, now, instead of bumps of heartbeats.
And so Idia listens.
He listens and listens, and he breathes as he listens.
Some time passed, since. Idia finally notices that his cheek has turned warm... His entire body feels warmer now, in fact. Yellow eyes blinks as the owner gets more and more aware of his surroundings, and– oh. So that’s what it is.
Ortho, bless his kind and thoughtful little brother, has turned his heating system on to mimic the comforting warmth of the human body—to warm Idia who’s still desperately clinging onto him.
Such a gentle, thoughtful child. Then or now, Ortho is the same as ever.
“Niisan, I have a request.”
“What is it?” Idia finally speaks. His voice sounds horrible, weaker and rougher than usual. “Just leave it to Niichan.”
“I’m very thankful for this body you gave me,” his brother starts. “But I want to be equipped with a softer outer skin. With a soft and fluffy material that could conceal all the hard parts of my body.”
Idia closes his eyes a second time, leaning to Ortho entirely. His little brother’s body is so warm now. It’s nice. Comforting. “Sure. Leave it to Niichan. What brought this on?”
“I want to hug Niisan just as tight too!” Ortho chirps in his usual cheerful voice. Idia loves that the most about him, and the warmth that comes with it. “I want to hug you soooo tight! But I have to be soft first. The current body is perfect for almost everything, but it’s not exactly suitable for hugging. This body is strong, but has too many sharp edges. I don’t want to hurt you.”
How kind. “You can hug me back just fine with this body. It’s not like Niichan’s gonna break.”
“No can do! There’s a 98.7% chance of me accidentally breaking your bones if I am to hug you with ALL my heart’s content with my current body! You should at least be aware how physically weak you are, Niisan!”
“Did you just dis me young man?” Idia pulls himself back just a little to poke Ortho in the chest. He tries not to see that cursed blue flame glowing in Ortho's left chest, where his brother's beating heart should be at. “You’re saying it so nonchalantly rude too... Unbelievable.”
“Ehehe! I’m just stating a fact~!”
“Don’t try to act all cute now.”
“But aren’t you the one who always says that I’m cute?”
“Fine, yeah, you win this time.” Idia flops his body back to Ortho. Then or now, his little brother is the cutest, alright.
Silence fills in before the older of the two starts speaking again. “I’m sorry I can’t go with you to the garden that one time, Ortho. Because I had to attend the stupid meeting.”
“No need to apologize, Niisan! It’s not your fault! And it’s not like you wanted to attend those boring meetings too.” Ortho replies, immediately catching on. Idia had the memory of that day installed to his system.
“But it was such an important day for you. You wanted to try your brand-new sneakers...”
“Ah! The Super Mega Ultra Extremely Rare Hard-to-Find Star Rogue Limited Edition Sneakers, right? Oh how I love those! It’s so cool how the entire design is modeled after the Pegasus spaceship, especially the little wings... I was so happy when you gifted them to me, Niisan!” Ortho pushes Idia gently to grasp his hands with his own. The boy looks satisfied when he finds them much warmer than before. “But I’ve told you so many times that you don’t need to apologize! Sure, I was a bit disappointed at the time, but it’s more than enough that you managed to get the sneakers for me! So no more apologizing, 'kay?”
“Okay." Anything for Ortho. "But I promise it won’t happen again. We’ll go on that adventure someday for sure, okay? I promise. I promise we’ll go together this time.”
“Of course!" Ortho replies with a smile. It's concealed behind the mask, but Idia knows he's smiling; he can tell from that slight crinkle at the corner of his eye. Idia remembers Ortho's everything. "Waah, thinking about it makes me so excited~! But it’s alright, Niisan, we don’t need to go somewhere to be together!"
"We don't need to?"
"We don't," Ortho reassures. "Because no matter what, I will always be with you.”
I will always be with you.
“...okay,” Idia whispers, and tries to believe.
His eyelids are getting heavier as seconds pass. The pounding in his head is still there, but faint, so does the tightness that refuses to leave his chest. But Idia supposes it's alright, even if the pain stays. It’s alright now, because Idia can always breathe easy with Ortho by his side.
Ortho will always be with him, and that's enough reason for Idia to take another breath. “Okay.”