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Little Suo loved following his older siblings wherever they went. Whether it was the outskirts of the city bustling with merchants, the grassy open field near the river teeming with mosquitoes, or the special library where books from various countries were collected and neatly arranged on old shelves.
Sometimes his short, choppy steps struggled to keep up, and Bacchus would lift the child onto his back. Suo laughed with delight, taking in the view from a different height than when his feet were on the ground.
Then, he started school, began to feel grown-up, and was no longer willing to be carried by Bacchus. “I’m already heavy; Bacchus will end up hunching over,” he said with a serious expression.
“I’m strong! You’re as light as a feather!”
“No way! I already weigh 25 kg!”
“Well then, that’s just like a sack of rice I usually carry from the grocery store!”
Rakta watched the heated argument with a blank expression. Sometimes, he didn’t understand their logic.
Then, time flew by, and before he knew it, Suo was in high school. Bacchus never offered his back again, knowing the teenager would surely refuse. Every now and then, he’d see Suo carrying the little kids from the dojo, and he couldn’t help but accept that his little brother had grown up.
Until he received a call one night while patrolling alone near the logistics warehouse.
“Sun Fei?”
It was unusual for the boy to call first. Suo always preferred to discuss anything via text in the chat, except for urgent matters like limited-supply sweets.
“Bacchus…”
Bacchus felt his heart sink. The voice on the other end was too soft, too weak—like a muffled whimper of pain, with no strength left to raise it above a whisper.
“Where?” Bacchus finally replied. “Where are you, Sun Fei? I’ll come pick you up right away.”
There was no immediate reply, and Bacchus ran his fingers roughly through his own hair in worry. However, after a few seconds of silence, Suo finally murmured from the other end. Softly, faintly, but Bacchus could make it out.
“The bridge…”
Bacchus ran as fast as he could, ignoring the questioning glances from the residents he passed along the way through the neighborhood. He reached the bridge in three minutes—the bridge at the edge of town that was rarely used this late at night because its streetlights were never turned on.
However, that night the moon was full, so Bacchus didn’t need a flashlight to spot Suo, who was sitting with his back against the bridge’s railing. His head was slumped, and he was barely conscious. Still, he stirred slightly when he realized Bacchus was crouching in front of him.
Bacchus quickly checked on his younger brother. There were no stab marks, no gunshot wounds, but cold sweat drenched Suo’s palms, and blood trickled from the corners of his lips. Bacchus felt the teenager’s neck, checking for a rapid, irregular pulse. Then, his finger brushed against something like a needle, and he immediately understood.
Poison.
“Bacchus… can I ride on your back?”
Suo whispered, forcing a smile with broken, incomplete words. Bacchus didn’t hesitate for a second to agree. He hoisted Suo onto his back and ran as fast as he could toward the clinic.
Bacchus could feel Suo’s labored breathing against his neck. The boy’s cheeks were cold, his body limp, and he no longer responded when called.
“Sun Fei? Hey, answer me. You can’t fall asleep yet! You—”
There was no answer.
Bacchus tightened his grip, continuing to run without even pausing to process the information. Even though Suo was growing colder on his back. Even though he could no longer feel the boy’s breath.