1 Chapter 1 - The Awakening

Seijuro glances at his watch.

"Come on! Hurry up!"

Seijuro yells at his little brother, Ren, as they continue deeper into what seemed to be a never ending tomb. The 17 year old had always been into exploring abandoned or restricted areas and his little brother Ren, despite hating it had always followed his lead. Seijuro had long, dark brown hair, tied into a small ponytail. He stood at a height of 5'10. His eyes were brown, and his lips were pink. His skin was light brown, and shined brightly. His clothes were slightly muddy, the brown stains covering his grey top and his blue haori. Ren was 8 years old, his hair and were black and he wore a blue haori and grey top, similar to his older. He looked up at Seijuro, with a fearful look in his eyes,

"Brother.. do we have to do this?" Ren looks up at his older brother, with a fearful look in his eyes,

"Quit crying! We can leave once we find something valuable! What's the need to be scared for?"

"It's dark.. and very quiet.." Seijuro let's out a sigh upon hearing his little brothers concern,

"If you don't be quiet I'll leave you here and Jashin will come for you."

Ren gasps upon this and nods trying to hold back some tears in his eyes. Meanwhile, Seijuro shines his lamp down another hallway, revealing some murky water which is up to his hip. He then turns around and looks down at Ren, who is still trying to hide his fear.

"Ok you're going to need to climb onto my back."

"What?! You're going to go through that?!"

"Yes. We don't have a choice. We have to find something down here that has to be valuable, father always used to come back with something shiny. I have to help mother some way or another since we used up all the money from grandmothers will and.. ever since father…" He shakes his head a bit, not wanting to upset his little brother,

"Maybe by doing this, we can settle the debts she owes."

"But.. what if.."

"If there isn't anything there then we'll come back. I promise."

Seijuro extends his pinkie towards Ren and he then looks at Seijuro interlocking his pinkie with his and says with a confident look,

"Ok! I'll do it.."

Ren climbs onto his brothers back hesitantly, wrapping his arms around his neck, his legs around his waist and closes his eyes, while Seijuro trudges through the water.

"Hey…" Seijuro whispers to Ren in a less demanding voice.

"W-what is it?"

"You alright back there?"

"Y-y-yes I am.." Ren says very hesitantly, still trying to contain his fear.

"You know I was only kidding… about leaving you here? I ain't father, so don't worry."

"I know, just hurry up with this please"

Seijuro, hearing how much fear was in his little brothers voice, began to walk a bit faster. The light from the lamp now was showing a split of two paths. Seijuro now reaches the end of the current hallway they were in.

"How about you choose?" Seijuro says light-heartedly trying to make Ren feel better.

"Me?! Ok… ummm…" He glances in both directions,

"Right…"

"What made you choose that way?"

"The water is lower that way."

Just as they were about to walk right, a large thud can be heard from the path behind them and both brothers whip their heads around and then glance at each other. As much as Seijuro wanted to act brave, he began walking in the opposite direction at a quicker pace not looking back. The water was now low enough for Ren to walk through, so Seijuro places his younger brother next to him. Despite Seijuro disliking his brothers cowardly behaviour, he didn't hesitate to hold his hand when he offered it to him, as they walked through this last path, which would suddenly come to an end.

"Damn it! A deadend!" Seijuro exclaims.

Ren looks at his brother with sadness and then opens his mouth to speak,

"Brother…"

Seijuro doesn't reply and keeps punching the wall in anger. However, his anger turned into one of shock when his arm suddenly penetrates straight through the cracked wall. After pulling his arm out, Seijuro peaks through and sees the hallway continuing. Instantly, his hopes are lit back up.

"I see another hallway! It's just past this wall. We just need to…"

Seijuros sentence is interrupted by Ren, tugging his top, who is starring wide eyed at something down the corridor they came through. Seijuro follows his line of sight to see a pair of eyes, in the small body of water they had just passed. Ren finally musters the courage to speak and whispers the words,

"Eyes…"

In an instant, Seijuro would scoop his younger brother up and begin barging into the wall, which with every strike the beast would move closer. The wall falls and blinded by pure instinct, he takes off running with Ren in his arms, not caring where this path leads. In his panic, Seijuro had dropped the lamp, however this was the least of his worries. He continues running, almost slamming into every corner, Rens whimpering and the creatures heavy thumps getting closer only makes Seijuros speed increase.

The beast is able to trip his legs with his snout and Ren falls out of Seijuros arms.

"BROTHER!" Ren screams in anguish, as the beast had snapped its jaws on his top.

Seijuro grabs his brothers arms and begins pulling with all his might,

"HOLD ON! I GOT YOU!"

He locks eyes with his younger brother and sees the fear in his eyes, which only makes him pull harder. The tug of war between the two, causes Rens shirt to rip and Seijuro and Ren to fall back. The impact creating a hole and they tumble into it, falling into edges and after what seemed ages, hit the bottom.

Ren immediately hugs Seijuro and Seijuro returns the hug, holding him tightly, trying his best to comfort him for what he had just been through.

"You alright?" Seijuro asks in a reassuring tone.

Ren still too scared to speak. He just nods and this time, stays very close to his brother as they stand up,

"Looks like we weren't followed."

They look around to see they are now standing in a circular room, with purple torches lighting the room and in the centre lies a chest. Upon seeing it, Seijuros mouth curls up into a smile and he runs toward it,however he's stopped by Ren, who's pointing at the exit.

"Let's see what's in it. I have finally found something. Something we may be able to use to help mother.."

Despite Ren still being shaken up and hesitant like he normally is, he loosens his grip and Seijuro begins trying to slide open the chest. The lid begins to move slowly with each push and finally… the lid slides off creating an echoing thud throughout the room. Immediately, Seijuro glances inside the chest and his face becomes one of confusion and despair as he realises its empty.

"How? I was so sure.." Seijuro whispers silently to himself. He lets out a sigh of disappointment.

"Ok Ren you win, we can..." Seijuro turns to look at his younger brother, however to his surprise, he is no longer there.

"Ren? Ren where are…" Seijuros eyes widen with shock, as he turns back around, only to see his brother in the grasps of something, a figure with dark purple clothes with a cloak covering his face

Before he can even answer, he is thrown to the floor, not knowing what it is that's causing him to be pinned to the ground in such a way. Fear begins to grip him once he notices the man with a katana on his waist and he begins fearing for Ren,

"Please don't hurt him…"

"You freed us, correct?" The figure speaks in a deep demanding tone and keeps his grip tightly on his brother,

"Yes! Don't hurt him that's all I ask!" Seijuros heart beats quicker as his eyes widen.

7 more figures surround him, an older woman with what looks to be two blades on her back, two twins, who look no older than Ren himself, a teenager with blood red eyes and a sadistic smile on his face, an old lady using a walking stick to move with a soul-piercing glare, another teenager, this time a woman and finally a young man emerges behind him, appearing out of nowhere,

"Shall we reward him?" The woman with the two bent blades asks,

"Kill him. What's the use of keeping them alive?" The teenager with the bloodshot eyes exclaims with that same smile on his face, his voice filled with malice,

"Quiet. Boy… you are free to go." The figure demands with in a cold tone.

Seijuro let's out a sigh of relief and can now stand up and bows in respect,

"Thank you... Ren come on…"

Seijuro looks back to see Ren not moving and he then looks up to see the figure staring at him with a stoic look,

"I said... you are free to go..."

Seijuros heart drops and he begins walking up to him, but he is suddenly lifted into the air and feels his body being crushed by an invisible force,

What?! How are they.. able to do that?!

"Did the master say you can talk? He gives you mercy and you talk back." The teenage woman is holding her hand up and seems to be the one doing this to him,

"Let him down Marisa." The same figure holding Ren, who looks to be their leader demands, in the same cold tone.

Seijuro falls to the floor and begs,

"Please… let him go… I'll do anything…"

"Brother..." Ren whimpers and both brothers can only stare helplessly at each other with tearful eyes,

"As you wish." The figure then let's go of Ren, but before he leaves, he grasps the top of his head and Ren begins twitching, while falling to the floor.

"Ren!"

Ren looks up at Seijuro, who's face is now gone and replaced with just teeth and what was once his body is now a purple shadow. To his shock, Ren pounces on Seijuro, leaping onto him with immense force, while Seijuro could only resist.

"Come my subordinates, we leave this wretched place." The figures all disappear, however before their leader leaves he locks eyes with Seijuro.

"Good thing you will die, before you can regret the decision you made today."

The figure says with a slight smirk on his face, before disappearing completely, leaving Seijuro wrestling with what used to be his little brother.