CHAPTER 05

The Mendego twins returned home, arms laden with bags stuffed with various necessities. They knew by the silence that Lukas was gone, and instantly worried how long Akio had been alone. A quick glance at the kitchen clock revealed it was nearly noon - 3 whole hours, locked in his room with only his thoughts as company? Their oldest brother had to be in an absolute mess!

Leaving the bags in the kitchen, they ran up the stairs, hearts beating in fear. When they found Akio sitting at his desk, as calm as could be, a sigh of relief escaped their lips. "Ah, Hiro, Kane, you're home. Thank the gods. I was getting worried. Did you get everything?" he asked, a smile on his lips.

Dumbstruck, Hiro nodded, while Kane searched the room with his eyes. No liquor in sight, so this wasn't a drunk Akio. Something was off though - they could feel it. He was too calm, too composed to have just been left by himself after seeing his lover off, not knowing when they would be together again.

"What have you been doing?" the middle triplet asked in a casual tone, his eyes now picking apart the walnut desk his older brother sat at. Hiro edged closer, taking a peek at the paper that lay on the desk.

"Just a bit of journaling. Nothing exciting, I'm afraid," Akio's voice was completely unnerving in the way that it was so neutral, so devoid of emotion. An olive hand darted out, pushing the notebook paper out of view from prying eyes. He knew he was making his siblings uncomfortable, and they were confused, it was written all over their faces.

Gracefully, he rose to his feet, walking over to the bedside table and reaching into the drawer he opened. His back was turned to his brothers, so the object hidden in his hand remained a mystery as he spoke, "Actually, I'm glad you guys are here. There is something I want you to see, but you have to promise not to tell anyone." Though he wasn't facing them, he could see the twins turning towards each other, faces painted in confusion.

A murmured agreement reached his ears, causing a bitter smile to form on his lips. "I'm not sure you'll understand why I'm going to show you this... but you two are the only ones who could possibly understand. You're my living reflections, younger me's who have been fortunate enough not to make my mistakes."

His voice lowered, "I envy you... more than you'll ever know." With this, he turned, sunlight bouncing off the silver barrel. A small pistol that fit the teen's hand all too well was pointed not towards Akio's brothers, but to his own chest.

"You're lucky, Hiroshi, Kane. You're both beautiful and intelligent, and your talents will take you so far, just like mine would, if I kept chasing our parents' dream. Don't get me wrong, acting has and always will be my first love. Hell, I must be one of the best actors in New York, for no one has noticed the burdens I've been carrying - save for the three most important people in my life; the two of you and my beloved Lukas." Green eyes shone with tears as they lifted to meet the mirror images staring back at him.

A soft lit laced his voice as he sang along with the music the twins didn't even know was playing, "These are the scars that silence carved on me." The tears that had threatened to fall began to cascade down Akio's unusually pale cheeks.

"I'm sorry you have to see this. But it's necessary... you have to grow up, starting now. That's just the way it is, dear brothers. Don't make my mistakes. I know you're in love, and even if you are damned for your so-called sins, never lose sight of each other. You both deserve happiness. Please, live on, cling to what you have, and never give up. Don't be a coward like me."

Now that the dam had broken, it seemed the trail of tears had no end. Hiro and Kane were petrified with fear; their hearts ready to leap out of their throats as their eldest brother raised the gun to his face. "Please, forgive me for my sins, my darling brothers. I love you both, more then anything. And... please... don't forget me when I'm gone."

They knew what was coming; their minds screamed in unison for the twins to move, to do something, anything to save Akio's life. But it was too late, they had ran out of what precious time they had had. Hiro and Kane could only watch on in shock as the only other boy who shared their DNA opened his mouth wide, pushing the barrel of the pistol in as far as it would go.

Lime eyes spoke the words that were now impossible to say. The click of the hammer jerked Hiro back to reality, and he made a grab for Akio, who only stepped back, a sad look in his eyes as he pulled the trigger.

Describing how the bullet pushed through muscle, bone and skin was a task sure to make the strongest souls cringe, yet the scene replayed itself in the minds of Akio�s siblings for the rest of their life, during daylight and in the dark of night. The shot rang clear in the summer air, somehow not muffled by the confines of what once was the teen�s mouth. Last minute, Kane had leapt forward, grabbing Hiro lest the brother turned the gun on one of them.

Blood, gore and pieces of skin splattered over the twins; Akio�s body fell to the carpet with a soft thud laced with a squish. Sinking to their knees, they tried not to look at what remained of their precious nii-chan. But like a train wreck, they couldn�t look away. Hearts splintered into a million shining pieces, flowing into the world as salty tears of defeat. They gave into their sorrow, clinging desperately to each other, covered in blood and the grey matter that had once been Akio�s beautiful mind.

His elegant face had shattered like their hearts, covering the walls and floor in swirls of crimson and grey that was almost artistic. Chips of bone had been flung all across the room, reminding the teens of the shards of a seashell after being dropped to the street by a hungry seagull.

�Akio-chan�� Hiro and Kane keened softly; regret and sorrow wracking their thin frames as they suppressed the urge to reintroduce their breakfast to the world of the living. Eyes red and puffy from crying, faces still somehow deathly pale as earth-shattering tremors shook them from the inside out.

Nearly inaudible in the background, Vienna Teng continued to sing, �She carries the act so convincingly; the fact is sometimes she believes it. That she can be happy with the way things are, be happy with the things she's done��