The team isolated the beacons they found, and started to search the area in the hopes of finding something important. While Kazuki and Ishigaki guarded the outside, the rest of the team searched the house for something, anything. Kyuuto directly went into Shin's room, and was dumbfounded by what was inside. The room was decorated with hundreds of polaroid pictures taped and hung from the walls. The pictures ranged from people, animals, and the city itself. There were also a lot of what looks like Shin's high school friends too.

Kyuuto gasped when he opened up a drawer near the bed. There were countless family pictures, they ranged from when Kyuuto was still a baby up to before the curse struck. He then took one of them and inspected it. The one with the whole family, when he was still in elementary school. Kyuuto couldn't hold his tears while holding the picture to his heart.

When he opened the second drawer, he found a letter, presumably from Shin. It read:

To Kyuuto, my little brother.

There's a good chance that the moment you found this letter, we're already separated, and that means you are finally able to enter my room. The truth is, I never hated you. I'm happy to have you just like dad and mom are. It was all just an act, so that when you have the chance to fight me, you wouldn't hesitate. As dad believes that if you don't have any emotional attachment to me, you'll fight harder to defeat this curse.

There's actually a lot of things I wanted to share with you. But I don't have much time left, I feel the curse is getting nearer. Ever since I discovered the curse, I abandoned my own future and started to immortalize every moment with my camera. The truth is, I took a lot of pictures of you too. I'm sorry that I took them in secret, for the reason I mentioned above.

Kyuuto, the future is in your hands, you can change it if you have the courage to do it. We're counting on you, brother.

Shin.

Once again Kyuuto's mind was blown, hearing Shin's true feelings through his letter. His mind then races to his father, the fact is that he did not have any particular memory with him. Perhaps because of that, he never suspected him. His thoughts were cut when Rin called from the next room.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

----

"We're sorry for searching your parents' room without you, but we found this," Rin handed a disheveled journal to Kyuuto.

Kyuuto then opened up the pages, as Rin pointed out some important entries. They read:

Something weird happened with Akai today, on the way home, he told me he met himself. I was sure that he was drunk as tonight is Friday night, I was sure he was just went drinking with his friends after work. But he was serious. He even said that he was given the Ookami ring, the one he was so interested about since that day. It's real... I could sense some kind of energy from the ring. He believed that this is the key to defeat the family's curse and see the future in which we could live peacefully.

Kyuuto continued to open the pages to a few days later, it read:

I was attacked by some brats today, I was sure that that wasn't a coincidence. Ever since Akai proclaimed that he'll keep Kyuuto, the death threats just wouldn't stop. I have to protect him with all I have. if the other clan members wanted to alienate us, then so be it. If they want to come and kill us, I'll be ready to fight.

Kyuuto then flipped the pages to a few weeks later, it read:

Akai told his plans to the kids, they were terrified. Koori didn't like his idea at all, he stormed into his bedroom right after Akai told him about the plan. While Shin seemed to have a revelation, and asked about the details even though he looked hopeless.

Will they be alright? Oh God, what have we done? Lord, please forgive me and my husband. From now on the future of this country lies on our shoulders. I hope our plan will succeed... but... what if we failed? Will everything be destroyed? What about Kyuuto? I tried to talk to him multiple times, but Akai's will still couldn't be changed. The only one he wanted... was revenge.

Forgive us, Kyuuto. We love you, we are proud of you.

I'm so sorry.

----

Kyuuto was frozen. Reading his mother's handwriting made his mind race even faster than usual. He once again felt the guilt, the anger, the desperation he felt when the curse first broke out. He could not even stand up, he was forced to his knees, still holding the journal. Rin also tried to comfort him by hugging him. Kyuuto cried again, but there was something clear came to his mind, whoever this doppelganger is, he had been manipulating everyone to achieve his own goal. He was determined to find any way to remove the curse from the world, and hunt down whoever took part in it. But he also had to be more careful, as the truth could leak anytime, and he must survive.

The team then entered Kyuuto's room. While most of it was still intact, some parts of the walls were destroyed. Kyuuto then found the secret compartment he hid in during Yamisuke's attack, and found something peculiar about it. The wall was thin, as his room was directly beside Koori's, but the compartment is larger than the wall itself. How did his father do this?