I was lying topless on a beach mat, a parasol standing next to me, protecting me from the sun.

Misaki was lying on a beach chair, basking in a bikini in the sun.

That day was really hot, almost like the average day during summer.

Kaori was playing volleyball with Harumi, they both seemed to be having fun.

I was staring at Misaki's assets with the corner of my eye. "Damn... her husband must be fortunate..."

"Inviting my daughter to join you two today was very kind of you, Shoji-kun. Thank you for that." She said kindly, catching me off-guard.

I shook my head and smiled awkwardly. "I just thought that she must be very down because of the condition her brother is currently in, so I wanted to brighten her mood a little... Tho I was surprised when you came here alongside her, Misaki." I said.

She took off her sunglasses. "I just wanted to ask you about what exactly happened to my son. Last time, our conversation was very chaotic, and I barely remember anything... So do you mind telling me everything yet again, or is it an uncomfortable subject for you?" She asked calmly.

"Yeah, I can tell you. After all, it's about your son... Tho I have a condition..." I looked into her eyes.

"And what is that condition of yours?" She raised her eyebrows.

"You won't tell anyone, especially Carmilla Hoshin,o about it, and you won't be trying to find the one responsible for all of that, no matter what." I said firmly.

Her voice turned slightly colder. "You're basically asking me to stop trying to help my son, are you sick, Shoji-kun?" She asked.

"No. I just don't want any more people to be hurt. If you start searching for this woman who did it, you will be stepping into lands that you cannot comprehend, lands where death is the least painful penalty. In other words... you will be killed, and you'll also put your daughter and husband in danger, which I cannot allow as Haruki's best friend." I said even more firmly than before.

"So basically, you want me to stop caring for my own son just because you don't want to feel responsible for that? Do you know how selfish that sounds, kid?" She asked coldly.

"Huh?" I was stunned for a moment. "No... you know that I just want to he-..."

"You have spent some time in a mental hospital eleven years ago, didn't you? What were you, like three?" She asked coldly.

My eyes widened. "H-How do you know...?" I asked in terror.

"I felt that something was off about the way you were acting in the hospital. Yes, you were frightened and scared, but not at the level Carmilla was..." She said.

"Th..."

"It looked like you've experienced worse losses in your lives... that's why I told my husband to contact the police in Poland via Interpol..." She put her sunglasses back on.

"Please... stop... don't say it..." My voice was frightened and shaky. Tears were welling up in my eyes.

"I'd never let Haruki be friends with you if I knew what you did... a .500 S&W Magnum Caliber fired using a Smith and Wesson Model 500..."

"STOP THAT!" I stood up and screamed at her in anger and grief.

Her sunglasses fell onto the sand, revealing her cold eyes. "You were taken into a mental hospital and have been on many interrogations; tho you kept claiming that they were trying to kill your sister... that they were possessed by some evil spirits"

I fell to my knees and started crying like a child.

"You try to be human, being selfish, doing things you would never do... but deep inside you know... no matter what was the reason... a killer will always be a killer... not a human... but a killer... that's the reason you're attracted to another killer." She said coldly as she stood up from her beach chair.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in confusion.

"Carmilla has already told me everything, and she also typed out some people from your surroundings that she suspects..."

"...And the girl who was waiting for you in front of the hospital was one of them based on what she did." She said.

I looked up at her, still crying. "No... it can't be Layla... she isn't the kind of person to do something like that..."

"Carmilla confessed everything to me. That she is a demon, who that girl 'Layla' is and what she did... and she swore on her life... that she will avenge my son." She said.

"Misaki..." I said quietly.

She then kneeled down next to me and hugged me softly. "Listen, I'm not mad at you. I just want you to realize how everything looks like from my point of view. The truth is that I believe you, I believe that you shot your parents to protect your little sister... and I know that you will find that person who did it to my son." She said softly.

"Then what? What do you want from me, Misaki?!" I roared in frustration.

"I want to hear everything; I want to hear the truth about what happened eleven years ago to you... I just want to help you... from what I know, you must be under a lot of stress... so tell me everything..." She hugged me even tighter.

I hugged her back, still crying. "Fine... I'll tell you..."

"Do you really want to do it, Yokubo? Think about it for a moment... or just lie to her, pretending that you've accidentally done that..." Taida's voice said in my mind.

"No... no more lying... I don't want to lie anymore... fuck liars... fuck me... why should I even lie when she knows everything... maybe... just maybe she will understand me..."

-11 Years Ago, Częstochowa, Poland.-

The sun was setting.

I was standing on the pedestrian crossing, waiting for the light to change.

"Daddy, Daddy! Look, look!" I pointed at a sports car that drove by in front of us.

My father- a gray-eyed man with black hair who had a Revolver in an IWB Holster, smiled softly and patted my head. "Yeah, that's a nice car, isn't it, Shoji?" He said softly.

I jumped in excitement. "When I am big like Daddy or Big Brother, I will buy a car like that! And I will drive Mommy, Daddy, Kaori, and Konrad home!" I said with a huge smile on my face.

The lights changed, indicating that we could cross the road.

"Where is Big Brother anyway?" I asked curiously.

"He's barely even home lately!" I added.

"Konrad is at the church, little man. He needs to be studying hard at all times, so when he is back home, don't bother him that much, okay?" My Father said, flicking my forehead softly.

"Okay! I understand, and I won't bother, after all, I'm a big boy, unlike Kaori, who's a silly two-year-old!" I pushed my chest out and smiled pridefully.

"Haha~!" My Father laughed. "It's the third of October today, your fourth birthday is in two weeks, yet you already consider yourself a four-year-old~?" He asked, smiling softly.

"Yes! That's because when I will be four, I will be a big boy! And I need to do what older people tell me to do because that's what smart boys do~!" I looked up at him, and he patted my head again.

"You're a good boy, Shoji. Remember to always listen to your Daddy and Mommy, okay?" He asked softly.

"Yes! I love Mommy, Daddy, Konrad, and Kaori, even tho she is more annoying than nice!" I hugged his waist tightly.

He pulled my ear softly. "Don't speak about your sister like that, Shoji." He said.

I jumped in surprise at the ear-pull. "Hmph... why?" I pouted.

"Kaori is still a kid, and you shouldn't be mad at her, she mostly doesn't even understand what she's doing." He said firmly. "Besides, big boys always forgive their little sisters, no matter what they do or say~! That's an important trait of an adult, it's called 'Forgiveness'~" He smiled again.

I took his hand as we continued walking down the sidewalk. "Really? Really?" I asked with big eyes.

"Mhm!" He nodded. "Very, very important!" He said.

"Then, then... when we are back home, I will hug Kaori soooo much! And I will tell her that I really love her and that she is the best sister ever!" I said with excitement and determination.

"A lot better!" He patted my head.

Later at home.

It was a typical Polish apartment, nothing less, nothing more.

I immediately smelled the scent of something good coming from the kitchen, so I ran off into the kitchen without even taking my shoes off.

"Mommy!" I said with a wide smile on my face, hugging my mother tightly as she was humming a song while cooking something.

My mother was a beautiful woman. She had hazel eyes and long dark brown hair, just like Kaori.

She looked down at me and patted my head softly. "Oh!" She smiled. "Already back home?" She then looked at my shoes. "Why didn't you take your shoes off, young man?" She asked.

My father stepped into the kitchen, walking up to us.

"Because I wanted to hug you, Mommy! I wanted to do it all day because you were still asleep when Daddy took me to kindergarten!" I said with a wide smile on my face.

"Good afternoon, Honey." My father said softly. He was clearly still in love, even after so many years of marriage.

"Finally back, Darling~" She kissed him softly and then looked down at me.

"Shoji, why won't you go take off your shoes and jacket, and then Mommy will set the table, Hm?" She poked my nose softly.

"Okay, Mommy!" I said as I ran out of the kitchen, taking off my shoes and dropping my small jacket on the ground.

I grabbed my crotch. "Oh! I need to pee! Quick!" I started running towards the bathroom.

"Ahh... a lot better!" I said as I was peeing into the toilet.

Suddenly, a shiver ran down my spine, and then another one, and another one.

"Oh? That's weird..." I said to myself in confusion.

Another wave of shivers ran down my spine.

"It's weird! I don't like this feeling at all!" I stomped in frustration.

I heard the sound of someone crying coming from the kitchen.

"Kaori is crying again! Why can't she grow up and stop!" I pouted as I washed my hands and left the bathroom.

As I was getting closer to the kitchen, another wave of shivers ran down my spine, and Kaori's crying got even louder than it was. "Something is wrong-..." Suddenly, the sound of a bullet being fired went off from the kitchen.

"What?!" I ran into the kitchen. My eyes widened as I saw a pool of blood on the ground.

Kaori was in the corner of the kitchen, curled up into a ball on the floor, crying loudly, my father's Revolver was lying near her.

My father was lying against the counter, a pool of blood underneath him as he held my mother tightly.

She was holding a blood-stained knife in her hand and seemed to be struggling. Her shoulder was shot.

I began crying as I started walking towards them. "Mommy, Daddy?!" I screamed in terror.

"Don't get closer! That's not your Mommy anymore. I'm also on the verge of being possessed! Take Kaori and run away! Please! Shoji!" He screamed in terror as he was keeping my Mother from going towards us.

"What?! No! Daddy! Please!" I said as I tried to get closer, but my Father screamed at me even louder. "Shoji! Remember what you told me earlier?! That you will do what older people tell you to do?!" He said and then smiled softly as my Mother stabbed him again.

"Let me go! Stupid human!" She roared in fury.

I took a couple of steps back, ending up right next to Kaori.

"So Shoji... listen to what Daddy says... take Kaori... and run away before you lose the chance... to..." He said softly, but then he closed his eyes.

Kaori was barely conscious of the shock and terror, so I hugged her tightly.

"Daddy?! Daddy?!" I screamed, pleading for him to answer.

They both stood up at the same time, their wounds healing in a blink of an eye. Their eyes were empty, just as if something was controlling them. "Finally found you... Nakamura Shoji... now... come here... come with me..." They said at the same time in the same monotone voice.

"NO! NO! NO! PLEASE! MOMMY! DADDY!" I screamed in terror, my tears dropping from my chin.

My Father suddenly tackled my Mother and held her head right in front of his. She was holding out the knife in my direction. It was dangerously close. "Shoji... listen... take my Revolver... and shoot... I can't... I can't fight it anymore... Mommy and I are suffering... help us, Shoji... Take it and shoot..." My Father said, as his voice was getting weaker with each second.

I slowly took the Revolver with the most hesitance I ever felt. It was very heavy.

I leaned it against my knee and pointed it at my Mother's forehead. "Good boy... now... pull the trigger... just do it... save yourself and your sister... and take care of her..." He said as he started shaking.

"Mommy... Daddy... I'm sorry... I'M SORRY!" I screamed in grief as I closed my eyes.

"I WANT TO HURT THEM... THE SPIRITS... THE GHOSTS... THE SOULS THAT TOOK OVER MOMMY AND DADDY... DISAPPEAR... DISAPPEAR!" I screamed as I pulled the trigger with both my hands. The recoil was so strong that the Revolver hit my rib.

The bullet perfectly pierced through their heads, killing them instantly.

I dropped the gun in terror; my hands were shaking, and I started crying even louder than before.

Kaori was about to look at what had happened, but I hugged her tightly, covering her eyes. "Don't look... don't look Kaori... I love you... you're my best sister ever... so don't look... don't look!" I said as I felt the blood touch my knees.

"S...Shoji..." Kaori said as she hugged me back.

I heard the front door being opened aggressively, and then my older brother Konrad ran into the kitchen.

He was a tall teenager, somewhere around 185 cm tall. He had grey eyes and short dark brown hair.

He looked at the corpses of our parents and then at us.

He ran up to us and hugged both of us tightly, his eyes full of tears. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, you two... I was too late! I WAS TOO LATE!"

Back in the present time. I wiped my tears and looked into her eyes in grief.

"And that's how it all went... since that day, every time I see blood... I am constantly reminded of that day... I remember it completely... everything... it's like a curse that I cannot break... and I deserve it... it's all my fault... those ghosts or whatever were searching for me... not for Kaori... not for Konrad... but me..." I tightened my teeth in grief.

Misaki hugged me tightly and kissed my forehead. "You poor thing... I expected something bad... but not something like this... I'm sorry... sorry for making you relive that moment again... I just wanted to know... if you really care..." She said with self-disappointment in her voice.

"What... what do you mean?" I asked in confusion.

"I am a psychiatrist... I can tell when people lie, especially teenagers... I just wanted to see if you'd lie to me... because if you would... then I'd think that you don't want to really help my son... but now I can be sure... if you've been honest to me about something like that... then there is no way you would be lying by saying that you care about your friend... but you need to remember one thing, okay?" She asked softly.

"Remember what?" I asked.

"That it's not your fault... I'm sure you've been told that many times... and people who told you that were right... nothing was your fault... it was just something that happened to you, rather than because of you... don't blame yourself for being there because you should be happy that you were able to save at least one person you loved." She said, smiling kindly.

I teared up again and finally hugged her back. "Thank you... you don't know how much that means to me... Misaki..."

With the corner of my eye, I saw Taida just standing here in utter disbelief and surprise.

"Yokubo... is that..."