Chapter Text
A subtle floral scent lures Sanemi from his slumber, and he once again finds himself in an unfamiliar bed, positioned like a corpse in a coffin with his hands folded against his stomach, blanket pulled up to his abdomen. His head hurts and for a moment, he feels as if he’s not in his body. His arms and legs feel groggy and uncoordinated as if his muscles aren’t wrapping around his bones correctly; as if bandages were not properly wrapped around an open wound. He doesn’t dare to sit up yet, disoriented mind too focused on how cozy that smell was and how comfortable the mattress felt under him. The room is only illuminated by one or two candles he could see flickering in the corner of his blurred vision. Their mellow scent serves to relieve his tension a bit, but not much as the events of what happened prior quickly rush back to him like a sharp gust of frigid wind.
That’s right. There were those adults surrounding him, saying strange things and acting all familiar. And he still had not one clue on where his family is.
Snapping from his stunned state, Sanemi clampers up into a sitting position, his priorities once again set on finding his family. As he does, he quickly realizes his clothes had changed from that strange uniform earlier into a seafoam green set of clothes, consisting of a modern button-down and loose pants that looked akin to something worn at hospitals. Had he been captured and put into some sort of asylum?
“Ah, you're awake!” That familiar, gentle voice chirped once more causing his head to snap in that direction. The lady of shorter stature, around the same height as his mother, was sitting at her desk, inking something on a piece of paper with a brush, her butterfly haori now draped on a wooden coat rack. What did she say her name was? Kochou?
The young Sanemi hesitates to answer at first, his teeth clenched into a firm gate which would let no sound out. Could someone so unassuming be an abductor? This lady looked so kind and gentle with her more informal appearance compared to earlier. Her short hair was now undone, reaching just to her shoulders, and her bangs framed her large, sympathetic eyes, giving her an approachable air. But he supposes he can’t judge a book by its cover. Even people whom you’re meant to trust can end up being horrible people.
Kochou places her brush down and stands up to approach him with steady, soundless steps. “I understand this situation may be confusing, but I’m not trying to hurt you, alright? I’m trying to figure out what’s happened just as much as you are,” she crooned, and for some reason, Sanemi believed her. Something about her tone was so familiar, yet he couldn’t place his finger on it, given that he had never met this woman before in his life.
“Where is my family?” He asks sharply, body tense. He feels a horrible sense of dread settle in the pit of his stomach as he recalls that dream he had about his mother. He could still see her battered body, her sharp claws trying to plunge themselves into his flesh…
That had to be a dream, right?
Kochou’s expression softens at his question yet the corners of her lips remain curled. A thick tension settles between them. Despite her outwardly seeming calm and wearing that sterile smile, Sanemi knows better than to believe something so fake-looking. He’s seen that expression numerous times before after all. Mainly, from his mother.
“May I take a seat?” Kochou says, motioning to the edge of the bed. Sanemi feels conflicted, gaze alternating between her face and that spot on the bed. It was a bit too close for comfort, but Kochou’s resolve didn’t waver, even when he glared at her silently, wishing she would just tell him already. Somehow with her eyes wide open, smiling sweetly like that, it felt like she was returning his pointed look. Without much choice, Sanemi stifles a disgruntled sigh and nods curtly.
He doesn’t look at her, but he feels the slight dip of the mattress as she sits down. And for a moment it’s silent as if the lady was trying to prolong something. He hears her exhale sharply from her nose. “I don’t know how to tell you this,” she starts, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder to get his attention. His head snaps in her direction, a deep frown on his face which was meant to look intimidating but only came out as gross concern. “Genya will return in a few days. Currently, he is on a mission with some others but we’ve sent a letter making him aware of your condition. As for your other siblings…” Her hand gives a tiny squeeze to his small shoulder, and Sanemi is already expecting the worst. “They passed a long time ago, Sanemi. I’m sorry.”
Sanemi lashed out at Kochou, getting up all in her face to call her a mirage of names in very colorful language.
“You’re a shitty liar, ya know that? Ya expect me to believe that bullshit? Don’t fuckin’ play with me, lady!” Those were only a fraction of the things he had accused her of, hands bundled into hard fists and vein protruding from the side of his neck. Meanwhile, Kochou only continued to give him that saddened look, as if she somehow understood how he felt. He hates that look. Wordlessly, she exited the room and Sanemi made a show of slamming the door faster than she could, nearly catching her fingertips in the doorframe.
“They’re alive, damnit! Don’t lie to my fuckin’ face!”
That rampage lasts for a good ten minutes of Sanemi just standing on the other side of the door, yelling until his vocal cords feel that they would rip if another syllable haphazardly falls from his throat. Despite his volume, Sanemi can hardly hear his own voice or any insults he throws out, the drumming of his frantic heartbeat, and the ringing of his ear drowning out everything else. Panic, that's what he felt.
The panic of his worst fears being presented to him on a rusty platter, the panic of him losing the only people who brought him purpose in this hellhole carved out by his father. It felt like all his dedication and love were being crushed between the fingers of some higher being who never did him any favors in the first place. He doesn’t even know if Kochou is still standing there or if he’s just yelling into thin air at this point. Or perhaps he’s yelling at himself, wishing that his words would come to fruition.
There was just no way.
He wants to say that he just saw them a few hours ago. That he had gone out looking for his mother and that they were safe at home. He remembered patting their little heads and giving them a great big hug before he left, leaving Genya in charge. But logically, he knows that there is a gap in his memory from the time he left to when he woke up in this strange place. How long has he been out? And what could’ve possibly happened…?
If something actually happened to them, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.
Genya. Kochou said that Genya is coming back soon. That’s who he needs to speak to. Someone who he could trust with all his heart and someone who couldn’t possibly lie to him. He wouldn’t leave this room until Genya was on the other side of this door. He won’t believe a word out of that witch’s mouth unless Genya reciprocates…
Unless Genya reciprocates that their siblings are truly dead.