Seijuro glanced over his shoulder, "Come on! Hurry up!" His blue haori flowed behind him.
His voice echoed through the stone corridor as he and his little brother pressed deeper into the tomb. The place felt endless, the walls twisting into darkness, the air thick with dust and silence. Seijuro, seventeen, walked briskly with a faint smile creased the corner of his mouth. Ren, eight years old, followed him every time.
Seijuro's long dark-brown hair was tied back in a small ponytail and his light-brown skin glistened faintly under the lamplight. Ren, wearing a smaller version of his brother's outfit, looked up at him with wide, fearful, brown eyes. His dark hair was messy and dirty, "Brother… do we have to do this?"
"Quit crying," Seijuro muttered. His tone was light, We'll leave once we find something valuable. What's there to be scared of?"
"It's dark… and so quiet…"
Seijuro sighed. "If you don't stay quiet, I'll leave you here, and Jashin will come for you."
Ren gasped and nodded quickly, fighting back tears. Seijuro raised the lamp and aimed it down another hallway. Murky water shimmered back at him, rising to about his hips, "Climb on my back," Seijuro said,
"What?! You're going through that?!"
"Yes. We don't have a choice. Dad always came back with something shiny. Maybe we can, too. Mom needs help, the will's money is gone and…" He stopped himself before finishing, "maybe this can pay off her debts."
Ren hesitated, then whispered, "But what if…"
"If there's nothing down there, we'll come back. I promise." Seijuro held out his pinkie.
Ren wrapped his around it and managed a shaky smile, "Okay… I'll do it."
He hesitantly climbed onto Seijuro's back, closing his eyes as his brother stepped into the cold water, "Hey," Seijuro said after a while, his tone softening. "You alright back there?"
"Y-y-yeah," Ren said, barely convincing himself,
"I was only kidding, you know, about leaving you here. I'm not Dad."
"I know," Ren muttered. His voice on the verge of tears, "Just hurry, please."
Seijuro began to moved faster. The lamp's beam glided over the walls and uneven ripples on the water's surface. Up ahead, the passage forked in two, "How about you choose?" he asked lightly, trying to ease Ren,
"Me?! Okay… umm…" Ren glanced both ways. "Right."
"What made you choose that way?"
"The water's lower that way."
They were about to head right when a heavy thud echoed from behind them. Both brothers froze and looked back. The sound came again, louder this, "...Brother?" Ren whispered,
"Don't look back," Seijuro said quickly, walking faster toward the right corridor. His tone shifted to something more shaky and his smile vanished.
The water grew shallower, as they hurried through the narrowing corridor until they reached a solid wall, "Damn it! A dead end!" Seijuro cursed, punching the stone,
"Brother…" Ren began, voice trembling.
Seijuro didn't answer. He slammed his fist again, and this time, it cracked through the wall. His eyes widened as he peered through the hole and saw another hallway beyond it. His hope flickered back to life. "There's another path! If we just…"
Ren tugged at his shoulder, his legs and arm clinging onto Seijuro's back tighter.
Seijuro turned to look at his brother. From the faint light of the lamp, he could see his brown skin had turned paler, nearly as white as snow. He followed Ren's terrified gaze. In the water they had crossed, two pale dots floated just above the surface, "Eyes…" Ren whispered.
Seijuro charged at the weakened wall. It began to crumble under each hit, dust raining down on them as a deep growl echoed, getting louder and louder.
With one last strike, the wall gave way, and he sprinted through, Ren clutched tightly to him. The lamp slipped from his hand and splashed into the water, snuffing out the light. Darkness swallowed them. The sound of the creature thrashing behind filled the tunnel. Seijuro ran blind, slamming into corners and walls, guided only by instinct and Ren's whimpers against his shoulder.
Then something crashed into his legs hard from behind and they buckled. Ren tumbled from his back,
"BROTHER!" Ren screamed.
Seijuro spun just in time to see the beast's jaws snap onto Ren's torn shirt. He lunged forward, seizing his brother's arms,
"HOLD ON! I'VE GOT YOU!"
Their eyes locked, Ren's wide and wet, Seijuro's burning with panic. He pulled as hard as he could. Seijuro's gaze tried to look behind him, frantically trying to get a glimpse of whatever it was. The cloth ripped and both boys fell backward through a crumbling section of weak floor. They hit rough stone, rolling through debris before coming to rest.
For a long moment, neither spoke, only their ragged breaths filled the silence. Ren crawled to his brother and clung to him. Seijuro held him tight. Their hearts still pounding, "You okay?" he asked softly. Ren couldn't speak, only nodded, "Looks like we weren't followed." Seijuro exhaled and looked around, his grey shirt and green hakama pants now covered in mud.
Faint purple light flickered to life around them, torches burning along the walls of a circular chamber. At its centre stood a chest. Seijuro's eyes widened. A smile crept onto his face, "Finally… something. Maybe we can use this to help Mom."
Ren tugged at his sleeve again, pointing toward the passage behind them. He shook his head repeatedly, as tears threatened to spill over, but Seijuro continued forward. His eyes fixed on what could be treasure, "Don't worry. Let's just see what's inside." He approached the chest and pushed.
The lid groaned, sliding open inch by inch until it fell back with a hollow thud that echoed through the chamber. Seijuro leaned forward and his expression froze. The chest was empty, "How? I was so sure…" he whispered, voice cracking.
He sighed, now completely defeated. "Okay, Ren, you win. We can…"
He turned and his blood ran cold. Ren was gone, "Ren?" His voice echoed off the walls, "Ren, where are…"
A shadow shifted near the torches. Seijuro spun around. His brother dangled in the grip of a cloaked, tall figure, draped in dark purple cloth. His face was hidden beneath his hood. Only the glint of his eyes could be seen in the torchlight.
Before Seijuro could react, an unseen force slammed him to the ground. His chest crushed against the stone. He let out a gasp as air was forced out his lungs. Panic set in when he saw the curved blade at the man's waist and Ren struggling in his grasp, "Please… don't hurt him…" Seijuro managed to whimper,
"You freed us, correct?" the man asked, his voice low and heavy, like stone grinding against stone,
"Yes! Just… don't hurt him! That's all I ask!" Seijuro's heart pounded in his ears.
From the edges of the chamber, seven more figures emerged,
"Shall we reward him?" asked the woman with the curved blades,
"Kill him," said the red-eyed teen, his grin widening, "What's the use of keeping them alive?"
"Quiet." The cloaked leader's voice cut through the air like a blade, "Boy… you are free to go."
Relief flooded Seijuro's body. He scrambled to his knees and bowed. "Thank you. Thank you so much. Ren, come on…"
He turned toward his brother, but Ren didn't move. The cloaked man still had him pinned by one arm, "I said," the man repeated, his tone colder, "you are free to go."
Seijuro's stomach dropped. "Please," he whispered, taking a step forward.
An invisible pressure lifted him off the ground and crushed against his ribs. He choked, eyes widening,
What… what is this?!
"Did the master say you could speak?" sneered the woman beside the shadows.
Her hand hovered in the air, clenched tightly into a fist, "He gives you mercy, and you talk back."
The cloaked man spoke again. "Let him down."
She loosened her grip, and Seijuro fell, gasping for breath, "Please," he begged, crawling toward Ren, "I'll do anything… just let him go."
"Brother…" Ren whimpered.
Their eyes met, both filled with tears,"As you wish," the leader murmured.
He released Ren, but placed his hand on the boy's head before letting go. A deep hum filled the air. Ren convulsed, falling limp to the floor,
"Ren!" Seijuro shouted, staggering forward.
Ren's head lifted slowly. His face had vanished replaced by a jagged grin of exposed teeth. His body melted into a swirling purple shadow,
"Ren… no!" Seijuro tried to grab him, but the creature that had once been his brother lunged, slamming into him with inhuman force,
"Come, my subordinates," the cloaked leader said, turning away, "We leave this wretched place."
The others dissolved into mist, the old woman's cane tapping once before she vanished, the shadow women slipping soundlessly into the walls. Only the leader lingered, watching Seijuro struggle beneath the creature's weight,
"Good," he said softly, a faint smirk hidden beneath his hood but Seijuro could see it, "At least you'll die before you can regret the choice you made today."
And with that, he faded into the dark, leaving Seijuro fighting for his life against the shadow of his own brother.