Warm tears slipped down his face before he even noticed them.
Then memories flooded in without control.
Not one by one.
All at once.
The convenience store.
That tired smile Aron always wore. The way he greeted everyone kindly, even people who barely looked at him.
Even those who treated him poorly. Even those who didn't deserve it.
At first, Zekai didn't understand him.
"Why keep smiling like that?"
"Why keep being kind in a world that only takes?"
It annoyed him. Because Zekai knew what people were like. Kindness wasn't rewarded.
It was exploited.
Yet Aron kept doing it anyway. And somehow… Zekai could feel it.
That little by little, that kindness was being worn away.
Not all at once. Slowly.
Quietly. Like a candle being eaten away by wind.
And for some reason… he hated seeing that.
That was why he approached him.
That day. That stupid little conversation over a drink.
That casual advice he threw out without thinking.
Words meant for someone else, but somehow they fit him better.
Funny. Zekai had given advice he never followed.
But Aron did. And he changed.
Little by little.
The quiet cashier who looked like he had already given up—
started smiling for real. Started talking more. Started living.
And somehow… without realizing it—
Zekai started paying attention. More than he should have.
At first, he ignored it.
Just another familiar face. Just another person.
That was all. But slowly…
Aron stopped feeling like "just someone."
His annoying kindness. His stupid sincerity.
The way he kept worrying about other people even when he was scared himself.
The way he always said "Mr. Zekai" like it actually meant something.
Somewhere along the way—that distance disappeared.
Zekai had always lived quietly. Just him and Grandpa Marcus.
No attachments. No expectations.
That was easier. Safer.
But Aron…
Aron slipped into that empty space without asking. Like he had always belonged there.
Like some irritating younger brother who kept showing up no matter how many times you acted cold.
And somehow—
Zekai never pushed him away.
Because deep down, he had already accepted him.
Not as a cashier. Not as some random guy from a convenience store.
But as family.
His chest tightened violently.
"Idiot…"
His voice cracked.
"You were scared."
"You should've run."
His hands trembled.
"But you still came for me."
That was the part he couldn't accept. Aron had changed because of him.
But somewhere along the way—
Zekai had changed because of Aron too.
He just never admitted it. Not even to himself.
The world around him felt distant. Muted. Unreal.
Because all he could see now, was Aron.
Smiling. Talking.
That awkward laugh. That ridiculous politeness.
That stubborn kindness.
Gone.
Because of this place. Because of him.
His breathing turned uneven.
For the first time in a long time—
Zekai looked completely helpless.
"…Just once."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
Fragile. Barely holding together. His fingers curled tighter.
"Just once... call me brother."
Silence.
No answer. No movement.
Only stillness.
The truth hit harder than anything else ever had.
Aron was gone.
"It was my fault."
"I left you alone… this is because of me…"
He clenched his teeth.
"I'm sorry… forgive me…"
Zekai lowered his head. His shoulders trembled.
Then, slowly, his expression changed.
Grief remained. But something darker rose beneath it. Cold. Heavy. Absolute.
The kind of silence that comes right before violence.
When he lifted his head, his eyes were no longer the same.
Zekai slowly lifted Aron's body in both hands. His head tilted slightly with the motion—no resistance, no tension. And Zekai stood up.
Aron weight rested against Zekai's arms, but it felt like he was carrying something far heavier.
Then Zekai looked at the black stone card.
[ ARTIFACT DETECTED ]
Object: Unknown
Classification: Unregistered
Resonance: Increasing
---
"…You took my brother."
Silence answered him. His voice came out low.
Steady. Terrifyingly calm.
"So now—"
He stepped forward.
"Everything here dies."
He could feel it now.
This thing... it wasn't just an object anymore. It was the reason for everything.
This thing changed the world around them. It took Aron too.
Zekai grip tightened.
"What are you…?"
"An artifact… or something cursed?"
Rage rose inside him. There was only one thought left.
He had to destroy it.
Dark energy wrapped around his hand, mixing with a faint white glow beneath it. The two forces moved together, unstable but controlled.
He raised the card.
His bones creaked under the pressure—like even his body wasn't meant to fight this thing.
The force pushed back, not against his hand, but against his will.
'Why did we end up like this?'
"Disappear."
[ ACTION DETECTED ]
Intent: Destruction
Target: Artifact
Authorization: Denied
---
He crushed down with all his strength.
"AHHHH—!"
The card didn't resist. It simply refused to break.
[ SYSTEM NOTICE ]
Action Invalid
Reason: Beyond User Authority
---
Breaking it had never been an option to begin with.
A violent force pushed back against his hand, lifting him slightly off the ground along with Aron's body. The pressure felt unnatural, like the card itself was alive.
Still, he didn't stop.
"Break!"
He poured everything into it.
"Ahhhhh—! Disappear."
A thin crack spread across the surface, as if it had acknowledged his attempt.
The moment it cracked, his chest tightened—like something had noticed him. But it didn't break.
"What…?"
Why wouldn't it break?
Before he could react, the air around him shifted.
The same feeling returned—the one from the moment reality first changed.
The world around them began to fracture like broken glass.
[ REALITY INSTABILITY ]
Layer Integrity: Failing
Environment: Collapsing
Cause: External Trigger
---
Reality shattered.
[ DIMENSIONAL SHIFT ]
Current Layer: Terminated
Reconstruction: In Progress
---
The ruins disappeared. Then—everything collapsed.
The sound came back first—too loud. Too sharp. Like the world had been muted—and suddenly remembered how to exist.
Reality didn't return. It snapped violently back into place like it had never left.
✦ End of Chapter 23 — Brother ✦