Twelve years ago

It was dusk when I reached the decaying fence surrounding our cottage. I should have been here way earlier if only those pesky urchins from across the town square did not raise such a ruckus. I could hear Granny Cerce moving about our dilapidated shack, metallic utensils clanging against another in hurried shuffling.  

"Reianne!" Granny shouted from inside the house.  Hurriedly, I straightened my clothes and dusted them, taking pains to tuck the torn bits on the lower edge of my top inside my pants.  I straightened the sleeves, hiding my bruised and scratched arms. Lastly, I removed my cap and let my long hair fall down. Clutching the package which was the source of my earlier trouble,  I went inside.  

"Granny, I'm here."

"Oh.  Help me set the table dear so we can have dinner."

I obliged. Setting plates and utensils for the three of us.  We were seated at the table moments later. Granny set a plateful of rice and a bowl of salted diced tomatoes on the table. These would be our supper.  

It had been our supper for God knows how long. On very,  very lean days, there wouldn't even be anything to accompany the rice. 

Taking out the package,  I place it atop the table as well.  "I climbed some trees today and got these." I took out the mangoes I actually stole from several stalls at the market. I would have stolen pieces of meat if I could somehow bluff that they grew on trees as well. Until then, I would have to be content with my limited options. 

Granny Cerce clapped her hands in delight. Mangoes were her favorite.

Master sat down and spooned food into my plate,  and then his wife's. He was in a good mood today. You could almost see the corner of his mouth curving upward.  

Granny Cerce sat down as well, but not before taking out a pill and cutting it in two using our only knife. She restrained a coughing fit. Reaching for a glass of water, she swallowed the halved medicine while Master caressed her back. Not that it helped her ailment.  

"Reianne, take this. For your school enrollment and supplies." Master placed several bills in front of me. It was enough to cover my school expenses for the semester. 

So this must be why Master was in a good mood.  He was able to get money for my schooling.  

"Master, do we even have money for me to go to school? I can just stay here and work to help you." 

Master snorted. "No, Reianne. I better not catch you slacking off on your studies or I swear--"

"But, Mas--"

"No buts, Rei."

Master put down his utensils and looked at me in the eye like he usually did when he was about to say something serious. "Reianne, it's difficult but certain sacrifices have to be made for what is better in the long run."

A twinge of guilt seared down my conscience and settled uncomfortably in my gut as I trained my eyes on the sparse food spread on the table and the remnants of the medicine.  My fingers traced the lines of my palms that had grown calloused from my training. I made a solemn vow to myself that day. Master was right. Sacrifices had to be made. 

That night and the nights after, I sneaked out of the house, unknowingly searing, bit by bit, the path that would lead me to my alter ego, The Reaper. 

My vision blurred as tears welled in the lids of my hooded eyes. A sob threatened to escape the confines of my chest and I pressed my hands to my mouth to stifle a cry, afraid that the sound might wake Gio up who was hunched over the bed. 

I had awoken half an hour ago to the beholding soft glitters of a chandelier set directly atop the bed, and I knew Gio was able to save me. 

At a cost.

The last scenes replayed inside my head over and over again, uninvited--the curse of a photographic memory. I remembered the moment Master fell to the hard ground and the exact moment his eyes dimmed as life left his body. It played vividly inside my skull tauntingly, mocking my inability to do anything to prevent the death of the person I owe my person to. 

I wiped my drenched face with the sleeves of my top, making sure to make as little noise as possible. Gio probably had not slept a wink because of what happened and the last thing I wanted to do was to wake him up and let him worry about me some more. 

My fingers curled tighter on the sheets, hugging them to myself. Silent racking sobs consumed me. I had never regretted burning bridges any more than now. Never regretted nursing bitterness towards him more than today. I would have done anything for us to have a better parting. He didn't deserve the ending he got. 

Sacrifices had to be made.

Master's words echoed in my head and I couldn't help the strained whimpers that escaped my throat. I heaved, my lungs protesting at the constriction due to my self-imposed silence when everything in me wanted to wail. 

I must have made considerable noise somehow because Gio shifted and raised tired hooded eyes in my direction. He was instantly alarmed. 

"Why are you crying? Are you hurting anywhere badly? I gave you pain medication." Gio checked the IV drip and the charts near my bed. For the first time since waking up, I noticed that they had installed medical equipment into the room instead of keeping me in a hospital. 

Truth be told, my injuries didn't even register in my head which was too pre-occupied with regrets. 

"How long was I out?" I croaked, wiping my face once again with my sleeves. 

"Three days." 

My deadened nerves notwithstanding, piercing pain welcomed me when I tried sitting up on the bed. I winced when my movements caused damaged muscles to strain. My body was almost entirely covered with bandages, and I noticed dark blood seeping a little into the ones wrapped around my torso. 

"Where does it hurt?" Gio asked immediately after noticing my pained expression. His face darkened when he saw the blood on the bandages. 

I lifted a finger. 

"This hurts," I said, twitching my finger in the air as I gave Gio a small smile. This did not have the intended effect of lightening the atmosphere, though it earned me an interesting expression on Gio's face. Tenderness.

Gio's hands cupped my face and his lips found my forehead and then my lips for a chaste kiss, which I accepted. He embraced me then, his breath warming my neck and sending delicious shivers down my spine. 

"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner." His arms around me tightened.  "I'm so sorry." 

I could feel the remorse rolling off of him in waves.  Even after my rescue, I didn't think that he had proper rest. The dark circles under his eyes had not lightened.  If at all, they appeared darker. "You came just in time," I assured him.  

After several more seconds,  he let go. His eyes bore into mine, silent gauging the truth in my words.  I smiled at him again. "I'm fine. It's over. I'm here."  

He sighed and touched my face--and pinched my cheeks playfully.  "Next time, listen to me." 

"Ow," I protested, swatting his hands which refused to budge from punishing my cheeks.  

"Stop moving,  you're ruining your stitches more." 

He let go of my face and proceeded to gather medical supplies to stitch me back together again and placed them on the table beside the bed.  He then reached for my top and lifted it up, reaching to undo the bandages in quick precise movements. Half of the bandages were off before the state of my undress registered in my mind and self-consciousness kicked in.  Without thinking for another second more, I pushed Gio away.  

"What are you doing?" I huffed as I hugged myself.  Gio was puzzled at first, and slightly irritated the next second.  

"No,  Nyan. What are you doing?" He placed his hands on his hips--his battle pose. 

"Y-you can't undress me!" I could feel the heat rising to my face.

Gio raised a well-kept brow.  "Who do you think tended to your wounds and bandaged you up?" 

I felt it then.  Like magma rising to the surface of the earth,  heat rose up to my face, probably coloring it with the deepest shade of red. I was bandaged every-freaking-where.  I clutched the sheet tightly to my chest and raised an accusing finger--the one that was purportedly hurting earlier--at Gio.  

"H-how dare you!" 

"Are we really having this discussion?" 

"What did you see?" 

Gio tilted his head.  

"No. Don't answer that."

"Oh, come on." 

Gio took and deep breath and expelled it out slowly while staring at the floor.  He then counted down from ten. When he reached five, he stopped, and started counting down from twenty.  

I glared at him. I mean,  I might not have minded it if he was just any doctor, but he was Gio.  And he was not really supposed to see anything although technically I was his wife. 

When he finished counting,  he faced me again. "I'll just tend to the wound on your stomach. You've ruined your stitches." 

I narrowed my eyes at him, but I finally relented.  

"Don't do anything funny." 

Gio rolled his eyes at me, but proceeded to stitch the wound closed without another word. I could feel the needle and surgical thread going through my deadened flesh. After several minutes,  Gio straightened again and inspected his work. Deeming it an acceptable job, he wrapped fresh bandages around my torso.  

"Don't move about too much." 

I nodded.  "Okay." 

"Don't pick your bandages."

My hand on the bandages stilled and surreptitiously returned to my side to behave.  

"Don't glare at me." 

I huffed.  "Fine." 

Gio sat on the bed,  the latter dipping at the added weight. He brushed away errant strands of hair from my face. Hesitation flashed in his eyes.  I knew he wanted to say something.  

"What is it?" 

"I don't know if it's the right time to tell you. Maybe you should rest some more."

Resting some more was the last thing on my mind.  

"Tell me.  It's okay."

Gio sighed.  "Granpa Shao's internment is supposed to be today. But I could delay it a bit if you're not up for it."

The mention of Master hit me like raging truck and the dam of emotions that previously subsided with our earlier playful banter threatened to overflow once again.  A tear fell and I wiped it away hurriedly.  

Gio muttered a curse under his breath.

"It was my fault." Though I said it barely above a whisper,  it seemed to echo around the silent room like a mocking, accusing voice. 

And it was right. I was to blame. If not for my stupidity, Master wouldn't have died. 

Another tear,  fueled with regret, fell down.  "During training, Master would always jokingly said that I would be the death of him." I choked as I held down a sob.  "H-he was so r-right."

I could not hold it in any longer. Like torrential rains withheld after a long period of drought, the grief I had been trying so hard to control since the moment I woke up burst forth in a series of ragged sobs. I hugged my knees to my chest,  making myself as little as possible, reaching out for comfort which I did not deserve.  

Warm arms enclosed my frame as Gio hugged me to himself, his hand slowly caressing my head down to my back repeatedly, offering a reprieve from my anguish.  

"It's not your fault. Don't say that. He came knowing what could happen to him. We all did,  Nyan." 

The thought of all of them rallying for me fetched all sorts of feelings from me with gratitude at the forefront, but was overtaken quickly with another wave of guilt. 

"T-that's not helping," I sobbed some more drenching Gio's white polo with my tears. They could have all been harmed because of me.  "Y-you're not very good at this," I croaked, attempting humor but failing miserably.  

Still stroking my back,  Gio leaned closer. "It's alright, Nyan. You don't have to rely on just yourself. You aren't alone anymore."

This just made me cry out more.  I felt so fucking sorry. And grateful.  And worthless. And loved. And undeserving. Seriously.  My emotions were a mess. I was a mess. Gio's polo was a mess.  He let me cry for a good long while, never letting me go, and murmuring soothing noises near my ears.  He let me grieve. 

It took a while before I finally calmed down. And when I finally did,  Gio offered me a glass of water which I greedily drank in between hiccups.  

"I think I can go to the internment today," I finally answered Gio's earlier question.  "Where would it be?" 

"Quin arranged for his ashes to be placed inside his place. His and Granny Cerce will both be placed there." 

I nodded.  Master had always wanted his land--the only property he owns--to be his final resting place. Something tweaked inside my heart at the thought of going back to our old dilapidated shack,  now devoid of life.  

"I-I'll wash and get cleaned up." I moved out of the bed as carefully and quickly as possible. Gio supported me as I hurried out of there,  afraid that if I stayed any longer, I would break down again. I needed things to occupy my mind. 

Apparently, washing and getting cleaned up when you had a lot of still-healing wounds were next to impossible. I had to settle for a thorough sponge bath instead, administered by a female staff because my limbs were not really up for the challenge and there was no way I was letting Gio do it. 

There was a blur of movements the moment I stepped outside the room with Gio. I was encased in Quin's arms not a second after.  

"Onee-chan! You're awake!  Thank God!"

Her energy was infectious. She had a smile on her face, although her swollen eyes couldn't hide the fact that she was crying prior to our meeting.

I couldn't help but feel ashamed at my failure to rescue Father, and possibly putting his life in danger.  His bloodied image strapped on the metal bed looked too real. I had replayed it over and over inside my head during the days of my capture but I couldn't find anything that would indicate that the image was fake.  

"I'm sorry, Quin.  I failed." Saying it hurt more than I cared to admit.  I had countless successful heists under my belt but I couldn't seem to succeed when it mattered the most.  I hugged Quin too and buried my head on the crook of her shoulder. "Forgive me, please." 

I needed to hear it. 

"Onee-chan, it isn't your fault. We'll get him.  It will be alright." Quin patted my back gently. 

I so wanted to believe that.  

"How are you feeling?" 

"I'm okay."  I again raised a digit.  "My finger hurts."

Quin looked at my finger intently while I felt Gio roll his eyes. Quin took my finger and inspected it.  

"It doesn't seem injured.  Maybe we should do an x-ray."  

I hastily retrieved my hand from Quin's inspection.  "Geez, I was joking." Quite ineffectively, by the way. 

"Oh." Quin turned to Gio.  "Did you make sure to retrieve her sense of humor from that darned place as well?" 

"Uhh," Gio pretended to ponder for several seconds.  "She has one?" 

Ugh. 

"Guys,  I am literally right here."  I huffed. "And this finger will avenge me if you don't stop, Quin." I raised my finger threateningly, wriggle it,  and poked her side. This earned me a shocked squeal. Then I poked her again. 

"Stop it, Onee!" Quin giggled.  

"How about no?" I continued with my assault.  "I'm funny. Admit it!" 

"Okay,  okay!" Quin surrendered in between giggling fits.  

"Say it!" I demanded in between pokes. 

"Y-you're funny, deliriously comical,  oh-so-hilarious Onee-chan of all time! Stop!" 

I huffed. I stopped my tickle torture.

"Acceptable." 

"Uh-huh." Quin showed me her hands,  with her fingers crossed. 

"You--" 

I was about to tickle her again when she raised her hands in seeming surrender. 

"Stop!  I came here to give you something!" 

This got my attention off from my intended retaliatory pursuit. Quin gauged that she was safe from my finger and proceeded to get an object wrapped in cloth and tied with strings.  

"It's from Master Shao. He wanted you to have it. It was supposed to be for your birthday, but I guess you're getting it early."  

From Master. 

I took it with reverence.  I rarely received gifts during my birthday, which I celebrated on the day Granny and Master found me.  Master, however, loved to give me little things--from fruit snacks to toys he crafted himself and eventually, hand-made weapons and medicines. 

Excitement had crept up my heart, making it thump faster in anticipation, but I opened the package slowly, pulling at the strings and letting them fall to the floor. When I finally unfolded the last flap covering the gift, I came face-to-face with two swords,  both encased in their own sleek black sheaths. 

I was mesmerized, to be honest.  I loved sword fighting, but I had not used a sword during my heists because it was very hard to bring it anywhere and remain inconspicuous.  

I unsheathed one sword and was greeted with glossed razor-sharp metal. The blade itself was slim in width but of solid metal. It was slightly curved upward like a blade of a sickle. On the handle was an inscription in gold lettering.  "Scythe." 

I looked at the other sword.  It was similar to the first one except for the inscription.  "Death." 

Further inspecting the swords, I noticed some peculiarities on the handles.  One was hollow, while the other had a button. One push of the button caused a thin metal bar to drop from the bottom of the handle. By then, my hands were shaking with excitement and I could see Quin and Gio intrigued faces,  as equally interested at what I was holding.  

"I think you should insert the bar at the hollow end of the other handle," Gio said. 

I nodded.  I figured as much.  I inserted the bar and heard something clicked inside,  locking the two swords in place and forming a double-bladed spear.  I smiled when I saw the name formed when the two swords merged.  

"DeathScythe." 

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