Goodnight, Hyung-nim

Teen And Up Audience, No Pairing.

Heavy Angst, Grieve, Mourning, Hurt No Comfort, Tragedy.

2665 words.

***

He's tired. He just want to sleep.

Can he do it now?

***

Basen never knew how to act in this house.

From the start, he wasn't a confident child.

He worked hard to build that confidence. The main foundation of his confidence was his eldest brother, Cale Henituse.

Cale Henituse. Many people have given names to call him. Drunkard, troublemakers, parasites, and most famous of all, trash.

However, behind that indifferent and rude attitude, Basen knew Cale wasn't actually that bad of a person.

He still remembered what Cale had told him the first time he set foot in this house.

"Basen, you are Henituse. Whatever they say, won't change the fact that you are part of this family. So rise your head up proudly. Hear my fucking words if you don't want to be kicked out from here. You think the cousins would let you just like that?"

As simple as that, igniting a fire inside Basen.

Cale Henituse, the eldest son, his Hyung-nim. Repeating inside his heart like a broken movie.

Basen never had any intention of inheriting this family from the start, and it seemed that Hyung-nim thought so too. However, Basen would use this opportunity to prove that Cale wasn't as bad as people thought.

Despite being cold, throwing tantrums everywhere, and drinking all day long, Cale had never once harmed an innocent person.

And again, the reason why Cale started all of this ... even Basen realize—of course he do.

Because it all started since the new countess and him came to this house.

Filled with guilt, but didn't know what to do. He hopes that, someday, Hyung-nim can take a break from all this undefined charade. Basen hoped that Cale could take off the mask of the show and get off the stage he called the people's perspective. He needs rest too. Even the mannequins will be damaged if they are displayed for a long time without any care.

That was the deep respect that Basen had for his eldest brother. If Cale had no intention of ending this shit, then let him find a way. He will fight.

That's what he thought.

The peaceful conditions made everyone shocked at the declaration of war. Starting from the plaza terror incident at the king's birthday. Basen almost died if Eris Wheelsman, his brother's childhood friend, hadn't pushed him away from the bomb. Instead, he was the victim of the explosion.

The pain from the wound on Basen's head was nothing compared to seeing the body of someone he had considered his senior lying stiff with a thick red liquid all over his body. Hysterical cries were heard replying to each other. Several bombs were secured, but some failed and ended up taking many lives.

Basen knew heroes were human too, but he couldn't stop his little heart screaming at them. Moreover, they—the heroes—were very familiar people in his eyes.

The black-haired teenager who beat up his brother, the two former servants of the Henituse family who disappeared suddenly, and the rest the red-haired woman and the silver-haired boy he didn't recognize.

Returning to the Henituse residence by mage teleportation service, with all bad news going with him. He looked timidly at Cale, avoiding eye contact as much as possible.

Cale only clicked his tongue, leaving Basen's room after a quick glance. Basen almost want to cry, feeling guilty for Eric's death. Is it possible that Cale was angry with him because of that? Eric already feel like a hyung to Cale after all.

It was night, really late, the moon was shining brightly outside. Basen bent his knees, leaning against the soft bed pillows. Even so, he couldn't close his eyes and drive to sleep at all.

The sound of soft footsteps caught his attention. The door opened, revealing the figure of someone he never expected.

"... Hyung-nim?"

"Tsk, I just wanted to say, don't think anything stupid."

Blinking in disbelief, the brown-haired boy thinking for a moment before hesitantly ask.

"... T-Thinking anything ... stupid?"

"Sigh, you must think that Eric's death is your fault."

"B-But—"

But it's true.

"Ah, stop your bullshit. Either way, it's not your fault. Nobody's blaming you, right? If you need someone to blame, blame the damn bastards for causinh of that bombings incident."

Cale crossed his arms in front of his chest, groaning in annoyance.

"What are those stupid peoples doing, playing heroes like that. Tsk.."

Ruffling his fiery red hair, Cale grabbed the doorknob, preparing to leave.

"Whatever, I'm leaving."

Bam!

The door closed with a slight 'bam', but for some reason Basen's chest felt as light as a feather. Those burdens and his anxiety gone just like that.

His brother's indifferent and rude attitude became his way of expressing his concern.

Basen never knew that the bombing incident was only the beginning of various disasters.

Two years later, war broke out in the Henituse territory.

If there was something he hated, it was the fact that he was so weak and unable to protect loved ones.

No one expected the enemy to come through the air.

Wyverns.

Gone wield like volcanoes exploding simultaneously. Humans are like ashes that fly among the disasters that exist. Fragile, weak, small.

The heroes arrive late, that's just how it is. Again and again. Always.

Was he allowed to blame them?

"...En."

"Base...."

"BASEN!"

Something hit the back of his head. Looking up, realized that it was just his brother with flushed red face, this time not from alcohol, but anger.

"What are you doing, idiot? You wanted to die, huh?!"

Cale roughly tugged on Basen's arm, his footsteps quick but still making sure that his younger brother could follow his lead.

"Hyung-nim, but information network—!"

"Forget the information, even the mana is currently not stable! No matter how hard you try, the communication device won't work!"

There was a loud explosion that shook the building. Several pebbles fell from the ceiling, one or two hitting their head. Cale reflexively hugged Basen, protecting him from those small chunks.

"We have to get out of here quickly."

Cale raised his voice to beat the noise from outside, even though it's still hard to hear him. Just by seeing the movement of Cale's mouth, Basen nodded in understanding.

Run, looking for the exit. Flames started to burst from the right wing of the mansion, stopping their steps.

"Argh, let's go this way!"

Turning around, they started running again.

"Hyung-nim, what about Father, Mother, and Lily?"

Basen knew he shouldn't be asking in situation like this. However, he couldn't hold back the anxiety that tickled his chest, spread to his head and produced an immeasurable headache.

"Father is fighting at the forefront. Mother accompanying him. Lily has been evacuated, so you don't have to worry. Now, let's go to Lily's place. Father and Mother will follow later."

It was the longest sentence Cale had ever said to him.

Basen knew, there was a lie tucked in there, but he decided to go with the flow that Cale created. In a state of war like this, there is only the worst possibility.

The explosion could be heard again. This time along with the great fire, the faster it devoured the mansion they used to call "home".

Blazing down the corridor, Basen's eyes accidentally saw the family photo hanging on the wall. Slowly the photo was licked away by the fire, dancing around it, just leaving as black ashes.

Basen should have known—no, he already knew, and he also understands. However, he doesn't want to think about it.

He was scared.

And that fear turned into reality.

Basen and Cale managed to get out from the burning mansion alive.

But at what cost?

Cale turned blind and lost his ability to walk.

It happened because—again—Cale tried to save him from the collapsed roof. Cale was stuck there for a while. Luckily, they were close to the exit, and Basen shouted for the help of the soldiers around to free Cale from the collapsed buildings. Several mages that the kingdom sent cast water magic to prevent the fire from burning Cale alive.

It's a miracle for Cale be able to survive.

But instead, he need to spend the rest of his lives as a cripple.

Basen could no longer hope for his Fatger and Mother, so while taking care of Cale, he hoped that at least Lily was safe. They haven't met Lily yet.

Inside the house built by the royal sponsorship fund, Cale sat on the bed wrapped in a thin blanket, looking straight ahead. His eyes are empty. The world is dark. Black. And cold.

Cale remained motionless despite the sound of the door opening, along with footsteps that started to approach. Losing one of his senses makes his other senses sharpened.

"Hyung-nim, it's time for lunch."

Basen came in with a bowl of porridge for Cale.

"You haven't eaten much since yesterday. Ah, after this I'll be back with the search team to find Lily, so Hyung-nim doesn't have to worry."

Basen stirred the plain porridge in the bowl, ready to feed Cale a mouthful spoon.

"Basen."

"Hm?"

"I'm tired."

Basen's body stiffened at his eldest brother's words. Those two words imply such a heavy burden, an incomparable sense of tiredness from the theatrics he's been doing for ten years.

Now the stage has been destroyed, there is no longer an audience to watch the show. Then, there was no need for him to put on a mask and playing trash.

"Basen."

Basen gulped, looking his brother right in the eye. Back then, there was no way he had the courage to stare those eyes. Now that he saw it, the reddish-brown iris was so empty. Cale looked up at him, but the light did not reach his sight.

"I want to sleep."

Oh, for the love of gods, Basen knows exactly what it means to sleep.

"Hyung-nim. You're allowed to be tired, but don't give up! I'll make sure I find Lily, then the three of us can live a happy life like we used to do!!"

The bodies of his father and mother couldn't even be found—maybe they had been turned to ashes and fused with the wind, maybe piled up in the pile of others' bodies, or another terrible possibility he doesn't want to think about. Basen understood that finding Lily would be difficult too, but they said Lily was with the evacuation group, right? There is still hope. As long as there is hope, even if it's just a ray of light, Basen will fight for it.

In the first year of the war, life was difficult, and he couldn't find a way out since. The impromptu village that was built as an evacuation site is getting more and more crowded, indicating that more and more people are losing their homes.

Basen delivered the food to Cale's room, sat on the side of the bed, stirring the food using a spoon.

Opening his mouth to a mouthful from Basen, Cale continued chewing along with a question.

"Basen, aren't you tired?"

"Hyung-nim, I haven't given up. I can definitely find Lily."

The second year, traces of the evacuation group were found, but they disappeared halfway. Basen was sure he was getting closer. This clue, although not perfect, can be used as a clue to find out Lily's whereabouts.

"Hyung-nim, today I made progress in the process of finding Lily! That's why today I bought meat for our dinner!"

Basen happily made a soup with cuts of meat for Cale. There are no longer hundreds of loyal servants or soldiers to serves them. Now it's just him and his brother. He need to work and done everything by himself, but hes was fine with it.

"Basen, today I dreamed about Father and Mother. Lily was there too. They're waiting for us."

"Hyung-nim, stop your bullshit and eat."

Cale chuckled, but there was no sense of happiness from there. Just a little amused, didn't expect that this innocent brother of his would say such a rude thing to him. Not that he mind, though.

The third year, found traces of the group heading to the southwest. A sense of excitement flared up inside Basen. Feeding Cale a meal, Basen told him the entire progress of his work.

"Even if it's slow, I'm sure we can find Lily! She must be staying with the other evacuation people, like us."

The fourth year, they already knew for sure that the party was headed to the Mogoru Empire.

Cooking dinner, impatiently telling Cale his latest discovery, even though he kept asking why the evacuation party was heading for the faraway Empire.

"Basen, it's clear and very quiet tonight. Like the calm before the storm."

"Hyung-nim—"

Basen sat on the edge of the bed, stirring the food. His desire to tell his progress when he was cooking suddenly disappeared. At the end, he just fell silent.

The calm before the storm.

Basen was sure he definitely going to found Lily, but why did he feel uneasy about this?

The fifth year, the empire side claimed to have never received an evacuation group from the Roan Kingdom. Basen almost lost his mind. If not there, then where did Lily's evacuation group go?

"Basen, I'm sleepy. How about you?"

"...."

Silent, stirring the food, Basen just fed Cale in silence.

The sixth year, the war in Mogoru exploded. A fact is revealed that Mogoru is working under the secret organization, and the Alchemist tower becomes the supplier of dead mana for the possessors of the darkness attribute.

There, found thousands of bones, hundreds of bodies, and dozens of prisoners.

Ron, the former servant of the Henituse family, is sent to take care of the Alchemist Bell Tower. He accidentally found something under the pile of bones.

A rusty short sword with a golden builder turtle crest as the shell.

As someone who had served the family of the owner of this symbol, it didn't take long for him to recognize the owner of this sword.

A bitter taste filled his mouth.

The next day, Basen received a package.

Lily's sword was found in the Alchemist tower.

No. this must be a lie.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

This can't be real ... right?

Lily ... her sweet little sister turned out to be ....

Dead?

Cale's words from four years ago replayed in his head.

"Basen, today I dreamed about Father and Mother. Lily was there too. They're waiting for us."

Has all this time been in vain?

Does that mean that the hope that guides him is just an endless void?

"Basen?"

Basen just stayed silent by Cale's bedside. His hand was holding a bowl of porridge which was now turned cold. He hasn't opened his mouth since he come here. His mind is blank. His gaze is hollow. He raised his head to look at Cale who was smiling faintly at him.

"What about now?"

Basen placed the bowl on the table, pulling two small bottles out of his inner pocket.

"Hyung-nim, please take me with you."

Lets go together.

He's tired. He's sleepy. He want to rest.

The light of hope no longer reached the boy's eyes. He ran out of reasons to hold on.

Smiling, Cale received a small bottle from Basen.

"You should've agreed from the start."

They hold each other's hands. Basen closed his eyes, drank the contents of the bottle in one gulp. Cale shifted slightly, making space for Basen on his bed. Putting down the empty bottle, Basen lay down beside his brother.

"Good night, Basen."

Basen closed his eyes, hugging his brother tightly. His chest was hurt, his eyes burning, but he didn't feel like crying.

There is nothing to cry about in this world.

Taking a deep breath, Basen closed his eyes.

Hopefully when he opens his eyes later, he greeted by the happy faces of his dearly family.

"Good night, Hyung-nim."

***Fin***

It's just getting darker and darker lmao.