"I don't care; you're my brother and will always be my brother, that what matters to me the most..." While walking on the footpath beside the main road, Mark spoke in an elated tone.
Azrael remained silent.
"So, can you tell me why you suddenly transformed yourself into such cute little boy?" Mark's voice became faintly curious.
"I told you, your brother is dead... I'm not your brother. I can't feel such kind of feelings towards you... So, forget me... Just complete our deal... That's all..." Azrael replied with a cold and composed tone.
"Oh, so that day suddenly calling me in the dark alley and giving me your favourite pistol with just one request as my birthday gift in advance; or, now meeting with our mother at midnight and wishing me a happy birthday suddenly... All of these don't count as your feelings, do they?" Mark sarcastically spoke.
Hearing that, Azrael aka Ash went silent. Despite being very careful, he didn't expect his emotions to be revealed like that without his knowledge. He felt ashamed of himself. He also realized that Mark was not so dumb what he anticipated since their childhood, rather Mark actually had observed every gestures, every tricks thoroughly and precisely.
He gradually could understand how Mark could grasp his identity so easily than he imagined. Still, he was waiting for his responses.
"Anyways, we're here, brother. Let's go," Mark snapped him back into his reality.
A one-storied hut slowly appeared in front of both of them from behind the veil of thin darkness. It was strangely covered with countless filthy mosses. In multiple dark holes of the hut's outside surface, dirty ratholes and loopholes could be found. Various foul smells were coming from the swamp around it. It seemed like an old structure yet such predicament had been created due to utmost carelessness. It was situated at the backward of the hospital, giving off a dark, messy, and shadowy atmosphere across the outskirts of the hospital area.
"Actually, as we're still in the north, you can find tiny animals other than humans to and fro. Fortunately, when I arrived the hospital, from the back window of the hospital, I had noticed this hut. Seeing it's disgusting situation, I thought it will be the perfect place of our meeting point, as no one will ever come here and thus can't suspect us," Mark spoke with a proud smile. "By the way, this is also my first time coming here..." Mark's voice became slightly embarrassed.
Ash saw Mark once and then entered carefully into the hut silently.
The inside of the hut was so dirty and messy that, both of them felt very much disgusted. Ash immediately pressed his own nose after smelling the rotten smell coming from within the floor, walls, and roof of inside the hut.
Only one room at the hut looked nice from afar away. Without wasting any time, both of them immediately entered that room. Finally, they took a breadth of fresh air. However, in that moment, they were very much surprised to see that among all the rooms, only that room was neatly decorated, as if someone had recently stayed in that room. Every furniture was properly put in proper positions. Even the walls and the floor were recently painted with beautiful colors. They could clearly smell the fresh scent of those colors. Moreover, the air filled in that room was so pure that it seemed no foulness had ever touched that pureness.
Ash was confident that the room was never part of the hut. Otherwise, the other rooms would also be at least clean. He began to think about why that strange room materialized within such filthy hut. However, Mark didn't care much. He seemed very carefree. He didn't think about that strange phenomenon and straight sat on the bed at that room.
Seeing Mark's carefree behaviour, Ash smiled. He also sat next to him.
"Finally; I can properly communicate with you, brother." Mark heaved a sigh of relief.
"Okay okay, so I guess this is your secret hideout where you can answer my questions. Now, without wasting any time, let's start..." Ash's voice became serious.
However, just at that moment, as Mark was about to speak, his eyes suddenly went upon a spear in Ash's hand, and he was shocked. His voice stumbled.
With a staggering voice, he asked Ash, "Brother, before I tell you anything, may I know what is this spear's name, which you're carrying right now?" He pointed his finger towards that spear. While saying that, he stood up from the bed.
Ash clearly sensed Mark's voice was filled with an unknown terror.
"Nothing important... It's called 'Blue Silver Spear'." Ash calmly replied.
Upon hearing that, suddenly, Mark's eyes and face became hideously distorted, as if that name had stirred up an unknown terror within him. He covered his face with his hands and plopped down onto the floor.
Seeing Mark's such dire situation, Ash also got scared. He slowly approached next to Mark and slowly touched his shoulder with a gentle care.
With a confusion, he asked Mark, "So, what?"
With an utmost terrorized tone, Mark replied in that state, "Put that spear away, immediately. If possible, throw it away now..."
Ash couldn't fathom what was going on. He didn't want to keep the spear away which he loved from his heart after he left his family, yet he could not bear to see Mark in such a dire state. He was stuck in a terrible dilemma.
By that time, he also noticed some bizzarro changes in Mark's body. Mark's skin and muscles gradually started burning, as if some unknown force was striking his body with some hot burning rods. Mark began to cry in agony. Streams of bloods began to flow through his face muscles, neck, biceps, and triceps.
At that moment, Ash took a hard decision.
He immediately throw the spear away from the room. In that moment, he felt as if for the first time, his ruthlessness, coldness, and egoistic attitude gradually faded away from himself. He could clearly remember after his parents' disappearance from his life, after his dearest master Dr. Agni's death could never diminish his cold and indifferent attitude. Rather, his ego and ruthless attitude intensified much times stronger than before.
But, now it was different. When he saw Mark suffered, he felt a strange feeling birthing in his heart. It was as if now he couldn't lose anything closest to his heart at any cost. And it meant that for him, Mark was more prioritized than that spear.
It was a surprising and as well as shocking revelation for him. And it made him kinda scared. He could feel that he couldn't even confront his family in the near future if such caring feeling could control him in that situation, as before that scandal he loved everyone in his family.
On the other hand, the moment that spear was being thrown from that room, Mark's situation gradually well and good. He became healthy and regained his composure.
"Brother, I'm so-so sorry what happened just now. I think that person put a curse on that spear... But I promise, I will clarify every single doubts of yours..." Mark's voice grew heavy.
"But first, come and lie on my lap..." Ash calmly spoke. "Do it like you did in our childhood. You'll feel a serenity and peace in your mind. Control your rampant veins first. Then you can start telling your stories..."
Hearing that, Mark became surprised for a moment. But as his condition had not yet fully stabilized, he didn't waste any further times, and while panting he slowly lay down on Ash's lap.
Ash gently started singing lullaby to make Mark calm his senses.
While singing, slowly multiple memories kept resurfacing in Ash's mind. But now he didn't resist such emotions, rather he was letting the memories flow within his mind.
Within those memories, he could remember those wounds he got one years back in that same day. In that same day, he lost his parents and teacher. Although he had got his mother back some months later and his hope to find his father one day still existed in his heart, he was very aggrieved to think that he would never be able to bring back his teacher.
He was feeling very resented by the thought that if he hadn't left his teacher at that night, perhaps his teacher wouldn't have died. Sometimes, behind those events, he would portray himself as a sinner.
A lot of time passed while thinking about all this.
By then, Mark also had awakened from his sleep. "What are you thinking, brother?" Mark asked in a very dim tone.
"Nothing. Are you ok now?"
"Yes. Now I'm feeling fresh. And now, I can clearly clear all your doubts..."
"First, sit up. Then tell me everything calmly."
Mark did so. After that, he began to speak calmly,
"Okay then, now which I am going to tell you, is very sensitive and confidential. Let's start then..."