тω: уσυ кησω ωнαт тσ єχρєɕт.

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Jo snuck up into the house. Everyone was away. It was the first time that they saw the fireworks. There's been a few times where nobody looked after Lloyd. The planecrash, his diagnose day, and his time in the mental hospital.

In grandma's dresser, there was a blade. Nobody but Su-Yeong is allowed in her room. He walked around slowly, his footsteps echoing through the empty house. He opened the brown dresser, and the blade was shining back at him.

The answer.

He only saw this twice. When Lily was born, he saw Da-Eun press the blade on his sister's little heart. It looked painless. She did the same thing with his grandfather. It killed them, but it was a good thing. Both were sick, the death was quick and painless, and they came up here to be happy.

He touched the blade. It was a golden one, the handle having a tiger eye in the center. It was quite beautiful and sharp.

----

"Sauveterre, do you want to see the fireworks?"

Lloyd looked up at him, rubbing his head. "There's...t-there's two of you.."

He touched his hot orange face. "Oh, poor thing. You have a fever."

He didn't understand, Lloyd was perfectly fine before. He took the black rag, soaked it in the water bowl next to the bed, and put it on his forehead.

"Rest now, dear friend." He smiled when Lloyd nodded.

White opened the door but looked back. He looked so different. Gone with the colorful war boy, in with the yellow skeleton.

"Sauveterre, you're my best friend."

He looked up and smiled. "You're mine too."

-----

Was he really going to do this? Hurt his little brother?

He could hear the chatter of his siblings from outside as he paced. He looked at the room ready for his darling baby. The white door was beautiful. It was craved with women and crowns. He twisted the golden knob.

It was painted his favorite color, the floors were made of gold. He knows this room, he designed it just for him.

It had a bed made of clouds and portraits of their parents and his husband. He likes François. He's so kind to his brother. He has white roses next to his record player that has all his favorite albums waiting for him. He has a cloest full of clothes he'll love. In his little sliver jewelry box are necklaces that can't compare to anything on Earth. He has a liberty next to his bed that is swollen with books. He even recently included those squishmellows he likes.

Lloyd would be so happy here. He won't be in anymore pain, no more tears, nothing that can hurt him will reach him here. He'll eat the best foods and go to the finest balls with the biggest gowns and dance until his head spins. He'll never experience all those horrible things ever again.

He looked up to the sky, then rushed off to go to the real world.

--

"Sauveterre's ill again, I'm afraid." White sat next to Valentino in the backyard, waiting for the show.

Beom shook his head as François frowned. He wished to celebrate the very second of their first meeting together, but it could wait.

Val reached for the wine. "We gotta toast."

"A toast, gentleman, and partner." White was the first to stand, winking at his blushing other. "To the hardships that make us stronger, and the happier times that make us realize the beauty of it all."

They cheered as Valentina stood up. "A toast to the wonderful things that had happened this year. The wedding, my career, the death of the devil-" They erupted with laughter and happiness. "-our Gods and their mercy, and my newfound happiness." White stood up with her so they could plant the softest kiss on his head. It was the most adventure they had yet.

François stood up, looking at the wine in his glass. "A toast to leaving our heartache in this terrible year and starting a new, better one. To our depressions, our weeping, our illnesses." He teared up and mumbled, "To us."

At least, Beom stood tall and proud. He raised his glass to the dark gray clouds. "A toast to my son. A toast to his smiles and tears. A toast to his heart that continues to give despite its pain. A mind that grows. A beautiful body that dances and sings even though it's grows weaker with each day." He felt hot tears rolling down his face as the other men cried. "A toast, to my son, Lloyd John Dauphiné Doh-Sauveterre!"

François stood up as well. "A toast to my husband! He gives us all a reason to smile! To dream! To-to love! A toast to his beauty and witt!"

"A toast to my brother from another mother!" Valentino jumped up with White, holding hands. "To his love for all things! To his devotion to Vagu! To everything he is and what he stands for!"

"A toast!" His wiped his tears. "To my best friend in the world! To his openness that allowed me to find my happiness!" He turned to Val and rubbed his fingers on their face. "A toast to my friend, my partner, my fellow cadet!"

They raised their glasses to the dark room upstairs. "To you, Lloyd!"

---

Jo crept in the house. There he was, shining like a crown jewel. The baby was sleeping next to his sick dog.

He looked down at the blade, his hand shaking.

He could hear his father laughing. He was going to ruin him.

But he looked so ill. He was trapped with this pain, and he could save him.

But he'll hurt him.

But the beast. The beast will do much worse to him. He'll cut him up, burn him, maybe even drown him! What if he got to his father too?

The fireworks were going to begin any minute now.

---

"Something's wrong, Da-Eun."

"Dear, the children want-"

He suddenly picked her up. "We must go. Now."

She nodded and then turned to the others. "We'll be right back, my loves. Just watch the show."

---

"Woo, it's starting soon!" White grabbed Valentino's hand.

"Yes." Beom wrapped his arm around his son-in-law, the other smiling wide. "It is."

----

"How I love you." Jo touched his hair, Lloyd groaning softly. "I do this for a reason."

He watched the blade glow, then slowly itched it towards Lloyd's beating heart.

He stopped. He couldn't do this.

"10!"

"9!"

He saw a picture of his parents with him, and jealousy returned.

"8!"

"7!"

Martha and Annie could only watch from the bottom of the stairs, helpless to stop him.

"6!"

"5!"

Jo thought about the beast. He'll save him.

"4!"

"3!"

Su-Yeong rushed in as Da-Eun saw the other women.

"2!"

This was it.

"1!"

Jo stabbed Lloyd's chest.

"Happy New Year!"

The fireworks began. White jumped, then grabbed Valentino by their waist and kissed his lips. François cried. Beom beamed.

"JO, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE BOY!"

Jo snapped his head over to the noise. Lloyd jumped up and screamed as he grabbed his chest, but nobody heard him. The fireworks drowned him out.

"Lloyd, no! Why are you in pain!" He tried to take it out of his chest. He never wanted this. He never wanted him to scream.

Lloyd sprung up. It felt like a heart attack. Apple also got up. He tried to run down the stairs for help. He couldn't see. The lights from the fireworks were giving him a headache.

He didn't see his breathing tube.

He tripped on his own lifeline, falling down all twenty-one steps. He landed on his chest, the blade finally poking through his back. He started to seize as Apple became so frantic that she foolishly jumped down the stairs, the impact killing her. The seizure got him out. He died before it stopped.

Da-Eun howled, dropping to the floor. Martha reached over and grabbed his white spirit and his little dog's. Nobody came for him.

Jo ran down to see his victory. Why wasn't he happy?

"JO!" That's why. Su-Yeong grabbed him by his neck, Annie trying to stop him.

Then, she came.

"I need him." The goddess said, taking him and his dog away from his aunt. "I'm sorry."

"No, please!" Da-Eun stood up and ran to her, but she was gone. She took her grandson.

She collapsed as Martha grabbed her shoulders, crying with her. Jo was getting pulled by his ear to the higher world.

"What will my Marie say?" Annie laid next to her nephew's body, embracing the cold sack of bones that laid beneath the stairs.

--

The other Doh children knew already, they heard everything. Da guided them away as Su-Yeong beat the screaming eldest with his hands. Jo cried out for them, but they didn't even glance.

"YOU SELFISH BRAT! I KNOW HOW TO PUNISH YOU NOW!"

He dragged him below, chained him up, and took away any human figures he possessed. He took his skin, his voice, he took everything he was given. By the time he finished, he had nothing left. All he was was a monster. That's all he ever was.

--

Aurora landed in Iceland, wearing a pink dress and unconscious. She didn't know it then, but she had the most beautiful body in the country, the softest voice, the shinest jewelry, and an angelic woman was carrying her into her new home from the cold.

---

Da-Eun came back, holding the bloody blade. She collapsed again into her husband. She had to see her little boy find his little boy at the bottom of the stairs. She had to hear him scream and beat his fist on the ground until they turned bloody as he hugged Lloyd's head. He knew it was coming, but he thought if he loved him enough, he could've been saved. How wrong he was.

She saw his friends sobbed as they stroked his dog. They stroked his clothes. His white t-shirt and purple pajamas pants.

She heard the screams and wails of a widower. What a shame to die on their own anniversary. She saw him kiss his greenish lips. She saw him hold their dog and asked her to wake up. She had to leave when he cried into her little paws.

"I could've saved him." She looked up at her husband as he stroked her face. "I could've changed Jo."

"No, he was the beast all along." All he could do is embrace her as the fireworks continued from outside. "And we were the fools."

---

Alexander Kosnichev