~~

Rayver POV

"-ver... -up!"

"-ayver... -ake up!"

Hmm?

"Rayver! R-rayver, wake up!"

My eyes slowly peeled open upon hearing that voice. The voice that had helped me. The voice that had given me hope.

Once my blurry eyes became slightly better -since they took my glasses, I can't see properly anymore- I finally saw her face that I had missed so much.

I brightened, "R-Regina, you're here! Did you find me? Are we leaving now? You killed them already, right? Let's go!"

She's here! I-I can tell her about my dream. I can tell her that she's my hope! I wonder how she'll react. I know that the Regina in my mind was right. She will help me get better!

I then started to stand, which was a bad idea, because my knees gave up. She immediately pulled me to sit back down on the cold floor.

"Rayver! Fuck, don't move so c-carelessly, would you? I fucking swear you'll be the death of me." She said with her usual scolding frown. Strangely, though, she wasn't even looking straight at me.

Wait... Are those..? Nah, I'm just seeing things.

I smiled again. "Well, what are we waiting for? Come on, we better get home. D-dad is probably impatient now." I tried to kneel, carefully now, and pulled her up. She, however, didn't even move from her position on the floor.

Finally, she made eye contact. And as she did, I froze.

Regina is... Shaking?

"R-rayver..." Her voice broke.

I smiled again. But it seemed so strained. So forced. "W-what's wrong? Come on. W-we gotta go now. Hurry before the enemy Mafia comes b-ba-back."

Surprising me, she lunged forward, and... And... Hugged me.

"Rayver. Rayver, Rayver, Rayver..." She leaned on my shoulder. I only now realized that she was trembling.

S-something is wrong. Regina Luciano doesn't hug people. Regina Luciano doesn't tremble.

"Ina?" My voice broke this time, making her sob even more.

Finally letting me go, she put her hands on my face, wiping away... Tears? I'm... I'm crying..? No, there's no need to c-cry! Everything is fine, she's... She's just, uh... G-glad, yeah! She's just so happy and relieved to see me that's why she's acting strange.

Right?

Looking me in the eye, she said, "Hey, hey. You're safe now, okay? You're okay. You're gonna go out there and live your life. You're gonna forget about this, everything here, okay?"

W-what?

"What are you talking about?" I asked, not getting on what she was saying, and looked straight at her eyes that were caging behind tears that never fell. "Why are y-you just talking about me? We -the both of us - are getting out here? Right? A-and you... You'll help me, right? You're gonna help me forget about this. W-we'll do it together, right?"

She choked on her breath. She shook her head before answering, "When I said forget about e-everything, I meant everything. From the moment that you... Got adopted until... Now."

I felt as though a bucket of ice-cold water got dumped on me.

"W-what?" My brows furrowed in confusion, "But that means that I'll forget you..." My eyes widened in realization, and I began to shake my head hastily. "No. No! I'd rather stay here, I'd rather die than forget you!"

She suddenly gripped my shoulders, eyes blazing in caged tears and anger. "Rayver! Never, and I mean never, talk about dying so carelessly!" Her face then crumpled. "I-I'm sorry, Ray, but this has to happen... You have to live, and I'll do anything to keep you alive, safe, and healthy!"

"No! Y-you... Don't, please don't, Ina! You're my sister, I-I love you!"

With my words, her dam broke. I could just feel the sadness, worry, and despair that had poured out from her cries. It crushed my heart. She then pulled me into a gentle embrace, which I eagerly reciprocated.

"No." I muttered, "No, no, no. Please, don't make me do this, Ina... Don't make me forget. Please, no. D-don't make me leave you here... Don't leave m-me! No, no. No!"

"I'm sorry--"

"No! Don't tell me you're sorry, tell me that we'll get out of here! The both of us! T-tell me that you won't leave me! No, Ina, please! Please..." I sobbed, and so did she.

"I'm sorry, Rayver." I felt her pull away, and with my eyes still closed tight, I felt her kiss my forehead. "Ti amo, fratellino."

"I... I lo--"

Cutting me off mid-sentence, the doors burst open, and in came the blonde guy that was Regina's rival. He had a... A... Syringe. And I realized then, that there was nothing I could do about this anymore.

I glanced down, then at my sister. Tears were still falling silently from her eyes like a waterfall, and just as I saw her mouth two words to me, I felt a pinch, and then, everything grew black.

'Ti amo.' She mouthed to me.

~~

Regina POV

I watched as they carried his unconscious body away. He was sedated to be brought to another room where he'll be injected with another substance that will make him forget.

Benzodiazepine.

Even when his unmoving body was brought out of the room, I didn't move from my position, kneeling there on the floor. The tears wouldn't stop, and now, even if I could feel the obvious presence of Cavillor, I didn't make a move to stop them.

I then felt a pressure on my shoulder. A hand? "Our agreement." The devil's voice said.

My jaw and fists clenched. "I will hand our Mafia over to you. Just answer me this, what date is it?"

He looked at me strangely -I could practically feel it even though he was behind me- before answering hesitantly, "The twenty-ninth of March... Why?"

March twenty-nine, huh?

I chuckled out loud, tears still not stopping. Oh, God. I bet I looked insane. Hell, I felt insane! This... The world must hate me, huh? Was it because of all the people that I killed, eh? Was it?!

I then stood up abruptly, ignoring the clocks of guns that resounded in the room.

Damn, two days. Just two fucking days. What were we? Twins that were just simply damned by fate?

Who would have fucking thought that the only birthday that I ever had with him was our first one ever?

"What will you do with him?" I demanded, glancing at the door where they took him.

"Give him a fake identity, money, and leave him somewhere that won't trigger any memories."

"Where?"

"We haven't thought that out yet. What about you decide?"

Finally, I turn towards him, not caring how he saw me in a vulnerable state. Not now. I'm going to be the smaller person now and let him be the bigger one.

"Why?" With one word, I questioned his intentions.

Looking right back at me, he said with a voice that turned annoyingly soft, "It's the least I could do."

I almost sneered at him. Least? Least? Fucking 'least' that is! The least he could've done is leave my brother alone, and not put him in a position like this!

But, no matter how much I wanted to tell all of this to him, I didn't. I already knew that he was being merciful. If I was in his position, I wouldn't even let a single person important to him live at all!

So, I silently glanced back to where my brother exited, and whispered, "Canada. Bring him back to Canada."

~~

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