[What did I want? Why have I lived for hundreds of years? Did I want to be strong, even if it ant devouring people? Was it simply the fear of death? No, Yoriichi, it wasn't that. I just wanted to be like you—to be soone intense and vivid, just like you. My body burned with envy. All my efforts to beco a samurai were re child's play compared to your natural brilliance. My greatest desire ant nothing to you, and I hated you for it.
No matter the cost, I wanted to surpass you—even if it ant abandoning my ho, my family, and my humanity. For that, I beca a demon. And in the end, what was the point? I can't even rember their faces—my parents, my wife, my child. Why couldn't I be soone like you? Why was I even born?
Yoriichi, I didn't realize how much I cared for you. I never told you how much I admired you, and now I'll never have the chance to tell you how sorry I am. You deserved a better brother than .
I am nothing but a disgrace to life…]
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As the afternoon sun dipped lower in the sky, Sumr Rose made her way ho after a long day hunting the grimm that had been reported in the island forest the night before. As she approached, the sound of Ruby and Yang's laughter rang out, echoing through the trees and carrying a warmth that tugged at her heart. Monts later, her ho ca into view. On the porch, her husband Taiyang Xiao Long sat grinning, watching the two girls chase each other in playful abandon. The sight brought a smile to Sumr's tired face and, for a fleeting mont, a sense of peace settled over her.
The girls noticed her imdiately and sprinted toward her, their excitent overflowing.
"Mom! You're back! Tell us about the mission!" Yang exclaid, her eyes gleaming with energy.
"Tell us, tell us!" Ruby chid in, her smaller fra bouncing with enthusiasm.
"Girls, your mom just got back," Tai intervened, his voice steady but amused as he walked closer. "Give her a mont to rest."
"But—" Yang began, only for Tai to gently cut her off. "No buts. Go on and keep playing. She'll tell you later."
Yang pouted, clearly disappointed, while Ruby raised her pinky, her face scrunched with determination. "Pinky promise?" she asked insistently.
Sumr chuckled and knelt down, linking her pinky with Ruby's. "Pinky promise," she assured her daughter.
As the girls dashed back to their ga, Tai turned to Sumr, concern briefly flickering in his eyes. "Hope everything went alright?"
Sumr nodded, her silver eyes eting his. "It was just a pack of Beowolves—nothing I couldn't handle." But as her gaze swept over the yard, she noticed soone was missing. Her smile faded slightly. "Where's Crimson?" she asked, turning back to Tai with a faint frown.
"He stayed inside," Tai replied with a shrug, though his voice carried a hint of exasperation. "Said he wanted to finish cleaning up. You know how he is."
Sumr sighed softly, her shoulders sagging just a little. "I'll check on him and make sure he cos outside," she said, her voice tinged with quiet worry. Her silver eyes mirrored Tai's exasperation, but there was an underlying maternal instinct that urged her to move. Without another word, she turned back toward the house, her steps quick and purposeful.
Stepping inside, she spotted Crimson in the living room, the mop nearly twice his size in his small hands as he diligently worked on the floor.
"Welco back, Mom," Crimson greeted as soon as he noticed her, his crimson eyes lighting up briefly. "I hope the Grimm didn't give you any trouble."
"I am a super mom. No Grimm can give trouble," Sumr replied with a bright, playful smile before her expression softened. "But Crimson, you should go outside and play with Ruby and Yang. Leave the cleaning to ." Her silver eyes, filled with warmth and gentle insistence, locked onto her son as she approached.
He was a four-year-old boy with dark crimson eyes and black hair, the tips tinged with red. The color was similar to her own, though his redness was a shade darker. He looked so small, his mop almost comically oversized for his tiny fra.
"You've been out dealing with Grimm since morning, Mom. You should rest. Leave this to ," the boy replied with a smile, his little hands working diligently on the floor. "Besides, you promised Ruby and Yang this morning you would play with them when you got back."
Sumr could not help but feel a bittersweet mix of happiness and guilt. On one hand, her little son was smart, kind, and far too considerate for his age. But on the other hand, she felt an aching guilt in her chest. He was too young for this, she thought. He shouldn't be mopping the floor. The mop was actually taller than him, making him look like a tiny adult—so serious, so responsible. But he was still just a child.
Seeing the conflicted look on her face, Crimson paused and looked up, his crimson eyes warm with understanding. "Mom… don't overthink it," he said gently. "This isn't hard for . I actually enjoy helping around the house." He stopped for a mont, then grinned, his smile widening with mischief. "In fact, I'm a cleaning prodigy, fated to be the greatest cleaner that ever lived!"
Sumr laughed softly, but a small sigh escaped her "Only you would say sothing like that. All children your age want to play, Crimson. You do not have to be responsible all the ti."
But at her words, his smile faltered, a distant mory of a boy holding tightly to his mother helping her walk because she was sick passed through his mind. There was sothing in his expression—a brief, fleeting sadness that Sumr could not place. Crimson tightened his grip on the mop, and his voice beca quieter, tinged with a sudden weight. "No… not all."
Sumr's heart tightened, sensing a shift in his mood. She knelt down, looking at him with concern. "What's wrong, Crimson? Are you tired? Is there sothing hurting?"
Crimson quickly put on his brightest smile, brushing off the mont. "I am completely fine, Mom. Sorry if I worried you. I just… I was thinking about sothing I did not do right."
[He was a better son than I will ever be. He was more mature, more considerate… more kind. I was clueless about her… and now I can not even rember her face] Crimson thought bitterly, His words will remain trapped inside his mind.
Sumr was about to press further when she heard the sound of soone entering the house. A familiar voice cut through the tension.
"Sumr, are you still trying to convince him? You should just give up. He takes after you—stubborn as a mule," laughed a blonde man, stepping into the living room. Tai's voice imdiately brought a wave of relief. He was always the lighthearted one, the one who could make any situation feel easier.
Sumr turned around, her hands on her hips, a playful but annoyed look crossing her face. "Tai!! You can't just leave the work to him just because he said so! He—"
But Tai cut her off with a smile. "You got it all wrong, Sumr. I am here to help. You go outside. The girls are calling for you."
Crimson added from behind her, his voice light, though his expression remained serious. "It is fine, Mom. Just go. I can finish up here."
Sumr hesitated, glancing at Crimson for a long mont, then sighed. "Fine, but join us once you are done." She gave him a quick kiss on the top of his head before walking out to et the girls.
Tai smiled at Sumr's retreating figure before turning to Crimson. "So, what should I help with, huh?"
Crimson thought for a mont. "Could you please collect the toys in the kitchen and near the stairs?"
Tai laughed, shaking his head. "I am probably the only father who asks his four-year-old for directions on chores." He chuckled again, a lighthearted sound that made the weight in the air feel a little lighter. "Sotis I wonder how much easier things would have been if Ruby and Yang were like you—just a little like you. I think I would have liked that kind of life." He laughed.
Crimson t his father's gaze seriously, his voice calm and steady. "I am glad they are not like . In fact, they are much better than I will ever be. You just do not see it, Dad. They bring joy and light to this family."
Tai looked at Crimson, surprised by the seriousness in his son's tone. Then, he smiled proudly. "Don't be too hard on , kid. I am just joking. But seriously, you are far smarter than any kid I know your age… Sotis, I forget you are Ruby's age" There was genuine pride in his voice as he spoke, and he ruffled Crimson's hair before walking toward the kitchen.
As Tai walked away, Crimson could not help but feel a sharp pang in his chest, a feeling of disgust toward himself. He didn't deserve their pride. He was no prodigy, no genius child. He was a demon; He was a man full of sha.
[They don't know… they couldn't know…] His thoughts spiraled, but he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He had been reborn into this new life, in a new world, but what had he done to deserve it? He hadn't earned this second chance. Was this his redemption? [I don't know…] he thought to himself. He told himself he would live without regrets, but every ti they praised him or looked at him with pride, that sense of disgust overwheld him. 'I don't deserve this life'
"Are you done yet?" Tai's voice broke his train of thought.
Crimson blinked, coming back to reality. "Yes, just give a mont to finish up."
As they stepped outside, they were t by Ruby, who ca running toward them, her excitent palpable. "Crimson, you are it! Catch us if you can!" she shouted, and then dashed off, laughing.
Crimson's heart skipped a beat as he watched Ruby run, her joy infectious. He couldn't help but smile, a soft, bittersweet smile. He did not know why he was here. He didn't know how he ended up in this family, in this world—but this ti, he would do his best to be a good brother. He would never harm his blood, never again. And with that thought, Crimson ran after Ruby, his small feet pounding on the grass as he chased her through the yard, the laughter of his family echoing in the air.
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