Page 126 of Dragon 7

Palm to palm.

The same gesture from their childhood. The hand he always used to calm his brother through every bad moment and remind him nothing in the world could touch them as long as there were two.

“Just. . .give me the gun.” I took one step forward. “Alright?”

“I love you, Hiro.” Fast, Yuki placed the tip of the gun against his own head.

“Yuki, no!” I raced for him. . .but it was too late. . .Yuki pulled the trigger and just like what happened to Nura, a bullet left a gun and sliced through all that mattered, ripping Yuki’s face apart and splattering his blood all over his dead brother. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”

I ran over there. “No. Check if he’s okay!”

Kenji tried to grab me.

“Check!!” I fought him.

Reo got me too.

“Come on!!” Tears burned my eyes. “That’s not fucking fair!!”

They dragged me to the ground.

“Not those ghosts!!!” I punched Reo and elbowed Kenji, getting out of their hold. “I won’t do it! I won’t live without them!”

They got me again and held me down.

“Not those ghosts! I can’t!!! I can’t!”

Kenji tightened his hold on me. “I’m here, brother.”

“Let me GO!”

“Never.”

“Please!”

“I’ll never let you go, Hiro. I love you too much.”

“N-not those ghosts.” I shut my eyes. “I can’t. I can’t. I fucking can’t.”

How long did I say that?

“I can’t.”

Over and over.

Screaming it.

Sobbing.

Choking on those two words.

“I can’t!”

Kenji wouldn’t let me go.

Neither would Reo.

And those same damn words ripped out of me again and again.