Fantasy Assassin in a modern world

186 Matty

When Ace was a child he had a twin brother named Matthew who had a very rare disease that made his bones brittle and his muscles weak. His twin brother couldn’t even get out of bed and needed care for almost 24/7, there was never a time Ace saw his twin brother in any place except on a bed.

Of course, Ace as a twin brother would come and play with his twin all the time, they couldn’t play like normal children so they used imagination instead, in their minds they would imagine a life full of adventure. When Ace learned to read he would read to his twin brother exciting stories of battle, friendship, and love.

Ace loved his twin brother and had a wonderful time with him, unfortunately, life doesn’t only have happiness but also tragedy.

The condition of Ace’s twin brother worsen as he grew, and his parents were having a lot of difficulties paying his medical fees. They worked tirelessly to support their children until the very end. Ace’s parents died in a car accident while going around trying to find a way to save their son.

Ace was eight years old at the time and it was on the same day he was tested and found out that he had inner energy, he came running home wanting to share the good news with his family. Now that he had inner energy if he can become a martial artist with a high rank their lives will change.

Yet those happy thoughts only lasted for but a moment as when he came home and learned of his mom and dad’s deaths. Things started moving fast from then on, due to the condition of Ace’s twin brother the twins were separated. The Government would pay for the twin brother’s medical expenses but there was a limit and due to the severity of his condition most people thought he wouldn’t last long.

“Brother, please don’t let them take me away, I don’t want to go,” Matthew begged his brother not to leave him as he was scared.

“It’s going to be okay Matty, these people are here to help you. So don’t be scared, I promise everything will be alright. Once you’re better will go out on that adventure we always imagined.” Ace patted his brother’s head with a smile on his face.

“You promise,” Matthew lifted his pinky finger with great difficulty.

.....

“Of course, when have I ever lied to you.” Ace linked his pinky with Matthew. The two were then placed in different homes, Matthew was in a hospital one train ride away from Ace.

During this time Ace did everything and anything to earn even a single Zori and every Sunday he would visit his twin brother and continue to tell him stories.

Ace worked hard every day, practicing his martial arts, studying in school, going to multiple places to earn money, and visiting his twin brother to tell him stories. He thought that he would one day be able to save his twin brother and that the two of them can start their own adventure like the heroes in those stories, but things dreams remain as dreams.

Ace’s twin brother’s situation worsened, and not only that the Government will stop paying for his medical fees once he turns eighteen. As the only living relative of Matthew, Ace is the only one who can save his twin brother. Matthew’s medical fees were high, and the money Ace saved up over the years would only last him a single month, so Ace needed to find a way to make more money.

...

One day when Ace visited Matthew, his brother who was always excited to see him was looking out the window.

“Brother, do you think it was right for me to live, to have a dream?”

“Huh, what the f*ck are you saying, did someone tell you that you shouldn’t live! Tell me who the f*ck they are and I’ll beat them up for you.”

“No brother nobody said anything bad to me, it’s just that... Mom and Dad died because of me because they needed money to keep me alive, and now my dear brother is looking like this... I... Was it really alright for me to live?”

Ace wanted to hug his twin brother but knew due to his condition he couldn’t do it, so instead he sat down beside him and spoke his heart out.

“You fool! Of course, you have every right to live! Dad, Mom, and I did all of these because we want you to live. How can you even think about those things?! Do you remember what I told you before? I promised you that everything will get better, and once you are cured will head out onto that adventure beyond the horizon.”

“Is it really alright for me to dream about those things?” Matthew was already crying his eyes out, and even Ace had tears falling down his face.

“Dream? It won’t just be a dream I promise to make it happen. When you’re cured, we’ll buy a boat and go on adventures in the sea, meeting new people every day, finding new things, having some difficulties to overcome, and having fun all the way.”

Ace described what kinds of adventures they would have when he gets better, hearing all of these things made Matthew imagine such a wonderful future.

“So promise me, Matty, no matter what happens you should never give up on yourself, you should never question your right to live, your right to dream. Trust in me, I will fulfill my promise.” Ace lifted his pinky finger.

“Alright, I promise I won’t give up.” Matthew gathered his strength to wrap his pinky finger with Ace’s pinky.

...

After that day Matthew no longer complained about how difficult things were, he no longer questioned his right to live and dream, and he continued to fight, but despite all of his efforts his condition only got worse over time, and he was nearing his end.

Ace was then given a choice to make the best of the time remaining and make things as comfortable as possible for his brother or to take a risk and do an experimental surgery that would reinforce Matthew’s brittle bones. This experimental surgery was the only thing the doctors could think of, after all of the years of observing Matthew, and the cost of doing it was astronomical.

...

“But the money.”

“Don’t worry about the money, all you need to do is fight, and once you’re cured we’ll set off to the new horizon.”

In the end, Matthew decided to fight with everything he had. Ace needed to find money quickly he asked all of his employers if he could get an advance, and even with that he was short. He wanted to take out a loan but it wasn’t enough. So he was forced to seek help from shady figures. It didn’t matter to him where the money came from as long as he could save his brother, that was the only thing on his mind, he wasn’t thinking properly as he signed a contract with loan sharks who lent him enough money to save his brother.

...

After getting the money the surgery was scheduled for the next day, but unfortunately, the dawn will never come for Matthew as his condition took a turn for the worse.

“Matty come on and fight it. Just a little bit more and we can go on that adventure over the horizon!”

Matthew prayed to every God he knew for anything that could save his brother but no one heard him. The doctors did everything they could but in the end, he could not survive the night.

...

From that day on, Ace was truly alone in this world. As he was packing his deceased brother’s things a nurse who looked like she had a good cry gave a letter that was addressed to him. The nurse told him that this was something his brother asked to give him if he didn’t make it. Ace shakingly opened the letter and started to read.

“Dear brother, I asked the nurse to help me write this, so if you are reading this it means that I’m no longer with you. I’m sorry to have left you alone, but I’m sure until the very end I did try my best. I hope that you won’t mourn for long and continue onwards with your own life since I already took a large part of it. That adventure that we talked about doing, I wish you could go and do it even without me. You need to have as much fun in that adventure as we imagined it when we were kids so that when we meet again you can tell me all the stories about your adventure.”

Ace was already crying as he continued to read.

“Brother I’m sorry for all the hardships I have given you, I’m sorry I was a worthless brother who couldn’t do anything. So I truly hope with all my heart that you’ll be able to live a life worthy of your own story. I never did tell you my true dream, did I? My true dream is to see my beloved brother find happiness. So I hope you go over that horizon and when you’re done with your fantastic adventure I’ll be waiting to hear your stories again.”

Once he was done reading the letter Ace continued to cry as hard as he could.

...

After his brother’s funeral Ace wasn’t able to go on that adventure as the money he borrowed could not be returned. So from that moment on he became an underling of that person doing whatever is asked of him.