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Mitsuzane didn’t know why he seemed to miss his brother so desperately. Why his face and presence was haunting him, tormenting his every waking moment. It may just be he own rational thoughts being spoken back to him - he knew he needed to hear them to remain some level of sanity - but why through his brother’s voice? Why did his death cause more suffering to him than anything else he had lost?
It wasn’t as if he was that close to him, anyway. Not like how he felt when he joined Team Gaim. The rush of freedom after what had been so long, surrounded by people who openly let him feel their love and care. It was different from everything he knew. It was the first time he felt worth something, something more than the family name he was hiding from them. Kouta, Mai, everyone, they all meant so much to him. He had lost all of them, in one way or another, caused by his own actions. But why did only his brother appear to him? What made his presence carry more meaning in his heart?
Something inside Takatora changed after he became dedicated to Yggdrasill, by his own choice or not. It was as if all his focus, passion, and emotion, all went straight to the company, leaving nothing but a shell of his former brother. The small hope Mitsuzane clung to, that once their father’s presence was gone his brother would return to his old self, only left the sting of betrayal when unfounded. From then they rarely saw each other, save for an occasional hallway passing, the same, the exact same, questions repeated time after time. Was there ever any hope of change?
Takatora hadn’t always been this way. While bound to the family name and fulfilling the expectations, he was still the brother that cared for him for than any other family member. Those were the few childhood memories he would always cherish. The two of them playing together, spending time together, laughing and enjoying their innocence, even when their father disallowed Takatora to miss studying to such distractions. That all seemed so distant and alien now. Was it ever really that way?
Once, Takatora was his world. Everything he looked up to, everything he inspired to be. As a small boy, he’d gaze up at his brother with eyes so full of unconditional love and utter adoration. It felt as if nothing could ever change that. Why did it have to end?
Even though Mitsuzane could put together all the pieces of the puzzle in his mind, he still couldn't help but ask ‘why?’ Was there anyway to avoid this outcome or was it all fated from the start?