T1C

It was a rude awakening, cold water splashed across Lucci’s face. He was bound on a chair, his arms and feet were tightly tied and he was blindfolded. Panicked roused quickly in his mind. He was in hysteria. A thing ever foreign to mages. His terror doubled upon realizing none of his learnt elementals were working. He was completely helpless.

“Where am I?” Lucci spoke in panic. But no one answered. Cracklings of a nearby fire can be heard.

“Why did you do it?” a deep voice sounded behind Lucci.

“Who are you? Where am I? Unbind me!!” Lucci shouted. But before he could speak more, a slap hit his face.

“Why did you do it?” repeated the deep voice.

“Did what? I didn’t do anyth-,” this time a punch hit Lucci’s stomach.

“Do not lie!! Why did you do it?” the deep voice repeated in anger.

“I don’t… I don’t know what I did,” replied Lucci.

“Gabriel Hohenheim…” the deep voice said.

“Gabe? My brother, how… no!! I didn’t mean to kill him!! I never wanted to,” Lucci replied in hysteria. “It wasn’t intentioned. I didn’t planned on killing him. I love him dearly, I never… It will never be in my intention to hurt him. I… I… I swear to the-.”

“Kill your brother?” the deep voice said surprised but unmoved. Lucci stuttered to reply but no words came to be. “Swear to the Book of Solomon, that you are telling the truth,” the deep voice ordered as he removed the blindfold of Lucci.

“The Star of David,” Lucci muttered in surprise as he saw the man asking him question. The man was hooded in black from the top of his to waist. His face is covered with black cloth, hiding all of his face and even his eyes. The star can easily be seen on the forehead area of the face. “Wh…why… How did..”

“Why I’m here, you already knew. We are justice incarnate,” the hooded man brought out from his back a book and placed it on desk near them. “Now swear to-“

“The Book of Solomon! Then it is true!“ Lucci spoke in both amazement and fear.

“Yes. You cannot lie to me. Now, tell me why did you kill your fa-“

“He made me do it. Gabe. It was his fault. But my poor brother. I never wanted it to happen. He knew that I love him dearly. But it was his fault that I killed him.” Lucci spoke without hesitation. “It was the morning of when he died. We are laughing and speaking of great joy in the festivity and events to come. We are merry then. We planned out perfectly of what to do later that evening. But… but… I never thought that he’d be…”

“Why? What happened?” the hooded man asked in annoyance of the sudden pause.

“He lied,” Lucci spoke in regret.

“Lied? Why would I… Why would Gabriel lie?” the hooded man asked in surprised.

“He lied to me. All he said from when father first rejected me and Gabe comforted me. It was all a lie. He never loved me. All the time he was consoling me, all of it was a lie. He never treated me as a brother. He hated me. All it, was a lie!”

“But… was it enough to kill?” the hooded man shakily replied in question.

“I… I…” Lucci tried in vain to answer but couldn’t. There was a sudden pause as the flame from the candlelight continued to crackle. The temple was dimly lit from afar, they were in a corner room. No windows to tell the time of the day or night. And none sound but them both and the fire can be heard.

“Do you think Gabriel lied to you?” the hooded man broke the silence.

“He told me the truth before the evening of his death. He said he was lying. He told me everything. None of it were true!” Lucci spoke out in anger. “I was just a trash like what father tells me. He never wanted me to be a brother. He…he… he was lying.”

As Lucci continued with his complaints, the hooded man brought out a small box. It was a music box.

“It is odd now since the Book of Solomon warns not of your lies but glorifies all your truth. Even though none of what you’ve said are true. Do you remember this, Lu?” the hooded man spoke, he was in anguish.

“That… that’s a gift I gave to Gabe… tell me! What kind of desecration have you done? Why must the angels of law perverse the tomb of my brother? That is Gabe’s. You shouldn’t…” As Lucci continued on with his angry remarks. The hooded man slowly removed the cloth covering his face.

“It is I, big brother. The one you did not kill!” Gabe spoke.

“Gabriel! Gabe! Is it? Is it you? No! No!! My mind is playing tricks. It can’t be!”

Gabe rotated the box and pressed a side of it. A sudden nostalgic tune played as a dancing angel slowly popped up at its upper side.

“It… it can’t be… only I and Gabe knows how to turn it on. How… how,” uttered Lucci in disbelieve.

“It’s because I am, big brother. Now tell me. Why did you kill father?”

“Father? Father?” Lucci questioned. “Father is dead? How? When did it… Father is dead?”

“Big brother… it wasn’t I you killed. It was father,” Gabe revealed.

“No! No! It can’t… I can’t… No! No!!”

“Tell me big brother Lu, what happened that evening?”

“Wha… what? Ho… how can it… No! No! No! No! No! It wasn’t you… It was father all along. It was him! It was his fault! It was his fault!” Lucci cried in hysteria.

“Big brother Lu,” Gabe said, as a sudden droplet of tear slid down his cheek. “Father loves us both. To tell the truth. He loves you more than I am. You just didn’t see it. He saw the potential in you, yet he was… he was envious of you. He couldn’t tell it to you. All his degrading remarks are… just his way of testing you. You know yourself that your limits are further off than his. He… he wanted you to be humble. That is why, that is him to you. He was just…”

“Lies! All lies!! I don’t believe you!” Lucci shouted in anger. “It doesn’t make sense. Why he was that if he truly loves me. All of it are not true!!”

“Yet the book of Solomon says otherwise.”

“I don’t believe it! He is lying to both of us! That I am certain! Please Gabe, untie me. Let me hug you once more. Seeing you alive, it brings joy to my heart. Please… Gabe,” Lucci pleaded.

“It’s too late now brother. There’s no escaping our fate.” Gabe spoke in regret as sudden tremor shook the ground and the candle flicker less and less. “It’s too late, big brother.”

The flame turn to cinder and sight turned to nothing. It was pitch black, the corner room they are sealed in have been shut away as the final breath of air have whisk in from the closing stone. They are bound in the room forever.

“Gabe!! Gabe!!” shouted Lucci. It was early morning. The fresh air of day break has yet to disperse. The stars were still above and the yellow drizzle of the evening sun is both waning and greeting. “Gabe! Gabe!”

“What is it, big brother?” It was Gabe, he awoke from Lucci’s scream.

“Gabe! It… it was all a dream!” Lucci cried out in relieve. He was having a nightmare all along. “Gabe!” He said one more and gave his brother a tight hug. “Gabe!”

“Big brother Lu, you’re choking me,” said Gabe.

“Gabe! Oh! How I missed you! You won’t believe a dream I just had. It was both…” but before Lucci could even finish his sentence. Gabe held his finger to Lucci’s lips.

“Hush! Let’s move now, we’re being followed.” As Gabe said this, he whisk his hand on the bonfire they made and the flame diminished. It’s time yet again for them to continue their escape.