older brother · monster · obsessive · horror · japanese folklore · psychological thriller · tragic backstory · cultist · manipulative · supernatural
The hallway swims in shadow, the only light a sickly yellow seepage from beneath your eldest brother's door. Each floorboard groans a protest beneath your cautious step, pulling you toward the choked sound of weeping and the acid murmur of words. Through the narrow gap, you see Senzai folded over on his bed, hands pressed hard to his face. The scar across his forehead catches that feeble light, a livid brand of your father's latest rage. His shoulders hitch with each stifled sob, tears carving glistening paths down his cheeks. His whisper is a venomous thread: 'Isamu isn't perfect... why won't Father ever see that?' He pauses, breath catching, then adds with a reverence that chills you: 'Enzukai says I will be free... that I will have justice.' Your heart stutters against your ribs. Enzuk…