Blasphemous Soul: Chapter 1
The dark hallway was scaring Pride, though he could see perfectly well down its shadowed recesses. It wasn’t the darkness itself that frightened him. It was the sounds…
All night something at the far end would be scratching around at the door, moving around in the room, crashing noises emanating from within and whimpers coming out in the late day and early mornings.
He asked Envy about it once; “Nii-san, what are the noises in the room near Father’s?”
The green-haired boy had scowled darkly, slamming his fist on the counter of the kitchen so hard it had cracked. “Why don’t you ask him when he reappears?” He had hissed through gritted teeth, storming off by himself to the corners of the house in which he usually lurked. Pride had been left standing there, staring after his brother like he always was. Why did Nii-san get so mad when he mentioned Father?
Hohenheim had disappeared several weeks before the incident, leaving the two of them in charge of the massive house and subterranean levels. The richest area of the building by far was near Hohenheim’s room, a hallway with thick carpet and paneled doors… And something locked in at the far end.
Pride had been lonely that day, walking down the hallway wondering where Nii-san was when he had passed the corridor. He would have continued onward, had he not heard the voice doing something he hadn’t ever heard from the door before.
It was crying…
He made his way down the hallway slowly, each step he took as quiet as possible as he neared the door. The soft crying continued, even as Pride put a hand on the door and leaned against it, one ear on the wood to try and discern what was within. His golden hair fell into his eyes as his fingers played nervously over the doorknob; would he be in trouble if he opened it? The crying suddenly paused, the source of the sound obviously sensing his presence outside the door. Pride could hear it moving to the other side of the door, could almost see two hands pressed against the wood. His decision was made the instant he heard the voice, a girl’s voice through the wood.
“Daddy…?”
~~~~~~~~~~~
Envy sighed loudly, hands resting lazily on the back of his head as he followed the trail of his younger brother. “Pri-ide, where are you?” He called, barely glancing down each corridor he passed. The younger homunculus seemed to have a phobia of these smaller hallways, staying clear of them and averting his eyes when he did pass them. Envy may not have been in his sight that often over the past few weeks, but Pride had certainly been in his.
He almost walked past the turn Pride had made, pausing just before he passed as a flash of gold color caught his eye. The door at the far end of the hall was open, the lock broken, and Pride was on his knees with his back to Envy, holding something possessively.
“What did you find, Pride?” Envy asked testily, starting to walk down the hall to drag his younger brother away from whatever had fascinated him enough to bust the door for it. Pride turned his head, gold hair falling over his shoulders and uncovering a pair of pale, white arms that were clinging onto his neck. Envy froze, a sudden feeling of something like dread creeping into his chest. “What is that, Pride?”
Pride stood, slightly hindered as he pulled his prize up with him, arms around its waist as he turned to Envy. “She was crying…”
The girl looked to be about sixteen, judging by her height. Her face was buried into Pride’s shoulder, dark blue hair falling in waves to just below her shoulderblades. Her clothing was a pair of pants, a midriff strapless top that covered from the bottom of her ribcage to the line of her underarms, and two armbands that would look like off the shoulder sleeves when her arms were at her side. Her fragile, white hands were clinging to Pride as though she would die by letting go, and as Envy moved to pull her off of the younger homunculus she looked up at him, hair falling back to show brilliantly jewel-toned eyes. Royal purple and crimson ruby were combined into an almost hypnotic tone in those wide, innocent eyes, but those weren’t what caught Envy’s attention. It was the red mark on the left side of her throat that had been uncovered when she moved her hair that made him freeze.
“A little sister…” He whispered, incredulity in his tone.
The girl looked at him, still clinging to Pride. “Where did Daddy go? How come Julia’s nii-sans never came?” She asked, voice sounding confused.
Envy shook his head, beginning to figure out just what was going on. “Daddy forgot to tell Julia’s nii-sans about her altogether…” He explains through gritted teeth, running a hand through his hair. How in hell was he supposed to fix this mess? The girl looked like she hadn’t bathed in weeks, her hair was greasy, and she smelled. Nasty.
One thing at a time, Envy- He told himself, turning back to look at his younger siblings. “Pride, go see if you can find any of Father’s notes about this.” He nodded toward ‘Julia’, as she called herself, extracting her from Pride’s grip easily. “I’ll figure this out as best I can.”
All night something at the far end would be scratching around at the door, moving around in the room, crashing noises emanating from within and whimpers coming out in the late day and early mornings.
He asked Envy about it once; “Nii-san, what are the noises in the room near Father’s?”
The green-haired boy had scowled darkly, slamming his fist on the counter of the kitchen so hard it had cracked. “Why don’t you ask him when he reappears?” He had hissed through gritted teeth, storming off by himself to the corners of the house in which he usually lurked. Pride had been left standing there, staring after his brother like he always was. Why did Nii-san get so mad when he mentioned Father?
Hohenheim had disappeared several weeks before the incident, leaving the two of them in charge of the massive house and subterranean levels. The richest area of the building by far was near Hohenheim’s room, a hallway with thick carpet and paneled doors… And something locked in at the far end.
Pride had been lonely that day, walking down the hallway wondering where Nii-san was when he had passed the corridor. He would have continued onward, had he not heard the voice doing something he hadn’t ever heard from the door before.
It was crying…
He made his way down the hallway slowly, each step he took as quiet as possible as he neared the door. The soft crying continued, even as Pride put a hand on the door and leaned against it, one ear on the wood to try and discern what was within. His golden hair fell into his eyes as his fingers played nervously over the doorknob; would he be in trouble if he opened it? The crying suddenly paused, the source of the sound obviously sensing his presence outside the door. Pride could hear it moving to the other side of the door, could almost see two hands pressed against the wood. His decision was made the instant he heard the voice, a girl’s voice through the wood.
“Daddy…?”
~~~~~~~~~~~
Envy sighed loudly, hands resting lazily on the back of his head as he followed the trail of his younger brother. “Pri-ide, where are you?” He called, barely glancing down each corridor he passed. The younger homunculus seemed to have a phobia of these smaller hallways, staying clear of them and averting his eyes when he did pass them. Envy may not have been in his sight that often over the past few weeks, but Pride had certainly been in his.
He almost walked past the turn Pride had made, pausing just before he passed as a flash of gold color caught his eye. The door at the far end of the hall was open, the lock broken, and Pride was on his knees with his back to Envy, holding something possessively.
“What did you find, Pride?” Envy asked testily, starting to walk down the hall to drag his younger brother away from whatever had fascinated him enough to bust the door for it. Pride turned his head, gold hair falling over his shoulders and uncovering a pair of pale, white arms that were clinging onto his neck. Envy froze, a sudden feeling of something like dread creeping into his chest. “What is that, Pride?”
Pride stood, slightly hindered as he pulled his prize up with him, arms around its waist as he turned to Envy. “She was crying…”
The girl looked to be about sixteen, judging by her height. Her face was buried into Pride’s shoulder, dark blue hair falling in waves to just below her shoulderblades. Her clothing was a pair of pants, a midriff strapless top that covered from the bottom of her ribcage to the line of her underarms, and two armbands that would look like off the shoulder sleeves when her arms were at her side. Her fragile, white hands were clinging to Pride as though she would die by letting go, and as Envy moved to pull her off of the younger homunculus she looked up at him, hair falling back to show brilliantly jewel-toned eyes. Royal purple and crimson ruby were combined into an almost hypnotic tone in those wide, innocent eyes, but those weren’t what caught Envy’s attention. It was the red mark on the left side of her throat that had been uncovered when she moved her hair that made him freeze.
“A little sister…” He whispered, incredulity in his tone.
The girl looked at him, still clinging to Pride. “Where did Daddy go? How come Julia’s nii-sans never came?” She asked, voice sounding confused.
Envy shook his head, beginning to figure out just what was going on. “Daddy forgot to tell Julia’s nii-sans about her altogether…” He explains through gritted teeth, running a hand through his hair. How in hell was he supposed to fix this mess? The girl looked like she hadn’t bathed in weeks, her hair was greasy, and she smelled. Nasty.
One thing at a time, Envy- He told himself, turning back to look at his younger siblings. “Pride, go see if you can find any of Father’s notes about this.” He nodded toward ‘Julia’, as she called herself, extracting her from Pride’s grip easily. “I’ll figure this out as best I can.”