[Kitsumi]

"This is stupid," Rylan complained, probably for the hundredth time. "We could be out hunting monsters with dad, but noooo," he draws the word out dramatically. "He had to send us out here to play with rocks."

Roman sighed, beginning to lose patience with his younger brother. "It's not a rock, it's a crystal," he corrected. "And just because we aren't hunting monsters doesn't mean that we won't have anything exciting happen. I was told that the reaction that happens once the crystal is charged can be quite... erratic. Dangerous even, in some cases. That's why they wanted people like us - people who can handle themselves - to do this."

[1]

[Kitsumi]

There were only a few seconds of silence before the younger man was once again finding something to complain about. "How much further into this damned forest do we have to go? We're gonna end up getting lost in here!"

"No we won't," Roman spoke through gritted teeth, barely retaining his composure. "I never get lost, you know this. I'll be able to lead us back out of here, no problem."

"Oh, that's right," Rylan snickered. "You're like a homing pigeon, aren't you? Alright, birdbrain, I guess I'll trust you to get us out of here. As long as the scary crystal doesn't hurt you!"

[2]

[Kitsumi]

"Rylan," the elder brother's tone had turned stern, causing the younger man to abruptly straighten. Roman, being the one who had most craved their father's affection and approval, could imitate the man with eerie accuracy. Whenever he used the same warning tone as their father, it caused shivers to go down his brother's spine.

"Alright, alright," Rylan rolled his eyes and let out a heavy, exaggerated sigh. "I get it. You want me to shut up. Fine, I'm shutting up." He held one hand up in front of his mouth, miming the action of locking it and then throwing the key away.

[3]

[Kitsumi]

This, however, did not appease Roman. "Do you have to treat everything like a joke?" he grumbled. "You need to take this job more seriously. This is a paid gig, remember? We have a client who is depending on us to treat this job with a certain level of professionalism. This isn't like one of father's training expeditions, where you can get away with goofing off. This is the real deal."

"Oooh, the real deal, how exciting!" Rylan mocked his brother. But when he saw the man's hands clench into fists, he was quick to apologize. "Hey, I'm just trying to have some fun! It's a joke, yeah?"

[4]

[Kitsumi]

"A joke, huh?" the elder man scoffed. "Odd, I was under the impression that those were supposed to be funny. Perhaps I misunderstood the purpose of a joke."

For once, Rylan looked impressed with his brother. "Wow, was that sarcasm? From you?" He pretended to wipe away a nonexistent tear. "You're finally starting to talk like a normal young man! I'm so proud of you, brother. Although I'm sure that most of the credit belongs to me and my influence."

As much as Roman wanted to reply with a quip of his own, he settled with rolling his eyes and grunting. He didn't have the energy for this back and forth banter today.

[5]

[Kitsumi]

Surprisingly, the next several minutes passed in silence. Either Rylan was beginning to tire himself out to the point where he couldn't think of any witty remarks, or he had realized that it would be easier to simply focus on walking. Either way, Roman was very grateful for the chance to actually think, without his brother's voice constantly chattering on and complaining.

Finally, the elder man came to a halt. "Ah, this looks like a good spot. Let's set up camp here." He shrugged out of his backpack, unzipping it in order to get the items that they would need for the night.

[6]

[Kitsumi]

The younger man looked around skeptically. "It's foggy here," he began to complain once more. "Aren't we going to get all wet? All of our stuff will get wet too!"

"Rylan, this is Whisper Forest." His brother rubbed the spot right between his eyes, suddenly sounding incredibly tired. "The entire place is full of fog. We aren't going to find a single spot without it. So unless you see any actual issues with the location, shut up and help me get everything set up.

"Well excuse me for caring about whether all of our stuff gets wet," Rylan grumbled. "From now on I'll just keep my concerns to myself."

[7]

[Kitsumi]

"If only that were true," Roman mumbled under his breath. "This trip would be a whole lot more pleasant if you kept your concerns to yourself."

If the other man heard the comment, he gave no indication of it. Instead, he began obeying his brother's request to get things set up. He set to work preparing the tent that they had brought with them, entrusting the actions of starting a fire to the elder brother.

With both of them finally working together, it didn't take long for things to come together. Soon enough, the tent was pitched and dinner was cooking over a welcoming, crackling campfire.

[8]

[Kitsumi]

Surveying the scene before him with his piercing gaze, Roman was pleased to find that everything was in order. Despite all of his complaining, the younger brother had managed to do his part well. Now, all that was left was to do what they had come here to do: place the crystal in the device, wait for it to charge, and record any unusual happenings.

"I'm going to insert the crystal now," he turned to Rylan, making sure he had his brother's full attention. "Make sure to be ready, just in case something strange happens. We have no idea what the reaction will be."

[9]

[Kitsumi]

"Yeah, yeah," Rylan waved a hand dismissively. "Insert crystal, scary things could happen, got it. I think I'll be fine over here."

As much as he wanted to argue with his brother, demand that he take things seriously, Roman knew that it would be pointless. Besides, both of them were exhausted after their long trek through the forest. He just didn't have the energy to fight anymore.

Instead, he dug the crystal out of his backpack, before rummaging through Rylan's bag for the device. They had thought it would be safest to keep the two separate, just in case there would be some sort of accidental reaction.

[10]

[Kitsumi]

Roman opened his mouth, prepared to ask his brother if he was ready. But a quick glance at the younger man revealed that he had absolutely no interest in the crystal or what would happen once it was charged. So instead, he simply inserted the crystal into the device without ceremony.

He had been expecting something to happen immediately. For the crystal to begin glowing immediately, or for the device to make some kind of noise - something, anything. So he was a bit disappointed when the crystal remained exactly the same. There was no strange noise, no heat emanating from the objects he held. It was exactly the same as before.

[11]

[Kitsumi]

"So," Rylan drew the word out slightly. "Is the magical rock doing anything special yet? Should I get ready for a fight or something?"

The older brother sighed in frustration. "Can you please not be sarcastic right now? Regardless of whether the crystal reacts in a noticeable way or not, we still have a job to do. The man said that it will take a little while to charge, and that we will know when it's done." He looked down at the item, before placing it on a nearby log. "I'm not sure how long we have to wait, so let's just focus on enjoying ourselves."

[12]

[Kitsumi]

"Enjoy ourselves?" Rylan asked, his tone skeptical. "And what do you propose we do for entertainment, hm? We're in the middle of a dangerous forest. There's mist everywhere. And it's not like I could bring any of my gaming consoles out here with me."

Roman grimaced. "We don't need electronics to have a good time," he insisted. "I brought a deck of cards. Or maybe we can go on a hike, check out the area before the sun sets and its too dark to do so." He shrugged, adding, "Just think of it like this: we're camping. What kinds of stuff do you usually do to enjoy yourself while camping?"

[13]

[Kitsumi]

The younger man did not look impressed in the slightest. "I hate camping," he said in a deadpan voice. "I only do it when you and dad drag me out to the middle of nowhere with the two of you."

"Fine." At this point, Roman is beginning to sound angry. "If you want to choose to be miserable, then so be it. Meanwhile, I will be enjoying my time here." He sat down cross-legged on the ground, ignoring the mist that now surrounded his body up to the middle of his chest. Pulling the deck of cards from his pack, he began setting them up so that he could play solitaire.

[14]

[Kitsumi]

Letting out a loud huff of breath, Rylan turned his back on his brother. "I'll make sure that dinner doesn't burn," he mumbled. "While you play with your cards."

"At least you'll finally be doing something useful for once." Roman knew that his words were much harsher than what was necessary, bordering on cruel. And he did feel a twinge of guilt when he saw his brother's back stiffen. But he couldn't muster enough sympathy to apologize. After all, the younger man had been complaining throughout the entire trip. Roman had managed to hold his tongue for so long, but now he was beginning to get fed up.

[15]