#strager

It all began with Fyodor, writing to himself from behind bars. He had been planning all this ever since he was thrown into prison, a bit calmer now that he had somewhat sated an urge for violence.

When the reward was announced to the group, it only solidified his will to carry on with his plan. It was simple: he would ask someone to kill him, someone who would want his brother back as much as he does. They would win the reward, as he would frame it all as a suicide. The other part of the plan was to keep everyone uninvolved away--so he proposes an event to Arthur,

A little tribute to the brother he hoped will live again--an event in which they would take his notes on white magic, potions, healing, and learn from it. He would have bee happy to teach them all, Fyodor liked to think.

He writes his final words, and leaves them in his room. He hands the key to his room to his brother... no, to Sister. And he proceeds to attend the event he had planned. Seeing Shinobu there, before it all started, he asks him to prepare snacks at around noon.

Others come in to attend the event. They learn. They smile. They all have fun, despite their grim situation.

Fyodor excuses himself, saying its to feed his prisonmate Jo-Yeon. He does do so, and says his goodbyes to him as well. When he returns, he stps by the kitchen, and takes one of the pots to put Nevron’s bag in. Shinobu appears, and Fyodor bids him to follow. The clueless Shinobu does, and they stand together in the flower garden.

There, Fyodor tells his brother’s lover to kill him to revive Nevron. Aim for his left eye; make it a fatal blow. Then return to the event with the others as if nothing at all had happened.

Shinobu, naturally, refuses. Fyodor, having expected it, takes out a knife. He forces action out of Shinobu, lashing out and damaging his prosthetic arm, scattering pieces of wood on the ground. In an instinctive act of self-defense, the tattoos within Shinobu’s inked arm lashes back, and stab Fyodor’s emerald eye.

Fyodor falls onto his back, satisfied as he dies. Horrified with what he’s done, Shinobu hurriedly leaves the garden, heading back to the event to do as he was told by Fyodor.

The crystals fade to black, and the darkness shrinks back into Rago’s cage.