kakegurui a twisted heven

chapter 12

*warning this chapter may be triggering*

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Kirari stood in front of the imposing double doors, steeling herself for what lay beyond. The night before, she had ventured into the kitchen storeroom, stealthily pilfering enough food to sustain herself and her cousins. The clan elders had deemed starvation an appropriate punishment for her perceived "laziness" and for daring to play outside. Whenever her family needed a release for their frustrations, the parlour became the battleground. Facing them was her deepest dread, the fear of what they would inflict upon her, always lurking at the back of her mind.

With a hesitant push, Kirari opened the ornate doors, revealing her mother and father. Her father, his fingers idly toying with a whiskey glass, broke the silence first.

"Ah, there you are, Kirari. Come here," he said, the glass swirling in his hand. Her mother sat in the corner, gazing into the fire, seemingly unfazed.

The room fell into an uneasy hush, with Kirari too afraid to speak. Her eyes remained fixed on the glass her father continued to fidget with, unsure of what awaited her.

"I have a question for you, Kirari," her father finally spoke, his gaze locking onto hers.

"do you enjoy humiliating your family" her stopped twisting the glass and looked up to meet her gaze.

"No, of course not, sir. I would never..." Kirari stammered.

"THEN WHY AM I HEARING YOU STOLE FROM THE KITCHEN STOREROOM?" he thundered, hurling his glass at her. In a heartbeat, he was on his feet, rushing toward her, grabbing her shirt collar, and pinning her to the wall.

"YOU LITTLE THIEF! HOW DARE YOU!" he bellowed, flinging her across the room.

"HOW DARE YOU STEAL FROM THIS FAMILY, YOU LITTLE SHIT! YOU'RE LUCKY I DON'T BREAK YOUR FINGERS FOR IT."

" i'm sorry, please....... I'm sorry" tears rolled down her face uncontrollably.

"STOP CRYING, OR I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO REALLY CRY ABOUT!". Her father belted her mercilessly for what seemed like hours. All she had wanted was to provide for her family, but her father would have none of it.

"Ugh, you're lucky I'm tired, girl," he spat as he stormed out of the room.

"Stop crying, girl; it makes you ugly. Ugly girls don't attract rich men," her mother remarked as she swivelled around and exited the room right behind her husband.

A few minutes later, Ririka, Kirari's twin sister, appeared. "Kirari, what... what happened?"

"Someone saw me take the food from the storeroom and told Father," Kirari's voice trembled, her breath shallow, her body aching, and her eyelids growing heavier by the second. "Oh, no... okay... um... we need to get you to bed." Ririka lifted her sister like a fragile child, cradling her in her arms, and carried her up the grand staircase toward the hidden part of the mansion.

The Momobami mansion was vast, and as children, the clan's younger members had discovered hidden rooms and passageways long forgotten by the elders. Ririka entered a secret doorway and navigated the labyrinthine corridors. "Guys, they caught Kirari! She needs help!" Ririka cried out to the other clan children. Panic surged within her; she was supposed to be the older sister, yet here she was, looking down at her younger twin's battered body.

The clan children quickly assembled, their faces etched with worry. They knew that Kirari's defiance had led to a brutal confrontation with her father. With a sense of urgency, they helped Ririka carry her sister to a hidden room deep within the mansion. It was a sanctuary they had discovered during their childhood, a place untouched by the elders, where they sought refuge from their oppressive family.

As they gently laid Kirari on a bed adorned with rich fabrics, Ririka whispered soothing words to her sister. "Rest now, Kirari. You're safe here. We'll make sure you're okay."

Kirari's eyelids drooped, the exhaustion and pain finally taking their toll. In the quiet refuge of the hidden room, surrounded by her cousins and sister, she drifted into an uneasy slumber. The darkness of the night seemed to stretch endlessly, mirroring the shadows that had descended upon her life.