Mateo stared off the shack standing on top of the small cliff, the waves from the ocean barreling on the cliff's side. It stood alone, empty with the backdrop of white snow and thickets of trees behind. The clouds above turned from pitch black to dim gray, indicating sunrise, but there was nothing remotely in common with what the sun's rising usually presented.

This was no good morning.

Mateo started, climbing up the low incline towards the shack.

The snow started to roar, as if hearing the emotions tugging at his chest as he placed one foot after another. The winds whistled, howled, with his eyesight blurry along with his nose: numbed, far from able to smell the looming danger manifested in his head.

He walked up to the veranda, his sandals tapping against the wooden floorboards. One step after another, he closed in, pausing just before he grabbed the handle by the door.

"I'm… home."

The door creaked open, with the wind whizzing past Mateo to gush into the house like an uninvited guest.

Mateo could barely see. Past the small kitchen, it was pitch black, shadows on the ground looming. With a huff of breath, He started, taking a few paces forward before pausing right in front of the stove. A pot was over the counter, the soup inside now spoiled rotten.

His chest sank. Turning to the living room, the radio was playing static noise. Walking past the couch and table, he headed towards the back veranda, his eyes trailing the rocking chair through the window.

It was lola. What was left of her, at least.

Her rotting corpse, leaning against the chair, the ugly imagery sending all the wrong emotions barreling to Mateo's head.

"No–"

A sharp pain bit into his shoulder. He turned. It was a Walker, biting through his muscle with its limbs locked around his, tearing a chunk of flesh off before he finally managed to push it away with Helios Hands.

Mateo tumbled back into the living room, clutching at his shoulder as warm red dripped down his fingers.

Turning back, he stared daggers at the Walker, only to double back on himself with a sudden painful realization.

Mateo felt a hand grip his heart.

The Walker's figure. It's long hair and tattered clothes. Through the frozen skin and hoarfrost, the monster held a pained expression permanent on its face. A face something Mateo was too familiar with.

He didn't want to guess. He didn't want to know. Because that thing in front of him, with dried blood stains on its claws and a chunk of his shoulder on its teeth, that thing with dead eyes, that thing, that… thing–

It was his sister.

* * *

"Mateo." Ana said. "You still up?"

Mateo heard but decided not to answer. He was up, but it was more or less because of insomnia than anything. It's been pretty hard to sleep for a while, especially when he has an annoying sister to pamper.

"Hey." She continued, tickling Mateo's sides with her feet. Mateo's always been ticklish, but he decided to put up a front, trying his best not to respond.

But Ana didn't want to have any of it. When the tickling didn't work, she paused for a while before kicking Mateo right across his bottom ass.

"Y-You got me." Mateo turned, cupping his butt from the pain.

"God." Ana said, dropping to his futon.

"What are you doing?"

"What?"

"You played dibs on the couch and now you're taking my futon too? Hello?"

Ana threw a blanket to his face. His blanket, specifically. Mateo wasn't one to back down from a fight he could obviously win, so he countered by mushing the blanket into a tight ball then flinging it over to her face, knocking her over to the floor.

"Shit, you okay?" Mateo said before Ana jerked, pulling the futon under to sweep him off his feet.

"That's it." Mateo tackled her. Ana countered back, the two taking turns pinning each other down to the floor, playing like children who have too much energy to spare in the middle of the night.

"Oh God, I'm all sweaty now." Ana gasped, laying flat against the floor with Mateo beside, both gasping for air like they just ran a full marathon.

They stayed like that for a while, letting the crickets outside drown the silence, all the while staring at the ceiling with no care in the world.

"Listen." Ana said. "You know that thing they talked over on the radio?"

Mateo didn't say anything, waiting for her to finish.

"I'm scared."

Mateo's chest tightened. Through the silence, he tried to pick up his words. "And?"

"That's it." Ana jabbed his shoulder. "God Mateo, pick up on social cues, why don't you? This is why Jan left you."

"That's totally off topic."

"Off topic or not."

"Right." Mateo squeezed Ana's hand. "Well, I'm here aren't I?"

"That's not really reassuring."

"I'm not reassuring?"

Ana let out a slight giggle. "A little bit, maybe."

Mateo's lips shut tight. He didn't expect that. He was sure she'd counter him with another one of her list of insults for the day.

Mateo's been Ana's brother since day one. She was always the type of person to have problems showing off her true feelings to the people around her, and that boiled down to people misinterpreting her intentions. Hans coined it a tsundere, a stereotypical character in those Japanese cartoons he always had a niche obsession with. But unlike those characters, Ana was a real person.

"By the way, how's things with Amir?" Mateo said.

"It's only been a few months, but our relationship's been coming along. Though he's been pretty nosy whenever I go solo in clubs around town."

"Duh?"

"Hey." Ana slapped the back of Mateo's head. "I'm not that kind of girl, you know? You might not believe me but I'm a pretty loyal queen."

"Well say that to Amir. It's pretty tiring playing the role of mediator between you lovebirds."

Ana giggled before it faded into silence. They then stopped, for a while, just staring at the ceiling.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." She jabbed his shoulder. Again. "For you know–everything. I know I'm not the best sister around, but still."

Mateo grinned. "I'm your older brother. That's kind of our thing."

"Just wait until I get a job and make six figures, I'll wipe that confident look off your face."

"I wouldn't bet on it."

* * *

Mateo landed a burning fist right across Ana's chest, sending her tumbling back to the railing.

Ana. What the hell are you doing?

She hissed, turning to a crawl on all fours before lunging again, her claws spread wide.

Mateo veered, and with the momentum of a spin, he rammed another fist straight to her stomach, sending her tumbling back again.

She turned, hissed, then lunged again and again, with Mateo skirting around her claws before sending her flying back a third time.

Ana please.

She wasn't as fast as the goblin, nor had special attacks like that acid spitter, nor was she nearly as strong as the giant. She was weak, weaker than the Walkers he fought minutes ago, as if she was holding herself back.

"What the fuck are you doing Ana!?" Mateo roared. He then dashed, ramming a fist right across her chest, breaking the walls of their house and sending them both falling to the side of the cliff.

They landed on soft sand, with the waves just inches beside them.

"Snap out of it!" Mateo extinguished his arms, grabbing both her shoulders to pin her down against the ground. "You think Amir's happy seeing you like this!? You're crazier than Aunt Linda next door for fuck's sake!"

Ana hissed, trying to claw her way out of Mateo's grasp. Mateo countered, sending a fist flying to her face, then another fist, and then another, pummeling her down with everything he could muster, the anger inside him not daring to die down.

Time seemed to stop.

Ana stared back at him, her face mixed with fear and hostility. She gave him a look no brother could ever want.

It was a stranger's look.

As his fists flew, Mateo couldn't help but feel dead everytime they landed. The bruises on her face, the burns all over her body, charring the already tattered clothes she had on. This was because of him. He was trying to kill his own sister.

How… did it end up like this?

Ana.

"Ragh!" Ana slashed, gashing a deep cut on Mateo's arm. She clawed her way loose, drawing cuts all over Mateo's arms before dashing back a fair distance.

Mateo stared at his arms. It was marred in blood and cuts, but it didn't hurt. It didn't sting. Strangely enough, his chest was the only thing aching.

Mateo trembled, dousing fire around his stifling arms again. It was clear now.

There was no turning back.

The fire around his arms roared, heeding the burning emotion inside his chest. He dashed, meeting Ana halfway where his fist and her claws met for one last clash.

The claws gashed his neck, but in turn, he gave his all to the one last fist he had, ramming it straight to Ana's face.

Missile.

One trigger, and the air around rippled from the explosion.