Guardian of the Heirs

The scent of frankincense chokes the hallway. Thick smoke coils around the marble pillars like the threads of a shroud. Frank stands at the head of the body. The white linen covers everything except the bitter truth rising with the vapors. His hand is deep in his pocket, clutching a cold iron key. The jagged teeth of the metal bite into his palm. «Heavy. This metal is heavier than the corpse itself. Heavier than our hollow legacy.» *Clack... Clack... Clack...* Nathan strides toward him from the far end of the corridor. The strike of his leather soles against the marble echoes like a hammer hitting an anvil. Nathan stops directly behind Frank. His shadow swallows their father’s shrouded form. — Step aside. Nathan’s voice is gravelly, saturated with a false sense of command. — I am the eldest here. I decide who says goodbye and who leaves. Frank doesn't move. He remains anchored to the floor. He stares at his brother with bloodshot eyes that haven't known sleep for forty-eight hours. «Look at him. Scavenging for dominance over a cadaver. Pathetic.» — The will says otherwise, Nathan. Frank speaks with a devastating calmness. A heavy silence settles over the room. T…