Chapter 30

A snowy gust of wind blew in from outside down the long, narrow corridor. It seemed like I was in an old castle somewhere. I slowly stood up and breathed in the icy air, an intense sense of déjà vu washing over me. Now I remember... I saw this in that dream I had the day I was going to go back home.

Kira

"…I have to go…"

I ran down the dark hallway, the memory of my dream pulling me through. My lungs burned as I breathed in the cold air while I ran and ran. Suddenly a distinctive smell invaded my senses. There's a smell on the wind--and it's not snow. It's...the smell of blood. My fingertips trembled with horror, but I couldn't stop running. I ran and ran like some invisible force was pushing me. I opened an unfamiliar door in the old castle. It was a child's room, but there was no one there. The only sound was that of the grandfather clock. I took a step, and then another, until I stopped in front of the large closet. In my dream, I tried to open this closet and then I woke up. So I don't know what was supposed to happen after that. But I knew without a doubt that I needed to keep chasing the rest of my dream. My fingers were shaking out of control as I reached for the doorknob. I grasped the doorknob tightly, almost like I was grasping for the rest of my dream, and I opened it. And there inside the closet was a little boy, curled into a ball, hugging his knees. He stared up at me with vivid, crimson eyes.

Vlad

"…?"

I forgot to breathe as I stared back into those eyes, red as a rose. Those crimson eyes, the soft, silver hair…I have no doubt about it... This little boy is Vlad. After I heard what Sander had to say, a crazy idea had popped into my head. I clung onto it and went to the

door. I had jumped into the warped maelstrom of time and space with one solitary thought--the wish to travel to the day Vlad was hurt. And I had found him. I was right. The girl in the portrait, the faceless girl–

Flashback

Kira

"Whose portrait is that?"

Vlad

"Oh, that?" "It's a portrait of someone I've been searching for, for a very long time now."

Kira

"Is it the person you told me about that day at the fountain?"

Vlad

"A long, long time ago I was feeling so hopeless I wanted everything to end, even my life." "And then she saved me." "But she disappeared. I searched all over for her, but I could never find her." "I held onto a wish deep in my heart. A wish to see her again someday. That was all that kept me going."

Flashback Ends

The person who Vlad had spent hundreds of years searching for...was me. When that revelation hit me, tears burned my eyes. To Vlad, we met in the past. But it hadn't happened for me yet, and that was why I didn't realize it. Even though Vlad knew it was me from the very beginning…!

Flashback

Kira

"Why do you look so sad?"

Vlad

"..."

Kira

"Um…"

Vlad

"Hey." "...Haven't we met somewhere before?"

Flashback Ends

I couldn't understand Vlad's precious memory at that time....And because of that, I had unknowingly hurt him over and over. But Vlad never said a word about it.

He just continued smiling, staying by my side. He probably kept holding onto the belief that I would someday find him here, in the past. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Vlad. But I finally reached you. So…Please let me touch your heart, your heart that is so far away… I slowly reached out and clasped his tiny hand. I gently pulled Vlad out of the dark closet and knelt down in front of him, looking straight into his eyes. I spoke before I thought.

Kira

"Why do you look so sad?"

Vlad

"We were eating dinner and all of a sudden Mother and Father and everyone else suddenly said we should play hide and seek." "And you never want to be found right away, you know? So I hid in here, but…" "No one ever came to find me, and I started to get really lonely."

Hide and seek... A snowy day... And the overwhelming scent of blood from outside.

Flashback

Gabriel

"One snowy day, Vlad's entire clan-the Drāculesti family--were killed, except for him." "Human vampire hunters killed them."

Flashback Ends

This must be the day le Comte told me about. Vlad's family probably just wanted to protect him, so they told him they were going to play hide and seek. Right now, the incident that would take away his innocent smile was occurring beneath the icy sky. Outside, the pure white snow was stained with dark red blood. I couldn't bear the thought of such a cruel fate awaiting this little boy and hot tears flowed down my face. I know that crying won't solve anything, but I can't help it.

Vlad

"...What's wrong? No one found you, either?" "Everything will be all right. Don't cry."

Kira

"It's okay. I'm not crying. See?"

Vlad

"Grown-ups always try to hide their pain, but if you feel like crying, you should just cry."

Vlad smiled tenderly at me, reaching up with his little hand to wipe away the tears from my cheek as best he could. When I looked at him, his crimson eyes softened even more, making my heart ache. His smile looked just like it did when he grew up. I felt like I was going to cry again. I couldn't take it anymore and wrapped my arms around his little body.

Vlad

"Um, miss…?"

Kira

"...I'm going to say something a little strange. Will you listen?"

Vlad

"Hm? Sure. What is it?"

I thought about the confusion, sadness, hopelessness, and all the other feelings he would have to shoulder as rubbed his back. could feel his heartbeat as I touched him-- THUMP, THUMP-- the sound of his life.

Kira

"…Soon, you're going to experience something very, very sad."

And not just his entire family being killed. Vlad would have to bear that pain all alone, and keep living for all eternity. He would have to keep walking down a path that never ended.

Kira

"And I'm sure there will be lots of other sad things that happen in the future." "I wish I could take away all your sadness for you."

I wouldn't care if I was the one getting hurt in his place, as long as I could protect him. I kept hearing le Comte saying "You can't change the past" over and over in my head like an omen.

Kira

"But I can't, no matter how bad I want to." "But…"

Ever since I learned the truth, I had been searching for the right words to say to Vlad. I was searching frantically, almost foolishly, for the words I wanted to say, that I had to say. And yet now, as I held him in my arms, all the vague feelings I had inside of me suddenly became crystal clear. I gently let him go and peered into his

face.

Kira

"You are not alone."

Vlad had lived his whole life getting special treatment from everyone, called a "divine child". Surely that made him so lonely. But tonight...every last one of his family members will be killed, and he would be truly all by himself. And his one and only friend is le Comte, but they would have a falling out far in the future. I'm going to have to leave him alone now, too… This world had always been so cruel to Vlad. Over and over again. The word lonely was not sufficient enough to describe what he had gone through. But he walked a lonely, dark path alone. And I could not change that fate. Honestly, I wish I could just stay here and hug him. Be by his side. But I know that I can't. I smiled at him, wishing with all my might that this moment might live on in his heart forever.

Kira

"I will be waiting for you, a long time from now--beyond eternity."

I'll wait for you forever.

Kira

"So when that time comes…"

All of a sudden we heard bloodcurdling screams from outside. They were so savage and terrifying even the windows shook.

Vlad

"That scared me... What was that sound? I wonder what's going on out there?"

Suddenly Vlad slipped from my grasp and ran towards the sound. He was heading for the large door that led outside. Towards the world where human vampire hunters had spilled the blood of the entire Drāculesti clan. I ran over to Vlad and grabbed his little arm, trying to stop him. And suddenly the conversation I heard exchanged back at the mansion came vividly flooding back to me.

Flashback

Dezaki

"What if you try to forcibly change the future? What happens to you?"

Gabriel

"The person who changed the future themselves could disappear."

Flashback Ends

If I don't let go of his hand, who knows what might happen to both Vlad and me… What if I disappeared and was unable to go back to the mansion? I'd never see Vlad again…Le Comte had hammered it into my brain that the past cannot be easily changed. I kept holding onto Vlad's hand, and he trained his big eyes on me.

Vlad

"...? Do you want to go outside with me too?"

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Vlad. I suppressed the tears that were welling up in my eyes and forced a smile. I shook my head.

Kira

"No... I have to stay here. So…"

I Let go of his hand. It felt like unraveling a knot I'd finally finished tying.

Kira

"Until next time."

Vlad

"Okay. Until next time!"

He smiled softly at me and then his little hand slowly opened the door. He lifted his face to the icy blast of air that came in through from the outside, then turned around. He looked at me and smiled at me so warmly it looked like he was giving the whole world a hug.

Vlad

"Thanks, miss!"

Kira

"For what?"

Vlad

"For finding me! Next time I'll come find you, okay? I promise."

Kira

"…!"

He held up his pinky and grinned, then ran outside.

Kira

"…Vlad!"