Chapter 22

Has he...been deceiving me all this time? No, he wouldn't do that. I met him by complete coincidence. He gave me a bouquet in exchange for helping him.

Flashback

Vlad

"Take it" "That's how happy you made me."

Flashback Ends

His smile was so happy it captivated me; held the image close to my heart. After that, we got to know each other better, and he helped ease my loneliness…

Flashback

Vlad

"That's right. Kira, if you feel anxious about something and don't want to talk to anyone about it, I'm here for

you." "And once you feel better, I want you to be yourself and live how you want. Will you do that for me?"

Flashback Ends

He saved me from the burning building…I remember everything about him--his innocent, childlike face, the way we laughed together...Everything. All the happy times we spent together came rushing back to me.

Flashback

Vlad

"I would be crazy not to touch you when you're so close to me." "...Can I do it again?"

Flashback Ends

I fell in love with Vlad so deeply there was no going back. The night was so black outside the window it looked like I was traveling through an empty void. But there was still light in my heart. I still clung onto my belief in him. I want to believe in the times we spent together. I want to believe in the things I saw with my own eyes, and the things I felt in my heart. Finally, the carriage stopped. The full moon shone down upon the stage, the air eerily quiet. The stage was empty, which made me breathe a sigh of relief even though I'd come here in search of Vlad. Maybe I just missed him. I Was about to turn back towards the carriage when suddenly I heard someone's voice coming from the shadows of the trees.

Vlad

"I expected nothing less from the hero Nicholas Brooks."

"But now that this has happened, you can no longer fight. You are a wilted flower, and there is no place for you in my garden."

That's Vlad's voice. Is he talking to someone? Did he say Nicholas' name? I took one trembling step, then another as I made my way towards the voice.

Vlad

"In your past life, you wished for world peace, didn't you? ...Yes, I feel the same..." "Don't worry. I'll carry on your wishes. But for now, it's time to sleep once more. Forever this time, without ever waking again."

Suddenly I felt the air shift and then…

Someone's Voice

"…Ahhhhhh!"

A shriek rang in my ears--so terrifying it sounded like the person was being plunged into Hell itself. What's going on? My first instinct was to run. I hid behind a tree, pulse hammering in my ears. But then the person noticed my footsteps and slowly turned towards me. A black overcoat billowed behind him. His eyes were as cold as a glacier. His lips were stained the color of a red, red rose. No…Amidst the eerie silence, the only sound I could hear was that of my thumping heartbeat. Warning bells rang in my head, like I was a rabbit caught in the sight of a predator. No, no, no!! Please, please... Please tell me it's not true! I pleaded silently for this to all be a bad dream, that I would wake up soon, but then the blood-soaked lips opened and said…

Vlad

"Kira…?"

Hearing my name confirmed that this was reality. It wasn't a nightmare. And my world was flipped upside down.

Vlad

"What are you doing here? Did you come to see me?"

Kira

"...Yes."

I came here because I wanted to believe in you.

Vlad

"Really? I've been wanting to see you, too."

Why is he smiling at me like he always does? His voice was as even as a calm sea. His expression was so kind it could wrap up the whole world in its embrace. He was acting just like he always did, which confused me even more. He reached out his beautiful hand towards me. It was stained with blood.

???

"Hey, hey. Don't you go touching our precious cara mia with those dirty hands of yours."

All of a sudden a shadow fell across me and someone stepped in between me and Vlad.

Kira

"Lennon...? What are you doing here?"

Lennon

"Nicholas realized you left the mansion. He asked me to come get you."

Vlad

"Lennon. Ah, yes... So you're Lennon Vacek."

Lennon

"..."

Vlad

"It's been a very long time since I met another pure-blooded vampire besides le Comte. It's nice to meet

you."

Although their faces were calm, the air between them was filled with tension so intense it made my skin prickle. I was painfully aware that it was an aura that could only be emitted by pure-blooded vampires.

Lennon

"...That dead man over there--he's the Duke of Wellington, who attacked Nicholas?" "Le Comte told us all about your long-held dream."

Vlad

"Oh, did he? He must trust you very much, then."

The crimson eyes and the golden eyes stared intently at each other, neither looking away for even a split second.

Lennon

"Depending on how you look at it, what you wanna accomplish is just. I can only imagine what you saw in the future." "Anyone would probably wanna do whatever they could to try to save the world from destruction. But..." "I just can't agree with the method you've chosen to do it."

A thin smile formed on Vlad's lips, his cool voice falling upon the dark night.

Vlad

"'Why are you standing there forever? What are you waiting for? Who will come from afar?" "Are you waiting for happiness that you don't know when it will come? Or will one day a god or an angel appear and bless you?" "Do you think someone will miraculously save your current predicament as long as you keep waiting?"

Lennon

"….Nietzsche."

Vlad

"Of course you'd know it, Vacek . You're very smart. I like people who read books." "As Nietzsche said, if you sit around waiting doing nothing, nothing will change." "So l realized I had to take matters into my own hands, that's all."

Lennon

"We can't change the past, but I do believe that however we live now can impact the future." "And I believe in humans, from the bottom of my heart." "So if you ever hurt any of the presidents of the mansion, including Kira, l'Il-"

Vlad

"Kill me? There is no way to kill immortal pure-bloods like us... Probably."

I wasn't sure how long it had been. But the two of them stared at each other for a very long time. I stood there dumbfounded, unable to process it all. Suddenly, Lennon swept me up in his arms and turned on his heel.

Lennon

"Let's go, cara mia."

I heard Vlad's voice behind us.

Vlad

"Kira...?"

His voice was so innocent that waves of confusion once again came crashing down upon me. Just hearing him say my name makes me happy. I want to run towards his smile…But...Right now I'm too afraid to look at you. I can't turn around. I clung to Lennon, wanting to get far away from that place that reeked of blood. He put me down and we kept walking, even though we should have gotten a carriage. I think Lennon knew I was in no condition to go home right now, so he let me just walk for a while. I was confused and sad, but most of all, I felt disappointed. And I couldn't process any of those emotions right now. We sat down on a bench by the Seine river. He lit a cigarillo and smoked it, exhaling long purple curls of smoke into the air.

Lennon

"...I realized you'd gotten close to someone outside the mansion."

Kira

"...What?"

Lennon

"And not just me--everyone realized it. Even clueless Jayme."

Kira

"Really...? How embarrassing…"

Lennon

"They adore you more than you know."

Kira

"..."

Lennon

"And you seemed so happy no one said a thing. We just watched over you." "They all gossiped wondering who it could be, how they'd steal you from him, or how they'd go introduce themselves."

I can imagine. They're all so kind…They're like family to me.

Lennon

"They even said, maybe if things went well between you and this guy, that you'd decide to stay here."

Kira

"...They really were gossiping."

Lennon

"Heh. Like crazy. I bet from your perspective they really stuck their noses in."

He chuckled as he exhaled another puff of smoke, the sweet, heady scent of it surrounding me.

Lennon

"..."

Suddenly he fell quiet and looked over at me.

Lennon

"Kira. We have no right to take away your freedom. You're free to make whatever decisions you want." "But…"