Happening upon the music room in the Nightray house was completely a mistake. It was so far from Elliot's room, his original destination, and so full of warm, lit memories that Leo had fully intended to stay away.

But it was as though a ghost still remained, looming in the hallways - letting a familiar tune echo through the music room in the west corridor.

However, this mysterious figure left quite real fingerprints on every Nightray artifact they laid their delicate fingers on.

…

He kept to his mourning - tearing apart Elliot's room, turning the once neat and tidy room into a trash pile. In his desperation, Leo forgot that Pandora or some other snoops may come nosing about and find the disheveled room. This would be an obvious first-place to look after all; but that thought completely escaped him.

Desperate fingers tore through a pile of unfinished compositions; some of many that had been produced while the Nightray found himself in a rut - a composer's block. Not what he was looking for though…Leo bit his lip in an aggravated manner, casting the pile of parchment aside, wiping a small layer of dust from a pile of books in the corner.

Not it either.

Raising one hand to grab at his mess of hair in frustration, the fading scent of the Nightray was beginning to suffocate him. A noxious fume entering his lungs, refusing to leave – and Leo found himself not even wanting to release any breath with the slightest hint of Elliot's essence. He grew close to falling unconscious multiple times, all because of his selfish body, refusing to let go of the oxygen around him.

He sniffed. The one thing he was looking for…he was completely unable to find.

Where could it have gone though? There was no other place it could be. It was folded up neatly, hidden on top of the bookcase shelf reserved exclusively for his and Elliot's Holy Knight novels. Those books already lay crumpled and messy on the floor, stirring up a small layer of dust around him. The Baskerville coughed, trying to shake his head clear of the frustration. He needed his head clear…clear of any other thought but where that piece of faded parchment was.

Groaning with aggravation, Leo drew his knees up to his chest, quivering in the piles of memories surrounding him. They made his head throb. It was all too much to remember at once. With his head pounding beyond imagination, Leo angrily tossed a spare set of glasses that lay untouched on the shelf to the floor, smashing it angrily with his foot.

Crunch.

He savored the sound of the glass breaking beneath his feet, the frame distorting and distending—

…

Leo froze.

He could have sworn…he heard something, something drifting through the cracked door. Shooting a curious glance over his shoulder, he lifted his foot from the mess, inching slowly towards the doorway. Nervous, unsure fingers brushed along the door-handle, as the cloaked figure pressed his ear against the cherry frame.

That tune…was so familiar.

Hazy violet eyes widened, and it almost appeared as though the balls of light drifting in his eyes flashed with hope. I-It was Lacie! The song he had given to Elliot…the song they used to play together in the music room of Latowidge. It seemed so surreal and impossible that for a moment the Baskerville forgot how to breathe.

And then Elliot's favorite part to play began singing its beautiful notes into the cold, empty mansion halls.

All that was left in the Nightray heir's room was a mess of papers and books, and a door that had been clumsily and abruptly thrown open; as though whoever had been looking for something had fled in terror.

But that feeling was far from terror.

.

"Nii-san, you and Gil go ahead."

A cheerful chirp ran from the music room. Oz and Gilbert looked towards the door curiously, the dark-haired man's head tilting slightly to the side. They had come to recover a few of Gilbert's possessions from the Nightray manor, lest it was ransacked by robbers in the cold, quiet of the night.

"Eh? Are you sure? We got everything we need—"

"Just go! I'll meet you outside!"

Gil shrugged, and Oz nodded, as they began to trek back down the main corridor towards their awaiting carriage.

"Alright – take care!"

.

His heart hammered in his chest. Only one other person could play Lacie like that. But wasn't said-person also supposed to be lying dead in the ground, six feet under? Leo practically bolted down the hallways towards the far-corridor. A small sting of tears bubbled in his eyes – yes. There was the music room. The old piano was just beyond those partly closed doors.

Desperate, aching hands pushed the door open—

And Leo stopped.

There was no familiar ash-blonde crop of hair. No dark clothing, no deep, content smile that was so rare to see.

His heart sunk, only to bubble back up. A venomous snake of rage had bitten him in that moment, fangs sinking deeply into his skin – the venom pumping fast through his veins, contaminating every blood cell in his body with disgust and bitterness.

It wasn't him.

His hard, shaky breaths caught the attention of the blonde sitting neatly on the piano bench. The song suddenly halted, and a blonde-head turned, emerald green eyes wide with shock. It—It was her…

"L-Leo-kun..?"

Soft like the coo of a dove, not harsh or rash in its tone. Frustration spread onto Leo's face, as his fist balled in on itself, and slammed against the wall nearest him. It was so hard; in fact, blood welled up from the side, smearing on the white paint as he drew his hand away.

It wasn't him.

Leo took a shaky step forward, eyes widening as he caught sight of his…the composition! It was neatly unfolded on the holder above the ivory keys. Lacie…it was Lacie. It wasn't Elliot playing the music so beautifully, so alluringly…

Frowning, the Baskerville took another step forward, as Ada's eyes widened in realization and panic.

"What…what are you doing here? I thought you were taken away by Pandora?"

She took it. She took that beautiful music sheet he had given to his Master – it was just for Elliot. Only for him.

Leo's body began to shake angrily.

"I-I'm sorry! It's just…I miss Elliot too, and when I was in his room, I found this—"

She—She was in his room? That was a special, reserved place! Nobody, nobody was allowed inside save for himself and his Master. His eyes suddenly drained, and grew stone-cold as Ada's panic grew, taking another shaky step backwards.

"—and wanted to play it! I remember always hearing you two play it so beautifully at school, I just thought that I-I could remember him with this."

Leo grit his teeth painfully, nearly biting down on his tongue in the process.

"You…you."

Ada froze.

"You think you are s-so special as to take this?"

Edging closer to the piano, Leo slammed a shaky fist on the keys, an eerie noise rising from the action.

"This…This is Elliot's music!"

In her process of trying to scramble away in fear, the Vessalius fell backwards, hitting the ground hard. The wind had been knocked clean from her, and she shook in an attempt to regain her breath and her feet.

"You think you're so special as to be able to…to steal this from him?"

"B-But Reo, I-I-I didn't—"

"Shut. UP."

Grabbing the lit candlestick from atop the piano, the boy threw it to the ground, a small patch of carpet immediately set ablaze. He stormed closer to her, and hauled her up by her collar. Fumbling desperately on the desk next to him, his fingers touched a cold metal, and a smirk instantly grew on his face, lit in full-view in the glare of the flames.

"If you see him, pass a message on for me, won't you—won't you?"

Ada began to cry, making an attempt to scream – to scream for her brother and Gil, but was cut short by the feeling of a cold blade pressed flush against her throat. She trembled.

"Tell him I'll never forget him!"

Slowly he traced the blade down her arm, and thrust his arm upwards, stabbing it deeply into the flesh of her fore-arm.

"You tell him, Miss Ada that I'll bring him back!"

Drawing his arm back, blood spattered from the gushing wound, spreading over his face and splattering everything around them. Ada cried out softly, trying to wiggle away, but Leo's grip once again directed downwards, this time plunging into the collarbone of the Vessalius. Each time her struggling weakened, and each time his stabbing motion was harder and filled with more rage and intent.

.

The roar of the flames beginning to consume the music room muffled the sharp scream of a girl, being brutalized just behind a cracked door.

.

The Vessalius and the Nightray could only gawk in horror as they saw the familiar orange glow of fire staining the window of the music room. Smoke billowed from any nearby open window, and shrouded the night in darkness – completely killing the light of the moon.

They raced into the blaze, completely unaware of the cloaked figure sneaking from a first-story window and disappearing into the dark forest.

A small piece of parchment folded neatly in his hands, dripping a hot, crimson liquid.