Chapter 1

Time is a burden. That was what I always believed.

My parents were always busy and hardly had any time for me. I was lonely and the household was devoted to me. My wish was their beck and call but they did so with so much empty feeling. I hated watching them. All those empty feelings… I ended up despising the Shirakiin family.

Ririchiyo-sama this. Ririchiyo-sama, that. They didn't care whether I was happy or not.

Time sure does fly when being lonely.

I was sitting in my room watching the cherry blossoms bloom from my window. Today, I was finally going to see my mother. She was always so busy and hardly had any time to see me. I hoped I had prepared myself for her approval. The approval I've been wanting to have for a really long time.

"Mother… I don't want to be a Shirakiin anymore" I said, when I was eight years old.

SLAP!

I put a hand to my cheek and it was so fast, I didn't have the urge to cry. From the force of the slap, the wind was knocked out of me as I fell to the floor.

"How could you say that when we gave you everything you have!? The Shirakiin blood is within you! The whole reputation is depending on you!" my mother said with anger in her eyes. "If only I was blessed with a son instead of a spoiled bratty daughter that doesn't appreciate anything we do for her" my mother sighed but still had the fire in her eyes.

That was the last time I ever saw my mother angry with me. The sting of the slap was a painful reminder of what it meant to be a Shirakiin.

The door opened and in came my mother. She was wearing a kimono and her raven hair was up in an elegant bun. My mother was a beautiful woman and she was probably never someone I could compare myself to.

"Ririchiyo? Are you ready, my dear?"

She would always say that to me when she saw me, but I had a feeling that she was saying it with empty feeling just like our servants.

"Yes, mother." I said, with a nod, respecting her as usual.

My mother smiled and took a good look at me. She circled around me and surveyed me before she stood in front of me. "You have grown beautifully my child." she said, combing her fingers through my long raven hair.

I nodded agreeing with her hoping that if I did, it wouldn't upset her. I looked into the mirror and saw what my mother had meant. I had a pale complexion and a slender body frame. My hair was raven black, like my mother's, but it was long and straight. My eyes were the rarest among the Shirakiin family and were an amethyst purple. My mother said I was the replica of the first Shirakiin ancestor and that their blood was within me.

"Ririchiyo. Walk with me."

"Yes, mother."

With that said, I started to walk with my mother down to the garden by the koi pond. There was this awkward silence between us as we walked to our destination which was the koi pond.

"Ririchiyo, take a look at the pond and tell me what you see."

"I see the koi fish, mother."

"And?"

"They are circling each other."

"That is called 'balance.' They circle each other for balance. Just like the Shirakiin conglomerate relies on other companies for balance. It is all in the principle of yin and yang."

I looked at my mother wondering what she meant by this. I only nodded and looked down at the ground.

"The time has come, Ririchiyo, for you to do your duty as a Shirakiin."

"Yes, mother."

"My fiancee!" called an unrecognizable voice.

I turned and saw a man with bluish-black hair down to his waist with a mask on his face. He was tall and wore a cape. He approached my mother and I wondered what he meant by 'fiancee.'

"So THIS is my fiancee? I must say, she is just as beautiful as her mother" the man said, which had my mother smile.

"Hmph… and who are you?"

"Ririchiyo, this is Kagerou Shoukiin. He is the heir of the Shoukiin family and he is your fiance. Remember, dear?" my mother said, as she gave me a look that could probably kill me.

"Clearly she must have forgotten. It has been a while since I have seen my fiancee," Kagerou stated. "I apologize for not keeping up with communication. I have been terribly busy with my company and your company's wedding arrangements."

"Oh it is quite alright. We look forward to the wedding, don't we Ririchiyo?" my mother asked.

Inside my head, I was screaming. This was not the man I wanted to marry. He looked like the perfect fiance but there was a side to him that my mother did not see. This man was sadistic. He had that sadistic look in his eye and the way he ran his company was not what I wanted.

"Yes, mother. I cannot wait until we are wedded, Kagerou" I said, with a fake smile on my face.

"Excellent! Well then my fiancee, let us celebrate our engagement!" Kagerou said, grabbing my hand ever so tightly as he pulled me along with him.

I knew that the moment I said "yes", I had regretted it. Kagerou had taken us to his mansion by the woods for the engagement party. My mother had insisted I'd wear my light blue dress at the party. I sat in a corner the whole time, not making eye contact with the guests as they discussed our wedding. I decided that maybe a walk in the woods would clear my head. I got up from my chair and started to walk towards the woods.

"My fiancee! Where are you going at such a joyous event going on?" Kagerou asked me.

"Just for a walk in the woods" I said, calmly as I walked past him.

"Well be careful, my fiancee. It's dangerous for us to be out at night but I'm sure you already know that" he said, evilly.

"Hmph. Do you think I'm stupid? Of course I know."

Kagerou grabbed my hand and tightly squeezed it. I could feel my veins popping at how tight he held it. He was smirking while he did so and I wanted to cry out.

"Now my bitch, don't do anything to upset me for your family is going bankrupt and I could simply call off the marriage and you can be poor while I laugh at your family's misery and it'll be all your fault. Do you understand?"

I was in shock at how cruel this man was. "I understand…" I said, looking at the ground, covering my face with my bangs so he wouldn't have the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

"Excellent," Kagerou said, releasing my wrist. "Now go for your little walk but be back here soon," he threatened. "I love that look on your face, my masochistic slave."

With that said, I started walking my way to the woods, not looking back. I was walking slowly, but as soon as I was out of sight, I started running. Tears started to form in my eyes. I ran faster and faster, not stopping and not caring what would happen to me. I didn't want to marry this man, neither did I want to have a life like this. I hate my life. I just hate it. I wish something would just happen to me that causes my death. I didn't care where I was going, I just wanted to escape, but there's no way out.

I kept running until I felt myself hit the ground. I felt my knees stinging. I started taking off my heels and threw them out of frustration. Then, I started yelling and punching the ground, crying like I've never cried before.

After what felt like hours of crying, I stopped and laid my head on the ground. Who knew crying would tire you out? I closed my eyes and felt relaxed, something I haven't felt in forever.

Hop, hop, hop.

I slowly opened my eyes to the beat. I slowly sat up and looked at what is in front of me.

"Bunny ears?" I asked myself.

I stood up, feeling weak, then walked over slowly to the bunny ears which were behind the bushes. I looked over the bush and saw a man sitting. He had a golden pocket watch in his hand and it seems like he was checking the time.

"Oh, look at the time. I'm late," said the man with the bunny ears. "Don't you agree, Ririchiyo-chan?"

I gasped.

'How does he know my name?'

He then looked up at me with a smile on his face.

"W-Who are you and what do you want from me?" I asked, slightly afraid, but trying my best not to show it.

The man laughed hysterically.

"What's so funny?!"

The man stopped laughing then smiled wide. "I know everything about you, Ririchiyo-chan!"

"Are you one of my family relatives?"

"Nope!"

"Kagerou's family members?"

"Oh! Kage!" he exclaimed happily. "I haven't seen him in years!"

"Hmph," I said, as I started standing up. "I don't need this nonsense, I'm going back."

With that said, I turned around and started walking away slowly.

"Awww, Chiyo-chan, don't be that way!"

I turned back and faced him. "Look, bunny man, I don't know who you are and what you want from me, but I'm going back."

"Fine, suit yourself!"

He started running his way up to a hole and jumped into it.

My eyes went round in shock. "Wait!" I yelled, running up to the hole.

I looked down into the hole and seen no sign of the bunny man. It was dark down the hole and it had to be deep. I called down, "Hello?" My voice echoed back at me.

'D-Did… he commit suicide?!'

I panicked. 'What am I going to do?! Should I go after him? No, then I'll commit suicide by doing that! But then again… I need to know if he's okay. But… maybe the hole might be his home since he's a rabbit...'

I was having a war with myself until I heard a voice in my head saying, "Go down the hole."

I looked around to see who it was. No one.

"Go down the hole, Ririchiyo."

"W-WHO ARE YOU?!"

"Go down the hole, Ririchiyo. Something awaits you there."

Was I going mentally insane? I kept hearing the voices in my head over and over. I wanted the voice to stop. I looked down the dark, deep hole.

'Okay… I'm going to do it...' I thought to myself. Then I looked back at the woods and took a good look at the world.

"Goodbye, world." I said, closing my eyes then jumped into the hole.

I felt myself falling down, down, down. It was like there was no stop to the falling. I was too scared to open my eyes, afraid that death would await me. As I fell deeper and deeper into the hole, I slowly opened my eyes and saw colors all around me, all kinds of colors. It was beautiful to me. Then all of sudden, pitch black.

I opened my eyes slowly and found myself on the ground… alive!

I placed my hand on my chest to make sure that my heart was beating and I was not in Hell.

"Phew… I'm alive."

I looked around and saw nothing but black. I stood up and looked around. There was no sign of the bunny man.

'I must've been imagining him and fell into a hole...' I thought to myself. 'Great.'

I looked up at the sky and it was nothing but black. I started freaking out then tried to climb my way back up. It was no use. I tried climbing but every time I did, I would fall to the ground.

' . . . Now what am I going to do . . .'

All of a sudden, I saw a beam of light behind me. I turned around and saw a door slightly opened with a beam of light shining out of it. I looked at it for a while. Maybe I was dead. Maybe it was heaven. I walked slowly to the door and opened it. As I opened it, the beam of light shined into my eyes which caused me to squint. When the beam of light lowered, I saw a place… a place unknown.

". . . Where am I?"

A / N: I hope you guys liked it! My bestie, Yuhime Hana, aka co writer, helped me write this so check out her stories, they are amazing! 3 Chapter 2 will be coming soon. :)