I walk past more hooded vampires on the way to getting my blood taken, barely glancing at these streets I know so well now. Have I really accepted this as 'living'? I get my name marked off the list and enter the room. There are so many young children here. If all the adults died, even just the ones in Tokyo, that would still be a lot. I guess this whole place is kind of like an orphanage. I sit down and flinch as I feel the needle pierce my skin. Seeing my blood flow through the tubes makes me nauseous. I seriously can't bear to look any longer. I close my eyes and wait.

On the way out I notice someone I haven't seen all day. Even though the vampires allow us to live in the same houses I'm out all day collecting food or trying to find out how to get out. Mika and Yu have a year, I have 2 years. We can definitely find a way to stop the disease by then. Lost in thought, I notice Mika's almost out of sight.

"Hey Mika! Hey Yu! Haven't seen you all day!"

Mika is about to say something but suddenly a vampire- no, not just any vampire, a noble, comes forward surrounded by a bunch of other hooded vampires.

"Hello Mika. Are these other livestock coming with us today?"

I'm 100% sure Yu will say something. Yep here it comes…

"Hey we aren't livestock you stupi-"

Mika cups his hand over Yu's mouth, giving him a stern glare.

"They're doing something tonight, they can't come!" Mika says cheerfully.

-A few hours later-

"Hello Akira. It's nice to see you here tonight."

What a lie, he just wants me for my blood. And after getting my blood taken already today…

"Just wait, let me get something for you-"he says as I continue to stand there silently.

Now's my chance! I immediately rush to the drawers, haven't been there yet. I can't find much anything, damn this.

Haven't checked out that room yet!

I run up to it, I know he'll come back really soon. Inside there are shelves with loads of stuff on them. My eyes widen as I notice the prize catch of the day- a sword lying near the corner of the room.

I think it's the corner, can't really see…

I trip over something. What the heck, I wasn't expecting a fancy noble vampire to have something of his thrown on the floor like that. I look down. It's… a dead little girl. And inside her hand is a necklace. That looks really cool, I'll probably give it to Akane. At least I try to think that. But the truth is, there's a girl lying there. A dead girl. I hear the vampire say the food is nearly ready and I just snatch the necklace, sword, and an expensive looking ring. I quickly leave. I can't afford to stay any longer.

Just hide the sword under a bush outside and run back in.

I'm sitting in the chair now, while the vampire walks up with a plate full of food. If vampires have these kind of ingredients at hand, why can't they give them to us? He just drops the plate on the floor, and comes up to my neck.

"First, an appetizer."

It hurts a lot more when they drink straight from you. My eyes droop from blood loss and I'm trying my best to stay awake.

Good, he didn't notice anything.

-At home-

It's really late, I've probably missed out on dinner. Nope I've definitely missed out by now. Mika will probably be back a little later. Then I can show him what I found.

I open the door and go inside. Everyone is in bed. I slide down against the wall and look at what I risked my life for. If anyone happens to still be alive in the human world, we'll sell the ring, but other things will probably be more worthwhile up there; a safe place to live, food, water… the sword will be for Yu or Mika, if anyone could kill a vampire it would be them, and then there's the necklace. I just noticed you can open the locket. What's in there? I could replace it with something special for Akane…

"Whaa…"

What the heck is even happening? Maybe it's one of those random dreams again.

I hear a voice echo through this empty white space.

"Are you the right one?"

"What? Who are you?"

"Do you hate them? "The voice continues.

"Hate who exactly?"I stutter.

"The humans. I know you're not a vampire, but do you hate them?"

And why a question like that to a human anyways?...

I'm kind of compelled to answer at this point, maybe truthfully?

"I don't dislike the humans, I just hate this world."

Silence slowly passes by…

"The humans are still new to this world; even so they have proliferated. And eventually caused their own undoing. Yet they still carry on. Why? Do you know the answer to this question? I can't understand something like human emotion…"
I stand there in silence. What can I possibly say?

"If you ever feel that there are no other options left, just call me."

"Okay then?"

I open up my eyes and Mika is admiring the sword I found.

"Oh! Hey, let's wake everyone else up!"

"What? "I say drowsily.

"Don't forget-we're leaving tonight remember?"

Damn, I almost forgot.

-About to leave-

I see Akane. I think now's a good time to give her the necklace.

"Hey Akane! I found something I want to give you!"

I hand her the necklace and her eyes widen.

"Wow, this is really great Akira! I can't believe you found something like this!"

"We're gonna leave now!" Mika shouts out.

All the younger kids huddle close to us. Can I take responsibility for these people?

While we found our way to gate we had to avoid countless vampires. Well this is a vampire city, right?! The children are tired, but I know we'll make it through. Just a little further…

I can see it! It's right there! Everyone is suddenly livelier knowing we'll make it out of here.

"Ha ah ha… I've been waiting for you, pathetic lambs."

This isn't happening… it can't be…

"That expression… the expression humans make when their hope is suddenly shattered to pieces. That's why I never get tired of playing this game.

It was all a trap. We spend most of our life here, of course we expect to die here. I slowly cringe.

The noble suddenly leaps at one of the children and drinks her blood.

"Oh no, she died." He smiles.

Yu brings out the gun and shoots the vampire.

Unbelievable. He dodged the bullet.

"Let me tell you something that may rekindle your hope,"

"The map is real. I still want to see your desperate attempts after all… and hear your screams of terror."

Yu tells them all to run. And we will distract the vampire to let them escape.

"Didn't I tell you… I want to see your faces distorted by desperation?"

Then they all started to die right in front of our eyes. All the children that were happy, that were content living at the orphanage, that were dead.

"Akane!" Yu screams.

I turn my head around and see Akane look behind at us, before the vampire kills her in front of us. There's so much blood already.

Mika grabs the gun and starts to run toward the vampire.

"No Mika! You can't! You… can't…" I shriek.

And Mika is killed too.

Yu runs up and shoots the disgusting vampire in the head. And everyone but us is dead.

I need one final memory. Grabbing the necklace and taking the sword, I rush out. Because there's no more point. In standing there, being unable to do anything. Watching my only real family die in front of my eyes. Unable to do anything. And running away from my fear.

-A few minutes of running later-

It's so cold, it's actually snowing. And I'm in a thin livestock's dress. What do I do now? I need to find somewhere to rest. I notice the city down below. It strangely doesn't look completely ruined, just completely empty. I trip and tumble down the hill, snagging my clothes on twigs and getting even colder. There must be some children down there who haven't been taken by the vampires yet. I need to find them.

This is distracting me from the fact that my entire family probably died. But I'm sure it'll come back back to haunt me in my dreams.

I'm finally down here and I can't see anyone. Guess I need to look clos-

"Be quiet. We can't let those monsters find us."

Monsters?

"Hitoshi, we found someone."