A much more acceptable length, I hope :) Here's Chapter 4. Please read and enjoy.

I don't own VK.

[Ichijo's POV]

I opened my wardrobe, and my hand reached over to the ties hanging on the rack. "I'm sorry," I said to the sword, also residing inside. "But not today." I constantly kept glancing over at where the sword was hidden as I tied my tie, raising my chin to make a loop and finally pulling down to tighten the knot. "But if not today, then when?" I thought to myself as I moved back over to the dressing cabinet. My hand reached up, wanting to open it. But once it touched the handle, my arm did not have the strength to follow through and pull it open. Kaname...I don't know what you were thinking, sending this to me, but escape...is just not possible. My hand let go and instead, took a hold of the top drawer from the dresser beside it. Inside were several pairs of white, linen gloves that were neatly folded, appearing relatively new. I took a pair and slide each of my hands into a glove as I walked over to my bedside table. I picked up the gold pocket watch and dropped it into the pocket of my vest. Then I looked at the leather-bound journal also sitting on the table and brushed my fingers on the smooth surface. I never missed a day. Every day of the past year is recorded. And in every entry, I say the same thing - pleading to Yoka to wait for me - though she can't hear anything I say. I then removed my fingers from its surface and made my way to the door to exit into the main corridor. Another day of servitude had begun.

xxx

"Hope...Do you believe in it?" Sara asked me as I set out her tea on the table.

I handed the letters to her and obediently replied, "Yes, I do."

"Why?" she inquired curiously. "It isn't guaranteed. Things can go horribly wrong and end in disaster."

"But that's why it's called 'hope'," I responded. "It's that possibility, that leap of faith that makes the outcome so much greater." She set the letters down next to her and reached for a cup.

"Tell me, what is it that you hope for?" she then asked me.

I was reluctant to answer her truthfully. A massive list of possible lies that were at my convenience piled up inside my brain. However, as much as I wanted to just give her a false testimony, I couldn't. Once my mouth opened, I felt a solid form in my throat, choking me and preventing the lie from leaving my mouth. She looked up at me when no response came.

"So?" she pressed. Sara could easily read my mind if she wanted to, yet she didn't. She wanted to hear the joys of my life, the "hopes" that I had, spoken from my very lips. So that later, when I least expected it, she would strip me of everything. She was toying with me...and she was enjoying it. That was how she was.

I wouldn't look at her as I replied in a timid voice, "I...have hope...in seeing those close to me again."

"You don't have anyone close to you...not anymore," she corrected. "Your grandfather was the last one...And you killed him."

"But I have friends," I suddenly spoke out, looking up at her. Whoa! What came over me? What happened to "shut up and just nod your head"?

"You mean Kaname and his band of vampire knights?" she put in. She stood up and walked over to where I was standing. "You've forgotten, Takuma...that they didn't come for you when you were about to die." She slowly circled around me, her long wavy hair flowing elegantly behind her. "I was the one that picked you up from the ashes." The touch of her fingers caressing the side of my face felt more like knives stabbing under my skin. I felt a sudden cold shiver run down my spine when her lips touched my ear as she whispered into it. "I'm the only close person you have now." She brought her arms around my neck. "Other than me, you have no one else."

But you're wrong, Sara. I do have someone...Someone so close to me that no matter what you do, you can never tear me away from her. And she's someone that you will never have the honor of meeting. I'll make sure of it.

xxx

I sat in the armchair with my elbows resting on the armrest. My eyes were becoming strained from staring at the wardrobe directly across my bed for almost half an hour. "I hope to see all of them again...To see Yoka...And yet, I'm not doing anything about it." My fingers clutched even tighter onto the chair, sinking my fingertips deeper into the cushion. "But what can I do?" I thought to myself. "Escape? Is there really no other way?" I lowered my head and closed my eyes, resting them a bit. "Other than me, you have no one else," Sara's voice played in my mind. I opened my eyes again and stood up, turning around to look out the window at the full moon, shining brightly above all of us. Then I turned around and made my way to the wooden wardrobe, dropping my gloves onto the rug. The ecstatic touch of my fingers on the handles surged up my arm. My eyes instantly fell onto the sword that lay in the exact same position as when I first hid it in there. I took off my tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of my shirt. Then in a single motion, I took up my sword and finally unveiled the blade from its scabbard. A piercing resounding note echoed in the room as I swung it down to my side. Holding the empty scabbard in one hand and the blade in the other, I brought the Japanese steel up to my face. It had been so long since I've set my eyes on the majestic beauty that had slain so many vampires...Including grandfather...The smooth laces wrapped around the handle felt so familiar in my grasp. I tightened my hold and said to myself, "Kaname is right...To see Yoka again...Escape is the only way." Then with one swing, the door slashed open and the light from the hall seeped into the darkness of my room.

[Third person POV]

The man's body crashed into the wall with a streak of red bursting from his chest. Takuma turned around and another one of Sara's servants stormed into the hall. He scaled the wall and charged after him. But before he could get his hands around his neck, Takuma leaped into the air and landed behind him. The man's scream was muffled by his hand as he pierced his body from the back and through his stomach with a hose of blood washing down the wall in front of them.

The sound of multiple footsteps reverberated down the corridor behind him. I never knew Sara had so many guards. The estate always seemed so empty. Doesn't matter. I'll kill them all if I have to. He skidded down the hall with only the blade left in his hand. Then he dodged to the side, smashing into the window when someone suddenly attacked from a hidden corner. The vampire dropped a shred of black fabric onto the ground, and Takuma noticed the rip on his vest. He jumped up and kicked off from the ceiling, lunging himself downwards. He smashed into the guard, securely gripping onto his neck and without any hesitation, pierced his fangs into the man's carotid artery. Blood squirted from the man's neck as he stood over him. The ivory rug absorbed the crimson liquid like a sponge once he finished and dropped the degraded corpse onto the ground. "I actually liked this outfit," he said to the body as he picked up his sword that he had planted into the floor before he made his jump. With the sleeve of his shirt he wiped away the blood that dripped from his mouth to his chin and smeared onto his neck. Then his hand reached into his vest pocket, taking out the golden pocket watch. He saw the red that burned in his eyes from the reflection on the glass of the clock's face. The shadow of several others could be seen coming from the other end once he looked up. "Quit playing around and get out of here fast!" he stressed to himself running in the direction of the shadows as his vest fell to the ground.

After taking out the guards on the second level, Takuma raced towards the entrance. He came to an abrupt stop once the doors came into sight. A servant girls and the gardener stood in front of the entrance doors, blocking him from proceeding.

"Takuma, whatever your reason is for doing this, Stop," the gardener warned with a sense of sympathy.

"You know how the master is. If you leave, there will be consequences," the young girl said to him.

I've gotten to know these two during my time here...They're good people - their humanity snatched away and then enslaved by Sara - but I have to leave. I have to see her again. "I'm sorry," I told them. "But I refuse to be Sara's slave any longer."

The man lowered his head and took out an ax from behind. "No. We're the ones that are sorry," he responded.

"I've already tasted enough blood tonight." I tightened my grip on my sword. "I don't want yours to be next."

"Don't worry," the woman replied, untying her apron. "We'll be tasting yours!" She thrust the apron forward and charged at him right behind it. Takuma slashed the apron in half and immediately leaped backwards to dodge her fangs from slashing his skin. But while he was still in the air, the girl hurled herself after him, knocking his sword out of his hands as the two of them crashed onto the floor. Her nails dug deep into his wrist as his other hand was the only thing preventing her teeth from biting into his neck. He looked behind the girl and saw the man approach the two of them and raise his ax in the air with both hands. The gardener's red eyes met with his one last time before he finally swung down with tremendous force. At that instant, Takuma's hand broke free of her grasp, and he kicked the woman up to his face where the ax's blade hacked her body into two. With a wave of blood washing over him, he scurried up and ran for his sword. With no feelings towards his lost comrade, the man came after him, holding the ax with one hand pulled back, preparing to make another strike. Takuma snatched up the sword in the middle of the room and at once slashed at the charging foe. He stared at the man standing beside him as he took in heavy breaths, holding onto his sword with both hands now. He dropped his ax onto the ground and his hand reached up to the blood seeping through his clothing, and a small smile came onto his lips.

"Cherish your freedom," he said to him in a soft voice before red fluids gushed out from his chest and stomach as the top half of his body flopped onto the ground. His heart continued to pound as Takuma looked at the body parts scattered on the marbled floor. Too much blood was spilled tonight that the air was completely saturated by the scent. Sara obviously knows what's happening. I have to hurry! He pushed his hair back, smearing away half the blood covering his face. Then he grabbed the handles with both hands and swung the doors open.

"There it is!" Takuma said to himself, once his eyes caught on to the metal gate at the far end of the manor. Right away, he took off. There was nothing to stop him now. Even as more guards got in his way, he slaughtered through them. The motivation driving inside him was unstoppable. Takuma brought his elbow back and jammed the metal through the vampire's heart. The gate was only meters away and his hands began to shake from the anxiousness. He jerked the sword out of the person's chest and caught his footing as he ran with as much strength as he could towards freedom. I made it! Freedom! It's so close, I can taste it!

And just like that, his body completely froze, stopping him in place. His muscles were strained and his nerves numbed.

"You're leaving, and you're not even going to say goodbye?" he heard the poisonous voice of the serpent speak. From the corner of his eye he saw Sara slowly approach him. "When I saved you, I thought that you'd be my doll to play with, but..." Her hand reached over form behind him and took hold of his hand that was gripping onto his sword. "...You already belonged to someone." With her hand still on his, Takuma had no control and released his clasp on the stainless steel. "You were her doll." She fondled her fingers on his cheek and eventually to the buttons of his shirt along his chest. "You want to leave. I'll let you leave, but I have to get something in return." Her hand wrapped around his waist as the other began unbuttoning his shirt. "I'm going to take not just from you but Yoka as well. I'm going to take away that one moment that you two haven't shared yet." He felt her cold hands touch the bare skin of his chest. Then, she brought her mouth to his ear and whispered, "If I can't have you entirely, neither can she..."

And like what I've said before...Once Sara knows what you cherish most...She'll take it away...

Yoka...I'm so sorry...