Yui felt awfully drowsy as she sat down for her first class that evening. It was a Monday evening and she could almost feel how unpleasant the rest of the week would be already. She hadn't been getting much sleep lately. Despite her best efforts all her thoughts were enraptured with Natsumi. She had changed so much since when Yui began reading and thinking about it – Natsumi didn't spend an awful lot of time within the walls. Am I going to change that much too? Yui couldn't help but wish she could have gotten to know Natsumi while she was alive.

She looked over at her classmates. Did they know her? Surely they must have done, Natsumi was in the school shortly before Yui arrived. She was tempted to find someone, anyone and ask them about her. Is that why they gave her such unusual looks? One girl with the Sakamaki brothers disappears and a short while later another comes to replace her – it must have been unusual. But her classmates seemed to know better than to question the motives of the brothers.

However Natsumi's words rang in her mind. Yui had never really thought about it before, but what exactly were her classmates? The Sakamaki brothers had always been popular due to their looks, they always seemed to be surrounded by girls – whether they wanted it or not. Even now as she sat in the same English class as Ayato, he was swamped by girls. They surrounded him, one even daring to drape herself around him, giggling in his ear. He didn't seem to mind the attention, laughing along with them. Yui couldn't help but feel her heart tighten at the sight before she looked away, pulling out her English book.

Surely if they knew they were vampires they wouldn't swamp to them so easily. But since arriving here Yui wasn't really sure of anything anymore.

The girls dispersed from around the redhead as a teacher walked into the room; explaining how they had a study period as their teacher had fallen ill suddenly. Watching Ayato out of the corner of her eye she pulled out the diary, concealing it within her English book. He wasn't paying her any attention anyway. She wanted to finish the entries before Ayato found her with it again. She would have to much more careful from now on. She couldn't even think of an excuse to read it anymore – other than simply wanting to. It really makes me appreciate how kind they've been to me in comparison. The thought startled her somewhat. Kind? They had never once been kind! Less cruel perhaps when compared to Natsumi, but kind? She swallowed, shaking her head slightly. What is going on with me? Refusing to think anymore on it, she opened the diary.

'March 20th, 2014.

I still can't believe what I've done. How could I sleep with that monster? My plan of silence had backfired – horribly. It hadn't been a strong plan, sure, but it had been something that disgruntled them and put those stupid monsters on edge and now... Now they had even taken that from me.

So I had given up on my blatant silence. It seemed pointless now. But whenever they made me talk the answers were simple – my tone now a seemingly constant soft and sad whisper. I was still furious, but as the days passed it was slowly melting away into grief and sadness. It even got to the point that last week, when I accidentally ran into Reiji when I wasn't paying attention, I don't know what came over me but I just burst into tears, running the opposite direction before the bewildered boy could say anything. I don't know what was wrong with me anymore – I would have almost blamed it on another one of Reiji's chemicals if I had been around him long enough.

I let out a long sigh as I walked through the door today after walking home from school. The brothers seemed to have hiked up their torment by another degree since I had begun talking again – and any hope of getting my school work done and studying went out the window. And so my grades plummeted once more – not that I really cared. It was almost amusing seeing how many times I could get detention before I could get suspended. I'm not entirely sure how I hadn't been suspended yet. Oh God - I've really gone mad now, haven't I? I'm getting amusement out of detention. I think I've managed to entirely defeat the purpose of detention.

I walked to my room and dropped my bag next to my desk, grabbing some clothes out of the wardrobe to change. I was surprised not to be disrupted as I stripped off my uniform and pulled on some more comfortable clothes. I was so lost within my own thoughts that when I walked over to grab a hairbrush off the bedside table, I managed to trip over my own schoolbag. I could only yelp as I hit the old floorboards.

And that's when something unusual happened.

I expected to hit the floorboards with full force, and to an extent, half of me did. I was not unfamiliar with the dull thump of my body against the floor at this point, however I was completely unfamiliar with the hallow echo that fell onto my ears when my hand slammed into a certain floorboard. For a long time I lay on the floor trying to comprehend what on earth it was. I tapped on the floorboard lightly with my knuckle, listening closely before tapping the floorboards on either side of it. They sounded different – very different. Sitting up on my now aching knees, I gingerly pulled at the strange floorboard, and suddenly it popped off with no resistance. I gaped in surprise as the small floorboard came away from the rest of the floor into my hands.

Oh dear.

A small part of my subconscious was screaming that this wasn't something the Sakamaki monsters knew about. It seemed a little too conveniently placed completely out of their way. This fake floorboard was almost under the desk, hardly a wonder I had never seen it before. I set it aside quietly. Now was not the time I wanted to attract unwanted attention from the brothers.

It was dark in the hole in the floor but I could just about make out the outline of a bag. Cautiously I pulled it out the bag and coughed slightly at the cloud of dust that came out along with it. It was a schoolbag? Opening it, I found a text book. Just a plain old maths book – nothing about it seemed worthy of hiding beneath the floorboards – Wait.

This was the maths book they used in Ryoutei Academy exclusively. I had a newer edition of this on my desk now. That was… odd. I pulled out the next thing, which was just some papers.

I didn't think anything of it until a picture tumbled out along with it. I picked up the picture and gawked slightly. I had no idea who this was, but God was she beautiful. It appeared to be a picture from some form of ID, probably school ID considering the girl appeared to be in uniform. Her dark grey eyes pierced mine as her black curly hair was neatly pinned off her face. She just had a naturally sweet face. How unfair.

As I looked at the papers I realised the picture must have originally been attached to them. But my heart began to pound as I read the papers. They were all letters in regards to a school exchange, letters from headmasters, permission slips, medicals, the works. I looked at the first page where the picture must have fallen out of. The pretty little thing was called… Helena Cunningham? English had never been my best subject – especially not since coming here. From what I could make out from the English papers she was coming to Ryoutei Academy for a year as an exchange student from England. My eyes widened further when I saw where she was staying for the duration of the stay. She was staying here? Had I read the address wrong?

Desperately I scanned the pages for any dates. If this exchange had happened last year, or sometime in the past, that must mean she went home again to England, right? She wasn't here anymore clearly so she must have either survived the year here or somehow managed to escape. And if she could do it, what's stopping me?

But the only numbers on this page I could recognise was her date of birth. 2nd of December, 1995. I worked it out in my head roughly. She would be 19 this year. That means this exchange had to have happened sometime at least a year ago! She got away. I reached into the bag again and found … a diary? No way! What is this anyway? Why was all this girl's stuff here? I was just about to open the diary when my door was thrown open. I quickly sat before the hole in my floor, making sure everything was behind me.

It was Subaru. I gazed at him cautiously as my heart pounded in my chest. That was way too close. He just looked at me in surprise. "Why are you on the floor?"

"Do you really care?" I countered, looking up at him. He didn't comment on it, but sighed instead. "Dinner is ready – Reiji expects you there." I scowled at him. "Has he drugged it again?" He scoffed and clenched his fists angrily. "As if I know! Just come down."

I knew I couldn't move without him seeing everything so I remained perfectly still, glaring at him. "I'll be down when I'm ready." He growled under his breath, slamming the door shut behind him. I sighed in relief quickly dropping everything into the hole and putting the floorboard back into place before dropping my schoolbag on top of it. Brushing off all the dust I made a mental note to definitely check this out again after dinner. Or perhaps when everyone was asleep – this was not something I wanted them to find out I had discovered.

Dinner has passed in relative ease, but I was more than happy to leave. All I had to do was kill a couple of hours and then I could go back to my room and read to my heart's content. Maybe I can even pretend to be sick tomorrow and spend the entire evening reading it. It shouldn't take much longer than that. I wonder who she is anyway-

My thoughts were very abruptly cut off as my face very nearly smashed into the floor of the hallway. Again. I just about caught myself before I broke my nose. What just happened? I could only groan as I sat up on my knees, grateful that they weren't bleeding. As I looked over my shoulder everything was suddenly explained.

"Why Kanato? What sick joy do you get out of tripping me?" I demanded, glaring at him over my shoulder. He walked slowly before me looking down at me with a cold, yet blank expression. "You were a lot more fun before." He commented, hugging his teddy closer to him. I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure I was – so was my brother before you killed him." Kanato shot me a dark glare before he slapped me cleanly across the face. It took me entirely by surprise – they were getting rougher with every passing day. It stung like hell as my head snapped to the right, my eyes welling with tears. "You dare accuse me so petulantly! Your brother is meaningless now, as will you be soon enough!" He snarled angrily. I expected his words to strike fear into me, but it never came. If anything I found a soft giggle sprouting forth past my lips. "Oh really?" I smiled up at him, attempting in vain to smother my giggles – which caused Kanato to almost tremble in anger. "You think that concept scares me anymore?"

For that remark, he harshly slapped the other cheek. I whimpered, clutching it as I blinked away more tears. God that hurt like hell! I bit the inside of my cheek as the pain throbbed through my cheeks.

He took a hold of my wrist suddenly and yanked me to my feet, dragging me behind him. "Hey, what gives! I have homework to do you know!" All I got in response was Kanato muttering something to his bear about my stupidity and how anything I did was redundant anyway. Rolling my eyes once more, I let him drag me through the maze of hallways to some door I had never seen before. He released my wrist briefly to open the door and hold it open for me, gesturing I should go first. If this new door I had never seen before had made me cautious, the fact that he was being even remotely chivalrous made me a lot more nervous than I expected.

With a lot of hesitance I stepped into the dark room. I was never one to be afraid of the dark, but I had to admit this room was giving me the chills. He flicked a light-switch and a dim light spread throughout the long hallway like room. I suddenly found myself liking the room when it was darker a lot better.

Kanato skipped ahead of me and spun around in the centre of the room. "Isn't it beautiful?" He asked with a laugh. I had never quite seen him so happy before – I don't know what I found more unsettling, him laughing or this room. It seemed to be an endless hallway of wax figurines. All on pedestals in two neat rows at either side of the room or behind glass cabinets behind the initial rows. I looked at the one closest to me. The figurine was certainly beautiful all adorned with silk and pearls with her hair so immaculate. I don't think I could ever look that beautiful no matter how hard I tried.

No matter where I looked there were just figurines as brides throughout the entire room. What was with this?

"Don't touch her!" Kanato suddenly snapped angrily from somewhere further down the room. I recoiled my hand in horror, not even realising I had reached out to the black haired figurine before me. What a beautiful girl… her hair was in loose ringlets to her shoulders and she had smouldering grey eyes hidden behind thick eyelashes and dark grey make up. Her lips were cherry red as she smiled down at me. Why did she look so familiar?

I walked hesitantly along the hallway. Why Kanato would bring me to such a creepy place I had no idea. The room seemed to stretch out for ages though. I should have expected Kanato to have a sick hobby like this. The room was filled with different brides, some tall, some short, red heads, brunettes, blondes and black haired girls all adored in white, cream or ivory with more silk, lace and pearls than I have ever seen in my life.

I stopped before another figurine. This one had naturally wavy hair that was the colour I could only describe as a rusty cameral. It was coiled elegantly beneath some flowers, so I couldn't guess its length. She seemed to be quite slim and small from the way the lace dress hugged her features. Her eyes were downcast but I could still see the chocolate brown eyes that appeared to be looking at the bouquet in her hands. Pressed back-to-back with her was another figurine that looked identical to her. How unusual. Why would he have two of the same figurines? And why would you dress them the exact same too?

Then again, why would he have figurines in the first place? And why so many?

"Kanato…" I eventually began, tearing my eyes away from the figurines to look at him. He was staring fondly at a bride before him. She didn't seem quite as strikingly beautiful as the black haired bride; but she was pretty none the less. Her body was littered in faint scars that were mostly covered by the endless ruffles and lace of the gown. She had pale blonde hair, almost white under the light. I could see her shimmering dark pink eyes even beneath the birdcage veil secured in the complicated updo. "What is all this?" I eventually managed to question, gesturing around the horrific room.

"This is my bridal room." Kanato began in a lofty voice. I stared at him blankly. "Bridal room?" He nodded, smiling fondly at another beautiful bride. "They were all sacrificial brides at one point in their lives – all sent here to die due to one circumstance or another."

"Sent here to die?" I repeated in a whisper. Kanato giggled, hugging his teddy tighter once more. "Yes. Some we sought out, some came here willingly. Aren't they beautiful?"

I stared at the boy in horror as I slowly looked around the room. "A-Are you… are you telling me that these are real people?"

Kanato stared at me in confusion. "Of course they were. They were just like you. Brought here to be a sacrifice." He blinked innocently, smiling at me once again. I could only stare back wide eyed in horror as I slowly backed away. His smile fell as soon as I had taken the first step. "Where do you think you're going? I brought you here especially and then you just run off again?" His words made me freeze in my tracks.

I thought nothing could scare me anymore. But this, this, it couldn't be real. He chuckled lightly, the cold look that his eyes held seconds ago completely disappearing as he stepped towards me slowly. "That look on your face – it's so wonderful!" I tried to gather my thoughts as he advanced. "T-There were more girls before me?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Of course there were, how stupid are you? We need a constant food supply. Should one die then we get another." He grasped my hand suddenly and tugged me further down the hallway. I just followed numbly. This was insane. This couldn't be real. These girls all died here.

He stopped abruptly in-front of an empty pedestal in a glass cabinet. I glanced over at him and he was just staring at the pedestal adoringly. He sighed happily before turning to me. "And this is your spot Natsumi. This will be all yours soon! Don't worry; I shall make you look so very beautiful." He spoke, reaching up to touch my cheek. He blinked, looking me over once. "You're trembling. Are you that excited?" I didn't even notice I had been shaking until I looked down at my hands. Even when I clenched them into fists I couldn't stop them trembling horribly. "S-Stop messing about." I said weakly, my eyes going back to the pedestal. Kanato laughed, smiling at me as he snaked an arm around my waist, curling a piece of my hair around his other hand. "Which do you prefer? Silk or lace? I think lace would suit you best… And your hair will look so elegant beneath a matching veil. And then you can stand here, for the rest of eternity. I'll take good care of you Natsumi, very good care."

I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe. I was so shocked I almost didn't feel it as Kanato moved away my hair and sunk his fangs into the juncture of my neck and shoulder.

I … I was stuck here.

Just like all these brides. My eyes looked over at the beautiful black haired girl again and my heart clenched. That girl – that was her. From the picture! The exchange student. My eyes widened impossibly wider.

She didn't get out.

She didn't escape.

She didn't survive.

She died here.

She was right here, along with all these other girls. Tears rolled endlessly down my cheeks as I tried to stop myself from hyperventilating.

I wasn't ever going to be with Daisuke again. I wasn't even going to be buried with him. I was going to be here. Here, in this hell.

Who am I kidding? There is no hell. How can there be?

There is no God.

No God would allow these creatures to roam free to do as they pleased. How much blood did they really have on their hands? I…I was just one in a long line of girls to enter this house and never leave. Would another girl come and replace me once I was gone? Tears streamed down my face completely unchecked. I was stuck here all alone. Here. Why here?

Air couldn't get into my lungs, it was all too much. I thought nothing could affect me anymore – I thought they had unleashed their worst on me. But… But this! How could anyone be so cruel? I whimpered helplessly as Kanato's hands dug into my skin, but I felt no pain. "P-Please Kanato… Don't put me down here, please, just don't-!" I was cut off by him ripping his fangs out of my neck to merely laugh, my blood rolling down his chin. "You'll be another beautiful addition to my collection. I would kill you now if only Reiji would allow me. Hmm… I might replace your eyes though. They're a little dull aren't they?"

With that, I tore his arms away from me, running out the room as quickly as I could. I didn't know where I was running but I couldn't be near here. Kanato's laughter seemed to ring in my ears no matter how far I ran. "Run all you like – you'll end up here eventually!"

I kept running and running until I eventually ended up outside. The fresh air was cold and cut into my tear stained face. But I couldn't stop running, I don't know what type of adrenaline was rushing through my system but I wasn't complaining. Just so long as I could get away – far, far away.

I don't know where I ended up, but it was a small building. I had never seen it before, but I hadn't really left the grounds of the house aside from going to school. Then again, I was seeing a lot of things today that I had never seen before. I pushed open the old doors and I ran my hand through my hair as a laugh bubbled up out of my mouth. Oh the sweet irony.

A chapel.

Of course I would run to a chapel. Where was this when I really needed it? Why did I have to find this now? I walked inside, my insides completely numb as I sunk to my knees before the alter onto the cold tiles. My sobs and laughs had mangled themselves together into some awful sound that I couldn't control.

I brought my tear stained eyes up to look at the giant golden crucifix on the alter and I couldn't help but laugh again.

There is no God.'

Yui's heart clenched horrible as she set the journal aside and put it back into her bag. She didn't want to read anymore. She knew this wasn't going to be a pleasant week, but this certainly wasn't what she had envisioned.

Oh Natsumi…

But… there was another girl.

Once they had arrived home, Yui immediately went towards the chapel. It was completely empty and for once, Yui was immensely grateful. She walked slowly down the main aisle and sunk to her knees onto the cold tiles before the alter, just as Natsumi had and clasped her hands tightly together as she prayed.

"Dear God, please protect her broken soul." She whispered, closing her eyes as she spoke prayer after prayer. She stayed there until her knees ached from kneeling for so long and she began trembling from the cold that had been seeping into her bones. But she didn't want to stop praying, this was comforting her more than anything else could. She wanted her soul to have some peace of mind. And hopefully this will help Natsumi's soul too.

"Ahhh Bitch-chan, I should have known I'd find you here." Yui froze at the sound of Raito's voice resounding around the small chapel. Not again, not here! She stood shakily, turning to face him. "Good evening." She said softly. He chuckled, walking towards her with his hands in his pockets. "You spend so much time here!" He remarked, smirking at her. He looked about the building with little interest. "I have no idea what you find so appealing about it." Yui clenched her hands to her chest. "I have someone I needed to pray for."

He laughed, much to the blonde's dismay. "A human's notion of comfort… Create some fictitious God that supposedly listens to all the cries of his people and all he asks in return for his help is blind faith? How simple minded do you have to be to get any form of comfort from this? Humans are such silly creatures. Stupid, stupid Bitch-chan."

"Is that what you told Natsumi too?" She asked sullenly. She didn't even realise the words had passed her lips until Raito's eyes widened down at her, all playfulness momentarily forgotten. "What do you know about her Bitch-chan?" He questioned, advancing on her suddenly. She quickly stepped back, covering her mouth in horror. It just slipped out! He's always calling me stupid for my beliefs and it just slipped out…

She knew this could mean big trouble. She backed up towards the alter before turning and running towards the side aisle to leave the chapel.

However Raito caught her wrist in his hold just as she began to run, jerking it towards him and causing her to fall onto his chest. He stared down at her, his usual smirk in place but his eyes weren't as playful as before. "What do you know?" He questioned again, his eyes lighting up in delight as he saw the fear trickle into her eyes. When she didn't answer his question as quickly as he'd like, his hand tightened on her wrist. "Being silent really isn't a good idea Bitch-chan; how did you discover her? Tell me now, or I'll have to break your wrist."

She stared up at him horrified but felt his grip tighten again and she cried out but she just couldn't think. What could she tell him that would result in her in immense amounts of pain?

"Ahh, you won't tell me Bitch-chan? I guess I'll just have to make you cry until you feel ready to talk." With ease that surprised the blonde, Raito lifted her and threw her carelessly onto the alter. She cried out as her arm collided with a glass candle holder. Thankfully the candle hadn't been lit, however the glass smashed on impact, shards wedging into her hand. She whimpered, clutching her hand as blood began to seep out of the wounds painfully. "Hmmm… That looks painful Bitch-chan! Are you going to cry, hmm? Ah, those pained eyes are really delightful." He sighed happily, grasping her bruised wrist to stare at her bleeding hand. He licked up the blood, moaning appreciatively. "These shards are in the way…" He murmured and suddenly yanked out the pieces of glass, causing her to cry out again. "P-Please stop, R-Raito it hurts!"

His eyes snapped up to meet her tear filled ones. He chuckled, yanking out another piece. "Are you ready to talk then Bitch-chan?"

"A-Ayato told me about her accidently!" She quickly lied. Raito looked surprised, cocking his head to one side. "Ayato?" He loosened his grip, looking down at her. She was terrified for a split second that he could see through her but he smirked down at her and she felt slightly more at ease. She clutched her agonised hand to her chest, willing the pain to go away. "Ahh my idiotic brother is telling you useless things again, ne?"

"Useless?" She asked softly. He stared down at her questioningly, blinking a few times at her. "Well, she was rather useless, wouldn't you say? She managed to get herself killed. All she had to do was stay alive."

Yui blanched. "S-She killed herself?"

He chuckled, lifting her wrist to his mouth, inhaling deeply as light blush tainted his cheeks. "Now did I say that Bitch-chan? You really ought to listen more carefully. She got boring so she was killed." He said simply - as though that was a normal reason for someone to die. It made Yui worry. Maybe this was something that happened a little too often within this house.

Raito, who was just about to bite down roughly into her wrist, stared at the girl in confusion. "Hmm? You aren't usually this willing to give me blood." He commented, his dark eyes gazing into hers, searching for answers to questions that she just didn't know. "I … I haven't been sleeping much," she said softly. "It seems easier just to give you what you want."

Raito stared down at her before letting her go carelessly. "How boring, Bitch-chan! That has been the death of many girls here, you know!" He added over his shoulder as he walked back out of the chapel, leaving the blonde there absolutely stunned.