18 May 1897.

A sixteen-year-old girl carefully brushed her long, ash-colored hair. Leaving her bangs free, she expertly braided hair on either side of her head into a crowning braid. After turning her head and looking at her reflection in the mirror with satisfaction, she clipped a large black bow on the back of her head.

Even though the bow was so large it made the petite girl appear even more childish than her petite frame implied, she couldn't part with it. It was the final gift her dear sister, Mahiru Hiragi, gave her before she died in an explosion while working at her fiancé's estate. Mahiru had certainly been the most distinguished and famous of the Hiragi siblings, but she was also the only one who really treated the youngest daughter like a family member.

Shinoa brushed away her reverie by flashing a playful smile at the mirror.

Today wasn't a day of sorrows, after all! Instead, it was the first day she got to meet up with her entire group friends in a few weeks… Well, minus Yu. That bastard was off romping around Europe with Guren.

She spun in front of the mirror one last time. Her lavender dress had puffy sleeves at the shoulders but left her arms bare, which would be a relief in the summer heat. The bell-shaped skirt emphasized her hips. Unfortunately, despite the dressmaker's best efforts, her chest was a little… modest.

Considering how busty her sister had been, she wasn't too worried about that last part. She conveniently ignored the fact she was already in her mid-teens.

Shinoa locked the door to her flat before stuffing the key in her purse and racing out of the apartment building. Her shoes click-clacked merrily on cobblestone roads as she suddenly desisted with her immature behavior and began promenading the street like a young woman. The warm, muggy air kissed her skin as the sun vainly attempted to peer through the ever-present clouds. Since it was warm and wasn't raining, she thought the weather was nice. After all, it wasn't like England was known for its sunlight.

After ten minutes of steady walking, she reached the park on the north side of the city where she and her friends often met up.

Eventually, she noticed a taller teenage boy with shocking pink hair, multiple ear piercings, and glasses. His face appeared to be weathered by the sea air, and his sharp eyes and keen sense of direction often gave strangers the impression of a sailor. She tip-toed near, careful to avoid being spotted. A shorter boy with curly brown hair stood chatting with him. Unlike the pink-haired boy, his face looked white and soft, as if he spent most of his time indoors. The tall, pink-haired one with a stern expression was Kimizuki while the shorter, fluffier one with a gentle smile was called Yoichi. They were her friends, even if they pretended not to know her following some of her antics.

"Oh, I think I see Mitsuba," said Yoichi as he looked to the south.

"Yeah, you and everyone else," said Kimizuki, folding his arms with a sigh.

Shinoa crept behind a bench and peeked around to see what they were talking about.

Heading their way was a beautiful young woman with blond hair pulled back into twin-tails. She wore a frilly peach-colored dress that emphasized her breasts, which Shinoa already believed to be far more ample than necessary for a girl only six months older than herself, and had a large ribbon wrapped around her waist. She strolled across the park with her back straight and looked as prim and proper as the little rich miss she was supposed to be. Many young and older men in the park glanced at or even downright stared at her before their dates had a word with them.

Shinoa raised an eyebrow before retreating to the shadows.

"You look really nice, Mitsuba," said Yoichi politely.

"Yeah," said Kimizuki with a stiff expression. "You look like a carnation tied up and ready to be put on sale."

Mitsuba pouted and plopped down on the bench, spreading her legs apart in an unladylike manner. Her arms stretched out over the bench as if to claim it as her own.

"My parents keep pushing me to get married," she complained.

The men who had been staring at her were startled by her sudden change in behavior and soon looked away. The boys and Shinoa were nonplussed, having been accustomed to her uncouth behavior long ago.

"Marriage?" asked Yoichi, his gentle eyes round and sympathetic. "You're only sixteen."

"I swear, parents will never make sense to me," muttered Mitsuba. "Aoi already got them the prestigious son-in-law they wanted, so why do I have to walk that route? I want to experience true love and happiness for myself and not just get married because my parents tell me to."

"Have you ever even dated anyone before?" asked Kimizuki, sounding as harsh as Yoichi was kind.

"Eh, a few times," she answered ruefully, "but I'm not really into the posh rich boys my parents want me to marry. My sister got hooked up with the future head of the Hiragi Real Estate Company when she was only fifteen, so my parents have some expectations for me. Since I'll be turning seventeen next month, they've really started bringing it up more."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Yoichi. "If they get really desperate, one of us can marry you!"

Mitsuba laughed lightly. "They don't want me to just get married. They want me to marry a rich boy with a title and land. You know how ambitious they are. They would never accept orphans like you guys, even if you have steady work and can take care of yourselves. If I get married," she said slowly, with a sad expression, "I want to get married to someone I at least like."

"Even if they keep pressuring you," said Kimizuki, who'd always seemed indifferent but, in truth, was the one who worried most for his friends, "it's fine if you take your time. It's not like they can force you to get married or something."

Without warning, Shinoa took the opportunity of Mitsuba being distracted to suddenly pop up, reaching over the bench to grope Mitsuba's ample chest.

"It's not like these are going to sag anytime soon!" shouted Shinoa gleefully as the twin masses on Mitsuba's chest filled her hands.

Mitsuba screamed.

The boys wisely leapt away, wary of becoming Shinoa's next target.

"SHINOA!" yelled Mitsuba, her face bright red as she slapped Shinoa's paws away. She stood up and guarded her chest protectively with her arms. "I can't believe you just did that! In public, no less! We aren't children anymore!"

"Awwww?" teased Shinoa with a chuckle. "I thought you were trying to get attention, dressed all purdy like that. If you want some handsome suitors to lay their eyes on you, then you gotta shuffle that bosom around!"

"I am not having this conversation with you," said Mitsuba, cautiously stepping farther away from the gray-haired imp before her.

"Well, one thing's for sure," said Kimizuki, his tone accusatory. "Everyone's eyes are on us now. I suggest we relocate."

Sure enough, Shinoa looked up to see saw pair after pair of eyes gazing at them. A pair of children let their kites fall as they chose to gape at the group of teens instead of playing. Shinoa thought they were staring at her and her friends like they were a pack of escaped zoo animals. Well, Shinoa felt like that simile was actually close to reality.

An awkward giggle erupted from Yoichi's mouth as a faint blush blossomed on his cheeks from embarrassment. Unlike Shinoa, her friends knew shame. Well, except for Yu.

"Alright, alright," conceded Shinoa as unabashed as ever. She began heading out of the park. "I suppose we need to move to preserve the sanctity of Mitsuba's mammaries."

"Uh, yeah," said Mitsuba, "as if there is any sanctity left after what you did." Even though her tone was angry, she still smiled when she stepped up to Shinoa, even walking by her side as they left the park.

The boys only looked at each other and shrugged before chasing after the girls. The four were soon walking and chatting together, joking and speaking freely in spite of their varying social classes. Mitsuba, Yoichi, and Kimizuki took care to keep Shinoa in their sights as she twirled around playfully, and her eyes glinted with dangerous mischief.

Even though she had already attacked one of them today, who knew if there wouldn't be a second time?

"So, what's new?" asked Shinoa casually. "It looks like Yu is still playing around on the continent. Did he say how long his and Guren's trip would be? He's been gone for a month already."

"He said he didn't know for certain," answered Kimizuki seriously. "He said it would take a couple of weeks to get all the way to Transylvania, so it would be a month if he just did a round trip. Since they have other work to do along the way, they probably won't get back until the end of May or beginning of June at earliest. He did say they were making some real estate deals, but Yu was uncertain about the nature of their other assignments. We received a letter from Yu when he first reached Transylvania but none since then. He mentioned they were in a rural area."

"They were supposed to sell land to a count there," added Yoichi. "I heard he lives in a castle deep in the mountains, so it's possible Yu hasn't been able to send any messages from that location."

"So, he's deep in the sticks, is he?" asked Shinoa lightly.

"Even so, Yu will be fine," stated Mitsuba confidently. "He's survived dozens of things that could kill him before, and this won't be any different. I wouldn't be surprised if he were spending all day hunting outdoors. It's not like Guren always needs him by his side."

After several minutes, they finally left behind the curious glances of the pedestrians at the park and wandered to a plaza with a fountain. Three stone cupids with round bellies stood clustered in the middle of the fountain and sprayed water out of their mouths.

Shinoa skipped over to the fountain and sat on its stone edge. She crossed her legs.

"Now then," said Shinoa, her spirited manner suddenly more serious. Her companions gulped. "In seven weeks, a very important event is coming up. That is, Mitsuba's seventeenth birthday. We have plans to arrange and schemes to scheme. And if Yu isn't back by then, we'll skin him alive!"

"…Or maybe we can just put orange dye in his soap," suggested Yoichi, providing a more peaceful alternative.

It had been a few days since Mika had woken up half-dead with Yu practically hammering down his door. He had been sleeping a lot and was well-rested, so now he could wake up when Yu started slamming his fists against the door the first time instead of the third time. Mika wasn't sure if Ferid was unlocking his door on purpose to annoy him or if Yu knew how to pick locks, but Mika woke up to Yu standing in his room more than once. The night Chess drained too much blood out of him, he assumed he was so exhausted that he neglected to lock the door. Since then, he had been more careful, but something odd was happening.

Even if Yu acted sweet and had a worried expression when he came to check up on Mika, Mika couldn't trust him even slightly. Just what was he after? And just how was he getting into Mika's room?

Even though Mika was still anemic, he felt stronger already, and his neck no longer ached as much as it had before. He supposed that was fine since he had to play along with Crowley's story about him being a noble's "ill and fragile" only child. He certainly wasn't a noble's child, and he would be neither "ill" nor "fragile" if certain blood-sucking monsters would leave him the hell alone.

Although Ferid was usually the only one who bit him, he still drained him every two weeks or so under normal conditions, which hardly gave Mika any chance to recover. Given how Mika acted when he was first imprisoned here, it was no surprise that Ferid preferred him weak and vulnerable…

Mika got out of bed slowly and changed his clothes, carefully choosing a scarf that hid the bruises on his neck. They had become a putrid green color by this point. Ferid hadn't been lying when he said Chess's bite would leave a large shiner, so Mika figured it would be quite a while before he could finally leave his neck uncovered again. As he had no desire to wear a scarf in the middle of the summer, he hoped Yu and Guren would hurry up and leave, so he no longer had to hide anything.

He brushed his hair, but it remained an unruly mess from sleeping so heavily. With a sigh, he pulled it back into a short ponytail. After one final check to make sure his bruises were hidden from Yu, he hid his mirror back in his drawer and left.

On his way to the kitchen, he encountered Guren Ichinose leaving the restroom. This was the man Yu claimed fetched him from jail and hired him as an underling.

Now that Mika was feeling better, he had some investigations of his own to catch up on.

Without any preamble or greeting, Mika approached Guren. He didn't care to greet someone he regarded as a stranger at best or an enemy at worst, and he believe Guren didn't care about such niceties either.

"Yu told me he serves you as a bodyguard," said Mika lightly, probing about Yu's true profession.

"Un," nodded Guren after a brief pause. His violet eyes glanced at Mika like a panther considering whether to strike at his target. "He's not a very good one, though. Gets distracted pretty easily."

Mika nodded in agreement and walked away.

"Security guard," my foot, thought Mika. Yu probably wasn't lying when he said helped with security at Guren's estate, but Yu was obviously not there to work with real estate. Not once did he ever chat about the castle stone, furnishings, or details like the balustrades or heavy doors, and he had certainly spoken profusely. As a person who dealt with the buying and selling of residences, wouldn't he pay attention to details that could raise or drop the value of the castle? He mentioned the land outside frequently, but never asked about the square acreage or beautiful places on the property. Instead, he focused on enjoying the fresh air and going hunting.

As Guren had confirmed, Yu was actually supposed to be working as his bodyguard.

Mika already believed Guren came here for reasons other than selling a house, but now those suspicious were cemented more firmly than before.

Before he got too far away, he heard a conversation start up behind him. He paused and glanced behind him.

Apparently, Yu had noticed that Mika was up and was trying to catch up to him.

Mika vaguely wondered if he would ever have privacy again.

"So, you even told Mika that you were on this job as my bodyguard, huh?" came Guren's cold voice as Yu approached. "You're not much for secrets, are you?"

"Huh?" asked Yu, looking baffled with a tilt of his head. "No? I only said I did security at the estate sometimes…"

Guren stiffened.

"Eh…" mumbled Yu. Even though he was mumbling, his voice still carried through the rooms. As usual, his voice seemed to echo. "No way… Don't tell me… Guren… Guren, did you… Did you get out-smarted by a seventeen-year-old?"

Guren banished all expression from his face.

Yu's lips stretched out into a wide grin, and his laughter resounded down the hall. Guren abruptly punched Yu in the gut and then kicked the back of Yu's knees, sending him crashing to the floor. Yu continued giggling to himself as if he hadn't been touched at all. Guren shook his head and walked away.

Mika promptly started moving his feet and made his way to the kitchen. He learned three important details: Yu was a bodyguard, the two were definitely hiding other secrets, and Guren was surprisingly violent.

Mika made a note to avoid being in Guren's striking range if he ever decided to provoke him for some reason or another.

He wondered if Yu would be okay after being hit like that and glanced behind him before stepping into the kitchen. Surprisingly, Yu looked like he was doing fine. Maybe Guren didn't hit Yu as hard as he appeared to. When Mika's dad beat him, he never laughed about it. He always cried and apologized and said he would be good, but it always made his father angrier in the end…

Since Yu was laughing, he had to be fine.

Mika shook his head as he closed the kitchen door behind him. If Yu got beat a little, then maybe he'd mind his own business.

The motion made Mika feel dizzy all over again, so he carefully sat on the stool in the kitchen and waited for the room to quit wobbling around him.

Only seconds later, the door slammed open, and Yu happily trudged on through.

"Good afternoon, Mika! If you were up, you should have come and gotten me first! I want to help you with your chores as long as I'm here," he said as bright and sparkling and usual.

Chores? Was that the reason he decided Mika cooked and cleaned the restroom? It was a reasonable conclusion, but it was incorrect. The reason Mika cooked was because he was the only resident who ate human food, and none of those monsters had any sense of human taste. Likewise, he cleaned the restroom because he was the only one who used it. The monsters would bathe since they often got dirty while prowling and hunting in the woods or while bleeding their prey, but they never had a need for the toilets. Of course, if Yu ever realized that, then he might have a far more intimate experience with Chess or one of the others than even Mika had. So intimate, in fact, that he might end up bringing more life to the woods by the castle as a fresh corpse.

The thought sent a shiver down Mika's spine.

"There's no need to help me with my… chores," he replied coolly. "I've been doing them without any trouble all this time."

"But you're still sick," argued Yu as if that ever made any difference before.

Mika wrinkled his eyebrows with puzzlement. It's not like they were friends. If they were friends, Ferid would have killed Yu already after all. Then, Mika sighed, giving in.

He observed Yu's expression and posture for a moment. Yu practically gleamed at the attention.

"Are you okay?" asked Mika, uncertain if he wanted to give Yu the mistaken impression that he cared. "Guren looked like he hit you pretty hard."

"Oh, yeah," said Yu in a care-free tone. "I'm fine! Guren's hit me a lot harder than that during training before, so this is nothing. They're practically love taps!"

I knew I'd regret asking, thought Mika. And "love taps"? Apparently, Yu decided to stop hiding the bodyguard thing.

Mika took an additional note to never challenge Guren to a fight in close combat, lest he get to experience one of those "love taps" for himself.

"Thank you for asking, Mika," said Yu, blushing and leaning into Mika's personal space.

Mika awkwardly leaned away, uncertain why Yu was always getting so close to him. Did they not respect personal boundaries in England or what?

Suddenly, Yu's eyes grew wide and locked onto Mika, making Mika even more uncomfortable than before and more than a little alarmed. Once again, Yu came even closer, clearly not taking the hint.

"Your ears!" shouted Yu, practically yelling in Mika's ear.

Mika scowled and scooted away. What was wrong with his ears?

"Your ears are curved like mine," said Yu, eyes glittering as if he made some great discovery. "I thought for sure they'd be pointed like everyone else's here! I couldn't tell all this time because your hair was so fluffy, it was in the way. You look nice with it pulled back, by the way."

Mika looked at him incredulously. Yu assumed he was like those monsters? Well, Ferid had been lying to them about Mika being his child all this time, so maybe that was why.

"Your eyes don't have that rusty color to them either," noted Yu. "I guess you got your looks from your mother."

Mika froze as if doused with cold water. His mother…

"Are you hungry or not?" asked Mika, abruptly changing the subject.

"Hungry!" said Yu cheerfully.

After having successfully diverted Yu, Mika got him to help prepare their meal. He had an unpleasant sinking feeling that intrusive questions and a pesky guest would soon be the least of his concerns.

They cooked and they ate and they played.

And like that, weeks passed by. The summer heat rose, but the skies remained as dark and gloomy as ever. Mika slept often and spent most of his waking hours with Yu. They played board games, or Mika explained books to him. Mika even helped Yu with his homework, which consisted of some basic math and an essay analyzing the rhetoric of one of Shakespeare's plays. It was nothing difficult, but it made sense for Yu to struggle so much if he had been telling the truth about not learning to read until he was twelve.

Perhaps the rest of the story Yu told about his life before meeting Guren was true after all.

Mika's only reprieve was when Yu went to the restroom or went out hunting alone. Mika warned Yu to stay on the same path they walked before, and, so far, Yu returned unharmed by dusk every evening without fail. Such good fortune would not last forever, so Mika often went out with him when he was feeling better. After all, not all the beasts here rested during the day like the bloodsuckers. After all, if they had no one to defend them during the day, then wouldn't the human villagers have come and set the castle aflame long ago?

Even when Mika first learned German, he remembered tales about monsters who bled people dry. His father took their words as hogwash. Maybe his mother knew better, but she was too ill to distinguish between reality and fantasy.

"Hey, Mika," said Yu casually as they sat outside under the cloudy skies one day. They sat on a broken, rotting log, and Yu had a book of Shakespeare's plays in his arms. The air tasted moist with a hint of rain, and the sky let out a gentle rumble. "You know, you're a lot better at English than I expected. Even though Macbeth uses such old English, you understand it pretty well."

"Mm," agreed Mika as he stared up at the brooding sky.

"Did you start learning it when you were little?"

"Yeah. My father spoke English since he traveled around so much. That was how he met my mother," answered Mika truthfully, trying to avoid thinking so hard about Yu's probable fate.

In the past, whenever Ferid's guests had lingered long enough to realize just how abnormal the residents were—and Mika sensed that this now held true for Yu and Guren—Ferid would never let them leave peacefully. All Ferid's other human guests ended up drained and thrown to the wolves for their bones to be scattered over the mountain. That, or they became mere puppets to him, appearing normal but lethargic when allowed to follow their own whims but dispassionate servants when his orders took effect. Those enthralled by him would do anything he commanded, whether it be committing suicide or restraining their own family to be devoured by Ferid's ilk.

"Oh? So Ferid and your mom used to travel a lot? What's your mom like? I've never heard anything about her," said Yu.

Mika frowned. Had Ferid ever met his mother? She was long dead before Mika ever encountered him, but he supposed it was possible. Ignoring the first question, Mika decided to answer the second one.

"She was… She was beautiful," said Mika uncertainly.

Mika felt Yu's eyes boring into him. Mika avoided looking at Yu, and the guilt from words unsaid weighed down on him, making him feel unusually heavy.

"Do you take after her?" prodded Yu. "You don't really look like Ferid."

Mika stood up without warning and walked into the woods. Dry grass crunched under his feet, and he habitually steadied the rifle on his shoulder. He increased his pace, moving quickly once he heard steps behind him.

"Mika! Hey, Mika!" called Yu nervously.

Mika kept moving. After spending so much time with this tenacious, clingy pest, he knew Yu would never let him rest without an explanation.

The dead branches twisted around them in a silent menace, as if ready to consume them should they take a wrong step. After several minutes, the grass became green again, and shrubs and trees had leaves. Of course, the trees around the castle must have had leaves in the past or else they could not have grown. Whatever curse plagued the land was weaker the farther one was away from the castle.

They walked for several minutes until Mika only heard his own footsteps moving forward. He paused and looked behind him.

Yu was staring at a human rib cage half-buried in some bushes. Several of the ribs were broken or missing. The marks from wolf fangs left impressions on the dirty bone from when they scraped away the muscle and fat. Yu used his foot to nudge the rib cage free. Several thoracic vertebrae remained to hold the ribs in place.

Unlike Yu's normal relaxed or enthusiastic expressions, Yu now appeared more serious and deep in thought.

Excellent, thought Mika. He actually has some functional brain cells in there.

When Yu turned and looked at Mika, his expression lit up.

Mika quickly turned and continued his trek, ducking under tree branches and walking into rougher ground with more nature and roots disrupting their path. Hearing the sound of water, Mika looked around before veering uphill to the right.

Yu loyally chased after him without asking a single question, making Mika once again doubt Yu's sensibilities. When one found human remains, wasn't it natural to ask why they were there? And when someone else noticed them and moved on as if it weren't a surprise, didn't that make that person a prime suspect? This Yu was really something else, Mika decided.

Several minutes later, Mika stepped out of the trees onto the bank of a stream. The stream twisted through the earth, sinuously flowing through the winding gash gracefully and naturally. The water danced over a series of small waterfalls, glittering in the faint light of this perpetually dim place. To him, the sound of flowing water was like piano music with the chirping of insects acting as its accompanying violin. The sounds of life here were vibrant and fresh, unlike the somber quiet and scent of death permeating through the castle grounds.

Yellow flowers dotted the banks on either side. On the far side, a tree's large roots cut into the corner of the stream, clearly demarcating where the water had eroded into the embankment.

Mika panted, catching his breath now that he reached his destination. Even though he felt much better, he still believed he had less stamina now than when he'd been able to keep his blood to himself, free from the jaws of those monsters. Of course, Ferid had been draining his blood for so many years now, Mika no longer knew what it felt like to not be anemic and to have the energy and freedom to do as he pleased.

Yu stomped through the bushes. Mika heard something snap and then Yu cursed. Yu soon popped out of the woods, and his green eyes automatically trailed after Mika before turning to the beauty surrounding them.

"Wow," he muttered. His eyes were nearly sparkling as much as the stream

Seeing that Yu liked this place, Mika relaxed. He dusted off a boulder on the bank and sat down. The palpitations of his heart slowed down and grew more regular.

"You didn't tell me there was such a pretty place around here, Mika," said Yu, joining Mika on the boulder without waiting for an invitation. Yu set his rifle next to the stone.

"Mm," agreed Mika. "Noisy, too."

The flowing water would muffle their voices, preventing anyone from listening in on them.

Mika grimaced as he realized what he needed to do. Guilt weighed him down as if the ghosts of his dead friends were clinging onto his arms and gazing up at him with their lifeless eyes.

"My parents," began Mika roughly as he pointedly gazed at the stream and not at Yu, "met when they were traveling through Europe. My father did some trading here and there, but he liked to travel most of all and never stayed in one place too long. He enjoyed learning new languages and visiting new cultures. While in Russia, he met my mother. She was so beautiful when he met her, he said she was like a fairy in the snow.

"She had been cavorting with some gypsies at the time, having cut ties with her own family long ago. My father had long been estranged from his relatives, and I don't know anything about them either. When they met, they fell in love right away.

"I don't know if they ever got officially married since they didn't have any family to invite and never stayed in one country for long, but they treated each other as husband and wife.

"They spent every day together and planned out their future. Before long, they went traveling, going through the wilds and visiting beautiful places. They saw waterfalls and majestic forests, exotic deserts and Arabic gold, expansive cities and elaborate cathedrals… My mother was so energetic and enthusiastic, she could travel for days at a time and even forgo sleep until she finally wore herself out and would then sleep for days at a time. My father thought it was cute.

"And then, one day, they got pregnant."

Mika wondered if Yu had the impression Mika was telling a sweet love story. Yu didn't seem to realize anything was wrong yet, and Mika felt culpable for destroying this illusion. Part of him wanted to give this tale a happy ending, but the truth was more important.

His eyes flickered at Yu with a remorseful expression. When he opened his mouth to continue talking, it felt dry.

"They were very excited at first. My mother used whatever natural remedies she heard of to give birth to a healthy child. My father even had to hold her back, assuring her that their child would be fine even without all those bizarre concoctions. Then, she suddenly stopped caring. She stopped eating and only slept all day.

"This behavior wasn't unusual for her, but she always perked back up after a few weeks. This time, she didn't, and she was pregnant. My father struggled to make her eat and drink, but he succeeded. Eventually, her mood shifted, and she was once again happy and cheerful. She and my father took care to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

"Since this was her first childbirth, she had a difficult delivery. Even so, she was immensely happy when she gave birth to a healthy, screaming baby boy. My father was delighted that everything was better now, and his wife had returned to normal."

Mika pulled out his flask and took a few gulps of water. He then took a deep breath as the sky grew darker.

Surprisingly, Yu was still listening patiently, even appearing wistful, as if envying this contrived tale when compared to his own drug-addicted parents. He clearly had no idea how this tale would end, and Mika wished he didn't have to shatter that illusion.

"And then, the day after the child was born, everything changed. Although she fed her baby, she stopped taking care of herself. My father had to feed her, bathe her, and brush her hair. She only smiled when she was with her baby.

"A couple of months later, her mood improved again. She became even more eccentric than before, saying queer phrases that made no sense. My father said she had never been the same since their child was born…

"Once the child was a year old, they began traveling again, and they eventually encountered a religious group deep in the mountains. They reminded her of her of her days with the gypsies, so she convinced him to stay with that group for a while. Soon, she became invested in practicing rituals supporting their so-called 'blood god.' My father only saw it as drivel. While they prayed and danced and smoked strange things, he took up drinking instead. He let my mother dance for days and enjoy herself with her delusions and didn't interfere because she was happy.

"Even so, her mood swings continued. The more elated she became, the more melancholy she'd become afterward. If she were happy for a week, she would be depressed for a month. To cope with it all, dad indulged even more in liquor, drinking so much that he couldn't distinguish one day from another. He joked that it made him match up with my mother better."

Mika's hand trembled slightly as he brushed his hair behind his ear. He took a deep breath.

"When he drank, he became violent… No matter how much I begged or apologized, he wouldn't stop hitting me. I know about how my parents met and lived before I was born because he always complained and ranted about it when he was drunk. Every day, he reminded me that it was my fault—that everything would be alright if I hadn't been born. My mother never really seemed to see what was going on in front of her. She would just smile with an unfocused gaze and acted like nothing happened."

"It's not your fault for being born, Mika. It's not your fault your mom was sick," stated Yu passionately, moving close enough to bump his shoulder into Mika's. His eyes were narrow with anger, and his jaw clenched with rage. "He had no right to treat you that way."

"…I know, Yu," answered Mika softly, leaning slightly away as Yu neared him. Yu's breath was warm. "I'm not finished yet."

Yu frowned deeply but pursed his lips shut. Yu must have been taking it personally because he thought Ferid was Mika's dad. Ferid never hit him, but Mika would have preferred that to his sensual bites. Since the feeding sent an unnatural euphoric sensation running through Mika, he felt disgusted with himself time after time. Unlike his real dad, Ferid isolated him from the world and killed off any human companions he made. Even though Ferid was not his dad and neither hit him nor cursed him for being born, he produced a different type of malevolence.

It was not wrong for Yu to hate Ferid.

"They stayed with that group for many years. When I was seven," continued Mika, "my father was driving one of their carriages through the mountains on a rainy night. Only my parents and I were there. The rain poured down heavily. My mother held me and chanted the same nonsense she'd been fixated on that month. Then, she threw me out onto the muddy, rock-filled road as the carriage continued speeding on... The rocks scraped my skin, and everything hurt. I had trouble getting up after that. I called out to them, and my mother waved at me. They never once slowed down. Then, when I finally got to my feet, a landslide pushed them down the mountain, sparing me and only me.

"Several days later, the cult group found their bodies."

Yu stiffened as a confused expression and then realization crossed his face.

"They took me to a nearby village not far from here," said Mika. "I believe you and Guren stayed there briefly at the Golden Crone Hotel before meeting up with Crowley."

Mika took a swig of his water. His throat was hoarse from talking so much, and he still had something vital to share before nightfall. After sharing his early childhood with a human for the first time in several years, he felt… drained. It was almost like those bloodsuckers had taken a bite out of him during the affair. At the same time, he felt relieved.

"Wait, wait," said Yu, speaking up again. "What do you mean? I thought Ferid said he was your dad."

Mika slowly turned his head to look at Yu. Yu's emerald eyes seemed darker than usual, angry and concerned. Mika wished he had a happier tale to tell him.

"He said that," Mika agreed softly. He looked back toward the ground. "We're not related. I'm not adopted either… It was probably just a joke of his. That, or he was acting like he had a kid to appear more approachable. He's done that before to make people let down their guards."

"Huh?" asked Yu, tilting his head. "But why would he—"

Mika sighed and looked away again.

"Once the cultists dropped me off in the village, I lived with a bunch of other kids. Most of them had parents who died from illness and accidents, but they were born and raised here in Transylvania. Although I didn't know where my parents were born or even in which country I was born, they accepted me right away. More than my parents, these were the people I considered to be my family. Unlike the kids you grew up with, they didn't hold me at a distance because I was different.

"The first time I met Ferid was when I was eleven. The villagers all feared him, but they never dared to speak badly about him. He and his servants visited the village occasionally and brought many gifts, including warm blankets and many types of food. He even brought toys and new clothes for us.

"He did things like this during the years I'd been there, but I had only ever seen him from a distance, if at all. He seemed nice at first. Generous, wealthy, and powerful. I didn't mind chatting with him as long as it kept us from going to bed hungry," continued Mika, his expression growing dark again.

"And so, I got along with him. He visited more frequently. We got more supplies, and we didn't have to go to bed hungry anymore."

Mika paused and shifted uncomfortably. The boulder made his bottom sore, and the air was getting chilly. Thunder grew louder, and half of him desperately hoped the sky would split open and shower them with rain just so he could avoid discussing this. The other half of him knew better. If he wanted to get Yu out of here, to help Yu survive, then he had to tell Yu all he could, no matter how much it hurt.

His eyes flickered uneasily to Yu, who was staring at him with patience and rapt attention. Mika swallowed anxiously, feeling like he was gulping down broken glass instead of saliva.

"We got more supplies," repeated Mika, "and then, one day, he invited us to his castle.

"The place we stayed in had leaks in the roof, and the chilly wind had an easy time getting through the thin, damaged walls. It wasn't unusual for one or two of us to die in the winter, especially with the littlest kids. Since we heard he didn't have any children, we hoped he might adopt one or more of our little ones to be his heir. Even becoming his servants would open up a great future for us, or so we thought…"

Mika's calm expression suddenly broke, turning ugly as he grimaced and his eyes grew watery. His voice cracked when he spoke again.

"We were wrong," he said so softly, it was almost a whisper.

Lightning flashed across the sky, and thunder followed it a moment later. Mika didn't have much more time. It would be dusk before long, too. And, at dusk, without fail, the undead would rise. Mika grimaced, his eyes feeling hot and his throat feeling constricted.

Even so, no matter how much it hurt, he couldn't postpone this any longer.

"We went with them at the beginning of May, shortly after my birthday. The first few days we were there weren't bad, and we got used to living at the castle. We were spoiled by the food and shelter. Then came St. George's Day…"

Mika took a deep breath, forcing his rampaging emotions back under control. He swallowed.

"Yu, did you know St. George's Day is also known as the 'Feast of St. George'? That night, Ferid let us outside," Mika continued, his voice hoarse. He forced himself to speak anyway. "They were many people standing with Ferid, people that I did not recognize… They laughed… and then they… They hunted us. They chased us… Ferid kept me, but… everyone else… All my friends, my family were… Everyone…"

Mika's eyes felt hot, and he jolted when a pair of arms unexpectedly wrapped around him, holding him in place.

He blinked as tears ran down his face. When had he started crying?

Yu pulled him tighter. His black hair tickled Mika's nose. The warm embrace felt so unfamiliar, Mika stiffened, uncertain of how to respond. Just how many years had it been since Mika had felt a human hug? Ferid hugged him sometimes, but he was cold and the hug unwelcomed. Yu put a hand against the back of Mika's head and pulled Mika's face into his shoulder, pressing Mika's tears into his shirt as he brushed through Mika's wavy blond hair with one hand as he squeezed him with the other.

Yu felt warm. Mika could feel the life beating through his body.

Mika trembled and sniffed, letting Yu do as he liked. He didn't know how to respond, but he didn't dislike it. Yu smelled of pine, earth, and sweat. It was a very human smell.

After indulging in this foreign affection for several moments longer than he felt he should, Mika unsteadily raised his hands and nudged Yu away. Since when had he become so weak he needed warmth from another person?

Mika knew that, no matter how friendly Yu was, he himself was destined to be alone until Ferid finally grew bored of him and ended his miserable life.

When Yu let go slowly. Mika felt his eyes on him as he rubbed his sore, red eyes.

"Since then," said Mika, "all the villagers know not to run outside during the Feast of St. George. It is known as the night where all the evil things in the world have full sway... Of course, they don't go outside at night anyway but especially not during the feast."

Sprinkles of water dotted his nose and hair as the rain finally found them.

"For some reason, Ferid didn't celebrate as much as usual this year, and they cut their hunt short when they noticed you were near… He might change his mind any time." Mika grabbed Yu's hands as the water dripped down their faces. Some of it was salty and some of it was from the sky. Mika's throat hurt. He stared deeply into Yu's eyes. "You and Guren must leave after sunrise and get as far away from here as possible. I don't know how much longer he'll spare you…"

Thunder and lightning crashed down around them as if signaling the onset of the Apocalypse.

Mika was wet and cold. He blamed his shivering on the rain and tried to mask the terror he had lived through every day for the past five years.

He and Yu would be soaked and filthy by the time they returned to the castle.

Mika stood up, stretching his legs. He could only hope Yu would take his advice and flee. If not, there was little else he could do for them. After all, even he could only tell them so much. With the storm and running water to drown out his words, this was his best chance to keep from being overheard. Guren seemed like an intelligent man, so hopefully he would be able to lead Yu safely. If they didn't escape with haste, then they would only end up like the owner of that rib cage in the forest. After all the time Yu spent with Mika, given how possessive Ferid was, Mika highly doubted Ferid would let Yu survive as a puppet. It might be possible for Guren, but he would never let Yu live.

After all, Ferid had a hobby of ripping Mika's friends from him, both metaphorically and literally.

When Mika stepped away, a hand wrapped around his wrist, preventing him from returning to his stone cage just yet.

"Mika," started Yu as the rain poured down around them.

Mika flinched, knowing Yu would never believe such a fanciful, if barbaric, tale. He probably thought Mika just wanted attention. If Yu would end up dead either way, then he should have just kept it to—

"Mika," repeated Yu, stepping closer to him and taking Mika's other hand in his own as well, "thank you. Thank you for warning me. It must have been really hard, but… Mika," he continued, clasping Mika's hands with both of his and squeezing gently, "there's no way I can leave you here."

Mika blinked.

"Huh…?" he spluttered with surprise. After a moment of confusion, Mika regained his pose. "No," he said. "You can't take me with you. I'll go in the opposite direction from you, so they'll track me down instead of you."

"Nope!" said Yu with a sad smile as the world pelted rain down around them. "You've been here long enough."

As the rain drenched them, soaking into their clothes and drowning out the sounds of their voices, hope made Mika's heart feel like it would soar. Unfortunately, he knew too much about this world to give in to such naïve thoughts. Even so… Even so, it wouldn't be bad to just pretend for a few minutes, just a few minutes, that he could be free of his cage and the deep, deep shadows encompassing it…