That was the day. The worst day of my life. As it drew to a close in the darkened basement of the manor of the Duke of Venomania, I couldn't stop crying.

I finally broke and the tears I had been holding in for a week were let out in one sitting. After the most agonizing dinner, I had numbly sat down in my signature spot, looked out the window, and waited. Waited and cried. I waited for someone, anyone to let me out. I didn't want to be the savior anymore. When the headache came, I found myself slipping into a forced sleep. No more. I can't take it anymore…

My vision blurred. I was going to obey the whispered voices in my head. I wanted to sleep.

Even in my hazy sight, something caught my eye.

I clenched my teeth, feeling slightly more awake. Something white was sticking out from a crack in between the stones of the wall. It hadn't been there before. It was enough to postpone my suicidal thoughts.

I grasped the wall, now concentrating on enduring the ever growing pain. A minute later, it stopped. I gasped for breath. Some girls stirred. I shut my trap and focused on the protruding white paper, I could now see, from the stone.

My arm shook as I reached out to snag the parchment. It was folded into a card horizontally. It was in pristine condition despite being shoved through the rock. Holding it made me have the oddest feeling of déjà vu. I couldn't understand why. I slowly opened the card.

There was only a single symbol written on the bottom half. An intricate cursive number 2, written in dark purple ink.

I immediately threw it to the ground. My instinct felt unnerved. Feeling like a fool, I stared down at the paper. Why am I so afraid of it? How did it even get here?

I was only certain that it definitely wasn't there before. My heart ached for another headache so I could go to the sleep I was interrupted from moments ago. I decided to let go tomorrow.

********
It was tomorrow. I was antsy at my decision to kiss the whole savior thing goodbye that day. How can anyone expect me to do that anyway? I thought that afternoon. You can't just dump that on someone's shoulders. Stupid Yuka!

I hesitantly looked over to where she sat, gazing into nothingness. I felt a pang against my heart. I had promised her that I would stay. And I didn't want that on anybody else's shoulders either. The nurse inside me couldn't pass that pain on to someone else.

Then again, I wouldn't have to endure that torture Gakupo tainted me with, awake, again. I wouldn't want to cry whenever my mind wandered to Len because I wouldn't think of Len, I would just be…gone.

This tore at my soul. I won't remember Len again…

My thoughts were interrupted by the familiar opening of the wood and iron door. I assumed that Miku was there just to state the next victim in Gakupo's exploits. Luka wasn't in the basement; she had often been gone in the past day. Three…Four times? Something like that. It seemed to me that Gakupo found a new favorite. My old friend from medical college, Luka.

As if echoing my deductions, Miku announced as Luka came in next to her, "I have an announcement!" All the girls woke up like a bucket of ice water was poured on their backs. "Gakupo has selected a new favorite! Luka Megurine. She will now receive all benefits of the twenty."

This somewhat unfazed me. It wasn't a good thing, but at least she would be fed more than the others, but Miku went on.

"She shall replace Yuzuki Yukari. This is in effect immediately. Thank you." She exited and Luka sat in a place next to me with a huge smile plastered to her face.

I looked over to Yuka. At first, one would see that she is unaltered by this news, but as I concentrated harder on her features, she looked a little perplexed and upset.

My old partner and first ally (no…first friend) since my capture was now demoted it seemed. Did that mean Luka was to be my new partner?

I didn't want that. I knew her before all of this.

She was always cheerful and always with a book in her hands. Not the measly 300 page ones, either. The big, fat ones. She was also my roommate. No one dared flirt with her since her brawny boyfriend was in the military. I received a letter one day after college that said she was marrying him. I even attended the wedding as a bride's maid. I remembered how elated she was when I told her I finally got a date with someone in college-Len.

"Oh my gosh! Are you serious? That has made my year, YES! I see you've finally seen the error of your ways. You better not screw this up for yourself!"

I smiled, recalling how she smiled that day. Then, I looked at her and she had a different smile. It wasn't hers. It was merely a shadow.

I found myself crying again. I faced such sadness, but I stopped sobbing silently. A strange, new feeling started filling me up. Not self-pity or depression, but pure, precious fury.

How dare you steal her smile, you bastard? I brooded, How dare you take Len away from me? How dare you take everything away from me? How could you? How do you do it? YOU DEMON!

I wanted to scream. My still tear-stained face turned twisted by hatred and I made my resolve.

I will never cry again because of you, I vowed, And I will kill you. I will stab you myself if I have to, Ga-ku-po-sa-ma.

My expression morphed into a complying smile as Miku walked in announcing dinner. Part of that smile was true. Oh, no, no, no. You're not getting rid of me quite yet.