New chapter and at last the so-called dance scene. Hope you enjoy it and don't kill me please!
Chapter 11: After the ball
His hand slipped with reverence the side of the container, his gaze going soft at the sight of it. The number 721226 was printed in one of the sides, making mistakes not possible about its identity. He could almost feel her humming inside the box as her sweet dreams kept her from the world she belonged to.
Nothing would come to harm her, nothing, not even his love nor his hate.
He raised his head to see the arches under which he was and caressed the box again, not being able to get enough of her presence, his gloved hand tingling with known sensations before pressing his bat-like mask against his face tighter and he walked back out of the room with a flutter of his black cloak.
There were many things to take care off tonight.
She laid on her bed for hours, remembering every single detail of her confrontations with the Phantom, in the tower and in the back alley in Hanoi.
Her eyes were fixed to the ceiling as his crazed gaze came to her mind, as he jumped off the tower to escape Humbert's attack.
-Phantom- she mumbled, trying to make sense of it all in her mind, but she could find no clues about what to do.
-Nee... Haru!- Min's voice called her from the feet of her bed and she raised her head to see the girl holding two gowns in her hands. Haru frowned, she hadn't even heard her coming inside the room –which of these you like the most?- Min asked, trying to get her opinion for what to wear to the ball that night. One of the dresses was wine-colored with black edges, simple, but with thin straps for shoulders and low-cut in the neck. The other was cream-colored, with low shoulders, layered skirts and a blue band around the waist.
-I can't decide- the girl exclaimed raising the dressed to her body and watching herself in the mirror –This one goes well with my skin tone- she put in front of her the cream-colored gown –But there's nothing wrong with showing a little skin from time to time, is it?- she asked as she lifted the red gown and turned to the japanese girl. –Hey, you haven't decided which dress you are going to wear tonight!- Min remembered, but Haru's gaze was sad when she raised herself from bed to look at her friend.
-It's alright. I don't want it to get dirty- she said, but Min just took off two dresses from her closet and came closer to her friend.
-Hey, Haru- she began as she put the dresses in the bed besides the japanese girl, sitting herself on the other side –I don't know what happened in Hanoi, but please, cheer up- she said, triggering memories of Hiromi saying the same to her –You look much cuter when you smile- she said, smiling, trying to get the other girl to do the same.
Haru smiled too, feeling comforted by her friend's words –Yes... thank you- she answered.
-Then, just for today, let's have lots of fun tonight- Min said happily as she stood up, taking one of the gowns with her and spinning with it against her body –Because, you know, this is a party!- she exclaimed, dancing cheerfully around the room.
The normal atmosphere of the cafeteria had been changed completely to a dazzling ballroom. Half of the tables had been put against the walls, covered by all the imaginable culinary delicacies and expensive liquors, the other half replaced by a crowd of formally dressed parents, older brothers and sisters, sponsors, guardians and other guests, all of them mingling and chatting.
The music from the orchestra flowed gently, magnified by the arched high ceiling, encouraging the guests to dance. Haru could almost tell the name of the waltz being played, tasting it in the tip of her tongue.
The sound of the strings was so beautiful, she turned around in her place besides one of the tables to look at the orchestra, a hopeful smile on her lips. But she remembered, even before her eyes began to search, that Humbert wouldn't be there. "Of course, he couldn't be" she thought, chuckling slightly at the idea. If he had been there, a good amount of the girls would be raising a fuss by now.
Looking back at herself, she couldn't help but feel like an ugly duckling. Normally, the girls always wore their functional ao dai, so they all put their best effort to look particularly good at this time of the year in formal gowns. She smiled slightly, thinking that if Hiromi and herself were ever to dress like that for Koza High school, everyone would think they were doing a princess or Marie Antoinettes cosplay for a Halloween party or the school's festival. Sincerely, of all the girls she knew, only Mao or Yuki would ever look good in a dress like those. Thinking of Yuki led back to thoughts about her siblings, a cloud over her features as she tried to envision what would they be doing.
-Haru!- a voice called her out of her depression. She raised her face to look at Min, approaching her form a spot in the corner of the room. She parted with her place, near the door where she had stood for a couple of minutes and walked fast to the group of friends, dressed up as well. –You are late- Min scolded the dark-haired girl, when she was within earshot and Haru was again rewarded by memories of Hiromi saying the exact same phrase. She shook her head, trying her best for her smile to look sincere.
-I'm sorry, I had never put on clothes like this before...- she apologized, earning a friendly giggle form the girls.
-Of course, 'cause in Japan you wear kimonos, like a geisha- Alison said, trying to imagine the new girl in an embroidered kimono.
-Uhm... well, I haven't worn one of those...- Haru said in an almost apologetic tone, a very comfortable yukata coming to her mind, one that she had worn for the summer festival back at home, the one her mom had made to her from scratch. But a yukata and a kimono were two different things altogether. She was suddenly assaulted by the wish to look at herself in a mirror. She had tried her best to look good back in the room, but at the side of girls who, surely, had spent all their lives doing things like this, she felt her confidence draining away.
-I... feel kinda silly- she admitted after some seconds of fruitlessly searching for a reflective surface, but Min batted away her objections with a kind smile.
-What are you talking about? You look great.- she said and Haru smiled too, a little more confident of herself.
-Thanks...- Haru said and looked down at the skirt of the dress. Min had offered to borrow her one of the bunch of gowns she had in her closet. Haru had chosen this one in particular because she liked the color, a soft yellow-green, the simplicity of its design, but mostly by the lack of sleeves and the knee-length skirt it had. She needed to move freely for this night. And it wasn't because she was worried about dancing. She was Shadowwalker-hunting.
-For the girl who received the Blue Rose this generation, she sure picked up a plain dress.- a cold voice said behind Haru and she raised her gaze from the skirt to look at Min's face, who was glaring at someone over the thin girl's shoulder. The japanese spun around to look at the one who had criticized her.
The girl was one of Anna-Marie's friends, all of them looking bright and gorgeous in their expensive-looking gowns, sticking out even in that room, full of well-dressed girls.
-How you dare make fun of the dress I loaned her!- Min whispered furiously, since the jab had been obviously directed at her.
-I'm comfortable with it...- Haru tried to console her friend, but the same girl just looked smugly at them.
-Oh, that's not what I meant at all. So sorry you are so sensitive about it.- the girl said, making Haru's ears and Min's entire face go red.
-You...- Min began, but Anna-Marie got in the middle of the ensuing cat-fight and her friends shut up all at once.
-Let's remain calm, ladies. Our guests are watching.- she said in an imperative tone, making even the arguments in defense of Min and Haru die in the vietnamese's friends' throats
The blonde girl looked absolutely gorgeous. Her blue dress, the same tone as her eyes, glowed from the tiny crystals being embroidered in the fabric. On her throat was a silver choker, coordinating with the bracelet on her whrist, the earrings on her ears and the rings on her fingers.
-You really should try and make yourself look nice, Von Gikkingen- the blonde said, extending her right hand towards Haru's head –Let's fix this.- she said and took out a hairpin with a yellow paste-made rose on it that Haru had put in her hair in an effort to play with her hairstyle and moved it closer to her ear, bringing her hair out of her face. –There, this looks better- she said after admiring her handiwork for a couple of seconds and brushed off some strands of hair from Haru's face and raised the girl's chin, smiling in accomplishment.
Haru blushed, embarrassed at being treated like a child by her classmate, but after seeing her reflection in a window at her left, she couldn't help but agree with Anna-Marie. –Thank you...- she said, smiling slightly and the blonde nodded in approval.
-Now, let's enjoy ourselves- the bee-queen said and turned on her heels to the center of the room.
-She's just worried about how the men will see her. –behind Haru, Alison said, her arms crossed over her chest –I'm sure she will get the most handsome guy in the party.-
-Are you trying to help the enemy?- one of the other girls, Beni, said, glaring at the back of Anne-Marie's group.
-Are you declaring war?- the last girl, named Chen, said, scoffing at the thought –As if any of those girls were the most appropriate for the Phantom.-
-Ple... please, stop- Haru tried to put an end to the escalating scene the girls were doing, before it got out of hand, but she didn't have to go through the effort. Right then the song stopped, allowing a voice in Vietnamese saying something through the amplifiers that ended all the chatting at once.
-It's time. Better go find a partner- Alison commented and the friends parted from their spots to walk around the ballroom.
-See you later, Haru- Min said with a wave as she followed her friends and the japanese understood at once.
According to the manners established in Vienna, it was now the chance for women to ask a man to dance, and obviously Min and the others were going to try their luck.
She watched the girls looking around for dancing partners, smiling and wishing them good luck, when a tall man hovered over her. She froze, the words to turn down the man when he asked her to dance almost in her lips when she heard the words the man said.
-This looks like a smaller version of the Viennese Opera Ball- Haru raised her head quickly, almost sighing in relief at seeing who the man was. David.
But instead of his usual business suit, he was using a black tuxedo and Haru couldn't help but think he looked quite handsome, like a Hollywood star instead of a strict teacher, as he always looked like. A movement to his side called Haru's attention and she couldn't help but stare shamelessly at the woman at his side.
-It's smaller than I thought, but the orchestra is quite good...- the woman commented and at last, Haru's words could leave her lips.
-Julia-san?- she blurted out, amazed at the change in the woman. She was wearing a very revealing dress that had a neckline that almost went down to her navel, her thin and well-formed arms flowing out the dress, every movement graceful and delicate. By an opening in the side of the dress, the beauty of her right leg could be seen.
The woman smiled nervously, and nodded at the girl –Clothes like this doesn't suit me, that's why I don't wear them, but to get here, a guardian needs a companion.-
So, Julia and David had come to the party as if they were married and were her parents. Well, maybe not her parents, since Julia was clearly too young to be her mother, not to mention neither of them looked japanese, but from what she had been able to learn, in the school there was no shortage of succesful people who had adopted, or were sponsoring, talented girls.
Seeing Julia in that dress, and hear her said it didn't suit her, made her feel even more of an ugly duckling than she had already that night. She would never be as beautiful as Anna-Marie or Julia, nor be as open and cheerful as Min and her friends, who let the fact of them being less... eye-catching deter them from having fun and enjoying all the way they could.
-And the Phantom- David's voice reached her suddenly through the curtain of gloomy thoughts she had been enveloping herself with.
-Ye..yes?- the girl stuttered, feeling very self-conscious under David's hard scrutiny.
-The Phantom- he repeated in his businesslike tone and Haru had no other choice but to swallow her heavy-hearted thoughts and pay attention to the mission at hand. She wasn't here to party.
-I haven't see him since I last talked to you- she answered truthfully –Maybe he won't appear either tonight.-
-If he's connected to the Lyceè, I think he will find it very hard to avoid this social gathering. I'm sure he will be here tonight. The problem will be identifying him in this crowd.-
-Humbert is standing guard in the bell tower.- Haru said, remembering him saying that, since the workers couldn't attend the party. At least he would have an eye open in case the Phantom attacked outside.
-I see.- was all David's answer and he watched out the window behind the girl to the tower that almost hid the moon completely. –Haru, if you see the Phantom, kill him.- he ordered, returning the full strength of his gaze back to the girl, who shuddered slightly.
-I understand... but he's a person...- she tried to reason, after all, the Shadowwalkers from before were pure monsters and this one resembled a human. Obviously leaving her mother outside. But David's face turned sterner and his voice a bit angry.
-It doesn't matter. The mission is to eliminate this Shadowwalker. We can't stay longer than you need to be.- tose words made Haru remember that after all this finished, she would never see Min and the other girls again. It didn't matter how much she enjoyed her school days here. It would all come to an end to be forever forgotten. She let her head fall on her chest to hide the tears beginning to form in her eyes form David's sight and grabbed a fist full of the skirt of the dress Min had borrowed her. She tried to gain strength from it, determined to eliminate this threat before it caused harm to her friends. –He's among regular people, right now, so he won't try and create a disturbance... but you must find him and, if he tries to escape, you must not hesitate. Understood?- David's tone made the girl turn to look at him in the eye. For half a second she was tempted to say no, but the iron determination that had been growing within her made all the doubts disappear from her mind and she could meet his gaze with the same strength the man had in his.
-Understood- she said firmly and the man nodded slightly in approval, barely moving his head.
-I'm going to check the underground storage you mentioned before and verify if the container is what I think it is.- he said to the woman at his right making her snap back into attention. –Julia, if I don't come back at the appointed time, you know what to do.- he commanded and the woman nodded, the soft expression of her face disappearing behind her professional mask. It seemed that despite saying the dress didn't suit her, Julia still was enjoying being David's temporary wife and Haru couldn't help but smile at it.
-Got it- was all the woman said and the man turned around on his heels to walk back to the entrance door with all the confidence in the world.
-I leave the rest to you- he had said before parting and the woman's eyes followed him all the way until he was out of sight. Haru could swear she had heard a small moan coming out from behind the woman's gentle and lonely smile.
Julia turned to watch Haru, fidgeting in place, her fingers twisting a bit of the fabric her dress was made of, and smiled kindly.
-Are you nervous?- she asked, although it sounded more like a statement. The girl must have been thinking hard because she raised her head suddenly, looking startled.
-Wha...? whe...? Me?- she asked, stuttering out of anxiousness, but then sighed and looked at the woman in the eye –I've... never been in this sort of situation...- she answered, not quite knowing if she was actually telling the truth –And I'm not beautiful like you- she added under her breath, and it was only because of them being so close that Julia could actually hear what she had told.
-That's a nice thing of you to say, Haru-san, but you are very beautiful yourself- and hearing a soft scoff coming from the girl, she put a hand on Haru's shoulder, smiling comfortingly –You are beautiful, Haru. You just need to stay loose. Relax and enjoy things as much as you can, that way you will be able to do much more.- she said.
The girl turned to look at her again, her gaze really unsure. –I'm sorry- she mumbled quietly, more to herself than to Julia. –Thank you- she added, before the woman took her hand back.
-I'm going to take a look around the campus- the woman said, recovering her professional façade –Just try to act naturally. –she instructed before going her way –And don't be just a wallflower- she added as an afterthought, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
-Okay...- Haru barely answered, getting the impression that Julia was actually encouraging her to enjoy herself, even against David's orders. She followed the woman with her gaze until she disappeared between the couples dancing. Haru was again impressed by the number of people assisting to the event, dancing and talking among themselves. They could easily duplicate or even triplicate the amount of the students in the school, but she thought it kind of made sense. If she could recall correctly, from things she had listened Min and her friends talk about, not only the parents were in this ball, but older and younger brothers, sisters, cousins and downright every "important" member of their families, since it was an idoneous place to forge alliances, many of them by marriages between families.
She scanned the ballroom yet again. Most of the guests were asian, a bit of westerners too, but those she paid no attention to. She was trying to find the Phantom.
She closed her eyes, remembering the face the supposed ghost had showed her the night before and with that all the explications Haru had to say to Ms. Lee in order not to be expelled. Thankfully Humbert had been there to save her and he had come up with the story about her being really distressed by the sight of war, having being raised within the walls of a protective family. Of course, she had nodded at the half truth, not wanting Ms. Lee to ask why the gardener had been there with her. But that had been not the most important thing that had happened that night. She forced her mind to concentrate in the moment the Phantom turned around and showed his face. The same face she had seen a little time before in the school's hallways.
He had to be there, among all the guests.
But confronted with Vietnam's reality, she found it was harder than she thought to find the man. Could it be the man with the ponytail, the one who was playing with the cigar in his left hand? Could it be the man of the long hair by the window, chatting with one of her classmates' mother? How could she be sure he still had long hair?
She placed one of her hands unconsciously on the right side of her hip, feeling the hidden dagger under the cloth. Anybody in the room could be the Phantom, anybody could be hiding the long fangs of a Shadowwalker behind a polite smile. Despite Julia's words, David was right. She couldn't relax.
Applause made her forget the train of her thoughts, startling her. The first song had ended and suddenly the noise increased, the couples previously dancing already returning to chatter. She gazed again, hoping against hope to see the man before her nerve broke, but all she could see were couples staying still, hugging as they rested from the dance, boys scurrying around in the search of new partners and girls curtsying in greeting and accepting the offers.
-Look there! A blue rose!- a voice sounded somewhere at her right and she went of to see what the commotion was about.
The squeals of school girls and excited chatter greeted her as she got closer to a group of girls near, recognizing Min, Chen and Alison between them. Even Anna-Marie, proud as she was, glanced from time to time in the direction of the center of the girl's attention. From where she stood, slightly behind them, she could see why they were raising such a fuss.
A blue rose. It was amazing on its own, but it wasn't the reason of their excitement, at least not at all.
-The Phantom?- one of the girls murmured dreamily, but Haru almost paid no attention to her, almost immediately dismissing her opinion. Nope, he couldn't be.
The rose was tucked in the breast pocket of a midnight black suit jacket, almost shining brightly against the gloomy color. Beneath the jacket, the man was using a yellow vest and a white shirt. And although he was using a blue bow tie, and from what she had heard from all girls in the year she had been awake about them being really old-fashioned, it suited him quite well.
He was beautiful.
And definitely not the Phantom.
He looked like he was in his early twenties, with black, waving hair framing his soft-looking face and sky colored blue eyes, shining with both admiration and the light from the chandelier above them all. There was something about him...
If Humbert's beauty was that of the shining sun and fertile spring, this man's beauty was that of the moon and the night.
Of course, his appearance was causing a lot of girls to have blushes on their cheeks, their minds in the same track, but different to all the "school idols" she had seen back in Japan (Machida being one of them, she thought bitterly) he didn't look pleased with himself or arrogant. He looked embarrassed, but even so he was carrying himself with such grace that nobody would be able to know he was nervous as he smiled and walked towards the ballroom..
Haru never thought why she could know he was nervous.
As if on cue, the second song of the night started, cutting off the chatter among the girls, all of them asking nervously around, trying to guess what would happen next. Of course, with him walking towards the dance floor, there was no way he could just walk back and stand by the window, doing nothing, if not for the high-class upbringing the guy surely had, for the young ladies, who would not accept him not asking one of them to dance.
Of course, that was the fear lurking inside all the girls' minds, who he was going to ask to be his dance partner? Haru could almost listen to the gears on their minds as they turned, wishing to be the lucky lady to share a waltz with such perfect male specimen. It was something most of the teenager girls could understand, the mental strain being almost unbearable. The japanese girl moved to the back, a bit to Anne-Marie's left to not bring attention to herself and continue her search of the Phantom in the ballroom.
The young man walked slowly through the crowd, all the while smiling and nodding to the girls as he left their hopes half-shattered and the girls in a swooning puddle of goo, melting at being held under his gaze. Haru chuckled, thinking how familiar was the situation, the same girls trying to get the attention of the handsome gardener. A different atmosphere altogether, but the same feeling to it.
Seeing actually how close he was to her, she realized she was quite near the commotion, in a place where she could bring attention to herself, so she moved backwards, trying to get far from the scene, but it proved to be a mistake, at least for what she was trying to accomplish.
The man started walking again, this time to the general direction of a group of girls, where the blonde queen of the school stood proudly, hiding her nerves behind an ideal mask.
-He's heading towards Anna-Marie- one of the girls he had left behind commented after a disappointed sigh.
-Of course, who else would he ask?- another lamented after being smiled at.
-They would look like the perfect gorgeous couple.- one of the bee-queen's friends commented, making Haru return her gaze to the figure in front of her. Maybe she couldn't see her face, but the japanese was sure, from the way the girl had straightened her back, Anna-Marie's expression was the perfect mix between femininity and haughtiness, making for the ideal woman.
Haru send her a mental good luck wish before returning to her search of the monster, but a hand being suddenly thrust in the direction of her chest interrupted the examination. She turned her face to look at the hand, a soft, almost feminine appendage, coming out from a midnight black sleeve.
-Would you care to dance?- a man's voice asked before Haru's mind could catch on with her sight.
-Wha...?- was all her mind could come with, her eyes straying to the group of girls in front of her, all of them, predictably, looking at her. But she couldn't see envy or jealously within their eyes, their faces, all, showed disbelief. Min's enthusiastic face caught her eye, giving her a double thumbs-up and mouthing "congratulations" before going around to a place where she could be asked to dance more easily. Haru turned to see Anna-Marie's reaction, but it seemed the girl was frozen in place, out of shock of not being asked by the "perfect man" for a dance with him. –Uhmm- she hesitated and, not seeing the man's face, she missed the spark of mischief in his blue eyes.
-Give me your hand- he commandeered, catching her off-guard, but he just kept his where it had been for the last seconds, turned palm-up, asking for hers.
-Excuse me?- she asked and then, seeing the man wasn't going to move, she put her hand on his like a trained dog. His warm fingers wrapped around her hand at once and the man tugged at her arm.
-Thank you- he said and just then she recognized the fact that he had an accent similar to Humbert's.
-Uh... hold on!- she pleaded, realizing her mistake the moment they entered the dance floor, but the man's grip was too firm, even as he smiled gently at her, guiding the girl to the very center of the dance floor.
Unable to put up a fight, she let him do what he wanted, praying to all the gods above not to seriously harm anybody in the near vicinity. But before she could finish her prayers, the man suddenly spun around, and her chest neatly collided against his, causing a blush to raise in the girl's cheeks.
His left hand planted itself on her back.
Haru suddenly found herself wishing to have wings; after her grand entrance, a great number of couples had come to the dance floor and began to move rhythmically to the song being played. The beautiful "Blue Danube".
Somehow she knew the tune, but she had no idea where to began when it came to dancing, so she did the only thing she could do at the moment. She left all the control of her body to her partner. But even doing so turned useless when she first felt her feet stomping painfully on the young man's feet.
-I'm sorry!- she apologized, trying weakly to escape, but the man just kept hold of her –I am a lousy dancer- she mumbled, making him turn to look at her for an instant.
-Don't worry, I'll lead you. My older brother told me I'm a good dancer- he said, smiling slightly despite the pain he must have been feeling. Also it didn't sound like he was bragging about his abilities, just stating facts.
She nodded and continued to follow his lead, still stepping on his feet and kicking his shins from time to time. She gripped his hand tightly, trying to keep at bay the tears she felt were fighting to come out at her clumsiness. She was actually really nervous and she knew her state of mind was leading her to be even more clumsy than before. So she took a deep breath and let it go to calm herself. She felt herself getting better at dancing.
-You are doing very well- he said after a couple of seconds of not suffering any damage to his person –Are you sure this is your first time dancing?- he asked and Haru blushed, memories of the culture festival at her school coming to her mind.
-No... I mean yes- she answered, tripping over her own tongue –It's true- she finished, her face steadily growing redder. She knew he was just being polite.
Haru closed her eyes for a second allowing her mind to flood with memories from a time before her life. There was a ballroom. That was one of her most repetitive dreams, a dance in a disguise ball. She had seen in her dream a lot of couples dancing, circling and circling. She could even see her father with a noble woman from another country. Some said she was his sister, visiting from Germany. Some said she was his mistress and that she carried the heir of the noble title "Baron" and of the Von Gikkingen manor within her womb. But Haru had never paid attention to rumours, so she fixed her attention to the music instead.
She was smiling softly, just enjoying the party despite her lack of dancing abilities, when a song began, one she knew very well from listening to it almost everyday. Humbert's favourite song.
-Would you care to dance?- a man in front of her asked, his gloved hand appearing out of nowhere within her field of vision and Haru's neck crunched painfully with the violence she had lifted her head with, to look at his eyes. Green irises shined amused from behind a steel mask, his hair partly hidden by a big, feathered teal hat. The young man wasn't dressed in his usual gray attire, but in a fitting black suit and teal cape.
-Baron- she scolded, whispering furiously, unconsciously using his childhood's nickname –You know what happened last time.-
Said last time had been when Jared tried to teach her how to dance, just for this particular party. And she didn't know how, but what began as a waltz had ended with Jared lying down on his bed for a week, with his back badly hurt.
A chuckle escaped Humbert's mouth and he covered it with his white-gloved fist, his left hand still to her –Just thrust me- he said with confidence, even though his eyes were begging for her to accept. Haru sighed, knowing from the beginning he would win this little argument as he always did.
The crowd parted, leaving a clearing for them to move as Haru ran across it, on tiptoes, with Baron guiding her with long strides. At first it was hard for her to keep up with his pace. She was so nervous she kept looking at her feet, afraid of hitting him or stepping on his feet, but the hand holding hers let it go and touched gently her cheek to guide her face back to his, his eyes shinning in amusement behind his steel mask. She was far too aware of the long pink dress' skirt while tripping repeatedly with it. But Humbert would always catch her and put her back on track.
Submerged in the gentle glow of his eyes, she lost track of the time and space, allowing him to guide her through the steps, in perfect time to the music. In a moment of clarividence, Haru knew why she could dance with Humbert and not with Jared. Her father insisted on her not looking at the partner when dancing waltz, but Baron... he held her gaze, he made her feel alive and loved. Now she understood what Jared meant when he said that "to dance was like love"; it requires two people trusting the other, in synch with their movements, thoughts and emotions.
-See, you just needed to trust yourself- his voice said in her mind before...
The memory suddenly dissolved into nothing, leaving her back in the school's cafeteria, in the arms of the stranger. But her movements were no longer clumsy. Just like the french language, it seemed a part of her was remembering something even if she consciously couldn't. "I have danced before" Haru thought, looking to the face of the man holding her gently. He was watching somewhere else, his long eyelashes casting shadows over his eyes, making them seem darker than they were, giving him a mysterious aura. She knew he was handsome, but it was not his physical appearance what was making her feel a burning ache within her heart. Out there were quite a lot of handsome men, but not all were this polite, this forgiving... not all of them had that honest smile. The only other she knew was... Humbert.
As if he could feel her staring, he turned his gaze to her own chocolate-brown eyes –When dancing waltz, you mustn't look at your partner- he said in a friendly tone, a gentle smile in his face. Haru blushed and turned her head to look at her surroundings.
A seconds later, she could hear him chuckling slightly –If this is the first time you dance and we are doing this well, it must mean we are very compatible- he said and Haru turned again to look at him.
-Huh?- it sounded a lot like a pick up line, but once seeing the transparency of his expression, Haru couldn't help but taking his words at their literal meaning, the blush that crossed her face once again, nor the way her heart was speeding up.
Both of them failed to see a shadowy figure watching the couple from a window above, his only visible eye burning with anger behind the partial mask. In a single movement he turned around and began to walk to get as far as he could form the party without ruining his own plans, allowing his cloak and hair to billow behind him as shreds of darkness.
The magical moment came to an end when the song finished and the clapping began. But he didn't let go of Haru.
-I should apologize- he said, making Haru's heart fall to her stomach for a moment –I couldn't stand the gazes from all those girls, so I asked you to dance to avoid trouble.- his eyes narrowed a bit –It was because you seemed different from the other girls.- he raised her hand still gripped within his and kissed it in a gentlemanly way. –And for that I am very sorry. But I will also tell you that I am truly very glad I invited you to dance with me.- And Haru's heart soared again. He wasn't exactly being diplomatic, she could tell from the expression in his blue eyes he was being nothing but completely sincere.
Her mind began to work a mile at second to come up with the adequate answer, but nothing came. She berated herself for not paying more attention to the way the other girls talked and was just about to open her mouth to answer in whatever way it came out when she was interrupted.
-So... this is were you are, Ludwig?- an irritated man's voice came from behind the young man and she leaned to the side to watch the source. It was a man in his late twenties. He seemed really high-strung, but his gaze was still slightly lascivious behind his thin glasses. He looked a lot like an intellectual and Haru was instantly reminded of Julia. Maybe he was a medical researcher too. –I was looking for you- he added when he reached the young man, barely sparing a glance towards the girl.
-Oh, Van. I could say the same. Where were you?- Ludwig's tone was silky, but somewhat glacial when he spoke to the man and Haru felt his hand tightening his grip on her hand. They obviously knew each other, and from the way they acted around the other, Haru guessed Ludwig was the son of a large corporation's president and the other man his manager. –I wanted to be able to ask for one more dance- he said apologetically, looking straight to her eyes –but it seems my carriage has arrived- Ludwig sent a glare towards Van for half a second before returning his gaze to the girl. –It's a true shame- he added and finally let go Haru's hand.
When she felt the warmth from his hand going, her hand unconsciously grasped for his, before falling back at her side
-Enjoy the rest of the dance- the young man advised before pulling the rose from his lapel and set it in Haru's hair, hiding the artificial one. Then he smiled and bowed before turning around to face the other man. He pulled angrily at his arm, walking quickly towards the principal door, the one that connected to the main building.
-Ludwig, we don't have time for this. If you have enough free time to fool around the campus, you should use it by looking at some of the experiments' results- he said, Haru's ears catching every word across the room.
-Yes, I understand. I have already met with Karl, so my work here is done- Ludwig answered with humor, despite the harsh treatment –Also I met someone nice- he added under his breath, reaching the door at last. But he was suddenly stopped from opening it by the voice of a young girl calling for other.
-Haru!- the voice said and he turned at the mention of the name. It was a fairly popular name in Japan, but he had learned not to believe in coincidences, not when ot came to the one with that name.
A girl with light brown hair walking fast to the girl he had been dancing with.
-Haru!- Min repeated against when she reached the japanese's side, walking as fast as she could without running, respectful of the elite manners. –How was it? Was he the Phantom?- she asked in a rush, hungry for gossip.
-Uh?- the dark-haired girl asked, still in daze –I don't think so- she answered absently once her mind understood the question se had been asked.
-Really? You two looked so natural together when you were dancing, I thought it must be him- Min said, the excitement for her friend fueling her words.
-You really think so?- Haru asked, feeling slightly bewildered. But she had to remember that the girls didn't see the Phantom as a monstrous Shadowwalker, but a handsome rose-deliverer. She turned again to watch the young man, who jumped guiltily at being caught doing the same to her.
-Haru?...- He had heard the light-haired girl calling her name and he mumbled it to himself, surprising her. But maybe it was because it sounded weird to an European.
He couldn't help but remember something not really that far in the past.
-Humans bet their futures far too easily- Karl said around a goblet of wine, his own imported wine, which he despised with all his heart.
-We were humans too, remember that- a young man with pale skin and jet black hair answered him, looking through the long lashes over his enticing blue eyes at the vietnamese, who scoffed at him.
-As if... all I wanted was out from there...- Karl said, diverting his eyes from his current best friend and slightly older brother to see through the window to the garden where Louise was playing happily with the butterflies, in her impersonation of the deceased princess Anastasia -Even if I had to give the very devil my entire soul...- he continued, remembering his previous life.
-Your soul, completely. But what about your heart? They won't stop muttering of how close you came to making we lose our princess- Ludwig raised one delicate eyebrow at him and Karl moved his eyes, once again, slightly. This time Ludwig knew he wasn't seeing the garden, Louise or even something currently within their sight. He was trying his best to take back to him whatever had happened in Vietnam that had costed Karl his very status of Guardian.
-My heart, you say... And I would very glad take it out just for another dance with her- he said wistfully, not even completely acknowledging Ludwig's presence in the room.
-That good?- Ludwig asked, sipping from his own goblet before setting it on the table to stand besides his brother in mutual company, simply watching the light of their lives smiling happily.
-Better...- Karl whispered and suddenly turned around to watch his brother, a serious expression in his already maddening eyes -Don't dance with her. Ever. Don't let her take your heart away.- he said, almost begging to the only man who still saw him as an equal not to make the same mistake -All it takes is a single touch and you will have your soul torn out in two directions...-
-As if...- Ludwig laughed off his worries, just for some minutes later had a frown appearing in his forehead at the sight in the garden. -On it again...- he muttered furiously and listened to the glass shattering between Karl's metal fingers.
-If only I could quit him from the middle... But James, Natori and Natoru are with him...- he said to no one, but Ludwig nodded anyway. He knew what he meant. The only one who would've been willing to help them, Prince Alexis of Russia, was dead.
An old man, clearly past the first bloom of youth, walked right towards the playful girl in the garden before catching her by the wrist to stop her jumps and runs. He had thinning gray hair and a visible divergent strabismus in his mismatched eyes, one of them was as green as the stagnant water, the other red, like the rotting blood. They saw Louise's eyes growing almost twice their size, as if planning her escape, but both of them knew that despite her own physical strength, he had the upper hand on it; his overly weighing body was assurance enough.
-Time to try again, babe- he said and Louise shuddered the same as they did. Both men in anger. She, in repulsion. Louise turned her sight to the thin man next to the old man and he nodded slightly. Her eyes lost all their light to become dull, bored and icy as they were always.
-Shall we then, "daddy"- she said with the cold voice she was known for and the old man laughed loud.
-You know what I like to hear, don't you?- he purred coming near her face to steal a sound kiss from her lips and almost drag her all the way back to the building. The thin man dragged his feet behind them, his head hung low in shame. He looked like he was thirty-something years old and half of his face was hidden behind a pair of glasses.
-Poor Natori...- Ludwig commented after they all disappeared from sight, not thrusting himself to say another thing after what they had seen. He turned to leave the room, just before the disgusting sounds would come, feeling pity for the vietnamese man for him to be forced to witness it all.
-I'm serious- Karl's voice said from behind him and Ludwig turned just enough to see him. Karl was still standing near the window, ready for his punishment, but turned his eyes just enough to see the man by the door -Don't ever get close to Haru Von Gikkingen!- he ordered, jealously plain in his voice. For him or for the girl, it was anyone's guess.
-I won't- Ludwig assured just before a scream that spoke about unbearable pain came to them from whenever Gotzon had decided to do his "experiments" with Louise.
-Promise it!- he heard Karl's voice demanding from the other side of the closed door. -Don't bet your future!-
He hadn't actually promised it, but still his lips broke into a bittersweet smile.
-Ludwig?- Van's exasperated voice brought him out of his reverie.
-Yes... Karl... tends to be right from time to time...- he said cryptically, but didn't offer a battle anymore as the bespectacled man pulled him trough the door, but not before offering a final bow to the young girl.
Haru had heard him saying something about "Karl", and from what she had learnt, it was the name of the chairman of the school, but it too made her remember something unpleasant that her mind refused to show.
-... and I didn't tell you, a nice guy came up to me earlier. I want to introduce him to you- Min finished her mini-speech and began to tug on her wrist. Haru smiled, allowing the girl to do so until they came to a table at which side they stood while Min scanned the room in the search of her boyfriend.
Haru's gaze traveled to the window on Min's left, watching the gardens through the shadows of the people being reflected on it. Over Min's shoulder, Haru could see a human figure using a black cloak. The man outside was using a mask that looked suspiciously like a bat's wing and his sneer showed in the gloom of the night, shining white like a crescent moon.
-Haru- Min's voice penetrated her concentration, but the japanese girl ignored it, planning what to do.
The window's glass rattled faintly, with the sound of a growl Haru was sure only she could hear.
-The Phantom- she said in perfect english, her eyes gaining a slight red shine.
-Haru?- Min asked in a confused voice, but the japanese girl just ran straight to the window, barely sparing the chance to wave goodbye to her friend. It might have been a rude gesture in the high-class atmosphere, but she didn't have the time for more.
She ran though the center of the ballroom, leaving behind a series of startles yelps and muttered curses, knowing she didn't have the time to go though the back door and risk the Phantom not being there. She reached the window and grabbed its handle, and relief washed through her at seeing it wasn't locked. But when she pushed it, she discovered it was tighter than she thought.
-You have to pull it first- a voice said behind her and a delicate, sparkling hand appeared and helped the girl open the window. She looked up to see Anna-Marie's face looking at the now open window.
-Ah.. about before- Haru began to apologize, but the girl cut her off.
-No need to worry about it- she said sounding like her usual self, but then her gaze softened –Your dancing... it was very good- she complimented, making Haru smile, forgetting for a moment she was in a hurry and, although it seemed almost unnatural to her, Anna-Marie returned the gesture.
-Thank you- Haru said for both the compliment and the help and then bolted outside, but the figure was gone.
She ran across the garden to the spot where the Phantom had been just seconds before and she heard Julia's voice from the other side of the garden.
-Haru! What's wrong?- she asked, coming to the girl's side.
-The Phantom was just...- Haru answered, trying to come up with a plan.
-You saw him?-
-Yes- Haru said. He couldn't have gotten that far.
Haru scanned the darkness, knowing she could see better what was in there than Julia, but it wasn't her sight what helped her, but her hearing. The sound of a heavy creak came from the direction of the cathedral. Turning fast she saw a silhouette against the façade of the building. The Phantom's sneer was visible clearly, maybe even for the woman beside her.
-From there he can get into the rose garden and into the underground storage- the girl said, her hair already turning black and the red glow in her irises growing.
-No! That's where David is now!- Julia exclaimed, following the direction of Haru's gaze and both began to run to the building. There was no way they could jump across the chasm. And if they didn't do something soon, the Phantom would get David in a sneak attack as he investigated the container.
As they ran, Julia took out her cellphone from a hidden place and tried to dial David's number, but only a voice in japanese saying the number she was trying to reach was out the service area of the company could be heard. There was no way to contact him before...
He glanced at the moon, yet again that night, after a long sigh. There was nothing else he could do, hearing the notes of the "Blue Danube", a waltz Haru liked quite a lot after she had learnt to dance. The memory of her, spinning around the ballroom was bittersweet.
There wasn't anything he wanted more in the world at the moment than to be down there, dancing with her. He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds both to fight the tears of regret threatening to fall down his face and to force his memory to bring back the feeling of her body against his, her small hand gripping his tightly in fear and reassurance, her thin waist under his other hand and her head falling gently on his chest, lovingly, softly.
He opened his eyes and took off the bandage on his right hand and the glove from his left. Looking at the difference between his hands, he scoffed angrily. No, he could never dance with her again, not if the monstrosity, and he glared at his right hand, was still there. Not if he was to keep his promise to her, the one she had made him swear when they were escaping from the Von Gikkingen manor. And that one made him feel even more like a monster than his own hand or what she had seen the very same day both their lives had gone downward.
A heavy sensation of regret made him come back to reality, just in time to feel a pang of pain going through his heart, clouding his vision for half a second. And he knew what was causing it.
Maybe it was for the best, for Haru to move on with her life. After all, he had nothing else to offer the girl but his eternal loyalty and his unwavering love.
She could do better than a monster.
The creak of a door under him caught his attention and he looked down to see a shadow slipping through the cathedral's front door. He didn't even needed to concentrate his gaze on the figures running towards the building. They were Haru and another. He jumped off the tower, with his cello case on tow.
-Humbert!- her voice reached him before he landed in front of her, one of his knees in the ground waiting for her orders without making a sound. He was, always, her knight before everything else. –I saw the Phantom- she began, but the sounds of the man's steps going even farther inside were indication enough that time wasn't on their side.
-I know- he answered quite brusquely as he shouldered his cello case and took running after the man, both women following him close behind. There was no more time to lose.
Of course, in whatever country you go, there would always be prominent schools full of rich kids from big-name families, and it was more than simply a possibility that a coming-from-nowhere man would not being welcomed within such places.
The doormen were courteous, but inflexible.
-Excuse me for asking- the doorman said after giving a single glance to Okamura's attire –But can you please show me your invitation?- he said, causing the japanese to sweatdrop at his lack of planning.
-You know what? It looks like I forgot it...- he lied and the vietnamese raised one eyebrow in scepticism.
-I am sorry for the inconvenience, but we can only allow guest with invitations to enter- he said, not looking sorry in the least. –We are going to have to ask you to leave-
After that, Okamura could say no more, nor think of more to say. His greater regret was for not bringing a tuxedo, but to tell the truth, it didn't fit inside his travel bag. Okamura and the doorman smiled at each other, seizing them, when a black limousine pulled next to the photographer. The driver's window opened and he could see a thin black-haired man behind the wheel, who passed the doorman a gold-fringed piece of paper the overweight copper-haired man passed him.
The vietnamese not even bothered to look at the invitation, he put a hand to his chest and bowed deeply.
-Allow me to be the first to welcome you to Lyceè du Cinq Flèche- he said as greeting and the limousine traveled forward silently.
"The driver and surely a bodyguard" Okamura thought and turned his gaze to the backseat out of habit thanks to his profession. There were a white man and woman, probably a married couple.
The man was,more or less, in his mid-fourties, had sullen cheeks and a crease running between his eyebrows, showing his ill-nature and callousness. The reporter shivered slightly, thinking he wouldn't be surprised if he was told the blue-eyed man was a professional assassin.
On the other hand, the woman sitting next to him was definitely a knockout. She was more probably in her early thirties, with a nice-looking profile and intelligent eyes behind thin, stylized glasses. Her skin was sugary-white, showing off her cleavage and shoulders, barely covered by the thin straps of her dress.
They looked almost straight out of a James Bond movie and Okamura clicked his tongue when the car carrying the foreign spy and the beautiful scientist pulled near the front of the school to deliver them to the party.
-Judging people by how they are dressed- he muttered under his breath. Clearly it wasn't the invitation, but the way you dressed and the car you drove that could get you inside high-society reunions like this one.
"There goes plan A" he thought, feeling a sour sting in his gut at his inability to enter the building and he knew the feeling would not go away until he found a way inside. It was part of being a reporter. Looking around he discarded the thought of sneaking between the guards at the front of the school or climbing the wall surrounding the campus.
Leaving the gate behind, Okamura walked back down along a canal where something caught his attention. It was a large-sized trailer truck coming from the direction of the city. It passed by his side, then went into the forest. The photographer didn't miss the company logo printed on the size of the truck, the one belonging to Cinq Flechè corporation,
-Worth checking out- he said to himself, already following the truck. The side road the truck was using led to the back of the school, and was the perfect entryway for uninvited guests. The road went into the side of the cliff he had seen early and the truck entered through a hole excavated in one of the sides of the cliff.
It was an underground warehouse, presumably a storeroom for maturing wine.
-So, this is where the wine comes from- he mumbled, glad one part of his investigation was already resolved. He looked around, trying to make himself an idea of how big the storeroom actually was by the number of barrels he saw. The production was on large scale, from what he could see. He knew most of the members of high-society had a like for the taste of expensive spirits, but he was still amazed by the sheer numbers that he found, especially since they were coming from a school.
One of the walls had rows of bottles and he took one, finding it lighter than he expected. –Chateau Duel, 1967- he read aloud and weighed it, but the bottle was empty. He tried another, but all of them were in the same state. –So they haven't filled them yet- he said, smiling slyly at what he tought was just a conspiration to sell fake expensive wine, using only the original bottles. He took a few pictures and kept on walking, following the flatbed truck he had seen early, seeing get loaded with a large container, attached to a crane on the ceiling.
-Seventy two, twelve, twenty six...- he read the numbers on the side of the container, memorizing them for future reference and took several photos, happy that there was a party up there (so there were possibly very few guards underground) when he saw the flash of his camera lighting the basement again and again, but the smile was wiped of his face when he was suddenly flashed by a strong light, blinding him.
-You there, come out!- a voice ordered from wherever the light was coming from. Apparently his calculations of how many people were there had been wrong
-We know you are there. Come out where we can see you!- another voice commanded and Okamura knew he couldn't get out of the situation he was in. Most probably there were even more guards around him and his hiding place wasn't even hiding him. His stomach twisted into knots as he reached inside his pants' pocket and took out a couple of bills and his ID. He couldn't even act as if he hadn't understand them, for they were speaking in english.
-Okay, you got me. I come out- he replied in broken english for show and stepped out of his hiding place, holding his hands up to show he wasn't a threat.
Only then he saw the man had a pistol pointed at him and it made his spine to stiff. Of course, he wasn't in Japan anymore, where he would be able to talk his way out of the situation. If he died or disappeared there, nobody would know where he was, nor anybody would think of searching for him. He felt the cold sweat going down his neck in fear.
-Don't worry. I am not strange man.- he kept his broken english, trying to calm them –I am Japanese journalist. I work for Ryukyu Daily Newspaper- he finished, waving his ID between his thumb and forefinger so they could see he was telling the truth.
The man with the gun held it steady as he got closer to Okamura and took the ID, holding it against the light coming from the truck to look it over.
Okamura used the time to watch the other men, the ones that hadn't gone down from the vehicle. One looked like a mix between Japanese and Vietnamese, and was dressed as a typical salary man. The other was vietnamese, using a blue uniform as he sat behind the wheel of the truck.
-I come to cover the party, but I get lost. Can we forget about it?- Okamura tried to reason with the men when he saw no change in his situation –I will be out your way in no time- he finished, but the man in front of him didn't respond. Finally he moved, just to toss the ID on the ground like a piece of trash and to snatch the camera from Okamura`s hands to toss it to the ground aside the ID. -Hey!- Okamura tried to protest, but a single blow with the back of the gun knocked him out.
-We're in a hurry. Finish up and let's go!- the man inside the truck ordered and the other just nodded, aiming straight to Okamura`s head. But the shot never came.
The gun fell to the ground alongside with the man, who had been just knocked out in place by a blow to the back of the head, delivered by a blonde-haired man. David let the photographer laying on the ground, not bothering to quit him from the place. He didn't have time to waste as he got closer to the truck, a single word falling from his lips, dripping with deep hatred.
-Louise-
He raised his own gun and aimed directly to the driver's head, who froze in panic.
-Cut the engine- David ordered, but the man didn't follow his directions.
The pistol roared, but instead of a mess of blood and glass, what met David's eyes was what looked like an oustretched wing. It was the cloak of a dramatic looking guy, using a mask over his face. His arm was in front of his face, covering his face and the truck's windshield, but instead of bursting in a gore mess, the bullet had just lodged inside his arm.
-Hehehe- the strange man chuckled as a fine line of smoke began to raise from the bullet-hole in his arm –So naïve- he said and as if on cue, the skin that was visible through the hole in his sleeve began to boil and show an arm completely covered with black fur that had just rejected the bullet which fell to the ground with a deafening sound.
-Shadowwal...- David said angrily, his composture slipping –The Phantom- he finished and readied his gun again to fire at his new target, but with a wild smile, the Shadowwalker dove towards David and delivered a single blow with a bestial looking left hand, sending him to the air as if he weighed no more than a feather and against a pillar, with which he collided with enough force to take the breath out of his lungs, sending him into a coughing fit.
-Get the truck out of here- the man of the cloak ordered to the driver, who just nodded for all it was worth and pressed hard on the gas. Going around both the cloaked man and the unconscious body of the journalist.
-David!- Julia shouted once she got down the ladder and ran to the now open entrance of the storeroom, lifting the hem of her dress.
-Waaa!- was Haru's exclamation as she was coming down the ladder, but not being used to high heels, she had missed a step, falling directly into the dependable arms of her trustworthy attendant, standing at the bottom of the ladder. She wanted to blame it on her enthusiasm in her new role of the hero, but the sad truth was she was still really clumsy -Ahhh... Thank you.- she said to the man, who just chuckled slightly and stood her onto the ground as Julia ran into the big room with the wine barrels. There wasn't time to be flirting.
As Haru ran to the inside of the storeroom, she couldn't help but to be amazed by its proportions, but she couldn't continue her observations as she caught sight of the truck driving what was presumably the exit and the fallen man trying to stand up at its side. The man was David. In front of him was a figure dressed in black. And the first one to see who he was, was Julia.
-The Phantom?!- she yelled in both bewilderment and anger as she pulled the hem of her skirt to take off a gun that had been previously strapped to her thigh.
-Julia! Louise is inside the container! Hurry and tell Toto!- David ordered and Julia hesitated for half a second before taking off in the direction where Toto and Muta were parked, waiting inside the limousine to follow the container in case it was necessary, feeling all the while an intense regret. David couldn't fight in the condition he was, even less using only a single gun against the brutal strength of a Chevalierè, but the rules of Red Shield were clear. Louise's elimination was above anything else, even one's own survival.
-Julia!- Haru's voice called her as they ran into each other.
-Haru, turn around, we must get back to Corbin- Julia ordered, knowing Haru's strength was indispensable in the fight against Louise.
But her mistake was soon evident, for the Chevalierès were by far more intelligent than the typical Shadowwalkers.
-What do we have here?- a voice asked from above them and a shadow fell in front of Julia, spreading his velvet wings, grinning at the transparency of their intentions, but his smile just widened at seeing the look on Haru's face.
-Julia, please step back- Haru said in perfect french and stepped forward, gripping the handle and the sheath of the katana Humbert had just handed her. –It's alright- she added in japanese, when the caucasian woman hesitated –Humbert's with me-
Julia felt a pain in her chest, understanding the meaning of Haru's words. When she said "It's alright" she wasn't talking about her own personal safety, she was telling Julia that they would protect her. And this came from a twig of a girl brandishing an ancient weapon.
Haru slid her thumb across the heel of the blade, making her blood run down the sides of the sword, across the streaks in the blade designed to be its veins, where Haru's blood would run. As this happened, Julia saw her eyes, which were just a moment ago a caramel-brown color with barely a glint of red in them, turned steadily to their combat devilish color. At last, she had learned how to shift to her other self consciously. It was either that, or maybe the circumstances were pushing her.
Haru realized the Phantom, which gaze seemed so enthralled in the transformation of her eyes, wasn't actually looking at them, but above her left ear, where Ludwig had tucked the blue rose from his lapel. He seemed to glare at it, but then he relaxed, his previous grin turning into a bitter smile that she couldn't decipher.
-I know I shouldn't, but I just can't help myself...- he said, maybe to someone in his mind, maybe to himself –So this is the taste of the forbidden fruit?- he asked with the enthusiasm of a mad man hidden behind his young tenor.
His face turned from her face for half a second before his hair whipped around, jumping back from the attack of silver streaks going through the air where his head had been a heartbeat before.
Humbert's daggers lodged themselves into a stone pillar followed closely by Humbert himself running from behind them, going at top speed against the Phantom.
The man just crossed his arms in front of himself to block the impact of the cello case as it came straight at him, but the force of the blow was still enough to send him flying backwards towards the barrels of wine. No... he hadn't been sent flying, but jumped back in order not to be crushed to death by Humbert's attack. The blonde man followed him with a powerful jump.
Okamura was woken up by the sound of heavy destruction filling the otherwise silent storehouse. He fought to open his eyes, feeling the numb pain from the back of his head, and knowing it would only worsen as he came to his senses. His eyes were adapting quickly to the darkness in the building.
-Humbert- he could hear a girl's voice shouting.
Haru peeked through the barrels where the men had disappeared behind, just in time to see him lunging again and again at the Phantom, swinging his cello case from side to side. But the Phantom just kept pacing backwards, until he found an opening to attack himself. His bestial looking arm, knotted and black-bluish furred was used to send an attack towards Humbert, who just used his case as a shield, walking backwards himself before his chance came to hit him again, his face lacking expression.
The last blow was stopped by the left arm of the monster, who just took one of the edges of the cello case, forcing a still moment between them as they seized each other. Humbert's face was an impossible mask.
-You are putting up quite a fact. But, of course I couldn't expect anything less from Haru's...- the Phantom began with his mad stare boring holes into Humbert's green eyes,–Chevalierè- his words making a crack in Humbert's mask, where regret an pain could be seen, alongside with surprise. –However!- the Phantom shouted, sending at the same time all his strength to the point of contact between them, causing Humbert to fly backwards against the barrels of wine. He stood for a moment, just gazing quietly at his fallen enemy, but the shout of a young girl shook him out of his thoughts.
-Humbert!- Haru shouted, worried about the man, while seeing their enemy directly to the eyes, the katana firmly grasped in her hands. She raised the sword once again to eye-level, ready to fight, when the man turned around to watch her. She couldn't help but wince under the weight of his hunger-filled gaze.
-Haru...- the words dripped from his mouth like saliva would from a dog's and he ran straight to her, jumping over the barrels his own body had collided against, causing the girl to retreat. While on the air, the man used his cat-like left arm to swing at her, his eyes beyond madness and his mouth open in a primal scream, showing off his long, carnivore fangs.
Haru got out of the way just in time as his fist collided against the floor, crashing the same stone it was made of. He swung around to crash his arm against her body, but she just kept herself put of reach with slightly clumsy movements, all the while gripping the handle of the sword between her hands, at chest level, waiting for her opportunity to land a blow.
One came when he, at last stopped his crazed dance, but he just danced back her blows, allowing the tip of her sword to lick just barely the fabric of his own disguise. Soon he became bored, and send a blow of his own against her. His sharp claws made a long cut in the girl's left waist. She winced in pain, but the attacks didn't relent nor she could do more to avoid them than walking back.–Dance- he ordered while slashed –Dance for me.- One more to the skirt of the dress, the cloth began to fall apart –Spin.- One to her shoulder, she felt the blood running down the wound, staining the dress –Dance.- The last blow came to the right side of her face, cutting her cheek and sending both roses, the artificial and the natural one to the floor. The first shattered beyond repair against the stone. The last fell to the side, the petals scattering everywhere in what she supposed was a bad omen.
Suddenly she wasn't a warrior anymore, but a very tired schoolgirl in the verge of death. Her eyes, although red, were scared and her whole posture expressed almost defeat. But she still forced herself to raise her sword against the monster again.
His only visible eye expressed surprise and disappointment. Effortlessly he caught both her hands and the handle of the sword as they fell on him with his monstrous left hand, seeing her once more in the middle of their battle. She was a head shorter than him and he had to tilt his head downwards to look at her eyes. They were full of fire, of anger and steel as they sent him a deadly glare, but it was none of the madness he had wanted to see there. They were not wild, not full of life. They weren't the eyes of his goddess. –Let go!- she said as she tried to pull herself out of his grasp, but he was simply too strong and he didn't need much to pull her hands downwards and get her face within grasp. Softly he got hold of her chin with a red-gloved hand and pushed himself closer, so close that if he had wanted to kiss her, he would've been able to do so without problem. From that close, his eyes seemed no more crazy, but more melancholic and alone as he gazed into her own.
-Haru- he whispered, waiting for the girl to do something, but her face was only scared and her eyes soon lost their red color to be brown again. His eyebrows knitted in anguish and he seemed as if he was close to crying. –You...- he said with a ragged voice –Haven't you waken up?- he asked, his whole expression showing despair, but before he could say or do anything else, a shot from his right side sent him flying back into the storage. He fell on his knees, but the shot wasn't the only one. Soon a barrage of bullets were sending him further back into the darkness.
Haru had enough time to recover and she turned back to see David, his gun raised at eye level, the pistol in his hands still sending a small cloud of smoke the detonation. Julia was behind him, grasping his left shoulder with her right hand, as she watched intently to the place where the monster had flown
-David-san- Haru exclaimed with relief, but the emotion was short-lived as the creature got back on his feet, his shoulders slumping in a mix between depression and anger, the same expression which was on his half-hidden face.
-Very bad, Haru- he scolded with his eyes closed –You aren't complete yet...- he continued and a bullet which had been inside of his head wiggled out from his forehead, leaving behind a small red dot which disappeared soon. –That time you were so full of anger and sadness. But now what you are- he opened his eyes, which were shining with unshed tears –You are but a girl!- the dot disappeared completely, his skin smooth once more.
The look in his eyes made Haru give a step backwards in fear, but Humbert was suddenly by her side, his monstrous right hand raised and ready for combat.
The two men began to move in a mortal dance, spinning to gain advantage of the momentum, jumping back or over to avoid blows, thrusting their natural weapons against each other to cause damage to the other.
-What's that?- Okamura asked to no one as he saw the show from behind a mountain of barrels where he had hidden. Always knowing when something was important enough to be know by the rest of the people, he proceeded to take photographs of what was happening below him, but he remembered his camera had been destroyed by the guards. Quickly looking through the bag in his shoulder, he found his father's fated camera and gave a sad smile towards it. -Can it work in this darkness?- he asked before getting ready to capture the action on film.
Humbert ran straight to his enemy, knowing Haru wasn't ready for that fight. She hadn't still taken the journey back to her painful past. The Phantom was waiting for him and moved to the left as Humbert's claw came down, to slash only the barrels that had been behind the man.
As the Phantom got near the girl, Haru raised her sword again, her eyes gaining their red glow as she tried unsuccessfully to slash trough the man and The Phantom just moved out of her reach, playing with her.
Okamura hid behind a pillar near to where the fight was developing and took a good number of shots though the lenses, awed despite himself by the mortal ballet before him, but his assistance in the show ended soon, almost falling victim of the shoots intended to kill the monster, who had retreated to the top of the barrels in order to avoid them. –Time to go- the reporter said wisely and raised from the floor where he had fallen.
Haru was in full combat mode, her eyes almost burning in the intensity of their color. She swinged her sword from left to right, hoping to catch the man by the middle, but he just jumped up, out of reach to her and used the claws in his left hand to bore holes through the stone, keeping himself "glued" to the ceiling.
-A great pose- the monster complimented while seeing the girl with her sword raised and her dress covered in her own blood. –Sadly, you haven't waken up at all- he continued, smiling all the while. –This is a party night and I'm quite sad we didn't get the chance to dance together, but there's something I must do- he said almost regretfully while his audience, his enemies, listened to his every words, motionless. –Until we found each other again- he said, raising a blue rose he had extracted from his midnight cape –I hope next time we get the chance to dance- he let go of the rose, which fell to the floor slowly, and Haru's eyes traveled with it before shooting back to where he had been, but he had already disappeared from the spot.
The rose waited at her feet, his psychotic laughter echoing in the storage room. To Haru, it looked almost as sad as she felt.
She felt light-headed. The lights, the heat from the people inside the hall and the excitement of meeting a handsome boy made her feel high. She had hoped that being outside, in the place where Haru had disappeared to, would clear her head away, but she still felt light-headed. Maybe it was her own fault, Allison would have assured her, signaling the several cups of wine on the food table, where the guest could've taken them or on the trays in the waiters' hands. But Min hadn't taken a single drop of alcohol that night.
-I wonder where Haru ran to- she mumbled to her feet, sighing and stretching her legs while sitting in the cathedral's steps.
-Wanna bite?- the lad standing up at her side asked again, more for the sake of conversation than because he really thought she would want something to eat.
-Nope- she answered, raising her hand against the plate full of food he was offering to her. Tempting as the odor was, she wasn't hungry and she was on diet.
This was the boy she had wanted to introduce to Haru, but the japanese girl had run off in such a hurry, Min didn't even had the opportunity to see where she had gone.
-Maybe she wasn't feeling well- she mumbled to her feet, trying to find reasons for her friend's actions –She did say she wasn't accustomed to events like this...- she continued, and the boy at her side sighed, sitting himself on the steps.
-Maybe she went back in trough another door- he offered, seeing he wasn't gong to go anywhere at the moment. At least she looked a bit less depresses at the thought.
-I hope that's what happened- she said, and thinking that she prepared to stand up again and rejoin the party, when the door behind her opened all the way. First a blond man came through, shouting to the cellphone in his hand.
-That's right. Hurry and pull the car around to the front of the church. We may still be able to catch up. We must follow that truck- he said, stopping Min's attempt of standing up. Behind him came a gorgeous woman in a very revealing dress. Both of them ran down the steps really in a hurry. But that wasn't the surprising fact, but the girl following them. It was Haru.
-Haru!- Min exclaimed, jumping to her feet and speeding after the girl who just had reached the end of the stairs. –Where were you? What were you doing?- she asked, concerned about her friend, but all words died on her lips as the girl turned around. Was she really Haru? The girl in front of her looked like her friend, but the color of her eyes was one she had never seen before, at least outside the realm of cartoons or Halloween disguises. She noted something she hadn't seen before too: her pupils were slit. Also, the dress she had lent the girl was torn apart and covered in an oxide-colored substance.
Min's eyes widened when she recognized it as blood.
The katana the girl had on her hands had dark stains, presumably of the same liquid.
What was happening?
-Haru...- she tried to ask, but her voice wavered in fear. Haru's eyes softened at that, seemingly in pain for her friend and the red lights in her eyes flickered for a moment, returning to the warm caramel color she was used to.
No words seemed to convey what any of the girls wanted to say to each other, but just as Min opened her lips to break the silence a limousine came to a screeching halt in front of the church and the blond man opened the door in the rear and yelled at the japanese girl.
-Haru, what are you doing?- he asked, more ordering her to enter the car than actually asking the girl about her activities, but Haru couldn't move from there. Not when it seemed like the whole world was falling to pieces around her.
-Haru- a much more gentle voice said her name as a tall man placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Min realized with a start that the man was the handsome gardener and that he had said the girl's name with an enormous amount of affection. Maybe love.
His voice roused the japanese girl, who turned around to walk straight to the car, where Julia and David already were, seated on the back. After a bit of shifting, Haru ended up sitting on the orange-haired man's legs, but instead of feeling it scandalous, Min could only think it seemed almost natural. As if they had been made for each other.
By the rear window, Min could see Haru turning her head to look at her. And their eyes never left each other as the limousine took off. Min couldn't move, her eyes glued to the ones of her friend as the car made the trajectory from the church to the gates. As they were going through the gate, Haru's gaze turned frantic and anguished. She seemed a lot like a lost child and her lips were moving, saying something Min couldn't understand. After that the gardener's hand came to her head, comforting her and Min couldn't see her anymore.
What had the girl said? I'm sorry? Goodbye? Thank you?
They were sad words. Min realized that much.
AN: Okay, a particularly long chapter after a long wait... This is the last chapter of the Lyceè arc.
I'm sorry about that, by the way, it's just college is driving me crazy, especially since it seems the teachers are all on accord to send the wrong materials.
Also I just discovered today that there's another part of Blood story out but instead of vampires, they are goblins and other kinds of demons. Argh!, really, after reading about this other piece of the multiverse, I don't want to watch it, even if she's called Saya and there's a lot of gore in it! If you are interested it's called Blood -C.
Sorry about the rant. Hope to "see" you soon.
