The World is a Vampire

The Last Chapter

Written by

Goshikku Seirei

Dedicated to Everyone

-who read up to this chapter.

-who has supported this series for all these years.

-to those who just WISH for that last chapter to happen. :)

The day of reckoning has finally come.

Postponing it feels unnecessary.

Persona stares at the sky, seeing no particular vision, no bigger picture, just a vast haven of blue that hung over the Academy. However, even this perfection is only but a charade, and he should know that. Almost every single little thing is manipulated in the Academy it was sickening, and if the students found out what they were really here for, what this place was about –they would probably go, well, insane (or hormonal, like Pigtails). Take note, though, Persona was not thinking of this, it was a rather permanent thought in his head about the Academy in general.

It is one of the days that he is resting, taking a break from orders, and the Black Cat is probably doing his job. Usually, these boring days are very much entertained, but now, all that he could think about is NOW. NOW. NOW. He has to do it NOW. Not tomorrow, not next week or the next semester. NOW.

Persona decides that he will miss this tree. This tree in which he had stalked many other children, had scared them without reason just because, this tree that had survived the storm that was his anger and those from natural and unnatural causes… This tree from which he had first spotted her the first time she had made an embarrassing spectacle of herself, then proving to everyone that she was not without Alice…

But now is now, and it is about time. For a new adventure, for freedom.

"Goodbye, Tree," Persona mutters, and turns his gaze from the peaceful sky, and shifts it towards the lively Academy. "Shit must hit the fan."

No one is suspecting, and that is always the best part.

Ruka always knows she's around. Hotaru was his to Natsume's Mikan. There was something in the air, the way it changes, fills up with this thick energy that he knows is solely hers –and it is not body odor. He spots her reading quietly in the library this particular afternoon and he just stares at her, loving the serious look in her violet eyes, moving left and right, always eager to learn something new. He wonders when her time will come, as to when will she realize that this big place is a joke.

The Academy is like that, a comforting place where people with Alices have all the freedom in the world –it is actually a big cell for them to mingle and copulate, to be observed, and for what reason? Ruka, for his own good, decides not to know. He has spent all his time with the animals, mirroring his own suffering in this containment, this place they were supposed to call home. Though he plays this easy-going character, he knows that time is of the essence, and he should tell her that it is only but a dream, there is a real world out there –but she looks so beautiful like that, lost in what she considers knowledge is power.

Ruka will play along, for a while, but he cannot help but feel the urgency of leaving, to just go, because he is afraid he might miss her too much. She will not understand, despite her intelligence, and that is the part that will hurt, what will kill him, which will hasten his plans of escape. Or maybe, he underestimates her too much.

As long as you don't tell, you won't show. Only Hotaru knows, and yet, Mikan feels like "PREGNANT" is stamped on her forehead. She turns sideways in front of the mirror, lifting her dress, and there she sees it. It's there. The baby's there. She feels lightheaded and wants to cry and sleep at the same time, but she settles for neither. She pulls down her dress and smiles at her reflection. "No regrets, Sakura," she tells herself. "No regrets."

Later that night, Persona steals her away for good. She gasps, but she isn't really surprised. She leaves without a note, and somehow, she knows Hotaru will understand. The burden will be for a while, she thinks, the burden of explanation, but little by little, Mikan finds it hard to care anymore, especially when she's got everything she needs. Persona gives her a smirk, and she has never felt more relieved or loved in her entire life. No regrets.

No one really heard anything, no one suspected anything, and that was the best part.

Except it was the worst for the Black Cat, who had chosen to spy on her these past few days. It had killed him inside and out, to know that Mikan was with child, even more so when he watched their soft caresses, their unusual behavior, and he just wanted to kill Persona. There was even a point when he wanted to kill them together. After realizing that he had come to such thoughts, he knew then that it was inevitable. He was to be the next Persona in the Academy, the next shadow that hung over everyone who innocently play. Hopefully, he would be the last. Persona had trained him in his own twisted way, and Natsume loathed him for it.

He will erase Mikan from his memory, but then again she was never his, only the memory of her, their firsts and her smiles. He was hers to steal, but he was too late, it seems. Never mind, he'll tell himself over and over again for the days to come. He, too, has to become as strong or better yet, surpass Persona's strength, and leave the Academy as well. He has seen the looks in Ruka's eyes –he was not alone in this. His days will be filled with more violet than amber, and he will constantly wonder what should happen if he and Ruka would learn to share…

Narumi feels something in his gut, probably a sick bug, a virus of some sort. He looks at the sky, sees it bluer than ever and thanks the heavens that everything is all and well… for now. Something will happen though, a voice resounds in his head, and as he puts down his cup of tea, for a moment he accepts one fact that he will never repeat in thought for as long as he lives: he is crazy, he is the Mad-Hatter.

"Narumi-sensei!" the children call to him.

He is what will draw them together, keep them together, and he will make sure that things are imbalanced, because that is the trick, that this wonderland is a cover, a trap, and he is torn in between worlds, because he knows the truth and yet, he fails to remember why he cares anymore. There are times when he confuses himself as well.

But the rabbit-hole is deep, he tells himself, waving his hands to the children, roses abloom. Too deep.

"Would you care for some tea?"

AN: Merry Christmas!

And yes, that is the last chapter. I think we have treaded long enough with this fic, and my apologies for having taken this long to update. Wishing you all the blessings and happiness in the world. I really had fun writing this fic, and you know who you are when I say that YOU have been part of this long journey, and if it weren't for YOU, this wouldn't have happened.

Love you guys.

xo

Goshi :)