Note: this is an AU fanfic.
As I've said in my other fanfics, I'm currently looking for a beta-reader, so if there is any kind soul out there that would be willingly to help me I would be very grateful! You can just leave a comment below!
Any comments are highly appreciated! (They are my fuels for my writing!(*´꒳`*))
It was clear to Akihito that the man wasn't human.
The pair of golden eyes above him shone bewitchingly in the shadow.
The moon aroused from its slumber, rising up from behind the dark blanket of clouds.
The man smiled.
The pair of ivory white fangs glistened in the pale wintry moonlight.
Slowly, he approached Akihito.
Somewhere deep in the forest, a wolf howled.
Thud
Something hard slammed against his left side, and Akihito woke with a start.
Brain still foggy from sleep, it took him a minute to realize he was currently on the floor, tangled up in the blanket. It seemed that he had rolled off the edge of the narrow bed again while asleep.
The sun was already up, and the sound of a faint laughter floating up from below.
Untangling himself, Akihito yawned, the remnants of the dreams dispelled into the morning air.
Rubbing his shoulder, he got up and started to walk towards the window, with a metallic chinking noise following him. Yet after a few steps, he abruptly jerked to a stop. Glancing irritatingly at his feet, he saw the chains around his ankle had twisted together. He clicked his tongue in irritation. At least today would be the last day he would be bound to these chains. Yanking the knot free, he took the last few strides and arrived at the thin slits that served as a window in the high tower. From there, he could just get a glimpse of the village below.
The small houses with smoke rising steadily out of the chimneys; the women bustling around with washings in their arms; the children laughing and running on the lush green grass; the cows grazing at the meadow, flickering their tails every so often; the men readying their weapons to set off to hunt.
It was such a quotidian scene, yet Akihito hadn't experienced it for a long time.
The sound of a lock being unbolted brought Akihito back from his thoughts, and the thick wooden door opened with a deep groan.
Several people came in, carrying a washtub, pitches of water, and plates full of food.
"Takaba-sama." They all bowed reverently towards him.
He simply nodded in response.
After finished washing and getting dressed, they laid his breakfast on the table and all departed. Akihito stared at the food with no appetite, before turning towards the mirror and gazed at his reflection, his fingers gently touching the cool surface of the mirror.
A young man with blond hair stared back at him, with a hint of apprehension in the brown eyes. His skin was pale, and the pure white cloth only complemented his porcelain skin. His eyes travelled downwards, until he saw the 'mark' on his chest.
The 'mark' that sealed his fate.
Across the forest where the village was situated, there was an antediluvian castle located on a cliff overlooking the forest. Inside the cold stone walls, there resided a vampire.
In exchange for the rest of the villagers' lives, the vampire would select a sacrifice. The vampire's mark would appear somewhere on their body. Once the child reached the age of eighteen, they would be sent to the castle, and never be seen again
A few centuries ago, the vampire who lived there required a sacrifice every year, nearly wiping the village out. Near to their wits' end, the village leaders met in collusion to discuss about fleeing from the anathema when a miracle happened.
A new vampire came and took over the territory. During the few centuries he had been there, he never requested a single sacrifice.
Peace finally settled over the village.
Time flowed on like a river, carrying the dreadful memories of the old vampire with them. Overtime, the villagers gradually forgot that a vampire even existed.
Until the day the mark appeared on Akihito.
The donkey drawn cart shook, shaking Akihito with it. The forest floor was abundant with pieces of rocks and twigs, and every time the rickety wheels went over an uneven surface, the cart would jolt, and Akihito would land heavily against the wooden seat. His backside had long began to ache.
Even though he had long been prepared for his fate, the trepidation in his heart could not be smothered.
He doesn't know anything about the vampire, except the village leaders called him "Asami."
He tilted his head towards the heavens. A endless black sky spread out before his eyes.
Not a sliver of moon or stars were visible tonight.
What if he suddenly jumped out of the cart and ran as far away as he possibly could?
But where could he run to?
And he hasn't ran in a long time. How far could he go before the driver catches him?
With a screech, the cart came to an sharp standstill.
While he was deep in his brooding, he didn't notice a tall man appearing in front of their cart, carrying a lantern that effused an eerie green light. The shadows danced across his face, obscuring his features. The only thing Akihito could tell was that the man wore a pair of glasses. Behind him was an extravagantly ornamented carriage pulled by six black horses.
A cold and clipped voice rang out in the forest. "Akihito Takaba. I will escort you to the castle from here."
Wordlessly, Akihito got off the cart, his luggage in hand.
"Wait!"
A hand grabbed his wrist.
The young man who drove the carriage was staring at him, with a hint of horror and concern on his face.
"Akihito, I-"
The donkey brayed loudly, drowning out the man's words. The sudden noise made the man jump, before he shook his head, as if coming back to his senses.
He smiled shakily. "I'll see you again sometime, right?"
It was something that was likely never come to pass, and they both knew that, but nevertheless Akihito nodded his head, and disappeared into the black carriage.
The soft velvet seats were a stark contrast to the hard seat of the cart he was just on.
The carriage glided smoothly along the uneven paths, never emitting a sound.
Even though the lantern was hung inside the carriage, the task of driving without any light did not deter the bespectacled tall man, and he drove the carriage forward without any hesitation towards Akihito's doom...
"We are here."
Akihito sat up with a start. Somehow he had managed to fall asleep. The tall man was holding the door opening for him. He hurriedly alighted the carriage.
An enormous Stygian castle towered before him. An aura of darkness seemed to hung in the very air of the castle grounds. Akihito swallowed noisily, fear began to slowly coil upwards from the bottom of his stomach.
The tall man seemed oblivious to his plight. He marched forward towards the giant iron door with Akihito's luggage in tow, and as he reaches the door, it swung open noiselessly all on its own, like a giant mouth of a monster's cave. Steering his nerves, Akihito entered. No sooner did he step inside the threshold the door swung shut tightly behind him, locking him in. Akihito gulped, his skin prickling with panic. Breathing deeply, he took in his surroundings to calm his nerves down.
The inside was no brighter than the outside.
Everywhere was lit with candles that flickered weakly, as if a single breath could extinguish it.
Akihito trudged behind the man as they went up through flights of stairs and passed down lengthy corridors. Since everywhere was dark, Akihito couldn't take notice of any of his surroundings, except that he knew the castle was huge. And escape was futile.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally stopped in front of a room, and the man with glasses opened the door.
It led to the inside of a capacious room. Surprisingly, it was brighter than the rest of the interior of the building. The tall man set down the luggage beside the desk.
"This will be your room from now on. The bathroom is in that door over there. If you require any amenities, please do not hesitate to let me know." He bowed. When Akihito blinked his eyes in the next second, he was gone.
Left alone, Akihito wandered around, gazing in awe at the high quality furnitures, his feet sinking in the thick carpet. He gently touched the soft duvet of the giant four poster bed. It sank like soft clouds under his fingertips. Fatigue suddenly washed over him. It seemed like they intend for him to stay alive until tomorrow morning. Akihito headed towards the bathroom. It was bigger than his entire room in the tower. It had marbled floors, along with a proper washtub and taps. He turned them on, watching the water cascade unceasingly into the tub.
Feeling slightly rejuvenated after a long soak, he began to inspect the room. That's when he noticed with elation that one of the walls seemed to be covered with a thick curtain. Excitement surged through his veins, yet before his fingers could brush against the curtains, all of a sudden he felt weightless. Then in the next second, his back thumped against the soft bed. With someone leaning over him.
The man's beauty was inhuman. To say he was beautiful would be an understatement. It was as if a painting of a deity had become alive and stepped out of the canvas into the mundane world.
Though it was the man's pair of eyes that Akihito couldn't stare away from. They were an alluring gold color. From some reason it revoked a slight sense of familiarity within him...
The man smiled, displaying a pair of sharp white fangs. It was only then that Akihito realized both his wrists were pinned onto the bed above his head by a icily cold hand.
"Wha-Let go!"
"Akihito."
The compelling voice was a rich baritone, with a hint of sultriness. Just the single word made Akihito feel his resistance gradually ebbing away, and a haze slowly enveloped his mind.
Then, suddenly, he felt a chill enveloping his body. His shirt had been half opened, revealing his chest.
The vampire traced the mark with a cold finger. Akihito shivered. This reaction seemed to please the other man, and a hint of smile flashed across the face. Then, the vampire leaned down towards his neck.
A tongue ran down his throat, before being replaced by a pair of sharp teeth that grazed against his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable...
...
He opened his eyes.
The pair of golden eyes were staring at him in amusement.
"Scared, Akihito?"
The mist clouding Akihito's mind instantly vanished as anger replaced it. He opened his mouth, but before a single word could be uttered, Asami descended upon him, his mouth upon Akihito's.
The pair of lips were ice cold against Akihito's warms ones.
Without realizing what he was doing, he slammed his foot against the man's stomach.
Or what should have been the man's stomach.
It felt like he just kicked a giant boulder. Pain exploded in Akihito's foot.
"Ow!"
The vampire froze, eyes wide with surprise, before he sat back and laughed, as if something truly amusing had happened.
Akihito sat up and glared at him, his breathing still uneven from the kiss, and pulled his clothes tightly around his body.
The vampire's eyes were twinkling as he regarded Akihito.
"You-what was that?!"
"A kiss." The vampire replied nonchalantly, greatly enjoying the boy's expression.
"A ki-?!"
Heat colored Akihito's cheeks as he thought what had just transpired, and he adverted his eyes, lips in a tight line.
Asami reached his hand out, and Akihito's body went rigid, but the vampire only lifted his foot. His cold hands felt soothing against Akihito's burning foot.
The elegant long fingers gently probed it. "Does it hurt?"
"...No..."
The vampire smiled again, and placed his foot back down.
"It's not broken. But this is the first time I've been kicked," he mused, yet he eyes glittered with mirth.
"Serves you right," Akihito mumbled angrily, retracting his foot, curling protectively into a ball.
"Ahem."
Someone coughed politely.
The man in glasses stood there at the doorway. A thick wad of documents in his hand. Akihito felt goosebumps rising up his arms. He never heard that man arrive. Wait, how much did he see?!
Expressionless, the man in glasses spoke in a voice that betrayed nothing. "Asami-sama, these still awaits you."
"I'm busy." Asami tone was cool, but that didn't deter the other man.
"Takaba-sama must surely be tired from his long journey. It's best if he rest for the rest of the night."
Asami glanced at the boy, still glaring defiantly at him. With a ghost of a smile, he stood up swiftly and was at the door in an instant.
"Sleep well, Akihito."
Then, without a sound, both men were gone, the door closed firmly behind them, leaving Akihito with nothing but the heat still burning on his lips and neck.
Angrily, Akihito hurled a pillow towards the door. It landed with a a soft thump. He threw himself under the duvet, mortified.
What the hell was that about?
The vampire's actions were abstruse, and the more Akihito thought about what had happened, the more baffled he became.
After turning and tossing for hours, he finally fell into an uneasy sleep, confusion still swirling in his mind.
A hand softly touched the blond locks, brushing the stray hairs away from the sleeping face.
"You are finally here, Akihito."