"Who are you?" a voice rang in the room. The girl bowed lowly, ignoring the arrogant gaze of the Sohma.

"Ne, my name is Celeste. I'm a goddess." She said slowly. "I'm here… to keep you company…

The boy grinned and knelt beside her. "Learn to bow and obey obediently, ne?"

"Yes, anything." She replied.

"Sohma Akito." He whispered. "That's my name. You can call me in any name you want, but make sure it's not insulting." He said sternly.

"Of course, master." She was shaking uncontrollably. She didn't know why, but her master has some sort of aura around him, causing her to be afraid, to be in fear until---

"Celeste, you don't have to be afraid." He laid his hands on her shoulders and rubbed it rhythmically. "As long as you obey, I won't hurt you."

She looked up at him. He was smiling at her. So charming, she thought. She smiled back at him and he let out a soft chuckle.

"I'm happy that you came." He said softly. "I never had a friend as beautiful and heavenly as you."

She gazed at him. He sounded nice and friendly. But the rumors she heard back at her homeland was different.

She was sent in a mission: to restore the bright and carefree Akito Sohma. He was said to be dangerous and cold. But she noticed something. Here she was in front of him, who was friendly and welcoming. He was so warm on her and his smile can move a thousand hearts. What's wrong with him? Why are her fellow gods and goddesses disgust him?

"Stay here" A stranger carried Akito inside the room. He sat still as he stared back at his own father. "Don't move! I'll be back for you. Stay here and I'll be back!" Then he closed the door.

"Akito-san." She called. He turned and saw the goddess staring at him, sadly. "What happened?"

Akito quickly went towards her and hugged her. "I'm scared, Celeste."

"What?"

"Those people… are after my parents." He whispered. "They are so many and most of them are Sohmas." He looked at her. "Sohmas… my own relatives… they wanted to…"

"Hush, Akito-san, it'll be over soon. Don't worry." She brushed his hair lightly and patted him on the back. "Your parents didn't do anything wrong. They're just jealous."

"How can you be so sure?!" he yelled at her. "How come you know that they will be okay?!"

"Because I'm a goddess." She smiled. "Trust me. God understands your parents. They will be blessed and this problem will be solved. As long as you trust them and God, it'll be fine."

He stared at her and was speechless. Slowly, he hugged her again. "Don't leave me, Celeste."

"Of course, master, I won't." she whispered. "Hush now, Akito-san. We'll wait patiently for them."

To her surprise, he heard him whispered. "I wish none of this happened."

She smiled at him secretly. "Your wish is my command." She thought.

"Celeste! Celeste!" Akito ran towards her. He was on his college years now . "My father won the lottery! He said we'll move to a much brighter place! We're finally going to migrate to Japan!"

The goddess smiled weakly at him. "I see. That's why you are so happy."

"Yes, thank you so much!" he knelt beside her. "Ever since my first wish granted, and the other Sohmas suddenly became friendly at us, I knew that we could have a better life."

He hugged her tightly. "Celeste, I couldn't be this happy if you weren't here with me."

"I just granted your wish." She chuckled. "It's not a bother."

"But you've done so much for us." He looked at her. "I don't know if this is enough but---" he leaned forward and kissed her hungrily.

She responded to his kiss, until he broke it. "Is it your first time to kiss a mortal?"

"Yes." She laughed and blushed in front of him.

"Stay with me."

"Ne?"

He gazed at her. "Please stay with me. I'll show you a new world beyond this house. Let me guide you. Please stay."

She smiled. "I'm here to keep you company, master." She replied. "I would never leave you, unless it's really important."

"Yes."

"But I can't stay with you forever."

"I understand." He nodded. "You still need to go back to your homeland, right?"

"Yes, master." She replied.

"Celeste," he cupped her face. "We've been friends fro so many years. Why do you need to call me that?"

"But, you said that---"

"Ne, that was a long time ago. I was cold and my heart was closed but," he smiled at her. "You opened and moved it, Celeste, that's why I'm happy that you came in my life."

"Thank you---"

"Please call me in my name." He whispered.

"Hai, Akito-san." She whispered back. "Thank you."

"DO you love me, Celeste?" he asked suddenly. "Will you learn to love me?"

"Hai, I love you, Akito-san," Tears fell from her eyes as she smiled. "And you taught me to love you but…"

"But what?"

"Ano… would you promise me… after all this… after you obtain your normal life that you wanted…" she whispered slowly. "Would you promise me to give me my freedom?"

He stared at her for a while and smiled. "Hai, since you've done so much, I'll give you your freedom but you're still free to live with me… to come back to me."

"Hai! I promise I'll return once I get back from my homeland, Akito-san!"

It was so perfect. And they loved each other, despite that she was forbidden to, until---

"Akito-san," a doctor whispered. "Your mother…is dying."

"No!" he yelled. "She can't die! She's strong!"

"I know but she had an incurable disease and… I had nothing to do. Gomenasai, Akito-san." Then he left.

"A-Akito…" a whisper was heard. Akito went towards his mother, who was laid down on the futon.

"Mother…"

"Akito, listen to me." She whispered. "It may be hard for you… but take Celeste and go back to our home. Go on---"

"But those Sohmas will pick on me again!" he said. "I don't have friends there. Here, I have good education, good neighbors, and friends and I have a great home! We can stay here! We don't have to go back to that miserable life, mother!"

"Once I die, Akito, you're father planned to marry another girl and they will fly towards Paris, leaving you behind."

"Why?" Akito asked angrily. "Doesn't he love me???"

"The Sohmas are after us because… because of you." The lady replied. "They believed that you were cursed and they will bring bad luck to the clan. But I never believed them. You are just different, Akito."

"Mother."

"Don't be fooled by their words. You're just special, plainly different from others. You stand independently and can live despite of the hardships they gave you." She smiled weakly. "Promise me Akito, if you will stay here. Promise me that you'll go on. Don't turn back and look at them. Just go on."

"Yes mother."

"Promise me."

"I promise, mother."

Akito sat on the floor one day. He was thinking so deeply for the past few days. He at first can't promise his mother that he should move on. He was seeking for something. Revenge?

He grinned. "Revenge, it is." He whispered evily.

"Akito-san!" Celeste called. He looked at and saw her wearing a ring of flowers on her hair and was carrying a bouquet. "Do I look beautiful?" she asked happily.

He gazed at her. Somehow, his spirit rose and he felt a happy feeling when he looked at her. He stood up and went towards her. "You're not beautiful"

"Eh?" she asked confusedly.

He cupped her faced and smiled. "You're magnificent." Then he leaned forward and kissed her passionately. She dropped the flowers and kissed him back fully.

He broke the kiss and stared at her. "Gomenasai, Celeste."

"What?"

"I have to do this."

"Please don't!" she hugged him tightly. "Your mother told you… and you promised…."

"Hush, Celeste." He said sternly. "Please understand. I have to do this."

"I can't…. I can't stop you." She kneeled weakly in front of him. "But nothing will happen when you revenge. It won't bring back your mother's life. It won't call your dad from Paris to come home."

"But still this is the only way to satisfy me." He said. "Please stay here… while I meet my enemies in person."

"Akito-san!" she reached out to grab his hand. He looked at her and smiled.

"Once this is over… everything will back the way it was. I promise, Celeste. I'll be back." Then he left her.

"Akito-san, I'm a goddess." She whispered. "I know what will happen next. The cogs of fate have turned already and even I… even I can't stop you…"

Days later, Akito appeared on the front door of his house. He was back… but he was weak. Blood covered his body and he struggled inside, until his eyes caught a glance of his love one.

"AKITO-SAN!" Celeste approached him hastily. "Daijobu?!"

"Celeste…" he whispered as he collapsed on her arms. "I…I'm done…"

"Don't speak." She hugged him. "It's over now. You'll be fine…"

"I killed them all, Celeste." His eyes searched for a reaction on her face. "I showed them no mercy. They pleaded but I ignored. They're all dead, Celeste."

"Akito…"

"We'll be fine, as I promised." He smiled. "We'll be able to start a new life from here."

"Akito-san…" she hugged him even tighter. This is not what I'm hoping for, she thought, Akito-san, you just don' t know what you've become.

"Make me immortal."

"WHAT?!" she moved away from him.

"Celeste, please grant my wish." He asked. "Make me more powerful than anybody else. This way, I'll lead the Sohma clan and they will all bow down to me."

"Akito-san…" she whispered. Her lips were trembling and her body was shaking. The aura hits her again. "I…"

He grinned at her. "Don't you love me, Celeste?"

"Of course I do… it's just that…" she looked away. "Being an immortal being… can take you somewhere far more than evil."

"Then that means you ARE evil"

"No! What I meant is---"

"Celeste." He whispered huskily. "I need power. Please grant me that."

"I don't know…"

"How can I protect somebody if I'm weak?!" he yelled.

"You're not weak!" she replied. "You just think you are weak."

"It doesn't make sense." He stood up. "Are you telling me that you won't grant my wish? Even if I'm your master?"

She sat still, ignoring his gaze. They started again from the beginning but this isn't the way it should be. "I… I will grant your wish, master."

"Very well." He grinned evilly. "Make me immortal."

"…as you wish…" she raised her hands and great light from the heavens shone and…

Years later, Sohma Akito became the clan head of the Sohmas. Despite that he wanted to lead his fellow relatives in the right way, what he does was wrong.

And he himself was filled with greed, as he had a goddess with her, whom became his slave.

"Akito-san---"

"Don't move."

He tossed away her clothes and laid her on the futon. She was shivering as the cold wind rushed inside the room. He sat up and undressed himself.

"Please---"

"Be quiet."

She obediently nodded as he pushed aside his clothes cuddled beside her. She stared at him in the eye. He looked handsome on the outside but---

"Don't do anything that will disappoint me, Celeste." He warned. "I want this night to be special. I want to make sure that it will go as smoothly as possible, understand."

"I don't know---"

"I'm your master and you should do what I have to say." He said sternly.

"But I'm not really allowed to---"

"Then let heaven curse us both." He kissed her roughly on the lips. She tried to push him away but, even though she was a goddess, he was too strong for her.

And so… she had nothing to do but to follow his order…

"I made my decision." He stood in front of her the next day. "I won't let you go now, Celeste."

"What… You mean…"

"Yes," he knelt beside her. "I won't give you your freedom."

She looked at him sadly. Soon after, tears fell from her eyes. "But---"

"Celeste," he hugged her persuasively. "I can't let you go now. I love you."

"But… if you love somebody, you have to let them go, right?"

He laughed. "I don't believe such saying."

"Akito-san."

"I'll make sure you'll live here with me forever, Celeste. I won't let you go."

"But…"

"Please understand." He looked at her sternly. "I want you to be with me, so that I won't die. As long as you're here, I'll be powerful, more powerful than the gods and goddesses you talked about when I was a child."

"But, I need to go back to my homeland…" she cried. "You can't keep me here forever!"

"Oh yes I can." He hugged her even tighter. "I would give you anything to make you stay. Love, money… anything, just tell me."

"Akito-san…"

"I won't let anyone touch you. I won't let anyone get near you or see you. I want you to be with me. As long as you stay near me, I won't deny your request… except freedom…." He whispered huskily. "Anything but freedom, Celeste. Please stay."

"Demo…"

"Shh…" he whispered as he lowered his head to kiss her. She didn't kiss him back. She was so unhappy and her body was so weak against him.

All that she wanted at first was to be with him. And there is she is. He loved her and she loved him.

Now she wanted her freedom… but he won't let her go anymore.

He moved her heart once… but his heart remained the same.

It still remained as cold as ice.

And he's eyes moved the people's hearts to darkness.

"You hear me, Celeste?"

"Yes, I do…"

"Also I want you to grant me a wish. Don't deny it no matter what."

She looked helplessly at him and nodded weakly. "Anything, master."

He chuckled once he heard that. "I want to curse the Sohma clan."

"What?"

"There need a punishment." He grinned. "I want… a Jyunishi curse. A curse that would make them avoid the other people, so that they will remain in darkness like I do."

"…"

"They must not be loved or love outsiders… especially women. Once they get hugged, they'll transform…" he laughed evily. "It's perfect!" he looked at her. "Grant me that wish, Celeste :To curse the Sohma clan with Jyunishi animals!"

"… as you wish then…" she whispered as she bowed lowly against her master.

*************

Wow that's the end of the chapter. I know, there's a little Akito-Tohru moment there. But that was the past, ne?

This will be a two-part flashback. Maybe on the second part, there will be a Hatoru moment. LOL~!

Note: This was the "next day" I was talking about. Tohru was already telling Yuki the life of Akito here. Okay? See you in the next chappie!!!