Yuuri Katsuki was over the moon. After years of planning, filling out applications, countless fees and bureaucracy, he'd finally made it to St. Petersburg. He'd managed to get accepted at the prestigious St. Petersburg State University's department of Architecture and Civil Engineering as an exchange student. He'd already completed two years of the program at Kyushu University back in Japan and was very much looking forward to the next three years studying and working in the foreign land.
Earlier in the day, a student services representative had picked him up from the airport and driven him to the campus. Even though he was utterly exhausted from his 15-hour flight, he forced himself to stay awake during the car ride. His eyes greedily took in as much as they could from the moving vehicle, and he snapped some quick photos with his phone whenever they were stopped at a traffic light. He was absolutely brimming with excitement and delighted by the prospect of all the amazing architecture there just waiting for him. His area of interest was historical restoration and he had lined up a paid internship with a local architects office that specialized in exactly that. All in all, Yuuri was about to live the dream of a lifetime.
Sometime later, they finally arrived on campus and the bubbly redhead driver parked in the dorm parking lot and popped the trunk. She assisted him with his luggage and the two of them went into building C and took the elevator to the eighth floor.
"Your roommate is called Phichit and he's from Thailand. He's super friendly and an all-around really nice guy."
Yuuri was immediately relieved. He had been stressing out a bit over who he was going to end up rooming with. While studying at Kyushu University he'd had the same Japanese roommate for both years. They hadn't been very social or overly friendly with one another, they had simply co-existed peacefully in the same space. He had friends who hadn't been so lucky and had ended up with either slobs or completely inconsiderate roommates. He was really looking forward to living in Russia, and didn't want things to start off on the wrong foot with a lousy roommate. The young lady reached into her jacket pocket, took out a business card and handed it to him.
"This is the student services office contact information. If you have any questions, concerns or any problems with the property, please call this number. It's a 24-hour hotline, so someone will always be available to answer your call. The dormitory rules are printed out and posted in your room. Please make sure you follow them. Violations are treated very seriously."
Yuuri listened carefully as the Russian woman spoke. He'd studied English back in Japan and felt sufficiently proficient at it, but her thick Russian accent was making it bit difficult for his sleep-addled brain to process. He simply nodded at all the right times and would deal with it all later when he could actually think. If he had any questions, he'd just ask his new roommate later.
"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Mila."
She smiled winningly at him and then proceeded to knock on the door. Not even a second later, the door flew open and a very excitable and darker-skinned young man now stood in the doorway.
"Hi! My name's Phichit! Your name is Yuuri, right? I'm from Thailand, and you're from Japan. We're both from Asia, what a coincidence! Do you like hamsters? I hope you like hamsters. I have hamsters and they are my precious furbabies. If you don't like hamsters, I don't think I'll be able to respect you in the morning. What's your…"
The young Russian woman held up her hand as she fought to suppress a fit of giggles.
"Phichit, slow down! Yuuri flew in not even an hour ago and is probably falling asleep on his feet. How about you actually let him into the apartment first?"
The one called Phichit looked a bit sheepish as he took in the tired visage and dark under-eye circles of the Japanese man standing in front of him.
"Ah! I'm so sorry! Yes, of course…please come in!"
"Take care, Yuuri, and get some rest. Phichit, show Yuuri the ropes, OK?"
"Yes Mila, I will!"
Phichit helped Yuuri bring his luggage into the apartment and then gave him a quick tour of the place. Yuuri took in the small room he'd be calling home for the next three years and was very pleased. There was a desk and comfortable-looking chair by the window and a twin mattress bed in the corner. He pushed aside the navy blue drapes and saw that his window had a decent view of the communal dorm park. He opened the closet and was quite satisfied with the available space. This room was a veritable mansion compared to the little sardine can he lived in back in Japan.
"I put some fresh sheets on the bed just this morning, Yuuri. I figured you'd be really tired and not want to be rummaging through your luggage to find your bedsheets. You can just wash them and return to me when you're ready to switch them out."
Yuuri was touched. That was a really considerate and thoughtful act from a person who hadn't even met him at the time he'd done it.
"Thank you, you have no idea how much of a nice gesture that really is. I'm totally dead on my feet right now."
"Why don't you go take a shower, Yuuri? Are you hungry? I can make you a sandwich."
Yuuri opened his mouth to answer and his stomach beat him to the punch. Phichit laughed as he heard the rather emphatic answer.
"You're hungry, gotcha. Are you a vegetarian or have any other fancy dietary needs?"
Yuuri shook his head.
"No, anything is fine really."
"Great! Now shoo. Go take a shower. I'm sure you're a nice guy and all, but you kinda stink."
Yuuri sniffed at himself and wrinkled his nose. His face colored with embarrassment and he mumbled a few rapid-fire apologies before scurrying off to his new room to dig for his toiletries.
One amazing hot shower later, a freshly cleaned Yuuri stepped out into the kitchen to a piping hot grilled cheese sandwich and some strange looking chunky soup in a bowl with a dollop of cream in the middle. Yuuri eyed it quizzically. He'd though the soup was made of tomatoes at first, but upon closer inspection, he realized that they weren't tomatoes at all.
"What's…that?"
"I thought I'd give you a taste of Russia on your first day. That's borscht and it's deliciously hearty beet soup. It's got cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes and pork."
Yuuri sniffed at the soup taking in its delectable aroma. His stomach growled again, seemingly upset that it still hadn't been placated by all the food before it.
"Wow, it smells and looks amazing! Did you make you this?"
"Pffffffttt! Me? Cook?!"
Phichit wrapped both arms around his mid-section and doubled over with laughter. Once he'd finally recovered, he straightened back up and wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Sorry, what I meant to say was no…I didn't make it. I always buy my borscht from this stony-faced Babushka at the street market not far from here."
"Babushka? Is that the name of the store?"
"Oh, sorry about that! I forgot that you're not familiar with the common words yet. A Babushka is a Russian granny. I always buy from her. She doesn't speak a lick of English but her borscht game is tight."
Yuuri scooped up a mouthful of soup in the spoon, making sure to get a little bit of everything. When he put it in his mouth, there was an explosion of flavor. He chewed carefully, trying to discern the different spices and seasonings.
"Wow, it's amazing! What's the cream stuff? Is it yogurt?"
"It's sour cream. In Russia, they LIVE for the stuff. It's called 'smetana', and you will see it everywhere. I suggest you familiarize yourself with the word right away. Dip the sandwich in the soup, they taste absolutely incredible together."
Yuuri did as Phichit suggested and was blown away by how good the combination of flavors was.
"Oh my God, this is the most amazing thing I've tasted in ages! I'msolooking forward to trying all sorts of Russian dishes!"
"Well, you're in luck, my friend. I absolutely live off take-out and delivery, so I knowallthe best places for food. I'll take you on a food tour as soon as you're not so jetlagged and nearly falling asleep in your bowl of soup."
Yuuri laughed weakly as his exhaustion and hunger duked it out inside him. As tired as he was, he persevered and still managed to finish the meal, just barely. Pichit helped him get up from the chair and gently pushed him toward his room. He pulled the sheets back and helped Yuuri get into bed.
"Are you always this useless after you travel?"
Yuuri's eyes felt as if he had an elephant sitting on each one, but he managed to keep them open for split-second longer to answer him.
"Yes."
"Good to know!"
Then Yuuri passed out.
Yuuri's first month in Russia flew by at breakneck speed. He was feeling rather glad that he'd decided to move to Russia a solid month before the semester started. It gave him extra time to get used to everything and become familiarized with his new surroundings. Phichit turned out to be a better roommate than he could have ever hoped for. The two of them got along wonderfully and were bona fide BFFs before the first week was over. Thanks to Phichit, Yuuri had gotten to know every single food stall, establishment, nook and cranny in their neighborhood. He had cooking skills and enjoyed cooking for himself from time to time, but was having too much trying everything Mother Russia had to offer.
The two of them had gotten all their books and materials in order for the upcoming semester and had even attended orientation. Phichit was in the Biological Sciences program and dreamed of graduating into a job in animal husbandry. More specifically, a job involving small and adorable rodents. Phichit's hamster brood had taken to Yuuri like a second parent, and the young Thai man had been absolutely delighted. The previous roommate hadn't shown much interest in them and it had apparently pained him greatly. Phichit thought the world of his little fluffy rodents and truly appreciated that Yuuri was humoring him.
Yuuri had gone absolutely full hog on his photography and filled an entire 512 GB memory card in a ridiculously short period of time. He was taking so many pictures in rapid succession that he honestly felt as if he was suffering from whiplash. There were just so many beautiful and historic buildings in town that there didn't seem to be enough hours in a day to capture them all. Even after the semester started and he began to get swamped with assignments and tests, he always managed to find the time to squeeze in some serious sessions.
One Saturday ridiculously early morning in late fall, he stuffed a backpack full with his photography equipment, meals, water and snacks. He'd planned a day hike to Lake Shchuch'ye in the Komarovo area and couldn't wait to get going. When he'd been searching for a new place to explore, he'd scoured the net for information and recommendations. That's how he'd come across that particular area. He had also found a lot of rumors about a secret hidden mansion in the area of thick forest surrounding the lake. The whole story was filled with mystery and inexplicable occurrences. The house had apparently been first spotted by a young couple that had wandered off the trail and gotten lost. They'd both eventually managed to get back into town and tell their family members about what they'd seen before dying mysteriously, hours apart, of idiopathic anemia the next day. That had really sold it for him.
Yuuri was a total sucker for a good supernatural mystery, and there were often quite a lot of them in the field of architectural restoration. Unsurprisingly, many of the old castles, manors, churches and mansions came with ghosts or haunting apparitions of sorts. He hungrily devoured any such accounts as soon as he was able to get his hands on them. So, the possibility of running into an abandoned piece of ancient architecture, lost to time in a Russian forest, had been just too much for him to resist. So he'd given into the temptation and had decided to go for it. He'd asked Phichit to go with him, but the young Thai man didn't seem very interested in outdoorsy type activities and had politely turned him down. He grabbed his gear and headed out to the dorm parking lot, coming to a stop just before his beat-up, second-hand pride and joy.
He'd managed to buy the motorbike off another student who was on his way out of the country. The student had been a bit pressed for time and desperate to get rid of the bike, so he'd gotten a pretty good deal on it. He'd immediately taken it to get maintenance checked at a reputable shop and had been relieved to be told that it was in tip-top condition. Yuuri liked having the freedom to go anywhere he wanted, whenever he wanted, and so a motorbike had been the perfect solution in a country where he didn't really know the language. Public transportation and trying to get directions would be a bit of a nightmare. As long as he had a bike, he could use his GPS and international license to do the rest.
Less than an hour on the 3CД highway later, Yuuri was parking his bike at the base of the hiking trail. He locked up both tires and his helmet, and double checked everything before setting off. He'd loved nature since a child and had always been an active hiker. He'd summited Mt. Fuji the summer after he graduated from high school and was looking forward to experiencing the various trails and peaks in Russia. He hiked for hours, taking the time to stop and take lots of pictures along the way. It was really a very scenic area and Yuuri was rather enjoying all the fresh air around him. He made it to the lake around noon and picked a nice spot on one of the surrounding hills to have his lunch. The lake was quite large and he was feeling compelled to hike the full circumference. He had originally planned on keeping his excursion at a day hike, but had brought his one-man tent and sleeping bag just in case. So he wasn't in a rush to leave or anything. He'd learned from previous experiences that it was better to be prepared than to caught unawares.
He managed to hike half of the total circumference of the lake before sunset, making it all the way to the western lobe. The lake was shaped like one of those fidget spinners that were all the rage a few years back, with one long lobe that pointed toward the west and two shorter and wider lobes that branched out toward the north and south. After taking another break to take more pictures and drink some water, he decided to push on and try to get some more ground covered before calling it a day and trying to find a place to make camp. As he started walking again, this really strange tingly feeling came over him and the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up. He looked around nervously, fearing that he had perhaps attracted the attention of a predator of sorts. He took out his binoculars and surveyed the area carefully, but did not find any immediate threats. He tried to shake off the strange feeling and carried on hiking.
When he got to the point where he'd have to turn back down south to finish the loop around the lake, he was suddenly overcome with a nearly irresistible desire to go further west instead. It was irrational, it was totally not part of his plan, but his feet started moving in that direction anyway. He tried telling himself to turn back around and head back the right way, but his feet seemed to have a mind of their own and kept him headed stubbornly in the same direction. On and on he walked, unable to stop himself from even taking a single step. The sun sank down beyond the horizon, and still Yuuri walked on. He reached into his backpack and took out his flashlight and drank more water as he trudged on. It was pitch dark and getting quite late, yet his possessed feet continued to carry him forward. He checked Google maps and saw that the little blue dot had moved a lot closer to another lake. It was much smaller than Lake Shchuch'ye and shaped like a crooked little chicken drumstick. Thinking about drumsticks made him suddenlyreallyhungry. He was starting to feel quite exhausted and just really wanted to benotwalking. His mind drifted off as his feet carried forward on autopilot. He really just wanted to heat up some water over a fire and have himself a bucket bath before eating his dinner and passing out for the night. But his cursed feet refused to release him. At least he thankfully did not have to worry about navigation as his feet took him on a very clear path, one that avoided dangerous obstacles and other pitfalls.
About an hour later and nearing the point of collapse, the forest came to an abrupt end and he found himself standing in front of Lake Druzhinnoye. As tired as he was, he couldn't help but gasp in wonder as the sight of the new moon reflecting off the surface of the calm water, its image nearly encompassing the full width of the lake. As he took in his surroundings, he noticed a large structure off in the distance. He couldn't see all the details in the dark, but he could tell that there was a light on, and that told him that it contained human life. He sighed with great relief, suddenly feeling rather glad that his feet weren't just mindlessly walking him to his doom. He got his second wind, and picked up the pace as he hastened to get the structure. He hoped that there was at least furniture in this place out in the middle of nowhere. He really just wanted to sit down.
As he got closer to the structure he saw that it was actually a magnificent Gothic era mansion. His eyes filled with tears of joy and he nearly died of happiness on the spot. He didn't have much time to enjoy the exterior of the house though, as his feet continued marching him forward. He realized at the last possible second that he was not slowing down and was able to reach forward and open the front door just before he crashed into it. If he had been expecting to stop walking once he'd gotten into the house, he was sorely mistaken. He carried on walking and all his Japanese sensibilities were screaming at him for entering someone's fancy clean house with his shoes still on.
Once he got over the mortification of waltzing in uninvited into a stranger's house, he actually started lamenting that his feetstilldidn't slow down and let him fully take in his surroundings. The house was packed to the brim with period furnishings and décor, and he wanted to look ateverything. He continued being led through the spacious house, drinking in as much as he could with his eyes while desperately trying to keep himself from squealing with girlish glee. He finally came to a stop at an ornate door with a note pinned to it.
Dear esteemed guest,
Welcome to Moon Lake Manor. You must be quite tired after your long journey! Please relax and enjoy this hot bath that has been prepared for you. Once you are ready, please come to the dining room to enjoy a hot meal.
V.
Yuuri was puzzled, intrigued, excited and scared all at the same time. The house had a name, such a romantic one too! After what he'd seen outside, it made perfect sense that it was called Moon Lake Manor. He knew that there was at least one person currently in the house…someone whose name started with a 'V'. He pushed the door open and nearly fainted at the sight before him. The floor was wall-to-wall Salome Turkish marble and the walls were purple and grey slate rock. Slim arches had been carved out into the rock at the furthest wall in the room, and a large oval bathtub was embedded in the floor. There was a tall candle in each arch and the flickering light cast beautiful dancing shadows around the room. He dropped his backpack on the ground and ran up to the granite sink, running his hands along its smooth surface. The room had been fitted with modern plumbing, but everything else looked like it was straight out of a bygone era. Yuuri ran over to the arches and looked closely at the workmanship. He marveled at all the attention paid to detail and sighed dreamily as he examined all the nuances of the stone. From what he'd seen so far, the home was very well-taken care of and immaculately preserved. He looked down and saw tub with its glistening layer of foam and suddenly could notwaitto get in. He stripped off all his sweaty clothes and rinsed his body off at the shower in the corner. He pumped some liquid body wash onto his hand and noticed that it was completely unscented.That's a bit strange. Most people like scented things in their bathroom.He washed his hair with shampoo that was also unscented and then climbed into the bath, also unscented.Wow, the person who lives here must really dislike scented things.
Yuuri sat down on the edge of the tub and lowered his legs into the bubbly water. It was a bit hotter than how he usually took his baths, but the water at his family's onsen back in Japan was always quite hot, so it didn't bother him too much. He sank down the rest of the way and moaned gratefully as the hot water got to work on his sore muscles. He leaned back on the cushioned backrest and just allowed himself to relax. At some point, he must have dozed off, for he woke up trembling a while later in a tub full of cold water. He quickly reached down and pulled out the plug to drain the tub. He got out of the tub and went back to the shower to rinse off and warm up a bit under some hot water. He dried himself off and put on the clean jogging pants and t-shirt he had brought with him to sleep in that night. He balled up all his dirty clothes and placed them in a plastic bag that he had brought with him, and then stuffed it into his backpack before slipping it on. He saw a pair of slippers inside the bathroom and put them on. He picked up his hiking boots and carried them out with him. He didn't want to track any more muck through the house, but didn't want to just leave them in the nice bathroom either. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he looked around but did see or hear anyone nearby.
"Hello? Mr. or Mrs. 'V'? I'm done with the bath. Sorry I took so long, I fell asleep."
A sudden chill ripped through the air and Yuuri's feet began moving him down the hall to his right. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders in surrender. He still had no idea how his feet had managed to develop their own GPS navigation system since lunch, but the fact of the matter was that it was absolutely pointless to try and resist them once they got started moving. He was walking through a different part of the house now, one that he hadn't seen on his way in, and he gaped and gawped at all the paintings on the wall. They were all of scenery and featured some famous landmarks from around the world, often depicted as they would have looked like without the wear and tear of time. He found it a bit strange that there seemed to be a complete lack of portraits of people. And as beautiful as it was, the house felt a bit empty and cold without any faces.
He smelled the dining room before he saw it, his traitorous stomach seemingly waking up from its slumber and coming alive at the promise of food. He rounded the corner and walked into the most gorgeous dining room he'd ever seen. The floors were a rich mahogany wood and the walls were all wooden panelling, with complex designs carved into them. The wallpaper was a deep burgundy color with minimalistic golden accents and really brought out a rich overall blood-red hue in the room. The ceiling had exposed wooden support beams and there were more of the slim and elegant arch designs at the windows. Velvet tapestries of deep eggplant had been pulled back and held together by violet velvet tassels. Hunger temporarily forgotten, Yuuri ached to just run over there and run his hands along the creamy texture of the fabric. He managed to tear his eyes away from the tapestry and examined the dining table and chairs. The table looked heavy and sturdy, and Yuuri knew immediately that it was made of oak wood. The chairs appeared to be made from the same wood, and had seat cushions in a color that matched the wallpaper. He saw another note on the table and picked it up.
Dear Esteemed Guest,
Please enjoy this meal that has been lovingly prepared for you. The starter is a rich wild spinach soup, and the main course consists of venison, caught just this afternoon. Its liver has been pan fried separately in red wine. The assorted vegetables are assorted leafy greens and accompanied by green beans. Before sitting down to enjoy your meal, please place your shoes and luggage just outside the dining room door. They will be taken up to your room while you eat. Bon appetit!
V.
Yuuri's heart raced wildly in his chest. He was really excited to have found his way into this house of timeless treasures and to be welcomed so cordially, but a tiny little niggling feeling had begun to take hold in the back of his head. It was trying to tell him that things were starting to get a little bit too good to be true. A hot bath, now a hot meal and a room to spend the night in…all from a host he hadn't even seen or met yet. Normally, this kind of situation would have him running for the hills, but he was dying to take a closer look at the house and wanted to have his eyes, and potentially his hands, over every single inch of it. So, he pushed those thoughts out of his mind for the time being and avowed to just deal with them later.
He sat down at the dinner table and pushed his chair forward before lifting the domed lid currently covering his meal. As he did so, all of the amazingly succulent aromas hit his nose at the same time and he just about drooled all over himself. He immediately went for the soup, forcing himself to blow on it before greedily slurping it down. The flavor of the wild spinach was exquisite, much bolder than the farmed variety. Once the soup was done, he set the empty bowl aside and reached for the main dish. He tried the liver first, nearly sobbing with bliss as it readily melted on his tongue. Next was the venison and it was cooked to perfection. He hardly had to apply any pressure with the knife before the tender meat gave way and nearly disintegrated on his plate. He savored each morsel leisurely, allowing the slightly gamey flavor of the meat to fill his whole mouth. He ate some of the greens and beans in between bites of the meat and all the flavors complimented each other beautifully. He downed the red wine from the beautifully elegant cast iron goblet it was contained in, taking the time to swirl the burgundy liquid around and appreciate its heft. Fully sated, contented and a little bit drowsy, Yuuri stood up from the table and pushed his chair back in. He walked back out to the dining room entrance and saw that his shoes and backpack were gone. He was impressed. Whoever had come to take them had been very quiet about it. He hadn't heard a single thing.
As soon as he stepped out into the hallway, his feet started moving him down a narrow hallway. When he turned the corner, he actuallydidsqueal with girlish glee at the sight of the marbled floor foyer and grand staircase. The staircase had wide stone steps, and bannisters also made of carved stone. The room was large and there were marble pillars topped with stone archways. As he climbed up the steps, he ran his hands along the stone façade, feeling shivers run down his spine at the flawlessly smooth coldness of it. He continued climbing, enjoying the higher view of the foyer below, until he reached the top of the stairs. His feet took him to the left this time, and he walked about two meters before he spotted the only open room in the hall. As he walked up to the doorway, his heart nearly stopped in his chest.
The centerpiece of the room was an extremely large four poster bed, surrounded by translucent two-tone black brocade drapes that hung from the ceiling right down to the floor. He immediately abandoned every sense of civility and rushed into the room, fangirling at the impeccable walnut frame of the bed and the thorny roses carved into the headboard. He ran his palms along the red silk sheets, trembling at their surreal softness and admiring their reflective sheen. He was suddenly feeling very excited to be sleeping in such an opulent room. He walked around the room, inspecting its other decorative elements as well as the lavish tapestries. How had he not heard of this amazing treasure before? He had absolutely researched St. Petersburg till he knew it inside and out. He knew about every single mansion, manor, church, home, historical edifice in town and surrounding area. This Gothic era mansion had not shown up on any of his searches.
He noticed that even though the house seemed to have been fitted with modern lighting fixtures, the owner…the mysterious 'V', seemed to prefer candles and lanterns. Yuuri didn't mind, they actually added to atmosphere and went much better with the décor. His respect for the home owner had grown by leaps and bounds after each room he'd seen. No person who owned such a home, and clearly maintained it so lovingly, could possibly be a horrible person. He saw his backpack on one of the chairs and his hiking boots directly under it. He pulled back the sheets and crawled into the bed, laying spread-eagle on it. It was so large that he could practically swim in it. He lay awake in the bed, feeling obviously exhausted from all the hiking he'd done, but his brain refused to shut down and kept needling him about all the other things there were to see in the house. He tossed and turned for what felt like an eternity before finally giving up and giving into his curiosity. He grabbed a lantern and tiptoed slowly out of the room, happy that his feet seemed at least seemed to be back under his own control. Once he reached the doorway, he turned left and decided to walk past the staircase he'd come up on earlier. When he reached the end of the hallway, he came to another T-junction. He turned left again, feeling inexplicably drawn to something at the end of that hall. He walked toward the lone door at the end of the hallway, ignoring all other doors along the way.
When he got to the door, he tentatively reached for the heavyset brass knob, pausing to admire the gargoyle head carved into it. When he turned the knob, he was actually surprised to discover that it was unlocked. He slowly pushed the heavy oak door forward, leaning into it with his right shoulder as he held the lantern with the left. The room was…bizarre to say the least. Compared to the other rooms he'd seen so far, it was incredibly sparse. There was a solitary desk, one chair and a small bookcase. He walked deeper into the room, moving his arm in an arc as he illuminated the other elements in the room.
A torn portrait on the wall at the far end immediately caught his attention and he approached it cautiously. He brought the lantern up higher and came face to face with a full length portrait of what appeared to be a man. He could see that he was dressed in gothic era clothing; a stunning ruby-red velvet coat over a coal-black ruffled blouse. The man in the painting was wearing black pants and black shoes, and Yuri could tell that they were splendidly custom-tailored to the man in the portrait. The part of the canvas the head had been painted on was torn in various strips, as if some wild animal had clawed at it. As he leaned in closer, he noticed that the man in the painting had long silver hair that had been tied back in a loose ponytail at the base of his neck with a black ribbon. Yuuri's body was brimming with both fear and excitement, and small beads of sweat had started forming on his brow.
He reached out with trembling fingers and grabbed hold of one of the shredded strips of canvas, pulling it up to its matching place on the painting. He gasped as he stared into the most stunningly sapphire-blue eyes he'deverseen. The man in the painting looked the very picture of a high-standing noble. His pale skin was perfectly captured in the painting, and it gleamed in the flickering candle light. So engrossed was Yuuri by the painting that he didn't even notice the sudden second presence in the room with him. The sound of the heavy door closing behind him abruptly filled the room, and Yuri spun around, startled. A pair of predatory red eyes was the last thing he saw before his mind went blank.
The alabaster-skinned creature of the night stalked elegantly into the room, grinning with overwhelming satisfaction as he slowly approached his paralyzed prey. He'd been waiting patiently all afternoon for this, and was relishing the moment. He lifted his nose into the air and breathed in the young man's intoxicatingly delectable scent, growling deep in the back of his throat as it filled his brain. It had been that very scent that had caught his attention earlier while he'd been out on a hunt. It had called out to him and had drawn him to the young man like a moth to a flame. The young man was alone, a misfortune for him, but a fortuitous situation for himself. He'd followed the young man through the mountains for a while, and had scrutinized every aspect of his person. The young man was a rather attractive male specimen, clearly not a local. He'd seen others like him before, back when he'd traveled through Asia a century or two ago. His prey was healthy and fit, brimming with energy and vitality. He'd practically drooled all over himself at the prospect of tasting such an enticing morsel. Even though the young man was covered in sweat, his sweet scent still permeated the air. He decided that he would bring the young man to his home and feed on him for the next couple of days, perhaps longer if he could get away with it.
The young man at one point had stopped, seemingly aware that he was being hunted. As he had surveyed the area with binoculars, the crucial split-second of eye contact was made and he was able to compel him to start walking in the direction of his house. He'd then immediately gone about busying himself gathering the ingredients for a rich meal to battle the anemia he'd soon be afflicted with. The abundant iron and vitamin B12 in the deer liver, red meat, spinach and beans would boost his body's ability to heal itself. It had been a long time since he'd been presented with such a delicious opportunity. The meals the young man before him would provide were worth 'wining and dining' for.
So he'd taken the ingredients home and prepared them in the ways he knew humans preferred. He had no need for human food, as his sustenance came from blood. He had learned a long while ago that certain 'human skills' were required in order to blend in seamlessly with other humans. He'd learned them as a means of drawing less attention to himself. He had cooked the food, and seasoned it with a mix of spices that were safe to him. He also didn't want any strong flavors interfering with the taste of the young man's blood later on. He'd drawn the bath in excited anticipation at just how much better the man would smell once he'd had all the sweat and grime washed away. The hardest part had been trying to gauge how hot the water was. Everything felt hot to his cold skin and he didn't want to boil his dinner before he could eat it.
When his quarry had crossed the threshold into his home, his entire body had thrummed with the thrill of his presence. He'd watched silently from a distance as the man had gaped at the house in awe. Whoever he was, he seemed cultured and very appreciative of his impeccable taste in furnishings. He'd stood outside the door while the man had bathed, feeling a bit of trepidation when his breathing and heart rate had slowed. He had contemplated bursting in there to see just what was going on, but had deduced that the man had just fallen asleep. He'd forgotten that humans tired easily and did not have endless stamina. He hadn't been human in so long that it had simply slipped his mind. Thinking back on things, he had made the young man walk quite a long distance without adequate rest.
Once the young man had come out of the bath, he had directed him to the dining room. He had watched on with curiosity as his prey had marveled at the room before reading the note he'd left him. He'd watched from the shadows as the young man appeared to truly enjoy the meal he'd prepared from him. His cold little lump of a heart did excited little flips in his chest and he smiled with pride.I've still got it.While the young man was otherwise occupied by his meal, he took his luggage and shoes up to the master guest room. He'd allow him a few hours to catch up on rest before feeding on him, it would be better for his recovery in the end and hasten the amount of time he'd have to wait before feeding on him again. Once the young man had finished his meal, he directed him to his quarters. He'd watched on with mild amusement as the young man had squealed with unbridled glee once he'd come upon the foyer. Perhaps he would indulge him in a private tour later, if he behaved. Once his prize had walked safely into his room for the night, he backed off as to allow him his rest.
A few hours later, his nose picked up on the mouth-watering scent of his prey as it moved about the house.Oh, he's the nosy, curious type.Let's see what kind of trouble he's gotten himself into.As he followed his nose down the halls, he growled in frustration once he realized where he'd gone.
"Ofallthe rooms for him to walk into, he had to choosethatone!"
He walked into the room and saw the young man standing in front of the only portrait of a living being he had in the whole damn house; a portrait of himself from back when he was still human. He'd torn away at his visage with his claws, back when he was unable to face his old self. The painting had stayed in the home, however, as he remained stubbornly unable to get rid of the last vestiges of who he used to be.Rest be damned. I shall feed on himnow.He'd closed the door deliberately and loudly, and the young man finally turned around. Once their eyes met, his fate was sealed. His prey was immediately frozen on the spot, unable to so much as blink of his own accord.
He walked up to the young man and removed the lantern from his hand, blowing it out before setting it down on the floor. He did not require light to see in the night. His eyes could see far beyond what comparatively weak human eyes ever could. He straightened his back and stepped in close to his immobile quarry. He examined the young man more closely, taking in the rich reddish-brown hue of his eyes. He reached for the man's hair, taking an errant lock between his thumb and forefinger, and allowing himself to revel in its silkiness. He was an exquisite specimen, indeed.
He leaned in close to the young man's neck, breathing in deeply as he slid his nose along the smooth column of skin. The young man before him trembled slightly as his skin broke out in gooseflesh.Mmmm, he's a responsive one. Let's see how he handles the kiss of death.His fangs grew long in his mouth, anticipating their impending use. He threaded the fingers of his right hand into the man's hair and pulled his head back; fully exposing his throat. A gurgled moan was emitted from the back of his prey's throat and he smiled. It was the last thing he did before sinking his fangs into the man's supple flesh. Gods almighty, the sweet ichor that flowed from the man's veins was the most earth-shattering ambrosia he'd ever tasted. He sucked at the spot more strongly, eagerly swirling his tongue around as it bathed in the blood. The young man in his clutches moaned loudly and the scent of his arousal hit his nose full-on. Suddenly, everything made so much sense…the man was a virgin.
The heady scent and the intoxicating taste of the blood that had him so fully enraptured all stemmed from the fact that he had a virgin before him. A man untouched, and unsullied by any other. His heart sang at the sheer good luck of being able to score such a rare meal.You are untarnished, yet you ache for another's touch. You are an interesting confluence of contradictions, young one.He pulled his victim's hair more roughly and redoubled his efforts at his neck. The young man arched his back and screamed, startling him with his ability to seemingly get past his control. Prey was supposed to be still and non-responsive, but this man was everything but. He couldn't say that it was necessarily a bad thing, it was actually a refreshing change from the stony and immovable sacks of blood he usually fed from.
Suddenly, the scent of the young man's spent passion filled his nose and he just about lost his damn mind. He growled into the man's neck, fighting to keep himself from fully losing out to lustandbloodlust. He sank his fangs deeper and drank passionately from the fountain of blood that sprang forth from them. Only when he felt the young man's hand cupping his face did he finally seem to come back to himself. He was so shocked by the man's action that he abruptly released the bite without bothering to seal it first. Blood oozed slowly from the two puncture holes, his first hint that something had gone horribly wrong. His eyes widened as he took in the ghostly pale face of the man before him, his lips curling upward in apprehension. The young man's weakened legs gave out from underneath him and he stepped forward just in time to catch the young man's slumping form. He realized with growing horror that he had allowed the feeding to get out of control. As he heard the young man's fading heartbeat, he cursed himself for being so careless.
"What have I done?!"
...TO BE CONTINUED...