Chapter 9

The smoothness of the car ride lulled Yui in and out of sleep as she lay across the back seat, her head resting on Ruki's lap and spinning. Hairs were sticking to her sweat-caked face and Ruki brushed it back along her forehead. "We are almost there," he said in a low tone. "Just stay awake." His words drifted through her yet Yui nodded her head in automatic obedience. Her mind was far off in another place and barely grasping at reality. All she had to cling onto was the superficial affection that Ruki was showing her. She wondered who was driving the car, if their personal driver knew what the Mukami boys were, how much longer would the drive truly be, and most importantly: where were they going. Yui's headspace spun back to actuality as she felt her body being hoisted up. Ruki held her against his chest and cradled her like an infant, as if he were fearing that she would break with any slight movement. As her head rested to his cold chest, she attempted to hear a heartbeat but couldn't find one. It was as if she were being caressed by a rock wall. Her eyelids were heavy yet she fought to open them against her best instincts. When she opened her eyes, she was horrified to see that they were approaching the Sakamaki mansion and immediately felt the sudden urge to flee the premises. Yui's bottom lip quivered and an uneasy sound left her lips but she had no energy to struggle. "Quiet, livestock." Ruki grumbled through his teeth. She jiggled in his arms as he leaned on one leg and used his other foot to kick on the door in a somewhat knocking fashion. The door opened within seconds and there stood Reiji, his eyes hateful and narrowed. "Come quickly," he said in a hushed tone, "I don't want the others to know of this." Ruki nodded once and stepped through the doorway with a limp Yui in his grip.

Reiji quickly led the two of them through the Sakamaki manner and guided them to his lab. Yui had almost forgotten how magnificent it was and tried to focus on the interesting surroundings of Reiji's creations rather than the stings surging through her veins. Ruki slowly lowered Yui onto the small couch in the lounging area and reluctantly left after Reiji refused to do anything with him there. The tension was thick enough to be cut with a knife. As Ruki closed the door behind him, Reiji quickly showed his back to Yui and tended to himself; slipping on plastic gloves and picking through one of the drawers of his desk. Yui sunk down into the cushions of the elegant couch and muttered, "Reiji-kun." She wanted to have some sort of conversation but couldn't find the words. "Don't talk," Reiji said coldly. He still didn't turn around as he added on, "If Ayato hears you, you're never going to leave. And I'm sure you wouldn't want that." He snickered to himself and finally turned to face Yui. In his hands was a thread, a sewing needle, and what appeared to be a sterilizing wipe. She felt like she was in the doctor's office and she absolutely hated it. As Reiji knelt down to her side, Yui began to shudder and suddenly jumped as he wiped the the cloth across her lower stomach. She gasped but quickly bit onto her bottom lip to stay quiet despite the pain burning in her belly. Reiji avoided her eyes despite her uneasy breathing and attempt to speak. He had prepared to stitch her and she whispered through her teeth, "Do you have anything to numb the pain?" Then, Reiji stuck the threaded needle through her stomach. She yelped in pain and immediately fell unconscious.

"You filthy bitch."

Yui's body felt like it was floating on a cloud that she never wanted to return to. The abrupt insult shocked her out of her deep slumber and she quickly looked up at Ruki. It took her a moment to realize she back in her own bed at the Mukami home and a small sense of relief washed over her before Ruki spoke again. "I have come to the conclusion that you are the stupidest thing I have ever come across." Rage was searing through his blue eyes and he grabbed Yui by the wrist, causing her to whimper to the point of pleading for him to let go. He ignored her and continued on, "You are a disgrace. You being Eve is an absolute joke." Without hesitating, he lunged over her body and pinned both of her wrists above her head. He climbed onto the bed and pushed her lower body to the bed with his, her legs struggling between his and her arms wriggling underneath his grip. He quickly shoved his fangs into her neck, causing her to scream, and jabbed in with an enormous amount of force. Blood spurted into his mouth and he drank from her hungrily, stirring his teeth inside of her to induce as much pain as possible. He ripped his canines from her flesh and panted in her ear, "If he planted his seed in you, do not think for a second that I will allow his spawn to grow. I will tear you apart." He then let go of her right hand to yank down her sleeve and shove his fangs into the flesh of her shoulder. Yui stared at the ceiling and twitched underneath him helplessly. She had no more tears to cry and couldn't help but accept the gruesome treatment that was thrusted upon her.

You will never see the light of day again.

Once Ruki was finished, he left Yui alone with her thoughts to writhe in agony on her bed. His words echoed in her mind and she feared that his threats may become a reality. One time alone in a dark room was enough and she didn't think her mind could handle living there again, she would surely break. But the threat was frightened her the most was what referred to her and Azusa. The fact that a part of him could start growing inside of her. She had never considered it but the thought of it caused her heart to race. How could she possibly bring a child into this world that she can barely navigate herself? And if she was pregnant and miraculously did give birth, what would that baby even be? A crime against God, surely. She had heard the Sakamaki boys sometimes refer to the afterlife and they often joked about how if they died, there was no way they weren't going to Hell. She thought of them as the spawn of evil. She didn't see the Mukami boys that way before but after Ruki's attack, she couldn't help but consider that. Maybe Azusa had survived the calamity of a fate that was given to him as a vampire but if their child were to have the same fate, is it certain that they could escape it? The thoughts swirled through her head and she struggled to even think straight. She clutched at her own belly and began to consider that perhaps she was the stupidest thing to ever live.