Secrets Held Within

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Chapter 7

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Dark stood, hypnotized by the rhythmic steps Krad took; by the eerie music that stopped his mind—he was too enthralled in the sweet sound to think of anything other then that.

The blonde's eyes were closed, very gently, and he wore the face of a sleeper. He appeared as though he hadn't noticed Dark, and merely continuing in his play, stepping lightly over the moonlight-reflecting snow.

It continued for several moments, and then, Krad slowly drew the bow of the violin over a final string, ending the eerie music with a haunting echo.

He sighed and lowered the instrument from his shoulder, limply letting the bow fall to his side as he turned around.

His eyes widened as his gaze met Dark's, and a light gasp escaped his pale lips.

"Dark?"

Dark nodded, and took several steps towards the blonde, hesitantly, as he realized the muscles in his legs had tightened up a great deal.

"Krad—what are you doing out here? Why so late?" Dark said quickly, his words becoming somewhat muddled.

The blonde blinked, and attempted to make sense of everything. "I don't know…" He lied, as he looked at the tanned face of the man standing before him and hoped that Dark would just accept that.

"Sure," Dark muttered, as he frowned deeply. Of course he knew Krad was lying. It was obvious, but he didn't pry. "Krad—I…you'll think I'm crazy, but I saw—"

"Aren't you sick? You had a fever, no?" Krad said, cutting him off.

"Well, yes, but—Hey! How did you know that?"

Krad shrugged. "I was out last night. You hadn't come by, so I dropped in to see you."

Dark raised an eyebrow. "Then were…were you the one who left the rose?"

The blonde walked past Dark, and said, "Yes. I was."

Shaking his head, Dark followed. "You were saying something—you saw something?" Krad said when he heard Dark crunching snow behind him.

"There was…the stream was…"

Krad paused, listening to Dark's words with a concerned expression upon his features. "The stream?" He asked hesitantly, as if worried what the answer might be.

"The stream was…" Dark swallowed. "Was blood."

Krad's face whitened so much Dark could've sworn he was a ghost. "Krad?"

"Dark, you have to run. I don't—the mansion—go there, now!"

"But wait—you? What?"

"Dark—I don't have time to explain—go!" Krad said, looking at Dark with wild eyes.

"What about you?" Dark hissed.

"I'll be right there—just, please, go!"

Dark's expression never changed, but he nodded and sprinted towards where he knew the mansion would be, as Krad grimly watched him go.

As soon as Dark was out of sight, the blonde wasted no time in drawing a thin glass vial that had a stopper adorned with the figure of a cross, and he hastened towards where he knew the flowing water would be.

Sure enough, when it came into view it was almost to the brim of overflowing with a coagulated flow of revolting liquid.

Grimacing, Krad opened the vial and poured a rivulet of strong, odorous blue liquid into the stream. There wasn't much, but Krad watched as the stream was blanketed with a glowing white light, and a vapor began to smoke above the water.

Krad closed his eyes tightly, and coughed, deeply, as the gassy air leaking into his lungs. He stood up, drawing his sleeve over his mouth in a feeble attempt to keep the foul aroma from entering him, and drew himself away from the bed of glowing liquid.

The gas had yet to subside, and Krad still stood there, but knowing he couldn't take much more of it—he spun on his heels and ran toward his residence.

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Dark waited in silence, lighting candles to illuminate the building of shadows. As much as he hated to admit it, he was…scared.

Things just weren't adding up, and he was positive Krad was hiding something. "I mean," he said aloud to fight away the silence, "Why else would he have lied to me?"

Shaking his head, Dark sank down into a chair by the fireplace, and looked around the room, staring at the pieces of artwork that hung proudly.

A clock chimed behind him, and he cocked his head, reading '3:30'

"It's that early?"

Another moment passed in silence, and he began to grow anxious. What if something had happened to Krad? Dark sat here, safe inside, and he had left Krad in the woods with God knows what.

Running a hand through his hair, Dark grit his teeth, torn between staying and running out to find the blonde.

"God—" he cursed, and stood up, walking quickly towards the door. He had no time to reach for the handle before it flung open, and Krad stumbled inside, coughing madly.

"Wha—Hey!" Dark yelled and grabbed the blond close, drawing him in a tight embrace in hopes to ease the coughing. He pat gently on Krad's back.

The blonde gasped and fought for breath, and eventually the coughing subsided, and he just leaned into Dark's embrace for a moment as he fought for breath.

Dark pulled away, looking intently at the blonde.

"God—Krad, what did you do to your face?" He said as his eyes roamed over Krad's features.

"I…what are you talking about?" Krad said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's—well, just come here," Dark said as he dragged Krad over to a mirror he had seen hanging in the room.

When Krad's eyes reached the mirror, he looked intently at his face, which appeared as though he had been burnt slightly.

"Oh…" was all he said before tracing a finger lightly down his cheek.

"Oh? Oh? That's all your going to say?" Dark said, stomping his foot. "What the hell happened out there?"

Krad turned to Dark, a hurt expression on his features. His shoulders slumped, and he turned away from the man and headed towards the kitchen.

"Hey…Krad?" Dark asked. "Krad…I'm sorry, but…"

"It's all right. I know," Krad mumbled as he grabbed a cloth, and then dipped it in a bucket of water. After ringing it out slightly, he dabbed in on his face and sighed as the cool water eased his burning face, and he walked back towards Dark. "I'm the one who should apologize."

"Why?" Dark asked, as he gently walked the blonde towards a chair, and lightly pushed him down into it.

Krad didn't struggle, and sank weakly into it. Dark waited for an answer, and took a seat in an empty chair across from the blonde.

"Because…I'm afraid that I've put you in danger…"

Dark shook his head. "Nah, I don't think so."

"Only because you don't understand…" Came the faint reply.

"Because you won't tell me."

"Because I can't…there isn't anything to tell…"

Dark glared at Krad, "You're lying."

Krad's gaze sank, and the dark haired man crossed his arms when the blonde made no attempt to deny the accusation.

"Why won't you tell me? You don't trust me?" Dark said, his voice soothing and concerned.

Krad's eyes narrowed. "It's hard to trust someone when everyone else has betrayed you."

Violet eyes flashed, and Dark frowned. "Will I ever know what that means?"

"I don't know."

Dark wanted to scream. He wasn't getting answers, and Krad just got more withdrawn with every word spoken. Dark knew what he had to do…

"So…you're pretty good at playing the violin…"

Krad looked up at Dark suspiciously. "I've had a long time to practice."

Dark nodded, immediately noticing Krad's change in personality. So it was just the topic that was bothering him…

"Really, now? And who taught you?" Dark asked, watching the blonde.

"One of…the maid's who used to work here…" He said.

"Where is she now?" Dark said, as he flicked a hair out of his eye.

"Dead…" came the icy reply, and Dark had to look at the blond to make sure it was he who had spoken. The voice he heard was dark and menacing…not what he was used to hearing from Krad.

"I'm sorry to hear that…"

"She was a wonderful person…they all were," Krad murmured. "They shouldn't have…shouldn't have…" His voice drifted away, and he lowered his head.

"Krad? Krad, what's wrong?" Dark asked as he stood up and knelt in front of his friend.

There was no reply.

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I know this chapter is rather shoddily written, and I apologize, but I promised for a quick update and so here it is. I hope you can forgive any errors—but it was either update this now and reply to the reviews, or proofread it and not reply, so…well…I hope you are enjoying this chapter!