"Zero, I'm so scared…" I muttered amid a downpour of burning tears, my eyes becoming swollen and sore from the continuous crying and pointless wailing. I didn't want to die yet. I couldn't die; I couldn't leave this world without fulfilling my purpose, my destiny.

"Don't cry. Please don't, I hate seeing you cry," His words shattered me into pieces. What else could I do? Right now drowning in my own river of tears was my only option of letting out the pain that corroded inside me.

I gritted my teeth, I uncurled myself from the ball I was in, and lifted myself up from my bed. My two feet were planted on the wooden floor, and suddenly I could do nothing but stare blankly into the darkly lit room. Zero, who I'd refused to look at for the past two hours, gracefully took my hand and squeezed it gently, then began to hug me from behind, kissing my neck with his hot, minty breath. I suppose he was trying to ease the tension between us a little, but I doubt it'd accomplish anything.

Zero could not help me. He's a degenerate, he's a vampire who has limited abilities, and there is no way in hell that he can save me from my own wretched blood. That's why his words of comfort are no use to me; that's why I wanted to be left alone until what was left of my heart shut down completely. But it was as if we were drawn to each other, because a part of me just couldn't leave him alone. It was as if he read my mind in that moment too.

"I'm not leaving you alone, Val," His words, so soft and delicate and beautiful, why did I deserve such beauty? I was the reason my family met their fate, I was the reason Rido destroyed Zero and his family, I was the reason behind everyone's despair, yet here I am now, being treated like the most worthy person in the world.

"Why? Tell me why I am worth it, Zero. Tell me why I shouldn't just kill myself right now; tell me why- "my cracked voice broke off as a pale finger was pressed almost forcefully against my lips.

"Because I love you," the words warmed my heart like the blazing sun, almost pumping more like into it, like such words were enough to save me from anything. "That's why living without you would make my life living hell, that's why you are not dying, not now, not tomorrow, not ever, because you mean this entire universe to me, Valeria, and that is why you are worth every second of suffering. I continue to live because of you, because I love you, and that, I repeat, is why you are worth it."

I was breathless, speechless, every single word he spoke was so inadequately beautiful that nothing on my tongue would be as good a response, and so I remained silent.

For once, I looked up at him, shifting my small body so I was opposite his own, so I could see the gleam of love in his eyes, so I could smile and realise how lucky I was in this moment to have such a person who cares about me.

"I-I'm sorry," I breathed, tears building up again, "I-I'm just so afraid…I…"

Lips locked onto mine in an instant, capturing them, reeling them in, moving in velvet, heated moments of passion. Zero had his arms around my neck, his fingers clawing at my hair, outlining my neck, tracing down my back and up again in a motion that made me gasp with excitement and a surge of desire. Without thinking, I tore off his shirt, and he responded by tearing my silky gown, his mouth buried in my throat and his rapid breathing increasing with my shallow breaths of sudden uncertainly.

Did I want this? Did I want him? I wasn't sure, but I couldn't think, I couldn't care less in this perfect fragment of time. I didn't care of the future. Right now I only cared about us, about Zero, about this.

Passionately we kissed again, while the clothing began to slowly unravel and our flesh lay naked on the chaotic bed sheets, the fire never leaving, the pleasure never ending. He was very gentle, his slow, paced movements sending shivers of electric ecstasy down every inch of my body.

For now, death didn't matter. For now, I was content.