Author's Note:

If you guys can't tell, I've regained a bit of the drive I used to have. Back then I could have pumped out two chapters a week like it was nothing. I'm definitely eager to bring this story up to speed, because when that happens, we'll get to see more of Reborn's characters interacting with the Zanna Famiglia. I have a feeling it'll be very interesting when the time comes...

Chapter 74: The Spring Break Getaway!

Child Of The Sun.

Venice, Italy – Venice Maritime Port.

Days had passed since that night. Things had been rather peaceful of late. We're gonna be outdoors and in the sun, for the most part, so I dug out my old pair of cut-off denims, flip flops and my swimsuit. I haven't been to the beach in years, so it was a relief they still fit. All packed and ready for the trip, my body dragged itself forward to the docks as the open sea grew larger before my eyes. I want to go to the island, to spend the day at the beach, and dine on barbecued wings and seafood...

Yet, why am I trembling still?

"Yoko! You made it!" Tugging down on my arm to rid myself of the shiver, I was greeted by Amato and the rest of the crew when I looked back up. Just seeing his ever-beaming smile was enough to make me forget all doubt, and go back to the life of a safe, average teenager. A girl whose sole objective today is to have fun, share smiles and forge memories. Even if it's just for a little while.

"Yeah...thanks for waiting." I finally joined in the conversation with a smile. They all looked really excited in regards to the trip. Amato looked like a different person out of his black overshirt and pants, now replaced with marine blue boardshorts and an unbuttoned shirt with a rather striking floral design. Sergio's outfit was similar, crimson boardshorts that reached for his knees and a straw hat now concealed his seaweed green hair. Johann donned a pair of jammers. That's the name for those shorts, I think, form fitting swimwear which is common among competitive swimmers.

I wonder if he's a competitive swimmer here in Italy?

"Hey Yoko, it's nice of you to join us." From behind the boys, Regina popped out, her luscious black hair swaying with the wind. She had a white tank top on with a pair of pink, floral shorts, the bright colors complimenting the natural shade of her hair. She looks beautiful, though you'll never catch saying that out loud. I couldn't help but chuckle when I heard the tiniest hint of disappointment in her words despite the smile she had. I responded with a nod and a smile of my own.

There's no way I was letting you have Amato all to yourself for this getaway, Regina!

"Wonderful. Now that everyone's here, we can finally depart!" Suddenly, Kiera's voice shook me to the core as she called out to us. With grace she made her way towards us from what looked like a personal ferry of the Zanna Famiglia, parked in a corner and away from the cruise ships that littered the open waters of the Venice maritime port. Even the Valkyrie was dressed for the occasion, donning a beige sunhat over a more outdoors-oriented style of her usual uniform. Sleeveless with less buttons and laces, coupled with a shorter skirt, thigh high stockings in a pair of sandals. The two guys, Vito and Dante, who follows her around like a pair of ghosts, had their usual jackets and pants replaced by shirts and shorts.

With no time to lose, Amato and the rest started nudging me towards the ferry in all the excitement, their energy almost too much for me to keep up with. The sight of Kiera got me all tensed again. I guess I was hoping she wasn't going to show up for the trip, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't expecting it. After all, I heard it straight from her lips myself...

"Yo Sergio! Catch!" Johann yelled out in an attempt to capture Sergio's attention. Usually such a call would come before the pass of the beach ball, but for some reason, it was already launched and in the air!

"Wha-?!" As he turned, Sergio was confused at the sight of Johann, who didn't have anything in his hands. He only had his finger up in the air, pointing at the projectile that's flying right at Sergio's face!

"Slam!"

Ouch. The ball struck him right in the face. When the thing plopped off, one could see the sand all over, the reddened marks of the impact area, and of course, Sergio's rage bubbling up.

"Johann, come'ere! Oh the things I'll do when I get my hands on you!" Sergio roared out as he broke off into a sprint in the sand, lunging towards the fool Johann who ran. The proclaimed strongest swordsman of the Zanna Famiglia did nothing but laughed it off, which didn't help in his situation at all.

The boys certainly wasted no time diving right into their games as soon as we reached land. I didn't quite catch all of what Amato said, but apparently this island's one of the few uninhabited islands around Venice, and perhaps the only one with a forest within walking distance. Here under the parasol my eyes fell to the drifting waves of blue shimmering in the light of the sun. However, no matter how much I tried to relax, my thoughts would not leave me be, and my eyes would constantly glance towards Kiera, Dante and Vito.

While Vito seemed less inclined to be planning anything having fallen asleep in his suntanning, Kiera and Dante were preparing the barbecue, a discussion brewing between them as they set things up with speed. The warning bells only got louder when they stopped all manner of communication after catching sight of me staring.

"Are you gonna join in on the games anytime soon, Yoko? You've been lying there for two hours now..." Providing the greatly needed distraction, Amato suddenly tossed me the question from my side, sitting in the sand and making sandcastles, apparently. Still, with us being so far away from the water, the fine grains of sand made it difficult for anything he made to stay solid and not break away. Though he asked me to go and have some fun, he's been by my side from morning. Sometimes I notice how much he would have preferred to be engaged in activities with Sergio and Johann by the look in his eyes while he glanced in their direction.

He must be staying close to me because of what I said. Maybe asking him to protect me that night was too selfish on my part.

"I..maybe in a few minutes. I was thinking of going for a swim." I replied with a smile, even if it was partly a lie. "Hm? Where's Regina? I haven't seen her in a while, and she's not with Sergio and Johann either.." The question came out when my eyes scanned around only to catch none of her ebon hair and emerald eyes anywhere. Anything to get my mind off of the paranoia that had me tight in the grip of its claws.

Turning to Amato, I saw his eyes roll to the ground as he answered, a small, goofy smile stretching across his face.

"She's...changing into her swimsuit.." He gave out, scratching on the side of his left cheek. A habit of sorts, probably to mask his embarrassment.

He may not openly admit it, but it's obvious that Amato's really fond of Regina. That makes me kinda sad, to be honest, and extremely jealous.

"Heeeey! Aamaatttoooo!" Speaking of Regina, there she is, trotting towards Amato with the same confident smile she always has, all while calling out his name. The expression Amato had on his face when he saw her was livid. His cheeks flushed red almost instantly, his eyes never blinking as they widened in surprise. I believe any young man would when laying eyes on Regina in her bikini, the striking orange color complimenting her pure skin tinted pink and slightly tanned. Her figure looked toned and firm, which is a feature which trumped my own, I'll give her that.

"Hey Regina. Nice swimsuit." Without much thought I somehow gave out a compliment, surprising Regina and myself. Perhaps all the stress has taken a bigger toll on me than I thought.

"Uh..yeah. Thanks, Yoko." Regina replied with another smile. The air between us was strangely civil, for once, and somewhat enjoyable. "Is something bothering you, Yoko?" Out of nowhere, Regina tossed me the particular question after a few seconds of silence. Almost as if she caught on to something just be looking at me.

"N-No! I'm fine." Panicking for some reason, I broke eye contact and sunk back into my beach chair as I assured Regina. Has my fear and suspicion made itself known from my looks alone? Has it become so obvious that my very movements betrayed my inner thoughts to others?

"Amato...wanna go for a swim?" Clinging herself to Amato's arm in an attempt at seduction, Regina's murmuring brought me back. Whispering into Amato's ear, her soft voice was enough to all but enthrall the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia apparently.

"Uh...yeah, o-of course! I-I wasn't staring!" The first thing Amato gave out after breaking out of his stupor was crying out his response, adorably spilling out his thoughts. Regina didn't seem to mind, and next thing I knew they were already up on their feet, happily making their way into the waters!

"W-Wait a minute, Amato!" When the paranoia started seeping back, I blurted out an embarrassing cry for Amato to stay, my arm stretching out for him. Alas, it was too late for he was already in the distance, and between the cackle of the barbecue and the crashing of waves, the faint sound of my voice had little to no chance of reaching Amato.

Just like that the sense of vulnerability returned, eyes upon me from every corner. I would snuff them out, only to have the place devoid of anyone. Nothing but sand and sea, and the gray coastal rocks. Then the intent blurred and vanished, before it started lingering from another direction entirely!

This is ridiculous! The feeling's way worse than before!

"Hah..hah..huh.." Unable to stand the sensation or block it out I stumbled onto my feet in cold sweat, clutching down on both sides. Whatever it was, my senses screamed for me to get away, and so with awkward steps I pushed myself forward. The wave of danger carried with it a tinge of familiarity, and my body reacted in kind, instinctively determined to avoid whatever that's threatening it!

"May I ask where are you heading, Lady Hayashi?" From the barbecue pit Kiera must have caught sight of me, calling out as she made her way towards me, feigning concern. Without much thought I responded with a raised open palm, brushing off the issue. Now I really wanted to get away from where I was!

"Don't you mind me! I'm just...going out for a walk in the woods!"

In solemn green, in the stillness of the woods, things quieted down. I was finally able to breathe again, the fresh air cooling me down as the nauseating sensation receded. What started as a wild dash died down to a stroll. My breathing steadied, and with the welcomed silence my mind could think again. To my sides were nothing but groves of trees, vines and wood, and I couldn't be happier at the sight. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to have followed into the forests...

"Kiera didn't give chase as well..." I muttered out for some reason, as my thoughts dug deep into my memories. A reminder of exactly why it's better to stay wary of Kiera, Dante and Vito...

It's been about a month since I moved here to Venice, Italy. Into the Zanna Mansion to be exact. I have seen plenty of the daily operations carried out by the Famiglia, and I am no fool. Because of Amato's inexperience, Kiera's the real person giving out the orders. Because of that, I couldn't trust Amato's words enough to know if they applied to everyone within the Zanna Famiglia. Even if I were to give them the benefit of the doubt, that one afternoon changed everything...

"Leave her alone?! Did you managed to ascertain the information we needed to even make such a decision?!" From behind the huge doors, my steps stopped when passing by one of the many rooms within the Zanna Mansion. The yelling piqued my interest, and the hole slightly opened granted me sight of exactly whose voice it was.

"C'mon Kiera, you know as well as I do right from the beginning this was a fruitless venture! If anything, she's closed up even more towards us than she did before!" The one named Vito reasoned, with his signature sarcastic tone behind each word.

"Lady Yoko's refusal to cooperate with the two of you makes her a liability. I will not ignore a potential problem waiting to happen!" The golden-haired girl demanded, slamming her fists down on the table before her.

They're...talking about me. I'm...a liability?

"We have no choice. The contingency plan will have to be followed through. Lord Amato's planning a spring break getaway, no? An uninhabited island, secluded and a distance away from the city. The perfect stage." As she gave out her decision, I would be lying if I said her descriptions were anything but threatening. It became clear to me exactly what they planned to do, no matter how much I refused to believe it.

They're planning to take me out of the picture!

"Are you certain? She's a prideful one, the plan might backfire. One outcome might lead to another. Not to mention, have you considered how the Boss would react if he finds out?" Dante wondered out loud with his usual, cold expression.

"If you follow the plan to the letter, he won't." Kiera assured the guy, confidence pouring out of her. So much that even I started to believe it would happen. "We will accompany Amato and his friends for the trip, and when we reach that island, both of you have your orders." She continued, giving what sounded like a summary of the assassination.

"Find the right moment, and silence her doubts!"

I couldn't believe it. When my eyes blinked I realized my hand was over my lips for fear of me making a sound. In that instant everything I once dismissed as my own distrust grew into a reason for me to fear. After that moment, I was gripped by paranoia, trembling so much just retreating to my room felt like a struggle. Though Amato wouldn't, anyone else could be plotting against me, in league with Kiera and her plans.

That was when I started seeing demons behind every face.

When things flashed back to the present, I ended up shaking my head to rid myself of all the fear and negativity. The important thing to note is that I'm here on the island right now, still alive. If I could just survive this trip, and get back to the mansion, the plan in motion would be thwarted. After this, speaking to Amato about this plot would ensure my safety, because if anything's certain, it's that Kiera would not dare to openly defy Amato, no matter how inexperienced she might consider him up to be...

Badump.

While deep in thought, eye on the blades of grass beside my feet, the sensation returned, stronger than ever. My heart threw itself against my chest, and every cell in my body screamed for me to move! In the off-chance I looked up and forward, I saw the image so grafted into my memories that it triggered the influx of memories. Everything rushed right back.

The same, monstrous right eye. The same gripping fear, overwhelming nausea and sheer horror. It was pitch black, just like that night, bulging and pulsing with purple light, forming the lines across the surface.

It's staring at me, and from the shadows, the man stood silent, armed with the same pair of bloodstained axes. My mind was falling into despair, terror called forth the most horrible convulsion to ever wreck my body, messing up my motors skills. As instinct forced me back, step by step, I couldn't help but utter out the name. His name. The only information I managed to acquire from my investigation after all these years..

"Duilio..."

Another suspenseful end to a chapter. Perhaps it was right for Yoko to be so paranoid. The hunter from her past rears his ugly face once more. Will Yoko be able to defend herself? Will the Zanna Famiglia be able to catch wind of what's happening? Well, nothing but the next chapter will tell. As usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below, and keep your eyes out for the next update!