Before Rima knew it, the break was upon them. Somehow, it was suggested that several members of the Night Class visit her home during the break, and Rima found a number of annoying people thrust on her...yet, it was a relief. As much as she disliked the company, particularly since they hadn't even asked her how she felt about this spur of the moment visit, at the very least their presence would take some of the pressure off her at home and distract her from Shiki's absence.

Their goodbye had been brief. She'd tossed him a box of chocolate pocky and waved, murmuring, "See you," and that was it. There were few words spoken and fewer feelings exchanged. She'd gone out the door with her head high and an uneasy feeling clenched in her chest. Shiki himself had merely nodded in response without even a goodbye for her, but she thought she'd seen his eyes flatten out to grey as she turned away. It worried her more than she was willing to admit.

Yet, there was little time to indulge in worrying. Herself, Ichijou, her annoying roommate Ruka, the more annoying Hanabusa Aidou, his cousin Akatsuki Kain, and strangest of all, the pureblood Kaname Kuran, took the underground railroad to her house in order to spend the long holiday. Even Seiren had mentioned joining them later, although it seemed she had other things to do first. Of all of them, the only one she would have permitted to come home with her would have been Ichijou, but the decision had hardly been hers, and her parents couldn't easily refuse the request of a pureblood. Knowing them, they were probably using the opportunity to scout another unwanted suitor for her. They would be incredibly disappointed to learn that all of these 'friends' supported the monarchy, even Ichijou, whose family legacy was built around the council. That thought brightened her mood a little. Perhaps her parents would be so absorbed in their futile quest to find her a match that they wouldn't pester her at all about it.

Despite her reluctance to go home, however, she did enjoy returning to the mountains where her house was, secluded from society. The manor was far enough away from the school that the climate was very different; colder and fresher. Rima had always thought the colors there were more vivid and real than those in the cities. There was something refreshing about it. She felt as though she was breathing deeper here than back at the academy. It would have been relaxing if she wasn't preoccupied with her coworker and perturbed with the unwanted excess of company.

Currently, after the servants had shown the others to their rooms and put away the luggage, the six of them were sitting in the parlor, sharing a plate of cookies. Her parents weren't at home just yet, although unfortunately they would return later that evening. In the meantime, it seemed everyone was content to chat and snack. Rima herself wished to be alone, but that was all but impossible. Instead, she had seated herself between Ichijou and Kain, hoping to use them as a barrier against the more irritating Aidou and Ruka.

"We should have taken a car even if it would have taken longer." Aidou was complaining, again, for the millionth time, undoubtedly thinking back to all the stares they'd received in the station and on the train itself. Rima had shrugged them off. Together, they made a striking group, after all. It was only natural that the humans would look at them.

"Aidou, we were only being watched. I doubt those people will suspect us," Kaname sighed, and for once Rima found herself agreeing with the pureblood.

Ruka nodded, immediately agreeing with her one and only true and hopeless love. "The Day Class started off gazing at us like that, too."

"Now that you mention it," Ichijou said, "They did stare a lot... But Kaname is the only one they watched from a such a distance at the school. Maybe they instinctually understood that he is a fiendish creature, wearing the skin of a beautiful human..."

"Takuma-san!" Ruka gasped.

"Fiendish creature..." Rima shook her head. Only Ichijou was impudent enough to say such things to their leader. And only Ichijou could get away with saying such things, too.

"Kaname-sama, Ichijou-san is saying things about you!" Aidou exclaimed, indignant.

"Yes, I heard." The pureblood waved him off. "I think he's hit the mark." Cries of disagreement rose up, so the dorm president quickly cut them short by saying, "In any case, it's finally the holiday, so let's stop with the formalities, Aidou."

"Yes," the blond vampire murmured obediently, staring at his feet in chagrin.

"Since we're all here away from the academy, I wish we could all sleep together," Ichijou commented blithely.

Ruka colored red. "If my grandmother found out we did that, she would kill me!" she hissed.

"You don't have any interest in pillow fights?" the vice president pouted. Rima rolled her eyes. How absurd. No one would ever suspect that this person was the grandson of one of the most powerful and scary senators on the vampire council.

"Your grandfather wouldn't like it either," Rima pointed out to him, much to the blond's dismay.

Aidou chipped in then. "Yeah, Ichijou-san's grandfather is rather oppressive. Even though Kaname-sama was staying with them, it's natural that he became a runaway..."

"What are you saying all of a sudden?!" Ichijou cried, glancing back and forth between them in distress.

"I'm sorry, Aidou, that you have to look after a homeless me," Kaname stated blandly.

At the same time, Ichijou rushed to the pureblood and threw his arms around him, exclaiming, "Kaname, Aidou's so mean! I can't do anything about my grandfather, but he still says hurtful things! Even I don't want to see my grandfather's face, which is why I'm being a nuisance and intruding on Rima-chan!"

"No, no, I'm not-! I didn't mean that you were bothersome! I...ahhh!" Aidou turned, banging his head against wall beside his armchair quietly in despair.

"Since I am bothersome, let's go, Takuma," the pureblood suggested, and as the two left Rima wished she could do the same. Instead, she was stuck playing host. Why had they chosen her house? It was a mystery. Perhaps Kaname had wanted a break from the limelight. If that was the case, she couldn't blame him.

"Kaname-sama hasn't tried to go home to his mansion... Ever since we started life at the dorm, even during holiday breaks...," Ruka mused, eyes locked on the hallway the pureblood had disappeared into.

Aidou grew serious. "I understand how he feels. All Kaname-sama has is the council, and even now he's being controlled by Ichijou-san's grandfather under the guise of kindness. Plus, the mansion holds memories of his parents, so it might be hard for him..."

Rima didn't want to talk about the pureblood. Of course, it was tragic that he'd lost his parents at such a young age, but regardless she wasn't in the mood for a discussion that would undoubtedly end in adoring praise of the dorm president's merits. She stood, adjusting her skirt, and asked, "Ruka-san, would you like to see the garden?" Under normal circumstances, it was an invitation she would never have extended. But these weren't normal circumstances. And perhaps the natural flower scent of the garden would help disguise Ruka's overpowering aroma.

"Oh, thank you. I'd like that." Ruka seemed a little distracted, but she stood and followed the model out of the room.

"There are a lot of flowers and a lot of roses...my mother likes them." She shrugged.

"They're my favorites," her roommate told her.

Unsurprising. "It's here," she told the girl, pushing open the door that opened into the courtyard at the center of the house.

"Oh! It's lovely!" Ruka exclaimed.

Rima nodded. Yes, the garden was quite an aesthetic. It was small but quaint, with a variety of blooms that were dominated by roses of several colors. That was the only aspect of the garden that Rima found boring. Of course her mother would choose roses. Everyone chose roses. Ruka, as well, went straight to the roses. Rima preferred the other blossoms, the ivy that crept up the walls, and the marble statue that functioned as the centerpiece to the garden.

Joining the honey-haired vampire by the roses, Rima reached out, touching the soft petals of the nearest rose. As her hand fell, one of the thorns pricked her finger and a single drop of dark blood welled up against her skin. Strangely, she was reminded of Ichijou's birthday party, and of the small cut that Shiki had licked up from the vice president's finger without hesitation. Would he have done the same, if it were her? Maybe she would have that answer, if and when she at last tasted his blood. She tilted her own finger and the drop fell, vanishing into the earth. If only her worries would vanish so easily.

"I wonder if Shiki-kun will be okay returning home..." she murmured. Those words, like her blood, disintegrated away unanswered.

Home. Such a big, empty place. Senri felt that emptiness gnaw over him, pricking against his skin like goose bumps. Gathering his strength, he pushed open the door and stepped into the hall. To his surprise, no one was there to greet him. He shut the door with a creak, sniffing the air. There was only one scent here: his mother's. The servants were gone.

Troubled, he announced, "I'm home."

A soft voice exclaimed close by, "Senri!"

Reaching the source, the model found his mother sitting on the wide steps that led upstairs. Her hair was a disheveled mess, tangled around her pretty face and nearly vacant eyes. Her dress was unkempt, one sleeve hanging limply off her shoulder, the skirt wrinkled and fading. The sight wounded him. She had banished the servants again and allowed herself to fall into this state once more. It wasn't the first time she'd done so.

He moved towards her, stating quietly, "I'm home."

"Senri..." She rose, touching his cheek almost as if she did not recognize him. There was something lost and broken in her eyes.

"I'm back, Mother," he repeated, and gradually her focus sharpened.

She threw her arms around him. "Senri, Senri!" He couldn't mistake the joy in her voice, and his heart twisted. He hated leaving her alone, yet also hated being here.

At a loss, he murmured, "Let's at least comb your hair. The fans from your acting days would cry if they saw you like this."

She smiled at him and followed him up to her room. They had done this a million times. He took up the brush, she the burnished silver mirror, and slowly he went to work on the strands of thick, knotted hair. It would have been easier to cut it, but for some reason she would scream whenever it was suggested. Probably his father had liked it this way. Rido Kuran... His grip tightened on the handle of the brush, but he kept his movements gentle.

The process was familiar and slow. His mother was humming some song under her breath, patiently enduring his ministrations. Unbidden, he remembered Rima's hair...remembered how different it was. It was silky, smooth, and fair, the opposite of Hana Shiki's. He shouldn't be thinking about it now, but he wished his coworker was here with him. Wished it was her hair he was brushing, instead. And hated himself for wishing such a thing.

His mother tilted the mirror back, observing him, and commented, "You're beginning to look more like that demonic bastard..."

His heart jumped fearfully, though he kept his voice low. "Really? Since I don't know Father's face... But I always thought I looked a lot like you."

"Yes, you do, but..." She paused. Then, "I liked that deep look that never told me what he was thinking. You have the same look."

He'd known it was dangerous, leaving home. Known it in the marrow of his bones. Getting closer to Rima, it really was... He shuddered. She had promised she wouldn't let him become like that, but could she really stop him? He was letting himself become too selfish, too involved, and already...already, he wasn't sure if he could go back to how he had been before.

"Senri," Hana said suddenly, interrupting his thoughts, "there's a letter from the council of the ancients. My uncle from the council came by yesterday and asked me to give it to you. Since he doesn't have children, I think he wants you to succeed him. He wants to meet with you. Of course, we can't say no because it's from the council, but come home quickly, okay?" It was the most lucid statement he'd heard from her in a long time.

"Where is it?" he asked.

"Here." She touched an envelope on the corner of her vanity and he nodded. He didn't particularly want to be involved with the council, but she was right that they couldn't refuse his request. "I'm hungry," she added, twisting around and standing, already poised at his throat. "Give me some fresh blood."

Of course. It was inevitable. She was always hungry and always would be, because the blood she wanted was forever gone. He tensed. How could he empty himself again for her? But, much like the letter, her request was not one he could refuse. "How spoiled. Well...alright..."

Her teeth cut him like knives. Deep. So deep. He flinched, sucking in a sharp breath as the pain washed down to his fingertips. If she could sense that she'd hurt him, she showed no indication of it. Instead, she pushed deeper still, each pull from his veins so ravenous that he nearly hissed aloud. He should be used to it. She'd always been this way, even since he was little. And he understood that she was desperate for something unattainable. This was the thread that stitched the last pieces of her sanity together.

Jaw clenched, he caught sight of the two of them in the handheld mirror she'd set back on the table. She was drinking enough that his own thirst was kicking up, eyes dusting red with the need to replace the lost blood. He'd brought the tablets, but he wondered if they'd be enough for him to recover quickly from this. Watching the reflection of that scene, he was struck by how careless she was. Blood escaped her, staining down his neck and clothes, and involuntarily he felt his mind jolt back to Rima again.

Rima... He'd offered her his blood. Perhaps she would understand after drinking from him just how insidious his thoughts were becoming towards her. And he couldn't help but wonder, how would it be? Surely, her bite would be nothing like his mother's. The thought of his coworker's teeth at his neck was at the same time intimidating and enough to make his blood rush faster. He wasn't quite sure how he'd react to it. Would he flinch away from her, have to force himself to stillness the way he did with his mother? Yet, he was beginning to feel a need for it. For something different. Something to break him away from this wretched feeling. Increasingly so...

His mother released him suddenly. And started to cry. Huge sobs shook her small frame, leaving her gasping for air. He could only stare at her, as though over a huge distance, entirely disconnected. His neck felt numb. He stared as she broke down before him. Stared at her as she clutched her head and screamed at him, "Demonic bastard!" Her words threw shadows over his heart. She had read it in his blood, then. He really was becoming more like his father. Yes, he was really...despicable...

She was still screaming when he picked up the letter and left wordlessly. He muted the sound as he closed the door behind him and walked mindlessly through the halls back to his own room. He wondered how much she'd tasted in his blood. Surely she knew the depths of his betrayal, now. He was no longer the doll he'd promised to be. He was no longer quite so...empty...

Now, however, he just felt numb.

Rima stared into her closet. The maids kept it organized by color at her request, so there was an entire section dedicated to the color blue. The azure shades dominated her vision, and for a moment she almost felt as though she was looking into Shiki's eyes. Automatically, her gaze flicked to the calendar hanging on the adjacent wall. The neat rows of white boxes seemed to stretch on into infinity. So much time... It would be so long before she could return to the academy...

Pushing aside the blue clothing, she reached for a light brown cardigan and wished, not for the first time, that she could just sleep to pass the days until break was over. Everything was quickly becoming tedious. Her parents. The Night Class. Being home. Worrying over her colleague. All of it...

Or maybe what was tedious was that the air was a little uncomfortable to breathe without Shiki around.

The day after he arrived home, Senri visited his great-uncle. His mother hadn't left her room, but nevertheless he'd stood by the door and told her, "I'm going to visit your uncle now. I'll be back as soon as possible." There was no answer save for a quiet sob.

Maybe he should have been grateful for the escape. But, standing in the unfamiliar manor, he felt uncomfortable instead. His great-uncle was a small man with shifting eyes and shoulder length, blond hair. His smile did not seem entirely sincere as Senri greeted him. "It's been a while, Great-Uncle."

"Everyone doing well over there?" his relation asked with a notable lack of interest.

"Yeah, okay," he responded. "But...to be honest, all the servants have been fired." It went without saying that the older man should hire more immediately. Hana Shiki could not and would not care for herself. She should not be alone.

"So I've heard. Don't worry about that for now. Today I want to show you something, Senri."

His great-uncle gestured, leading the model through a hall and down some steps that he assumed went to the basement. As they descended, a powerful odor rose up to meet them. It was strong, with an undertone of sweetness reminiscent of pureblood. However, this particular smell rankled. He could not quite place it.

"I don't really like it here," Senri muttered.

Misunderstanding, his great-uncle snapped, "What? It's not about taking over my place on the council. You're not a child anymore."

That's not what I meant. He kept his mouth firmly closed. Could his great-uncle not smell it? There was something here. Something old and powerful...

The older man continued, "That's why, as part of the Shiki family, I will reveal to you my deepest secret that I've been hiding up to now. Well then..."

They were out of the staircase now, in the basement as he'd thought they would be. The room was dark, and in the center was an open sarcophagus, stained with blood. It was from there that the odor originated. As they approached, Senri saw that the tomb was filled with blood. And in the blood... His eyes widened.

"The reason was to protect him. Your father..." His great-uncle gestured.

What he was smelling...it was a pureblood, regenerating... "So he hasn't died. How disgusting."

"To say something like that about your father, how cruel," another voice chided. "He may not look it, but he's quite alive! But it seems like it's reached its limit now. That's why I was looking forward to meeting you when you're grown up."

Brow creasing, the model discovered a small child standing beside the sarcophagus. A small child with mismatched eyes... He frowned, disturbed and confused. His father had always been described like that, with different colored eyes. Who was this boy? The child was looking at him with a gaze that was distinctly un-childlike. There was something about this place, about all of this, that had him on edge. Tension pricked at his nerves.

"Excuse me for keeping you waiting, young master," his great-uncle apologized to the boy, who immediately collapsed.

As the small body fell, another body rose from the bloody depths of the sarcophagus, skin and sinew grotesquely patched together, unfinished. The half-made face before him held the same jolting eyes. One brown and the other blue. A hand rose, vile blood splashing onto the model's face, and he stepped back as those fingers reached for him.

A raw voice spoke from the depths of the incomplete throat, "My cute son. Senri, lend me your power."

The fingers found his skin, smearing his cheek with blood, and a hushed murmur pooled in the corner of his mind, gently plying at the edges of his vision. As though entranced, he welcomed it and it lapped at his thoughts like undulating waves, licking and curling around his consciousness, balmy as a kiss. Like a ribbon of shadow, it slid silk-like down his throat, swathing and filling every part of his body. His stumbling heart gorged on it, swelling in his chest with scintillating black.

And then, suddenly, its gentleness became violent, twisted around his limbs and dripped down his veins, slicing him open from the inside like winter glass. It gripped him tightly, seeping so deeply into his skin that it stained his blood and choked his tongue, rotting even his shadow, leaving nothing untouched. That strange, foreign presence was compressing him down, flattening him.

Wait. The thought rang through his mind belatedly, sluggishly. Wait. I don't want this.

But the weight was muffling him, fogging over his thoughts, pushing him stumbling backwards. His thoughts were blurring over, exiled to uncomprehending darkness. He was helpless against the power of a pureblood.

Be silent, a new voice bid him in a fierce, undeniable request.

No... But he was locked into drowsiness, into indifference, into a black void of clamoring silence. Vaguely, through a haze, he could see his body moving, disconnected from him, as though he were a zombie. How fitting that it would end this way, trapped in his mind, his body confiscated by a sinister, malicious puppeteer. No, that puppeteer...that was his father...

Silence, the voice mandated again, and he felt the embers of his self-murdered heart die down a little more, quieting mildly. Nothing. That was what was required of him. To be nothing. Nothing and no one, eternally... Just as his mother had wanted... Just as he'd tried to be his whole life... Wasn't this what he had been raised for?

But he couldn't chase away the sapphire eyes. The golden hair. The electric blood.

Rima...

If he was nothing, he could no longer be beside her. No, he didn't want that, didn't want to be apart from her-!

Silence. The force behind that single command staggered him.

And he was silent.

AN: RIP Senri. Jk jk. Here begins the drama. Also, did Hino EVER tell us who that little kid was (the one Rido also possesses)? It's gotta be another of Rido's kids, right? But then...when was he born? How was he born? I mean...if Rido was completely destroyed...when did he have a chance to father another baby? Or is this like a cousin or something? I'm still very confused over who the kid is. Anyone have any insights?