A/N: I'd like to thank the two reviewers who pointed out how giving in did Luka sound when she should have still been angry with Gakupo. I'd like to tell you that Luka did definitely NOT forgive him yet, I just wanted to give that idea a whole chapter for itself. Also, the ending of the previous chapter was there to serve defining the change Luka will be going through later. I will say no more because I don't want to spoil things xD I hope you don't give up on this story yet.

Yet again, I fail and hastily misjudge others way too soon…yet again I fail and realize my mistake way too late.

It had been a habit of mine since the decease of my dear mother to wish happiness upon all life forms, and to help deliver this happiness to them… it had been a habit of mine to find my own satisfaction in caring for others and helping draw a smile on their faces, since I had no wish or desire of my own left inside of me…
But perhaps this time things were different, for this time pleasing others was going to be at the expense of my own happiness and self-respect. For this time, I finally had a wish, I had something that I desired from the bottom of my heart; to take a deep breath of the flower-scented air of our heaven-like garden again, to join my siblings in one crazy embrace and laugh and cry with them, to hear father's loving words and beautiful tales... I knew I had to stand for my wish, and I knew I was more than ready to do that.

"No!" Gakupo stood up and growled at Meiko who was sitting right beside me at the dining table, as she suggested allowing me to go home, smashing his terrifying fists against the table, rattling the plates and the silverware.
"Keep your cursed nose out of my freaking business or you'll get it broken." He threatened, no trace of the man from before left on his face, his eyes beastly lethal, his glare almost dripping pure poison, as his inner beast reached the surface again.
"Stay away and let me rot in my own hell!" He roared, throwing the whole table towards Meiko and I, yet somehow we managed to back away on time and avoid being crushed. The last of the human image I had started building of him in my mind smashed into dust-fine fragments as our lunch crashed against the marble floor. I couldn't help but be thankful to my quick reflexes, or else, it could have been my face instead of the floor.

Anything that I could have possibly felt for him before beside sympathy evaporated. I didn't want to be at the mercy of his mood swings. Someone who was constantly hurting me without a second thought didn't deserve my attention at all. The pathetic show he had put on at the dining table as he tried to use the cutlery and failed miserably was saddening, true, but it couldn't possibly shake any feeling beside sympathy inside of me anymore, because he was ugly on the inside, and ugly souls barely deserved so much. I hated myself for ever thinking of him differently.

"By all means, do as you please." I coldly replied, looking him right in the eye before I left the dining room, maintaining a fake but confident posture, with quick and powerful steps.

I reverted back to my current bedroom, and decided to lock myself in. It wasn't a solution to anything, but what else did I have to do? It was my best bet to get as far away from him as possible, as I had no intention of ever coming across that deadly-poisonous look again.

My heart started feeling heavy with many feelings that I couldn't interpret just yet, and it got so distracting that the beast's roars from downstairs started fading out. I found myself driven to sit on the carpeted floor instead of the bed as if I was bearing all the discomfort in the world on my shoulders, weighing me down along with the heaviness of my heart.

I hugged my knees to my torso, longing to the warmth and safety I used to feel around my loved ones. Despite my sorrowful state of mind, a delightful melody brushed against my throat softly as I started to hum one of the songs Miku and I always repeated to push away sadness and help us focus better on whatever we had in hand. Singing, that little habit of mine had always been the way to get me back to my senses, to wake me from my numbness and strike my awareness. It was also the trick he had used to get on my good side.

I've always believed that singing was an enchanted key to hearts, and a powerful method to change lives. Why was it so easy for anyone to dispose of a plant but not kill an animal? Because animals could make sounds, animals could sing. Why was it okay for most people to kill a rat or a fish, but not a bird? Because birds could sing. Why was it that I allowed such a terrible person as him into my heart even if for a few seconds? Because he could sing his way into the depth of my mind. Because I was playing the melody of my heart out, vulnerable and emotionally unprotected, when he came in to sing the words deeply tied to my melody. Because it was a song deeply and eternally engraved into my being, with the warm voice of my beloved mother.

As I sang further, my mind getting less cloudy, I finally came to realize that the part of me which had shown forgiveness to the monster wasn't my kind side as I liked to think, but my weak side, if I were to truthfully admit. The side I was never going to show again. He sang my mother's song, and I weakly –and wrongly- allowed him to gain my approval, I was too weak to lock my heart against her song because I had missed her so much I was willing to take in anything relatively related to her.

Heavens knew how I hated him for taking advantage of my weak spot -even if unknowingly- and for separating me from my family. Heavens knew how I missed Rin and Len's giggles, Gumi's chatter, and Miku's singing… How I missed my fiancé's light-hearted conversations, and my father's caring and support… Everything felt like a warm tender dream that was oceans away, yet right here in my heart… something that I would give my life away to experience again.

My heart scorched with flames of devastation, but I prayed for the fire to never go out, I prayed for the pain to never cease, because it only gave me more motivation. Devastation fueled my hatred, pain empowered my rage and toughened my will to fight. I allowed the flames to eat up my heart until nothing was left but ashes, to fully annihilate it and consume it. The only thing I could think of anymore was my goal of going back home.

With my goal set my mind was clear as the summer sky, and it was finally obvious and assured to me that sympathy was all I've ever felt toward him, beside hatred and anger. Any other feeling that got mistakenly tangled with them before was now correctly sorted in its right place.

I rose from my place straightening the folds which had formed in my clothes a totally different person from the one who sat there a while ago. I felt much better and stronger; I could see everything crystal clear, and I could enjoy my newfound peace of mind.

I headed to the 'art room' on my own to play, but his time I was going to play freely, an indie personal song of strength and determination.

The day passed by with no further interruptions from others, except for Meiko's eventual knocks on the door which I had ignored.

My fingers were very tired from overtraining so I decided to take a rest. The room was eerily quiet, there was no clock inside the room but the sky was an uncomfortable dark shade of blue and the moon was shying behind the dark clouds, two or three days away from becoming a full moon. I hadn't noticed when did the night start giving me anxiety, as I had never been afraid of the dark before. But after all, I definitely wasn't the same characterless person I was a few days ago; I had changed in many ways, and perhaps this was one of the changes too.

"You can't stay in there all day long! I mean you actually did, but how long do you plan to stay in there? I feel rather lonely…" Meiko called from behind the door, but I was in no mood to answer.

"Aren't you hungry?" She called again, no hint of a will to give up obvious in her tone.

"I've been to your family's house today. I have a message for you." She exhaled and said, adopting a serious tone, and it worked like a spell, succeeding to catch my attention and make me open the door.

"Are they okay?" I asked worriedly as soon as I opened the door, unable to maintain my calm composure.

"They were very happy to know I was staying at the mansion with you, I think they took a liking to me." The brunette bragged, curling a lock of her hair with her index finger.

"It's not the time for that." I interrupted coldly, slightly annoyed.

"Right. I apologize. Your siblings seemed fine and they expressed they were quite relieved to receive the message you sent yesterday, they were even happier that they heard from me in person about you, and they wanted me to tell you they miss you so much. But it's your father who seemed tired. They told me his health had been deteriorating ever since Gakupo took you. He seems to blame himself for it, and for not being strong enough to protect you."

My heart felt more torn with every word she spoke I just wanted to dissolve into nothing and disappear. There I was causing my family to hurt again. My pulse picked up its pace and my ragged breathes seemed to race my heartbeats. I didn't mean to be pessimistic, but I was too scared to lose my father the way I lost my mother. I didn't want to cause his sickness and be the reason of his ailment.

"But don't worry, they have informed your fiancé, and he's coming back to the country to gather the strongest of his men and save you. I have described the mansion's location for them precisely. You'll be fine." She threw her arms around me spontaneously. The way she talked to me sounded genuine and honest, as if every word was coming right out of her heart. I was startled and I stiffened in my place for a second, but the sincerity she glowed with was too overwhelming to resist, and soon I found myself returning the hug, content and relaxed, also at a loss of words.

"Your siblings and I actually did like each other's though. You're blessed with a beautiful loving family that I wouldn't trade for the world if I were you." Meiko commented, with a bittersweet smile. "And you do have a beautiful soul too, Luka. You're like a little sister to me. Don't let the last few days burden you. Go back to enjoy the life you used to lead." She advised, brushing my hair.

"I will." I beamed at her with a smile that touched my eyes. "Can I just ask you something?" I inquired.

"Sure, just go ahead."

"Why are you helping me? Don't get it wrong, I'm very thankful for your kindness, I just can't help but wonder how could you do it! how could you ever-so-calmly say that Kaito and his men are coming here!? Doesn't it make you... umm, sad? Or perhaps worried?" I tried to ask without explicitly pointing out that she was leading my fiancé to Gakupo's liar so that he could come and get him.

"Partly, yes. But I'm also happy for you. Gakupo is my little brother and I'll always defend him and stay by his side, but that doesn't mean I think it's the right side. I will protect him because that's what family does, but I do realize what he deserves. I know what justice is." Meiko admitted.

"You're a wonderful human. No, a wonderful angel, sister." was all I could say, wiping away the tears blurring my vision. I had enough emotions blending in my heart today to easily brew tears out of me.

"A fine man you have there, eh?" Meiko added referring to my fiancé to lighten the mood, winking at me. "Don't let him slip through your fingers, he's such a kind, honorable gentleman." Both of us chuckled at her remark.

"I'll try my best." I promised, sticking out my tone at the ridiculousness of our new topic's nature.