Yui's POV

Flashback

I was in my room getting ready for dinner when a swirl of wind sent a chill down my spine. I turned around and saw the window was open, so I hastily approached it to shut it down and prevent more heat from escaping my chilling dormitory, when I tripped on a brown leather-bound journal as I made my way towards the source of the cold.

I looked down and found the journal laying on the floor, so I bent over to pick it up and placed it onto my bed. I resumed walking towards the window, but when I forced down the lid to successfully shut it, it came up and even more wind traveled inside.

Why won't it close? It's what I asked over and over again as I kept trying to force the windowpane downwards. Then I felt a hand on my cheek. It traveled downwards until it paused when it had reached my chin. My head was forced to turn when the hand moved my chin upwards to face its owner. I yelped, and this time, two pairs of hands were holding me. Each pair was holding one of my arms firmly, so I couldn't escape from my captives, who I already knew after living four years with them now, thanks to my father.

''What's wrong Bitch-chan? Don't look like that…aww come on, I'll give you pleasure…and sooo much more than what you've experienced.'' A redhead in a fedora hat purred.

''L-Laito! S-Stop!'' I yelled as I attempted to pull my arm away from him, but it was no use. ''Laito, please! W-We have to go down to dinner!''

''Oi! Shut up already, Chichinashi!'' A voice shouted and I turned around to see Ayato lick his lips and smirk down at me as he showed me his fangs. ''You. Will. Do. As. I. Please.'' I backed up, away from him. I wanted to go anywhere as long as it was away from him! But I had to run into Laito, who just forced me down on my knees and onto my bed as he twisted my arms. No plead or request for mercy would slow them down. No kick or slap or punch would make them flinch. And so as I tried to push Laito off of me, Ayato came behind me and picked me up by my armpits, then settled my body on his lap.

''You belong to us now.'' He said into my ear, ''And so you will do whatever we tell you because your body and blood belongs to us.''

''I don't belong to you!'' I shouted as I elbowed him hard in the ribs, which only caused him to laugh cruelly. ''L-Let go of me Ayato! N-NOO!''

Laito settled himself in front of me. For a moment, he showed sympathy, but it was gone when he began to run his hand up and down my thigh, even as I kicked him repeatedly, aiming at his face.

Ayato unbuttoned down his shirt. Laito took off his tie and hat. And that was my signal, they weren't here just for my blood. I attempted to get off the bed, to fight off at least one of these two vicious men but couldn't.

''STOOOP! NOO! NO! THAT HURTS! GET OFF ME! GOD HELP ME! SOMEONE! PLEA-'' Ayato muffled my screams by pulling my hair as he placed his hand on top of my mouth. ''SHUT UP, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO AND YOU ARE MINE TO DO AS I SEE YOU FIT! ONE MORE SCREAM AND I WILL MAKE IT HURT EVEN MORE!''

Laito pinned my legs and began licking my thighs as Ayato continued to bite my flesh, not bothering to be gentle as he ripped open my skin. I squirmed and continued to protest but my strength failed me. Tears ran down my face as Ayato ripped open my shirt, leaving my chest exposed.

''Now, now, Bitch-chan. It won't hurt after you grow used to it.'' Laito climbed on top of me and began caressing my chest. ''Let's have fun, shall we?'' He grinned as he placed both hands on my back, reaching the spot where he could easily unpin my bra.

And then I knew, no God would save me from this.

End of Flashback

My body came forward abruptly and I hit my face with my knees in the process.

''Owww….'' I mumbled. My back touched the bed once again, and I layed there, panting and shivering in the cold of the room. I rolled my body over and came to face a small, brown-covered book. I took it up in my right hand and examined it. It looked ridiculously similar to the one in my dream, but I dismissed the idea, putting the book onto the dusty bedside table.

I couldn't help but tremble as hot tears poured down, staining my cheeks. Flashbacks of that night kept coming back to me every few moments, flooding my mind and successfully tormenting me. I couldn't believe how pathetic I was, to lay down in my bed while sobbing into the squishy pillows that covered my face. Why couldn't I just get over it? I should've known that they always wanted to take pleasure from me, not to love me or even care for me. Why had I even cared for them, while I knew none of them would ever get to love me? But instead I let my guard down and those were the consequences.

My head ached, my limbs were tired, and suddenly I wondered where I was when I felt the unfamiliar fabrics onto my skin. They were cotton fabrics, with rose designs scattered all over their surface. Even though they seemed comforting, they weren't enough to keep me from freezing, so I compelled myself to get out of bed and go look around the room for more sheets, when I realized there was something behind me, sitting on a chair next to my bed. I turned around, hoping I didn't look too frightened so as to offend the person I faced.

Sitting on an armchair with a few pillows behind her head was the person I wanted to see for so long but never got the chance to.

''Sakura!'' I cried happily, fresh tears forming on my eyes and traveling down my cheeks as the blonde took me in her arms.

''Yui! You are awake! God you were gone for so long…'' She gently pulled away and examined my features. She must have seen I was excruciatingly cold, because she took off her furry coat and wrapped me with it.

''Ahh…That's better…'' I sighed and faintly smiled at the warmth. Sakura pulled me into her lap, and as if I were a little girl, she began singing a lullaby while she gently ran her hand up and down my head.

The notes flooded the empty space. Her voice was in perfect harmony with the silence, enveloping the tunes she hummed around it until I couldn't even distinguish her voice from the silence that previously had filled the room. All that could be heard was her voice, singing a song that was depressing and yet so hopeful, that it made me wonder whom it was about.

''What's the name of the song?'' I asked in a whisper, my eyelids closed. Sakura kept on caressing my cheeks and intertwining her fingers in my blonde curls as she replied:

''Gin no bara. I wrote it from someone else's perspective, though.''

''The lyrics were so familiar and yet so foreign… I wonder why I feel as though I can relate to it.''

''Yes…wonder why…'' Sakura smiled, her eyes distant and looking out the huge window that was located to her left. Her song had been so intriguing, her presence so consoling, that I almost forgot to ask the questions that I had asked myself when I woke up in this strange room.

''Sakura?'' I asked, suddenly alert.

''Hm?''

''What happened?''

''What do you mean?'' She asked, arching her eyebrows in confusion.

''I mean what happened that I'm here in this room. Why am I not with Christa at her palace?''

''O-Oh…'' Sakura laughed nervously, then she hesitated but finally replied. ''U-Um, you were supposed to go with the Mukami but I kind of took it upon myself to bring you to this hospital…he-he…'' She smiled apologetically before asking, sympathetically patting my head. ''Do you remember anything? Like, where were you before you woke up in here?''

''I-I, I'm not sure…'' I hesitated. Then I remembered. ''O-Oh! I was roaming in Christa's garden when a man approached me…he looked similar to Alex, but his eyes were stormy so I don't think it was him…''

''A-Alex, huh?'' Sakura seemed to be thinking about something.

''Sakura? Why did you bring me to a hospital?''

''Uh? I didn't really bring you here, you know, more like we were sent here by someone else who has been helping us escape from my brothers and your future husband…''

''H-HUSBAND?'' I was astonished. I had been told by Christa that I had amnesia, yes, but she told me that the most important memories would come back to me the first months I spent at the rehabilitation center. Why had I never received the memory of my wedding? Or of the times I spent with my betrothed?

''I said future, Yui, calm down. It won't happen yet, at least we're trying to prevent it from happening.''

''We're?'' I echoed. ''Sakura, I trust you enough to please tell me what's going on…I know I have amnesia though I don't know what happened in the first place to even cause me to lose my memories but please…At least you could tell me who is 'we' and how I got here.''

''Yui…I will, it's just that everything's so complicated and too many stories and events are involved so that it makes it hard for me to summarize and for you to comprehend.'' I wasn't satisfied with this answer, and I let her know it by forming a scowl and looking down at the floor. Childish, I know, but it was the right expression to make Sakura feel guilty.

''Please? Sakura, please, I really need to know what happened and anything else you can tell me.''

''Ok, let's do this. We'll go down to the cafeteria and buy something to eat, there, we will discuss what's happened, but don't blame me if you don't understand everything.''

''Hai!'' I replied happily. To know at least something was enough for me after being all that time stuck in a beautiful palace that was only disguised to make me feel like I wasn't encaged. I ached to know why I had gotten amnesia, why I was in a hospital, who was the boy I remembered that was so similar to Alex…who was my betrothed, and why was Sakura with me when Christa was the one who was always with me when Alex wasn't around?

All these questions flooded my mind as I stood up and followed Sakura out of the room, down several hallways, and into an elevator where a purple-headed woman was waiting for us.

''Why, hello, darlings.'' The woman said in a sweet voice. She was wearing what seemed to be an office uniform: white shirt with long sleeves underneath a black jacket and a tight skirt that reached just above her knees. Black heels were on her feet, and her hair was high up in a ponytail with a few bangs falling over her eyebrows, just above her emerald-green eyes. She wore red lipstick to emphasize her thin lips and a pair of glasses sat on the bridge of her nose.

''C-Cordelia?'' I asked, recognizing the woman from my dreams but surprised at the fact she wasn't wearing her signature black gown. ''I-Is that you?''

''Indeed it is, my dear Rose, how have you been?'' Why was she acting so nice? I wondered. In my dreams, she did somewhat show sympathy but her smirk depicted cruelty. It was hard to imagine she was cruelty incarnate when she smiled as sweetly as a mother. I shook the thoughts away and tried to focus.

''Good, I guess.'' She smiled at me and took my hand, leading me into the elevator as Sakura followed. I looked back at her, she didn't seem disturbed by the fact that Cordelia was here, so maybe I should just calm my nerves a little, I thought. I just hoped she won't begin with the riddles, puzzles, and visions that just confused my perspective of my past even more.

''Hungry aren't you? We can have strawberry smoothies and pancakes with honey if you want. I hear they are one of humans' favorite meals for the morning.'' The way she said ''human'' reminded me that she was a vampire, and that did not help my mood.

''Cor- I mean, mother, shouldn't you talk as if you were human? You are scaring Yui by reminding her of your origins.''

''Oh,yes , that's right. Sorry, Rose.'' Cordelia smiled apologetically at me.

''T-That's fine. I don't mind what we have for breakfast so… it's ok.''

''You don't? Then could I order a cranberry drink?'' Cordelia asked.

''Cranberry drink?'' I echoed. Did she mean cranberry juice? I thought vampires hated that kind of juice since they thought it was reserved for their prey, which they considered as ''livestock''.

''It refers to blood, Yui. In the cafeteria, they sell blood to vampires who work in the offices near the hospital, to avoid their thirst to get the best of them which could result in them taking the patients here as victims.'' Sakura said. ''They call it cranberry drinks because, like, who goes to the counter and says, 'Hey there, human, could I have some blood?' Imagine how weird that would be! Plus, mortals would get freaked out if they heard a vampire talking like that.''

''Oh…that makes sense.'' Cordelia stepped out of the elevator and I followed her with Sakura trailing behind me. We chose a table that was sort of isolated from the others, for we didn't want anyone to eavesdrop on our conversation and call a psychologist or something . Sakura went to order our food, and Cordelia stayed with me, smiling as sweetly as ever. ''How come in my dreams you seemed…different?'' I shyly asked her.

''There are many distortions in personality when someone travels between dimensions. To transport myself into someone's mind takes a great deal of energy, and that results in side effects such as my personality being almost opposite to the usual.'' She smiled even more. ''I'm sorry if I frightened you in your sleep, I just meant to give you some feedback on whom you're running from.'' Whom I was running from? Did she mean her sons, the ones she reminds me of?

''Pancakes with honey and blueberries on top, one strawberry smoothie, and two cranberry drinks.'' Sakura recited the order. She placed a tray in front of Cordelia, one in front of me, and then settled herself with her tray facing her.

''So…'' Cordelia said as she took a bite of her pancakes, which, apparently, were so delicious she moaned in delight and took several more bites. ''What would you like to know first?'' She inquired, her mouth slightly full, thus sounding a little bit deeper than usual.

''Hm…'' I thought what I should ask first as I sipped on my smoothie. Then, rather shyly and reluctantly, I asked what I wanted to know the most. ''How did I end up in this hospital, and what happened before I did?''

Normal POV

Sakura stopped chewing on her pancakes. She looked up and saw the confused expression in Yui's face. A fragment of a flashback came back to her, and she sat on her chair, with her mouth full and her eyes distant, as she remembered what had happened in her own perspective.

Sakura's POV

Flashback

I landed on a field of roses. Sounds lovely to you? Then let me remind you that roses have thorns which aren't as lovely to land on. I flinched when a thorn brushed against my calf, leaving a red mark where it had touched me. I pulled Yui closer to my chest and brought my legs up, I bent my knees and did a flip, landing successfully on my feet. I pushed the flowers away from Yui's blonde curls and began walking towards the woman that sat in front of us on a bench wearing her black and white signature dress. I growled at the woman.

''Of all places you could've sent us to, you had to send us here?'' I told her, my anger boiling inside me as she just smirked at my wry remark.

''My, my, I didn't know you wanted to drown in that lake when you don't know how to swim.'' She said sarcastically. ''And neither does she.'' She pointed at Yui, who layed in my arms, her breathing slower that I'd expected.

''Fine.'' I snapped. Cordelia raised her eyebrows expectantly. ''Fine, mother.'' I corrected.

''Anything you want to add to that?'' She said in feigned innocence.

''…T-T-Thank you…'' I said, knowing I had no choice but to play along as she arched her eyebrows even higher, indicating she expected more. ''For saving my life and Yui's.''

''Aww, aren't you a nice daughter, darling.'' She smiled.

''S-She's breathing slowly. Is that normal?'' I asked, nodding at Yui.

''Let me check her…'' Cordelia said while she stood up and walked towards where I was standing with Yui in my arms. Cordelia placed a hand on Yui's chest, where her heart was.

''Hmm…'' Cordelia listened to the pulse in Yui's veins by bringing Yui's wrist close to her ears.

''Well?'' I asked, fearing the worst.

''She won't die, Sakura. She's just unconscious because she's a mortal, and mortals can barely stand impacts as the one she received when she banged her head against the car's window.'' She took a last quick glance over Yui. ''Maybe you should come along, and make sure Yui doesn't injure her head any further.'' She turned her back to me, and walked ahead of us at a steady, quick pace.

She was hastily approaching a building, a huge one, which I recognized almost immediately as I saw it. I struggled to keep up even though Yui barely weighed. While Yui whimpered and moaned, I entered the mansion, following Cordelia who was walking faster than ever.

Could she slow down?

End of Flashback

I sat there with my mouth full, going over the first part I remembered after I'd jumped off the Mukami's limousine. Yui called me several times, but I only heard her call me once, and looked up. ''I'm sorry, what?'' I asked, swallowing my un-chewed food and nearly choking. I coughed a great deal before drinking some of the blood in front of me that sat invitingly in a silver cup.

''Are you ok?'' Yui asked in genuine worry for me.

''Y-Yeah.'' I smiled. ''What did you say?''

''I asked if you could continue the story.''

''What story?'' I asked, perplex showing on my face.

''I was telling her about what happened while you carried Yui inside the mansion. I left off at where I told you to come along while making sure she didn't injure her head any further.''

''O-oh.'' I stammered. So I had been picturing the scene, as vivid as ever, while Cordelia had actually been narrating it without my noticing.

''What I was saying is, probably you should continue that part since you were the one who mainly looked after Yui. Plus, I don't know much about what happened inside the limousine, or even before that. I'm too tired to go back in time to check.''

''O-Ok, so I will continue from now on?'' I looked at Yui. She nodded, encouraging me to continue.

''Ok, so as I was carrying you inside the Sakamaki mansion-'' My face filled with horror. Behind a column of stone, I saw a boy with blonde hair and different-colored eyes look straight at me. He grinned and winked, but that just freaked me out.

They had found us, and now they were going to take Yui.