Song playlist: Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift
Chapter 11
Dreams
/driːmz/
1. series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
2. cherished aspirations, ambitions, or ideals
3. unrealistic or self-deluding fantasies
4. a person(people) or thing(s) perceived as wonderful or perfect
Yuu was in his dream, staring wide-eyed at him from across the dreamscape.
And running between them was a pure golden thread, dazzling and sparkling with life. It floated seamlessly from the back of Mika's right hand to Yuu's left, illuminating the space between them.
A single tear ran down Mika's face. His hand rose unbidden, the golden thread shifting with it, to reach out-
-only to have Yuu step forward himself, pressing his own shaking palm against Mika's. As soon as flesh met flesh, the thread flared bright and spun itself happily around their joined hands. Sparks were shooting off from their contact, melting into golden orbs in the air and beginning to float upwards like a field full of a thousand fireflies.
It felt a scene from a fairy tale.
Mika never wanted this dream to end.
"Yuu," Mika breathed reverently. Their foreheads were touching now, fingers in their joined hands intertwined.
"Mika," Yuu whispered back. There was no need to speak louder so close together. "Mika, why am I dreaming of you?"
"I don't know. More like, why am I dreaming of you?"
"You're not real," Yuu shook his head. "You're…you're not alive anymore."
The absence of the cold choker at his neck and the heavy fangs in his mouth only served as a cruel reminder. "No. I'm not."
The half lie tasted bitter on his tongue, like the time he had tried the leftover dregs of coffee from his parents' mugs.
Even when facing the ghost of his imagination, lying to Yuu felt wrong.
"So what, is this how messed up my mind's become? Making up imaginary ghosts of my fuck ups?" Yuu's voice turned angrier, more fragile.
"What-"
Yuu's free hand grabbed on to Mika's front, clenching whatever shirt Mika was wearing in his dream. Mika could count the teardrops on Yuu's eyelashes before they came trailing down his cheeks.
"Because it's all my fault! I left you like a coward and ran away! I should have saved you."
With Yuu falling to his knees, Mika followed him down in unison. The thread wrapped around their still joined hands was pulsing erratically.
"I wasn't strong enough. I-I" Yuu stopped, gasping on a sob. "I got my own family killed. I don't deserve to be the one who lived. Mika, I should have saved you."
"Yuu, it wasn't your fault-!"
"I'm sorry, so sorry, Mika-"
And Yuu was crying too much to speak anymore, burying his head into Mika's shoulder and trembling hard. Mika drew their intertwined hands up to their chests, using his other hand to pull Yuu into a gripping hug.
"No Yuu, it was my fault. I made the stupid plan, I dragged everyone along to their deaths. All the blame is mine," Mika pressed fiercely. "I was a fool."
Now there were tears of his own streaming helplessly down his face. The glowing golden orbs were shimmering, turning into drops of water hanging frozen in the air like crystals.
Yuu pulled himself back to look at Mika in teary-eyed alarm. "No, it's my fault-"
"Don't you dare, it's my fault-"
"I was the one who-"
"Yuu-" Mika growled out in frustration.
"Mika," Yuu mimicked sarcastically. They paused and glared at each other.
"You're so stubborn!" they both huffed in unison. Mika and Yuu startled at their synchronisation before giving in to the inevitable laughter.
"Oh man, this always happens with us," Yuu laughed, wiping his damp eyes with his hand. "This is one weird dream, like you're almost real. Hey, maybe you're Mika's ghost or something. If vampires exist and demon weapons here in the Imperial Army, why the hell not ghosts?"
"Imperial Army? What's that?" Mika asked confusedly.
Yuu opened his mouth to explain but stopped as he began to blink slowly.
"Huh…I feel like…gonna wake up now…"
"Yuu!"
Mika caught Yuu's slackening body as he slumped into his arms. He held on desperately but it was useless. Yuu's body was unravelling into golden thread, from his left hand to his arms to his torso and legs. The last thing to unravel was Yuu's left eye, looping loose in widening circles until it had reached the pinpoint pupil.
Mika tried to grasp onto the spools of thread but it was rapidly fading from one end to the next, until all he was left with was an armful of golden dust.
"You look better today, more well rested," Krul commented, swirling the goblet in her hand idly. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes," Mika replied shortly. He sat tensely, looking down at his lap despite the extravagant spread of breakfast delicacies laid out at the banquet table before him. Porcelain plates were piled high with artful arrangements of fruits and overflowing pastries.
"Eat," Krul commanded bluntly, resting the goblet upon her high backed chair at her end of the long table.
"I thought vampires only needed blood," Mika diverted.
"Full vampires," Krul corrected. "You are a half vampire, thus your blue eyes and rounded ears. Food can help subside your cravings for blood, but only temporarily. Eat."
Mika reluctantly filled his plate with a stalk of plump grapes but didn't touch them. Krul sighed wordlessly and propped her head with her hand.
"Why aren't you eating, pet?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Your mistrust will serve you well against everyone else, but is misplaced with me."
"Forgive me for not trusting the food my captive provides," Mika said with forced mildness.
"Suit yourself then, my treasure. You'll always bow to me when your instinct for blood comes craving, drinking from the palm of my hand."
Krul titled her goblet towards Mika, showing the thick tantalising blood within. She looked exasperated as Mika gulped, clenching his fists and turning his head away defiantly.
Standing up in a flourish, Krul plucked up the goblet and walked down to Mika. Against his will, Mika's eyes were transfixed to the goblet as if it were the holy chalice itself.
"This human blood," Krul waved the goblet elegantly before Mika's face, "is what will complete your transformation to a full vampire. Drinking it now will make your life much easier, my treasure."
"Are you going to force me to drink it?" Mika managed to force out from where he had hunched over, trying to resist the tempting cloying scent.
"No."
"What?"
"I won't force you to drink human blood," Krul replied rather decidedly. "Because I know more than anyone how it feels to be trapped in a body younger than your age. Your body should be allowed to age to a suitable maturity at least, but the choice is yours."
Mika peered up at Krul in surprise. He would have thought Krul would try to control every tiny aspect of his life but…maybe he needed to revise his situation again. Some of his reluctant feelings must have shown on his face because Krul was smiling at him now.
"I take care of what is mine," she softly said, with no small amount of loftiness. "Although I can already see what a handful you will be. Behave yourself while I'm gone."
"What am I supposed to do all day?"
"You'll find your new quarters more than sufficient in amusing yourself."
Mika pushed his plate away from him as soon as Krul left, gaze flickering unwillingly to the goblet at the table before rising himself.
Any tiny amount of second thoughts Mika may have began to consider towards Krul were firmly squashed flat by now. And by squashed flat he meant stamped on, ripped apart and then thrown away into the proverbial wind.
"I'm lost," Mika tried again, wide and damp eyed. "I-I don't know where I am. I belong with the other livestock, with the other children."
Mika sniffled wobbily and buried his face in his hands. "Please help me mister! Please let me go back to my home!"
"Nice try kid," the guard scoffed at the door. His partner broke his stoic stare at Mika to glare reproachfully at him.
"Mikaela Hyakuya," the second guard intoned, turning back to Mika. Shoot, they knew who he was. "You do not have access beyond this door. Return to your quarters."
"Really? Who told you that?"
"Her Majesty's orders are absolute."
"Your orders are wrong," Mika confidently stated, switching tactics hurriedly. "The queen told me herself this morning I can have access to wherever I please. Would you like to face her punishment when I report your insubordination against her?"
Mika arched his eyebrow at them both, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. The guards almost flinched at the threat, evidently not in a hurry to face the vampire queen's wrath.
"Well? Let me pass."
"I don't think so," the first guard straightened up. "Her Majesty's rules are to follow her direct orders to the letter unless stated otherwise by herself and no one else. Makes sense, with preventing sabotage and all that."
The pointed look the guard gave Mika wasn't lost on him.
"But what if-"
"Look, just give it up kid. Turn around and go find something else to do."
Mika yawned widely and rubbed his eyes blatantly. "I'm tired, so I'm leaving because I need a nap. But I'll be back to discuss this again because you are being insubordinate and need correction."
The guards couldn't help but stare as Mika yawned again and trailed off.
"Did you see that? When he opened his mouth?"
"Yes, I was there," the second guard retorted with an undertone of dryness.
"Tiny little fangs…but he had blue eyes. So is he vampire or livestock?"
The second guard simply levelled him with a heavy look, back ramrod straight and stiff.
"I know, I know," the first guard looked somewhat chastised. "'The business of the nobles and royalty are business of their own,' everyone knows that. But you can't say you're not the least bit curious."
"Curiosity leads to questioning. Our job is to obey, not question."
"Certainly," the guard replied absently. "But just who is this Mikaela Hyakuya we're guarding?"
"Just who does she think she is?" Mika muttered to himself, curled up in the red cushion of an ornament armchair. Right, stupid question. The ruler and queen of the city, that's who she knew she was.
His chin resting on his drawn up knees, Mika sighed.
He gazed unseeing at the burnt orange flames, leaping high and crackling in the fireplace before him. At his back were the toweringly high bookshelves of his own private library- one of the many luxuries of his new living quarters. Mika had spent futile hours wandering the aisles, trying to find a map or hint of his location to no avail. All of his books had been undoubtedly carefully censored for his readership.
But what frustrated him were the ever-diligent guards at the corridor doors, courtesy of Krul Tepes, who just wouldn't budge.
He was trapped like a songbird in a golden cage.
Was this how he was going to spend the rest of his life?
The heat of the fire, no doubt lit only for his comfort as he couldn't imagine vampires needing warmth, lulled him asleep where he sat.
He found himself dreaming of a shimmering night sky, stars sparkling like white diamonds adorning the galaxies. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Hey Mika."
Mika lolled his head, finding Yuu lying beside him on the grassy bank. His eyes were as bright as the stars above them.
"Hey Yuu," Mika smiled back and began to trace each constellation with his finger, naming them like gifts to share with Yuu.
At least here in his dreams, he could pretend everything was okay.
Author's notes: Make my heart very happy by leaving a favourite and review! 3