For the fourth night in a row, Yui had the same exact dream. Trapped inside of a giant glass dome, she found comfort in the shade of an ancient tree. Delicious, ripe apples hung from its branches, just high enough to be out of reach. They lured her in with the promise of earthly pleasures, tempting her to climb up high and pick one, but Yui was afraid.

She was very familiar with the story of Adam and Eve. She knew what might happen if she indulged in those forbidden fruits—Kami-sama would punish her for her greed.

Stained glass windows spun circles around her. The colors shifted in the sunlight, casting tiny rainbows at her feet. She followed the light with her eyes. It was as beautiful as it was hypnotizing.

Beyond the glass was nothing–nothing but an endless blue sky and the sun's blinding rays.

Yui wasn't sure how or why she had been transported into this strange dimension where everything was quiet and time seemed to stand still. All she knew was that there was no escape. Invisible forces bound her in place, keeping her trapped inside of a neverending dream.

She turned her head, feeling the sudden weight of eyes upon her. Each of the Mukami brothers stood silently around her, surrounding her from every direction.

Ruki stood to the north, his cold gaze sharp and dismissive. He almost looked annoyed by her presence—like she wasn't worthy to be in the garden with them.

Yuma stood to the east like an apex predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His lips curled into an unsettling smile, telling her that he was more than ready to challenge her or anyone else who stood in his way.

Kou watched her from the west with a playful smile, but there was a hint of something darker lurking beneath the surface. He winked at her, and she quickly averted her eyes to find…

Azusa standing directly in front of her, to the south. He looked as melancholy as ever, his scarred face softened by the quiet longing in his eyes.

She was caught in their web, unable to move as they closed in from all directions, their intentions unknown.

And right before they reached her at the tree…

It was over.

.

.

.

Yui jerked awake, gasping for breath. Everything about that dream felt so real, but now that she was awake in Azusa's warm and fluffy bed, she knew that she was safe.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she glanced over at the window. The room was now pitch black, save for the sliver of moonlight that pierced through the crack in the curtains.

She could hardly see anything except for Azusa's distraught face on the pillow beside her. His brows were drawn close together and he kept whimpering in his sleep, sounding more like a wounded puppy than anything else.

"Don't go…

Please…

You can hurt me more…

Just don't…go…"

Even in his dreams, his strange obsession with pain reared its ugly head.

Yui wished that she could help him somehow, to ease some of his suffering, but most of all, she wished that she understood. Why did he believe that pain was something to be loved and cherished?

She had been used and abused ever since her father dropped her off at the Sakamakis' doorstep. Never once had she enjoyed it. Never once had she thought what they were doing to her was a sign of affection or proof of love.

How much pain had Azusa endured before he convinced himself that it was something to be enjoyed? How broken did he have to be to feel that way?

Yui watched him thrash about quietly, tangled in a vicious nightmare. Her heart ached for him. She wanted to help him but she wasn't sure how. Her father used to comb his fingers through her hair when she was a kid. It was a small gesture that always made her feel safe, but she worried that if she touched him at all, he might wake up and attack her. The last thing she wanted was to suffer the sharp sting of his fangs–or worse, one of his precious knives.

Yui hesitated for a moment, seriously considering it as she watched the troubled expression on his face. The idea of waking a vampire from a nightmare was terrifying, but allowing him to suffer this way felt almost selfish.

He had been kind to her. Even when he hurt her, he didn't mean any harm. That was a lot more than she could say about the other vampires she knew—they took pleasure in her suffering, often drawing it out for their own enjoyment, but Azusa didn't want to make her suffer. He wanted to give her what he considered a gift—he wanted to share his pain with her.

While Yui didn't fully understand, she knew that his intentions were pure, and that she had to do something, even if it meant facing her biggest fears head on.

"Azusa-kun," she cooed, smoothing over his messy, sleep tousled hair. She expected him to jerk awake and lash out at her. Instead, his eyes fluttered open and met hers.

"Eve…" he said softly, sounding almost surprised. "You…stayed…"

Yui let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. He wasn't angry, he wasn't upset; he was sleepy, and cuddly, and cute.

"M-my name is Yui," she reminded him with an uncomfortable smile.

"Yui-san…" he echoed, as if testing her name on his lips. A small and hollow smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "That's very…pretty. Yui-san… But…"

He climbed above her, caging her in his arms. Yui's heart began to race as she squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the inevitable plunge of fangs into her neck.

It never came.

"Hey, you'll still be…my Eve, right?" he asked hopefully with big and glittering eyes.

His Eve…

Yui still didn't know what he meant by that, but the way he said it made her heart flutter. Of all the nicknames she had been given, his was by far the sweetest.

"Um," she began, unsure of how to answer that question. She didn't want to upset him, but she didn't want to feed into his delusions either.

"You…love me, right? Even if I…can't become Adam, you'll choose me…right? Because we're…the same…" he continued almost frantically, pleading for an answer.

Yui was at a loss for words.

She adored him in ways she couldn't fully explain. There was something about Azusa that was undeniably sweet. He was innocent like a child, both curious and desperate for the affection he never experienced. The others thrived on her fear, but Azusa just wanted to be close to her. He would follow her quietly around the house like a shadow, always wanting to be near but never wanting to over impose. He would ask her simple questions—about her day or if she was feeling okay—things no one else ever seemed to care about.

He never raised his voice or said hurtful things about her. In fact, quite the opposite–he would shower her with compliments in that soft voice, coaxing her into a comfort that seemed almost impossible.

She noticed other little things, too. The way he blushed when she smiled at him, or how his eyes would light up when she said his name. The way his hand sought hers as they cuddled, as if he was afraid she might disappear into thin air.

Yes…everything about Azusa was so painfully sweet. Even his scars, which frightened her at first, had become something she found almost comforting as she looked at him now. They were a reminder that he had suffered, too, the same way she had.

Perhaps that was what he meant when he said they were the same. They had both suffered a great deal of pain—they both wore scars that would never fully heal.

She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. "Azusa-kun," she began softly, her heart racing, "I don't know what any of that means. Why does everyone think I'm this Eve person?"

"Ah…Ruki-kun said I'm…not allowed to say," he bowed his head in shame.

"Why?" she prodded gently.

"I…can't say anymore," he said with an apologetic frown.

She sighed. It seemed she wouldn't be getting that information out of him tonight, but he wanted to tell her, and that was good enough for now.

Azusa laid his head on her chest. He clung to her, his bandaged arms wrapped around her waist, as if letting her go would shatter whatever fragile bond existed between the two of them.

And right when she felt herself begin to drift away…

A sudden, loud bang rattled the door, causing her heart to jump in her chest.

"Oi! Azusa!" Yuma's voice boomed from the other side. "Open up!"

Azusa sighed softly, like a child being woken from a dream. "No…we're…very busy…come back later," he murmured against Yui's shoulder, but Yuma was persistent.

"I'm serious, Azusa! I know she's in there with you!" Yuma shouted again, impatience clear in his voice.

Yui tensed, unsure what to do. It hadn't occurred to her that she might get in trouble for staying the night with Azusa until she heard the anger in Yuma's voice. She would be punished for this, and the longer she made him wait, the worse it would be.

As Yuma's threats grew louder, Yui started to pull away, but Azusa's grip tightened.

"Don't go…" he whispered. "They'll…hurt you…I don't want…anyone to hurt you…"

Yui blushed. She wished she could hide in his bed forever.

"Anyone…except for me…" he added softly, breaking the illusion.

Oh, she frowned, of course.

He didn't actually care what happened to her, he only wanted her all to himself. Ayato was the same way. He would often get angry with his brothers for feeding on her, not because they were hurting her but because he wanted to claim her as his own.

The door slammed open with a loud crash, and Yuma stormed into the room, frustration written all over his face. Ruki followed close behind, his steel blue eyes dissecting them as she detangled herself from Azusa.

"Che, I knew it," Yuma scoffed, peering down at them in disgust. "You've been keepin' her locked in here all night and we're starving."

Ruki's eyes narrowed to slits as he stepped closer to the bed. "You haven't bitten her," he observed suspiciously.

Azusa's expression softened as he glanced from Yui to his brothers. "Eve is...unwell," he said quietly, "She nearly...fainted in the kitchen and...she needs time to...rest..."

Yuma snorted and grabbed Yui by the wrist. "Tch, you're really worried about the sow?" he asked, yanking her out of the bed.

"H-hey…don't be too…rough with her or…she'll pass out…" Azusa muttered with a small frown.

"Who gives a damn?" Yuma shot back, his grip tightening. "Have you forgotten what that man asked of us? Or has this girl brainwashed you into feeling sorry for her?"

Azusa's eyes darted between Yui and his brothers, torn between his own moral compass and the weight of their expectations. "N-no, I haven't forgotten, but…"

Yuma rolled his eyes, clearly fed up. "Then stop babying her."

Ruki, who had remained silent, stepped forward with chilling calmness, grabbing her other wrist, painfully tight. "Yuma is right," he said coldly. "Yui is livestock, and livestock should know its place. And you…" he turned his attention back to Azusa. "She's not yours, Azusa. You must learn to share. This will be both of your punishment."

Yui barely had time to register what was happening before Ruki's fangs pierced her shoulder with a surgical precision. She cried out in agony as Yuma followed his lead, biting into her wrist with the brute force of a monster. His fangs went so deep she could feel them scraping against her bones.

Tears flooded her eyes as the searing hot pain shot through her entire body. She expected Azusa to come to her rescue—to tear them off of her and claim her as his own, but he did no such thing.

He watched her from the bed with a hypnotic stare. The light inside his eyes was gone, strangled by the excitement of pain. A quiet moan escaped his lips as they continued draining the life from her.

"Yui-san..." he said breathlessly, "You are so beautiful with...your face contorted in pain...Hey, can I...give you more...? Hm."

He grabbed her other wrist and sank his fangs into the tender flesh of her palm. A wave of numbness washed over her as her vision began to blur, the edges of reality fading until finally, it was all over.

She passed out.