Hi everyone! I know it's been a while since my last update, but I'm back. I originally planned to write just a second and final chapter about Aya's childhood, covering everything up until her parents' death. However, I decided to split it into two chapters because the story would become too extensive otherwise. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to sharing more with you next time. Happy reading!
Chapter 2:
As the months went by, the inhabitants of Kuran Mansion became convinced that they were dealing with two little prodigies. In everyone's eyes, Kaname and Aya were exceptionally bright children. They grasped concepts quickly and displayed an insatiable curiosity about the world around them.
But Aya was aware of the truth. She considered herself a fraud. Unlike her twin, the knowledge from her past life had accelerated her development, making her seem like a baby with an unusually sharp mind. Kaname was the only genuine genius.
Aya had attempted to behave like a typical baby, but whether through instinct or by mimicking Kaname, she had failed. The looks from her parents and some of the servants made it clear to her that they noticed something was amiss. Though she hoped she was mistaken, the fragments of conversations she began to comprehend only confirmed her fears.
Aya worried that her perceived brilliance might one day lead Kaname to distrust her, or worse, see her as a threat to Yuki's safety. Even if she couldn't envision how that might happen right now, her imagination conjured increasingly frightening and absurd scenarios.
Above all, Aya wanted to live. While she may not fully understand this world and its challenges, one thing was certain: she would do everything in her power to survive at all costs. As the months went by, the inhabitants of Kuran Mansion became convinced that they were dealing with two little prodigies. In everyone's eyes, Kaname and Aya were exceptionally bright children. They grasped concepts quickly and displayed an insatiable curiosity about the world around them.
But Aya was aware of the truth. She considered herself a fraud. Unlike her twin, the knowledge from her past life had accelerated her development, making her seem like a baby with an unusually sharp mind. Kaname was the only genuine genius.
Aya had attempted to behave like a typical baby, but whether through instinct or by mimicking Kaname, she had failed. The looks from her parents and some of the servants made it clear to her that they noticed something was amiss. Though she hoped she was mistaken, the fragments of conversations she began to comprehend only confirmed her fears.
Aya worried that her perceived brilliance might one day lead Kaname to distrust her, or worse, see her as a threat to Yuki's safety. Even if she couldn't envision how that might happen right now, her imagination conjured increasingly frightening and absurd scenarios.
Above all, Aya wanted to live. While she may not fully understand this world and its challenges, one thing was certain: she would do everything in her power to survive at all costs.
While the twins appeared to have similar dispositions in their cognitive and language development, this was certainly not the case in their motor skills.
At the age of one, Kaname was already walking around with ease, while to the great astonishment of everyone, including Aya herself, she still hadn't put a single foot upright.
Aya had trained in secret during rare moments when she was no longer under surveillance, but nothing worked.
Or at least until now.
"Come here, Aya!" Juri called to her daughter from across the living room.
Beside her were Haruka and Kaname, both watching intently as the pureblood attempted to make Aya walk towards them.
The young child wasn't paying attention to her mother. She didn't want to try today. Her pride had been badly damaged lately during her secret training sessions. She couldn't do it. It had been a long time since something so basic had seemed so difficult to her, and the young woman inside her couldn't stand it. Even though she knew it was normal, she didn't want to accept it.
"Come on, Aya, we're here," her father encouraged. He was much calmer than Juri in his approach and displays of affection. With a smile on his face and a gaze filled with pride, he watched her silently. While this usually worked wonders, today Aya wasn't feeling it.
She turned away to keep herself from breaking down, but she hadn't anticipated Kaname. With his big, innocent smile, he clapped his hands as if to cheer her on. Aya let out a quiet sigh.
It seemed pointless to stubbornly resist any longer. The combination of the three most important people in her life was simply unstoppable. Yes, Aya loved them. Her parents were such warm and caring individuals that she couldn't help but love them with all her heart, and every day they proved she had been right to feel this way.
With Kaname, the situation was more complicated. At first, Aya only feared him and spent the bare minimum of time in his presence. However, he began to cling to her as much as a baby was capable of, which, luckily for her, wasn't very complicated. To her dismay, he had slipped into her heart, and his resemblance to her real twin brother didn't help, even though she had only known Kaname for a few weeks.
For now, Kaname was simply an innocent, adorable, and affectionate little boy, and she loved him. Yet, knowing the truth about his identity filled her with dread; she feared that if he ever remembered who he really was, he would become a completely different person and see her as nothing more than a nuisance.
Aya understood that part of her fear was unfounded, so rather than distancing herself to protect her heart, she decided to get as close to him as possible. She wanted to take advantage of his temporary amnesia and his fragile state as a baby in need of love, hoping to ensure that he would offer her protection in the future. If she could earn his loyalty, she believed she would survive. After all, he was supposedly the most powerful vampire, or so her former sister had told her.
Aya loved all three of them to varying degrees, but she truly cared for them. Therefore, she could not bear to refuse their request, no matter how simple it seemed.
The room suddenly fell silent as Aya sat up. She noticed her parents were as focused on her as if it were their turn to stand up. This touched and amused her greatly. A small smile crept across her face as she slowly pushed herself up onto her fragile little legs. Her mother gasped and squeezed her husband's hand.
"She's standing up! Oh my God, look! She stood up all by herself!"
"I see it, my love, I see it," Haruka replied, sounding just as moved as his wife.
Aya, for her part, knew she could manage to stand up. What worried her was managing to walk to them. She looked at the three vampires in the room, seeking validation and encouragement. Her father seemed to understand her gaze; he smiled at her more broadly and nodded. Her mother held out her hands with a wide smile, tears in her eyes. Kaname watched in amazement at her efforts, his expression reflecting the same cuteness and innocence as Aya.
Nodding for both her sake and theirs, Aya moved one foot forward. Inch by inch, everything seemed to be going well, giving her the courage to take bigger steps.
"You're almost there, Aya," her father encouraged again, extending his arms for her to take refuge in. A soft babble escaped her mouth as she attempted to mimic him, reaching out her arms toward him. But in her haste, her feet slipped on the carpet, knocking her backward. A startled scream escaped her lips.
However, her father saved her from colliding with the ground by catching her just in time. He hugged her tightly for a few seconds before moving away and helping her back onto the ground.
"That's very good, Aya," he praised, earning a pout from the child, which made him laugh.
Aya was three years old and had made the decision to enjoy her lazy days for as long as possible. She intended to make the most of this time, but Yuki's arrival would unfortunately signal the end of her tranquility.
Despite her desire to relax, Aya remained studious. It felt like a duty, a friendly competition with her twin brother, Kaname, to see who could be first in everything. For the most part, they were evenly matched, except in math. This subject had been a struggle for her in her previous life, and that difficulty carried over.
As precocious pure-blood vampires, the twins already had a middle school education, which surprised Aya but suited her well. At least she wouldn't have to hold back too much in her attempts to outpace Kaname.
One day, Aya found herself hiding in Annabelle's closet, a servant in the manor who had a soft spot for her and often covered for her when Aya decided to throw a tantrum. Recently, these tantrums often occurred around the time of dance lessons. Although Aya loved dancing—she had been passionate about it in her previous life—she was struggling with her enhanced vampiric senses.
Every small sound felt overwhelming, and when faced with the loud noises typical of dance classes, it felt like torture, resulting in severe migraines for Aya. Despite her efforts, she had never managed to skip class, as Kaname always seemed to know where to find her.
A sweet aroma of cinnamon and fireplace wood filled the closet, signaling to Aya that she wouldn't escape the impending dance class this time. Biting her lower lip, she stared straight ahead, waiting for her fate to unfold.
Light from the candles hanging on the walls illuminated the closet as Kaname opened the door, causing Aya to squint.
Kaname sighed at the sight of her, a hint of amusement in his expression. "Aya-chan..."
Realizing she had to accept her fate, Aya extended her hand to him. "Help me get out of here."
The boy smiled gently, ensuring she wouldn't fall as she jumped out of the closet. "We should hurry and get to our class; I wasted a lot of time trying to find you," he said.
A pout formed on Aya's face. "Why couldn't you just attend class alone and leave me here?"
"Because I would never abandon you. We're a team, right? Never one without the other."
Despite her annoyance that he had found her again, Aya felt her heart warm at his words. "Never one without the other," she agreed, hugging him and nuzzling against the crook of his neck.
Kaname smiled at her gesture and tightened his arms around her.
One evening during her fourth year in this world, a thought crossed Aya's mind as she looked at her parents. The love they had for each other was undeniable, evident in the way they gazed at one another and how their hands intertwined, even at the table.
At one time, it would have simply disgusted her to see such displays of affection between siblings. However, that was no longer the case. Strangely, she had accepted their relationship, which was entirely normal in vampire society, even though it remained occasional, as families preferred to create political alliances.
There was no doubt that her parents were meant for each other, just as Kaname and Yuki were. But who was meant for her? This thought suddenly made her feel alone. Soon, she would have no one to rely on. Her parents would die trying to protect Yuki, Kaname would dedicate his life to loving and safeguarding her, and she would find herself utterly alone. Maybe Kaname would protect and care for her since she was technically his twin sister, but who would want her and love her on a deeper level?
"What is it, Aya ?" her mother asked, noticing she was lost in thought, her eyes filling with small tears instead of focusing on her book.
Aya looked up at her mother and blinked, stopping the few tears that had gathered from falling and forcing herself back to reality. Her father, equally curious about her behavior, encouraged her with a smile to open up to them.
The young girl hesitated for a few seconds, but perhaps they would be able to reassure her. She closed her book and placed it on her knees, taking a deep breath. "Okaa-san, Otô-san, will I too one day have someone to love and who will love me back like you two?"
The question caught everyone in the living room off guard. Juri's smile vanished, Haruka's eyes widened, Kaname popped his head up from his reading, and the few servants still in the room froze for a moment before returning to their duties as if nothing had happened. A heavy silence fell over the small pure-blood family, and Aya began to regret asking the question when a small laugh suddenly escaped her mother's throat.
"Oh, of course you will!" Juri reassured her, exchanging a glance with her husband. "You'll see, when you least expect it, love will come knocking at your door, just like it did for us."
"When you're older, obviously," Haruka added quickly.
Aya responded with a simple nod, subconsciously turning her head toward Kaname, who was watching her intently. "You know, we didn't expect to have twins, just a little boy. Maybe it was fate that we brought you into this world together?" her mother continued, noticing her daughter's reaction.
Kaname stirred at this; it was the first time he had heard this information, and he seemed eagerly awaiting Aya's opinion on the matter. She didn't know what to say. While she understood her mother's viewpoint, she knew that Yuki was destined to be Kaname's wife, not her. She had no problem with that, but her anxiety about being alone hadn't calmed down. Now, Kaname was watching her closely, which made her feel strangely uncomfortable.
"Kaname is my twin brother and a part of me; we will always be together and there for each other," the little girl replied, choosing to embrace her innocence.
Her parents chuckled softly at her response, and Kaname smiled brightly at her, squeezing her left hand. Aya smiled at them all more to reassure them, but her heart wasn't in it.
Aya stood on the roof of the mansion, enjoying the peace and quiet of nature and the landscape unfolding before her. She was hiding once more to avoid another dance class. While she had finally gotten used to her vampiric senses, she had not yet adapted to a new, unsettling feeling that emerged every time she had to dance in front of their new dance teacher: shyness. It was something she thought she would never have to face again in this life, yet it had returned to stay.
Part of her felt ashamed for acting so immaturely, and yet, by pretending to be a child, she had inadvertently developed a childlike mind that was as calm as it was mischievous, capricious, and deceptive. This side of her emerged when she was tired or simply overwhelmed by the effort to play the perfect little girl, which happened quite often.
A sweet smell of cinnamon and burning wood filled the air as Kaname carefully sat down beside her.
"You are here," he observed.
"Mmh."
"You seem to be coming here more often… One day you'll give poor Annabelle-kun a heart attack. She was completely white when I asked her if you were here."
Aya smiled, amused at the mention of the maid. "She really doesn't know how to keep a secret…"
"I'm not sure that was the only thing she was worried about, Aya."
"What? I'm not going to fall. I'm a pureblood. I have very good reflexes."
Kaname arched an eyebrow at her. Aya had surprisingly developed a certain clumsiness in recent weeks.
"And I like being here. I feel good here," Aya continued, preempting her brother from speaking further.
"Better than when you're with me?"
"When I'm here and with you, it's even better," the vampire confessed with a soft smile before finally resting her head on Kaname's shoulder.
They sat in silence, observing the landscape below for several long minutes before Kaname broke the quiet.
"Why are you hiding? I thought you liked to dance."
A mysterious smile crossed his face as he added, "I've seen you dance a thousand times. When you dance, your eyes sparkle with joy, and a dazzling smile adorns your face. So what's happening to you?"
Aya didn't answer. She didn't dare admit it out loud, even though she knew Kaname understood what it was. He just wanted her to accept it.
"Say it."
"What?"
"Don't play innocent, say it."
"I don't know what you're talking about..."
"Aya-chan..."
"Kaname-chan..."
They looked at each other, exasperated yet amused.
Kaname tenderly stroked his sister's cheek before whispering, "Say it."
As Aya was about to continue feigning innocence, Kaname's gaze stopped her, and she sighed in defeat.
"I can't bring myself to dance in front of our new teacher. I don't understand why, but… I get so shy, and I don't dare do anything..."
Instantly, Kaname took her in his arms and began rocking her, trying to comfort her while promising to help her find a solution to overcome her shyness.
Aya discovered rather late in the day that she and Kaname hadn't taken dance lessons just for fun; they also had a duty as pure-blood vampires. Soon, they would be introduced to society, and their lives would be filled with social events where they needed to dance perfectly.
The little girl wasn't very excited about the idea of dancing in front of a crowd full of hypocrites who would be ready to criticize her for the slightest misstep, even as they pretended to kiss her feet to gain her favor. The only positive aspect she saw in this situation was that she wouldn't be alone—Kaname would be there with her.
Aya knew she would have to socialize with children her own age, and she dreaded this even more. While it was easy to interact with Kaname because he was not only her relative by blood but also older than she was, dealing with a real five-year-old would be far more complicated.
On the day of the ball, Aya and Kaname wore very sophisticated outfits that exuded wealth. However, Aya hated her dress. Although she looked lovely in her pale pink frilly dress, all she wanted was to tear it off and put on something more comfortable and more like herself.
"Everything will be fine, Aya," her mother declared, interrupting her analysis of her reflection in the mirror.
"It's not me," the young woman whispered, a wave of anguish sweeping through her body and settling in her throat and lungs.
"I know… but a young vampire's entry into society is a tradition that must be respected. No one can ignore it, not even purebloods, and not even our family. By presenting yourself like this for everyone to see, you can protect yourself. No one outside of our circle knows who you really are. By playing the role of this young girl, they will think you're easily manipulated, and they will let their guard down. But be careful; some are more suspicious than others, and rightly so. Deception is key to your survival. Always remember that, Aya."
Aya nodded as she caught sight of her mother's surprisingly serious expression in the mirror. It was rare to see her look this way; the last time had been the day Rido visited them. She had been just a few weeks old then, yet the memory was crystal clear.
"Promise," Aya felt compelled to add, given the importance her mother placed on the situation.
She turned around to face her mother and snuggled up to her. Juri wrapped her arms around Aya, and a small laugh escaped her lips.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine, Aya. I'm here; I'll always be here."
The young vampire nestled even closer to her, yearning for those reassuring words. If only that could truly be the case.
Aya took one last look at her reflection and took a deep breath before stepping out to join her brother and parents, who were waiting for her in the carriage that would take them to the ball.
It had become quite rare for vampires to use a carriage for transportation, as they now preferred cars, despite their obsession with traditions and customs. However, for special occasions like this, the old mode of transportation was making a comeback.
When Aya climbed into the carriage, Kaname couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her outfit and the color of her dress. He knew that Aya hated pink more than anything else.
"Shut up," she grumbled, sitting down beside him to face their parents.
"Kaname, be nice to your sister," Haruka chided gently. "You're her brother and family. Today, more than any other day, you need to stick together."
"Yes, otô-san,"
The rest of the journey passed in silence. Aya watched the landscape through the window, one hand crumpling her dress in her fist while the other was trapped in her twin's grip. She was terrified. She understood that this event was very important and would determine many things for the future. But her parents' behavior made it clear that this was much bigger than anything she had ever imagined. By the end of the night, her fate and that of her brother would be decided.
At the end of the night, Aya would discover if she would live. Everyone would know if they could survive outside the safety of Kuran Mansion.
Aya was playing for her life.
The musical notes swirled through the ballroom, highlighting Aya and Kaname's first dance of the evening—a waltz. All eyes were on them, and the young vampire struggled to keep dancing in her brother's arms instead of fleeing from the scene. She despised the feeling of being a fragile insect under a microscope.
Kaname, of course, was acutely aware of her distress. Aya could see it clearly; he was doing everything he could to draw her attention solely to him. They both understood the power his eyes held over her. His gaze was mesmerizing, captivating, and comforting. In that moment, everything else around them faded away—time seemed to stand still, and nothing else existed.
It was just Aya and Kaname, nothing else.
Before she knew it, their dance had ended, and the polite applause brought her back to reality. They parted and bowed to the crowd. Soon, many vampires approached to introduce themselves and offer compliments. Aya smiled politely as she interacted with them, all the while feeling a wave of nausea at the insincerity of it all. Thankfully, Kaname was by her side.
Although they were both occupied with their guests, she felt Kaname's gaze linger on her for a few moments before he resumed his conversation.
"If you'll excuse us, my sister and I would like to get some refreshments after this first dance," Kaname said kindly as he took Aya's left hand in his own. "I hope you don't mind, and we'd be happy to continue our conversations a little later."
Aya was touched that he had noticed her exhaustion, though she didn't show it. Instead, she nodded in response to her brother's words, offering a sweet smile as she waved goodbye to the vampires, who graciously let them pass to the candy table.