Yuri put on his shoes. It was already dark outside. He might be afraid but he knew that it was the right thing to do. He told his mother that he has a project to do thus he would be staying at a friend’s house.

He didn’t know what to expect but he need to save his friend. He didn’t know what made him do this decision. He could have told Yuto and Ryosuke or the police, or Ryutaro’s parents but then he didn’t.

It seemed to be the right thing to do at the moment. For what reason, he didn’t really understand.

“Yuri, are you going, now?” his mother asked.

“Hai.” He answered while smiling at her.

“Be careful there and make sure you eat, okei.”

Yuri nodded and smiled at his mother. “Bye, ma.” He said and kissed her cheek.

Yuri stood at the foot of a pathway. He was right, he had seen that mansion before. He used to pass this way when he was still in elementary school. It was still very beautiful then, somewhat new with a majestically light feeling.

It draws attraction because of its vast garden of red, violet, white and pink flowers. It is very feminine if you look at it. There were petunias, red roses, violets, dama de noche and other kinds of flowers that Yuri couldn’t identify though there were only four colors. It was amazing how they were able to create such a garden.

The long pathway that leads to the main door had several lamp posts on either side. There were rumors going on before that this house was a house of a certain important princess. Well, no one can doubt that since it really looks majestic.

Yuri wondered how they survive without putting a huge gate or fence or anything to keep intruders away.

He stood there for a while contemplating on what he should do. Will he just walk and barge in or will he knock on the front door?

He had a hunch that Ryutaro was inside but of course he was not sure. It is impolite to just barge in, right?

He was in this thought when the huge door opened. His heart skipped a beat as he waited.

It seemed to Yuri that the time slowed as he himself anticipated the next events.

A girl with a wavy long brownish hair which was tied in a bun went out. She smiled to him with her eyes slightly turning into slits. “I have been waiting for you. Welcome, dreamer.” She said smiling.

Waiting? And what did she call me? Dreamer?

Yuri walked towards the door. He stopped in front of the girl. Closer, she was really pretty. Her skin was very fair and smooth. She had a small face which small lips and nose. Her eyes were quite small and chinky. She had dimples on both cheeks. A Taurean ascendant.

“I know you.” Yuri started.

“Of course,” she said. “You visited us in your dream once. Aya told me,” Shizuka said. “So, I was already expecting your visit.”

Yuri stared at the girl in confusion. The girl on the other hand smiled more as if reading his thoughts. “Don’t worry Chinen Yuri, only me and Aya know what you are capable of.” She said.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Follow me.” She said and opened the door for him.

The mansion was dimly lit inside. It was unnaturally clean. The furnitures seemed to be untouched but there was no hint of dust anywhere.

Shizuka motioned him to sit on the gray couch which he did. It was really soft and comfortable and huge.

He moved his eyes in the interior of the living room. It seemed that his house could fit in the living room itself. The furnitures and all of the same color, black, white and gray which made the house look dark yet elegant.

The cushion was made of leathery material and it seemed expensive. No doubt that the one who owned it was very rich.

Shizuka poured a fragrant tea on a porcelain cup and handed it to him. “Drink. That is a fragrant Jasmine tea. It will soothe your worries.”

Yuri stared at her. He was not sure if he trusts the girl or not.

“Trust your instincts, then.” She said.

Yuri snapped at her. She can read my mind.

“I have seen this coming. You will not trust me, of course. I know that you have already felt something wrong in this house.” She said while smiling at him. “As expected from a dreamer like you.”

“Dreamer?” Yuri put down his tea without even tasting it.

Shizuka giggled. “A little below us, the seers, but then you can also predict the future. Sometimes, you can even predict a very far future which we are not able to do.” She said.

Yuri stared at her. “Seers?”

“Hai. We can see the future.” She said.

Yuri tilted his head in confusion. Shizuka just shrugged while still smiling.

“Shizuka, who are you talking to?” a girl’s voice came from the large winding stairs. The girl with short hair and chinky eyes looked down at them.

“Haruka?” Yuri whispered. He was staring at one of the girls from his dream.

“Eh, kawaii bishonen.” The girl commented. She seemed to be so pale but her smile was just intoxicating.

“Haruka, you should have stayed on your bed. You are not yet better.” Shizuka reprimanded the girl though there was no hint of anger in her voice, only concern.

“Eh, I feel more ill in my bed. Besides, I am hungry.” Haruka said. She tried to step down the stairs but she was leaning on the wooden baluster.

It was immediate, Shizuka was already on the top flight of the stairs in a blink of an eye which made Yuri gasped in awe. Shizuka was already helping Haruka before Yuri regained his composure. “How did you do that?” he asked.

Shizuka looked at him and then at Haruka before she smiled. “Because I am a vampire.”

Yuri’s eyes widened in shock. He stared at the girls. Was he not hearing well? Vampire? There is no such thing.

Shizuka and Haruka landed on the last step. Shizuka helped Haruka to sit on the chair opposite Yuri. “I’ll just get you some blood.” Shizuka told Haruka. The latter just smiled and nodded.

Yuri gulped hard. What had he put himself into? Vampires? Real live vampires. The blood drinking immortals… This is not happening. He told himself as he stared at the pale girl in front of him.

“Nande?” the girl asked. “Ah, by the way… watashiwa Haruka desu. Yoroshiko.” The girl introduced herself and bowed a little. She sniffed and pulled the blanket that she had been dragging to herself. She seemed to be chilling.

“Are you sick?” Yuri cannot help but asked. Though he knew that he was actually talking to a vampire, he didn’t feel threatened. There was something wrong about everything. He was sure of that.

“Hai. It is not natural for a vampire to be so sickly, ne?” she said though there was pain in her eyes.  

Yuri laughed at that. “Yeah.” He answered in amusement. Were they just joking to him? Maybe the vampire thing is just a role play. Besides, he could see pangs or anything. And he was sure, he had spotted a cross on the front door so it might not be possible. He laughed more.

“She haven’t had her drink from a lifeline for a millennium so she became sickly.” It was Shizuka.

Yuri stared at the glass that she was holding. It was full of creamy red liquid and that stench, it was very familiar. He had known that smell from his dreams… blood…

Shizuka handed the glass to Haruka. Haruka took it and smelled the liquid. “Ah, AB, probably a royalty’s.” She said giggling. “I could almost imagine drinking Prince William’s blood.”

Yuri stopped laughing. He stared at the seemingly innocent Haruka. She was so cute drinking the liquid as if it was the best juice she ever had. Though, it was not juice and Haruka is not a cute innocent girl, she was definitely a vampire.

Yuri found himself grabbed at his bag. He wondered what might be inside that could kill a vampire, though he knew there was none. When he went at the mansion, he prepared himself for the worst but then his probability of worst didn’t reach this level.

Haruka finished her drink.

“Better?” Shizuka asked.

“Hai.” Haruka answered smiling at the girl. Her pale complexion seemed to glow a little.

“Your gluttony had already reached its limit. I have to tell Jhenie that we are low in supplies.”

“Gomene,” Haruka said. Her face was full of shame and sorrow.

Shizuka laughed. “I’m just joking though we are really low on supply. You don’t have to be sorry, you are sick so we need to take care of you.”

Haruka smiled. Satisfaction and happiness reached her twinkling eyes. “Arigatou. I just hope that I could find a lifeline so that I can recover already.”

“Lifeline?” Yuri asked. He was getting more confused at the time. Normally, by this time, he was already dead since there were two vampires who could have fed on him and yet he was still alive and kicking. So what really is happening?

“Lifeline – any normal vampire needs a lifeline. It is a person who is like her soulmate though a lifeline is someone who can provide a vampire perfect blood to satisfy the needs of her body cells.” Shizuka explained.

“Hah?” Yuri asked.

“Well, a lifeline is like our source of life. There is one designated lifeline for a vampire. She needed that lifeline to survive or else she will die.”

“But you are immortal?” Yuri asked in confusion.

Shizuka and Haruka laughed at that. “That is just the humans’ notion but then we just live longer than a normal person. We are not entirely immortal, we also die.” Shizuka said.

“How do you choose a lifeline?” Yuri asked. He was getting curious by the minute. Everything was so new to him.

“Well, they come to us, we bite them and we know that they are our lifeline or rather, they’ll know that they are our lifeline.”

“Hah?”

“The attraction effect, the vampire will be attracted to the lifeline. If he was her perfect match and she bit him, he will feel a certain sensation, pain and then extreme bliss. They even call it ic.” Shizuka explained.

“Eh?” Yuri blushed as he heard about it.

Haruka giggled. “Most of the time, the lifeline becomes the father of the vampire child.”

“Eh!!!” Yuri exclaimed.

“Hey, maybe you are my lifeline. I kinda like you since you are so cute. Let me have a bite of you.” Haruka said and stood up in front of Yuri who tried to cower at the back of his backpack. “Come on.” She insisted.

“No way.” Yuri exclaimed.

“Eh, onegai.” Haruka said blinking and pouting at him in a very cute way.

Yuri laughed at that. He looked at Shizuka who just shrugged. “Did you also see this coming?”

Shizuka looked at him innocently.

“Please,” Haruka pleaded and sat beside him. “It would really help me a lot. I need to recover from being ill. Please.”

Yuri sighed as he was looking at Haruka’s desperate face. She looked at him as if he was a superhero who can save her. “I will not die, huh?”

“Iie, I’ll just drink a little of your blood.” Haruka answered.

Yuri puffed. He was not sure why he was doing it but he was opening his polo to reveal his creamy white neck.

Haruka smiled. “Arigatou.”

Yuri stared as her pangs grew. Her eyes began to glow and there was a sparkle of red in her iris. She held on his shoulder and leaned forward.

Yuri breathed deeply. He closed his eyes as he felt her tongue touched the pulse of his neck. Then the tip of her pangs followed.