clack clack clack...

     It was quite a long walk from the receiving hall to the grand library, they had to walk pass countless empty hallways – it was like Dari’s on a tour in a museum, there were a lot of detours and things for her eyes  to land on, sculptures and other art decors.

     And oddly all halls are empty, no lounging vampires and no guards standing in every door. Is there a need of guards though when almost everyone residing in that mansion possess powers?

      Dari can’t help not to look at the female vampire’s heels as they make such loud tap noises on the marble floor. And with it being 6inches just make her more gigantic compare to Dari’s petite physique.

     As the reached a great double door, the female knocks three times first and opens the path. “This way, maam”

     “Ah… Thank you” Dari says kindly, stepping inside the great library. And just like how every rooms in this mansion, the library too is massive, it has 4 floors, filled with books, scrolls, tables and carpeted staircases.

     Her eyes wondered around in amazement first until she sees Cloud a few feet away. He was handsomely standing in front of the window, half of his body leaning on the table behind him, his arms crossed – making his firm biceps show off through that white clean long sleeve polo he was wearing.

     “San Dari is here, sir” the vampire says showing such a y smile on the red lips of hers.

     “Nae. Thank you, Nana” Cloud says and gives her the permission to leave.

      Being left alone together, in one room, Dari barely could speak. Just like old times whenever she sees Cloud in front of her, nothing! She gets tongue tied and mute, her eyes would just be glued at him and sparkle in sadness and longing – just not as how she plans this to be.

      Seeing her struggle, Cloud moves from his spot and willingly took a stand before her, reminding her of the reason what she came here for. “They said you wanted to talk to me?”

      “Nae” she picks up the courage and puts her hand inside her coat’s pocket… then immediately throws a crumpled piece of paper at him.

     “What the hell is that?” She asked.

      Cloud looked down on the paper that lands  just right between his feet. He doesn’t need it unfolded, he knows the paper he used to write the note he gave her. He turns his sight back at her without a change in expression. Still straight and cold.

      “Why do you have to give me that?” she asks, her voice still striving to stay calm but her guts is slowly breaking. “Why?”

      Cloud can only stay mum as his response, unable to explain.

     “Dae and my anniversary is coming up and it’s already hard to know he’s not with me and yet what? The only thing you can do is break my heart even more?”

     “I just want to make things easier for you, Dari”

     “By ironically writing ‘Let Dae go’ on the very part of the vow where Dae said about not letting each other go?” she says. “Ahbwoya… It’s not helping me at all”

     “If you keep on holding on, there’s no stop to it” Cloud says. “So let go and live, be free… be another person just like how every vampire did”

     “I thought about that, I thought about letting go, but I can’t… I can’t do that. I am willing to wait because I know Dae will return…”

     “Dae is never coming back, Dari. He’s dead”

      “No… I know he’s still here… inside here” she says placing her palms against his chest, indicating that in his heart he is still Dae that she knows. However…

      “That heart has long stopped beating, Dari”

      He pointed that so strongly, that made Dari froze for a moment. Indeed what heart? With his heart cold and stone, where does her warm and loving fiancé lives?

      “The love and relationship is long ove—“

     “Andwe!” Dari brings her hand to cover his mouth. Her eyes closed shut as she can’t take it, she does not want to hear it.

     “Don’t say that while wearing Dae’s face”

     “Don’t say it with his honest eyes”

     “Not with those lips”

     “Not with that voice”

     She can’t bear to imagine seeing Dae breaking up with her. She doesn’t want them to fall apart right before her eyes. And despite not able to make tears, one can deeply see she’s suffering and her that sadness is filling up inside her.

     The way her body tremble as it weakens.

     Truly she is different from among them, she has the most capability to feel emotions. She is the closest to human, maybe because she had the purest heart among them all?

     “Pleasee…” She begged. “I can’t let you go, Dae… I really can’t…”

     The two stayed close together, Cloud was just looking at her, watching her as she slowly calms down. A few minutes after, Dari’s hand starts to slowly leave his lips…

     However instead of bringing it down, she wraps it around his body for an embrace. She locked herself into him. She constantly moves her hand from his sides, to his arms, shoulders…

     Cloud stood still but he feels her fingers soft like a feather brushing and tickling on his cold skin, and her lips touching his neck to his jaw, leaving soft kisses – watching her as she seduces him.

     Just how long has it been she was able to make contact with him, and this close? But the years of waiting mirrors her strong love for him, and to still feel that unchanging affection, she can’t stop herself now.

     She wanted Dae. She wanted him back. Back to her. She wanted to feel him again.

     Dari tilts her head up, levelling her face to his. And as she kisses his chin, Dae holds her both arms. “Dari…” he says in a soft whisper. “If we do this, we’ll just make it harder…”

     “Just this one time, please… Let me have Dae, even just this once…” she cups her hands to his face and guided his lips to hers.

     Dari jolted on that very moment their lips have touched, 200 and more years of waiting and longing rolled into one kiss. She closed her eyes and cocked her head to the side to kiss him more deeply, she on his lower lip, while the other can just stand there, fighting his will to return it.

     She kisses him so soft and gently that it paralyzes him in some way, he stayed frozen, his lips aren’t moving, his eyes just looking at her.

     His mind does not recall any moments of them kissing but his body seems to remember. He remembers that touch, how her hands travelling along to the back of his head and her fingers lacing through his hair.

    From his hands only glued on his side, slowly starts to move up and holds her back. His eyelids shutters several times until it finally closes.

     In one moment, Cloud felt different and just found his lips voluntarily parting – slowly moving… but suddenly, before he was even able to return a kiss, Dari’s lips parted away and her body was falling off backwards.

     Cloud quickly tightened his gripped on her back and pulls her towards him. She was unconscious as she falls into his embrace. He was confused at first, but there’s only one reason how she’ll be like this.

     “Whop. Sorry!” a female’s voice interrupted, her teeth biting her lowerlip.

     “Sorry we had to cut it off, Prince Charming. It’s just too much for our eyes to watch” says another female vampire.

     His eyes darkend and tilts his head up to look at them.

     Sky is at the second floor, sitting on the railings, while the one behind Dari’s unconsciousness , Airee, was sitting on by the 2nd floor’s window.

     Both were watching them so intently since the very beginning. Heard their conversations, watched the drama-like romance.

     “It’s very romantic and heartbreaking, Cloud” Airee