April 2035. Moonlight Entertainment. Light Town.
A woman let loose her gorgeous blue hair until it fell past her shoulders while in the process of dropping the jade pin. A few moments ago, this pin was holding her long hair up in a rather painful hairstyle. Now that she let it loose, she felt her headache subsiding. She did not use the pin again.
Her gaze fixated on the blank ceiling, with an indifferent and cold stare. Terashima Lila, age sixteen, was approaching seventeen at the end of the month.
Thirteen years ago, she met her most important person. However, due to an accident, she lost her memories of him. Ever since, Lila tried so hard to remember, but it didn't work. In those thirteen years, she learned to love another person. A deep sigh crossed her lips, 'What is she even doing here?' Yes, she was kept hostage in an entertainment company. Then again, this entertainment company wasn't real. It was a front.
For the first time, she was separated from her beloved - Austin Kiryu.
In the past, they were always together; now they were still at each other's sides. That made this separation hard. She first met him that night when she was four years old. Lila never thought that one day she would have to let go of his hand.
She met Kiryu and that guy thirteen years ago. It seemed like fate loved to play games with her. Nonetheless, the one who stole her heart was him. Lila never thought that anything would separate them.
That was an understatement. Lila knew that she was a complete mess. Only two weeks had passed since she left, and yet her condition had degraded so severely that one wouldn't recognize her anymore.
Although she has always been slightly pale, her current skin complexion was as white as snow. Her appearance resembled that of someone on the verge of drag.
Lila understood what the problem was - her rejection of the darkness and him. She missed him and she needed Kiryu by her side.
These days, without him, seemed so endless and meaningless for her.
She already lost track of everything. She knew that for the last few days, she couldn't breathe properly. It was uncomfortable, and she felt suffocated.
Kiryu, when will she get to see him? She missed him so much.
It had been two weeks since she came here, yet she had not seen what was outside of this room. Beyond these dark grey and cold walls, the outside world was foreign. She got used to this life.
This was how things were supposed to be. From the beginning, a person like her was never meant to live in a world of light. Just like her mother, Lila was deemed to suffer in the darkness.
Even though her father had not taken proper care of her in the years that her mother had disappeared, she still lived a sheltered and protected life. For she always had people beside her. That was why she didn't realize how genuinely harmful the darkness was.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a familiar voice in her head.
'Why are you scared?'
She immediately flinched and tried to block out the sound with a pillow. Yet that did not help.
'Hey, aren't we friends?'
The voice in her head taunted and mocked her.
The produced ridicules drove her crazy. She couldn't remain this way!
Lila gradually got up and was determined to make her own decision. She wanted to see the light even if it was just a little.
Despite the terrible condition her body was in, she mustered her remaining strength, got up, and walked out of the room. There were no windows in her room, and the nearest place was beyond the stairs.
It was a long way down the stairs; she only climbed it once, and that was two weeks ago. It had been a long time since she last used her legs like this. That person had locked her up behind those confined walls. She shuddered and shook her head.
For now, she should focus on getting downstairs.
She took a while, but she somehow got down. Lila pushed open the nearest door and was relieved that no one was inside. She saw rows of filing cabinets which seemed like a small archive of documents. Seeing the curtains on the other end, she made her way over.
Usually, she would be more interested in places like this. After all, there was a high possibility that classified information were stored in these cabinets and the guy has not shared them with her yet. But right now, she wanted nothing more than to get a glimpse of light. If she did, then perhaps the voices would stop haunting her.
Soichiro once told her that his 'training' methods were working. However, it felt like she was only stepping further into the darkness and getting worse. It would not surprise her if that was the case. This alliance was a temporary truce - Yes, including this place she resided in. Moonlight Entertainment agency was a mere front to conceal the dark and underground world dealings.
Lila tugged on the curtains and opened them. A ray of light hit her eyes. The world was so bright. After adjusting her eyes to the sun, her gaze fell on the city.
Two weeks. Two weeks into this town and yet she barely got a glimpse. When Soichiro picked her up, he ushered her quickly into the car and shut the drapes. It was as though from the moment she stepped foot here, he wanted to trap her in the darkness.
What a beautiful town, and those two people were here. The person she wanted to meet again and the person she made a promise to.
Lila knew that those two have been desperately searching for her. When Soichiro visited her, she overheard his conversation with someone outside her room. It wasn't hard to tell who the 'fool' or the 'naive girl' who had been desperately searching for her were. She was happy hearing their names. It helped calm her heart and emotions.
For a while, she kept listening for any news regarding them. Perhaps Soichiro noticed a change in her condition, but she never heard him talk in front of her again.
She heard a rattle behind her, "Oh, so you finally woke up."
Lila turned to the source of the voice and spotted a man with white hair, around 6 feet tall, approaching her. She looked at him briefly before returning her gaze to the scenery of the town. She didn't want to talk to him. Now she could think more rationally.
This man's presence disgusted her. She knew that he would take advantage of her, but even then, she thought he would hold back.
Her thoughts were disrupted when she felt Soichiro's fingers on her hair.
"Let go." Lila demanded.
"Now you speak."
".... Is it today?"
A sly smile appeared on the man's face as he nodded, "It's such a shame. I was thinking about how nice it is. That I've been keeping you all to myself for the past two weeks." Feeling his lips linger on her hair, she pulled back. "Now dear, don't look at me like that. Who is it that made you not look the same anymore?"
"As I recalled, I was the one who asked you to do this to my hair," Lila spoke calmly despite her irritation.
"Right, right? But I chose all your clothes." Soichiro said with a smile.
Lila exhaled deeply.
It was not like he gave her a choice. She walked over to the stained-glass window that was overlooking the town. She had been here for two weeks, but she hadn't gone out once. Besides, she didn't idly spend her time inside either.
Blood. The bright red color of blood. For that duration of time, red has been the center of her world.
"What are you thinking?" Soichiro asked.
"Without him, the world is so bitter. " Lila murmured.
Without Kiryu, it will always be cold.
"Austin Kiryu again? Gee, even after half a month."
"When will I be allowed to see him?" Lila asked.
She heard a deep sigh behind her, "Not for a while. I can't give you an exact estimation. We still don't know how your condition will fare after going outside."
"Am I not allowed to write to him?"
"As you know, that letter Wataru sent was discovered. Thankfully, you could still keep it. Well, if it's another letter or two. Maybe after a month or so, it will be okay."
Lila nodded.
"I can't take you there, but your senior brothers can. They'll give you the rest of the instructions then."
He turned to walk away, but she tugged on his jacket.
"I miss Kiryu."
"....."
Her eyes flashed bright red, the color of blood. Simultaneously, her hair changed to a dark shade of violet. For hanyous who are desperate for blood, their hair color changes. There are two different stages to hanyous drinking blood. One is the regular state, and other is the abnormal state. Lila's current situation was the second one, "I'm starving and thirsty..." Lila murmured.
He turned her around, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm starving, " she repeated.
"Drink from me," Soichiro said as he combed her hair.
"I hate you..."
"Yeah, we should keep it that way."
Since she was conscious and could think rationally, she could sense the pain in this man's voice. He was suffering as well. Regardless, it was difficult for her to remain sane and not immerse herself in the pleasure of drinking. She has no time to worry about others.
Her heart was restless. Kiryu, if only he explained it to her before she left. If only he told her straight up whether they were still dating. But the words he said that day didn't imply that he would let her go though. If only she could find a way to clarify it.
For a female hanyou whose partner is not with them, a substitute is necessary. Hence, Soichiro offered to be that substitute. Despite all this, it didn't satisfy her. What she wanted was Kiryu's blood; she only wanted Kiryu. It felt like she would go insane from the thirst. If she went crazy, then perhaps things would have changed.
Maybe Soichiro would not have detained her here anymore and send her back. Or even send Kiryu here. Though Soichiro acted like a brute and heartless jerk half the time, Lila knew that when it came to her, he made many exceptions.
...
When Lila was full from drinking his blood, she felt exhausted. She had obtained more energy than before. But, the blood tasted bad in her mouth. She felt disgusted with herself. Why did she have to rely on him?
Her "guardian" reached out for his phone and hummed, "It's time. I've already enrolled you in the school. You can get ready now."
Lila blinked, and for a moment, she froze. Eh? Ehhh? Just like that? She stared at him, utterly confused and lost. While she knew that he would have to let her out eventually, he was doing it now?
Soichiro chuckled, "You'll be glad, dear. You'll finally meet Karashima Haruka again."
"I didn't just come here for Haruka."
"But he is the main reason, correct?"
Lila sighed deeply. "Tell me where the place is. I'll head there myself," she muttered. Where did she put Hamano-kun's number? Or Kouta-kun's? She exchanged numbers with the two guys from the band "Ray" when they came to visit last year.
Her sentence fell short when Soichiro tossed her a card, and Lila recognized the handwriting. "It seems like Karashima had turned the city upside down looking for you. While I did suggest to wait before, you may as well contact him first." With those words, the man swiftly left the room.
The eeriness about the place seemed to return despite the light in the room. She looked at the card in her hands and sighed again. 'Maybe she ought to wait a bit longer,' Lila thought.
Contacting Haruka right off the bat didn't seem right; she didn't want to look too eager to meet him, not when her heart was screaming out for Kiryu. Lila was very troubled when the man named Karashima Haruka confessed to her last year and said that he would wait for her. She came to this town to do her mission. However, it seemed like she will have to address the issue regarding Haruka.
Besides, her 'mission' has everything to do with him - a mission to change him. But, to do that, she has to unveil his dark secrets. 'She has to hurt him.' Lila closed her eyes. To bring him happiness, she has to cause him pain first.