𝑻𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐇𝐔𝐒𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖍𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓

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"And who is this ?"

As soon as that question was asked and the cold-to-the-touch grip was on Shuichi's shoulder, the male froze like a deer caught in the headlights. He couldn't even move; like his feet were stuck in cement; his body wouldn't work.

But luckily, Rantaro stepped in, taking the wrist of the person invading Shuichi's personal space and squeezing it slightly as he pulled the hand away, letting Shuichi stagger forward, hugging himself before looking behind him to see who had grabbed him.

Behind them, was a tall and handsome man with combed back icy white hair and sharp baby-blue eyes; he had a straight and perfectly unwrinkled black velvet suit with a white tie.

"Grabbing other's like that isn't very polite." Rantaro mentioned, his usual causal and layed back expression seemed fading. He looked annoyed with this person. "This is my guest. I believe we were all give a plus 1 invite, Munakata."

The man with white hair known as Munakata scoffed, pulling his hand away from Rantaro's hold. "But I don't believe any of us brought human guests."

"There was no rule against it."

Munakata shook his head with another scoff leaving his pursed lips. "You pull this foolishness everytime we get together. Do you have any idea how pathetic you look by this point ?" He questioned coldly, shoving past Rantaro, passing by Shuichi but not without a death glance his way, sending shivers through the human males' spine.

"You don't even belong here..." Kyosuke added under his breath.

Eventually Munakata caught up with a male with dark jungle green hair and black trousers and trenchcoat whom was waiting for him. And the two went into the tomb which was open, and soon, everyone else followed now that the little show between the two vampires had ended and there was nothing else to see.

Inside the tomb there was a circular staircase that led underground. And considering everyone was going down there, Shuichi wasn't too surprised when he and Rantaro followed suit.

"Do you have any idea how pathetic you look by this point?"

Those words; what that Munakata guy said.. What did they mean? Shuichi couldn't figure it out entirely, but maybe it had something to do with him being Rantaro's guest. Shuichi wondered if Rantaro's previous brides were also invited to these sort of things. It wouldn't seem completely impossible. Why should Shuichi assume he was the only one? But, was that the only reason for that guy's behavior? Maybe he knew more about Rantaro than Shuichi did. If so, was there a chance Shuichi could try and get some information out of him?

"Maybe I can ask him if he knows anything about the tradition and anything about Amami..." Shuichi thought as he was walking down the steps. It wasn't as if Shuichi had a definite answer to why Rantaro was part of an annual tradition of taking a girl away from her home. It just.. didn't feel right. Was it truly only because he needed to feast? Somehow Shuichi found that hard to believe. For the short awhile he had personally known Rantaro, the guy didn't seem like anything he would've suspected him to be. Shuichi didn't sense any pride from Rantaro for being a vampire. If anything.. he gave off the feeling he was ashamed of it.

But wherever they were going, it was too far to see where it was. The only source of light Shuichi and to even see was from the fiery torches that hung on the cobblestone wall, lighting the stairs enough Shuichi could avoid from tripping and falling down the endless darkness below.

But eventually the dark passage that led deep underneath the graveyard came to an end, and everyone reached a set of heavy dark doors which seemed to have opened on command, and filling up the darkness was warm light that washed over Shuichi as he gazed behind the doors; behind them was a large ballroom, filled with other gothtic-styled guests all dancing and mingling to ghostly tunes and socializing with one another. However, when the doors opened, everyone stopped simultaneously, and all eyes were on the guests that stood at the doorway.

"W-Why are they all looking at us..?" Shuichi whispered, looking frantically up at Rantaro, already feeling his crippling social anxiety act up with all the sets of eyes on them, but before he even had the chance for an answer, an older man with a silver beard and matching hair was standing by the doors and gestured towards the newest addition of guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen. May I welcome you the Six Vampire Lords." And with that, there was a low and unsettling silence as everyone acknowledged these people's presence. Shuichi on instinct was about to look around him, as he hadn't gotten a good look at any of them previously, but Rantaro stopped him. Shuichi felt Rantaro take his hand and lean in close to whisper into his ear. However, his words were bone-chilling; his tone serious.

"The annual vampire gathering has started. From this point on, stay close to me, Kaede if you value your life."

He wasn't kidding around. That usual smile on Rantaro's face wasn't there; he was wearing a darker expression now. He held onto Shuichi's hand tightly, making sure the other got it in his head, this wasn't a time to not be on their toes.

At least, that's what Shuichi thought was the message Rantaro was trying to get across, but when the human male payed a bit more attention, he noticed something shocking:

Rantaro was trembling, he wasn't squeezing Shuichi's hand to warn him, he was squeezing Shuichi's hand because he was scared. His magenta eyes were completely focused ahead of him, as if he was almost in a trance.

"Who.. who is at this party.."

Suddenly, now Shuichi felt really scared. He swallowed, his eyes unable to look away from Rantaro's frightened emotion.

"That has him so terrified..?"

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