𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 ⌜𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿⌟

27. 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗪𝗜𝗦𝗘

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 27. 𝗨𝗡𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦...𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗪𝗜𝗦𝗘

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗥 was silent, only the creaking of the old flooring as someone passed, or the rattling of the windows filling your ears. Dio was gone, leaving with two of his servants to do something. You weren't quite sure what they were doing, but you had a feeling it had something to do with their feeding.

As you had for the past year, you found refuge in the library. A stack of books had been piled on the table, their contents having already been read. You sat on the couch, turning the last page of the final book before sitting forward and adding it to the pile. You leaned back and sighed, propping your head against your hand.

You flicked your gaze around the room, spotting a picture that was sitting on the mantel above the fire. You stood up, the floorboards creaking as you walked across them. You felt the heat of the flames as you approached, your hand reaching for the picture. It had been covered in a thick layer of dust, but when you used your sleeve to wipe it away, you felt your heart sink into your stomach.

Your grip on the frame tightened, your eyes falling heavy at the faces. It was a photo of Jonathan and Erina. Erina was wearing a long white dress, a bouquet of white roses in her hand. Jonathan stood beside her, wearing a suit as he held a bible in his hand. This was their wedding photo.

Guilt swirled in your stomach. Jonathan died in a boat crash, and you assumed it was on their honeymoon together. He hadn't even lived long enough to experience life with Erina. She went on as a widow and she never remarried. The love they shared for each other could make anyone envious of them. But because of the repercussions of his previous battle, they never got the chance to continue on together.

Your fingers loosened around the picture as your shoulders dropped. You still remember the words you shouted at Jonathan the night he tried to help you. You regretted them to this day. What would have happened if you hadn't said those things to him? What if you ended up on his side, fighting against Dio to try and stop the madness that he created? Maybe then, Erina and Jonathan could have lived their lives out together, as one.

"Y/n,"

Dio's presence encircled you, wrapping around you like a blanket. You slowly placed the photo back onto the mantel and turned to face him. He was behind the couch, his lips pulling into a frown as you walked toward him. He reached up, cradling your face in his palm.

"What troubles you, my love?" He asked.

"Nothing, I'm fine," You brushed it to the side. "What took you so long? You said an hour at the max. It's been several."

"Miss me?" He smirked.

"I'm in no mood for games, Brando."

Dio chuckled as you walked away from him. You returned to the couch, flopping into the middle seat. You draped your arms over the back, your head falling to gaze up at the ceiling. He walked behind you, a different expression falling upon his face.

"I'll be gone for about a month, starting tomorrow," He said, making you flick your gaze up to him.

"For what?" He could tell there was an edge in your voice.

"I have...unfinished business with someone. I'll be traveling overseas," He replied, his fingers brushing along your jawline. "Unfortunately, this isn't something that you can follow me to. You must remain here."

"What unfinished business?" You asked, narrowing your eyes at him.

"It doesn't concern you," He began to walk away.

"It's got something to do with the Joestars, doesn't it?" You asked suddenly, turning around to face him.

Dio looked at you over his shoulder. "The Joestar bloodline ended with Jonathan. Unless...you know otherwise."

You sank down, glaring at him. You turned and flopped back into your seat. You waved your hand at him. "What do you expect me to do while you're away? Twiddle my thumbs?"

"Explore the city if you wish," He hummed. "Just don't do anything stupid."

"I'm a lot smarter than you are," You muttered, turning as you kicked your feet onto the arm of the couch, slouching in the seats.

...

You lifted your arms above your head, stretching your body as you rose onto the tips of your toes. You exhaled in contentment as you lowered your arms, fixing your cloak over your shoulders and the hood over your head. You stood behind the local butcher shop, the light from inside shining from under the door.

"Here," The butcher emerged from the back door, holding a canister out toward you. You took it from him, placing the money into his hand. He returned to his shop without another word, not daring to question why a mysterious figure had appeared and requested any animal blood he had.

You walked to the end of the alley and leaned against the wall, unscrewing the lid from the canister. You brought it toward your nose, cringing at the stench of the blood. You closed your eyes and brought it to your lips, only ingesting enough to pass you until you needed it again. You screwed the cap back on before securing it away, wiping your mouth with your sleeve, hoping to wipe the taste away.

Just as Dio had said, he was gone by the time the sun set the next day. He disappeared with two of his pawns, Hol Horse and Vanilla Ice. He hadn't said a word to you before he'd gone. But you did find a new book on the table in the library.

You were glad that he was gone. Before, he'd never let you go out to retrieve your own blood. You had previously threatened that if he didn't, you'd start killing off his servants for fun. He could care less whether or not you killed his servants or not—you'd done it several times already. However, he agreed to let you go to get your own blood.

He supposed it was only fair since he left in search of his own prey.

The others in the mansion had become less hostile toward you as well, becoming used to your presence there. However, you could tell a lot of them were jealous, just from the glares you received whenever you were by Dio's side. Mostly by the women. It always made you snicker whenever you saw it, making Dio shake his head.

You walked out of the alley and emerged onto the empty street. It was nearing two in the morning, the blazing sun had set hours ago. There were few on the street, and every once in a while, you could sense the presence of one of the other vampires who lived in Dio's mansion as well. Your paths never crossed.

You walked along the streets, your hands tucked in your pockets, your gaze flicking around you. You could see figures pass through windows, searching for a drink or snack in the midnight hour. Egypt was oddly quiet; you would have assumed there'd be more hustle, even at night. But the streets were empty.

As you turned a corner, you felt a body knock into yours. You took a step back in surprise, your head lifting to see who'd run into you. Your eyes fell onto a crown of golden hair, hidden under the hood of a dark cloak. Your gaze met gray eyes, and both of your faces flooded with surprise.

"V-Vex?" They asked slowly, rising to their feet, eyes wide.

"Echo?"

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 27. 𝗘𝗡𝗗
𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: 29 𝗔𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗟 2023
𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗