My Vampires

Chapter 10

Gabriel
"...What's going on?"

I followed his gaze and my heart skipped a beat. ...What IS that? The space beyond the door seemed...twisted somehow, light and darkness oddly intertwining in a spinning maelstrom.

Gabriel
"Everyone, get back!"

Nicholas
"Kira, come here!"

Nicholas reached out to grab me by the arm, pulling me away from the swirling void. Moments later, le Comte slammed the door shut.

Nicholas
"What was that, Comte?"

Kira
"......"
~~~~~~~

Gabriel
"Here's some hot tea, Kira. Go ahead and drink it, it'll calm you down."

Kira
"Thank you, Comte..."

I sipped on the tea as le Comte instructed, but it had no effect on my racing heartbeat. On the other side of the door should be the hallway that connects the mansion to the Louvre.

Kira
"Has it ever looked like that beyond the door before, Comte?"

Gabriel
"No. I've traveled through time many times since I made that door, and never once has this happened." "The door will open again in one month. But...I don't know if it'll be back to normal by then."

No...So I won't be able to go home for another month? No, I shouldn't think like that. I didn't want to admit to myself that there was another possibility--that I might never be able to go home again. But I felt it in the pit of my stomach, a twisting knot that seemed to mirror the turbulence of that vacant space beyond the door.

Gabriel
"Kira, when you wandered into this world that day...I promised I would get you home safely no matter what." "And yet..."

He squeezed the words out, and it was only then that I realized something. I've been so wrapped up in my own feelings I didn't stop to consider how everyone else feels. If they thought I was anxious, I knew they'd bend over backwards to help me. But right now, no one could do anything to solve this. It was pointless to worry about it. All the residents were so strong and kind. Spending this month with them had brought me closer to all of them. I didn't want to worry them or make them sad.

Kira
"Please don't be upset, Comte. I just have one favor to ask you.

Gabriel
"What is it? I'll do anything."

Kira
"May I stay here at the mansion for a while longer?"

Although the door to my world had been slammed shut in my face, time still moved forward in this one.

Next day.

Kira
"I'm going shopping!"

Lennon had an errand to run in town, so he offered to accompany me.

Lennon
"All right, cara mia--I gotta get going. Let's meet up here when you're done." "I'm sure you know by now, but it's dangerous to walk around out here alone, so stay where there are a lot of people."

Kira
" I will. Don't worry, Lennon."

He took a step forward but then paused. He trained his golden eyes on me and studied my face for a moment.

Lennon
"Are you all right?"

He's not asking me if I'm all right alone... He's worried about me in general. I could read his concern in the subtle tone of his voice. I put a smile on my face and nodded.

Kira
"I'm fine, Leonardo. You be careful too, okay?"

Lennon
"Yeah. See ya later."

We said goodbye, and once I was finished buying everything on Sebastian's list, I stepped back outside. Brr...An icy blast of wind whipped my hair in front of me. I looked up and saw snowflakes falling from the sky. I thought it was cold this morning... The snow was really coming down, and the town was covered in white before knew it. Passersby began to open up umbrellas, spreading their colors against the stark white backdrop. I reached for my umbrella too, but- Huh? All of a sudden I saw someone standing still in the middle of the crowd. Everyone was busily going to and fro, their umbrellas like colorful flowers blooming in a white world. But he stood there alone with no umbrella, staring up at the sky... ..just staring at the snow as it fell down upon him. He was frighteningly beautiful. So beautiful he made me think of a snow fairy. But...For some reason watching him look up at the sky made my heart ache. Just looking at him made my heart ache so bad it felt like it was breaking in two. Everyone walked right past him, almost as if they couldn't even see him as he stood right there. It looked as if time was flowing all around him, but just he had been stranded there, forgotten. Like he'd been cut off from the world. Before I knew what I was doing, I started walking towards him. 1 opened up my umbrella and held it over his head, protecting him from the torrent of snowflakes that fell down from the sky. My bright red umbrella cut through the world of white. The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could even think about them.

Kira
"Why do you look so sad?"

Crimson-eyed Man
"......"

The beautiful man slowly turned his face towards me. His eyes were a shocking deep crimson. And as soon as he saw me, they opened wide with surprise. What's  wrong...? He stared at me so intently it was like he'd forgotten to breathe.

Kira
"Um..."

Crimson-eyed Man
"Hey." ".....Haven't we met somewhere before?"