Diabolik Lovers: Recovery

Chapter 10: Flashbacks (All)

A deep breath escaped my lungs as I toweled my hair dry. There was so much going on. 

I'll go for a swim tomorrow morning. 

As I picked up my brush, I mulled over the new knowns that had revealed themselves to me.

One: I was sent here, willingly, by my father the priest whose job it is to choose Sacrificial Brides.

Two: I am surrounded by vampires who are waiting for the moment in which my blood Awakens so that they can gain its power and become the next head of house.

Three: I am a trained vampire hunter like my father before me. My mission was to kill the Sakamaki brothers. 

Four: I have failed my aforementioned mission. Instead of ending them, I have adopted affections for them and I seek to coexist with them.

Five: There was no reason for me to have heart surgery and as a result, I now have the heart of demon-descended vampire, Cordelia, inside of my body. Richter lies in wait for me to Awaken and therefore Cordelia to Awaken. 

That's... that's a lot to take in. But there are still missing pieces - what happened to my father? Why do I remember my mother so vividly? And the new question: Why hasn't Cordelia taken advantage of my powerful blood? Why haven't we Awakened?

The soothing strokes of the brush through my hair kept the panic at bay. Would I be able to sleep tonight? Probably not. My eyes flickered to the mirror, but froze there. 

"Cordelia?" I squeaked, my eyes fixed upon her form looming over my shoulder. 

Her poison green eyes appraised me, flicking back and forth across my body, then she lifted a gloved hand. It crept like a spider from my shoulder, up my neck, then over my cheek. The sensation of silk touched my skin like some cool metal. Then, she swept her dark hand over my eyes. 

The world went black.

~

Only seconds passed before the darkness abated. But I wasn't in my room.

Barefoot and wearing only a loose t-shirt, I stood in a wide, yawning yard with lush green grass and stately bushes. My feet felt the dust-dirt path beneath my feet, my eyes were pierced by the sun, and my nose scented the smell of fresh roses. A giggling caught the attention of my ears and I turned.

A young boy dressed in a navy blue coat with a cravat poised at his neck paced down the path toward me. His soft blonde hair like pale sunlight and his sapphire eyes gleaming with joy were unlike I had ever seen them before. Shuu looked almost too relaxed to be as stately dressed as he was, especially since he was holding the most adorable puppy in his hands. It gleefully licked his face to elicit more giggles. 

"Shuu," I called softly, but he did not turn. 

What is this? A vision?

Nevertheless, I followed him to an airy gazebo where an older woman with similar colored hair and eyes stood at his approach. 

"Shuu, what are you doing?" she demanded. 

"Look at this puppy! Edgar gave it to me to take care of!"

"Get rid of it this instant."

Beatrix. Her name is Beatrix. 

"Why?" Shuu and I asked in unison. 

"You need to return to your studies, you can't waste your time on such things. It's not proper."

It was then that I saw him. A young Reiji looked almost exactly as he did when he was all grown up. His red eyes appraised his brother's chastisement with indifference.