Cavaliere del Giardino Overture

April (Chapter 11)

Months Before.

The mansion was quiet when she died. July and June were on their own Missions, the capos hadn't had their annual Le Castle Vania team meeting. May sat behind his seat staring down at the report. Her team wiped out and by a member of it. They're calling him April now. He ripped the paper up and tossed it into the flames beside him.

The grief came in waves and threatened to consume him entirely. It was his master, for now. He was at the mercy of its whims and at times it bit at him with such ferocity he feared it would leave him an empty shell. He heard the door open slowly as June stepped in. "Are you okay, Sir?" He asked quietly shutting the door behind him, he pulled his bloody mask off his mouth and sat on the couch next to the door. "I heard what happened and wanted to give you my....sympothy," He said before looking down. "She was an amazing Cap-"

"Where is July?"

"He will be late, he sent his team after the assassin," June said before leaning back in his seat. "You called us here for what exactly?" He asked looking at the tall mosquito before him.

"What if I find her body?"

"You won't," June said quietly. "If you do though, what will you do? Bring her back? She'll have barely any free will," He said. "She'll be a husk of what she used to be,"

"We buried an empty coffin today." May turned to the other. The emptiness in his heart, the numbness pounding his brain, the salty tears that flowed unchecked from his eyes, the sheer nothingness that now took hold of his soul threatened to engulf him entirely. "If I get any closure even a confirmation that she died peacefully that would be enough," May said. "That she died quickly, not slowly," He walked around the couch pouring blood in a glass for the two of them. "That she wasn't in pain for a while," he said. "If that's all I get from her, it'd be enough," he said handing him the glass as June swirled it.

The moldy, rotting, brown house stood in front of the boy, only fear to keep his feet planted to the ground. Moaning and creaking noises being projected from the house. The grass was damp from the evening fog and every time he took a step the mud squelched. The bottom step squeaked as he applied pressure with his foot, he let out a sigh of relief as the old structure hadn't swallowed him up. The door, slightly off-color from the rest of the house, loomed over him like a giant as he reached for the brass door handle. July stepped in and up the steps pushing the door open and shutting behind him. His mouth covered by his face mask, he tossed his syringes on the table before sitting down. "Open Bounty. 3 million," July said. "I assume we leave this between Le Castle Vania, Caprix and the boss must know nothing about this, correct?" July asked adjusting his mask before pulling it off. His face incredibly torn and ripped, muscles shown around his missing lips, his fangs dripping in blood.

"Must we always meet in this awful mansion?" July complained as he started cleaning his fangs. The house had that spooky charm, it was dull and quiet, cobwebs everywhere, chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and that odd knock no one could seem to explain.

"I'm happy you could join us," May said. "3 million, Open Bounty, I'm proud, You did something well," He said to the pink-haired vampire.

"Sir, there is nothing you can do when you see her." June stared. "What will you do when you meet her murderer?" He asked as he drank his glass.

May poured July a glass and handed it out to him. July smirked taking it and downing it. "Thank you, May."

"I'll ask him a simple question, How did it feel to snuff the life out of my sister?" He took a sip. "Then I will rip him limb from limb," He said finishing his glass. "I'll make sure whoever did this never see the light of day." The room fell silent, the fireplace even stopped a moment.

He saw her in the corner of the room, her blue dreads, red eyes, blood on her forehead with a large cut down her forehead to her eye. He focused on her for a moment before closing his eyes. "Get out of my head," he mumbled. "They say the pain dulls with time, and that things will get better. But how can things be better when the reason the pain isn't as bad anymore, is because I've forgotten? Over time, the memory of your presence has escaped my mind. I no longer see your face in strangers and the things we once shared no longer bring tears to my eyes. If getting past the pain means forgetting you, then I choose to suffer my entire life." June heard him and looked at him.

July didn't notice for a moment until hearing a small noise of sniffling coming from the capo. July stood up and walked to him. He hugged him tight as May froze for a moment. "Come on," July grinned. "Let it out, Sir,"

June watched the scene for a moment before standing up. "I will grab tissues, sir, July-" he looked at May who was breaking down. "Keep our boss.....somewhat stable," He stepped out, truth be told seeing someone who usually was so calm, collected, breakdown like that put June in a small state of fear. He walked down the hall before looking at his hands. "I can protect him," He said before grabbing napkins, he stepped into the room once more. 'I'll be loyal to him, not the boss,' he thought before wiping the tears from May's eye.

July broke the hug to let him. He grabbed his mask and put it on. "I hate seeing how upset you get about death," he said. "I want to make sure the guy who pays me is at least good," he said before smiling behind his mask. "I will make sure the assassin is dealt with, May." He sat on the couch before pulling his mask to his chin, he grabbed the cigar from the table lighting it. He had only been a capo a month, he was trying to figure the two out, see if they were trustworthy. 'Those two are like brothers, I suppose they'll be pretty okay to work under,' July said smoking and humming. 'I would follow these two anywhere,' he breathed in.

"Onto our discussion," May said before fixing his tie.