Hana's last appearance.

XxXxX

Hana breathed a sigh of relief. "I believe I am no longer in the future nor in the past," she murmured. It was a good thing, she thought.

Indeed, child. You are inside a timeless dimension. But... Why are you here?

She reacted immediately to the voice that came out of nowhere. "The Great Elder!" she called. "It is me, Hana! Do you remember me?"

Kuran's daughter? Kuran Hana?

"Yes! You remembered me, thank God!" she said. "The Great Elder! I have a request! I need to go the past, a very specific past."

How is that possible, child? You are from the past. There is no point going to your father's past!

A sudden realization hit her. "No, I meant the past from this time line!" she explained. "I was dead when this event occurred so–"

Why?

"Why, you ask? I..." she was lost for words. "I wanted to see for myself the hatred that the Kurans have for the ones who have taken our precious blood!"

Hana... You do understand the consequences if you enter the time dimension? One mistake and you may change the course of history. Your future is intact but your descendants? Those who are dead may find themselves alive and those who are alive may find themselves dead. Do you wish for such high risk to happen?

Hana nodded. "I know. I've that in mind when I visited papa. Of course, my existence there was just a memory so it didn't change anything."

If that is the case, why you wish to revisit this specific past? Is it related to Kuran?

"Unfortunately so, the Great Elder. Please, grant me the permission to enter that dimension! I promise I won't do anything weird while I'm inside!"

I believe in you, child, you are Kuran's daughter after all and a successful leader during your time of ruling. It is a bit sad that I couldn't see you rule for a long time, time has taken me earlier than I expected. I suppose it is important to you so go towards that path and you shall reach your destination. Remember...!

Hana looked up at the direction of the voice. "Yes, the Great Elder?"

I will not know where you will end up in the time dimension you have requested. If you are lucky, the events you wish to see may not yet happen but there are times that you are too late to do anything and this chance comes only once in your lifetime. Wherever you are, remind yourself that one mistake...

"Can change the course of history. I understand, sir."

Very well. You are free to go.

Hana gripped her hands and gave a last glance even when she was aware that the Great Elder was not visible to her eyes. She bowed, turned toward the path and marched toward the door connecting her to the past she wanted to see. Hopefully, she whispered, I am able to witness the truth when I see this.

XxXxX

"Where is Akiko?" the loud voice roared as he sat in front of the crowd of vampires. They were his family: wife, two sons, his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, as well as grandchildren. He was unhappy when he called a sudden family meeting. His daughter, Akiko was missing!

"Father! Calm down!" his son replied. "Akiko is the type of girl who will walk around outside doing her own business. She will return, soon."

"I do not want to hear that kind of answer!" he slammed the arm of the chair, slightly breaking it. "That child! How many times has she been out without notice? When I need her, she's not available and the only answer you're able to give me is the usual excuse! I want that child now! NOW, you hear me?" he boomed, spreading his powerful aura through each one of his family. "Find her, Reiji. Or else, I'll feed you to those hungry beasts."

Reiji gulped at the declaration his father made. It was a mistake to reply to his father when he was in no position to accept opinions wisely. "Father!"

"Go. Now. Bring your brother if you have to. Hideki?"

Hideki was without words as he looked anxiously at his brother and the brother returned the same gaze. Great, Akiko just gave us our death sentence!

"Well?" the father asked.

Reiji slowly nodded in defeat, pulled his brother's sleeve and left the place. Their father smiled proudly and murmured, "By the end of the day, sons."

Now, they waited for the results. If Akiko return from wherever she was doing, her brothers' heads would be safe but if she did not, well...

XxXxX

Kuran Hideki stopped his brother as soon as they reached the junction of the town. "Wait a moment, Rei!"

"What? We need to hurry! Before the end of the day, we need to find that fool! I can't believe she's doing this to us!" Reiji complained.

Hideki has nothing to say but agree with Reiji. "Father never threatened to behead us before," his tone was full of worry.

His brother shook his head. "It's gruesome how you said father was going to behead us INSTEAD of feeding us to those unimaginable beasts!"

"In any way possible, we still lose our heads!" he protested. "This place is large. How are we going to find Akiko in this place?" he questioned.

"Just search. We'll find her. She's probably in the alleys, hunting humans or whatnot."

Hideki explained that if Akiko was out hunting, she didn't have to sneak out secretly without their father's notice. They always notify others if they went out to hunt because fighting over the same prey could be a bloody mess. Reiji understood it but sometimes, their baby sister just love doing things on her own without bothering to tell anyone, even her family. "If that's the case, why do you think she ran away from home and return when it's time?" Reiji asked.

"Hmm, that's tough."

"You don't even have the answer, Hideki." Reiji slapped himself and proceeded toward the left road. "You search the right side of the town, I'll look at the left. Hurry, if there's anything just give me a message. I'll be here as soon as possible!" he ordered, jumping up to search from the higher point of the town.

Hideki stared helplessly at his brother's quick movements. "Well, you are the heir to the family anyway. I cannot say anything more." And he was off!

XxXxX

The search for Kuran Akiko was not as easy as the two brothers thought. They searched high and low but found no traces of their younger sister. They met at a spot to discuss their further strategy. Kuran Reiji began to lose hope but did not want to lose his head as his father threatened earlier. He was to become the head of the Kuran family and death because he failed to find Akiko, it was not the option he was willing to accept. "We'll search for her again."

"Okay. We only have a few hours before we have to return home. If not, father will eventually come here to find us personally." Hideki sighed.

"Knowing the old man's temper, he can destroy us even without feeding us to those beasts," Reiji said sarcastically, ignoring his brother's sigh.

The same brother looked at him with a terrified look, an usual thing. "Sometimes, hearing your words remind me of father. Stop it already!" he cried.

Reiji tsked and searched the deepest part of his thoughts. "There must be one place. I wish I know where so I don't have to confuse myself."

Hideki appeared to be thinking and murmured, "Hmm. I'm sure there is that one place. It's been that long ago but I'm sure she remembers that place."

"What place?" Reiji asked.

"The secret alleyway at the end of the town. It's hard to find but if you've been there before, it's easy to find the place."

Reiji was puzzled. Alleyway? "Why is she even there? Has she been there before? With you?" he questioned, eyeing his brother with a death glare.

"It's what siblings do!" he defended. "When I asked you whether you wanted to come, you said you were busy so we went together. After all, you are the one who is pressured by the family as the heir of the Kuran family!" he added. "Akiko and I are just here as distractions, we don't have any uses anyway."

Reiji shook his head, letting his temper free. "Keep up with this thinking and I don't have any problems removing the two of you from the family tree once I become the head of the family! You two are my siblings, whether you have uses or not, to me, both of you are important. Tell me where this alleyway again!" he snapped, eyes slightly glowing in fury. "And honestly, you should have realized the possibility she's there in the first place!"

"Uh, sorry. The alleyway is that way. Come!" Hideki said, immediately moving followed by Reiji. They ran toward the end of town as clock ticking in rush.

Reiji's only hope was to find Akiko at the alleyway. They were already short of time! If she was really there, she'd better be safe! If not...!

XxXxX

Hana felt the soft rush of air running along her skin. It's cold!

Her eyes slowly opened as she looked at her surrounding. "I was sleeping...?" she asked with uncertainty. As she rose from the bed, she realized that she was inside a room. It wasn't small yet it wasn't big. It was enough for someone like her, small yet comfortable for her own needs. There were two windows on the walls and sunlight poured into the room through them. Opposite her location was the door. There was nothing much inside the room besides a bed she was sitting on and a closet. "How did I get inside here in the first place?" she murmured, feeling the existence of a missing piece.

She then gazed at her own clothes. Thank God, she said inside her heart, I wore the same clothes as before so this place is definitely the past! Quickly she left the bed, opened the door and ran down the stairs. She needed to get out from this place! She made sure the owner wasn't there before going to the door. As she closed the door quietly, she took a glance and noticed it was an inn. Strange, she thought, I've never been here before yet it is my destination.

Hana's only problem was one: figuring out where to find the people she wanted to see. Then a quick rush came over her. It was not yet night time but it felt as if the town was abandoned. "The owner's not here. The townspeople don't seem to exist. What happened?" she asked but there was no answer. "The Great Elder didn't send me to the time where everything ended, right? Hopefully not. He did say I have one chance of going back in time but if it's the wrong time, oh dear. I need to find them!" she said, starting her search. She didn't know the appearances of her descendants nor did she know where they lived.

"My only clue is they look awfully similar to one another! The same thick, brown hair and red eyes, that's definitely Kurans!" she told herself.

XxXxX

The Secret Alleyway.

A woman. A man. Both of them together, the man behind the woman as they groaned in pleasure of the activity they were doing. The alleyway was dark and hidden from society's careful eyes. What happened there stayed there. It was a perfect place for secret lovers to meet, especially when one was a vampire and one was a human. Vampires and humans never get along due to the vampires' tendency to hunt humans while humans try to kill the vampires using their own ways but once in a while, a love was formed between the two different species yet fear of their own kind brought them to meet in secret.

"I love you," she said breathlessly, pushing herself against the man to create friction. She was in deep lust, needing more of his kisses. "I truly do."

The man kissed her earlobe, biting it to tease her before kissing her on the cheek. "I know. I love you too, Akiko."

"Here, my blood to satisfy you," she said, shoving her wrist to him. He sniffed her blood before licking it, then roughly took her hand and sucked the blood. Akiko swallowed the pain as her love drank her blood. It was necessary. He was rough today, drinking a lot more than usual. "Aahn," she gasped as the sudden movement. "Are you thirsty, my love?" she asked, even though she wanted a taste of his blood too but...!

The man nodded. "I am. I lust for you, Akiko. I want to take everything from you, drink your blood until it's gone, your flesh with my own flesh. It's weird, isn't it? I am not even a vampire but I feel like one, I am acting like one. You are my prey and I am drinking your blood. Your very precious blood, Akiko."

"It's yours. It's always been yours, love," she reassured him, taking her bloodied wrist, licking it clean and placed her hands back on his shoulders. "If we haven't met that time, I am sure my life would be a bore. I cannot imagine living without you. I love you, Kiryuu. I always do," she said, placing both hands on the sides of his face as she kissed him deeply. He returned the affection, pushing her against the hard wall. He looked at her with lust and she said, quietly, "Are we...?"

"It's your choice. I don't mind doing it again. I love your body, it perfect with mine. Sometimes I feel I violated your honour. I should have taken you to a more comfortable place. A bed, perhaps but it's always this hard and rough wall. It won't do well to your skin and I feel I ravished you more than enough."

"Nonsense, love. I love rough, hard places. It's the best place to increase our desire to one another. And yes, let's do it. This alleyway is our place."

He chuckled and kissed her again, "It'll be better than the last, I promise you."

"I know you do. Now–" she said, loosening his shirt as he did hers. "You are the best in lovemaking."

"Of course. Or else I won't be able to satisfy you. You are a beautiful lady, my love.'

They giggled as they removed each other clothes. They made love a moment ago and decided to do it again. "Make sure it's the best, Kiryuu."

XxXxX

"I smelled her blood! She's definitely at the alleyway! Rei, hurry up!" Hideki cried, rushing toward the said alleyway.

Reiji wasn't used to his brother's jerking him when they're in a rush but he forced himself to keep up. "Calm down, you fool!" he said.

"There! Akiko, you're there?" he cried but gasped at what he witnessed. "You!"

Reiji noticed Hideki's weird expression and went to his side. "What happened? Did you find Akiko–" he turned to the direction leading toward the alleyway and realized why Hideki acted like that. "Akiko? What are you doing? Who is that man?" he asked in disbelief. His younger sister... making love with a man?

Akiko was in instant panic when she saw her brothers. "Aah, Kiryuu! Please, leave this place now! I'll deal with them! I don't want them to hurt you!"

"But Akiko!" he protested.

"Just go! Go!" she begged him, pushing him toward the other end of the alleyway. "This will be our last meeting and I don't want you to get hurt, Kiryuu!"

At the same instance she managed to make her lover escape, Reiji firmly had his hold on his sister's arm. "It's a wise choice that you let him go, Akiko."

"But that doesn't mean we won't find him. All these time you were out meeting with that man? Even worse, you made love with him?" Hideki scolded her.

"Hideki, save your questions for later. It's father she will have to face." He dragged his sister out from the alleyway. When she hesitated, he glared at her and said, "Hurry up!" That alone was enough to silence her. "Your disappearance made father extremely angry with everyone, he threatened to feed us to those beasts if we fail to find you. Luckily, you're easy to find so we have our heads intact but yours..." he paused, letting his sister to wonder about it.

Hideki knew that there was no definite answer whether Akiko would survive their father's wrath, especially when he'll find out about what else she did. She might be his only daughter among the three children but as the head of the family, if his own daughter shamed the family at this stage, her position would be meaningless. "You should have thought of this before meeting out with that man, sister. I cannot say what your future will be," Hideki said.

Akiko swallowed her tears. "Father will understand. He will!" she said, giving herself the boost of confidence. Her father would never hurt her, she knew.

Reiji was silent as they returned to the Kuran manor. He did what his father has requested and it was cruel but his sister ultimately shamed the family, his father's name and his own as the heir. The only punishment fit for her was death but he hoped that his father would rethink a more suitable punishment. Yet, Reiji knew that if he'd thought of death as a perfect punishment for Akiko's misdeeds, then it would be natural his father would suggest the same.

Hopefully not. Hideki and Akiko are important to me. Losing one of them doesn't feel right but...!

XxXxX

Hana gasped in horror. "My gosh. This is even worse than I thought! How foolish can she be!"

As she was running repeatedly in circles (literally!), she was about to give up! The town was definitely deserted and it displeased her greatly. However, her heated anger turned into cold water when she saw two men flying over the buildings. "Hmm?" she looked at the quick movements and concluded that those were not humans' abilities but vampires. Also, it wasn't that hard to not notice the dark brown hair covering the boys' heads. "Kurans!" she said.

They were in hurry when Hana saw the first vampire shouted to the other vampire to hurry up. "I smelled her blood! She's definitely at the alleyway! Rei, hurry up!" he said, his tone increasing. As a reply, the other vampire said, "Calm down, you fool!" It was a typical brotherly conversation. Hana knew it not because she has boys as her children, but her son has a quite number of boys with his love, his sister. They were so in love, it wasn't surprising that their offspring increased by time despite the difficulties to conceive a child due to their vampire nature. She was able to see her grandchildren before her demise.

Hana thought she was the luckiest to be able to witness the growth of her grandchildren but regret leaving before she could really see her son as a ruler.

It was a short time and it felt it wasn't enough!

She returned her attention to the two vampires and quickly followed them, noticing the second vampire was the older brother and the first was the younger one. In this time dimension, Hana's was invisible to them thus she was able to stand nearby and not be noticed by the brothers. This events had happened before in the past, she was simply replaying it again to see what happened but...!

I wish I changed my mind and choose to be curious instead of witnessing this scene! Calm down, Hana! You can go through this!

When the older brother dragged his sister out from the secret alleyway followed by the younger brother, Hana knew that it was not going to end happily. It was visible on the faces of the two brothers and the fear the sister has shown. She gave herself a false confidence that their father would not punish her but all three of them including Hana knew very well how a Kuran act when he or she was mad. A vampire and a human, it was obvious it was a taboo!

If it was some unknown human, who was indeed a 'normal' human, Hana wouldn't have mind but her hearing was never wrong. The lover was Kiryuu.

Kiryuu Zero...?

Hana shook her head immediately! Impossible! Yet, the possibilities were there. At this time, he might not be a vampire and he was feeding blood from a vampire. It was too similar to the present time. When Kiryuu Zero thirsted for blood, it was Yuuki who gave her blood to him. In a normal sense, it was a human letting a vampire feed him but in reality, the human was not a human but a vampire, thus it was a vampire letting a former human feed from her.

Could Akiko be...

No. Of course not, she told herself. Akiko was a fool, even worse than Yuuki and that was a fact she admitted.

Her conscious brought her to the Kuran manor as she watched the older brother pulled his sister toward a room. The younger brother, as usual, stood behind them as a protective measure. One thing Kuran females were famous of was the fact that they can run extremely fast than the males. Akiko would do that if her brother didn't stand behind her, watching every movements she made. She didn't want to come here, it was visible to her face.

Hana turned her gaze toward a group of vampires sitting together and noticed that all of them were part of Kuran family. Her eyes widened in surprise.

XxXxX

"Father! We've brought Akiko home!" Reiji declared to his father and he was greeted with a small applause. "Akiko, please meet father. He misses you."

He turned around, stared at her without emotions and pushed her forward. Akiko tottered forward with fear as her father rose from his seat to hug her.

"Father," Reiji stopped him. "I may put a blind eye on this but do you like to know how Hideki and I found our sister? And what she was doing there?"

Their father stopped moving, looked at his son with curiousity before turning to his daughter. "Where were you, Akiko?" he asked.

She hesitated to answer! If she tell him she was at the alleyway, her father would question if she was alone or not. It's a big mistake if she say she was alone because she wasn't and knowing Reiji (and Hideki), if she say she was alone, they would speak up and her time was up. "Uuh," she started, blank.

"Akiko?" her mother asked. "Why are you hesitating to answer your father's question?" she said. "Answer him. All of us are worried about you."

Apparently no one noticed that Akiko's clothes were not proper since she was rushed by Reiji and he had enough of waiting. "She's scared because she sinned; father, mother. She was at the secret alleyway at the end of the town. We thought she was hunting but instead of finding a prey, she became a prey. She was with a man, a human in particular," he explained, ignoring his sister's glance of fear. Her face clealy said 'Why?' and Reiji chose to ignore her.

"A man?" their mother looked at her daughter. "All these time, you are with a human man? What did you do with him?" her blood immediately boiled in anger, resulting in her sisters trying to calm her down. "Reiji! What did you see when you two found your sister? What was she doing in there anyway?"

Reiji looked at Hideki and the brother knew it was his cue. "I found her first, mother. It's very hard to say but they were in the middle of..."

"In the middle of what?" the father asked. He didn't have to ask but he needed to hear the word from Hideki.

"...lovemaking." He turned his head away, embarrassed to say the word aloud in front of his family, especially when the matter was related to Akiko.

Hana swore she heard a building collapsed nearby but she fixed her eyes on the scene. Reiji spilled Akiko's secrets and Hideki ultimately destroyed her.

"Is that all?" they heard their father's question. Hideki and Reiji exchanged a glance, silently questioning each other what else they saw Akiko did. Hideki shook his head, not knowing what else he saw and Reiji did exactly the same. They found their sister in the middle of lovemaking with a man, she asked the man to escape while they took Akiko away by force. What else was there...? "Nothing? Your sister was with a human, that is all?" he asked.

Hideki nodded. "Yes, father. At least that's what we saw when we found her."

"How did you know she was there in the first place?" the father asked.

"Eh? What did you mean?" Hideki asked. His father's question brought him back into recalling the events happening a moment ago. He guessed she was there because they've been there before but how did he confirm her presence there? He placed his hand on his head, trying to force himself to think. How could he forget when it's the most important thing!

Reiji closed his eyes to think. There was a missing piece; a word that Hideki said that provided them enough reason to rush toward the alleyway. Ah.

"Blood!" together they said in union. Hideki looked at his brother with surprised shock and Reiji returned the same.

"You remember? You said you smelled her blood, that's why you rushed toward the alleyway!" Reiji explained further.

Hideki nodded. "Yes, Akiko's blood. It was too strong, as if she spilled her blood... Eh?" his voice stopped, realizing that there was more than a lovemaking.

"Gosh, no, Akiko!" Reiji turned to his sister but to his own surprise, their father had his hands against her neck. "Father, please."

"Spit out his name, my child. Who is this secret lover of yours who claimed he's a human while the entire time he was feeding from you?" he asked, gripping her neck tightly, almost choking her. "If you refuse to tell me, then you can say goodbye to your life because you just destroy yourself. A human cannot coexist with a vampire, let alone a vampire feeding a human with his or her blood! Have you forgotten this important lesson, Akiko?" he roared.

Their father continued with his wrath. "If your lover is a human, why don't you feed from him instead of letting yourself be the food? Your brother smelled your blood!" he said. "Did you forget that you are a Pureblood vampire, Akiko? Your pure and precious blood wasted away to some useless human!" he pushed her away, letting her fall against the floor. "Explain yourself before I end your life, Akiko!" he said, eyes glowing in extreme fury.

Akiko coughed as she eased her throat. "I... I love him, father!" she said, looking at him with tears on her face. "I gave him my blood as my proof of love!"

"That excuse won't work with father, Akiko. Love isn't a reason to change what you've done to us. All of us," Reiji warned her.

"Still! I love him! I love him! He said he loved me, father! When brother Reiji and Hideki found me, I told him to run away even though he was trying to help me! He loved me, I know!" she said, her heart heavy. "Father, please don't get mad! Please don't end my life. I promise I won't see him again, I promise!" she said, swallowing her tears as she begged at her father. "Have mercy on me, father. I am your daughter, your child!" she said, pulling on his legs.

The father was silent as his daughter cried and begged for his forgiveness. "If I forgive you for what you have done, it's unfair for the others who'd done the same. I have to be fair because as a ruler, I must not be selfish for my own sake. If I put a blind eye on my family, I am not a ruler worthy of my worth. You are my daughter but you have crossed the forbidden line, Akiko! Love is not a reason, it won't change what you've done! You sacrificed your blood for a reason as worthless as love! How did you know if the man truly loves you?" he questioned her.

"He said so! He said he loved me!" she tried to explain to her father but he hushed her.

"Did he really mean it, Akiko?" her father asked. "Words can be manipulated when you have a manipulator, child. Why is that human is interested with your blood when he never give you his own blood in return? It's always been you. Your blood. Your body. Your heart. What else?" he asked her. "If you have the answer for this question, tell me the reason. You let him take your blood but do you have his? A human does not hunger for blood but a vampire do."

Akiko's fear was increasing as her father tore open her defenses. "Child. We can manipulate people but you, a Pureblood lost against a mere human."

"I..." tears started rolling down her face as she realized her mistakes.

"Your love to him is only one-sided. He never return the love because he sees something else in you." He crouched down and looked at his daughter. "If he's a mere human, he will fear a vampire such as yourself but the question is, he does not run away from you. He approached you, seduced you and have you under his arms. You are lost in him, sacrificing your heart to prove your love but he never return yours. You are a fool, Akiko."

"I..."

"What is his name, child?" her father asked gently.

Akiko shook her head, refusing the question but her father said quietly, "You will die if you refuse to tell me his name. He will die, too."

"No, you won't!" her head shot up and she stared at her father with intense fear. "Father, don't kill him!" she begged him.

Her father looked at her with shame, "You've lost, Akiko." He rose, touched his daughter's head and murmured, "There is no reason for you to live."

"No! No, father!" she cried, trying to stop him. "I am sorry, father. I am sorry!" she said, then gasping for air. "Ah... Ah! Ack!" her hands flew to her throat.

"You value the life of our enemy rather than your own. You have lost in the blindness of love, something that is foreign in our nature as vampires."

"Fa... ther.' And she dropped to the floor, no longer breathing. In a few seconds, her dead body turned into sand as the wind blew them away.

Reiji stared at his father without emotion as Hideki tried to control the sudden burst of emotion, while the rest remained as they were; still. Akiko has betrayed their trust by mingling herself with a human lover as well as sharing her blood with him. She has forgotten if vampires craved their blood, the humans have their own share of interest even if they were not supernatural creatures. A taste of a Pureblood's blood can change the way a vampire or human's body work. A vampire might feel extra powerful while a human might have vampires' traits as a result. The desire for blood was one of the traits.

"Reiji, Hideki." He stared at his sons. "Do you remember the characteristics of this human?" he asked.

"It was dark but..." Reiji hesitated. "I believe he has silver hair."

"Silver? A very odd colour." He ignored the doubt sprouting in his mind and said, "It shouldn't be hard to find a silver-haired man. Find and bring him here."

Reiji and Hideki nodded. "What are you going to do with him?" Hideki asked.

"We will see later. I want to know his name and why a human like him mingle with our kind."

His wife slowly said, "There's only one kind of human who like to disturb us, my lord. The vampire hunters."

"Are you suggesting the human is a vampire hunter?" he asked.

"He drank her blood. Even now, how many times did she give her blood to him without us knowing? Plus, he wasn't bitten by her. He's still a human. We didn't know his intention but he manipulated our daughter into becoming his prey when she's the predator! He blinded her by saying he loved her while using her for his own good! I am sure he's a vampire hunter, the type of humans who didn't fear us because they have those weapons. Our ancestor..."

Her husband agreed with his wife. "Too many of our ancestors died due to these hunters. We lost Akiko because of them as well. They're unforgivable."

"I understand, father. We'll find that bastard and bring him here," Reiji said. "I already lost my sister. It's wise enough to kill one of their own."

XxXxX

Hana has no words at what she witnessed. Akiko was alive a moment ago and then she died. It was all in a matter of minutes. She deserved it, right...?

When the head of the Kuran family said that too many of their ancestors died due to the hunters, Hana felt extremely sad as she recalled the past events. Her mother died because of the hunter's weapon and many more followed her death, including her close friends and respected people. The hunters were only humans but they were deathly at the same time. With the creation of the hunters' weapons, vampires were at the brink of the end. Damn!

Night has fallen and the vampires were active during the night. Reiji excused himself from the daily family hunting, stating he needed the rest for tomorrow's search. Hideki decided to join his family for the hunt despite receiving the same orders (and the emotional one after Akiko was destroyed), leaving Reiji alone at the Kuran manor for the rest of the night. Hana, not knowing where else to go and no interest over the hunt (she didn't exist in this time line, no reason to hunt when she couldn't eat her prey in the first place), decided to accompany Reiji, even if he might not notice her presence there.

Slumped on his bed, Reiji stared blankly at the ceiling. "Akiko," he murmured weakly. Pulling his hair, groaning with annoyance, he said, "What am I suppose to do now? I have no wife and I am expected to marry one as the heir of the family. You are my choice since you are the closest to me but now you are no longer here. Is that human much better than your own brother? What does he has that I do not have? He is only a human, different from our kind yet you are in love with him. You defended him with all your heart despite the threat on your life. How stupid can you be, Akiko, my sister, the one that I love."

"Hideki is in love with you too, sister." He closed his eyes, savouring the moment Hideki confessed to him that he loved Akiko, not knowing that his own brother was in love with their sister. It hurt him to see Hideki so excited about love and become brokenhearted when Reiji announce his intention to marry Akiko. Of course, none of that ever happen. Reiji wanted to announce the news this week but Akiko was missing when she was needed and his father requested him to find her. Then, he found out what Akiko has been doing in secret and his emotions were mixed together. He didn't know what to do!

Out of love, he could have protected her secret. Out of love, he could have denied the existence of Akiko's lover. Out of love, he could have defied his father.

Yet, out of love, it was impossible to do all of that. Love was not a reason, it's worthless like he told her earlier. It was a warning for her, for him as well. He covered his face and screamed all his frustration. He was sorry for Akiko, it was his sign of love but he knew that he couldn't stop his father. Defying his father meant death and it was not because he was selfish but losing one life was worth than losing two lives, perhaps three if Hideki chose to interfere.

However, none happen as he thought because Reiji knew better not to interupt his father with his judgement. Hideki, too. He knew the consequences.

Akiko was the one at fault and her punishment was delivered as expected. It hurt everyone when it happened and deep inside, his father was hurt as well.

There was nothing else he could do but mourn for her death. He swore, he would find that man and finish him off, if his father let him decide the torture.

And all this time, Hana watched with a deep sense of regret. Poor child, she thought, in love with your own sister and it was not returned. It hurt, I know.

Reiji kept his eyes closed, his mind swimming in the river of thoughts as he lose himself in the confusion as he prepared for tomorrow. I would be ready.

XxXxX

The sunrise came as slow as possible. Reiji was already awake despite the vampires' tendency to still be in bed, sleeping soundly after a long night of hunting. Reiji did not hunt and he slept early, thus he woke up early but he was still abed, refusing to get himself off the bed and clean up. It was quite early, there was no reason to go out when no one's there to greet you, he thought and snuggled closer to his pillow. "Another hour of sleep should do it."

It was around noon when Reiji woke up. So much for the one hour of sleep when sunrise appeared. He grunted at his tardiness and got off the bed to clean up. As he was busy doing his needs, he heard the knock on the door. He answered it despite the laziness in his tone and received the message from his servant: The master wishes to see Reiji-sama in the study to discuss today's mission. Nodding, Reiji dismissed his servant and went to the study.

"Father?" he called out after knocking the door, hoping his father was inside.

"Come in, son. Close the door, if you please."

He closed the door and went toward his father. "You wish to see me, father?" he greeted him.

"Yes. Do sit, please. You didn't hunt last night so I expect you to be awake earlier."

"I was but thinking that it was early, I continued my sleep. I was hoping to wake up an hour later but it was already noon when I really woke up."

He heard a soft chuckle and his father said, "It is all right. Even now, most of the family are still in bed. Your mother included. I sent a message to Hideki but I believe he is the same as everyone else. Tired to the core after a heavy night. He caught the biggest prey and was extremely overjoyed. You missed the look on his face, he couldn't stop smiling. Very well, let us start the discussion. From the message, you know what I want to talk about, correct?"

Reiji slowly nodded. "I need to search for this vampire hunter. He has silver hair."

"If he is a vampire hunter, son. Your mother suggested that this human is a hunter but we are not sure of the possibilities."

Reiji looked at his father. "Unsure? I was up thinking last night, father. I believe that he is a vampire hunter. As mother said earlier, a normal human won't be interested with blood or even the thought of meeting a vampire. Yet, this human is the total opposite! He's interested with blood and he's fine with vampires. Akiko could have tricked him, pretending she was a human but when she fell in love with him, she told him the truth. Most of the time, a human could make the last decision: stay or leave. He didn't leave her!" he said. "It's not because of love, it's because he needed her by his side! For his work!"

"Wouldn't Akiko be able to smell his scent? A vampire hunter hunts vampires, there should be a special scent on his body."

Reiji hesitated to provide his answer. "We would have known the truth if you didn't destroy Akiko, father."

"Ah. It's too late to do anything regarding that, I suppose." There was a delicate change of tone when he said that.

"I am not mad at you, father!" he said, hoping his father didn't take it the wrong way. "Even I would have done the same if my own family member shamed the family by doing something one would never thought of doing. It is not about our reputation, it's not important to us but–" he paused, feeling the difficulty to talk about it but he forced himself. "–I know it's hard for you to do that. Akiko was your beloved daughter and now she's no longer here."

"That's why... I will find this man and bring him here!" he said, looking straight at his father.

His father looked at him and murmured, "Reiji."

"I promise you, father. For Akiko's sake, I will find that man."

Reiji rose from his seat, slightly bowed and left the study. He didn't need Hideki for this search. He would do it himself.

XxXxX

Hideki ran after his brother as soon as he was informed that Reiji conducted the search by himself. Why!

"Akiko's death is my responsibility as well, Rei!" he told himself, jumping over the buildings with light steps. "You may be the heir of the family but that doesn't give you the right to do things by yourself! I am your brother, important to you! When Akiko died, you're not the only one who lost her, I lost her as well!" he cried, trailing after his brother's steps. "We'll find that man together, idiot! Don't leave me behind without telling me first!"

Hana walked out from her hiding place and stared at the scene unfolding in front of her. "Unfortunately, you won't find him, both of you."

XxXxX

And she was correct.

"I couldn't find him. Impossible!" Reiji cried in frustration. He spent the entire morning scouting the entire town for Akiko's lover and found no traces of him. He asked several townspeople regarding a silver-haired man but none of the answers satisfied him. They said they didn't see anyone matching the criteria and he understood their reasons. Silver hair was rare among the people of the town, even if they saw one or two, it would be at random and none would remember when they saw it. It was hard, even if the man has the rarest colour of hair! "What am I going to do now? I promised you, father."

He heard sound of footsteps but didn't bother turning around, already knowing who was standing behind him. "Hello brother," Hideki greeted him.

"Hello, Hideki." The answer was dull. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Hideki clenched his fists. "Did you know I caught the best prey last night? You should have joined us, brother. I would have share my catch with you."

"I heard. Father told me. Congratulations. Perhaps next time we can battle over the biggest and tastiest prey during the hunt?" he invited.

His brother chuckled. "Certainly, Rei. However, do you know what I want to ask you right now? It's not about the hunt last night."

"Oh? What is it?" he asked but his answer was the reason! Hideki pulled his shirt and punched him hard! "What the hell was that for, bastard?"

"For starting the search without my permission, idiot!" he roared back.

Reiji flushed red in embarrassment. His own brother! "I don't need your permission! I want to search for that man by myself!" he replied angrily.

"Why? Are you succeeding?" he questioned.

"That..."

Hideki grinned in amusement. "You wasted an entire morning looking for a man who knows how to hide from his enemies. Impossible, isn't it?"

"If you wish to assist me, stop making my head turn into a maze because I'm reaching the limit!" he scolded him. "Very well, I couldn't find him despite searching every nook and corner. I asked the townspeople and they told me that they didn't see anyone matching the criteria. I thought the clue that he's a silver-haired man will help but it doesn't do much. I have two thoughts in mind. First, he escaped the town last night. Second, he doesn't exist. The end."

Hideki tilted his head to think. "Number two is definitely not the answer. We saw him in the alleyway even if it was dark that time. Akiko, too. If he doesn't exist, she won't be defending him like a lost love and losing her life in the process. He left this town in a rush, that's a definite answer. Right?"

"Not quite. If he escaped this town last night, someone should have seen him but no one did. It's the only thing puzzling me."

"He may not be from this town, just like us. We live deep in the mountains and at certain times of the day, we visit the town. The townspeople don't know the majority of us, except father, mother, you, me and perhaps our dearest aunts and uncles. The rest remain anonymous for safety reasons. It's possible, right? The reason why no one see this silver-haired man is because he doesn't come here often. He prevents himself from being recognized," he said.

Reiji agreed with his brother. "They often meet in secret location, isolated from the public eyes since three months ago."

"Whoa, wait a minute. How are you sure that she started meeting that man since three months ago? What have you been doing, stalking them?"

"No, I didn't. I noticed the pattern three months ago."

Hideki started at his brother. "Pattern? You noticed the pattern?" he asked.

Reiji shook his head. "Yes. At times, I came to her room to ask whether she's free to help mother with some work but she was often unavailable. It's been going on for a few days so I started making my own investigation. From two in the afternoon until eight in the evening, Akiko would be unavailable on the third day and the fifth day of the week. On the seventh day of the week, she would be gone from five in the evening until midnight."

"You are..."

"What? I am a concerned brother, that's all."

"Oh." It was a surprise, Hideki thought, Reiji always have a special fondness over Akiko.

THUD!

XxXxX

Hana's eyes followed the item that rolled down the road when she dropped it in hurry. "Uh-oh. The Great Elder's words–" she gasped at the realization.

One mistake can change the course of history, Hana.

Reiji was the first to notice her presence but he didn't make a big shock over it. Hideki was the opposite, his finger pointing at Hana as both shared the same shocked expression. Hideki was surprised to find someone there even though they didn't realize it earlier while Hana was surprised because her 'invisibility' was no longer in use. The Great Elder was serious when he spoke his warnings. One single mistake, even if it was an accident, could change the course of history and Hana absolutely feared it!

In the original course of history, Hana never exist in their time because she already died but now, they saw her! "Oh dear. I have to leave. Now!"

"Wait!" Reiji called out but he was too late. A heavy wind occurred out of nowhere and swept Hana off her feet, disappearing from the time line.

XxXxX

Hana's screams echoed as she was forcefully dragged away from the time line. It happened too fast, the things she remembered were the flashes of images she couldn't make out. When she opened her eyes, she was back in the timeless dimension. It was then she noticed she was slowly disappearing and realized her time was up, both there and forever. She was devastated but smiled her satisfaction. "Thank you for this chance, the Great Elder."

As she closed her eyes, she wished Kaname farewell and the best of luck. "Be careful, papa. Goodbye."

XxXxX

"HAH!"

It was a nightmare, or was it?

XxXxX

(TBC)

XxXxX

A/N: Vampire x Human Love. Brother x Sister x Brother / Guy x Girl x Guy Love. What else do you expect?

It certainly gives you the heavy vibes of Yuuki x Zero and Rido x Juri x Haruka OR Kaname x Yuuki x Zero (love triangle!), I'm not going to hide the intention behind it. Rather than use the characters involved as mentioned, I decided to use the people in the past as examples because they're easier to write and they fit the story I wanted to write. How's your take on Kuran Reiji and Kuran Hideki, as well as Kuran Akiko? Also, their nameless father? He may seem cruel with the punishment but it is needed.

In my previous notes, the prompt is the hunters' weapons but in this chapter, it is never there. In fact, it's about a man who may or may not be a hunter but if you read carefully, Akiko said her lover's name – Kiryuu. Ring a bell? Sure do! If the Kuran family originated from a certain someone, so does the Kiryuu family. However, the first of Kiryuu family is not that Kiryuu but he was the first to directly has his blood mixed with the blood of a Kuran through blood drinking. He's married and through his offspring with his wife, they inherited the power from the vampire's blood until now. The reason why Hana and a few bunch hate the hunters (or should I say the Kiryuu family) is because of what they've done...? I need to wonder about that, hmm.

Be sure to read 'Confessions' since it's a very interesting oneshot about Yuuki's reaction to Kaname's confession in chapter 61. That oneshot is related to Daybreak, yes, so read it because you need it for the next chapter. Also, if chapter 6 is unrelated to Daybreak, rest assure that chapter 7 is indeed related to Daybreak because in the end, we're back to the actual present. Can you guess who said that – "HAH!" – ?

Read and review!

Ps: I'm the type of writer who won't mix Japanese + English except 'sama' in my writings, so if you see the younger ones calling their older brothers, imagine that they are saying 'Oniisama' instead of the good ol' brother. "Hello, oniisama," said Hideki. It's much better.