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Ruki Mukami.
How the mighty truly fall.
He had everything that he could have ever dreamed of. A respectable father, a loving mother, servants who rushed to his aid whenever he pleased. He was born an aristocrat, living a luxurious life that many others would have given up limbs just to experience for even a second. He didn't have to worry about anything.
How foolish he was, but then again, what did he know? How could he have known his spoiled and ignorant attitude would bring him nothing but misfortune when the time came? How could he have known that he could only treat others like livestock for so long before karma decided to come his way?
But, he would learn eventually. After all, you never really appreciate what you have until it slips from your fingers like sand.
—---
Aurora found herself wandering the halls of the Mukami mansion, doing everything that she could to find out what her next move should be. She knew running away would be out of the question. Knowing that Ruki guy, he would have most definitely had her caught if she had even thought about attempting such a thing. Even if she, by God’s grace, had managed to make it out, where could she possibly go? If she went back to the Sakamaki’s, she’d have to deal with their constant victim blaming and ridicule for being kidnapped. Not to mention that Ayato was not exactly fond of “sharing his food” and she simply didn’t have the patience to deal with him. If she went back to the church, no doubt her mother would have her killed on the spot. Either that, or she’d be turned back into the Sakamaki’s.
There was no doubt about it, she had no choice but to stay with the Mukami’s. Then again, it wasn’t as if she had the option to leave just yet. Especially not before she found out what exactly Karlheinz planned on doing with her and her blood. All she knew so far was that the only reason that old king didn’t leave her to die was because of the fact that she was descended from Van Helsing. Her blood was of use to him and his plans in his words, she just needed to figure out what those plans were.
Aurora sighed, looking down at the back of her right hand, silently grimacing at her bruised knuckles as she did so. She thought back to her encounter with the Mukami’s in the forest, how poor Yuma had to suffer a punch to the jaw thanks to her instincts suddenly kicking in from being cornered. She silently groaned to herself, deciding it was finally time she went back to her room so she could finally have the opportunity to tend to her wounded hand when she found herself in front of Ruki’s bedroom door. She would have simply walked away before she had to deal with whatever snide remarks he could possibly make, she then heard what seemed to be heavy breathing coming from his room, almost as if he was panicked or something. Now worried for him, she knocked on the door with her uninjured hand, hoping she would get a response.
“Hey, Ruki?” She called to him from the other side of the door, tapping her foot on the ground as she waited for him to answer. That was when the door opened slightly, revealing the man of the hour as he looked down at her with an irritated yet amused expression on his face. Aurora felt like his gaze alone would have burned a hole through her forehead, but she kept herself together as she looked up at him.
“Well would you look at that. Seems like the lamb has made her way to my door.” He remarked slyly, taking joy in how the shorter of the two seemed to narrow her eyes at him as he made his comment. “Don’t tell me you were planning on causing an inconvenience to me. I simply don’t have the patience for it right now.”
“Jeez, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I was worried about you, that’s all.” Aurora explained, not amused with how Ruki seemed to be rude to her right off the bat. What she didn’t expect to happen next was for his gaze to somehow become colder than it already was. Before she could ask just what the matter was with him, she suddenly felt him grab onto her wrist, squeezing onto it tightly as he began to pull her closer to him. “Ow- Ruki- you’re hurting me.”
“Did I not tell you that I didn’t have the patience for you and your antics right about now? I didn’t expect someone as ‘intelligent’ as you to test my patience so quickly.”
“Wha-!? I was just concerned.” Aurora tried her best to protest, only for him to squeeze her wrist tighter, causing her to wince slightly in pain in response. To say that she was confused would be an understatement, having no idea why he was suddenly acting like this with little to no explanation.
“Listen to me and listen well, since it seems you still don’t understand your place. You use that word around me again, and I won’t hesitate to end your sorry life where you stand.” With that, he released her wrist from his grip, allowing the girl the chance to make sure nothing had broken as she took a few steps back from him. “Understand that your time at this manor will fully depend on me, and your circumstances won’t improve from your sad excuse to get on my good side. The sooner you understand that, the less harsh I will be with you.”
Aurora only looked at him in fear and confusion, deciding then and there that she wouldn’t accidentally push his buttons any further and head off to her room like she had originally planned. “Okay okay. I’m sorry. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna be going back to my room now. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ruki.” She said before beginning to make her way back to her room, only to feel him tug at her shoulder, pulling her back in the direction of his bedroom door.
“Now hold on, would you? I never said I was done talking with you, did I?” He told her in that same condescending way he always talked to her before pulling Aurora into his room.
She barely had the chance to process what was happening around her when she suddenly felt herself being thrown to the ground, hearing Ruki close and lock the door behind him as he entered the room as well. She quickly collected her bearings, checking her already bruised hand to make sure that it wasn’t injured anymore than it already was before looking back up at him. “What the hell!? Why did you do that!?”
Ruki then knelt down in front of the detective, tilting her head slightly so that she could look into her eyes effectively. “Try as you might to keep that tough girl persona up, I can see right through you as if you were glass.” She then felt him grip her chin, pulling her slightly closer to him as he seemed to be examining her. “You sure are a handful. Don’t worry too much, however, you’ll learn your place around here soon enough. All you need to do is behave yourself and things might start to look up for you.”
He then stood up from the ground, letting go of Aurora’s chin, much to her own relief. He soon walked away from her, allowing her the chance to get up from the ground and figure out just what it was she did that led to him having such a vendetta against her from the get-go. She would have taken the opportunity to silently sneak out of Ruki’s room so she could finally be alone with her thoughts like she wanted when she noticed him walk over to his dresser, seeming to look longingly at the portrait that sat comfortably on it. Before she had the chance to ask about the photograph, he suddenly placed it face down on the drawer, turning to look at her right after. It was when he did so that she then began to notice how he looked at her, almost as if he was a wolf who had laid its eyes on a sheep it could now feed from.
“So, you were what he was referring to when he mentioned ‘the apple that would unite Adam and Eve’ huh? I can’t help but laugh, honestly. To think that you all people are the key to putting our plan into motion. A sad and lowly woman who contributes nothing but being a pain in the neck for those around her.”
Before Aurora had the chance to bite back at his insulting manner, she suddenly noticed how he seemed to be closing in on her, causing several alarms to go off in her head as she began to back up from him until she felt her back hit the door.
“That being said… It’s too early to judge, especially when I haven’t even had the chance to indulge myself.”
“Okay, well! This has been a lovely talk, but right now, I should probably be heading back to my room. Would hate to cause you any more trouble than I have-” Aurora replied in a panicked tone, reaching for the door knob when Ruki had suddenly reached out to grab her wrist, pulling her from the door to pin her against the wall next to it. He held both of her wrists up against the wall next to her head, a sly smirk on his face as he looked down at her with a sense of glee.
“Now, stay still would you? This won’t hurt a bit.”
Aurora knew that was a lie even before he sunk his fangs into the side of her neck. That didn’t stop the way she felt herself gasp in pain at the sudden sensation, trying to pry herself from his grasp as she sucked a breath in through her teeth. This was so strange. He barely began to drink from her, and yet she already felt as if she was going numb.
Ruki then pulled away from her neck, smirking as he looked at the mark he had left on her as well as the pained expression on her face. “Your blood… to think, not only do I have the opportunity to taste the blood of Van Helsing’s descendant, but to have it be the very thing we need to fully complete our plans. Luck truly is on my side…”
Aurora soon saw him begin to lean in closer to her neck again, ready to take another drink from her. In some random show of strength, however, she pried one of her wrists from his grasp before pushing him off of her, not enough to make him fall over but enough for him to stumble back slightly from her.
“Stop it! Don’t you touch me!” Aurora yelled as she moved her now free hand to the side of her neck to cover the mark. All of a sudden, she felt her knees go weak under her as she found herself on the ground, a battle with herself to sit up let alone stand on her own two legs. It was all so strange to her. He had only drank a little bit of her blood, yet for some reason, she felt herself going weak in no time. She felt dizzy and lightheaded, realizing too late that Ruki had pulled her closer to him by her waist, moving her head to the side before sinking his fangs into her neck once again, causing her to wince in pain and squeeze her eyes shut as she moved her hands to his shoulders in a weak attempt to push him off of her.
That was when Aurora felt her arms begin to go weak before falling limp at her sides entirely. She opened her eyes slightly, noticing how the world around her started to become blurrier as her consciousness faded slowly. As her vision started to slip from her by the second, she found herself laying her eyes upon the portrait Ruki had looked at earlier, almost as if she was trying to make sure it was still face down before her eyes fluttered closed completely.
It was then when Ruki decided he finally had enough, pulling away from her neck as he noticed that the girl in his arms had passed out. He gazed down at her face, chuckling to himself as he moved a hand up to move a strand of hair from her face. “Poor thing. I guess I was right, that tough girl persona truly was just a persona.” He mumbled to himself before scooping the now unconscious girl into his arms, picking her up before carrying her over to his bed and placing her down onto the sheets.
He took a moment to admire her peaceful state, moving a hand to caress her cheek as his gaze moved down to her neck. “How about you get some rest now. I think that’s well deserved on your part, no?” Ruki said under his breath as he then noticed her bruised hand, gently picking it up as he examined the damage with a curious expression on his face.
“If only that man had warned me just how much trouble you would cause me and my brothers. However, I can’t find it in myself to mind too much. After all, that troublesome nature of yours will all be worth it in the end. Which is why I won’t lose you, not when you’re of such value to me. I won’t let you go.”