Locked within a cell in an unknown location, a young girl shivered in terror. She was suspended in the air with her hands locked in uncomfortable, metal shackles, the sharp edges digging painfully into her wrists. She could feel the small droplets of blood leaking down her arm from her earlier struggles.

  "Why?" was the thought that constantly crossed her mind. "Why are they doing this to me? What am I being hurt?" These thoughts echoed across her mind in an unrelenting scream.

  Perhaps she really was cursed. And to think, her day had been going so well too. That nice man, Vincent, had given her the most delicious treat. And for the first time in so long, her tummy didn't hurt. Sure there was that scary lady, but she was used to people like her.

  Maybe not as loud, but certainly just as mean.

  She was about halfway done with her Blood Pop, having taken the time to savor each and every lick, when two men appeared. In retrospect, she should have known better and eaten as quickly as she could.

  She couldn't see them, due to her being blind, but she could feel them. Like big, blotchy colors, shimmering in front of her. She couldn't actually see these colors, but that's what it felt like.

  And these men had very dark colors.

  They asked her what she was doing here, and of course, she was unable to answer. She tried, hoping the attempt would appease them, making little, "Ah," sounds. It was about the only vocalization she could make.

  But her hopes were dashed. They grew angry at her response, slapping the Blood Pop out of her hand. It had hurt, but she wasn't thinking about that at the moment. Her only concern had been on the act of kindness that had been taken from her.

  She could hear it land some distance away. Her eyes might be gone, but her ears worked quite well, thankfully. So she tried crawling towards it, uncaring of the men laughing and mocking her while she did so. All she wanted to do was protect her happiness for just a little while longer.

  But the universe had other plans. Right as she was reaching out for it, one of the men stomped down, shattering it into a million pieces. As if that wasn't bad enough, he smeared it into the ground, making it so there was no possible way she could enjoy it any further.

  She wanted to cry. To scream. To do… something! But she couldn't. Those abilities were taken from her by men like these. People who enjoyed the suffering of others. She couldn't fathom how anyone could be made so happy by the misery of someone else.

  As she lay there, cradling her lost joy, one of the men grabbed her by the hair and pulled hard. The remains of the Blood Pop fell to the ground as she tried to scream. But she couldn't. And even if she could, who would care?

  "Vincent."

  The thought came unbidden, but thinking of the man and how warm he felt ignited a spark of hope. If he was here, surely he would help her. He would protect her and keep her safe.

  "Then where is he?"

  Those thoughts drew her up short. That's right, he wasn't here. He left, just like everyone else who was ever nice to her. And just like them, she would probably never see him again.

  And just like that, the spark of hope failed to ignite, dropping the little blind girl into a pit of despair.

  The men then dragged her off, taking her to places unknown. No, that wasn't entirely true. She knew where they were taking her, or to be more precise, to who. That woman from earlier. According to the men, she hired them to take her.

  But why? The little girl couldn't understand the reason. The mean lady said she hated her, that she should just disappear. So why was she being brought to her? It didn't make sense.

  The trip was long and excruciating. Being dragged across the city by her hair was not something she was keen to experience again. And it looks like she wasn't going to.

  Iriella, the mean lady, was overjoyed to see her. But for some reason, the young girl didn't think the reason for her happiness was anything good. There was another man there as well, someone she called darling, who didn't seem to care one bit as she was taken away.

  After that, she was placed in her current lodgings. She tried to get out of the painful shackles, but that just caused her more pain, so she inevitably gave up.

  She didn't know how long she was forced to wait. Twenty minutes… Thirty minutes… Longer? It was impossible to tell. But eventually, her long wait was over. She heard the telltale sign of a lock being opened, drowning out the constant drip of water that had been her only companion until this point.

  The door squeaked open and the chilly air seemed to freeze over. That was probably a bad sign. The door then slammed shut, and she could hear it being relocked. Only now, she wasn't alone.

  "Well, how nice to see you again, you filthy little urchin," stated a familiar voice. It was none other than Baroness Iriella. The dangling blind girl lifted her head to face the woman, even if it wouldn't do any good.

  In fact, it was a very bad idea.

  "Ah!" she yelped as a sudden pain exploded across her cheek. Iriella stood there, seething in rage, the hand she just used to slap a small, defenseless girl raised in the air.

  "How dare you look at me you mongrel! Who gave you permission!?" she snarled. The small girl would have loved nothing more than to inform the insane woman that she was, in fact, blind, and therefore could not look at her. But she had a feeling that even if she could, it would only end poorly.

  So she remained silent, trying to stifle the sniffles. It wasn't as bad as being dragged by her hair, but it still hurt.

  But her silence seemed to please the insufferable noble. "Good. You can learn. Now, I bet you're wondering why you're here, aren't you?" she questioned, her tone of voice snide and condescending.

  The little girl had to admit, she was curious. But she made no motion to show her curiosity, fearing another slap.

  Or worse.

  "Well, I couldn't just let that humiliation from earlier slide, now could I? No, an example needs to be made. As a member of the upper class, it falls upon me to educate you uneducated swine about the truth of this world. That man, Vincent," she ground out, like she had tasted something foul. "Must learn his place. And you are going to help me enlighten him of this truth. Doesn't that make you happy? Your worthless life will finally have meaning. Really, you should be thanking me."

  But she didn't feel very thankful. The exact opposite, if she were honest. She would enjoy nothing more than to leave this place and never return. She could find meaning herself.

  Or could she? Did life even have meaning at all? What use does the world have of a small, blind and mute girl?

  None. The world had no use for someone like her. So maybe, it really would be better if…

  Thankfully, her self-deprecating thoughts were interrupted once more by the woman who enjoyed the sound of her own voice a little too much.

  "That's right little one, you have been selected for glorious purpose. Once the day is through, that man will know not to interfere in the business of his betters. It took me some time to properly decide on how to go about this, but then I had a wonderful idea," Iriella said, pacing around the small girl.

  "You see, it's almost time to feed my precious little puppies, and they are oh so hungry. So why not kill two birds with one stone? I can feed them and send the appropriate message, all at the same time. I truly am a genius," she continued to inflate her own ego.

  But the blind girl did not like where this was going. Not one little bit. She was afraid of dogs on a good day, ever since she was attacked by one some time ago. Thankfully someone had actually decided to help her that day, or else she would have been that dog's…

  Lunch.

  Unaware of the mounting trepidation from her victim, Iriella continued with her monologue.

  "I'll send you his head, and my sweet babies can have the rest of you. They do so love the taste of the lower class," she mentioned, sending the girl a smirk. Not that she could see it.

  Having her worst fears confirmed, the little girl started to panic, using what little strength she had in her body to try and free herself. She knew, deep down, that even if she could, it wouldn't do any good. The door was locked and she was trapped inside with a much more powerful vampire.

  She had no hope of escape. Her chances were an absolute 0. But even so, she couldn't help herself. Even if there was no meaning in her life, even if she was a cursed child, she still wanted to live.

  Iriella was positively thrilled by the fear she could feel wafting off the girl. It was like walking into a restaurant and smelling the finest, rarest steaks hot on the grill. It was intoxicating!

  "Now, now, none of that. You should be happy that your worthless flesh will be given a higher purpose. But…" she frowned, reaching out to violently grab the girl around her ribs.

  "Ah!" she yelled in fear and pain, trying in vain to move away from the woman.

  "It's just as I feared. Your muscles are far too tough. But what else should I expect from something like you," she said with a sigh, releasing her hold on the girl, much to her relief.

  "We can't have that now, can we? Think of my poor little babies who have to eat you. You wouldn't want them to hurt their wittle jaws now, would you? Of course not. So I suppose I'll just have to… tenderize you," she remarked, almost off handedly. It was like she was speaking about the weather.

  "Oh dear, it looks like rain."

  "Oh dear, I have to torture a child."

  Same exact tone.

  The frightened little girl listened as Iriella rummaged around for something. She heard the sound of metal, but she wasn't sure what she was doing. Nothing good, obviously.

  "Ah yes, here we go. This should do nicely," she said. In her hands was a studded paddle. She gave a few test swings, smiling in satisfaction. She then turned her attention back towards her guest, slowly approaching her, drawing out the misery for as long as she could.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Hearing footsteps closing in once more, the little girl could only squirm helplessly. "No, please! I don't want to die! I want to eat more tasty things! I want to meet more nice people! Somebody! Anybody! Help me! Vincent!" she wailed in her mind. She knew nobody would come and save her, but still, she begged the universe for a miracle.

  "I see that you're ready. Let's begin, shall we?" Iriella said, drawing her arm back.

  *Line Break*

  Vincent Valentine held the remains of the Blood Pop in his hands, fury and regret raging inside of him. His mind wandered back to the small girl, the way she lit up upon tasting the overly sweet candy. How she smiled and made little noises of joy.

  And now she was gone.

  "Goddamnit! What the hell is wrong with me!? Why didn't I take her with me? I could have had Gunther look into it, he's in charge of the city for fuck's sake. But no, I wanted to explore some more, figuring I could just deal with it a little later. Well, it's later now you fucking asshole, and look at what you've done!" he berated in his mind.

  He knew he hadn't actually done anything truly wrong, and if he had brought her to Gunther and he said there was nothing that could be done, or worse, if Luminous had said those words, the devastation would have been incalculable.

  At least, that's what he told himself, the logic he used to avoid responsibility. But he knew the truth. Even after a month of being in this new world, even after all the power he's gained, deep down, he was still the same pathetic sack of shit he always was. He didn't take her with him because he didn't want the responsibility, simply deluding himself into believing that was the best action he could have taken.

  But it wasn't, and the proof of that was staring him right in the eyes. Did he just make everything worse by playing hero and pissing off that woman? It made him feel pretty good at the moment, but that was just his damned ego. He could have just let the woman scream until she was satisfied and helped the little girl afterward. But he just had to show himself that he wasn't who he used to be.

  But he was. Nothing has changed. Not a goddamned thing.

  Growling at his own utter weakness, he was about to stand up when he spotted something on the ground. It was a small bit of blood. Looking at it, he couldn't help but clench his fist in anger. There was only one person it could have belonged to.

  But seeing it jogged a memory, one of his and Lumi's talks. She told him of a secret Blood Art, one used to see the memories contained within the blood itself. It was apparently a notoriously difficult thing to master, and she only explained how it was performed, never doing it herself, but maybe…

  Maybe he could do it. Maybe there was something he could learn by delving into her memories. It was worth a shot.

  Holding out his hand, he used his own Blood Art to take control of the blood, making it rise up off the ground. There were only a few small drops, but the sight still pissed him off. But right now, he didn't need the anger, he needed to be in control. Taking a deep breath to center himself, he attempted the technique.

  "Blood Art: Memory Walz."

  Having said the technique's name, the blood took on a shiny hue, letting off a small glow before it floated into his mouth. The effect wasn't immediate, and for a second, he thought he had failed. But then it hit him, like a jolt of lightning. His back arched and convulsed, eyes rolling into the back of his head.

  And just like that, he was in her memory.

  It was a bit strange, being in the memory of a blind person. The way Luminous described it before, it sounded more like a Pensieve from Harry Potter. But he supposed if the person couldn't actually SEE what was going on, it made sense. He could certainly hear what was happening well enough, but more than that.

  He could feel it. He could feel every emotion she was feeling at the moment. And what she was feeling in the memory was content and joy. Could something as simple as a Blood Pop really make someone that happy? Apparently yes, it could.

  And it made him feel all the more guilt for his inaction.

  He felt the pain in her stomach slowly dwindling as she happily licked the treat. If it weren't for the current circumstances, he would have been happy about that. But it was hard to be happy when she was in the hands of a psychopath.

  He didn't have proof yet that Iriella was involved, but who else would want to take her? Even if it turned out to not be her, he had every intention of making the perpetrator suffer.

  He heard the two approach and felt everything that sweet little girl felt. The absolute despair when they destroyed the Blood Pop, the pain as they grabbed her hair and dragged her off.

  But the worst part was what he felt about him. Abandonment. There was a brief flicker of hope before it was extinguished. Brutally squashed down by the lesson's life has forced her to learn.

  The last thing he felt before he was expelled from the memory was her biting her lip as they hauled her away. He sat there, tears of shame and regret cascading like a waterfall down his face.

  "Pathetic. I'm so damn pathetic," he chastised himself, uncaring of the people who watched him. He allowed the feelings to wash over him before violently punching himself in the forehead, his cape billowing behind him from the force of the blow. A small trickle of blood leaked down his face before his regeneration kicked in and healed the wound.

  But it was enough to clear his mind. Wallowing in self pity wouldn't help anybody, least of all the one counting on him. She may have felt in that moment that he wouldn't come to save her, but he would prove her wrong.

  And he knew exactly who had her, just as he suspected. Those two who took her were a couple of Chatty Cathy's. That noble bitch should have sprung for some henchmen with more brain cells. You get what you pay for, and apparently, discretion cost more than what she was offering.

  Now that he knew who to blame, all he had to do was find out where she lived. The memories stopped long before she ever reached her destination, not that it would have helped much anyway with her being blind and all.

  He doubted it would be hard to find out, given that Iriella was a noble. All he had to do was ask the right person. Looking out at all the people who refused to make eye contact, he had a feeling one of them would know something. He may have fucked up earlier, but that doesn't mean he couldn't make up for it now.

  Come hell or high water, he would save that girl. It was time to let Jonathan die, so Vincent could fully live.

  *Line Break*

  Luminous Valentine sighed as she looked over some building project for the city of Lubelius. Normally she would leave such decisions to Louis but when it involved something such as restructuring part of the sewer system, well, she had to step in. Mostly to ensure the plans didn't interfere with any structures involving Night Garden.

  At least she was done with the taxes. Dealing with that had to be the most tedious part of the job.

  However, it seems her boredom was about to end. She felt a pressure on her magic, signifying somebody attempting to contact her through a Blood Art. And if she wasn't mistaken, it was Vincent.

  Yes, that would make for the perfect distraction from the humdrum of sewer architecture. But before that, she quickly checked her appearance in a small mirror, making sure she was presentable. Once she determined she was, she answered, creating her own circle of blood in the air.

  After a few seconds, she could see the familiar face of her… what exactly were they? Not quite lovers but certainly more than mere friends. They weren't exactly in an official relationship and yet he caressed her naked form on a near nightly basis. Hmm, she'd have to give it some more thought at a later time.

  "Vincent, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. How goes the-is something wrong?" she asked, noticing that he had an unceremoniously serious look on his face. There was no excitement upon seeing her, which he was normally eager to do, only what looked like regret, shame and barely contained fury.

  "What could have happened to put that look on your face?" she thought, waiting for him to answer.

  "You can say that. Quick question, how do you feel about Baroness Iriella and her husband?" he asked, much to her confusion. She leaned back in her comfortable and opulent chair, contemplating the question. If he was asking this, he must have had a run in with the woman, something she does not envy him for.

  "If you wish for me to speak honestly, they are completely insufferable, looking down on everyone and everything beneath their lauded station, even though they are amongst the lowest of the nobility. Why do you ask?"

  His face seemed relieved by her words, which only served to confuse her more. Did he think she would approve of people like them?

  "I see. That's good. Look, the reason I'm calling is… well there's no real easy way to say this, so I'll just rip the bandaid off. I'm about to storm their manor and slaughter everyone who stands in my way," Vincent told her.

  "I'm sorry, could you repeat that please. I believe I misheard you," Luminous replied, giving him a blank look. Did he really just say what she thinks he said?

  Vincent sighed on the other end, giving her an apologetic look. "Look, something happened and it's kind of my fault so I have to make things right. So I'm just calling to apologize beforehand for any problems this could cause you."

  So she did hear him correctly then. Looking at his face, it was set as hard as stone, a mask of absolute determination, eyes hardened with resolve. She had to admit, she found the look highly attractive.

  "I see. So you aren't calling to ask permission, but forgiveness. Do I understand you correctly?" she asked, not allowing him to see how turned on she was right now. She clasped her hands together and leaned forward on her desk, giving him a stern look in response.

  "That's… about the jist of it, yes. Sorry Lumi, but this is something I have to do," he said, unwavering.

  "Hmm, and what exactly happened to cause this unexpected slaughter of nobility?" she questioned. Given who he asked about earlier, she assumed that annoying woman had something to do with it, but that didn't exactly narrow things down.

  "I… there was this girl. Maybe 5 or 6 years old. Blind. Homeless. That woman, Iriella, started to harass her for simply existing it seems like. So I interjected myself into the situation and turned her attention towards me, hoping to spare the poor thing. She just looked so… afraid. I couldn't help myself," he said, his voice taking on a somber tone.

  Luminous frowned at the information. This was the first she was hearing about a small, blind, homeless girl. Someone should have taken care of her or informed the proper authorities. Vampires didn't have many children, so hearing of one in such a state was concerning to say the least.

  "I take it that had consequences you didn't foresee?" she questioned further. He made a grimace, and Luminous knew she hit the nail on the head.

  "Yeah, you could say that. Once the lady ran off, I gave the little one a Blood Pop. She looked half starved, and that's me being generous. After that, I left, planning to talk to you about it later. But when I returned, she was gone," he finished.

  "And you believe Iriella is responsible?" she asked. He nodded, not a single hint of doubt in his eyes.

  "I don't just think that, I know that. I used that technique you told me about, the one that uses blood to view memories. There were two men that carted her off, and they mentioned Iriella by name," he assured, completely confident in his assessment.

  Judging from the tone of his voice, he blamed himself for what happened to the child. From a certain point of view, he wasn't wrong. Had he never placed himself between the child and Iriella, she likely would have grown bored eventually.

  But at the same time, she had information that he didn't. Knowledge of what those two were really like.

  "I understand. Do you need directions to their manor?" she asked in a nonchalant tone. Vincent's eyes widened a bit, not quite believing what she just said.

  "Um, no. I'm outside their home already. Wait, are you saying it's ok what I'm about to do?" he asked. He honestly thought she would be a bit more upset, but it seems she isn't all that concerned with his plan of action or whatever fallout this would bring.

  Luminous sighed and leaned back in her seat. "To be honest, those two have been on my radar for some time. There's plenty of nasty rumors about them, and some I've even been able to confirm myself. I was only waiting to obtain a bit more evidence before moving on them anyway, so this just moves the time table up a bit."

  "Really? Small world. But what kind of rumors are we talking about here?" he asked. The tension and guilt he felt about causing the woman speaking to him trouble evaporated like the morning mist. Good thing they were such terrible people.

  "Some things are better left unsaid, but if you really want to know I can tell you a couple. Supposedly they like to kidnap the poor, vampires without many friends or family to feed them to their pets. Only rumors, of course, but the missing vampire reports confirm the disappearances, at the very least," she said, a much harder edge to her voice than earlier.

  But her words caused a surge of panic to well up within him. If that was true, then he needed to move, and fast. He was initially planning a stealth mission, but it seems he'd have to make some noise to distract them. Force their attention on him, rather than the little girl or any other victims they might have.

  "That's… pretty messed up. If it's true, then I need to get going before she's turned into dog food," he said after digesting her words for a moment. Her eyes softened a bit at the worry he was displaying.

  "You likely have a bit of time, as Iriella is known to be quite sadistic. I doubt this girl would embrace death before being sufficiently tortured first," Luminous said. She meant for her words to put him at ease, at least somewhat, by telling him that she was probably still alive.

  Hurt, but alive.

  However, it seems her words have caused even more worry to spread across his face.

  "Shit, you're probably right. She did seem like the type. Sorry Lumi. I hate to cut this short, but I need to get going," he said, preparing to end the "call" as it were.

  "Wait one moment. Before you go, a little warning. Those two are desperate for power and status, and that makes them dangerous. Not because they themselves are overly strong, but because they crave it. There are few lengths they wouldn't go to achieve this. Baron Tremel is also a highly skilled swordsman. Be careful," she said. Vincent nodded, giving her a hopefully reassuring smile.

  "Thanks Lumi, but I don't intend to lose to people like that."

  "Nobody does. I'll gather some of my forces and back you up. Now, go and save that little girl," she commanded.

  "Yes ma'am!" he said, giving her a salute. She gave one last chuckle before cutting off the connection, the alley he was in going quiet. Vincent sighed, taking a deep breath as he centered himself for what he was about to do.

  This wasn't a training exercise, this was war. A battle to the death where only one would survive. His hands trembled at the thought but he clenched them tight, his claws digging into his skin, the blood pooling in his palm bringing some clarity. Once the wound sealed shut, his trembling stopped, and he faced the mansion with cold, determined eyes.

  "Alright Vincent, let's do this."