Back and forth, back and forth.

[Y/n] rocked forwards and backwards on her all-too-familiar bed, yet entirely absent of nostalgia. The warm hues of her old room - the many lamps shedding light on every nook and cranny - didn't make her feel at all at ease anymore. Especially not with the current centrepiece of the room being a certain blonde haired, green eyed vampire.

She refused to look at Seishin, her eyes resting solely on the bed she sat on. What she could tell without looking at him was that there was a piece of paper in his hands - the deliberate occasional crinkle implied that he wanted her to know what it was. There was only one thing she could imagine it being. The contract.

"You're not allowed to go anywhere other than your living space without permission," Seishin began, his voice monotonous as he dragged himself through the words, each syllable still clear as day despite the partial drone that darkened his voice. "You are to drink Dr Rayne's Elixir at some point during the first week." He paused. "Aytsa and Laion told me Rayne has already provided you with that, am I correct?"

No response. Seishin sighed.

"You are not allowed to challenge or be challenged by another vampire," he continued, "you must give your blood once a week at the very least." He placed the piece of paper down. "Show me your neck." [Y/n] didn't move. "Don't ignore me, moth."

"I've done it already," [Y/n] said quietly. Seishin raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "A-all my wounds healed after drinking the elixir. I've done it, I swear."

"Show me your back, then." 'My back?' [Y/n] looked confused, before remembering the many wounds he and Kori had placed there. She still didn't move. "I said show me your back. This is not a difficult request." Hesitantly, [Y/n] lifted up her top to show Seishin her back. Indeed, all her wounds had healed, but [Y/n] - thanks to the mirror just a little behind her and the one in front, could see that there were still scars littering her skin.

"As I thought," Seishin hummed. "Show me your neck, then. The marks won't have gone away." When [Y/n] proceeded to stay still, the blonde male eventually got sick of waiting, grabbing a handful of her [h/c] hair and pulling her closer to him. When [Y/n] began to struggle, Seishin harshly pushed a nerve on the back of her neck which made her become a dead weight for as long as he kept the same amount of force on it. Now, with [Y/n] unable to move, he inspected her neck and nape.

"Why did you think it was okay to lie to me?" Seishin asked ominously. [Y/n], paralysed, felt a deep sense of dread begin to well up inside her. "You know, you should be careful... with how unstable some of the others have become in the time you've been gone, lying isn't the safest of decisions for you. You're lucky I'm here." [Y/n] wanted to yell at him regarding his own mental instability, however - still unable to move - she couldn't. "It's strange... the only one of us who's actually tasted your blood is Aytsa. This irks me a little."

Moments later, a familiar yet strange pain coursed through her. She couldn't kick or struggle so she simply waited and hoped he would stop soon. Eventually she was allowed to move again - Seishin walked to the other side of the room, stepping into her en-suite bathroom and wetting a lightly bloodstained cloth. He brought it back to her and silently cleaned her wound, ignoring the winces and looks of disgust [Y/n] sent his way.

"You're sick," [Y/n] spat quietly.

"I think you'll find I'm perfectly healthy," Seishin responded levelly.

"I never expected you to be deliberately obtuse," [Y/n] muttered.

"Big words for someone as small-brained as you," Seishin returned. "I was simply stating a fact in response to your clear concerns over my health," he smiled sarcastically. [Y/n]'s eyes narrowed. "But, if you meant them with any hostility then I'd pick what you say more wisely next time. The others will bend your words all they want to fit in with their fantasies and, being the person you are, you'll find yourself in many bizarre situations regarding them." He paused. "You're yet to mention Nyais to me. Have you forgotten about him already?"

There was a pause. [Y/n] simply looked down, sucking in a breath and staying silent.

"You want to say something," Seishin hummed. He placed his hand on her arm. "Go on." [Y/n] remained silent, simply staring back at him with a dark look. Then, Seishin chuckled. "Really? Yeah, maybe you were wise in not voicing that..."

'Shit, he can read minds,' [Y/n] realised suddenly, pulling away from him.

"I guess you wishing I died gruesomely is to be expected," Seishin said softly, though his tone still brimmed with malevolence. "After all, humans tend to be firm believers in karma. I must say, dying the way Nyais did is certainly undesirable. In fact, I struggle to imagine anything worse."

"Stop..." [Y/n] whispered.

"Oh? You'd rather not think about it? Isn't that a bit rude?" Seishin chuckled. "He put up quite the fight, I've been told. Said some absurd stuff about how he'd kill all of us someday if it meant you'd live a happy life. I think that made Aytsa and Kori a little angry..." he smirked.

"Stop it." [Y/n]'s voice was still trembling.

"Really, I would've loved to have seen how they—" Seishin paused, frowning. "Stop that. It makes you look uglier." He placed down the cloth and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Despite his cruel nature, he was unusually tender in his actions. "Seriously. Stop it," he muttered. [Y/n] didn't stop, however. The tears flowed down her cheeks like a beck in April, further hydrating her already sodden skin.

"I don't like it when you cry," Seishin sighed. It seemed to take him a lot of courage to say the words - even once they'd left his lips they seemed empty and unfeeling. [Y/n] didn't respond. She didn't stop crying. She didn't stop shaking or sobbing or clinging to herself as though she was the only thing left in a void of nothingness. Seishin eventually stood up and walked over to her door, still in its mosaic-like form after being smashed to pieces.

"Get some sleep," he said monotonously, the imperative suggesting his statement wasn't advice or optional. He made his way over to her door and left her to her own devices, notably locking it behind him. That came as a surprise to [Y/n]. After all, there was no means of escape in the house other than the front door. Though she was sure they'd all have the keys for it now, she didn't expect that they'd leave them anywhere she could access, so why he still felt the need to lock the door was beyond her.

The [h/c] haired female, still dwelling on nonsense such as a locked door, curled up into herself and eventually drifted off to sleep.

* * *

[Y/n] woke up again a few hours after falling asleep. She noticed her lamps had been turned off so sleepily reached over to her bedside table to turn the closest lamp to her on. As she did so, she noted a sheet of paper on her bedside table. It was a note written in slightly messy handwriting; a list of sorts. [Y/n] took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the light before proceeding to read it.

'Dearest [Y/n].

This is a note to prepare you for the next few days. As you may or may not have realised, you've 'messed up' on many occasions. Of course, I've realised that each of these mistakes must come with a repercussion or else we run the risk of you repeating them. Though I can't say I remember anything before day 5, here's what I've managed to compile from memory.

• Your forgetfulness regarding food. Several times did you avoid eating. Though the act of doing nothing should (by all reason) not be considered as an act of wrongfulness, I perceive it as such. Henceforth, your first repercussions will follow this contradictory nature of nothingness. This does not mean you will be without punishment; it merely means you shall receive something unique. • Your sloth. Alike to your last mistake, you are being wronged for doing nothing, though that itself is the problem. By 'sloth', I refer to your ineptitude in simple tasks such as waking up at a respectable hour, preparing yourself for the day in an organised manner, making your own meals (though, as already established, your sloth mentioned here may have also been a contributing factor to what was previously mentioned). Therefore, we have collectively decided that you will have your previous repercussion extended to a basis of a weekly regime. • Nyais. I'm sure this is a bit soon for you. I may seem like a heartless monster but I understand the pain you must be feeling regarding Nyais' rather gruesome end. Though, in my opinion, he got what he deserved. Still, I see how your views might differ, especially after seeing your apparent closeness. Letting Nyais drink your blood may have been the worst thing you did on this list. Little things like sharing a bed with him, treating him like a lover... these piqued us, but none more than the defiance you displayed under our very noses. Had I been more mature at the time of seeing what you were doing, your repercussions regarding Nyais would've come far sooner. I won't elaborate on what you will be facing. I'm sure your imagination can feed any curiosities you may harbour. • Leaving. This is probably one of the more obvious things on this list. As you probably gather by the lock on your door, we weren't too happy with you leaving. This is more a warning rather than a repercussion: If you attempt to escape us again, we may be forced to harm you to the point where walking is impossible. Though we could deliberate over the extremities of such a punishment, one would have to be enforced.

We care very deeply for you, [Y/n]. You must understand that as cruel as all of this may sound, we only wish to keep you safe. I do not want you to fear us. I only wish for you to be happy—'

It was at this point that [Y/n] stopped reading; tearing the paper into several tiny pieces, she allowed the haunting words to flutter down around her. A disappointed huff came from the other side of the room, causing [Y/n]'s eyes to shoot wide as she turned to stare at the far corner of her room. Seishin sat at her dressing table, his elbow on the wooden furniture and his chin resting in his palm. His blonde hair stuck to his face - he'd been sleeping by the looks of things.

"That was rather impertinent," he muttered. [Y/n] narrowed her eyes as she picked up the scattered pieces of paper, placing them all on her bedside table.

"So was torturing me," she responded easily, though on the inside she was shaking with fear. Seishin could clearly sense this as he let out a low chuckle. The sound made [Y/n]'s skin crawl.

"I wouldn't label that as torture," he hummed, "I only cut you a few times, took off your clothes and spat some vulgar nonsense that only an idiot would take to heart." [Y/n] grimaced. The wounds hadn't felt like 'cuts', they felt like lethal gashes. She was glad for her newfound ability to heal quicker, though it didn't ameliorate the scar on her mind.

"I hate you."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't," Seishin shook his head passively. It was an odd softness that [Y/n] couldn't quite place. It was as though he cared, but she knew it was selfish. Seishin couldn't care for anyone. It was foreign to his nature.

"Well," Seishin said promptly, standing up and stretching his arms in front of him, "have fun reflecting. I'm sure the letter burned itself into your mind, but if not just give me a call and I'll talk to you about it. I'm sure an idiot like you would rather hide and pretend it never existed, so that's fine as well. The truth of the matter will all be revealed tomorrow anyway."

The truth of the matter? "What truth?" [Y/n] questioned. The truth - she wanted to leave, though she knew he'd be speaking of a different truth. He said no more on the matter, walking over to her door. Foolishly, [Y/n] stood up and stalked over to him, appearing as though she was trying to get ahold of the door handle. Seishin clearly assumed she was desperate to escape - the smirk on his face spoke for him - though he was mistaken. [Y/n] used this second of confusion to grab his wrist harshly with a hysterical strength she'd never displayed before.

"What truth?" [Y/n] coldly repeated. Seishin seemed surprised as he tensed for a moment, though quickly relaxed himself. In his eyes, [Y/n] was initiating voluntary contact with him. [Y/n] knew that was how he viewed her actions, though she didn't let her disgust show.

"It won't be a surprise if you know in advance," he grinned.

"I'm not going to enjoy it either way. The rest of my life is going to be torture. I hate myself and all of you as it is, so none of us have anything to lose. Just fucking tell me," she sneered. The blonde male calmly placed his hand over hers, prying her fingers off his wrist before bringing her hand to his lips. He placed a small, chivalrous kiss on her hand, before smirking and giving her a small shove - enough to make sure she couldn't reach the door as he opened it. He took his leave, and locked it immediately afterwards.

As I said, only a semi-hiatus haha. I'm on half term holiday and had lots of time. Still, my updates are probably going to be very sparse up until June because of my GCSEs. I haven't left you though! Promise <3