Akane Kuran: The Unwanted [Vampire Knight]

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Lies

I opened my heavy eyes to see that I was standing in a long corridor. I looked around me and noticed that it all looked vaguely familiar....

This is the Kuran Mansion, I thought. What would I be doing here? Is this another memory of sorts?

I saw a little girl rush by with something held tight in her hands. She went up to a door and messed with the doorknob for a few moments before the door opened and she hopped inside. I took a step forward, realizing I could move, and I went to go see what was taking place on the other side.

I peeked through the open door to see her plop herself down on a bed. Just across from her was a boy. Seeing the boy reminded me of someone, making me also realize who the little girl was.

That boy is Kaname, I thought. That means that girl is....me?

Little Akane handed him a piece of paper. Kaname took it and smiled slightly before messing with her hair.

"Nii-san, stop it!" she giggled.

The boy chuckled. "You're so cute and talented, Akane. I love this."

Akane scooted over next to her brother and began to point at specific things in her drawing.

"This is you, and me, and okaa-san, and otou-san..." Akane's voice trailed off as her eyes sparkled with delight.

"Who is this?" Kaname asked as he pointed to a different stick figure.

"That's our sister," she said.

Kaname looked at her. "But we don't have another sibling—"

"Not yet!" Akane exclaimed, standing up on the bed. "I wanna have a little sister! I can play with her and braid her hair and—and...."

The little me jumped up and down on the bed in an excited matter. The sight actually made me smile.

I wanted a sister? I asked myself. Maybe this actually means something. Maybe I can actually—

Are you really this naive? Are you going to believe these lies? Don't make me laugh.

These are not lies, I thought. What I see is the truth. I have a feeling—

And how do you know that? the voice asked. Don't you remember all the painful times you've had here?

Those are the lies. I actually feel something genuine with these recent...happy memories.

Haha. I'll make you remember then.

Images flashed in my mind; painful, heartbreaking memories. I began to hear a ringing sound in my ears and I held my head as I fell to my knees.

"You'll never be a part of this family!"

Juuri's voice echoed in my mind. She sounded so hateful, so cruel. Images of her abusing me flashed one after another as if I was reliving each and every one of those moments.

I tried to think about how I recently had a happy recollection of Juuri. But it was hard to think of that. It was hard to think of her smiling sweetly at me.

It was hard to think that she'd actually love me at all.

Not just her, but Haruka as well. Heck, even Kaname. I saw images of every bad thing that I could recollect, and even things I couldn't remember until now.