Sorry it took me this long... *shifty eyed* I'll be honest... I'm seriously considering the PM that told me: 'You should just quit fanfiction already. What's with these long idiotic waits? Absolutely pathetic!' *sigh* Maybe I really should leave... This used to be fun but now it's amounting to unnecessary stress... When I lay down to sleep I go 'damn how long has it been since I last updated' and when I reach in front of my PC I go 'Gaaah! I just CANNOT write!'

I find myself at a dead end and I do NOT like it... Anyways here's what I'd like to call the next chapter of this story.

My Mesmerizing Mirage

crystal-mist

Chapter 17

Motives & Confrontations

Human beings were deceitfully fickle creatures. Shun Kazami was a person who believed in that ideal more than most people. Trusting another person completely, without the minutest of qualms was the most foolish thing anyone could do.

Yet, the irony in it all was the fact that he'd actually allowed his heart to succumb to that absurd notion that caused him to stagger from his ideals, that idiotic thing one would call...love. He was stupid for ever having faltered, for ever having felt that insane desire to steal back his fiancée, for ever having let himself get swept away by those...'feelings'.

She just stood there, staring at him with that aggravating gaze of sympathy, the key glinting in what little of the sunlight that remained. His so-called uncle stood, his hand positioned on Alice's right shoulder, jeering mockingly at him. "That look on your face is priceless, Kazami-brat, it almost seems like I'm enjoying this more than the idea of half a fortune." he spoke with a toothy grin- the sickening kind.

Shun forcefully dissipated all the incredulity on his face and trained his gaze into a lethal glare. "And your plan is?"

His uncle patted Alice's shoulder. "Well, since this little princess is your fiancée she's entitled to about half the assets you've inherited from your late parents. So you say bye-bye to her half."

"So? We aren't married. An engagement is nothing but absolute trash!" defended Shun, pouring all his rage into emphasizing the word 'trash'.

"That is true, in normal circumstances. But it seems that your parents had a somewhat soft side for her. I mean, did they not engage you to her just because her diseased mother wished that she wouldn't be left alone, or rather, without any money in 'this cruel world'?"

"Don't you dare ridicule my mother's pure intent!" muttered Alice, her tone low and stern.

"Whatever..." he then turned to Shun. "As for you, it's time to go night-night."

The next thing Shun knew, he was struck to the ground with what seemed like a huge log. When he finally came to, he was still in the clearing, thousands of stars twinkling in the bright sky above him. He shifted to lie on his back, groaning at the bruise on his stomach. His shoulders trembled as he stared at the night sky. It was unfair; all those stars seemed to be mocking him. Amid quivering lips he let out a small laugh... After all, sobbing wasn't exactly his forte. So instead, he laughed out loud; a string of laughter soaked thoroughly in misery- and perhaps a lingering hint of disbelief.

He laughed into the night like a deranged maniac. And if asked, he would never acknowledge the lone tear that trailed down his cheek.

Trust? Faith? Love? Never again...

*~~X~~*

The next day Shun literally staked out Alice's University gate in all the glory of an enraged stalker. He saw her go in with a few friends of hers, with that same smile plastered on her face, as if it were just another irrelevant day to her. That only fuelled his rage. So much so that he walked right up to her, took hold of her hand and yanked her to a stop.

Her friends seemed conflicted whether to swoon at that perfectly chiseled face to feel threatened at the fury that radiated from his aura into the dead silence.

It was Alice who spoke up first. "What do you want?"

"We need to talk, now."

"I have classes." she stated plainly, her voice unnaturally low.

"As if I even care." he muttered through gritted teeth as he started forcibly dragging her away.

Alice briefly turned to her friends and softly shook her head from side to side, letting them know that she would be alright.

Shun led her to a fairly deserted area somewhere along the university's outside walls. With his hand still secured in a death grip around her wrist he whirled around to face her. "I demand an explanation." he thundered.

"What for, exactly?"

"Don't play dumb."

She shrugged lightly, half concentrating on her efforts to wriggle her hand out of his. "It should be pretty obvious by now." she spoke, her voice faltering ever so slightly. "I only pretended to go out with you so that I could thieve you in the end."

"Since when did they 'take you under their wing'?"

"Since the very beginning." she lied, staring into his burning golden orbs.

"But I was the one who came to you in Japan! I'm the one who wanted to reclaim my fiancée so-"

"Yes, it was because of that 'obsession' that they decided to approach me. And of course, I went with the most beneficial option..." she muttered almost mechanically. That's right; she'd spent all of last night, rehearsing this explanation countless times; again and again until she was able to speak without a single tear on her cheek and a single inconsistency in her trained, level voice.

"What about all fuss you kicked up coz of that 'first kiss'?"

"An act."

"And all that 'Don't worry, you're not alone' talk?"

"An act."

"The confession on that rainy day?"

"An act."

Only as he spoke to her did he realize how truly hung up he'd been. And he started to think that it had indeed been this pseudo obsession that had blinded his better judgment.

"So, all those tears you shed and all those smiles..."

"Don't you get it!" Alice exclaimed, her voice rising to a shrill note. "They were all lies! Nothing but an act!"

Shun studied her from head to toe for the umpteenth time that day. "You're really a sly, heartless b****, aren't you?"

"Well, you should've realized that yesterday."

"Well, your sweet mother must be rolling over in her grave, having to witness the level to which her daughter has sunken to."

"Don't you bring my mother into this." she warned, eyes narrowed to slits.

"Oh! Forgive me! You were only after the money. Her head must be swelling with pride right about now." he spat with vehement sarcasm.

"You are not entitled to judge me!"

"And why the heck not?" he demanded, proceeding closer to her. "I'm the one whose money you worked on extracting for those worthless scums... I can judge all I want."

"..."

"Well, since 'love' was never part of the equation, I guess money and assets are more important to you," As he spoke, his expression darkened. He leaned closer, taking her chin between his hands, his voice lowering to a dangerous level of coldness she'd never heard before. "Then does that mean this body of yours is on sale? After all, I still have more money."

"Unhand me!" she exclaimed in horror, thrashing his hands away, her forced composure having dissipated completely. "Don't be so cheap."

"Says you, the untainted little sincere angel... Which was really your first kiss, Alice? Was it shared with that 'handsome' old uncle of mine?" he spoke, every one of his words a carefully calculated poison coated dagger. Seeing her expression, he knew just what to say to break her.

'Don't you dare..." she whispered, her sight clouded by tears.

"Did the kiss taste as putrid as those yellow teeth of his?"

"Don't..."

"Tell me, do you use those methods you call 'cheap' on a fairly regular basis?"

"You..."

"Is he your sugar-daddy or are you his mistress? Which one is it?"

"Dare!" she yelled, her voice shrill, her shoulders heaving as she breathed heavily. The tears finally found their way down her cheeks as she stared at him in a mixture of incredulity and hurt.

But Shun was past everything... He stared at her nonchalantly. Sure, there was that miniscule part of him that still quivered at that offended look, but no more faltering. "This reaction...Does that mean you're 'in love'! Ha! I never knew you had a fetish for wrinkly old prunes."

"That's enough!" It was plain to see from her trembling lips and eyebrows that she had been pushed to her limit.

His lips give way to a wide smirk. "But, I still have more theories, Alice! Please hear them through."

"You want to know why I did it?!" she shrieked, more hot tears rolling down her cheeks. "Because-" she froze for a few seconds. Why was she always so stupid? She always seemed to be walking into traps and the finding herself unable to escape. But this time, she wouldn't... She had to make sure that everything she'd done so far wouldn't go to waste. "Because you're a freaking jerk!"

"Say that again."

"Because you're a jerk!"

"Oh? Well, isn't that fascinating... You turned into the b**** of b****es because I was a 'jerk'? This has to be the most convincingly daft excuse on this side of the galaxy."

"..."
"Say something..."

"..."

"What happened to that smart-ass mouth of yours?"

"Jerk..." she muttered before turning tail and proceeding to run. But Shun had taken hold of her collar and yanked her to a stop. "L..let go..." she cried, the collar half-strangling her in the process.

Shun tugged harder and brought her closer to him. "Why don't I show you just how much of a jerk I can be." he whispered, lifting her off the ground by the piece of cloth in his hand. He was beyond enrages, the acidic after-taste of having being betrayed was wrecking havoc within his entire existence.

Alice's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach as the ground below her feet disappeared. "Ka.-"

"Don't worry..." he whispered. "I won't kill you, little one. I just want you to experience this feeling of suffocation...for just a little while. Feel it burning you, all the suffocation those people have been causing me all my life,

When she heard those words of his strangely enough she stopped struggling against his grip, stopped thrashing her legs and just...surrendered.

Thoroughly surprised by her resistance, Shun was just about to-

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" came a voice from their right. It was Joe. Apparently Alice's friends had told him and he'd just come to check on her. "Let her go!"

Shun's golden eyes narrowed in annoyance and in the very next second he hurled her in Joe's direction.

"Woah, you idiot!" exclaimed Joe as he rushed forwards just in time to gather Alice in his arms. When he raised his gaze again, Shun was nowhere to be seen. "He's gone..."

Alice coughed as her lungs struggled to compensate her lack of air and her strangled sobs were only making matters worse.

"Sshhh...It's okay... Calm down..." comforted Joe as he patted Alice's back lightly.

After Alice seemed to have visibly calmed down he decided it would be safe to address the situation. "Why did that jerk do that? Isn't he your boyfriend?"

Alice shook her head from side to side. "It's not...his fault... I did something unforgiveable."

Joe stared at her incredulously. "What in the world could be so unforgiveable that he'd half-strangle you!" he demanded.

"It's..."

"Even this, is his doing!" exclaimed Joe, lightly traced the red fingerprints on Alice's pale wrist. "What-"

Alice placed her finger to his lips, her tired eyes appealing him to not venture any further. "I'll tell you, tomorrow... Promise."

Joe sighed in exasperation. "You're incorrigible, you know... Your punishment- today you aren't allowed out of my sight, understand?"

She nodded silently, finding no strength within herself to resist.

Joe stared apologetically as Alice half limped to the university; her legs were still numb from shock. He took her hand a gently supported her. "You know, I wish I could carry you all the way... But lately I've been feeling a bit light-headed for some reason."

"I'm sorry." she muttered.

"No it isn't because I was worrying."

"I'm sorry."

"It wasn't that desk accident either. The doctor said that it healed almost miraculously!" he informed, trying to sound like his cheery self.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Alice forced the weakest smile in the history of weak smiles as they continued walking. "But...it is my fault." She muttered under her breath.

"Huh? What's that?"

She shook her head from side to side. "You'll get better, I promise."

He chuckled slightly, petting her hair. "Looks like you're a bit air-headed right now."

"Yeah, probably."

Chapter End

I'm facing extreme writer's block. So, anyone interested in partnering my lame vampire story? 'Yet Another Tale Of VampirexHuman'? I'm officially lost... And it's been abandoned for months now... If you are, contact me coz I'm not really sure what myself mean by 'partnering'. We could iron out the details perhaps?

And 'Vezarius Inferno' I'm hoping to continue myself (God knows when)

Thanks for reading, Love y'all for not deserting me...yet. Tell me what you think will happen, and guess Alice's motive if you want. :D

Review please! Thankyou~