~Kaname's POV~

He has not moved since I told him, he does not speak. I can hear his heart beating below. I begin to wonder what compels him to stay. Then I think this is too melodramatic for my taste. I try to return to my work but my mind still has a tendency to wander. My ears are bombarded suddenly with the quiet tick of a heartbeat underneath that of his. I find that I feel indifferent towards this revelation, not phased emotionally by the simple fact that the process has already begun. I do know that, without a doubt, he is fully aware of the neonate nestled inside. Yet I do not know what he thinks of it. I figured from earlier that he was trying to kill himself to avoid childbearing. He life is not worth is not worth much now and it is not yet a human, only a mere zygote. Those were most likely his thoughts. Yes, a little too melodramatic.

"Pity she is not around," I say to myself quietly. I lay back until my head is resting against the soft velvet material of my chair. My leg bumps against the mahogany desk lightly as I cross one over the other. A light sigh escapes between my lips, the sound of thin wisps of air whipping through the thick silence that surrounds me. The hoods of my eyes lower slowly and behind closed lids my setting suddenly changes and I can see myself, in my past life before being reincarnated. She is there as well.

We are nestled together, our bodies naked and tangled as we lay against the silk duvet of her bed. Our only source of light comes from a candle lit on a nightstand adjacent to us. Our faces would be masked in absolute darkness were it not for the moon, its shines illumining through the windows on the far left. My head is laid upon her bosom, her soft skin only serving as a barrier as I listened to the steady beat of her heart whilst I burrowed my nose to draw in her scent. She is absently caressing my hair, I find it pleasant.

This night is not out first but our last. At that point I did not know of her decision and yet I wonder if it would have made a difference. She'd already chosen her fate, there wasn't much I could have done but I still wished I had done more.

"Kaname," She calls. It is the name of her hometown that she has bestowed on me. I then remember when she'd spoke to me for the first time I thought of our greeting to be as if I were speaking with an angel disguised as a despicable creature like I. I'd fallen for her at first sight and I'd never regretted not having her by my side even if it were for only a moment. Though it was selfish of me, I needed her like blood because she gave me purpose. "Kaname, can I inquire you on something?"

By her tone I can tell she's been contemplating over this thought for some time. I reply, "What troubles you?"

"No, there are no troubles," she assures me. "But there is something I wonder about."

I remain silent for the time being, waiting for her to clarify on the subject at hand. I note that today she smells of pumpkin spice and I find this intriguing. A fitting scent in our final moments.

"Have you ever wondered why we were created in such a way? What our purpose is in this world? For some reason I can't seem to stop thinking about it. Yet every time I do, it always reminds me of her and I feel melancholy once more. Then again I feel as if I do it purposely," she explains as she shifts slightly underneath me. I detect a skip of her heart as she says those last words and I can feel the gloomy aura suddenly pouring off her. I am sympathetic for her as I know that of which she speaks. She is thinking of her other half whom she had devoured long before she had met me.

"It is not your fault," I murmured softly as I press my lips against her porcelain skin trying to comfort her.

She presses on, saying "It was not fair though. She deserved a life as well as I but while we were in the womb I cheated her. She was born so frail and ill but she managed and we were sisters but . . . We were cursed. I do not think even you Kaname could comprehend the pain of loss. It makes what little of heart we creatures have quite heavy, burdensome. How can you love such a beast?"

"Because I do not see you as such," I answer, speaking such words from my heart with no hesitation.

"Well then you are blind," she chuckles lightly and I agree silently. She knows very well how I feel about her and nothing could ever change that. "But have you ever wondered what your life was like before, Kaname?"

"I see no use to fret over what has been lost and no longer exist in my own mind."

She chides, "Ah, is that so? You are a misguided ghost then. Nothing can be truly forgotten, the mind holds many memories, some harder to find than others. I know she will never be forgotten."

She sighs deeply before continuing, her tone growing dark. "History will repeat itself again though. My sister and I, this curse we've shared, our fate will probably strike another pair in the future. My wrongly actions will affect innocent. I seek repentance, atonement for my sins."

I've hoisted myself up on my elbows, the tip of my finger trailing over the outline of her delicate lips as I silenced her. "I wish you would not speak of yourself in such ways," I whisper softly whilst pushing back a strand of golden wheat brown hair behind her ear. A smile appears on her face and I continue my ministrations, letting my knuckles brush over her cheek bone lightly. Seeing her, I copy that smile.

"Do not worry love," she whispers back and I note it is the first time she has used any term of endearment with me. "Come tomorrow, my suffering will lessen greatly, I promise. Let it be so that we may spend this moment together peacefully."

I do not question her words and proceed to kiss her.

"She was right though. She was a beast," I conclude as I lift the hoods of my eyes open once more, returning to my office. From the incense burning upon my desk, I breathe in the scent of pumpkin spice, the thin fragrant smoke wisps filling my nostrils. I channel energy telepathically and watch as the solid stick spontaneously combusts, its particles floating in the air for a second before falling. I pressed my finger to my temple, massaging the area as a headache begins to throb. I chuckle a bit; the sound comes out sour and dark. "Yet now I know her pain I know how it feels to lose something precious to you."

~*Present time*~

His health is slowly deteriorating, his heartbeat falling fainter with each passing minute. There is little I can do from the outside but I hope my words have reached him in some way so that he knows I too am suffering alongside him. Everything we have endured has led up to this moment. Was it worth it?

"Kaname-sama, may I speak with you outside?" Dr. Tozaki asks. Her tone is urgent and when I look into her deep-set light pink eyes I interpret her look as one that says 'there isn't much time'. I look upon Zero with one last fleeting glance before giving him a gentle squeeze at the hand and pulling away. We are standing outside the operation room, the nurses scrambling around to help stable Zero's health. "We removed the infant successfully but he has lost too much blood. He can no longer breathe on his own and his iron levels have depleted greatly. His body is slipping into shock and at this point . . . Something must be done or I'm afraid he won't make it. We have tried providing him with blood to help stabilize him for the time being but so far his body has been resilient to the treatment. If you have any advice, any insight to share that would be most beneficial to him, now's the time to speak."

"I . . . I . . ." I try to form sentences but I can no longer form coherent sentences. Zero's condition could very much lead to his death. Knowing this, my stomach churns at the thought. I can no longer think straight. I take a seat nearby and try to steady my breathing in order to corporate with the situation at hand. My hands pillow my forehead as it falls forward, my once cool façade shedding away piece by piece. I can feel my chest grow heavy and tight, something I have not felt for a while. I am a broken man. There is no time for me to lose it but . . . This pain is . . . unbearable and difficult to deal with. What do I do?

"Is blood the only thing you need for him?" My head has snapped up to find Ichiru standing beside us now. I had almost forgotten him. "We're twin brothers. Maybe he'll accept my blood."

Upon seeing the silverette, Dr. Tozaki makes haste. "We can try." She begins to walk out, beckoning Ichiru to follow her so that they can discuss the process and begin to work immediately. Before leaving, she speaks with a nurse on the side, taking one last fleeting glance at my person. Then she is gone and the nurse is approaching me with a small smile and bow of her head. "Kaname-sama, would you like to meet your son?"

My mouth turns dry now. I'm unsure of what is the right answer for me as I glance through the opaque glass across the room and see Zero surrounded by machines creating a chorus of beeps and whirls, serving as a lifeline. Yet the chaos from the outside has not seemed to even faze him. His face is relaxed and calm in slumber, a slumber that could be permanent. As painful as is to consider the outcome, one is could be ending but another life has been left in his wake and has only just begun. A life that I am responsible for. As I bring myself to stand up, I say to the nurse, "Take me to him."

I am tried but there is still much I can do, there's still much I have to do.

The nurse leads me away from the operation room and into the maternity ward where he has been placed under the surveillance and care of different nurses. We are heading down the hall where only the cries of newborns are heard. She brings me to a private room set aside for this particular delivery. Her hand is on the handle now and as she turns it the click of the door follows. I hesitate to enter at first but I muster enough courage to step forth. A different nurse, plumper in weight, that was already present inside greets me before exiting. Only the three of us remain in the room. The cart they've placed him in is only two steps away yet I cannot will myself to take them. I should be excited but I feel timid. I didn't think a pureblood such as I could display such emotions yet I do not detest them. I almost feel . . . more humane in a sense.

"I will bring him to you," the nurse says as she walks over. She carefully cocoons the newborn in a blanket, making sure to tuck in his legs while leaving his head and hands visible. A shrill cry is let out and echoes off the walls yet I never thought I would find the sound to be soothing. As she takes him into her arms, she tries calming him down with soft clicks of her tongue while rocking him side to side. Standing in front of me, she smiles down at him before looking back at me. "Would you like to hold him? I think he would enjoy that."

My arms stiffen as I hold them out to take the young into my hands. The nurse closes the gaping distance between us. She begins to transfer the infant into my arms, cautioning me to be mindful of his head. Suddenly his cries are shushed into soft whimpering mews as he settles in. So small,I think as I bring him closer to my face. From underneath the cap placed on his head I can see small patches of light bronze colored fuzz. His eyes were only half-opened but I could tell that he had adopted lilac ones like Zero's. They gleamed in the florescent lighting of the room, opening up like blooming flowers as they gazed up at me. Our faces are mere inches apart. A miniature hand reaches a bit, jerking every so often. Cradling him in one arm, I let a finger settle in his grasp and he grips on tightly with the little strength he has.

I smile and it's genuine. He fills me with unexplainable happiness but in turn I find myself wanting to protect him. It hasn't even been five minutes but he's captivated me in mind and body. He is my son and he is truly a wonder to behold.

"Have you and your partner decided on a name?"

Then I'm hit with the painful reminder of reality. I was not granted the privilege of naming the first-born. There's a lot more to lose than I thought.

I just hope it's not too late to make a difference.