【The Vampire Game】

Prelude

Sora could have sworn that he saw Riku running into that dark alleyway after being attacked by that ‘thing�E Making haste, he quickly followed the shadow, worried about the condition of that person. After a long chase, the person finally stopped to lean against the wall of the dark alleyway for support.

“Hey are you okay? I saw what happened and maybe I can help yo—”

“Go away Sora!�EThe person  hissed slightly as his hand covered the wound on his neck. “I’m not gonna say it again...�E#060;o:p>

“Kami-sama! R...Riku...?!�ESora whispered worriedly as he walks towards his injured friend. “I...it was you who was attacked? Oh my god, you’re bleeding so much... I...I’ll go ring the ambulance to get you some hel—”

“THAT IS NOT NECESSARY!�EThe silver-haired boy turned around to look at Sora straight in the eyes. He gave him a long cold stare, as a warning that he was serious about his statement. “Just leave me the hell alone!�EHe bowed his head and began to run as fast as possible in the opposite direction.

“RIKU! PLEASE WAIT! SOMETHING IS WRONG AND YOU’RE NOT TELLING ME!�ESora cried desperately as he attempted to run after him. “ONEGAI COME BACK!�E#060;o:p>

“DON’T FOLLOW ME OR I WON’T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU SORA!�E

Riku’s shouted reply sounded like an echo in the distance instead. Sora stopped and leaned against the wall for support. His pulse was pumping faster then usual, his breath coming out in little puffs of white smoke against the cold misty air. The alleyway wasn’t very well lit;  there was only one lamppost to guide his vision. In the distance, he could see the disappearing shadow of the silver-haired boy.

Sora angrily slammed his fist into the brick wall, his forehead resting against it. He could feel the extensive pain on his knuckles from the blow before.

“Dammit Riku, why don’t you ever tell me anything?�Ehe whispered softly, before a small tear managed to make its way out of his sapphire blue eyes. “Why do you do this to your friends? Why do you do this to me? Why can’t you ever just TRUST somebody for once?!�ESora showed his teeth in a snarl. “The worse thing is, why do you act like I’m a complete stranger to you? I...If only I had told you how I actually felt about you the whole time... But would you have cared anyways...?�E#060;o:p>

Sora glanced down at the chain necklace with the crown pendant that was hanging in the front of his chest. It was the necklace that Riku had given him not long after they first met. Sora had thought that the necklace was a sign from Riku telling him that, he had trusted him enough to be true friends with him. To be completely honest with him...

But he was wrong.

Sora clenched his eyes together as he squeezed the pendant painfully in his palm.

“Why did you have to break your promise?�E#060;o:p>

***

Sora growled as the loud music in the background send painful thumps throughout his head. All that Barcardi and Vodka he had drank before wasn’t helping much at the moment either. He slumped forward onto the table, burying his head into his arms.

It had almost been 3 years since Riku mysteriously disappeared. Sora couldn’t think of one day, when he actually didn’t think about that incident. They had reported the event of his absence to the police, but there was still no news or idea about the whereabouts he was at. Sometimes the past would haunt him so much that, he would even have dreams about it.

Tonight, it was Sora’s 18^th birthday, so in order to celebrate, Kairi, Tidus, Leon and the others had dragged him off clubbing. Sora had tried to explain to his friends that, he only wanted a quiet night in at his house, but at the end, they had other ideas.

Sora was wearing a black fishnet top underneath a long white jacket that was opened. He wore his regular long jeans with two spiked belts crossing against the front of his lower waist. His ears were impaled with a number of silver hoop and cross earrings.  And as usual, he wore his black leather choker, along with his favourite chain necklace with the crown pendant. The necklace that he had treasured so much since his early childhood, with Riku...

There was no denying that he wasn’t actually enjoying the whole trance party his friends had dragged him to, but he tried his very best to look like he wasn’t falling half asleep. He hated places that were crowded with people and the fact that they played tasteless music non-stop made him groan to himself even more. The whole time they’ve been here, Sora has been isolating himself in the small table at the corner of the club, keeping himself occupied with several glasses of liquor.

“Yo Sora, stop slouching on that table like you have a hangover or something!�EHis tall male friend chuckled as he sat next to him. “It’s your 18^th today so you should be enjoying yourself! Like get your arse over there and dance with Kairi!�E#060;o:p>

Sora offered Leon a quick glimpse before slouching back onto the table again. “Leon I don’t really feel like celebrating anything today...�Ehe sighed as he rubbed his temple. “Last night I had a dream about that ‘incident�Eagain, so I didn’t get a lot of sleep...�E#060;o:p>

Leon looked at the melancholy expression on Sora’s face before sighing slightly.

“Look Sora, nobody blames you for what happened that night, so stop thinking that it was your fault.�EHe reached over to run a hand through Sora’s messy chestnut hair. “I know you’re still worried about Riku, but please just try to be happy on your birthday...�E#060;o:p>

Sora sat back up and nodded. “Yeh I guess you’re right, Leon... Since I’m here anyways, I might as well look like I’m enjoying myself.�ERolling his eyes slightly at Kairi, who was ushering him over to dance next to her, he made his way over to the dancefloor to join the rest of his friends.

Sora swayed lifelessly to the rythem of the music as he slowly drifts off into his own world again.

‘I would enjoy this so much more if Riku was here...�EHe thought sadly to himself.

‘You were looking for me, Sora?�E#060;/span>

“Huh?�ESora quickly spun around, trying to see who was talking to him a second ago. But that was until he realised that the voice he heard, came from the inside of his head. “Who the hell is this?�E#060;o:p>

‘I’m over there near the entrance... Look.�E#060;o:p>

Sora blinked and quickly pushed away a few dancing couples in front of him, until he got a clear vision of the entrance. His eyes widen to see a single tall silver-haired boy who stood out from the rest of the crowd. The boy’s smile turned into a slightly smirk, as he walked towards Sora.

‘You missed me?�Ehe whispered into Sora’s mind once again.

“R...Riku?!�ESora gasped in total disbelief.

.To be continued.