"Mmmh..." You cracked your eyes open and shivered. The fireplace was burned out, causing the room to go cold.

Sitting up, you looked at the source of the cold wind entering your room. "Did I leave the window open...?" A sigh left your mouth. "And I passed out without even lying down properly.... Oh dear, I didn't finish the milk."

Immediately, you felt bad for not drinking the cup Eric brought for you. That's why, even if it had cooled down, you decided that you would drink it. But first things first. Getting out from the bed, you made your way to the window.

"Huh?" You gasped when you looked outside. 

The moon was blue. The whole property was illuminated by the soft moonlight. As you were admiring the beauty, a sudden thought intruded your mind. The garden.

The garden behind the mansion was really pretty. Yet, you had never gone there at night time. It was because of Abel. When you had first arrived in this mansion, Abel had warned you to never visit the garden at night. The reason wasn't known to you. When it came to the garden, everyone seemed secretive. Why would they even want to keep the night garden a secret? It was a mystery to you.

Now that the thought had occurred to you, you felt yourself incredibly wanting to see the night garden. How pretty would the gorgeous garden look under this mythical moonlight?

As if hypnotized by your curiosity, you found yourself walking out of your room. Closing the large doors behind you, you let your legs guide you.

The soft moonlight seeping through the large windows was the only thing illuminating the hallways. Almost all doors and windows remained closed at night, except one.

You found a corridor that could go outside. There was a tower at the end of the passageway. You put your hands on the door of the crossing corridor and opened it.

The cool breeze blew past you, snapping you out of your trance.

"I....ended up coming here," you muttered so quietly that it got dissolved in the breeze. The wind made you realize that you should've brought your shawl because your sleeveless gown wasn't enough to keep you warm.

If you leaned out from the railing of the corridor, the garden could come into view through the gaps between the trees. You placed a hand on your chest.

"......I want to see it," voicing out your desire, you shifted your gaze towards the garden. "But, Abel-san prohibited me..."

Thinking for a while, you reached a decision. 

"I can ,at least, see the garden from afar." With this conviction, you took a step forward. However, just after taking that one step, you came to a halt when a familiar voice called out to you.

"My lady....?"

". . . Abel-san?" Abel appeared from the entrance of the tower. "Why are you here at this hour?" You questioned, tilting your head to the side.

The brown-haired man made his way towards you. ". . . I was going to check on you." He took a few steps more. "More importantly...." He stopped right in front of you.

"You seem absolutely fine and awake,lady." His eyes narrowed in the slightest. "Did you not drink properly?"

"Drink?" You blinked. You were going to ask what he meant but then you guessed what he was referring to. "Are you perhaps talking about the milk? I'm sorry, I fell asleep before I could complete it."

Abel's lips formed a thin line. He inquired again, "Why are you on the way outside?"

"The moon is beautiful tonight so I decided to take a stroll." You move your head upwards to look at the night sky. 

"Weird, the moon seemed blue until now," you muttered to yourself which was heard by the man.

"My lady."

"Hmm?" You shifted your gaze back to the man.

"You weren't going to the garden, were you?" 

"No, I was going to gaze at it from afar."

"Afar, you say?" His tone turned cold, catching you by surprise. "Do you think you could restrain yourself?"

"A-Abel-san?" His voice and whole demeanour was different. You had never seen the ever graceful and gentleman Abel glare at you so sharply. Nervousness grew inside you.

"Your curiosity is far too enormous to let you watch the garden without being drawn into the garden. Isn't that true?"

"I....." He was right. You might have been allured by the beauty similar to how you've left your room now. ".....It's true."

"Well said. It's good to be honest." His purple eyes pierced through yours as he asked you, "Do you know what was mixed in your drink?"

".....I-I don't know."

"......"

Abel roughly grabbed your arms and pushed you back. Your back hit the wall of the mansion, making you flinch in pain.

".....!!!!"

He was too strong. His gloved fingers were digging into your skin. It hurt but there was nothing you could do. You were no match for his power, leaving you completely under his mercy.

"Poison. We mixed poison in your drink."

Your dread prevented you from speaking. No words left your mouth except for a loud gasp.

Abel continued, peering into your face, "You were destined to die tonight, on this night of the blue moon. But, it seems like you didn't drink the poison." Each word that he spoke stabbed your heart. 

What was he talking about? Poison? For what purpose would he try to poison you?

"What's more, you were going to visit the forbidden garden. I suppose I was too lacking in teaching you the rules."

With great difficulty, you managed to utter his name, ". . . A-Abel...san..."

The one you had fallen in love with was standing right in front of you. Yet.... it wasn't him who was in front of you. Your heart throbbed in your chest. The way he was roughly holding you, his frightening gaze, his angered voice- they weren't what you were used to. That is why, this was painful for you, to be confronted like this by the one you loved.

"It must be seen that I punish you thoroughly." His eyes glinted dangerously.

"!!!!"

Run away. Your inner voice alerted you. Acting upon your instincts, you attempted to escape from his clutches. With all your might, you pushed Abel away by the chest. He stumbled a safe distance from you.

"I'm sorry!" You made sure to apologize for pushing him as you ran back into the mansion. Abel stared at you making a dart to the mansion, his eyes hidden because of the suspicious glimmer of his glasses.

Run. You ran. You did not have a single clue as to what was happening but your conscience was telling you one thing: get out from this mansion. 

The corridors were pitch black. Had you not known your way around here, you wouldn't have been able to run like this. The blaring of your steps reverberated. As you dashed through the long corridors, two boys came into your view. 

"Mika-kun! Simon-kun!"

"My lady!?" Mika exclaimed, startled.

You got to them and told them, breathless, "Mika-kun, Simon-kun, I'm so glad to see you safe." A sigh of relief escaped your lips. "Something is not right with Abel-san. He is acting weird."

You were not sure whether it was only you whom Abel was after. These two little ones might get involved if they were to be with you. But you highly doubted that Abel could even think of harming them. Yet, for keeping them absolutely safe, you instructed them, your voice entangled in desperation,

"You two should hide somewhere. I'm not sure what's happening even so, please hide yourselves." A few seconds passed in silence.

"My lady, you-" Simon got interrupted by the youngest, "We understand, lady." 

He tugged at the former's sleeve and pulled the confused albino with him. Before exiting, the pinkette told you, "You should go to the main door. It should be the safest place."

"Thank you, Mika-kun."

It never occurred to you why those two were still awake.

.  . .  . . .  .

While you were hastening for the main door, you took a corner. At that moment, you bumped into someone and lost your balance because of your speed.

"Ah!" The one whom you bumped against caught your fall.

"Lady?"

"Virgil-san!" Removing his hands from your waist, he steadied you.

"Thank you and I'm sorry, Virgil-san." You bowed your head.

"No, it's alright," the brunette shook it off.

With alarming eyes, you peered into his chocolate brown eyes. "Virgil-san, something is different with Abel-san. He...."

Due to focusing on Virgil only, you had failed to notice the man with him who was standing behind the brunette.

"My lady." Eric appeared from behind him, catching you by surprise.

"Eric-san!" The angelic brunette walked to your front.

Eric's typical vibrant eyes were hollow and.... dark. "Lady, why are you still here? I mixed the poison in your drink as instructed. Did you not drink it?" 

His horrific voice sent cold shivers down your spine. "Eri-"

"Did you not drink the poison?Tell me..." He grabbed your shoulders tightly. Your heart was about to leap out of your chest from apprehension. 

Eric......was the one who mixed poison in your drink? Why was he saying the same stuff as Abel? More importantly, why would he, too, want to kill you? 

In a terrifying manner, Eiji continues his inquiry. "Hey..... Hey..... "

Your words gloated in your throat in pure fear. Eric was an angel with the brightest smile. Seeing him like this was equivalent to a nightmare.

With every ounce of your body trying to push back the fear, your scared eyes darted to the one you sought to be reliable and kind. However, it only served to add more pain and angst in the pit of your stomach.

Virgil let out a booming laugh, which reverberated through the cold and dark hallways of the mansion.

"Seems like our plan to poison her failed, Eric-chan. But, worry not when I'm here!" The man puffed up his chest as he eyed you menacingly, "I'll make sure she doesn't see the light of the next day."

". . . . Virgil.....san...?"

There wasn't the slightest hint of the usual kindness in his eyes when he said these.

"Now...." Virgil reached his hands out to you. "Come to me..."

Your hands proceeded on its own and shook Eric's hands from your shoulders. Taking a huge leap away from them, you resumed to run away, with the other two not chasing after you. 

Why was this happening to you? This was something out straight from a nightmare. A terrible nightmare. Your friends out there were after your life and you did not know why. All you knew was that you have to get out from this here.

With these thoughts, you finally reached the front door of the manor. Breathing heavily, you put your hands on the large door handles.

"No...."

No matter how hard you pushed and pulled, the door wouldn't budge. It was locked. "Please open..." You prayed silently.

"Looking for this?" The clinking of metallic keys echoed.

At the voice from behind, you snapped your head to find...

"Hugo-san! Keith-san!"

While you were relieved to see the both of them, you quickly understood that these weren't on your side either. Because....

*Clank*

"Keith....san.....?"

The raven haired man took a step forward, sword in hand, eyes emotionless. One step. Two steps. There was no path behind you. So, you thought of getting away by rushing to the left hallway.

"Not so fast."

Just after you sprinted a few steps, Hugo caught up to you in a second. It shouldn't be surprising because of his build. You were wrong for thinking you could run away from him.

Grabbing your arm, Hugo violently threw you on the floor.

"Kya...!!" With a thud, you fell and your body collided with the wall harshly. Pain shot through your body.

"She came here just like you told her, Mika," a new voice joined.

Lifting your head you found the youngest two standing behind Keith and Hugo.

".....Simon-kun...Mika-kun...." It hurt to speak. "Why....are you here...? Please... hide....."

"Are you that much of an idiot? Do you really not understand that all of us are on it to kill you?"

What Mika said hit you hard. Everyone, Abel, Keith, Mika, Eric, Virgil, Hugo and Simon- all of them were after your life, wanted to make sure you don't survive to see the next sunrise.

Keith strode towards you, his sword shining with bloodlust. You were too tired to move. After running that much and receiving that amount of shock, your body didn't have an ounce of energy left.

But, you wanted to survive, to live. Despite your commands to your body to get it moving, all your pleads were being ignored by your body.

Keith was standing in front of you. Coldly staring down at you, he raised his sword high in the air. You watched in horror as he was ready to pierce your body with his weapon. Your eyes closed on impulse.

....Is this the end ...?

Keith brought his hand down to attack you. The sword slashed through thin air and-

"Wait."

It stopped right before cutting through your neck completely. Feeling the cold sensation on the side of your neck, you cracked your eyes open.

"Abel-san...."

Abel arrived at the scene, his brother and Virgil following behind. Had Abel not stopped Keith, you wouldn't have gotten the chance to see your beloved again. The thought of it froze you to spot.

"It's not much use killing her now. We're out of time," announced Abel.

"......I see." Keith pulled his sword away.

Now, all the seven males of the house had arrived at the place. What did they mean by they were out of time? You wanted to ask but Virgil beat you to it.

"So, we'll have to wait for....."

"-another six months?" Mika completed.

"That's correct," Eric affirmed. 

". . . . . . . . Why?" Your frail voice attracted the attention of the men. Gulping the lump forming in your throat, you asked, your voice so delicate that it might dissolve in the air before it even reached them, 

"W-Why......are you doing this...? I.... Aren't we..... friends?"

All seven shared a look. 

"Friends?"

Unsmiling, Abel repeated after you and approached you. Keith removed from your front and the former was now standing in that place.

He kneeled down on a knee, meeting you at your eye level. A tiny spark of hope surged in your eyes when your eyes met his tender ones. . . . . . . But that hope soon got crushed.

"Don't be ridiculous." The soft look of his eyes vanished.

"You're just a sacrifice."

To Be Continued...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! Someone please save me. Endless Score longer preview is just so...so....so.... Why are they so adorable!?😭😭😭