Guiltia clutched his chest from the immense pain. He didn't expect to have an attack right now. Not so suddenly.

"Guil-san!" Angelique rushed to the spot next to Guiltia. She grabbed his arms. "Guil-san, what happened!?"

He couldn't answer. No words would come out of his lips. Only painful grunts escaped his lips. He could hear her worried voice and wanted to soothe her. However, he was in too much pain to speak.

The pain seemed to have increased in his back and his left hand, leaving him struggling for breath. It was difficult to inhale. His whole body was burning. It was too much.

"Guil-san!" She screamed his name again, her voice trembling. She could clearly see he was suffering. His face was pale. But why!? He was fine just moments ago!

In all honesty, she was scared. The abrupt change had her heart terrified. What if something happened to Guiltia? No! It's not time to think like this!

"P-Please stay here for a moment. I'll go and get Eve-san right away!" Eve-san might know how to help him! I must-

With every remaining strength left in his suffering body, Guiltia grabbed her hand before she could leave. He barely uttered, "Don't."

He had to stop her. She can't call Eve. He can't let him see him in this condition. The same goes for Ange and Robin. He certainly didn't want Angelique to witness this scene either but fate had never been on his side.

"Why are you-"

"Absolutely....not." It hurt to speak. But he couldn't let her call the others. He put some more force into his hold. He huffed, "Don't... call. . . anyone. . "

Her eyes widened. How could he say that when his eyes reflected so much hurt? His usual poker face was nowhere to be found. Instead it was scrunched in agony.

"Why? Let me call Eve-san! He'll know what to do more than me!"

Guiltia was desperate to stop her. He wouldn't let them know about his secret. The blonde leaned towards her till his forehead rested on her shoulder. ". . .Don't. I'll....be fine."

Guil-san, why...  His desperation reached her. His right hand still gripped her left hand tightly. Finally, she decided not to call the senior vampire. Instead, she did what she could possibly do.

"Guil-san...." Angelique used her right hand to gently stroke his back. All she could do was try to ease the pain. "It will be alright soon..."

Honestly, Angelique was lost. She didn't know what was hurting Guiltia. Nor did she know how to help him. And he wouldn't let her ask for help. What should she do!?

Besides, this situation was oddly similar. One day, their grandmother had also collapsed so suddenly like this. Soon after, her and Ange's guardian had passed away.

The raven tightly shut her eyes. I want to help him!

Her wish for him to recover had been granted. Guiltia's pain, the burning sensation throughout his body started fading away slowly. Gradually, he regained his breath.

He shut his lavender eyes and inhaled shakily. Her sweet vanilla scent hit his nostrils. All of a sudden, it made him aware of her presence. The soft hand on his back, tenderly caressing his back felt nice. Even though his mark of sin was there, her comfort was enough to make him forget the stinging.

Once Angelique felt his breath become steady and his grip on her left hand loosen, she lightly whispered. "Guil-san...?"

Her voice caused him to open his eyes and lift his head up. The pain had gone away as abruptly as it has come, though his left hand and back still stung.

"....Angelique?" It was time for his eyes to widen. He hadn't been expecting to see her on the verge of crying.

"How are you feeling now? Does it hurt?" She questioned.

The man realised that she had been deeply worried about him. He offered her a tiny smile. "I'm alright now. I'm sorry to have made you worry."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry for not being able to do anything."

"You're not at fault. You did everything you could've. I thank you." He backed away from her and sat up straight.

"Guil-san," she called him out. Her eyes gradually became dry. She tried hard to not cry and break down every time. "What.... was it all about? What happened to you all of a sudden?"

"That's..." The man's poker face hid his hesitation. "It's n-"

"Don't say that it's none of my concern," she interrupted. She had known Guiltia long enough to know his way of dismissal.

When the vampire looked into her eyes, he knew there was no room for argument. He sighed shortly. ".....It's fatigue."

"Fatigue?" She frowned, apparently not buying it. "You suffered that much because of fatigue?"

Even Guiltia was aware of how invalid his excuse sounded. Still, he couldn't tell her the truth yet. In order to protect her and the rest from heartache. He'd tell them when the time was right. Just not so early.

For a brief moment, the idea of erasing her memory of the incident passed his mind. But he shook it away when he glanced into her grey eyes. He felt as if it would be a breach of her trust.

Everything would be fine as long as Angelique didn't disclose the night's incidents. He opted to change his course of action.

". . . It's true that tonight's live took a toll on me. However," he faced away from her. "It was mostly hematophagia."

"Hematophagia. ." She processed the information in her head. Well certainly, the symptoms seem to align with hematophagia. Ange also went through a similar experience... 

It looked like she believed it. Though a part of him felt guilty for deceiving the girl, he had no choice.

"Another thing, Angelique," he stood up, "don't say anything about tonight's incident to the others."

"Why?" He's also reluctant to let others know about his condition.

"They'll worry needlessly even when I say I'm fine. So Angelique, I don't want you to disclose anything." Guiltia pleaded. "Please."

 He's requesting so much. . . . If it's simply hematophagia then Guil-san will get better after having some blood, right? Then.... 

"...I understand."

.  . .  . . .  .

 Hnngh!! Everyone looks so cool! Angelique squealed inwardly. I can guarantee that I'm OZ's number one fan!! And obviously, no one stans Ange more than me!

"Why are you grinning, Angelique?" While she was busy fangirling over OZ, Ange sat down next to her and took a peek at the magazine in her hands.

"Oh, isn't it from our first gig?" Ange recognized their photoshoot from a while back.

"Yup! The latest magazine has a lot of features on OZ!" She showed him the photos of OZ.

"Wow. To think we're actually in a magazine..." Ange wondered, still finding it hard to believe that he has gotten popular enough to get their own gigs.

"OZ keeps getting more and more offers and gigs. That's the proof that OZ is getting famous," she commented. Suddenly she engulfed him in a bear hug. 

"Hnngh!! Ange, when did you become so cool!?"The brunette chuckled at her antics and let himself be hugged.

"Hey hey, what's up?" Robin's eyes fell on the open magazine situated on the female's lap. "Wow! Is that us? Let me see!"

He flipped through the pages and analysed their photos. "You have really turned into our fan, haven't you, Angelique? That makes us really happy!"

She smiled. Soon after, Eve and Guiltia joined the younger ones. The whole group was gathered after dinner.

"Honestly, our photos came out great, didn't they?"

"Mm!" Eve nodded and continued flipping through the pages with the pinkette.

"Still...." Robin grinned, feeling impressed. "Guil-san is on another level."

"Hm?" His name being called picked Guiltia's attention, even though he continued drinking his coffee while reading his book.

"Guil-san's beauty is blinding. He even has the largest fan base," the green eyed boy happily informed.

"Right? Everyone is always extremely eager to see Guil-san on stage," Angelique joined the conversation.

"Yup!" Robin became enthusiastic because Angelique understood where he was coming from. "Everyone on our fan page keeps saying how sexy and attractive Guil-san is when he's singing."

"As someone who always watches your lives, I can't agree more." She wholeheartedly nodded. "You and Ange are undoubtedly cute and Eve-san is really graceful. However Guil-san has a different mature charm that attracts everyone."

"I agree too." Now Ange joined. "Angelique's right. The way Guil sings... I really admire it. It's so cool!"

"I think the same." Eve nodded his head with a small smile. "I can feel his charming aura whenever I'm with him." He was having fun speaking the truth and also pulling the blonde's leg. "He's always beautiful but every time he switches to OZ's Guil, he becomes unbelievably sexy. See what I mean?"

He showed one of Guiltia's photos from the magazine to the three kids. They enthusiastically nodded. Guil-san's attractiveness is truly unrivalled.

While the four happily chatted about Guiltia, the said man sighed deeply. How did the conversation take this turn? If he were to be honest, some part of him was flustered while hearing everyone freely admire him. But his poker face didn't give away his emotions.

Guiltia stood up and placed his coffee mug in the sink before returning. "Angelique, let's go."

Eh? Already? It was time for their lesson. Ever since she told him her newfound dream, he had been paying more attention to their lesson time. "Yes!" She followed him to the roof.

And so, the 'Guiltia simping hour' abruptly came to an end and Guiltia preferred it that way.

.  . .  . . .  .

"!!!" Angelique stopped in her tracks when she saw a familiar man gulping down a can of drink a few steps ahead of her.

"Saga-sama!?"

Upon hearing her voice, Saga looked at her. "Oh, it's you."

Angelique bowed in greeting. His expression was quite different from the time when he broke into OZ's prison. I don't know how to put it but.... he looks forlorn now...

Still, she smiled at him, a pink blush appearing on her cheeks. "Um, your latest concert was really great! I'm really glad I managed to buy a ticket for that night!"

He stopped drinking. "You went to our live?"

"Yes. I really enjoyed it!" If only I could go to every live....

Saga raised an eyebrow. "You're Ange's sister and you still go to our lives?"

She tilted her head to the side. What does me being Ange's sister have to do with this? "Yes, I'm OZ's fan too but I never stopped stanning Lost Eden. I still love Lost Eden and Eclipse as much as I did before."

Saga stood up straight, moving away from the wall. "I see..." He dropped the can on the trashcan and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

He had a question inside that he wanted to know ever since OZ's first live. After contemplating whether to ask her or not, he finally decided to ask. This kid might be the best one to ask.

".....Is Ange always like that?"

"Huh?" The male started walking away. She took the question as a sign for her to follow after him.

"Does he always sing so strongly?" He asked another question.

She smiled brightly and answered, "Ange might not seem like it but he's actually really passionate about music. He's usually timid but when it comes to music, he's really honest and doesn't back away."

She gazed up sideways to look at Saga. "He wants to convey his songs and feelings to every person out there."

"....I see." Was that what made Ange different from him? Truthfully, he could see the difference between him and Ange even before he had asked her about Ange. He had realised it when he saw him sing.

 He didn't bear the pure emotions Ange had. Rather his were intense and full of anger. Was that the reason why Guiltia chose Ange over him?

??  She kept following behind him. The way we're heading... The man had also suddenly gone quiet. "....Saga-sama?"

The said redhead looked up at the Scarlet Moon above their heads. "I chased after him for so long and even became a vampire, only to be abandoned like this..."

Angelique stared at him after he mumbled those words. She couldn't understand what he was saying all of a sudden.

"Oi..." he addressed Angelique. "Guil can really sing now, can't he?" She nodded. He wanted to laugh bitterly. What he couldn't do for years, Ange did it right after meeting Guiltia.

Oh...A realisation dawned upon her. "Saga-sama..." She quietly asked, not quite sure if she should ask such a personal question. But then again, he was the one to tell her this first. "...Did you become a vampire for Guil-san?"

If Saga hadn't learned more about Ange then maybe he would've been angry at her for asking that question. But, he wasn't. He had begun accepting the reason why he lost to Ange. ". . . . Only to be tossed aside like this. Pathetic."

She frowned slightly. "But because Eclipse disbanded, you were able to meet Beth-sama, Jack-kun and Mist-sama. And because of this, the current Lost Eden exists." She smiled to herself. "So, I don't think it's pathetic."

"I met Beth, Jack and Mist, huh...." Finally, the barest hint of a smile appeared on Saga's face as he closed his eyes. "You're right."

He reaffirmed to himself that he will kill Guiltia with Lost Eden's music.

He soon stopped in his tracks, Angelique following his suite. "We're here."

"Eh?" I was right! We were actually walking back home.

"Don't be out alone at night." Simply saying that, Saga started walking away in the opposite direction.

"Thank you, Saga-sama." To think I walked home with Saga-sama...!!

She stood there and watched his retreating back. Saga-sama is unbelievably kind...

To be continued...