Shock induced dreams plagued him. He remembered the sun, bright and warm on his flesh. He heard his sister call after him as they played in the hedge maze. He laughed like mad, and then stopped abruptly when he turned the corner to find his brother entwined with one of the servants. The noises they were making were loud, almost painful. He turned quickly to catch his sister, covering up her eyes and mouth. “Shhh,” he warned her. He stayed and watched - he had never see it before. Then it shifted, and he was at his first party, the one where his family debuted him. Voices all around him spoke praise, but he felt their cold eyes, their hatred, their envy. He felt most of all how empty a full room could be. And then the fire started. It flicked across them, ravenous, setting the aristocracy aflame, but they just kept laughing like nothing was wrong. He was scared, it was coming for him, he ran - so far, so long, but it was there, following, trying to catch him.

　　He woke with a start, everything burning and painful. His breath was ragged, sweat covering his skin. He was on the hard floor, with something bundled beneath his head. He felt even more grotesque then before, and he could see - he was still in the dome. The faint glow was no longer refreshing, but a reminder of the disturbing events that had taken place not long ago.

　　“Are you finally truly awake?”

　　The voice was such a silken sound, it was the kind that made an individual melt from just hearing it. It made him shiver, and he wasn’t sure if it was in revulsion or not. He was fairly sure it was. Slowly, he sat up, trying to gain an awareness of his surroundings, and most of all, seeking to find the owner of the voice. It did not take very long. As he scanned the room, a hand reached out to grasp his chin, the grip firm though not crushing, turning his head around to angle behind him. Reflexively he reached up to smack it away and retreat, though another hand dashed out to claim his arm, preventing him from escaping too far. Fear gripped his chest, but years of stubborn pride forced it down, forced him to put on the expression of an offended, haughty noble rather than a scared mouse. The turbulent emotions frustrated him, and he willed with every fiber of his being for them to stop, calm, and turn to apathy.

　　However, before he could summon up some sort of retort, he was taken aback by the individual before him. Eyes like liquid gold glowed faintly, as though they had some fluorescent quality of their own, reflecting the slightly bluish light of the room in a most mesmerizing way. Not a corpse in the least, thick lashes framed the piercing depths of this male. He was not young, but he was also not old. Maturity rang in the exquisite features of his face, the strong line of his jaw, the curve of his red-stained lips, but he did not boast a single wrinkle. His hair was a dark red, like blood, and trailed in unkept waves down his form. Broad shoulders, a bare chest, his length was easily much more impressive that the captured creature’s own.

　　He was certainly the most dazzling creature that had ever been seen, and the nobleman was not deprived of beauties in his life. The sight caught his voice in his throat, and gave the other time to make his own observations. Whatever he saw caused a smirk to decorate that gorgeous face.

　　“I must apologize for my actions. I always wake with such a ravenous hunger, and your blood was... Intoxicating. I will attempt more caution and care, since it seems I have given you a fright.” He sounded sincere enough, if not moderately amused, the velvet of his voice nearly purring out. And as if to show good will, he released his hold altogether.

　　It was more irksome than reassuring.

　　Kirin had never been a trusting person. It was a trait that developed when one lived among the upper echelon of society, where few were honest with their desires and everyone played at politics. Instinct told him that, despite any words and actions and how absolutely enticing this creature was, he was dangerous. Extremely dangerous. His flight urge was blaring in his blood, but something else, something foreign, compelled him to stay. It was only then that he realized what a pleasant aroma had suddenly filled the air. Was that the scent of this man? The impulse to lean forward and check caught him so off guard, he was half doing it when he suddenly stopped, leaned back, and turned away.

　　His mind was muddy. He needed to think clearly. To give him time, he scrounged up his voice, “This is a tomb.” It was the best he could do on such short notice, since part of him did not want any new information to cloud his judgment. He sorted out the details, one by one, in a cold and analytic way, willing himself to return to the sharpness of wit he had before his imprisonment. He had been bitten. There was a throbbing at his throat, that was where it started. The other was like him, then, which was hardly surprising. Though drinking the blood of ones own kind was a taboo, one of the greatest sins that could be done. He had never really wondered why. It seemed obvious. Self preservation as a species.

　　The soft laughter that followed his comment was only mildly distracting. It was a very attractive sound. Many people did not laugh well, but this man seemed adept at everything. Wait, he couldn’t know that yet - why would he think that? Focus. Perhaps this was just another prison, rather than a tomb. But that seemed extreme. He wondered what crime could have been committed for that end to be possible. The immortal race could be killed. There were ways, though they disliked to discuss them. One of them was... It must have been by consuming the life of another. That was the taboo. A sick feeling in his stomach suddenly began churning - had his life been ebbed away? Would he live a shorter life now?

　　“You are an astute sort, despite your appearance. Tell me. Were you a servant caught stealing, or a noble who refused the wrong marriage?”

　　Bristling, Kirin turned back to the other, meeting his gaze with his own purple orbs. “Do I look like a servant to you?” he spat with as much venom as he could muster. He was almost not taken aback by the man’s startling appeal this time. Almost. The smirk expanded into a grin, flashing white fangs and perfect teeth. It was annoying when it made Kirin shiver. 

He wondered if the heat in his face was obvious or not.