EMBERS OF ILLUSION 01
Cross Academy is known worldwide for its prestigious education, for its top exam results worldwide and its extensive facilities for everything from fitness and health to the dark rooms and design technology machines that only the best in the industry had. It only made sense that my parents would enrol me there, with the combination of a scholarship and far-reaching saving from my parents; I was able to weave my way in. It was my best possible chance to earn a one-way ticket out of Japan and to Central St Martins, my dream university. One of the best art schools in the entire world. If I opted to study science, Columbia or Cambridge. The possibilities would be endless; the world would be my oyster; and Cross Academy would be the catalyst for all of that.
For me, a 16 year old girl from a working class family, Cross Academy was everything. It was the only way I even stood a fraction of a chance of making something out of my feeble life. My older brother Ren had already messed up his future, knocking up his high school girlfriend and finding in therapy in a bottle of Vodka or through a masked woman lurking in the shadows.
I wasn't going to throw away my shot at life that easily. I would not turn into a crooked and broken skeleton of a person as my brother I had. I was going to make something of myself and Cross Academy will be the first step in that journey.
Nothing would take my eyes off of the goal.
Nothing.
3 months later.
The Night Class never fail to astonish me, I don't mean in a fan-girl, ohmygodthey'resohot way, but in a more intriguing way. They're absolutely gorgeous, there's no denying it. As hard as I look, I cannot find one flaw splattered upon their angelic faces. It's as if their faces had been painted on, as if their eyes were woven out of marble, as their hair had been stitched from the tears of angels or satin. Their skin wasn't flaked with even the tiniest of blemishes.
The way they walked, with such an ease and grace, it was as if they were gliding slightly off ground, as if their feet were too delicate to touch something as poisoned as the earth. Except, in a strange way, at the same time, they don't appear to be delicate.
However, they do certainly seem powerful. They could probably crush me like a bug if they wanted to with even batting an eyelid- or staining their impeccable placid uniforms.
They were like angels, cast out of heaven. Beauty and terror incarnated in the form of 8, walking allotments of art.
"Airi-chan!" Chase shouts, jerking me out of my trace. I turn around and take in his features. Shinning porcelain eyes with just a flicker of blue locked in their depths, his sun kissed freckles splattered over his nose and cheekbones, slightly covered by his mass of blonde hair that curled just above his ears and a slight, almost invisible scar that rests just to the right of his chin from where he was injured in a surfing competition in Hawaii.
"Not checking out those rotten Night Class guys again, were you?" He gives me a crooked grin and laughs, throwing his arms around me and pulling me into a soft peck on the lips.
"Jealous are we?" I grin, pushing my head into his chest. I inhale; to breath in every last piece of him I can, taking his musky pineapple-like scent.
Chase and I have been together about two months, but we're virtually inseparable. His family moved from America to Japan just shortly after I transferred to Cross Academy and since no one aside from an over friendly Yuuki-san took any notice of us; we just sort of stuck together. It completely violated my rules of not getting distracted whilst at school, but I kind of enjoyed not having to sit alone at lunch or spend the breaks we had cooped up in the library. It was nice to not feel completely alone and isolated for once.
Initially we both had opted for just friends and nothing more, he was stuck here on a scholarship too and even though he appeared to be a laid back, casual person, when it came to his education, he took it very seriously. His parents, like mine, had sacrificed a lot to get him here and he was caring and determined enough not to let them regret it.
At first it started off so small, neither of us saw it coming. We'd stayed in the library way past curfew and when we began walking back to our separate dorms, a sudden gust of wind hit me and my paramount reaction was to grab Chase's hand. It would be a lie if I said that I felt sparks, or I felt like my hand was burning, or anything cliché like that, it just felt kind of nice. I guess you could even go as far as saying that it felt kind of natural.
After that whenever one of us was feeling down or needed support, we'd merely reach for the other's hand and in return, they'd give it a reassuring squeeze, then our hands would just sort of stay that way. Neither of us wanted to let go, but neither of us wanted to admit to ourselves –or the other person- that what we had was beginning to grow into something more than friendship, so it remained an unspoken bond between us, it was still there, but neither of us would acknowledge it.
Eventually, we both began to tire of being in denial and jealously had gotten the better of us; he'd sometimes catch me staring off at the Night Class and I'd find him admiring some of the girls in our class. Chase quickly grew tired of this; he wanted me to be his own.
One day, when we were walking back from another lengthy visit to the library, I tripped and fell into arms. He took a chance and kissed me. At first I wondered what on earth he was doing, he couldn't like me that way. He knew that I thought it would lead to unnecessary distractions and that I was the last thing I wanted. That was until I found myself kissing him back, I found myself pulling him closer, weaving my hands into his hair. I wanted my skin against his skin, his lips against mine. It was a short, soft kiss nevertheless, but something I found myself wanting more of, I was almost sad when he pulled away.
He then smiled his signature crooked smile and said, "I finally have you Airi," as he pulled me into an embrace.
"Of course not! What do they have that I don't?" He says, kissing my head and jerking me back to the present.
I lean backwards in his arms, and grin. "Grace? Tact? Do you care for me to go on?" I wink at him. "Anyway, you know I don't actually like any of them. I'm merely fascinated by them. You know I just like them because they're interesting to draw. They look so much different when you actually give them flaws."
He scoffs, "they're flawless now, are they?"
I bite my lip, "yes, but that's why I like to draw them. So I can give them flaws." I can feel his grip around me tightening, "I'm only referring to their appearances here, their personalities though…"
"You're saying that you're more attracted to them than me." His voice is flat.
I pull away from him and look him in the eyes. "No! I was just commenting on their appearance." I sigh. "They might be perfect, but you're perfect for me, okay?" I give him a slanted smile. "Please don't doubt that."
"But your sketch book is filled with drawings of them," his eyes flutter from mine and fall to the stony floor. "I can't help but feel a little jealous, especially when you have not even one of me."
"That's because I can't stand that they don't have any flaws and I want to give them them. You're not in there because there's nothing I want to change about you." I place my index finger underneath his chin and slowly push it up until his beautiful azure eyes are looking into mine again. "To me, you are perfect."
The corners of his mouth quiver upwards, but after I smile, he can't help but grin.
He exhales. "I just don't want to lose you Airi, you're my everything."
I jerk back as if he'd slapped me.
"Don't ever say that anyone again." I fight my way out of his arms; I frown at him, "not even about me."
Even though it pulls at my heart to see his features sting like that, I turn and march away, leaving him glassy eyed and dazed. I close my eyes. I can still see his face, I can see the way hurt fell on his demeanour like a flicker of light. One moment it wasn't there, the next moment it was hard to believe that mere seconds ago, he was smiling. Pain stabs through my chest, this was exactly what I never intended to happen, what I promised myself wouldn't happen – distractions. His words cut through me like glass, I wanted to scream and run back to pick up the pieces of the heart I'd just shattered, but I couldn't. It would be a distraction.
Eruptions of shrieks puncture my ears, signalling that the Night Class must be out but I don't care, I don't want to see them today, their visual perfection would bother me far too much. I carry on walking as swiftly as I can; I need to get out of here. Their screams pierce my ears so much; I clamp my hands over my ears. It makes no difference. I can hear my heart beating, I stumble. My head feels too light, as if it's been separated from my body. The trees and the sky blend into one so profoundly, it's hard to believe that they were ever separate.
And suddenly, I don't know where the ground is, my brain feels as if it's convulsing, I can't tell if I'm falling to the ground or melting into the heavens. The sun's glare blinds me; everything seems to be shimmering-
I feel arms wrap around me, saving me from tumbling to wherever I was falling. Chase, I think before I notice a sea of emerald locked in amidst the gold. Within seconds, it shatters and a cloud of darkness devours me.
A/N: I'm sorry there isn't much about the Night Class in this chapter, as I was focussing on introducing the characters and their back stories. I promise there will be more of the VK characters featured in the next one.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'd really appreciate it if you would review and tell what you think and how I can improve my writing. I'm always eager to hear feedback! Also, any ideas on as to who caught her? (: