Chapter One

"Sore ga kaishi sa remasu"

My life was downright boring. Wake up, go to my cruel high school, come 'home' to my drab, colorless room in the Saint Angela-Maria Orphanage, go to bed, fail to sleep, start all over again. That is, until a Shinigami with crimson hair and a chainsaw busted through the window of my gymnasium.

Thursday. Second hour Phys-Ed. I was slamming a volleyball back and forth over the net. My hand was visibly turning red from the force I was hitting the ball with. Each strike stung my pale skin, but I continued to hit the volleyball as hard as I could. As I was about to serve, a crash like thousands of glass bottles breaking sounded behind me. I was facing towards the wall, away from the window, and I dropped the ball as flying shards of glass hit my back. I dropped to my knees, my ears ringing from the screams echoing around the gym. My hands instinctively flew up to the back of my head, putting me in a tornado safety position. I heard the gym teacher, Miss Consti, scream, then a loud thud.

Everything suddenly went silent as a loud, shrill voice rang out over us.

"Where is Ashton Eyre?"

My heart stopped as my breath caught in my throat. I could clearly hear a noise that sounded like high heels hitting the gymnasium floor, then becoming increasingly louder. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I shut my eyes tightly, opened them again, and with my heart still frozen, I stood and turned to face the person behind me.

I was taken aback by the sight before me. A tall figure with long, almost waist-length crimson red hair and a chainsaw over his shoulder faced me, grinning with pointed teeth like a demented Cheshire Cat. He wore a white shirt with a black vest and a red coat the same color as his hair, although the coat was draped around him, the sleeves bunched and starting at his elbows and going down his forearms. Red glasses perched on his nose completed the look, along with a red chain with tiny skulls on it connecting to the glasses. I must have looked terrified, because the figure laughed a bit. "Don't be scared, I'm just a Reaper!"

It took me several attempts to speak. "A-are you going to-to k-k-k-kill m-me?" I spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"No. Why would I?" His green eyes twinkled as he grabbed my wrist with his black-gloved hand.

The other students started screaming again, but I didn't care. My parents and family had abandoned me when I was young, and I didn't have any friends, so if I was killed, wherever this person was taking me, it wouldn't matter to anyone. This couldn't really be happening, anyways. I hesitated a moment before letting him pull me back toward the window.

His deadly-looking chainsaw vanished in a shower of red sparkles and he leaped up, scooping me along with him. I squeezed my eyes shut again. The sirens were already sounding outside as the Reaper, with me in his arms, sprung through the hole in the window and disappeared, leaving all the others standing amid the broken glass with their jaws hanging open.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a smooth marble bench outside. Sitting up, I surveyed the courtyard-like area around me. The bench I was on was positioned next to a beautiful fountain of the same stone. The clear water flowed up from carved dragon heads into a basin. The morning sunlight caught on the water in a way that reflected rainbows in the misty spray emanating from the dragon-head waterfalls. The space was filled with fresh green grass, occasional paths snaking through. The largest path led to a giant archway feeding into a building. The entire area resembled a campus, in a way.

Under the archway, just before a large set of thick oak doors, two figures were conversing. I recognized the crimson Reaper who had 'kidnapped' me, but the other figure, clad in what seemed to be a simple black suit, had it's back turned to me. After a few moments, the red-haired man noticed me staring at them, and said one last thing to the figure in black before sauntering over to me, the suited figure following. I stood as they approached.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, dear. You must be confused! My name is Grell Sutcliff. This," he motioned to the man in black, "is William T. Spears." The Reaper in the red coat beamed as he introduced the other man. Sporting black hair, cut short and neatly combed, he looked like he meant business. Always.

William nodded at me, adjusting his silver-framed rectangular glasses. "Welcome to Reaper Academy. Even though you are new, you'll be expected to complete the same amount of work as the other students. You have missed most of training, so during overtime hours at Headquarters, I will be teaching you what you have missed."

I stood, speechless, my blueish-green eyes locked on William's yellow-green ones.

"Now, we must get you a uniform. Reaper Sutcliff, go back to your duties."

Grell pouted. "But Will.. I want to spend time with you!"

William stared at Grell in disapproval. "Back to work, Sutcliff," he ordered dryly.

Grell frowned, but complied and strut into the large building. William began to walk briskly toward the building as well. I stood in place.

"Well?" William had turned and was now glaring at me.

'It's a dream, Ash. Just go with it.'

I followed Spears inside, amazed at the interior of the large building. Countless halls branched off the main hallway, only few marked with signs. One read, 'Glasses Department,' another, 'Death Scythe Assignment.' The halls were tiled with white marble, the same material as the fountain and bench. Young men and women milled around, all dressed formally in suits and ties. I looked down, suddenly self-conscious in my gym uniform. As we passed, the other students stared at me, their green eyes studying me intently. William led me down multiple hallways to a door marked, "Female Trainee Uniforms." He opened the door and I entered the small room.

Suits of all sizes were folded neatly in stacks in cabinets along the walls. Will assessed me for a minute, then walked to the far wall and opened a cabinet marked, '12-14-090113.' He pulled out one of the suits and handed it to me.

"You are an awfully quiet girl," he remarked. "Well done."

"A-am I dreaming? Wh-why am I he-here? Why m-me? I'm not a Reaper!" I forced the words from my mouth, only a few syllables getting caught on my lips.

Will looked a bit shocked. "Why, you don't know? Ashton Eyre, you are the daughter of Janelle and Barren Eyre, two of the best Reapers this unit has ever had. They were, sadly, killed in a battle against Demons when you were young. Once the kin of a Reaper turns seventeen, they are brought to the Academy become a Reaper as well. Usually we bring the student in the day they turn seventeen, but we had not known about you until a week ago, precisely five months after your birthday. "

I felt my jaw slip open. "Y-you knew my parents?"

"Not personally, no. I knew of them. I was in training when they were active. Now, I must ensure you get the correct papers and booklets from the Trainee Materials department, so I will accompany you there." He looked at me, differently than he had earlier. This time, his eyes held a flicker of compassion.

'Why'd they give me up? Was it because they died? Or before?'

We exited the room and walked farther down the hall, reaching an information desk. William spoke quietly with the large, curly-haired woman behind the desk for a moment. She handed him a thick packet, a folder filled with papers, and a small booklet. He turned to me, handing me the materials. I hugged them to my chest, along with the suit.

William walked around a corner, me following, leading to a flight of stairs.

"This is where we part ways, Trainee Eyre. Your dormitory is room 242, up these stairs and on the right side of the hallway. I will see you tonight, at exactly 19:00, under the arch above the entrance."

With that, William T. Spears walked away, leaving me with too many questions and barely any answers.