"Class, I'd like to introduce another transfer student to you all. His name is Shiki Tohno, and he's a foreign exchange student from Japan."

The murmuring grew in volume as people excitedly whispered to each other. Shiki wasn't sure what the fuss was about.
Perhaps in a small town like this, a transfer student is big news. Of course, a transfer student can be big news at any school, so perhaps it isn't too surprising.

"Another one?" somebody blurted incredulously.

There's another foreign exchange student at this school? Shiki thought to himself. Interesting.

"That's enough out of you, Dave." The teacher turned to face Shiki. "Now then, please take a seat." Shiki sat down, and the teacher started lecturing on the day's lesson. A few minutes in, Dave leaned forward and tapped Shiki on the shoulder.

"Sorry about that," he whispered. "It's just that you're not the first transfer we've seen this month."

"Is that common?" Shiki asked politely.

"Before the new girl came here, I've never heard of a transfer in the middle of the school year."

Shiki nodded. "What's her name?"

Dave opened his mouth to answer when the teacher called out at them. "Dave! Is there anything you'd like to share with the class?"

"No, teacher. The new kid just had some questions."

"Well, please answer them on your own time. Now, everybody please take out your textbooks and turn to page 150."

The rest of the class passed uneventfully.

Shiki was walking down the crowded halls between classes when he saw a muscular teenager with pale skin and brown hair. All of Shiki's senses went into hyperdrive as he focused on this one person.

Shiki's blood burned through his veins. "I want to _ him." He wanted to... he wanted to what? Talk to that person? Yes, that must be it. "_ him. _ him. I want to _ him."

The unknown teenager had turned his back to Shiki, focused on something at the far end of the hall. That was all it took. Shiki took off his glasses, and immediately perceived the lines of death that exist on all things. He pulled the knife out of his pocket and walked towards the teenager.

"Kill him. Kill him. I WANT TO KILL HIM."

It was over in a split-second. With his knife, Shiki sliced into the black lines on the teenager's body. Across the arm. From shoulder to hip. The back of the neck. In total, he made 17 cuts with surgical precision. And when he was done, the body of Edward Cullen just fell apart. The look on Edward's face was an "O" of horror as his detached head hit the ground. There should have been blood and muscles exposed. Instead, there was only a solid mineral that sparkled as the light caught it.

His bloodlust sated, Shiki continued walking to his next class. Three seconds later, he heard the first scream.