Original Kin
Bloodlust
Vampire Knight © Hino Matsuri
Warning: graphic violence, bullet-ridden vampires, etc. courtesy of Kiryuu Zero.
A level D swings at him, claw spread. Zero stood stone silent, only narrowing his eyes at the enraged beast. It was over, faster than a blink. The hunter widened his stance, seized the offending claw, forcing the limb to twist into an awkward angle, and emptied several thorny bullets into the vampire's exposed flank – simultaneously. Another fanged creature leaps at his back, mistaking his vulnerability. Zero delivers a powerful knee to the abdomen, sending the carcass into the air, and using the mangled arm, flipping the body onto the creature behind. He whips around, white tailcoats flowing along with his movements, and pulls the trigger. A bullet lodges dead center into the forehead – a clean shot. The bodies fall to the ground with a dull thud. Zero thought the whole spectacle was anticlimactic.
"Kiryuu… Hunter… Kill him… Blood…"
Swarms of level D vampires whisper, their hunger bleeding into their voices. Zero surveys the moving shadows in the decaying structures of the mansion. He is completely outnumbered; 50:1 give or take. He spares a look at the bodies lying lifelessly next to him – 48:1.
The hunter raises his arm and locks the barrel of his weapon on the infested rooftop. With a flick of his wrist, he cocks the gun. A challenge is issued.
The head of silver hair disappears among the onslaught of hungry monsters.
"What was that?"
Takamiya Kaito casts a skeptical glance at his new trainee. "What," he snapped. Honestly, the guy was as skittish as a rabbit – it was a miracle (or misfortune depending on the person) that he was still alive. But just in case, Kaito swept the arched stone hallway with alert eyes. Yet even the most fickle of shadows were stone still. The hunter rolled his eyes. "Keep moving."
Crimson eyes watched the pair amble down the corridor and, once out of view, a figure cloaked in darkness descended onto the smooth floor with the grace of a fallen angel.
It was here, he didn't know what it was exactly, but there was something definitely buried behind these walls. And amongst his enhanced sense, Kaname especially prided himself in his ability to sniff out secrets. The Pureblood relaxed, his body and posture going slack, breathing deeply and reaching inward – locating the fragment of himself that felt at home in this accursed place. There. He felt it prickling his nerves, bringing light shocks to his senses. He lets the sensation electrify his body before releasing its restraint. His hunter senses, full and alert, take over, suffocating the vampire in him.
Kaname took a moment to recollect– it had been multiple millennia since he has used this particular power. But still – he hears the steady thumping of strong magic – his hunter senses are as sharp as ever. Kaname follows the sound echoing inside of him, feeling the pull and walking along with it. He enters a spiraling stairwell and the beat of the enchantment grows louder, like drums in his ears. Staring into the abyss, he knows it's down there.
And yet… Kaname peers into the air, eyes flashing blood red. He sees it, it's very transparent, but he sees faint red mist. Following the grainy trail, he spots a crevice on the wall, opposite to the first stair step and cleverly hidden by an ornate fixture. Like sand leaking from a cracked hourglass, fine grains of blood escapes from the crack in a steady alluring stream. The scent of it sends a wave of nausea down his body.
Kaname approaches the crack, placing cool hand over it. He's found the trail, but to where could be it leading? The hunter in him feels a pull to his right and his eyes gravitate upon a shallow hole in the wall, just scant centimeters from his head. Inspired by revelation, he raises a hand and bites down on his thumb, instantly drawing blood. He tracks his fangs down the finger, ripping new waves of crimson. Once Kaname reached the base, he tears out his bloodstained teeth and then lifts his injured hand to the shallow basin. The blood drips from his finger and into the cup-like cleft. In mere seconds a small puddle collects, and then Kaname feels the stagnant magic awaken in the walls. The threads of pure energy weave and slide until their movements end at an abrupt click, like intricate locks in place.
A square section of the wall creaks open, revolving slowly as if it wanted to suspend the mystery for just a little longer. The once faint mist pours out like a literal red sea, filling Kaname's lungs with his unfamiliar miasma. Still, the vampire presses on and slides past the hidden door and into the abyss.
"What is this…"
Kaname stares at his discovery. It was far more horrifying than he could ever imagine.
Deep within the confines of the Hunter Association Headquarters, a young sentry smirks to himself – his smile made even more sinister under the shade of his dark newsboy cap.
"So he's found it," he murmurs quietly.
He stands up from his perch, staring coldly at the slain body under him. Carnage circles the youth, bodies of hunters were strewn about like broken toys except that they were lying not on red carpet, but in the blanket of their own blood.
The false guard raises his head, revealing contrasting eyes – the left red, the right blue.
"Will you reclaim your precious throne, Kaname, now that you know it's made of thorns instead of jewels?" He smiles secretively, revealing his sharp set of fangs.
So, to answer some questions: YES, I am planning for OK to be YAOI - eventually. NO, Zero isn't the reincarnation of the Hooded Woman, it's much more complex than that. But she does play an important role in this story, especially in bringing Zero and Kaname together.
I would like to extend a special thanks to the anonymous reviewer who kindly pointed out the significance of Rei's (Hooded Woman) name. :D Please review again.
THANK YOU: fujoshii92, LuanRina, reishilovesyaoi, irmina, KazeKirran, ben4kevin, and Secret time.
Please leave criticism, questions, pleads for spoilers and/or random smut (WHAT) in your reviews. (In the last case, you may be rewarded. ;D)