Left Behind

a/n: I edited Chapter 1 a little bit (it was just editing two sentences in particular). It wasn't major edits for those who read the chapter before the edits were made, but it subtly hints to a certain event that will soon take place in an upcoming chapter.

Vampire Knight © Matsuri Hino


I knew I would have regretted my ill words towards Zero, but I couldn't help it. I was frustrated with myself, and Zero being his usual aloof self wasn't really helping things. I exhaled. But I shouldn't have taken it out on him. It had been several days since our little spat, and he tried to talk to me, but I ended up giving up the cold shoulder, which looking back on it, really wasn't one of my brightest ideas in the world.

"Wakaba, are you heading into the city?" one of my classmates asked me when I bumped into her while exiting the Sun Dormitory.

I nodded, snapping out of my thoughts. "I'm just going to do a little shopping, that's all," I replied, shrugging.

"With the Chairman's daughter studying abroad, you do your shopping alone now, huh?"

That was a rumor that had been drifting around concerning the disappearance of my best friend. Though, knowing her grades, I doubted she would actually be able to study abroad. I giggled in my mind at that thought.

"You shouldn't go out into the city on your own, Wakaba. It's a little dangerous, don't you think? They're saying on the news that there's some serial killer on the loose in the city right now. That's certainly why curfew was made an hour earlier than usual. I-I would offer to go with you, but I have a lot of work to do… Hm… H-Hey, why don't you ask Kiryuu to go with you? You two seem to have grown pretty close since Cross Yuuki left."

I flinched. My body would always react at the slightest sound of her name—of… of Yuuki's name. I wondered if Zero felt the same way when Yuuki would be mentioned around him. My classmate noticed my abrupt reluctance, but I reassured her I was all right.

"Zero-kun and I are just friends, and I'll be fine. I'll talk to you later."

When my classmate entered into the dormitory and left my sight, I let a sigh escape my lips. Why did everyone think that Zero and I were close when we really weren't? To a third party's impression, I suppose I could understand why they would reach such an unlikely idea, but it was just strange for them to think such things. The idea of asking Zero to accompany me did occur to me, but after that mishap of words the other day and my recent treatment of him, I doubted that Zero would want to be anywhere near me.

Shrugging those thoughts off, I lifted up my wrist to check my watch. It was four o'clock in the afternoon. If I left now and did my shopping diligently, then I'd probably make it back to the dormitories before curfew.

I didn't realize until later that I wouldn't be back at the Sun Dormitory as planned.


My classmate was right. I did my shopping alone with Yuuki gone. I tried to be optimistic about it. I thought things like, "With Yuuki gone, my shopping won't take twice as long," or "I can worry about my own shopping instead of worrying over Yuuki purchasing anything unnecessary." When I thought things like that, it made things a little easier, but at the same time, it did make things very difficult.

I shook my head in an effort to shake off these distracting thoughts. Just buy what you need to return to the academy, Sayori, I told myself. Don't dally away. Remember, there's some kind of serial killer on the loose too… As I made my purchases—a few books and a new coat for the winter holidays to replace one that had been worn out—I couldn't help but wonder if the serial killer was possibly a vampire. If it was, then Zero would take care of it, wouldn't he?

The Hunter's Association and their need to hunt down vampires… Sure, it was a necessity, but what about the vampires who were good? What about Yuuki? If, given the chance, Zero would never even think of harming Yuuki. That would be impossible… wouldn't it?

I frowned. Telling myself to stop thinking of distracting thoughts only made me think of more distracting thoughts. I took a stop by the park and placed my purchased items on a nearby bench. I checked my watch again. It was a quarter to five o'clock. I pursed my lips. A quarter till the newly changed curfew… I better be on my way.

As I turned to gather my belongings, someone had stepped in my way and placed a strong hold on the collar of my coat. "You shouldn't be all alone, little girl… Aren't you being careless?" the man murmured so closely that I could feel his breath over me.

I shuddered and struggled in his grip. "L-Let go of me…," I hissed.

"Not after I get what I came here for."

"T-Take my bags and go! I don't want any trouble—"

"—Now, now! I don't want that," the man replied, grinning as he leaned closer towards me. "What I want… is your blood!"

Without thinking, I kicked him in the shin. He backed away in surprise and pain while I stumbled back and fell to my knees. I shook my head furiously and made a run for it, abandoning my recent purchases and my purse. They didn't matter right now. The only thing that mattered was that that guy had to be the serial killer everyone's been talking about, and I had to get out of here, before curfew or not. I ran through the park, desperately trying to find a way out. My eyes darted left and right. I had been to this park several times, but right now, it felt like a green maze of trees and bushes, suffocating me. Come on, I told myself. Don't panic. Be rational. I shook my head. How can I be rational with a serial killer chasing me?

I flinched. I didn't hear any footsteps behind me. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't heard the man chasing me this entire time. I stopped running and panted, trying to catch my breath. I bit my lip and braced myself as I spun around to face to serial killer, only to find no one instead.

I wiped sweat off of my forehead. Where was he? Was that kick to the shin really that effective? A chill ran down my spine. It was quiet. Too quiet.

A wild gust of wind pushed past me, and before I could even move, I found myself being cornered to a light post by the serial killer. He pinned my arms above my head with one hand while he used his other hand to cup my chin. He pressed his left leg against both of my own to prevent me from kicking him again. I struggled to move, but he only laughed at my attempt.

"That wasn't very nice, you know, kicking me like that…," the man said. "You're something else, aren't you…?"

"You… You're the serial killer, aren't you…?" I stuttered hoarsely. The man grinned. "Y-You're a vampire… a-aren't you…?" His grin only grew wider with wild anticipation and wild curiosity.

The man tilted his head. "Now, you're really something else!" he exclaimed. "I thought I'd just suck you dry to piss off that little hunter that keeps murdering us left and right, but now I'm really gonna enjoy this!"

I gulped. He meant Zero. This man must've seen me with Zero before.

The serial killer's hand lowered to the collar of my coat as he flipped the collar to reveal my bare neck. His fingers traced slowly down my throat down to my collarbone. My breath stifled. I'm not scared, I'm not scared, I'm not scared—I chanted this over and over in my head in hopes of convincing myself of this to no avail.

"I can feel it… The blood coursing through you… I want it so much, but… I don't want to kill you so easily. Where's the fun in that?" the man told me lowly as he whispered in my ear. "I'm going to ruin you. I'm going to make you scream. I want you to hear yourself in anguish… and I want him to hear too! And when he does, he'll come to looking for you… but when he finds you, it'll already be too late…!"

I gritted my teeth together and cursed in my mind as I tried to struggle again, but the man only dug his fingers into my skin. I tried to gasp for air, but I couldn't breathe. I tried to reassure myself, but I couldn't think. There was nothing I could do. All I could do was stand there, pinned to the light post while the serial killer eagerly leered at me.

The man laughed and grabbed a fist full of my brownish blond hair with his free hand and yanked at it, causing me to lift my head and wince. His eyes met mine, and I could see his hungering lust for blood waiting to devour me whole—the hungering desire to kill.

"But first, a little taste wouldn't hurt, would it?" he murmured, smiling slyly as he opened his mouth to reveal his fangs. "But once I've tasted you… I might not be able to stop…!"

I shut my eyes, unable to watch what would proceed next.

A gunshot filled the air as my heart skipped a beat and my eyes shot open to find the serial killer writhing on the ground as he clutched onto his side as dust escaped his fingers. I stared with wide eyes as I fell to my knees in shock.

"You filthy creature… To even think of touching her…," a familiar voice growled to my left.

My eyes flickered. It was Zero's voice.

I slowly turned only to find Takamiya-sensei kneeling beside me, extending a hand out. In his other hand held my purse and purchases. "We found your belongings while hunting down that Level E vampire," he said, helping me up. "It's a good thing we came here in time. Any later, and… well, it's a good thing we found you, Wakaba-kun…" I bit my lip and wrapped my arms around myself in an effort to stop my skin from rattling. Takamiya-sensei turned from me. "… Isn't that right, Zero?"

I slowly lifted my head to find Zero with a silver gun clenched in his fingertips and his eyes glaring intensely. I had seen Zero worried and frustrated before, but I had never seen him angry. Not this angry. Not like this. Never like this.

"I'll take her back to the academy, Zero," Takamiya-sensei called out at him. "You report this kill to the Association."

But as Takamiya-sensei took me away, Zero's gaze didn't waver in the slightest. He continued to stare at the dying vampire that began to turn to dust with eyes filled with perpetual hatred. That day, something scarred me. It wasn't serial killer or what he had planned to do to me.

It was the haunting face Zero made.

He had the same eyes as that man.

He had the eyes that hungered for death… and for blood.


[rxr]