Disclaimer : No, I don't own Vampire Knight or any of the characters.
A/N :
AHMYGOD. I have school tomorrow, and I don't want to go back. At all. So I decided to make myself feel better by writing like a madwoman and trying to update this as fast as possible, which is what I did. HAHA.
But, yeah. Holy crap, I don't want to go. ): To all of you guys that have school sometime soon or already started... Let's feel our pain together. -SOBS-
I hope that you guys all had an amazing Christmas and a fabulous New Year, by the way! (:
Thank you for your amazing support, and I hope that you enjoy the second chapter ;D I honestly didn't think I'd get so many reviews for the very first chapter, so I'm really touched. Seriously, guys. Thanks a lot (:
I WAS RIGHT; SOMEONE POINTED OUT TO ME HOW I SPELT IT "KIRIYUU". I'm sorry bro, suck it up ):
BY THE WAY; I forgot to mention in the first chapter, but this story is slightly AU. 'Cause, well, Kaname doesn't go on his killing streak and the Night Class is still re-established. Sorry for not mentioning it in the first chapter! ):
Heterochromia
CHAPTER TWO;
"The Sky and the Ground"
My mind was hazy and foggy as I stumbled around in the halls. Fatigue blurred everything together, and I was hardly even aware of where I was going. Everything felt heavy—my mind, my eyelids, my feet, my arms. It felt so hard to move, but somehow, I knew that I was doing it.
As much as I didn't want to, I knew that the moment I was finished with my business with Kaien, I'd fall asleep faster than anyone could blink their eyes. The only reason I wasn't unconscious was that I had no intention of falling asleep in the middle of a hallway where anyone could find me.
How many days had it been since I last slept? I wasn't even sure anymore. I had lost count after the eighth day. Lack of sleep was something that could kill humans, and although that didn't necessarily apply to vampires, it didn't mean that we didn't suffer the same kind of tiredness and sluggishness that humans did.
Ungracefully, I lost my footing and crashed into the wall. Closing my eyes, I breathed in deeply and then exhaled, trying to bring my mind back into focus. When I felt like I had a grip of what was going on, I pushed myself off of the wall, regaining my balance after a moment's struggle. My stride as I made my way to Kaien's office was consistent yet shaky, and I hoped that there wasn't anyone roaming around this area at this time.
As I neared the room, voices floated towards me softly, getting louder and louder the closer I got to Kaien's office. They were familiar voices, followed by memorable scents, and I stopped right outside the large mahogany doors that led to where the trio were discussing a matter that I knew all too well.
"Haven't you ever wondered, Zero, why you got away with being a vampire so easily?" Kaito's voice was calm and serious, yet somehow holding the twinge of languidness that never seemed to leave. "The Association often spoke of your execution—myriads of times upon myriads of times, yet you never found it strange that it had been prolonged for so long? I'm sure that you know hunters could've easily, easily infiltrated Cross Academy and exterminated you."
There was a pause, and then it was followed by a, "I wasn't the first one." From the way the words had been spoken, it was clear he wasn't asking it, but stating it.
"No, you weren't," Kaito confirmed. "You completed the change into a vampire a year ago, but before you, the first ones to experience the absolute wrath of the Association were the victims that were involved in that incident, five years ago."
"That incident?" Zero's voice was wary, and I could imagine the scowl that his face held as he glanced between the two older men.
"It's no surprise that you haven't heard of it, Kiriyuu-kun, since you didn't officially join the Association until last year," Kaien said, his voice cheerless. "It's true that when the Association found out that you were a vampire, they were angry, but it was nothing compared to the lividness of the Association five years ago when everything was in an uproar. It was a very unpleasant time, as it was when hunters took sides and fought against one another."
Kaito's voice held an edge. "Many appalling feelings were created. It was a time where the entire organization felt like it would fall apart and crumble into nothing because of the severity of disputes between sides."
Unable to stop myself, I reached out and grasped the doorknob, turning it and pushing the door open lightly. Three pairs of eyes fell instantly to me as I entered. My eyes were downcast as I murmured softly, "And it was all because of five individuals that got bitten by a Pureblood."
The thought of it threatened to bring back the memories of that day, back when I hadn't known just how dangerous Purebloods really were. Back when I was naive and careless. Almost unconsciously, I reached up and touched the place where I had gotten bitten, remembering the agonizing pain I had felt.
"Ivy-chan!" Kaien stood up from his chair behind his desk.
Blinking, I smiled at him reassuringly. "I'm fine." I let my hand drop from my neck.
"It's rude to eavesdrop, Ivy." Kaito flicked me a glance. However, everyone knew that they could sense me approaching the office simply due to their enhanced senses.
"Sorry," I told them, even though my tone said otherwise. Taking a few more steps into the room, I made my way towards one of the large and comfy red armchairs that were placed in front of Kaien's desk.
He had sat back down in his chair, but his eyes regarded me in concern even as I sat down in one of the chairs. I pulled my legs up as well, dragging them up to my chest, and wrapped my arms gently around them.
Continuing with their conversation, I explained, "The reason you don't know about it is because it's not spoken about in the Association anymore. Although it had never been announced directly, everyone knows it's a silent taboo, as it reminds everyone of the dark days in which we had turned against our own brothers and sisters. It's also to prevent from offending or reminding the victims, as well as the victims' families. A lot of the families are sensitive even now to what had happened back then."
"It was an unexpected and tragic thing." Kaito's interlocked hands tightened slightly, something that didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room. "The families were torn between two choices, and within that, family members began fighting as well, tearing many of them apart."
Kaien's eyes were sad behind the glasses he wore. "It caused many chain reactions. Although most vampire hunters managed to fix their relationships with one another after the entire ordeal was dealt with, the majority of the victims' families that had been torn apart are still separated from one another, unable to forget what had transpired."
"The Association was mostly just putting up a front when it happened with you, Zero," I told him. I gazed past Kaien towards the outside world, the sleepiness that had disappeared momentarily was slowly crawling back. It was getting harder and harder to focus and concentrate. "They were displeased, but not as much as they had seemed. They were more concerned over anything else."
"They should still be," Zero responded quietly, his tone self-loathing.
Shaking my head slightly, I settled myself into the relaxing armchair more comfortably. "Your train of thought is off. They weren't worried about you losing control and creating havoc, but more as to whether or not they could control you to do what they want and mould you into a weapon for them to use." My hand reached up to cover my mouth as I yawned, my eyelids beginning to droop.
"A weapon?" Zero's voice was slightly sharper than usual.
"We can discuss this another time," Kaien interrupted before I could speak. Through my blurred vision, I could see him getting up from his desk. He walked off to the side, but I didn't want to turn my head to follow his retreating figure.
Kaito's scowling voice reached my ears. "When was the last time you slept, Ivy?"
"I don't know," I murmured sleepily. I tried to keep my eyes open, but they had shut already, and it felt like they were glued that way. No matter how much strength I put into it, I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes.
There was a sigh, and I could hear a soft creak, followed by some fabric sliding against fabric. "I see that it truly hasn't changed from the past years, Kaito-kun."
"She still—..." Kaito's voice faded out of my ears, and right before I fell asleep, I felt something soft and cool touching my skin, wrapping around me.
I wasn't sure how long I had slept, but it felt like it hadn't even been a minute yet when I felt a hand shaking my shoulder and waking me up. Groggily, I mumbled, "Five more minutes..."
"You're going to skip out on seeing the Night Class?"
The Night Class? Why did it sound so familiar? The Night Class... Night Class...? Night—
I shot up from where I had been resting, completely wide awake. I wasn't supposed to be slacking off and sleeping, especially not when I was assigned such an important mission! Unfortunately, due to my haste, my feet had gotten tangled with something and I would've fallen like an idiot if an arm hadn't wrapped around my waist.
Surprised, I blinked up at beautiful hazel eyes.
"You're finally awake," Kaito observed, sounding unpleased and definitely unimpressed. "Be more careful, will you?"
"Sorry," I murmured, feeling the warmth of his arm and hand—which gripped mine—sinking into my own skin. "Thanks for catching me."
He made sure I was steady before letting go and stepping back, allowing me room to remove my feet from the jumbled fabric. I swiped it up off the floor, reminding myself that I had to fold it since I was no longer at home and could slack off with my manners. As I folded the blanket, I noticed that I had been resting on the couch that was pushed along the wall in Kaien's office opposed to the armchair I remembered falling asleep in.
As if hearing my train of thought, Kaien smiled and said, "The couch seemed like a more appropriate place for you to rest, so I asked Kiryuu-kun to move you."
I wondered why he had requested Zero to do that instead of Kaito, but I realized it was probably because Zero had been the only one in the room at that moment in time. After all, there was no way they'd stay in Kaien's office for four whole hours—Kaito probably left to do his job as a teacher-in-training, and Kaien must've needed to speak with Zero privately for that situation to arise. Imagining the way Zero must have looked as he carried me the few meters to the couch wasn't hard, especially since I had seen so many of those eyes before.
"Is that so?" I looked around Kaito's body to see the Guardian leaning against the opposite wall casually, his arms folded across his chest. His lavender eyes regarded me with the same solemn look his handsome features were arranged into. "Thank you, Zero."
He remained silent, not saying a word as he continued to scrutinize every move I made.
"Your belongings have already been put into your room at the old Moon Dormitory, so you don't need to worry about it," the straw-haired hunter informed me.
"Ah, right," I nodded in understanding, as I finished the process of overlapping the blanket neatly. I looked questioningly at the headmaster, silently asking where the blanket was supposed to be placed. He let out a light chortle and approached me, taking it out of my hands gently.
Kaien moved to where a large wooden closet was pushed into the corner of the room. Opening it up silently, he placed the material back where he had gotten it out from, but he didn't return empty-handed. Reaching for something, he said, "The Night Class will begin their lessons soon. Are you prepared?"
"Of course," I answered, though a part of me felt uneasy. Despite the fact that I knew the vampires that came to Cross Academy were the ones that didn't want to feed on human blood and were therefore taking tablets, it didn't change the fact that I would be walking into a room completely filled of aristocrat vampires, if not even higher than that.
In one fluid motion, Kaien pulled a Night Class uniform out of the closet with one hand. The sound of the clear plastic covering wrinkling was heard, and I blinked at the attire of the Night Class, which didn't differ a lot from the Day Class ones. Rather than black with a white lining design, the majority of the uniform was an ivory white with similar intricate designs, though in black. Replacing the white dress shirt of the Day Class was a black one, though both the ribbon and socks seemed to be the same. The cuffs and customized rose buttons appeared to be the same for both classes as well. In Kaien's other hand hung a pair of dark boots, polished and looking completely new.
"Do you like it?" Kaien asked me excitedly, his eyes bright. "I think that it'll suit you very well, Ivy-chan! You'll look so pretty in it!"
Moving to the where the headmaster stood, I let out a laugh. "Well, the uniform itself is definitely very pretty." I avoided his eyes, not wanting him to see the way my eyes tightened. Yes, vampires were beautiful. There wasn't a single one that wasn't.
But was I supposed to feel like it was my own beauty, rather than an artificial one that was presented to me?
"What are you saying?" Kaien admonished, handing the outfit to me enthusiastically. "Of course I'm right about how you'll look in, too! Kaito-kun and Kiriyuu-kun both agree, right?"
Ignoring what Kaien asked about, Kaito reminded me with a downward tilt of the lips, "Don't cause Yagari too much trouble, you twit. I don't want to have to deal with the problems you cause."
"No promises," I grinned at the older male. I avoided his arm, which he had swung out in hope of catching me in a headlock. "I'll go change now. Do you mind if I use your washroom, Kaien?"
He waved a hand dismissively. "Feel free to use whatever you may need. Oh, but come back in here when you're done changing! I want to see you in your uniform!" The graveness that had been on his face earlier had disappeared completely, and an almost scary cheer replaced it. He practically glowed, and while Kaien always tried to remain upbeat and positive, it unnerved me slightly that he was so joyful despite the obvious tension in the room.
"Thanks." I opened up the door that separated Kaien's private home office from the rest of his household, which I wasn't entirely familiar with. I hoped that he didn't mind the fact that I was wandering all around his house, trying to find the bathroom.
The walls were painted a soft beige, white moulding with a simple, but elegant lining design stretching along the place where the wall met the ceiling. The bottom where the wall met the floor had similar a pattern made from the same material, and the outlines of large square boxes that extended along the bottom half of the wall were a shiny gold. It wasn't blindingly brightly lit, but it wasn't dim at all. The floor was made of dark wood panels, and no matter where I went, it was neat and tidy.
I decided that I loved Kaien's house already. It radiated the feeling of a warm home that someone could return to and a place that could be treated as a sanctuary, something that pulled me in automatically. It gave off a welcoming and loving vibe—the sort of feeling that a home should have. The cosiness and homey mood seemed to sink into my very being, making me feel warm from the tips of my fingers down to my toes.
After opening a few doors that didn't lead me to where I needed to go, I eventually found the restroom that I had been searching for. Slipping inside, I flicked on the lights before shutting the door softly behind me, making sure to lock it securely even though I knew that any of the men from the trio could easily shoulder down the door or break the lock.
As I changed, my eyes darted around the room. The white tiles were clean, the marble counter of the sink wiped dry. The large mirror that took up almost the entire upper half of one wall had been polished so that no fingerprints were left on it. The face cloths and the large towels were matched by colour, and I noticed that there were three sets of them instead of just one.
My fingertips skimmed along one of the towels with a feather-light touch, my lips stretching downwards and my eyes tightening slightly. Even though it was a bit over a year since Zero and Yuuki had left living with him, Kaien had still kept their belongings almost as if he knew that they would be coming back. Or had he merely been hoping? Thinking about it as I buttoned up my jacket, I realized that I was never quite sure what Kaien had in mind. He was a perspective person who never seemed to push anyone into doing anything, but more often than not, his plans always turned out the way he wanted them to.
I let out a sigh, avoiding the reflection in the mirror. My back faced it as I finished up putting on my brand new uniform. Removing the long strands of hair that had been tucked in between the jacket and the dress shirt, I prepared to unlock the door and step outside. After all, I had kept the silver-haired male waiting long enough. My musing had made my actions slower than they normally would have been, and I didn't want to upset the vampire hunter that I knew rested on the other side of the wall.
Just as my fingers were about to make contact with the cool metal handle, a soft resonating feeling inside of my body made me freeze completely, my eyes widening at the familiar sensation. The feeling got stronger and stronger until, like I had expected, an immense and abrupt pain exploded in my chest right where my heart was. It was a scorching pain that made me feel as if I was being burned inside out by something even stronger than fire. It was an indescribable kind of pain that hurt more than anyone could comprehend unless they went through it as well. It was a million times worse than being hit by an anti-vampire weapon, than being stabbed in the abdomen or thigh, than having a bullet shot through you. It was a pain that I had felt too many times for it to be a surprise, but it was something that I knew I could never get used to it.
I clutched at the spot over my chest, the pain almost unbearable. Another pang of hard, solid hurt stabbed at me once again, and unable to help it, I staggered a few steps back. Black spots began to dot my vision for what felt like the millionth time. I felt like I couldn't breathe anymore, the tightness of my throat not allowing it. The feeling of being suffocated—of drowning—overwhelmed me. Another stab of pain, and this time I couldn't stand anymore. Crashing into the counter before falling onto the floor, I tried desperately to try and get some oxygen into my lungs. With my back leaning against the cabinet door, I began to unbutton the jacket of my uniform, almost as if it would help relieve some of the pain and tautness I felt, but I knew that it wouldn't.
"What was that?" Zero's quiet voice was piercing. His smooth, silky melody floated clearly to my ears, sounding no less beautiful even though the material that split us apart had muffled it just a tad.
I opened my mouth to speak, wanting to reassure him that it was nothing, but the only thing I managed to do was cough violently. I could feel the warm liquid in my mouth before seeing it splatter onto the floor, the bright red looking out of place against the faultless tiles. I shut my eyes as the throbbing in my chest grew more and more prominent, the burning sensation rising in the level of intensity at a rapid pace. Even though I wasn't scared of what was happening to me, my body still shook violently and trembled.
The feeling of being repeatedly punctured all over my body invaded me, and I slapped my hands over my mouth as my body wracked with fierce coughs. With every time I coughed, more blood came out. The lukewarm crimson fluid overflowed and trickled through the tight gaps of my fingers before trailing down the back of my hand.
I tried to gasp for breath that I didn't have, but it only succeeded in having the blood in my throat get caught, prompting another fit of coughing.
"Open the door," he demanded from the other side, the handle jingling as he tried to open it. Through my pain, I wondered why he hadn't ran away, trying to get away from the scent of my blood. But when he spoke again, I understood from the slight alteration of his voice. "Are you—" he broke his own sentence off, letting out an angry hiss between his teeth.
He was trying to hold his breath.
There was a loud bang on the door as his fist collided with it in agitation. Through my pants for breath, I could hear his mild gasps as well. Even so, I didn't hear his footsteps that signaled him leaving.
When I coughed this time, the blood splattered harshly onto the floor, dirtying it. I wondered briefly if any of the others were feeling this pain, too. I hadn't seen them in quite a while, something that I wasn't all too happy about.
Suddenly, more footsteps pounded towards us, reaching us quickly. The familiar scents and presences of Kaien and Kaito registered for a second in my brain, but before I could think deeper into it, another fire pulsed through me again, disrupting my train of thought.
"Kiriyuu-kun!" Kaien's voice exclaimed, but there was no response from the lilac-orbed male. The only thing I heard was shallow breaths from him.
Someone rattled the bathroom door's handle again, but seeing as it was no use, pounded on the piece of wood so violently it shook. "Oi, Ivy! Open up this door right now."
Even though I was in pain, I knew that if I tried hard enough, I could shift over to unlock the door, but I didn't. I didn't want them to see me like this—didn't want them to witness just what hadn't changed over the years. I didn't want Zero to see something like this, because he didn't know. It wasn't as if I was scared he'd lose control and attack me or because I was worried how the scent of my blood would affect him.
I just simply wanted to feel this pain alone.
Not knowing how I felt—and even if he did, I doubted he would care—Kaito forced the door open. It slammed against the wall loudly, and I instantly turned away from the entrance to the bathroom. A feeling of shame and humiliation washed through me, although I knew that it was pointless to have such emotions. It certainly wasn't the first time that Kaito or Kaien witnessed one of these attacks, but that didn't make it any less disgusting and revolting to behold.
For a moment, stillness settled between all of us. Kaito made no move to approach me, and Kaien was still by Zero's side. I didn't need to look to know that the future President had a choked, tortured expression pulling, but not fully showing, along his features.
Just as sudden as the resonating feeling had started reverberating inside me at the beginning, it started again once more. Softly at first, but then it got clearer and stronger, gradually helping my coughs stop. It was like as the echoing sensation got more tenacious, the more pain was taken away and the more relieved I was of the attack. And just a few seconds after, all the horrible sensations that had invaded my body disappeared along with the vibrating feeling. It had just vanished suddenly, not even fading out. It just evaporated into thin air.
I took a few seconds to get enough air into my lungs, trying to compose myself. Even as I removed my bloodstained hands from my mouth and staggered up onto my feet, my body still quivered. I felt eyes burning into me, but I kept my eyes trained on the soiled floor as I turned on the sink and placed my hands underneath the running tap. My eyes watched as the water turned a flaming ruby before dimming down to a pink shade. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, grimacing as the blood smudged on my face as well as on my hand. I repeated the action until I was positive my face was free of the thick red liquid.
Kaien was the one who broke the deep silence. "Are you alright, Ivy-chan?"
"Yeah." My voice was hoarse, my throat burning. It felt raw and scratched, something that was often a result of the attack. Due to the fast recovery rates of vampires though, I knew that the unpleasantness would disappear soon enough. When my face and hands had been cleaned, I turned the tap off and wiped my wet hands on my bloodstained uniform.
I didn't want to touch any of the towels.
"Where do you think you're going?" Kaito inquired, his arm wrapping around my waist and pushing me back into the room when I had tried to leave it. He stood in the doorway, blocking my route out of the washroom.
"To get something to clean it all up." I avoided the eyes of the taller, older hunter in front of me. Even now, despite all the years that I've had this "disease" as they called it, I still had no idea how the man in front of me felt about seeing something so absolutely horrendous. He never mentioned anything about it, which was a fact that had never slipped my mind.
"Are you an idiot?" Kaito scoffed. "Go rest or something and I'll take care of this."
"It's fine," I insisted as I tried to get around him again. Unfortunately, Kaito's fit physique took up most of the doorway, not letting me slip by.
His eyes narrowed at me. "Ivy, you're making my life ten times more difficult than it needs to be."
"Sorry," I shot back at him sarcastically, my lips pressing tightly together. The hostility covered up the hurt that hit me. What, did he think I wanted to be like this? "Like I said yesterday, you really don't need to play babysitter, Kaito. I'm fine taking care of myself."
"Right," he agreed with the same amount of heavy sarcasm lacing his slightly gruff voice. "Because this," he waved a hand at the mess that I made in the restroom, "means you can take care of yourself."
Seeing that I had already opened my mouth to retort, Kaien quickly, but gently, cut me off. "Ivy-chan, you still want to attend the Night Class tonight, don't you? It's best if you don't clean up and move around too much or else your body won't be able to take it."
"But I—"
"You heard what he said." Kaito gave me a pointed look, and then instructed, "Go change into a new uniform or something. Kaien and I can handle this just fine. Zero, you should get out of here, too."
Kaien's soft eyes met mine. "It's probably the best idea. I have a spare uniform in my office. Why don't you and Kiriyuu-kun both head there while Kaito-kun and I clean things up here?"
Looking at him, I found that I couldn't open my mouth and say no. The warmth that seeped from his very being seemed to wrap around me, embracing me so tightly, I was scared that if I said no, the warmth would disappear. So I resigned, "Okay." I glanced over my shoulder at the tiles splattered with red, and then turned back to Kaien again. "I'm really sorry about your washroom, Kaien..."
He shook his head, offering me a smile that seemed sad. It matched the look that he had in his eyes—a gentle sort of misery that had my throat closing up, because I knew what he was thinking, and it meant so much that he still cared despite all the times he'd seen such a sight already. "Please, don't apologize for something as trivial as this. I'm just glad that you're feeling better, Ivy-chan."
"Yeah," I managed to smile, though it felt forced. Kaito shifted to allow me out of the bathroom, and I mumbled my apology to him as I passed. His response to it was a small scoff, and I felt him flick the back of my head. Despite the fact he did it with only two of his fingers, it still hurt. In response, I elbowed him in the stomach before leaving the room after the silver-haired prefect. I heard Kaito's chuckle before the door closed behind me, and I couldn't help the slight smile that came onto my face as well.
Hush wrapped around both of us as we walked down the modest hallways, eventually entering the chairman's office once more. He had been walking a few meters ahead of me, so when I had turned the corner, he was resting against the wall next to the door. Taking a look at him, I realized he was still trying desperately to hold his breath.
It must've been so hard for him—when had been the last time he had real blood?
Walking past him, I pushed open the door that led to Kaien's office and shut it behind me, making my way towards the closet that he had taken the uniform out of. Opening it up, I pushed some of the clothes dangling from the hangers out of the way. It wasn't extremely full, so it didn't take me a long time to find the spare uniform that was there. Taking it, I closed up the closet once more and began to change again.
The sound of fabric against fabric sounded in my ears, followed by the rattling of tablets. It wasn't long before I heard the numerous crunching sounds as he bit down on them almost violently, like he wanted them to dissolve faster.
"Sorry, Zero," I murmured softly, knowing he could hear me. I knew that his body had gotten past the phase in which it rejected blood tablets, but that didn't mean that they satisfied his thirst as well as they did for regular vampires.
He didn't respond.
Sighing softly, I slid the clean jacket over my dress shirt once more, pausing briefly to rest my hand over my chest where my heart was. The pounding of the organ was easily felt through the muscles and tissues of my body, giving off the illusion that I held it in the palm of my hand. It would be so incredibly easy to plunge my hand into my chest and rip it out, like so many people had suggested a few years ago. Perhaps it would be easier, less painful than to continue living.
And yet I couldn't do it.
I bit down on my tongue, trying to keep myself from thinking more about it. It was something that was in the past, and I had things to do before I went under. Things that Ichiru wanted me to do, and things that I felt like I couldn't leave behind just yet.
Finishing the buttons, I began to quickly fold the dirty uniform. If Kaien were here, I knew he'd tell me to put it on his desk, and he'd take care of it. Trusting my instinct, I placed the white attire splattered with crimson on his wide bureau. Glancing out at the large windows that were behind Kaien's desk, I made my way towards them.
"I'll be going this way to class," I said to the empty room, though I knew that the violet-orbed male heard me perfectly fine. "If you need it, I have some more tablet packs in the front pocket of my suitcase." Without waiting for his response, I opened up the window and, not even sparing a glance down below, jumped out of it easily.
My knuckles rapped on the large wooden door, my body tense. All my senses were perked and on high alert, my guard up. The stench of vampires wafted in the atmosphere strongly, unlike outside where there were mixed scents of both humans and vampires. Yagari's human blood aroma was almost completely overwhelmed by the vampires'. I wondered how hard it was for him to stand before a large class full of them, not knowing what may happen.
But then again, perhaps it wasn't that hard at all.
Yagari stopped whatever he was saying, and I knew that his eyes darted to the door. The numerous pairs of eyes staring at the door waiting for my approach made me feel almost as if I was a celebrity about to grace them with my presence. I knew that the welcome I'd be getting certainly wouldn't be very warm at all, though.
"Oi, Night Class, as I'm sure you know, a new student's going to be joining your ranks. C'mon in."
After inhaling deeply, I pushed open the classroom door and entered the enormous classroom, placing one foot in front of the other. I glanced cautiously around the room, my eyes skimming a sea of inhumanly beautiful faces, though a few in particular stood out to me instantly.
Kuran Kaname with his tall, lean build rested against the wall at the very back of the classroom. He held a thick novel carefully in his large, beautiful hands, his dark crimson eyes not lifting up from what was written along the pages to acknowledge my arrival. Some wisps of his wavy chocolate hair fell into his mesmerizing eyes, but he made no move to brush them out of his face. He radiated a calm, but unbelievably powerful aura. His pale skin almost matched the shade of ivory that had been used to create the Night Class uniform, and true to rumours, he was so indescribably breathtaking.
Sitting delicately at the desk next to where he stood, Kuran Yuuki blinked her wide, ruby eyes that matched Kaname's at me with something that I considered as curiosity. Her silky dark brown hair fell in a straight and soft curtain around her, some stray locks of her bangs falling into her innocently large eyes. Her flawless porcelain skin was placed perfectly over just as dazzling features. Despite being a Pureblood, there wasn't a crushing power emitting from her. Even though that was true, there was still an intimidation that crawled off of her—a feeling that no matter how hard you tried, you would never be able to match up to the obvious beauty that she was. After all, nothing short of "drop-dead gorgeous" could be used to describe the Kuran Pureblood.
Next, my eyes fell to meet the falsely sweet pale cyan eyes of Shirabuki Sara. With her legs crossed and an almost sickeningly kind smile plastered onto her stunning features, her light gold waves cascaded like a waterfall down to her feet. The blond had the face of what nobody could deny was angelic, yet I was sure that those that knew her and looked closely could see the sinister menace that lay hardly dormant underneath the facade. The creamy skin that came with being a vampire enhanced her soft, pale-looking beauty that, somehow, still seemed to radiate so blindingly bright. She released an unnerving aura that had my skin prickling and my senses heightening, her light eyes staring down at me. She was definitely a sight to behold.
Snapping out of my daze, I dropped my eyes from the blond Pureblood. Instead, I fixated my eyes directly in front of me, which happened to rest on a vampire with bright, vividly cerulean eyes that sparkled like gems as the moonlight streamed in through the window and hit them. They were narrowed in revolt, just like I had expected, and he had propped his chin up into the palm of his slender hand. Wavy gold hair framed his handsome, prince-like face, his lips pulled down into a deep frown.
He gave me the look that said that I shouldn't be here, almost as if he thought I didn't already know of such an obvious fact.
"I'm Tashiro Kaori," I introduced as I bowed at them in a ninety-degree angle. Straightening up again, I murmured, "It's nice to meet you all. I hope we'll get along." Although those words weren't lies, I highly doubt that they felt the same way as I did.
"Another vampire hunter?" a ripple of voices murmured, sounding distasteful and displeased.
"A Tashiro, no less," others followed after in wary detestation.
"You," started the blond male I had focused my eyes on before I did my introduction. He had the entire room of aristocrats falling silent despite not being a Pureblood. Yet, as his eyes met mine once more, his name clicked into my mind. "You're just like him. Like—"
Yuuki's soft, melodic voice interrupted to finish his sentence with one name. "Zero."
Glancing briefly at her before redirecting my eyes on the blond noble, I shook my head. "No, you're wrong. Zero and I are completely different."
"And how exactly are you so different from Kiriyuu?" the blond scoffed, his smooth lips pressing together. There was a strong, strong dislike in his eyes, yet I couldn't see any definite hate.
"For one, he's a guy and I'm a girl," I said lightly, my lips stretching upwards as I met Aidou's gaze steadily. Seeing that nobody was satisfied with my answer—in fact, it only seemed to make their moods darken even more—I took a moment to contemplate what to say. "It's hard to explain."
Aidou snorted, clearly not liking my answer. Even though his poise was so languid, there was some sort of rigid haughtiness that stayed with him as well. Elegance surrounded him like a blanket, even more so than the rest of the nobles. "From the sounds of it, it just seems like there's nothing different at all. Though, I must say..." he trailed off for a moment before his eyes narrowed slightly. "Your blood smells absolutely tantalizing."
Sounding horrified, Yuuki scolded, "Aidou-senpai!" Turning her lovely eyes to me, she quickly began, "Tashiro-san, I apologi—"
"Yuuki." Kaname lifted his eyes up from the novel he had looked so engrossed in. Resting his eyes on his fiancée, he quietly chided, "What did I say about apologizing so easily?" He shifted his eyes to rest on Aidou, who seemed to stiffen instantly. "And Aidou, don't forget your manners."
"I apologize, Kaname-sama!" Aidou exclaimed loudly, his voice rising due to the anxiousness that was clear on his face.
"It's not me who you should be apologizing to," Kaname replied. His voice was deep, warm, but it somehow sounded so sad. His eyes matched the tone that infiltrated his voice. It was something that made me uneasy. It seemed almost as if everyone in Cross Academy had such sorrowful eyes—eyes that spoke of misery and deep pains.
It was something that was almost frightening.
But more than being frightened, the look that the brown-haired Pureblood male had in his eyes made my lips press together slightly, hands curling into loose fists. I didn't understand why his eyes spoke of such desolation and despair. Even though he had gotten the love of his life all to himself, despite knowing how much she meant to another... Although he had finally retrieved what he had been waiting for the last few years... In spite of being with her all the time, knowing she loved him back so dearly... How could he have such eyes?
With obvious reluctance, Aidou turned towards me and bowed his head slightly. His face was almost like a rebellious child's after getting scolded. "Sorry."
I shook my head at him, smiling at how he was so straightforward with his actions. "It's fine. What you said it true, after all." There was no helping it. Despite being vampires, not many were aware of what had occurred after the incident.
"But what Aidou-san said is right," a maroon-haired vampire with pale, carefully blank azure eyes said from the back. His locks were messy and they waved slightly at the ends, framing his almost gut-wrenching beauty. It was a face that I had grown accustomed with, and my smile widened at being able to meet the real deal. Shiki Senri was definitely a lady-killer, his looks making women left and right dropping at his feet. "The scent of your blood filled the air earlier today, and it wasn't only a bit—there were large quantities of it. It was incredibly tempting."
Gazing at him, I wondered how much of what he said was true. The apathetic nature that danced in his voice and was painted on his face made me wonder if he was merely joking, or if he was honestly saying what he meant. His eyes met mine unwaveringly, and he tilted his head in a way that was almost curiously innocent. I couldn't help but stare at him in response.
"Try it, vampire," Yagari's voice sounded from beside me in a tense, but somehow relaxed tone, "and I'll have your head faster than you can blink."
"It's fine," I glanced up briefly at the teacher. "He's just being honest. I prefer that."
"You're just stupid," came Yagari's immediate response. He mumbled something under his breath that was too quiet even for my ears to catch, and then gave me a soft push between my shoulders. "Go take a seat somewhere. The rest of you, turn to page one hundred and thirty-two."
A blond stood up from his seat just as I was reaching the area near his desk, his tall and perfectly proportioned body full of grace. His light topaz hair was straight and neat, his brilliant emerald orbs warm and accompanying the remarkable smile that stretched on his equally astonishing face. The bright aura that he oozed out was almost making it difficult to look at him without feeling as if I was looking directly at the sun. I had originally been prepared for some angry insult or some kind of raging war cry, but his smile had me rethinking what he was about to say.
"Welcome to the Night Class, Tashiro-san. I'm Ichijou Takuma," he introduced. The moment that those words left his lips, I was left absolutely floored. It wasn't the only thing he said that had me almost reeling back from him in surprise however, as what he said next almost knocked me off my feet completely. "Take a seat with me?"
Honestly, I wasn't sure whether or not he was genuinely kind or if he was faking it. I wasn't one that preferred sympathy and wanted people to pretend to treat me in a way that they didn't see fit, but I had to admit that I was feeling better knowing that at least one vampire had the guts to pretend to like me. It was probably an immensely difficult task, since they were... them, and I was me.
Managing to find my voice, I stammered out, "A-Are you sure?"
Confusion tainted his tone as he regarded me through welcoming olive eyes. He was still standing, and even though Yagari had instructed everyone to open their textbooks, nobody had. The vampire hunter wasn't teaching anything either, but watching and listening, just like the rest of the class.
"Of course I'm sure," he replied immediately, almost as if he hadn't even needed to think about it. "Why wouldn't it be alright?"
"I—" I broke my own sentence off, my mouth dropped open slightly at him. For a moment, I wondered whether or not it was possible for him to be a vampire. Could he have just been a regular individual blessed with inhumanely features? After all, the way his thoughts were being processed in his head certainly didn't seem very correct. Yet looking at him, there was no doubt he was the heir to the Ichijou family, the highest ranking noble clan.
Was I imagining things? It was clear that the reasons were obvious. I knew, just like everyone else in the room, that I didn't belong in a class with people like them. There was no doubt that the levels in which we stood were undeniably different, and that it just didn't suit the way things had been going for the past few years. Not even Zero had entered the Night Class even once as a student, but that was also due to his absolute and utter reluctance to do so.
"The expression on your face says everything," he chuckled slightly, a stray stand falling into his eyes.
"And you're right," Aidou confirmed. I shifted my eyes from Ichijou over to the ocean-eyed aristocrat, who looked at me through slightly narrowed eyes full of cautiousness and scorn. "You're completely different than us. To think that a day would come when someone like Kiriyuu would be joining the Night Class..." he trailed off, but the ending of his sentence was clear.
"Hanabusa," warned an orange-haired male. His carrot-coloured tresses were waved and wild, strands all over the place but somehow managing to make his hair look like a masterpiece. His topaz eyes were beautiful, sharp, and focused, but not piercing in the way that many perspective eyes seemed. Despite being a vampire, he was tanner than most of them, clearly standing out. He also seemed extremely tall as well, his body seeming more muscular than the rest. His voice had been smooth and calm, matching what seemed to be his personality.
"I am different," I agreed wholeheartedly. I offered a slight tilt of my lips at the cold blond. "And I already know just how different we are. But I was sent here by the Association because I'm the one most suitable for this job. Out of everyone in the Association, I'm the only one who can cough up so much blood so frequently without dying of blood loss. In a way, it's a blessing."
I almost slapped myself as the last sentence came out of my mouth. I hadn't been filtering what was being said, and it had just slipped out so easily. What part of this was a blessing? I wasn't even sure, but somehow the words just rolled off my tongue so naturally, I couldn't help but wonder why that was so.
"Ivy." Yagari spoke through slightly gritted teeth, his tone holding a stern warning in it that I disregarded and ignored.
Keeping my eyes locked with the noble, I took in the way his self-confidence seemed so shallow, so false. Why did all I see were walls being built to protect him?
But then again, looking around at everyone, it was obvious that there were barriers put up around each and every person. I knew very well that it was a strategy of self-defense that everybody used.
I wasn't any different, but it made me sad to think about it. That we'd all gotten to the point where fully trusting and understanding one another was so, so difficult. Albeit I wasn't exactly ecstatic to be surrounded by aristocrats that didn't want me there, I couldn't deny that after seeing how it was, it made me want to change things. I wanted to change their perspectives.
But I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't be able to.
"The Association will use any means necessary to get rid of those that are disturbing the peace of humans," I murmured softly. "After the incident a year ago, I'm sure you've realized that not only are the hunters restless, but so are the vampires. If the Association needs to use methods like this—" I pointed to myself, "—to sniff out if any of you are doing taboos, then they will. We will. I'm not here because I take enjoyment out of making all your lives miserable with my presence. It's not like I hate—" My sentence was cut short as I cocked my head to the side, the chalk that Yagari had thrown at me barely missing my cheek by a millimetre. It slammed into the wall behind me, crumbling into powder by the sheer force that the wavy-haired hunter had used.
"Shut up, Ivy," Yagari commanded in his gruff voice. Disapproval and annoyance was noticeable in his tone, his eyes matching the scowl that was on his face. Breaking my gaze with the blond to look at him, he continued, "You Tashiro siblings never listen to what you're told."
I laughed at that, my mind instantly flashing to my older siblings—specifically to my older sister, and then also to my younger brothers. Our family definitely wasn't keen on being told what to do. "So I've noticed. Everyone says that Lydia's the worst out of all of us, though."
"You're coming close," he cautioned me. "Now just shut your trap and take a seat somewhere like I told you to. You're such a disruption to the class, Ivy. I'm going to kick you out of here soon, I swear. You're giving me a migraine already and it's only been twenty minutes since you set foot into this room." He shot me a look.
He wasn't angry that I was disrupting his class, but at what I had been saying as I halted his lesson. It was evident that he didn't want to hear what I had been about to say, though I wasn't quite sure why.
"Actually, Yagari-sensei, I want to say something." Yuuki didn't wait for his consent as she stood up elegantly from her seat, her dark brown hair flowing like a silky river with every movement she made. Her eyes, so strong and so determined, met mine. "Tashiro-san, I welcome you to the Night Class on behalf of everyone. You might not believe me, but I truly hope that everyone will all get along, so please don't take what Aidou-san said to heart.
"What you told us probably wouldn't be something approved of by the Association, right? You were warning us about it and telling us to be more careful, but you wouldn't be doing that if you truly wanted to arrest any of us and take us away. You're saying that you trust it isn't any of us, isn't that correct? I think that what you did for us is something that everyone should respect and admire, so thank you, Tashiro-san. I truly hope that we'll get along." While her face had been grave as she spoke, her soft and melodious tone serious, at the end of her speech, her lips pulled upwards into a smile so beautiful and so radiant it could've outshone the sun.
The Night Class vampires all seemed to have the ability to knock me speechless for a few moments. I stared at the face of Kuran Yuuki, feeling something eating at my chest as I took in her kind smile. The first thought that crossed my mind was, "This is the kind of woman that Zero fell in love with."
Looking at her and remembering green and topaz eyes made me feel sick to my stomach, and I could understand why Zero was still hung over someone like her. She was such an odd Pureblood—she seemed so kind, so warm, so forgiving. There was something about her that just drew people in.
Someone like her—why?
Unable to find the correct words to speak, I managed to force a laugh out of myself even though I felt nauseous. Even though I didn't want to think about it, it was impossible to push the thoughts out of my mind. "No, I think that you've got this wrong... I really, really don't deserve your thanks, Kuran Yuuki."
Hisses filled the room from the vampires, their eyes narrowing at me dangerously. Some opened their mouths just a bit wider to show off their sharp, slick canines in a threatening manner. At first, I wasn't even sure what they were so angry about, but then I realized it was because I had shown such disrespect to her. To them, Purebloods were like kings and queens, and I had spoken to her as if she was just another vampire or girl. It was something that I never even noticed anymore. Growing up with Lydia, whose language was more than just a bit colourful and whose mouth was more than just a bit rude, things like putting an honorific at the end of a name didn't even exist to me.
Kaname closed his book, causing a silence to fall immediately upon everyone. They turned their heads to look at the male who had been relatively quiet the entire time, merely observing and listening. Now, however, he lifted his eyes to scrutinize me in a way that had me tensing up.
It was a look I knew so well.
"You," he started in his soft, soothing voice, "really are similar to Kiriyuu, aren't you?"
My voice was light, but the sentence was serious. "Can we please stop bringing Zero into this conversation? Although, I'm curious as to why you'd say something like that." I could name a million reasons that made Zero and I similar, but I could also name another million that indicated how we were so immensely different.
His crimson eyes seemed to harden slightly as they met my emerald and gold ones. "You both share a rather bold disregard for Purebloods."
"Is that how you see it?" I inquired of him, quirking an eyebrow slightly. "I don't think so much that it's disregarding the fact, and I can't speak for Zero because I don't have a right to tell you things I'm not sure about when it comes to how he feels, but I've always been a vampire hunter. Ten years ago, five years ago, and even now. I'm a vampire hunter before I'm a vampire. I can't be afraid of Purebloods."
But they were definitely scary. Although I had said something like that—and I was being completely honest, too—it didn't change the fact that just because I didn't show my fear, I didn't feel it.
Yet, I knew that in a way, it was something that I lived for.
"I can see that." By the hidden glacial tone in his voice, I already knew that the Pureblood held a dislike for me. Had it been because of the disrespect I had shown for the love of his existence? I wasn't sure, but it made me want to sigh. We hadn't even spoken for more than five minutes and I had already made enemies with one of the strongest Pureblood families.
"Are you really that stupid?" With my quick reflexes, I caught the textbook that Yagari threw at me before it had made contact with my head, like he had been aiming for. "Don't declare yourself as the enemy so boldly, idiot."
"We're not enemies," I reminded him with a smile, opening up the book to a random page. I skimmed the first paragraph I saw, and instantly shut it again. I tossed it back at him, not wanting to relive the memories back in the days when I had been training to become an official vampire hunter and had to study for my written test. I had failed the mock exams more than four times, and even when I managed to pass the actual exam, it had only been by a single mark. I didn't want to remember those days of memorizing useless things. The thing that the textbook had written in it was the bloody history between vampires and hunters, something that I had hated to read about during my study period, simply because I could never remember the correct dates. "Saying something like that is disregarding the entire treaty we have going on that states we're the opposite of enemies."
Yagari shot me a fierce look, catching the book with ease. I understood what he had been trying to tell me—that despite everything, we weren't truly their allies and we probably never would be. "Don't smart mouth me. Sit down and shut up, all of you. I'm getting paid to teach you guys whatever is in this goddamn textbook, so I'm going to teach you all what's in this goddamn textbook, got it? Talk all you want and introduce yourselves individually later."
I glanced at Ichijou, who had shifted further to create room for me at the desk he was occupying. There was plenty of room, since he had the entire table to himself. I blinked at him, silently questioning for permission, and he smiled in response.
"Ivy, sit," came Yagari's exasperated voice.
"Sorry, I am, I am!" I exclaimed as I slid into the seat next to Ichijou. Yagari's eyes met mine in a warning, and I smiled back at him in response. He let out a loud sigh before turning around and starting his lesson.
Not seeming to pay attention to the vampire hunter at the front of the classroom, Ichijou whipped a writing utensil out from the inside of his school jacket, writing on the desk between us in perfectly neat lines and strokes. When he finished, he shifted his arm away to let me read it clearly.
Sorry about the unpleasant welcome. It's just that it's different. I'm sure that everyone will get used to it soon.
Looking up at him, he smiled and held his pencil out to me, prompting me to return his message with my own. Luckily, he was using something that could easily be erased. Hesitantly taking the pencil out of his hands, I wrote underneath his note, "It's fine, don't worry about it. I understand. Thank you for being so kind. Please take care of me from now on."
Taking his pencil from me, he scribbled down efficiently, "Please take care of me, as well. It's nice to meet you, and I hope that we'll get along well."
We shared smiles with one another for a brief moment before Yagari slammed his textbook shut abruptly, startling everyone and having our attention switched to him. Almost as if he didn't even realize what he had done, he continued on with his lesson, the closed textbook held in his hand as he blabbered on about stuff that I knew I had learned when I was younger, but couldn't really remember.
And even though some people just brushed off what he had done easily off their shoulders and just let it slip their minds, I saw it in a different way.
To me, it was, "Don't get so friendly with them."
A/N :
And that concludes the second chapter! Man, I don't know how it ended up so long. I mean, seriously. What happened? OTL. I didn't even plan for it to be like this, it just sorta happened. -sigh-
Sorry if it hurt your eyes, guys ):
I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes, and if anyone was OOC. SPEAKING OF WHICH, I'd really appreciate it if you guys told me if there was any OOCness in this chapter. Or, well, at any point in this story, really. (:
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