Summary - Yuuki stares after Kaname's shadow, wishing he would come back. Surely, after his encounter with the council, they would persecute him.

Waiting

(The Shadow's Which Whisper)

Yuuki stares at the vast expanse of swirling mist and fog. She leans forward, peering for any trace of the person who had come to see her. She frowns as no one comes into sight. Disappointed, she wraps her arms around herself. Her eyes turn to the ground and she sighs in exhaustion. The notion of being alone has hit her hard. Aidou, Kaien, Zero, their presence may not even exist for the amount of soothing they can bring her. She turns, about to re-enter the building when the doors slam shut.

Her arms drop to her sides. Her wide eyes stare at the shut doors in shock and horror. Her mouth is agape. She blinks, trying to come to terms with the situation. No matter how she tries, it doesn't make sense.

The silence resounds in her ears. She daren't move from her place in case a trap has been set. Her eyes close as she strains to listen for anyone. She knows enough to realise that she's facing a very dangerous foe – probably a vampire. Her fists clench in frustration. No matter how much she strains she can't hear or sense anyone.

Her head snaps back. A strained gasp escapes her lips. Her eyes widen in fright. Her fists unclench weakly.

"Yuuki Kuran," Kaito states.

Zero flinches as the mere mention of the name sears through him. The paper in his hands crumples and he slams it back onto his desk. His pale eyes turn on his comrade with a malicious glint. Kaito doesn't react under Zero's frightening glare. He throws the paperwork off of his desk and he prepares to storm out. However, the loud thump of a file on his desk stops him. He tentatively reaches for it, easing it closer. His steely gaze is emotionless as he looks over the harmless cover. However, as soon as the file is open, he fails in all attempts to remain still.

"Where is he?" Zero snarls, his nails slicing through the wood.

"Calm down," Kaito warns, scoffing. "I'll go get him. You're on probation, remember?"

Reluctantly, he stays in place. His fists are clenched tightly enough to strain his bones, but he doesn't care. He doesn't care about anything other than that accursed file. Kaname isn't someone he cares about, neither is the majority of the vampire race, but Yuuki is an entirely different matter. He can't help but worry that his support of Kaname's arrest had something to do with this. If so, then he can never forgive himself. There's a lot that he can never forgive himself for; they mostly involve her.

The door opens again and Aidou slips in. Surprisingly, Seiren soon follows behind. Her cool violet eyes remain stern, but forlornness resounds in their depths. Aidou quickly seats himself opposite Zero and Seiren stands on his left. Hanabusa's usual cheery care-free personality has vanished. He leans forward, head resting on his knuckles as he watches Zero contemplatively. The mood is sombre and sullen - no one wants to make the first move.

"Tell me," Zero growls.

"She was going to see the visitor. He was refusing to leave without seeing her," he frowns, his voice sorrowful. "She went out, and it was silent and empty. There was no one there, so she was going to come back in. The doors closed when she tried. I called to her, banged and kicked the door. It was all in vain. We had to take the tunnels to reach her. When we arrived she was gone. There was no trace of her, of anyone."

"What do you want me to do about this?" Zero glares, his voice cold.

"We want you to look into this matter," Seiren replies, her voice equally as cold.

He leans back against the seat. "Why should I help you? Haven't I made my feelings towards Purebloods clear?"

"Do you really want Kaien to know how you've turned your back on Yuuki?" Hanabusa threatens. "Do you think that you could ever hear the end of this?"

"Fine," Zero growls, frustrated. "I'm not doing this for her."

The door closes quietly and Zero sighs. He rests his head in his hands as he tries to calm his racing heart. She is missing. His precious Yuuki is missing. She was stolen away by some high level vampire that he failed to kill. He growls, but the sound soon turns into a snarl. He pushes away from the seat and stares up at the barred hole. The entire prison is filled with old age contraptions and technology. He grumbles and promptly returns to his seat. No matter how restless he feels he can't let it show. It isn't as though his restlessness is a secret anyway.

The other door opens and Kaname enters. His piercing eyes are fixated on Zero as he takes the opposite seat. The Pureblood can sense the growing agitation in the hunter. Their past differences fall aside as they sit in the cold room. Kaname knows that Zero isn't willing to start, but he waits in silence just to aggravate him.

Author's Note: I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I've been working on my book so I had to give that priority. However, I'm back now and I'll be updating like I used to. I'm really sorry.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed what I've written. I'm sorry if you didn't like it.