Chapter VII: Capture

More and more of the fallen show up every day. Countless battles and casualties litter the grounds belonging to the Cross Academy, a school that allows humans and vampires to live peacefully together.

All of that has now been destroyed. The Level E's attack with such vicious vigor and deadly bites. Yuuki Cross, wither her Artemis Rod-turned scythe, cuts through the throng of the fallen and they howl with rage and pain as they are slain. The Level E's diminish greatly, allowing the escaped human students a small reprieve inside the school's locked down basement. The ground shakes and trembles beneath their feet, knocking and unbalancing the best to the ground.

Outside the school, the Cross Headmaster fought alongside Yuuki, Zero, and the other vampires belonging to his Academy. They swept through the Level E's like one would sweep a floor. If one E managed to escape a death blow then another vampire would swoop in from behind. Together, they were an unstoppable fighting force.

One vampire used her ice powers and froze groups of E's while another would use mind control and make them kill each other or themselves. Rima, Senri, Akatsuki, and Hanabusa stayed and surrounded their Lord Kuran, not wanting him to get fatally wounded since he's one of the last remaining purebloods. Next to his recently-awakened little sister, Yuuki Cross.

The battle continues and it looks like the Headmaster and its vampires are winning until a new horde of Level E's showed themselves. There was more than two hundred and the Cross Academy was being overwhelmed. Zero was knocked unconscious by a Level E and was thrown over its' shoulder.

The creature ran off with Zero! Seeing this, Kaname screamed, "No!" and ran after them. Zero was kidnapped! He chased them through the battered town and to a well lit mansion. The E was nowhere to be seen. Kaname circled around to the back, looking for a way in. He came to a cellar hatch and easily broke the locked latch. Kaname looked down into undiluted darkness. Luckily, he has night vision and could see his way through. He noticed it was filled with centuries old wine.

Kaname was now in a well-lit hallway. The walls were painted a deep burgundy but they were devoid of any ornamentations. He went left, then right, up a flight of stairs, two more lefts, another right… This next hallway had scattered portraits of ancient vampires on its' walls. The majority of these vampires came to a gruesome end-by the hands of vampire hunters. That day was a disaster, thought Kaname, shaking his head. He continued walking until he came upon another door that's slightly ajar. Of what he could see, there were tons of shelves. Like a library. He pushed the door open and was immediately appalled at the sight.

Zero was chained onto a thick slab of wood that was held upright by more chains that hung down from the high ceiling. The slab was tilted slightly. There was a wide gash on Zero's snowy white head, the blood turning some of his hair a somber red.

"Zero!" exclaimed Kaname with relief. He ran to Zero with tears of fear and joy that he is still alive running down his face. Kaname tried to break the chains but they held fast. Stirring sounds came from Zero as his eyes were starting to flutter open. "Zero, Zero!" Kaname frantically called to him. Kaname's heart beat like a marching drum inside his own ears.

"Zero," he whispered, "oh, my darling Zero…" Kaname tried once more to break the chains that held his precious Zero but to no avail.

"That won't work," came an ancient female voice. A voice he once thought he had put an end to. Her shadow came into view as a beautiful blonde girl. He knows this girl, alright, he especially remembers the way she tortured and tried to kill Zero. She tried to kill his beloved Zero, even before Zero was his. Kaname also remembers killing her. The feel of her ancient blood gushing out of her chest cavity where her heart resided. Where he crushed her heart to a pulp and watched the life drain from her face, her eyes going dark as her spirit left her body… He remembers it all. Not once did he think that she could come back from death. Not once.

The only thoughts in his head at the time were of Zero. He was too worried over Zero, getting him out and away from Shizuka. Even then, how he wanted Zero. Dammit, thought Kaname, I should have burned her body while I had the chance… Masking his face, Kaname turned to the other remaining pure blooded vampire in the room. "So," he began, "back from the dead, are we, Shizuka?" Zero's eyes were now open and staring wide at the mention of that ancient vampire's name. Kaname told him silently to stay quiet. Kaname moved slightly more to his right to prevent Zero from seeing his tormentor.