Chapter 1
Perse stared at Kaien Cross as she folded her arms across her chest. Her blue grey eyes met his hazel ones, a tone of boredom in the Witch's as she forced herself to remain calm and collected instead of how cautious and jittery she actually felt.
"Your heritage makes it difficult for me to place you," Headmaster Cross began with a dreary look, resting his chin on his hand. "But I've spoken to the Moon Dorm Leader and he suggested that, because of your abilities, you would do best in the Moon Dorms. You would be protected, of course."
"So I'm with the Vampires?" Perse shrugged, leaning back in her chair as she balanced her booted foot on her other knee. "Alright. Not a problem. Makes no difference to me. I can sleep as late as I want then, without consequence."
"You see the light side of things, good!" Cross's voice was suddenly happy, his face brightened up. "The vice-president of the Night Dorm will see that you are safely brought there and introduced. We've got a few rules at Cross Academy."
Perse rolled her eyes. "Of course you do."
"The Guardians and I would really prefer if you stay inside the dorms within the day time, just like the Day Class students are required to stay in their dorms after twilight. But with you being Human, a small exception can be made. You still need the sun. Kaname Kuran is the Moon Dorm Leader, you will come to him or me if anything is amiss, if we aren't available, Takuma can help," There was a knock at the door. "Speak of the devil. Come in!"
"Lord Kaname said you needed me?" The ash-blond man said, smiling softly. He bowed in greeting. "Oh, hello."
He was cute, handsome in an adorable way. He reminded Perse of the labrador she had as a child, always smiley and goofy. His outfit was quite formal, probably his uniform when she came to think about it.
"Hi," She sent over her shoulder with a nod. Perse didn't care that she didn't want to be here. She didn't like to be rude when unneeded.
Always polite until it was time to be cruel.
"Perse, this is Takuma Ichijo, the vice-president of the moon dorm," Cross introduced. "Takuma, this is Persephone Graylight. She'll be joining the Night Class."
He stilled, sniffing the air once. "She's…"
"Human but a Witch, and I prefer Perse instead of Persephone," Perse stated before standing up from the chair. She grabbed her large suitcase and duffel bag from the floor, pulling the straps over one shoulder. "If you both don't mind, I'd like to be shown my quarters. I've been on an eleven and a half hour flight and I want a bed."
"Of course," Cross said, waving his hand dismissively. "I was wondering about your hair. Is it dyed?"
"No, my hair is my Trait."
A Witch's Trait was the one thing that outed them to be a Witch, and Persephne's was her naturally dark charcoal hair hiding the colour underneath. The deep plum colour peaked out of the charcoal grey. Her hair was cut to just below her chin, allowing the purple to show just at the bottom and the sides as she walked. The darker top of her hair hid the colour well but the purple peaked out at her temple.
She understood why he thought it was dyed, the colour was normally unnatural for someone to have. It was one of the identifying features for her family line, her mother had the same trait, as did every other Witch that had gone through the Rite. Though their hair had turned to a colour that reflected their personality.
"Oh," He said, a slight shock filling his expression before it changed back to the happy-go-lucky attitude. "Alright. Go show her her room. Rest for the day. You'll have lessons with the Night Class when night comes again."
"Alright, thanks," Perse nodded to him before she began to walk out of the room. Her suitcase followed like a lost puppy, rolling itself behind her and kept a good distance away so she didn't trip.
They walked in silence, for which she was grateful. Perse wasn't in the mood to talk, only sleep. Sleep sounded good right now. Lots and lots of sleep. She yawned at least twice in that office. The air was decent, at least. And since most of the Day class were fast asleep, Perse didn't have to worry about her Magic being exposed.
"So, Takuma, may I call you that? I don't know much about Japanese culture besides the main bits," Perse started, almost babbling before taking a breath.
"You may call me Takuma if you give me the privilege of calling you Perse instead of Persephone?"
"Of course,"
"Good. did you have a question you wanted to be answered?"
"Yes, with the living arrangements. Does the Moon Dorm have a kitchen I may use?"
"It does have a kitchen,"
She hummed. "Good. I'll see about going into town to get food delivered. I'm quite picky about my meals."
"How so?"
"I don't like meat, and I hate fish. And olives, and mushrooms," She counted them off of her fingers. "I've cooked all my meals since I was thirteen, so for a good four years now."
"Are you vegetarian then?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To spite my mother,"
"Good enough reason,"
"She didn't think that."
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The Moon Dormitory was beautiful, more of a small mansion than simple dorms. It had at least three stories, with plenty of windows for each wall. It was a smooth grey colour with the roof as a darker accent along with the window panes. To one side, there looked like there was a closed-off courtyard.
Now Perse just hoped she got a nice room. She knew she would get a room to herself, she was still Human, and she knew that Kaname Kuran wouldn't want her tempting any of his classmates by living with them too close.
The inside was beautiful, decorated to the nines with bright colours and yet nothing was harsh. It all had a somewhat muted tone but it worked well. Two large staircases spiralled down from each side, encasing a communal area where a large group of people wearing the same uniform as Takuma.
They had been talking but as soon as the two came into the room, they silenced. They stared blankly as the duo walked closer. Perse didn't care, she was used to the staring by now. The hair didn't help, nor did the short skirts or tight stuff she usually liked to wear.
"Everyone, this is Perse Graylight," Takuma started with a grin. "Perse, this is the Night Class."
"You must be kidding, Takuma," A blonde girl started. "What's she doing here?"
"Where is Lord Kaname?"
"Unless she's here as a blood bag, I don't see why she would be here? Even if she's gorgeous—" The short male screamed in pain before turning around to accuse the people behind him.
Perse quickly tucked her hand back into her pocket as a tall man came into the room. Everyone suddenly stood up and bowed their heads in acknowledgement, the man didn't bat an eye at the.
"What's going on?" He asked, tilting his head and allowing brown hair to fall slightly into his eyes.
"Someone hit me!" The blond screamed and gestured widely.
"None of us moved, Hanabusa,"
Perse crossed her arms and made sure that one hand was free to tap against her bicep. Every time Perse tapped her finger, a shot of icey pain ran through him and made him flinch and eventually jump up. He patted himself down as the pain travelled from his head to his toes and back up again.
The new man, the one Perse presumed to be Kaname Kuran because of how everyone reacted to him, allowed this to happen for a single moment more before looking to Perse with dark eyes. "Miss Graylight, please stop."
"What?" Perse shrugged, still tapping away in amusement as Hanabusa jumped. She grinned. "I'm not doing anything."
"Perse, please," Takuma said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Fine, I'll stop." She allowed herself to keep the smile she had gained through Hanabusa's pain. "But I better not hear any comments from him then."
"How did she do that?!" Hanabusa ordered.
"May I explain or should I let you, Miss Graylight?" Kaname asked, calmly looking at her after she uncrossed her arms and shoved her hands into her back pockets of her jeans.
Perse nodded to him. "Have at it."
"Persephone Graylight is Human, as you all can tell, but she is also a Witch of the Graylight Family," Kaname explained as he turned to the rest of the class. "Just as we have PureBloods, Aristocrates, normal Vampires, and then those who are turned, Witches have their own hierarchy and I believe… Where does your family sit on that line?"
"Just as Vampires have seven PureBlood families that are considered royalty, we Witches have three; the Whitestone, Graylight, and Blackwood Clans are our royal families of sorts," Perse mentioned. "Though it's more because no one else wants to take on the burden of Magic and help keep it from overtaking our world completely."
"If you're a Graylight and they are considered royals in your society," One of the girls asked. "Why are you attending Cross Academy?"
Perse shrugged with a dismissive wave. "I'm just here to get my education until I'm eighteen."
Several people yawned, covering their mouths with hands and sleeves as many of them got up from the crouches. Perse presumed they were getting ready for bed now, the time was turning to around four in the morning and yet the sun was starting to rise. Kaname also left without a word, only gesturing towards a girl with long toffee coloured hair and eyes to match before nodding for Takuma to follow him.
Takuma gently led Perse over to her, smiling just as brightly as he did when he greeted Perse.
"Perse, this is Ruka Souen. Ruka, be nice," He said when he caught her scowling. "This is Perse Graylight and, as you know by the little scene earlier with Hanabusa, Perse is a Witch. Can you take Perse to her room? It's dorm seven."
"Fine. Follow me," She said, waving a hand to Perse as Ruka walked towards the stairs. "You have a room to yourself, it seems. Lucky. Lord Kaname and Headmaster Cross probably just don't want us snacking at the Academy. Pity."
"Pity, indeed," Perse said, looking down Ruka's slim figure and mentally comparing it to her own.
Perse was just as tall but carried her weight better, creating a curvier frame. Vampires had it lucky that way, they didn't carry extra weight and always managed to stay slim. Perse didn't care, she was perfectly happy with herself.
Dorm seven was a simple beauty with a sophisticated feel. The room was slightly longer than its width, with two walls adjacent holding the large windows. The right wall had nothing but windows, letting the beautiful sunset in. The walls were a strange shade of blue that shifted between Alice blue and Powder blue, but either way, there was a shimmering gold lining on the walls too.
The other window had the desk set against it as the corner to the left held the four post bed. The floor was a dark brown wood with a plush rug right under the bed.
Perse dropped her bags at the base of the bed and snapped her fingers, her chosen pajamas, a set of soft black silk shorts and a matching shirt, appeared on the dark purple sheets of the bed.
The first thing she put down after her bags was the salt line. The salt was fine, almost like dust as she sprinkled it on top of the door frame and on the metal that separated her flooring from the hall's. She also put it under the bed frame and on the windowsills.
The salt itself did nothing but with the intention of protection, the salt took on that aspect as Magic was infused into it.
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A knock at the door allowed Perse to find herself trapped in her own room with a Vampire. She wasn't really trapped because she knew she could revoke the passage allowance, it worked for Humans as well as Vampires.
Kaname stood by the desk, leaning on it a little as he observed Perse putting items onto a bookshelf without pause.
"What is the actual reason for you attending Cross Academy, Lady Graylight?" Kaname asked when Perse paused to check her phone. "I don't like being lied to."
"Skipping the pleasantries, I see," Perse sighed, placing the phone on charge by her bed. She turned to look at him. "Lord Kuran, unlike you, I don't have the company of others like myself and the abilities to keep them loyal and myself safe. I would rather not speak of the circumstances that happened for me to attend Cross Academy but I have a feeling you will push until you know."
"You are in the right assumption,"
"Two weeks ago, my mother was forced to commit suicide because of a treaty broken by the other two Clans," Perse toyed with the ring on her right middle ringer, twisting it side to side. "It was either she died or give up her Magic, and she chose the former because we Graylight Witches do not give up our Magic in any circumstance."
"If I remember correctly, don't the royal Witch Clans have their own gifts much like our Aristocrats and Purebloods?"
"Besides the natural ability and aptitude for Magic, we have extra abilities that are limited to the descendents of the clans. Even our Aristocrats don't have the gifts we do."
"When I was younger, I only learnt about the abilities of the Whitestone and Blackwood families," He leaned back, a hand put onto the clean desk as the other tapped a tune against the wood. "Why is that?"
Perse tried to counter and dodge his question. "Just as the Kuran family is private, so are the Graylights."
"You haven't answered the question," Kaname said unamusedly. "Alright, another question instead. If the Whitestones deal with death and earth, and the Blackwoods deal with life and forests, what do the Graylights deal with then?"
"Lightning," Perse stated. "Strange that we don't have a combination like the other two Clans but this is what we are good at. I don't see why this is any of your business anyway but I guess a PureBlood's curiosity can't be sated."
"Nothing you have said will leave my lips unless needed,"
"Until the moment that it could endanger me or mine, you will never speak nor write of anything we have spoken about today in the light," Perse interrupted with a glare as her eyes glowed a shade of silver before reverting back to the normal grey. "That is a Vow we make tonight."
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Her uniform was just like everyone else's in the Night Class. She had asked for both trousers and skirt sets of uniform. While all students were allowed to wear either uniform, they prefered to stay with their gender's uniform. In her drawers sat both uniforms, giving her a choice when it became colder or when she didn't feel like wearing a skirt.
Perse looked in the mirror as she adjusted the cufflinks on her black button up before shrugging on the white jacket over the white vest, buttoning both well. She had already Magically adjusted the trousers to fit her perfectly and made them skinny legged instead of straight. She just didn't suit straight legged trousers.
She topped the uniform with heeled boots she would use for both uniforms and a bit of makeup. Mascara and a bit of darker eyeliner was enough with a bit of good chapstick. She was finishing up the bow she was going to wear instead of the tie, adding a silver brooch to the middle to match the special cufflinks she had.
A curling G and L intertwined on the blessed silver cufflinks.
"Perse, come on," Ruka's voice echoed through the door. "Takuma asked me to retrieve you before we leave."
"Give me a minute," Perse snapped her fingers towards the door, making it swing open as she sat at the desk and tried to get her hair to sit straight. "I'm just tryna get my hair covered."
"Why would you need to cover it? It's only purple,"
"Yeah, but having two toned hair will bring even more attention,"
Ruka slapped Perse's hands away from her head, easily taking over as she fixed Perse's parting and pulled the hair behind her ears. It showed off the plum purple hair from underneath since everything underneath the side of hair that leveled near her temple was that colour, and the darker top bit covered the bright hair mostly.
"Leave it behind your ear so it shows everyone you have it now, because if you show it later, it will cause a bigger commotion," Ruka said. "Now, let's get moving. I don't know how big the crowd will be tonight."
"Thanks. Sure," Perse reached for her phone and tucked it into the inside left pocket of the jacket. She paused. "Wait. What do you mean by crowd? Is there usually one when the Night Class go to lessons?"
"Yes," She sighed with slight disgust as both females began to descend down the stairs at a slow pace. "It's quite pathetic. Most of the Day Class students come out to the gates to greet us before class but it's mainly against the rules for them to be wandering out after dark. Headmaster Cross only allows them to see us because he believes it brings peace to both Classes."
"Hurry it up!" Hanabusa almost shouted. "We might be late and I don't want to miss my fans!"
The Day Class seemed to be the opposite of the Night Class; they wore a black uniform with white accents; they attended school during the day; they were human; and they were all...
"Plain-looking…" Perse said and trailed off as Hanabusa was the first out there and began to talk to all of the girls. "Hmm, probably because they're all Human. Makes sense."
"But aren't you Human, Perse?" Takuma asked as he walked with her and Ruka on Perse's other side.
Kaname had requested that the toffee haired Vampire keep an eye on Perse due to her heritage and vulnerability.
She shrugged, tucking her hands into the pockets of her trousers. "Magic makes all the difference. We are perfect in all ways because of it but you are naturally enticing to lure the Humans in. Let's just say that Witch puberty is not fun to go through."
"What happens?"
"Magic becomes unstable in our growing bodies, so we start to make small accidents happen. I've cracked several vases, broken a mirror, set a few bouquets of flowers on fire, and burst every bulb in a mile radius once,"
"Your mother was not happy, I take it,"
"No, she wasn't but she encouraged me to use my Magic as much as I could to get a better hang on it."
"Who's she?"
"Oh my! Her hair looks so nice!"
"Oh, she has coloured hair under her black hair? Do you think it is dyed?"
"It has to be. It can't be natural, can it?"
"True."
"But who is she?"
"Ask Yuki. She probably knows."
"Yuki!"
Perse turned to Takuma, her eyes narrowing. "Who's Yuki?"
"She's Cross' adopted daughter, she helps out in the disciplinary committee," Takuma nodded to a girl, pretty enough, having trouble keeping the other black clad girls back along with a few boys here and there. "Yuki and Zero are the ones to try and keep everyone in line, including us. They know about the Night Class."
"Oh," She hummed. "Okay."
"Did Headmaster Cross not introduce you to them?" Ruka asked, her eyes following Perse's as she watched the Day Class try and get closer to the Night Class as they walked.
Perse shook her head silently. It was strange to be stared at as she walked but she guessed the rest of the class was used to it. The sky was darkening and she found that she preferred the cool nights in Japan than she did in England.
It didn't rain as much here but it wasn't anything Perse couldn't handle.
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For the next few days, a storm brewed over parts of Japan.
It took three days of dewy days and windy nights for the storm to finally settle at Cross Academy.
Perse found herself looking out the open windows in her room, doing school work as she allowed the rain to calm her twitching nerves at being away for too long. She was no longer as moody or uptight as she was when she came to Cross Academy.
When the class had to go to lessons, almost everyone brought an umbrella with them as the rain hadn't let up. Perse decided to go for a simple black trenchcoat, the hem of the coat reaching her knees while her skirt barely covered her stockings.
Rain also meant that the Day Class didn't come to visit and gawk.
"Are you sure, Perse?" Takuma said as he held his umbrella. "There's enough room under mine. You'll become sick."
"I'll be fine, Takuma," Perse said, letting the rain fall on her face. She wore no makeup and was quite happy to relish in the comforts of the storm. To one side, a flash of lighting came and a few seconds later the clap. "I won't become ill. Trust me, I've been in the middle of the storm and never once become sick."
"If you're sure,"
A few more lightning bolts landed nearby, nowhere near to hitting them but enough to scare some of the Night Class.
She loved a good lightning storm.