A\N: Sorry the update took a long while. I've had a pretty rough and stressful couple of weeks; it was hard to concentrate on writing anything and I didn't want to dilute the story with projected emotions. So I waited until things calmed down a bit, binge played some Hyrule Warriors and Melody of Memories to divert some stress in my free time. Now I have to work on the next chapter of my other story.


"I bet he faked the whole thing so he could disappear."

"Why, though? This is one of the safest places for us."

"He could have just left instead of making a big scene. Maybe he just wanted to give the Academy a bad name."

"I still think the Headmaster and some of the Elders are in on it. Rumor has it, he isn't a fan of chimeras. And we have, or had, two here."

"Tch, no way. It's gotta be..."

Sora felt himself glare at the group of people in the stairwell when he heard the speculations begin. It was all he, anybody, had heard during the first week since training and classes had started back up. But the one about Ephemer staging his death? That one was new. It just added to the list of things that were irritating him recently, to the heavy weight of reality that was wedging back into his life.

He already had a shortage of sleep, no thanks to Vanitas. No matter what reason he had to decline his freedom, Sora always found himself caving in - with stipulations, of course. But by the end of the week, he was feeling the full effect of his training combined with whatever the demon was doing with his time. Parts of it were still a mystery to him, since Vanitas had began blocking pieces out, which made him more and more suspicious as the time ticked by.

Aside from that, his thoughts dwelt on the night of the masquerade. Riku hadn't been around as often since then, which made the brunette wonder. The shifter had confirmed it hadn't been a mistake, yet there they were, farther apart than he anticipated. He had come up with a number of reasons why, but he seemed to be stuck on the fact that maybe he had misinterpreted their actions. Well, not his own - he knew exactly what he had wanted without doubting it, and what he continued to want - but rather of the other man.

Another possible, and more likely, reason he thought of was simply... the Academy. He hadn't even seen the other three very often unless it was during meal times, which was mostly spent debunking the rumors of Ephemer and pondering their own theory on the situation. Sora felt nearly guilty whenever one of them threw an idea to the wind and wondered why he even let it persist. As far as Sora knew, none of them knew any details on the matter. Unless Namine could have visions of the past, it was going to continue to be a mystery.

Sora sighed as he reached his room, feeling the last bit of his irritation leak out now that he was alone. Dropping his bag to the floor, he fished out tweezers from the drawer of his desk and sat, scraping away the dried blood from his knuckles. The brunette, in the midst of his sour attitude, had gotten into it with Vincent and ended up with him breaking the table - which he had at least surprised himself by. But it had brought a few new things to light.

He had assumed as much that it was too weird that he was the only one being taught by Vincent. There were obviously other vampires there, but Sora had never seen them. From what he had learned earlier, he doubted it was because they feared him. The Elder had opened up with a thin book on Demonology, which had flustered Sora. Between what he had already experienced in his life and Namine's vision, he wasn't sure how it was even relevant. Demons weren't a common thing, not for a myriad of years, so what little the book had to offer were practically myths.

With his temper flared, he then confronted Vincent about being a solitary student to him, which only proved his theories to be somewhat true. The Elder had simply told him it was the 'Headmaster's orders,' and nothing else, which was what made the younger vampire snap and slam his fist into the table.

As he plucked out the tiny splinters of wood, wincing slightly since his skin had already healed around them, his thoughts grew heavier. There was something he was being left out of, he was sure. He didn't want to include Namine in it, but she was working closely with Xehanort. As for the others... Sora felt it was unlikely. Roxas and Axel were joined at the hip when it was possible and they were too into each other to be suspicious; Ventus was more focused on his studies; Riku was missing in action, with no evidence to point him either direction.

Sora stood, settling his mind. It only took a couple of minutes before he was knocking roughly on the older blonde's door on the other side of the Academy, and seconds before it opened. He pushed his way past without waiting for an invitation inside, taking a seat at the desk as Ventus glowered at his lack of manners. Ven was the only one he felt he could trust to the fullest extent, with no hard feelings toward the others. It was mostly because he was also the only one who knew about and interacted with Vanitas.

"Something isn't right around here," said Sora.

"It hasn't been right since the incident with Ephemer. Why is this a revelation to you?" Sora didn't miss the annoyance lacing Ven's voice as he closed the door.

"That's not what I mean. There's something they aren't telling us. We're being kept in the dark."

"You, me and the entirety of the Academy," Ven replied flatly, collapsing on the bed. He stretched out, slinging an arm over his eyes as if he was already checking out of the conversation. Sora slammed his hand down on the corner of the desk as he leaned forward in the chair.

"Ven, I'm serious. This isn't just about Ephemer. I'm talking about whatever is happening with me, with Vanitas. None of us have had any free time, like we're being separated. Don't you feel like something has been out of place this last week?" he asked the blonde desperately. Of all people, he thought Ventus would have been the one to share his thoughts.

"Yeah, my sleeping schedule. It's the first week back to classes. The Elders have been cramming everyone with studies to make up for the break we had. So, sure, we haven't been able to hang out. Not that it's stopping Roxas..." Ven sighed. "I think you just need to focus on catching up on sleep, Sora. And keep Vanitas on a leash. He's been busting in here every night and leaving things in my room. It's annoying."

"Vanitas? He's been...?" the brunette started. He saw Ventus peek at him under his arm, his mouth parted slightly as it always did when his mind was working quickly - something Sora had started noticing.

"He's still blocking things from you?" he asked.

"Of course he is. You think he's gonna do it a couple of times and then stop? He's planning something, too, like I said before," Sora replied. He was starting to get exasperated at Ventus' train of thought, seeing as he wasn't getting any answers or theories that he was hoping for.

"Have you even tried to confront him about it? Ask him what his deal is?"

The comment made the brunette drop his eyes to his feet as he clasped his hands together at his knees. That was the problem. He had thought about it, but there was one simple thing that was keeping him from actually doing it: Vanitas knew things were being kept from him as well.

"There's no point. We've already went over the fact that he found out from me. And it's not like he's keeping me completely in the dark. I've got glimpses of him in the forest, but that's about it," Sora informed sullenly.

He watched Ventus when he heard him slide off of his bed, walking around the chair he sat in to grab something off of the desk. Five leaves, held between his thumb and index fingers, were spread out perfectly so Sora could view the design punctured into each one. It wasn't simply Ventus' name spelled across the leaves. It was in immaculate cursive without so much as a mistake, as if the demon had been writing it on paper instead.

"He's blocking out the parts that involve me. I still don't know how he got in here - I lock my door every night. But each night, he's left one of these here. He's mocking me," Ven said, glaring sharply at the leaves. Sora was at a loss about the meaning, but it obviously struck something within the blonde. "I'll try to see if I can't get him to tell me next time I see him. But you really should reign him in and get some sleep. You're looking more like a zombie than a vampire."

At the same time that Ventus dropped the leaves back on the desk, Sora recoiled from the sudden snap of pain in his mind from Vanitas.

No, no, no, no, no. Not tonight! I need sleep, damn it!

He started at the feel of the blonde's hand on his shoulder, squeezing tightly until he lifted his eyes. Ven was crouched in front of him, but his vision was blurred from the strain of holding the demon back.

"Give us twenty minutes."

It was all Ventus said, and after a moment, Sora nodded and relinquished his failing control. It was easy for the blonde to assume when the demon was present; the pain faded from his face; his brows furrowed just slightly; the corner of his mouth curved up just enough to show a sense of relief. He started to retract his hand at these minuscule changes, wanting to put distance between himself and Vanitas. He wasn't fast enough, however, as he found himself grabbed and pulled forward.

Ven felt when his practiced unyielding look melted into one of surprise. Instantly, he reached out with his other hand, pushing back to try and regain the distance, but the hand planted firmly on his left arm wouldn't let him move farther than a foot. Gritting his teeth, he looked up to see the half-lidded gilded eyes of Vanitas staring at him in amusement.

"Well, this is convenient. Did I interrupt a cozy moment?" he teased.

Ventus didn't move away from the hand that grabbed at his chin. In fact, the longer he concentrated his eyes on the demon's, he felt his body beginning to relax. Although Vanitas still had a hold of his left arm, he placed his hand on his bicep; meanwhile, he dropped his hand from the demon's chest to his leg, applying light pressure with his fingers.

"About damn time..." he heard the demon mutter. The grin disappeared from his face, but Ven noticed the way Vanitas' eyes dilated and his breathing had began to slow. When he felt the slight tug on his chin, pulling his face closer, he knew he had the most opportune moment.

Sorry, Sora...

Before Vanitas could finish closing the distance, Ventus raised his hand from the demon's leg and, with his fingers closed into a fist, slammed it into the inner thigh. While the man hissed from the sudden pain, he took advantage of the distraction; he dug his fingers into the bicep under his right hand, knowing he had perfectly hit the pressure point when the grip on his arm lightened enough for him to extract himself completely and move away across the floor.

"Conversations would go a hell of a lot better if you'd just get out of the gutter for five minutes, you know," he growled out. But he felt an air of satisfaction as he watched Vanitas grip his leg, partially slumped over in the chair. But instead of throwing malice in his direction, the demon only let out a laugh.

"Feisty tonight. Ah, well, I should have known it wouldn't have been that easy," Vanitas sighed. Leaning back in the chair, the demon kept a steady massage on the afflicted thigh. "You missed the nerve completely, by the way. But for a human, you sure pack quite the punch."

"Why do you do it?" Ventus asked, ignoring the commentary thrown at him. He immediately wished he had been more direct about his question when he saw the predatory look reappear across the room.

"Try to seduce you? Because you're interesting, and that blackened soul of yours is begging for my attention. I want to know what secrets lie in there." Vanitas hadn't even given pause when he answered the blonde, who was taken aback by the bluntness of his words - if they were the truth, anyway.

"That's not what I meant. Sora. Why are you keeping things from him all of a sudden? He thinks you're-" Ven snapped his mouth shut as soon as he realized what he was going to say, biting at the inside of his cheek until he tasted the coppery flavor of blood. His heartbeat resounded in his ears, even more so when Vanitas shot an intense stare his way.

"Thinks I'm...what?" he asked, standing from his seat.

If he was feeling any pain at all, Ventus noticed he wasn't showing. He took a step back, another thought occurring to him. Maybe the demon had been playing along, just to get him to drop his guard. And he almost did. His throat felt constricted as his mind fumbled to put together another plan.

"I'm not going to say a thing unless I know I can trust you. That we can trust you," he blurted out. He wasn't sure exactly what he was working towards, but as the words tumbled out, he thought back to the other times he had ran into the demon and when he had talked to Sora that day in Twilight Town. Perhaps there was something he could aim for.

"I'm a demon! What's there to trust about me?!" Vanitas barked with a laugh. He took a few steps forward, in which Ven responded with moving backward, matching step for step.

"Because you yearn for a piece of humanity. Maybe you haven't said it out loud, but you want to remember, don't you? Part of that is giving someone a reason to trust you, and they'll the do the same in return."

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Ventus felt his heart leap in his chest when his back hit the wall. The only way left to go was to the right, where his door was, if he needed to escape. But that didn't seem likely.

"As reassuring as that is, you have to give something more solid than that..." the blonde muttered, curling his fingers into his palms. He was resolute in his ability not to shrink away from Vanitas, determined to show that he was not someone to prey on.

"More solid than your life?" The fact that Vanitas was even putting a sliver of seriousness into it was surprising. It had been a fifty-fifty chance, to say the least; he could dodge it easily, or he could give an answer. With a smug grin on his face, the demon leaned in close to the blonde, whispering his response into his ear.

All of the sound surrounding him was suddenly gone, even the rhythmic pounding of his heart, as he digested the information Vanitas had given him.

No way...

"Is that worth your trust, or am I still transparent?"

The low octave of the demon's voice sent an involuntary shiver down Ven's spine. When he lifted his eyes to look straight into the golden ones merely inches away, he realized that it made Vanitas the farthest thing from transparent. Not only was it a critical discovery toward who he was, but what he was capable of.

Although he should have reacted the moment he realized how close the demon had gotten, Ven felt paralyzed. Mixed with the elation of his discovery was hesitation and fear. It wasn't until he felt something slip between his parted lips and sweep across his tongue that he felt himself snap out of the lethargic mental state he was in.

The blonde went to move his head, but that hand; it was at his jaw and keeping his head in place while Vanitas moved his mouth methodically in an attempt to coax him. He moved his hands quickly, intent on shoving the man away, but his strength faltered as soon as Vanitas' tongue swept over the sensitive injury to his cheek. Ven flinched, making a small sound as he did. He could have sworn that the demon smirked in reaction to it right before he did it again. But this time, the tongue had moved in such a way that it caused a sharper pain and brought out a louder sound from Ven's throat.

With his face flushed with embarrassment, Ventus pulled his mind away from the shock and shoved harshly against the chest of the demon. Once separated, he scrubbed the back of his hand against his mouth, directing what he hoped was a fierce glare toward the culprit. The only response he got in return was a devilish smirk and a heated stare.

"You're blood is sweeter than I thought," he murmured. "Guess you'll have to trust me with Sora's thoughts next time, though. Time's up."

Ven waited until the softer demeanor of his friend showed on his face before letting out a relieved sigh. At that particular moment, he wasn't sure what the relief was for - whether it was from how he could have jeopardized their plans or that he escaped from Vanitas and his antics. It was short lived; Sora let out a yell and toppled to the ground, clutching at his leg with both hands.

"What the fuck is wrong with my leg, Ven?!" he cried out with a painful and perplexed look on his face. The blonde crossed his arms over his chest as he began to feel haggard.

"He was being an asshole. Apparently he has a higher pain tolerance than you," he replied.

"How does that even make sense? It's my body!"

"But you're you, and Vanitas is a demon. Clearly different."

It did make Ventus wonder. When Vanitas was in control, it was obvious he carried different traits. The pain tolerance; being able to change his look, as witnessed from their spar in the forest; even their strength was different. But being in Sora's body, did it mean he was affected by things others would normally endure? He would have to find that out, as well. It could help them in the future.

"So, did you find anything out? Or was he just wanting to be a pain in the ass?" asked the brunette, making an attempt to stand. The pain was bearable after some rough massaging, but his muscle still ached.

"Uh..." Ventus hesitated. Doubt wedged itself in his mind again, whether he should share what he found out. "Not...specifically. But I may have made leeway toward gaining his trust. It's like you said, he wants to know what it's like to be human again. He had told me before, in the forest, that he doesn't remember anything prior to becoming a demon."

"What does trust have to do with anything?"

Ventus sighed and resumed his seat on the bed from earlier, flopping his arm back over his eyes. He felt the wedge he was placing between growing thicker with every truth that he dodged. But unlike Sora, he wasn't going to cave in and spout every tiny detail that transpired between himself and Vanitas. He only needed to know the pertinent information to avoid their fated future.

"It means, if we can gain his trust, we can avoid him destroying the Academy. It's sort of common sense. But until we figure out what to do with him, we have to keep up our side of it, too. We can't just break him down without giving him something in return, or it'll be for nothing," Ventus explained.

"Huh..." The quiet acknowledgment from Sora made the blonde peek out from under his arm. His friend was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and an obvious question in his eyes. "Sounds to me like you're defending him. You two got something going on I need to know about?"

"The hell are you implying? There's nothing going on between us. It's like an undercover job," Ven retorted with exasperation. "I've only talked to the guy, what, three times? Plus, I'm not interested in anyone, let alone a demon."

"Yeah, but judging from your first run-in with Vanitas, you guys seem to have some sort of deep, meaningful conversations. I wouldn't say that's nothing." Although Sora sounded like he was teasing, Ventus still heard the warning hidden behind his words. He had to be careful, no matter the situation.

"Don't worry, I'm more careful than you think. Unlike Roxas and Axel, who lets the entire world hear them getting it on. And you, for that matter, feeding off of Riku and not even hiding it."

"T-that's not what happened! I didn't feed from him. I just... It sort of just happened, okay?" Sora defended heatedly. Letting out a sigh, he slumped himself back into the desk chair. "Have you seen him in the last week? It's like he doesn't want to come around us. I feel like such a girl about it."

"It's what happens when emotions get involved." Ventus felt his heart thump painfully in his chest at the thought, causing him to sit up sharply and shake his head at the feeling. "Nobody has seen him, though. For a specific reason. And don't even get any ideas about checking on him, Sora. You're a person of interest to Riku. You, especially, should keep avoiding contact with him during the next few days."

Confusion plastered itself across the brunette's face.

"What do you mean, avoid him? What reason does he have?"

"Haven't you read anything on shifters? Or any other species besides vampires?" The blank look Ventus received in return confirmed his assumption. "You really should study more, seeing as you're living with these people. Every few months, there are two weeks where they go into a type of heat cycle. It differs from person to person, depending on when they come of age and when they get their animal pairing. They can't ignore it because it's their dynamics, and no type of medicine can help them with it."

"You're saying that Riku is...?"

"Yes, for two weeks, he's horny as hell and all his instincts are telling him to act on it. Which is why you shouldn't go around him. Shifters have no sense of morals and your safety could be jeopardized. For as long as I've known him, I've never seen him with anyone until you came along," he stated, giving the brunette a sidelong glance. It was enough to see that Sora had leaned forward in his seat and became invested in the conversation.

"He hasn't been with anyone before?" Sora's voice was quiet when he spoke, since his mind was reeling with every new thing he was learning. Perhaps Ventus was right, he should study the other species more - or at least shifters. Basing his assumptions on the one night they'd shared, he felt as if Riku had had some sort of experience with others.

Ventus sighed at the befuddled look warring for control over the fascination, twisting his face into an assortment of emotions.

"I'm...not too sure, honestly. But during the times he's disappeared for two weeks, I've never heard nor seen anyone around him. Rumor has it, on the third floor, they have designated areas for the shifters during that time. For their safety, and for everyone else here," Ven said, trying to ease some of Sora's thoughts. "But with what's been happening, I have a feeling the Headmaster has closed that area off. The last thing that needs to happen is for shifters to be targeted when they're at their most vulnerable state."

"But there hasn't been any other attacks. It's been quiet. If Vanitas was the one that attacked Ephemer, he hasn't made a move since I've given him freedom to roam," he said pointedly. It made sense, Ventus' thoughts on the matter. If what he said was true, fighting would be the last thing Riku would be doing. Despite the dangers the blonde warned about, they had their weaknesses with it, too. "Actually, I don't ever recall Vanitas coming to surface before. But... there are moments where I don't know what happened. Like parts of my life missing. I would pass out or fall asleep, then wake up somewhere completely different."

At this, Ventus moved toward the edge of his bed to look at Sora closely. He had never mentioned before about losing time or memories other than when he was turned into a vampire. Slowly, Ven began to piece information together, trying to find connections between everything. Vanitas hadn't been a physical existence until Sora popped the surprise trip on them, or at least that's what he had gleaned from Sora's explanation. Ephemer's attack had happened before that. Yet, his friend had no recollection when it came to certain areas of his life.

"You can't remember anything? It's just...blank?" he asked. Sora began to nod his head, but he stopped and furrowed his brows.

"No, I... I always thought it was a dream, though. I would be in this giant open space. It was endless. But it was like a sky and an ocean? But the water wasn't blue. It was clear, like glass. It would feel like I spent hours in there, even a couple of days, but I can't be sure. Who keeps track of time when you're dreaming?"

"It sounds like... a generic dreamscape. Your personal one," Ventus said as recognition dawned. He had been in his own numerous times, but it looked more like a castle that was painted white and gray. "When you don't specifically have a dream or a nightmare, you're basically in limbo in the depths of your consciousness. Even when someone says they don't dream, that's where they go. If by chance Vanitas has forcefully taken control of your body, you may have been shoved into that limbo. You weren't necessarily dreaming, but you didn't have control of your body, either. So it's still a possibility that Vanitas attacked Ephemer."

Sora suddenly stood sharply from his seat, taking a few steps before he rummaged his fingers roughly through his hair and let out a frustrated groan. With the influx of information he was getting, it was beginning to jumble into a heap of a mess in his mind.

"This is all too much. It's like I've had a miniature class with you. No notes to show for it, either. There's no way I'm gonna remember all this," he said sullenly.

"No notes are needed. Just remember to keep away from Riku. Let me decipher the riddles about Vanitas. He may share your body, but I'm the one working closely with him. Focus on yourself," reassured Ven, offering him a weak smile. "And for the love of god, get some sleep."

Sora took his leave from Ventus' room shortly after and headed back across the foyer to his room. His thoughts floated back on the conversation. Things had become so convoluted over the years where it concerned the demon, but ever since coming to the Academy, things were slowly getting clearer. Even though it wasn't easy, with Ventus' help picking apart the mysteries, they were getting somewhere. It was only a matter of time before they could completely diffuse Namine's vision.

As he entered the East Wing, Sora slowed his steps and glanced down the hall until his eyes landed on 17B. Part of him desperately wanted to check on Riku, just to see if he really was okay. But the warning Ventus had given him made him hesitate.

As I should... he thought.

It was a huge risk to even think about putting himself in front of Riku in that state. His resolve toward the shifter was already weak, as proven from experience. Ever since he had fed from him, something had changed; he just hadn't wanted to admit it until recently. And if he presented himself to Riku, especially if he was in the middle of the cycle...

Sora blinked his eyes three times before he realized he was standing in front of Riku's door. A heavy weight on his shoulder and a gruff voice made him snap his head around until he noticed that Seifer had been trying to get his attention. Instead of focusing on the words coming from the Elder, his thoughts teetered toward trying to figure out why and how he ended up in front of the shifter's door. Had he been so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize it?

"Go back to your room and leave him be. It's for your own safety." Sora nodded in response, his mind feeling hazy as he shrugged the hand off of his shoulder before heading back down the hall to his own room. It was only another week, right?