"You really want to know what happened?" he asked, his eyes still closed. Ritsuka nodded in reply, and squeaked, "Yes." Kalel opened his eyes again and stared into Ritsuka's eyes.

"Jorele and I went to the same school, a school just for Sentouki and their Sacrifices. I'm sure you're familiar with such a place, if you've battled other students before. On the first day—"

Chapter 3: Reflections

Kalel yawned, his ears folded back against his head, his arms and legs stretched as far as he could reach. Sunlight barely peeked through the vertical blinds hanging from his window. Sometimes, Kalel wondered why he even put blinds up in the first place, since his window was so small.

Yet another morning had begun at the school he was sold to. His parents, now dead because of poor health and mental instability, had basically sold him to the Sentouki school, and then they died. Kalel grew up with the other students. When he lost his first tooth, they teased him that the Tooth Fairy wouldn't come because she would never find the school. When he swore out loud for the first time, Ritsu had scolded him, but after the lecture the older students congratulated him. The student body had basically become his family. When students graduated, sure, he was sad, but new students always came, and few ever left.

This morning, though, Kalel didn't want to get out of bed. He had a feeling that Ritsu would be especially harsh on this day. It seemed better for him to stay in his room than to go to class.

"Get a grip, Kalel," he growled to himself. "He'll kill you if you skip out again."

He sighed as he slid out from beneath the soft blankets. The hard wood floor froze the bottoms of his feet as the wooden panels stole the warmth from them. Gently tugging at the knots in his platinum blonde hair, Kalel groggily stumbled over to the mirror and inspected his once-black hair. He had let his hair grow out too long. The black color he had saved so much money to dye his hair with wasn't good enough to keep up with his fast-growing hair. Already the pale hairs had claimed most of his head, except for the tips, where the black dye still held strong. Kalel shook his head. No point in starting over just yet.

He quickly undressed and exchanged his pajamas for a black AFI shirt and baggy jeans. He was proud of these clothes. They were his first purchases from a store that he had once been afraid of, but he was now the shop's most frequent customer. Glancing at the clock, he cursed loudly, rushing to find a clean pair of socks and his shoes. "I'm gonna be late, dammit!" he shouted, digging under the bed for his shoes.

Rushing out the door, shoes in hand, Kalel shoved his way through the crowds in the hall. The senior students laughed, poking fun at him, saying, "Look who's finally decided to wake up. You're gonna be late, Kalel, if you don't get your ass in gear."

"I know that!" Kalel grinned. "I'll make it this time for sure!" He turned a sharp corner, nearly missing a couple kissing in the shadows. He stuck out his tongue at them, turning his eyes from the path. Suddenly, Kalel ran into someone. He muttered curses under his breath as he touched his sore lip, bloody from his teeth jamming into the tender flesh. "Watch it, you motherf—" His words caught in his throat, Kalel fell silent.

A tall, handsome young man stood before him. His long black hair seemed to flow like water from the blue ribbon keeping it all tied out of his eyes. The blue tunic he wore showed off much of his chest, and his skin was nearly as pale as the finest porcelain china. Kalel began to blush as he looked at the man's legs. They were long and elegant, perfect for someone of his beauty. Lavender eyes calmly gazed back into Kalel's frantic red ones, a small smile creeping across his soft mouth.

"Excuse me," he said. "Are you alright? Your lip is bleeding terribly." Kalel quickly clapped his hand over his cut and shook his head ferociously.

"I'mf fine," he said, his voice muffled. "Gon' be late. Got'a go!" He pushed past the man, his eyes beginning to well with tears. His lips throbbed, and pain surged through his jaw.

I can't let him see me cry, he thought. Gotta run fast before he sees!

Kalel flew back into the man's arms. He struggled to escape his grasp, and, for a moment, he forgot his bloody lip. "Let go of me, you bastard!" Kalel snarled, wriggling to be free of his trap.

"Really, Kalel, is that any way to speak to the honored guest of our school?" Kalel's skin began to shiver. He feared to look toward the one who spoke.

"S-sensei," he stammered, lowering his eyes to the ground, "g-good morning." Ritsu grasped Kalel's chin, inspecting his lip.

"You have a bad cut, Kalel," he said. "Perhaps Jorele can take care of it for you." Kalel raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Jorele, he's in your hands. Make sure he gets to class this morning." Ritsu let go of Kalel's chin, scowling at the boy's look of defiance. "Behave today, Kalel," he murmured in a low voice. "You don't want to go back there again, do you?" Kalel shook his head slowly.

"No, sir," he muttered. Ritsu nodded approvingly.

"Good," he said. Oh, and Kalel—" Kalel's eyes rose to meet his teacher's. "—fix your hair before tomorrow. You look ridiculous." Having given his two-cent' worth about Kalel's hair, he left the same way he came, silent and stealthy.

Kalel sighed and dropped his shoes, saying, "Thank God that's over with." He grasped Jorele's firm hand. "You know, you can let go of me now." Jorele shook his head.

"I was told to take care of your wound," he said. "Let me see it." He grabbed Kalel's chin, raising it so he could see the cut better. Kalel felt as though his head would pop off from the strain. He couldn't struggle in Jorele's arms no matter how hard he kicked his feet.

"Let go of me, damn you!" he shouted. "I'm fine. It's stopped bleeding. I know it has" Jorele leaned closer to Kalel's lips, his breath warm against Kalel's face.

"It's hurts, doesn't it?" Jorele asked. Kalel didn't reply. Jorele's mouth had already crept closer to Kalel's lips. Kalel's heart began to race. His hands shook, and his breathing hastened. Then, Jorele softly rested his lips on Kalel's, blowing gently into his wound. His tongue tickled his chin as he cleaned the blood off his lip. Kalel gasped as the light flashed on Jorele's teeth. White fangs, delicately crafted, graced Jorele's mouth.

"V-vampire," Kalel whispered angrily, clenching his hand into a fist. Jorele smiled as he set Kalel down on his feet.

"Yes, I am," he said calmly. "I am Jorele, son of the Emperor of Alluria. You must be Kalel, the one Sensei spoke of." Kalel grit his teeth together, holding back curses of all kinds. Suddenly, his jaw stopped throbbing, and the pain vanished. "Oh, good," Jorele smiled. "Your wound must have stopped hurting. Am I correct?" Kalel nodded slowly. The taste of Jorele's lips still lingered in his mouth, and his cheeks burned scarlet at the thought of touching the prince's lips again.

"I have to get to class," he said, sliding out of Jorele's arms. "I'm gonna be late if I don't get my ass in gear." Jorele gently stroked Kalel's chin.

"No need to rush," he said. "Trust me. Where's your first class?" Kalel blushed, turning his eyes away from Jorele.

"English language," he murmured. Jorele draped his arm around Kalel's shoulders.

"I'll walk you there," he said, "Luminescence."