Author's Note; hey guys! I thought I'd update with another short chapter. I'm sorry it's so short, I'm just not sure whether I'm going continue this or not as it's getting to the point where I'm not enjoying writing this too much any more, but nothings set in stone as of yet.. It's been noted that some of the characters seem OOC, would you guys please kindly review and tell me what you think. I'm trying very hard to improve upon this.

VAMPIRE.

Beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence (commonly referred to as blood) of those of a human form, though they do not necessarily have to be fully human themselves, but must be at least partially human or the vampire's body will reject the blood as it is too foreign from their own. An exception to this that vampires many drink from pureblood vampires (the highest rank of vampire, their often contains no trace of human blood at all) as it is relatively similar to their own.

Despite common folklore, many vampires can't travel in sunlight, however some may be more sensitive to it than others and some cannot…

It was if a light had just been flicked on in her head, it made sense. It explained the bandage around Yori's neck and why she had acted so defensive when Izumi had moved to get a better look at it, it explained the need for there to be guardians and why the Night Class had class at Night and were separated from the humans – so they wouldn't make a meal out of them.

But it didn't explain the spirits. So that couldn't possibly be the case. Izumi groaned and threw the nearest book at the door and accidentally knocked it open. Stupid bloody books.

"Great." She mumbled, she would have to move to close the door and moving required effort.

Locking her hands into fists, Izumi trudged across the wreckage, her hand reaching out for the door knob-

And was rapidly knocked off her feet.

"Izumi! What on earth have you done to our dorm room?" Yori was stood at the door, arms folded, eyes blazing. "I just came back to let you know that you slept in, again and that your detention is in 20 minutes."

"Brilliant, you're so generous Yori. Wow." She yawned.

"Stop being sarcastic with me, I came back to make sure you didn't get in more trouble than you already are. I can see that I was wrong to even bother." Sayori looked away, her eyes wandering to the fleeting sunlight outside. Right then, in that slither of a moment, Izumi saw a flicker of the Yori she had first met, the Yori she missed with all her heart.

This time when she spoke, it came out soft and almost as a whisper. "I miss you so much Yori-chan. It was like one day something snapped within you."

Yori didn't say anything, her eyes filled up with tears, but she didn't cry. She had her hands balled into fists so hard it was a miracle she wasn't bleeding and her hair had fallen in teardrops over her face. Even now, she was still trying to shield her emotions from Izumi.

"What happened Yori-chan, what happened?" Izumi took a step towards her. "Please, I just want to help you."

"I'm fine." Yori whispered, pulling her hands into a protective ball against the left side of her chest. It was as if she was trying to protect her heart. Her gaze drifted down onto the oaky floor that lined the room they shared.

Izumi didn't know what to do. She daren't make a movement in case she were to snap Yori-chan out of her momentary lapse back into her true self. She merely stood there, praying desperately that Yori might snap and open up to her.

But Yori didn't move, she looked as still as someone out of the Night Class.

She sighed and took a deep breath before whispering, "Please Yori-chan. I miss you. Please."

Her eyes were no longer filled with tears when she said; "I'm fine Izumi, now you better get to your detention." And without turning back, marched abruptly out of the room.

Izumi stood there what felt like hours, she had come so close to reaching beyond Yori's carefully built mask and yet she had blown it all within a matter of seconds.

Even though she'd almost got through to Yori, it hadn't changed anything; she was still no closer to fixing her friendship with Yori or any closer to discovering as to why the spirits were drifting closer and closer to the school. Yet the clock was ticking and she would eventually run out of time. As a matter of fact, she didn't know how much time she even had left. Izumi was sure that if were to let matters progress at the manner in which they were, she'd wouldn't be able to handle it on her own. People of her kind were few and far and her grandmother, who had been the one to send her to Cross Academy in the first place, was clutching to the few tendrils of life she had left.

Yes, she was most definitely very alone in this place.

And with that she made her way to detention, her head hung in shame.

"Why hello Rain-san, it's nice that you've finally decided to join us." Yagari muttered in his usual stern and husky voice.

"My apologies sir."

Izumi sighed, stepping into the head's office. There was only her and Zero in the room, who greeted her by fiercely glaring in her direction. She'd hoped that because it was the Chairman, her punishment wouldn't be too bad, but from the look on Yagari's face said that she definitely wasn't in for an easy time.

"If it were up to me, tonight I would be out in the town patroli-," he coughed midsentence, "-going to a bar. But because that stupid Chairman is away, he's asked me to oversee your detentions." Yagari paused, looking extremely bored. "Now since Zero is a prefect and by being in detention, he would miss out on his duties, the Chairman has requested that for this one night only that Izumi be taken out on patrol." Izumi watched as shock and anger flashed through Zero's eyes. Yagari, noticing his expression muttered, "Stupid old man." And tossed the letter that bore the Chairman's signature (and a badly drawn smiley face) to the floor. "Zero, it is your job to protect Izumi. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going."

"Wait!" Zero shouted, his eyebrows knitted together in irritation. Blocking his path to the door, Zero said, "You can't possibly suggest that I take her out on patrol!"

Izumi, taken aback by the venom in which he had said her name spluttered, "Her? Don't I even deserve a name? Just because-"

"I can't," Yagari cut in. "But Kaien idiotically did. He said that if Miss Rain insists on being out on the grounds every night, then she might as well be doing something productive. Now if you'll excuse me," Yagari said, pushing Zero out of the way, "I have more pressing matters to deal with. Plus, since the Night Class returned they have been less…troublesome. There is no immediate threat to worry about for now Zero."

"But-"

He sighed again, and left the room without forgetting to slam the door shut, leaving Izumi alone with him.

The silence lasted so long, it was almost unbearable; she could feel Zero's vicious eyes burning a huge, gaping hole into her back. It was as if she were vermin he'd spotted on the street.

"You are aware," he paused to grab hold of her shoulders and whirled her around to face him, "that under no circumstances are you patrolling with me tonight."