Tsukune didn't get much sleep for the rest of the night. His alarm sounded at 8:30 just like every morning, but this time it seemed a lot louder than usual. When he tried to shut it off he heard a loud crash.

"What the…"

He turned to see that his clock had been crushed.

"I didn't hit it that hard…"

Tsukune's room seemed a lot brighter than usual, even though the blinds were drawn and he didn't have any lights on just yet.

"And why does my head hurt?"

When he got up to look in the mirror he saw something even more shocking. Not only were there bite marks on his neck in the place where Moka usually bit him, but there were black small black lines starting to move out and around them, the ones that usually appeared when the vampire blood inside him went haywire. He looked at the Holy Lock around his arm and saw that several of the links had been fragmented.

"This can't be good… I need to hide this from Moka."

After he was done cleaning himself he strapped a huge bandage to the place where the bite marks were. After he had gotten dressed he made his way out the door, suddenly…

"GEEZZZ! WHY IS IT SO BRIGHT OUT!?!"

It took a minute for his eyes to adjust. After that, much to Tsukune's astonishment, he realized that the sun wasn't even out. The sky was still cloudy from the storm that came last night. Regardless he started to make his way to class. Yokai Academy was a pretty strange place, but today seemed to be stranger than usual. Especially since the sound of Tsukune's own footsteps against the ground were driving him bonkers. Next he heard more footsteps coming from behind him, and they weren't walking, they were running. He could also smell something in the air. Somehow he knew exactly what the scent meant. In a matter of moments he felt someone grabbing him from behind.

"Good morning, Tsukune!"

"Good morning, Moka."

"Did you sleep well last night? Oh my gosh, what's that on your neck?!"

Tsukune was relieved that the bandage was still attached.

"What? This? Oh it's nothing… I… cut myself shaving."

"Shaving? Your neck?"

"Yeah well… A lot of hair grows under the chin, and I kinda dropped the razor blade… It's nothing, really!"

"… Okay, if that's all, but please tell me if there's something wrong."

Moka was blushing.

"Because… we are…"

"Moka?"

"Tsukune…"

"Moka…"

"Tsukune…"

"Moka…"

"Tsukune…"

Moka started to move closer to him, suddenly a small projectile flew in-between them and stuck itself into a nearby tree. Moka went over and saw that the projectile was made of ice.

"Mizore…"

They both turned around, and sure enough there was Mizore hiding behind another tree.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Yes… You were about to suck Tsukune's blood… again."

"Again?"

"That bandage on your neck…"

"No! This was my fault, I cut myself shaving this morning."

"GOOD MORNING TSUKUNE!"

Almost on cue Kurumu came flying in and buried Tsukune's face in her breasts. But what really bothered him was how loud she had greeted him.

"Did you miss me last night? Did you dream about me?"

"Let go of him!"

Yukari came up and struggled to get Kurumu off him.

"I've always hated you and your body!"

"You're just jealous because you don't have anything to offer Tsukune."

"Now I'm mad!"

"Your actions are childish as well."

"If you ask me, you're both acting like children." said Mizore.

"At least I don't go around stalking people and hurling ice projectiles!"

All this screaming was giving Tsukune a splitting headache.

"STOP!!!"

They all turned and looked at him.

"I mean… We're going to be late for class."

Being in class didn't settle Tsukune's nerves either. From the beginning Ms. Nekonome's lecture seemed to just trail off.

"Now I'd like you all to take down the following pages whiiiicchhhh yooooouuu villlll haaaaaffff tooooooo rrraaaaaadddd fooooooorrr tomoooorooah cllooooooossss…."

Tsukune had lost track of how much time had passed when his neck started to hurt. It felt like something was crawling up his skin on the inside. Suddenly his mind was somewhere else. Racing through a series of images and hearing the same deep voice he heard last night at the end of his dream.

"TSUKUNE AONO!"

Tsukune found himself in a white void similar to the one he had visited in his dream last night. There was a seed on the ground in front of him. Almost instantly the seed sprouted and a flower grew out of it. Once it was in full bloom it was a marvelous sight to behold, but all too quickly the flower started to wither and die, but as it did it released more seeds. Then Tsukune was transported to another dark void where he saw the same burning white eyes, and this time he saw the outline of a man.

"Do not be afraid… I am peace… I am salvation."

"Who are you? What is all this? Why am I seeing these things?!"

"Aono-kun, please read this page aloud…"

Tsukune didn't hear Ms. Nekonome calling him.

"Aono-kun?"

Tsukune looked like he was ready to pass out. Moka tried to get his attention by poking him in the back with her pencil.

"Tsukune…"

"I… can't… fell my stomach…"

There was no warning for what happened next.

!!!

Tsukune threw up, but even more alarming was that the vomit was black. Just like that he collapsed onto the floor.

"TSUKUNE!"

Tsukune was rushed to the infirmary.

"What's that?" said the doctor pointing at his bandage.

"He said he cut himself shaving."

"Well let me have a look… AAAGHHH!!!"

They were all shocked by the black lines that had begun stretching up and down Tsukune's neck.

"He must have some kind of infection… I'll need to look at it to see the extent of the damage."

Outside the girls discussed the matter.

"Oh my gosh! Those were the same line that appear when he transforms!"

"Did you notice the links on his lock… Is the seal weakening?"

"Moka! This is all your fault!" said Kurumu.

"Me?! What did I do?"

"Yeah, what did she do?"

"Ruby?!"

"Sorry to interrupt, but the Headmaster wants to speak to us."

"Us?"

"Yes, all of us, he says it's urgent."

(To be continued)