Shiro's eyes flickered open as she felt the burning rays of sunlight recede into the horizon. She hated the nature of her mutual existence – Kurai could feel every emotion and injury she endured and she could feel his. She would never be able feel the sun's warmth and bask in its light, because Kurai would feel it too and be burnt. Likewise, she thirsted for blood just as Kurai did, and her throat was throbbing because of it. Shiro rose from her bed and woke Kurai too. He had insisted that they share a room only with each other, and oddly enough, Kaname had agreed.

"You are thirsty," she drawled, her voice exhausted by sleep. "Drink."

Kurai could not refuse a command given by Shiro; she was the host of his existence, after all. He sat up, blue eyes ablaze with hunger, and reached for her outstretched wrist. Only the blood of his other half could sate his hunger.

"Thank you," he murmured, kissing the skin of her wrist to numb it before sinking his fangs into it. Shiro hissed in pain and grasped Kurai's left wrist as well. Blood poured from a bite wound there, identical to the one on her wrist where Kurai's fangs were lodged. She immediately brought his wrist to her own lips and kissed it, sealing the puncture holes. Shiro could heal him too.

A few minutes later, Kurai withdrew his fangs and hid them behind a bloody grimace. He hated feeding from his host, not only because it gave her pain, but because he felt it too.

"I'm sorry, Shiro. Come, let's get ready for class," he said and climbed out of bed. His eyes no longer shone with the rage of hunger, but resumed their usual hazy apathy. Shiro briefly mused that he was, indeed, the exact opposite in everything but looks to her. Whilst she was good, kind and gentle in nature, he was dark, selfish and temperamental. Although she was strong in body, he was weak and relied on her for resilience. It was the only thing that kept his evil nature from reaching her. But he was a good actor, and had established his role as a protective brother and sociable aristocrat in the Night Class. Without Kurai, Shiro would never have survived by herself.

Kurai was quick to notice Rima's watchful eye as he descended with Shiro at his arm into the foyer of the Moon Dorms. She was obviously suspicious of them – a caution she had received from Senri, Kurai speculated – but he gathered that she could not possibly know as to why she should regard them with suspicion. He turned his head to mutter into Shiro's ear.

"Be mindful of Senri and Rima. They are perhaps the most observant and I suspect that they might be the ones to discover us first," he warned. Shiro nodded and gazed about the room, and sure enough met the gaze of Senri's steely blue eyes. Senri was watching her, and Rima was watching them both. Kurai had suspected that they, being the quietest of the group, would be the most adept in figuring people out. He had resolved, then, two options of play: the first being closely related to the phrase 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer', and then second being to kill them just as he had his mother and the doctor. The first option would be the best in this situation, he concluded.

"Shall we go, then?" Kaname called to the Night Class as the last of the group assembled together. "Takuma, I trust you will see the two new students through their first changeover."

As commanded, Takuma came to the twins, and Kurai immediately stiffened. His hand clutched Shiro's as he pulled her behind him. Takuma appeared not to notice his hostility and merely grinned at them.

"The last new student we had fainted of shock at their first changeover" - and awkward cough resounded through the room - "so you might want to brace yourselves," said Takuma. He offered his hand to Shiro, who took it, throwing Kurai a reprimanding glance for his aggressive actions. The latter frowned and kept his hand closed tightly around her other hand as Takuma led them towards the gates. He did not trust Takuma, especially because of his heritage. He had been warned of the cruelty of the eldest Ichijo, and of his immense ambition for the future of the vampiric race. Kurai's host was born a hunter, so he too sympathized with the hunters, though the notion went against his entire existence as a vampire. So he would do his duty as a hunter alongside Shiro on one condition – he was allowed to consume the blood of those they hunted. Though it could never satisfy him, he could not feed from Shiro alone. Her blood did not come in unlimited quantities, and he could not drain and kill her, for he would die as well. They were cursed to live as one - she was his life, and he was hers.

Literally.

Hey readers! I know this chapter's not very eventful, but the next few shall be, I promise. There will be a few more chapters like this - with the purpose of explaining more about the situation of the 'twins'. Let me know if there's anything in particular you want to see happen in the story and I will try to write it in~

3 From Ellerosa