A/N: Here's Chapter 2 of One Life to Live!

Recap:

"Hey, don't close your eyes. Just stay awake. Look at me." His hands cupped my face and turned it toward his. They were warm, which made me want to sleep, but I didn't.

His eyes were the only vivid thing I could see; they were a piercing lilac, with a hint of silver. He took his hand to his mouth and then placed it in mine, filling it with a warm liquid. I drank, feeling the warmth disperse to the rest of my body, and then everything went black.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Relax. I saved her just before she drowned."

"Well, it's good that you found her in time."

The voices were close yet distant, a constant, echoing murmur in my ears. I slowly opened my eyes and found people on either side of me: on my right was Kiryuu-kun, who I recognized immediately by his eyes; and on my left was a girl with short, brown hair, a small face, and a look of deep worry. Behind her was a man with a ponytail and glasses, dressed like it was always winter.

"Ah, I'm so glad you're awake," the girls sighed in relief. "We weren't sure when you'd wake up."

"Can you sit up?" Kiryuu-kun asked.

I tried to push myself up but didn't have the energy. Kiryuu-kun helped me up gently, keeping a semi-firm grip on my shoulders as I sat up.

I looked around, finally noticing my surroundings. The room I was in was rather large and spacious, with just two juxtaposed beds on one side and two desks on the far sides of the walls on the other. The walls were bare, except for small yet elegant lighting fixtures on the wall-sides, and a chandelier of lights draping from the ceiling. In between the beds was a small nightstand, which now had a glass of water and a bowl of rice topped with curry.

My attention quickly shifted once the Glasses Man started talking to me.

"I'm sure you must be wondering where you are, dear. But I assure you, there's nothing to be afraid of. I am Kaien Cross, Headmaster of Cross Academy. This here is my daughter, Yuki Cross. And I'm sure you've met Kiryuu by now."

I nodded, "We go to the same high school. But why are we here? Where are we, exactly?"

I must have had the most confused face ever, because the Headmaster broke into a smile. "Why, dear Hitomi, you are at Cross Academy, of course! I'm sorry this is such short notice, but you've been transferred to here from your previous school. No need to worry, your parents are aware and consented to the transfer, because this is one of the finest schools in the country."

I realized the smile was out of kindness rather than amusement, so I relaxed a bit. "How do you know my name?"

"Kiryuu told us about you. In fact, had it not been for him, you would have drowned in the courtyard fountain almost immediately."

The mention of the fountain suddenly brought a thought to my mind. "My diary, and my bag, where are they?" I asked in slight panic.

The headmaster rested a hand on my shoulder. "They're safe, dear. We've salvaged what we could, but I'm afraid the diary is beyond help."

I knew that, because I remembered the overwhelming sadness I felt when I saw the words turn to nothing but ink blots across pages.

"We still managed to convince the police to let us keep it, because I know it's really important to you," Kiryuu-kun remarked. It made me feel better, even if there wasn't any emotion in his voice.

"I'm thankful for everything, but where will I stay?"

"Relax, Hitomi-chan. At the moment, all our dorm rooms are full, so for the time being, you'll be roommates with Zero-kun."

I looked at the headmaster with surprise. "With Kiryuu-kun? Here?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it. Besides, he's the only person in this room anyway."

I was sure of two things; either they weren't thinking about the dangers of a girl living in the same room as a guy, or they knew but there wasn't a choice. Considering the school I was in, I went with the latter.

"I guess it can't be helped," I sighed. "Well, I'm in your care again, Kiryuu-kun."

He didn't say anything in response, but I didn't feel bad. I could see it was hard for him, too.

"Well, if you'd like to freshen up, the bath's ready," Yuuki-san broke the awkward moment.

"Thank you, Yuuki-san." I started to get up, but almost collapsed as soon as I tried.

The headmaster handed me the bowl on the nightstand. "Eat this," he encouraged. "You'll get your energy back. You've been out for almost four days."

Well, no wonder.

I ate the rice slowly so I wouldn't get cramps, then sipped the water down. I felt much better.

"I guess I should take a bath. Then, I'll be using it first." This time it was easier to stand, and made my way towards the bathroom door, aware that the headmaster, Yuuki-san, and Kiryuu-kun were watching. I was about to shut the door when I looked back. "I don't have any extra clothes."

"They're inside already. They might not fit right, but you can buy some when you go into town tomorrow." Yuuki-san smiled.

"Oh, okay. Thank you, Yuuki-san."

"Don't be so formal. Call me Yuuki."

I nodded and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. There was a square tub filled with hot water that was calling for me. Come here. It's relaxing. You'll feel better, it whispered.

I studied myself in the mirror first; to say the least, I was a mess. My hair was a bird's nest, with clumps of tangled hair jutting out in random spots; my eyes were red and dry, and had unnaturally dark circles underneath; my face was still pale, but I could see a little color coming back after I ate.

After I stripped my old uniform, I stepped into the water and sank in until only my head was above the water. The bath wasn't too hot, but just enough to feel relaxed. The knots in my muscles undid themselves, and the stiffness went away.

"Ah, hot baths really do feel nice," I sighed. I scrubbed off the dirt from my skin, along with the remnants of whatever bathroom and fountain water still remained.

As much as I didn't want to get out of the tub, I knew Kiryuu-kun would be waiting for me, so I quickly dried myself off and slid into the clothes I was given to change into. The shirt was a bit long, looking like a tunic instead, and the pants were a little too loose, so I just made do with my underthings and the shirt. I quickly took the belt from the pants and buckled in around my waist to make the shirt fit better.

I gathered the pants and my old clothes and walked into the main room, noticing that Kiryuu-kun was sitting up on the bed, reading a book. I didn't want to disturb him, so I quietly folded my uniform and the pants and placed them in the closet I was assigned to.

I turned around and found my self just inches away from Kiryuu-kun's face. I wasn't sure how he'd come over to me so fast and so silently, but I didn't ponder it too much. His eyes were intense, as if staring into my soul.

"Um, Kiryuu-kun? Is something wrong?" I asked as he placed his head on my shoulder.

He backed away, shaking his head as if just coming out of a trance. "No, it's nothing." There was a slight pause, then he said, "I'm going to see if I can get you some food. You should rest some more." He left without another word.

I looked at the door even after he left, thinking about what just happened.

"Maybe he's just going through a lot of stress," I said to myself, and brushed it aside. I trudged my way to the bed I'd slept in before, and then it happened again.

I felt as if I was suddenly encased in ice, unable to move. My body wouldn't listen to me, staying in place no matter how much I tried to force it to walk towards the bed. My legs gave way, and I collapsed in a heap on the floor.

It was probably more painful because I was conscious, but as soon as I hit the floor I knew I broke something; that, or I just hit my head really hard. I lay there, looking around but unable to move.

"What's happening to me?" I thought. "Someone, please help."

I heard the sound of footsteps that grew closer and louder. I tried to scream, to get their attention, but my voice wouldn't come out. The door opened, and a pair of legs walked in, froze, walked off into the room and came back running.

"Oi, Hitomi!" Crouching down, Kiryuu-kun's face came into view, looking at me with a mixture of panic and worry. "What happened?"

I wanted to tell him, but I just opened my mouth and closed it again in silence.

"I'm taking you to the infirmary," Kiryuu-kun lifted me up in his arms and ran out the door without another word.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt that I was moving; it was more like floating or gliding through the air, but I didn't give it too much thought. I concentrated on breathing instead.

The rest of it was a blur, just an array of colors passing by, blending together. When I came to, I was surrounded by white. I still couldn't move, but based on what Kiryuu-kun had said, I was in the infirmary.

Kiryuu-kun suddenly came into view. "You okay?" He asked. "You've been out for a few hours, but thank God it wasn't as serious as I thought it would be."

I know he was trying to cheer me up, but I could see the slightest bit of sadness in his eyes, as if he knew something about my future.

"Thank you, Kiryuu-kun. You should go back to the dorms. I'll leave as soon as I can move again." I didn't want to burden him any more than I already had, but a small part of me didn't want him to go.

"Are you sure? It's pretty late. All the extracurricular clubs have ended already, so there's no one else here."

I smiled. "I'll be fine. You probably have a lot to do, right?" I asked. "I don't want you to get into trouble."

He stared at me, right into me eyes, as if to decipher what I was actually thinking. It was funny; I was captivated and scared of those piercing lilac eyes that held no emotion.

Kiryuu-kun stood back up. "Be careful," he said. "You shouldn't be out in the night too long. It's more dangerous than you think."

I nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," I replied as he left, closing the door behind him.

I could gradually feel the numbness fade, but it was slow, almost torturously so. I was able to move my head, so I took the opportunity to look around.

The infirmary wasn't small, but it wasn't too big either. There were simple beds neatly made with crisply ironed sheets with a rollable chair at each bed. In the corner nearest to the sliding door was the nurse's office desk, organized with files and a modern desktop computer. It wasn't much, but it was more sophisticated than the infirmaries I've seen. Sitting at the office desk was a man in a white coat, who I assumed was the school doctor. He came over to my bedside and started checking my vitals.

"You seem to be more or less okay," he said. "You didn't break any bones from the fall, but you should still get some rest to prevent any physical trauma."

I nodded. "Yes, Mr…."

"Matsuda," he said.

"Yes, Matsuda-san,"I finished.

He placed my hand back on my stomach. "Your vitals are fine. Let me know when you can move again and I'll help you up."

"Thank you, sensei. Once I can move, I should head back to the dorms though. I don't want to worry Kiryuu-kun any more than I already have," I said politely.

"Just be careful. Are you sure you don't want an escort?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, sensei. Thank you for your concern."

With that Matsuda-san went back to his desk and started looking through the files that were there. I wasn't too curious as to what was inside the files, and I didn't really care, either; it wasn't my business anyway.

The numbness went away soon after, and I slowly sat up on the bed. As soon as Matsuda-san saw I was up, he helped me to my feet.

"I'm sorry to have taken so much of your time, sensei. You must have been wanting to go home as soon as possible," I apologized.

Matsuda-san smiled. "No worries," he replied. "I'm always on duty when it comes to the welfare of the students."

"Thanks you again, sensei." I bowed and made my way outside after closing the door behind me. I started walking back to the dorm, and almost fell because I wasn't used to being on my feet yet. I took it slow and allowed myself to feel my feet first before walking too fast. I took a step and felt a dull pain in my leg. Looking down, I saw that there was a small cut on my knee, probably from when I hit it onto the bed post. I touched the cut and saw a tiny bit of blood on my fingers, but didn't think anything of it and kept walking.

I was almost at the dorm entrance when I heard the sound of rustling leaves. I whirled around to find myself inches from another face.

"Well, what do we have here?" it said. The face pulled back a little and studied me with its eyes.

"Come on, Aido,let's not get into trouble again," said a voice behind the person in front of me. Both of them were clearly male, I just hadn't realized it until the seconds before.

"You must be new here," the one whose name was Aido remarked. "I'm Hanabusa Aido. Pleased to meet your acquaintance." He bowed while reaching and kissing my hand.

"Akatsuki Kain," said the man behind him.

"Takeshima Hitomi," I said almost rigidly. My instincts were telling me to run away screaming and flailing my arms, but the presence of these two men seemed to freeze me where I was. Then my legs gave way and I fell on my butt.

"Hitomi-chan, you look so wonderful. So divine." Aido looked at the cut on my leg as he crouched down. "Oh dear, your lovely skin's been injured," he touched the cut and held his fingers to his face. He then… licked his fingers? After that his eyes turn a deep blood red, and my fear system was in hyperdrive, but I couldn't process it. I jerked away and stood up as quickly as I could.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, but I really must be heading back," I rushed toward the door, but suddenly my feet were literally frozen in place. I looked back to see the source of the ice was Aido.

"Please, let me give you a welcome gift, Hitomi-chan." He took my hand again and flipped it over, exposing my palm. He brought it closer to his face and licked my wrist. Poking out of his mouth were… fangs? He slowly opened his mouth and bit my wrist. Hard.

I gasped from the pain and tried to pull away, but I felt myself growing weaker and weaker as Aido drank.

There was a gunshot, causing Aido to rapidly let go and move as far away as possible. The ice was gone and I fell on my butt again on the stairs outside the dorm entrance .

"Hanabusa Aido, you know it's against school rules to drink blood on the premises," a familiar voice yelled. I turned to the source of the voice and gunshot to see Kiryuu-kun, angry as hell.

"Relax, Kiryuu-kun. I was just saying hello," Aido remarked.

Kiryuu-kun aimed his gun right at Aido, dead serious. "There won't be another warning," he growled.

"Come on, Aido, let's go." Akatsuki dragged Aido away from Kiryuu-kun and me, then they both disappeared from sight.

Kiryuu-kun ran over to me as soon as they'd gone. "Hey, Takeshima, stay with me. Don't pass out again!" his eyes drifted unconsciously to my wrist and I saw his eyes turn a slight tinge of red, just as Aido's had.

"Kiryuu-kun, what's happening? Who are they? And why did one of them bite me?" I was close to hysteria as the fear let itself show, but I kept it at bay so I wouldn't lose it.

Kiryuu-kun ripped off a section of his shirt and started to bandage my wrist. "This is only temporary," he said. "Once we get to the room, I'll get the emergency kit and bandage it properly there. Just hang in there, okay, Takeshima?"

I nodded weakly, still trying to process what had just happened. Kiryuu-kun lifted me into his arms again and ran to the room, lay me on my bed, and grabbed the emergency kit. Then he started to properly bandage my wrist.

As he was wrapping the bandage, something went off in my mind and I said it,

"Kiryuu-kun, can I not have my memory erased?" I asked. It was on a whim, and I had no idea if that was even possible, but considering what had just happened in the past hour, it suddenly wasn't so crazy of an idea anymore.

Kiryuu-kun looked at me straight in the eye. "Why?" he asked.

"I… don't want someone to control what I experience in my life. I think this is an important experience that I definitely learned from. Please, don't make me make the same mistake twice." I pleaded, my eyes filled with sincerity.

Kiryuu-kun started at me long and hard before making a decision.

"... Okay, I won't erase your memories, but you have to keep this a secret from the entire school. The only people that know are you, me, Yuuki, and the Headmaster. That's it. If you say anything, you'll get your memory wiped. Got it?"

"Absolutely," I answered. "I won't tell a soul." I hesitated before continuing. "... Kiryuu-kun…. are you… like them? Are you… the same thing?"

He looked at me with a mix of sadness and anger. "Yeah," he said. "I am. Are you scared?" He put his face close to mine and my eyes met his.

I shook my head. "No, I'm not. Because I know you wouldn't do the same thing. You're a good guy, not a bad one." I whispered before I instinctively hugged him. I could tell he wasn't expecting it.

"Hey, Takeshima, what are you–"

"Please, just let me be like this. You have no idea how scared I was when it happened. I thought I was going to die if you hadn't come then. Thank you so much for saving me, Kiryuu-kun." I cried so hard and got my tears all over his shirt, but he didn't say anything; he just let me cry it out without any judgment. I can say I haven't cried that hard since my father died all those years ago, and it felt oddly relieving to cry now, let the feelings I'd bottled up inside just pour out. I felt the weight of it ease off my shoulders and let me start over again.

Which is exactly what I'd do.

A/N: And there you have it! Please look forward to the next chapter!