I don't know if I'll be able to publish this chapter before my camping trip, but I'll try.

…

I got back to the Cross estate early in the morning, the sun not yet starting to peek over the trees. The parlor of the main house was lit up when I got there. As I came in, I saw that both Zero and Kaien had waited up for me. I stood there silent.

"You see Zero?" Kaien said. "I told you he'd be okay, now go on up to bed already. You can ask all your questions in the morning" Zero got up to go, at first looking like he wanted to protest, then sending me a look of admiration as he left.

I wanted to yell at him. To tell him to invest his time in a different profession. That it wasn't worth the guilt or grief. But I didn't. Hunters were few enough as it was, and humanity needed every soldier it could get.

After Zero left I sat down at the table. Kaien and I sat in silence for a good while. He studied my face, while I stared off into… nothing.

Kaien finally broke the silence. "You look like you've seen hell."

"I did." I agreed. "I finally found out what the gift was, the gift that the Old Huntress gave me. More of a curse."

"What is it?" He asked.

I shuddered. "As I stood over that Level-E, filled with anger and terror and horror, I noticed that despite his death he wasn't turning to ash."

"He was a human?" Kaien asked, confused.

"No. He had fangs and claws, the whole shebang." I said "He was very much a vampire. But as I looked down on the body, I was filled with… such overpowering hunger. I tried to fight it, I really did. But…"

"You drank his blood?" Kaien said, even more confused.

"I ate him!" I whispered, horrified by my own words. "Most of him, anyways. He only turned to ash when I was full"

"My god!" Kaien exclaimed, looking sick. "It looks like I'll have to spend more time researching that nightmare."

"You were researching it?" I asked.

"Of course I was." Kaien said with half a smile. "It's my job to look out for you isn't it?"

"I guess it is." I stated. "At least I don't feel any hunger anymore."

"Do you think you might feel that hunger for humans?" He asked.

"No." I said firmly. "And even when it comes to vampires, I think it will only apply to those I kill."

"Have you experienced any more changes?" He queried.

"Yes, actually." I stated. "You may not have noticed due to my coat, but I'm far more muscular and a little broader in stature than before. I think I even grew an inch. And that's not all. My senses are better than ever. I have near perfect darkvision now, and my hearing is so good I can hear your heartbeat. Hell, I can even distinguish the smell of everybody in this building. Even Kaname, who hasn't been here in a week. Isn't that fucked up? I just performed an act of horror, and I feel the best I ever have"

"Well, at least you got something out of it." He said. "Other than that, how was the hunt itself?"

"Hard, Brutal. It left ashes in my mouth."

"It always is. Even when the hunt is easy, it's still hard and brutal."

…

A month had passed, and things changed a lot in that month.

I grew about half a foot, making me an inch taller than Kaname, who was one of the tallest people my age I had ever met. My teeth had also changed, not to be like a vampire's, but to be like a wolf's. I was also far more broad and bulky than a fifteen year old had any right being, meaning my new found height didn't make me look lanky. This led to my hunters blood, which was stronger than ever, having much more muscle to enhance. I was practically as physically strong as the average vampire aristocrat now.

Considering these changes, It was decided that I would be joining the night class. I had managed to hide them from Yuki and Zero, but I was going to have to tell them soon.

I also started noticing things that I didn't before. Like how Yuki and Kaname smelled really similar, to the extent that if I didn't know any better, I'd think that they were related. This was obviously impossible, but the contradiction still confused me.

And most importantly, it was time for the new students of the new Cross Academy to move in before classes started in a week. And I would be there with Kaname as we welcomed the Night Class.

I whistled as Kaname, Takuma, and I watched the Vampire students walk through the door of the dorm hall. They were all either aristocrats, who's family held seats in the senate, or the children of powerful vampire business people. Or both, often both. There wasn't much talking now or greeting now, since it was the middle of the day and all the students were quite groggy. But come evening, there would be a soiree where the Night Class would vote on who would be dorm president. I snorted at that thought. As if anyone but Kaname would even enter the "contest".

"Come on Marcus." Kaname said. "There's work to do."

…

The soiree itself was quite boring in my opinion. It was all the classic brownnosing and catty yet polite conversation that you expected from rich people, regardless of whether or not they were vampires. Kaname had even made me go through a full course on vampire court etiquette, much to his and Zero's amusement. Fortunately I didn't have to use any of it. All the vampires were flocking to Kaname and Takuma, meaning I could stand off to the side and not have to worry about accidentally offending someone from a powerful family.

As I had guessed, no one but Kaname had even put their foot in the proverbial race. And yet they were still going to hold a vote drawing ceremony 'for appearances sake', these vampires were going to drive me mad in four years.

"Hello!" A new voice said. "I saw you talking with Lord Kuran and Ichigo earlier, and yet I couldn't find out your name from anyone here."

I turned to see a girl smiling, holding out her hand. I had to admit, she was pretty. Tall and with slim features in the way that all Vampire Aristocrats had them. She had long light brown hair, and lilac eyes.

"Ruka Souen, of the Souen Family." She said. I had to give it to her, she was either genuinely happy to meet me which I doubted, or she was just that good. I shook her hand and smiled in turn.

"Marcus Cross." I stated. "Son of the Headmaster, Kaien Cross."

She faltered for a second. "Then you are… human?" She stared at my eyes. I had elected not to hide my 'differences' from the Night Class, hoping that would gain me a bit more respect. As such, I wasn't wearing my contacts.

My smile turned into a grin, showing my animalistic but not at all vampiric teeth. "Something like that."

She quickly regained her composure. "Well regardless, it is nice to meet any friend of Lord Kuran."

"And it is nice to meet new people." I said. "To new friends!"

"To new friends!" We toasted our glasses. I looked up to see that the announcement of who would be dorm president was about to begin.

"I do hope Kaname will win. It's such a close contest." I commented sarcastically.

She gave a slight chuckle. "I'll admit, I thought about throwing my own hat in the ring, if only for posterity's sake. But in the end I didn't see a point."

We continued to talk for a while, as the ceremony went on. When Kaname's victory was finally announced, and everyone started clapping, I bid my adieu to Ruka and ventured up to the stage.

I stood to Kanames left, and Takuma to his right, and the Pureblood began his prepared speech.

"Friends and allies, I welcome you to the start of a new era of peace for the world. It is the Headmaster's hope, as well as my own, that this school will work as a working model for coexistence between Humans and Vampires for generations to come!"

I tuned out the speech which I helped him write as I looked down at the Night Class. Most clearly didn't really believe the peace shtick, and I couldn't particularly blame them. They believed themselves inherently superior, and to an extent they were correct, most of them could probably kill at least a dozen normal humans before being stopped if they really put their mind to it. Besides, the two species had been killing each other since time immemorial, why would they stop now?

But at the same time, I saw hope in a few eyes. The last major conflict between humans and vampires in Japan had been a little less than twenty years ago. Many of the vampires here probably had uncles, aunts or cousins they would never meet. For all the posturing of both sides, nobody wanted another war. I tuned back into the speech, since the part relevant to me was coming up.

"I'm sure you are all wondering about the fine people standing next to me. To my right, I'm certain you all know of my good friend Takuma Ichigo. He will be my vice president during our years here, and when matters of the senate call me away, he shall act in my stead." Takuma puffed up a bit, looking proud.

There was a small bit of clapping. Then all eyes were on me, I tried to look as confident as possible.

"To my left is my other good friend, Marcus Cross, the Headmaster's son. He shall be joining us in the Night Class, and heading the disciplinary committee. He will be in charge of making sure all students follow the rules, and of punishing those who break them. All in all, his purpose is to make sure that our time here at Cross Academy runs smoothly."

There were even less claps for me, but that was to be expected. Some even scoffed at the idea of a human living with them and policing them. But fortunately for me, most looked at me with measured respect. I was a human who their precious pureblood called a friend, I had clearly done something to earn it.

"I hope that we can all achieve a better future, starting at this school!"

There was applause. Let the game begin.

…

The Night Class were settling into their dorm rooms, and I was walking up to Takuma's. I needed to solve the issue of his crush now, before the school year truly got started. As I got to his door, I knocked on it. "It's me, Marcus."

"C-Come in!" Came a stuttering, joyful reply. Shit. I opened the door and walked through. There were various clothes strewn about the extravagant room, He was clearly still in the middle of unpacking. I closed the door behind me. He stood there by the dresser, looking anxious.

"Listen, Takuma, we need to talk." I said, grimacing.

He collected himself. "What about?"

"Look, I hope that I've been misinterpreting things but…" I stated, his face already falling. "I think you've been giving me looks the last few months and, I just don't like y-"

"I know." He said, sitting down on his bed. "I've known about as long as I've felt this way."

"Oh." I replied. We were both quiet for about a minute, neither of us knowing what to say. I decided I needed to break the silence.

"How did you know, if you don't mind me asking?"

"You really want to know?" He asked. "You'll find it embarrassing."

"Really?"

"Remember that one time my mom came to pick me up?" Oh shit. "You couldn't take your eyes off her for the brief time you met."

"Fuck." I sighed. "That is embarrassing." In my defense, tall, blonde and confident, his mom was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen; even be vampire standards she was a knockout.

"Yeah. You looked at her the way you never looked at me. She even teased me a bit about how you acted, though she didn't know how I felt."

"Fuck man. I am so sorry." I said. We were silent for a while once again.

"Can you go, I need some time to myself." He asked.

I left.

…

Oof, this kind of shit is always rough. I don't know how realistic this read to you guys, but I hope you felt the awkwardness as strongly as I did. I thought about putting the last scene at the start of the next chapter, but I wanted to get it out of the way. Anyways, it will be around a week before you guys see another chapter.