NDA: Hi! Sorry for the long delay. I know I have no excuses but unfortunately my professional life has taken over from my passion which is writing. The next chapter is being written so maybe I'll publish it next week.
I-Love-Trunks1: Thank you for your review!
Enjoy your reading!
Chapter 7: The questions
With discretion and caution he entered the boy's private room. The moon had been lost in the clouds and a half-light that was neither day nor night filled the room where no objects could be distinguished. But thanks to his vampire faculties he didn't need to turn on the lights, and he knew the way to the bed of the person he wanted to reach.
It was out of the question for him to go to bed without having reassured himself of something. He groped his hands under the duvet and reached in. When he got close to the person he was looking for, he sat on him and watched as he woke up with a start and looked at him with fear.
-What has he done to you?
The silver-haired boy thought he was dreaming and opened his eyes in a daze. Then he tensed his jaw muscles.
-Who "he"?" he asked, his voice hoarse with sleep.
-The heir to the Kuran family. You were with him when I was waiting for you with the parents in the living room
-The boy's cheeks turned red, he played with his fingers and turned his head to the side so as not to meet his brother's eyes.
- Nothing," said the anxious boy. I showed him where the toilet was and then he-
He stopped and looked up at his brother, who was staring at him as if to get him out of his sentence
- Then he told me I was cute, and that embarrassed me.
Immediately, Kiryu looked up at the ceiling and sighed loudly. He put his hand on Zero's shoulder to reassure him.
- Good, then.
He looked serious as he tightened his grip on his brother's shoulder.
- It's good that nothing happened.
He relaxed his breathing and added:
- But beware of him, I don't trust him.
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The sun filtered through the large, thick curtains and its rays, like those of a theatre spotlight, shone on the sleeper's face. It was morning, for the sounds of birds could be heard outside. With the light far too bright to continue sleeping, Zero crinkled his eyelids before opening them to gaze at the ceiling above him. It was the first time since he arrived that he didn't want to do anything or see anyone. Yesterday he had learned of the existence of vampires and now all sorts of questions filled his head.
Why do vampires exist?
How come they study at this academy?
Why does the headmaster protect them?
And above all, why did he feel he knew this Kaname?
He sighed in exasperation, thinking that it was not by lying on his bed that he would get the answers to all these questions.
Reluctantly he got up to shower and get dressed. He took one last look in the mirror and went out. To his surprise, Yuki was waiting for him at the door with an anxious and annoyed look on her face.
- What are you doing here?" the silver haired boy asked.
She looked up at him, fascinated by both his stature and his extraordinary eyes. There was something very powerful and masculine about him.
- The Headmaster wants you in his office," she replied.
The brunette approached him and when she was close enough to him, she whispered an apology. Zero did not answer her, preferring to follow the path to the Headmaster's office with his thoughts elsewhere. When he arrived at the large wooden door, he knocked and heard the master's permission to enter.
As Zero entered the room the sunlight fell in shimmering circles on the floor, the walls and the table, and everything was full of soft green shadows. The Headmaster sat behind his large desk and invited him to sit down with a wave of his hand. Perfectly casual, Zero pulled up a chair and sat down without looking at the Headmaster, who was watching him with a curiosity mixed with hostility and fear. Kaien tried a smile and said with studied cordiality
- I thought I heard that something happened last night," the headmaster began, turning his full attention to the young boy in front of him.
- And that you had learned of the existence of these creatures of the night, that is, vampires.
Zero's expression hardened and his gaze became serious. He couldn't stand the vicious way the Headmaster was broaching this subject.
- I brought you here today to reassure you that the vampires studying and living in my academy are not bloodthirsty monsters and will not harm you. But I will still forbid you to venture near their dwelling place at night, alone.
The red-haired man sat back in his chair and looked out the window behind him, his arms crossed behind his back.
- As for the rest, you don't need to know anything. And don't worry, I told your father, so he knows everything.
- Why are they-
- Studying here?" asked the headmaster rhetorically, who had cut him off.
Zero nodded in agreement.
- To show our two worlds that Humans and Vampires can live together in harmony.
- Why this academy?
- Because the school is the ideal place to allow this tolerance and strengthen the bond between us.
The silver-haired man was not entirely satisfied with these answers, there was something wrong.
- What about the Hunters?
The headmaster turned and stared at Zero:
- They protect us from deviant vampires. You know the one you met when you were out of school.
- So you knew about it...
- I know everything about my students, Zero.
The man in question frowned, particularly annoyed.
The headmaster looked at the watch on his wrist and then looked up to say:
- We'll leave it at that, I've got a lot of administrative things to do.
Zero didn't beg any longer, got up, and headed for the exit.
The Headmaster sighed as he sat down in his chair with his mind elsewhere. He came out of his thoughts when his phone rang and he picked it up:
- How are you my dear Kaien?" the voice on the line asked
- A little tense, your son has just left my office.
There was silence for a few seconds:
- Did you tell him everything?
- It's not my place to tell him the truth," the director retorted.
Tôga murmured a "thank you".
- Now that he knows about the existence of vampires, I'm afraid things will get worse and worse.
- I know it very well, that's why I'm investigating "them" day and night.
- If the vampire elite know about the existence of the last member of the Kiryu clan, it will be over for Zero.
- Kaname will never let such a thing happen," said Toga.
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Zero walked through the park of the academy. Gusts of wind shook the branches, lifting and turning piles of dead leaves. Zero did not feel well and leaned against a tree. His mind was racked with many questions. Besides, the exchange with the headmaster had only made things worse.
"I have to go there," he thought.
He took a path on his right where tree twigs and dead leaves littered the ground. Maybe it was a bad idea... The headmaster had forbidden us to go there.
"Zero".
When he heard the name, he turned his head sharply and met the gaze of his classmate, Yuki. Her brown eyes shone in the morning darkness.
- What are you doing?" he asked, surprised to see her here.
- I should be the one asking you," she replied. You know that we are forbidden to venture alone near the dormitory of the night class
- You can say vampires.
The young brunette woman arched her eyebrows
- But they're still people like us.
- On the surface...he huffed, but when the sun goes down, they're creatures of the night.
Yuki looked at him with sadness in her eyes and said:
- Why are you here?
- I'm going to go see them, and if you want to come with me, you can always follow me.
She thought for a few seconds. Zero was so carefree to do this but she couldn't leave him alone.
What if the night class couldn't fight their urge! she thought
It had happened to her several times that she almost got bitten by one of them. She sighed and reluctantly followed his friend.
When he reached the large wooden door, Zero took a long, deep breath. When he was about to knock on the door it slowly creaked open. The two students entered, their instincts alert. The huge and spacious entrance hall had a sumptuous natural light shining through the all-glass façade. By mutual agreement, the two students made their way to the large step in front of them. But Takuma emerged from the staircase with that smile that the silver-haired man hated so much.
"We have a visitor," he said as he came up to the two students of the day class.
He invited them to follow him into a small lounge that served as a reception area. Zero and Yuki sat in a chair and watched as Takuma slipped away and returned with two glasses of water and a bottle of plain water.
- Unless you want tea or coffee?" the blond asked.
- I'll be fine," Yuki answered, slightly anxious.
The blond man served his guests before sitting down on the chair in front of them.
- What brings you here? Do you need a hand, guards?" Takuma asked with a cheerful look on his face.
At the blond's expression, Zero rolled his eyes and said:
- Where are your comrades?
- It's morning and you know that vampires prefer to live at night unlike you humans. So they sleep.
The silver-haired man noted the way in which the student from the night class had emphasized the 'you' in his sentence;
- Besides, they're not allowed to go downstairs," Takuma added.
- Why?" asked Yuki innocently.
- Because I'm with you," the blond answered with a smile.
The young woman took her glass from the table and took a few sips of water. Her throat had been irritating her since she had set foot in this dormitory.
- Why did you prefer to live here in the academy instead of staying with your own kind?
Takuma smiled at the question
- Because we want to be seen differently and for vampires to be able to live with the humans who have hated us since the beginning of time
The blonde's answer puzzled Zero. He couldn't figure out why it sounded wrong. Moreover, this answer was the same as the headmaster of the academy had said a few hours ago. He concluded that they did not want to tell him anything. Zero resumed his serious look and answered the blond:
- Thank you, I think I got the answer to my question.
He turned his head towards Yuki and added:
- We have to go, classes will start soon.
Yuki looked at his classmate with a dumbfounded look on her face not understanding what had just happened. Anyway she was going to ask him when they were going out.
- Thank you for the welcome Takuma thanked the brunette.
Then she joined Zero who had gotten up and was waiting for her at the doorway. Zero waved a quick goodbye to Takuma and then walked to the exit with Yuki by his side. When they came out Yuki ran up to Zero and stopped him.
- Why didn't you ask him more questions?
The silver haired man stopped and stared at the brunette.
- They're lying," he began.
- Your father lies, the night class students lie.
The dark-haired girl did not interrupt him
- I guess you don't know much about what's going on now either, or you would have told me already. They don't care about me and if you want to put a big help, be on my side.
- Maybe they're lying to you to protect you from danger.
Zero growled
- And why would I be the target of any danger if only yesterday I didn't even know about the vampires.
The silver-haired man resumed his walk towards the day dormitory.
- I overheard my father on the phone last night saying that you were from a powerful family clan which made you a target for a evildoer.
Zero paused at that sentence and turned sharply to look at Yuki.
- What do you mean? I was adopted by my father from a miserable orphanage, how am I going to come from a powerful clan?
The brunette looked at him in disbelief.
- How old were you adopted?
- When I was five and I will never forget that date. It was January 5, 2004
- And before you were adopted, how did you end up in this orphanage?
Zero fidgeted, shaking his head in frustration.
- I don't remember anything. I can't remember anything. But according to the director of my institution I had an accident that made me lose my memory.
- Did she tell you how she found you?
- Yes. She found me outside her orphanage during a snowstorm.
Yuki huffed in resignation. Zero really had lost his memory. She patted his shoulder as if to reassure him, and exchanging no words, they made their way to their dormitory.
"He's no fool and he suspects something," said the dark-haired man. He walked around the blond man and sat down where Zero had been sitting a few minutes ago, breathing in the scent of Zero deeply.
- What are you going to do then?
He looked up at the blond.
- We'll continue to follow our plan while strengthening our guard around him.
The blond nodded.
- Did he ask you anything about me?
Takuma looked surprised for a moment, then pulled himself together:
- No, master.
- Then you may go.
Kaname sprawled out on the couch. What he would give to see Zero's cute smile again.
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The sun shone brightly above the clouds; beautiful, serene over the great green expanse.
"Kaname, where are you? We need to go home," shouted a small silver-haired boy walking through a field of flowers, his breathing coming in fits and starts.
- Kaname, where are you? He stopped when he felt a presence behind him.
Zero turned around and saw the person in question
- I've been looking for you everywhere," exclaimed the silver-haired boy, his cheeks flushed and his voice worried.
- I'm sorry, Zero, but look at the gift I'm giving you. Kaname held out his hand with a purple flower.
- This is for you, a flower that looks just like your beautiful lavender- gray eyes.
Zero tenderly took the flower from Kaname's hands, he raised his head and warmly thanked the dark-haired man with a big, cheerful smile.
Reassured by Zero's reaction, Kaname smiled back at him, then said
- You are my beautiful flower.