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Vampire Knight: Smoke and Mirrors » Arcs » Fates

They say that we decide our own fate but what if we had decided on it a long time ago? We just forgot it along the way.

As written by: Azazel, Emily3456, Ion, Equilibrium


27 pieces and 7 characters involved, written by 4 different authors.

1 places involved




So begins...

Fates


Cross Academy | Modern DaySetting: Cross Academy | Modern Day





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"If truth is built on lies, then what are lies built on?"




"Onee-chan! Look what I found!" a voice called out to five year old Saya. She turned a lazy gaze to her younger twin and smiled as Amaya brought her a daffodil. "Look, it's a lady bug!" she continued as Saya glanced closer at the flower. There in the middle, a tiny red dot moved around, crawling over the flower. Saya smiled as she grabbed the flower from her sister's hand. Before she could grab the small bug, a woman's voice filtered through the air. It was soft and gentle, unlike the voice she was used to.

"Coming Oka-san!" Amaya shouted as she tumbled away towards a woman with no face. Saya stood in her spot, the flower still in her hand as the lady bug flew away. That wasn't her mother. That woman, Saya had never seen her before. The woman, in a way, resembled Saya. Her auburn locks were flowing gently in the wind as a hand outstretched to her. Saya was afraid, and took a step back. Amaya glanced at her sister with confusion. "Onee-chan? Mama's calling us, won't you come?" she stated as Saya ran.

Darkness consumed her vision.

That was all she could see: darkness. A pair of gleaming red eyes pierced Saya's own gaze, almost as if it were staring into her soul. She could see herself in a glass mirror, a younger version of herself holding onto a slender hand along with Amaya. She frowned, the person in front of her was the same woman only she had shoulder length auburn brown hair, but her face; Saya still couldn't see the woman's face. A melodic laugh spilled from the woman's lips and caressed the young girls head, kneeling down in front of her. She could make out faint words, but couldn't understand them.

The woman rose, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, staining the white gown a crimson color as Saya watched her younger self fall to the ground. She tried to shout at the woman, but her voice was restrained, constricted almost and she found herself gasping for air. The woman slowly turned around, her face hidden beneath a veil of darkness as she faded into ash. The last thing Saya saw was the bloody tears falling to the floor, forming a small puddle before consuming her younger version. Saya screamed into the silence, shattering the mirror in front of her as people began to flood her vision.

They were unrecognizable, fleeting heapes of flesh waltzing around a small baby carriage. There was a man standing off to the side with a woman by his side. They looked...familiar but Saya couldn't put their faces together. They shared similar brown hair and crimson red eyes, and for a moment; they tore into her gaze, holding it with such ferocity that it caused Saya to feel as if she were suffocating. She pushed the people around her away and turned to run, only to have a hand clasp over her wrist and pull her back. As she felt her head slowly jerk towards the person, a painful feeling shot through her as the hand faded away.




You must forget this life Saya. Do not let them take who you are away.




Saya took in a sharp intake of air, her lungs screaming at her for the lack of oxygen provided. She immediately regretted opening her eyes to the bright lure of the sun peeking through the windows of a room she didn't recognize. She groaned, placing her hand on her forehead and noticed slight scarring on her wrists and arms. She remembered little of the events that took place, but those sapphire eyes: they were plaguing her. She had never seen eyes so cold as the ones the boy had. Then, a sharp pain shot through her head as she doubled over on the bed, craddling her head as she refused to let the tears fall. Kiyoshi, she thought as her eyes snapped open once more, allowing the lights to assault her senses as she wiped away the tears.

"Where am I?" she questioned to herself. She knew the place, or at least she thought she did. The room was familiar in a sense and she tore the covers off of her, revealing the bandages around her arms and legs. She placed her feet on the floor, allowing the cold sensation to attack her senses before she took her first step towards the door, only to fall on her knees. She clenched her fists together as the images played over in her mind, Kiyoshi's fallen form and his ashes flowing with the wind.

"In the infrimary," a groggy voice called out to her, startling her in the process. Satoshi stared at his sister, sadness and regret coloring his jade eyes as he glanced away from her. Saya could only stare as she saw the emotions flicker through his eyes, and for a moment, she felt angry. Where had he been? He could have stopped this from happening. He could have stopped Kiyoshi, or even the others...she paused in her anger as her gaze softened. She could see that he was hurting on the inside as well and she had no right to be angry with him.

"I'm sorry Sai...I wasn't there. I should have," he was stopped by Saya as she shushed him. She crawled into her brother's lap and lay her head on his shoulder. She didn't want him to blame himself for something that neither of them could have forseen. She was tearing up inside, the one man she loved was gone now. There was no getting him back, no changing his light. Gone. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she burried her face into Satoshi's shirt. He could feel his shirt becoming soaked with her tears as he rubbed his hand against her back in an attempt to sooth her. Whether it was working or not, he couldn't tell.

Kiyoshi was the only one on her mind. She had loved him, so much that she was still willing to follow through with their promise, even if their family had cancelled their arrangement. He was important to her, he was...she paused in her thoughts, as she grabbed the dragonfly pin and ran it through her fingers. He had given the pendant to her when they were kids. It was his promise ring in a sense. She smiled as the memory played in her mind. They were at a pond, fishing with their toes sinking into the cool liquid.

He had been so nervous and dropped the pendant into the pond and fell in after it. Of course he couldn't swim so Saya had to jump in after him. She was so engrossed in her thoughts, she completely ignored her surroundings, no longer focused on where she was. Rather, she was focused on the outside of the window, the pendant clutched so tightly she drew blood from her hand. Satoshi tried to release her clutch on the pendant but she only grasped tighter onto it. All he could do was sigh as he felt her cry herself to sleep again.

He glanced out the window, staring at the students who scurried around trying to avoid the rain that seemed to come out of nowhere. A flash of memory crossed his mind as a woman with beautifully long crimson hair stood beside him, hiding beneath the umbrella as he sheltered the both of them. Those loving gray eyes staring up to him as he held her. He pushed the memory aside as Saya finally allowed the tears to stop falling. The pain of a lost loved one would never heal...and it was a pain Satoshi knew all too well.




"You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived. You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back, or you can open your eyes and see all she's left. Your heart can be empty because you can't see her, or you can be full of the love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember her only that she is gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back. Or you can do what she'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on." - David Harkins



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"This world is made up of lies, there is no truth, and there never will be."




"Imƍto..be careful, that has thorns." a five year old Amaya looked up in mild surprised at her sister, the small girl had forgotten she was being watched as she played in their family's garden. "Of course I'll be careful Onee-chan! I'm getting you one of these pretty rose's!" Amaya replied with a large smile. Saya smiled fondly at her twin before sitting down in the grass. After several minuets of fiddling around with the bushes, she turned towards her sister and held out a brilliant red rose, however she had cuts all over her hands. "Amaya! Why didn't you listen to me?" Saya frowned in disappointing before she gingerly took the rose from her sisters hands. The twins sat together for what felt light ages, both silently gazing up at the sky until Amaya turned towards her sister, a frown on her face. "Onee-chan...?" Saya turned towards her sister with confusion set in her eyes. "Whats wrong Imƍto??" She asked as Amaya looked back up at the sky. "When we grow up...things will be different..my Onee-chan wont be there to protect me anymore...and I wont be able to protect my Onee-chan..." Amaya sniffed as tears filled her eyes. Saya frowned, realizing her sister was right, things would change as they grew.

"I don't want to grow up and live my life with out you Onee-chan." Amaya rubbed the tears from her eyes sadly while Saya gazed at her sister. "Imƍto, I'll always be here for you." Saya said wrapping a arm around her sisters shoulders. Amaya shock her head, her hair hitting her face as she did so, and turned towards her sister, holding up her hand, her small pinky finger out stretched. "Pinky promise?" Amaya asked, her smile had returned to her face.

"I pinky promise, I will always protect my Imƍto." Saya said as Amaya's smile grew. "I pinky promise to always protect my Onee-chan." Ama repeated making Saya grin.


"It's a Promise of a lifetime!"

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“What glitters may not be gold; and even wolves may smile; and fools will be led by promises to their deaths.”






Amaya jerked awake with a surprised gasp. Her breath caught in her throat and she started up at the white ceiling, at first, she couldn't figure out where she was, or why she was there, but then everything came back to her like a slap in the face. All at once she remembered everything, the bite to her neck, the death, Scared's strange aura, comforting words being whispered as someone wrapped something around her neck, her sisters broken gaze.. "Saya!" She gasped sitting up to fast. Her head spun and then came a flash of pain. She gasped and clutched her head while trying to force herself out of the bed. Her feet hit the cold floor, and her knees gave out, making her land hard on them. She looked up with wide eyes, in front of her was a body sized mirror, why there would be one in the infirmary, she wouldn't know, but what she did know was that she looked horrible.

Her long brown hair hung limp and dirty, it was mixed with dried blood and sweat, her skin was a deathly pale, paler than normal, and her dark red eyes looked dull and lifeless. That wasn't the worst part through, her body was covered in badges and wrappings. All of the badges on her arms, legs and her left cheek, had been changed recently and look fresh and clean, but the wrappings around her neck were stained a dark red, and it looked like someone had put it on in a rush to keep it from getting infected, but since then it hadn't been touched. Amaya reached up with an unsteady hand and ran her fingers over the bandage, wincing slightly but not feel over all to much pain, she just felt dizzy, weak, and she had a horrible headache.

"This sucks.." Amaya sighed quietly while standing up slowly, the first thing she had to do was find her sister and make sure she was okay. Slowly Ama made her way towards the door, leaning on the wall as she went, and then her pain spiked right in the middle of her forehead, and she doubled over, gasping loudly. As Amaya stared down at the ground, it slowly faded from it's clean white color, to blood red. Amaya shoved back from the wall and backed away from the spot that was covered in blood, her head spun and she looked around frantically. Everywhere she looked, blood.

Blood and gore.


Amaya cried out and clutched her head, her eyes wide and wild, she didn't know what was going on or how to make it stop, it felt so real. It was real..wasn't it? Amaya cried out once more as she slipped on someone warm and sticky before tripping over a hard, cold, bloody, dead body. She landed hard on her back, the air pushing harshly out of her lungs and leaving her breathless while her head cracked loudly against the floor. Amaya layed there for what felt like hours, staring up at the ceiling that would flash from a clean white to a blood stained rusty red. She could feel warm tears escaping her eyes and falling down the sides of her face, most likely mixing in with the blood on the ground. What she didn't know was that there was no blood, anywhere, except for under her head where she had made impact on the ground. The room was clean and perfect, there was nothing wrong, or bloody about the room, there was no body laying by her feet, no...she was just losing her mind. To anyone who happened to walk into the room, they would see Amaya laying on the ground, a small pool of blood mixing with her hair as she sobbed uncontrollably. A normal person would think she was traumatized from what had happened, they didn't know she was hallucinating her worst nightmares.


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“Don’t say such tragic things. The moment you stop hoping is the moment your enemies truly bring you low."



Her dreams are fragments, reflections on shattered pieces of glass, swirling about in her mind until all she can catch of them are little glimpses, shadows of things that she shouldn’t know but does. She dreams in pictures sometimes, because she hasn’t forgotten what it is like to see, but more often she dreams in sounds, and echoes, and these have their own colors, their own smells and feelings and tonalities. This day, none of them is good.

She dreams of a day long past, when she shattered, and yesterday, when someone else had. She dreams of light and shadow playing across her unseeing eyes, of the macabre melody of shattering glass and deadly-soft voices and the screams of the dying. Then, now—they are nearly indistinguishable. The play of auras, of power, over some sense that is not sight, nor hearing, nor touch or smell or even taste, something beyond the human, and she almost refuses to admit that she can feel it at all.

Something is stirring in the air, and it is lighting her blood on fire.


Ekaterina woke slowly, the disinfectant-scented air informing her at once that she was in the infirmary. The intake of breath to her left told her that she wasn’t alone, and the distinct tone of the sigh brought a tiny smile to her face. Dmitri.

“Katya? You’re awake?” It was a little hard to tell given that she hadn’t opened her eyes (what for, really?), but the way she stirred had probably given her away. She nodded slowly, feeling the odd sensation of bandages wrapped about her head. Raising a hand to them, she frowned slightly. “You got a concussion,” her brother explained, a note of chiding in his voice. “One of the Night Class students told me that you rushed a vampire, Katya. What were you thinking?” He sounded almost angry, and her jaw tightened.

“I didn’t have to think, Dmitri,” she replied levelly. “They needed help, and I was the only one there at the time. It doesn’t matter anyway, I failed them.” The hand at her head fell back to the bed, and she released a soft breath, seeming to collapse in on herself a little with the movement.

Her brother paused, and she could hear the hesitation in his voice. He wanted to comfort her, she knew, for that was what brothers did, but he also still wanted to be angry at her for doing something he no doubt viewed as impulsive and reckless. He was right, of course, but she did not regret it, only that it didn’t work. In the end, his fraternal instincts won out, as she’d known they would. “Katya, you didn’t fail anyone. You can only do what you’re capable of, and most humans wouldn’t have been that brave. You have no hunter training and you can’t even see—” He paused when she flinched, knowing she didn’t like people putting things in such terms, but it was relevant— “and you still ran up to a fully-fledged vampire and knocked him upside the head with your cane
”

There was a small hitch in his breath—Dmitri was trying not to laugh. Thinking about it, it was kind of a silly image. Ekaterina, who’d never so much as killed a fly in her entire life, marching right up to a creature triple her feeble strength, no-- more, and swatting him like he was an irritating insect. Her smile was his permission to chuckle, and she laughed too, just a bit, the stress of the situation caching up to her in such a way that she could either laugh or cry.

She’d cried too much in her short life, anyway.

But the laughter died off quickly, their thoughts circling around to what happened after. There wasn’t much to be cheerful about, in that. The silence pervaded for several minutes afterwards, and at last he broke the silence with a question. “
How did you know to say that to Kuran-san?”

She took a moment before answering. “I’m not really sure,” she admitted, shifting a bit on the hard hospital mattress and folding her hands together over her abdomen. “Sometimes, I feel like
 some part of me knows them. Or used to. It’s so strange. Saya-chan, Amaya-chan, Sacrilegious-san, and even Takeru-kaichou, though we only met two days ago. It’s like everything’s connected somehow, and I just
 felt like that was the right thing to say, to suggest.” She didn’t mention that she knew it in the same way she knew that something bad was going to happen on the day of the ball, nor that similar things had happened before. It already sounded enough like nonsense, anyway.

Dmitri seemed to consider this for a while, and when he spoke next, it was in a tone of caution. “Don’t get pulled too deep into their world, Katya. It’s not a place where humans can live, especially not humans like you.” She opened her mouth to protest—three of those people were human, after all—but he cut her off. “Just trust me, Katya. None of them are good for you. In the end, Sergei and Ivan and I aren’t either, but we’re family, so you’re stuck with us. But you aren’t stuck with them, and you should stay away.”

His tone was labored, as though the words hurt him to say, but she simply clenched her teeth. “I’ll do no such thing, Dmitri. Saya and Amaya are my friends, and the others have done nothing to hurt me.” You must understand how important that is to me. It was clear they weren’t going to agree on the matter, and she regretted that their visit had to end on such a sour note, but she, who had fought for so little in her life, and defied her brother in nothing, was now doing both. She knew not how to feel about that.




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“A cage with strong bars can be a virtue."



“Childish girl. She has changed little.” His father’s voice was cool and quiet as ever, the unflappable composure and chill calm he was known for pervading each and every syllable.

It drove Sergei crazy.

“That’s hardly the point, Ivan,” he said, voice low and raspy. His throat was raw, and the scars thereupon were beginning to pain him once more. He took this to be a positive sign—it meant that the blocks that had been placed on his abilities were still in place, actively holding him in check. It was absolutely necessary, all things considered.

“Would you like the point, then, boy? Here is the point: you allowed her to reach the Takagis, as they call themselves. You allowed her to get close to her reincarnation, and you allowed some base fool to touch my daughter. Do you wish me to iterate your failures further, or shall I cease for the moment?” His voice had never lost its smooth, unearthly velvet quality, but it had certainly darkened, and Sergei could tell without looking at his monitor that he was angrier than he’d ever been. In truth, Ivan had not been expecting Evie’s faction to have gained enough strength for such a strike so soon, but he supposed that there was always the possibility of compelling lesser vampires, as they seemed to have done in at least one case.

In the day since the event, Sergei had gathered all the information he could from eyewitnesses, and more or less pieced together what he had missed due to his own role in the events. It was true that the actions of himself, Dmitri, and some very brave Night Class students had saved countless lives, but Ivan was not concerned with such trivial matters. For him, the world was a chessboard, and those that Sergei and his brother had acted to protect were by and large not even worthy of the designations afforded a pawn. With one very noticeable exception, everyone was perceived as such, even himself and Dmitri, to say nothing of the people he knew less personally.

But, strange as it may seem to anyone who did not know his mind, on Ivan’s chessboard, a mere human child was queen, and the most precious of all the pieces. There were reasons, of course, but it remained that the only way of working Ivan up into anything resembling a temper was to threaten his nightingale. Once, this might have made Sergei jealous, but now he simply felt sorry for her, for guarded as she might be, in the end, she too would probably end up used. A man who took such a long view on events could not truly understand how they affected people at a personal level.

Though his jaw tightened in reply, Sergei was silent. Even if Ivan couldn’t be as other fathers were, he was still the closest thing the dhampir had ever known, and his palpable disappointment stung more than the younger man would have expected. He straightened from where he was digging several old books out of his personal collection, and turned to face the glowing red-violet eyes glaring at him out of his computer screen. Casting his own eyes to the floor, then, he replied.

“No,” he murmured. “Of these, I am acutely aware. What I seek is a next step.”

The figure on the monitor seemed somewhat appeased by this, and his eyes faded back to their usual brilliant wisteria. A family trait, perhaps, and one that he himself had inherited to a certain degree. “Stay. Watch. Wait. If they need to be turned, allow it, but redouble your vigilance. You must not err so again, lest all be lost.”

“And Katya?”

“Tell her nothing. I want her involved in none of this. Dmitri will suffice for the purpose, and he has been trained for it, besides. I have told him to stay close, but not too close, and to deliver a warning to his sister. She should heed it and stay clear of the events to come.”

Sergei couldn’t help but think that awfully naïve of him to suppose. Then again, sometimes Ivan understood them not at all. They lacked his perfect logic and acted with emotion. It would make logical sense for Kitty to keep well away from her dangerous friends, but Sergei did not think she would do it. “She is not a foolish girl, Ivan. She will surely figure some things out on her own. Would you leave her in the dark forever?”

Ivan smiled coldly. “Just the opposite, Issac. I bid her remain in the light, and not get sucked into the abyss that consumes the rest of us. She does not belong in it.” It was clearly the end of the conversation, and Sergei was hardly surprised when the image flickered and disappeared from the screen a moment later. Shaking his head, the teacher closed the lid of his laptop computer and collected the three bundles of flowers he intended to take to the infirmary today. Of the students injured in the attack, only three had not yet woken, and they were the three he was most concerned with now. For Ekaterina, he had white amaryllis, for Saya, marigolds, and for Amaya, yellow daffodils.

Reaching the infirmary, he left the flowers for Kitty in her room, as she was still sleeping. Laying a hand on Dmitri’s shoulder, he passed out of the space. Saya was presently with her own brother, so he left those with the desk to be delivered at a later time. Amaya’s room, however, looked quite empty upon first glance, and so he knocked on the door before letting himself in.

Only quick reflexes saved him from dropping the glass vase, and he set it hurriedly on the table, hitting the emergency call button hard enough that he quite nearly broke it. “Emergency assistance, room 3, now!” he ordered, not waiting to listen for the reply. Instead, he advanced carefully to Amaya, crouching beside her. There was a puddle of sanguine liquid oozing from her head, and the smell of it hit him like a freight truck. He hadn’t had anything to drink in over twenty-four hours, and for once, he hadn’t even realized it. Clamping down on the instinct, he lifted her head and cradled it with his hands so she wouldn’t accidentally hit it on the floor, trying to discern her condition. He noted with irritation that his first hasty bandages had never been changed, something that spoke to the inefficiency of the staff and would have to be addressed.

She was weeping, the wretched sounds of her sobs stirring something deep within his memory, and her eyes had a faintly-glazed look about them, as though she were not entirely in the present. Regardless of what exactly was happening, it was clear that something needed to be done about it before she hurt herself further. “Takagi-san,” he started, then discarded it. It wasn’t the right way to address someone in this situation. He was not here as a simple member of the faculty, he was right now nothing more or less than an acquaintance, a friend, perhaps, who wished to see her suffering abated, even for a moment. “Amaya.”

“You must wake, Amaya. Can you hear me? You’ve been hurt; I need you to stay awake and speak to me. Can you do that?” As hard as she’d hit her head, he was concerned she might have a concussion. Indeed, her head was still seeping blood, the life-fluid coating his pale hands. Where was the staff anyway? He couldn’t do anything without medical supplies, and they were the ones trained for such things




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|These secrets conglomerate into an undeniable darkness, yet I still hoped that when they are cleared, there is only light.|




There was a heavy silence which was an awkward situation between Takeru and Headmaster Cross. He had yet to sleep since he had to make sure that by daybreak, everything would be as normal as possible for everyone especially for the Day Class students. It was done flawlessly but there was one more thing he had to know. The sense of weariness was not his primary feeling. He did not want this to happen again. Once was enough. As such, here he was in front of the Headmaster. His questions still hanged in the air as the they looked at each other without revealing anything in transition. He could ask the people directly involved to his concerns. Still, he had a feeling that the twins would not know. As for Sacred, the pure blood was not in the mood for questions. And strictly speaking, he did not want to bother any of those people for now.

"You know something, don't you?" Takeru broke the silence as the Headmaster was not going to do so anytime. "I respected your silence on the matter about me. But, this is not about me anymore." Slamming his hands on the desk, his eyes of vermilion and obsidian held a glaze of anger and great concern. "Those people who attacked us. They wanted the Takagi twins. It must be something related with Lilith." Looking away, he recalled the events last night before continuing on. "That Evie person, she won't stop. I... don't want to see anyone sad anymore..." His voice was filled with the edge of helplessness and sadness. He was not able to do anything to prevent such tragic things and due to him also, he caused unnecessary burden. Those faces of Sacred, Saya, and Amaya overlapped in his mind.

The Headmaster was not oblivious of what happened to his precious students. It tore him apart as well that the peace of the Academy was disturbed by such vile reasons. So, he does understand exactly what Takeru was feeling. In the face of trouble, he was not able to do anything to prevent it or even protect others from suffering. It was frustrating with a large amount of overbearing guilt. However, the secrets he kept was for Takeru's safety and everyone else connected to the boy. He would admit that the situation would inevitably scratch the surface of forbidden boxes for many people. "I understand your sentiments, but I don't know anything that would be of help." Hearing the Headmaster's response, he slammed his hands on the desk once more. "You're lying." The Headmaster released a sigh at this. "I don't understand why they would want the Takagi twins. In any case, it is important that we must not let them have the twins."

Takeru backed away from the desk and had a disappointed look on his face as he remembered that discussion before the day of the ball. "You knew this was going to happen." The Headmaster had a grim look on his face upon hearing that. "If I ever found out, you are involve in this." Those mismatched eyes held a determination much like burning flame in the darkness. "Even if you are the man who raised me, I will kill you if I have to." With that said, he turned his back to the Headmaster but not before informing. "I will be leaving for a few days. The Vampire Council would not be silenced about this. They would probably use this as a means for them to interfere in the matters of the Academy." It was then Takeru left the office without another word. Once the doors were closed, the Headmaster leaned on his chair and covered his face with a hand. "Forgive me, Kaname. I don't think I can keep them safe anymore."

As for Takeru walked along the hallways, he stopped at the middle as he held his head with one hand. Voices filled his thoughts. They were familiar yet at the same time unknown to him. He could not understand how could this be possible. "Hey Takky, who would you want to be your bride?" It was that female voice again. A voice that he felt most comfortable with. Wait, did she asked who he wanted as a bride? And who was supposed to be his bride? "Takeru can decide that on his own and when he does, I'm sure our girls, would be delighted. They adore him." There was that male voice once more, a voice that wrapped him in a sense of security. Leaning on a nearby hall, he could feel his head aching from the sudden onslaught of the voices. Are these his forgotten memories? If they were, are these voices, his family? "This may seem unfair, but if it's you. I can leave everything in your hands." His hand covered his ebony hued eye as his crimson-dyed eye glowed eerily which was unknown to him while the rain fell from the sky as if to wash away the loneliness or perhaps, the other way around.




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||“Someone told me once, being a raindrop is not that bad, because you are not alone when you fall.”||




"Hey sleepy-head of an eggplant! Wake up! I want to dance with you in the rain!"

And, it was indeed raining. Sacred laid there on an empty bench somewhere within the grounds of Cross Academy. Fortunately, it was in an isolated area that almost no one ventures to except for him. The rain continued to fall and he did not mind getting drenched. He actually liked it, the sensation of being drowned as the rain came as if crying. But to whom? To what? Why? If they say that it was the way of the Heavens to share its pain, he would laugh hysterically at that. They would never care. Isn't their existence proof of that? In any case, he wanted to get away from everyone at the moment. The collision of his memories and the events of reality brought an undesirable feeling within him. He did not want anyone to see him like this especially Takeru. Well, the man had a preview already of some sort. Still, it did not mean he would allow a full show now.

"I find it odd. We don't have souls right? Then, why is it that our tears still work?"

What is a soul, really? He believed that someone had told him about a theory about souls and all. What was it again? With those lingering thoughts, he gently reached for his throat. In appearances, he hold absolute sanity and control when it comes to his feeding and the desire of blood which throws most around him in a frenzy. Most believe that he is not hungry or simply have more tolerance than others of his kind. The truth, he has a thirst that can never be quenched. Its hold on his being continued to bind him strongly. He remembered the ravenous lust for blood when he woke up and what met him was Takeru. That encounter was truly entertaining to say the least. After all, it is to be expected from someone who had slept for quite some time. His body required nourishment and he would retrieve it to whomever was near him. Yet obviously, the interaction had come out as an amiable settlement. For here he is now, the so-called Leader of the Night Class.

Sacred opened his eyes as he looked at the dark skies as the rain continued to shower down on him. Those brilliant mauve somehow lost its usual sparkle. Yet, this gave them a different degree of allure. He did not want to be bothered anymore. As much as possible, he wanted the figures of his past to remain in that distant time. But, life can do terrible things indeed. Here he thought that he was horrible like the many times, prefect Takagi always describe him. Speaking of which, there was another baggage of trouble being pushed on him selfishly. Does he look like a delivery boy? Or a bag boy? Whatever the case, he would not find it wrong if Saya blamed him for that man's death. He did pull out that boy's heart literally in front of her. No matter the reasons of behind such actions. In the end, he killed that person who seemed important to prefect Takagi.

Reaching out to the skies with his right hand, he knew the feeling of watching something or preferably someone being taken away in front of you. Moreover, the void that it leaves behind cannot be replaced or filled. It made him relived some memoirs and the very fact he had seen that atrocious figure known as Evie. Emotions of great animosity were rekindled. He knew for a fact that her showing meant one thing. That woman was going to come back. In truth, he could hardly care. But, they always make it to a point to involve him. As a proof, the threats of Evie still clung to his mind so vigorously. She had always orchestrated events to make it a point for him to break or to be pulled into their delirious madness. He would give her due credit. Evie has perfected the ways to get under one's skin without much effort. She had proven these countless of times. There was even one time where she had made Ivan ballistic a long time ago.

Thinking on it, he knew for a fact that the infamous masked pure blood had probably got wind of what happened here. No matter what he decides on doing. It did not matter to Sacred as long as it did not involve him personally. Yet, it was highly doubtful for that to occur. For in the end, the purple pure blood would always find himself at the center of it all. They should all leave him alone. "What do you want from me?" He whispered as the pitter-patter of the rain covered his voice. The question being drifted away without much of an answer. It was then an umbrella blocked his vision of the gray-colored skies. "Master, I prepared some rose tea." Covering him from the falling rain, Moirae looked down on him with those sapphire-blue eyes. His outstretched hand touched her face so daintily. As if, she was a fragile object that would break with the slightest pressure. "Don't worry. I won't break that easily. You made sure of that."

Letting his hand to fall to his side, Sacred stood from the bench. "I'm already wet." He pointed out with a rather nonchalant expression. Moirae blinked a couple of times before closing the umbrella she held and then smiling brightly. "There is no point. I forgot idiots don't catch colds, Master." The pure blood was not certain whether to take offense on that or be amused about the deeper meaning of her words. "You should run away. I gave back your legs for that." Hearing those words, Moirae looked at her feet and then walked ahead of her master as she was also drenched now. "I am running away, Master." Sacred looked at her oddly and then followed behind his self-proclaimed maid. "You are a weird one." Moirae stopped on her tracks as her master walked passed her. "But you like weird things, right?" Sacred stopped and looked over his shoulder with an amused smile. Then, he continued to walk away as Moirae followed with a satisfied smile on her face.




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|"A story is more splendid when twice the fun will be added, don't you think?|




A pout and an exasperated sigh could be seen and heard from Evie who plopped down on a couch filled with stuffed toy rabbits. Well, it was fun attending the masquerade of a Valentines ball. Still, she did not like the fact being hold out from her fun that much. "Can you believe it? He tore my doll into pieces. I even made sure to make it so decent for him. It was my gift and he did not even appreciate it." These were her strings of complaints. There was also the fact that they had not managed to capture any of the twins. Then, a large portion of the lackeys died. Well, she could always make more of those. "Got to make more worms!" She noted with a lighter tone and then suddenly grimaced. "Toru was useless." Grabbing hold one of her toy rabbits, she looked at it queerly. "But at least, I found out something interesting." Recalling the events, she recalled how desperate Sacred was towards that Takeru person. Then, there was that odd premonition about a rather violent creature whom caused such beautiful carnage. But what took her much was that similarity, the familiarity about those three specific people.

"Cross Academy is really an interesting place. I should have considered attending classes there." Evie smiled fondly as she embraced the toy rabbit closely to her like a precious lifeline. "It seemed he is still playing his chess game again with us." She noted while looking to her side. There blanketed by darkness was a silhouette. It was quite tall and from the physique alone, it can be determined as a man. "Let him play. You always win, my sister." His voice was raspy and almost has a breathless quality to it. Similar to a rattling wind grating on the window pane. A husky tone with an unfathomable darkness spilling. Evie hearing his praise smiled so brightly and then had a rather mischievous look on her face. "Since you told me something good, just this once. Do you want to see our sweet Sinner?"

Hearing that nickname, the mysterious male had a presence blank as a canvass turned into that of a raging volcano. This made Evie giggled at such a show of emotion. "Don't tease me, sister." She shook her head and laid down on the couch. "I'll let you see him. He is at Cross Academy too." The burning presence got even more fiery if that was even possible. This made her more excited about the very thought of having her brother meet the most hated being in his list. "I know how you wanted to have your revenge on him. So, I'll let you have it, my brother." The man now known to be a sibling of hers climbed on the couch and and cornered Evie by pinning her arms above her head. The toy rabbit fell on the floor.

"What is your catch?" He asked as he slowly lowered his head to the crook of her neck. "Make that man now known as Sacrilegious, break like he never did." Remembering that desperation on Sacred, it made Evie trembled in ecstasy. It was then she felt her blood being drained so excruciatingly painful. Such a sweet sensation can only be brought to him by this one person. "I'll take that as a yes. My sweet little brother."



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"I see them in my dreams, these blue butterflies, however; they always land on the same person. I do not know this person."




Saya awoke alone on the bed. It seemed like hours had passed, but in reality, it was only a few minutes. She could feel her eyes were caked shut from the dried tears and she wiped them away on her bandaged arm. She could feel the tears were gone, but she still wanted to cry. She couldn't though, no matter how hard she tried, they were no more. Had she cried all of her tears? A silly thought as she stood from her bed. She was still Cross Academy's prefect and she had her duties to perform.

No matter how much she might have wanted to crawl back into bed and just lay there, she had to let on that the day was just a normal day. The events at the dance would have been forgotten to the day class, and if students were to catch wind of why one of their prefects, specifically the Takagi, was in a solemn mood, they would no doubt ask questions. She passed by the desk and was stopped by one of the people that worked there.

"Ah, Saya wait," the woman called out as Saya turned her attention towards the woman. She grabbed a bundle of flowers, marigolds, and handed them to her. "These are from Rasputinov-sensei," she stated, smiling as she handed Saya the flowers. Saya smiled ever so slightly at the kind gesture of her teacher and would have to thank him later.

The man was truly worried about his students, however; Saya had not known the man was capable of such ferocity that he had shown last night. More so of the abilities he seemed to show. She had been aware of what was going on around her when Kiyoshi held her, although she was more focused on Amaya. She let her smile falter a bit as she thought of Ekaterina. The young girl had tried her best to help Saya and Amaya. She had shown more bravery in attacking something that wasn't human than Saya could have imagined from the small girl.

"You were an idiot Kiyo," were the only words that slipped passed her lips before she made her way for her dorm. Amaya, her sister would she ever be okay? The thought haunted Saya a bit as she remembered Amaya had been there as well. How could she have been so selfish as to only think about Kiyoshi? Amaya had been there to, and she had been the interest of the vampires that attacked the dance.

Of course she was too, but to have let her sister fall into the arms of the one person she trusted with her life; it was something unforgivable. She had let Amaya down, not only as her sister, but as her protector. She promised her father that she would keep Amaya safe. She didn't want Amaya to live the life Saya had chosen. She wanted Amaya to live the life that she wanted to. It was her choice, no one could have forced her to do otherwise.

The feeling of rain being washed over her caused Saya to glance up. She had walked outside in the rain. She had not been paying attention to where her feet were leading her, and she ended up outside. The raindrops fell over her face as she closed her eyes to the sky. She could feel someone reaching out to her, and the only hand she could picture was his.

But he was gone now.

She only had her memories of him now and she would cherish them. For now, she would push them away and focus on what was important. Why had they been targeted? Who were they to those people that they wanted to take Amaya and herself? These questions, Saya knew would never be answered, however; a voice in the back of her head told her she would find them. She needed to remember

"What do I need to remember?" she found herself asking to no one. She reached with both of her hands to the sky, as if trying to catch something or someone from falling. All she was met with was the silence and the embrace of the rain. A faint smile washed over her as a voice spoke to her. Who was it though? She didn't recognize it...but it held the same warmth and purity of the voice she had dreamed about.

"Saya, my little Saya. You are the one to protect her always. I love you my little Saya, stay strong," the voice echoed through her ears, her eyes still closed to the world. This woman, the one who spoke to her, who was she? Why couldn't Saya remember? She wanted to...she needed to. If it would help her protect those she cared about, Saya wanted to remember what it is she had so seemingly forgot about.

She could ask the Headmaster, but he wouldn't know anything...at least Saya thought he wouldn't. Then there was Sacrilegious. She could ask him, he's lived for a long time, however; what would he know of her past? She had to start somewhere right? But how could she face him. This was more of a statement than a question. He did kill the man she loved, but if he hadn't...what would have happened to Amaya

"I want to hate you, so much. I truly do, and yet, I want to thank you," she spoke to herself, referring to Sacred. It was true. She wanted to hate him for doing what he did to Kiyoshi, but if he hadn't, Amaya or herself might not be here. It wasn't his fault Kiyoshi turned out to be a vampire under their control. For now, she would push these thoughts aside and return to her dorm. She needed to clear her mind and check on Amaya to see how her twin was faring. Satoshi told her that Amaya had collapsed next to her, holding onto her hand right after the incident.

Silly Amaya. she thought as she made her way back into the building. She shivered a bit as the cold air assaulted her wet form, however; before she made it completely back to her dorm, she spotted a rather peculiar sight. A frown marred her face as she walked up to the Day Class President who seemed to be having his own inner turmoil. She laid a worried hand on his shoulder and gave him a concerned look.

"Kuran-san, are you alright?" she found herself asking. She had seen the way Sacred had saved the boy, as if he were the most important thing in the world to him. Saya didn't know their history, their story, so perhaps...perhaps he was important to Sacred, just like Amaya was important to her.



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|I was never strong. I falter. I stutter. I fall. Still, I hoped with all my fumbling idiocy, I could at least make you smile.|




"Kuran-san, are you alright?" That voice, he knows that voice. It's tone was a bit different yet, there was a distant familiarity like the voice plaguing in his head. He felt a hand on his shoulder and it was probably out of concern. Turning to the side to look at the one who asked, he saw a face so familiar. It was a girl but that face somehow overlapped with another. "Takky, did the girls fought over you again?" There was humor in there. He could hear a boy's voice answering followed by a delightful laughter. "So beautiful..." He muttered almost like a soft whisper. Unconsciously, he reached out his hand and caressed Saya's face so delicately. There was a sweet smile on his face but his eyes were somewhat unfocused. As if, he was seeing a visage not of the female prefect.

"I never wanted to see you cry." Takeru suddenly leaned close to Saya's face. "I just want you happy even if it was not with me." It was then he did the unthinkable. He gently placed his lips on hers. There was a tingling sensation upon that intimate contact. Her face was softly cupped by his hands. Removing, his lips on hers, he leaned his forehead on hers. "I will be here for you always." The tickle of his breath was rather warmer than the usual. His face was also a little flushed than the normal. Soon, his vision suddenly cleared. Saya's face welcomed his now stable eyesight. and then he realized just what he has done. In a heartbeat, he immediately backed away from the prefect. "I'm so sorry! Takagi-san!"

Takeru's face was now as red as a tomato. He bowed many times before Saya. There was no way he would do such a clear trespassing of personal space. Further than that, he even took advantage of her when she was probably concerned about his well-being. This was truly horrible. "Please forgive me! You can slap me or anything you want!" His eyes of crimson and black held great apology and regret in what he had done. "I will accept any punishment." He declared with such sincerity. However upon closer inspection, Takeru seemed to have quick-paced of breaths. Adding to that, his sense of self has returned but his eyes still held a tint of haziness. His skin was hot and he would have to admit it that his head is aching.

An overall conclusion, he was suffering from a fever. It was probably due to all the stress that accumulated on him from the past months. He had been working hard especially when the rising incidents of the mad vampires came to light. It may be a factor that he is a recognized Kuran. However, his constitution is that of a human. If he does not get adequate rest, he would break one way or another. Adding to that, he had overexerted himself in protecting the students, emotionally disturbed with the events happening, and then with working hard to make sure everything was fine by daybreak. He was even drenched under the rain but managed to dry himself somehow. The result, he is now sick.

This may be one of the probable causes of his recent actions and delusions. His mental and emotional barriers were in shambles. However, he could not stop all of his affairs now due to a certain issue of his health. "Master Kuran, your car is here." Taking his attention, he looked to one of the servants of the Kuran Household. It seemed his ride was on time. The Council wanted an explanation from him and an emergency meeting was held. However, he would not allow those one-minded fools to use Cross Academy as some sort of power trip. He will protect this school and all of its students. At the very least, he wanted this place to be a sanctuary for those who did not want to be bothered about the difference of races. A normal and peaceful life.

"I'll be leaving for a few days, Takagi-san. There are matters I need to attend to." Takeru said with apology as he bowed his head again. "When I come back, you can do whatever you want with me." He raised his head and had a determined look. Somehow, he looked like an adorable little boy. The added fact that he is handsome only increased this in a cute amount. "I'm sorry for everything." He trailed with sadness in his voice. It seemed he was not only apologizing for what happened as of now but also at the ball. "You should rest for a while. I had asked more assistance from the hunters." Having a small smile on his face, he gave a polite nod. "Take care of yourself always, Takagi-san. Until next time." With that said, he left with his servant in tow.



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"In the darkness, you were my beacon of light."





Everything was blurring, there was pain everywhere in her head, horrible, horrible pain. Amaya wanted so badly to close her eyes and block out the horrible images that were all around her, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to do it, it was like she couldn't figure out how to close her eyes, all she knew how to do was cry, blink, breath, and bleed. She couldn't move her body and turn away from what seemed to be a horribly bloody ceiling that was dripping blood, all she could do was stare up and silently plea none of the blood landed on her face. Amaya sobbed quietly as her body shook, she wanted a way out, she needed a way out of whatever this was, or she would be begging for death soon, and if she did that, if she told anyone she was seeing things, they would never let her out of this room again, she would be locked up and studied like a animal. Amaya wouldn't be able to handle that, she would truly go mad.

Suddenly through, shouting reached her ears, making her wince, why was the voice so loud and familiar? “Emergency assistance, room 3, now!”A nearby voice ordered, it was so full of authority and power she almost didn't recognize who it belonged to. Someone came over to her and crouched by her side, for a moment there was nothing, and then the person lifted her head and cradled it in their hands. She could feel eyes on her, inspecting to see if she was okay, or how bad she was, or if she was even all there, and to be honest, Amaya wasn't sure if she was all there or not. She was still crying, she could still feel the warm tears falling down the sides of her face and even through she was no longer alone, she still felt like she was trapped inside her head on her own. “Takagi-san,” The voice called out to her, she could have swore she knew who it was, but she couldn't place it, so she didn't try, she just wanted to lay there and sleep..sleep sounded nice... “Amaya.”

Her eyes seemed to snap into foces and she stared widely up at Sergei, who was staring down at her intently. Why was he here? How had he known she was laying on the ground with a bleeding head and a broken mind? As she stared up at her Sensei, surprise took over her mind. He wasn't covered in gore or blood, he was alive, and breathing, while everything around her still seemed bloody and dark, Sergei looked like a golden angel, holding her, trying to help her. So...pretty... Amaya wanted to reach up and touch his face, but her hands didn't make it that far, instead she clung to Sergei's shirt, trying to pull him closer. She was cold and weak, and his body was so warm and it seemed so ure compared to everything else around her.

“You must wake, Amaya. Can you hear me? You've been hurt; I need you to stay awake and speak to me. Can you do that?” Amaya blinked up at him in confusion, could he not see that she was awake? Perhaps he hadn't noticed her clinging hands or how she tried to form words with her mouth, most likely all her could notice were her eyelids, that would droop and then open wider, she was scared that if she shut her eyes now, when she opened them again he would be gone. Her angel would be gone. It was a horrifying thought, and suddenly, finding strength she hadn't known she had, Amaya pulled Sergei down so his lips crashed against her own. They stayed like the for a moment, her eyes falling shut as she tried to hold onto Sergei longer, and then her strength faded and she fell back onto the ground, his hands still cradling her head gently. "I'm awake...Sergei" She mumbled as she numbly lifted a hand to stroke the side of his face.

Shouting filled the hallway as feet thumped towards her room. Amaya's hand fell limply at her side as her eyes fluttered shut. The doctors were coming to help her now, and as she shut her eyes, all of the blood and gore faded away, leaving the room the perfect white it had been before, but for some reason, Sergei still looked like an angel to her. "Thank you..." her voice was a mere whisper soon to be drowned out with other noise, but she felt at peace for the moment.

When I wake up..I'll check on Saya and Ekaterina.. Until then Amaya could finally catch up on her sleep..


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“You don’t understand. But, I’m afraid that if you did, you would hate me, too."



She appeared to be conscious, and to Sergei, this was a great relief. He’d been worried, there, that sleep would claim her while she was yet untreated, and going to sleep with a concussion was not something that one often woke from. Her hands clutched his sweater, and he adjusted slightly, moving closer, to reassure her that something in the room was real. He was beginning to suspect that she was suffering from some kind of delirium or fever-dream, and anchoring her to the real world, unfortunate a place as it was, constituted everything that he could contribute to the situation at the moment.

The movement was sudden, and incredibly unexpected. He had no idea where she’d found the strength, but all at once she tugged and he, entirely unprepared, bowed over like a reed in a rainstorm, the gossamer strands of his hair trailing over her shoulders, veiling the sudden contact of their lips from outside sight. The effect enclosed them, in that surreal burning-world where she didn’t know what she was doing and he didn’t know how he should react, and for a frozen moment, his indecision rendered him immobile, and there was only sensation, and
 scent.

She still bled, and her actions only stoked the banked burning of his hunger. The part of him that was always and irrevocably famished demanded he reinterpret the situation, see this act as an offering, and shift just a little, to the porcelain skin of her throat, still bandaged from the last time someone had thought to do the same. It screamed at him to eat, to take, to consume, and care nothing for what was left behind. Two minute pricks upon his lower lips, and he knew his fangs had extended for precisely this purpose. It was so close, the act would be so simple, and what did consequences matter for one such as him? That side of him was near-giddy with the victory it was slowly winning, shoving his annoying humanity into a little corner of his mind, intent on locking it up and throwing away the key forever.

Burn it all. Let them all be ashes. Take what you desire, and think not of what you leave. Be free.

Her strength failed, and he had the presence of mind still to ease her collapse, blinking with hazy vision for the war waging right then in his very soul. He wasn’t sure what brought him back—perhaps it was simply the fact that she had spoken, and her voice had reminded him that she was a person of value, not something to be simply drained and left for nothing. Perhaps it was the vicious burning about his neck and back, insistent in its reminder of just what lay chained within his being. Perhaps, just perhaps, the part of him that was human was strong enough to quell the temptation on its own, but regardless, he conjured a smile from the ether and wore it for her sake, leaning slightly into the hand at his face, if only to remind them both that the other was more real than the phantoms that flitted over their respective consciousnesses.

“I should thank you just as much,” he replied simply, with unadorned honesty. He had been so close
 he shouldn’t be like this. But it was the way that he was made, encoded into the fibres of his very being, hardwired in his DNA.

The nurses and doctors stormed in, then, and she was taken from his hands, bandaged about her head and placed back in the hospital bed, and he rose to his feet, taking up the vase of daffodils, placing them on the end table beside her and quietly taking his leave. Truth be told, the entire situation had rattled him, and the smile he’d worn to reassure her disappeared as soon as he’d left the room. Just a little more, and he’d have
 no. Surely that was what the seal was for. It wasn’t just anyone that had placed it, after all—Ivan had sought the world’s strongest known curse-master for it. She was safe, they were safe, around him, for at least a little longer. They had to be.

Retrieving his coat from the rack in the waiting room, he slung it over his shoulders and stepped outside, intent on finding a spot somewhat removed from the eyes of wandering students. He sought the refuge of a tree, noting the rain but not particularly paying it any mind. Reaching into the coat pocket, Sergei retrieved two familiar items and did something he hadn’t needed to do in decades: he lit a cigarette, dropping the lighter again into a pocket and leaning back against the great oak tree under which he stood. Drawing in a breath, he exhaled a clod of smoke, bringing a hand to his temple. It was a disgusting habit, and he hated it, but it certainly wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever done, and sometimes it helped take the edge off, something he needed.

For the next half-hour or so, he sorted things through in his mind. The kiss itself, he placed to the side—Amaya had been delirious and could not be held accountable in any fashion for the act. Chances were good she would not even remember it afterwards, and it would be for the best if he treated it as though it had never happened. This, he could manage. It would save her undue embarrassment and awkward apologies, neither of which he really wanted to undergo, either. Sergei did his level best to be a friend and a mentor to his students and in some cases, his peers, but there were just some things he didn’t know how to handle. Better that the incident go ignored than they both dance around it like teenagers. It was unintentional, an accident, and that was fine.

Of more concern was his end of the predicament. He would have to watch himself—it was careless of him to lose track of his consumption like that. He should never have walked into the hospital anything less than fully sated. At that, his eyes narrowed behind his glasses; he was never fully sated, but at the very least he should have fed in the last day. That was reckless and stupid of him, even if he hadn’t realized it at the time. Hopefully, attention to his eating habits would be all that was required to rectify the situation. If he was becoming a danger to his students
 he shook his head. A bridge to cross when it was before him, not merely possible. For now, he would simply have to be more careful.



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Saya had moved her hand from Takeru's shoulder when she heard him speak. Did he just call her beautiful? This caused Saya's face to burn slightly as he continued to speak, caressing her face as if it were the most natural thing to do. The sudden change in demeanor caused Saya to stay glued to her spot. Was something wrong with Takeru that he was acting this way? Before she could ask him, she was caught off guard the moment his lips touched hers. Her crimson eyes widened in suprise when he pressed his lips against hers and then pulled away, resting his forehead against her own. Did he just...did he just do that?

"I will be here for you always,
" he had spoken before he pulled away and realization dawned on him. Saya didn't know what to do or say as he began to profusely apologize. She wasn't angry, and for some odd reason, it caused her to smile. Before she knew it, she was laughing at the poor boys antics as he continued to assault her with apologies. She wanted to tell him that it was okay, but before she got the chance, a voice interrupted her antics.

"Master Kuran, your car is here"

Saya turned to the source and watched as the person bowed before Takeru. She watched as Takeru left with the man, a smile still plaguing her lips. She waved to the boy before he was gone from her sight. Thank you Takeru-kun, she thought before making her way towards her room. She wouldn't oblige him in his punishment. She would have to thank him properly for making her smile. Out of all the darkness of the events, she could still smile at something so innocent and small. And yet at the same time, it wasn't small. It was a large gift that, for some reason, only felt right when he delivered it. She pushed the thoughts aside as she found herself staring into her dorm room.

"I need a bath," were the only words to leave Saya's mouth. When she was finished, she dressed in her uniform, pulling on her prefect band and grinned to herself. She would get her revenge for Kiyoshi, and she would no longer be down about his death. If anything, she will find peace and acceptance in the slow death of Toru. He will pay for Kiyoshi, and for Amaya. With that thought in mind, she left her dorm and went back to the infirmary. She wanted to see how Ekaterina and Amaya were doing, especially Ekaterina. She wanted to thank her.

She walked through the hallways, noting how empty it was and smiled as she glanced inside the classrooms. Everyone seemed to have forgotten last nights events and were either bickering amongst themselves or dreaming about one of the night class students again. Saya shook her head gently at the notion. If only they had known, then perhaps they wouldn't be so much in a hurry to claim such a thought of being apart of their lives. She glanced outside the windows and watched as the rain rolled down in little patterns. She raised her hand to the glass and gently pushed against it. The feeling of the cold window stung her palms in a rigid sensation and she pulled back quickly.

She left the window and continued her way down the hall. When she finally made it to Ekaterina's door, she glanced inside and spotted Dmitri with Ekaterina. She smiled softly before leaving her spot. She wouldn't disturb them for now. She'll leave them to their own devices. Amaya was next on her list, however; she had spotted Sergei leaving her sister's room after a rush of doctors went it. It caused her to frown and become slightly worried about Amaya. What did he do to you Ama? the question plagued her head. With a sigh and a slump of her shoulders, she made her way back to the outside world. Grabbing an Umbrella, she opened it and stepped outside, allowing the rain to patter against the black shield.

As she made her round, she found herself wandering towards the moon dorms. She could feel her face twist into that of a questioning glance before she shook her head and turned around. She wondered how Sacrilegious and Moirae were doing. She knew Sacred had been injured, but it was nothing serious that he couldn't heal himself for, and Moirae...she wasn't sure if the vampire had been hurt or not as she had passed out before she could figure out what was going on. She smiled to herself knowing that more than likely Moirae was fine. Sacred could tend to his flock on his own, and that thought alone caused a wave of security...relief to wash over Saya as she made her way back to the Academy.



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|"The ripples of actions past, determine the waves of present, and wash away the hopes for future."|




Several days had passed since the Valentines' Incident. The hysteria and chaos were nothing more but erased memories for the humans. Everything for them was strictly normal and bathed in the world of light. Ignorance is truly blissful. It was not the same for the Night Class. These made them aware that they were not going to be allowed to stay out of the impending darkness engulfing the world of vampires. Furthermore, there was a great possibility of having another attack here at the school. Hopefully, this was not so. Despite the humans having the gift of normalcy, the vampires were still recovering from the onslaught.

In any case, school life proceeded without much of a hassle. The Day Class still clamor for the attention of the Night Class which was spearheaded by Sacrilegious. The said pure blood appeared nonchalant and carefree as ever. He would still cater the humans with his usual coyness and seductiveness. It was like the events during the ball was nothing more but an illusion. His vicious battle with Evie, his sudden maelstrom of presence, and the undeniable desperation to save a life. It was like none of it ever occurred. This was for the better and with great desire to have it this way for eternity.

One of the people ensuring this peaceful life was currently at heads with the Council. Takeru faced the summons and debated with almost all of the Senators. They wanted to have Cross Academy either closed or to have the jurisdiction over the Night Class. There was no way he would agree to such terms. He knew for a fact that the nobles wanted to consolidate their authoritative power. The perfect measure of that would be the school itself. Furthermore, he chastised them when he had reported the presence of Evie. It was like a wave of terror washed over the Senators. This lead him to confirm that Evie was not simply a loose cannon ball of a pure blood.

Soon, Takeru was able to hold the Council back from interfering with Cross Academy. He was able to do so when he mentioned Sacrilegious' actions in his incidence report. This put the Senators in fear knowing that trifling the eccentric pure blood was not going to be the best choice. However, he was certain they would try to gain favor through Ageha. Somehow, he felt annoyed that they would involve the Shirabuki Princess in such treacherous business. Still in the corner of his mind, it would not be easy to quell the Senators' ambition. There was also the matter about the mad vampires attacking the public. He had been alerted that the alliance between the hunters was becoming shaky.

More work for him, Takeru had to personally smooth the matters over at the Association. He received a report about the total of humans affected and the population of the mad vampires. It was growing which was truly alarming. Not to mention, the hunters cannot cope since they are not that many to begin with. This is why the cooperation of the vampires is needed. Anyway, he had able to make do with what were being presented to him. He proposed certain strategies to combat the mad vampires and to protect human life better. It goes without saying he was quite busy during these past days. His fever was only contained by drinking medicine. Actually, he is still feverish but he made a strong front as not to be questioned about his health.

"Master Kuran, you should rest. I can bring you to the Kuran Manor." The driver suggested seeing that his young master was still sick but was just hanging on by the strength of his will. This alone was a feat but it would not be too terrible to take a rest once in a while. "No, take me back to Cross Academy." Takeru answered with a certain urgency which made his driver curious and worry. Sensing this, Takeru smiled as his reflection could be seen on the rear-view mirror. "I think I will rest more when I'm back there." Understanding this, the driver smiled and nodded. "As you wish, Master Kuran." Leaning on his seat, Takeru closed his eyes and wondered how things were back at the Academy. There were still a lot of questions to be answered and then, the incident with Saya.

Remembering it, Takeru cannot help but blush than usual. He covered his face with a hand. Still, he has no idea what took over him that day. He must have been delirious. Strictly speaking, he seemed to have this distant yet familiar feeling when he had kissed her. Saya's face overlapped with another in his blurry vision. However, he was not sure who that person is. Releasing a huge sigh, he should take another opportunity to apologize. Anyway, he would also check up on Sacred. The guy was like a powder keg waiting to explode. Then, the main reason he wanted to go back to school was this foreboding feeling. It was like something was about to happen and he was not certain if he was going to like it or not.

As if on cue, explosion rattled through the school grounds. It was heard by the Day Class students who were still in session from the main building. This caused confusion and panic as they all looked out their windows. There black smoke could be seen coming from the Moon Dormitory. More specifically, the main gate of the dormitory was now all but rubble. It effectively woke up the Night Class who were still sleeping during that time. However, Sacred was already there outside with a rather grim expression on his face. Once the smoke and dusts cleared, a figure could be seen. This time it was a tall physique which is befitted of a male. "Long time no see." The voice permeated the whole area and a presence resembling that of a volcanic eruption. "Let's end what we started." And for the first time, Sacred showed a feral expression like none other. His presence spilled from his form like a tidal wave and his mauve eyes were now of purely vermilion. "I''ll kill you. Bastard."



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“To hate everything is to be wounded by everything.”





It had been days since the dance, the humans had no memory of the horrors that had taken place, in fact they were all just under the impression that some horrible accident had happened, wounding Saya, Kitty, and herself. Amaya couldn't remember much of her time in the infirmary, through she had been in it longer than most of the other wounded students, she had gotten out at her first chance. She never had liked hospitals, or anything that reminded her of a hospital. Amaya, in fear of the fact that something might happen to Saya again, who, no matter how hard she tired, couldn't hide her pain from her twin. Ama had taken it upon herself to watch over her sister like she had always done for her, she was not going to allow anyone to hurt her again. Actually, today had been the only time Amaya hadn't been hovering around her sister, she had just needed a bit of air, and she was sure Saya wouldn't mind the space either. Over the last few days, Ama hadn't seen much of Sergei, and it bothered her for some reason, she still had the flowers he had brought her when she was passed out, but she didn't remember any form of encounter that had taken place. The doctors said that she had fallen and hit her head pretty bad, but that was about it.

Amaya still had a few badges here and there, but most of her cuts and scrapes were healed up, or on the way to healing, the one injury Ama was having a hard time with was the bite of her neck, each time she unwrapped it, and tried to properly kill the fang marks, it would re-open and start to bleed all over again, and it hurt horrible. There was another thing,she had been getting horrid head aches and night terrors that deprived her of sleep, but she often slept with her Anti-Vampire sword that Kuro had returned to her after the battle. Now she kept it on her at all times. Amaya ran a hand through her hair tiredly, she still had a headache, but she hadn't had anymore bloody flashes.

She wandered around aimlessly, coming closer and closer to the Moon Dormitory, she liked it over there, it was so quite and peaceful at the daytime, she would easily lose her headache while standing inside the dorm or under the shade outside. Suddenly however, an explosion rattled through the school grounds, shaking the ground and making Amaya lose her footing and fly back into a near by pond, grumbling as she looked up and met black smoke that could be seen coming from the Moon Dormitory, of all places. Instantly Amaya took off running towards the dorms, water flying everywhere as her drenched body moved faster than normal, she wasn't that far to begin with, so she shortly arrived to what was left of the Moon Dorms gate. Sacred already stood outside with a grim and slightly angry looked expression set onto her face. Amaya stopped a few feet away from him, her Anti-Vampire sword in hand and fully extended. Slowly the smoke and dust began to clear and a figure could be seen, making Amaya tense up. "Long time no see." The male voice addressed Scared, and sent a chill down Amaya's back. "Let's end what we started." With those words, Scared's whole body changed, his expression became that of pure rage and his presence spilled from his form in dark waves and his eyes had now taken on the shade of pure, deadly, vermilion. "I''ll kill you. Bastard."

Amaya shook slightly at the anger that poured from Scared's voice...no it wasn't anger, it was hate. Pure and utter hate. She stepped forward and pointed her sword towards the unknown vampire, her face turning into one of anger and authority. "You are trespassing on school grounds that are protected by the Vampire Council...." Amaya looked towards Scared, her face twisting a bit as if she was worried for him and his well being, not to mention she was doing what she had been taught to do as a hunter, what he sister would be doing soon. "...As a Vampire, If you do not leave now, death will be the penalty.." Amaya cast her eyes towards Scared again, she knew there would be no way to hold him back even if she wanted to, there would be no way to stop the enraged Pure Blood, if he truly wanted to kill the blue haired Vampire.



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"Memories are fragile, just like glass. Under the slightest pressure, and it can break. Would you break if I put you under pressure?"




Dreams.

What were these dreams? Every night it was the same. The woman without a face and her voice calling out to Saya. She once woke to find herself standing at the front gates of the Academy one night after the attack on the Dance. She had never known herself to sleepwalk, and she found it odd that she had done such a thing. The images from the events of the dance caused Saya to be a bit more over-protective of her younger sister and caused her to be extra careful around Ekaterina. She was hurt pretty bad and Saya hadn't known the extent until she was told by the younger girl. Of course she wasn't to worry about it, but that still didn't stop her from doing so.

Saya had been making rounds inside the Academy when a large explosion set her off of her feet. She ran towards the nearest window, as did a majority of the Day Class students, and spotted a fume of smoke coming from the Moon Dormitory. Immediately, Saya wove around the students, like a snake with the intent to kill, and stood a top a leveled box. She glanced around and spotted more students pouring from the classrooms to witness the event that just took place. She couldn't risk having them triggering the memories from the dance, and did the only thing she could think of.

"Everyone return to your classes...immediately," such urgency and authoritive tone sent most of the students back to their classrooms. Once the last of the strays was safely packed into their rooms, she made a notion for the teachers to lock their doors. Satisfied that everyone was safe, Saya grabbed the Artemis Rod and ran outside towards the moon dorms. T

he speed at which she ran allowed her to reach the Moon dorm within a matter of minutes. She slowled the beating of her heart rate as she surveyed the area. Immediately, her eyes zeroed in on Amaya and Sacred. There was another figure standing in the clearing of where the explosion took place, however; the only thought on Saya's mind was that of Amaya. She ran to her sisters side and took her arm gently before pulling Amaya behind her.

"Amaya, go back to the Sun Dorms, now. I don't want to hear a word of protest from you. Go get Satoshi if you have to, but go back," she spoke in a frightfully calm voice. She didn't wait for Amaya's reply as she shoved her back. She wasn't going to allow another incident of the dance to affect Amaya and this time, she would be ready to protect her.

She released the Artemis Rod from her thigh and extended it out in front of her. She could see the rather demonic aura around Sacred and for a moment, she was afraid. The pressure it exubriated caused her to feel a certain fear, however; she couldn't crumble beneath it. She had never seen Sacrilegious like this before, unless you counted the Dance.

It was apparent from the way the two addressed each other that they had a history of sorts. What it was, Saya had no clue, but if this person...this vampire tried to attack Amaya or the Day Class students, Saya would not let him get very far. Although just a mere human, she would do everything in what little power she could to protect them. She was their protector, whether she would have chosen it or not. She couldn't help but feel a slight worry over Sacred as she stared at the newcomer.

Something radiated from him that Saya couldn't quite place. It was a power that she had never felt before, and for once, not only was she worried, but she was worried about Sacrilegious. Sure he was pure-blood with unfathomable power as demonstrated a few nights ago, but still. Something in the back of her mind was telling her to run, but her feet remained glued to the ground. A sudden voice in the back of her head caused Saya to turn around and pulled Amaya with her. This danger, this power, there was nothing Saya could do to keep the fear from washing over her. She needed to get Amaya out of the danger zone.

"Run Saya, run," the voice kept repeating itself as she dragged Amaya with her. Her destination wasn't clear, however; it didn't matter as long as she and her sister were out of harms way. She might have been afraid for Sacred, but it was obvious that he wouldn't let this person live for very much longer. If the intent in his eyes were any proof, it was that dark aura that surrounded him that convinced Saya.


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“So cold and empty
 is this what it feels like to die?"


“No, this is what it feels like to live."



Even as the first rays of dawn sunlight filtered into the sky, she was cold. She was drowning, the sensation of ice the only one she felt when she tried to breathe. Her limbs were deadened, numbed, so frozen that they burned with pain she did not have the vocabulary to describe. She felt as if she were being torn apart, her body rent into pieces, doll-parts, scattered into the nether. Such a pretty little thing, aren’t you? But so fragile
 you look like him. The voice, which had started so sweetly it was almost saccharine, spat the last syllable with hatred so obvious it was like poison in her ears.

I broke him, too, but he was far more than you. Yes
 more than you are. But not more than you could be. Somewhere, a hand caresses her face, but it is not a comforting gesture, and indeed, she feels it wrap tightly around her neck, cutting off even the ice from her lungs. Her consciousness was slipping, but not fast enough. The next words are whispered into the curve of her slender neck. Hmm
 you smell like him, too. What would you taste like, little one?

She feels movement, hears the intake of a breath and some indescribable sound she somehow knows to associate with sharpened canines and pain, but in the exact moment when they would have pierced her skin, Ekaterina woke, sitting up abruptly in her bed, gasping for precious air. Something was tight and dark and sickening in her chest, and the vertigo set in after that, forcing her to reach for the only being in her proximity. Mischa did not protest when she clutched at his fur, wrapping her arms as tightly around the hound as they would go. For several minutes, Kitty simply trembled, swallowing against the bile rising in the back of her throat.

She’d never had a dream so vivid before, and she felt the force of it like something pressing down on her from above, determined to keep her motionless and subdued. It almost worked, and in the end, it wasn’t anything in particular that saved her from a day of pure dread and inertia. Though she might have been content to try and ignore the overwhelming sense of fear and foreboding that the dream had produced, it was only what had happened last time she felt this way that moved her. She knew now, without a doubt, that the Academy was once again in danger, and whatever was going to happen would happen soon.

Waiting until her breathing returned to something like normal, Ekaterina mastered her fear and stood, quietly moving about her room and dressing. She needed to see someone about this. There was no keeping it secret anymore, not when she knew so surely that her feelings were connected to actual events. She could not let her friends and classmates be caught unprepared again.

Taking up her cell, she entered the voice command for it to call her brother, and started towards Sergei’s room. She knew that this early in the morning was usually when he took his tea, graded, or slept, but this was important enough to interrupt any of those things. Dmitri answered in bleary tones, clearly woken himself, and she did not waste time on preamble. “Dmitri, how many hunters are currently on the campus of Cross Academy?”

Picking up on her seriousness right away, he replied. “Three. Satoshi is in charge there. Katya, what’s wrong? His voice was filled with concern, but it didn’t do much to ease her anxiety.

“How soon can you get more here? Dmitri, something terrible is going to happen.” She bit her lip; she knew she sounded strange, but what else could she say? I had a dream, and I just know? Her brother trusted her, but that would be hard for anybody to believe.

“A few hours. Elise and I could make it in one if we had to. Why, Katya? Is there an attack?”

There was a pause; Kitty stopped moving through the hall, Mischa halting obediently beside her as always. “Do you trust me, Dmitri?

“
always.” His reply was soft, and she knew that he, like she, was thinking upon their childhood (not such a distant memory), and the times when there had been nobody else in the world to trust at all.

She swallowed thickly. “Then trust me now. Gather every hunter you can, and bring them to Cross. Tell them
 tell them to prepare for battle.” She ended the call with numb fingers, not sure she had the time to elaborate. There was still too much to be done. At last reaching Sergei’s door, she lifted a hand to knock and stood back a pace, chewing her lower lip with an almost bruising force. Her anxiety was not something that manifested often—ordinarily, Ekaterina was a very calm, steady individual, enough so that she was often thought rather boring, really. But this was far from ordinary.

The door swung open, and Sergei took one look at her face and stepped aside to let her in. “What’s wrong, Katya?”




“And now you think that something horrible is going to happen on campus today.” There was a slight nod, and he could tell from years of experience that his stoic-seeming sister was in fact greatly troubled by this. Perhaps also a bit afraid that he might not take her seriously. She needn’t worry about that—he and Ivan had noted long ago that she seemed to have some odd sense for when danger approached, like when she’d complained of feeling sick moments before Dmitri had suffered a training accident. This was incredibly specific, though, and he wondered if, in the end, Ivan would have any choice at all regarding her involvement in these events.

“Very well. I will alert the Headmaster to the possibility of an attack immediately, and inform the Student Council to—” He was cut off by the sound of a massive explosion, and tensed immediately. They were too late—calamity was already upon them. “Katya, take Mischa with you and go hide somewhere safe. I know you want to help, but you’ve already called the hunters and you’re still injured. I will go help the others, but I can’t do that unless I know you’re safe first.” Ivan would have his head, and besides, she was important to him, too.

She did not argue, grasping the ruff of the shepherd’s fur and leaving the rooms as quickly as she could. It wasn’t a moment too soon; glancing out his window, Sergei observed a small horde of servitors—mad vampires directly under the will and direction of a pureblood, led by what appeared to be a rank of nobles at least twenty strong. It would seem that this was no mere reconnaissance mission—whoever was leading it meant for the students to truly suffer. His jaw tightened, and Sergei wasted no time, throwing open the window and launching himself out of it, landing on the ground below with effortless grace. The thing inside him was already screaming at him to kill all the weak usurpers, those who would defy his will and attack that which he protected. It was an instinct that existed to some extent in most, if not all, vampires, but with him it was almost a compulsion.

Directing himself after the horde, he scanned the area with the last moments of more rational control remaining to him. What he spotted nearly stopped his heart for several seconds: though the area was mostly devoid of students for the moment, the Takagi twins were, unbeknownst to them, on a direct collision course for the main body of the servitors.

It seemed, however, that at least one of the nobles was well-aware of this proximity, for he applied a burst of speed, drawing away from his fellows, though he was still downwind of the sisters, which would mask his scent, if indeed they could even have picked up on it anyway. Sergei was further away, but he was also much, much faster, and took off like a shot, covering the distance with supernatural speed.

Even as the noble vampire appeared in front of the twins, grinning with a predatory flash of teeth, a hand emerged from nowhere, the silvery claws tipping the digits cutting cruelly into the man’s neck as he was choked, slammed into by a force moving with blurring haste. The collision slowed his momentum, though, and the blur was readily identifiable as the school’s literature teacher, perhaps less so when his other hand plunged into the man’s chest, dissolving him into dust. A common-enough method for slaying his kind.

Sergei himself was caught somewhere between his halves, eyes flickering unsteadily between their usual blended, soft colors and an uncanny scarlet. “There’s a horde,” he warned, voice possessed of a low, purring rasp it would not ordinarily hold. “Rally the Night Class and defend yourselves. The hunters are on their way.” In a quick movement, he pulled his glasses from his face and folded them together. “Also,” he added, a touch more humanity back in the word, “If one of you could hold onto these for me, I would appreciate it.” It was, in one sense, a promise—that he would be back to collect them. He held no illusions about his importance to anyone, but the promise was a selfish thing, something he needed to make for himself, so that he would have a reason to return. Even a small one.

His entire body was wracked with a shudder, and when he again stilled, there was precious little humanity in him at all. A low growl rumbled from somewhere deep in his chest, and he vanished, sprinting towards the incoming enemies at a breakneck pace.

For now, he would allow his worse nature to control him, and he would consume.



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|"I had always hoped, we had never met, so you can live on without me holding you back."|




"You are trespassing on school grounds that are protected by the Vampire Council ...As a Vampire, If you do not leave now, death will be the penalty.." Deep green eyes momentarily glanced at the one who spoke. There was nothing comforting or empty about it. It was like being thrown into the freezing ocean naked and the burning fear compels a person not to breath or even try to struggle for life. Those were the eyes directed at the lone figure of Amaya who was soon joined by Saya. "We only need one." With that declared, a hand was raised towards the twins and a blast of icicles came out to decimate anyone of them. He did not care anymore who dies or survives. Fortunately for them, the rain of icicles missed them. It was all due to Saya running away either instinctively or logically while taking Amaya with her. Thus, it only hit the ground causing quite the damage on the pavements without doubt. This caused a mild irritation for the new pure blood but it was soon taken away.

The source was Sacrilegious who had already lunged towards the newcomer as he delivered a powerful punch covered with a dark mist of aura. This was blocked with a sword made of ice and the eyes of the two men met once more. "Judas!" The collision of the two forces caused a violent spark and a backlash of powers rippled like the waves within the area. It permeated the air with such tenacity and heaviness. "I'll make you pay for what you did to me." A declaration of cold-cut hatred from Judas added an additional force to push Sacred away. The sword of ice was damaged without doubt. Its middle portion, where Sacred's fist connected, was melted. Well, it was not much of a problem as Judas regenerated the destroyed part easily. As for the purple pure blood he landed at a respectable distance much like a feline with grace. His eyes remained its crimson blood hue and suffocating aura of his did not waver.

"Make me pay?" Sacred whispered with a rather doubtful tone to it. Yet, the diabolical smile on his face removed any kind of lingering feelings. "It's the other way around bastard." It was then that sound of bells echoed throughout the entire place like a haunting lullaby. Strings suddenly appeared out of nowhere as they created a messy web-filled labyrinth. Judas was able to dodge some of them and freezing others who followed his movements with such precision and then cutting it off. Taking a few steps back, Judas managed to take a break from the onslaught. It was then he felt stinging sensations on his cheek and right arm which were probably caused by the strings. Sacred does not fail to amuse and irritate him. "Tsk." He clicked his tongue and for that brief moment of unawareness. Sacrilegious conglomerated his strings into one large spinning spear as it was launched towards Judas.

"I'll be fine. I can handle myself."

Unfortunately, the barrage of strings only met a dome made clearly of very strong ice. Inside, Judas was protected while the strings were slowly consumed by the coldness. They were turned into ice and then disintegrated into small particles. "It would take more than that to kill me." Sacred clenched his teeth in aggravation. His own fangs piercing his lips making it bleed. The blood slowly trickling down. The ice dome vanished into fragments of light while howls, roars, and sounds of battle could be heard from the distance. It served as a beautiful background music. "I'll destroy this school along with you!" Numerous lances made of ice appeared around Judas as he sent them all towards Sacred each larger than the other and propelled with greater force.

"Save me? Don't look down on me. I'm stronger than you think."

Despite that, they all came all too short. All the lances did not hit Sacred at all. It was because they were all held in place by the strings as they all remained in the air around the pure blood. "Do it." He stated while licking the blood that spilled from his lips. Judas raised an eyebrow at this statement of Sacrilegious. "I'll make sure you go down with it." The lances were then broken into pieces as they fall around Sacred like crystal rain. Enraged by such words, Judas dashed forward for some physical interaction which Sacred obliged happily. Each attacks that landed on both of them resounded throughout the area like thunder. It seemed a battle between pure bloods was definitely on a different level.

"That man... I don't know what to think of him, but one thing I do know, he is important to me."

The entire Night Class cannot help but tremble at the sight of their Leader and another pure blood fighting in a death match. They were all awakened by the sudden explosion and now they had become the scared spectators. There were no doubts that they had witnessed what Sacrilegious was capable of doing at the dance. However, this was far different from that night. He was more frightening and more powerful. However, it was the same with the other pure blood who seemed to resemble the one who caused so much chaos at the ball. They were only taken out from their fearful trances by Moirae's calm voice. "Remember your duties. Ease your fears. Master Sacrilegious is fighting on his own. We have to do our part." This was enough to have the Night Class returned to their senses and have their perspectives be restored.

Without a second more, the Night Class were out and about. Leaving the matter of the probable ringleader in the hands of their Lord Sacrilegious. In addition, there was nothing they can really do against a pure blood and the best they can be is a distraction which would be a nuisance to their Night Class Lord. They spotted the group of mad vampires and a rather large group of noble vampires maneuvering the horde. It was quite a surprise for most of the Night Class. After all, they are mostly comprised of noble vampires and even more so, they were also familiar faces among the ones intending to destroy the peace of Cross Academy. This was not only a fight for their belief but also a fight for their own attachment.

Moirae joined the Night Class in making sure that the enemies would not be able to reach the main building where the Day Class students were situated. She would not allow the humans be involved in this. "I'll be leaving everything to you again, Moirae. With you here and by Sacred's side, I'm at ease." Those were Takeru's words to her before he departed to keep this Academy from the greedy hands of the Vampire Council. She will not fail the expectations placed on her and even more so by her Master. It was not going to be an easy battle especially with noble vampires against them. However, she was Sacrilegious' servant for nothing.

Spotting two nobles and a dozen of mad vampires targeting the Takagi twins, she interfered with her knives stopping the group of attackers from advancing any further. She then went before them with a few dash and jumps along the way. "The Night Class is here." Her eyes of sapphire blue glowed eerily indicated the activation of her ability. It was then an anagram appeared underneath the enemy group. "Begone." Once that was stated, a rain of knives fell on them stabbing them without much reprieve. They were thoroughly diced and soon, they become nothing more but dusts in the wind. She then straightened herself and faced the Takagi twins. "We cannot allow them to advance any further. We must protect the Main building at all costs." Noticing a bit of dread enveloping the two girls, Moirae gave a comforting smile. "Everything will be fine. I'm certain of that." She then patted the two girls on the head being taller and definitely older, the silver-haired vampire was capable of that gesture. "When this is all over, let us all have tea. I'm pretty sure Master Sacrilegious and Lord Takeru would be pleased." She then winked at them before taking a step back and dashing towards the swarm of enemies.

There Moirae noticed the figure of the not-so-normal teacher. Wrecking havoc like he did during the ball, she arrived by his side. There was no certainty but, "Don't lose yourself too much." No malice or sarcasm in those words. Actually, the way she delivered it was more on the lighter side as if Sergei was an old friend of hers which was not plausible. It had a gentle and warm tone to it. Her eyes of sapphire blue glanced at him as she delivered a few knives at a group of vampires coming at Sergei's side and smiled brightly. "Good to have you on this side." With that, she gave him a salute and went off to take care of other annoying critters.

On the side of Sacred and Judas, the fight was still escalating from worse to worst. The moment they took a break. Judas stood on the opposite side. It clear that he was suffering lacerations and wounds that on a human aspect are fatal. The same could be said on Sacred who also stood on the other end. Around them, there was devastation. The damage to the Grand Hall cannot compare to the ones they did. However, they were both pure bloods and even more powerful than the other of their kinds in existence. Recovery comes to them easily. Unless one of them beheads or takes out the heart of the other, this battle of theirs would continue for eternity.

"Did that sleep of yours weaken you? Or being in the midst of these insects dulled your senses." Judas stated as he rolled back his shoulders and cracked his neck from side to side. His wounds were no longer present but there were still the traces of blood and grime. "Perhaps, I should let you experience again how helpless you are to protect anyone?" He snapped his fingers and an ice sculpture of Takeru appeared before Sacrilegious. The purple pure blood narrowed his eyes at this and the presence he released earlier got thicker than before. "My sister told me about him." Judas then placed a hand on the sculpture as it broke into a thousand of pieces. "I'll break him like I did to---"

Judas was not able to finish his sentence as Sacred had already grabbed hold of his throat and the pressure of it being slowly crushed racked through his body. The mere fact his body was regenerating at such an accelerated rate that it was almost tiring proved how strong Sacrilegious became. "Die!" For the second time, Judas felt fear crept inside of him. Sacred's expression was not to be deemed humane or vampiric anymore. This was purely of a monster. Even the presence that Sacred was exuding can be felt throughout the Academy in droves like thick miasma of terror and a great amount of hatred. It even brought the mad and the noble vampires such trembling fright. They stopped their attack and curled in fear. The first time Judas experienced such a thing was during that time.

Soon, the two pure bloods were at the water portion in between of the two bridges which each connect respectively to the Sun and Moon dormitories. They were at the center where the everyone could see them without much interference. It was quite remarkable as Sacred stood on the liquid surface without creating any ripples. In his hand, Judas was raised by the throat. Emerald hazed eyes gazed into vermilion blood ones seething with rage and hatred. "Yo--u're rec--kle--ss." Judas managed to say as Sacred crushed his windpipe for the umpteenth time. As if to deliver the meaning of Judas' words, the water beneath them froze turning it into an ice wasteland. In the process, Sacred's feet was consumed by such an act. The purple pure blood was now unavailable to move as his feet were also trapped in the ice.

"He is really cruel... But, I still like him. I must be a masochist... Isn't that funny?"

This was nothing more but a mere existence of a defiance to Sacrilegious. It was nothing for him to fret about as his never wavered from Judas' form. "Useless." It was Sacred's reply as he raised his other hand and was ready to rip Judas' heart out and to watch the guy turn into crystal and then evaporate into fragments of light. At last, there would be retribution for that failure, for that sin, for that broken promise. He would finally have some form of penance. Perhaps, he could finally face her. However, the next events were unprecedented for anyone to expect. There was one thing for certain. A voice so familiar and distant echoed throughout the thick darkness. It was calling out to someone and that person was...

"Sacred!"
Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

It resounded like a neverending melody. A sonata perhaps? An elegy for someone? A lullaby? Who is it then? But most importantly, what caused such a sound? Somehow, it seemed the world was a bit darker than before. Who knew it could even get that worse. They say in God's wrath the sea turned into red, so what about this? Is this also God's rage in physical manifestation? Why did the water turned into crimson? May be, it is not of rage. May be, it is because of that person.




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“Life is nothing without a little chaos to make it interesting.”




Chaos, chaos in every direction, all around her, everything was moving to fast for her mind to process. She was too confused to try and focus on one thing, but all she needed at the moment was to focus on one thing. And that one thing happened to be her sister who was dragging her away from Sacred and towards the school. "Saya? What are you doing?! We should stay and help.." She slowly stopped speaking and turned towards the blue-haired Vampire as his voice reached her ears. "We only need one." Her eyebrows rose in confusion before her face twisted in horror as a blast of icicles few towards the two of them, but by what seemed to be sheer luck, Saya dragged both of them out of the way and away from what would have been certain death. Amaya allowed herself to be pulled by her twin now, she didn't feel like being an ice shish kabob today, or any other day for that fact.

The twins ran together towards what would be the safety of the school, but out of he corner of her eye, she saw an on-coming figure heading right towards Saya. The Vampire flashed a predatory smile towards Saya as it raised its' hand, ready to attack. Amaya pulled her sister back by her wrist harshly and moved in front of her, ready to take the attack for her twin,but instead a hand appeared from nowhere. Claws cut through the man's throat, cutting off the Vampire's air supply with one blow, and with the next, removing his heart, making the Vampire dissolve into dust. Amaya stood shocked as she still held tightly onto Saya's wrist. In front of them stood Sergei Rasputinov, but it didn't look like Sergei. His eyes flickered between their normal colors and a dark crimson that made her eyes widen ever so slightly, however; Saya didn't seem fazed. Had she missed something? Should she have known that one of the teachers at the school wasn't human...perhaps it was a Prefect secret? No...Saya would have told her, right??

“There’s a horde,”Sergei warned, his voice coming out in a kind of purr that made Amaya flinch ever so slightly. “Rally the Night Class and defend yourselves. The hunters are on their way.” Amaya felt like she had cold water poured on her head. Was he going to go fight?! Worry bubbled up inside of her at the thought of Sergei getting hurt, that was the last thing she wanted. Before she could blink he was holding his glasses out to her “Also,” Amaya didn't shudder this time. She was to full of worry to care about how his voice made it sound like he hadn't drank water in weeks. “If one of you could hold onto these for me, I would appreciate it.” Amaya gently reached out and took his glasses for him, and cradled them close to her chest with her free hand. She felt like he had just made a promise to her, perhaps it was a promise for them both, that he would return.

Saya began to pull her away once more, but she kept her eyes on Sergei as his whole body shook, and the last thing she heard from him was a low growl that came from deep in his chest...and then...he was gone. Amaya blinked and nearly screamed when she noticed the large group of mad vampires running after the two of them, but before they could get any closer Moirae intervened, saving the twins lives. "We cannot allow them to advance any further. We must protect the Main building at all costs. Everything will be fine. I'm certain of that. When this is all over, let us all have tea. I'm pretty sure Master Sacrilegious and Lord Takeru would be pleased," Amaya blinked at how calm the older girl was as she patted their heads and then took off into the fight. Amaya turned to search the crowd of chaos for Sergei as her sister watched Sacred and the unknown blue-haired Vampire fight, destroying anything that got in their way, including other Vampires. Amaya soon found Sergei in the crowd, her eyes tracking his every move as he danced around the battlefield like a animal unleashed.

"Amaya, you heard Moirae. We need to get back to the Academy, shut it down, and make sure everyone is safe. I need to find Satoshi," Amaya opened her mouth to respond to her sister, but before she could she felt claws dig into her shoulders as she was ripped away from Saya and thrown harshly. Amaya cried out as she made contact with the ground, mere seconds before she heard her own sister's cry of pain. The air was knocked out from her lungs and she felt numb for a moment as the Mad Vampires ran at her. Her training kicked in and she kicked up off the ground, one hand holding out her sword while the other cradled Sergei's glasses. A Vampire dived for her throat, but she easily dropped down onto one knee, shoving the sword upward into the vampire's chest, and through it's heart, turning it to dust in mere seconds. She jumped backwards as more claws reached out, aiming for her throat, she dived to the side, the claws nearly missing her neck and instead cutting into her cheek before she slamed her sword into the vampires chest and called out for her sister as it turned into dust and another moved to attack

"Saya!!!"




Whether it was reflexes or just plain luck, Saya was grateful to have been missed by the missles of ice that propelled towards herself and her sister. The man had spoken before she had ran, something about needing only one of them before the ice attacked. She had not noticed the group of mad vampires running after her and Saya before Moirae intervened. She watched as the silver-haired vampire decimated the vampires before turning to Amaya and her.

"We cannot allow them to advance any further. We must protect the Main building at all costs. Everything will be fine. I'm certain of that. When this is all over, let us all have tea. I'm pretty sure Master Sacrilegious and Lord Takeru would be pleased," she had spoken to the twins and patted their heads before taking off to fight the oncoming horde. Saya could only watch as Sacred and the blue-haired pure-blood destroyed everything in their path. Their battle was growing intense by the minute, and if Saya or the others didn't do anything soon, the whole Academy could be destroyed. From the corner of her eyes, he watched a certain blur of silver charge into the horde as well. It was her teacher, Sergei. Her eyes widened at the ferocity he displayed once more. Much like the dance, only he seemed more...animalistic.

"Amaya, you heard Moirae. We need to get back to the Academy, shut it down, and make sure everyone is safe. I need to find Satoshi," she had spoken to her twin, however; before she could act upon her instincts, the feeling of being torn from her sister's grasp filled her as she soon found herself on the other side of the field. A scream of pain errupted through her throat as she felt her body collide with the dirt. The pain seeped through every nerve of her being, like a thousand needles piercing her skin. She pushed herself up to her feet and glanced around quickly, making note of the vampires that swarmed the area in a quick and frenzied pace. She had to reach Amaya, and with that thought in mind, she grabbed the Artemis Rod and quickly drew it.

A vampire lunged for her, claws extended and reaching for her throat. She turned quickly to avoid the claws and managed to push the rod into the vampire's face, eliciting a feral growl from said vampire. Saya's eyes left momentarily to search for Amaya. Delivering a swift kick to the vampire's face, she began a sprint towards Amaya. She heard her sister's cry for her, driving her to pump her legs harder. She managed to reach Amaya and thrusted the Artemis Rod into the back of the vampire, missing his heart but wounding him enough so that she could get Amaya away from the chaos that ensued. She pulled the rod from the vampire's chest and aimed again, this time for his heart before turning back to Amaya, grabbing her hand and towing her away towards the school. She would return to help as soon as Amaya was safe first.





The woman's words hardly registered, sunken as he was into the deep reservoir of instinct and violence that lay still within him. Drowning... that was what it felt like. Drowning and also living, as though something under his skin had been called to wakefulness, welling up and threatening to swallow him whole. It was the part of him that was her, something he'd always resented somehow. But it was impossible to resent when one was busy relishing instead.

It was said that the blood of a mad creature could only bring a more refined one ruin; that the crazed vampires were toxic to their more civilized counterparts. He had never found this to be the case, though admittedly, it did taste awful to him, like rotten bile on his tongue, thick and cloying. He glanced up long enough from the corpse in his hands to fix Moriae with a thousand-year stare, though of course the reality of it was less than a second. There was something ancient about him this way, though... perhaps it was simply because the oldest instincts of any creature were those he embodied. Hunger and death. He was still enough himself to refrain from tearing her apart as well, recognizing that they were, as she said, on the same side. He nodded just once, briskly, plunging a hand into the body he held simultaneously, finding the heart without looking and tearing it out. More dust. They were all just dust when he was through with them.

It was dissatisfying. Turning from the woman, he paid her no more mind and tore forward again, brutally slashing into the next two with one hand each, heedless of the blood that spattered his face and clothes. He did not regularly make use of weapons of steel or wood, as such things were liable to break under the harsh demands of his strength, and instead, he simply slew with his bare hands. It was easiest to tear out the hearts, of course, but he was far from above decaptiation, either. Operating purely on visceral instinct, he sensed the approach of another noble this time, and swung to meet the downward force of a blade with his bare hand. The metal cut into his palm, but it elicited little more than a snarl from him, the dhampir's arm acting to shove the blade away. He followed the trajectory of the motion, opening his jaws and latching onto the woman's neck, piercing the skin with no difficulty. The tang of blood-- this slightly salty-- was on his tongue, but he was not distracted by it, wreanching her hand around so that her own blade sought and found her heart.

She slumped to the ground, yet more ashes, and he drew back, wiping his mouth absently with the back of his hand. How tedious this was becoming...





Meanwhile, the horde of servitors was not yet depleted, and though the Night Class fought valiantly, they were being overrun with numbers and ferocity. These creatures seemed somehow different from the ordinary mad kind, as though they were more resilient, their insanity somehow directed, as though someone pulled the strings from afar. They were vicious, but not stupid, and this made them more formidible foes than the last had been. They swarmed around the fallen Moon Dormitory, and several of them were also making it across the water to the area of the Sun Dorm as well, though this number was considerably culled by the fact that they had to pass the engagement between Judas and Sacrilegious in order to do it. Many became collateral damage, but the rest seemed not to care. That same uncanny force that seemed to be directing them drove them ever forward, until a good three dozen had gathered on the far lakeshore, intent on their new destination, the dwelling-place of Cross Academy's humans.

Inside that building, a young prefect and her dog were the only living beings not currently hiding behind a locked door. Upon being dismissed by Sergei, Ekaterina had come here, knowing that in the commotion, people were most likely to forget that the humans were in danger, too, or rather they would be too occupied to be able to do anything about it. She wasn't really sure why she was not hiding herself, only she couldn't bring herself to do it. All she could think was that if the enemies came, there would be nobody to stop them from hurting these people, these students, and that as a prefect, she was responsible for their safety. She'd sworn to look after them, and she would not abandon them now, just because doing so became more difficult.

The sound of screaming alerted her to the fact that her nightmares were slipping into reality, and Kitty took off down the hallway, Mischa at her heels as ever, and burst into the front entranceway of the dorm. The screms were human, apparently students who had thought to sneak out of their rooms and take a look at what was going on. Their curiosity had proven to be their undoing, and much as she wished she could close her ears to the sound of dying, she did not. It was the only thing she could do for them now, be a witness to their last moments in the limited way she was able.

Unfortunately, as soon as those poor students had expired, she was the only one left in the room, and from the staggered sounds of breathing, there were no less than twelve vampires in it as well. Possibly more; it was hard to tell over the thundering of her pulse in her ears. Kitty swallowed, steeling hersefl for the inevitable. She was going to die here, protecting these students, and it was all she could do to hope that the time it would take them to end her would be enough for her brother and his hunters to arrive. Clenching her fists at her sides, the Russian girl nodded to herself. She didn't want to die, but if that was what it took, then she would do it without hesitating.

They were upon her then, and though she was aware of a feral snarling as Mischa launched himself at the first of the incoming vampires, it did not stop the slender hand from curling around her neck, the noble's voice slithering over her skin like snakes and oil. "How kind of you to come right to me, girl." His tone was imperious, his grip on her windpipe tightening until it cut off all but the smallest portion of her air supply. Perhaps the only comfort was that it was not the voice from her dream-- that one had been female, and infinitely more frightening in its aspect. "They want you dead, wench, and I'll be happy to oblige them."

Her? Why would anyone care enough about her to want her dead? What kind of nuisance could she possibly be? She was just a human, with all the fragility and mortality that implied. Perhaps it had something to do with Ivan, but... how would they know about him, either? As far as she knew, her adopted father was just a vampire with an interest in music and an important family name.

He was still speaking. "And when I'm done with you, I'm going to let these hounds run rampant through your halls, and feast on your mortal charges."

No. Nonono. He can't. They're innocent, just... The dread welled up inside her, black and sharp and cold, numbing her limbs but leaving her heart and lungs free to feel the excruciating pain of loss. Loss of air, loss of life, loss of hope. She was being drained of everything she'd thought she knew, and what was left was not as empty as she expected. Her hearing fluctuated in and out of clarity, but she was hardly paying attention. Something was... calling to her. Like a voice she'd heard before, but only at a distance, something remembered, but not by her. Not quite. It was nothing she could hear with her ears, and slowly, as her consciousness threatened to fade, she withdrew into herself, seeking its source. Something warm, something positively ancient, buried somewhere in the back of her mind, or was it inside her soul? She couldn't tell the difference. Closer, closer... there!

The young girl's hand snapped up, locking onto the wrist that held her in place with force a human being should not have possessed. Surprised, her captor's grip loosened just enough for her to draw breath again, and her lungs expanded, drawing life back into her body. Her eyes, without focus, still somehow found his, and something he saw then unnerved him. There was a moment of stillness, when time itself seemed to stop for the entire room, and then a burst of light dawned over the area, blinding all but she who was already without sight. Kitty felt the hand release her, and she landed back on her feet slowly, as though her fall were slowed by something. What she did not know was that she emitted the radiance, bright enough that it blurred her image, haloing her from all directions at once. She spoke, words that were not hers.

“That his children may live without fear: the cleansing of all curses. Darkness... release!" The light flared, and her aura with it, creating a spot of radiance that could be felt as far away as the other side of the grounds, and the vampires in the room all collapsed as one, rendered unconscious, and, as they would discover most unpleasantly upon waking-- human, not to mention free of the mind magic that had held them captive. Unfortunately, this was far more than Ekaterina's body could handle, and she lost her hold on consciousness thereafter, falling in a graceless heap to the floor.

Perhaps not a moment too soon, as even in that instant, the hunters arrived, spilling onto the campus and heading with grim determination to reinforce the night class and Moriae, in addition to the Takagi twins. It signalled a turn in the tide of the battle, though what was to become of it was something perhaps not quite yet decided.

Beside one unconscious human girl, a loyal hound stood, watching over the collapsed form with an uncanny intelligence.



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|"You despised Fate but, You let me be by your side and for that I wanted to be your Fate."|




"Your name is Sacrilegious and your nickname is Sacred?"

"Got a problem with it kid?"

"No, it suits you. I like it!"

Nearing Cross Academy, Takeru looked to the windows and could see the structure that he had come to known as his home. It was good to be finally back. However, those eyes of red and black slowly widened to horrifying lengths. There was smoke coming from the school and he hardly believed it was just from a failed chemistry experiment. He immediately shouted to his driver in desperation. The malevolent figure of Evie flashed through his mind. Did she come back again? Faces of Sacred, Moirae, Saya, Amaya, Sergei, Ekaterina, and the others plagued him in a frightening revelation. "Hurry! Faster!" The Kuran Heir only hoped that he would not be late. He hoped that this foreboding feeling of his will not bear fruit. Noticing the urgency in the voice of his master, the driver did not hesitate to step on the gas as the car sped through the streets breaking the speed limits. "Please, let them be safe."
This was the reigning thought he had and the wish overwhelming his faith.

"I can give you back your legs. But, you won't have a soul anymore."

"Ever since I was born, I had always been in this bed or on a wheelchair. The outside world you two tell me. I want to travel and to see it for myself."

"There is nothing beautiful about it."

"Silly Sacred. You two are there , right? So, there are definitely some things beautiful about it."

The one who shouted. The one who called out to Sacrilegious. That one person was now pierced by multitudes of icicles that sprouted underneath the frozen water. Blood trickled down to the seemingly ice fountain of spikes. It tainted the pristine white with the crimson color of life. Sacred, who was about to end the life of Judas, was now pushed to the side. He slowly returned to his feet as his eyes drifted to the many spikes that should have penetrated his body relentlessly. The ice that captured his feet were broken by knives. His eyes of vermilion returned to its brilliant mauve as he looked at the form displayed at the tip of the spear of ice. He wanted it to be a mere illusion but the strong scent of the blood confirmed it to him. "Moirae..." It was spoken like a broken prayer.

"My name means the Goddesses of Fates. But, you don't like Fates, right?"

"I despise Fate. But, if it's you I don't mind it at all."

Judas had a disappointed look at the turn of events. He could have finally ended Sacrilegious' life at that moment if that maggot didn't interfere. He dismissed the pillar of icicles into nothing as Moirae's body fell from such great height. However, her body did not meet the ground as Sacred caught her in his arms. Cradling her like a prized possession, his head lowered as his fringe covered his eyes and face effectively. Judas noticed Sacred's disposition and had an amused smile. "Did I break one of your toys?" There was no response from Sacred not even a movement. The Purple Pureblood just remained in his crouched position with Moirae in his arms. Even his presence suddenly disappeared as if it never existed, Sacred just stayed there as if trapped by time itself.

"Why are you wearing that? I didn't recall you being a maid."

"Why don't I look cute in it?"

"I don't think that is the issue here."

"It doesn't fit me?"

"Moirae is Moirae, and fine a little cute."

It unnerved Judas to see Sacred so unresponsive. In his annoyance, he raised his right hand upwards and thousands of icicles formed around Sacrilegious. "Join that pest in death then!" As Judas was about to release his attack, he felt a wave of familiar power radiating from the direction of the Sun Dormitory. His eyes of deep emerald cast towards it. "It can't be. That person still exists?" Those eyes of his widened in surprise and then slowly changed into that of anger. "That bastard! This is what he was hiding all this time." It seemed that he must clean up house more than what he intended to do. But first things first, his eyes directed to Sacred once more. It was then he felt something stabbing through the middle of his chest. Slowly looking at it, it was an anti-vampire weapon. It barely missed his heart but it was implanted thoroughly into his chest cavity.

The culprit was Moirae who had her hand pointed at Judas with a weak smile on her lips. "I don't like things that saddens my Master. They must all be removed." Her voice was much like a whisper and her hand was badly burned by the contact of the anti-vampire weapon. It probably took much strength just to hold onto such a knife. Sacred was surprised at this spectacle as he finally reacted looking at Moirae in shock. "Retreat Judas." Evie's voice resounded throughout the area without interference. "Sister, I can finish this!" Judas debated as he pulled out the anti-vampire weapon from his chest. It was painful abut he was able to do so and threw the forsaken weapon away. "Judas. Do it." The usual childish tone was no where to be heard. Judas reluctantly heeded his sister's order as he was soon covered by a ball of darkness and vanished. The remnants of his army retreated and fell back to the shadows. Soon, none of them could be seen around the grounds.

"You're finally awake. Good morning, Master Sacrilegious."

"What's so good about waking up..."

"Of course, you get to see me you silly old man."

Sapphire blue eyes met those mauve eyes with gentleness. "Why such a face, Master?" Sacred held her closer to him. "I can save you. My blood you have to." Moirae softly placed a fingertip on Sacred's lips effectively stopping him from speaking further. "You know it can't anymore. I'm at my limit even your blood can't anymore." Sacred had a painful look on his face knowing the truth in Moirae's words. The damage to her body was far too much and it was an attack meant to kill him after all. This girl was a human who was also sickly and a paraplegic. She wasn't born a vampire and only his blood made it possible for her to be someone even as a match with other lesser pure bloods. Thus the reason, she didn't die instantaneously was probably because of his blood in her system. More than that, her strength to hold on. She had always been a person with such a strong will. "May I request one thing from you?" Moirae asked so softly that it could not almost be heard anymore. "What is it?" Sacred prodded gently. "Drink my blood. All of it. Don't leave one drop."

This request of hers caused Sacred a great amount of hesitation. The only time he drank Moirae's blood was during the time of her transformation. Even during that time, he only took enough blood to start her change. Nothing more and nothing less. "Please..." Moirae looked at him with those eyes slowly losing its sparkle of life. Drinking her blood would only make her death quicker, however, this is the only thing he could do for her. Then, so be it. Reluctance still plagued him but slowly, he placed his lips on her neck. Kissing it softly, before piercing his fangs onto her pearly white skin. His eyes changed into a glowing haze of mauve tinted with vermilion as he tasted her blood once more. Her blood was being drained from her and with it the memories of a past unknown. Yet, she was completely at peace with it. Her eyes slowly closed.

"Moirae... I could never tell him. But, I am helplessly in love with him."

Running with such strength, panic, and endeavor, Takeru soon reached the premises of the Moon Dorm and saw the destruction it suffered. He pushed through the Night Class students and the hunters whom were now present. It seemed the worst part was now over. Yet, he could careless about it at the moment. In his head, he was searching for a group of specific people. Soon, he saw two familiar forms at the frozen water. He leaned over bridge well, with what remained of it. "Sacred! Moirae!" He shouted towards them. It seemed they were fine from this angle. In his relief, he even waved at them and jumped down despite the warning of other concerned individuals. He ran towards them. Just in time for Sacred to finally stand from his position. "Are you two fine?"

Glancing at Moirae who was in the pureblood's arms, she seemed to be heavily injured. Yet, she seemed to be asleep with a wonderful smile on her lips. Although what took Takeru's attention was a lone tear that fell from her eye as it rolled off her cheek and down to the frozen water. She had only one regret. "I couldn't be your Fate, Sacred." This echoed within Sacred's consciousness. That is when Takeru noticed a blood trickling down Sacred's lips. Takeru's eyes widened at this. It was then Moirae became a pile of dusts as a passing breeze scattered her about. Sacred held tightly to one of Moirae's hair ribbons. As the dusts, slipped away from his arms like sand. Then, the pureblood slowly raised his eyes to meet with Takeru's eyes. All Sacred saw was Takeru's expression of horror and disbelief. His mauve eyes lost its brilliance. They were like staring into a dead person's eyes. This time, it did not bother Takeru like before.

"She's gone. I failed." Those words reverberated inside of Takeru's existence. It was like everything around him was shattering like glass. This was all because Moirae just disappeared into nothing in front of him. The same Moirae who would always be blunt and smile so brightly without batting an eyelash when saying the most embarrassing things. She was gone just like that. Just like that, he would never have her tea or be comforted in the most oddest of ways. She would no longer remind him to take care of himself and bring some treats. He felt his knees gave way as he crumbled to the frozen ground. She couldn't be gone. Moirae couldn't disappear into dusts like that. She just couldn't. That was not the Moirae he knew.

"Master, may not show it. But, he likes it here. So, continue to look after him. I hope someday he can smile just like you do, Lord Takeru."

Takeru held his head as Moirae's words resonated within his memories. An uncanny support at the right time without much of a reservation. More importantly, the bright smile she would not fail to give him and Sacred when they least expected it. As for the pureblood, he simply walked away from Takeru who was now on the ground. Still gripping tightly on Moirae's hair ribbon, the memories that spilled from the past played within Sacred along with the sincerest feelings that she had. It enveloped him in a seemingly dream-like cocoon. A cocoon he wanted to break free but could not do so. It was because, this was better than the reality being brought to his eyes.

"Don't worry. I won't fail you, Lord Takeru. Everything will be just fine. I would even welcome you once you return. So, do your best."

Those were their parting words before Takeru left for the summons of the Vampire Council. Moirae smiled brightly at him and even gave him some medicine for his fever. She even saw him off with an enthusiastic wave. How could he knew that would be the last time he could talk to her. He could never hear her voice again. Her smile would never be seen again. She was no more. He should have done more. He should have said something more. He should have been here to keep her from dying. It was then the tears slowly fell from Takeru's eyes and then he released a heartbreaking scream. "Moirae!!!" His tears finally fell like a dam breaking free of its wall. His sobs echoed without hesitation. He did not care who saw him in such a state. He did not care anymore. Takeru gripped his head as he continued to cry. As for Sacred, he stopped from his tracks.when Takeru screamed. It was all due to Takeru instinctively grabbing hold onto his pants.

Frankly speaking, it was not that tight. Sacred could get loose from it with little force. However, he had no will to do so. Those trembling hand of Takeru kept Sacred grounded. He looked at the hair ribbon in his hand and then placed it near his lips. Looking above him, he had given the ribbon a kiss. His eyes hidden from sight as he continued gazing at the passing clouds. Beside him, Takeru continued to cry with such ferocity and a rondo of heartbreaking screams. Sacred silently stood there beside Takeru looking at the sky. Both of them without doubt were mourning for what was loss that day. Leaving in chaos' wake, the dusts of someone so precious. Something that could never be given back to them no matter how anyone tried to do so. It was forever lost.



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"Hey Kiyo, can I ask you something?" Saya asked as she laid her head on Kiyoshi's shoulder. He merely glanced down at Saya, a small smile playing at his lips while he rested a hand on hers. She took that as a yes and peeked up at him through half-lidded eyes. "Why are you always here? By my side I mean," she questioned, the words flowing from her mouth as she turned to stare up at him. Kiyoshi blinked down, his dull blue eyes casting a confused glance before lightening up a shade.

"Because it's you,"




Nothing made sense. The vampires, the two pure-bloods fighting, her own teacher. Nothing. Everything was spinning and she couldn't stop it. The only thought running through her mind, as selfish as it was, was to keep Amaya safe. No one else mattered. Not Sacred, Ekaterina, Takeru, or Sergei. Just her: Amaya. She wanted...needed to protect her sister at all costs. Amaya was the only thing that was important to her, and damn her if she failed to protect her sister. Does that make her a bad person?

No, Saya.


Her eyes snapped towards the source of sound, and saw only chaos. She couldn't make anything out, not even the voices of the hunters as they poured onto the battle field. Debris smoked all around her, the shards of ice still penetrating deep within the earth. Vampires, the Night Class more so specifically, charged head on into the fray, slaughtering countless vampires that threatened the peace of Cross Academy. It was like a dark waltz, vampires and hunters spinning around each other, blood spraying against the once beautiful green grass and decorating it a deep crimson.

Move,


The voice continued as Saya dodged a stray icicle spear. She found herself running again. Her destination was unclear. All she knew was that she needed to run, and run she did. Her legs carried her to a clearing. Countless bodies piled together as vampires and hunters fell. What was this? Surely this had to be a dream? People she knew, people she grew up with were dying left and right in front of her eyes. There was no possibility that this was real.

It couldn't be.

The pain that seared through her flesh signaled that this was all to real. Another scream tore through Saya's throat as her hands flew to the source of the pain and tore a clawed hand from her forarm. She stared at the culprit and her eyes narrowed in anger. She pulled the Artemis Rod and thrusted it into the vampire's face, listening to a sickening crack as it made contact.

I love you Saya

...only you.


Something snapped in the back of Saya's mind as an intense pain filled her head. She doubled over with the pain, clutching her head. Her eyes glowed a vermilion color before she felt herself pass out, however; her body re-acted. Strands of auburn hair flew amongst countless bodies of mad vampires, each one dropping as she passed. Her hands were stained crimson as pursed lips remained closed, eyes still clouded over. No one would recognize the Takagi prefect as she danced on the battle field.

When her eyes snapped open, it seemed like hours had passed, however; it was only a few minutes. Blood coated her body, her hands, her feet...her face. Where did this blood come from? Whose was it? These questions were pushed out of her mind when a familiar name pierced the air. Her eyes snapped in the direction of the source. There, in a pillar of ice, was Moirae. She was pierced from all directions and her blood dripped down like a waterfall of blood. Much like her blood, Saya could feel the tears roll down her cheeks, washing the vampiric blood from her face as Moirae descended to the ground. She never touched it as Sacred cradled the girl, almost in a loving embrace, as he pulled her to his chest.

"Moi...rae," the name came out as a mere whisper. It felt as if it were just the breeze passing by as she watched the scenes unfold, Sacred piercing the soft flesh of Moirae until she was no more. "Moirae," she repeated. That smile, the laughter, the way she helped keep Sacred in line...those days were over. Saya would never see the silver-haired servant girl of Sacred...and something in Saya's heart broke. The tears continued to roll down her face as she pushed herself to her feet, running towards Sacred and Moirae, however; Takeru's form came into view. She could see the despair in his heterochromatic eyes, the sorrow that overwhelmed him. It was true, Moirae was gone. Even after the ashes floated away, Moirae was gone. Just like that, in the blink of an eye.

Gone.

Saya clutched at her chest, falling down to her knee's as she gasped for air. It wasn't true, it couldn't be. She didn't want to believe it. The sobbing coming from the depths of her throat, that wasn't her. She wasn't crying for Moirae. She was crying for someone else. The hunters? The Night Class students? Moirae promised to have tea...she said they would have tea after it was over. She couldn't say something like that, not without keeping true to her words. Moirae wouldn't leave them like that...would she? Saya felt her legs crumble beneath her, a few yards away from Sacred and Takeru, clutching her chest tighter as the pain overwhelmed her. It was just like the dance all over again. First Kiyoshi, now Moirae. When would this end?

"When this is all over, let us all have tea,"

"It's over Moirae...let us have tea."



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“A twisted dawn becomes the approaching nightmare..”





Everything was moving to fast for her to keep track, but the feeling of dread was slowly building up within her heart, she could tell something horrible was about to happen, and Amaya knew there was nothing she could do about it, nothing in the whole world. Her sister was still trying to pull her away from the battle and to the safety of the school, away from the blood and death, Saya was trying so desperately to save her but...did Amaya need saving...why is it that she felt someone else needed saving? Amaya turned her head away from her sister and towards the crowd, her eyes searching for what was causing her to feel such true despair in her heart. That's when she saw it. A crisp female voice that seemed so familiar cut through the air, and as soon as it reached Amaya's ears she stopped moving with her sister, who momentarily stopped because of her twins dead weight.

The one who had shouted and stopped all of the fighting for a moment belonged to a blue haired female vampire Amaya owed her life to. She ad called out to Sacrilegious, and she was now covered in icicles that had sprouted from the frozen water. Blood slowly slid down the ice, staining it and making reality all so painful. Amaya cried out before she jerked her wrist out of her sisters grasp and took off running towards Moirae, the girl who had saved her life twice now. The girl who had been so calm during the battle, even inviting the twins for tea, the girl who had patted their heads in such a motherly way....her life blood was down spilling down the ice that held her in the air, and that was all Ama could see as she raced towards her, she wanted to believe that she was just having a horrible nightmare, that maybe, just maybe they would all be able to actually have tea after all of this blew over...but these hopes were just wishful thinking.

Dark clouds rolled in over head as rain began to poor down, soaking everything it could touch and softening the ground. Amaya watched as the blood stained ice vanished, and she watched Moirae fall towards the ground, but was was to focused on pushing her legs to go faster, to reach them sooner, she had to...she had to get there before it was to late, but it was to late. Amaya arrived a little to late and in Moirae's last moments of life as Scared cradled her to his chest. She let out a unsteady breath and fell to her knees half a second before Moirae turned into nothing more than ash. Ama stared at the spot where she once lay, a look of horror upon her face...she felt like the whole world was slipping away, like everything around her was ongoing down hill, that they were falling down a never ending rabbit hole...and there was nothing Amaya could do to stop the fall, or lessen the landing, she had the horrible feeling that everyone would crash down as one..but not one single person would leave with another...the end was perhaps near.

"No..." her voice was a mere whisper compared to the other's cries, she hadn't known Moirae like they had...but that wouldn't ease the pain, she had still considered her a friend...and now her friend was dead, and there was nothing in the would she could do to change that, or ease the pain her other friends felt at the loss, nothing but suffer along with them. A small frown formed on her lips before Ama spoke in a small, broken voice. " It looks like we'll have to wait for that tea Moirae..." She didn't notice the small crack in the back of her mind, like she had touched glass with a small, barely noticeable crack already in place, and slowly...the crack spread, soon her mind would shatter...soon


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“Father? Why
?"


“For her, even I will dirty my hands with such filth."



When everything is done, and you are king, what will you do?

King? No, that is not something I could ever be. Leave that to someone else.

You would deny your nature? It’s in our blood, child. More than that—it’s in our genes!

No, it’s in half of them. Surely, that means I can choose what I wish to be-- and I will not be you.

Choice? No, not for us. We cannot be other than what we are, what we have been made. Never forget that.

His throat burned. The feeling was raw, edged with pain, and no matter what or how much he drank, it was not slaked. Sometimes, in his darker, more humane moments of reflection, Sergei was almost sure that he understood why Lilith had acted as she did. If her thirst was anything like his
 well, he was just glad that part of him was human and cared enough about other beings to refrain from hunting them.

As it was, the being that now occupied Sergei’s body was not so reflective, and he refrained form nothing. His carnage was beautiful, in its way, the brilliant brush-strokes of an artist who had mastered a single color and all its textures and patterns. The canvases of his macabre work were anything and everything: the ground, other foes, his own body, and still it was not enough.

The end was anticlimactic, as it always had been, as he simply ran out of things to kill. The few left in his area were fleeing, but he had no inclination to follow. They weren’t worth the heat of pursuit. He straightened from his crouch, the world slowly regaining its other colors. Sometimes, it seemed that all he could see in the battle-haze was black and grey and red. Everything else faded into nothing. He was conscious now of the state he was in, and grimaced at the feel of blood dripping from his chin. Fighting to steady his heartbeat from the erratic staccato it beat when he slew, he glanced down at his torn clothes and knew there would be no saving them, even if the blood did come out. Like more important things, that way.

He crested the hill that led back towards the Moon Dormitory, only to stumble upon a scene of the utmost grief. Sacrilegious stood, Takeru at his feet, and the Takagi twins not far off. There was a fading scent on the wind, one that he dimly recognized as belonging to Moirae. Surely
 but it could be nothing else, and Sergei felt his heart sink. There was sadness for her passing, of course, as any should feel upon the release of a genuine and good soul, but in him there was also lamentation for those that yet lived. He could not descry the future, but he did not need that ability to understand that things would only get worse before they got better. How many more times would they mourn friends, allies, lovers, children, siblings, parents?

He knew only that she would not be the last. It was then that the sky opened up and the rain returned, fitting for the lament. Maintaining his distance, he spoke softly, perhaps more to the wind than any of those present. Words written long ago, by someone who understood such feelings.

“ The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.

I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
That my soul cannot resist:

A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.”


With an inaudible sigh, he left then, to arrange what matters would need to be taken care of in the wake of this second invasion. If any of the staff or students were alarmed to see their good-natured teacher coated in the blood of mad vampires and nobles alike, none of them mentioned it, perhaps far too intent on finishing what they needed to and retiring to what rest they could scrounge for themselves. Not all were oblivious to the scene of mourning not too far away, but those few that might have approached were turned away by Sergei’s insistence that those in that place be left alone for the moment.

Meanwhile, in the relatively undisturbed Sun Dorm, a darkly-hooded figure, flanked by two others, entered the front room. The still forms of the vampires-turned-human lay yet on the floor, and with them, the figure of a young woman, scarcely more than a child, already coming into an inheritance that he’d sworn to protect. One he’d always hoped would somehow bypass her. Crouching beside her unmoving figure, the masked man ran a gloved had along her porcelain cheek. “Devotchka moya, moya printsessa,” he murmured softly, his tones, muffled as they were, unmistakably those of utmost tenderness. “What have you done, dearheart? They will know of you, now.” Effortlessly, the figure slid his arms under the slumbering Ekaterina, lifting her and cradling her to his chest.

“Vincent, Ophelia,” he spoke to the matched pair behind him, both of whom straightened to attention at once upon hearing the command in his voice. “Assist the hunters with the cleanup. Then, find me my son and send him to me. He is due some retribution for his foolishness. But first
 slay these. They will not touch what is mine and live. Preserve the nearest one’s corpse.” The pair shook with matched shudders at the quiet venom in the master’s tone, but nodded at once, setting off to fulfill their orders.

When one served the household Rasputinov, one did not do otherwise.



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“Beware the dark pool at the bottom of our hearts. In its icy, black depths dwell strange and twisted creatures that are best not to be disturbed.”





Three weeks.

Three long weeks had passed. She had pretty much been dead to the world, she barely went to classes, and hid from everyone, she hadn't even gotten to give Sergei back his glasses yet because she hasn't seen him. She blamed herself for what had happened to Kitty, and she couldn't get over the fact that, not only Kiyoshi was dead, but now so was Moirae, someone who had always really been there for Saya and herself. Once more the Day Class students had been whipped of all their memories of that day, and given false information. Amaya wasn't surprised, Kuro had even offered to erase her memories of that day, but she had refused and stormed away. For the last few weeks she avoided everyone, her sister, Kitty, all of the Night Class and Day Class students, even Sergei. She had just closed herself off, and it wasn't just the deaths, no it was the nightmares and the hallucination's that plagued her mind ruthlessly. She had been losing more and more sleep over the last few days, and she could barely tell what was reality and wasn't. She was losing her mind, and there was nothing she could do to make it stop. Amaya didn't even know what it was, or where it came from, or why it was happening to her, it made no sense, at least not to her. She hadn't told anyone about it, Ama didn't want them to think she was going crazy...but she was.

She had found herself a few nice little hiding places, like an empty dorm room with only one bed in it, the room was smaller than the normal dorm's but it still had it's own little bathroom and a nice little window that Ama had blocked when she had a hallucination of the glass shattering and cutting her up. She had also found a nice little place on the roof of her actual dorm. She had to go through the Headmaster's living quarters to get to it, but she didn't mind much, it was nice and out in the open, there were railings all around it and there was nothing blocking the sky, so she could gaze at the stars at night when she wished. Despite not going to her classes, she still turned her work into Sergei, slipping it under his door or putting it in his mailbox, through she wasn't avoiding him as much as she was her sister, she was still avoiding him, but not for the reason's you may think. She wasn't really bothered about him not being human, a part of her had always expected as much, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, telling her that she should remember something that had happened around him.

She just couldn't place the memory or feeling, it was rather annoying. She had pretty much just been lurking around for the last three weeks, barely running into any of the other students or anyone she knew, she had to keep away from large crowds because when she was around them, she would get flashes from the battlefield when Moirae died, it would be like everything was happening all over again, and there was nothing she could do about it, expect avoid it. So she did, she avoided everything, the only time she went out to where her sister could find her and try to get details about why she was acting the way she was, was when she went down to the Kitchen to get something to eat, but she did that when everyone else was already in bed most of the time.

Currently, Amaya was in her makeshift dorm room, sitting on the bed and staring at the blank dark wall in front of her, she had another hallucination not to long ago, it felt like her mind was slowly shattering, and there was nothing she could do about it, she was horrified of the fact that in any second, she could blink and start seeing things that weren't really there. She took a deep breath and shook her head while closing her eyes for a moment. I just need to calm down, I'm not going insane, my mind is perfectly intact, there is nothing wrong with me, nothing at all, I will open my eyes, and everything will be the same, nothing will be changed. I'm fine. Ama let out a small, controlled breath, before she opened her eyes.

Everything was the same as before, it was the same bland room, no blood, no gore, nothing horrible about the room other then the fact that there was no light other than the light that shinned through the cracks in the door frame. She was safe, she wasn't losing her mind, everything was fine, she was fine. Amaya let a small smile form on her face as she tried to relax and uncurl herself from the ball she had formed her body into on the small twin sized bed with plain white sheets. Maybe things were starting to get better, and she would be able to actually sleep tonight, and maybe, just maybe, she could return to the way things had been before, no hiding, no running around behind people's backs, nothing like that. Just peace of mind.

Suddenly a loud growl cut through the air, making Amaya's eyes fly open, but her world wasn't normal anymore, everything was in black and white, the air felt thick , and she could feel something sticky on her bare legs, but that wasn't all that was wrong, from the corner or her room she could see something slowly moving forward, towards her. Her breath hitched and her eyes widened, because the form wasn't of a human, or even a vampire...it was a Monster. But not just any monster, it was a monster from one of her childhood nightmares that she would have over and over again, a nightmare that haunted her to this very day. Thick dark hair stood up pointing in every direction as it's snout twitched, sniffing the air, searching for her, it's eyes have been clawed out, and now they were covered in scar tissue, making it blind to the world, but it still had ears and a nose, it could hear Ama's thumping heart and fast breathing, and it could smell the blood that ran through her veins. It knew she was there.

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Amaya jumped up and ran, she flung the door open and took off down the hall, and right out of the building. All she wore was a pair of black shorts and a white tank top, the kind of clothes she would sleep in, her feet were bear as they landed harsh on the paved ground, she had to get away, she had to get away from the monster. Everything around her was still in black and white, she couldn't see anything clearly, she was going to get lost and she would die, she would die of this fear that was slowly building up inside her heart and chest, the fear that was eating away at her very being. Her long brown hair flew out behind her as she did what most people would consider 'hauling ass' to get away from that thing.

Amaya ran until she was out in the forest, far from the school and swallowed up in the darkness that the trees around her provided. She fell to her knees and clutched her head, whispering little things to herself about the nightmares being fake, that none if it was real and that soon she would open her eyes and it would all be gone, that it wouldn't last longer than the last one, or the one before that, that she wasn't going mad.


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“Fear not the endless night. It is only befitting of creatures like us."



Sergei winced slightly as he put weight on his favored leg, but it did not stop him from ascending the rest of the stairs to the roof. Ivan had long ago invented a particular kind of toxin that would slow the natural healing processes of vampires, though he seldom used them in open combat, as the toxin had the additional effect of sharpening the mind. It certainly made one aware of one’s pain, but it also allowed for greater-than-usual mental computation speed, and had since been modified into a pharmaceutical. Of course, fortunately for Ivan, this side effect didn’t make much of a difference when the recipient of the toxin was Sergei, as the dhampir already possessed information processing speeds abnormally high for a humanoid creature anyway. So for him it was simply more pain.

He supposed that in some sense, his father’s disciplinary methods were cruel, and certainly if visited upon a human or someone else, they would have been cause for great concern on his part. But
 Ivan never did anything without a reason, and the one time that sympathy had stayed his hand in such affairs, the results had been disastrous. So if this, ritualized punishment with poisoned weapons, was the kind of thing one could get used to, then Sergei was used to it. It was not as though the Lord Rasputinov would ever visit such harms upon his human wards or his other servants. Sergei was a unique case, and perhaps rightly so.

It was what he told himself, anyway, lest he assume that Ivan simply despised him. He couldn’t bring himself to believe that, even if the man did hate Lilith with a ferocity well-hidden by his unruffled exterior.

Emerging onto the roof, Sergei lit a cigarette, blowing the smoke out into the wind with a sigh. He was already nearly recovered from that incident this morning, anyway. His own body wouldn’t let him die—he knew this quite well, in fact. For years after the incident, he’d searched for a way to accomplish such a feat, but it was not to be done. As much as his human side reviled everything that he was, the part of him that was her refused to be put down in such an inglorious fashion, and stayed his hand more times than he could rightly keep count of any longer. Ah, but to be the ash he made of others
 it would be only just retribution, but alas, such things were denied him. Perhaps to live on was more painful than to die, and this was why he was consigned to life everlasting, restless.

Tipping his head back, Sergei stared hard at the moon, perhaps trying to read something into her face. An answer to a question that he did not know how to ask, mayhap. There were many such questions, and as ever, there were no replies to be found. A night breeze tugged playfully at his unbound locks of moonsilver hair, but went ignored. It was hard to embrace the little things when the large ones weighed so heavily upon you. Death, past and to come, something that filled his mouth with the leaden taste of black dread. Metallic, sour—like diseased blood, or something worse. Ichor, bile, acid, caustic and callow and sitting in a festering pool somewhere his heart should be.

“A trip, is it? To ease the festering in our souls? How quaint
” he murmured, dropping the stub of his cigarette and grinding out the cherry-colored ember of it with his heel. Perhaps Ekaterina will have woken by then, else he would be staying behind. Not that he thought going would make much of a difference—they could toy with the boundaries of physical distance all they wished, but psychological distance was not so easily attained. Surely, they would know. Sacrilegious, still troubled by an ancient history that had once driven him to the sleep of oblivion. The twins, who had watched two friends die in such quick succession. Takeru, burdened with duties that should not have fallen to one so young. And himself, forever haunted by the blood on his own hands. It was no other entity that haunted his nightmares, not being to creep up and slaughter while he watched helpless. No, the being that lurked in the shadows of his sleeping mind was just himself, and he feared none other.

And Kitty? Who knew what she dreamed? She would never speak of it, not even if it troubled her. She would not give the details of her foreboding, only the sensation itself, and he knew she concealed these things for her own reasons. Ivan would press, but he would achieve nothing. She had become strong, in her own way, while none of them were looking.

He wondered if she would be strong enough. If any of them would be.

Sergei’s errant thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a fleeing figure, heading towards the forest. The scent carried to him on the wind allowed him to identify Amaya, but he did not move to chase. Whatever she was enduring now, there was nothing he could do. What had his father said? Ah, yes. Useless. He was not for soothing or helping—he was for maiming and killing. And how little he wished either of those things to befall her. Any of them. Distance was best, surely.

Perhaps, if it took her too long to return, he would find her sister.




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“Today, I stared into the face of death, as a great chasm opened before me, the gateway into the next world. And I realized: our fates are only ours to decide."



How long had she wandered, hopelessly lost? She couldn’t remember. What was time, anyway? It seemed such a useless thing for her, for anyone. All this world was could be encapsulated in any instant, but each one of those might as well have been an eternity of shifting possibilities. She walked among flowers and gardens and rainbow effulgence, softly-seeping light and warmth and light mist. Birds with feathers of every imaginable color flew by in flocks or alighted on her shoulders, her arms. Ghostly lords and ladies braided strings of flowers and shells and silvery bells into her hair, garlanding her with flowers as she walked, the whisper of their touches ephemeral and comforting. She was garbed entirely in white, silk and lace and gossamer, and the whisper of fabric sursurrated with the trilling calls of the birds and the deep purring rumbles of the jungle-cats and the forest-light treads of the great ivory stags and the pitter-patters of tiny mice feet, the creatures walking beside her like a great parade train.

And she could hear all of it. She could feel all of it. She could see all of it.

Her eyes, no longer dim and sightless, were opened to the light of this world in which she dwelt, and she could have wept for the sheer beauty that she saw before her. And yet, something in her heart made her uneasy. She felt tugged forward, pulled by the vibrating, musical strings of her heart towards something. Something that she at once knew and did not know, waiting at the center of this garden for her. Her meandering path led her gradually towards it in ever-tightening circles, her bare feet soundless over the blessedly-soft coating of pine needles. The radiance here grew ever-brighter as she went, and her sight was blurred, but she continued forward, following the call in her heart.

When her vision next cleared, she stood at the end of a long aisle, carpeted in flower petals and palm thrushes, the great branches of mighty trees arching overhead in nature’s own perfect symmetry. The way things were supposed to be, she knew. Flanking the aisle were many people, dressed as she was in shades of white, gold, and silver, and all were glorious to behold, as though wreathed in the very light that illuminated the garden. But she could not linger to look at them, for at the opposite end of the aisle, accompanied by a few standing people, was the one who drew her eye and her heart towards him.

Seated on a throne woven from living branches of smooth, pristine wood, the man watched her approach with eyes blue enough to drown in, or were they silver, or violet, or sun-gold? It was so hard to tell—as though there were multitudes of hues for the light to play with at its whim. Her throat felt dry, and she swallowed ineffectually; there was no doubt that, for as few years as she had seen, she had never seen anything so beautiful as he, and she doubted anyone else ever would, either. His hair was a grown of gold, bright and shimmering, and though he wore no more ornamentation than any of the rest, she knew she stood now before a king, and sank to one knee, almost afraid to look for too long.

So she stared at the floor instead, and only the faint whisper of fabric and the sudden appearance of a garment-clothed leg in her field of vision alerted her to the fact that he had risen to meet her. Crouching, he fitted his hand under her chin and tilted her head with incredible gentleness so that she looked again into his face. “You shall not kneel before this throne, child,” he said, and the words, simple as they were, fell upon her ears like the music she had always striven to but never quite grasped. “You shall not kneel before anyone.” His voice was so soft that she scarcely heard it, and the figure grasped her hand, brushing his lips gently over her knuckles. Rising, he bid her do the same, and she knew not what else she could do, so she complied.

His smile, perhaps, could have shattered the world.

He turned to the assembly, speaking much more loudly now, though his tone lost none of its music. “Your queen, and long have you waited for her,” the man pronounced, and she swallowed. Queen? No, no, she wasn’t queen of anything, surely. But
 who was she? The question, she could not remember having occurred to her before, and now that it did, it troubled her greatly.

“Please, there must be some mistake,” she protested softly, and her own voice was music, too. Had it always been so? “I am not
 I am not this, am I?” At least, she didn’t think she had been so before


Giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, the figure looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “You were not yourself, before. Trouble yourself about it no longer. You are here now, and this is where you belong.”

So she had been different, before. Before the silk and the lace and the garlands. She’d been
 what? Why were these things so strange to her? It was almost like
 she knew how it felt to be garbed so, but it had never been right. She’d preferred something else. A faint memory flickered at the edge of her mind—something about satiny flowers and cotton, the feel of steel in her hand. She hadn’t wanted to be encased in silk. It was too
 something. Too fine. Too rich. Too
pretty, for her. What did that mean, though?

The figure’s attention was now turned fully upon her, and he locked eyes with her as the assembled crowd’s cheers faded from her perception, as though they were no longer there. “You should not let such things trouble you. You were never meant for that world, but this. Surely you can see that?”

See? Why did that word, that idiom, strike her so strangely? She
 could see it. Could she? What was there to see? She remembered, not nothing, but darkness. Always darkness. But the darkness had sound, so she wasn’t simply drawing a blank. But these memories
 why did so few of them have color? A frown marred her features, her brows drawing together in confusion. A strange sensation shot through one temple, seemingly rebounding off the other side of her head. Raising her free hand, she pressed her fingers to it, wincing. Something was trying to break through.

Her name, what was her name? She had one, she just knew it. A stream of names assaulted her, like a great onrushing tide. And each resounded with the sound of a different voice, not hers, not his, not any she had encountered since arriving here.

Sacrilegious. She liked that voice, she remembered thinking so before.

Amaya. Stubborn strength in light soprano. Someone she knew, cared for.

Takeru. Almost unfamiliar, but somehow associated with a kindness unexpected.

Saya. Forceful, magnetic. Her very first friend.

Sergei. A lovely baritone, deep and heavy with sorrow she could not touch.

Dmitri. One she’d known since birth, now a rumbling, sonorous bass. Her brother.

Ivan. Her warden, her shepherd, muffled in tones but for when he spoke to her alone, and cast the disguise from his face.

“Ah!” she exhaled softly, and then the rest of the memories followed. Her parents, her siblings, her friends. Cross Academy, her school. Her prefect patrols, the sound of the wind through the trees. Sergei’s fingers upon the keys of a piano. Ivan’s hands holding her own as he teaches her to dance. Why should a blind girl dance? Why should she not? The ball, her school uniform. Lilies in her hair. An attack, the smell of blood. Pain. Another. A light inside her that she reaches for, unthinking, wishing only to protect.

“I have to go back,” she whispered into the being’s shoulder, for he had pulled her close, and she felt him tense.

“You have seen the garden,” he said. “You know what is here for you. You could have dominion over everything—here, you would be queen, cherished and loved and safe. You would give that up?”

She shook her head. “It is not mine. What have I done to earn such a thing?” His expression morphed from one of worry back into a smile.

“You wish to earn this? Well, I suppose I can allow that. But you will return to me, one day. And I will return to you many times, when you dream, to remind you.” Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to her forehead, and slowly, she felt the world around her begin to sink away.

“You misunderstand—” she tried, but he only smiled the wider, raising a hand in farewell. And then the darkness swallowed her.

In her room at the infirmary, three weeks after she had fallen comatose, Ekaterina drew in a deep breath, life returning to her stilled limbs, and the vital signs on the monitors attached to her body flaring to wakefulness all at once. What had looked to be a long, slow death suddenly ceased, though she could not tell if anyone was even around to know. Something in her chest felt hollow, empty, and already she missed the lovely vistas she had seen when she walked the garden. Worrying her lower lip, she sat up slowly, calling out into the impenetrable darkness of her own world without light.

“Is anybody there?”



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|Finding solace in the dark is comforting, so let me sleep, until I see the light with the touch of a kiss. |




"Takeru. Takeru. Takeru. Please you have to eat something." This was the voice of the Headmaster as he stood outside the door. There was still no response. Before, the Headmaster let it pass. Since, Takeru was devastated by the death of someone he truly cared for. However, it was affecting his health. This was truly a great concern as he knocked once more. "Takky, you have to live on." Still, no response. The Headmaster finally decided to forcefully open the door which he was able to do with a master key. Well, this is his house to begin with. However, what he witnessed was a very pale and unconscious Takeru. Without a moment too soon, he ran to the boy's side and could see his fever has now caught up to him. "So stubborn. It must be a genetic trait..." There was a prominent sadness in this conclusion of his.

For the first time since 3 weeks and 6 days, Takeru was now out of his self-isolated room. However, this was only possible by the Headmaster carrying the younger man to the infirmary. There was another patient there which was Ekaterina. who was still asleep. The Headmaster had heard of what happened but there were still hazy details to all that had happened. He only hoped that these children would not be involved any further. Yet, it was quite impossible as they were the core of the entire matter. His protection could only do so little. It was frustrating in a sense. In any case, the Student Council president was treated with some medicines and dextrose to serve as his means of food. Soon, the Headmaster left Takeru as he still had duties to do and some matters to handle personally.

Unknown to anyone, Takeru was seeing portions of his lost memories or could it be even called that. It was like watching himself in front of a mirror. Yet, the reflection shown to him was not truly him. It was rather hard to explain this feeling he was experiencing. On the other side, there was a woman or perhaps, a girl. He could not tell. She had an appearance of a porcelain doll yet the grace of an elegant princess. Those eyes of saccharine purple held a distinctive familiarity and a sense of warmth. Hair that meshes with the darkness with the haze of purple followed her movements like a flowing silk curtain. She was truly a vision. Although, she was not alone. There was someone else near her. The problem he could not identify. This person was but a smudge.

"You do not have to be lonely." The female spoke with such a voice he could compare to an angel if they truly exist. "One day, I'll disappear from your heart." She reached for her companion's hand and placed it on her cheek. "It will be filled by other things which is not me." There was an answer but he did not hear it. A smile was present on the female's voice before giving a reply. "No. It means I have returned to be by your side again." There was a moment of comfortable silence. Takeru tried to reach the people who spoke and somehow he faintly knew. But soon, his vision was covered by blinding red. A scream echoed around him. What was happening? He tried to navigate himself through the never-ending crimson then there was a voice and a pair of hands grabbing his neck. "You should disappear."

It was then, he felt those hands tightened and began strangling him. He instantly tried to pry off those hands. However, it was useless. Is he going to die like this? This was absolutely pathetic. Then, it suddenly stop when a voice spoke. A voice so familiar to him. The same voice that haunted him quite a few times before. It reverberated through his consciousness. "Takky, you're attached more to our arrow than to the night, aren't you?" The tone was rather amused. Then, he heard someone replied. "I really like her... and I also like..." He knew the name was spoken but it was lost to him. "But, I want to be by her side the most. It is my promise." Then, the red that surrounded him dulled and soon a young boy was revealed to him. This boy was.... him. Those mismatched eyes looked at Takeru. "You have to remember them. Her."


Those eyes of red and black opened with such speed and shock reflected in those orbs of sight. He was breathing heavily for when the younger version of himself embraced him. Snippets of last smiles, last farewells, nonexistent faces surrounded him. But, the most that put him to an edge. "Was that Sacred?" He said in a breathless whisper. His last vision was that of lilac-colored eyes and the slightest faint of touch on his lips. He was kissed. Those were definitely odd dreams as he held his head. It was then he noticed a needle stuck to his arm and a dextrose bag not so far. Looking around, he concluded that this was the infirmary. The Headmaster must have taken him here. He still did have a fever and the feeling lingers. Moreover, he had physically put himself in degradation. But, could anyone blame him for it?

“Is anybody there?”

That voice, Takeru glanced to his side and finally took noticed that he was not alone in the infirmary. There beside is bed was the Russian girl, Ekaterina. The last time he saw her was at the dance. It seemed that something had happened to her provided such an array of medical equipment around the girl. She probably got worse than him. "Vasileva-san..." His voice was slightly weak and a bit hoarse from all the wails he had done for the past days. "I'm here... It's Takeru." The lingering sadness was still present and yet, he did not want to bother the girl for it. So, he tried to smile, he truly did try. It was hard. Very hard.





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||“You told me once I was like the snow. That is good. Because, I can bury our memories for eternity.”||




"I love you. But, I'm also terrified. I can't imagine my life without you."

There was a great irony in those words. In the end, that person was gone from his life. Never to return. Never to be found. Never to be a part of his life again. If that person cannot bear to be without him, why is there no one here beside him? Those words instead reflected him. He should have been the one who said that. Because, it was the exact thing that he felt all these time. Even history cannot change that, his memories still remained within him. The gentle touches, the sweet kisses, the most beloved scent, the one-sided arguments, the warmth, the smiles, the tears, everything was still here. His eyes were closed as he placed a lollipop in his mouth again. Its sweetness meshed inside him and soon gave him a familiar sensation long gone. A sweetness so tragic.

"I'll see you later."

How could he have known? It was a goodbye. He should have seen through that smile. He should have felt the lingering sadness. If he had, he could have done something to prevent such pain. Perhaps, if he had been more strong. None of this would happen. Moving his head slightly, a tingle of his bell earring echoed within the room. This accessory was a warning. It was to deliver the message, he was there. At first, he truly did not understand such a notion. It would be inefficient for him in every sense. Yet, he had comply to the wishes. There was not much to go against to. Besides, he really did not mind it. Now, all those words, all those small nervous gestures, those unfinished statements, and that last smile. He now understood it. His very existence provided pain. Still, he was protected even if he really did not deserve it. He now know all of this because of that person, Moirae.

"Lord Sacrilegious, no matter what you do. I will always be on your side."

A human girl which he had turned into a creature of the night. The cursed being that can never know peace and the sense of revival to come. Though, it was a willful choice of hers. He could still have refused but he did not. Was it really goodwill? Sympathy? Whim? Or he did not want to be alone anymore? Yes, it was probably because he was tired being on his own. So, he bounded the girl to him by the means of the forbidden blood. Casting such a pure soul into the chains of darkness, it was out of his own selfish desire. A girl who had become dear even when he kept his distance. She also did. But, her blood cannot deny the love she possessed for him. Now, here he is. Not caring how much time had passed. Not concerned about anything else. Well, those lot can attack again and he would not move a finger. All that remained was a void.

Sigh. He released a sigh as he stood from the couch with the lollipop still in his mouth. The bells ringing at his movement. A ribbon swaying gently around his wrist. The pure blood just wanted to go away. To just leave. He really did not care for what purpose. He just wanted to leave. Opening his doors, he could see a pile of documents. letters, gifts, and treats. It was probably from the night class students worried about him. Whether, it was by a degree of respect or affection. He truly did not care. Although, he appreciated the gesture in the least. Then, there was probably his duties as a student. Taking one of the letter with an incredibly annoying hue of purple, he opened it only to see the writing of the Headmaster.

"Sacred-kun! How are you? Are you feeling a bit energetic now? If you want blood, I will let you drink mine! Anyway, pack up! Ageha-chan invited all of us to stay at her summer house at the tropics!I will pick you up around 7-ish? Well, lots of love!

XOXO,
Headmaster Cross."


He had never felt the urge to kill someone like this before Judas. If it was possible to strangle the Headmaster to a slow death, he would have done so now. The letter was instantly burned into ashes. He could still feel a vein on his forehead pulsed in annoyance. Can the man not write a proper letter to him without all those sprinkles of glitter and annoying color. Although, a trip was not bad. He did want to leave and anywhere was fine. Still, it was the act of Ageha. Somehow, he did not want to see her, not right now. If he did, he might just remember the past. Moreover, she must have been informed about what happened here and to Moirae. What to do? There is no doubt, she will be talking about the silver-haired girl. Right now, he just want to forget so badly. Bury it in the unmelting snow.



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"I close my eyes and all I see is you. Will it always be like this? Should I keep my eyes closed forever just to see you then?"




Saya made her way towards the infirmary. Her legs, however, had decided to take her else where. She stood outside, gazing out into the open field and noticing a few damaged pieces still lingering around. Something caught her attention though. There, in the midst of the damage, there was a white flower. More specifically a white rose. A smile tugged at Saya's lips as she approached it. She knelt down, staring into the flower and cupped it gently with her finger tips. She didn't remove it from it's spot, instead just plucking a single petal from the midst and watching as it flew from her hand; it's destination unknown.

She smiled as she watched it drift away. There was still beauty in all of the damaged places, no matter how damaged it seemed to be. Something so beautiful had managed to errupt from the debris, and for once, Saya felt a warmth grow in her being. She closed her eyes, and for the first time, she couldn't see him. She couldn't see his eyes, his offered hand, his face. Nothing. He wasn't there. As much as she had wanted him to come back, this new warmth in her being had replaced him. He would always be there and as long as she remembered it, he would always be here. She stood from her knelt position and decided to put the flower in a pot. She didn't want the students to see it and trample it out of pure stupidity. She returned to the schools floral club and asked them for a pot.

They had given her quizzical looks but obliged her nonetheless. With the pot and soil in hand, she made her way back towards the place where she had left. Once she had returned, she carefully dug the dirt around the flower and made sure to not damage the roots. She then placed it gently in a batch of new soil and proceeded to place it in the pot. Satisfied, she took it with her and tucked it gently beneath her arms. The pot itself wasn't big, probably about the size of box, so she didn't have trouble with it. Some students she passed gave her confused glances. Why was prefect Takagi carrying a rose? To them, they wouldn't understand, but as long as she did, that was all that mattered.

She was assaulted by a visage of a woman. It was her again. She stopped in the middle of the hallway, watching as this woman walked with her back towards her. She seemed to be holding the hand of two young girls. One had shorter hair than the other, but it was obvious that the two were twins. Was that...she blinked and the visage was gone. A hand had been placed on her shoulder as one of the students repeated their question if she was okay. She assured them that she was and continued on her way. Her destination was unknown at the time, however; all she knew was that she wasn't going to let go of the flower in her hand.

It was to be her new symbol in life. The pain of a lost loved one, let alone a dear friend, something like that would never heal. But she would live twice as much for them now. She had to, she promised. She had promised so long ago that she couldn't remember who the promise was actually to. She had been so young, and the vision of one person split into two blurred her memories. Before she knew it, she found herself standing by the gates that lead to the moon dormitory. Why had she always found herself around this place? Everytime she walked without a destination, she always ended up near or close to the moon dorms. One night she had actually found herself inside the actually dormitory. A few of the night class students had been surprised nonetheless when the prefect had showed up.

They hadn't thought much of it either and let her be. Although she had to reprimand Kuro a few times, but for some odd reason he never complained. In fact he always seemed to enjoy them. The memory brought a light chuckle from her lips before she turned back around, the breeze carrying her hair with it as she stopped to stare at a small figure running towards the forest. She squinted her eyes to see if she could see who it was, but at the distance she was at, she couldn't see. She sighed, placing the pot down just beside the gates to the moon dorm and took off in a light jog after the person. The figure seemed to have been running away from something if the speed at which she had ran wasn't any consultation to that. By the time she had caught up, she had caught a better glimpse at who it was.

"Ama?" she called out hesitantly as to not startle her sister.


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“He told me that waking up was the hardest part. I think he’s wrong—it’s what you wake up to that hurts you."



“Vasileva
” she echoed faintly. “Ekaterina. Yes, that’s my name. I’d
 I’d forgotten.” Kitty slumped forward slightly, holding her head in both hands. There was a painful tug as her IV drip protested the movement, but she only dimply registered this. The other voice, she knew it. Right
 it was Kuran-kaichou. But it came across as so
melancholy, with enforced lightness that would not have fooled her tonal ear were she half-delirious. Where was she, and why was he here, too, sounding like that? The last thing she remembered was—

“The Sun Dorm. The students, they—” She cut herself off with a shake of her head. That couldn’t be right. She’d done
 something. Why couldn’t she remember what? She remembered reaching, then falling, then
 seeing. She’d dreamed she could see again, like she had as a small child. Part of her, the selfish part, wanted nothing more than to be alone for a while and mourn the loss of that which could not be returned, but she shoved the instinct away. Other things were more important, like


“Kaichou
 what happened? I don’t remember.” The question was asked in the softest sotto voce she had, but it sounded too loud to her ears anyway. If he was here, in the infirmary (for that must be where they were), she did not imagine it could have been anything good.

Any answer the young Kuran might have provided was forestalled by another arrival, however, as the door to the room swung open to admit the masked vampire. He had been monitoring Ekaterina’s vitals from his temporary residence in a guest house, and upon her waking, had set out for this room at once. “Devotchka,” he exhaled, and the sound was caught somewhere between relieved and sad.

“Batya?” she responded, clearly perplexed, if not a bit happy to realize who the visitor was.

His response was not immediate, however, and though she could not discern the reason for his pause, it would have been obvious enough to Takeru, at whom the man’s posture now indicated he was looking. There was something of an interlude, perhaps no more than a few seconds, and Kitty’s brows drew together in her confusion.

“You are
 yes, I see. It makes sense now.” There was another pause, this one thoughtful, and then Ivan inclined his head at the young man, an uncommon gesture of respect, before turning back to his adopted daughter. “Much has happened since you slept, Katya moya. But it is not a telling to request of Kuran-kun right now.” Still, he was clearly leaving it up to the other whether he chose to say anything about it or not, and moved about her bedside as a doctor would, checking the monitors, taking her pulse, and removing the IV drip once he’d determined she was in no danger of relapsing into her coma.

Ekaterina had fallen silent upon the gentle remonstrance, as she often had before. Ivan always wore the velvet gloves around her, and she knew that very well. She also understood to some extent that this was not how he was with anyone else, though she knew not what the difference was, only that elsewhere, his demeanor was colder, harsher, more metallic and logical and chilly, and this rare warmth was only hers. She had never known what to think about that, really. It wasn’t like she’d done anything to deserve such exception.

Deserve
 why did it feel like she’d had this argument with someone before? She did not generally make a habit of revealing her inner mind to others, as it was an unnecessary burden upon people who generally had more important things to do. So then why did the line of thought seem so familiar? Her thoughts were interrupted when Ivan brushed her fringe back from her forehead with one hand, tucking a few stray hands gently behind one ear. “There is much to do, Katya. I must go now. Be a good girl while I am gone.” She nodded slowly, and he dropped his hand, shooting a brief look at the room’s other occupant. “Do not let the memories of those who are gone drown you, young Lord Kuran. Only madness lies down that road. The living will need you yet.”

Ekaterina had never heard him sound so grave and burdened before. She had the distinct impression that Ivan knew exactly what he was talking about, from something deeper than scientific observation. But he’d never told her of any such thing. She almost opened her mouth to question the advice, but the words had not been meant for her, and she left them alone. Perhaps they would mean more to Kuran-kaichou than to her.

The door closed behind him, and Ivan’s footsteps swiftly receded into nothingness. Kitty laid back with a sigh. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I meant to ask you how you were, but that is a question with no happy answer right now, isn’t it?” It seemed kind of pointless, in the wake of everything that had happened recently. And she knew there were pieces she was still missing.



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|There is this lingering feeling which is mine and not mine. It is like this stranger is someone precious to me.|




She seemed confused. The Russian girl was saying half-done sentences which were not known to him. In the end, he simply ceased listening to the facts. He did not want to hear anything more. His world was frozen in that brief moment. Even now, he was still in that world where he recalled the events over and over again. Thus, he would not blame her for it. After all, he was still trying to piece everything together, most importantly, himself. There was also a fact that what ever ordeal she experienced was truly dangerous. Judging by the apparatus monitoring her condition, he must be far better off than her at the very least.

“Kaichou
 what happened? I don’t remember.”

A perfect question. It was the same question he wanted to ask. He did not care who would provide him the answer. As long as, it would reveal the truth behind his query. The only difference between the two of them, Ekaterina does not remember and he always remembers which he would probably be better of forgetting. Then again, he did not want to. Those moments must remain with him. This was the only thing he could do for her. But, it was evident. He was breaking apart from the sheer sadness and limitless guilt. In the end, there was only silence. He doesn't know if he even want to talk about it.

It was then, he was saved by the presence of another. Hearing a voice, it was muffled and frankly right so. The person had a mask and his identity was completely unknown to him. However, he could sense it. This person was looking at him, or rather it was quite obvious to him, at the very least. The odd thing, he could only look at this mysterious person. It seemed that Ekaterina knows the visitor . Perhaps, the person found it sudden for him to be here. This person must be expecting her to be alone. Well, he did not want to intrude. Although, this stranger spoke words that rang a curious note for him. What did this person mean about it makes sense? What made sense exactly?

For starters, this person knew him. He remembered hearing from the Headmaster that Ekaterina was adopted by a vampire. There was a high chance it is this person, or more like, it is certain. Although, it was no simple vampire. He could tell this much. The visitor had a presence faintly similar to that of Sacred. This is a pureblood, no doubt. The man could have heard about him from the circle of vampire society. After all, the Kuran clan is well-known. Yet, he did feel a bit disappointed not knowing who was this person exactly. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he should know him. He reached deeper, yet the answer eluded him like a shifting ghost.

In the end, he could do only what he does best at the moment. He did not say anything. Instead, he simply watched as the man tended to Ekaterina. From his observations, the stranger was quite gentle to her which was good to know. With that in mind, he closed his eyes once more. It was good this person came. He really did not have the heart to talk about the scenes he had witnessed. More specifically, he was not ready to do so. In truth, he was not even sure when he would be ready to discuss this about to anyone. Even smiling was hard, even trying to interact, it was taking an effort. He was truly a mess.

“Do not let the memories of those who are gone drown you, young Lord Kuran. Only madness lies down that road. The living will need you yet.”

Opening his eyes, those heterochromic crimson and ebony gazed at the masked man. His words struck a chord within him. Moreover, the sadness in that voice as if speaking from personal experiences. He could not help but stare at the man for a little longer. Those wisteria-colored eyes held a certain meaning that he had yet to unveil. A brief vision of the same eyes and the faint sensation still tickling his lips, a dream he had earlier. It reminded him of it. Nothing formed in his mind to say, yet his mouth had already spilled the words without comprehension. "I'm back..."

Instinctively, he raised his hand to reach for the stranger. It was like a sense of easing the man of something. He does not understand himself well. However, he had managed to stop midway and had a rather perplexed look. Blinking a couple of times, he quickly apologizes and at the same time thanking this person. When the man was long gone, there was a new feeling of disappointment and loneliness washing over him. He would not admit but he had a blurry memory of that person looming around.

“I meant to ask you how you were, but that is a question with no happy answer right now, isn’t it?

Finally, Takeru snapped mentally from the darkness that covered him completely due to the voice of the Russian girl. Casting a glance towards Ekaterina, he cannot deny that fact. He was not fine. He cannot smile so brightly like before. "I don't think I'll ever be fine."



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“Where do our souls truly dwell?”





Amaya had been in the forest for a few short minuets, sitting on her knees and leaning against a tree, holding her head while she kept her eyes shut. After awhile she got used to the hissing noises, she knew they weren't real, so there was no real reason to freak out completely. She was actually starting to calm down until-

"Ama?"


Amaya's breath hitched for a second and her body tensed up, out of all times Saya had to find her, it had to been when she was going crazy. She should have just stayed in her room, with the locked door and the barricaded window, no one would have come looking for her there, maybe she should have just ran to the roof instead, honestly who runs into the forest when their imagining monsters anyway? Stupid people, that's who. She let out a silent breath and forced herself to relax a bit, she would just have to fake being fine for her sister, she wouldn't let Saya ever know of what was going on with her mind, it would only hurt her sister. How would she react when she found out, that no matter how hard she tried to protect her sister, she could never protect Amaya from her own mind. Surely it would hurt her, it would probably even drive her crazy to know that there was nothing she could possibly do. Ama forced a small smile on hew face, that was now dry of tears, and slowly stood up and turned towards her sister.

Horror. That was the only word tat could explain what she saw. Of course it wasn't real, the blood that covered Saya's body wasn't there, if it had been she wouldn't have even been standing upright. It's all just in your head.. Amaya put on a sheepish smile and closed her eyes while she rubbed the back of her head, that felt sticky with sweat and blood. It's all in your head... She should have known better than to expect that her sister wouldn't be part of the hallucination, in the fact the only person Ama had even see, that was never part of the hallucination's was...Sergei...he had even made it stop, when out realizing it. "Hi Saya, um..I was just working out, and I got side tracked because I thought I heard something in here." She gestured towards the tree's the surrounded them with a small laugh, she was ignoring the snarling sound from behind her. "Actually, have you seen Ser-" She bit her lip for a moment and glanced over her shoulder before turning back towards her twin. "Have you seen Rasputinov-Sensei..? I needed to give him back his glasses.." Amaya glanced over her shoulder again as she started to walk out of the forest, pulling Saya with her. She should have never come out here in the first place, if she fooled her sister she would have to give herself a pat on the back later, but to be honest there wasn't anything that would have given her away at the moment, but it didn't help that she was still seeing things.


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“Don’t let the light in your heart go out—the world would lose so much warmth."



The sentiment was one she recognized. She knew it too well, the pain of loss, something you never thought you could fully recover from. And maybe you didn’t, but
 at least, the wounds could close and become scars, marring but no longer bleeding. Reminders of old pain, but with a redeeming texture on the mind, like maybe they could dredge up old happiness just as well as old agonies. It wasn’t something she knew how to say in the right words—all she could do was get as close as she was able, and hope that maybe, the scars on her heart might be worth something to someone else. At the very least, it had been a small comfort to know that she was not alone.

“Don’t say that,” she replied, the words quieted to a whisper. It was, after all, dragging old and weighty things up from the back of her memory, making them fresh and painful again. But it was a pain she’d accepted, more welcome than one she yet fought. “I don’t know what happened. I’m not sure who you lost, who the world lost, but
 I can’t imagine that anyone would make a sacrifice like that and want you to suffer forever because of it.” That had been a hard thing for her to hear, at first, but in the end, it was that which had helped her rise from her grief-induced shock and get moving again. She hadn’t even been able to grieve properly until Ivan had found her, as the need to keep on living had got in the way. But when she had at last mourned, it had been deeply and at length.

Kitty drew her knees gingerly to her chest, wrapping thin arms about them and propping her chin upon them. Her hair tickled her arms, but she paid it no mind. “When someone leaves us, I think we have to live much more fiercely, for their sake. We have to try and experience all the happiness they can’t, because they can't. My grief
 it wasn’t really about them, in the end. It was about me, and what I’d lost, or what my brother had lost, maybe. But
 when I stopped thinking about myself and started thinking about them, I realized that they’d died so that I could still live, and I was doing them a terrible disservice by only living halfway.”

She squeezed her arms tightly, hazy memories of her parents’ faces playing over the inner theatre of her mind. They’d always had so much love to go around, her parents. “When I die, I don’t want anyone to be sad about it, at least, not for long.” There was a difference between remembering people as they deserved and losing yourself to those memories, and she thought maybe that was what Ivan had been trying to get at. He’d said something similar to her, once, though maybe not with so much sadness in his own voice. Back then, it had simply seemed like advice from someone wiser than she, not someone who knew so intimately what it must be like. She supposed even immortals died sometimes, and had people to mourn, but she’d never questioned her batya about those he kept in treasured memory.

She realized something with a start, then backpedaled sharply, afraid she might have caused offense. “Oh, um! I’m very sorry—I don’t mean to be telling you what to do, or that you’re not allowed to be sad, or that everyone’s grief is the same, I just
” What was she trying to say? She hadn’t meant to call him selfish, and hoped that wasn’t what he’d taken from the whole thing. This was why she generally didn’t speak unless she was asked to, or had to for the sake of her prefect duties: she might be good at negotiation, but her thoughts tended to run away with her sometimes, and she sometimes forgot that people might actually listen to her.

“I guess I just thought the whole thing would be twice as tragic if you were never happy again,” she concluded, though maybe that wasn’t quite what she’d meant to say. Then again, she wasn’t Sergei—she didn’t have a repertoire of poets and perfect diction to convey what she wanted. She just had to make do with her own, sometimes very imperfect, ways of expressing things.

Hopefully, Kuran-kaichou wouldn’t think too poorly of them, anyway. Her intentions were good, even if maybe she’d just made things worse in the end.