The Red Winter

Four years later...

I am now attending the prestigious Cross Academy. Yuki just turned eight and I turned fifteen, and she was sad we wouldn't spend as much time together as I would be at school and our father Kaian Cross, would teach her at home along with Zero Kiriyu, a boy who had a similar experience but his entire family had been killed by vampires. The incident caused Zero to develop an intense hatred for vampires and vowed to rid the world of them by becoming a vampire hunter.

Headmaster Cross put me and my best friend Viktor on the Disciplinary Committee. This meant we would have to keep our classmates in order, and protect the Night Class; vampires who attended our school.

Viktor and I wore white armbands with the school crest to indicate we were part of the Disciplinary Committee. I knew being part of this organization would be a huge responsibility on my shoulders, and Victor's as well.

The downside of being part of the Committee was dealing with Kaname Kuran. This wasn't because I regretted being saved by him, but because he was the most arrogant person I've ever met. His entourage referred to him as Lord Kaname, like he was royal. There was nothing I hated more than arrogance, because that made a person a narcissist, and they wouldn't care about other people's needs. Kaname surely cared when he rescued me and Yuki, but around the schoolyard, it seemed like he loved the attention of his admirers.

I noticed that a lot more when Viktor and I kept all the cheering girls at bay while we helped the Night Class. I was annoyed with all the shrieking for the group of vampires. "Hey, no pushing or shoving. No asking for autographs, because they're not rockstars." "That's easy for you to say, Cross!" one of the girls yelled tauntingly. "Shut up!" I snapped. "Calm down, Hana. They're just excited." Viktor was always the voice of reason when I got frustrated or angry. "Yeah, but these people could probably care less about them," I mumbled, forcing the girls to back away from the gate.

I should probably let you know more about why I dislike Kaname Kuran; so, when school first started, I was actually thrilled to see him; because I wanted to get to know him better and become his friend. When I ran up to him to say hello, one of the boys in his entourage made fun of me. "Oooh Kaname, it's your little girlfriend." Aido Hanabusa laughed at me. The other vampires laughed. "Calm down guys, she's just a family friend who means nothing to me." Kaname's words stung like poison. "Kaname?" I tried hard to keep my voice from shaking. "Go away," he snapped. "Gladly." I sprinted away sobbing. I had no idea why he was so cruel to me. When I told Yuki this, she said, "No, that's not Lord Kaname." Even my own sister took his side. She only remembered bits and pieces of the incident that nearly cost us our lives.
I remembered more than she did, most likely because I was older and more aware. However, I was unaware of the horrors that would fall upon us.

Luckily Viktor comforted me, and reassured me that Kaname didn't know what he was talking about. "Those vampires are often so conceited that they don't know how to hurt people with their words," Viktor said. "You're right, vampires are too obsessed with their own needs. They're all narcissists." I said through my tears.

I wasn't going to allow anyone to hurt me again. However, soon I would have to trust Kaname when the school would be attacked by the most vicious species of vampires, Level E's.

I was hesitant at first, but Kaname promised to protect me.