It was three years ago when that happened. Since then, I’ve made my way around Japan with that man, just trying to live my life, or what I have left of it. It’s not easy, but I’d rather do something than sit around wondering where my next meal will come from.

I enrolled in a high school and am currently a sophomore. I also joined choir and the volleyball team, all tactics to help me control my unusual abilities and strengths. I keep winning the competitions we enter, but it shouldn’t be surprising. It is to the humans, but there’s always been one student who watches me carefully, and has never been surprised when I accidentally reveal my superior abilities. His name is Ikuto. He’s a fiendish teenager, a year ahead of me. He’s very cat like; sneaks off after classes or before them, just to hide on the roof. I’m sure he doesn’t suspect anyone else of noticing his movements, but I’m special.

“Ah.. Alex.” Forced to a stop on the street, my golden eyes peer up only to see the face of the cat, Ikuto. I did usually run into him on my way home, we lived next to each other, in the same apartment. I caught him sometimes resting out on his balcony, just staring at the stars. He was a very handsome guy. The first thing that ever caught my eye about him were his eyes, a piercing silver color, ones you could stare into forever. The next thing was his dark blue hair that seemed so gentle, you almost wanted to go and stroke it. He was a bit taller than me, maybe a foot or so, and the black uniform of our school looked good on him. He has a strong but thin build, and his voice was deep, able to send shivers down your spine.

I blinked before closing my eyes and turning to face the crosswalk.

“What do you want Ikuto?” I asked, trying not to sound too p*ssed off. I did like him, even if he didn’t like me, but it was always hard to tell. He was never easy to read. He walked up to the side of me, his school bag draped over his left shoulder, the strap held by the tips of his fingers.

“Nothing of course. You know we go the same way home. You sound irritated.” His voice made me blush, and I couldn’t help but wish he’d hold my hand.

“Of course I do. Everyone else says that’s what makes me so cool.” I replied, holding back the annoyed sigh I would yell at myself about later. I heard him chuckle, making me look up at his face. “What?”

“You? Cool? That’s hard to believe.” He answered, his words making me blush a little again. I puffed my cheeks out and punched his side, causing him to laugh like a moron while I crossed the street when the light turned white. He followed close behind me, aware I was still looking forward to hitting him again. I looked back at him out of the corner of my eye and just stared. He was watching me closely; watching my steps, the way my hips and hands moved with them, the way my hair flowed with the wind. I blushed again before stopping and turning to face him, causing him to stop and look into my eyes. “What?” He asked, shrugging it off.

“You’re watching me, a little too closely Ikuto. What is it you want?” His answer to my question surprised me.

I hadn’t noticed that we took a wrong turn, ending up at an abandoned park that was rusted but still looked beautiful with the extra add-ins that nature took. I also hadn’t noticed that it had started to rain.

He began walking towards me, which caused me to step back, holding my school bag out in front of me now, both of my hands gripping the strap, ready to swing. He kept pushing me back until my back hit the trunk of a large tree. When I couldn’t move any further, I had no choice but to glare at Ikuto until he finally got close enough for me to smack him. As I lifted the bag up, I heard his hit the ground and soon he had my wrists tight in his hands. I let my bag go, my eyes wide in surprise. When my bag landed on the ground, he pinned my wrists above my head, holding them to the tree with one hand while his other slid down my cheek. I couldn’t hold back the bright blush that touched my cheeks. He was so close to me that I could smell his shampoo.

His fingers slid down my chin then down my throat to the top of my white button-up shirt, pulling on one side until the first button came undone. I closed my eyes in embarrassment and asked again, my voice more of a heated whisper now. “W-What do you want from me Ikuto…?”

His hand lifted my chin up, which made my eyes open. They met his and for a moment, I knew what he was feeling.

“I want to know what you are.” He finally said. I gasped at his answer and chuckled nervously.

“What on earth do you mean?”

“You’re not like any other human. I’ve watched most of the students in the school very closely, and you’re not like any of them. You hold back, but I know you’re so much stronger than what you appear. Even now, I know you’re holding yourself back from throwing me across this park or high up into a tree.”

I forced my head down then closed my eyes, trying to think of something to say. Before I could, I heard a rustle in the bushes. Ikuto and I turned to look at what or who was coming when I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I winced and gasped, which made Ikuto let my wrists go. I held my chest then closed my eyes, knowing who was there.

“Now now. Is this where you’ve been this whole time Alex?” From the bushes walked a tall man, a little taller than Ikuto. He had silver hair and deep red eyes. He wore a white suit that had darkened from the rain. He had a strong and firm build but it was very manly, and that suited him.

As I let out a thankful sigh, I stood up and grabbed my bag, looking over to the man. “Yes Master.” I answered, walking over to him slowly and hesitantly. Ikuto didn’t trust him, that much I knew.

“You know him?” Ikuto asked me as he watched me walk over to him. When I reached his side I turned and faced Ikuto, nodding.

“You’re the young man who lives next to Alex, yes, I’ve seen you go home a few times. How do you do?” He bowed and Ikuto lowered his head a little in return. “I am Master Kiryuu, Alex’s tutor.”

“I am Ikuto.” Ikuto watched Kiryuu closely for a second before looking at me, the pain written on my face making him distrust Kiryuu even more.

“Come now Alex, you’re late for your lesson.”

“Yes Master…” As we turned to leave, I looked back at Ikuto, trying to hide the fact that I wanted him to make some excuse for me not to leave, but there was no point. We were home, and it was time for my day to begin.

The moment I walked through the door, I felt Kiryuu grab the back of my head, his fingers laced into my hair so painfully, I couldn’t help but scream a little. He began pushing me, leading me towards the blood room, a room where everything was blood red. He made me continuously remember that I was a vampire. He had pictures posted of blood, of bleeding patients in hospitals, of animals eating other bloody carcasses, of people covered in their own blood, dead from the loss. Everytime I entered that room, I couldn’t help but cry. I hated seeing blood, hated craving it, but Kiryuu reminded me along with my existence, that if I didn’t drink blood, I’d grow weak, and he’d kill me in an instance.

Tonight’s feast, which he had caught, killed, and decorated all over the room, was a young girl, maybe early twenties.. He strung her torn body parts all over the room, and her head was the first thing I saw. She had striking light blue hair, almost like lightning. Her eyelids were taped open and her empty green eyes glowed in the almost darkness. It was hung upside down so the blood that was dripping from her severed throat was laced down her pale face and through her hair, making the stripes a deep purple, almost black color. There was a small puddle on the floor, showing she wasn’t dead long.

The next piece I saw was her chest, wired to the wall to the right, and to be honest, she made a beautiful piece of artwork. The blood from her torso and arms ran perfectly down the wall to the floor, and the barbs on the wires gave her several cuts that were at least an inch deep and half an inch wide. Her nipples were a soft brown color, which matched to her soft colored skin.

Her arms were wired to the ceiling above the bed in the shape of an X, her fingers dangling down, praying to be let go. On her right thumb hung a silver engagement ring, swinging just a bit from side to side. The ring as well as her uncolored fingernails were stained red from the blood that dripped down her shoulders.

Her legs were laced on the bed in the shape of an O, her toenails painted with a pink color. The blood from her thighs covered the black pillows on the bed; it was hard to see but you could smell it.

Past her legs on the bed right below the pillows was a file, partially covered with blood on the corners. With every victim, her brought me all he could find on them. He made me learn their lives and feel guilty about drinking their blood, and them dying by the hands of my master.

“Go. You need to begin.” Kiryuu ordered, giving me a rough push towards the bed. I crawled onto the bed emotionlessly, trying my best not to give him the satisfaction of knowing it effected me. I picked up the file and opened it. “Read it aloud, as per usual Alex.” I gave him a nod and held back the tears as I began.

“Her name was Lila. She was 22 years old, 5’4”, 113 lbs. she graduated from high school and was studying to become a special education teacher. She went to church every Sunday, and read to children in the library. She volunteered at a homeless shelter every Thursday night, serving food to the people who didn’t have any.” I closed my eyes and let the tears rolled down my cheeks. Kiryuu smirked as he watched me, walking over and sitting down beside me.

“What is it my love?” He touched my back, causing me to flinch and throw the file at him. I left out the part where she was engaged to a doctor and pregnant for 7 months. He let the papers hit him, giving him one paper cut on his cheek. He smirked again then slapped me with the back of his hand, making me fall back on the bed, my hair dangling over the side. I covered my eyes with my hands and cried silently into them. He grabbed my wrists and moved my hands away.

“This was the worst one you’ve ever brought me! She helped so many people, never once asking for anything in return! How could you, you…you monster?!” I glared up at him and acted as he wanted me to. My eyes turned black and I was on top of him with my claws at his throat in an instant. This is what he always wanted. He wanted me to show him anger, the power of a vampire, of a monster. This was how he threw my words back into my face. After I attacked him, he’d make me bandage the wounds I gave him, showing myself that I was just as monstrous as he was. It made me sick. Today, I caught myself before I attacked him. I climbed off him, leaving him with the one paper cut I gave him, and tossed him a band-aid. He chuckled as he watched me leave, letting me go. I slammed the door as I walked out, tears still streaming down my face.

I walked to my usual place, park that I was with earlier that day. I sat down on one of the rusted swings and just cried my eyes out silently. My eyes were now a brilliant silver color, emotionless all the way through. I closed them and let out a sigh.

“Why does he do this to me…? What does he get out of it…? I thought he wanted me to be happy… This just hurts me…” I sighed again then looked up when I heard footsteps, seeing Ikuto coming my way. When he sat down on the swing next to me, I looked down and stayed quiet.

“I heard you and Kiryuu fighting.” He said, swinging his legs back and forth a bit.

“How much did you hear?”

“Just the part where you called him a monster.” He looked at me and I closed my eyes. “What did he do to you Alex?” I let out a soft sigh then shook my head before wiping the tears from my eyes.

“It doesn’t matter.. He’ll pay for what he’s done, someday.” I looked over at him and smiled softly. “Thank you for being here for me Ikuto. To be honest, you’re the last person I would have thought cared..” I blushed and looked down again, still smiling. With Ikuto, I felt safer than ever before. It was different than Kiryuu was, and it made me thankful I knew him.

“You’re welcome. I’ll be here for you until you don’t need me anymore.” I looked over at him and tilted my head questionably, wondering what he meant. He shook his head and smiled, knowing I was trying to figure it out. That night, we talked about everything in the park, the Sun and the Moon coming closer and closer together.