Perched on the edge of her bed, Aurey turns her head and glances down at the envelope sitting on her blanket, her name scrawled in messy, yet legible handwriting on the front of it. She stares at it for a few moments, having immediately recognised the writing as Aren's.

The envelope had arrived earlier that morning, with one of the other Day School students delivering it right to Aurey's room. It wasn't unusual for students to receive mail and have it brought to their room, it was just strange for Aurey to receive something. Nobody ever sent her things, but as soon as the surprised girl had looked down at the envelope and seen Aren's writing, she'd hurriedly dropped it into her bed and run off to class.

Aurey wasn't exactly sure why, but she was scared to open that letter. Who knew what it was going to say inside? Seeing her name had been written by Aren, it must have been done before he'd decided to kill himself. Maybe his letter would explain why he did it. Maybe Aurey would get an answer. But now that she possibly had the answer, did Aurey really want to know?

The girl's classes were finished for the day and while everyone else had disappeared off to their after school activities or to get something to eat, Aurey had chosen to come back to her room and read Aren's letter. Now that she was sitting next to the thing though, it felt like a daunting task.

This would be the last thing she would ever get from Aren, the last memento she could keep a hold of......

Inhaling through her nose, Aurey releases a soft sigh and reaches out for the envelope, shuffling backwards on her bed until she is leaning against her pillows. The girl carefully opens the envelope, though her hands are shaking a little, and pulls out Aren's letter. Her eyes waver a little at the familiar handwriting but, internally promising herself that she won't cry, Aurey begins to read.

To Aurey,

First of all, I'm sorry if my writing is pretty messy. I'm trying to write this letter as quickly as possible so I can sneak it into the Headmaster's office. I don't want the Syndicate to get a hold of this, so I can't leave it in my room. I know they'll be coming here and they'll search my room. I'll put my letter in with the other mail that the Headmaster usually has sent to the post office, that way I know you'll be the one who gets to read it.

Please don't be mad at me Aurey, I'm sorry for what I'm going to do. I know you'll be sad and maybe even angry at me, but please try to forgive me. This is the only clear option for me right now and I can't see any other way around it.

I'm scared though. I hate to admit it, but I'm scared of what's going to happen to me. I think I'm shaking even now, while I'm writing. Will it hurt? Will I live for very long after I jump? I wonder what happens when I'm gone.....I hope I get to see Mom and Dad at least.

I know you'll be wondering why I did this and I bet you think I got myself into some kind of trouble, but don't worry, that's not it. I'm doing really good in school, like I told you and my friends are great. This goes a lot deeper than just being in trouble....

It's to do with Marice, that girl I told you I really liked. Well, I told her I loved her and she said it back, but it's embarrassing so I don't wanna talk about that again.....Well, I didn't know how to tell you this Aurey and I bet you're gonna get so angry about it, but Marice is a Vampire.

That's right, it's pretty ironic huh? A Vampire Hunter and a Vampire falling for each other. I was in denial for so long, because I didn't want to be a disappointment to you and Warren, but I couldn't help it. Being in love with Marice is so easy and she makes me feel special and wanted.....

You remember how I told you Warren was gonna send me a new hit, back when you last called me? Well, I got it. Marice was the one the Syndicate ordered me to kill........

I can't do it Aurey. I just can't. How can they expect me to kill the girl I love, huh? Do they know that I love her? Would they still order it if they knew? Probably, I bet something like this would be forbidden at the Syndicate.....

I don't understand why they marked her though Aurey, Marice is innocent! She abides by all of the school's rules and she would never hurt anyone! I can't believe this has happened.......If I kill her, I'll never be able to forgive myself for taking the life of such a kind, caring person, but if I don't do what the Syndicate says......Well, we've both heard what happens to traitors. They'd kill me for sure.

Marice cried when I told her about the hit, but I promised her I would never hurt her and I plan on fulfilling that promise......Although, given what I'm about to do, I might actually be breaking it.....

You've been the greatest big sister in the world Aurey, and I couldn't have done it without you. You were always there to protect me, you always stood up for me and you never complained when I couldn't sleep and you had to come and sit up with me all night. Thank you for never letting me forget Mom and Dad as well, I'm glad you talked about them so much. Thank you for being so bossy sometimes and making me mad. Thank you for embarrassing me in front of my friends. Thank you for pushing me to always do my best and thank you for....Well, everything Aurey.

I'm not sorry for loving Marice and I'll never regret it, but I am sorry that I have to leave you. Even when I'm gone, I won't forgive myself for that. But I know you can do it Aurey, you're the strongest person I know.

I have to go now, this letter is getting really long and I'm gonna start crying if I keep thinking about you. I don't want to spend my last few minutes crying. I still need to get rid of all my stuff so the Syndicate can't have it.

I love you Aurey.

Aren.

A tear slides down Aurey's cheek and lands on the bottom of Aren's letter, staining the white paper. She drops the letter and allows it to flutter back onto her bed, gently pressing her palms against her eyes and rubbing at the tears in them.

"I'm not mad at you Aren" Aurey whispers hoarsely. "I could never be mad at you for this......"

Aurey really wasn't mad anymore. She felt dispirited and lonely, but at the same time, a little relieved now that she'd read Aren's letter. He'd assured her that he really had been okay and that he knew she'd done her best to be there for him. There really wasn't anything that Aurey could have done to save her younger brother. He'd written his letter only minutes before hanging himself, so that meant Aurey had been in his thoughts all along.

But that train of thought only made Aurey feel better for a mere moment, the reality of Aren's roughly written words hitting her all of the sudden.

A Vampire. Aren had actually fallen in love with a Vampire, the very creature he'd been raised to despise. The same vile beast that had mercilessly slain his parents in their own bed all those years ago. How could something like that have happened? How?

It didn't make any sense, a Vampire and a Vampire Hunter finding love together like that. How could they possibly trust one another? Maybe Marice had only been pretending to like Aren so that he wouldn't kill her. Or perhaps so she could kill him and drink his blood later on.

Marice couldn't have been as innocent as Aren believed either, as the Syndicate only ever placed marks on the dangerous ones. They would never target a Vampire that hadn't attacked people or made a nuisance of themselves.

But then again, Aren wasn't a stupid boy either. He was highly intelligent and possessed just as much dislike for Vampires as Aurey did. As a kid, he had vowed to dispose of every Vampire the Syndicate deemed as a threat to human society. So why had he gone against Warren's order and allowed Marice to continue living? Surely he couldn't have cared for a Vampire that much?......

Feeling perplexed, Aurey looks down at Aren's letter through bleary eyes, only to notice a phone number written at the bottom of the page. Judging by how messy the numbers are, Aurey assumes Aren must have added it on last minute. He had neglected to write a name or anything though, so the girl had no clue whose phone number it was.

"He must want me to call it" Aurey decides, sniffing as she searches her pockets for her phone. Quickly typing the numbers in and hitting dial, Aurey nervously places the phone to her ear, wondering who in the world she's calling.

"........Hello?" a sleepy sounding voice eventually answers. "This is Marice speaking."

Aurey's breath catches in her throat, eyes widening in surprise. So, Aren had written Marice's number on his letter, hoping Aurey would call her. That sneaky brat. He'd purposely not written Marice's name, probably so Aurey wouldn't know she was about to ring a Vampire.

"Hello?" Marice asks again, yawning quietly. "Who is this?"

"H-Hello" Aurey responds reluctantly, though she is admittedly curious to see what the Vampire is like. "This is Aurienne Walker........Aren's older sister."

Marice falls silent at that, too shocked to know what to say. She'd been fast asleep, and to say that she'd been expecting a call from Aren's sister would have been a huge lie.

"Oh....." Marice says hesitantly, unsure of what to say. "Well, um, h-hello Aurienne. Please pardon my asking, but how did you get my phone number?"

"Aren wrote it at the bottom of a letter he sent to me" Aurey replies, no emotion in her voice. "I didn't realise it was your phone number though. He didn't say whose it was."

"I see....." Marice murmurs, her voice muffled. "I didn't realise he'd written a letter.....I'm very sorry for your loss Aurienne."

"Considering what Aren told me about you" the lavender haired girl says, dropping her eyes back down to the letter, "I suppose I should say the same."

"Yes......." Marice whispers sadly, her voice barely audible over the phone. "It's.....It's been very difficult...."

Aurey can't help rolling her eyes at this, not believing Marice's words for one second. She had to admit though, the Vampire's acting skills were quite good. Marice actually sounded as if she really were upset about Aren's death. Well, maybe she was. After all, now she wouldn't be able to drink Aren's blood.

"He's my brother" Aurey states pointedly, not caring if Marice will think her rude, "So don't tell me how difficult it's been. I know. It's far more difficult for me than it could ever be for you!"

"......I....I'm sorry Aurienne" Marice apologises quietly, sounding intimidated. "I didn't mean it like th-"

"You're just a Vampire" Aurey interrupts indignantly, an angry look now on her face. "How could my brother's death possibly affect you in any way? So what, now you can't drink his blood? Big deal! I've just lost the last person I love and you're trying to pretend like you're even the slightest bit sad! You Vampires make me sick......"

Aurey glares down into her lap, her free hand balled into a tight fist, no longer wanting to speak to Marice. It was just as she'd expected. This Vampire was no different to the rest. Aren may have thought she loved him, but Aurey was smart enough to see through her act. Aren shouldn't have wasted his life like that for her. He should have known better. All Vampires possessed cold hearts and were never to be trusted!

"You have it wrong Aurienne" Marice speaks up after a few moments of shocked silence, "I would never have taken Aren's blood.......I only wanted his heart and he chose to give it to me....I'm.....I'm so sad that he's gone......."

Aurey's eyes widen as Marice begins to cry over the phone, though the Vampire tries her best to hold back her quiet sobs. She didn't want Aurey to think she was only pretending, but the very thought that she would never get to see Aren again was too much for her. Marice wished that he had just killed her and continued to live, because he certainly deserved it more than she did.

"I'm s-sorry" Marice apologises again, her voice strained. "I don't want to make you feel like your pain is any less than mine b-but......I miss Aren...."

Hooding her eyes as the young Vampire begins to cry again, Aurey's expression unintentionally softens, a pang of empathy fluttering inside her. The honesty in Marice's voice when she'd said she missed Aren, it hadn't escaped Aurey's keen ears.

While the girl didn't want to believe Marice may actually care for her little brother, a part of her believed that the Vampire did. That thought alone confused Aurey so much. How could such a thing happen? How could a Vampire Hunter and a Vampire set aside their differing opinions and instincts to actually fall in love with each other? Aurey had never once heard of such a preposterous thing. She'd never even thought it possible before.....

"I'd like to meet you in person" Aurey says before she is able to stop herself, immediately regretting her words as Marice's sobs subside. The lavender haired girl internally sighs, wondering what on earth had possessed her to say such a thing. She didn't want to meet up with a Vampire!

"R-Really?" Marice inquires dubiously. "........Do you want to take care of Aren's hit, because he never did?"

"What?" Aurey ask, aghast. The thought hadn't even occurred to her! "No! I would never take another Hunter's mark. I just.....Want to meet the one Aren was willing to take his own life to save."

"I see......" Marice trails off, unsure of what to do. She was a little afraid of meeting a Vampire Hunter on her own, especially one that seemed to hate her already. "Well, I suppose we could arrange to meet somewhere, if you really want to...."

"I'll think of a place and send you a message later on" Aurey sighs, hanging her head and rubbing at her temples. "I assume you're still wanting to sleep, so I'll leave you be."

"Oh, uh, yes" Marice replies awkwardly, knowing that Aurey is really just tired of talking with her rather than trying to be thoughtful, "Thank you Aurienne......"

Not bothering with a response, lowers the phone from her ear and hangs up, closing her eyes. She lets out a low groan, throwing her head back as a drop of sweat appears on the side of it.

"Why did you say that Aurienne?" the girls asks herself wryly. "Talking to her was bad enough, now you have to meet her as well thanks to your big mouth....."

Her phone suddenly letting out a beep and vibrating in her hand, Aurey opens her eyes and peers down, only to see that she has received a new message. Seeing the name of the person who'd sent her the text, Aurey begins to read, letting out a weary sigh. Just what she needed right now.

Dropping the phone onto her blanket, Aurey throws herself forwards on her bed and lands on her stomach. She plants her face in her soft pillow and hugs it, closing her eyes. After the last two weeks she'd had, Aurey just wanted to relax for a few moments and not have to worry about anything. It seemed she wasn't going to be lucky enough to get that time though.

Aurey doesn't bother moving when she hears the door to her room open, someone walking inside and closing it behind them.

"Aurey?" a voice addresses hesitantly, causing the girl to raise her head. A blank expression on her face, Aurey looks at Kalel through half lidded eyes, the ginger haired girl tilting her head to the side. She twists her mouth up to the side in thought, brows furrowing slightly.

"Are you alright?" Kalel wonders, worried. "You've been so quiet lately and you look so tired. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"I'm okay" Aurey responds automatically, leaning up on her elbows. "I just have a lot on my mind......Did you want something Kalel?"

"Yes" the girl says with a nod, not entirely convinced that Aurey is really fine like she often said she was. "I'm sorry to take you away from your bed, but the Headmaster said he wanted to see you in his office."

Unable to hold back a sigh of frustration, Aurey subtly tucks Aren's letter under her pillow, before swinging her legs over the side of her bed and rising to her feet. Of course the Headmaster wanted to see her right now. Heaven forbid Aurey have a moment to gather her thoughts or just be alone. Knowing her luck, Headmaster Fujimura was probably going to tell her off about something......

"Thanks for letting me know" Aurey says to Kalel, sending the concerned looking girl a faint smile over her shoulder as she reaches out for the door knob. She freezes however, her eyes widening when Kalel suddenly hugs her from behind, cheek pressed against the lavender haired girl's back.

"You don't have to carry the burden all by yourself you know Aurey" Kalel informs her friend quietly, wishing she could help. "You should share it with the people who care about you, so it's easier to carry."

"Thank you Kalel" Aurey says sincerely, giving the girl a faint smile as she gently pulls herself free of the embrace, "But I don't need anyone worrying about me. I'll be fine."

Unconvinced, Kalel steps back and clasps her hands together in front of her chest, watching through disappointed eyes as Aurey leaves the room.

Why was she being so stubborn? Kalel just wanted to be a good friend and help Aurey....

________________________________________________________________________

"Hiya Aurey!" Riah greets brightly, raising his hand in a wave and giving the girl a closed eye smile as stands in the doorway. She stares at the cheerful Vampire for a few moments, only to close the door behind her and silently enter the room.

She couldn't be bothered correcting Riah today. Let him call her Aurey, maybe he'd get sick of it if she didn't respond anyway.

"Good evening" Headmaster Fujimura greets, nodding his head. "Thank you for getting here so quickly."

"No problem" Aurey responds dully, dumping herself down into the chair besides Riah and crossing her arms, not even bothering to move it away from him like she usually did.

Noticing the flat expression on Aurey's face and her unusually weary looking posture, Riah sends the girl a curious look, one eyebrow raised.

"You look unwell Aurey" the brunette teases, hoping to at least spark a small fire in the Vampire Hunter's blank eyes, "Perhaps you'd better go to bed. Maybe you'll be cuter in the morning after a good night's sleep?"

"Maybe" Aurey answers in a bland tone, her eyes focused on the Headmaster's desk. She felt too fatigued to even try dealing with Riah's teasing right now. Usually Aurey would shoot back a sharp tongued reply or maybe even yell, but today the girl was just too drained. Riah was probably right anyway. Considering the way she felt, Aurey didn't think she'd be looking her best. Not that she cared however.

Riah blinks a few times, not having expected such an unenthusiastic reply from Aurey. Usually his taunts resulted in the girl's anger flaring up. She didn't seem even half as energetic as usual, something that concerned the Vampire somewhat.

"What did you want to see us for Headmaster?" Aurey inquires dully, to which the blue haired man blinks a few times, looking to the girl suspiciously.

"Are you alright Aurienne?" Ikai eventually asks, brows knitting together in concern.

Aurey merely closes her eyes and lets out a low sigh, frustrated. She was getting incredibly sick of that question. People had been asking her that very thing every single day, ever since Aren had died. How many times did Aurey have to say she was okay before people would quit asking and leave her alone? She didn't need people to walk on eggshells around her or treat her as if she were some delicate trinket. All Aurey wanted was for things to be normal. She wanted life to go back to the way it was and she wanted people to treat her the way they used to. Aurey didn't need their sympathy or their pity.

"I'm fine" Aurey confirms quickly, reopening her eyes, though they remain hooded, "Now, what did you ask us to come here for?"

"There's no urgent reason why I called the two of you here" Ikai responds, choosing to ignore Aurey's brash tone for now. "I merely wanted to catch up with you both and see how things have been going recently.......Especially since I heard some of the Day School girls saying they saw Cienna sneak of campus a few days ago. Riah?"

The brown haired Vampire ducks his head and rubs the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly at the unimpressed look on the Headmaster's face.

"He's uh, he's been a little......" Riah trails off, looking to the roof for help in finding the right word, ".....Disagreeable recently. I mean, Cienna hasn't ever gotten a long with any of the other Night School students, but as far as I'm aware, he never used to sneak out like this."

"For a Vampire, he certainly does go out during the day a lot" Aurey comments snidely, rolling her eyes. "This is why I should be allowed to do my job and-"

"No weapons on campus" Ikai interrupts firmly, giving Aurey a warning look, before turning his attention back to Riah. "Have you spoken to Cienna about breaking the rules?"

"Yeah" Riah sighs, leaning back in his seat and folding his hands behind his head, "Alley and I both confronted him about it the other night, but I doubt he's gonna listen to us. Cienna isn't a big fan of mine.....You know, because we have different beliefs and all."

"I understand" Headmaster Fujimura murmurs in thought, dropping his gaze. "......We need to be careful with Cienna. He's the only one here who openly admits to supporting the Bureau and I don't want to accidentally provoke him into doing anything.......untoward."

"Don't worry" Riah laughs, waving one hand back and forth. "I'll be real gentle with him Headmaster. He'll get the point sooner or later.......Even if he doesn't want to."

Ikai's expression darkens at the ominous edge to Riah's voice, despite the fact that the Vampire is smiling brightly. It was obvious that the brunette was trying to maintain his cheerful, carefree demeanour, but Ikai can tell that right now, it is merely a facade. Clearly something had happened between Riah and Cienna recently, as the Vampire before Ikai never spoke coldly about anyone. Whatever had transpired, Riah obviously didn't want to share with him. Ikai could only hope things wouldn't get too violent between the two Vampires.

"Look" Aurey speaks up bluntly, catching the attention of the two males in the room, "This stuff clearly has nothing to do with me, so if you don't mind Headmaster, I'm leaving."

Riah watches the purple haired girl push back her chair and rise to her feet, adjusting her school skirt as she heads for the door. The Vampire's brow creases in concern, the corners of his mouth pulling downwards.

It wasn't like Aurey to just walk out of a meeting like this. If anything, this sort of topic would usually bring out her fiery side and cause her to argue with Riah and the Headmaster.

"Oh yeah...." Aurey says, pausing with the door half open, as something seems to come to mind. She turns to look back at Ikai, her blue eyes hooded. "Just so you're aware Headmaster, I have to leave the school campus tonight."

Ikai merely stares back at Aurey, his expression hardening as he leans forwards and rests his elbows on the edge of his desk, hands folded in front of his mouth. Riah blinks at this announcement, eyes dropping to the floor in thought.

"I have some business to attend to" Aurey adds unnecessarily, to which Ikai sighs deeply, briefly shutting his eyes.

".......Is it one of my students Aurienne?" the blue haired man inquires in a low voice, to which the girl shakes her head. "Very well then....."

Nodding her head, Aurey turns back around and exits the room, shutting the office door behind her with a soft click. She strides down the corridor quite speedily, not wanting to waste any time.

The sooner she got it over with, the sooner she could just go to sleep and forget about things for a few hours.

Riah and Headmaster Ikai sit in sombre silence, both of them understanding what Aurey's vague explanation meant and both not happy about it. The girl had been subtle about it, but the two males knew exactly what she was going to be doing tonight.

"......Do you really think this is okay?" Riah eventually queries his Headmaster, sounding troubled. "Is it really fair for humans to decide whether a Vampire should be killed or not? Even if one does attack, it just doesn't seem right to me. Who gave them the right to choose whether others of my species should live or die?"

"I'm just relieved Aurienne has not been sent after one of Shiraki Institute's students" Ikai replies, looking to Riah as the Vampire runs a hand through his shaggy hair. He watches the brunette lean forwards, elbows resting on his knees. "I worry for her though. While Aurey is very capable, especially when she's armed, Vampires are far superior to humans in nearly every way. I feel very uneasy whenever she tells me she is leaving to go after a target. I don't wish for her to get hurt....."

"She tells you about them?" Riah inquires, both surprised and suspicious of this. Ikai laughs quietly however, shaking his head.

"I have no doubt she sneaks out on a regular basis Riah" the Headmaster replies. "She's a very secretive girl.......I worry the most about that. What if one day, she is overpowered by one of these targets of hers and we never find her? I have to respect the Vampire Hunter Syndicate's right to privacy, but still....."

Riah regards Ikai seriously as the man sighs again, removing his glasses to run a hand down his face. The Vampire slowly turns his head and half lids his eyes, looking out into the darkening sky through the window behind the Headmaster.

________________________________________________________________________

Breathing out a puff of cold air, Aurey glances down from the tree she is perched in, her back leaning against the tree trunk and one leg hanging over the side of the branch, swinging back and forth.

A rather large house sits about thirty metres to Aurey's right, two storeys high and built out of beautiful, stark white sandstone. Even in the darkness of the night, the house is clearly visible to the human eye.

Thick rose bushes line the front of the home and the path leading to the front door, all well kept and no doubt very pretty when the flowers are open. Situated right on the edge of town and close to the forest, different kinds of trees are scattered all around the sandstone house, making it feel somewhat secluded.

Though all of the curtains are clearly still shut, Aurey can see faint slivers of light coming through some of the windows, letting her know that someone is definitely home.

Letting out another breath, Aurey quietly pulls out her phone and tilts it to the left, not wanting anyone from the house to be able to see the light it emits. Clicking on her latest message from Warren, Aurey scans the text, frowning as she once again reads about all of her target's misdemeanors. Every single one of them is listed as exactly the same thing, murder.

'He deserves what's coming to him' Aurey thinks coldly, eyes narrowing at the slightly blurred picture attached at the bottom of the text message.

At the sound of a door opening, Aurey sits boltright up and hastily shoves the phone back into her pocket. She adjusts her sitting position so that both legs are now dangling over the edge of the high branch, the girl facing her target's home.

Light pours out of the front door as a casually dressed man steps out into the night, a beautiful woman with short red hair stopping in the doorway. She picks at some imaginary lint of the man's shirt, to which he laughs s and playfully swats her hand away.

"Don't fuss over me like that dear" he teases, his hair dark and slicked back, "I'm only going to Antony's house for a visit. He'll hardly notice if there's any stray fluff on my shirt or not."

"I know, I know" the red haired woman sighs, pressing one hand to her cheek, "I'm sorry. I'm just so used to quickly checking over your suits as you walk out the door for work. I believe it's become somewhat of a habit....."

"I appreciate that" the dark haired man says with a smile, leaning forwards to give his wife a quick kiss. "I'll see you a little later then, alright?"

"Be careful" the woman replies, raising her hand in a wave as her husband heads towards the front gate. She smiles as he waves back over his shoulder. "I love you."

"Don't worry, it's not a far walk" the man calls back. "I love you too dear."

Aurey continues to watch on in silence as the woman steps back inside her home and closes the front door, her husband pausing briefly at the mailbox to check if anything is in there.

"Ahh, bills" he complains, snapping the small latch shut and shaking his head, before heading down the street. "I'll leave those horrible things until later."

Not wanting to lose sight of her target, Aurey quickly drops down from the tree she's been perched in for the last hour. The girl lands silently on the well kept grass, her knees bent and her fingertips resting on the ground for balance. She straightens up, darting across the lawn as quietly as she can and trying to keep her steps as light as possible.

The dark haired Vampire keeps a steady pace as he strolls down the road with his hands in his pockets, whistling merrily to himself. Making certain to keep the man within view, Aurey uses the surrounding foliage for cover, zipping in and out of the trees to remain hidden.

Running forwards and stepping behind another tall tree, Aurey drops into a crouched position, only to hold her breath when the Vampire suddenly stops in the middle of the road.

"You know" he says loudly, to which Aurey scowls and internally curses herself for being found out, "It probably isn't the smartest idea to follow a man around at night. It's pretty suspicious, don't you think?"

"You're no man" Aurey replies icily, slowly walking out from behind the tree, both of her guns drawn and aimed at the Vampire's back. "You barely even count as an animal."

Turning around, the dark haired man's brown eyes widen slightly, instantly zeroing in on Aurey's weapons. His eyes then narrow meanly, a deep frown etching itself into his pale face.

"So you're a Vampire Hunter" he sneers, pulling his hands out of his pockets. "I knew I could sense a human around here, but I didn't think you'd be a one of those lowlifes. What interest could the Syndicate possibly have in me? I've done nothing wrong."

"It always disgusts me how easy it is for you creatures to lie like that" Aurey growls back, her grip on her guns tightening. "We of the Vampire Hunter Syndicate have no interest in you as such either. We merely wish to see you eradicated Mr Tenzei."

"Eradicated?!" the Vampire repeats, outraged by the idea. "What for?! I'm merely a businessman who is doing his best to provide for his family, as any man does!"

"Heh, again, comparing yourself to a man" Aurey chuckles, a dark look in her eyes. "At least die with dignity Vampire!"

Pulling on the trigger of her left gun, Aurey grits her teeth as a large, glowing bullet flashes away from the weapon, shooting towards her target at an incredible speed.

The Vampire smirks back and hunches down onto all fours, his dark eye colour flaring into a blood red. Aurey's bullets travels right over the man's back, barely missing him as it disappears into the forest.

Annoyed, the Vampire Hunter looks back to her target, only for her eyes to widen slightly when she sees his body twisting and contorting in a sickening way. The dark haired Vampire's clothes tear as his body morphs into that of a large Wolf in mere seconds, his eyes still glowing red and his teeth bared dangerously.

"So....." Aurey says softly, taking one step back as the Wolf takes one towards her, head lowered, "Your ability is shape shifting then."

Snapping its jaws in anger, the Wolf suddenly launches itself right at Aurey, causing the girl to throw her hands up. She jams her fists, still gripping her weapons, into the Wolf's ribs and uses the heavy animal's forward momentum to flip it right over her head before it can sinks its teeth into her throat.

The Wolf manages to spin itself around and land on its feet, turning back around to begin slowly circling a wary Aurey. The girl remains perfectly still as her target moves, only her eyes following its movements. A faint shiver runs up Aurey's spine, the low sound of the Wolf's growling making her feel a little uneasy.

She'd never actually faced a shape shifting Vampire before, as it was an uncommon ability in the species. They could be exceptionally dangerous too, seeing as they are able to take on the appearance of any living creature they choose. They were so skilled in using their abilities, even one or two Vampire Hunters had fallen victim to them in the past.

"Changing your shape won't change what you are Vampire" Aurey hisses at the Wolf, narrowing her eyes when it comes to a stop directly in front of her. "You still have to answer for all for the people you killed."

"I have never killed one human in my entire life" the Wolf snarls back, shaking his head, "And I've been alive for two hundred and fifty three years!"

"That's two hundred and fifty three years too long" Aurey replies stonily, raising the gun in her right hand and pointing it at the Wolf's chest. "You won't plague this earth with your presence for one moment longer."

Not wanting to back down, even though he knows he cannot win against Aurey's anti-Vampire weapon, the Wolf throws himself towards the girl with his jaws wide open and his sharp claws aimed right for her face. He'd show her that the Syndicate couldn't push him around!

No sooner than he hears the sound of a bang however, the Wolf feels a powerful force hit him in the chest, halting him mid-jump. Watching Aurey's stoney face as he falls in what feels to him as slow motion, the Wolf lands heavily on his side and swiftly reverts back into his Vampire form.

Shakily pushing himself to his hands and knees, the dark haired Vampire coughs painfully, clutching at his heart and raising his head to glare at Aurey. The red glow beginning to fade from his eyes, though the hatred in their hard glare is very evident.

"The Syndicate has gotten out of control" the man whispers roughly, cracks forming in his pale skin and allowing a bright blue light to escape from between them. ".....I....I hope the Bureau succeeds and wipes you all out...."

"You're all monsters" Aurey retorts sharply, wrinkling her nose in distaste, "And it will be your kind that is wiped out. I'll make certain of that."

His furious gaze locked onto the girl's face, not wavering despite his immense pain, the Vampire merely shakes his head and suddenly bursts into powdery, grey ash. Though it lands in a loose pile on the ground, the cool night breeze blows the ash around, leaving no evidence that any Vampire had even been in the area.

Aurey releases a sigh of relief and closes her eyes, relaxing her shoulders. She remains still for a few moments, waiting until her heart rate is back to normal, before she places her guns back in the holsters around her waist and pulls out her phone.

As Aurey types out a quick text message, she pauses, lifting her eyes to gaze around the area when she hears a faint sound. The girl sees nothing but the usual trees and foliage of the forest, the only sounds she is able to hear being crickets chirping and a breeze blowing through the leaves.

Aurey's heart skips a beat however, when she notices what looks to be a small puff of black mist rolling along the ground towards her, something that is definitely an unusual sight indeed. Not wanting to stick around to figure out what the mist could be, or where it had come from, Aurey spins on her heels and runs back in the direction of her school.

Strange mist or not, at least Warren would be happy that she'd managed to get rid of yet another dangerous Vampire.

________________________________________________________________________

Finally reaching the school gates, Aurey places one hand against the wrought iron and rests the other hand on her knee, panting slightly. She'd run as fast as she could to get back to the campus, hoping to get a decent amount of sleep before morning.

"So" a low voice speaks up, making Aurey freeze, "That's the getup you wear when you're out murdering Vampires."

Not having noticed anyone nearby, Aurey hastily straightens up and turns her head in the direction of the voice, heart thumping. How had someone managed to sneak up on her like that? Usually she was so alert to these things.

The lavender haired girl's surprised expression soon settles into one of clear annoyance however, when she sees the familiar face of Riah on the other side of the iron gate. His face blank, the Vampire gazes down at Aurey through hooded eyes, having seemingly materialised out of the darkness.

Aurey wasn't sure how he'd managed to sneak up on her like that, considering he didn't exactly come across as subtle. She didn't like it though, especially not in the middle of the night like this.

"I'm not the one that's a murderer" the girl informs Riah pointedly, pushing the school gate open and stepping onto the grounds. "I'm protecting my species from murders."

"Is that how you look at it?" Riah questions, almost sounding amused as Aurey closes the gate behind her and turns to scowl up at him.

"What are you even doing out here?" she demands to know, unhappy with the Vampire's presence. "I don't like having an audience when I'm on a job, even if I am just coming home."

"Is that because you feel guilty about killing people?" Riah asks sweetly, giving Aurey an innocent, closed eye smile as her anger immediately flares up.

"I don't need to feel any guilt!" the girl snaps back, balling her hands into fists down by her sides. "That's what he gets for killing and hurting innocent people! You talk about it like I've just murdered a person."

"Well, you did" Riah informs Aurey, placing his hands in his pockets and opening his eyes, head tilted to the side. He holds his smile in place, though it seems to be somewhat forced now.

"No" Aurey corrects, hands now on her hips, the chains of her guns dangling at her sides. "I put down an animal that couldn't control itself. It's different."

".......That's how you view it?" Riah asks, brow creasing as he watches Aurey nod confidently. "You don't seem to understand that we Vampires aren't animal Aurey. We have feelings, we have conscious thought, we have dreams and we feel pain too. Just like you humans do."

"You're nothing like us" the lavender haired girl laughs darkly. "Don't even compare humans and Vampires."

Here Riah stares at Aurey for a few moments, unsure of whether to feel angry, frustrated or just plain sad. He was angry that Aurey would kill a Vampire so easily, frustrated that she wouldn't even try to understand the similarities between the two species and sad that someone had just lost a beloved family member.

"Why is it your decision whether someone gets to live or die?" the brown haired Vampire wonders quietly, a troubled look in his maroon eyes. "Whether a Vampire committed the act they are accused of or not, why do you choose if their life ends or not? Do you also choose whether human criminals do or don't lose their lives?"

"Someone has to take care of the Vampires who openly prey on people" Aurey tells Riah emotionlessly, "And seeing as you creatures can't seem to monitor your own kind, the Syndicate has to do all of your own dirty work for you."

".......It isn't your place to judge them though Aurey" Riah informs the girl gently, trying to get her to understand. "You are not the law. We do have rules, and the few Vampires who do break those rules are dealt with accordingly."

"Yeah" Aurey scoffs, rolling her sapphire eyes, "That's why so many of them seem to slip through the cracks and get to keep killing. You're only standing up for those animal because you're one of them!"

Briefly closing his eyes and turning his head away, Riah releases a low sigh, not wanting to lose his patience with Aurey or take her words personally. While it didn't make things any better, she wasn't saying these things to try and hurt him as such, she would say them about any Vampire. Someone had clearly ingrained this way of thinking into her brain and she'd never been given the opportunity to see things for herself, for what they truly were.

"That Vampire you killed had a family" Riah eventually states, looking back to Aurey from the corner of his eye, only to see an uncaringly look on her face. "His wife will be worried when he doesn't return home, and his daughter....."

"Don't say things just to try and make me feel guilty" Aurey warns, holding up one hand. "You don't even know if my target had a family or not, so it won't work-"

"He was a shape shifter" Riah interrupts coolly, to which Aurey's eyes widen, the girl staring at him in shock.

"How......How did you?......" the Vampire Hunter stutters, that uneasy feeling settling in her stomach again as Riah smiles at her.

How could he possibly know that information? Only Warren and Aurey knew who the target had been and even then, she hadn't known it had the ability to shape shift. There was no way Riah could have known such a thing.

"You know what?" Aurey asks sharply, brows furrowing. "I don't care, you just need to butt out of my business Vampire! I don't care if that thing had a family or not, he won't get any sympathy from me! You wanna know why?"

Riah blinks in surprise and takes a step back as Aurey moves closer to him, eyes burning with anger as they well up with tears.

"Because your kind killed my parents" the girl announces quietly, though there is a pained tone that doesn't escape Riah's ears. "That's why I'll never feel any sympathy for any Vampire that I have to kill. The more murderers I get rid of, the fewer people have to go through what I went through when I was a kid........I wouldn't expect the likes of you to understand...."

That said, Aurey barges past Riah, her shoulder roughly brushing against his arm as she passes. The Vampire, taken aback by this revelation, turns around and watches as Aurey breaks into a run, soon vanishing around the side of the Day School building.

He tilts his head back and looks up at the sky, mulling over this new piece of information. Now it made sense. Riah couldn't fault Aurey for hating his kind if they had done such a thing. She experienced first hand just how cruel a Vampire's blood thirst could be, and now she carried that burden around with her every day.

Folding his arms over his chest, Riah tilts his head back down and closes his eyes, smirking to himself, though he is anything but amused.

"You think I wouldn't understand huh Aurey?......" he asks in a low voice, hands balling into fists so tightly, his knuckles begin to turn white. "I only wish that were true."

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