(A/N: your character is currently 12 years old & Zero is 14 years old)

    You giggle as you race out of your best friend's room. You run down the narrow hallway, swiftly taking a left turn. Smoke practically leaks from your heels while happiness pumps throughout your veins. You continue aiming for the staircase leading to the bottom floor, hearing him yelling at you from behind. You smile to yourself and halt in your tracks when you reach the railing. You take in a breath to calm your pounding heart, turning to come face to face with him. You're the only daughter of the Shota pure-blood family. According to your parents your other siblings didn't make it due to unnatural causes or they can't save them from the constant level Es attacking them. So, you're their precious diamond. They took in your childhood friend when his family was murdered by a ruthless pure-blood thirteen years ago. Ever since that unfortunate night, he's been staying with you in your mansion hidden in an isolated area.They won't even tell you where you are completely. You did get to see other vampires including pure-bloods almost all the time, though. It isn't all terrible. You still get to go to school, make friends, see the night class from Cross Academy, and a-lot more. Zero narrows his eyes at you as you flash him a shy smile. An annoyed expression twists into his angular facial features, crossing his arms over his chest. He frowns at you while looking down at you. Your face flushes a light pink shade under his unmoving stare, your heart beginning to pound against your ribcage. You blow your (h/c) bangs away from your bright eyes and your (e/c) orbs flicker with amusement mixed with mischief. You wrap your slender fingers around the metal rod connected to the wall, slowly stepping back to give yourself some space. Your eyes scan his tall frame as you realize your prank didn't work. You slipped supposedly "harmless" hair dye you stole from your mom's make-up supplies into the bathroom earlier today. Apparently, it had turned his hair to an even lighter shade. You stick your tongue at him while tilting your head to the side childishly. You start to race down the steps in a rush, but he grabs your wrist. He pulls you backwards in order to stop you from running and forces you take in what you had caused. You hold back another laugh, hoping your parents meeting with the other pure-blood is going to be over soon. Zero is rather tall with a lanky build. His pale skin glows in the bright atmosphere, faded scars engraved in his flesh. His silver hair is spiked up a messy yet attractive way while his light purple eyes flicker with emptiness. A black t-shirt, gray jeans, and sneakers make up his attire. 

    "What the heck were you thinking? I know you like pulling pranks on me, but this is on a whole new level. What are our guardians going to say when they find you tried to dye my hair, (Y/n)?" He shouts at you as he shakes you roughly. 

    "I'm sorry. It was just an innocent joke.  knew it wouldn't really work," you mumble in response while trying to break free from his hold. His facial features fade into a blank canvas, his grip tightening slightly. You feel like shrinking and realize he was about to teach you a lesson about teasing him. You hated when he got into those moods. You realize he's usually quiet, but you know him too well. You're gonna be stuck being dragged around and forced to do chores or something useful. 

    "Seriously, I told you to stop teasing me so much. Come on, Let's go. I have a bunch of awful chores to do because Mr. Shota told me to help out. You know like stuff that boys do around the house," he says matter-of-factly and begins dragging you downstairs. You pout immediately, letting him lead you to the area between the living room and kitchen. You hear the adults' conversation traveling in your direction as he stops to put on a jacket. You watch your mother step into the lobby area with various night class students as well as some vampires you don't member. They continue talking, you still trying to twist your wrist out of his grip. He tugs on your fingers in response while swiftly managing to pick his jacket off the tall hook bolted to a closet door. 

    "(Y/n), calm down. I'm going to be doing all the work. I just want to drag you along and let you freeze for about thirty minutes. It's called payback," he mumbles more to himself than you, finally slipping his jacket over his shoulders without letting go of you. He turns to glance at the place you're staring at and he rolls his eyes. Your mother stops her conversation to introduce her children to a vampire council member. They both look at you both, a pleased expression appearing on her face. 

    "Those are my children. Well, one's staying with us for a while due to some awful circumstances, but I still care for him as much as I do my sweet little angel," she intros you both quickly and reaches out to place a hand on both of your heads. She smiles brightly, ruffling up your bangs. The council member raises an eyebrow as he steps forward. He immediately bends down to your height like he's examining you, noticing you both are basically holding hands. He clenches his jaw tightly while studying you. You lace your fingers with Zero's, squeezing his hand out of fear. He instantly pulls you to his side away from the creepy vampire and stands in front of you. He lifts up his chin to lock eyes with the vampire, sizing up his enemy even if he's just thirteen years old. 

    "I get your kind is all about invading personal space and that creepy junk, but if you touch her at all...I swear, I'll end your immortal life," he states, narrowing his eyes. Your mother automatically walks in front of you both as she places a hand each of your shoulders. She turns you both around, gently shoving you both toward the front door. She mumbles some apologizes to the member while opening the door quickly. 

    "I'm very sorry for his behaviour. He's just protective over (Y/n). The two are inseparable and tend to overreact when one or the other acts up," she says, but the vampire grabs her shoulders. You spot a terrified expression flash over her eyes and then it disappears quickly. She forces a carefree smile to set on her lips, stopping in her tracks. 

    "I understand, but children have to learn their place. They have to be taught discipline, heritage, their place in our world, and many other things," the member states as a dark expression darkens his face. Your mom shakes her head slightly, blocking him from you both. 

    "I know and they will...when they're older. I want my children to have a normal childhood with laughter and happiness, first," he ignores her words while managing to grab Zero by his waist. He picks the boy up like he weighs nothing, sitting him in front of him. He bends down to the kid's height and immediately sniffs the air. An observant smile pulls the corner of his lip, his fangs flashing in the light like a blade. He leans forward as he tightens his hold on Zero's shoulders. The poor boy tries to keep a brave expression, but his mask shatters. Terror flickers in his eyes while he struggles to break free. 

    "You think, you can kill us. You're a lonely human and a little boy for that matter. This family hasn't taught you your place. You're just a blood bag to them and that little girl you're protecting so determinedly will end up treating you like that when she grows up," Zero cringes at his words and continues to fight back. The man goes to teach Zero a lesson like the ones you've seen from other pure-blood families, you instinctively get in the way.You close your eyes tightly as you keep your friend behind you.You hold your breath, your pulse echoing in your eardrums. You wait for impact or the sound of skin on skin contact while you brace yourself. When nothing happens, you hesitantly open one eye. Your (e/c) orbs grow wide in shock and relief overwhelms your senses. You silently watch the scene play out in front of you, your mother finally relaxing. Akatsuki is standing behind the man with a smug expression twisted into his facial features. He has the man's right arm pinned against his back, keeping him from hurting you. He growls at the man in hatred while bending his arm enough to prove his point. The man clenches jaw, pain soaring throughout his arm. Akatsuki glances at you, winking to reassure you nothing will ever happen to you. 

    "What the heck do you think you're doing? Hurting innocent children like that. I should break your arm for that little stunt, but this is a professional meeting. I'll refrain from that if you apologize to Mrs. Shota and leave the property," he demands as he continues to add pressure on the bend of the vampire's elbow. Your attacker hesitantly agrees to the deal, making Akatsuki shove him in the direction of the opened door. He quickly does as he's told and particularly charges through the doorway. Snow blows inside the room, his silhouette vanishing into the wooded area beyond.

    Your mother sighs in relief at the fact that scene is over as she rushes over to check on her children. She bends down to your height, wrapping an arm around each of your shoulders. She pulls both you and Zero closer to her while placing a hand on the back of each of your heads. She kisses each of you on the forehead, squeezing you tightly. You glance at Zero to see him hugging her harshly. His whole body shakes with fear, his head buried into the crook of her neck. She mumbles some comforting words in his ear and runs her fingers through his silver spiky hair in an attempt to comfort him. His muscles slowly relax, his grip going completely limp. 

    "I hate vampires," he mumbles into her skin as you get the sense he's remembering that terrible night. Tears cloud his eyes, his facial features twisting into a pained expression. 

    "I know, sweetie. It's okay. (Y/n) will always be here for you, though. You two won't be separated and she'll be by your side no matter how much pain you have to deal with," she says, lifting up his head to look up at her. He sniffles while wiping at his eyes angrily with the back of his hands. She playfully taps his nose, making him giggle a bit. You glance upward to see Akatsuki watching the two of you in silence. You quickly twist out of her hold, racing up to him. You wrap your arms around his waist and lean your head against his chest. You smile brightly, burying your face into the fabric of his shirt. 

    "Akatsuki, you came," you mumble as you hug him tightly. He flashes you a bright smile, placing a hand on top of your head. He ruffles up your (h/c) bangs while Zero finally calms down. You look upward to lock eyes with him, your face flushing light pink. 

    "I would never miss seeing you," he mumbles while your mother notices Zero's hair. She stands upright, narrowing her eyes at you. 

     "What did you do? (Y/n), don't tell me you pranked Zero and he almost ended up with his hair dyed a different color," she scolds you and crosses her arms over her torso. You turn to look in her direction, guilt written over your awkward expression. Zero rolls his eyes as he regains his emotionless demeanor. He steps forward, standing between the two of you. He grabs your arm while directing his focus to whatever he was going to do earlier. You hesitantly let go of Akatsuki, being dragged toward the doorway. 

    "Where do you think you two are running off to?" Akatsuki involves himself into the equation and tilts his head to the side in curiosity. Zero stops in his tracks, turning to face the other boy. 

    "(Y/n)'s coming with me to help me out with some chores. It's no big deal. I'm just heading over to the abandoned graveyard nearby," he replies as he pulls you closer to him. Akatsuki sighs in slight annoyance, spotting the night class nearby. 

     "That's not a good idea. Level Es have been showing up on a regular basis in this area and other locations close by. You could put both of your lives in danger. At least let me come up with you to watch your back," he states matter-of-factly while taking your other hand. Sadness pumps into your heart, suddenly feeling like prey being stalked by two hunters. Zero clenches his jaw painfully and you realize the boys are about to get in each other's way. 

    "I'm sure it'll be fine. I'll protect her and I know the property like the back of my hand. Besides, I can take care of some level Es on my own. I don't need a pampered pet slowing me down," he says in a rather harsh tone, pulling you out of the doorway. You frown as your hand slips from Akatsuki's grip. You stare at each other until the wind slams the door shut in your face. You allow Zero to lead you down an old gravel path as you cautiously take in your new surroundings. Rocks stab the bottom of your boots, a shiver going down your spine. A wooded area is on both sides of you while snow covers the ground like a fluffy wonderland. You lift up your chin, your eyes locking onto a full moon lingering the dim gray sky. He tugs on your hand to make sure you're keeping up and keeps his gaze forward. You sigh in slight annoyance, carefully walking across a fallen tree trunk. You glance down at an icy pond below you and notice something bubbling to the surface. You try to get your best friend's attention, but he drags you to the other side without even casting a glance your way. You finally break free from his iron grip as you step back to give yourself some space. You angrily smack the back of his head to get his attention, clenching your jaw painfully. He flinches immediately while placing a hand on the back of his head. He twirls around to face you, cracks of annoyance showing through his blank facial features. 

    "What was that for?" He mumbles, biting his lip at the pain pulsing in the spot you hit. Your (h/c) bangs blow in a cold yet gentle breeze and mixed emotions flicker in your bright (e/c) orbs. 

    "You should have been nicer to Akatsuki. I hate it when you pick fights with him. He was only making sure we were both safe. He was only trying to help and you treated him poorly. I want you to apologize to him when we get back to the house, Zero," you reply in response, your voice traveling along with the wind. He mumbles under his breath as he crosses his arms over his chest. He growls at your words like a predator, shaking his head. 

    "I'm not apologizing to him," he states matter-of-factly while narrowing his eyes at you. You sigh loudly, your breath fading into an icy fog. 

    "Why not? Akatsuki is my best friend besides you. You two need to get along in order to keep me from being driven crazy by both of your endless ruckus," you demand and raise your voice to get your point across. 

    "I'll start treating him better when he starts looking past the veins in your body," Zero says, beginning to head for the graveyard you can see in the distance. You race after him as you slip through an opened gap between the black cemetery gates.

You carefully step onto the other side, quickly catching up to him. You cautiously glance around while watching him pick up a cage settled on the muddy ground nearby. A rabbit rapidly moves in the metal contraption, it's red eyes glowing with fear. You automatically frown and Zero carefully opens the top of it. He reaches his hand into the cage, carefully picking up the poor creature. He holds it up to his chest and wraps his fingers around its neck. You look away for a moment, hearing a loud popping sound break the heavy silence. He motions for you to open the cooler in your free hand as the scent of decay lingers in the air. You tilt the plastic cover back, silently gazing at the dead rabbit. Sadness circulates throughout your veins while he dumps its lifeless body into the container. It hits the bottom with a sick thump, it's head tilted at an unnatural angle. Your face fades to a light green shade and you suddenly feel sick to your stomach. You may be a pure-blood vampire, but you're not used to seeing this kind of thing or any actual blood spill. Your mother is very protective over you both and she doesn't want you to deal with this kind of thing until you're older. Your dad did insist you come to help Zero out with this, though. He told you he wanted you to get used to it. This is how you live and it's the only way for vampires to survive.

Zero places a hand on your shoulder as he squeezes your shoulder in an attempt to comfort you. You quickly look around to see at least ten to fifteen more cages scattered about. You shake your head to clear it, handing the cooler to him. You stop yourself from getting sick anymore while deciding to check out some of the headstones. He shrugs his shoulders at your reaction, walking away to finish up his job. You let out the breath you were holding in to stop yourself from smelling the blood in the rabbit's body and silently begin walking through a path carved out. You hum your favorite song your mother taught you, distracting yourself by heading for a tomb nearby.

Various types of gravestones are scattered about as well as flowers or other gifts your family left over many centuries are placed on the muddy ground in front of the carved out stones. A few tombs are in each corner of the gravesite, crows settled on top of the metal rods isolating the area from the rest of the world. You continue humming as you carefully step into the tomb. You cautiously take everything in, your footsteps echoing off the brick walls. The interior is mostly made up of concrete slabs while one wooden coffin is propped up on a stone table in the center of the huge room. You approach the coffin with curiosity, casting a glance upward. A gap stares back at you and you notice a beam of moonlight shining directly onto the wooden contraption. You turn your attention back to the creepy coffin, blowing dust away.

You wipe away the rest with your sleeve as you lean forward. You narrow your (e/c) eyes, reading the words carved into a metal plate bolted to the wooden frame. Your (e/c) orbs immediately grow wide in fear while you feel your heart begin to pound against your ribcage. You swiftly use some of your strength to push the coffin lid far enough back to look inside, hesitantly checking to see if anyone is currently sleeping away their century. Unfortunately, the coffin appears to be empty of a sleeping pure-blood and that's also no sign of a corpse either. You try to stop yourself from panicking, suddenly feeling a pair of eyes on you. You swallow loudly and turn to look in the far right corner.You immediately spot an unnaturally tall silhouette blending in with the shadows.

It's outline is super lanky as well as tall. It's red orbs glow in the dark like a creature belonging to the night, it's fangs glinting in the moonlight like blades. Long yet razor sharp fingernails extend from its fingertips while it's head tilts to the side a bit too far. A twisted smirk appears on its creepy facial features, the sound of claws scraping against the floor breaking the heavy silence. It slowly begins to laugh endlessly and raises like a puppet to stand upright. It makes a suggestion about serving you as a gift to its master, before leaping into mid-air in your direction.

    You scream at the top of your lungs in fear as you quickly move away from the coffin. It lands on the lid, cracks forming along the wooden surface. Your heart begins to pound painfully against your ribcage while panic overwhelms your senses. You go to run away, but your foot gets caught on a piece of broken tile. Gravity takes a hold of your body and you land on the floor head first. Pain plunges into your muscles, hearing a loud thump landing directly at your feet.

You bite into your lip hard enough to draw blood as you turn around. Your (e/c) orbs lock onto a Level E standing over you. You try to lash out at it, but it grabs your foot. You scream for Zero to save you while kicking at its wrist multiple times. It finally releases you, hissing at you in pain. You push yourself up to a sitting position and scramble backwards toward the exit. It suddenly starts laughing hysterically, a distorted sound echoing off the wall. Adrenaline pumps throughout your veins and you reach back to feel the muddy ground beneath you. Relief latches onto your brain for a moment, it quickly pouncing on you when your guard is down.

It grabs your shoulders as it shoves you back to the ground. It digs its claws into your skin, you struggling to break from your captor. It pins you to your spot while leaning forward. It automatically sniffs you, it's expression twisting into surprise. You continue moving around and blindly reach out. Your fingers wrap around a piece of broken concrete, your knuckles fading into a white shade. 

    "My master will be very happy to have you. You're the only remaining living child in your pure-blood clan. You'll make a wonderful prize," it says, grabbing your chin to hold your head in place. You snarl at it like a feral animal in warning as it lifts your chin upward. It stares at your neck, drool dripping out of the corner of its lips. You quickly hit it right on the face while twisting your shoulders free. It cries out in pain, it's head snapping back on impact. You shove the creature off of you and scramble backwards until you accidently block yourself against a gravestone. It swiftly regains its composure, approaching you rather quickly. You spot the piece of stone stuck in its right eye socket and realize you made the hunt more exciting for this feral predator. It somehow manages to dislodge the object from its eye, blood dripping from a black hole in its head.  

    "You little brat, you're going to pay for taking my eye," it demands and reaches out. It scrapes its claws along a nearby headstone, the sound making your ears ring.

You instinctively cover your ears with your palms as your muscles burn from the fresh bruises forming on your shoulder-blades. It slowly approaches you, a twisted expression carved into its messed up facial features. Suddenly, a blurry shape moves in front of you while you watch it hit the ground with a sick thump. You blink to clear your blurry vision, spotting a tree branch lodged into its forehead. Someone carefully takes your shaking hands and snaps their fingers in front of your face. The ringing in your ears finally stops, your terrified gaze coming face to face with Zero. He must have heard your cries and came to your rescue. He probably stopped it from attacking you by lodging that branch into its skull. 

    "(Y/n), are you okay? It didn't bite you or anything. Come on, snap out of it. There's probably more of them on their way. We have to move, right now," he states matter-of-factly as he cautiously glances around. You nod your head to let him know you're okay, letting him help you to your feet. He wraps a protective arm around your shoulders while he quickly leads you away from the graveyard. 

    "I'm sorry...you had to do that, Zero. I should be able to take better care of myself. Don't tell anyone I fell by being clumsy. Akatsuki would never let me live it down," you mumble, trying to break the heavy tension. Zero rolls his eyes at you and halts at the makeshift bridge leading to the path near your mansion. 

    "Yeah, you're right. You can't stay out of trouble and you definitely can't take care of yourself," he says, slightly laughing at your dumbfounded expression. You hear racing footsteps heading your way as he tries to calmly tell you how to cross the log. You take in a breath, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. 

    "One of the tombs are empty. I read the label on it. I think it spelled out Rido. We gotta tell my parents and the night class about it when we get back," you continue talking to him to keep yourself distracted from the awful event currently happening.

Suddenly, the log snaps in half while a random level E slashes the bark with its razor claws. Your feet slip, your body struggling to stay balanced. You slide toward the icy water and quickly brace yourself for unbearable coldness to overwhelm your already shaking frame. Zero grabs your right arm, pulling you to solid ground just in time. You sigh in relief and stand by his side. You glance around to see at least five level Es are closing in on you both like a deer about to be murdered by a group of wolves, Zero's vampire hunter knife flashing in the dim atmosphere. A level E charges at you as it leaps into mid-air. You see the flash of its fangs, Zero dragging you behind him. He swiftly slices the blade across its neck while keeping a-hold of your wrist. It's body immediately explodes on impact, dust flying in every direction. 

    "Zero, we gotta leave, now. Do you know another way around the river?" You ask and quickly move out of the way of another level E pouncing in your direction. It hits the ground head first, snow splashing onto your legs. It growls like an untamed animal and quickly gets back on its knees. He stabs the knife into its head, the blade plunging deep into its brain. It's body goes completely still and busts into dust just like the other one. 

    "Come on. I knew where a shortcut is," he responses, beginning to drag you away from the scene. You both race between a group of trees as the monsters give chase. You continue running, your heart pounding loudly in your ribcage. Adrenaline pulses throughout your circulatory system while you feel the icy wind blow against your cold face. He tightens his grip on you, snow spraying behind your feet. You glance around and your (e/c) orbs grow wide in shock. He's heading for your old clubhouse not too far away. A wooded area is on both sides of you, dawn dying the atmosphere a mixture of bronze, orange and yellow shades.

Suddenly, a shadowed silhouette falls from somewhere above your head as you feel a heavy weight land directly between the two of you. Pain soars throughout your body, both of you hitting the ground with a loud thump. You push yourself to a sitting position and panic automatically latches onto your muscles. You bare your fangs in hatred, quickly regaining your composure.

The crazed vampire picks up Zero easily by his jacket collar as it smirks wickedly. His body hovers inches from the ground, the creature shaking him roughly like a rag doll. He struggles to break free while glancing at his weapon buried in the snow nearby. You charge forward, grabbing the vampire's arm. You try to pull him away from Zero and end up being knocked down. Gravity quickly pulls your body downward, your (s/c) skin fading to a purple-bluish shade. 

    "Well, this is interesting. You're the remaining child of the vampire hunter family. This is about to be a-lot of fun," it states matter-of-factly and begins laughing hysterically. It sniffs him, drool leaking from its parted lips.

You stand upright as swiftly as possible, running for the knife close by. You land on your kneecaps, beginning to blindly shift the snow to your sides. It leans closer to Zero's face while it's eyes examine his neck. A glint reflects against steel, an object temporarily blinding you. You pick up the weapon by its handle and the smell of thick metallic fills your nose instantly. Your heart sinks, your entire body becoming paralyzed. You hesitantly turn around as you hear Zero's heart pounding loudly. You bite into your lip to let the pain distract you, focusing on your powers. You hold your breath while the vampire continues latching onto his neck. Electricity flickers along your fingertips, blue sparks covering the blade like a blanket. You lift up your chin and lock eyes with the disgusting animal. 

    "Hey, freak. Let go of my friend!" You shout at the top of your lungs, tossing the knife in its direction. The blade buries itself into the side of its temple as a shocked expression twists into its facial features. It immediately explodes on impact, dust splashing onto your body.

Zero's tall frame collides with the ground while a pained expression slips through the cracks in his mask. You race up to him, carefully lifting him up by his shoulders. 

    "Don't worry. You're going to be okay. I promise, you'll be fine," you mumble in an attempt to keep both of you calm and place his upper half in your lap. You spot two fang marks stabbed into the side of his neck, blood dripping along his skin to his collarbone. He goes to say something as you carefully unwrap your scarf from around your shoulders. You quickly place a hand over his mouth to stop him from talking, pressing the fabric against his injury. You cautiously glance around while silently hoping someone would find you soon. Tears cloud your eyes, making you keep pressure to stop the blood flow. You hug him tightly and place an outstretched hand on the side of his head. You lean your forehead against his, holding him just like the way he does you when you get scared.