Prologue
"In order to survive, you must drink the blood of humans, Sei. There is no escaping your fate. Just accept it!"
"No!" the younger brother yelled, swiftly evading Ai's lunge toward him. Laughter filled the room as the lifeless corpse of Midori staggered upright in the center of the room. Sei began to cry hysterically an instant before he was violently slammed into the wall, Ai pinning him in place bodily. "Stop, let me go!" Fangs grazed the thick vein pulsating on the side of his neck, then dug deeply into the soft flesh. Agony coursed through Sei and ripped a hoarse scream from his throat, Ai's voice faintly reaching him as be began to go limp.
"You left me no choice, brother. If you won't consume blood, then you are better off dead."
───-───-───
Brilliant sunlight assaulted Sei's eyes as he bolted upright in a cold sweat, small keening sounds escaping his throat. His surroundings slowly swam into focus, revealing that he was in his dormitory room. A quick glance at the clock next to him made him leap from bed with a curse. Wonderful, the first day and I'll be late. That'll leave a great first impression. Forgoing the need to shower so he could save some time, Sei hastily dressed, gathered his belongings, and ran from the room. Careful to not use his enhanced speed, the young man reached his class with barely two minutes to spare. Exhausted, he collapsed into an empty chair while ignoring the muffled snickers around him.
"Glad you choose to join us, Sei. Now we can get started, but first we have a new student. Class, meet Ai, who is here all the way from Japan."
At the mention of his brother's name, Sei froze in his seat and looked around wildly for the other vampire. Heh, maybe he got lost? The door opened as if in answer to his thought, the hinges squeaking slightly. Unable to glance away, the young man found himself caught in Ai's cold glare. Memories of his dream flooded his senses and caused him to grip his head tightly. "Why are you here? Haven't you done enough?"
"Midori's death was an unfortunate accident, Sei. I had no idea that─"
"Don't even say her name, Ai! You knew full well what would happen, you bastard!"
"May I talk to my brother in the hall? Should only take a few minutes."
"Of course, go right ahead. The lesson won't start until both of you are ready."
Sei opened his mouth to protest, but Ai had already grabbed his shoulders. Wincing as his brother's fingers tightened to the point of pain, he allowed himself to be walked from the class. The second the door clicked shut, the young man was crushed against the wall with one of Ai's hands covering his mouth. His blood ran cold at the sight of the other vampire's bared fangs and glowing eyes. Pressure on his temple began forcing his head to the side, unwillingly exposing his neck.
"Listen to me, you insolent whelp. I may be your brother, but I hold more power over you than you can imagine. Your continued existence is in my hands. Either you follow my every command, or I'll snap your neck. Understood?"
Vigorously nodding his head, Sei inhaled deeply when he was released, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. Meekly following Ai back into the classroom, he gingerly sat down and folded his arms. Four years of hell.
│
