"What? Another victim was found?"

The man across the table nodded, a solemn expression covering his usually gleeful smile. "That makes it the fourth one this week. From what the Association could gather, all of them were prostitutes in the downtown area. Evidence clearly shows that the killer is a vampire."

I leaned back in my seat, running my long fingers through my silver hair. This case really annoyed me; so far, all the vampire hunters assigned to kill the killer have yet to find out an identity. Deep down, I knew I could do much better, but so far I was never given the chance. "It looks like we have a 'Jack the Ripper' wannabe," I stated. "I can't imagine this being the work of a pureblood; none that I know would stoop to such a low level."

However, I wanted it to be a pureblood. I wanted the identity to be someone I knew, someone who used me and took what dignity of being human I had left. Whenever I thought of him, my fingers twitched for my gun.

"Who knows? Maybe it's a pureblood trying to make a point; maybe it's a crazed Level E. No one is certain at this point," the Chairman replied.

Tilting my head to the side, I sighed and gazed out the window to the dark clouds and watched the beginnings of snowfall. Snow. Yuki.

Yuuki.

"Have you heard from her? It's been over a year now," I mumbled as I turned my eyes from the window.

The Chairman shook his head. "No, I thought don't think Kaname would do anything to hurt her. She's probably doing fine," he replied.

I stood quickly, turning my back on the Chairman and stuffing my hands in my pockets. "I'm going."

"Wha-? Don't leave me, Kiryuu-kun! It's been so long since we've been able to talk!"

"... I saw you yesterday..."

He lowered his head, the sandy colored bangs falling before his glasses. "You're angry with me... because I mentioned Kaname?"

I glared at him from over my shoulder. "Don't say his name in my presence. As much as he claims that he loves her, I know he's up to no good. Something... just doesn't settle right with me."

Once outside, I looked up to the dark sky, letting the small snowflakes melt away on my cheeks. I sighed deeply, forcing myself to walk forward and head towards downtown. With my luck, I would run into another vampire or two on the list, I might even meet this 'Jack the Ripper'.

Although it was late in the evening, downtown was alive and bright. Apparently, it was some festival celebrating the coming of winter, but I could honestly care less. I had grown more and more sensitive to light, and walking down the bright streets gave me a headache. All I wanted now was to go to my worn down apartment and crash. However, luck just so happened to come my way... or rather, I stumbled upon it. As I passed by a dark alleyway, the air became thick with the scent of blood. I paused, breathing in the tempting scent and longing for a taste. I thought better of it, digging in my pocket for the pack of blood pills and popping five dry. "Looks like someone's having a feast tonight," I said to myself.

The alleyway was dark and cold, even more so than in the streets. As I ventured down the long winding way, the smell of blood grew stronger and stronger. My heart gave a lurching leap when I came to the end of the road; there, lying in a great pool of blood, was another victim of 'Jack the Ripper'. Her stomach had been expertly ripped open, the innards strewn about in an organized manner. The dark dead eyes stared back at me hauntingly.

"You're a mess," I said to myself.

The mark on my neck began to burn like it had every time I longed for blood. I tried to rub away the stinging, but it was useless at this point. Kneeling down next to the body, I gently turned the woman's head to the side. "Hmm... no bite marks. I guess the bastard wasn't finished with you yet," I said softly. "Too bad for you."

Something moved behind me, something I didn't sense before. Spinning on my heel, I pulled out the Bloody Rose and aimed it at the nothingness that was there. "Who's there?" I hissed.

Instead of receiving a legitimate answer, an invisible force knocked me backwards into the wall. When I stood up again, whatever was there had long gone. "Damn," I whispered to myself. Warm blood trickled down my lip and chin from where I had hit my face against the wall. Wiping the blood away, I muttered, "This guy annoys me..." I turned back to the dead prostitute, wrinkling my nose. "Look at the trouble you got me in," I growled. As I bent to cover up the body from the eyes of any passerby's, my coat and hands were soaked in blood. "Damn it... this was a new coat, too. The Chairman will be asking me why my clothes got spoiled..."

"The Chairman already knows why you've blood on you Kiryuu Zero."

The voice shocked me. Turning quickly, I saw a small group of fellow vampire hunters behind me, all with weapons drawn. A small smile spread on my face. "Hey, you're just in time. The guy just escaped, but if we hurry, we can catch him." When no one made an attempt to go after the vampire, my smile quickly fell. "W-what's going on here?"

"Kiryuu Zero, you have been added to the executions list for the murders of the 'Jack the Ripper' victims. Do you have anything to say before you're exterminated?"

My eyes widened in shock. "What?! No, I didn't kill anyone! I didn't do this!"

The man in front smirked. "Really? The blood on your clothes and lips say otherwise," he said sarcastically.

I lightly touched my finger to my lips, feeling the warm blood. No... this wasn't right. I could have sworn I wiped it off. "Are you serious? I got kicked in the face, you dumbass!"

"Don't try to be the victim, Zero," a new voice said gruffly as a man emerged from behind the crowd. I felt my heart stop.

"Yagari... sensei..."

He walked up to me, holding a sealed envelope. "We have orders to bring your head back to the Hunter's Association. It's best that you not fight back," he stated.

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "You're going to kill me? The one you wanted to appoint as president of the association?"

Yagari's face turned grim as he stared hatefully back to me. "Zero, don't try to change the subject. It doesn't matter who you are and what you've done in the past; all that is relevant is that you stand accused of murder."

Taking a step back, I laid my hand on my gun. "Don't think I'm gonna let you kill me; if you want my head, you're going to have to take it!"

Another man in the group tilted his head, grinning. "We can do that," was all he said.

That's when I realized how unprepared I was for this fight. Though I had a gun, it was an anti-vampire weapon; it was no use against humans. However, every weapon, be it gun or blade, could be used effectively against me. When the group lunged forward to attack me, I had no choice but to turn and run. The group yelled after me, calling me obscene terms I called vampires. I looked back over my shoulder to see how far back the group was; I had no idea I was running so fast. Was this a power I acquired now that I was a vampire? Or was my fear of death taking a hold on me?

I tried not to let these thoughts keep me from running; although I've had a shitty life and a dim future, there was no way in hell I'd go down without a fight. I was different from before. A year ago, I would have gladly pulled the trigger on myself, but I have matured since then. Now, a year after the beast within me awoke, I had to live in order to keep it from fully taking over.

The sound of a gunshot broke me from my thoughts. Up at the front of the road was Yagari-sensei, his gun cocked and ready. I skidded to a halt, quickly turning and knocking down a food stand. But it was already too late; the gun went off and before I knew it, I was stumbling over my own feet with a bullet in my shoulder. Cursing under my breath, I slipped out of sight onto the main road leading out of the city, hidden among the crowd of festival-goers. Someone grabbed me roughly by my wounded arm, pulling back into the crowd.

"Bastard! Let go of me!" I shouted angrily before raising my fist.

"Kiryuu-kun, stop. It's me."

My eyes widened at the familiar face. "Cross! You're not here to kill me too, are you?" I asked cautiously.

He shook his head. "No; I know you're innocent. Go. Get out of town and I'll buy you some time. Kiryuu..." He paused, gripping my arm tightly. "Be safe."

I nodded. "Yeah, you too."

Time seemed to fly by so fast. Before I knew it, I had run out of the city and into the countryside. The snow began to fall heavily; already two inches covered the ground with more to come. My shoulder throbbed and ached as the wound tried to heal over the bullet, but anti-vampire bullets don't mix well with me. After a while of running, I stopped to catch my breath. I didn't realize how tired I was until now; the cold weather chilled my bones and sent me into a shivering fit, which didn't help much with my aching muscles and limbs.

"You... what do you want now?" I asked through clenched teeth.

Standing behind me was another vampire hunter, the leader of the group back in town. His weapon, a two foot long serrated machete, was held at the ready. So... he followed me all the way out here?

"Don't think that you can run from us that easily, vampire," he growled.

I turned to face him, a smirk spreading my lips. "So I'm just 'vampire' now? Now I know what I really meant to the association. Where did your buddies go, huh?"

A scowl distorted the man's face. "That Cross Kaien... he messed with us, but I was no fool. I knew he was covering for you," he replied. Then he smirked. "I see that old man Yagari got you pretty good."

I placed my hand over the wound on my shoulder. "Yeah, but he's not here to finish me off, is he?" I asked sarcastically.

The man's brow rose. "Is that a challenge?"

"Not at all." Here, I threw Bloody Rose off to the side and spread out my arms. "Here, have at it... if you're man enough."

My last comment cracked him; with a yell, the hunter sprinted towards me, the machete aimed for my chest. Before he got to me, I maneuvered around him and caught him from behind, bending his arm behind him with one hand and craning his neck to the side and clamping my fangs into the tough skin. Warm blood dripped from the wound and trickled down my chin, staining my shirt collar. The machete dropped from the man's grasp as he fought against my hold, but soon enough he went limp.

After retracting my fangs and letting his lifeless body crumble to the snow, I stood in shock. That was the first human I had killed, the first blood I had in over a year. What do I do now? I hungered for more, but at the same time, I regretted my actions. I truly had become a blood thirsty being.

"Sorry, old man, but you left me no choice," I muttered as I turned and wiped the blood from my lips.

"Who said... you ever had a choice?"

Next I knew, the machete had buried itself deep in my chest, breaking through my chest cavity and piercing the one organ I truly needed to survive. At first, I felt nothing, but stood there numb with wide eyes. When I tried to pull away, however, the notches in the blade caught on my rib cage and sent me into a tantrum of guttural gasps and painstaking yells. I turned quickly, snapping the blade in half with a good four inches still left in me. I fell heavily to the snow, twitching as if I was having a seizure. All around me, the snow turned red with blood, my blood. The blade felt so cold, an iciness that would never go away. Craning my head back, I waited to turn to dust and have my sad example of a life over and done with. However, I saw something in the distance: a small figure with long hair and a black jacket. Large brown eyes stared back at me, unmoving. I couldn't help but smile weakly to myself; I knew those eyes.

"Yuu...ki?"