Bloody Petals

Chapter 20

Zero looked up at the ceiling of his room as he lay on his back on the bed. He arrived earlier, at noon, and he couldn't help but feel that the sun was more irritating now than when he first became a vampire. He didn't find anyone in the Dorm since it was already class time, meaning all students were in the inner circle of the school studying. Cross was nowhere to be found and he had a hunch that the man was in the Moon Dorm again.

He looked outside and saw that the sun was setting now. He couldn't believe he just stared at the ceiling for hours like it's the most interesting existence he'd ever laid his eyes on. Not to mention he never thought of anything and merely gazed at it blankly the whole afternoon. He knew he needed to think, needed to reevaluate what the pureblood told him. But he just didn't know where to start.

The teen sighed at his helplessness before he willed himself to be strong. He's a hunter. His mentality and emotion were a lot stronger than normal people. He could think of it calmly... and reach conclusion calmly.

First things first... Rido Kuran was his father's friend... or not? Maybe, yes. But that was a long time ago and there was no need to be so shocked about it especially since his father was long dead. So that's settled. Then... Was his father a vampire, and a pureblood at that... or not? No, that should've been the thing of most importance. "Whatever." He scowled at the fact that he's debating on the subject with most importance when all that he would be thinking were supposed to be important. As of now, he didn't have the slightest clue to the answer yet.

Then there's also the fact that his mother was bitten by Rido and he became a full vampire with hunter blood when he's supposed to be only half-human and half-vampire. Finally, there's the part where Rido told him he inherited his father's power. What power...? His eyes narrowed when his mind supplied an immediate answer. First, his mat burst into flames when he woke up from a nightmare. Then half of his room burst into flames when he woke up from another nightmare. Of course, the noble vampire burst into flames when he got angry. And most recently, Rido's couch burst into flames when he got angry... again. There was only one possible explanation of the things that happened to him recently. It's either someone's trying to pull a sick joke on him. Or Rido's explanation about fire being his power was true, not that the pureblood specified what his power was. No, it wasn't power per se. Just an... ability?

He sighed. No matter how he tried to think about everything, he just couldn't help but feel that Rido might be telling the truth. He needed to talk to Cross, and soon.

He stood up from his bed and dressed up just in time to feel Cross's presence outside the Dorm. He immediately went out of the room and descended the stairs, only to see the older male together with Kaname. Both brunettes stopped conversing and looked up at him when he descended the stairs with vampire speed. He never usually did that, especially inside the dorm.

"What's with the hurry?" Kaname greeted with a seductive smirk. "So happy to see me you can't even wait?" Zero scowled at the pureblood, momentarily forgetting why he's supposed to be hurrying up.

"Shut up, basta–." Zero initially voiced before he stopped in the middle of it. He remembered how he called Rido in the same manner and he knew there was no way he'd call Kaname that way now. "Shut up... Kuran." Both Kaname and Cross noticed the change in demeanor, not to mention the hollow aura of the teen.

"Did something bad happen in the mission?" Cross asked in immediate concern.

Zero looked at them both and saw the explicit concern on his uncle's expression and a silent concern in Kaname's eyes. He heaved a deep sigh before he managed to give them a small smile. "Are you two busy at the moment?"