"Stop!"
The girl pleaded.

Her porcelain arm was a canvas of red ink. Streaks of blood tangled her dark hair as he ripped the scissors out of her skin.

"Stop!" She tried to scream. The tears were beginning to blur her vision but to her horror, no sound came out.

The shadow grew over her as the night student studied the blade, the candlelight reflecting off it and into his stare, before crimson eyes swallowed her whole.

~
"The one from the night patrol?" Cadere asked. The man spoke with a concerned Lucian in the night class library. Y/n knew it was her place not to listen, but she did so anyway.

When the group returned from Delwood, everyone seemed to disperse. Lucian stayed with you and- having you wait outside- seemed to be convincing Cadere that 'she was compelled' by Leyla and it was too early for her to go back to the day class. Of course, the next day would be Sunday, the final day of your weekend.

And then things would be fine.

"I'm going to have a word with her."

"Bel took care of... you know."

"Thank you for your sensibility Lucian."

You heard footsteps approaching the door and quickly fled.

"Y/n?" You heard Cadere call. You peered behind the wall and he gestured for you to follow him. Up the stairs he went, and so did you. Lucian eyed you anxiously as you left. His stare didn't leave the door, not even as it closed, leaving you and Cadere inside it.

"Where are you from?" He asked, placing his hat on the desk between you.

The dimly lit room was kept alive by a lantern on the wall, and a stone window view of the rest of Arcadia... but the interior was dead. The cold stone walls and stone cold man in front of you drummed his gloved fingers on the wood.

"I live six hours away, in Aldershaw." You answered.

"What do your parents do?"

You began to wonder if this was where Cadere brought Eleanor.

"I don't see them very often," you said uneasily. "They travel a lot because of their work- anthropologists."

A long, uncomfortable silence filled up the room like a dense fog. His unreadable violet eyes didn't leave yours.

"I live with my aunt," you added.

"You're a second year, no?" He asked. You nodded. "Where did you go to school last year?"

"I was homeschooled." You confessed. "My aunt Mel taught me everything."

"Everything?"

"That's right."

More silence. You swallowed.

"Would you mind staying the night here, while we address the issues you've told us concerning your room?"

"Yes- I mean, no, I wouldn't mind." You said. You wondered if he saw through the apprehension in your voice.

"It should be resolved by Monday," said Cadere, taking his hat and pushing his chair in. You stood up as well.

"Okay... thank you."

And with that, you quickly left down the stairs, turning around to find Cadere was not behind you.

"How did that go?" A voice immediately asked as you hit the bottom. You missed the last step in surprise and tumbled forward, only to be caught in someone's arms.

"Avery!" You whisper yelled. "Don't scare me like that... and- and you can let go now."

He withdrew his hold and studied you with misty blue eyes.

"Aren't you- shouldn't you be in trouble or something?" You asked, beginning to walk away. Avery followed.

"It sounds like you're in trouble. What did Cadere have to say?"

"You can't answer a question with another question."

"Can't I?"

You rolled your eyes.

"Oh, hey you two." Belmont said as he entered the common room. "I thought we were gonna play cards."

"Yep, and I found another player." Said Avery, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. Bel stiffened, but a playful smirk soon lit up his emerald green eyes.

"Have a seat y/n, let's play."

~
"We can't play poker with two people," said Simone.

The day student sat across from Eleanor, cross legged on the common room floor. He let out a sigh.

"Where's y/n?" He asked. The boy stopped absently shuffling cards as the rain patterned against the window.

"She left me a note." The girl replied.

"A note?"

"Yeah." Simone gestured for him to hand her the cards. "She said she was visiting someone in Delwood or something."

"Oh..." Eleanor said. "She never mentioned it."

"Yeah, well."

The girl looked out the window to the rainy evening sky.

"Maybe she's with Theodore." Eleanor took the cards back and continued shuffling. "I bet that's where she is. Theo likes to head up there."

A look of realization brightened the boy's eyes.

"You don't think they're- dating or anything?"

Simone scoffed.

"No, of course not!" Suddenly her eyes narrowed. "Why, do you think they're dating?"

Eleanor shrugged quickly, humming an 'I dunno.'

"Y/n has been acting weird though, don't you agree?" Eleanor pushed up his frames. "It's not like her to disappear."

Simone's lips curled sourly at this.

"Anyway, maybe Theodore will be back soon." He suggested. "And maybe they'll come back together."

"I suppose they could be dating..." she said uneasily. "I just... don't know if I can imagine her with Theodore, of all people."

Eleanor chuckled, beginning to deal cards between the two of them.

"Yeah... but I mean, who else could she be with?" He said humorously.

"What are we playing?" She asked.

"Go Fish."

~
Playing cards with two vampires is not as difficult as one might imagine. Playing cards with Avery and Bel, on the other hand, was.

Every time you were winning, a move by either boy told you they were only letting you win. Or at least, that's how Avery was. You thought Belmont might be more... nice... but he took playing cards pretty seriously.

"Last card." He knocked on the wood floor.

"Avery's going to take that six." Lucian said as he entered; a bottle of red wine in his hands.

"And you're going to take a punch to the throat if you don't shut up." Avery said with a cheerful grin. "Your move y/n."

Is that because you're reading his mind or you can see his cards? You wondered.

Lucian wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Both."

You frowned at the boy. "I thought you said you wouldn't do that."

"Do what?" He asked playfully. Lucian leaned over, your shoulder. "You should have asked me to play cards with you y/n... they're all cheaters."

Avery shrugged apologetically.

"Lucian, you should get some rest." Said Bel. "This would be really funny if y/n weren't here."

"On the contrary," Avery said, eyeing the white haired boy.

"Somebody should take that bottle away from him." You said.

Avery snickered.
"There's alcohol all over the castle."

"That's right." Lucian began to softly laugh, holding your shoulder and shaking the drink.

"Come on Lucian, get out of here." Said Bel. "Come back when you're sober."

"You're the worst." He said with a smile, looking from Bel to Avery. "I'm the worst."

"You're freaking me out." You told him.

His golden eyes narrowed.

"Good." He muttered coldly. Then he got up and left.

Dimitri entered with Roman just as Lucian disappeared behind the corridor. Dimitri seemed to know what was up right away and immediately did a 180, turning to follow Lucian from behind.

"Lucian mad you guys left him out?" Said Roman. He sat comfortably on the regal sofa.

"Something like that." Answered Avery.

Bel looked at you.
"Your go y/n."

You played three of your hand before quickly finishing your turn.

"So what did you four get up to in Delwood..." Avery hummed, scanning his cards.

"We told her what we are, what we can do." Answered Bel. "It was pretty boring without you there if I'm being honest."

"Did Cadere give you a hard time?" Asked Roman.

"Not as bad as Leyla and Trinity are gonna get." Avery chuckled. "What did you guys even do?"

"Don't act like you don't know," Roman said, rolling his eyes. "You probably knew y/n knew before she even knew anything."

"I knew you would take the six!" Bel fumed.

"Well, as long as introductions are in order, I'm Avery." The boy grinned. "I'm the biggest gentleman here, and I mean that both literally and figuratively, and that's really all there is to it."

"The biggest gentleman here?" Roman snickered. "Oh please."

Suddenly, finishing their turn beside you was not Avery, but another Roman.

"Oh please," he mimicked. "Well, I guess I'm not the biggest anymore-"

"Knock it off." Roman said.

"Knock it off!" Ginger number two said.

Belmont grinned apologetically while the two continued bickering.

"This happens all the time," he said.

"Can you turn into anyone?" You asked in amazement. Avery gave you his immediate attention.

"Virtually anyone I've seen." He said.

"I told you he was annoying." Countered Roman.

Avery turned back into himself, and sighed with a grin.

"Do you want to play?" He asked Roman. "What say we do a little gambling..."

Roman stood up and snickered.

"Ha, gamble with you? You must be joking."

"Suit yourself." Avery said with a flourish of the cards.

"Aren't you two supposed to be doing something more productive now anyway?" He asked irritably.

"Like what?" Asked Bel.

"I don't know, but distracting yourselves with games doesn't change the fact that this human knows our secret."

"She wasn't the first to find out Roman." Bel said. "You know that."

"What happened to the others?" You asked, setting your cards down.

"I ate them." Avery leaned over to your side, joyfully licking his lips. You pushed him away.

"That's not funny."

Avery only chuckled to himself.

"They graduated." Said Belmont. "It doesn't happen often, someone figuring out our secret, but it has happened."

"And y/n is supposed to stay here for the next four years keeping her mouth shut?" Roman said passively.

"Your friend did," said Belmont. "Didn't he?"

Instead of answering, Roman glared at you before storming off upstairs.

"Tsk tsk, no manners." Said Avery. "Oh look, I can add this to your aces Bel, I have three nines, and I'm out."

"GOD DAMMIT." Bel cried, throwing down his hand. "I was waiting for that ace."

"Why does Roman hate me so much?" You asked, staring at the ground.

"He doesn't hate you, he just really doesn't like you." Said Bel.

"Thanks."

"What Bel's trying to say," Avery spoke gently, "is that Roman is like that with most people."

"No, I meant what I said." The blonde replied.

"I didn't do anything to him." You said, gazing up at their watchful eyes.

"Maybe it's because you're a girl." Bel suggested.

"How old are we, ten?" You asked. The boys laughed.

"Roman is at least a century year old, you're right, you'd think he'd be more mature." Avery leaned on his wrist.

"He was like that in Delwood too," you mentioned. "It was like he wouldn't even look at me."

"You'll have to excuse his rudeness on my behalf." Avery bowed his head flamboyantly.

"Roman has a lot of problems with women." Bel sighed. Was he the only one?

"Oh..." you whispered. "Roman told me once that there's no such thing as love."

"He would say that." Avery snickered. He took the remaining cards and slid them up his sleeve.

"Can you blame him?" Bel shook his head. "Roman is a good guy, but..."

"What happened?"

"She happened."

~
The rest of the evening was quiet, and uneventful. After Theodore met Simone and Eleanor for supper, having finally returned, the two boys left for their room, leaving Simone to her thoughts.

She was getting worried about y/n. Her friend told her she hadn't seen her family in months, did she really just decide to go visit some in Delwood? Or maybe they were friends... but even so, Simone thought y/n didn't really know anyone in the area.

In fact, she recalled y/n saying she'd never been to town before either.

With a sigh, Simone undressed and got ready to go sleep. But not before walking to y/n's bed, and just... watching.

It looked perfectly normal. The dresser had the note on it, the bed was made.

Y/n almost never made her bed.

Whatever overtook Simone that night ended up worrying her more than the note or the town or the bed. Because when she looked under the mattress she found a dark leather book titled The Creatures Almanac.

~
Thank you so much for reading! Love you all, more exciting news coming again soon. Stay rad,
~ Fanfunctional <3 (Your Number One Fan)