Kota stood in front of Jhenie’s table looking at the empty seat the wooden furnace that held too much clutter of paper. Considering the fact that the vampire lady seemed to be so calm, he never thought that she could be this disorganized.

He heard several hurrying footsteps outside. When they finally opened the door, Kota was taken aback.

Aya and Sandie were helping a limped girl in their arms. She had bruised all over and a silver dagger was still protruding from the left side of her stomach. There were bloodstains in her skin and face. Her dark jeans showed gushes in her long slim legs and her blouse was torn in the stomach where the dagger was.

Her long straight black hair was covering her face yet Kota felt a stirring in his joints. He was transfixed at the site and he could almost feel the burning pain in his side as if he was the one stabbed by the knife.

“Satomi…” he whispered and held his breath. He wanted to tear himself apart and wished that all he was seeing was merely a dream.

The vampires put Satomi on the couch and helped her lie down.

Jhenie came after them, Shizuka and Yuki on her heels.

Yuri, Kei, Ryosuke, Daiki and Ryutaro followed. They must have seen what was happening from the living and rushed in.

Jhenie bent down in front of Satomi. “Get some blood from the stocks. She needed to drink some.”

“We don’t have any supplies left, Jhenie-sama.” It was Shizuka. “With the ongoing hunting, chaos and stirring, we couldn’t risk ourselves to get some supplies. The other clan must have an eye on the other blood banks and our suppliers were all threatened thus they wouldn’t give us the usual.”

“When did it start happening?” Jhenie asked brushing her hair in her hands in frustration. It seemed that she lost most of her glow since the Hunters’ last visit. Daiki was immediately in her side and caressing her back.

“Let me give her some blood.” Kei said and stepped in.

“No!” Aya exclaimed. “It will only hurt you if we allow her to have a bite from you and Haruka needed you. She had drunk enough of your blood last time but since she hasn’t had her life line for so long, she was still struggling to maintain her health.

“Let me do it, then.” Kota said stepping in front of them. He stared at the almost lifeless body lying on the couch.

The vampires stared at him. “You don’t need to do this.” It was Jhenie. “We are not sure if you are her lifeline.”

“I don’t care.” Kota said and sat on his knees in front of Satomi.

“It might hurt you.” Jhenie said, concern was evident in her eyes.

“At her state right now, she will not be able to bite.” Sandie who was caressing Satomi’s face informed them.

Ryutaro stepped in and handed a knife to Kota. “Cut your skin and drop your blood in her lips, it might help.” He suggested.

Kota pulled the knife and cut his wrist. He let his blood drizzle in her closed lips.

Satomi must have felt the moisture in her lips so she opened .

“She’s reacting to it!” Yuki exclaimed.

Kota poured more in . They saw Satomi gulped it down. Some of her wounds were reacting to Kota’s blood as they slowly dried up.

“It’s working.” Yuri said helping steady Kota since he was a bit staggering, as he felt already light headed. He had already been pouring a lot in Satomi’s mouth.

“That’s enough!” Jhenie exclaimed and pulled Kota away.

“Iie!” Kota shook his head. Tears which had been forming in his eyes threatened to fall. “Her stab, her wound, that needed to close.”

“You can’t give her anymore blood. You already gave her a lot. You will be drained!” Shizuka said and pulled Kota away.

“Let me go! Satomi needs it. I will give it to her!” he shouted and struggled away from Shizuka.

“Nee-chan!” Ryutaro called. He was holding the bronze handle of the dagger in Satomi’s stomach. “This is the last one, I will pull the dagger, you pour blood to it immediately but after this, you have to stop.” He commanded their eldest.

“No, that won’t be good for neither of them!” Aya disagreed. “It might cause more loss of blood for Satomi and might even be for Kota.”

Kota looked at the youngest.

“No, trust me. I have a good feeling with this.” Ryutaro said looking at Jhenie in the eyes.

“No matter, I will give more blood if Kota is not Satomi’s lifeline and the wound won't seal.” Yuri volunteered.

“Me, too.” Ryosuke seconded. “We could come up with enough blood for her. I’m sure.”

“Minna…” Jhenie stammered weakly. “Arigatou.”

Through trembling hands, Ryutaro breathed heavily and pulled the knife with all his might. Kota immediately poured blood in the wound. He saw it sizzled in the touch of blood. He continued pouring as his senses collapsed. He could hear voices around him, though he wasn’t sure what they were saying. He felt hands in him but didn’t care. All he knew was, he must revive Satomi with his blood. And then, everything…

~~~~

Kota stirred and purred. It seemed as if he was straining to open his eyes. Then, he suddenly flinched and sat up in dazed eyes.

He looked at his friends. “Satomi?!” he asked in a seemingly frightened tone.

“Relax, she was fine.” It was Kei who was seated beside Kota on the bed. “She was just sleeping. She had already woken up a while ago but slept again.”

Kota sighed in contentment and laid his exhausted body on the warm, comfortable bed.

“You did great, nee-chan!” Ryutaro commented.

“Ryutaro guessed correctly. You are Satomi’s life line. Her body reacted eagerly on your blood. It was quite an amazing show.” Ryosuke commented.

“Ah, sou ka.” Kota said, not knowing what else to say.

“Too bad that your neck is still ,” Daiki commented and chuckled.

Kota gave the guy a sullen look.

“You sound so erted, Dai-chan!” Yuri who was also seated in the bed commented.

“Ah, you are awake.” It was Oburi. She had already regained her physical strength and Yuri could finally see her subtle beauty. Though she was hiding her eyes in wide rimmed spectacles, one could make out the round eyes with black orbs. It was so black that nobody would ever guess that it could turn bloody red. Her dark brown shoulder length hair bounced while she walks.

She was carrying a tray with a bowl of porridge, powdered substance and glass of water. “Here, drink this.” She offered the powdered substance placed in a plastic measuring cup and the glass of water. “This will help you regain your strength.”

Kota took the substance and gulped it from the measuring cup. As soon as the powder touched his lips, his face contorted in disgust. He gagged and gulped the water as if his life depended on it. “What is that thing?” he asked angrily after he drowned everything.

“Concentrated folic acid, it will help you renew blood cells. A lifeline needed to drink this after his blood was sipped or whenever he felt a large lost.” Oburi explained.

“Uhn… especially some vampires can be super greedy that you will almost be up to death.” Ryutaro commented rather loudly.

Oburi stared at him in annoyance.

“Hey don’t look at me like that. Example, you… you almost my blood to death.”

Oburi gave him a sullen, angry look and stomped out.

“Hey, you are too hard on the girl.” Yuri commented.

Ryutaro chuckled. “Don’t worry, she is just pissed off but she’ll definitely come around. And for all the things that she did to me, she deserves them.” He said cutely. “Besides, she looks really adorable when she gets angry, ne.”

“Ah, you are so mean, Ryu.” Yuri commented in amusement.

Yuya and Hikaru then entered the room. They saw that Kota was already awake and being helped by Kei with the porridge.

“We heard what happened.” Yuya said, his face full of concern for his friend. Yuya was usually happy-go-lucky, but he had been very serious these past few days.

Hikaru took the seat beside Ryosuke while Yuya stayed standing up.

“The situation is getting worse,” Yuya started.

“And Yuya is getting worrisome as ever.” Hikaru sighed.

Yuya glared at the younger one before continuing. “The elders were getting more concerned with the situation. They’d been pressing me on different matters.” He started pacing back and forth.

“Geez…” Ryosuke complained silently voicing the group’s thoughts on Yuya’s attitude. They preferred the Yuya who was usually behind his game console, not caring for the world. The Yuya who was more matured was just so worrisome.

Yuya seemed not to care about his friends’ reaction. He faced Kota. “The stirring at the North woke up the congregation. There was more Hunting going on. There were even plenty blood killing.

“And worse…” Kota’s voice trailed as he looked at Kota. “The elders are already suspecting as conniving with the vampires.” He sighed.

The others looked at him in concern.

“They also heard that the Dreamer appeared.” He said.

Daiki, Ryutaro and Kei who just heard the news looked frightened all of the sudden.

“But there was no dreamer in the congregation, right?” Kei asked, talking about the Hunters’ organization.

“None that we know of,” Hikaru answered.

Yuri looked at Kota who didn’t look back. Kota stared at the ceiling. His mind was battling.  

“I still need to talk to the elders.” Yuya started again. “We must refrain from coming here for the meantime. It won’t do the vampires any good. When the congregation learned about this, they might hunt them down.” Yuya said.

“I thought you wouldn’t want to help this lot?” Hikaru asked.

Yuya sighed. “And let them die, just like what happened to Satomi? That just won’t do.”

Kota snapped at hearing Yuya said these words. Yuya stared back at their leader. There was silence for a long time, and though the younger ones didn’t know what was happening, they abstained from talking.

“I need to go back to the seiden.” It was Yuya who broke the silence. He held out what seemed like a gold key. It seemed so old since there were weird symbols in it.

“The goru-den tempararu aikagi (***golden templar key)…” Daiki whispered in amazement and stared at the owner’s.

The other hunters also stared at Yuya in shock. Kota found himself sitting down on the white bed.

“What do you mean by this, Yuya?” Kota asked.

Yuya sighed. “Himitsu desu…” he answered. “But because of the stirring, I need to open the secret chamber.”

“That was just a myth.” Kei commented.

Yuya shook his head and stared at the key in his hand. “This is my family’s secret treasure.” He said. “Passed down from head to head.”

Yuya, served as the head of the family since his father died from his weak body when he was younger. Since then, Yuya had been hiding the family’s treasure. It was the only key which can open the secret chamber of the hidden seiden.

He looked at his friend.

“Ok, that is it. I can’t take this anymore.” It was Ryosuke. “What are you guys talking about?”

Kei sighed. “There was a myth that had been going on and on in the congregation. It says that in the seiden, there is a secret chamber. It says that the chamber is the room of Sir Vermelli himself. It is where he keeps all of his knowledge, and his memories and only a dreamer will be able to understand them.

“The seiden had been searched for centuries and centuries but nobody was able to find the chamber…” Kei looked at Yuya. “And now…” he chuckled in amusement, shook his head and looked at his feet. “Even if you have the key, do you even know where to find the chamber?”

Yuya laughed back. “Of course.”

The others stared at him in shock. He smiled at them. “So now, I just need to find the dreamer, before any other whether the vampires or the hunters do.”

Yuri snapped his head gasped at Yuya.

Yuya smiled at the younger boy. “It was responsibility, as the head of the Chamber’s Guardian. I need to bring the dreamer to the secret chamber and do the ritual, ne, Yuri-kun?” he said.

Yuri’s eyes opened wide. The other members stared at the two of them staring at each other.