Chapter Text
Chapter 1
My name is known by many and yet it was spoken only just a few. My presence was withdrawn, cold, almost guarded. What was taught to me from a young age. I’m the youngest of two, half if you may but it never tore us apart or made things awkward between my sibling and I. It was perfect to me. My father though ever the proud man and ferocious warrior of his clan, was the eldest son to a king who ruled the creatures of the night.
Vampires.
In his people's eyes he was the prince to rule after his father stepped down and went into eternal sleep, never to wake again. But my father betrayed his kind. A man pale as snow, platinum blonde hair that reached his waist silky and smooth. His irises pale gold almost a warm tinge of orange, cunning and deadly. My father was the epitome of beauty of his era and possibly this era as well. My father was seen by his clan as a warrior, a leader but in secret my father despised himself and his people. Despised he’s a pure blood, an ancient. A rare vampire. My father even went as far as secretly becoming a doctor for humans. Helping them as he saw it was unfair that he was able to live an immortal life and yet humans had a life span depending on their health or something unexpected happens to cause them to their deaths. I envied them.
It was during the second era when my father met his first love, Miyumi. A beautiful handmaiden to the emperor's wife. Dark haired beauty with apple coloured lips, soft and deliciously plump. Her eyes lured him in as he would stare into deep amber eyes. Unable to keep his desires hidden, he approached her with intent of seduction and tranquility. The possibility of turning her was strong and his fangs ached to pierce her pearl like skin. Only she surprised him by smiling coyly, charming and yet full of desire, my father hesitated until she spoke.
“You’ve been lonely. Allow me to be yours.”
It was then my father understood the meaning of love. Love that is seen as a weakness amongst his people. An inferior emotion used for manipulation. My father, Tsukishima Hibiki was brought to his knees by a mere human who smiled at him and knew of his kind. A hunter and yet she could not go through with her task to annihilate Hibiki. Miyumi also learnt how to love and be loved by a man of the night who drank blood to survive.
It wasn’t long until they shared an offspring. Again it was in secret and away from prying eyes from both their kinds. My father could only mate once every hundredth year when the moon was full and red as the blood that flows through the veins of beings. Blood moon. A solstice. A week full of procreation, a need to produce to bring a life of their own into the world. A child to call their own. But it was at a risk for Miyumi. Because of her human nature and strong will not to turn into a vampire even against her husband pleads, my father was in anguish as he watched the life of his first love diminished over the months of his first born sleeping soundlessly in her womb. There were times when my father would lose himself and attack anything on site and one day he almost lashed out at his wife.
Miyumi was standing between her maid in protection, Hibiki froze when his sharp nails almost pierced through her chest. Choking on a sob and pleading for her love to come back to reality, Hibiki slowly came back to himself.
His eyes red as the summer sunset resting on the horizon, blinks rapidly. My father hadn’t fed in a long while and his actions spoke of it. Apologizing profusely to his wife and then the maid, My father leaves saying he’ll return within a day or two. Miyumi collapses in relief before asking her maid to help her back to the bed. My older brother's movements were too sporadic inside the womb almost causing Miyumi exhaustion. She was four months along her pregnancy, yet she looks as if she is about to give birth any given time.
Before the month of my elders birth, he came earlier than expected. Miyumi screamed when the first waves of contractions hit her, causing Hibiki to snarl viciously from his slumber.
On March 8th, my brother, Akiteru was born. His hair was blonde with a tinge of brown, his eyes amber and fierced like his mother’s, skin pale and smooth. My father sobbed as he held his precious child against his cold skin and choked as he watched the last breath his wife took. Shallow and pained, Miyumi looks on at her newborn and husband with love. She whispers words of pleas for her love to hear.
“Love him as you loved me. Love him because I do. Love our blessing as I gave my life to carry our child with protection, with warmth and heart. My darling, I love you as much as I love our son.”
Those were the parting words of Miyumi, a handmaiden to an emperor. A huntress for mythical creatures. A wife to a vampire and a mother to a son. She lived her life as a human and was promised to die as a human. I remember my father telling me how he begged his wife to transform her.
Hibiki could only keep his wife’s dying wish and love his newborn, protect him and nurture him respectfully, raise his son to be a perfect example of a new era..
What my father didn’t expect is a constant move. Crawlers of the night hunted him down like their next meal. Always on guard, always in fear of being caught. Many bodies laid in heaps as my father slain his enemies. My brother only a week old, was almost killed by an assassin before our father lost himself and slaughtered an entire fleet of crawlers.
By dawn my father was encircled with death and a crying babe in his arms. He looks to the moon that was slowly being washed by the awakening sun on the horizon.
Tears cascaded down my father's eyes as he screamed in anguish until his voice became hoarse.
🌙
An old home in the middle of the woods on the outskirts of the village of Kiso valley sat an old villa. The town folk liked to scare tourists when visiting the valley, telling them ghost stories of the home that once housed a noble family from the first era.
Children vandalised the villa throughout the years it was claimed to be empty. Sometimes the village children speak to tourists and scare them, claiming they’ve seen a woman with golden hair patrolling the gardens and often staring out the windows. It was frightful for visitors but it was exciting for the town folk.
If only they knew the true horror behind the stone walls with moss and tangled vines.
It is true that the old home once belonged to a noble family of the first era. Stories were told of a handsome young man, a beautiful wife and two children, graced with beauty. Vintage paintings showed the history of this family and people who origin from the Kiso valley, well aware of the people who walked the road and built a home from the ground up.
Not a single bad thing was spoken of the family of four. They were seen as respectful, diverse and well presented. The father helped the men with the farming, whereas the mother guided young men and women who inspire to be herbalists or a physician.
Back in those days. Herbalists were well looked for as they aided people who are sick and injured. Created cures to help with illnesses and sometimes able to cure the rarest diseases.
The town prospered throughout the years and was sought out from people from all over.
It was then when the family lived in the woods and away from the township, the folks of Kiso Valley requested an audience. The elders re-told the story of how the family became the governors and soon the valley was taught how to protect themselves from those who seek to burn their crops, ravage their homes and destroy the livelihood of their homes.
The established family who taught the valley knowledge and historic events, cultured them into who they are today, turned against them once they learned of their true nature.
A witch, A vampire, a day walker and a child whose nature was unknown.
The people grew hostile the moment they learnt of who their governor was and felt as if they taught them things to become a life supply of food. It was until one night the patriarch of the family stood in front of the town's people with darkness in his eyes, fangs on full display.
It was told by the elders the vampire whose wife was a witch and a son of human and vampire bare their throats and handed each person a wooden spike, carved enough to pierce through cloth and skin. It was said the township was given a choice, a choice to rid of the vermin they spoke of or allow them to speak their truth. Some were against the idea of trusting these creatures but a lone man came forth and spoke of how his people lived peacefully as a creature known as wolves. He spoke of how they can allow them to roam through a valley, trade goods and hunt for the people, then they can trust the very people who taught them to live as they are.
Even when the alpha spoke, it still wasn’t enough to sway the people until the wife of the vampire asked them.
“We’ll give up our titles and our home. We’ll leave this valley that showed us gratitude and love, we’ll never come back. But as you should know, not once did we use our nature to cause harm on this soil.”
🌙
A sigh escapes a woman with dark hair that reaches her jaw line. Her piercing grey eyes illuminated with curiosity as she closes a journal belonging to an elder of Kiso Valley. She traces markings with her index finger and mutters quietly to herself as she closes her eyes. She imagines the life of the people who once lived in the old times. Visuals of life before the modern world of today and the prosperity the people wallowed in.
A life written in parchment and later preserved in a journal for generations to read.
She sighs again as she carefully places the book where she found it and walks along the rows of books being held by shelves. A library full of knowledge and history. A place of sanctuary.
She wonders about the family who governed the valley. What became of them, did they survive the ordeal or were they thrown out of the valley to never come back. Grey eyes wonders about the library of the institute she is currently in. Was it fear of the people held or was it jealousy because a family was immortal and a witch crafted medicine to aid those in need.
Oh how she wishes to go back to the far section of the library and to pluck that journal out of its carefully hidden spot and read more of the life of the elder whose name was unknown.
The only indication of who the journal belonged to was the initials. T.A. She researched families whose initials that could lead her to knowing who it is but as many researches go, most were nothing but dead ends.
Her left palm itches and she sighs once more as the doors to the institute library opens.
As if the air around the man who burst through the very doors welcomed him, a gruff looking male walks in with the widest grin possible and the smell of fresh grass scented the air.
“Akaashi. I was looking everywhere for you!”
The woman named Akaashi smiles at the man and she waves her hands in the air, candles lit the room to allow a soft orange glow and for the man to see her properly.
“Hello Bokuto. What brings you this side of, in your words, hell.”
Bokuto smiles charmingly and stands before Akaashi. For someone who is a werewolf, his entire demeanor doesn’t scream it. If anything, he reminded the woman of a wild puppy.
“Kuroo and I just got back from our last mission annnnd we brought someone back. Bit of a dick but you know, nothing we can handle.”
Akaashi squinted at Bokuto as his smile grew wider than normal and she tsk. “Why do I have a feeling you’re hiding something.”
Bokuto being Bokuto. Shrugs.
“That’s because he is.” Another voice echoes through the library with irritation. “And for good reason too. Who the fuck spells an entire cemetery pissing with blood.”
Akaashi takes in the new person and her eyes widened when the man stands next to Bokuto with annoyance in his eyes, dried blood stuck to his face and his hair matted, making it look dark brown in the light.
“Kuroo. Why are you drenched and not Bokuto.” She questions and gives the brute alpha the same questioning look.
“Because Bo over here somehow managed to sweet his way-“
Bokuto's smile was wiped off the moment Kuroo started mentioning about his sweet talking and he locked the man in a choke hold. “What Kuroo meant to say is. The witch separated UUUS- Bro what the fuck. ”
Akaashi rolls her eyes and giggles as the other werewolf wipes the saliva from his lips and smirks at the other.
Bokuto was staring at his bitten arm in disgust. “A-A-Akaaargshi help! Disinfect my arm! Quick, I think Kuroo has rabies.”
Kuroo growls lowly at the insult and faces Akaashi.
Bokuto and Kuroo. Both werewolves from different packs and somehow met when they were young pups. Apparently Bokuto was following his pack to meet the Crimson pack when he got separated and Kuroo happened to be with his father during patrol. Some reason fate decided to put these two together to make other lives miserable.
Akaashi met them when she crossed their territory. She was running away from vampires after her coven learnt the truth about why the people who lived behind concrete walls. Her family had enough magic to create a hole in the wall for them all to escape, freeing the prisoner witches who kept there after a massacre happened almost 6 centuries ago. Ever since then, she’s been with these two since she was thirteen, now being nineteen whereas these two men were twenty one.
All three entered the academy of hunters. Protectors of the human race and the supernatural. The world wasn’t blind but it held enough secrecy to hide away the nature’s of the night, magic conjured with spiritual and nature and the packs who are cursed by a full moon. The academy was built almost seven hundred years ago by a family. A family that is unknown but are known by commanders of the academy.
Unlike her two friends, Akaashi wasn’t a werewolf. She was a witch. A rare witch, a siphoner. Siphon witches are a special kind and probably one of the most feared amongst the other covens. But there is a downside to being a siphon witch. We could only perform magic by siphoning power from sources or objects. In Akaashi opinion. She hated it and loved it at the same time.
As she thinks about the men who saved her when she was thirteen, fall in love with the brute werewolf, Bokuto. Akaashi wouldn’t trade anything of how her life played out.
She smiles softly as she examines her boyfriend's arm and soothes the bruised area. “It’s only a little bite, Kou. You’ll survive.”
Bokuto whimpers in protest and Kuroo rolls his eyes. “Come on you, we better interrogate the witch who caused havoc throughout little old Miyagi.”
Bokuto wasn’t joking when Akaashi came face to face with the witch who spelled an entire cemetery, pouring with blood. The woman was ethereal, whimsical if you may but the siphon witch knew not to judge an unknown witch.
With long red hair, uneven and loose. Her eyes reminded Akaashi of red embers, deep and fiery. Pale skin and rosy cheeks, she’s reminded of Snow White and the seven dwarves. Ironic.
The witch wore a black leather trench coat over a pair of skinny ripped jeans and plain white tank top. Completing the look, Dark maroon ankle boots. The witch had her feet on top of the table, the metal chair balancing on two legs as she leaned back, staring at them behind metal bars. The unmistaken sounds of chains clinking together caught Akaashi's attention and she stared at the dark objects around her pale wrist.
Cursed shackles are magically imbued to halt witches powers, preventing them from using magic. Akaashi remembers wearing those when an elite hunter demonstrated how powerful they are.
“As you can see. She’s been doing nothing but stare at us.” Kuroo mentions. He stood to Akaashi right while Bokuto flanked her left, both had their arms crossed. “She hasn’t spoken since we’ve apprehended her. We thought another witch around her age might open her up.”
“And you thought I was that witch?” Akaashi was skeptical.
Kuroo nods. “Kenma refuses and Yaku patience rivals those of a rabid wolf and Suga is busy with his boyfriend.”
Akaashi opens her mouth to rebuff the sudden forced offer but is interrupted by the redhead witch. The sound of metal banging on metal floors echoed throughout the basement, causing the three to snap their attention on the witch who now stood, pressed against iron bars.
“Well, Well, Well.” She starts off. Her voice filled with mirth and mockery. “A siphoner witch from the lunar owl sister coven. My, my.” The redhead pulls back from the iron bars as it burnt her skin. She sneers at Akaashi. “If I’d known a siphoner was amongst you, I would’ve come along without struggling.”
“Before or after Bokuto sweet talked you.” Kuroo snarls and Bokuto mutters a dude under his breath.
Embery eyes glanced between the three and her smile made Akaashi feel uncomfortable. “Who would’ve thought you had these little puppies wrapped around your finger aye.” She blatantly ignores Kuroo jibe.
She knew it was a ploy to taunt her, baiting to see who bites and judging from her expression. Bokuto played in the redhead hands by barking aggressively.
“Temper, temper.” The witch said with a coy smile and wiggled her index finger at Bokuto. “Tell me little owl. Is he good in bed? Does he fuck you in wolf form? Oooh I haven’t been with a wolf yet.” She whispers wantonly and her gaze turns to Kuroo. “How about you pretty boy. Want to know the quirks of screwing a witch or have you had your fun with a miss owl over here, mmmm?”
Kuroo had to intervene as Bokuto charged at the iron gates and the redhead woman cackled in joy, aggravating the wolf even more. Akaashi and enough.
“For some reason you're brought here and you know where I’m from. From my perspective, you looked as if you saw a ghost.”
She’s not sure why the redhead is here exactly but she laid a card out to see if the witch will, this time, bite.
The said witch tilts her head in thought, swaying on her ankles, backwards and forwards whilst chewing her lower lip.
Akaashi waited but her own patience was wearing thin.
“Tendou Satori, Shadow moon coven, I’m here because I, for some unknown reason, possibly because I set the little village on fire- oh it could be I did a deal with those foxes on the south east border.” Satori lazily looks at Akaashi. “You on the other hand seek answers about your forsaken coven and the massacre- which by the way should be extinct besides one. How on earth are you alive.”
And just like that. The ball suddenly went into her goal and Akaashi felt the tables turn in a matter of seconds.