The Knight's Hunter

Chapter 1: It all begins

The streets were busy as I walked through them, dodging people and pets as I made my way towards the cafe I worked in.

"Kisa. You're finally here," Mila greeted me as she served an early morning customer sitting at a table by the door. "You're on counter duty today." I grinned at her.

"Sure thing." It was still early in the morning, around 8 o'clock, but businessmen and women milled around, eyes half-closed as they drank their coffee and lattes like they were the elixir of life.

"I'll have a cappucino," a bleary-eyed woman managed out as I took her order. "Make it a large." I bit back a smile as I tapped the order into the machine, revealing the price.

"That'll be $2.95," I held out her receipt, handing it to her as she dropped the money in my hand.

"Prices keep rising nowadays," I heard her mutter as she wandered off to a nearby table to wait for her coffee.

"Hi," the sound of a new customer brought me back to my job. Eager, green eyes met my brown ones and I smiled back awkwardly. A tall, lanky boy with dark hair falling across his forehead beamed down at me, his eyes fixed on my face. I didn't know how long he was going to stand there like that.

"So, what would you like?" I tried to break the staring competition, bringing it back to reality.

"Oh, uh, nothing much," the green eyes blinked and turned back into a tall, gangly, confused boy. He shuffled awkwardly, not saying anything.

"Well, if you don't mind," I tried to be polite, waving him to the side. He stood at the side of the counter, avoiding my gaze as I turned to the next customer, a middle-aged woman dragging a fussy toddler.

"Be patient, Timmy," she scolded the 3 year old who stood, pulling at her skirt. "I need to get something first."

"How can I help you?" I offered her a smile, glancing down at the sulky boy next to her.

"Oh!" She turned to me, realisation registering in her eyes. "I'll have a caramel latte, with extra sugar and cinnamon, 3 of those macarons over there, a slice of mud cake as well while you're at it and a red velvet delight." Someone had a bit of a sweet tooth.

The line of customers slowly wittled down as the hour went past. When I finally stopped to take a break, movement caught my eye and I saw the boy from earlier still standing there. His back was turned to me as he leaned against the counter. Had he been standing there for an hour?

"Is there something wrong?" I ventured, reaching out to tap him on the shoulder. He whirled around at the sound of my voice and somehow, my finger found its way into one of his dark green eyes.

"Ow!" His hand instinctively came up to his face as I withdrew hastily, apologising profusely.

"I'm so sorry," I apologised, discreetly wiping my finger on my apron. Who knew his eyeball would be so slimy? "Are you okay?"

"Fine, fine," he muttered, still rubbing his sore eye. He managed to glance up with his good eye and catch my eye. "Sorry about that."

"No, that was my fault," I apologised again, reaching over to the hand covering his eye, careful not to poke his other eye out. "Do you need an ice-pack?"

"Nah, it's cool," he grinned, letting his hand fall to his side, revealing a slightly puffy, red eye, but not particularly damaged in any way. "I've had worse." A silence fell between us, as we looked on awkwardly.

The cafe door swinging open caught my eye and I moved to the counter, forgetting the boy who stood less than two metres away from me.

As soon as I readied myself at the counter, I regretted that decision. Silvery-white wisps of hair fell over pale, lavender eyes as my next customer came in. A muscular frame, but lanky at the same time as Zero walked towards the counter.

Run. Run. Run. Run. My mind screeched at my brain, kicking at it to get into action. My brain refused, the logical part of me telling me that running would only make it more obvious.

"C-can I help you?" I managed weakly as Zero stopped in front of the counter. I held my breath, tracing all the paths to the kitchen that I could escape to once he recognised me.

"I'm looking for someone." Zero's voice hadn't changed at all. Neither had his looks. "She should have dark brown hair, brown eyes and a slight build."

"Uh, no," I managed to put on a sympathetic smile, trying to ignore the frantic beating of my heart as adrenaline yelled at me to get running.

"You sure?" Zero frowned at me. I was certain he recognised me. "She actually looks a lot like you." He glanced down at my name tag. I let out an inward sigh of relief as I congratulated myself on having the brains to change my name when I left.

"What's her name?" I felt a bit stronger now. Under a new name and identity, Zero had no proof that I was the Saki Minagawa who ran away from Cross Academy two years ago.

"Saki," he replied boredly. "Saki Minagawa. Have you heard of her?"

"Nope," I shook my head, my confidence building. "Don't think there's anyone around here with that name."

Zero finally looked at me properly. Noticed that I was a vampire. Leaning forward, he breathed into my ear, the warm air making me flinch.

"What are you doing here?" I tried to stay calm, my tongue automatically swiping over my fangs as I licked my lips.

"Humans and vampires are at peace aren't they?" I challenged him quietly. I sensed him moving back, releasing an annoyed sigh.

"You're the only one in this region," he pointed out, an eyebrow raised as he questioned me. "The only Level C."

"I can choose where I want to be," I stared down at the cashier in front of me. "So go away." Silence followed, and when I finally looked up, Zero was still there, scrutinising me, a crease between his eyebrows.

"Your name's not really Kisa is it?" His question, or rather, statement, startled me. I couldn't have been found out that quickly.

"My name is Kisa," I insisted. "So if you're done harassing the staff, please leave. There's someone waiting in line."

"Saki," Zero reached forward to grab my wrist, looking at my face. "Why don't you just come back already? Everyone misses you. Your Mum is frantic." There was no urgency and pleading in his voice. He made it sound like I was being a stubborn child, hiding somewhere and wouldn't come out. He said it like a fact.

"I am not Saki," I repeated, pulling my wrist free. "My name is Kisa."

"Kisa, Saki," Zero muttered. "It can't just be a coincidence that your names are similar and you look the exact same."

"How do you know?" I tried to defend myself. "The last time you saw her was two years ago."

"How would you know that?" Zero's eyes were calculating as he picked up on my slip. "How did you know that the last time I saw her was two years ago?"

Idiot. Idiot. Moron. Fool. Stupid. My brain was yelling at my mouth. Stupid mouth. Always acting on impulse.

"I-I heard on the news." That was even worse. The Hunter Association made sure that no news or alertings of vampire or vampire hunter-related issues were broadcast. They were hardly going to stream the news of a sixteen year old girl running away from home because her boyfriend was almost killed by a mad vampire then eaten alive by his Level D twin brother.

He ate him alive.

The thought burned tears in my eyes, as I struggled to hide them.

"I'm not Saki," I said thickly. "She's not here." Before I could burst into tears in front of the whole cafe, I turned and ran into the kitchen, hiding from the outside.

~~~

Hope you liked that chapter :P Judging from your reactions to the prologue, I take it you guys already like my story (some of you at least XD) What do you think is going to happen now that Saki's been found out? Does the letter to Kaien make sense now?

To be continued...

~Evil_Incubator