The Academy is their life, it has been for so long, being brought in at such a young age will do that to you. The memories they have from before are fuzzy, deep within the depths of their mind, it’s hard to try and remember the faces of their parents before the night of the attack.
It saddens them sometimes, late at night when the moon is at its highest, sometimes they try to remember. What their smiles were like, were they warm? Were their eyes filled with joy at the sight of their child? Sometimes thinking too much causes the flashes to return. Faces frozen in fear, flesh mauled, and blood drained.
Somethings are better left unknown, sometimes thinking is just too much.
The studies were fun, they enjoyed learning, loved the grand library and how the many books felt in their hands, how the pages were far much older then them. But, being so young there was only so many thing to keep them entertained.
Lunch was boring that day, there was a meeting if they recall? And there wasn’t many others their age around, and the Daycare Attendants? Well, they were no longer Attendants, but full blown Vampire Hunters, two of the best in the Academy! But that means no one to keep them and their every growing mind to occupied.
Pushing around the roasted potatoes on their plate, small mind blank with no thoughts, then a small sniffle caught their attention, and if their ears could twitch they would. Moving their gaze from the root vegetable, they see another child, hunched in on herself and obviously not trying to make a scene with her tears.
The was the day they met their best friend, their partner in crime, not just someone to tell all their hopes and dreams, but their sorrow as well.
Crimson was like them, a bit more outgoing, but they both always strived to be the best in their class.
As they both got older, classes got harder but they still seemed so easy to them, Crimson not as much, but she tried her damn near hardest.
Then once training and hand on hand combat was introduced to the class, they realized that they much preferred the planning and books side to Hunting. The sweat, the closeness of your opponent, and the weapons were not their favourite, they never felt right in their hand.
Maybe they just couldn’t think about facing one of the beings that killed their parents.
Years of classes at the Academy went by like nothing, they stayed top of their class each and every single year, even with the lower marks in the more physical classes. In the blink of an eye, they sat in the auditorium of the Academy, surrounded by the others of their classes some young adults like themselves, some middle aged, and even a few teenagers, all waiting to see who would make it as a Hunter and who would be their mentors.
Crimson sat by their side, one leg bouncing up and down in a mixture of anxiety and giddiness. Brown eyes looking up at where the Headmaster would soon stand, filled with excitement, she did good in her classes, at least that’s what she told them. And they knew damn well that her Weaponry scores were high.
Soon enough, all the chatter died down as the Headmaster walked onto the stage, a bear animatronic, some say he’d been here almost as long as the Academy had stood, maybe even before? Headmaster Freddy was a gentle soul, but also strict when needed to be, his skills in Hunting were the best around, there was also a rumour that he had adopted a child? Not many know of his personal life, they just hoped that the child didn’t suffer the same fate they did.
After all the casualties and such, it was finally time to see who would become a hunter. As as Headmaster Freddy started to call names, and assign them their new mentors, well, partners would be a better term as they would be teamed up forever, their name still wasn’t called and it was making them worry just a little bit. They usually always did save the best for last?
They’ve worked hard enough.
Crimson’s name was called, her head instantly snapping up to the stage then to them, the biggest smile they’ve ever seen beaming on her face, of course she worked hard enough too.
The Headmaster then told who her partners would be and the whole auditorium went silent, but not like last time, no this was waiting for the needle to drop. Sun and Moon were already partners and they made it clear every year that they didn’t need another, much less someone far less experienced. But Crimson still smiled, not as big, not a fraction. They all waited for the outburst, but surprisingly, Sun and Moon from their place sitting on the stage didn’t say anything, but Sun was very obviously glaring daggers into the Headmaster’s back.
Then the Headmaster Announced that those picked would be the graduating as Hunters, and their heart stopped, eyes going wide as they looked up in the stage, they could hear Crimson speaking in disbelief to them while everyone else moved to stand.
How could that be possible?
That was until the Headmaster told everyone to sit back down.
He spoke about how in all his time at the Academy he had never once seen anyone have the scores so high throughout the years and keep it that way. He spoke about his admiration for the hard work put into it, and that the hard work must be rewarded, that not only was their going to be one more hunter but that he would picking that hunter as his Apprentice. Someone to learn personally from him, and eventually when the time came, take his place.
Then he spoke their name.
Their classmates thunderous applause took over, cheers and shouts, then everyone coming to them to say their congratulations, and through the crowd they looked up at the Headmaster, his gentle blue eyes filled with praise, knot in their stomach faded and their all knowing smirk turned into a gentle smile.
The title sounded quite nice.
Y/N the Headmaster’s Apprentice.
