Chapter 8-Her roommate

Chapter 8: 8-Her roommate

Maisa had barely managed to button her academy uniform back over the glowing flower when three gentle knocks echoed against the wooden door.

Her entire body tensed. Instinctively, she looked around the room for something she could use as a weapon before remembering there was nothing.

There was no blessed dagger, no silver stake and no crossbow. That is when she remembered that she was no longer a hunter. Her aunt had made sure she carried nothing that could expose her past.

Knock! Knock!

The knock came again. It was more patient this time. "Coming," she forced herself to call out.

She hurried to the door and pulled it open. Standing outside was a young vampire girl with long blue hair tied into a loose braid that rested over one shoulder.

She was carrying two large bags and balancing a stack of books against her hip. Unlike the intimidating students Maisa had met earlier, the girl looked exhausted rather than frightening.

"Finally," she exclaimed with a blink. "You’re already here."

Maisa nodded uncertainly. The girl smiled warmly. "I was wondering when my roommate would arrive," she said. She shifted her luggage with a sigh. "I’m Sapphire."

She extended a hand for a handshake, "Sapphire Simmers."

Maisa hesitated for the briefest second before shaking it. "Maisa."

"Nice to meet you."

Sapphire walked inside without another word, clearly comfortable in the room. She dropped her bags beside the empty bed opposite Maisa’s before stretching dramatically.

"What a night..." She yawned between complaints. "I swear Professor Primrose keeps giving us extra work just to watch us suffer."

Maisa quietly shut the door. The mention of classes reminded her she wasn’t simply hiding anymore. She was now expected to live like every other vampire student.

Sapphire opened her wardrobe and began changing into loose sleeping clothes without the slightest embarrassment.

"We should get ready for bed soon."

She glanced toward the window. "Dawn’s almost here."

Maisa instinctively looked outside. The horizon was beginning to pale. Her stomach tightened as she recalled how much it hurt to be burnt in the sun.

Only yesterday she would have been waking up around this time to begin training with her father. Now, this was bedtime. Everything felt backwards with her new life.

Sapphire walked around the room, closing each curtain carefully until the last sliver of sunlight disappeared behind thick enchanted fabric. The room became comfortably dark.

"There," she smiled. "Much better."

Maisa couldn’t stop herself from asking. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How..." she paused, searching for the right words. "How does one survive here?"

Sapphire laughed. "That’s a very redblood question," she commented like it was a question every redblood who came to the school asked.

Maisa’s face warmed slightly. "I suppose it is. Any new vampire would worry about survival."

Sapphire sat cross-legged on her bed. "The first thing you need to understand is hierarchy around this place and vampires as a whole."

Maisa immediately paid attention. She too settled in her bed and gave Sapphire her undivided attention.

"Everything here revolves around blood," She counted on her fingers. "Whitebloods sit at the top. The royal families, they rule every vampire territory, and they don’t answer to anyone."

Maisa nodded. She had already gathered as much in her days a hunter.

"Below them are the Blackbloods. They are the noble houses. They’re usually military leaders, governors, or heads of powerful houses."

Sapphire paused to give Maisa room to process. It was always difficult for newly turned redbloods to grasp the concept.

But Maisa was a hunter, the information wasn’t new to her. She had those basics down, it was part of her lessons against vampires. Know thy enemy, her father said.

"Bluebloods come next. They’re scholars, researchers, politicians and strategists," she laid out roughly. "They’re respected...but they’re still expected to obey Blackbloods and Whitebloods. Compared to the two bloods, they are middle class vampires."

She smiled faintly. "Then mixedbloods come next. They’re common citizens born between a vampire and a human. Some become knights, merchants. They’re accepted...mostly in the vampire society," she said. "Vampires can’t stand their human origin even if just half of who they are."

Her smile faded. "And then..." she stooped herself and looked at Maisa apologetically. "Us."

"Redbloods," Maisa let out, it sounded more like practise on her tongue than spelling out what Sapphire meant.

"The bottom of the barrel," Sapphire uttered.

Maisa lowered her eyes. She already knew turned vampires were barely anything in trueborn vampire eyes. Hearing someone else say it somehow made it feel more real.

"No one expects much from us," Sapphire shrugged. "We mostly stay out of everyone’s way."

Maisa frowned. "That’s... depressing."

Sapphire laughed. "You’ll get used to it."

Maisa wasn’t convinced she wanted to. That kind of life of being someone’s rug wasn’t for her. She was born for greatness since day one and even though she needed to keep her head down, it didn’t mean she’ll let anyone walk all over her.

Sapphire continued. "The hierarchy isn’t just social. It affects feeding too."

Maisa looked up. That part she didnt know. Hunters rarely cared about how there prey ate. They just found a target and hit to kill. "What do you mean?"

"Every bloodline donates blood except for whitebloods."

Maisa blinked. "Donates blood?"

"It’s mandatory. The one school rule that no one is allowed to break," she informed, nodding casually, as though discussing homework. "It’s done down at the blood archives, they keeps records."

"Why?"

"Its because whitebloods feed on blackblood’s blood. So Blackbloods regularly donate blood to keep them well fed."

Maisa followed carefully. She noted it down to remember later. Her mind storage space was recording everything she needed to know about her new life.

"Blackbloods feed on blueblood’s blood so Bluebloods donate for their feeding. Bluebloods feed on mixedbloods and that’s why they donate and..." She smiled awkwardly. "Mixedbloods feed on redbloods."

Maisa felt something sink inside her chest. "What?" She was stunned by the feeding system. She always just assumed all vampires drink human blood. "My blood... goes to mixedbloods."

Sapphire nodded. "Exactly."

"And what do redbloods eat?" She asked, curiously.

"Human blood," The answer came so naturally that Maisa flinched. "Some Mixedbloods still drink human blood too but they rarely do so in fear of looked down on by higher rabking vamps."

Maisa looked away. She had hunted vampires for years because they preyed on humans. Now, she was expected to do exactly the same.

"I..." Her throat tightened. "I don’t know if I can."

Sapphire’s expression softened. "Almost every new redblood says that."

"Really?"

"They usually cry after their first hunt. But you’ll get used it... that and the school offers endless supply of human blood and there’s the option of human feeders."

Maisa remembered drinking from her aunt. The guilt returned instantly. "I don’t want to hurt anyone."

"You won’t have much choice forever," she said stern. The words weren’t cruel just honest. "The hunger eventually wins."

Maisa hugged herself. Being a vampire was so much harder than she had imagined. Not because of powers or the cruelty of sunlight but because every part of this life demanded she abandon the morals she had been raised with.

"And feeders are volunteers who love to have vampires feed on them... you can choose thar method. It’s highly monitored so you won’t get to hurt the human."

That offered her some relief but it wasnt much. She was still expected to dig her teeth into a person and drink their blood.

After a long silence, she quietly asked, "the blood Archives..."

"What about it?"

"You mentioned I have to go there?"

Sapphire nodded. "Its mandatory. Every redblood student has to register. They’ll record your blood, your feeding schedule, your donation schedule. And if you don’t report..." She grimaced. "You’ll be punished."