THE GUARDIAN.

Lucas walked hastily back into the living room and picked up his ringing phone he'd left on the wooden coffee table. It was past eleven pm and seeing the caller ID, he smiled to himself and accepted the call.

"Good morning Grace." He greeted the caller,

"Okay, I'll be on my way now." He said with a satisfied smile and he hung up the call.

He'd been waiting for this call all evening, so he rushed to the room, grabbed his jacket and his keys, he shoved his cellphone into the pocket of his black jean pants, took his already packed backpack and left the room. Outside, he walked to the receptionist's desk, the dark haired Hispanic raced lady was asleep with her mouth slightly opened. She should be, that's what humans do by this time of the night, they sleep.

"Hey." He tapped her twice and she woke up from her slumber, murmuring some incomprehensible words,

"You want a room?" She asked him as she chased away the sleepiness, he shook his head and brought out his key,

"I'm checking out." He said to her and her brain registered fully to her environment.

"Oh sorry," She apologized, "I'm so sorry..."

"No worries ma'am." He said to the older lady and handed her the keys, which she took with an appreciative smile and he left the reception. He went outside and got into his 1993 Camaro, which he'd bought for five grands, immediately after he fled school.

He threw his backpack to the back seat, started the engine and drove out of the motel.

Six months ago, Lucas, his younger sister, Anastasia, his parents, his older cousin, Declan and his best friend/gaurdian, Marco were returning to Flint Hills after spending their time shopping in the city of Montana.

They were having a friendly argument whether or not thirteen year old Anastasia made the right choice in the gown she'd chosen while they were at the mall when all of a sudden, his father lost control of the car. The brakes failed and the last thing he heard was his sister's loud cry before everything went blank. He woke up in the hospital and according to the nurse, that was three days after the tragic accident. He'd been the only survivor in the accident.

A week after the funeral of both his parents, his cousin, his gaurdian and his sister, he resolved he would leave the school forte after series of events thst comelled him to.

It wasn't really easy as he'd thought, as several people guarding him since he'd no dhampir gaurdian no more and the Guardian Council were yet to give him another.

However, he did escape in the bus that come to take the feeders away and for six months, he'd been trying to blend in and live like a normal teenager, but that seem impossible as he can't erase the memories of that night from his head.

Now, he's on two mission, to go get his blood bag from Grace Kavanaugh, a mystical creatures fanatic, who's a nurse in the nearby local hospital and had been taking the night shifts just for him for the past two weeks he'd been in Victoria. Two, he's leaving Victoria to Seattle tonight and that's sure going to take him about three to four hours at most.

He would be in Seattle before the sunrise and would lodge in a motel, stay there for a week or two and continue the circle to another destination till he's sure he has gotten the vampires off his back.

Those were his thoughts when he pulled into the parking lot of the hospital.

He parked his car properly like every good citizen of America would do and after he did, he got out from his dead beat trap car and walked towards the entrance.

"Adrian." The female nurse in her late twenties called Lucas as he came in and he flashed her a warm smile.

"Hey Grace." He acknowledged as he walked towards her. He stopped in front of her desk and she brought out a brown paper bag containing his feed and handed it to him,

"Here you go."

"Thanks Grace." He thanked her as he brought out his wallet to pay her for the service but she refused, as always.

"Not again." She mouthed, pushing back the dollar bills to him,

" I've told you as long as I'm here, you don't have to worry about feeding." She said with an assuring smile,

"Thanks Grace." He said to her,

"I gotta go now." He added as he turned away from her desk,

"Adrian." She called him, he stopped and turned to her,

"Take care of yourself." She mouthed, he nodded with a warm smile on his face and he left, just as he'd came.

To Lucas, Grace must be the most chivalrous and selfless vampire fanatics he'd ever come across in the past six months he'd been out in the human world.

The night he'd met her, he'd just came Victoria and was in desperate need to feed.

He came to the hospital that night and had met her. She'd been so engrossed in the book she was reading, she didn't notice him standing outside the glass beside her. He knocked on the glass, startling her, she raised her head up and looking at him, she flashed him a warm smile.

There was no way he could come in without her permission to, so he motioned her to come to the door which she did and opened the door for him to come in.

"Come in." She'd said and getting the invitation he needed, he walked inside with her.

He would have used compulsion on her that night, but in the next few minutes that followed, he got to find out that she's a lover for mystical creatures especially vampires, werewolves, hybrids and sirens.

She left him and came back awhile later with a brown paper bag and she handed it to him, he was surprised when he opened it and saw a transparent bag with blood inside it, what he'd actually came for.

When he asked her, she'd told him she knew from when he wouldn't enter without her invitation that he was a vampire and not seeing his reflection in the adjacent mirror by thr door was a confirmation of suspicion for her.

The next two nights he'd gone there, he got to know her better.

Her father had been a Dhampir and her mother a human and they'd had her, the non vampiric child.

He'd lied to her that his name was Adrian and he was just an ordinary moroi.

He didn't think he wanted to be talking to her about his royal ancestry which will lead to him talking about the accident and down to his responsibilities he'd fled from.

He would have loved to stay in Victoria because of her but he knew he'd to leave to be safe. He couldn't risk going back to the school and have everyone pity him like they've got nothing better to do.

Lucas had driven over two miles away from the hospital, when he noticed the gas left in his car won't get him to Seattle.

He decided to look for a gas station and refill his car before continuing his journey.

There was none close by, he checked with his phone and the next gas station is about a mile away, a distance his car can't make.

"Of all nights, why does it have to be tonight?" He hissed in frustration as he stopped the car by the side of the lonely road.

The gas indicator was pointed at the red line, indicatinh it was in urgent need to be refilled.

"Fuck! Why hadn't I noticed this before?" He asked himself as he took out the key from the ignition hole.

"Now I'll have to do something about this. I need to be in Seattle before sunrise..." He sighed and slapped the steering,

"This is fucked up. Why can't i just have a normal life like others?" He questioned himself,

"Why can't I just be like Grace? No stupid vampire blood coursing through her vein, so stupid ancestral responsibility and shit.

And of course, no one to be running away from.

Fuck! I hate my life." He groaned in frustration as he slapped the steering again.

He was still fuming in anger when he heard the knock on the glass, he raised his head up and his eyes fell on the blurry future of the man outside his car.

He didn't want to roll down the window as he was unsure who the man was but the next few seconds got him rolling down the window glass, out of curiosity.

"Good morning sir." He greeted the man and he, in turn flashed him a smile, showing his set of perfect white teeth, with no fangs.

Lucas frowned at the sight of the strange man's fangless teeth.

He isn't a vampire obviously but why is he here and what does he want?

He studied the man carefully, he'd on a complete black outfit and had topped it with a black overcoat and a black bowler, making him look creepy.

Creepy you say? He asked himself.

What do you think humans calls an undead creature who feeds more on blood and parade only at night?

Creepy doesn't cover it all.

"Where are you going by this time of the morning?" The man asked him, snapping him out of his reverie,

"Seattle. My gas..."

"Come with me." He said in a monosyllabic tone that surprised Lucas.

He doesn't know this man and here he's telling him to come with him, who's he?

"I don't think you'll be thinking about my offer if you know how much danger is heading your way if you travel alone." The man asserted, Lucas sighed and came out of the car, he opened the back door and took out his backpack.

While he did, the man went to his car and brought out a gallon of fuel.

"Move away from there." He ordered him.

He obeyed without hesitation, moving away from the car.

Right in front of him, the man poured the liquid on his car and set it ablaze, then he turned to a stupefied Lucas,

"They can't trace you now. Come on, let's go." He said and headed to his car.

Lucas watched his burning car for awhile before he followed the man. He'd lots of questions he needed answers to, like who he was and why he was helping him, but now, he'd to leave, so he followed the man and got into the car.

Immediately the car locked automatically and the man flashed him a smile,

"Welcome back Prince Lucas Ozera."

Shoot! Lucas almost yelled.

He'd been trapped.

Lucas was furious when the realization of what had happened dawned on him.

He'd been trapped.

No one knows him as Prince Lucas Ozera in the human world, as all he'd done in the last six months was picking up random first names and funny enough, he'd no ID for none of the names he'd picked.

So he hadn't just been hiding from his kinds, but also from the law too.

He frowned and turned to the silhouette figure that had called him name, then he turned to the driver.

"Open the car now, I want to go out." He ordered the man, but they'd finally gotten what they wanted after a few days of tracking, the man paid no attention to him.

Lucas reached for the door and tried to open it, but it'd been automatically locked and the only way he could open it was if he took the driver's side.

"Open this fucking door!" He ordered rudely but the man didn't bulge nor said anything, rather it was the other man that spoke up,

"Prince Lucas, I'll advice you stay put to make this easier for all of us." The man warned,

"Meanwhile. I'm Comrade Xavier Monford and I'd...."

"I don't give a fuck who you're, open this fucking car and let me out or else...."

"Or else what?" Xavier questioned,

"Whether you like it or not Prince Ozera, we're on a strict rule to bring you back to the academy and it's the rules from the Queen...."

"Like I give a fuck." Lucas inveighed, but Xavier ignored his rude comment and continued with what he was saying,

"The school authorities, together with the Queen has given specific instructions to bring you back to the academy and nothing is changing that." Then he turned to the driver,

"Start the car." And the man ignited the engine immediately.

"If you move this car, I promise to feed you to the Strigois once I become king...."

"When that day comes." Xavier scoffed while Lucas was burning with fury.

"Get me out if this car!

Get me out of this car!" He yelled, but one paid attention to him, as the driver had already started the car and was hitting the road. He rushed to the driver and struggled to take the steering,

"Prince Ozera!" Xavier yelled as he rushed to drag Lucas from the man, so did the other man that had appeared from beside him.

"Stop this fucking car!" Lucas yelled as all four of them fought for dominance,

"Let go!" Xavier yelled at him and he tried to pull him away from the driver. Finally, he did, but the poor driver who'd in the cause of the fight, stepped on the brake pedal and the car stopped with an abrupt force.

"Do you want to kill me?" Lucas queried the man, as his head had almost hit the dashboard, the man turned to him with an angered look,

"I would've been more happy if I'd killed you, spoilt brat." He retorted in anger and with his hand still on the steering, he turned to Xavier and his lookalike beside him,

"I'm sorry Comrades, I hope you weren't hurt?" He asked them, both sighed and shook their head,

"Don't worry Mr Gratland..." Lucas was surprised at the unfamiliar voice, never did it occur to him there were four in the car. He turned immediately and he was met with the disdainful look from Comrade Xerxes Monford, the older brother of Xavier and a Blood Master 7 Holder.

"Who're you?" He asked the man, casting his surprise aside,

"None of your business Lucas Ozera, however, I'll advise you not to pull any silly stunt again, cause you'll only be hurting yourself more as my patience is in its very limit now." Xerxes warned and turned to the driver,

"To the academy now, I think I and Ozera here have a great understanding." The driver nodded to Xerxe's order and started the car to continue the drive, but Lucas, being the arrogant brat he's, decided to toy with Xerxes patience and he stepped on the brake pedal.

"Ozera!" Xerxes scolded angrily, he grabbed Lucas's hair from behind and pulled him towards him,

" I did warn you." He said him and while still holding a handful of his hair, he turned to his brother,

"Pass me the sedative." Immediately, Xavier produced the syringe containing the whitish liquid.

Seeing it, Lucas shuddered with fear, but masked it with unwarranted bravery.

"You won't dare..."

"I already did." Xerxes spat and still holding him still, he motioned his brother to go ahead and the latter brought the syringe closer to Lucas.

"Comrade Scissors, do you know who I'm?

You'll sure pay for this.." He warned as he struggled to free himself from Xerxe's hold, but apparently, he was no match for a Blood Master 7 holder and all he did was futile. Immediately Xavier injected the substance into him, he felt himself get weak and everything went black for him in a matter of a few seconds.

When Lucas opened his eyes again, it was sunrise and in front of him was the iron wrought gate of the Elites Academy and he knew that moment, it was already too late for him.

The gate opened and their car drove in, giving him the sight of the centuries old building he'd fled from six months ago. This place hold so many memories for him, both good and bad and for the past six months, all he'd tried to do was forget them, even that was no success and now he's back, back to square one.

The car drove past the massive green field and stopped right in front of the water fountain that held the statue of Vladimir Dracula, the patriarch of the school.

"Here we're Prince Ozera." Xavier said from the back of the car, he opened the door and stepped out, holding and umbrella out for Lucas.

"Take, you'll need this against the morning sun." Xavier said to him and Lucas snatched it away from as the sun irritates his skin.

"Manner kids." Xerxes warned his arrogance, but he only sighed and put up the black umbrella to shield himself from the morning sun.

Xerxes came out of the car looked around the building,

"Ah!" He breathed in the fresh air of Flint Hills,

"Feels good to be back." He said and Lucas snorted,

"Back to hell."

Xerxes wanted to say something but he was interrupted by his brother,

"Principal Szelsku is waiting." He reminded him and he turned away from Lucas,

"Okay. Let's go, Royal pain-in-the-butt Moroi."

"....."

Xerxes snorted and walked towards the small gate while Xavier waited for Lucas to go first so he can follow in tow.

When they got to Principal's office, he was waiting for them already.

"Good morning principal Szelsku." Xerxes greeted the man and so did Xavier but Lucas just stared at the man, obviously waiting to be reminded to greet the man,

"Lucas Ozera!" Xerxes called angrily and Lucas scoffed with an eye roll,

"Good morning principal Szelsku." He greeted the man,

"Lucas Ozera...."

"Don't worry principal Szelsku, you don't need to ask me why I'd ran away from the school forte, cause I won't give you my answer.

So I'd suggest you mete out your punishment, cause I'm more willing to take it than tell you why I'd left." His tone showed great disrespect that annoyed Xerxes so much he wanted nothing than to smack the boy across the face, but apparently, he can't do that, that would mean taking law into his own hands and angering the Queen.

"Well, its not in my place to mete out your punishment, it's in the Queen's place....."

"Like I care about your Queen Bee.

Sorry, but I don't." He scoffed,

"Manners Ozera!" Xerxes scolded ad the boy's disrespect had gotten to his nerves already.

"Manners you say?

Well for your information comrade Scissors or whatever you call yourself, there's non here for me, so I'd suggest you take me back to where..."

"Comrade Monford, don't mind the lad's words " the principal calmed Xerxes, then turned to Lucas,

"A new guardian would be assigned to you today, as it's very important you've one after the loss of your guardian and then, the Queen would address you after the church service tomorrow." Lucas was appalled by the man's words.

If there's one thing he didn't need in his life right now, it'll be a guardian.

He'd been very close to Marco, his former guardian and together with Declan, they shared more of a family relrelationship than an ordinary Moroi-Dhampir relationship.

Getting a new guardian is like replacing Marco and truth being told, he's not ready to replace him yet.

"I don't need any guardian." He protested,

"I can protect myself, I stayed in the human world for six months without no guardian, why would I need one now?" He queried,

"You won't still be breathing if you'd met with a Strigoi." Xerxes muttered and Xavier chuckled.

"That's more reasons we should be thanking God.

The Queen was scared you'll meet a Strigoi and get killed or worst turned." The man fessed and Lucas sighed,

"I don't need...."

"You don't have to decide Ozera, it's the rule and you, as the last of the Ozera bloodline, it's both yours and our responsibility to see that you're safe enough to procreate the Ozera line.

I'm doing my part and the Queen is doing hers, I'll suggest you join us and do yours, you won't want your family name to go extinct, it would be very painful and very disgraceful." The man explained to him then turned to Xerxes,

"Send word to the Guardian Council to make preparation for the prince's new guardian and you Xavier," He turned to Xavier,

"Take prince Ozera to his room, he needs his rest."

With that, he dismissed them all.

While Xavier was taking Lucas to his room, they met a few students, which Nikolai Izora was among them. Nikolai and Lucas had a bad blood between them and they don't tolerate each other, not for anything. Seeing Lucas, Nikolai was surprised though as he didn't expect they find Lucas.

However, to mask his surprise and as well annoy Lucas, he snorted and gave a mocking laugh,

"The royal runaway asshole is back, let's welcome him with a round of applause." He announced and everyone in the pavement turned to Lucas.

"What did you just call me?" Lucas asked him, turning away from Xavier to him and Nikolai repeated his words,

"I said, the royal runaway ass---" Lucas's swift punch only made him swallow his words but it pushed him to the wall.

"Say that again and you'll regret ever meeting me today." He warned with fury and walked away from Nikolai's figure that was leaning against the wall on the floor.

Everyone was speechless as no one wanted to say anything, even the two boys with Nikolai moved away from him, fearing to incure Lucas's wrath and have him lash out on them. They watch him go back to Xavier and they continued their walk to his room while Nikolai on the floor was aggravated and humiliated as he couldn't even retaliate.

This is not the end Ozera, we'll meet again and you'll be in my position that day.

He swore with gritted teeth as he watched Lucas leave with the comrade.

At the other side of the massive school ground was Danila Kirova and her best friend, Aldrin Lazar. Both were seated on the bare grass after running away from fighting practice to read the telegram her mom had sent her earlier that week.

"Dear Dani, how're you?

I talked to Principal Szelsku and he said you haven't been assigned any moroi yet...."

Danila sighed and closed the letter,

"I don't wanna read it." She said as she put it back in the creamed color envelope with a transparent side to foresee address.

"Why?" Aldrin asked her, she exhaled and tossed the envelope on the ground,

"She's probably going to say I'm not working harder enough and that's why I haven't been assigned another moroi to protect. Fuck her." She seethed angrily and Aldrin sighed sympathetically.

Danila's mom, Anne-Marie Kirova wasn't just any Dhampir, she was one of the greatest and strongest guardian in the world.

She was a Blood Master 7 holder at twenty and she spent the next five years of her life, protecting her moroi mate, Axel Stanner. They fell in love or probably in lust with each other and when he found out she was pregnant and was inevitably, having a dhampir baby, he left her and for almost eighteen years, no one know whether he's alive or dead.

Danila grew up with her nannies and the house helpers as her mother was always away saving the world from strigois. She was home-schooled by dhampir tutors who her mother had hired to teach her the basics of being a Dhampir and when she was of age, she was sent down to the Elite Academy to complete her studies and get the training to become a guardian.

"Don't you think you should have agreed to be Geneva's guard--"

"No Aldrin, please don't fucking say it." She stopped him and then she turned to him,

"Fuck. That bitch was a pain-in-the-ass moroi and apart from punching her in the nose, I might as well end up killing her in the future. Don't wanna take the risk." She cajoled, making Aldrin smile.

"You don't like anybody..."

"Because not much people like me." She said with straight forward honesty. He stared at her sarcastic expression for awhile before nodding,

"I love you." He blurted and she turned to him,

"Love you more bestie." She punched his arms playfully and he smiled.

"We better get back to class before Mrs Mallory notices our absence and set my ass on fire for luring you outta class." She said, picked her stainless steel water bottle and got up from the floor and Aldrin got up too.

"She'll be busy staring at your ass to want to set it on fire." He said and she rolled her eyes,

"I would have appreciated it more if it was instructor Xerxes or even his brother, Xavier, but have a woman gawk at my ass....ew, so gross." Aldin faked a smile and he picked up his water bottle too.

"Heard they're returning today." He said,

"They're returning with Lucas Ozera..." She scoffed and looked away,

"The Royal pain-in-the-ass Moroi prince that fled school? Good for them." She said with great nonchalance that amused Aldrin.

"Race you to the court, loser forfeit his lunch to winner." She said and before he could even say yes, she raced past him and immediately he followed her too, in bid to outrun her.

* * * *

The Elite Academy is the oldest school in the world, just that it isn't your normal high school.

It's an exclusive vampire school founded in the early thirteenth century by one of the early vampire, Vladimir Dracula.

Centuries before that, Vlad, together with his two brother Mvaminir and Crailsfelden had made the small land of Flint Hills their forte after their parents were killed by strigois.

There were no dhampir guardians then cause civilization hadn't fully accepted mystical creatures, neither were there any alchemist then, so there was no way to create dhampirs.

Few years to their stay in Flint Hills, Crailsfelden came across a human woman and the attraction between both of them opened way for the dhampirs to come into existence.

While, Mvaminir's attraction to Remeta, a scientist who'd gone out of her way to prove the existence of mystical creatures, paved way for the birth of alchemists and more dhamphirs

Crailsfelden and Mvaminir taught their dhampir offsprings how to fight and protect the children of Vladimir who he'd beget with his moroi blood mate, Kissiov.

Their forte, their offsprings turned into an academy after their death and for centuries, it'd served as the world most known academy where moroi and dhampirs students from all over the world come to learn about their vampire's heritage.

There'd been several name change to catch up with civilization but however, their quality hadn't changed one bit.

Their students are taught math, art, science, history and all other subjects that are included in high school curriculum. For extra mural activities, the dhampirs get to learn how to how to protect their morois from badass strigois.

While for the Morois, they get to learn about their special abilities, their elementary powers which is their biggest asset of all.

Mystical school right?

Yeah it's.

It isn't only the ability to possession elemental powers that makes the Morois special, some are more special than the others.

Just like the human world, maintaining order is one important factor and to achieve that, there has to be constitutional authorities, so it's in the vampire's society.

The Moroi Secret Society are made up of the seven ancient moroi bloodlines who are regarded as royalty and take turn to lead the vampire race.

The seven royal moroi bloodline that make up the Moroi Secret Society are this;

Serezha,

Ozera,

Darkwood,

Ivashkov,

Seliganoz,

Rubanov,

Dashkov.

These families are most special of all, thus, Lucas leaving the academy when he was the last of the Ozera bloodline was considered a dangerous and irresponsible act.

* * * *

Morois are the full blooded vampires.

They're the revolution of vampires, from which the other groups of vampires are formed.

They're the mortal and undead vampires that feed mostly on blood.

They don't die by daylight but yet, it irks them.

However, moroi vampires don't have long life span unlike the strigois and dhampirs who are immortal.

A moroi have the life span of at most, 100 to 120 years and they die after passing that age.

Morois possess at least one power from the four elemental powers.

However, they don't get to use it except supervised, as it's tagged unsafe for both the vampire itself and the vampire's community.

It's the magic in their blood that make the Moroi strong, thus, making them prey to strigois, who feed on them to get stronger.

That's why a moroi is entitled to at least one dhampir guardian for protection.

Royal morois are entitled to most times, two dhamphirs for protection.

For the Dhampirs, they're the half blooded vampires.

Like other hybrid creatures, dhampirs are the result of a moroi mating with a human or a moroi mating with another dhampir. They take all of their vampire parent's strength and even more, but not their weakness.

They're impervious to vampiric hypnosis.

Daylight doesn't affect nor hurt them.

They can feed like normal human beings and don't grow fangs until they're at least sixteen. They aren't thin and pale like the morois nor the strigois.

Dhamphirs have longer life span than that of the moroi counterpart.

A dhampir can live for at least two centuries, some can be immortal too.

They've enhanced metabolism and great resistance to disease and toxins.

They've cute sense of sight and hearing, also have regenerating abilities.

They're strong, with great agility, sense and night vision. They're the ultimate bodyguards and protectors because of the strength they possessed.

All this above mentioned features makes them THE GUARDIANS, mostly the guardian of the morois against the strigois.

A dhampir can mate with a moroi but would only get dhampir offsprings and such union don't last. They can also procreate with humans but such offsprings aren't guaranteed to be vampires.

A dhampirs can't bear kids with another dhampir and such relationship is frowned upon in the vampire society, as the dhampirs tends to focus on their spouses than their moroi.

Strigois are the last in the list and most dangerous.

Strigois are the immortal, undead, bloodsucking night vampires. They can't stand daylight but are very strong, stronger than the dhampirs. They've stronger sense, reflexes and are difficult to kill. Strigois prey on the blood of morois as it makes them stronger and more difficult to kill.

A strigoi can be created by choice or by force but whichever way, they can be killed by setting them ablaze, castrating parts of their body or piercing a silver stake right into their heart.

Strigois aren't allowed in the academy and they live in caves and other dark and hidden places.

They only come out at night to prey on morois or look for dhampirs to turn into their likes.

That was the main reason why the school authorities were worried about Lucas while he was roaming alone, with no dhampir gaurdian in the human world. They were worried that he might get attacked by a strigoi and get killed or worst, turned into them and that'll mean the extinct of his family's bloodline.

He's the last person left in his family line and it's his responsibility to see that the Ozera's bloodline doesn't go into extinct, to make sure he procreates enough royal morois to carry on the family's prestigious name.

So, it wasn't only the pity and sympathy from the people that made him leave the school, it was the fact that his responsibilities to his ancestry lineage was something he haven't come in terms with and he doesn't think he'll ever do.