I looked down at my defeated opponents. I had fought and beat a small gang of White Fang members in a forest. The criminal Faunus wearing white masks lay brutally injured, and all but one was knocked out. I held my sword at the neck of the last one, a man with dog ears.

“Damned human…!” He groaned.

“Oh trust me…” I glared at him with red eyes, “I'm not human. Now you're gonna answer me.” I held up my scroll, showing a picture of Yang, “This girl was savagely hurt by one of you White Fang scum. Tell me who did it and I'll let you and your friends live.”

“You… think I'd rat out one of my own just cause he hurt some human bimbo…?!” He glared at me. Him insulting Yang did nothing to improve my sour mood. I drove my sword into his shoulder, pinning him to a wall as blood sprayed out. He screamed in pain.

“I've been at this for three weeks now…” I began slowly, “You idiots haven't been giving me answers. It's really starting to piss me off!” I twisted the sword. He screamed in pain.

“Y… you'll have to kill me…” He managed through gritted teeth. I frowned, pulling out my sword and raising it over my head. I wanted to kill him, bring my sword down and cut him in two. But I couldn't. I groaned in frustration and kicked him in the face, knocking him out.

“You did the right thing sparing him Yin.” Said Blade, who was standing beside me.

“Scum like this doesn't deserve to live…” I said, gripping my sword, “It should be easy for me to kill him… but I can't…”

“Your time at Beacon has helped you gain humanity.” Blade said.

“To an assassin, having humanity is a hindrance.” I replied.

“Maybe you should reconsider your choice to return to assassination.” Blade suggested, “It's not too late to join another school and continue your Huntsman training.”

“I don't want another school…” I looked down, “I want Beacon back… I want to be in my dorm surrounded by friends again… I want Yang to be my friend again… but right now, more than anything I want the name of the bastard that led that attack.”

“Adam Taurus.” a new voice suddenly said.

“Huh?!” Blade and I turned to see the hooded guy from the boat.

“That's the name you want.” He continued, “Adam Taurus, the man who led the White Fang against Beacon, and coincidentally, the man that dismembered your blond friend.”

“How do you know?!” I questioned, “Who are you?!”

“I know… many things.” The hooded man answered, seeming to choose his words carefully, “As for who I am, you already know that, Yin Baransu.” he suddenly lunged, drawing two swords. I quickly blocked his attack, getting pressed back. I aimed a slash at him, but he blocked with one sword and slashed my chest with the other. Suddenly, as red eyes glared at me from under his hood, the guy sent black flames, knocking me back.

“Black fire…” I breathed, “You're… Like me.”

“You don't know the half of it…” The guy began, then added, “Brother.”

“Brother…?!” I gasped. The guy removed his black hooded cloak so I could see him. He wore a black shirt and ripped jeans, held a black katana in each hand, and he looked almost exactly like me, but with black hair and red eyes. “... Kuro…?” I breathed.

“Kuro…?” Blade asked, “I have not heard that name before.”

“He's… My little brother.” I said.

“Brother?” Blade inquired, “Vincent's records state you only had a sister.”

“There's a reason for that…” I began, “Kuro is different from me and my mother… she and I had to be exposed to ShadowDust to become BlackBloods, but Kuro was born with those dark powers. Our parents knew that if anyone saw what he could do, they'd fear and hate him, so we kept him hidden away in our home and kept him secret from everyone else. I thought he died when Marina attacked…”

“You're wrong, brother,” Kuro began, “No thanks to you, I survived… But I will never forgive you.”

“What?” I asked.

“I saw you that day,” Kuro began, “I was trapped beneath some rubble, but I could still see it clearly. As our father and sister were being killed, you just stood there! You didn't try to fight her until she attacked you! You just watched as our family was butchered!” my eyes widened as Kuro yelled at me, “And for that… I'll kill you!” Suddenly, he lunged at me, swinging his blades. I quickly turned my sheathe into a second sword and blocked his blades. I glared at him and pushed him back. I then aimed several slashes, but he parried each one with ease and slashed my chest, spewing blood from a fresh wound as I gasped in pain. I aimed another swipe, but he grabbed my swords with his bare hands and tossed them away. I groaned and threw a punch. He dodged then kicked my knee, bending it the wrong way and breaking bones. I screamed in pain as black fire radiated off me. I sent a ball of fire at Kuro. “Is that all?!” Kuro asked as he grabbed the flame and put it out in his hand, “You think you've been raised in the darkness... but take it from someone who was born in darkness, you've had it easy! Let me show you why my darkness is so much stronger than yours!” He snapped his fingers and suddenly, several black swords appeared in the air above me. With my leg broken I was on the ground as the blades came down. I tried covering my vital areas to keep it non fatal, but even so the blades pierced my body like a knife through butter, pinning me to the ground. The blades vanished as I lay there, my body ripped and unable to move as Kuro walked up to me. He looked different. He had horns on his head, wings coming out his back, and yellow reptilian eyes, just like my monstrous form. He grabbed me by the throat and held me up, “How does it feel brother? Being so helpless and weak. Even now there are so many ways I could kill you. I could snap your neck, stab your heart, strangle you to death, or just let you bleed out and die… but I won't kill you today.” he suddenly dropped me.

“W… why… Are you sparing me…?” I managed to ask through pained breaths.

“For the same reason I told you about Adam Taurus.” Kuro began, “You're looking for revenge on someone who ruined your life. No matter how much I hate you, revenge is something I respect. So I'll give you time, perhaps a few months or so, to get your revenge and say your goodbyes. Besides, a filthy beast like that faunus Adam needs to be put down. Next time we fight, I won't spare you so you'd better improve.” he then walked away as my vision went black.

As I slowly regained my consciousness, I saw a man standing over me, a hand on my chest.

“Easy, young man. You're wounded.” He said.

“Don't touch me!” I snapped, pushing him away and getting up quickly. My sudden movement sent waves of pain throughout my body, making me fall on my hands and knees, coughing up blood.

“Be careful,” The man said, “I mean you no harm, but if you move too much, you will die.” I breathed heavy, looking down at the pool of my own black blood. I grit my teeth, slowly beginning to force myself up to my feet. I leaned against a wall, breathing hard. “Almost all of your vital organs have been punctured,” the man explained, “If you weren't a Blackblood, you'd be dead.”

I looked around. I was in some kind of cabin, made of wood. The man was old, with no hair, a black beard, and red eyes. He wore black robes and had a walking stick in his hand. “Who are you…?” I asked.

“That is an interesting question.” he began, “I'm just a man, who's lived longer than he has a right to. My name is Shade, and as you've probably guessed, I am the one who rescued you, Yin Baransu.”

“And how do you know my name old one?” I asked.

“Your mother is very precious to me…” Shade began, “It's been so long since I last saw little Maria.”

“You were her caretaker?” I inquired.

“Close.” Shade began, “I am her father.”

“Her father..!” My eyes widened, “Then that would make you…”

“Your grandfather, yes.” Shade nodded, “We've never met in person, but I've overseen the lives of you, your mother, and your brother.”

“Then…” I looked down, “Can you tell me why Kuro attacked me?”

“Your brother's heart is not as strong as yours.” Shade began, “His mind has been fractured by the loss of your father and sister.” he turned away a bit, “After that day, he was found and trained by others of dark blood. As he trained, what started out as mourning and despair grew into a deep hatred. He's convinced himself that you are to blame for the tragedy for not saving them, even though you were just a child paralyzed with fear.”

“If you saw all that, why didn't you go to him, help him?” I asked, tightening my fist.

“I'm sorry…” He began, “I am cursed, I can never leave this forest.”

“Cursed?” I asked, “Like, magic cursed?”

“Yes.” he nodded, “Until now, all I could do was watch. But now that you're here, I'm hoping I can teach you about your abilities, and our people.”

“Our people?” I echoed.

“Yes…” He began, “It is a long story. In the beginning, before Huntsmen and Huntresses, mankind was powerless against the monsters known as Grimm. There were only two clans of warriors capable of defeating the beasts. The first, were humans born with silver eyes.”

“Silver eyes…?!” I asked, remembering Ruby's eyes.

“Yes.” Shade nodded, “They held an unprecedented power of light. Then there was our clan, their dark counterparts. Back then, we were not called BlackBloods. We were known as the Proctors, overseers of darkness. A race of people that are neither human nor Faunus, each of us born with the power to control darkness itself. We possessed nigh unkillable bodies, nearly immortal lifespans, and most feared of all, the Black Flame. Together, the silver eyed humans and Proctors of darkness were able to protect mankind from the Grimm. But, our dark powers made humanity fear us. With the Grimm no longer being the most dangerous beings of darkness, mankind turned its blades to our race and began to hunt us. We'd sworn to protect humankind, no matter what the cost, so very few of us were willing to fight back. We were driven to near extinction, and any surviving Proctors went into permanent hiding. We were gone, but our power wasn't. Some humans who had captured Proctors tried taking their power by ingesting their black blood, and over the centuries, our power mutated into something evil. The BlackBloods you know today are not of the original Proctor Clan, but instead, humans with a mutated gene that lets them use our power. Unfortunately, only Proctors are capable of controlling the power, so any humans that possess it become completely insane with bloodlust.”

“How do you know all this?” I asked.

“That question is easy to answer,” Shade began, “I'm the only pure-blooded Proctor left that isn't either dead or in some kind of hibernation. I've lived on Remnant throughout almost all of its history.” I paused a moment, as all this was starting to sound completely crazy.

“You said humans get dark powers by ingesting black blood…” I began, “My mother and I got our powers in a way like that.”

“Your mother is a hybrid,” Shade began, “She is half Proctor, half Blackblood. As she possessed half pure and half mutated Proctor genes, I feared she would one day lose control. So, I sealed away her dark powers, hoping she could live a normal life. But… as you know I was wrong. Your powers laid dormant because you are part Proctor, part Blackblood, and part Human. There was only a 1/3 chance that you would be born with dark powers.”

“I guess Kuro wasn't so lucky…” I looked down.

“You must have many questions.” Shade said, “I can help you learn to control your true power.”

“... It's a nice thought…” I began, “But I don't have time to train or learn. There's someone I need to kill.”

“Adam Taurus.” Shade nodded, “I understand he's recently made the top of your hit list.”

“He hurt my friend…” I looked down, “And he took away my home! For that, I'll take his head.” I felt black fire form in my fist as I spoke.

“In your current state, you're in no condition to take anyone's head.” Shade argued, “It'll at least be a week before you fully recover. And even if you did manage to take Adam's life, all you'd accomplish is turning yourself into the same kind of monster he is.”

“If I become a monster to keep him from hurting my friends… so be it.” I looked down.

“And what would those friends think of you if you killed a man for revenge?” he persisted.

“Everyone else hates me…” I said slowly, “If it'll protect the people I care about, then they can hate me too. I can take it.”

“It's noble that you would take on such a heavy burden for your loved ones.” Shade had a slight smirk, “Your mother was the same. But hatred is too heavy a burden for even the strongest of warriors to take on alone. It would destroy you.”

“You just don't get it.” I sighed, “I don't care what happens to me. I'll endure the pain, hatred, loneliness, anything to ensure that bastard Adam never hurts my friends again!”

“You're the one who doesn't understand.” Shade shook his head, “If you can't control your power, it will start to take over you, twist your mind like it did with your brother. You will become a monster, and what's worse is your dark powers would make you kill your loved ones.” I paused, looking at my hand. “It's already begun.” Shade added, “If you want to protect your loved ones above all else, you'll need to control your powers, or those friends will need protection from you.” I continued to stare at my hand, and sighed.

“Fine…” I began, “Teach me to control this, then I leave. This doesn't change anything though. I'll still kill Adam for his crimes.”

“That will be your decision to make.” Shade nodded, “Fortunately, wounds on a Proctor's body don't do much to weaken their powers, so we can begin soon.”

“Good.” I nodded. A few hours later, Shade led me out of the house and into the woods.

“Now,” He began, “Summon up your powers.”

“You sure you want fire in a forest this dense?” I asked.

“Humor me.” he persisted. I shrugged, then let out a light grunt as I summoned up my aura, a black flame radiating off my body.

“I understand you think this power is your aura.” Shade began, “It's not. Aura is a manifestation of a human or Faunus’ soul, which enhances their abilities and protects them from harm. BlackBloods and Proctors are unable to call it out, as our bodies naturally sacrifice defence for overwhelming offense. What you're currently using is, obviously, the darkness that we Proctors can control. But you still have no idea how to use it.”

“What?” I asked with a bit of a glare.

“Like many things,” Shade explainedl, “A Proctor's powers are influenced by his emotions. You allow many different emotions to clash within you, making your power inconsistent and sloppy. Each emotion, when focused on, causes the dark powers to take on different forms.” suddenly, a shadowy arm raised from the ground and picked a stick off the floor, “When you're completely calm, the darkness takes on a solid shadow form, capable of grabbing things, forming a shield, or in certain combat situations, acting as an extra pair of fists.” suddenly the shadow arm turned to ice, freezing the stick, “With sadness and despair, it becomes black ice, capable of freezing, among other painful things.” the ice suddenly turned to black fire, slowly beginning to burn the stick, “And you're already familiar with this form, the black fire. This is brought about by anger and rage, the angrier you are, the hotter it burns. And, if you have the intent to kill…” Suddenly, the stick turned to ash in an instant, “The fire will burn through just about anything.”

“... Or anyone.” I added.

“In time, you won't have to truly feel these emotions to draw out their latent powers.” Shade continued, “But it will take months, years even, before you truly master it.”

“So then,” I began, “Care to tell me, what emotion has been turning me into a monster over the past few weeks?”

“It's a power only us Proctors can use, BlackBloods cannot.” Shade explained, “You see, the darkness we control isn't just some shadow or fire or ice, it's a living creature in our souls, what we call, the Black Beasts. Once you tame it, you can call on its power in one of two ways.” suddenly, a giant four armed warrior with a Beowulf head appeared behind Shade, made entirely of black fire and ice, “You can either use your powers to form an avatar of the beast, or, as you've experienced before, you can begin transforming into the beast, taking on some of its parts like claws or wings. However this power is nearly impossible to learn let alone master.”

“Then…” I began, “It sounds like I've got a lot to learn.”

Shade smirked a bit, “Yes, you do.”

“Alright.” I nodded, then cracked my neck, “Then let's start the lessons.”