My first mistake was forgetting that Jinki was a demon, after all.

            The Ritual consisted of several complicated steps, which included bloods from the four major clans. The first sacrifice would be the vampire. Then the werewolf boy. The Faery. And finally me. I was the sacrifice from the demon clan. My blood was by far, the purest one compared to any other descendants because his blood had mixed in my body for a hundred year or so.

            Jinki placed Baekhyun's body on the altar table. He wore a white cloth that wrapped around the body with nothing underneath. I had to look away because I felt guilty somehow. Why and when did Baekhyun get dragged into this tangled mess. I called it fate the day we crossed path and joined hands together to build an alliance.

            I suddenly had this bittersweet confession that only I would know. As bad as it sounded, I felt much more calmer, knowing that he would be using Baekhyun's body for the time being. At least it would be like staring at a Baekhyun that was not Baekhyun. I felt better knowing that I would be with a familiar face, albeit the different personality.

            The more I thought about it, the Lord of our clan might not be as bad as he seemed. What kind of man would be able to love one woman for a lifetime, and died for her? He couldn't be bad bad. There must be something in him that was still good; a quality that made him more humane than evil. I had hopes, and I really hope this wasn't a false hope.

            "The preparation is completed. You may step into the line," Jinki held a dagger in his hands and signaled the servants to bring the werewolf and vampire forward. I stepped to the front on my own. Even now I trembled a little. The cave suddenly looked so majestic under the crystal reflection. This seemed like a scene from a fairytale-like dream, where the Prince married the Princess and they lived happily ever after. But who was I kidding? I felt pathetic. I hoped too high, dreamed too far. There was nothing fantasy-like about this night.

            "Tonight," Jinki started his speech. He looked more like a Priest than a warrior. He had a smile so big that it stretched to his ear. There wasn't a way to back down now. I was ready for this night, as were many others. "Tonight finally marks the day of our Leader, the Great Demon Lord's revival. There is no joy greater than this, for we have been waiting far too long."

            There were not many who attended this Ritual as it was sacred to our clan. Only Demons of the highest position, a few Generals of Hells and servants, who couldn't witness the whole thing with us. Besides, the numbers of Demons had decreased greatly over the years, something that saddened both Jinki and me.

            Unlike the other clans, Demons couldn't just change humans into one of us. Our blood wasn't the only thing that would change them, unless you were the Great Demon himself. We needed complicated rituals, and most of the time, if not all, humans died before they had the chance of becoming a Forsaken. If you hadn't noticed, we weren't exactly a popular choice when humans tended to fancy vampires and wolves. Blame those movies with supernatural romance in it.

            This Blood Ritual needed not magic, but ancient power. So we didn't need any warlock presence tonight. The moon was showing, peeking through the clouds. The sky was clouded, and it was dark. Jinki had to wait until the clouds shifted before he started the chant. And his voice, was like a lullaby; sweet, soft, calming. But the more he sang, the darker and creepier it got. I refused to get the translation for the whole chant, and I closed my ear because it was frightening. I could feel the rush, and the power slowly building up, as if it was a shielding barrier.

            Baekhyun was very still. He couldn't hear anything, and wouldn't even wake up. I suspected that Jinki had drugged him somehow. Poor Baekhyun. He got dragged into a very dangerous game that would cost him life. The chanting grew louder, and louder, and I clenched my fist, again, I trembled. I hated to admit that I was... scared.

            The amount of dark power was enough to kill a clan. The air was suffocating, and there ain't a single soul who wasn't the least terrified by the call of darkness. We were forcefully trying to bring back a dormant soul. It wasn't an easy task. In return, we would have to sacrifice the bloods of four major clans, those who were of the purest descendants. And the amount of bloods it took... could kill the four of us. I fiddled with my fingers and looked down.

            “Bring the vampire forward.”

            I was slapped awake when I realized that Jinki had stopped chanting. It was time for the sacrifices. I couldn't hide the fear and stepped forward. I might be cruel. I had even been called heartless countless of times by my enemies and friends alike – if I had any, t'was. But like I said before, I respected the death more than the livings.

            So I stood in front of Miyoung, who was still too weak to move. Her eyes were droopy, the effect of the strong drug. Her lips were partly opened, and she was mumbling some nonsense.

            “What are you...?” Jinki held my hand, but I shrugged it off roughly and knelt down in front of the altar, the very sacred place that would be a grave as well. Jinki knew. He would understand. He was never that bad of a person, just that at time, his strong sense of loyalty could get in the way.

            “Miyoung, I hope you can hear me,” The gentleness in my voice surprised even myself. I was never gentle. I wasn't the soft type. I must have gone crazy from all the pressure. “If there's anything you want to say... Any last word for your friend? Or family? I will tell them for you.”

            At first, she was muttering incoherent words, and I couldn't tell if she was sleep-talking, or delirious. But then she held my hand as if her whole life was depending on it. My heart clenched painfully. She was way too cold for a Shadow creature. I knew she wouldn't survive the night. She was trying to say something, but it was hard when hallucinations clouded her senses of reality. She finally talked, but her sentences were a mess.

            “Hana... Hana...”

            It was the name of the Vampire Queen. I only knew as much.

            “Love... her. Thank you...”

            She stopped pulsating, and she closed her eyes as if she found peace. . Just how much drugs did they use on her that she died from it? I turned back and glared at Jinki the hardest I could, and I found that he, too, seemed a bit perplexed. He must have not expected this to happen. But the blame was on both of us. I took part in this, as well.

            “She's dying. You'd better hurry before you lose the essence of her life,” I spoke acidly and went back to my original position. I was rigid. Not this. I didn't have the heart to watch him slitting the dagger across Miyoung's throat and poured it into a huge cup. He continued chanting the ancient language that no one understood.

            The werewolf boy fortunately survived the kill. He didn't have to die. But he was dying from the sudden loss of blood. He didn't even have the chance to transform on the Full Moon. The servants brought him back and tended to his wound. He should be fine after a few hours of medical torture.

            Then Jinki put the Faeries' blood into the cup. And it was finally my turn.

            Since I was the last sacrifice, Jinki didn't need so much blood. The cup was almost full, and a few drops would suffice from me. Jinki and I both stared at each other. I didn't think I hated him, even after what he'd done. Thinking back about all the things he did for me, I couldn't hate him. He had done way too much and was always considerate. Except this time, when he strike the deal with Baekhyun without telling me.

            “Your hand,” He told me, his eyes softened.

            “We've been waiting for this for a long time,” I told him with a hardened smile that didn't reach my eye. I held out my hand and the fear grew stronger than ever. “Far too long.”

            “You should know, that this is all...” He quickly slit the dagger across my palm and continued, “Because of you, the Ritual can commence. You have made sacrifices, and those are not easy choices. The clan is forever grateful to you.”

            They should be. I closed my eyes, the feeling of fear greater than the pain.

            Then his chanting ceased, and I swore it became a song I couldn't remember. Jinki pushed my hand away and I stumbled back, suddenly feeling dizzy. It was not the effect of the blood taken from me, that was merely a few drops. This was the effect of the song. I knew I heard it somewhere. I was sure.

            Jinki poured the cup and forced Baekhyun's open mouth to swallow it all to the last drop. I stumbled back even more, feeling a sense of danger, and tried to run away, but one of the General, Ashmodeous, as he called himself, stopped me from doing so. I had met him a few times, and his appearances always changed. Since he was the Demon of Lust, he always took on the best of faces; the most attractive and irresistible, but right now, I couldn't see him that way. I was too scared. For the first time in my life. I never felt a sense of danger even when I was dying from a battle. Now was different.

            “Don't let the girl run away,” Sathanus, Demon of Wrath laughed as he watched my pathetic attempt to escape. In here, all seven Demons gathered, the seven deadly sins, to hail their Brother, the one who created them all. Jinki was one of the General as well. He was better known as Beelzebub, the Demon of Gluttony, the first hierarchy, just below Lucifer himself.

            Ah, yes, the name. Lucifer. The unspeakable terror of him. He was our Leader. We were bringing him back. I didn't know his true name, and never asked Jinki for it. But right now, in Baekhyun's body, he resided. He would be awaken soon enough, and I didn't know why I suddenly became so afraid when I had prepared for this for a long while.

            “Give her to me,” Leviathan, another that was closest to him aside from Jinki, held out his hand, and Ashmodeus, this cursed Demon, threw me at him so easily. I only heard of him from Jinki before. His name was fondly called as Kibum. He was the Demon of Envy. He was glamorous in the way he dressed, but his eyes exuded mystery I couldn't fathom.

            “Listen to me,” Kibum looked at me, or glared at me. I didn't know anymore. “Do not run away.”

            Too late.

            I stopped struggling when Baekhyun's body stirred awake slowly. Oh, the nightmare of his every move... Everyone was holding their breath because his aura changed drastically. There was this sudden powerful aura that created a barrier to those around him. Kibum let go of me and I froze on the track. I heard his call. Not by words, but by heart. My feet were walking on their own. I couldn't tell them to stop, nor did I want to.

            Perhaps I was just curious. Perhaps I was still dreaming. Maybe I fainted from the earlier process. I was too tired, anyway.

            “Joo Ri?”

            Was his first question. Even his voice sounded different. It was raw and rough. Baekhyun's was more high-pitched.

            Before Jinki could explain anything, he already explained himself, his eyes solely on me,

            “No, of course not. Who was I kidding?”

            Was the first time someone ever said that to me. I calmed down a little, still avoiding his eyes and instead, stared at the altar like it was something interesting. My heart beat was still loud, but there was clarity to my thoughts. No one had ever told me that Joo Ri and I were not alike in appearances. Maybe he really wasn't that bad at all...

            Or maybe I was mistaken right from the start.