‘Where does your loyalty lie?’

Sehun’s eyes flashed green.

Sehun growled and lunged forward. As if the mystical spell around the room was broken, hell suddenly erupted and Hye Jin was more than a little relieved to find that both his mother and father were vampires. Sehun’s father intercepted him and tackled him to the ground, while his mother went for Ri-ah.

Hye Jin’s first priority was Sera, who had not yet reached of age, and was still a human.

The lackey Ji-sung reached for her, but Hye Jin grabbed the concealed blade from her pocket and flung it at him – catching him by the wrist and pinning his arm to the wall behind him. As he howled in pain, Kai tried to grab her but was tackled by Sehun’s mother who’d momentarily disarmed Ri-ah.

‘There’s one upstairs,’ she yelled over the noise and Hye Jin nodded, grabbing Sera by the waist and flying out of the room.

Sehun’s mother was referring to a silver based panic room that could not be penetrated by a vampire (unless they had the right equipment), ‘Which way?’ she asked Sera urgently.

‘On the third floor, to the left,’ the little girl whispered, uncomfortably shaking.

Hye Jin could hear someone coming up the stairs behind her and her heart thudded as she wondered if she would be caught before she could get Sera safely in. Even Hye Jin herself couldn’t get too near the room as the sheer amount of silver meant that just being close by was making her weak.

She placed Sera on her feet about twenty metres away, ‘Run!’

Sera was bolting across the corridor when Hye Jin saw RI-ah coming up behind her. She tackled her mid-flight, and they tumbled through the narrow corridor towards the panic room. Hye Jin allowed Ri-ah to think she had the upper hand, at the same time stalling long enough for Sera to slam the door shut decisively.

At the bang, both looked up and Ri-ah was enraged to realise what it meant.  She slammed Hye Jin’s head to the ground a few more times for good measure before Hye Jin could kick her off. Feeling dizzy from the distance to the panic room, she stumbled down the stairs, Ri-ah in close pursuit.

What do I do?

Sehun still looked feral and maybe even stronger than what he was last night. His father was underneath him looking bloodied – he couldn’t be far off death with the beating he was taking. Hye Jin flung herself at Sehun.

Sehun, stop it! Can you hear me? Please, fight this. Please, come to the surface.

She recalled using similar words to appeal to him in her apartment, and hoped they would work here too. But as she somehow managed to take his attention away from his father momentarily, it didn’t look like her words were working.

Sehun, please…

Think, Hye Jin! She willed herself, as she managed to just break a choke hold before she completely lost consciousness. It triggered her memory of ‘death by sock’…. Think. Think! And then it hit her. The titanium blade!!!

Unfortunately she didn’t have the titanium katana this time, only a small switch blade – before realising that it was the very same switch blade that she’d thrown at Ji-sung earlier! She spotted it on the wall above her head at the same as Kai realised her intentions, but she managed to gather up just enough strength to fling Sehun upwards with her legs to intercept Kai, and they both tumbled out the glass doors onto the patio.

She jumped up quickly to dislodge the blade from the wall and managed to turn enough just in time to bring it in front of her belly as Sehun flew at her.

It was almost like deflating a balloon; he seemed to collapse against her on impact. She assisted his weight on the way down and they dropped down to their knees. She left the blade in there for now, despite the pleading look in his eyes.

It’s okay Sehun, just breathe—she whispered to him, hoping that as he was calming down, he could now hear her.

+++

Sehun felt a sense of relief in Hye Jin’s arms. He could have stayed there forever. He was so exhausted that he didn’t want to do anything else.

With all that had happened in the last few months, he wondered if he was such a bad person. First he became a monster and he worried how his loved ones would ever love him in this state. And then to realise that these same people had betrayed him all along and were all monsters hiding it from him.

Was this karma from bullying Hye Jin? Or something more?

‘Enough. I’m tired of this – aren’t you?’ Kai declared.

Sehun looked up to find that Ri-ah and Ji-sung had stopped fighting at his orders. His parents were both bloodied and collapsed to the ground.

‘Good effort Sehun-ah,’ Kai said gesturing at his father who was barely moving, ‘I would have thought though you could have killed more, as Set's heir and all. A little disappointing.’

Sehun didn’t reply.

‘But I’m tired and really, I don’t want to waste any more time. So I’ll finish this myself if you don’t mind,’ Kai gestured to Ji-sung who left the room and brought back a long case. Hye Jin gasped from next to him and she tightened her arms around him.

It’s my silver katana… how did he find it, that bastard!

Sehun froze at the mention of silver. Knowing how much those silver handcuffs had hurt – he knew that this would be no joke.

‘So, who wants to go first? I’m guessing ahjussi here – after all he’s nearly gone anyway,’ Kai suggested coldly, as if he wasn't talking about the man who’d raised him as his own son. He started to walk over to his body.

‘Wait, I’ll go! I’ll go,’ trying to keep her hysteria down, Sehun’s mum struggled to her knees to stand as a shield in front of her husband. Kai seemed nonplussed either way and lifted the katana. She closed her eyes.

Sehun couldn’t let this happen.

+++

Hye Jin knew what she had to do. This was her chance.

Before Sehun could do anything, Hye Jin abruptly pushed him aside and launched herself in front  his mother – ing the same blade that she’d put into Sehun towards Kai’s heart. She wasn’t sure that she’d connected with the target but Kai screamed in agony, which was music to her ears.

However he still had enough momentum to bring the katana down – though with considerably less force.

It caught Hye Jin across the chest and stomach, causing her to collapse in pain.

The acidic burn of the silver was such agony that Hye Jin was finding it difficult to breathe. She closed her eyes, feeling herself be cradled.

Hye Jin – hang in there – help is here!! Hang in there!

Somewhere which seemed very far away she heard the sounds of renewed fighting. Maybe it was the hunters, finally arrived? It was too far for her to make sense of though, so she focused on Sehun.

Hye Jin, stay awake.

It was comforting to have Sehun’s voice in her head, even as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Silver wounds took as much time to heal as human wounds did – which was why a silver bullet most often proved lethal to a vampire. This was no exception.

Sehun, you won’t hate me if I go now right? She asked him, sensing the irony. When it had been his turn to say good-bye to her, she’d selfishly rejected it. And here she was asking permission to go.

Of course I’ll hate you, he whispered, you can’t go. That’s so selfish. I didn’t leave you.

She smiled, and fell asleep.

+++

Sehun watched as Hye Jin lost consciousness, his heart thudding. Then suddenly, amidst the din – Ri-ah started to laugh manically.

'NO! I’m not going to go the way my grandfather did – I will destroy you before I let you take me and bind my powers,’ she shoved the hunters off. Her power, as Dul’s heir was growing intense and a light blue sheen draped around the room, coming from her eyes.  It caused unending agony to those she willed it to.

Sehun had no idea what to do as he felt the effects of her power wash over him.

Yes you do, it’s there within you! But you have to give into your inner monster – that is the only way you can defeat her.

The voice was an old man’s and initially he thought it was Hana’s. However he some part of him knew instinctively that it was someone else, a voice which was even more familiar… It was his grandfather.

I’m scared, he confessed.

It’s okay to be scared, I’m here with you – I will not leave you again.

Looking at his mother, who was looking at him with such hope and desperation, looking at the hunters who were also waiting for him to do something… and then down to both her father and Hye Jin who lay lifelessly on the ground... there was no denying that he was afraid to let go of his human side, but at the same time he realised that his love for these people—these vampires – monsters just like he was…it overrode his fear.

Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes, I’m ready, grandfather.

Then open your eyes.

Sehun’s eyes flashed green.

A/N: And then there was one chapter to go! xKei