Black.

And white.

There isn’t anything more in the universe he wished to see except for those colors. How peaceful the world will be if everyone had shared his perspective, to see that the clouds and snow are naturally white, the withered leafless trees a pure pitch black, and the skies a balanced grey of both. No complications in which color represented joy, or which color hinted death. Just the existence of two pigments that complete each other will be sufficient. To live oblivious to life’s complex colors would reduce so much pain and regret. He wanted black to drown out the red sea that flowed around him, and white to cover the scenes he knew he could never forget. They were the blissful shades he definitely hoped to be reborn anew in.    

The young boy was brought to one of the stone pavilions located in the castle’s biggest garden. As the ground and statues were covered with water in its solid state, the absence of animals only hinted their early migration or long hibernation. The surroundings were as dead and silent as the child’s non-beating heart. He registered the area’s condition quietly; unable to decide the feelings he had for this place. It was difficult to experience anything, even the thrill of being in a foreign site ever since the day he lost it all. He moved like an object, being ushered around politely by a man probably around his late-twenties with no questions asked. Almost similar to a soulless mute.

A woman approached them hastily with concern while looking behind her shoulder cautiously. She had auburn hair that was styled in an old-fashioned bun, a few strands escaping as she rushed to the duo. The queen bent down and wrapped her warm hands around the boy’s cold ones, flashing him a genuine smile albeit the frown that creased her forehead. He accepted her gloves wordlessly and held on to them, although it was her intention for him to wear it and obtain some feeble warmth. A shook of head from the man that brought the boy was all it took to halt her good intentions.

“Is he the last one then?” she whispered under breaths that created mists in the air.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The man simply bowed, taking another look at the peculiar boy standing a few feet away, staring blankly at the black gloves in his palms.

“Only you and I can know about this. You can tell no one. Not even His Majesty. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you. You may leave now.”

Steps against the snow were heard by the orphan clearly, slowly fading away and replaced by lighter footsteps. She bent her knees and sat on her ankles to level her eyes with his. As a vampire, she managed to make sitting down look like a tempting gesture. He did not heed her invitation and continued to stand with his head down, avoiding sympathy and care.

“Are you hungry?”

There was neither a nod nor a shook of head. Hunger was the last priority in his current mind. Rather, he was curious as to the reason these strangers took him in. They wouldn’t be able to reap any benefits from him, not to mention that he was homeless and penniless. And now they were inviting him to lodge in a place as luxurious as the castle. But for what purpose? Can they be trusted?

Maybe he could hope. Hope for safety, even if it was temporary.

He glared at the lady with the red lips and hazel eyes, suspicious and wary of her faraway gaze. Jang Dongwoo wondered what she saw in the starless night sky that made her eyes seem a little sad. Only the white moon illuminated their surroundings, shining brightly at the sinister-looking tree branches to form long black shadows. There was nothing fascinating about the interdependence of light and shadow, he thought.

The king’s consort waited in the snow with the boy, understanding of his inability to speak and giving him long moments of soothing silence before he said what would be his first words in a few weeks. This young boy had a pair of very intimidating eyes that lost its vibrancy, and a voice that dripped with spite she did not know a child was capable of possessing. It was as if he lost the instinct to enjoy anything beautiful. Every view he sees, he chooses to warp it into a twisted version to accommodate the settings in his mind.

“Just kill me.”