the house is quiet when i arrive. the cold breeze my face. where are the others, i wonder. my question is answered when i enter the occupied living room. “hey,” i whisper. yixing nods to the empty spot beside him. kris shamelessly stares at me. “i thought you were home,” he smirks.

before i can answer, yixing takes the word. “how long are you planning to play this game, kyungsoo?” he asks with an angry tone. my eyes are wide open by his sudden question. they know where i was? they know what i did? “so you really were with him,” minseok looks hurt and i can’t face him. i’m embarrassed.

“don’t worry, kyungsoo,” kris smiles and steps towards my seat. his height is a threatening and i immediately lower my gaze. “i can make them forget everything,” he whispers in my ear. kris’ eyes are lock with mine, as if he’s mentally connecting with me.

“leave us alone,” he demands, and everyone leaves the room. “let me show you something,” with these words he seems to hypnotize me. and then i remember what yixing once said. kris has the ability to control minds.

“dear, listen to me,” a young woman with a soothing voice whispers, as she the face of a small boy. although she tries to remain calm, you cannot ignore her frightened expression. “stay in the closet and i’ll get you a nice gift,” she promises as she leads the child to the closet. the kid beams and immediately steps into the wooden closet. “really, mommy? i want a very nice car!” the child continues to babble about the present, while the woman gently his cheek. “i love you,” she kisses his forehead, before closing the closet door.

at that moment the door is kicked open, and a dark figure steps in the small house. his eyes are glowing in an abnormal color and his skin is unnaturally pale. a smirk is placed on his face as he has the shivering woman in his sight. “who are you?” the woman shouts as she throws a lamp at him. the man remains silent and gets nearer to her. “let me go!” she screams when the heartless figure eventually grabs her. her shouts are ignored as he eagerly puts his teeth into her neck. the loud cries of the woman resounds through the room. the blood flows from the neck wound, what the man hungrily drinks.

and then suddenly everything falls silent. the woman collapses on the ground, once the man is done with her. her face is pale, and there is no chance that she survived the dreadful assassination. the man calmly wipes the blood from his face, and leaves the room. through the crack of the old closet, two eyes can be seen. the little boy’s eyes stay on the image of his murdered mother, while the tears flow down his face.

kris snaps his fingers in front of my face, which awakes me. i don’t understand what i’ve just seen, what is he trying to show me? “i will clear the memory of the others, on one condition,” kris doesn’t mind explaining what he just showed, and sits next to me. even though i nod, i’m stilling thinking about what he showed me.

“win the trust of the hunters,” kris commands and shows a dominating smirk. i nod determined. jongin betrayed me the last time, so i can do it. “agreed.”

~

“sehun,” i say and the receptionist raises her eyebrow. “surname?” she asks, but i shrug my shoulders. “just sehun,” i finally answer. i hope my thoughts are correct. if sehun is injured, jongin most likely brought him to the hospital the closest to the woods. “room 47,” the woman answers. i hope it is the sehun i’m looking for.

i arrive in front of the room, and hesitate to knock. isn’t it better if i just watch them from a distance. i turn around, but the door is opened. jongin stands in the doorway and looks confused. “kyungsoo?” he mutters as he gazes at me from head to toe. “how is he?” i wonder about sehun’s condition. jongin shrugs and closes the door. “let’s walk a bit,” he suggest and puts on his jacket.

outside the hospital, we sit down on a bench. the weather is cold. “he needs a surgery,” jongin confesses and gives me a hot pack. i warm my hands with it. i nod. “how are you?” jongin questions. i look up at the sky. “vampires really are vengeful,” i vaguely answer. jongin chuckles. “at least we have that in common,” he jokes and i know he’s serious.

“luhan,” is the name that jongin says. he knows him? “he was sehun’s boyfriend,” my eyes are as big as the moon. i knew i heard the name from somewhere, from luhan’s diary! “luhan was in love with a hunter?” i ask him, not believing it. jongin shakes his head.

“sehun has never been a hunter, he just lives with me and sometimes helps,” he tells as if it’s the most normal thing. i don’t understand. why would he choose such a heartless life? “why?” i wonder frowning. jongin’s everlasting smirk disappears. for a moment, it stays quiet between us. i realize i’ve found his weak spot.

“tell me why you’re a hunter,” my words are interrupted when i suddenly feel his lips on mine. the next moment, i look straight into the caramel eyes i once feared. i can feel his hot breath on my neck, and i remind myself i can’t give in to this. “what are you doing?” i ask out of breath by the intense kiss. jongin my jawline, and smiles.

“marking you as mine.”