*** “here she is” Yoongi casually tossed me into a bunch of carnivores and-, okay, I'm joking, but he did throw me inside the crowded hall though -with not so gentlemanly gesture I tell you-, and almost all the eyes found me frozen stiff in the middle of the room with Yoongi's hand caging my wrist to prevent me from running away,
I saw my step mother and Nara’s eyes widened in horror when they spot me while a few guests look at me with wonders and curiosity in their eyes, looking at me like I was some kind of rare species animal inside a glass box. Well, I don’t blame them though, with this condition I presented myself with, looking like a dirty rag that just got pulled out from a fireplace with these cinders smeared face and clothes. I took a step back from all the intense looks but Yoongi’s hold on my wrist tightened as he push me forward. I squeaked inside,
He just keep pushing me until we finally reached my half sister and his friends spot, where they stood in line with a rather old man with sharp eyes whose I know as one of the council man, no cross that, the Head of the council,
“so, this is the bastard child”, I stiffened at the terms he use and instantly clenched my fist, even the seven boys looked at the old man in disbelief,
“my parents legally married, you gave your permission alongside the other council members and is that the way to talk about the child of your former Head of council?” I hissed even before I could stop myself, I felt the grip on my wrist squeeze me, behave, I get the message and roll my eyes. guess what? I don’t care, Head coucil or not, I'm not gonna let them talk about me or my parents like that,
The man just smirked as he heard my retort and I saw mirth playing in his eyes, jerk,
“you’re as fierce as your father before he meet that mother of yours, kid” he said back and I felt my string of patient snap and a wave of anger trigger my shadows to react, darkening the room instantly, making the guests yelped in surprise at the sudden wave of power that push them of off their feets, the only one standing is the seven boys, me and the council members as I could feel a pulse of barier form around them. Even Nara and my step mother couldn’t withstand the wave,
Instead of shouting in rage, the weird oldman before me just hollered in laughter while the other council eyed me in cautious. They didn’t expect a mere half-blood with strange power like me to be have this much of power didn’t they? Guess what? Even I surprised myself,
“I see! I know what you mean Yoongi, this might work!” the old man said after died down his laughter and gesturing me to come closer “come here child, lets see if the stone wanted you” he said again and I eyed his hand suspiciously, he hold some thing that looked like a dull grey colored stone. I took a hesitant steps before his old wrinkled hand grab mine -the one that free from Yoongi’s grip- and flip it, so my palm face up,
He let out a rough edged knife -it looked like its sculptured from a stone roughly before turned into this scary looking knife-, my eyes widen in horror as I saw the knife and he smirked “just a few drop of blood” he stated casually as if cutting trough an innocent child flesh was a thing he did everyday and not a big deal at all. I felt nausea in a pit of my stomach at the same time he sliced my palm and red -almost black- blood dripped from the wound. This ty old man, did he really has to cut this deep?,
I watch as he brought the stone under my hand and let the blood drop onto it, watching in awe as the stone absorb my blood, ah, so that’s why it called Blood stone, or Vampire stone,
The stone did nothing for a while and I could hear Nara and my step mother sigh in relief from my side. But the old man and the council yet to turn their attention from the stone. I just about to words out my sarcastic comments and pull my hand from their grip when the previously dull stone gleamed red and beat as if its not a stone but an actual living heart instead. I let out a surprised yelp when the beating sounds entered my hearing and pull my hand from the Head council hand, jerked back onto Yoongi’s chest as I watch in horror whilst the stone seems turn more and more red in color,
The guests gasped along with the boys, except Yoongi and the council members who just looked like they already predicted this,
“well, this solving everything, now we have our Crowned heiress, the Royal thrones should be safe for now” the Head council carefree voice break the pregnant silent as he walk forward then put the stone on top of my hand “this is yours now”. I gaped at the stone, it still beating, but just slightly and felt only if I squeeze it, but the color has permanently change into blood red,
I look around in confusion and saw the looks on the boys around me, they have blank look on their faces as if trying to mask all the shock and disbelief they felt right now. But I knew better, they reeks of it,
“no”, a hissing voice heard from my left side and I whip my head to look at the owner of the voice. The looks on Nara’s face make the previous nausea came back rushing through my guts. She looks so broken and defeated as she pleads to the council members, my step mother not so far behind her,
“please Head coucil, this can't be true, uncle” she whispered, walking closer and grip the Head council arm, but the man just sigh as he pried her hands off. The man that always close with her and treat her like she's his own daughter just push her,
“I’m sorry Nara but this is beyond our control, your power was not enough and the stone clearly doesn’t want it” he said. Nara bite her bottom lip as she look at my direction, I turn rigid under her gaze. I felt sorry for her, she’ve been waiting for this moment all her life, people expecting her to take the throne when she turn 18, now just because a stone didn’t want her power, all her dream has crumbled down. I look down at the stone in my hand,
You ty stone, you’re crushing a girl dream, no matter how bad she is, its still not nice you know?, hope you’re happy now,
I look up then throw Nara an apologetic looks and try to send her message that maybe I would found way to convince the council to change the course, but even before I could say anything, the looks on Nara’s face turn mad and all the pretty mask she put on twisted into an ugly scorn, “how did you do that? You’re nothing but a dirt beneath my shoes! Where you stole that power?!”, I fell agape from her outburst and immediately turn defensive. after years, old habit die hard I guess,
“what?! You saw me, I release shadow! If anything happen, it maybe because I was coming of age just like you did earlier! It turn out there’s more of my power than you always think!” I answered back, frustrated at how Nara handled the situation. I didn’t even realized that a hand has touched my left shoulder and I turn my face at the owner of the hand. SeokJin look at me and shake his head lightly, telling to just shrug it off,
And when Nara saw the way SeokJin calm me instead of her, I knew her last hope has crushed. She hope for the boys to side with her and reject me but instead, they just stood as stoic as a stone and did nothing to convice the council. So she did the only thing she could at the time like this, she turn and run upstairs,
My step mother sighed. Why does she looked less surprised than her daughter? Did she expected this outcome? Or she knew something like this would happen?,
“please council members, could you-, could you considered some other option?” she asked timidly, looking over to SeokJin, NamJoon and TaeHyung direction and we immediately caught on her request. The three is brothers, she ask if Nara could crowned too alongside me -that's just what I have in mind before Nara outburst earlier-, the Head council just sighed and shake his head,
“you know its not how this work out, only one heiress from each reign, we have miscounted all along,” he said before turn to look at me thoughtfully, “turn out, being a half-blood did nothing to the amount of one person’s power”, with that last final words, he walk away, leaving my step mother slumped in defeat before she too, followed her daughter step upstairs with head down, she didn’t even bother to look or shout at me like how her daughter did,
After the whole scene, the guests conversing among themself as the talk about the whole event while I just stood there rotted on my spot, overwhelemed by the whole thing before a voice snap me back to reality,
“so, now what?” NamJoon deep voice break the silent between us as he look at my face and his friends one by one with one hand awkwardly scratched the back of his neck,
SeokJin sighed as he pocketed his hands and exchanging knowing looks with Yoongi behind me before look down. I scooted away when he lean forward to level our eyes and smirk forming on his perfect shaped lips,
“we have no other choice but start from the basic, its mean introduction and Royalty 101”
Ugh, just kill me now.

 

*** I stirred awake by the tickling feels on my cheek and jolt up in laughter, scooting away as the culprit just keep my face. Huh? ?,
“Nox” I whined before push the soul seeker -which is now in his wolf form- away from me, he just barked with tongue out of his snout. I giggled at his antic, he act like a puppy when he has a body as big as a horse,
I stretch and let out a big yawn before getting up from my bed and pull the curtain a little. The sun start to set, leaving a trail of orange colored sky and I sigh at the sight, I alway love the bright color, despite of being vampire -slash a Reaper-. Reaper, my eyes widened when the memories of the last few hours start to dawned upon me and I whip my head to my study table, where I spot the red stone, lying there where I left it before going to sleep after I ran away to my room from the ball last night,
“its all because of you, ugh!” I grumbled, scratching my head in frustration as I observed the stone. Huh? Did it always this small? I remember it in a size of my palm when I left it, now it in a size of a pili nuts,
“did it shrink?” I ask myself as I brought the ston