The stench of leaking fuel mingling with the scent of fresh blood and poisonous smoke assaulted Jungkook’s nose while he struggled to open his eyes. His skull throbbed with his heart, a groan escaping. An upturned shell of a vehicle laid on the side of the road, variously sized dents littering the metal frame. The screams of the bystanders ripped through the heavy air as they hurried to the scene.

 

He’s dreaming again. It’s the same nightmare.

 

An isolated cry could be heard above of all the cacophony. A boy, with his back facing Jungkook, was kneeling in front of two bodies. His blood-stained hands covered his face. He stood up and walked towards Jungkook. The only thing Jungkook recognized was his soft hazelnut-brown hair.

 

Jungkook’s eyes snap open to reality, with sweat covering his body.

 

Again?

 

Jungkook lets out a long sigh as he sits up. He rubs his dry throat, soothing it. He groggily stumbles to the kitchen, passing by his father who stretches a hand and stops Jungkook. “Why are you still awake, son?”

 

Jungkook turns around and finds his father by his drawing board. “Just thirsty,” he answers while standing up to pour water into a glass cup. He hobbles closer to his father. “Still working? What did you make this time?” Jungkook asks, silently taking a sip of water.

 

“A playroom for a kindergarten.” His father is an architect. Jungkook loved watching him work since he was little; his biggest dream is to be an architect and work together with his father. “Go back to sleep, son. You have school tomorrow.”

 

Ah, yeah. School.

 

Jungkook sighs. “Ok, I’m going.” He leans in and gives his dad a peck on the cheek. “Good night, Dad and don’t overwork yourself.”

 

His dad smiles and ruffles his son’s hair while mock saluting him. “Roger that. Good night.”

 

 

Today is a good day for Jungkook. He received an A for his math subject—a subject he hates the most—his finally completed the new songs for his band and the girl he has a crush on, greeted him with a smile.

 

Jungkook walks with light steps, a smile still glued to his face. He enters his house, going through the door that isn’t locked. His house is never this quiet. He calls his family who should be home, “Grandma? Dad?” His dad said he had nothing to do today so he was going to stay at home with his grandma.

 

Where is everyone? Jungkook walks into the living room when he sees the horrible scene in front of him. He gasps and covers his mouth with his trembling hand as the heaviness of the atmosphere seeps into his heart. The room is a mess, with blood splattered all over the wall and two bodies, laying in front of him, between the puddles of the blood pouring from their ripped throats. Jungkook trembles in fear, his legs have gone weak as he approaches the bodies.

 

“D-dad… Grandma… W-what—” He touches his father’s and grandma’s bodies with trembling hands as tears keep trailing down his face. “W-what happened? It must be a joke, right? Wake up, dad. It’s not funny,” he shakes his dad’s body, hoping that they will stand up and start laughing at his reaction. But that never happens. Then he hears someone walking with heavy steps. In an alert, Jungkook turns around and his eyes widen when he spots a big, a scary creature appears with a body—his nanny on his shoulder.

 

A Strigoi.

 

It growls and glares at Jungkook with a deadly stare. Jungkook goes into his fighting stance that his dad has taught him before. The Strigoi smirks before dashing towards him. Jungkook immediately stands up and shuffles backward but the Strigoi never comes towards him. He heard a soft scuffling before a woman appears, cutting its throat with her dagger and breaks the Strigoi’s neck. Her hair was tied up, exposing the Molnijas tattoos on her neck.

 

“M-mom?

 

She turns around, sheathing her blade. “Are you ok?”

 

Jungkook nods. He doesn’t believe what he sees. His mom comes to him after years of abandoning him. “Mom, Dad—”

 

“It’s too late, Jungkook,” she interrupts. “You have to come with me now. You can’t stay here alone. It's too dangerous.”

 

“Why do you come now?” Jungkook bursts into tears as he yells to his mom. Honestly, he hates his mom as much as he hates Moroi. His mother is the guard of a Moroi’s family. She abandoned Jungkook when he was just three years old, saying, “I have to protect my master,” before leaving him with his dad and grandma. She never asks how Jungkook he is doing nor does she call him. She has never contacted her one and only child.

 

“Why? To save you,” she answers coldly as she checks his father’s and grandma’s bodies.

 

“How can you come here after what you’ve done to me?”

 

“You have no choice. You can only come with me. You have no one right now,” she continues.

 

Jungkook feels the heat rising up to his head. His jaw locks as his fists ball up. His anger explodes. “If you came earlier, Dad and Grandma wouldn’t have died! They would still be alive!” he shouts. “I hate you!”

 

“I know but I don’t care. You still have to come with me,” she says as she drags Jungkook outside. He struggles to escape from his mother but she’s too strong. Eventually, Jungkook gives in. His mom is right. He doesn’t have a choice because he’s alone now.

 

Yeah, he is all alone.

 

“You’ll go to Nightsbane tomorrow,” says his mother in the middle of their breakfast. It has been three days after the Strigoi incident. Jungkook puts down his chopsticks silently.

 

“What?”

 

She doesn’t glance at Jungkook. “Yes. You have to go to school and Nightsbane is the best choice.”

 

He snickers. “You don’t want to take care of me, right? That’s why you’re sending me to Nightsbane so the academy will take care of me instead of you.”

 

“I have to do my job. I can’t take care of you all the time!”

 

Jungkook pounds the table and walks away from his chair. “Fine, whatever! Send me there!” He leaves the dining room and stomps into his room. He buries his face in the pillow as he screams all his emotions into it.

 

I really hate her. Really, really hate her.

They sit inside the car, on the journey to Nightsbane, a school for the Moroi and Dhampir races. Why is Jungkook going there? Because he’s a Dhampir a child of a Moroi and a human or a  Dhampir. His dad is a Moroi and his mom is a Dhampir. That’s why Jungkook is a Dhampir, a half human-vampire creature. The Dhampir inherits almost all of a Moroi’s ability—except the ability of the four elements—and because their form is still a human, they can move freely, unlike Moroi who is sensitive to sunlight.

 

There are two types of vampires: Moroi and Strigoi. A Moroi is a holy vampire who has a breathtaking appearance that urges everybody to worship them. They have special abilities that correspond to the four elements: earth, water, fire, and air. Normally, they are strong, but they never used their ability to fight people because the Moroi are a peace-loving race.

 

The Strigoi are completely opposite of the Moroi. They do not possess special abilities, but they are strong and have outstanding physical abilities. They are barbaric and extremely violent. They will hunt humans and Morois and feed on them. They are immortal and undead. Dangerous.

 

“We’ve arrived,” his mother says. Jungkook looks around. It’s not like what he imagined. He thought the academy would be full of gothic buildings, dark and creepy. But it’s not. It's just like a normal academy with modern buildings. Looking around, Jungkook realizes that it was far too quiet with not a soul to be seen.

 

“Where’s everyone?” he asks.

 

“Get out, let me show you.” Jungkook furrows his eyebrows, confused. His mother grabs his hand and walks straight to the main gate. Then Jungkook feels like he’s walking through some invisible walls and then the sight in front of him changes. The academy that was eerily empty, is now teeming with people.

 

“How—”

 

“Magic. The academy is protected with enchanted shields. The outsiders will never find this academy,” explains his mom. Jungkook is amazed by the magical scene in front of him. The plain academy is simply beautiful.

 

“Lee Jieun-nim,” someone calls his mother’s name. Both of them turn around. A man with tanned skin and a muscular figure stands in front of them.

 

“Ah, Namjoon-ssi.” His mother smiles. “This is my son, Jeon Jungkook. He’ll attend the academy from now on. I already told Seohyun that he’ll come today. So, I entrust him to you because I have to go.”

 

“What? Are you going to leave just like that?”

 

“Yes. Don’t cause any trouble, ok?” she says before kissing Jungkook’s forehead. “Please, take care of him. I trust you.” She pats the man on the shoulder before turning around and leaving. Jungkook can't hide his disappointment. He grumbles as he walks past Namjoon.

 

“Where are you going?” Namjoon asks, a playful undertone in his voice.

 

“Dormitories. Isn’t that where I should go?”

 

Namjoon sighs as he hooks two diners and pulls the back of Jungkook’s collar, dragging him to another side. “You have to meet the headmistress first. She’s waiting.”

 

Jungkook pushes Namjoon’s hand away, puffing in annoyance. “I can walk on my own!” Namjoon holds up his hands and shrug his shoulders before walking past Jungkook. A few awkward minutes pass, they arrive at the main building. Entering the building, the soft footsteps of the men accompanied them before finding the headmistress’ office.

 

Namjoon knocks on the door lightly before calling out, “Ms. Luna, it’s me, Kim Namjoon.”

 

“You may come in.” Both Jungkook and Namjoon walk into the room and find a woman in a black attire and tied up hair. She appears to be quite young for a headmistress. Jungkook thought she would be an old lady who nags a lot and is full of wrinkles. Even though she is wearing a black outfit, she still looks charming.

 

“So, who do we have here?”

 

“I-I’m Jeon Jungkook, Ma’am.” Jungkook bows.

 

“He’s the son of Lee Jieun-nim, Ma’am,” Namjoon adds.

 

“Ah, you must be talented like your mother, correct?” she asks in anticipation, leaning forward on her desk.

 

Jungkook looks down and hesitates to answer. “I-I don’t know, Ma’am.”

 

Luna walks closer and puts her arms around Jungkook’s shoulders. “I’m pretty sure you are. That means you can join the classes starting today.”

 

“What? I just entered this school. I don’t know anything.” The headmistress scowls in slight anger, her hand tightening on his shoulder. Jungkook sighs. “Fine, I’ll try,”

 

“Good. Namjoon-ssi, bring him to his dorm and then tell him which class he can join today,” she orders. “I have to leave now. Welcome to Nightsbane, Jungkook-ssi.”

 

Jungkook and Namjoon bow until Ms. Luna disappears behind a door. Namjoon drives Jungkook to his dorm, the Dhampir dorm. Jungkook can’t hide his disgust when they passed a couple of Moroi and Dhampir. The Moroi drinks the Dhampir's blood. Blood . That’s what they are called—no, that’s what Jungkook calls them.

 

“Don’t show it too much,” Namjoon suddenly says.

 

“Hah?”

 

“Your expression. It’s too obvious that you hate them,” he says. “Anyway, when you arrive later, you can put your things on the bed and come with me to your class,”

 

“Can I take a rest for today? It’s a pretty long journey from Busan to Incheon,” Jungkook asks with pleading eyes. He really is tired, freaking tired and to think that he has to study in a classroom full of strangers. He doesn’t want that. At least not today.

 

“Fine. You can take a rest for today. Mr. Seokjin will come to tell you about the rules in this dorm and other things.”

 

“Mr. Seokjin?”

 

“He’s the chief of the dorms,” Namjoon stops at a door at the end of the hallway and turns the knob. “Here’s your room,”

 

The room is quite large, with two beds on each side, two desks, one big wardrobe and a bathroom. There’s a big window in the middle of the two beds, with a white curtain. The room is painted white with a biege wooden floor. It’s too clean for a boy’s room, to be honest. But Jungkook doesn’t complain. The only thing he needs now is sleep—a long and undisturbed sleep.

 

“So, my bed is here?” Namjoon answers with a nod. “Who’s my roommate?” h