It's the same dream again, but this time it is much clearer. His green eyes bore into mine and his pale skin glistens in the moonlight. We simply just lay in bed gazing at each other until he reaches a cold hand towards my cheek and whispers words I cannot comprehend. I lean in to hear his words and only get the scent of peppermint. I breathe in deep and say his name, “Luca.”

  I wake up and find Daehyun standing near the window, towering over me. The Moonlight outside casts shadows on him, creating an eerie sight. “Who's Luca?” He asks out of curiosity.

  It didn't hit me that he was in my room until I realize where I am. I shoot up from my bed and point at him. “What are you doing here? Zelo told me that you won't barge in without my permission! Get out!” Grabbing my pillow, I'm ready to throw it at him if he refuses.

  “Yes, but it's already a new night and I told you last night that we are going to buy you clothes for the banquet. It's better to start early that way we have more time to look,” he calmly explains. Slowly, he walks up to me and sits at the edge of my bed. Resting a hand next to me, he leans in and his peppermint smell fills my nostrils. “So, who's Luca?”

  I lean backwards as a slight blush sprinkles my cheeks. He's too close to me! “It’s none of your business,” I exclaim. “I'm going to change, so get out.” I swing my legs over and stand.

  “What's wrong with changing in front of me?”

  My cheeks burn up from both anger and embarrassment. There's no way am I going to dress up in front of him! “I don't feel comfortable with you being here,” I say, “Now, leave!”

  Daehyun snickers. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave. Geez, you're so uptight, but it's cute.”

  This time, I really did grab my pillow and smack it on him. Instead of him being irritated, he laughs and makes his way to the door. “I'll meet you downstairs in the foyer. I'll let you eat and then we can head off.” At those words, he leaves.

  I get ready and head to the foyer and just like Daehyun said, he waits for me there, wearing his usual outfit and those same gloves. I can’t help but stare at them as I walk down the stairs and remember why he had them on. Thinking about it gives me a shiver as a familiar touch is associated with the thought.

  He comes up to the bottom step and reaches out a hand as I approach him.

  Reluctantly, I take it and flinch. My dreams are taking its toll on me, and I’m sure Daehyun realizes it. I try my best to pretend and go down that final step before releasing his hand and walking towards the dining hall.

  I can hear Daehyun’s heavy steps behind me and feel his eyes glaring at the back of my head. There’s no way I want to talk about who Luca is to him. He’s part of the past and that’s something I want to get rid of.

  The table was set with oatmeal, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries all placed decoratively. I sit in my usual seat and begin eating without waiting for Daehyun.

  We sit in silence as he watches me and my every movement. I’m not sure why he’s so concerned about me eating since he’s always feeding me. Or actually, that’s not it. He’s staring at me because he wants to know why I called out Luca and not him. Apparently, since I’m his, he doesn’t want anyone else’s name be on my lips. Surely, that must be it, right?

  “What?” I finally say as I finish up my oatmeal.

  “You really won’t tell me who this Luca person is?”

  I bite my bottom lip. There’s a reason why I don’t want to explain. Can’t he see that? I grip the spoon in my hands tightly and look at him dead in the eyes. This time, I will make sure I get my point across. “It’s my own personal business and has nothing to do with you. It was only a dream anyways.” My voice trails as that last sentence comes out. If only it wasn’t a dream.

  Daehyun doesn’t press it further and stands from his seat, looking a bit irritated. “Whenever you’re done, come outside.” At those words, he exits the room, leaving me all alone.

  I don’t what come sover me, but the moment I hear the door close, my hands tremble and tears are forcing their way from my eyes. I try so hard holding it back, but it only make things worse and I choke as the sudden sadness casts over me. Dropping the spoon, I wipe my tears away and rest my head on the table, feeling the cold touch of the wooden material. I close my eyes, seeing green orbs gazing at me. If only I could turn back time and see him again, but it’s too late. There’s nothing I can do now because he’s gone. A pain strikes my heart, and I clutch the clothes near my chest as the tears come back again. What is wrong with me? Why am I breaking down now?

  From behind me, I hear light steps rushing towards me and a gentle hand touches my shoulder.

  I raise my head to see who this person was.

  My eyes are blurry from the tears, but when I blink, my vision becomes clear and I see Zelo standing above me with a concerned expression on his face. I try my best to wipe away my tears while sniffing. It’s too late to cover this up, so I might as well just clean myself.

  Zelo bends over and wraps his arm around my shoulder and whispers, “I don’t know what happened, but I know it’s not because of Daehyun. You don’t have to explain anything. I just hope whatever it is, I will be able to take the pain away.”

  My heart skips a beat, and it makes me realize why Daehyun chose him to be so close to him when he has those attacks. His soft touch and voice is soothing when needed, and he seems to say the right things. I end up crying on his shoulder for a few minutes until I cleaned myself up and head outside where Jung Daehyun is waiting for me.

  As I step out the door and walk down the path, I see Jung Daehyun leaning against the carriage and staring up at the Night Sky, and for the first time I actually see him. The Moonlight illuminates his skin and his usually dark eyes shine brightly, but I can clearly see a tint of loneliness and sadness in his eyes. His lips are curled down in a frown and eyebrows are furrowed. He doesn’t seem to notice me and thoughtfully pierces his thumb with his fangs. No blood drips from the puncture, and he stares at it for a long time until his eyes trail upwards and sees me coming up to him.

  “I’m ready.”

  His attitude changes to the Jung Daehyun I know. He smirks and opens the carriage door. “After you.”

  I walk in like a ghost and sit where I sat the first time I was here.

  Daehyun climbs in and shuts the door behind him. He sits in front of me. I avoid his gaze, worried that he would notice my eyes still being a bit puffy. To draw his attention away, I ask, “So who’s driving this thing if you’re sitting here in front of me?”

  He chuckles with that deep voice of his. “Zelo will. I asked him to when I stepped out from the dining hall.”

  I hold my breath. So he spoke to him earlier. I look everywhere but Daehyun as the carriage starts moving with a quick jolt. Damnit. Why aren’t there any windows in here? It would make this trip much easier than it is now.

  We don’t say anything the whole way back to the city. I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting, but my is starting to hurt even with these soft cushions. I just want to get out of here and avoid Daehyun’s gaze. Why does he have to stare at me a lot tonight?

  The carriage stops and I feel it shake as Zelo jumps down from his seat at the front. When he opens the door, I meet his eyes and immediately look away with a blush on my cheeks. Just remembering about what happened earlier makes me feel embarrassed. I can't believe he saw the vulnerable side of me.

  Daehyun climbs out first before reaching out a hand to me once more, and again, I take it only to pull my hand back and place it to the side. It’s so strange how my dream is affecting me so much tonight.

  “I’ll wait here,” Zelo says as he makes his way to the front seat.

  Daehyun stops him. “No, I prefer that you come with us, Zelo.” His eyes dart in every direction.

  I do the same and have a sense of uneasiness as vampires stare at us. We are a strange trio as most humans don’t climb out of a carriage from the inside unless you are a Doll, but since I don’t have the symbol, they don’t know what to assume.

  Zelo nods and ties the horses to make sure they don’t escape before they get back. Once he’s done, he stands behind Daehyun and stands straight.

  As we walk down the small town, I can feel the pheromones radiating from the vampires nearby. They may not be directing it towards us, but it makes me a little queasy as there are more than one being transmitted. This is why no one, even if they’re criminals, try to disobey vampires; they’re absolutely everywhere.

  I didn’t realize where we were going until I stand in front a familiar sight with its large sign and many vampires bustling in and out of the building. My eyes widen and I look at Daehyun. “Why are we at the bank?” I ask. Why does Daehyun always do this to me? The way he acts confuses me.

  He gives me a smile. “You did say you want to see Jongup once in awhile, and well, I think tonight will be a nice night to meet him. And, I have some business with the manager I need to take care of.” He turns his attention to Zelo, “Zelo, watch him while I’m gone.”

  Zelo bows. “Yes, Young Master.”

  With that, we enter the building and the all too familiar scent of blood fills the room. Since I’ve been gone for a few days, the stench almost makes me gag, but I do my best to ignore it and look for Jongup. He’s at his usual spot with that same usual bored expression when no one is around. Whoever works next to him now doesn’t seem to talk to him as much as I did.

  I bound up to him as my mood lightens. I jump right in front of his station and exclaim, “Hey, 6245, you should be smiling!”

  He flinches and tenses up which soon turns into a huge grin. He throws up his arms, “What are you doing here, Youn- 6256?” Leaning forward, he whispers, “I thought you were in a cell of some sorts, never to be seen again.”

  I laugh. “I thought so, too, but I managed to convince him to visit you when I can.”

  He doesn’t say anything. Reaching out, he pokes my cheeks while squinting his eyes. “You look healthier than before,” he states.

  “Do I?”

  He nods. “Yeah.”

  I can feel Zelo coming up behind me and I turn to him. “You remember, Zelo, right?”

  Jongup nods and doesn’t take his eyes off of the tall giant.

  “It’s nice to meet you again,” Zelo greets. He doesn’t bow this time, probably because he’s starting to get accustomed to our relaxed nature.

  “Nice to meet you,” Jongup returns.

  A moment of silence is followed soon after.

  Jongup coughs and leans forward. “Anyways, you see that girl next to me? I think she’s worse than me! She gets so nervous every time a vampire comes up to her to exchange blood. I mean, I can’t blame her since she’s new, but still. I’m weak when it comes to pheromones, and here I have someone next to me who seems to be also. How are we going to protect ourselves when a vampire flashes his pheromones like when Daehyun came?”

  I shrug. “I mean, they shouldn’t be doing anything to you, and Daehyun is just… He’s just…” I really don’t know what to say about him. He’s just as confusing as every other human, but his condition is a lot worse than I thought.

  Jongup sighs. “Whatever. I’m just glad to see you. You have no idea how bored I get without you. To tell you the truth, nothing really changed. The manager is nice as usual and we get the same customers coming and going, and they tend to go to the same bank teller. What’s life like with Daehyun?”

  I glance at Zelo who at me a couple of times. I’m unsure what kind of information I can give Jongup, but it seems that I know what I can share and what I can’t. “It’s honestly different, but he’s treating me well.”

  “I can tell based on how you look.” There’s a hint of jealousy in his voice as he says these words. Then, he scratches the back of his head and turns his attention to Zelo. “You don’t talk much, do you?”

  Zelo taps his foot and purses his lips. “There’s not much to say.”

  “Agreed. I’m curious though. You’ve been with Daehyun for long time and have you ever thought of running away from him?”

  Zelo’s eyes widen.

  “Jongup,” I scold, forgetting that I shouldn’t be throwing his name out like that. He doesn’t understand what we go through. All he knows are the vampires that threaten us. “It’s not nice to question someone you just met.”

  “But that’s the only way you can understand someone,” he points out which shuts me up. “Plus, normally when I see a human with a vampire, they always look so miserable, and I know it’s pathetic to say this, but it reminds me that I have it easier. That I’m one of the lucky ones who can escape that kind of punishment. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s controlling you to not say anything bad about him.”

  “Don’t talk about Young Master like that!” Zelo bursts. For the first time, I see him so defensive with his cheeks flaring and nose flaring. As if realizing his sudden change of attitude, he calms himself and bows his head. “I’m sorry.”

  Jongup simply stands there, watching him and trying to read him. He looks at me. “What’s wrong with him? Does Daehyun really control you to where you will defend him?”

  I glare at Jongup and remind myself that he doesn’t understand anything. I shake my head. “No. He’s truly a good… vampire, but with a few issues. You just can’t see it.”

  “Obviously.” As if feeling bad for ruining the reunion, he adds, “Sorry. I’m sure you wanted to talk to me about things other than being in Daehyun’s home. Are you interested in any of the latest gossip by any chance?”

  I roll my eye. Here goes Jongup and his gossip. “Alright, shoot.”

  “Well, I heard there’s a ball coming up and-” He stops just as Daehyun comes into view. His body stiffens and he avoids the vampire.

  I look at Daehyun. “Is it time to go?”

  “Yeah.” He seems troubled, but he hides it with a grin. “I hope I didn’t cut your reunion too short.”

  Jongup says nothing.

  “No,” I reply, “It’s fine. We can continue our talk another time.” In all honesty, I didn’t want to hear about what Jongup has to say. I really am not a person who likes gossip because sometimes they end up being untrue such as the information I receive about Jung Daehyun.

  “Yeah. We can continue this next time,” Jongup repeats in a sad tone. “I will have to get back to work, anyways.”

  Daehyun does a single nod. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to send him here a few times when I visit.”

  “Yeah.”

  I flick Jongup’s forehead where wrinkles are showing as he furrow his brows. “Hey, I told you if you scowl like that, you’ll get wrinkles.”

  He rubs his forehead and pouts. Was it really okay for me to leave him here like this? My doubts subside as he gives me a soft smile, thus making sure only there are no wrinkles showing. “I hope you return soon.”

  “I will, friend.”

  “Alright. Let’s go. We don’t have all night,” I hear Daehyun grumble and without another wait, he spins on his heels and makes his way towards the door.

  Zelo bows to Jongup. “Goodbye. Come on, Youngjae. You don’t want to keep the Young Master waiting.” He gently grabs my arm and leads me out.

  I manage to wave at Jongup before I go and watch as he disappears within the crowd of vampires. A deep sadness weighs down on me as I exit the premises. It’s official. I am truly no longer associated with the bank as I no longer have a place in there.

  “You sure are close to that boy, aren’t you?” Daehyun asks as we walk down the street once more. Vampires and humans continue to eye us, but he is unaffected as he stands erect with his focus straight ahead. He only falters when I don’t answer. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

  I bite my lip. Seeing Jongup makes me miss the old world I had. Sure, it’s not the best, but it was my first home when I came here. “Yeah. He’s one of my first friends when I arrived here. But don’t worry, it’s not like I’ll run away with him since we’re stuck in The Dome anyways.”

  Daehyun remains quiet.

  Zelo tries to change the topic. “Are we going to the usual shop, Young Master?”

  “Yes.”

  “The usual shop?” I question.

  “The Red Rose,” Zelo explains, “The shop’s been around for decades. It was originally a bakery before there was less demand and materials for it. Now, it’s a clothing and tailor shop. The previous owner changed the name of the shop when she came here since it was vacant at the time. Apparently, she was really good at making clothes, so a lot of vampires shopped here, but I think she was released about twenty or twenty-three years ago. I’m not sure. There’s still some of her clothing left, and the new owner is decent at her job.”

  Daehyun laughs. “She’s alright, but the woman years ago was much better. She even sewn the rose on the handkerchief my uncle gave me.”

   “You have an uncle?” I ask. Here we go. Me and my random questions.

  He pauses in his track, causing me to almost bump into him. He sticks his hand in his pocket and makes a fist as if grabbing onto something. “Well, he’s not really my uncle. I just call him one since he basically raised me when I was younger.” After he says those words, he looks up and indicates, “We’re here.”

  Walking in, I find myself in a small boutique with only a few vampires walking around the place, searching for clothes. Most are women and a handful are men. There are probably three human workers helping the vampires choose the right size and tell them about the material. I’m sure they knew what it was made of considering how long they’ve lived, but they didn’t seem to be annoyed.

  From the back, a woman with long, golden hair tied into a bun walks through a curtain. In her hand, she carried a box and hands it to a customer. She had crow's feet on the corner of her eyes and her skin sags a bit. However, even with her age, I can tell she was beautiful when she was younger. Immediately, her pale blue eyes meet with Daehyun and she smiles. Her steps are light as she approaches us. Her delicate hands brushes against Daehyun’s cheek before saying, “My, every time I see you, you just get handsomer. Why can’t I have a son as handsome as you?”

  Daehyun chuckles. “And every time I see you, you say the same thing. I assure you, I still look the same as I did a few weeks ago.”

  The woman says nothing about his comment and continues with a question, “Now what brings you here with Zelo and…” Her voice trails as she notices me standing in the background.

  Daehyun pulls me in front of him and places both hands on my shoulder. “His name is Youngjae. I’m sure you’ve realized that the Blood Moon will be rising soon considering you have more customers than usual. I would like you to help him choose the right clothes for the occasion as he will be accompanying me that night.”

  “Yes.” Her eyes move up and down me, analyzing my body shape and skin tone. She rubs her chin and squints her eyes as if that will help her determine what will look good on me. “I think I have the right attire.” With that, she returns to the back, pass the curtains.

  Zelo walks off to the side and skims through the clothing.

  Daehyun, on the other hand, stands next to me with his arms crossed over his chest. “Like I said, this woman may not be as good as the previous owner, but she still has this artistic ability to see things. She told me the reason why she was brought here was because she was accused for murdering her husband, but I don’t believe it. I think it was one of his siblings who did it because they wanted his inheritance. The only way they could do so was to get rid of him and her since they had no child.” He pauses. “This is why I believe humans are just as monstrous as us.”

 I didn’t say anything. Maybe it’s true. Maybe we are no different from vampires, but I would like to think that we are not all bad.

 The woman returns with a black box in her hand. She motions me to follow her and I do so. She takes me to a fitting room and hands me the box before closing the curtains behind me. “Let me know when you have changed and I will see what I will need to fix.”

  I stare at the box in my hand and open it to reveal its contents. Placing the box on the floor, I take out the suit. It’s an all white vest compared to the usual black attire I’ve been wearing lately. There are a few black accents to contrast the bland color. Underneath, I would wear a black long-sleeve shirt and a red tie. On the pocket of the jacket, an embroidered rose was sewn on. My fingers lightly trace the thread and again, the image of green eyes flashes before my mind. What is with me today? Why am I thinking about him a lot lately?

  I strip the clothes I’m wearing now and change into the suit. It’s a little loose, but that can be easily fixed.

  “I’m done,” I call out shyly.

  The woman pulls back the curtain and steps inside, only to close it once more. She’s now holding a fabric ball with pins stabbed into it and wearing glasses to see better. Once more, she examines me while rubbing her chin. She bends down and tugs at my pants. “It’s a little long here.” Quickly, he puts pins where she will be tailoring.

  I stand in silence as she circles me and fixes whatever needs to be fixed. As she nears my back, she takes off the vest, leaving me in my black shirt and white pants. “Looks like you’re all set. How do you like it?”

  My fingers rub along the material on my sleeve. “It’s nice, but why white?”

  “It’s an elegant color to me, and it represents the light within the darkness. There will be many vampires around you on the night of the Blood Moon and they will lust for blood. I know what kind of man Daehyun is, and he won’t touch you. At least with the white clothes, he will know if someone has harmed you or not.” She fixes my collar, but notice her hands are on the back of my neck for a long time. “You do not carry the Pheonyx symbol. I thought you are a Doll.”

  I step away from her and turn around. “No. I am not, but I feel like I am. I don’t do everything a Doll does, and Daehyun doesn’t seem to treat me as one all the time, but I still am trapped like one. I’m still considered his.”

  She gets close to me. “I assure you, he is not a bad man. I knew the previous owner before and after she was here in The Dome and she tells me a lot about a young vampire who constantly questioned her about the human world and even wished he could live among them. It’s sad to think that he doesn’t know what the world looks like now. If he did, he would be disappointed.”

  It’s true. His books reveal a beautiful world filled with green lands and deep blue oceans. Yes, the world is beautiful, but it’s ugly at the same time. More cities are being built and car flood the streets, causing the sky to have gray tones when it should have blue. Only a handful of wildlife is preserved. But the thing that makes the world so ugly now is the constant slaughter of vampires that escaped into the outside world. “It would definitely be unwise to leave this Dome,” I mutter, directing it mostly about Daehyun.

  She nods. “Yes, but he’s a curious one. Well, it looks like everything is pinned. I will have your suit ready by tomorrow.” She leaves the room.

  I start ing my shirt and hear the curtains being pulled back. I turn around to see Jung Daehyun entering as he closes the curtain behind him. “So she chose that outfit,” he states as he stares at the vest lying on top of the box.

  “Yes. Now, get out. Didn’t I tell you this morning I don’t want to change in front of you.”

  He throws his arms in the air. “Wow. You sure are hostile today. I just wanted to check what she chose for you to wear, and of course, she would choose this.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Why do you say that?”

  He picks up the vest and raises it up to his face. “This was the same vest my uncle wore on his last Blood Moon night before he disappeared.” Again, there was that same lonely look he had when he watched the Night Sky.

  I really want to know more about Daehyun, but I retract. It’s not my business to know everything about him, but it will be nice to understand where he’s coming from. Maybe whatever happened in his past is the cause for his attacks, but of course, I know he won’t let me in so easily. For me to be able to know him, maybe he needs to know more about me.

  I more of my shirt, but stop as I near my scar. No. I’m not ready to show him. It’s still too early. Shutting my eyes tight, I return to being my same stubborn self and scold him, “I need to change, so can you please step out?”

  “Ah, fine!” He places the vest back where it was and steps out.

  I once again strip away my clothes. My finger traces the scar on my stomach and the tears start falling once more. Now I know why I’m having a heavy heart. It’s been a month since I lost him. Ah, if only I can turn back time.

Author's Note:

  Sorry, this chapter seems a bit more depressing than usual, but I think it's because one of the books I had to read for my American Literature class made me sad. Ugh, I'm not good with tragedy especially when I get attached to a character, so what happened really hit me. Haha Anyways, we get more about the two, but then we also get more mystery. Heh. Don't worry, more will be revealed through time. :D Thank you for reading!

With Love,

    LokiCraze123