Jackson grit his teeth in annoyance, his eyes scanning the rogue vampires closing them in. “There’s no opening. It’ll be too late if I don’t go after her now.”

Rosé reached into her knife pouch grabbing hold of a couple throwing knives. “So, what now?”

“We have to get Jackson hyung through so he can get to Jiwoo,” said Bambam as he gripping onto the hilt of his sword tightly. “We have to do it quickly.”

“And what about after that? We’ll still be surrounded,” Lisa pointed out as she stood back to back with Rosé.

“We’ll have to hope for a miracle.”

Mark grumbled under his breath and aimed his gun at the rogue vampire that jumped up. He took the shot lodging the bullet straight between its eyes. “Now’s not the time to be hoping for miracles guys.”

Jackson growled and leaped forward pouncing on the nearest rogue vampire while the hunters began to slash others down. Bambam and Yugyeom both fought side by side for the first time in years, cutting down rogue vampires together.

Rosé elbowed a rogue vampire that jumped on her from behind and held one of her throwing knives between her fingers. She turned and jammed the knife straight into the creature’s chest. It choked out dark red, almost black ichor out of its mouth before dissolving into ash.

A few rogue vampires fell to the ground in piles of ash after Lisa cut them down but more flooded around them.

“,” Jackson swore under his breath as he backed up with the others. “What now?”

Bambam panicked as he saw more rogue vampires closing in. “We could really use that miracle right about now.”

Rosé whined softly grabbing onto both Lisa’s and Mark’s hands, holding them tightly. “Is this really where we’re all going to die? There was so much I wanted to do...So many things I didn’t get to say to…certain people…”

“Might as well say them now,” Yugyeom said.

“Oh, come on, you guys can’t be giving up now?” A familiar female voice asked.

Everyone looked up in the direction the voice came from to see rogue vampires falling to the ground left and right. The very front rogue vampire screeched as a sword pierced through its chest. It turned to ash revealing Jinyoung, Chungha, and Somi.

“Quick, Jackson hyung. Now’s your time to run after her,” Youngjae said as he shoved Jackson forward.

Jackson nodded and bolted dodging the rogue vampires that tried to catch him.

“You’re all still alive!” Rosé exclaimed in relief. She ran up to Chungha and Somi giving both of them tight hugs. “But how?”

“Jinyoung oppa helped us,” Somi explained. “It’s kind of a long story though and now isn’t the time.”

“Good to see that you’re still kicking, Jaebum hyung.” Jinyoung snickered as he calmly stabbed a rogue vampire that jumped out at him.

Jaebum scoffed. “I’m not that easy to kill.”

“Wait, you two know each other?” Yugyeom asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jinyoung nodded flicking his sword so the thick dark ichor from the rogue vampire’s flew off. “Yeah, we know each other.”

“Great, but this isn’t the time for reunions and that story is long,” Youngjae said as he dodged a rogue vampire’s punch and jammed his fist straight into the creature’s chest. “We don’t have time for it right now.”

“Should we make this quick then?” Jinyoung asked.

“Preferably so we can help Jackson hyung,” Bambam said.

“We have to check for survivors before helping out Ja—” Yugyeom’s voice trailed off when he was suddenly picked up from the ground and thrown against a tree. He grunted out loudly when he hit the tree and slumped to the ground unconscious. Everyone jumped away in surprise as Bambam ran up to the young hunter.

“Why do you guys have to be here to make our job difficult?” A female voice sounded. The female rogue vampire pushed her hair back from her face. “We only want the girl to die. Was this all really necessary?”

Rosé’s eyes widened as she recognized the female vampire. “J-Jennie unnie? But you—”

Jennie smirked as her eyes landed on Rosé. “Chaeyoung-ah~ It’s been a while.”

Rosé felt her body start to shake in fear the longer she stared at the familiar vampire before her. Everything about Jennie she knew was suddenly gone. She was not the same person. Her body language was different. The aura around her was different.

‘This is probably what Jiwoo felt like seeing Jungkook like this for the first time…’ Rosé thought as she clenched her fists.

“Wait...you,” Somi spoke up when she finally recognized the female rogue vampire, “you were one of the vampires who attacked my hometown...Y-You killed my family.”

Jennie raised an eyebrow studying Somi up and down. “You’re the little girl who stabbed me with a kitchen knife and got away from me.” A dark smirk formed on Jennie’s face. “Your family sure did taste delicious. I wonder if you’ll taste the same. I’ve been waiting far too long to kill you, little girl.”

Rosé snapped out of her daze and reached for the dagger at Somi’s hip and stepped in front of her. “Don’t you dare touch her.”

Jennie scoffed, her eyes darkening black and irises shining red. “Then I’ll have to kill you first.”

Jiwoo grunted as she tried to twist herself out of Jungkook’s grip. She managed to shake him off and bolted toward the training grounds.

Jungkook sighed watching as she ran away. “She’s making this so difficult for herself.” He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and dashed after her in the speed of light. He moved in front of her before she could notice and she ran straight into him.

Jiwoo fell to the ground with a loud thud and coughed when the wind was knocked out of her on impact. Jungkook knelt over her and tilted his head.

“Why are you being so difficult, sister? You could save everyone. This could all end if you just cooperate.”

Jiwoo glared at him and kicked Jungkook in the chest knocking him to the ground. She quickly got up to her feet and drew her sword out. “Never.”

Jungkook chuckled and stood up. “That was a good kick. But are you sure you want to be injuring your poor brother?”

“You’re not my brother. You’re a monster.”

“Well, sure, but are you really sure your brother still isn’t in here?” He said as he pointed to the side of his head.

Jiwoo frowned. “What do you mean? Is he?”

Jungkook shrugged, a sinister smirk spreading across his face. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

“You’re just telling me this to distract me.”

“Am I? What if I told you that the ritual wasn’t to make rogue vampires stronger or whatever lie you were told but to stop the transition. If you die, you’ll be saving all of us. We’ll all go back to our normal vampire selves, including your precious brother,” said Jungkook. “You were the last part of the ritual that failed. Because you still live, rogue vampires exist.”

Jiwoo took a step back, her grip on her sword loosening. “Because I’m alive...you...you have to live like that? All of you?”

“Of course. It’s how rituals work. So, what’s it going to be?” Jungkook asked, reaching out his hand.

“So, all that time when you said you wanted me to join you...it was just you inviting me to my death?”

Jungkook shrugged, “I shouldn’t have said it, wasted my time being patient and nice with you.”

Jiwoo bit her bottom lip as she dropped her arms to her side. “How...How does this work? How do I…”

“You’ll just have to drink my blood.”

“That’s all? Will it hurt?”

“Probably.”

Jiwoo chewed on her bottom lip. “Okay...I’ll...do it.”

“Jiwoo! No!” Jackson yelled as he approached closer to the training grounds.

Jungkook rolled his eyes. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Don’t you ever give up?”

“Let her go,” Jackson demanded.

“Or what? You’re going to kill me? How’s Jiwoo going to feel about you ripping her brother apart, huh?”

Jackson grit his teeth and took a step forward only to have Jiwoo step in between the both of them.

“Move,” Jackson said.

“Jackson, don’t,” Jiwoo said, raising her sword up at him. “Don’t you dare touch him.”

Jungkook smirked darkly. “Would you look at that?”

Jackson shot a glare at the rogue vampire. “What did you do to her?”

Jungkook raised his heads, “Nothing. I promise. She’s doing this on her own.”

“Why—” Jackson asked, his eyes darting from Jungkook to Jiwoo.

“If I die, all of this will end. It’ll save everyone,” Jiwoo said as tears welled up in her eyes. “The ritual that you guys thought was about them trying to gain powers. It was to reverse the transition. Because I’m alive, they’re going to stay monsters forever.”

“Did...Did he tell you that? Jiwoo, don’t believe what he’s telling you. He’s lying.”

“Am I, though?” Jungkook said, tilting his head. “Who’s to say? You sure as hell can’t say about it. You don’t know anything about the ritual. You only know what you assume is right.”

“There’s no way that’s what the ritual was about,” Jackson said shaking his head. “You’re lying. Jiwoo, you can’t believe this. He’s just trying to get you on his side. He’s not your brother anymore. Your brother is gone.”

“Jackson, please. If this truly is how to save my brother, I have to do this.” Tears streaked Jiwoo’s cheeks as she touched the tip of her sword against Jackson’s chest. “Don’t get it my way. I won’t hesitate to kill you if you do.”

Jackson felt his chest tighten at Jiwoo’s words. He didn’t know what to believe anymore. Was he to believe Jungkook that the ritual was to reverse the rogue vampire transition or was he to believe what he already knew, what he thought he knew. He didn’t want Jiwoo to die but he didn’t want to get in her way either.

He grit his teeth, clenching his fists. “Dammit…Fine...do whatever you want. But just so you know, if he’s lying about this ritual and you die for nothing, he’s going to die. Slowly and tortuously.”

Jungkook snickered. “Sounds . I might enjoy it.”

Jiwoo lowered her sword from Jackson’s chest and wiped her tears. She her heel toward Jungkook and nodded. “I’m ready.”