Each of the seven Princes froze in their place while their hearts slowed down to a deathly pace. This moment was enough to cause it to actually cease beating, ending their life as they knew it. But... But they had to confirm what was going on. Was this a dream? Was this really reality? Was this truly her? Was she back in their lives? Their feet were basically glued to the waxed floor beneath them but their spirits were soaring higher than it had ever done so in the past two hundred years. One Prince, with a darkened red hairstyle that seemed to be a mixture of a rusty mahogany and deep chocolate colour, was grasping so tightly onto his glass that he could easily crush it in his grasp with another few applications of pressure. Another, who seemed to be the youngest of them all with his youthful face and childlike charm, had released his hold on his drink.

Before it could make contact with the hard floor and shatter, the crystal cup was caught by a BEAST member. Dongwoon straightened himself up and returned the empty glass to its drinker. He and the others had prepared themselves for this moment—and the various outcomes attached to it—for the past two hundred years. "I wouldn't do anything insane right now, kiddo."

"She's... She's..." One of the Princes seemed to have found their voice, but just couldn't pinpoint where their words had gone.

Dongwoon grinned and smiled at all of the surprised Princes, nodding at the other BEASTs that was closing in on their location. "Beautiful," he decided to add a little charm and fun to their shock before disappearing into the thick crowd.

Sophia's grasp around her 's arm tightened greatly. Yoseob could easily feel her fear and excitement grow exponentially with the passing seconds. He lifted his hand and grazed it against the one that was intertwined with his bicep. This was his way of extending support to her.

"Can't turn back now, Soph," he whispered kindly into her ear as he lead her towards the party itself.

The music continued to echo in the large room, bouncing off the diamond and crystal chandeliers. One entire side of the wall was just mirrors, adding a sense of largeness to the party that made it seem so much grander than it was. There was a section for a wide array of food while most of the floor was left to dancing and conversing. Everyone in the party returned to their original positions from before Sophia had arrived once she walked past them. The other Princesses were examining her for an ounce of weakness or humanity, but found nothing. And she seemed to ring brightly under ever man's radar in her extravagant gown.

This moment. This event. This feeling. All of it was just as it was in her dream—the one that occurred every year on her birthday, like clockwork, which haunted her menacingly.

Trying to avoid looking at people's eyes for too long, Sophia heaved another great sigh. "I'm about to have a heart attack."

"I don't think we can get that, Soph," Yoseob whispered playfully in her ear.

"My heart is just about to burst out of my chest and hop back home," the Princess tried to tug him in an effort to initiate for all seven of them to leave early.

The calm and collected blonde BEAST pulled her all the way to the dance floor, where he gently bowed and extended his right hand for her to grasp. "Then let's change the pace of your breathing to match that of this wonderful waltz."

Without a second of hesitation, she reached for his cool touch lightly, as he yanked her forward into his arms. This was something that he knew could easily distract her. She was never the best dancer, and all of her effort and attention always focused on the song as opposed to the events going on around her. If only she had sensed just a centimeter of the emotions running through the Woo Princes not too far from her location; then she would definitely have rushed off home with or without the BEASTs by her side.

"If I step on your feet, forgive me," she smiled.

Other whispers, escaping the lips of the other royal members of old families from across the globe, began to overpower the room. All of which spoke of the captivating Princess that few had ever seen. They spoke of her familiarity, yet distant personality. Something about it should have rung a bell in their minds, but nope. Nothing was done.

Junhyung and Doojoon decided to make their way to where Dongwoon and the Princes of the Seoul Kingdom were. This was their precautionary method of making sure that the vampire brothers were not preparing themselves in either attacking Yoseob or ambushing the Princess to get some answers. There was a reason they had chosen a public event like this to present her back into their lives—simply because this meant a lesser amount of problems and issues arising from the situation, which also didn't mean that nothing would go wrong. Something always did. Always.

"You guys look like you've seen a ghost," Junhyung grinned while he sipped his glass of red wine. It was a particularly odd tasting drink to him, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.

"Ghosts don't exist, Junhyung," Doojoon enjoyed the awe stricken men in front of them. This was the response he had wanted—one that they could easily handle and control.

One of the Princes, who had chubby cheeks and extremely chinky eyes, pushed aside the deep red haired one to speak. "What the hell is going on, Junhyung? Who is this guy?"

"This," Junhyung placed his hand on Doojoon's shoulder, "is my brother, Doojoon. Well, not really a true blood brother, but we've been through enough to consider each other family."

"All of us have," Dongwoon added while nodding at Hyunseung and Kikwang in the not so far distance. The two of them were prepared to inch closer and closer towards the duo dancing majestically in the midst of the whispers.

"And that beautiful girl over there," Doojoon pointed to the Princess' direction as Yoseob lead her in a wonderful and seemingly perfect dance routine, "is Sophia."

The tallest of them all, who had cheeks almost as large as the last Woo brother who spoke, felt something in his entire being just jump upon hearing her name spoke out loud like that. "...Sophia...?"

"That can't be..." Another Prince with a sharp nose and piercing eyes shook his head in disbelief.

"Then why don't you go confirm it yourself?" suggested the youngest BEAST.

"Don't mind if I do," the Prince with dirty blonde hair and fanglike teeth grinned as he strode into the crowd.

He kept his eyes focused on the captivating girl in the distance. This seemed too surreal for even him to believe. Without even noticing, his heart began to race with every step he took closer and closer to her. The BEAST boys had practically given him and his brothers the 'okay' to approach her. But this event, this moment, this occasion was something that none of them had prepared for.

It was now or never, Prince Hoya.

The calm royal grinned as he tapped the shoulder of the blonde, youthful BEAST. This gesture caused the dancing duo to end their majestic routine. Sophia stared with wide eyes at the seemingly perfect Prince. One of her hands quickly held onto Yoseob's arm and tightened to express her surprise. A deeper sense of familiarity slapped her across the face and began to close in on her. If she needed the sense of breathing—well, she would have keeled over begging for some air right now.

Hoya extended the other hand towards Sophia. "Do you mind if I interrupt?"

Little did any of them know that this further pushed Sophia and the brothers back into the path of their destiny—as tragic as it may be.

"I don't mind," Yoseob released the hold he had on Sophia with a heavy heart. There was no turning back since they had gotten to the Kingdom of Seoul, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't hurt him. He thought that he was prepared for all that was attached to a moment like this. In all honesty though, he wasn't. He'd never be ready—which made it so much more damaging to him that it should have been.

Sophia reached out for Yoseob as the panic rose in her body. She begged for him not to leave her alone like this by the way she met his eyes; but her pleads were pushed aside. It was time—time for her to return to the arms of those she was meant to love and who loved her desperately.

Hesitatingly holding onto the gentleman in front of her, she released a heavy sigh. "I apologize for any possible injuries you may sustain while dancing with me."

"Seems like you're more skilled than you believe," Hoya whispered into her ear while he pulled her a little closer against his body. He could clearly hear the beating of her heart, which was his way of trying to figure out what she was feeling. Feeling her touch simply confirmed that this moment was truly reality—simply a reality that he and his brothers had been waiting for. With a kind motion, he placed his hand against her back and their bodies stepped alongside the music perfectly.

Sophia was caught off guard at Hoya's gesture once he tightened his hold against her waist and brought her chest to meet his. She had to gather herself quickly, the pulse of her heart beginning to slow down more and more, before the sheer shock was apparent on her face. What was this feeling? "I'm still unaware of your name, sir," she lightly said while clearing .

"I am Hoya," his beautifully crafted lips revealed an animal-like smile with sharp canines. Something about it was so mysterious yet handsome. "A Prince of this Kingdom. I apologize for not introducing myself properly before asking for your hand."

"It's alright," the Princess returned his grin. "I'm Sophia from the Kingdom of Akore. You and your brothers certainly know how to throw delightful banquets." The village outside of the palace walls, however, were certainly a whole different story in her eyes. But she wouldn't want to instigate any trouble at such a lovely party.

"I don't meant to be a bit too inquisitive," Hoya leaned it even closer. The mere aroma of her rose scented skin and pulsing blood rushing through her veins was enough to drive him mad. This was something he hadn't experienced in two centuries, "but why is it that I've never seen you around these parts?"

Sophia felt her cheeks begin to brighten into a colour just about the same shade of red as her dress. The Prince smelled of wild cherries and tangerines mixed with a light scent of flowers. It was pleasantly hypnotizing. "I haven't left my Kingdom since I had gotten there, actually."

"And that has been...?"

"Somewhere around two hundred years, give or take a decade or two."

Her response caused Hoya to abruptly stop their perfect routine. He had been leading the whole time, unaware of any mistakes she may have made for her was a skilled dancer. The Prince was frozen, adapting his mind and thoughts accordingly to what she just said. That's where she had been all this time. But the feeling... the feeling of wanting to look for her... why couldn't he locate that incentive?

During this time frame, Sophia stared out into the crowd. An extremely familiar tall figure caught her attention. Upon focusing more and more on their features, she began to realize just how eerily similar they looked to someone she had lost. Their light brown hair, which shined at every angle, and lean physique gave off a feeling of authority yet friendliness. But what truly had struck her was the shade of his eyes—they were the perfect combination of greens and browns, with a little hint of yellow and some blue.

Only one person in the world had those eyes.

And she hadn't seen them in... two hundred years.

Damien.

She immediately pulled herself from Hoya's grip. He took no time realizing what had happened, before rustling up the words to question her sudden movements. Without looking him straight in the eyes, the Princess immediately bowed and picked up the ends of her dress. "I'm... I'm sorry... I just... I just need some air... It's a bit stuffy in here," she stuttered incredibly before parting ways with the astounded Prince.

The few seconds it took for her to leave the grand ball room and enter the vast backyard seemed to take years. Her entire surrounding had slowed to a deathly pace. She couldn't seem to find herself—mentally and physically. It was as if her mind began to flash from two different plains, two different ideas, two different time periods. In one blink, she'd be in the midst of such a beautiful party; and in the other she'd be in the middle of chaos and destruction.

But the same feeling of uncertainty and discomfort attacked her system.

"...What... What is wrong with me?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SINCE I AM FINALLY DONE WITH AP PREPARING AND TESTING, LET US CELEBRATE WITH A NEW CHAPTER <3 akjdshfkasjhd D: I sincerely apologize for those wating patiently T_________T I know you guys have bothered me but I've been deathly busy. And with the end of the year creeping up on me, I'm just excited lol. 

What do you guys think?! I give you permission to yell at me all you want for taking a month to update. ugh.