March 13, 2010 – Tokyo, Japan 3:00 a.m.


“Noona? Why are you still awake? You’re flight is in four hours. You should be sleeping.” Sang Hyun sits beside Sandara on the black leather couch.

Sandara has a pink blanket wrapped around her. She hugs her knees, “I’m not sleepy.”

“You’re nervous and scared huh?” Sang Hyun wraps his arm around her. She lays her head on his shoulder. He pulls out a white gold necklace with a small heart pendant dangling on it. He holds it in front of her. 

“I thought I lost it…. I didn’t mean to throw it in the river….I was just mad at myself after he passed away….” Sandara touches the heart pendant then she takes it from Sang Hyun’s hand.

“Do you still remember the first time our parents told us about our true identity?” He takes the necklace back and puts it around her neck.

“Yes, I was 14 and you were only 12.” Sandara stares at the aquarium across the living room.

“I just realized, surprising things always happens on your birthday. You just turned 14 when we had an important family meeting.” Sang Hyun pulls Sandara closer to him.

“You took the revelation pretty well because you found out we were going to have powers. The only thing I didn’t like was living forever. I could not imagine living forever. I thought it was an abnormal lifestyle. But of course, our parents started teaching us about our history and the reason why we’re living on earth. It changed my mind. It didn’t bother me anymore that we are immortals in this world. Our purpose is to protect the human race.” Sandara fiddles the pendant around her neck.

“But that issue resurfaced again when you fell in love with Seung Hyun.” Sang Hyun pulls his arm back and Sandara sits up.

“Mother said we would fully turn into a ‘Guardian’ around the age 16 or 17. It’s my fault why I’m like this now. I shouldn’t have prolonged our relationship. I knew I was going to change soon and I also knew we had no future together. I should have distance myself from him after our first meeting. Why did I go on with our relationship if I was only going to hurt him in the end?” Sandara tries to remove the necklace. 

Sang Hyun grabs her hand, “You shouldn’t blame your heart for falling in love. Fate and destiny has it ways in this world. You both fell in love and fate allowed it. You two were the happiest couple I ever met.”

“If we were really destined to be together then why am I here and he isn’t?” Sandara looks Sang Hyun in the eye and waits for his answer. Silence. “See, you don’t know the answer. Fate and destiny are not real.”

“Noona, before you met Seung Hyun hyung, you were so focus on being a fully pledge ‘Guardian’. You fell in love with our history and you wanted to fulfill your duty and service to protect. I thought you matured so much during that first year of learning about our kind. Father always reminded us that we must love what we do. Our love is where we get our full strength from. We love the human race and our kind. We love peace. We love our family….” Sang Hyun loosens his grip on Sandara’s hand.

“I felt the strongest when I was with Seung Hyun....” Sandara stands up and walks over to the other couch.

“Noona?” Sang Hyun follows her to the other couch.

“Sang Hyun, please take care while I’m away. I don’t think I can bear the pain again if I also lose you too.” Sandara rocks herself back and forth while hugging her knees.

“Noona, I’m not going anywhere…You’re not going to ask me when and how I found your necklace?” Sang Hyun gently touches the pendant around her neck.

“Thank you.” Sandara looks away from her brother’s concern gaze.

“Fate and destiny allowed me to find it. I didn’t expect to find it. It was like poof I found it.” 

“No, it was intentional. You purposely searched for it because you know it’s important to me.” 

“Honestly, noona, I did search for it after you threw it in the river almost 100 years ago. I only searched for it once and never again after we relocated. I swear this time I unexpectedly found it.” Sang Hyun raises his right hand gesturing he’s telling the truth.

“Then tell me how and when did you find it?” Sandara looks back at him and raises a brow.

Sang Hyun smiles triumphantly that he got her attention, “Remember last weekend I was gone for 2 days?” Sandara nods. “The Japanese Elders sent me back home to personally deliver a message to the Korean Elders. After I delivered the message I still had some free time to spare so I visited our old home. I just wanted to reminiscence the happy memories we had back then. Even though I know the river brought happy and sad memories to you I still visited it. While I was at the river I soaked my feet into the water, again reminiscing. Suddenly I felt something odd underneath my right foot. It didn’t feel like the smooth stones on shore. Plus you know our skins are very sensitive. Anyways I lifted my foot and tada! Long behold that shiny pendant makes it’s grand entrance back into our lives! There’s a meaning to this noona…like it’s a sign or something. I hope whatever it is…it will make you happy.” Sang Hyun smiles and hugs his sister.


*FLASHBACK*

November 12, 1908

“Noona, is it possible our parents are hiding something from us?” Sang Hyun pulls a book out of the shelf. They are in their family library room. He takes a seat beside Sandara.

Sandara stops reading the page she was on and looks at Sang Hyun, “Impossible. Our parents taught us honesty. They would never keep secrets from us. Never.”

“But noona…the children in town said we’re vampires. When I went into town with father the other day they said that to me.” He slowly turns the page of his book waiting for Sandara to answer.

Sandara laughs, “Why would they say that?”

“They said vampires roam in the forest and near the mountains. Noona, we live in the middle of the forest near the mountains. And we live far from town…isn’t it suspicious as to why our parents would isolate us from the townspeople? Maybe to hide our family secret?” Sang Hyun stares blankly at the wall.

Sandara moves closer to him and softly place her hand on his shoulder, “My baby brother…I really don’t believe we’re vampires. We eat normal food like the rest of people in town. We don’t drink human blood.”

“I have a feeling we’ll be turning into vampires soon. Our parents are always in a hurry when they leave…what if they’re out there right now drinking their victims.” He covers his mouth.

“Sang Hyun! Is this like a birthday joke you’re pulling out on me? It’s not funny! Our parents went into town to meet some of their friends and they’ll be home soon to celebrate my 14th birthday.” Sandara lightly hits Sang Hyun’s head.

“I’m not joking, noona. I just have this strong feeling that there is something wrong with our family. Our family is too protective with us. We’re not allowed to roam the forest alone if they’re not around. We don’t even have any friends. What are they protecting us from?” Sang Hyun brushes his hair back.

“From the vampires.” Sandara laughs. “Seriously, Sang Hyun, we’re not vampires. Our parents are very kind people. I doubt they could hurt anyone.”

“Hurt who?”

Sandara and Sang Hyun immediately stands up. Their parents enter the room. Mrs. Park kisses the siblings on top of each of their heads. Mr. Park hands Sandara a wrapped box, “What are you two talking about? Who’s going to hurt who?”

“Father, Sang hyun here thinks you and mother are vampires.” Sandara slowly unwraps the box. Sang Hyun nudges Sandara’s elbow. She turns her head, “What? Remember our family is all about honesty. Right, Father?”

Mr. Park and Mrs. Park both look at each other then back at Sandara. Mrs. Park wraps her arms around Sandara. Mr. Park steps closer to them, “We have something important to tell you and Sang Hyun. It’s time we tell you about our family. Our true identity. It’s too early to tell Sang Hyun but I believe it’s better if we teach both you at the same time.” 

Sang Hyun jumps back and inches into the corner, “WE’RE VAMPIRES! Father, I don’t want to drink blood!”

Mrs. Park covers and suppresses her laughter. Mr. Park shakes his head and moves toward Sang Hyun, “We don’t drink blood son. We’re not vampires. They’re our enemies. We’re Guardians.”

“Guardians?” Sandara and Sang Hyun said in unison. 

Mr. Park gestures the siblings to take a seat. Mrs. Park joins him at the end of the table. She holds his hand and smiles. Mr. Park continues, “We are Guardians. We protect the human race from vampires roaming this earth. We’re like Angels put on Earth to help guide and protect humans from evil. Vampires are deceiving. They only want greed and power. We’ve been fighting them since humans existed. It’s been an ongoing battle between both our kinds. They’re powers has also evolved through time. They’re getting stronger and they won’t stop until they finally take over this world. Both of you have Guardian blood running through your veins.”

Sang Hyun raises his hand, “Father, I still feel human. What’s different about us?”

“Son, you were born into this world without your Guardian powers and abilities. Young Guardians are vulnerable to vampires if not protected under their parents care. Guardian parents must always protect their children from vampires until they’re children turn into a full blooded Guardian.” He strums his fingers on the table.

“Father? How old will we be when we turn into a guardian?” Sandara eyes are filled with curiousity.

“16 or 17. It depends but that is the time frame when a young Guardian fully develops. The reason why we don’t tell young Guardians about their true identities is to protect their innocent minds if ever they get kidnap by a vampire. Vampires have difficulties distinguishing young guardians with human children. Again, young guardians are vulnerable. We learned from the past…Vampires that found them would inflict pain on them until they revealed their true identity. Young guardians gave in easily because they didn’t know better. Once they got the truth..that’s when they would bite them and change them into their kind. If a full grown Guardian got bitten by a vampire, it would be the death for us. But with a young guardian that hasn’t change, they will easily turn into a vampire. A vampire’s venom works the same on a full grown Guardian and a human. It’s death for both kinds but although young guardians are vulnerable and has no powers. They have all this hidden powers building inside their blood stream and that’s what the vampires figured out. It was all accidental. They had no clue they bitten a young guardian in the past. Once that young guardian changed they’re strength was stronger than their own full blooded vampire. Like what I said, the vampires started evolving with all the changes they’ve been doing with their kind and ours.” Mr. Park clasps his hands.

“I understand now why you two were so protective with Sang Hyun and I.” Sandara hugs her mother.

Mrs. Park kisses her cheek, “A young guardian that has been changed by a vampire will also possess their characteristic. Their venom not only changed them but also poisoned their heart and mind. Guardians that try to get their children back only face death. We’re much faster than vampires but if we make ourselves vulnerable then they can easily kill us. Parents don’t have the strength to kill their own child. But they forget that their children died once they got bitten. They’re not the same anymore. I will not allow any vampire near my precious babies.”

“Age 14 is a good age to start teaching a young guardian our history and our purpose. Also we will begin your training how to fight and defend yourself from a vampire. There’s so much to learn. We have two years to teach you and for Sang Hyun it will be four years. You’ll be a very strong young guardian, Sang Hyun.” Mr. Park stands up and squeezes Sang Hyun’s shoulder.

“WOW! We’ll have powers soon? Can we fly? Will we have wings?” Sang Hyun grins.

Mr. Park laughs, “Sorry, but we don’t have wings. Hmm, we don’t actually fly but we can leap pretty far. You want us to show you our strength and powers outside?”

Sang Hyun bounces up and down, “Yes father! Let’s go!” He tugs his arm.

“Wait.”

Sang Hyun and his parents both turn back at Sandara. She looks down at her shoes then looks back up. “We’re not like normal people…we protect humans for how long father?”

“For a very long time until a vampire kills us.”

“How old are you father? Honestly, you and mother look very young to have us.”

“I’m 970 years old. But if you also want to add my age after I turned into a full Guardian then I’m 987 years old. You’re mother is just two years older than me.” Mr. Park holds Mrs. Park’s hand.

Sang Hyun and Sandara’s eyes widen and their mouth drops open. Sang Hyun breaks free from shock, “We can never get old? We’ll look young forever?”

“We age differently from humans. They get older every year while for us it’s every 100 years we get a year older. I mean that’s after we become a full Guardian.” Mrs. Park closes Sandara’s mouth.

Sandara snaps out from her shock, “We’re immortal?”

“Yes, dear.”

“That’s not normal.” Sandara shakes her head.

“We’re not human. Come now, let’s go outside. You two have to learn more about our kind.” Mrs. Park ushers her two children out the door while Mr. Park trails behind them.

May 28, 1909 3:30 p.m.


“Sandara?”

Sandara looks up from the book she was reading, “Yes, father?”

“I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You’re indeed a fast learner.” Mr. Park takes a seat beside her on the bench. He looks at their huge green lawn. 

“Thank you, father. I can’t wait to turn into a full Guardian. I want see for myself what the vampires are doing out there. There are innocent people out there dying because of their selfish needs. I wish Sang Hyun could be by my side on my first mission. Too bad he has to wait a few more years. He really is a good fighter.” Sandara closes her book.

“He is…baby girl? If ever something bad happens to me and your mother, please protect your brother?” Mr. Park briefly closes his eyes.

“Father, please don’t say that. You’ll be with us forever.” Sandara squeezes his hand.

“I’m sorry. But that’s if ever something does happen. Plus you’ll one day marry another guardian and have your own family. We won’t see you as often…” Mr. Park opens his eyes and smiles.

“Bleh! I don’t see myself getting married. I want to be a fully pledge Guardian. My love is to protect.” Sandara smiles.

“Baby girl, must I reiterate to you about our full strength? Where do we get our source of strong powers from?” 

Sandara rolls her eyes, “I know its love. My love is my family and protecting innocents. Is that not enough?”

“You’re still young. You’ll understand what I’m saying once you feel it.” Mr. Park hugs his daughter.

“Seriously, father. Doesn’t it all depend on each Guardian where they get their source of power? I really don’t think my source will be from loving another man…I’m getting the goosebumps just thinking about it.” Sandara shivers.

“You’re right about every Guardian different source of strength. It’s a beautiful day for you and your brother to take a walk near the river. You can finish reading that book later. Go on now.” Mr. Park pulls Sandara up from the bench.

“We’re allowed to go alone?” 

Mr. Park nods, “It’s different now. You both know what to do now if ever you guys encounter a vampire. Also you guys have developed some martial art skills. I’m only allowing two hours and if you two are not here on the dot. We’ll immediately search for you guys.”

Sandara kisses her father before running off to their backyard.

May 28, 1909 4:15 p.m.


“Noona, I wanna go back.” Sang Hyun jumps down from the tree branch. Sandara remains sitting up on the branch. He looks up, “I’m hungry.”

“Sang Hyun, we finally got our freedom to wander alone without our parents and you want to go back home now? It’s only been fifteen minutes since we got here. You should have brought yourself a snack before we came here.” She flips a page of her book.

“I would have but you dragged me so fast I wasn’t able to make myself one.” He clicks his tongue at her. She still ignores him and continues reading her book. “Come on, let’s go!”

Sandara looks back down, “I don’t want to go yet.”

“Then I’m going back alone.” Sang Hyun pouts.

“You can’t leave me here alone. We must not separate remember? Plus what if a vampire pounces on you on your way back home?” 

“I’ll be fine, noona.”

“No, Sang Hyun. Stay here.”

“I’m not a dog noona. But if you think so, then chase after me.” He clicks his tongue and runs. 

Sandara drops her book. She jumps down from the branch. She runs after her brother, “SANG HYUN!”

Sang Hyun is indeed a faster runner than his sister. Even though they haven’t changed yet he possesses this powerful strength. Sandara is about six miles behind Sang Hyun. She stops running and catches her breath. Sang Hyun doesn’t know his sister is lost. He continues to run back home.

“Uh oh? This trail is unfamiliar…. I thought I was following Sang Hyun…” Sandara whirls around in a circle looking for a possible trail that will lead her back home. The trees look unfamiliar to her. Calm down. I’m not lost. Sang Hyun will notice I’m not behind him and he’ll come back for me. He will I know it… She continues to walk aimlessly through the forest hoping she’ll find her way back.

30 minutes passes by. Sandara thinks of an idea, “I shall climb this tree. Maybe I can see the river from here. Once I see it, I’ll know my way back.” She smoothly climbs up the tree. A little bit higher.. She reaches for another branch but looses her grip. “Aaaaaahhh!!!”


Thud.


Sandara lands on top of something hard. She tries to push herself to sit up when she realizes that she’s laying on top of another person. She quickly scrambles away from the unconscious person. The person is facing head down on the grass. “Oh no! Did I kill this innocent boy or young man?”

The young man gains conscious. He winces in pain. He grabs his right shoulder and slowly sits up, “Miss? Are you okay?”

Sandara eyes widen, “I should be the one asking you that question. You’re hurt. I’m so sorry!” She immediately tears the bottom of her white dress and runs to his side. She wraps his arm into a sling. He carefully watches her as she cared for his arm.

“Thank you.” He returns a sincere smile. She blushes. “I’m Seung Hyun.”

“Seung Hyun, you shouldn’t be thanking the person that hurt you.” Sandara tightens the knot of the sling.

Seung Hyun chuckles, “It’s alright. I rather be the one hurt than you.”

Sandara helps him stand up, “Do you live around here?”

“Yes. I live near the foot of the mountain over there.” Seung Hyun points toward the other direction.

Danger…he might be a vampire. No villagers live in the forest and mountains because they’re afraid of the vampires. But he doesn’t look like a vampire…Father did say vampires look like humans like us too…Wait, he’s hurt. Vampires’ bones don’t break. And his lips are bleeding…phew he’s human. A handsome human I must say…wait what am I saying? Sandara covers her red face.

Seung Hyun turns his head back, “Er, miss? Why are you covering your face?”

“My name is Sandara.” She mumbles. “I’m lost. Can you help me find my way back to the river?” Slowly she feels the hotness of her face simmer down. She removes her hands and finds Seung Hyun smiling at her.

“You’re an odd girl. It’s alright I’m odd too.” He chuckles, “You’re miles away from the river. You’re not from here are you?” Seung Hyun starts walking.

“I do live around here. A few miles east from the river. Where are we right now?” Sandara trails behind him.

“We’re west of the river.” He stops walking and faces her. 

“Woah! I ran the opposite direction…” She bites her lower lips.

Seung Hyun heart skips, “Sandara? Who are you running from?” His brows furrow and he starts to worry.

Sandara feels uneasy with his stare, “I wasn’t running from anyone…I was chasing my brother. We weren’t supposed to separate but he’s a fast runner….this is so embarrassing that I’m lost.”

“Don’t worry. I’m here with you. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I won’t allow it. Now let’s go back to the river…you actually ran pretty far…we’ll be there in an hour.” Seung Hyun starts walking again.

I hope Sang Hyun arrives home safely. I hope he didn’t get hurt. When I do get home and find him safe I’m going to pound him for leaving me…It’s a good thing Seung Hyun found me and not a vampire.. Sandara smiles while following Seung Hyun.

**END OF FLASHBACK**