(Third person point of view remains)

Mrs. Moon's gaze focused on the sleeping beauty beside her. Sophia didn't look bothered at all by the great deal of noise that was produced by the alarm system. The elderly woman raised her free hand to part the young girl's hair. All of the memories attached to such a noise shook her entire being. She began to remember it all... And him.

'I'm so sorry child,' this thought ran through her mind. 'This is not something that you are meant to experience. Not now, not ever.'

Meanwhile, on the other side of the grand doors, the King pulled his family into his master bedroom. They closed all of the curtains to ensure no one from the outside could see. The alarm was extremely deafening and too loud for them to talk quietly. He brought every member close to each other and all linked hands. With this, their Mother could communicate with each of them.

"We need to get Sophia out of here," Sunggyu quickly suggested.

"Agreed," Dongwoo and Sungyeol nodded in unison. Each of them knew that the first priority in a situation like this was to protect the girl they all loved. And they were willing to do anything to make sure she was safe.

"We need to get you guys out of here," the King counteracted his son's words.

All seven of the brothers looked up at their Father. They were astonished by his words. "Do you not trust that we can handle ourselves?" asked the middle child.

"It's not that," the Queen's voice swept through all of their minds. "You're our babies. And we want to make sure that you guys are safe."

"I'd rather give up my life protecting her than running away without her," Myungsoo growled to his parents.

"We all are prepared to do so," Woohyun added on. "This is the time where all that training we've been doing with the hunters comes into play."

"They aren't using human assassins," the King announced. This was fight with his sons was one he knew he'd lose from the start. Their hearts had spoken.

"We know, probably the same kind that we have captured right?" Sungjong inferred. "We completely handled that one."

"There isn't just going to be six or seven, there is probably a hundred out there easily," the Queen began to panic. The thought of losing one of her children in this battle made her heart crash. Just the thought of seeing one of them injured, not even dead, created a melancholic presence around her. She didn't want to let them go. They were still so young in her eyes. She still saw the babies she gave birth to so long ago.

"Mother," Sungyeol lowered his head. "We can do this. I know we can."

"I just don't want any of you guys to get hurt..." Tears began to fall from her eyes. The beautiful, perfect being in front of them broke down, her spirit shattered at such a grim thought. "You're all so young and... and for you to not live the life you all want... It's devastating..."

"Without her, Mother," Dongwoo's grip tightened around the brothers' hands he had a hold of. All of realized what he was doing and stiffened all around their circle. "Without her... life isn't worth living."

The Queen raised her head, realizing this was the kind of love that was impossible to avoid. All seven of them had truly fallen—head over heels, stomach turning and doing flips, butterflies from every word and breath, unbelievable and undeniable—in love with the same girl. And it didn't bother any of them to a level that could potentially damage their relationship. They had accepted that she may choose one of them, she may choose someone else, they were prepared for all sorts of situations when it came to her heart. But they knew she had to live to make that decision.

The King stared at his Queen. She had accepted her sons' choice. He saw the woman that he had fallen in love with. And he was intent on keeping her safe this time. He wasn't losing someone else. "I love you all of you," he announced. "Go do what you must. Show those idiotic vampires how the royal Moon family fight in battle."

And with these simple words, "Look after one another, alright? Don't underestimate the enemy. Don't any of you dare get hurt... And... And... Mother loves you, never forget that." The Queen parted ways with her sons.

All seven brothers released their grips from each other. Their parents were letting them go, only because the love they held for Sophia was too strong to overlook. One lingering thought remained in their minds, as regular vampires, they were capable of dying at a much easier rate. They were capable of getting injured much quicker than their opponents. They were capable of breathing their last on this day. They didn't have a special ability to aid them, not even faster reflexes. That didn't matter. None of it did.

As long as Sophia was alright, it all would be worth it.

"Myungsoo, keep her room a safehouse. The rest of us will divert their attention downstairs," the oldest ordered.

"Okay," he nodded his head. He understood the importance of his job. He had to make sure she was safe. He had to keep her alive. He had to protect the girl he loved. Even if it meant sacrificing his life for her own.

"Good luck kiddo," Dongwoo messed up his younger brother's hair.

"We believe in you," Hoya reassured him with just a few words.

And with that quick and final gesture, the Woo brothers—the seven perfect princes, the seven vampires—divided. The six brothers rushed down the grand stairs, creating an elaborate plan to take segregated sections of the entire palace grounds to help out the butlers. Each took their own area, keeping on their toes for the inevitable attacks of the future. They eventually all segregated themselves. The vulnerability of their tactics not apparent. They were determined. They were focused. All of them were prepared.

They were ready for anything and everything.

Myungsoo pushed open the doors that lead to the operating room. Mrs. Moon was still sitting beside Sophia, holding frantically onto her left hand. She was panicked, scared. As she turned, the weakness was written all over her face. She wasn't prepared for it. She wasn't at all. But there was one goal in her mind.

"Myungsoo!" she yelled in surprise.

"Mrs. Moon, I'm going to bring Sophia to her room," he told her as he walked up to the bedside. Sophia wasn't bleeding anymore for the stitches had completely disappeared. She was right. Her body had reacted just as a vampire would. "It's safer there."

"Okay okay, I have to make sure the staff gets out safely," she started to speak faster and faster. "I have to. I need to make sure everyone gets out of here alive."

She let go of Sophia as Myungsoo bent over to carry her. Her head rested against his chest and her legs over his left arm. He felt the faint beating of her heart, giving him even more strength and determination to keep it going. The elderly woman rushed out of the room and down the stairs. She was prepared to lead everyone to the secret passageways that lead to town. After the last war, she arranged for them to be created in desperate times. And this... this was a desperate time.

As he exited the room with her, he walked over Dr. Benjamin's dead body. His blood was creating a pool around the floor. The look of seeing a human dead made him sick. Myungsoo rushed into Sophia's room, locking the grand doors by bombarding them with as many heavy things as he could. He covered the balcony doors with the shelves and dressers from other bedrooms. Sophia was starting to awaken, her eyes adjusting slowly to her surroundings. Even as she woke up in a comfortable setting, it was apparent that something was wrong. And she just didn't know how wrong it all was.

The high pitched screeching of the alarms was what she noticed first, raising her hands to cover her ears. "What's going on?" she asked the Prince who was busily stacking things against any possible opening.

He finished covering each possible doorway and sat down beside her. The worried expression took over his face. He wanted to be strong for her, he really did. But it was hard. All sorts of situations had driven through his mind. The same one over and over again penetrating each and every wall he built around his heart: what if his brothers don't make it? He placed his back against the wall as she did also. 

"We just need to stay in this room and we'll be alright," he told her.

"That's not answering my question," the Princess of Akore lifted her hand to graze by where the stitches were made. She didn't realize that she had healed up fully, much quicker than anyone anticipated. "What's wrong?"

This was when Myungsoo sighed in relief. He was glad that she hadn't awakened when he was passing by Benjamin. The panic would have driven her mad. "There's been another attack. I'm stationed to protect you in this safehouse."

"Another attack? On who?" The girl didn't realize that asking these sorts of questions made him even more scared than before. It made him face the scary fact that this could all end terribly.

"Everyone," a simple response answered it all.

She stared out, looking at the journal from her mother stacked on the only remaining book shelf that wasn't pressed against a doorway. The letters from Sungwoo Moon were placed right on top of them. The past. The past was repeating itself. Or was it just catching up to the present? Uncertainty. Fear. All of it.

The alarm continued to roar like a lion. Sophia leaned on Myungsoo's shoulder and she reached out for his hand to hold. He felt the lightness of her breath, and it helped to calm him down. Silence crept into her bedroom over the noise. It was all still, too still.

"They're coming after me."

"Not if any of us can help it."

"They're here because of me."

"No, they're here because jealousy and vengeance has entered into their hearts. Utter darkness."

"This could've been avoided. I shouldn't have come, I should have just remained an invisible part of society," tears began to fall from her graceful face.

He lifted her chin, wiped away every teartrail that was apparent with his thumbs. "Don't ever think that you are the cause of this."

"I am. I am. This is all because of me."

"You're wrong," he gave her a simple peck in the hopes of calming her down. She stayed still, staring at his eyes. They screamed for her to calm down. He didn't want her to panic. He didn't want her to be scared herself. She absorbed his love, which fueled her thoughts. "This is because some idiotic vampire family out there thinks they will be able to declare war on a powerful, ancient family like mine. This is not because of you. You are not a negative part of this. You are the positivity that came out of it. Recall the smiles that you brought to the entire village. Recall the happiness that we've shared over these past few months. Recall the missing friends that you helped save. All of it. All of those is because of you and you alone."

"...You shouldn't be here. You should be running for safety. You should get away from me, as far as possible"

"As a Prince of this Kingdom, I am not entitled to leave because I am afraid. I am supposed to stand as a shining example of courage and valor. I shall not run. And without you by my side, how safe can the world truly be?"

"You'll be better off without me."

"For you to try to push me away now," he murmured, "is foolish. It's too late. I've already fallen in love with your entire being. And you can't make me forget; not now, notever."

Screams began to echo throughout the entire kingdom. Screams from children. Screams from mothers. Screams from fathers. Sisters. Brothers. Cousins. Aunts. Uncles. Babies. Teenagers. Adults. All of it. All of them. They were meshed together into a much worse sound than the alarms. Sophia began to panic as the noise grew. She tried to tune out the yells but was unsuccessful. They were being attacked. And they were the most defenseless beings in the world.

A knock. A simple knock caught the attention of the frightened Prince. He turned his head to face the area where the balcony doors had been. Staring down the shelves, his eyes focused in on the small vibrations that resonated through each wooden piece. Someone was there. Someone not welcome to his home.

He wrapped his arms around Sophia for a moment, holding on to the last lingering touch he may have with her. She didn't understand what he was doing that for. She didn't know the dangers that were about to crash into her sanctuary.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," Myungsoo whispered into her ear as he laid his head on her shoulder. "I wish I could be by your side for all of eternity." Why was he saying those words? What could they possibly mean in terms of the future?

"What—"

"Listen to me, whatever happens, stay in that far corner of the room, away from any opening," he ordered intently. The fear had finally escaped his body. This was the time to really and truly protect the girl he loved. He was recalling each exercise that he had mastered over the years. He had to keep her safe. He was ready.

"Myungsoo, I—"

"Shush," he gave her another kiss on the lips. "Go."

She crawled to the corner that he had pointed out. Her back against the two walls, she immediately hugged her knees. What was going to happen? What had he noticed?

Myungsoo straightened himself up, staring at the girl he loved. The fear that he once held had now entered the girl of his dreams. She looked at him with care, with love. This was the moment he realized that she really did love him back. She was afraid, not because she may die but due to the fact that he may be the one to. She didn't want him to get hurt. To die. No. She wanted him to live.

Their wishes overlapped, and that's what drives them both.

The vibrations from the balcony door began to get even more violent than before. They started to shake each and every piece of furniture that Myungsoo had laid out. He was trying to figure out just how many could have been on that side. And with that, a loud crash shook the entire room. They had penetrated through the thick barricade. Sophia covered with her hands, trying to stay quiet. She wanted to scream. She needed to release the fear. But she knew once she uttered a noise, Myungsoo would be distracted.

The wooden pieces shattered all over the room. Myungsoo prepared himself for what was to come, but was still jolted back by the powerful being. It was a straggler. He had never seen one up close, and he surely didn't understand just how strong they could be. But the thing with stragglers is, you can easily kill them by beheading them. Their hearts hadn't been converted into a mechanical engine for a frozen body yet. The straggler pounced onto the Prince like an animal, trying to bite into his neck. Myungsoo was pressed against the ground, trying to think through each and every option he had. Other stragglers began to crawl towards Sophia. Her eyes enlarged at the hideous beings in front of her. Blood was splattered all around their ripped and dirty clothes. They looked like normal people, normal villagers, that had fallen for the darkness of the supernatural. Their mouths revealed their fangs and their tongues thirsty for some blood. He wrapped his hands around the straggler's neck and proceeded to lift one against its chin and the other against the back of its head. With a simple swift movement, he snapped its neck. Before it could regain consciousness, he took a broken wooden leg and stabbed it through its neck, separating the head from the rest of the body.

Blood began to pool around the dead body. Sophia wanted to move. She wanted to get out of there. But she knew she wouldn't be able to outrun such fierce beings. Myungsoo shifted his attention to her. The fear didn't enter his body once more. No. The anger did. How dare they try to go after her like that? How dare they think they'd win against him?

He took the same wooden plank and stabbed the others as much as he could. They slowed down as they realized the attack was made. None of them had noticed that one had already fallen. It was a matter of time before the other three did. But they didn't care. They wanted one thing and one thing alone: her. Her and her blood. They fell back, screaming in agony as the pain tingled down their systems. Myungsoo ran to Sophia's front, standing between the monsters and the Princess. He held onto the plank tightly. They weren't getting any closer. Not if he was still able to move.

One of the stragglers, the one who only had been injured on her left arm, leaving an open gash, threw himself against the Prince. He had not fallen back this time. The straggler tried to wrap her arms around Myungsoo's neck, but was unsuccessful due to his fast reflexes. The artificial beings may have been fast, but they were predictable. And that was their weakness. The enemy proceeded to scratch and hurt the Prince's arms. That didn't bother the Prince that much. Sophia stared at what was going on infront of her. She noticed the look of determination in the straggler's eyes. She was a woman, one who held an uncanny resemblance to the Queen herself. One could see the pain through her eyes. She was hurt. She was dying. Her blood was boiling from the venom. She wanted it to be finished. And she was told if she killed the girl that it would all be over. She had to kill the girl. The Prince snapped her neck also and as her body fell back, he sliced through her neck. It did end. It had ended for her.

"Take it!" Sophia screamed at the Prince.

"Sophia! This is not the time to be screaming something like that to me!" Myungsoo prepared himself for the next straggler.

The other two stared at their comrade fall. One had reacted with pure anger, not hunger. He himself forward, the wound on his torso pushing more blood than before. The Prince stuck the wooden block through a different spot, slowing him down even more. The other decided to take this moment and try to attack the Prince while his back was turned. Myungsoo reached for a shelf and slammed it against the other's body. This caused that straggler to land on the wooden fragments. It didn't kill him either, just weakened him exponentially.

The screams from the village, from the palace, from the entire kingdom itself couldn't be avoided. Something had to be done. "Take my blood Myungsoo!" she yelled over the noise.

Myungsoo turned back to face her. He knew he had a few seconds before the stragglers got back on their feet. He couldn't control them. He wanted to. He needed to. He had to be able to control them. He had to protect the girl of his dreams from such dangers. "Sophia—"

The Princess reached out for a thin piece of wood and pressed it against her soft palm. In a swift motion, she sliced through her skin. Before a single drop of her blood fell, the Prince had already pressed his lips against her hand. It wasn't because she asked him to do so. It was because her blood called to him. It was sweet. Sweet like sugar and honey. Sweet like a candy. He closed his eyes at the masterpiece of her taste. He felt his heart beginning to pump even faster. Was this the feeling of becoming a full fledged vampire? It was as if her love was entering his entire body. All of the wounds healed up in a matter of seconds. His stomach began to tighten. His muscles felt more durable. His emotions began to multiply tenfold. He felt the power resonate through each vein. It was as if someone was supplying him with an unlimited amount of strength, an unbelievable experience overall.

The blood around him, the pool from the straggler's wounds and dead comrades, began to darken. The Prince had been covered in their blood. The Prince wanted control. The Prince wanted power. And so he got it.

He opened his eyes quickly. A large grin showed his confidence in the fight. It was no longer a baby vampire against stragglers. No. This was the battle of the men now. He was now a more powerful being, and nothing could stop him. Not a couple of stragglers, at least.

The Prince stared at his victims. They both stood up, looking back at the Prince. They registered that they couldn't get to the girl if he was still alive. And they sensed, smelled, wanted her blood. The scent rose to their nostrils and into their stomachs. The thirst grew even more. Sophia pressed her hand against her side, in a way to stop the blood from rushing. Her choice was for the best and it was certainly a desperate measure.

Nor was the choice anywhere near foolish.

Myungsoo began to laugh maniacally, cracking his neck from side to side. He lifted his hand and touched the pool of blood that surrounded him. "Do you see this?"

The stragglers didn't respond. Had he gone mad from the blood?

"This is your blood," the Prince told them. "A mixture of it nonetheless, but still it's your blood."

Sophia stared at him, trying to figure out what he was doing. Had her blood done something wrong? Had it backfired? She didn't understand for she wasn't a full-fledged vampire herself. It was a feeling that one cannot explain, but can only be experienced to fully grasp. The Princess stood up, staying in the same corner as before. The blood was beginning to pool around her. Its colour was enough to sicken her. The darkness of it was different. She noticed it wasn't like that earlier. What was going on?

A straggler launched himself forward to the Prince. Myungsoo simply moved his hand to the left side of his body, and the enemy was frozen in place. He was registering what was happening. "Tsk tsk. So sad." It was as if Myungsoo had this ability all along. It was unique. It was powerful. It was what wins their little battle. "Don't you underestimate someone of my caliber."

The other tried to do the same, but failed either way. The Prince lifted his other arm and caused them to face each other. What sort of power was this? Sophia tried to figure it out. She had never seen something like that before. And she had definitely witnessed a whole lot before.

"I control you," he laughed. "I am your master now. Attack each other... go."

The stragglers couldn't disobey the Prince's orders. He had control over their bodies. Like a puppeteer, he manipulated each movement of their limbs. This forced one of them to behead the other in a matter of seconds. Myungsoo rushed to the back of the remaining enemy. His victim.

"Game," he took another wooden plank. And sliced through the weak spot. "Over."

The headless bodies of humans were scattered across Sophia's bedroom. She tried not to look at any of them. Their faces would've caused her to remember about an old villager or neighbour or friend and make her heart burst. Myungsoo rushed to her side and hugged her tightly. She didn't care about the blood on his clothes, or on hers, she wanted to hold him. She wanted to feel his touch. His caring love. His entire being, to make sure that it was all real.

He was alive. And so was she. Better yet, he was now a full-fledged vampire. He had a higher chance of living.

"You stupid girl, you stupid stupid stupid Princess," he spoke.

"Says the Prince who loves her," Sophia uttered back. She stepped over to the shelf that held her mother's journal and the letters. She had to hold onto those. They were pieces of history that couldn't be forgotten. Quickly, the Princess slipped them into the large pockets of her dress.

Myungsoo climbed over the dead bodies to an open suitcase and ripped the lining of one of the dresses. The Prince swiftly wrapped the cloth tightly around the Princess' wound. He held onto her hand. "Close your eyes. I'll tell you when we are out of your room." She followed his orders. A feeling of security entered her body. She felt safe by his side. "Now."

"Where are we going?" she asked as he dragged her through the halls. Her eyes focused in on the corpse infront one of the rooms. A single arrow stuck out of his torso. She noticed his similar features. Shock tingled up her spine. It was Dr. Benjamin. "Oh my God!"

"Don't look!" Myungsoo covered her eyes as fast as he could. He didn't want her to see that. He should've continued to have her close her eyes on him. That would've been best. The Prince had forgotten about the first known victim of the war.

"The doctor... The doctor..."

"Shush shush, it'll be alright," the Prince tried to calm her down.

They paused in their steps, she didn't want to move for a few seconds. Trying to absorb what she had just witnessed and taking a few deep breaths, the Princess tried to think of another subject. Not a dead body like that. The stragglers were okay to handle. They were enemies. But not the doctor. He was just here to help out. He wasn't someone who deserved death.

"Sophia, we have to keep moving. I have to get you out of here," Myungsoo pulled on her hand.

"How..." she thought of a new subject, "How did you know what your power was?"

They rushed down the stairs together. The screams of maids and other staff members echoed in the halls. Each begged for mercy, each had fear, each ended in tragedy. She saw a couple of butlers fighting off both vampires and stragglers. Myungsoo stepped through the pools of blood, knowing what sort of authority he held when he touched blood.

"I don't know," the Prince answered her question. "I just had this feeling. I had this pushing force behind my thoughts that told me that was it. That was my power. All I know is that I wanted to control over them. I couldn't fight them off by myself. I wasn't skilled enough. I needed a boost. And that was the boost that I was given. Probably because I was covered in their blood. Maybe. Maybe that. I can think of a million different explanations, but none of which can be true."

He proceeded to help out each butler with their enemies. As a manipulator, he forced each victim to be pressed against a piece of furniture or maybe a wall. It drained his energy slightly, but not enough to weaken him deeply. Each butler turned to the Prince, realizing that he had finally matured into a full-fledged being. They took their opportunities and killed them all.

"Don't overdo it."

"I'm not."

"What the hell was that?!" screamed an authoritative voice. The oldest Woo brother stuck his head out of the grand music room. He had seen a vampire assassin be forced against the wall by an unknown force and was curious as to what caused it.

"Oh thank God!" Myungsoo yelled out a sigh in relief. He and Sophia ran together into the room and closed the door behind them.

"I told you to keep her in her room," Sunggyu nagged at his younger brother. "You have got to be kidding me Myungsoo. All you had to do was bombard every opening and keep her safe inside. That's it. And you couldn't even do that—"

"We got attacked."

"And you couldn't even keep her clean. Did you guys roll through the pools of blood? Had a swell time, didn't you? Look at her. Look at you. You guys are a mess. Did you at least cover her eyes? Ugh. You are so—"

"WE GOT ATTACKED!" The younger brother got the attention of his older sibling. "A handful of stragglers pushed through the balcony and—"

"And tried to kill her blah blah blah, now explain the whole invisible force pushing against the assassin thing," the chinkier of the two cut him off.

"I turned him," Sophia confessed as she showed him the cut on her wrist. Sunggyu covered his nose, to prevent himself from lunging his body at the Princess. "Right, sorry." She lowered her hand and tied around the piece of cloth once more.

The chinkier brother's eyes enlarged as much as possible, which wasn't too much but still a significant difference. He stared at his younger brother. "You... You're a full—"

"Vampire, yes," he grinned mischievously.

"Holy—"

"No time to be surprised," Myungsoo was now the one to interrupt his brother. "Since I'm more useful for the battle now, take care of Sophia okay? I'll help the others clear a pathway or something."

"No, you're more qualified to protect her."

"You're safer here," the younger encouraged him. "I believe in you. She believes in you. We all do." He backed out to open the door slightly. "Take good care of her alright? We can't replace her!" That Prince squeezed through the opening hastily.

Sophia held onto Sunggyu's hand. He wasn't that clean either. The horrors of war had clearly gotten to both of them. Death was in the air everywhere. It was inescapable. All sorts of thoughts ran through Sunggyu's mind. But he was certain of one thing.

He was prepared to sacrifice it all for her. He wasn't jealous of Myungsoo's new found ability and start. No. He was jealous of what was attached to his upgrade: the love of Sophia. He wanted to be the one to be offered her blood. He wanted to be the one she'd transform. His younger brother got the pleasure of experiencing such a rush.

Sunggyu stood beside the girl he loved, longing to prove to her that he was also worthy of her love. 

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

Notice how the main image gives away just who the chapter is about. ugh. i hate doing that but i love it at the same time. it ruins the excitement yet builds up the people's love. WHAT IS THIS CONFLICT. OH BABY WHAT JUST HAPPENED IN THIS CHAPTER. FADFAKJHDSAFHASKDHFA <3 I've been on some sort of roll recently lol. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I have timed myself, and it takes me about 2 hours to type this up. T_______T wow. think about all the time i've spent on all of this man. //no life//

DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN. DRUM ROLL PLEASEEEEEEE. AND THE FIRST GOES TOOOOOO NONE OTHER THAN THE MYSTERIOUS JERK FROM THE START OF THE STORY, MYUNGSOO HIMSELF. 

Did you guys expect that? WHABAM. I've had the next about ten chapters planned out for a month or two. I've been doodling all over my notebook with ideas and layouts. I just needed the proper lead in. AND SO IT BEGINS. AND SOOO IT BEGIIIIIIIIINS. 

I didn't know how to properly detail everything out without going into third person, so third person point of view will be around for a while. I hope you don't mind. 

What did you guys think? Was it good? Bad? Great? Awesome? Horrible? Cliche? TELL ME BELOW PLEASE. Your comments make me want to write even faster than before. Maybe that is what's been fueling my story progression. I want to hear your opinions! 

@deliriousdeviation~ they could infer from the blood. but they didn't know if she'd wake up or not. good thing she did! or else she'd be missing the epic battle of the century! hahahha. :D

@shaneru-chi~ I am updating like crazy recently! OH MAN. <3 hehe. I'm glad you enjoyed it! I SHALL NEVER STOP THE CLIFFHANGERS, YOU KNOW HOW I DOO IT. lol. :3