Lu Han lived his entire life relying his every movement with just the sounds around him. As he opened the seemingly icy metal door to the roof top, the creaking sound extended to his ears, giving Lu Han the thought that this door may not be always used.

Maybe no one ever goes to the rooftop…

These made panic rose and mix through the adrenaline rushing through Lu Han’s entirety, asking himself why he did not consider the choice of waiting for Baekhyun and Kyungsoo before following the letter he received. His numb hands and shaking legs which he really tries to take control of are now matched with the cold sweat dripping on the side of his face.

Please let it be Kai…

The butterflies fluttering inside his stomach at the thought of Kai waiting for him in the rooftop are replaced by moths, their big brown wings tugging his insides with anxiousness.

He now takes the first courageous steps which seem to reverberate on the dusty cement floor of the school’s rooftop. One step became two, then three and four, until he unconsciously reached the center of the whole area.

There he was; pale skin being illuminated perfectly in the moonlight. A small figure engulfed in the blackness of the night. A small prey who fails to notice his awaiting predator.

“Lu Han…”

It seems like a tempting undertone, but Lu Han can’t forget that voice which never fails to jolt him up. He turned around following the source of the whisper, almost stumbled but regained his composure. He can’t afford to look weak; not in front of him.

“You sent me the letter?” Lu Han even tried to control the shakiness in his voice, but failed, which made Kris grin.

“Who did you think it was?”

A lump formed in Lu Han’s throat. The dismay and uneasiness in his face can’t be hidden in this dark.

Kris waited for an answer, and decided to retort for the blind student instead.

“Kai?”

Kris is now walking towards him. His confident steps echo through Lu Han’s sensitive ears. He had thought of running away, but he can’t see anything and has nowhere to go. This is an unknown territory. He wants to breathe a sigh of relief after he heard Kris’ footsteps stop a few meters away from him, but his lungs were like being clenched by an unknown iron fist.

“You don’t need to answer. I saw you and Kai kissing in the museum last night.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Han found his voice, still hiding his heightened nervousness he asked, “You saw us?”

Kris nodded, “He likes you, that’s for sure. He was never that way towards anyone. Do you like him back?”

Those words would normally flush redness into Lu Han’s pale cheeks.  Coming from Kris, all of those seemed to be lies, yet he wanted to believe everything.

Kris is now walking around him with slow heavy steps, still keeping a certain distance from the blind student. Lu Han was thankful for that. Being near Kris makes him…weak. Not the kind of weakness whenever he’s with Kai, but the kind of vulnerability that makes him feel like a blue bird encased in an invisible cage.

“Again, you don’t need to answer. I don’t want you to rush things. No one wants to be chased, right?”

Lu Han nodded as if Kris had controlled him.

“Why did you send me the letter?”

With a swift side step as if he was dancing on stage, Kris touched Lu Han’s chin softly which surprised the blind student who flinched at the sudden contact.

“I just wanted to talk to you. We don’t seem to have an alone time since we met.”

Lu Han is confused now. Kris never talked to him like this, not unless it is necessary.

The tall one gazed into Lu Han’s blank eyes, searching for something in particular. He was pleased when he was able to notice it. Fear.

He smiled upon seeing this.

“Don’t be scared.” Kris said as he went away from Lu Han, again circling around him like how a wolf would do before attacking his deer.

Lu Han tried to sturdily say, “I’m not scared!”

Kris snickered and sent out a short soft laugh. “You appear to be, really. I’m not someone to be scared of.”

“We’re just wasting our time here. I’ve got to go.” Lu Han said shortly as he walks towards the entrance door of the rooftop.

Kris was fast enough to hold him by his arms, “Whoa. I said we don’t need to rush things, Lu Han.”

Lu Han winced at Kris’ strong grip on him, “Let me go!”

“No!”

“Why?”

“I need you to do something.”

Lu Han furrowed his eyebrows upon hearing this. He was thankful that Kris had freed him from his strong clasp, but again his feet were pinned to the ground. A favor?

Kris had turned his back from Lu Han and started walking towards the door that Lu Han was reaching for a while ago, “I need you to be a distraction. I need you for revenge.”

“Distraction for whom? Revenge for what?”

“Kai.” Kris said just, which at the same time surprised Lu Han. He can’t figure out all of these.

Lu Han had heard the door creak once again, assuming that Kris had abandoned him, left him drowning in his pool of mystifying thoughts and unanswered questions.

The door was left open.

Lu Han stood there, being watched by blazing yellow eyes.

The silence of the growing night was perforated by an eerily ear-piercing howl from the door.

Kyungsoo was the one who finally spilled it.

“Do you think Lu Han went there alone?”

Baekhyun pouted, “He promised us.”

Dragging Baekhyun out of the cafeteria, Kyungsoo hurriedly said, “We need to follow him. I feel bad about this.”

Surprised by his best friend’s squat movements, Baekhyun freed himself from his grasp. “Wait a minute. Why do you feel that way? Lu Han’s getting famous in Chunnyeon, it’s pretty normal that he’ll have a secret admirer.”

“It doesn’t feel like a secret admirer to me.” Kyungsoo kept his owl eyes wide open.

Baekhyun clapped his hands as he laughed, “Are you jealous that Lu Han got a secret admirer?”

Kyungsoo shook his head, “No!”

“It must have been Kai. We all notice the way he looks at Lu Han.” Baekhyun said as his eyes sparkle.

Kyungsoo agreed but never gave away the apprehension on the letter sender. “Yeah, but we still need to follow Lu Han. Even though he promised us that he’ll wait for us to make a decision, we would have done the same thing. Follow the instructions and go to the rooftop. The only difference is he did not wait for us, that’s why we need to go there now.”

Baekhyun pondered upon Kyungsoo’s pretty logical proposition and hummed in agreement. The two of them then proceeded to walk towards Chunnyeon Arts Academy’s main building.

On their way, the two of them were surprised upon seeing Kai come out of the auditorium, sweating from his routinely dance practice.

Kai tapped Kyungsoo’s shoulder and brushed Baekhyun’s hair as he passed their way. He was flabbergasted at the shock painted in his friends’ faces.

“Why do you seem so shocked to see me?”

Kyungsoo now feels nervous, “You weren’t the one to send the letter?”

It was now Kai’s turn to be muddled, “What letter?”

“Someone sent a letter to Lu Han this morning. We thought it was you who sent him the letter.” Baekhyun replied.

The worry in the dancer’s face and voice can’t be hidden, “Where is he now?”

Before Kyungsoo and Baekhyun gave their answers, a too familiar howl was heard by the three figures on the school grounds.

The three of them stared at the source of the hollering sound. Pointing at the rooftop being irradiated by the vast full moon, Kyungsoo alleged “There. Alone.”

The fear in his eyes is now heightened to new summits. It was Lu Han’s first time to hear a sound which was far from human.

From the door, he had heard soft steps touching the solid ground. Just like Kris’.

It was now circling him. That unknown creature. Lu Han tried to assess the sounds coming from every movement.

One…

Two…

Three…

Four…

Four legs?

Lu Han was able to confirm that it was definitely not human when he had heard a deep gurgling growl from the monster. He wanted to yelp for help, but was too scared to startle the creature that can attack him any time from now.

Never did he know that whether he screams or not, the wolf will hunt him down. For supremacy. For Kai’s distraction. For her death.

The blind student stepped back, making sure that he’s facing the creature circling him. He’s making sure that his back is safe. No matter the direction he is facing, he will run. If he needs to jump off the rooftop, he will. Dying of broken limbs and a cracked skull is better than being slayed by this evil monster, he thought.

“What are you?!” Lu Han asked, though he’s not sure if the creature can even talk or not.

He just received another snarl, a louder one.

He knows he looks stupid, but he begged “Please. Please let me go. Please don’t hurt me.”

Tears brought by the distressing terror are now flowing from Lu Han’s eyes. He could not afford to think that his life will end like this.

Without any hesitation, the wolf progressed towards the blind student. The sudden yet heavy steps made by the running paws reached Lu Han’s ears.

He ran as fast as he can, regardless of the way he’s going. The adrenaline rushing through his entire body feels like the last euphoria that he’ll be able to experience, mixing with the dread in his voice as he shouts for help.

Inauspiciously, Lu Han’s effort to escape was overthrown by the monster’s agile speed. In no time, the blind student felt the weight on his lean body. The monster pinned him to the ground. The roar is now very audible to Lu Han. Is this the sound of death?

Lu Han pried his closed blind eyes open. He could not see the blazing yellow eyes and the black fur on his predator but the horror in his face seems to satisfy the monster on top of him.

He can’t escape now.

The first blow of bereavement on Lu Han’s now fragile consciousness was felt on his right hand. A gaudy rumble from the monster sent his dagger-like fangs tearing the blind student’s pale skin, each canine teeth puncturing the delightful flesh. The piercing tines went deep enough to fracture the joints on Lu Han’s shrill hand, the sound of the cracking bones sent waves of satisfaction to the colossal monster.

The poor victim let out a cry of unbearable pain that his throat hurt. The shrilling voice seems to never end and coat the whole school, asking for help. The agony became too intense that Lu Han can’t take it anymore and fell unconscious.

The monster proceeded to continue his slay on the victim, ready to tear his chest like the way he fissured Lu Han’s right hand and devour his insides.

However, as he had a taste of his victim’s blood, this overwhelming power surged inside him. The clout of force was unknown to the monster of the night; he had never felt like this way after getting a tang of a victim’s blood. The power took hold of his beastliness, and the predator felt like in any time he’ll return to his human form.

Stepping back from Lu Han’s cataleptic body, Kris regained his composure, still feeling the unknown power coursing through him. Despite the energy given by Lu Han’s blood, his monstrosity seems to unwaver. His body could not just take it. In time, the overpowering feeling brought by Lu Han’s blood turned into an agonizing sting.

It can’t be. Lu Han’s the “deer of the dawn”.

Kris was bewildered. He found him. He ought to kill Lu Han and devour his heart for immortality, as the legend says, but he was becoming too weak to outlay his plans. Thinking that he has enough time to kill Lu Han, he let this moment pass with one last howl of victory to the full moon as he jumped of the rooftop to rescue himself.

Running through the school grounds, a worried Kai, a nervous Baekhyun, and an apprehensive Kyungsoo climbed up the circular steel stairs. The creaking metal door was left, its hinges being caressed by the ghastly wind.

The three figures entered the rooftop. All ran in one direction: Lu Han’s unmoving body on the ground.

Baekhyun was almost in tears when he saw blood covering Lu Han’s right hand and arm. The crimson red color seems to make rivers flowing in different directions, matching the whiteness of the blind student’s skin perfectly. Ironically, Lu Han’s state is far from perfect.

Kyungsoo’s eyes grew wider at the horrible sight of their friend. “Please tell me he’s not dead.”

Kai hurriedly knelt down and supported Lu Han’s head on his lap. His shaking hands checked the pulse behind Lu Han’s ear lobes, just the top of his jaw line, and Kai was somehow able to breathe a sigh of relief to know that his vitals are alright.

“He’s alive.”

Kyungsoo ran his hands in his hair and muttered, “We’re so sorry. We should have gone at the cafeteria earlier than we did and accompanied Lu Han here.”

Kai shook his head as he looked at Kyungsoo, “No. Don’t blame yourself.”

“We should take him to the clinic. He’s losing a lot of blood.” Baekhyun said as he gained his composure from crying.

Kai carefully carried Lu Han’s light body and hurried down the stairs. The three of them admitted him to the school’s clinic and he was given proper medication right ahead. The school doctor and nurses attended the blind student who had undergone a surgery on his severed right hand.

Seeing the school’s blind prodigy being rushed to the school’s clinic, the news had spread all over the school like a thief in the night. In no time, Chanyeol and Sehun were also inside the waiting room with Kai, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. Neither one of them spoke.

As they were waiting, the school doctor went out and informed everyone waiting outside that Lu Han’s operation was successful. All of the deep wounds and bites were stitched up and the patient had undergone an x-ray test. Holding out the result of the test, the nurse informed “Many bones were fractured in his right hand. We’re afraid that he’ll need a longer time for recovery.”

Baekhyun stood up, worried of Lu Han’s passion for playing the piano. “How long?”

“In his case, he’ll need at least four months of recovery and therapy for his right hand to come back to its normal state.”

Baekhyun felt his knees getting weak. Four months is such a very long time for a performer to be in a state of hiatus due to an injury. Lu Han will surely miss a lot of classes within that period of time.

Several hours passed and one of the school nurses went out informing everybody, “He’s awake.”

The five men waiting out of the room speedily went inside; each worried of Lu Han’s current state.

The blind student was in state of shock. Although he failed to see the creature that had attacked him in the rooftop, the terror can still be seen plastered on his eyes and face.

“I can’t feel my right hand.” Lu Han shook his head, and tears started flowing from his eyes.

A calm Kyungsoo touched him by his left arm and informed, “The doctor said your right hand had a lot of fractures. You’ll need four months to fully recover.”

Looking at his bandaged and stitched right hand, Lu Han muttered “No. I need to study piano.”

Even the jolly Chanyeol’s heart was tugged upon seeing a depressed Lu Han. He just kept crying until his blind eyes hurt. His traumatized mind had this image of him being not able to play the piano for the rest of his life. The mixing effects of the surgery and the intensity of the whole situation at the rooftop had sent Lu Han in a state of panic. He was struggling to get up on his bed. I need to play the piano…. I need to play the piano…

With this panic attack, the nurses had pinned him down and injected him with a serum which made him calm.

Kai made his way to the drugged blind student. He knows it’s not the right time to ask him this. He stared into Lu Han’s drooping eyes and asked, “Tell me. Tell me who did this to you.”

The drug’s taking effect on Lu Han’s body. A once panicked patient is now smiling comfortably.

Before closing his eyes, he said, “A monster….a monster had attacked me.”