Lu Han was running in no particular direction, his bare feet grinding with the rocky forest floor as he took his heavy and dragging steps. Some of the sharp-edged stones had wounded the delicate skin beneath his soles, but Lu Han could care less since he’s feeling warm – no, not warm – but insanely hot. Lu Han felt like he’s burning from within, his organs seem to be boiling inside of him. He is now suffocating as if the oxygen produced by the countless trees in the woods is not reaching the veins inside his lungs. His throat was also parched up; he’s thirsty yet water could not ease this dryness down.

The poor blind student could not think; the vehement heat of his guts, the tight smothering in his lungs, and the quenching thirst in his throat were too much to handle that his body might be dying in a few moments.

There are many times in his dreams, or rather nightmares that he had experienced dying within the restrains of the woods, but Lu Han had never thought that it will all come to this right after the happy moments that his puny life had given him the chance to experience. This is it. He’s finally dying.

The blind student has been convincing himself that he’ll be happy now if he dies. Death is a blessing, but this pain he’s feeling in his very core is far from a gift from heaven. In any minute he feels like he’ll be dragged down the burning pits of hell by an unknown clawed evil pair of hands.

As much as he tried to clear his mind of the images of how horrible his death might be, he had decided that he can’t leave this earth right now. He can’t die; he can’t pass away for his dreams, for Ms. Park and the orphans, for his friends, and most especially for Kai.

Kai, who just gave him the most unexpected gift for his birthday…

Kai, who had made him a flower crown under the forest trees…

Kai, who had danced with him even though he’s the only song that he’ll ever hear…

Kai, who had held him protectively in their arms as they slept in one tent…

Kai, who had kissed him under the magnificence of the full moon…

Kai, who had told him that he loves him…

Lu Han was running deeper into the woods; up above the mountain top where the full moon almost touches the tip. He needs to run away from an unfamiliar yet powerful force dragging him, willing his tiny soul into the abysmal darkness where no one could see him suffer.

The pain was too much to handle as he took his last bleeding steps and fell unconscious after letting out an ear-piercing cry of helplessness.

The soft sensation of Lu Han’s tender thin lips were still lingering on Kai’s rims as he fell asleep, his arms protectively wrapped around the blind orphan’s petite body. He slept with him inhaling Lu Han’s perfect scent, his lean body snuggling to the other, keeping both of them warm in this chill summer night. As Kai waded through dreamland as he holds Lu Han’s hand in another dimension, everything seemed so perfect. Not until he felt that the full moon was calling him, urging him to wake up. Kai tried to shoo off the calling for he no longer wants to be away from Lu Han, now and forever; but the moon’s power is strong and inevitable for a creature like him.

As he pried his eyes wide open, no Lu Han was still sleeping in his arms. He’s gone. Kai instantly looked at their open tent as he realized that Lu Han’s gone, the moon eerily creeping through the night sky. He had checked his wristwatch: fifteen minutes after midnight. He hurriedly went outside and proceeded to wake the others up.

“Baek, Kyungsoo, Lu Han’s missing.” Kai panicked as he opened the best friends’ tent, still keeping his voice low so that the owner and the workers of the camp site won’t be disturbed in their sheets.

Baekhyun scratched the sleepiness in his eyes as he asked, “What?”

“Lu Han’s missing.” Kyungsoo reiterated.

The three of them hurriedly went out of the tent and progressed on waking the other campers up, telling about the blind student’s dilemma.

Within minutes, all of them, Sehun included, were outside of their tents. Everyone was dead worried about Lu Han’s whereabouts.

“We should inform Ms. Yuri about this.” Sehun suggested as he regained his composure, his sleepiness now nowhere in sight and now replaced by panic.

Kai shook his head and disagreed, “No! It will be better if we look for him on our own.”

“What?! We certainly don’t know this place!” Sehun said, and like the others he kept his voice hushed.

Suho interrupted, “Yes, that’s true. But don’t you think Lu Han will just panic if he’ll hear other people’s voice instead of ours as we look for him? Ever since that rooftop incident he’s been having panic attacks lately, if you haven’t noticed.”

Sehun just nodded as he found Suho’s suggestion logical and argued no more. It is Lu Han’s safety they’re after, so he’ll just agree to whatever their group comes up with.

“Let’s split our group and look for him.” Lay said as everyone nodded.

The group then decided to split up, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo will search around the area, Suho and Lay will scan through the left side of the mountain, and Sehun and Kai will quest the right outskirts of the woods.

The moment the others were nowhere to be seen, each disappearing as the distance swallows their steps, Sehun advanced to Kai and willed all of his might as he punched Kai’s jaws. Sehun was fast enough that Kai was not able to do anything as his shirt was crumpled by Sehun’s strong grip.

“I let him sleep inside your tent because I know that you’ll keep him safe, but now he’s missing! This is your entire fault!” Sehun yelled at Kai’s face.

Kai struggled to escape from the other’s grasp, and hit Sehun back with his strong fist. He tried to reason out, but no words were coming out of his mouth. At the back of his head, he’s agreeing with what Sehun just exclaimed. It’s his entire fault; he’s blaming himself for not being aware enough to know that Lu Han went outside of their tent as he was sleeping.

“What?! Speak! Is that what you meant by ‘keeping him safe’?! He’s blind for ’s sake! He can’t even see where he’s leading to!” Sehun shouted. The birds sleeping from above the tree where they were standing flew upon hearing the raging voice.

Kai just inhaled and calmly said, “That’s not our problem right now. We should look for Lu Han.”

“I’ll look for him myself! Get lost!” Sehun hollered as he took his own steps away from Kai.

Kai just watched him walk away; convincing himself that somehow Sehun’s right, as much to his own surprise. He’s the reason why Lu Han’s nowhere to be seen. If he’s more attentive enough of the blind student’s movements while they were sharing the same sleeping bag, this trouble would have not happened.

Before Sehun was completely immersed in the shadows of the tall trees, he stopped on his track. He slightly turned his way, the side profile of his face being illuminated by the faint light of the moon shining from above the trees.

“This will be the last time that I’ll let you near Lu Han. I’ll protect him more than you did.”

Feeling the rush of anger mixing with the adrenaline in his veins, Sehun ran towards the camping site. He opened his tent and reached for a black pack inside his backpack. ping the bag open, his slender fingers clutched the heavy metal inside: a silver mamba pistol.

His father, before he died, had managed to teach him how to use this weapon despite his young age for his own protection. Sehun was quite good at aiming the target, yet after all of those years of not practicing his shooting, the heavy metal sent a familiar chill to Sehun.

He is not sure if any animal had endangered Lu Han and chased him out the way, but he had his hunch – that the same creature which had harmed him in the rooftop several nights ago is back on the track and had managed to follow them here in this secluded area. He can’t risk seeing the blind student on a worse situation, and he’ll do anything to protect him, not unlike Kai who had let all of this happen.

With one swift and measured movement, he had loaded the barrel of the gun with his silver bullets. If that monster is ready to kill Lu Han, his gun is ready to end a life just to protect the man that he loves.

After being left by Sehun, Kai mustered all his might and let no distraction meddle with his mind. He needs to be more focused; he can blame himself later for Lu Han’s ill fate. He now set all of his senses into only one goal: Lu Han. Not to hunt him down, but rather to save him from the real predators. He needs to find him before anyone can, not because of his natural competitiveness, but because he, of all the members of his own pack, is the only one who had mastered the skill to control himself after the scent of the legendary deer’s blood reached his nose. The others might not recognize him – Lu Han, their blind friend - after the need for the immortal blood rises and wins over their understanding and control. He could not risk all of this happening; he could not afford to lose Lu Han for he will blame himself for his death as long as he lives.

He will not die. I’ll do everything to save him.

At this point, Kai had his senses heightened to the top level. His now yellow amber eyes had now adjusted to the darkness as if the moon shines like the sun at the heat of the day, his ears hearing every squirrels squeaking in their sleep, his nose smelling the midnight saps of the tree’s aging bark.

He’s now running in an agile speed for he can’t let time fly by that easily, but he’s uncertain as to where Lu Han might be. It was that moment that Kai suddenly remembered the moment that their lips touched in a passionate way, that moment they finally exchanged their loving words of affection for one another. He then ran towards that direction, the part of the woods where the dandelions sat like little yellow princesses planted in a row of green bushes.

As he pushed the shrubs off his way, he found the spot where they danced while listening to an unheard music. He slowly approached the area and had his eyes bulge at the sight of something he was not expecting.

There on the ground were the shattered twigs and crumpled petals of the flower crown he had made for Lu Han, and following a track up the mountain was a trail of blood. The crimson fluid’s too captivating scent whiffs through the midnight air.

As he picked one of the dandelions, he had heard an approaching set of howls. These hollering sounds echoing through the night, as to Kai’s suspicion, are out for victory and for vengeance.

Kris and his pack are here.

Upon realizing who they were, Kai was almost shocked upon knowing what Kris might be after in this unanticipated night of attack: They’re after the Deer of the Dawn. They’re after Lu Han.

The monstrous growls that were too familiar is now approaching at a smaller distance that Kai instantly transformed to his werewolf form, his robust mongrel body ready to pounce and kill the intruders even if he swore not to, all just to protect Lu Han, the deer of the dawn, from Kris’ pack of deadly wolves.

Using his sense of smell as his nous of direction, he ran up the mountains with his strong wolf legs, following Lu Han’s trail of blood. He’s not sure what’s happening to Lu Han and why he is running up the mountains all alone, and most of all, why he is bleeding. It will only be a matter of time that Kris and his wolves will be on the same track, following the powerful scent of blood, leading the way towards their immortality – the deer of the dawn.

Sehun was right.

If Kai had been smart enough to protect Lu Han, all of this would not have happen. Now, it will only dawn to one thing, and he’s too preoccupied to give such thought any attention.

It was only a matter of hurried steps upward the mountain when Kai saw that too familiar mane-like fur of a monster. He was right: Kris and his pack are here. In a matter of second, Tao and Xiumin appeared on his left, and on the other side were Chanyeol and Chen running after him.

Kai hoped he had this under control and wished for the best. As much to his calculations, the distance where the rogue wolves were running is far enough for them to smell the tiny droplets of blood on the ground. If Kris’ pack targets him, the leader of the opponent pack, he must offer himself as a distraction, all for his love’s safety.

With one swift turn to his left, his plan succeeded. The other wolves followed him, but he’s fast enough than the others except for Kris, who he can now hear growl under his running breaths.

Kai was too focused on the chase that he forgot where he was heading. He was now going back to the campsite; it will be a matter of few kilometres till their entire mongrel selves will be revealed at the camp. So instead of going further out the woods where they are hidden, he suddenly stopped on his tracks. As soon as he stopped running, all of the rogue wolves surrounded him as they howl and growl.

Where is he? Kris growled.

Kai, though without words, growled back and answered. You can’t find him here.

Stop protecting him!

With that last ear-piercing rumble, Kris attacked Kai, his clawed paws reaching for the other’s neck. Kai was agile enough to dodge the attack as he tried to bite the other’s leg. A series of grazing and stinging in between snarls and barks under the energy-giving full moon were heard all over the mountain.

The sounds of battle were too familiar that the members of Kai’s pack on the left side of the mountain, Suho and Lay, transformed into their werewolf forms without even sharing any words of doubt and ran to their leader’s aid.

After following the too audible sounds of battle from the two strongest werewolves alive, both Suho and Lay, just like the other members of Kris’ pack, were dumbfounded of the combat that they were witnessing. Yes, they had seen the two alpha wolves clash once or twice in the abandoned museum before, but this match is unlike the others. This is no longer a fight for authority; this is a fight for power, this is a fight for death.

On the other perimeter of the woods, Kyungsoo’s eyes bulged out upon hearing the horrific resonances from the two alpha wolves. “It’s Kai and Kris. They’re here.”

Terror was painted all over Baekhyun’s face upon hearing the vicious wolf’s name, but his eyes started tearing up as he realized that Chanyeol was also here. He fought the forming tears in his eyes and asked, “What are they doing here? Who are they after?”

Kyungsoo shook his head, “I don’t know. They could have not found the Deer of the Dawn yet. If they’re not here to follow us thinking that where ahead for the Hunt, they’re here to…”

“Kill us?” Baekhyun asked.

Kyungsoo nodded despite the horror seen in his face. He had never thought that it would all come to this, their brotherhood divided and killing one another for immortality.

“Kai definitely needs help. He’s outnumbered. I should go there and help him fight.” Kyungsoo suggested.

Baekhyun shook his head, “No. I should go with you, with our pack. If it’s a fight they want, we’ll give them a fight.”

It was Kyungsoo’s turn to shake his head. He reached for his best friend’s hands and looked straight into his eyes. “This is me keeping my promise of protecting you. You’ll be an easy target for the other pack and Chanyeol…”

Kyungsoo stopped as he realized what he was going to say, but Baekhyun, of all the instances that he chose to be weak, chose this moment to be brave and continued, “…Chanyeol won’t be there to protect me.”

“I’m sorry.” Regret was heard in Kyungsoo’s voice, and it was one of the most authentic one.

Baekhyun forced a smile and whispered, “It’s alright. I know.”

With his grip on Baekhyun’s hands getting tighter, “Do us all a favour here, please. Don’t engage in any battle and look for Lu Han. Take him to a safe place where the other wolves won’t see him. We don’t want him to be involved in our dispute with Kris’ pack.”

Baekhyun nodded, agreeing as Kyungsoo transformed into his werewolf form and ran towards the fighting rumbles of the two clashing packs.

As the pup watched his best friend’s cur body immersed into the shadows of the night, Baekhyun turned around and also decided to transform into the same mutt creature that he truly is, howling as his senses improved and went to search for the blind student.

It was beyond Baekhyun’s knowledge that behind one of the thick shrubs where he parted with Kyungsoo, Sehun witnessed his school mates transform to the creatures that he despises the most – werewolves – the same creatures who killed his parents.

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo…EXO? They’re all werewolves?

The anger that Sehun feels for Kai for not protecting Lu Han had now intensified to a larger force. Sehun could not believe it, that all this time he was sitting with a pack of werewolves. He had waited for this very moment, that he’ll avenge his parents’ death, that he’ll get his hands on some monster who mercilessly took their lives. As his feet seem to be planted on the ground where he was standing, his hands clenching into a fist and tightening its grip on the handle of the pistol, his eyes welling with tears, Sehun had recalled the unpleasant memory of their death.

It was a winter night that the Oh family went out for a camping in the mountains. Sehun’s father and mother spent their vacation with him who had wanted to play in the snow. Despite their busy schedules, the parents had granted their only son’s only wish. They had spent a lot of fun time building snowmen and playing snowball fights in the mountains. It was a picture of a happy and perfect family, but never did Sehun’s young mind realize that it will be the last moment that he will share with his loving parents.

As soon as the moon appeared in the night sky, his parents decided to stay at a cabin that they owned at the mountains. Noticing that the flames in the fireplace are not giving his family enough warmth, and that their son Sehun caught a cold, the father decided to go out and get some firewood while his wife waited for him to return.

The little body of a young Sehun was wrapped in his mother’s arms, waiting for his father to come back. Hours had passed and a snow storm is now forming outside, and no father in the household can be seen. Sehun’s mother started to worry because of the snow storm, the deepening night, and the animals lurking in the forest.

It was not until they had heard the father’s voice calling, signalling that he’s finally back with a lot of wood that will make them warm, that the worry was lifted. But the silence was broken as the jolly calling voice of the man was replaced by a loud shriek of help, followed by a set of howls and sounds of light feet chasing in the snow-filled forest floor.

Hearing her husband’s cry for help, Sehun’s mother opened the door and the raging snow storm blurred her vision yet she walked through the hail and went to search for the now fading voice of his dying husband.

Sehun peeped through the window, terrified as his mother was. As he was watching his mother disappear into the storm, now he can see nothing but white, her mother’s ear-piercing shriek as she was attacked by those creatures that killed his father as well was not something to be forgotten by Sehun’s young mind.

He wanted to go out as well, rescue his parents with his young body and limbs, but his mother had told him not to go outside the cabin no matter what happens; that’s what he did, the thing that he regretted later in his life as he grow up.

Sehun was muffling his cries as he was covering his mouth, eyes still searching for the monster that killed his parents.

There emerging from the raging snow storm was a large black wolf, it’s yellow amber eyes staring back at the younger’s tear-filled one, it’s sharp clawed paws and shrill canine teeth dripping with his parent’s blood.

Sehun willed all of his might and got ready for his revenge as he pulled the barrel, charging the silver bullets that will kill these werewolves.