Prologue

As far as what his weeklong errands had supplied him with, this was the only thing Jongin knows: its human – and it wasn’t even that much of something reliable to tell the Enclave, and besides, it’s been months.

Months of endless searching – through tunnels and bars and five star casinos – yet nothing much had been produced. Jongin had been dying to know – desperate to at least have another outlet that could lead him to another - but so far it was either nothing or that single fact – that useless single fact – that whatever it was he was looking for was entirely human.

So much for fun.

He had missed the fighting, the adrenaline that settles through his veins like a rapid waterfall: all excited to meet gravity and hit the merciless ground. His hands ache that feeling of his blade ripping through skin, shedding blood – bad blood – and the tangy smell of metal.

But it was all for that manhunt. It was an assignment given to him and his parabatai for almost two months, and still nothing. He was growing too uninterested in the investigation, since none had been happening and nothing good was coming out of it. It might as well be a dropout and considered to be a false issue.

Kris had insisted, however – perceived to let the assignment roll on to nothing but dead ends. He told them how much grave risk this thing was – whatever it was, human or not. It was all it took for Jongin and his parabatai, Sehun, to set down onto the deepest corners of the colorful city of Seoul and uncover what was claimed to be the biggest risk to the Nephilim.

But now as they silently make their way on the dark and overshadowed tunnels of downtown Seoul, the adrenaline begins. It had been weeks of nothing but useless information and upturning zigzags of play, but now they might have a good lead.

Jongin hoped it was a good lead as he pulled free his seraph blade.

“Emiliano,” he murmured as the clear translucent blade erupted into a wild glow of white. Sehun followed suit but soon disappeared at the shadows with a wild and knowing smirk.

---

The vampire already knew he was being followed, and wouldn’t otherwise lead the two Shadowhunters in the tunnel without a proper reason.

Plain stupid, but he was silently hoping the three newborns would be ready enough.

It’s not like he couldn’t defend himself, no. For all he knew, he could have just killed these two Shadowhunters with his swift speed, but he was under strict command not to shed blood of any kind while their mission was still on and unaccomplished.

It was a hard task to come by, but he had to follow or he’d be beaten bloody by his leader.

He sniffed as the other Shadowhunter, the one with starch white hair, disappeared out of his line of sight, devoured by the shadows. The other continued to follow him, and he could already smell and feel the rush of blood in those veins. They smelled of old leather and wood trickled by the slightest hint of sweat.

It took only a few silent seconds before the vampire leapt out of sight.

---

Sehun considered on joining the assignment, primarily because he suspected that it was one of those few things Kris always intended to do to drive them off away from the Institute, but he was surprised when Jongin took it far seriously. He had never seen his parabatai too consumed in solving this crazy assignment. It was almost like seeing him staring down at a page of Sudoku game, waiting for it to solve on its own.

It only looked more comical due to the fact that Jongin loathed mind games.

But as he bend down over the shadowed canopy of trees that covered where the creepy vampire was already contemplating his next move, he noticed the feral glare of his parabatai.

It was so unusual of Jongin to act like this, even if he was his parabatai. He knew, of course, that he was capable of being such a thing, but not to the extent where he was used to it.

Jongin could be so unnerving at times.

His gaze flickered at the shadow of a second that had passed, and soon he saw that the vampire already had made its glorious exit.

As if it had left a wondrous impression from the two Shadowhunters.

Sehun stood from his crouch and leapt from where he stood, and crouched yet again as he hit the solid ground with a silent thud. He was still wearing that dangerous smirk as Jongin casually walks towards his parabatai with a feline swiftness, still on his feral grin as he nodded.

“