CLANK!

Hae Ri shrieked as she felt her fangs throbbing with pain. An invisible force field shivered around Chanyeol. Hae Ri swung her head left and right, confused. She placed her hands on the transparent shield and once again tried to sink her fangs. The shield would not budge and Hae Ri screamed as she felt that her fangs were on the verge of cracking. Chanyeol observed everything with widened eyes, his mouth slightly agape. He felt something burning up at the bottom of his neck. His hand went towards his upper-chest and wrapped around the small piece of metal. He pulled it out and stared at the pendant in the shape of a flame. Light was emanating from the pendant.

“My necklace…”

He gripped the pendant tightly in his hand.

“My necklace…it’s protecting me from…”

His eyes flew up and he stared at the creature which was surveying him, her prey. Like an animal, she supported herself with her hands and legs on the bed. Her eyes were blood red and she her lips.

Baekhyun walked towards Hae Ri’s room. It was already morning and his shift had finally ended. He could finally go check on Hae Ri. When he neared his destination, he noticed that the doors to both his room and Hae Ri’s were open. Anxious, he rushed in to find Hae Ri’s bed empty. His first instinct was to check his room – not only was the door suspiciously open, he could smell her – but…why would she be there?

Just like what he expected, she was lying peacefully, fast asleep. He heaved a sigh of relief.

“As long as you are safe…”

Lay’s eyelids fluttered open. He immediately turned to look at his left. That side of the bed was empty - she was gone. Of course, he did not think that she would have returned after leaving. A ruckus had caught her attention during their exchange and she had gone out to settle the trouble. He sat up slowly, leaning his back against the wall. He smiled despite himself. It had been a long time, a really long time. He could still taste her blood. Though it was not as delectable as human blood, it was rich enough for his liking. She was indeed a very strong vampire. She could even tell that he had been surviving on animal blood. A sense of smell as strong as Yongguk’s was not common. Her powers could be tasted through her blood – warm and aromatic. Lay the bite mark on his neck and thought back to what happened last night.

“So that was a blood covenant…”

Lu Han made his way to breakfast with Mari. Though he was not on night shift, he had not rested at all the previous night. He had spent the time talking to Mari. Seeing the smiling girl by his side now, he did not regret staying with her. His caring and protective side had indeed become dominant, he could not help but feel like he wanted to take care of her. He wanted to find out more about her. He wanted to become someone important to her. They were walking so close to each other such that Mari’s hands accidentally brushed against his. He had to summon all of his self-control to not reach out and grab her hand. He pushed away all thoughts of having her small hand in his and answered Mari’s question.

“Of course not, I’m not sleepy,” he replied with a grin. She did not have to know that he did not have to sleep.

She replied with a large yawn. Lu Han thought that she was obviously the one that was sleepy and he expressed his thoughts. She retorted with something that was muffled by her yawn and he thought that she was being adorable and so he grabbed her arm and pulled her forward, saying,

“C’mon let’s get some breakfast.”

Mealtimes were promptly served and breakfast was strictly at 8am. Madame preferred everyone to be awake and on their feet before the screening every day. Since the club was located in the middle of a military headquarter, the army would make sure that there was no dirty business or enemy infiltration. They were in a war after all.

Lu Han and Mari collected their food and headed towards their table. They were slightly late today and the main area of the club was already crowded with the other employees. Lu Han and Mari conversed amicably but Lu Han suddenly stopped when he reached their usual table. He frowned and spoke aloud,

Hae Ri’s face was scrunched up with a look of pain. She struggled against something imaginary as she lost herself in a nightmare:

Everything was a blur. She did not know where she was going. She did not know what she was doing. The only thing she knew was that there was something she had to obtain. She felt the joy of finding what she was looking for. That excited feeling that seems to awaken all her senses. However, she also felt the anger of not being able to get it despite it just being right in front of her. That burning feeling in her gut that makes her want to destroy everything in sight. Suddenly, her vision started to clear up. Chanyeol was in front of her. He had a look of shock and his eyes were fixated on something before him. The thing he was looking at was his source of agony. Her heart ached upon seeing him in such a state but there was nothing she could do. Suddenly, his facial expression changed. It was as if he had decided on something. She saw him reach out his hand and mouth something before everything out.

Hae Ri jolted awake, panting heavily. Sweat drops glistened on her forehead. Baekhyun, who had been holding her hand the whole while, looked at her worriedly.

“Are you alright?” he asked softly.

It was a weird and uncomfortable nightmare. Hae Ri found comfort in the warm hand that was tightly holding onto her. She found herself being rooted back into reality. And then it suddenly hit her. It was not a nightmare.

“Ohmigod…”

She started trembling. Baekhyun’s eyes widened.

“Yah! Hae Ri!” he shouted at her.

She could not hear him at all. She was overwhelmed by her thoughts and that cold freeze that was consuming her. Her heart was hurting,

Chanyeol lifted his head. His eyes cracked open as he got used to the flittering fluorescent light. It was claustrophobic in the small storeroom but it was the only place he could run away from everything, from Hae Ri. His back ached as he had been sitting in a crouched position with his head at his knees the whole night. Lethargy had taken over him despite the distress he was suffering from the previous night. Now that he was more awake, the shock and fear was hitting him with an even larger intensity.   

It did not hit him before. The fact that Hae Ri was a full-fledged vampire did not register in his head. He had always been an easy going guy, taking things in his stride. He had always been a happy virus, seeing the good in things albeit ignoring the bad. It had become such an ingrained habit that he had begun to see things as what he wanted them to be rather than seeing them for what they are. Seeing Hae Ri being normal all the time…he deceived himself to believe that she was still the old Hae Ri he knew. It did not help that she would never feed in his presence. It was easy for his mind to believe that she had not changed. Last night’s episode dragged Chanyeol back to reality - the cold and hard truth which he could no longer mask himself from.

Suddenly, a flashback of the vampire last night flashed through his mind. Those cold, red eyes and the hunger residing within…Chanyeol felt his heart sank even more. Just like how he had casted a spell to put Hae Ri in a slumber, he yearned to put himself to sleep, so that he could avoid facing the world. He felt that a part of him had closed up and was hiding in a dark empty corner…

Because he could not handle it anymore.

Hae Ri felt the guilt eating up her insides. She blamed the alcohol, that stupid man who made her drink so much…but eventually she would always have to end up blaming her bloodlust, her bloodline. She was going crazy seeing Chanyeol like this but she did not know how to rectify her mistake.

“He must be frightened…” she thought to herself.

She did not blame him. It must have been a terrifying experience and she would have done anything to erase that memory for him. But what is done has been done. They could only move on from here. She prayed that there would be a chance for her to apologize and for them to make up. She mustered her courage and reached out her hand…

“Physical touch is the best way to convey feelings…” she recited the advice that Appa had given her.

But her hand jerked and retracted before it could make its way to Chanyeol’s hand. There was no way she could have touched him. There was no way things could be the same as it was. She was no longer just a human and touching him would probably just scare him even more. Hae Ri felt a wave of dejection wash over her. She clenched her fists tightly.

“Still, I won’t give up,” she announced in her mind.

She stared at Chanyeol intently.

“We need to talk,” she sent him a telepathy.

She waited for Chanyeol to lift his head and look at her. She prepared herself for the pain and even fear she would see in his eyes. She could understand where these emotions were coming from after all. After a few moments, Chanyeol finally looked up from his food. Hae Ri inwardly heaved a sigh of relief.

But that sense of relief came too early.

In his eyes, she did not see any dejection, any horror. He simply stared at her blankly. The windows to his soul reflected lifelessness, emptiness, as if he were a mannequin.

Finally an update! :D

This chapter was depressing to write >< sobs sobs

Anyway guysss I'm back! :)

Alot of action will be coming up in the next chapter so do look forward~