The hallway was so quiet. I guess I should have expected as much with classes going on, but I felt the silence more deeply then that. Like it was beating down into my body. Slowly I let my eyes scan the corridor as I passed, peering at the tightly shut doors; not a single person was in sight. The thought made me calm a little, but not by much.  

“You’re moving really fast,” I fought the reflex to flinch at the statement, turning my head slightly to the left. Kai was already peering down at me, his eyes watching intently under the shadow of his long lashes.

“A-am I?” I immediately stilled, forcing my stiff legs to move slower. “Sorry.” The latter shook his head, his lips curving.

“It’s not a big deal, we can keep up.”

I looked forward, my cheeks no doubt crimson. I wanted to kick myself for becoming so affected by his words. Why couldn’t I remain calm?! Shifting my gaze slightly to the right I peered over my shoulder. About half a step behind was Sehun, his hands in his pockets. It looked like he had been deep in thought, but almost a moment later his gaze lowered, landing on me. I looked ahead again, suddenly wishing I could melt into the floor and disappear.

“Sorry, I just thought we should get to class quickly.” Both of them towered over me by a good foot, the crown of my head coming just above their shoulders. They had long legs too, so it wouldn’t have surprised me if my quick pace did nothing to exert them. Still, I had been hoping they wouldn’t notice I was trying to move fast.

We were incredibly far from the classroom as it was, the infirmary being all the way on the other side of the school. It would be utter chaos – with them or not – to still be in the halls once the break began. That was enough motivation to make me push faster, nearing a sprint. Though either of them said nothing I could still feel them at my sides, keeping up with my pace. Soon, the hall itself gave way and we entered a wide room. Though, it couldn’t even be considered a room from how large it was.

The ceiling shot up two stories, creating a wide hemi-circle at its crown. Made completely of glass frames, it gave a sort of sparkling effect to the sunlight that streamed down. Round tables surrounded by plush chairs were scattered everywhere. Two wide staircases sprouted from the north and south ends, and spiralled up to a second floor balcony that lined the room. It looked small from down here, but the floor was even more spread out that this one, with even a library tucked within one of its corners. I knew because I had hidden there countless times, allowing myself to be lost within the folds of its books. But now was not the time for that. Instead, I turned my attention to the east corner.

A beautiful ancient clock stood against the maroon brick wall. The body was surrounded by curling black ivory, its dark swirls clouding over its face. The face itself was a crème color and over its roman numerals various designs and faces were scripted in delicate black ink. It was nearly impossible to see them all; the clock itself in a position just out of reach from the second floor and too high up from here to get a closer look. Still, I always ended up staring at it. There were countless clocks like this in the school, but this was the only one with drawings on its face.

The clocks themselves had always stood out, their ancient complexity never quite fitting in with the modernized structure of the building. But I was drawn to them, their mysterious beauty plaguing my curiosity. Almost as if in routine, I looked up to its thick, silver ivory hands. Lay had been telling the truth, there was only a couple minutes left.

“We need to hurry,” I spoke softly, more to myself then anything. To my surprise they both turned to me, as if having heard my statement. For the umpteenth time my face burned. Why had I said that, and so bluntly? Neither of them probably had to fear the crowds of people. Others would give way to them while I would get trampled.

“Alright,” I looked up in shock at Sehun’s voice; he was still looking at me, the same neutral expression he always seemed to have on his face. Though it was like that, his tone wasn’t emotionless; he sounded understanding and willing.   

Kai came up, his face in a half smile half grimace: “It seems like you’re not the only one who wants to hurry up.” Sehun gave him a blank look.

“And you’re saying you don’t?”

His eyes flickered back to mine for a moment, and I could’ve sworn I saw something pass within their golden haze. Without another word he turned. Pushing with what little energy I knew my body could muster, I followed him through the common area, and we filed into one of hallways that lined its edges. I had to get back before the bell rang. If I didn't, that meant having to walk through the crowded hallways, and there lay the risk of running into a queenka or a minion. Either was enough to make me sprint. I moved as fast as I could, but my breaths were already becoming laboured from fatigue. We had only made it so far before I felt my legs begin to burn and my chest constrict. Kai and Sehun were slightly ahead of me, and the distance was only going to begin to increase.

I was never a good runner. To be honest when it came to sports I legitimately , so it was no surprise to me when I ended up having to stop short. Both of them halted too, turning back to me.

“Are you alright?” One of them asked. I couldn’t be sure who, I was breathing too hard and my heart was thudding against my ears.

“Yes-”

Nope. Seriously, of all times to have this happen!

A hand lightly touched my shoulder, helping me stand upright.

“Are you sure, I mean uh,” Kai stopped mid-phrase, his eyes stuck on my face. He was undoubtedly unsure of how to comment on my lack of athleticism. I met his gaze, plastering a smile on my face to mask my embarrassment.

“Ha-hah I’m not that great at running,”

As if you haven’t already caught onto that.

“Let’s just keep moving.” Without giving them time to respond I continued down the hall, this time walking so I could catch my breath.

Okay, that's it. You are going to exercise after this. Actual. Exercise. No more procrastinating-

A loud string of chimes startled me out of my thoughts and into my dread. It was the bell. Break had started.

“Oh great,” I heard it from behind me, soft like it was whispered. Almost instantaneously, the doors that lined the long corridor flew open, and wave upon wave of students rushed out. Soon we were surrounded by navy and maroon, and my head dropped to my converse.

It had always been a reflex of mine, to look down whenever I was in a crowd. I wasn't upset or self conscious; I just was never comfortable in being so surrounded. Maybe that was why I had ended up gaining the status of a wall flower. I sunk my head lower, my dark hair covering my face. I had to move really slow now, or else risk running into someone. It was so loud, chatter and laughter filling my ears. I had to keep going. I had to find my stuff. Those girls had ages to trash and hide it, and now I had only minutes to retrieve it. But after a while, I could feel the air around me change. The surrounding noise lessened, the whispers started floating over my head.

"Look, it’s her"

"What? Who?"

"That girl, she's the one who pushed him."

"Ugh, so disgusting."

"She wanted to touch him."

Biting my lip I didn't say a word, only trying to walk faster. A hand grasped my arm, pulling me back slightly. I turned my head, Sehun staring down from behind me.

“What’re you doing?” The air around us suddenly hushed. My throat dried up as I felt the piercing stares of people against my back. He didn’t let go of my arm. Warmth spread from his touch, through the soft material of my sleeve and into my skin.

“W-well I was…going to class.” The words just got smaller and smaller; by the end of it I was sure he hadn’t been able to hear what I had said. Kai stepped up from his side, another of his smiles on his face.

“Well wait for us then.” Sehun murmured. I stared at him, dumbfounded. Without missing a beat Kai held onto the same arm Sehun had in his grasp. Heat pulsed up my arm; before I could react Kai had already steered me around and was leading the way down the corridor. A new kind of energy hummed through the onlookers, their murmurs and whispers taking on an incredulous air.

“Hold on just a-” I tried looking over my shoulder but Sehun had already caught up, his tall frame blocking my view.

“We’re going to be late.” He murmured. I was still moving along because of Kai, his grip steady on my arm, but I kept my gaze back. After a moment Sehun sighed, his hand coming up to my head and turning it forward. “Pay attention, Kai can’t keep you from crashing into things.”

“R-right,” My face flushed at the thought of our earlier incident but I shoved the thoughts away. Even with my eyes ahead I didn’t really see what was in front of me. People were watching; that I could only be too sure of, but that was it. My face was probably burning a bright red, but I wasn’t sure if it was from shyness or embarrassment. I, I didn’t know what the feeling was. It was completely foreign and indescribable. But it wasn’t bad; at least, I didn’t think it was.

After what could have been a matter of moments we rounded a corner. My eyes flicked up to the small board on top of the one of the classroom doors, 2-B written in bold lettering.

“Well, that took a while.” The words were like the drop of a hammer, shattering the quiet. None of us had spoken a word as we walked through the school. It would have nearly been impossible with the volume of voices echoing off the walls.

Sehun held his arm up, staring at a watch on his wrist. “I think we spent more time walking then actually relaxing.”

“How could you relax in a school,” Kai chuckled a little, turning back to look at me. His smile was warm, stirring the foreign feeling in my chest. “Are you alright?” I nodded once, twice. “Sorry about this,” He gestured towards his grip on my arm, then released it gently. “I thought we would have lost you back there otherwise.” I shook my head. It had been a little sudden but I had guessed this reason; I had already proven my lack of athleticism.

“Thanks for this-”

“Stop that,”

“Stop that,”

They both spoke in unison. I froze, my head half ducked down in a bow.

“S-sorry!” I stood up straight, looking between the two. “It’s just a force of habit.”

“Why around people your own age? If it’s the same age you should speak comfortably.” Kai spoke after a beat “Especially with us, since we’re in the same class.”

“U-uh, I guess I can…try.” I wasn’t entirely sure why I was giving in so easily. The thought of being a burden was still there, but it wasn’t as intense as before. Maybe it was because their actions. The more time I was spending around them, the harder it was to feel it. They were too kind, too friendly.  

“Not try, but do.” Without warning he placed his hands on either side of my shoulders, pushing me into the room. I stuttered slightly, vainly attempting to protest. It was no use; a smile remained on his face the whole time as he moved me inside.

Her flustered voice touched my ears. It seemed oddly louder, but then with Kai’s presence I could understand why. People passed left and right behind me, their obnoxious noise impossible to ignore. It was rare for me to be surrounded by it and not feel extreme irritation. Unfortunately it was something I would have to attribute to my own hearing. To any normal being this situation would be considered a bit loud at most, but with the heightened hearing ability I had from being a Creature the impact was increased ten fold. Wolves especially had to suffer from having this ‘special ability’. Though it would seem between me and my brothers, I was one of the most sensitive when it came to loud noises and chaotic situations.

Taking a couple strides I turned, leaning back against the wall a couple feet away from the open door. On the other side of the concrete wall was the room, filling up with students, Kai, and her. Bowing my head I shut my eyes for a moment, letting my surroundings wash over me. A majority of it was voices, each following a wave of growth then fade into nothing.  That wasn’t only it though; windows had been propped open, and a soft breeze stirred in. The crinkle of paper turning, the gentle tap of a pen against a table, the shift of someone moving in their seat; I could hear all of it. Letting out a shallow breath I tried concentrating, shifting through the mindless noise.

“Did you watch that movie yesterday?!”

“Where did you put it? I’m serious! Oh my god that was my favourite pen!”

“I’m so tired, can’t we just skip classes for the rest of the day?”

“Why didn’t Sehun-sshi come inside?” My heart jolted inside my chest at the particular voice. Subconsciously I opened my eyes, gazing down at the shiny white tile of the floor.

“He’ll come inside soon. He’s waiting for someone.” Kai’s voice floated up along with hers.

“Is it the friend you guys were talking about? S-shouldn’t I wait with him then?” She sounded unsure, nervous even. The thought made the corners of my lips upturn, but I quickly forced them down.   

“It’s fine Lena, don’t worry about it.”

“…It’s kinda hard for me not to.” I could imagine what kind of face she was making now. My lips uplifted again.

“What’re you smiling about?” I turned, my face immediately dropping to its neutral state. “Hey, I never said stop-” Before he could finish I stepped forward, reaching for the backpack in his hands. At the last second he pulled his arm back, the bag ghosting across my fingertips before going out of reach.

“I wasn’t smiling Baekhyun.”

“That’s Baekhyun-hyung to you.” The latter emphasized, his expression not pleased “How many times do I have to tell you?”

“As many times as it takes for it to stick,” I tried again, this time successfully grasping one of the straps and tugging it out of his hands “and for the record it probably never will.” He sighed, his face dropping to a scowl. It didn’t look threatening in the slightest.

“That’s rude.”

“It’s also the truth.” Instead of giving me a quick comeback like he usually did, he remained silent. His eyes were trained on my face, and a self-conscious feeling settled over my shoulders.

“She’s in there, isn’t she.” It was a statement as supposed to a question. I nodded once, my chest tightening the slightest bit. He didn’t say anything after a moment, as if letting the thought mull over in his mind. It looked like he wanted to say something too, but the silence only ended up stretching. “Ah, alright. I guess I’ll see you guys later then.” He smiled, turning and starting down the hall to his own class.

I watched him for a moment, slightly confused. Thought didn’t last for long though; as I turned back around my heart began to pick up its pace. I paused slightly in front of the classroom door, gripping her bag tightly in my hands.

Breathe Sehun. Breathe.  

Clasping my hands together I stared straight at the wall in front of me, as if I could somehow see through its layers of plaster and concrete. I could feel Lay's concerned gaze but I didn't let myself meet it just yet.

"Where is she now?" I asked in a low voice. We were in a secluded place, an unused classroom, but I didn't want to risk the chance of someone hearing. Human or otherwise.

"She went back to class, Kai and Sehun went with her" He replied, his voice turning soft. I turned to him, analyzing his downcast eyes. When he had reached here, they had been in their regular brown hue. Even with his explanation it was hard to believe they had ever changed in the first place.

"Kai’s imprinted too, just like you have." At that Lay looked up, his gaze conflicted.

“But how’s that even possible at this point? Sehun– Sehun already had seen her first. How can either of us feel the same way as him?” I didn’t say anything right away, just watching him. Lay stepped away, bracing both of his hands on a nearby desk. “This isn’t right. There’s got to be a different reason why we’re both like this-“

"There is no other reason Lay.” I murmured. He exhaled suddenly, the haggard sound escaping his lips. I crossed the room, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Everything’s going to be fine. I promise.” He didn’t respond to me, his dark hair obscuring my view of his face.   

"The three of you need to learn to control the color change." I spoke slowly, trying to get him to focus "Most creatures won’t know what the color means and even if they see it, they may ignore it. But we can't risk them noticing regardless. Someone we don’t know might still be able to recognize it. As for the vampire, I’ll look into it with Kris. Don’t worry too much.” I hesitated. Lay drew a long breath, his shoulders relaxing a bit. “What’s her name?” He looked up slightly, his hair partially over his eyes.

“Lena.” I nodded, letting the new piece of information settle in my mind.

“After school ends, why don’t you go over to their classroom?” He looked down again, saying nothing. “For now, it’s important someone’s there to watch over her. The incident had been planned; there’s no telling whether or not those girls have something else up their sleeve." He stood up slowly, his hands trailing of the desk.

“Right,” He turned, giving me a weak smile “Sorry Suho.” I shook my head, squeezing his shoulder.

"You don't have any reason to say that. Go to class, you don't have much time until break ends."

"Has this, happened before?” He murmured after a moment "Multiple wolves imprinting on the same mate…" I didn’t answer right away, dropping my hand.

"Yes it has. When it comes to the three of you imprinting on Lena-sshi,"I paused slightly, thinking "It was nothing I never considered. To be honest, I was preparing to have to expect it from any one of us."

“Why did you have to?” I couldn't help but smile ruefully.

"As it is now you don’t catch wolves imprinting, whether or not it’s with someone from their kind. When I saw Sehun I didn’t immediately think that this would stop with him; if there was always the chance that one of us would imprint, then wouldn’t there also be an equal chance that the girl – creature or not – would end up affecting us all?" He didn’t say anything, too lost in thought. I sighed sadly, looking up to the west wall. Next to a cloth covered desk, a large clock hung mounted on the wall. It was ancient looking, with thick black ivory winding about its body.

The long silver hand travelled slowly around the face, its movements nearly silent. I watched it, my mind too getting lost in thought. We couldn't let things escalate with vampires, the results would be severe. And now, there was this imprinting business. How could it start again, after decades of nothing?

Lena-sshi, just who are you?

No one saw him. Human and creature alike were completely lost in their blissful ignorance. No one realized the missing face, the lost 'person'. And so, not a single one felt the dark twisted soul lurking so close. Just mere yards away, near the side of the school building. It remained in secret, its malice and fury tightly with drawn, so not even the most sensitive of Creature would notice. It was still, as quiet as the human dead, with its bared fangs gleaming against the late afternoon sun. Glaring viciously it bore holes into the slightly cracked open windows of the second year class 2-B room. A simple leap, that's all it took. And it would be able to have it: sweet, delectable revenge. But no, not yet.

Patience was key; more terror and anguish could be ensured that way.

The vampire smiled, a cynical thing made by its twisted and gruesome fantasies. Its eyes, long almond shaped things with narrow slits in its centres, drifted along the rows, spying the two wolves seated at the very end of the room. Just beside the windows near the front of the sat a girl, one of the very few unsuspecting humans in the room.

The vampire's smile grew larger and larger, threatening to snap the lifeless muscles embedded within its skin. The creature didn't care, because for the first time, in many decades of its life, something was spawning, a feeling with such rareness it had thought it would never feel it again. Glee.

~~~

Well hello my lovelies~ ^•^

Hope that this was a nice update for you all to read. Lately I’ve been keeping to a chapter length around this long. I know many of you readers (and to be honest this includes myself) love LONG chapters, but still I don’t want to over do things. Let me know in the comments what you think (too long, too short, A-okay?)

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Thanks so much for reading, and until next time:

*bows 90°* bye-bye!