Yoonji’s body turned to stones soon after. Sehun stared at the once-flesh-and-blood and drove his blade for the last time to the stomach area. Hana watched with wide eyes when the body turned to ashes, slowly flying around, filling the white room and finally, out of the window and to the open air.

“Why…?” Hana whispered lowly. Sehun was putting his dagger back to the scabbard, covering it and put it over his shoulder. He looked so calm even after killing someone, “That way we don’t have to deal with a dead corpse. Let’s go.”

“Wait, what about Miyoung?” Hana asked, looking at the door. She felt worried that Miyoung would freak out if Hana left without saying anything. Sehun showed his usual poker face and shrugged, “What about her?” Hana made a face, “She’d freak out if we leave her.”

Sehun shook his head, grabbing Hana by the hand, “You can’t do anything about her. You’re meant to cut off all ties with your family, your friends, everyone that knows you. They can’t know your whereabouts if you still want to live and want them to live.”

“What---?” Hana asked. She didn’t understand why staying away from them would keep them alive. Sehun put his hand on his lips, mentioning Hana to keep the voice down. “The Fallen has a code of secrecy. If one of my clan knows that someone humane knows of our existence, they will kill that person.”

Hana looked at the door once more, and Sehun tightened his grip on Hana’s hand, “We don’t have enough time.” And at the cue, Miyoung called out from the outside. Hana looked at Sehun, torn-in between whether to run to the door and told Hana or ran away with Sehun.

“Whatever. You’re coming with me,” Sehun hissed, and in a mere second, swapping the girl off her feet and put her around his shoulder like a toy. Hana screamed as loud as she could when her view got turned upside down, “YAHH!! SEHUN-SSI, PUT ME DOWN!”

And before she could say anything else, Sehun already jumped out of the window… From the fourth floor and down. Hana fainted.

***

Luhan rushed inside the room, his face pale and sweaty from all the running. There were news, bad ones, and he wanted to tell Sehun first. Luhan didn’t even bother to knock or said ‘hi’. His mind was tangled in a complicated mess, and as soon as he saw a sleeping figure on the couch, he stopped. His mind blank.

“What are you doing here?” Sehun asked in a hushed tone. Hana stirred a bit in her sleep. Luhan opened his mouth, but seeing Sehun’s firm look, he shut it, before whispering weakly, “What is she doing here?” Luhan still couldn’t register what happened.

“I ask first,” Sehun furrowed his eyebrows and pat Hana’s head gently, before signaling Luhan to go to his room. Luhan stood up and walked beside him. He was stiff and tensed. Perhaps a little mad. Sehun was too rash. He always did everything over a split second thought.

Sehun’s room was even more spacious than the living room, and decorated to his liking. As Sehun had always appreciated the baroque era, he decorated everything in the baroque design. He had a huge bed reserved with shell-like motive on the top, and sheer curtain around it. Sehun came from an extremely wealthy and powerful family, and his taste for things portrayed the way he was raised.

The only thing missing from Sehun’s room was a mirror. The male had never really liked the presence of a mirror in his room. The old tale told the stories of how vampires weren’t reflected in the mirror, but that was not the truth. Sehun just hated looking at himself from times to times. At times he would feel the mocking stare from his own reflection, though he knew it was just his own reflection that did whatever he did.

Luhan looked tired. He was worn out after all the interrogation. He would need a few bags of blood tonight, and if he could, he wanted to drink directly from a human source to gain back his vitality. His eyes were focused on Sehun, who looked bored and slightly distraught.

For hundreds of years, Luhan was in love with Sehun. He never did admit that to anyone else. He wasn’t straight like most would expect him to be. It was a taboo in the vampire community to have the same-gender partner. No one talked about it; no one dared to admit it. And Luhan was one of them. He was able to conceal it for years, thinking that the feelings would fade away as time went by. Too bad it never did. Even when he became the Fallen, the feelings never went away. The love stayed, like a thorn in his heart, piercing him every time Sehun ignored him.

Luhan liked girls as well. He had a few girlfriends before, but he wasn’t really in love with them. He was attracted to both genders, and it was a coincidence that the one he was attracted to now, was Sehun, his childhood best friend.

“What is it that you want? I told you not to bother me,” Sehun’s voice sounded indifferent. Every time he was with Luhan, or other people, he would not talk a lot and tried to cut the conversation as short as possible. Sehun was a true definition of what a ‘Fallen’ like. Cold and merciless killer that had little to none emotion.

“Why is that girl here? I thought you don’t like being distracted?” Luhan asked bitterly. Sehun stood near the window, drawing the curtain and feeling the warmth of the sunlight. This was another good thing about being a Fallen: you no longer had to fear the sun.

“She is here, under my protection, Luhan,” Sehun answered. “If my brother wants her, he’ll be in for a fight. I won’t let him have her.” Luhan stared at Sehun as if the younger one had grown two heads. He remembered the vow they took as the Fallen, one of them was never to have any relationship with anyone. And now Sehun was bringing a person -a girl for God’s sake- home! A relationship was bound to grow whether he liked it or not.

“She’s a danger, Sehun! You can’t fight your brother alone. He has the entire vampire army with him, and not to mention, the witches, the elves, and the dark faeries! Your only hope will be werewolves! And trust me, when you kill their leader one hundred year ago, the wolves are not so happy with you. They hold a grudge for you.”

Sehun didn’t reply as Luhan continued, “This is a fight you cannot win, Sehun. That girl is meant to be a Forsaken if you can’t find her creator.” Sehun shook his head. There was a determination so strong, and Luhan could see it in his eyes. They were burning like fire.

“I already thought about this, Luhan.”

“That you’ll keep her?” Luhan hissed, his eyes wild. The younger male standing in front of him looked so calm and indifferent about the whole situation. “I will find the creator before my brother catches up. I promised to protect her.” Luhan paled down, “No, you didn’t.”

Sehun didn’t reply. He had promised himself to protect Hana the moment he realized that she got the Mark on her back. The Mark on her back was not an usual sign. Whoever Marked her must be someone important in the Shadow world’s hierarchy. Besides, a promise for Sehun was an oath for life. He would fulfill it even if it cost his life.

“Sehun, you can’t risk it,” Luhan shook his head, “You can’t. Not for that girl. She is a stranger!”

“I promised, and I will see it fulfilled,” Sehun firmly stated. Luhan knew he couldn’t talk it out with the stubborn Sehun. Sehun wouldn’t take any advice and wouldn’t want to hear it from anyone. “Hana is under my protection. I don’t see why you should care about what I should do and whatnot.”

Because Sehun was friend and Luhan couldn’t say it out loud. He felt a dejected feeling inside and sighed heavily, knowing that this argument would get nowhere. Once Sehun decided to do something, he would move mountains and oceans to make it happen.

***

Hana’s eyes fluttered open. There was shouting in the room, and door-slamming. She quickly got up to see if there was anything life threatening. But it was just Luhan, storming out of the door and giving Hana the iciest glare she had ever seen in her life.

“What’s wrong?” Hana asked, confused. Her big eyes looking at Sehun, “Do you have lovers’ fight? Is it because I stay here?” Sehun’s eyes widened. Did she just think that he was a gay? He pointed his finger to himself and asked Hana like this was the most ridiculous question in his life. “Do I look like a gay?” Hana titled her head, “Well, you and Luhan…”

Sehun shut his mouth. He raised one of his eyebrows at her. All of a sudden, she felt so timid next to him, “You’re not lovers?” Sehun shook his head, “Lovers, my .” Sehun observed as Hana gaped at him, almost stunned. The girl gave him a weird stare, like she didn’t trust him and shook her head. This time, Sehun didn’t feel the need to explain himself to her. Why would he, when this was his house and they were nothing but strangers?

“You are the most ridiculous girl I’ve ever met,” Sehun muttered. He had never been suspected as a ‘gay’ before. All the girls he met practically worshipped him like there was no tomorrow. Blame his perfect gene and good looks. Hana seemed to be ‘almost’ immune to his charms, though he had caught her staring at him several times.

“I am not,” Hana retorted, “You are weird. You and that freakish guy, Luhan.”

Now Sehun almost smiled, but caught himself before he could do so. His lips were pressed into a thin line. Nobody ever called Luhan ‘freakish’. If Kai was the charmer of the three, Luhan was the ‘boy-next-door’ type. Everybody loved Luhan. Sehun was Sehun. He was cold and quiet, and more to the bad boy type.

“Why is Luhan freakish?” Sehun asked curiously. He wasn’t normally chatty, and he wasn’t even supposed to care, but he couldn’t hold back the question. Hana blankly stared at him, not even hiding herself when he looked back, “That guy hates me! I don’t know what the hell is his problem! And he is so rude! Just like you.”

“Understandable,” Sehun stood up straight, “We hate everything about everyone. That’s in our nature.” Hana shut , but her mind was screaming back at Sehun. Clearly, the only person Luhan didn’t hate was Sehun. And if Hana didn’t know any better, she would think that Luhan was jealous. He wasn’t jealous at her because of Sehun… right?

“You don’t have to be so… jerk-ish,” Hana whispered, hoping that Sehun wouldn’t hear. But of course, he heard it perfectly well with his enhanced hearing. He let that one slipped, though, because he wanted Hana to think of him as a bad person. He didn’t want any relationship to blossom between them. He couldn’t afford any more heartbreak…