~~~~~

Three Weeks Later

"Noona, let's go out for dinner, my treat."

"Okay."

I slid the journal into my purse, and went after Gun-il. I've been reading it for the past few weeks and it strangely feels like I'm getting to know Prince Hong-bin. His younger brother by four years- nicknamed Mir- reminds me alot of Gun-il, except they're actually full-blooded siblings. I was adopted into the Kang family when it was believed my parents couldn't have children. I was four when they adopted me, and four years after that Gun-il was born. We weren't treated differently at all, even though I'd that I was lucky I didn't have their bad traits.

I was sitting in the restraunt booth reading while Gun-il talked to a friend a couple tables away while we waited on our food.

"Excuse me?"

I looked up at the guy and froze instantly under the intense green-eyed stare.

"H-Hi."

"Hello. I'm Lee Cheol-yong. I just noticed the crest on that journal-"

"How'd you know it was a journal?"

"It just looks like one, I assumed."

"Oh, okay."

I closed it and looked at the crest on the spine.

"What about this?"

"May I ask, where did you find it?"

"My brother bought it at some bookstore for me, I don't know where, sorry."

He put on a beautiful smile, and his eyes seemed to glow.

"Come with me" he purred.

"But my brother-"

"I'll bring you back."

My head got foggy, and put the journal in my purse and picked that up as he guided me out of the restraunt with one hand on my back. He led me down an alley to the right of the building and to a fancy black sports car parked in it.

"Get in."

I tried to stop, this was dangerous, I knew that, but my body just wouldn't listen. He drove in silence and I stared at him. His eyes were really glowing in the darkness, but it didn't make him frightening- only more mysterious. His hair was medium brown with caramel highlights, and waved slightly to the base of his neck. He looked at me, and smirked.

"What's your name?"

"Kang Hyo-sun."

Why did I answer him?!

"Well, Hyo-sun, you're going to answer questions for me, alright?"

"I don't-"

His eyes glowed brighter and I shut up and he looked back to the road and pulled into a parking lot of an old building.

"Get out."

I climbed out and he led me inside, and he took my purse and pulled out the journal, and tossed my purse into a chair. He flipped through the journal, and I saw that all the pages were blank.

"I should have known better," he muttered "of course there'd be a spell over it. Hyo-sun, have you been reading this?"

"Yes."

"The words appear for you?"

"They've always been there for me."

He dropped the journal and grabbed my wrist.

"Hyo-sun ah," he purred "come closer."

I stepped closer to him and he put his mouth to the side of my neck.

"This won't hurt for long."

"Wha-?"

There was a sharp ripping pain in my neck and I cried out and tugged on his hair.

"St-Stop!"

"No."

He held my waist and I tugged harder on his head and he pulled back, and I saw blood on his lips.

"What the hell are you?" He asked.

"I don't know what you mean."

I covered my neck and he slammed me against a wall, and I winced.

"Please," I murmured "I'm nobody, just let me go."

"Now you see, that's a lie," he said and smiled "there's only a couple people that can read that journal. That's Hong-bin himself and his destined rescuer. The last girl hid that journal from me before she killed herself just to get away. You will not escape me."

I glanced around. There was nothing I could use as a weapon against him, and he off his lips and leaned close to mine and kissed me softly. His taste was so sweet, that I didn't want to pull away. He chuckled and pulled my hand off of my neck and away the blood and I in a breath.

"Hyo-sun, I don't want to hurt you, and I need you alive."

He the blood off my fingers, and I watched his tongue curl around each one, and I gulped. His eyes flicked to mine, and smiled.

"Do you believe me?"

Surprising, I nodded.

"That's a good girl. As long as you do what I want, I'll make sure no harm comes to you. Go get your purse and I'll let you go home."

I held his cheeks and he watched me quizzically.

"Cheol-yong, are you from Jajeong Beil?"

"Yes."

"Are you..."

"I'm a vampire."

"Uh-huh..."

"What?"

My taekwondo classes kicked in and I snapped his neck, and he dropped hard. I grabbed the journal, my purse and his car keys. I jumped into his car and floored it back to town. I left the car locked with the keys inside a few blocks from my house and ran home.

"Gun-il?"

He walked out of his room and I covered my neck nonchalantly and smiled.

"Sorry I ran out, a friend needed help."

"It's okay, just leave a note next time."

"I will."

I went to my room and cleaned my wound and put a bandaid over the bites. I locked my bedroom door and closed my curtains and flipped to the back of the journal where Hong-bin had written a few spells he knew and protective charms.

-Vampires-

Silver works, garlic doesn't. Depending on how strong their bloodline is, they may be immune to sunlight. I don't honestly know much about them myself, there aren't many on the side of good.

I sighed. That wasn't much help. Cheol-yong doesn't know where I live at least, that's good. I opened the journal and took comfort in reading. After a couple pages, there was a map drawn out over two pages.

My father drew this map for me so I'd know the layout of the kingdom even if I could never see it. This bamboo forest, I wish someone who bring me back a baby one to grow.

"Bamboo forest, it couldn't be the one in... but it's the only one I know of..."

I bit my lip. If Cheol-yong's a vampire, he has to truly be from Jajeong Beil... that means it's real... not part of some insane person's ramblings. But... who would be there now? Prince Hong-bin is surely long gone. I read forward a few pages quickly, and there was no entries of any troubles, but he was locked away- what if no one told him?

"What am I doing? It's not like he's in danger, I'm the one Cheol-yong is after, right?"

My e