Morning came like a blink. I felt normal as usual, but I remembered who was in the room below me. Lee Chaerin. Lee Chaerin. Daylight Jewels weren’t made very well one hundred years ago, but they’ve improved now. Mom told me to fetch supplies to make her one. Of course, since a young vampire, I studied Black Magic, but it was only a hobby until the Lees were gone. It helped me fend against enemies and sometimes in school… I rolled out of bed and went downstairs, continuing into the basement, but the lights were on. Chaerin hissed at the light and hid in the corner, coming back out as I closed the door. I sighed, “Sorry.”

She her lips and clutched the blood bag in her hands, looking at me with that glint in her eye, “It’s ok… Your mother told me you were gonna make me a Daylight Jewel? You make those?” She finished off her bag and threw it to the side. She wiped her lips and smiled.

I nodded, grabbing a bag from my section and sinking my teeth into it-quick. I sighed and my fangs clean, “Yeah… When the Lee Clan disappeared, a theory was that you were cast off by witches. My parents got really serious about me learning Black Magic. When I was a kid, it was just something I did for fun. But I became the best pretty soon after.” I smiled a little at her, “You can’t stay in here until I make it for you. Are the windows closed in the guest room?”

“Yeah. But I got so hungry…” She sheepishly pointed to the pile of blood bags in the corner and I laughed, “Not funny. I’ve been locked up for one hundred years, I’m starving. None of your blood bags are quenching my thirst.” Chaerin hopelessly dropped to the floor, her lips. Her eyes went red-and I’ve seen people get hungry or angry, but Chaerin’s were different. Her eyes were brighter, more of on the amber side. I’ve never seen that before. The upsides to being an Original Lee.

I bit my lip and worriedly plucked a blood bag from the emergency section, “Here.” I gave it to her, “This is human blood. It’ll quench your thirst, I’m sure of it. Just don’t tell my parents. I’m not supposed to eat from it, but I’m sure you’re an exception.”

She grabbed it from me and punctured the bag in a split second, draining it and closing her eyes. A satisfied moan escaped from and she leaned against me, dropping the bag and sighing, “Aw… That was it.” She said and her lips, her fangs sheathing. Chaerin pulled her head back up.

I helped her up, “Come on. Let’s get out of here until you’re stuck here for hours.” We dashed back into her room and she hissed as we got back into the guest room. Her skin burned for a few seconds, before healing itself. “Stay here. Oh, what kind of color do you want your jewel to be?”

She pointed to the ring on my right hand, “I want one like yours. Black.”

I looked at it and nodded, “I’ll be right back.” I quickly ran out the front door and checked the time. I shouldn’t spend so much time out; people would question what I’m doing. It could take a few hours to complete the magic process, so I had to find this fast. I walked down the sidewalk, to the place I had found my stone and crouched down. This giant oak tree was said to be the birth place of Chaerin’s father. But even he couldn’t remember. A mere five hundred years ago. My hands went around the bark and I searched the ground around it. Black stone…a black stone.

“Jiyong?” I looked up and stood. Seunghyun. I smiled and he slapped my back, “What’s up man? Hey what happened last night?”

I shrugged, “Just some bird hit the roof and fell. No big whoop.”

“What are you doing here for then?” He asked, patting the tree. His eyes looked darker than usual, “Something going on?”

“No. Just came to clear my mind a little.” I replied coolly. For some reason…he looked suspicious of me. I kicked up a rock and looked at it. Black, smooth, I can carve it down. “I should take one in case mine gets stolen or broken.” I said. That’s just the way I think, and everyone knows I prepare for everything.

Seunghyun nodded, “Can you make me one too?”

“Ah. Hyung, for your first one, I had to paint that huge rock a specific color!”

He smiled, “Fine. Red is ok.”

I picked up another stone and nodded, “Ok. Ring, Bracelet, or Necklace?”

Hyung looked at his ring and bit his lip, “Um…another ring.”

I nodded and smiled, “Ok. I’ll go work on it before I forget.” I said and turned back home, waving.

But he called for me again, “Oh! Ji! Wait.” I paused and looked back at him, trying to keep my calm. He smiled, “Dara and Bom really wanna be a part of the Clan. Can you come over to my place tonight to teach them and get approval?” Hey. Before Lee Chaerin came in, I would’ve accepted those girls in a blink of an eye. But now that they could have had something to do with the disappearance of the Lee Clan, I really have to be careful.

“Yeah. If I have time, I’ll call you before I head over.” I said, “There’s another thing I have to do for my parents tonight too. I’m not sure how long that’ll take.” I turned around and walked back home. The blinds were all down, and both cars were parked outside the garage. Mom and Dad came back early to check on Chaerin. I entered and called out, “Mom, Dad?! You guys are home early!”

Mom came down the steps first, dressed in black and her Daylight Bracelet on tightly, “Your father and I are going to interrogate Teddy and Jay in Pusan. Did you get a stone?”

“Yeah, right here,” I gave it to her so she could see, “Chaerin wanted a stone like mine, so I went back to the tree.”

Mom smiled, “Ah. Thank you Jiyong. Remember to take Chaerin out to visit her old home. You can take the Rolls Royce, the Lees have a bunch of them, so no one will know the difference.” I nodded and Dad came back down, “Honey. You take so long.” Mom scolded.

Dad rolled his eyes and patted my shoulder, “Be careful out there tonight. And use the basement to make Chaerin a stone. Your room almost blew up last time, that was a hard cover story to come up with, Jiyong.”

I smirked, “Sorry about that. A little too much ‘daylight’ in the jewelry. I’ll be careful… Hey, you made the basement out of brick on purpose didn’t you?”

“Which is why I keep pushing you to use it.” Dad called, “See you either later tonight or early tomorrow morning!” He said and smiled at me. Mom called for him and they were out. I blinked and went down into the basement, opening up another door and closing that one behind me. I flipped on the lights; the red brick walls were chipped but were still sturdy. My magic equipment laid on two shelves on either side of the room, and a table with potions and books of spells in the center. I set the two rocks down and the door opened behind me.

I looked at it and nodded, “Oh. Chaerin. What’s wrong?”

She looked around the room, “I was wondering if I could watch you make the Daylight Jewel? I’ve never seen it before, so I’m a little curious.” I felt bad she was still wearing the t-shirt and pair of sweats since last night.

I gestured to herself, “Do you want another change of clothes?”

She looked at herself, “I’m ok. You don’t have to bother.” She gestured to the table, “May I stay?”

“Well, since I know you’re responsible-unlike most of my curious friends,” She smiled and chuckled a little. My face threatened to curl up too but I resisted, “I don’t mind. But be careful. Last time…My room nearly exploded.”

She stepped away from a shelf she was near and nodded, “Thank you for the warning.” I brought her a chair to sit in front of me and showed her the page that said how to make Daylight Jewels.

“Usually, Black Magic was done by witches and warlocks and such. However, they’ve been extinct for centuries. This book was an original copy of their potions and spells and-your mother created the process on creating Daylight Jewels.” I saw her smile at the mention of her mother and I continued, “But I took her formulas and her process and perfected it after you disappeared. Your mother, by the way, is very intelligent.”

“Thank you. I’ve always envied her mind…” Chaerin said, “She’d be stuck in her office, filled with different potions she didn’t know what would do and…hundreds of stones on a shelf. She really did have trouble perfecting this though; she wouldn’t even let Father watch her work.” Chaerin traced the page, “That means you must really be brilliant.”

I really didn’t like to brag. Cocky wasn’t in my dictionary, “I just shared the same passion as your mother.” I said and smiled sincerely, “Mrs. Lee was actually very close to figuring it out. I just finished her hard work.”

“It’s very kind of you to say that Jiyong…” She mumbled, smiling at me.

I bit my bottom lip and looked back at the page, “Uh-anyway, the process takes a few hours at most. The reason why there aren’t many Vampires who create Daylight Jewels is because it takes a lot of concentration and a lot of prayers to draw out the power.” I brought out a sculpting tool, “Ring, Bracelet or Necklace?”

She tapped her chin, “Necklace.”

I nodded and looked at her, “Last time to turn away.” She shook her head and I smirked, “We’ll be here a while, Chaerin. Get comfortable.” She leaned back in her chair and I began to chip down the black stone. She directed me and the shape came out as a spade, which she was extremely happy with. I stood from the table and went to the left shelf, pulling out a certain golden liquid and poured it into a small bowl. Chaerin read through the instructions and handed me a bottle of black pain, “Oh. You catch on.” I said.

“I can read too, Kwon Jiyong.” She said sarcastically and grinned. I poured the black paint into the bowl and stirred the two together with a paintbrush. After I was sure it was done, I covered the stone with it, the glaze giving it that extra shine, “Does it harden quickly?”

“Yeah.” I nodded and dropped it in her palm, “See? Dry.”

She nodded and touched the side, “Don’t you have to drill in a hole to pull the chain through?”

“Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me.” I poked my fingers through a bowl of empty rings and chains, looking for a specific one, “I pick chains and rings based on the person. I think that it can strengthen how well it works for you.” My fingers brushed a thick, cold chain and I grabbed it, pulling it out, “How does this look?” She touched it delicately and smiled, pleased. “I had painted it white when I was younger. Originally, I thought that if I should make another Daylight Jewel, it would be a necklace on this chain. But…I think this suits you more. Thick-skinned, strong, original…” I smiled.

She sighed, “Thank you for doing this for me.”

“Not a problem.” I replied, “Can you grab me the salt on that shelf?” She obeyed and I sat on the floor, outlining a circle to sit in. The cement floor was perfect, and easy clean up… I grabbed a white chalk and drew a stake at the top of the circle, a rock to my right, a chain to my left and connected all three to the circle. I explained to her, “The stake represents us Vampires. The rock for the jewel and the chain since it’ll be a necklace. Hand me the rock and chain please.”

Chaerin let it fall into my fingers and pointed to the stake, “You don’t have a stake.”

“I said the stake represented Vampires.” I pulled the pocketknife from my pants pocket and gestured for her palm, “I need your blood.”

“Creepy.” She said, twirling her fingers before showing me her palm. I cut her palm above the stake drawing and it dripped inside. She didn’t even flinch.

I closed my eyes and sat cross legged, “I’ll be here a while…”

“I’ll watch you.”

So I began to chant the prayers that I’ve been saying since I was a young Vampire. They were implanted into my memory. The things I could never forget. I could feel the circle heating up and the salt started to sting. I kept going though. Chaerin whispered something about the salt leaving scars, but I tried not to focus on that. I kept chanting and repeating the prayers. I stayed at a steady pace, speeding up or slowing down would interfere with the magical influence. The words I spoke made my mind hazy, but the magic coursing through me began to feel painful. I kept going.

A/N: Please wait for Wednesday for the fourth chapter. Thank you all for your patience, kindness and forgiveness... I needed all of that these past several months. More gifts on the way~

-TAIwin