There were sounds of utter chaos when her eyes opened, alert. She blinked in the darkness for a couple of seconds, trying to orient herself before the day came rushing back to her and she sat up.

She had no idea what time it was but it was dark outside. Which meant it was still vampire-day and she hadn’t been asleep more than a couple of hours.

There was a loud clang and a lot of commotion brought her attention back to the present. She’d woken up to what sounded like a fight.

Worried, slightly scared, she opened the door of Kris’ room a crack to peek outside. There was no one in the corridor but the sounds were louder than ever. She strained her ears for a couple of seconds but all she could make out was things getting thrown about amongst metallic clanging.

What on earth…?

Slowly, quietly, she made her way outside, sticking close to the wall as she neared the grand staircase from where she could peek into the hall that seemed to be the center of the commotion.

Voices floated to her as she closed the distance, words becoming clear. Two distinct accents stood out and her heart jumped to when Baekhyun’s voice rang.

‘You have gone too far this time, brother…’ He sounded venomous.

‘You have seen nothing,’ Kris hissed back, voice husky and strained. There was silence but it was filled with tension and Mei couldn’t stand it any longer. Her steps quickened to a run as she turned a corner and came upon an unexpected scene.

Although, going by their history, she probably should’ve expected this.

Baekhyun and Kris stood nose to nose, swords – actual fricking swords – locked, arms straining with obvious effort. Even though Kris stood a head taller, Baekhyun was obviously matching him easily. They remained like that, ferociously trying to stare each other down.

Then, there was a sudden flurry of movements. Even though she’d been looking right at them, it was difficult to tell who moved first. But the next moment, they were sparring at lightning speed. Kris was more forceful in his strikes but Baekhyun parried easily, obviously lighter on his feet. It was kind of mesmerizing.

Until, that is, a sent one of the huge portraits lining the walls falling to the floor, glass shattering loudly. Both brothers ignored it and Mei noticed a line of shattered decoration pieces, vases and large portraits left in their wake. Just how long had they been going at it?

‘About an hour and a half,’ Chen answered, poofing into existence and scaring the bejesus out of her. She put a hand to her chest, trying to get over the shock. ‘Don’t scare me like that!’

He grinned cheerfully. ‘Sorry.’

‘And what do you mean, hour and a half?’ At the rate they were going, they’d end up destroying the entire place. ‘Why aren’t you guys doing anything?’

Chen shrugged nonchalantly, jumping on the railing and hanging his legs on the other side, dangling dangerously. ‘It’s their fight. They go at it every fifty years or so, though it’s usually Kris going over to attack Baekhyun.’ He glanced her, winking. ‘Congratulations, you made Baekhyun break his vow to never set foot here again.’

‘What?’ She blinked, aghast. ‘They’re fighting because of me?’

‘I assume so. Baekhyun was yelling for bloody murder because Kris kidnapped you right under his nose…’

‘Hold it, he thinks Kris kidnapped me?’

‘Well, what else was he supposed to think when you rode Beatrice here?’

Mei blinked. ‘Beatrice?’

Chen nodded as if everything he’d said made sense. ‘Suho let it slip when Baekhyun was getting his sunburns treated.’

‘He got sunburnt!?’

‘It was very bright outside and the university grounds offer little shade.’

Her eyes widened. ‘He was at the university?’

‘Yeah, he was worried the Puritans got you because they’d attacked his home.’

Mei’s eyes bulged. ‘He was attacked?’

‘Yeah, their spies saw you escaping from his mansion, so they reported him to the Council.’

‘Spies?’

Chen pouted lips, nodding thoughtfully. ‘Yeah, the Council’s been keeping tabs on him for years now. Anyway, so right after you left, his mansion was raided.’

She couldn’t understand how Chen could be so calm about it. ‘Is everybody okay?’

‘Yeah, it’s nothing. They just roughed up his house a little, is all.’

Mei wanted to argue that roughing up anyone’s house was hardly nothing but she shook her head.

‘So, Baekhyun thinks that Kris kidnapped me and is probably going to hand me over to the Puritans out of revenge?’ That’s what she’d gotten out of Chen’s twisted narration.

‘Basically, yes. He’s also accusing him of stealing his birthright as the true heir to his family and being a sellout to the Council, a dog of the higher ups among other things.’

‘That’s harsh.’

He shrugged. ‘Kris told him you ran away because of his poor courtship manners and his obvious inexperience in the matters of love.’

‘But I didn’t…’

Chen grinned. ‘Yeah but Baekhyun doesn’t know that. you should’ve seen his face when Kris…’ He stopped at the look on Mei’s face. ‘Okay, I’ll shut up now.’

‘Where’s Lay?’ she asked, peering down at the two vampires anxiously. They were still parrying at that lightning speed, dancing around and throwing precious art pieces at each other, as well as silly insults.

‘You have no taste in dressing!’ Baekhyun taunted. Kris snarled angrily. ‘You look horrible in pink.’

‘I look gre