Chapter 20

*Flashback*

She woke up gasping for air as if it was her first time breathing again.

And it was. She just hasn’t figured it out it yet.

Her head hurts, as if ten elephants stomped their feet on it.

She tried to open her eyes, she fluttered them and saw small particles floating it the air.

She tried to reach out for one and was shocked by her pale porcelain skin.

She heard voices so clear as if they were just talking beside her.

The voices were coming from a man and a woman… and a baby breathing in the background.

She can hear their breathing. She can hear their blood pumping in their heart.

Just then, she noticed how scratchy feels like.

“We’re going to die Jiyoung!”

“No, we’re not. I have a safe place ready where they’ll never find you and the kids. I’ll go out and meet the witch in the vampire realm for more help.”

“Are you crazy-“

“Wait… She’s awake.”

“Give me the baby. The girl hasn’t feed yet.”

After that being said, she heard heavy footsteps coming towards the door where she was.

She was scared. She was gripping the sheets of the bed, trying to gather whatever courage was left of off her.

The door opened with a young looking man. The little girl guessed he wasn’t older than his own father.

“You’re up.” The man greeted her with a smile.

“WH-who are you?”

“Before I answer that, aren’t you thirsty?” He asked as he passed the little girl a carton of strawberry juice.

The little girl cleared , remembering that she was indeed very thirsty.

She reached for the carton and drank it. It smelled like iron and it tasted salty sweet considering it was strawberry. “What is this?” The little girl asked. The man just smiled at her.

There were footstep heard at the hallway again, accompanied light breathing. ‘It’s a girl this time.’ How she could tell? She wasn’t sure herself how.

The girl stepped inside the room. The baby they were talking about was not on her arms. The girl frowned on her. “You’re going to get us ing killed Jiyoung.” The woman said with disgust. The man rolled his eyes on her before getting up and then threw a glance on the kid on the bed. “As you’ve heard, my name is Jiyoung.” He gestured to the woman beside her and said, “This is Bom. May I know your name?” the girl looked at her questioningly. Jiyoung sensed the hesitation on the girl and walked towards her sitting on the stool beside the bed. “Don’t worry. You’re safe here.” He said.

“Yeah. So far.” Bom scoffed which earned a glare from Jiyoung. “Don’t mind her. It’s been years since she’s been summoned.” The girl’s eyebrows knitted. Jiyoung chuckled, “So, will you tell me your name now, little one?”

The girl glanced back and forth from the man and the woman. “My name is Miyoung.”

The guy named Jiyoung walked towards her and reached for her hand cautiously. “Miyoung, you are now a part of us. We are a family now.” Then he smiled at her warmly. This was the first for Miyoung.  First time where someone showed her some care. It made her think, all those times she has been living in the streets- is this what they call love? “From now on, I am your father.”

Jiyoung on the other hand was actually registering a magic on her through their skinship without her knowing. Jiyoung was bending her mind to be accepting of who she is now and at the same time also adding in some understanding about how a vampire should be. The entire general knowledge about them a newborn should know.

“Bring her in.” Jiyoung said looking back at Bom.

Bom grimaced, “What are you trying to do?”

“Just bring her in, now.” His authority was evident, which Bom can’t deny.

“Who is she bringing in?” The young girl said.

Jiyoung smiled at her warmly- it was needed, for his magic to work better; sort of a psychological approach to the newborn vampire.  “You’re going to meet your sister. She is going to be your mate.”  Miyoung just stared at him. “You know what a mate is, right?” He asked her, trying to find out if his magic was effective enough.

The new born vampire was silent for a moment- making Bom stop on her tracks with the baby in her arms.

“Of course, a mate is your lifelong companion, your other half.”

 “… And what should you do for your mate?”

“We love them and protect them at all cause, of course.” The little girl said with a determined voice.

“Will you protect your sister at all cause?”

“I will, father.”

“Good.” Jiyoung simply said as he glanced at the door, “You can bring her in now. She has fed and the ritual is complete.”

Bom couldn’t move from her place. In her mind, she saw Jiyoung as a crazy demon lord. Making a mate by connection and vow wasn’t a simple thing. Unbreakable Vows are forbidden to give to anyone unless they are getting married. Jiyoung was indeed selfish. She was sure of that. Just to protect his child- he was willing to put a life as a pawn to sacrifice if they were found. By doing the unbreakable vow with only the little girl reciting the vows, it would mean that only the girl is to fulfill the vow. Whatever the baby decides in the future- she won’t be affected by the promise of vow the young girl made. Jiyoung wasn’t someone to look down on, that’s for sure. So, even with a heavy heart Bom still carried the baby to Jiyoung’s arms. She was- and is after all, his familiar; his servant.

Bom looked at Jiyoung’s back begrudgingly as he spoke. “This is Joohyun, your mate.” He said as he scoots closer to Miyoung showing her the baby. Miyoung reached for the baby’s hand and was filled by joy she has never felt before. “Hyun-ah… Mine.”

After a few weeks, Jiyoung moved south to go to the black witch named Hwayoung.

“I need you to do something for me.” Jiyoung said.

The witch sneered at him. “Even if you’re the demon lord, you’d still have to pay for the prize. Everybody pays for everything.” She said her voice laced with malice.

“I will pay whatever it takes.”

“Then, what is it that you want demon lord, Jiyoung?”

 “I want my children to be bound by a spell that will let them grow old at the same time.”

“You mean I am to stop one’s progress while the other catches up?”

“Yes.”

“That is simple enough for me. What else?”

“When the time comes, I want you to freeze time for my children and for my familiar Bom.” Jiyoung then opened his palm.  In his palm a violet colored crystal materialized. “By that time, I want you to replace their memories with this.”  Hwayoung stretched her hand to reach for the crystal. Just as her fingers were to reach it, the crystal vanished. “I do not trust you at all, Hwayoung. You’ve betrayed the vampire court before, how can I be sure you won’t betray me?”

Hwayoung tapped her slender finger on the table, her long dark fingernails making a tick-tack sound. “Let’s sign a contract.” She waved her hand on thin air and produced a black parchment paper.

The parchment was as black as the void and the letters were written in gold. The contract’s content was written in old runes that only high magic powered creature can read.

Jiyoung glanced at it.

He realized couldn’t read it anymore. He has used too much of his power to bend the child’s mind and while they were escaping from Dara’s hands. He took a deep breath and put on an act of bluff. He produced a quill and punctured his porcelain skin for the blood ink needed for the contract to be valid. He signed the said parchment, and the witch did the same too.

“When will you perform the ritual?” He asked calmly.

“Bring the children to me the next full moon.”

“How about the price, what is the price?”

“The price?” Hwayoung let out a shrill laugh. “I knew you were too weak the moment you entered! Why else will you ask for my help when you can just do it yourself? The price you’ll pay- is your life!”