Monster
Immortals: Everything They Sacrificed
"So, what do you think they are doing now?" Ji Soo asked while looking down at his glass, contemplating the drink swaying from side to side as he was moving the glass.
It was somehow funny. After his little chat about Jiwon with Seojoon, Ji Soo couldn’t help himself and came again. It was a lot more people than during the week and it was a lot louder. There was a guy with a few women around him that couldn't stop talking, probably already drunk. Ji Soo was wondering if he was like that before.
"They're making babies." Minwoo answered.
Ji Soo spilled a bit of his drink on his hand, amusing Minwoo when he tried to wipe it off on his jeans. The dimpled man chuckled and offered him a handkerchief that looked way too valorous to be used.
"I'm joking. They can't make babies anyway but I'm sure they're having fun." He added right before he smiled widely at the door.
Ji Soo raised an eyebrow questioningly but he couldn't ask his curiosities away because a firm hand grasped his shoulder so hard that his eyes widened.
"Will this become a regular thing? Will you become a regular here?" Jiwon asked, finally letting him move his shoulder and even massage it.
"Why not? He'll work here next week, won't he?"
"Right. The usual." She ordered and Minwoo obeyed without much discussion.
"You certainly do whatever you want here," Ji Soo mumbled from his seat.
"Of course. I have rights in this place. I brought the furniture and designed it." Jiwon boasted.
"Is everyone who works here part of the managerial staff?" Ji Soo asked rhetorically but both Minwoo and Jiwon nodded.
"It's just us four anyway. And now, of course, you," Minwoo informed him with a bright smile.
Ji Soo sneered at the way Minwoo's dimples seemed to taunt him. The door opened again and inside walked a few business men that didn't look like they would even know about Blue.
"Is this bar so popular that even such high ups know about it?" Ji Soo asked, blatantly staring at the men in suits. One of them looked over at the bar and nodded his head before Liu Wei magically appeared from his spot.
Jiwon and Minwoo tensed and didn't say anything afterwards. It was a bit uncomfortable now that Ji Soo thought about it.
"I have to say, I am a bit surprised. You actually brought normal clothes with you." Dongwook started the conversation, staring at her while eating.
If they were going to spend Ji Soo's money, they might as well dine in a luxurious restaurant in Busan. Dongwook was careful to choose one that had the best atmosphere and best food. He also knew what Yerin liked so he ordered for both of them.
"Because they're not mine. Jiwon packed and shoved them to me. None of these clothes are my style."
Dongwook chuckled just imagining a feisty vampire lecturing her mistress about clothing.
"It's not funny," Yerin grumbled while cutting her small stake
"Yes, it is." He added quickly. "You're giving in to their whims."
"I'm negotiating with them not giving in. I can easily overpower them if I want to." She added coldly, finding it necessarily to remind him who was in charge.
"Your condition is not good, Yerin. Yesterday in front of the bar-"
"That was nothing." She stated, her eyes looking up into his with emptiness, "I'm fine. I don't need anyone to protect me."
"Then what about the mark? Is it-"
Dongwook was cut off when the waiter came to ask them if they needed anything else. Dongwook shook his head politely but their discussion wasn't exactly private. Even if no one in there knew what they really meant, one with good hearing could easily eavesdrop.
Yerin felt watched and turned her head really slowly towards the piano to her right. It wasn't close but not very far either; the pianist was playing diligently, his hands creating good atmosphere. And then the pianist raised his head and looked at her with a knowing glint in his eyes.
She didn't tell Dongwook anything he wanted to know and definitely nothing about her paranoia. The way back was silent and even when they got to the hotel, she was still not speaking much. Dongwook drunk his usual share of blood but she didn't want hers.
"Just a gulp. It won't hurt you to taste some of it."
Yerin scoffed. Dongwook sighed before he decided to go with another idea. He sat next to her on the bed and tilted his head to the side cutely. He widened his eyes slightly and looked at her with the most innocent look he could.
"You may receive a prize if you drink it up." He said, trying his best to be endearing. "One long shot and I will do anything you want tonight. Doesn't that sound promising?"
"For you or for me? You seem way too eager." She replied, not yet getting fooled.
"Just one sip at least. It will balance your emotions and help you see everything from a better point of view." He added as she pushed the mug with blood towards her.
She looked down and saw the bandage on his forearm, feeling a lot of pressure on her heart. It wasn't guilt, it was more like an animalistic urge to pull it open and drink straight from the source.
"Ugh, fine." She said as she took the mug and gulped it all down. That was better than hovering over him in an unconscious state and feeding herself.
With the matter gone, Yerin leaned back on the left side of the bed and Dongwook on the right side. There was a bit of space between them but they were both looking at the ceiling with their hands resting on their stomaches. Slowly, Dongwook moved it on the sheets towards her. He poked her gently on her side but she didn't move. He did it again but nothing happened; if anything, she closed her eyes. Dongwook narrowed his eyes at her and hit her harder than he wanted to, pushing her off the bed.
"Sorry!" He apologized as he leaned over the bed to check on her.
Instead, Yerin grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down as well, making him fall over her form. Instead of being all romantic, she wrapped her legs around his waist and hands around his neck.
"Let's see how you get up now." She whispered with a cocky smirk.
But somehow, he did even if she tried to keep him on the floor. It was harder because her power strengthened. When he finally got her back on the bed , he sighed heavily and rubbed his back.
"I'm not going to spend any more of my precious blood on you at night." He mumbled angrily.
"Don't spend it on me at all. It’s not that I can’t drink it, I just don’t want to." She mumbled before she rolled on her side and closed her eyes, blocking him completely.
Dongwook sighed and gave up, His back genuinely hurt and he even had to put a warm patch on. When he got back on the bed, she was sleeping peacefully. Dongwook laid down with his face towards her and took a closer look at her face.
Yerin looked pretty much the same as she did when they first met. The only difference was how thin her face got and how pale she seemed, even for a vampire. Her urges have always been different and she has always been in need of special care on certain nights but she was still just a woman. She was more human and less of a vampire in behavior and looks. She could easily blend in yet at the same time she could easily be spotted out in the crowd.
Dongwook frowned when he remembered her fight with her father. Unfortunately, it was all because of him.
"Why did you change that man?! We cannot go around turning every man we fancy into our kind!" The elder screamed at his daughter.
One of the elders, Master Williamson was his name. He and his two brothers were direct descendants of the First Leader and only one of their children could actually become a leader. Unfortunately, it was his only daughter that was gifted with that status thus placing a lot of pressure on him.
"I changed him. He is my responsibility so I will take care of it." She answered in a steady voice.
Dongwook was standing in the back with chains around his hands, as if he was a criminal. He was terrified what could happen to him.
"You don't get the point, Katherine! You have been born with the mark. You are the leader; you have to be an example for your people! What if suddenly, every woman who fancies a man goes around and changes him! What then?"
She looked to the side and didn't say anything.
"We don't give in to human pleasures."
"Yes we do. Just because we kill them afterwards doesn't mean anything." She replied coldly.
"But who do we kill, Katherine? And when do we kill them? It's all planned out unlike your bastard!" The elder growled viciously.
"He's mine. Mistake or not, I am in charge of it. Do not believe that if you are my father, I will let you destroy my possessions."
Dongwook tensed, not liking how they were talking about him as if he was a product. He wasn't a disposable piece of furniture -like it keep it, hate it throw it away. No, he was a person and he had the right to run if he wanted to.
Which was exactly what happened; he tried the next night but got caught and even sent to prison. While he was trembling on the solid ground, scared and confused, he couldn't help but pity himself. No matter how hard he tried to hate that woman, her words were ringing in his ears.
"As long as this heart beats, you don't have to fear anything."
He scoffed, rubbing his runny nose while feeling anger build up in him. It was easy for her to speak but she wasn't exactly getting involved when he was being bullied or punished.
It was a few days later when Yerin walked down to his cell and unlocked it. Dongwook was crouched against the wall and only swiftly glanced at her before he hid his head between in his hands.
He heard her coming closer and knew she could easily grab him and take him away by force but she didn't. Yerin leaned against the wall next to him but didn't say a word. Dongwook could hear her heart beat, which couldn't apply to usual vampires, and closed his eyes.
"Once upon a time, in Transylvania lived a man named Vlad Tepes. He is known for his methods of punishment for those who ever dare hurt him or his land. He was an amazing leader and did a lot for his people. One of his fights was gruesome, so much blood spilled into the river that rge water became red. It is said that whoever drank from the river perished immediately. But Vlad didn't believe it and asked for his men to bring him water. He drank with a few of his most loyal generals and toasted for a long life and conquers. A few days later, there was a battle and Vlad felt different, stronger. He fought and won against the ottomans but that night, during the feast, he found the maids tastier than the food. He changed and so did his trustworthy generals. He didn't lose control but there was a constant battle inside his mind. He was caught eventually and he died but three of his generals kept surviving and they ran to England with their families. My father, Ion, he fought many battles alongside the Crown until his friends decided they should take lead. It is said that after Vlad the Impaler, there was no true leader for the vampires. But when I was 10 years old, during my bath, I saw something on my back: the Celtic symbol for immortality. That, my parents saw as a sign and named me the future leader."
Dongwook listened closely, his eyes widening when she mentioned her mark.
"Shouldn't they try to kill you then?" He mumbled still hiding his face from her.
"They have been waiting for the right moment. The moment I would do something that would cause uprising."
"You saved my life." He said finally raising his head.
"You can take it like that. Or you can say I abandoned the plan. Vampires are very carefully chosen based on the needs of the clan."
"So the clan doesn't need me. Is that why they want to get rid of me?"
"They want to get rid of you because it was me that changed you. I'm holding onto you and that means it wasn't instinct or just a mistake. If they see me trotting around with someone I so easily changed because I wanted to, others will do it too."
"The long awaited uprising."
Yerin nodded before she placed her hand over his. Dongwook took instant notice of the bruises on her arm and frowned.
"They didn't beat me up. I just needed to blow off some steam." She grumbled, his frown deepening at the sight. "In this moment I should tell you to run. But I can't."
"Why not? You could set me free."
"I can't. I'll take care of you but I can't let you go." She said before she got up and walked towards the exit.
"Why not?!" Dongwook screamed angrily, feeling like he was being treated as a toy.
Months passed by and Dongwook was watched every day as if he was going to make a run for his life. He did try a few times but got caught by the maids or Katherine. It seemed like she could always find him, wherever he was. Maybe because she changed him or maybe because she was the leader or maybe she was stalking him, who knew?
But he couldn't combat the curiosity that grew in him after she mentioned the mark. Everyone was aware of it and they were keeping the details to themselves. That was probably the main reason why he agreed to help her change her clothes before a so called high society ball.
Katherine said she was going to take a quick bath and then needed him to help her choose a dress. She also mentioned him as a plus one but he ignored it.
When she walked in the room she only had a silk gown over a white nightdress. She sat on a short chair with her back facing him and he couldn't help but stare at her.
She chuckled when she saw his gaze in the mirror.
"Would you like to see it? The famous Celtic mark." She tried to joke but he was genuinely curious.
Dongwook walked behind her and left her gown slip a bit off her shoulders. Mesmerized, he pushed the left part of her nightdress down and finally saw it. On her left shoulder was a mark that looked like someone sewed it in her skin. He touched it slightly and felt as if the mark was connected to her spine. Dongwook caressed softly down the length of her spine, making her shudder and sigh unconsciously.
Dongwook knew he was getting entangled into something very bad. He couldn't control his fingers as his hand moved up and wrapped around her face.
He kissed that woman as he never kissed someone before. Truth to be said, he wasn't the most experienced but he let instinct take over.
That night Katherine didn't make it to the ball. She spent the whole night with the man that caught her interest with one faraway glance.
Now, looking at her from a more experienced point of view, she was the same innocent woman that got herself dragged around by her kind.
It was a few hours later in the middle of the night when Yerin woke up. The first thing she saw was Donvwook's face way too close to hers. She smiled softly, her eyes ready to change into two hearts as she looked at his handsome face.
But that changed soon after. She could feel it worse than ever, the mark was acting up. Yerin got out of bed and walked out the balcony. She looked around twice before she jumped from the 6th floor, landing on her legs as if that was a piece of cake before she hurried out on the beach careful not to be seen.
Once there Yerin let out a loud low growl that sounded completely different from how she looked. Her eyes were turning black and red and sometimes even both while the mark stung. It was growing worse as she felt her spine bend to the whims of the mark. It felt like it was strongly connected to her spine, which it was. It was connected to everything in her body, brain and heart included.
A harsh breeze forced her to look up and block a surprising attack. She just fed which only strengthened her hits and kicks.
"I see your pet is still aiding you, leader."
Her eyes narrowed as she listened to that unfamiliar voice speak.
"Everyone can hear you." The voice added, making her hiss in both pain and annoyance.
When Dongwook opened his eyes early in the morning, he patted the spot next to him in order to annoy her. He tensed and jumped on his feet when he realized she wasn't there.
He knew he only had to listen to her heart beat in order to find her. It was not even 6 am when he heard her slow rhythm coming from the beach so he dressed quickly and ran there.
Yerin was standing on the ground holding her knees close to her chest, looking at the sea. Dongwook approached her warily just in case her mark was still acting up.
"What happened?" He asked worriedly, sitting next to her.
"They found me." She whispered, "They're coming to kill me."
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