“A pureblood.” Yewon whispered.

I stood there, frozen in complete shock. I stared at the vampire in front of me, not long after, I collapsed to my knees from sheer exhaustion. My wounds were bleeding profusely, so much that my shirt was completely soaked through.

“Damn, I guess it was deeper than I thought.” I whispered. The world started to spin slightly, making it hard for me to focus. I wasn’t sure if it was from my injuries or if was from the aura the woman was giving off, but I could feel myself shaking. The difference in power was too obvious, especially with me in my current state.  

Yewon gasped in surprised and held onto me tightly when she noticed I had slumped over. “Unnie… what do we do?” She stared at the two vampires in front of us, and she held her whip tightly in anticipation of an attack.

I gritted my teeth. Just what kind of timing was this? I started panting. It was getting harder for me to breathe. The pain was excruciating, with each breath I took I could feel my ribs

I sized up the newcomer. Should we make a run for it? But would we make it? Yewon could probably get away if I distract her long enough, but beyond that…

I gritted my teeth. “There’s no way in hell I’m dying like this.” I whispered under my breath. I struggled to get up, and the woman sensing my intention to fight, readied her guard. I grunted as I felt another wave of pain course through my body.

The woman then lowered her guard when she realized that I was more hurt than I let on. She stepped forward and then stopped a few feet away from us. I could see her eyes clearly from where I was. They were honey-gold, and mesmerizingly beautiful. I was like a month drawn to a light, I felt myself getting lost in her eyes. There was something about them that just you in.

How could something so beautiful be so dangerous?

OOOOO

A beautiful spring day… their first meeting, and the start of their story.

(Minkyung’s first encounter with Kyungwon).

“Mom I’m going to go out ok?” Kyungwon yelled into the stairway.

“Make sure to come back in time for dinner, sweetheart!”

“Okay!”

Kyungwon was feeling blue today, she had just finished a training session with Nayoung, and as much as she loved her cousin. She wished she had half the skills she had. If that were the case, then maybe her father would pay a little more attention to her, instead of her younger sister. The gap in their skills were obvious. She inherited her mother’s long lanky frame, but unlike her mother and Nayoung, Kyungwon was extremely clumsy. Her limbs stuck out in all the wrong places. She was neither graceful, nor controlled in her movements, unlike the other two. Kyungwon was a failure. As the oldest, she was supposed to set an example and lead the Kang family. She was a disappointment to her father, who could barely look at her during training, and instead tossed her aside in favor of her younger sister. Often, it would be Nayoung and Seulgi who would oversee her training, and on rare occasions, her mother would as well. Kyungwon was grateful to her cousins. They were always patient, but strict when needed. They taught her everything they knew, the never took credit for Kyungwon’s improvements, but gently encouraged her as necessary. Their humbleness was something Kyungwon deeply admired. They were among one of the most talented hunters, despite their young age, and they were hailed as prodigies within the community. And it seemed that her younger sister would to be walking down that path as well.

After failing to beat her sister in a sparring match, her father had sent her home to “rest,” when his true intentions were to train the younger Kang one-on-one, without having to split his attention. Kyungwon knew this, so she thanked her father, and quickly left. Kyungwon couldn’t miss the sad look on her sister’s face, so she ruffled her black hair and gave her a pat on the back. As she walked, she could feel the tears threatening to spill. Disappointment pierced Kyungwon’s heart, as she was, once again, unable to beat her twin.

Kyungwon walked past the bridge to the field filled with flowers. Once she reached her favorite spot under the tree, she noticed that there was a girl sleeping in the middle of the field. Curious, Kyungwon walked carefully to where the girl slept.

She was curled up on her side, and looked fast asleep. She had milky white skin, high cheekbones, and long eyelashes. Her long black hair was sprawled over the flowers, making her look something out of a painting. Kyungwon could only gawk at her beauty. Realizing that she was staring for too long, she redirected her attention elsewhere. She noticed that the girl was clutching her stomach. She knelt and leaned in to take a better. She glanced at the girl’s face with worry. She was crying and mumbling something under her breath.

Suddenly, the girl’s eyes opened.

Minkyung was on the run. She had managed to get the vampires hunting her, off her track for now. But now she was hopelessly lost. She had prayed that she was headed in the right direction. She found scattered clues around the area that pointed to the fact that her sister had been here before.

She was overwhelmed, and managed to escape with a wound to the stomach. Minkyung hadn’t been able to drink blood for quite sometime, and she had run out of the blood tablets she had stored away. Her system was dying to drink some blood to quench the thirst that was building up at the back of . Most importantly, she needed to heal quicker. The scent of her blood would lead them to her sooner or later. She prayed that her trick would last long enough for her to get away.

After running for what seemed like forever, Minkyung came across an open field with an exuberant number of white daffodils. Feeling exhausted from her ordeal, she collapsed in the middle of the field, surrounded by flowers. 

Minkyung dreamt of simpler times. But mostly, she dreamt of her eldest sister, Yujin. She missed her dearly. She dreamt of the days, the two of them would run around freely, and the days they would sit under the sun, and listen to her sister recite stories of her youth.

In her dream, her sister looked regretful, and sad.

She whispered, “I’m sorry Minkyung. For leaving you and everyone else.” She brushed Minkyung’s hair behind her ear.

“Don’t go sister… Don’t go… Please… I need you. We need you. Seolhyun-unnie is holding on as best as she can. T­h… they took Mingyu from us, unnie. Come back.” Minkyung begged, as tears started to fall in a steady stream.

Yujin frowned, and reached over to hug Minkyung. “I’m sorry, but there is something I must do… There is something bigger that we are all apart of. I’m afraid I must fulfill my duty. That’s the gift I was given.” Yujin leaned back, and thumbed Minkyung’s tears gently. “But fear not, fate has something in store for you. I may not be with you now physically, but I will always be with you. In spirit, and in memory.”

Minkyung started to sob. “Why you? Just because you have that gift, it doesn’t mean you have to go and stop the wheel of fate from turning! Forget the humans unnie, I need you. I need my sister.”

Yujin paused, and held Minkyung closer. “I’m sorry… but I can’t do that. I hope you’ll forgive me Minkyung. I love you. As I love all our siblings. I’m doing this to protect you, and the world we’re living in. I want humans and vampires to co-exist peacefully.” Yujin took a deep breath. “I hope you’ll forgive me, even if you might end up hating me. But we’ll meet again. I promise.”

“What does that mean? Where are you going?” Minkyung screamed.

Yujin’s image started to fade away slowly. She smiled sadly as more tears fell. “But, this is a new beginning Minkyung. Daffodils represent new beginnings. I hope you will have the start of a beautiful story. I can see that it will be difficult, I wish you could’ve avoided this. I’m sorry… I love you.”

Minkyung’s lips trembled, as more tears spilled from her eyes. “Don’t go!” She cried, reaching out.

Minkyung opened her eyes to find a pair of warm brown eyes staring back at her. It was a girl, about 7-8 years old, and short brown hair. Minkyung sat up hurriedly, and before she could speak, the girl leaned in closer and gently lifted her chin.

“Why are you crying? Does your tummy hurt?” she asked softly while gazing into her eyes.

Minkyung didn’t realize that she still had tears in her eyes. She was mesmerized by the human in front of her. Wasn’t she afraid?

The girl held her face, and used her thumbs to wipe away the tears carefully, not noticing Minkyung’s inner turmoil. Minkyung closed her eyes at the girl’s soft touch.

“Don’t cry. I promise… I’ll stay with you forever. So, don’t cry.” The girl gave her a soft smile.

Minkyung’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“You were crying out in your sleep… You were asking for someone to stay. To not leave you.”

She hadn’t realized that she was talking in her sleep. She felt embarrassed. She looked at the girl again, and asked: “what’s your name?”

The girl looked taken aback. “My name—” she paused, “my name is Kyungwon.” She looked at Minkyung with wide eyes. “What about yours, miss?”

“I’m Kim Minkyung.” She smiled.

Kyungwon grinned, but then that grin faltered. She was looking at her stomach. “Y—your stomach! You’re hurt!” She stuttered.

Minkyung had forgotten about that. Most of all, she had forgotten about her bloodlust.

“Can you walk? My hideout isn’t too far from here! I can help you.” Kyungwon held Minkyung’s hand and looked at her with determination.

“Here, lie down on the bed. I’ll get the herbs and the first aid kit.” Kyungwon rushed into the basement after settling Minkyung on the bed. Minutes later, she emerged with a mortar and pestle, and an assortment of herbs. She skillfully disinfected the wound, and inspected it. She took out a needle from the first aid kit, and stitched the stab wound. Wordlessly, Kyungwon ripped the herbs and crushed them into a pulp. Once satisfied, she placed the poultice over the cuts and stab wound, and wrapped the areas with gauze to hold it in place. “You should feel a soothing effect, it’ll make you feel good.” Kyungwon gave Minkyung a reassuring smile. “I’m going to call someone to help you.”

Minkyung was about to speak, when she was interrupted.

“It’s okay, he’ll know what to do! He’s taught me a lot of what I know.”

Kyungwon returned with a large notebook and sat across from Minkyung. She thumbed through the pages, trying to look for something. Minkyung fought the urge to jump up, pin the girl to the wall and drain her blood completely. She her lips, and felt her fangs protruding. “Damn,” she winced. It was getting unbearable. Kyungwon had her back turned toward her, and just as she was about to reach out to try and grab her, a man entered the room. Minkyung’s eyes widened.

“Oh Minhyun-oppa! You’re here!” Kyungwon led him to the bed. “I did my best to patch her up, but…”

Minhyun was shocked when he saw who was on the bed—Kim Minkyung.

“Hey… Kyungwon, why don’t you go and get her some water. I’ll check on her wounds in the meantime.”

Kyungwon nodded and headed off to fetch Minkyung some water.

“How long have you been on the run?” He asked.

“Far too long. I’m looking for my sister, Minhyun.”

“I see… I figured. I caught Taeyeon’s underlings tracking your trail. I managed to fool them and cleaned up your mess.” He sighed. “Here.” He offered his arm to her. “Drink a little, not too much that you’ll heal quickly, but just enough to quench your thirst.”

Minkyung hesitated, before she finally obliged. After drinking, she wiped away the blood. “Thank you.” She said breathlessly. “I’ve been looking for you all this time. I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I was in hiding, you know?” Minhyun’s eye glowed a deep red.

“Tch. Hiding as in working as an informant for the hunters? You’re a traitor to our kind.” Minkyung glared. “I don’t believe that humans and vampires will ever be able to co-exist together. It’s a foolish dream my sister is chasing.”

OOOOO

“Hunters, you are entering Middle Earth’s territory. Have you forgotten about the accords? There will be no more blood shed tonight. Not on our land.” She glanced back at the noble who was laying on the ground. “Naturally, whatever occurs on our land is our business, and I can assure you that he will be dealt with accordingly for violating the law.”

Kyungwon frowned. Middle Earth? It sounded strangely familiar to her. The name swirled around in her brain. She wished she had paid more attention to their lessons in the past.

“Middle Earth?” Yewon breathed, “how is that possible?”

The vampire raised her eyebrow, to signal Yewon to continue.

“Last I heard, it was only a small community… but for it to have extended this far…” Yewon murmured, “it shouldn’t even be here.” She glanced at Kyungwon worriedly.

“Boundaries change all the time. And yes, you are correct. We were a small community, however, the former leader of ARTEMIS granted us this piece of land.” The vampire stepped forward, then glanced at the lamp post behind her, and called out: “Luda, you can come out now!”

A girl with medium-length brown hair and bangs materialized out of thin air behind the vampire. She was petite with fair skin and delicate, doe-like features. She approached the girls slowly, putting her arms up to indicate that she wasn’t a threat.

“H—hi, I’m Lee Luda. I’m a witch. I can heal your wounds. You have a couple of cracked ribs, which explains why you’re probably having a hard time breathing. You must be in a lot of pain.” She looked back at the pureblood. “Shouldn’t we take her to Middle-Earth?”

“No. Heal her here.” Then the pureblood knelt next to the noble and whispered something in his ear. His eyes widened in surprise, and he struggled to move. The pureblood frowned, then sighed.

Luda shrugged and looked at Kyungwon for her decision. She nodded weakly. “Fine, heal me.”

OOOOO

I could feel my bones mending together, and boy was it painful. I felt like I was being pulled apart and put together again. I barely managed to supress a scream when the first bone started to heal. Luda winced. “Sorry.” She whispered.

After all that was done, Luda focused on healing my other injuries. After a couple of minutes, I was good as new. I still felt sore though. Yewon held onto my hand tightly the whole time. She let out a sigh of relief once it was all done.

“Middle-Earth huh?” I mumbled.

“We believe that humans, witches and vampires can co-exist peacefully. “ The pureblood started. “We want to unite everyone together.”

“Aren’t humans just walking bags of blood for you? Living in peace? Give me a break. I don’t believe in that crap. Vampires instinctively see us as prey, you think a lamb would be crazy enough to live with wolves? It’s just foolish idealism.” I scoffed.

“Think what you want, but the fact that Middle-Earth is still standing is proof that there is a possibility of unity.”

“It’s a noble goal, but it’ll never work. It’ll fall apart sooner or later.”

Vampires are evil, it’s in their nature. Most are unable to live without killing for blood, even the blood tablets they were distributing were a pale comparison to the real thing. They are predators. And we are their prey. But we are the hunters, and we will hunt them.

“If you would give it a chance—if you were to see it with your own eyes. I’m sure you would change your mind.” Luda gave a small smile.

“Even feeding on animals or willing donors doesn’t compare to the thrill of the hunt. And I will admit, it is painful to live without killing. But it is something we must do.” The pureblood sighed. “We live on one Earth. How long must we be at war with one another?”

“Consider this a warning. There is no killing within the land of Middle Earth. The accords forbid it, and don’t forget that you Hunters have also signed it.” The pureblood picked up the body, and placed him over her shoulder. She turned to Luda. “I’m going back. You can take care of yourself, right?”

Luda nodded. “I’m going to head home anyways.”

“Wait!” I sat up. “Where are you going?” I growled. “He’s mine. I have questions for him.” I stood up and walked angrily toward the vampire.

“No. We are responsible for him. He entered our territory to try and kill two people. He knew that he would be caught. This was just an act of desperation. Even so, he must appear before the council.”

“What?”

“If you wish to know more, then you can follow me to Middle-Earth.” She started walking away. “The inquiry will not start until tomorrow, but it’s a good chance for you to get to know our organization. Since we’re practically neighbors.” She looked at me, gauging for a reaction. Her eye shone brightly in the dark.

A sharp pain pierced my left eye, and I closed my eyes instinctively until it subsided. When I opened my eyes, she was already gone. “Where…” I looked around, scanning the area for signs of her presence.

Yewon stood next to me. “We were lucky… She could’ve killed us in a blink of an eye.” Yewon clenched her fists. “I couldn’t even do anything.”

I put my hand on her shoulder. “Don’t. It’s not your fault. I didn’t expect a pureblood to show up here either. We were ill prepared.”

Luda cleared . We both turned to face her. She handed a card to us. “Here. An invitation. If you want to go to Middle-Earth… I’ll take you there tomorrow.”

There were so many questions I had to ask. That insignia… I didn’t even get to ask her about it. I stared at the card in my hand. It was the size of a business card. I flipped it over. It’s a blank card? Just as I was about to ask, Luda beat me to it.

“It has my signature on it. You won’t be able to see it, but the wards will let you through. Consider it like a visitor’s pass. If you want to go, meet me after school in front of the gates.”

OOOOO

Minkyung walked into the classroom. She spotted Kyungwon staring outside the window. It’s really her… There really was no mistaking it. Minkyung didn’t really know how to feel. She was happy, and relieved most of all. She thought that she had died all those years ago. Minhyun had stopped her from going back to the Kang household when she had smelled an abnormal amount of blood from that area. She had smelled her blood. She wasn’t sure she could forgive him for what he did, until now.

Relief washed over her body when she first saw her yesterday. She thought she had misheard when she introduced herself. But it really was her. That silver ring on her finger was proof it. It was proof of the time they spent together. But Kyungwon had looked at her as if she were a stranger. She wanted to approach her, to tell her that she had missed her all this time. But she realized that there was something different about her. Minkyung just couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Most of all, she wondered what had happened to her all these years? No matter what she did, Minkyung and Minhyun could not find anything on the whereabouts of her and her sister. It was almost like she disappeared off the face of the planet. Even Minhyun, with his connections as an informant had a hard time getting concrete leads.

It was a shock to Minkyung that Chungha had encountered Kyungwon and her sister last night. Chungha had briefed her on what had happened, and it frightened her. One of Taeyeon’s underlings had trespassed Middle-Earth. Minkyung had a bad feeling about this. Even Taeyeon herself would never enter. It wasn’t the fact that a few other purebloods from the family were here, but it was mostly because the witches supported Middle-Earth’s cause as well. Taeyeon would be suicidal trying to attack Middle-Earth with the Lee clan here. It was one of the only reasons she was able to walk around freely. Minkyung was worried. She would have to contact Minhyun about this later to see if he could get more information on her movements.

Yebin interrupted her thoughts by pulling up into the desk next to her. “Penny for your thoughts? You looked like you were thinking hard about something. Is something bothering you?” She asked, full of concern.

“No, it’s nothing.” Minkyung chuckled.

Yebin didn’t seem convinced, but she let it go. However, she couldn’t help but notice that Minkyung’s attention was directed on the new transferee. She felt something heavy in her chest.

OOOOO

After consulting with Yewon, I decided that I would go alone. This was something I had to face alone. I wasn’t going to lie. I was nervous as hell. But this time I would be better prepared. I clutched the necklace Binnie gave me. I prayed for my safety, and I hoped that Binnie was watching over me. To everyone else, Middle-Earth might be a safe haven. But for the Hunters, it felt like walking into a lion’s den.

Luda brought me to an empty alleyway, she stopped after reaching a dead end. I looked at her quizzically, wondering why she stopped suddenly. She motioned for me to stand next to her. “Did you bring the card?” She asked.

“Yeah, it’s right here.” I pulled the card out from my pocket.

“Good.” She faced the brick wall and touched it.

To my surprise a large door formed. She opened the door, and motioned for me to walk in. I stared inside, but it was too bright. I couldn’t see a thing. I hesitated, and looked at Luda meekly. She nudged me forward, and after taking a deep breath, I entered the door.

It was like passing through mist, mixed the sensation of free-falling. Once I opened my eyes, we were inside a club. Luda walked passed me and stood in front of an imposing man. I strode up behind her and showed him my invitation. He nodded, and stepped aside. Luda opened the door and, once again, I felt my stomach lurch.

This time we stood outside a large hall. Luda opened the large doors in front of us, and the room inside looked like a large court room. However, it was empty except for three people that sat in the center of the room. They all had their hoods up, but their honey-gold eyes gave away what they were before they finally faded into brown orbs.

Luda took my hand and dragged me to the middle of the room. She gave me a pat on the back, then turned around, and left. Once I saw her walking past me, I almost felt like I was being abandoned to the wolves. I faced them nervously. I had goosebumps. Their aura was on another level.

The one on the right spoke first. “I understand that you had encountered a vampire trying to attack you and your sister last night. I apologize. It was an oversight on our part, it should not have happened. We are investigating as to how we got past our wards.” She let down her hood, and held out her hand. “I’m Kim Sejeong. I hope you can accept my apology on the behalf of Middle-Earth.” She gave a dazzling smile.

I looked at her hand apprehensively, before finally shaking it. “My name is Kang Kyungwon.”

The one in the middle took off her hood next. “I’m Kim Chungha. The one you met yesterday.” She finished curtly.

I turned my gaze to the one on the left. But she didn’t move.

Sejeong clapped her hands together. “Well, now that introductions are done. We can get to the issue of why a member of the Seo family trespassed on our land.”

“Wait. What’s her name?” I pointed at the last pureblood.

She stared at me, not making a move.

“You can call her Roa.” Chungha spoke up after a few seconds of awkward silence.

I nodded before facing Sejeong. “I want to know who his master is. I want to know why tried killing me all those years ago. I want to know what she took from me.” I spat.

“His master is not someone you can face alone. She is one of the most powerful vampires that is alive today. Even Middle-Earth is only safe as a result of the Lee clan’s protection.” Sejeong sighed. “Furthermore, her compulsion on him is so strong that we were barely able to get anything out of him. He committed suicide. He had a bomb inserted in his stomach, and detonated it just as Chungha and I entered the room to question him further.”

“We were lucky to get out on time.” Chungha finished.

“But tell me Kyungwon-ssi, does the name ‘Xiyeon’ mean anything to you?”

I stared at her blankly. “No. I’ve never heard of that person in my life.”

“I see… that was all we managed to get. Even we couldn’t manage to overcome his sire bond. He was extremely dedicated to her. Perhaps out of fear.” Sejeong remarked.

I was angry. It was another chance lost at fulfilling my revenge. I pushed my feelings aside and tried to remain composed. “Then, answer me this. What does that symbol on your cloak mean?”

“It is our family crest.” Roa spoke softly. “It is the crest of the Kim family.”

I was surprised by her voice. It felt very familiar to me, as if I had heard it before. “A family crest…” I thought out loud. Then that woman was a vampire? Impossible…

After leaving Middle-Earth, Luda dropped me off on a busy intersection and handed me her phone. “Here, put your contact information.” I took it after some internal debate, and entered my information. I handed her phone back, and seconds later. I received a notification. “Now you can contact me if you need anything. Let’s be friends.” She grinned.

“Okay.”

OOOOO

“So? What do you think Minkyung?” Sejeong asked.

“So, it was Taeyeon who killed them… On top of it, I’m surprised she doesn’t remember who Siyeon is.”

“Memory loss due to the trauma, perhaps?” Chungha offered.

“That is plausible.” Sejeong pondered. “Have you been able to contact Minhyun?”

“I’ve sent one of our messenger crows to him. Hopefully he’s received it by now. I haven’t told him about Kyungwon yet though.”

“Why?” asked Chungha.

“I don’t think she remembers anything after that incident.” Minkyung sighed. “She doesn’t remember me.”

She doesn’t remember me. It hurts...

Hey guys, I'm back after being AWOL for so long. Sorry guys T_T  School was overwhelming me and I was receiving treatment at the same time. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Sorry for leaving you all hanging for so long... Please forgive me.

Please leave comments, it really motivates me and makes me happy to read what you guys think! I always look forward to your reactions!

Also, I loved the new Pristin album. Did you guys see the new 2kyung v-live they did yesterday?? They're so cute!!! Check it out on youtube, Team LightBeam has it subbed! Also, I'm in love with Twice's new album!! Their B-tracks are so good, I really recommend listening to "Love Line," "Turtle," and "24/7."

Again, thanks for being so patient, I hope to see you all on the next update! It should come around Christmas, since I'm still in midterm mode right now. The next chapter will be up after I'm done my finals! Good luck on your midterms/finals! <3