Blood Knight
Not-so-secret SPOOK
Pairing : Han Mira x Lee Minhyuk (Monsta X)
Genre : Fantasy, Vampire AU, Romance, Angst
Words : 8,554
Written By : taemeilin_
Genre : Fantasy, Vampire AU, Romance, Angst
Words : 8,554
Written By : taemeilin_
Another day, another lost soul. It wasn’t unusual for Mira to wake up to a ghost standing at the foot of her bed just waiting for her to awaken from her sleep. She had to admit that it still did shock her most times. I mean who would want to wake up first thing in the morning to find a dead person staring at them? If you asked Mira, she’d much rather wake up face to face with Edward Cullen.
However, as a Mediator she had to deal with these lost souls and put them to rest by fulfilling their final wish. Even if they had sought after her before she could open her eyes to greet the morning sun. This soul was rather different, however. Unlike most others that usually greeted her with a polite smile or a sheepish grin, he gazed at her with serious eyes.
Mira took a long moment, wordlessly gazing back at him with her blurry morning vision and messy bed head. It wasn’t like she had never encountered unfriendly souls, but none of them had just stared at her without saying a word. The norm would have been them impatiently approaching her and demanding their final request. Or being rude. But this was a one of a kind case.
The male crossed his arms and hardened his glare. Mira tilted her head slightly, dumbfounded, scratching her head in confusion. He finally stopped staring her down as he rolled his eyes and uncrossed his arms. He proceeded to walk over to the window sill and take a seat on the wooden frame. The poor girl was unable to rationally process the situation before her, still in a daze from just waking up.
“Can I help you?” Mira finally asked, breaking the odd silence that surrounded them. It wasn’t awkward but rather tense and confusing. However, her question received no answer and instead the male just furrowed his brows, his stare judging her.
Mira wondered if she was dealing with one of those spirits that had a strange thing for staring at their Mediators and going straight to rest after the next few hours. She had only heard stories about cases like them, but it was the first time she actually dealt with one of them in the 8 years of her career.
Yes, career. In the dimension of Terra where vampires, werewolves and ghosts certainly existed alongside humans, being a Mediator was an important job that was acknowledged by the government. In fact, they worked for the government and their role was crucial in sustaining the balance of the world. I guess they were what we call civil servants, but with much better pay.
Without Mediators, unrest spirits would gradually be infected with darkness from Infernum - the dimension of the underworld. These infected souls turn into demons and run rampant, possessing civilians and wreaking havoc throughout the Terra. Many civilians have been hurt through these happening. Thus, directing spirits to Caelum, the dimension of heaven, was a task taken very seriously.
But even in the quest to do put souls to rest, some still chose to be turned. With the reason of not having seen a meaning to their life and wanting to do something more in their after life. But from there on out it was no longer the job of the Mediators but a job for the Exorcists. Mira herself had seen these souls several times. They weren’t rare, which made Exorcists play a vital role in the governing system as well.
“Um, do you have a request or will you just stare at me and go to rest?”
“I knew you wouldn’t be a good enough Mediator,” the spirit spoke.
Wait, what!? First, he barges into her home, stares her down and doesn’t speak a peep. But the moment she wants to help the first thing he does is insult her? Mira’s jaw dropped in disbelief. As if she didn’t feel bad enough waking up to a lost soul at the foot of her bed first thing in the morning, now he was giving her sass. Undoubtedly what she needed to make her feel better.
At least she could be sure he did have a final request, although he may have deemed her ‘not a good enough Mediator’, he doesn’t intend on turning into a demon. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t offended.
It was Mira’s turn to roll her eyes, shoulder’s jerking slightly as she scoffed, “You say that on what basis?”
“Do I really need to spell it out for you?” He hops off the window sill and scans her appearance up and down, “I can’t tell if that thing on your head is hair or a bird’s nest, your room is a mess and your face is… in not much better condition.”
The girl balled her hands into fists, enraged by what was possibly the rudest wake up call of her life. She had no more patience left in her as he melted her fuse to the point of no return.
“Excuse you! What do you expect from someone who just woke up from their sleep!? And do you think that’s something you should be saying to your Mediator? You can’t get an exchange whether or not you think I’m good enough, so sit back and deal with it or just go to rest without a wish!” She yelled at the top of her lungs. Mira grit her teeth as a means to hold back the boiling rage in her chest.
The translucent figure just shrugged, clearly unfazed by the Mediator’s break out. Mira groaned and threw off her covers to roll out of bed, pretty much giving up on trying to talk to him. If he wasn’t going to tell her what his final request was then so be it. She’d just go about her day and wait for him to ask her.
She went about her daily routine, adding to her list the task of warning the male not to walk in on her in the shower. But what else could she have expected of the dead prick?
‘Not like there’s much to see anyway.’
Mira sighed and continued to go about her day. She first visited the civil office to file several of her previous cases that she had completed then proceeded to meet some exorcists to learn of the recent statistics of demons running loose.
It had seemed that there were unregistered deaths happening around Terra and officials were suspecting that they were suicidals who had the intent to turn into demons. That, or rebel vampires were on the loose.
Being an evolved race, in present times a regular Vampire could freely walk out in the sun and age just like humans. They were stronger and faster than the regular person but apart from what they ate, you could say their lifestyles were pretty much the same.
Rebels were known to believe that they were no better than the humans if they were to just live their lives according to the rules. They believed Vampires were superior to the humans and they weren’t born different to live the same way. Since centuries ago, by rule of the government, it was against the law to hunt humans. But from time to time a group of Vampires would form a rebellion to hunt humans - in search of power. It wasn’t a secret that Vampires who drank human blood would become stronger, have the ability to transform and even retain their youth.
However, there were downsides to it. The rebels of the race had to live just like in the storybooks. Forced to evade sunlight, weakened by silver, repelled by crosses. As they say, you win some, you lose some.
By the time Mira was done with her tasks at civil office in Town Square the sun had began to set. The annoying ghost didn’t leave her for a minute, haunting her with his obnoxious thoughts which he decided liberally said aloud.
As he kept vocally questioning her ability to understand the conversation and her mental capacity to process the information presented to her, she lost it and yelled at the dead one… that only she could see. She had never been more embarrassed in front of the Exorcists in life. Not even as much as the time she accidentally spilled her coffee on one of the team leaders, Mark. Probably because she felt sadder about her coffee than she felt sorry towards him. But that wasn't the point. This ghost was getting on her nerves and she wanted to get rid of him as soon as she possibly could.
“Are you going to tell me your wish now or not?” Mira asked impatiently. She did not want to fail her task of putting him to rest. The girl firmly believed it was for the greater good of the world that he went to rest fast.
“I don’t believe you would be able to do it,” the annoying one said, “but this request will take a long time. I need to do this so I don’t turn.”
Mira rolled her eyes. So he didn’t want to turn demon afterall. That was good enough for her, “So what’s the first step?”
“We need to find the Blood Knight.”
Mira didn’t know who, what or where the Blood Knight was, but now that she finally heard Hyungwon’s - the ghost who finally let her know his name - last wish, she was just fine with going along with it.
Hyungwon led her to a sketchy looking shack on the outskirts of town. The small place was illuminated with the flickering flames of oil lamps that hung by the door. Not only the floorboards, but the entire wooden structure creaked ever so slightly when a strong breeze passed. It gave Mira the chills just standing outside, she didn’t want to know what’d it’d be like in the house.
Judging by the dirty windows and little vines spiraling down the pillars, she imagine it to look like shady bar but the moment the door opened, she was proven wrong. The small space was extremely well kept, the walls were hidden behind endless shelves of books and behind the counter sat a pleasant looking old lady. She had on a night gown and her knitting glasses, calmly working on a pair of gloves.
Mira walked into the place with a polite smile, only to have it slightly falter as she saw how the lady was knitting the pair of gloves together. How would anyone use such a thing? Shrugging it off as a mistake she made while knitting, Mira then followed Hyungwon’s instructions.
“We need to ask where we can find the Blood Knight,” Hyungwon said motioning her off towards the counter.
“Hello, ma’am. I’m here to ask abo-”
“I heard the boy,” The old lady said, shocking Mira.
“Are you by any chance a-”
“No, I’m not a Mediator.”
“Then you must be a-”
“A Psychic.”
“I-”
“Yes, yes, you knew it,” the old lady cut her off. Again.
Though slightly annoyed, Mira was still fascinated. She had never met a Psychic in person. Psychics were the people who could connect with other dimensions in ways the Mediators and Exorcists could not. Mediators, Exorcists and Psychics were a really small minority in Terra but Psychics were definitely the most rare of the three. However, no one of them could do each others’ jobs. Which made them all extremely important in the well being of the dimension.
“Let me tell you something you don’t know,” the lady continued, “I’m Hyunmi. I run this place with my family. If you want information, we charge based on how precious it is. If you’d like a reading of your future, we also do that for good prices. 1 reading is 50 Ters but if you do 2 readings, its 115 Ters.”
Mira watched at how the lady happily promoted her absurd prices. Not that they were over-priced. It was just that normally getting more than one reading would get you cheaper prices. Hyungwon impatiently tapped his foot, still not used to how there was no sound produced by the action.
“We will just take the information, thank you,” Mira said politely.
Hyunmi sighed and put down her knitting work. From under the counter she hauled a crystal ball up and placed it on the blue, fur placemat. She blew out the candles on the table which dimmed the room further. Mira was at a loss for words when Hyunmi began her chant. The clear crystal reacted to her words, changing colors in a spectrum. She watched as the light began to concentrate in one spot on the crystal ball.
“We are in search, we wish to learn, we need to find and desire to understand where the Blood Knight is in this land,” her voice was soft and calm. The moment she complete the spell an image of a male appeared in the crystal along with a voice.
The ambiguous voice spoke as if it came from the walls of the small space, to wide and clear, “The knowledge you seek is presented before you, touch the crystal to retain it in you.”
Hyunmi prompted the girl to touch the crystal ball and Mira did just that. She was shocked by the sensation she felt but she couldn’t pull her hand away. It was like an endless number of memories were hitting her in a continuous stream. Mira winced and held her head with her free hand. It didn’t hurt but it was such a disturbing feeling that she had never experienced. Hyungwon secretly looked concerned but she missed his facial expression in the midst of her confusion.
Finally the crystal ball went back to being clear and the odd sensation halted. Mira could finally retract her hand from the apparatus. But what was even weirder to her was the amount of new information she had gained. It was like she knew everything about the Blood Knight. His name, how he looked, where she could find him and… what he was.
“A rebel!?” Mira gasped and clamped her hands over .
If the Blood Knight was a rebel Vampire, wasn’t she walking straight into the lion’s den? It’s like she was asking to die. But she had to complete her task and she’s even spent this money to gather this information. Maybe she could let the government know? But if she did then she wouldn’t be able to fulfill his wish and Hyungwon would turn.
“That will be 375 Ters,” Hyunmi said, breaking Mira’s train of thought and worries. Mira pulled out her purse and grabbed out her company tab, which Hyunmi looked at weirdly.
“You really don’t know anything about Psychics do you?” Hyungwon rolled his eyes at her action, “Who in the world besides you makes a Psychic put their bill on a company tab?”
“Well, that’s because all costs of fulfilling a soul’s final wish are covered by the government,” Mira explained, not fully understanding their situation.
“This is why I said you wouldn’t be suitable to help me with this,” Hyungwon said, shaking his head at the Mediator.
Hyunmi decided to step in and explain the situation so that she could get her payment sooner, “Psychics only accept cash and do not give out receipts in order to keep all outgoing information private. Nobody should know what knowledge someone has gained from a Psychic unless spoken from their own mouths. We are not to be held responsible if anything bad happens because of precious information being leaked.”
“So I’m supposed to pay the fee out of my pocket!?” Mira snapped her head toward the ghost, “If you knew this earlier why didn’t you tell me!?”
Hyungwon just shook his head disapprovingly at her. He expected a Mediator to know better but at the same time not many people had the chance to meet Psychics and it wasn’t like there was a subject in school that taught them about the specific group. He disappeared out the door, leaving Mira dumbstruck.
“Yoohoo, my payment?” the old lady waved her joint gloves around to gain the girl’s attention.
Mira unwillingly pulled out her wallet and paid the lady a whopping 400 Ters, receiving her 25 Ter change with a certain sadness in her eyes. On the other hand, Hyunmi was happy to have earned some cash for the day. It was hard being a Psychic because not as many are needed on the government’s teams so most of their minority have to find ways to earn their living.
“Thank you, ma’am. We’ll be on our way now,” Mira said, with full politeness once again.
She walked out the door to see Hyungwon ‘kicking’ a bunch of leaves around. Though they only floated slightly as if being blown by a soft breeze. Mira always thought about how these spirits felt. The most depressing part of being in their state would be the fact that they may still feel human but everything they do results differently. She always felt sympathy for them in that sense but learnt never to show it because it did no good for either party. The best she could do for them was help complete their final wish.
“Hyungwon, let’s go. I know where to find him,” Mira called out to his solemn figure.
“I know that you know,” Hyungwon said with clear sass in his tone.
“And you owe me 375 Ters,” Mira flattened her eyes at him.
Hyungwon burst out in laughter, while Mira kept a stoic face, used to his nonsense, “Come get it from me in the afterlife!”
His sudden fit of laughter was cut off by his own words. Afterlife. Right, that’s where he was going if his plan failed.
Everyone in Terra lived peacefully together but some places had a more of one race than others. Mira and Hyungwon stood in front of the huge entrance to Leuxd, the part of Terra heavily populated by Vampires. Nothing scared Mira here, but what did give her the chills was the fact that she was supposed to head into the thick forests behind Leuxd to look for the Blood Knight.
The image of a town populated by a majority Vampires in any normal person’s head would have been rather dark and probably even scary. That was what it was like in Mira’s head too, but as she walked through the town it seemed like the most peaceful place in Terra.
It had already gotten dark so there weren't many people out but the town was lit up with bright lights and there was even a church right in the middle of the town. It was well maintained, coated white like it had been freshly painted. Mira wondered if they actually took care of the church that well or just didn't go near it at all.
Any bit of her security faded away they finally started passing by some large trees. Houses became more scarce and the light of the town slowly dimmed out in the distance. She could barely see what was in front of her at this point and hesitate proceeding any further because she didn't have a source of light to help her make it through the forest.
“Hyungwon,” Mira called out to the male’s translucent figure that stood next to her, “Maybe we should travel tomorrow. It's too dark.”
The moment she spoke she heard a rustle come from her surroundings. Hyungwon hadn't moved an inch so she knew it couldn't have been him.
“Hyungwon.”
“Shh. I heard you. But whoever else is here probably heard you too,” Hyungwon spoke, emphasizing, “Only you.”
Mira gasped and within a split second another rustle could be heard and she felt chills run down her spine. She could feel it. A breath on the back of her neck.
“Minhyuk?” Mira said with a shaky voice.
Another rustle and suddenly there was a figure in front of her. She couldn't see any of his features, but the one thing she could see clearly was his glowing, fire red eyes. She held her breath, not daring to exhale in case she’d offend him. One thing was for sure, he was a rebel. And that meant Mira was potential prey.
“How do you know this name?” the figure spoke. His voice was deep and intimidating as Mira expected. She was still on the verge of wetting her pants just by his strong presence.
“I’m looking for him,” Mira said, not sure if she was supposed to mention anything about the Psychic. What if he decided to kill anyone she mentioned? In was in her job to prevent any deaths. Which was why revenge was off the list of wishes for spirits. Otherwise, they would be exorcised immediately.
“State your reason.”
How was she supposed to know what to say!? Tell him that she's a Mediator and needs to fulfill a roaming soul’s request? What would the consequences be if she said something wrong? Would she need to find a Mediator for herself? Would she join Hyungwon on his quest to make it to Caelum?
Being invisible to the Vampire in their midst, Hyungwon freely spoke, “Tell him you have come to seek the services of the Blood Knight.”
“I.. have come to seek the services of the Blood Knight,” Mira said unsurely as if she was at an interview of life or death.
“Follow me.”
After a long walk through the thick forest, several trips, stumbles and a couple bruises, Mira finally made it through the trees and saw a light coming from ahead of her. It was dim and reminded her a lot of the Psychic’s shack. Except for the fact that it was bigger.
Mira silently followed behind the male with Hyungwon trailing closely next to her. Now that there was light, Mira would be able to catch a good glimpse of his face, but she was afraid he’d kill her if she was caught taking a peek.
The Vampire walked up to the door and opened it to reveal 5 other males inside. But what caught Mira’s attention was the man at the counter with his back faced to her. He did not have on a shirt, which allowed the tattoo of a celtic cross that stretched all along the area of his back to be perfectly displayed.
“Minhyuk, a guest for you.”
The male turn his head at the sound of his name and Mira immediately took note of the contrast of his blood red eyes against his pale skin and blonde hair. His eyes were different from the eyes of the Vampire she met in the forest. The depth of the color and the way his eyes opened lazily, scanning her from top to bottom.
“She's the one, isn't she?” he finally spoke after a tense minute. Mira didn't know who he was talking to but she knew better than to be curious enough to open and ask.
“Mhmm,” a red haired male in the corner hummed confirming the blonde’s statement. He didn't seem to be a Vampire. His eyes were a normal color and Mira couldn't tell for sure but he seemed to be staring at Hyungwon. A Mediator?
“What you saw in the reading 2 years ago is finally happening, Jooheon?” a brunette asked from another corner of the room to which the red head nodded. He didn't seem to be a Vampire either but through his statement the one he called Jooheon was now known to Mira as a Psychic.
The room goes silent as Minhyuk stands up from his seat, downing the last of the contents of his cup. Mira looked with fearful eyes at the red liquid that stained his lips momentarily before his tongue protruded to it clean. He picked up his thin coat off the barstool next to him and put it on before he turned to face the girl with his chest and abs exposed. The Vampire looked at her dead in the eyes and for some reason just she couldn’t seem to look away.
“Do you know what you've gotten yourself into?” Minhyuk asked one second and the next moment he was standing right in front of her. There was no doubt that he was a rebel. Mira hadn't uttered a word and she obviously still didn’t plan on doing so as she just shook her head in response.
She hadn't heard a peep from Hyungwon either. Probably because there were other people around who could see and hear him now. Though his spiteful remarks might have been a little helpful in calming her down. Now the silence was slowly engulfing her mind which caused her thoughts to get all fuzzy and before she knew it, everything went black. The last image in her mind being Minhyuk’s stoic expression.
It was bright out again when Mira finally opened her eyes. She was in an unfamiliar place. From the bed to the scent, the view, even to the person next to her. Wait.. Person next to her!?
Mira scrambled off the bed in shock. He had his back faced to her but it was obvious who it was considering his blonde hair and unforgettable tattoo that was once again exposed. He must’ve had a thing for being shirtless at all times. She watched as the blonde shifted to lay on his back.
He was asleep? A sleeping Vampire wasn't weird, but a sleeping rebel Vampire? Now that was odd. But now that she thought about it, he also had a tattoo of a cross on his back. The girl was now curious. Was he really a Vampire? She had already witnessed his speed, his red eyes and even him drinking, what she suspected to be, blood.
She looked down at the silver bracelet she had on her wrist and an idea came to mind. Without much thought and the desire to know more, she unhooked her bracelet and quietly stalked towards the side of the bed he was on. Slowly and cautiously, she extended her hand holding the bracelet out towards him. The moment the silver touched his skin he grabbed her by the wrist.
“You know,” Minhyuk’s lazily opened his eyes to stare at her, “They say curiosity killed the cat.”
Mira tried to pull her arm away but he pulled her with more strength causing her to kneel next to the bed with her face on the same level as his. She squeezed her eyes shut, what was she even thinking.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized with a shaky voice, feeling the sting of tears forming in her eyes.
Minhyuk let go of her hand and sat up on the edge of the bed. He looked at the way she kneeled there with her head bowed, gnawing on her lower lip in fear. The male sighed and stretched his hand out to brush her hair, putting the stray strands back into place.
Mira was shocked at the touch but the way he pat her head was far from intimidating or violent. You could even say she felt warm on the inside. She was scared out of her wits but the simple touch calmed her down. She didn't understand how he could send her on the verge of tears and then comfort her.
Minhyuk stood up and moved to the window, he pulled open the curtains and the sunlight flowed into the room. His skin seemed even paler with the strong rays of light shining against it. Mira turned to look at him, trying her best not to make a sound.
He wasn't any ordinary rebel. He had the strength and speed of a rebel but he didn't have any of their weaknesses. She shifted her gaze to his shoulder to check if the silver did any damage, and of course, it didn't.
What was he? Even the information she got from the Psychic didn't tell her. Thinking again, Psychics were well known for providing detailed information on person. Not just their name, face and address but even their past, present and a bit of their future. But Kimmi didn't have the slightest idea of him.
“What are you?” she whispered and didn't know if she regretted asking. She said it almost inaudibly but there was no way he would have missed it. He knelt on one knee next to her small weak frame.
“I am none of your business.”
Mira had been led down from the bedroom to the main living area they were at yesterday by the brunette who introduced himself Kihyun. Somehow, the tension from the night before died down and everyone was lounging around more comfortably. They didn't seem as serious or intimidating. The girl immediately joined Hyungwon in the corner of the room, for the first time she was actually happy to see his annoying face.
“Hyungwon,” she whispered.
The male squinted at her, “Miss I-passed-out-because-I-was-so-scared-I-forgot-to-breathe.”
A few chuckles were heard from the other side of the room. Right, she was wondering why she woke up the next morning when she didn't remember how she fell asleep to begin with.
“Why didn't you stop them from taking me upstairs? What if they decided to make me their meal?” Mira asked.
“I can't talk to them. What if they exorcised me?” Hyungwon argued back.
“Exorcists can't see spirits, they can only exorcise them when they’ve possessed someone,” Mira told him, “You're totally safe here.”
Mira envied his safety but she didn't realize the way his facial expression changed when he momentarily looked at Kihyun. He wasn't as safe she thought.
“What else do I have to do for your wish? We’ve already met the Blood Knight,” Mira was desperate to get out of here and back to her safe little home in Terra’s main town. When she was done here she could officially report the rebels.
“It’ll be done by today. I just need your help with one last thing. They know what they have to do and you just gotta help with the last task.”
Mira’s brow furrowed. Sure she could help, “But what task is this exactly?”
“All you have do is stand there and let them do their job. You’ll be fine,” Hyungwon assured, but Mira wasn't that dense. He was avoiding telling her what the task was. However, she couldn't fight him or ask anyone else in the room because she still feared for her life.
Mira’s will to talk disappeared at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Upon Minhyuk’s descent everyone wordlessly awaited for his commands.
“Let’s get this over with.”
Mira still didn't know what was going to happen and what she was going to do. As long they didn't kill her she would be happy enough.
“Changkyun, blood,” just one word and the Vampire from the night before nodded before proceeding to do his task. Mira assumed it was getting him breakfast.
“Kihyun, Hyunwoo,” Minhyuk nodded and they seemed to understand what they meant as well. Whatever they did for a living they must have been doing it together for a long time.
“Hoseok, standby.”
As Minhyuk was instructing them Changkyun walked through the door holding an unconscious person. He walked behind the bar into a room and minutes later came out with a goblet which he handed to Minhyuk.
Mira watched, weak in the knees as Minhyuk downed the contents of the cup, staining his upper lip red. He handed the empty goblet back to Changkyun. The latter walked back into the room behind the bar and again minutes later came out with another bowl of blood. This time he handed it to Hyunwoo who was now dressed in a black cloak similarly to Kihyun.
Without being told Jooheon closed the blinds around the room and lit several candles while Kihyun and Hyunwoo used the blood to paint out a large pentagram on the ground in front of Minhyuk. The Vampire let his eyes roam from the pentagram to where Mira was seated. She was looking around at everything that was going on but her eyes kept shifting back and forth between the busy room and the door to the back room.
Minhyuk walked to her and held her arms, lifting her to stand up on her feet. Mira thought she would be afraid but instead she actually felt… Safe. He let his hand slide from her arm down to her wrist and carefully led her behind the bar to the door. To quench her curiosity or rather to help subside her worries, he opened the door. Inside was the man Changkyun carried in, sitting on a chair with a needle in his arm that was connected to a machine that drew blood.
“He’s fine. We’ll let him go when he’s conscious and we've erased his memories,” the Vampire explained simply.
Mira looked at him with an unreadable expression and nodded. Kidnapping the man to extract his blood wasn't exactly what Mira considered okay but she was just relieved that the man wasn't dead.
Minhyuk looked her in the eyes and took a step toward her, still holding her wrist, “Nothing will happen to you. As long as you remember, I’m none of your business.”
Mira didn't understand and she could read the look in his eyes or the stoic expression he had on. As much as she searched his eyes, she couldn't sense anything but just looking at the blood red hypnotized her. She stared longer than she had intended to but his eyes were so captivating that she couldn't break her gaze from him even as he leaned in towards her.
He let his arms wrap around her petite body, embracing her in a hug. Mira didn't fight back because she wouldn't have had the strength to beat him anyway, one. And two, she oddly enjoyed the warmth of his hug despite the fact that he was cold blooded.
“Whatever happens, I need you to trust me. I can't tell you what it is,” he spoke in a soft tone, “But don't do it.”
Mira was confused not just by Minhyuk’s actions but also by her own reaction. Yet she couldn't deny the thumping in her chest. It was so weird. Less than 24 hours ago she was scared out of her wits just looking at him and now she was actually enjoying being in the presence of the Vampire.
Her fluttery moment ended when Minhyuk pulled away and led her out of the room. He guided her to stand in the middle of the pentagram with Kihyun and Hyunwoo standing on either side of them with their heads bowed strings of black beads in their. Hoseok stood directly in front of them holding several talismans, Changkyun stood behind them holding a goblet of blood and Jooheon stood next to Changkyun holding his crystal ball.
Hyungwon joined Mira and Minhyuk in the middle of the pentagram completing the formation. Apart from the three in the center, the remaining 5 of them perfectly filled the spaces standing at each point of the star.
Mira’s began to race in fear as Kihyun and Hyunwoo began chanting words she did not understand. Her panic continued to rise as she began to understand that they were Black Mages. Black Mages were humans that learnt the art of black magic from demons themselves. It was illegal and its severity was worthy a death penalty, so most people believed these Mages no longer existed in this day and age, but now Mira was witnessing their ritual right before her eyes.
As they continued chanting Mira heard a thumping sound below her. She looked down to see her physical body lying on the ground. And she looked at her arm that was now translucent. She gasped, stepping back in shock, her entire being visibly shaking. Whatever was happening, she didn't like it. She wanted to say something but the words were jumbled up in her mind and her voice was stuck in . She looked at Hyungwon who just stood there with his eyes closed, looking as if he were in a serene state.
“Her soul has been fully extracted,” Jooheon said being the only one able to see her soul.
The chants stopped for a moment before a new set of chants began to be recited. Mira could feel it, her soul being forcefully pulled to something like it was being absorbed. Suddenly her point of view changed. Looked at things from a higher perspective, she now staring at Hoseok. She couldn't control her movements or speech.
“Mira’s soul has fully merged,” Jooheon’s voice rang again.
The chant continued and soon after Jooheon then said, “Hyungwon’s soul has been merged.”
The chants of the two Black Mages stopped and Mira watched as Hoseok brought up three talismans up in front of his face. It was his turn to say a chant, casting a spell which made the talismans glow. With the glowing pieces he drew out a pentagram in midair leaving a trail of light behind which showed the symbol perfectly drawn in front of him. Finally he threw the three talismans in her direction and ended his chant. She still couldn't understand where her soul was until another thud was heard and felt her soul being out of whatever medium it was in.
Seeing Minhyuk’s physical body now on the floor and his soul next to hers she figured that she was probably merged in his body. Lastly it was Jooheon’s turn to transcend their destination in his crystal ball to check if their souls have made it in one piece.
Minhyuk put his arm around her shoulder, “It's going to be alright, we’ll be together.”
Mira silently listened as Jooheon recited the final chant of the ceremony behind them. Her hands balled into trembling fists as their surroundings began to transform from their dark room to streaks of orange, red and black began to appear and gradually intensify like a painting being created before their eyes. The colors turned opaque and their surroundings changed entirely. They could no longer hear Jooheon and that’s when Minhyuk knew they made it.
Dark silhouettes like shadows zipped by them, freely roaming around the dimension. Everything was new to Mira and Hyungwon, the heat, screams and depressing emotions that naturally floated around them. But looking at Minhyuk it seemed like he had definitely been here more than once.
Mira mustered the courage to speak, “Where are we?”
As she spoke, a black image began to appear in front of them. The features of the being gradually faded in and revealed a smug looking face.
“Welcome back to Infernum, Blood Knight.”
Mira got her answer. She looked at Minhyuk and asked, “Why are we here?”
“To fight for his soul,” Minhyuk answered simply and nodded at Hyungwon.
Mira snapped her head at Hyungwon, “That’s illegal!”
“Nobody knows I’m dead,” Hyungwon explained, “If you just follow through with this I can live again!”
Mira shook her head vigorously in disbelief, “No, you didn't tell me that this was what you wanted.”
Hyungwon shrugged silently. He was guilty. He couldn't tell her because he could tell she was too much of a rule abiding citizen. She wouldn't have followed through with his plan if she had known from the start. He wouldn't have chosen her as his Mediator if she hadn't woken up and see him. Nobody apart from his Mediator could know that he was dead so he wouldn't be caught.
“I won't tell on you if you don't.”
“That's not the point!” Mira exasperated.
Minhyuk put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “It doesn't matter the point is now. We’re here and nothing can change that. Either I fight for our souls or we stay here forever. From here on out it’s my job. Just trust me.”
Mira looked Minhyuk in the eyes. What did she know about him to be able to trust him? Not just Hyungwon, he didn't tell her what she would have been getting herself into. She couldn't understand how he expected her to trust him but what was even more illogical was the fact that she chose to trust him anyway. Just the look in his eyes, the way he held her shoulder and the vibe he gave off to her all told her that he was worth her trust. Being the instinctive person she was, Mira easily complied and nodded at him.
The dark figure in front of them stepped in, breaking the little fit between the three, “Break up the emotional act. The Underlord has been awaiting your return.”
Minhyuk glared at the dark being as if he was speaking with his eyes. Without waiting for the others he walked ahead as if he knew this dimension like the palm of his hand. The dark figure faded away and the two left behind followed after Minhyuk closely.
The heat was intensifying the more they walked and it burned in such an odd way that they couldn't explain the paranormal feeling. After a long way of walking, a castle like building came into view. As they approached the entrance the large wooden doors opened gradually. Even from afar they couldn't miss the huge flames that burned in the castle.
They walked up to the palace and the three of them entered. The burn multiplied several times the moment they passed the doors. Mira and Hyungwon’s bodies convulsed as the heat attacked them. The two even cried out slightly at the pain but there was no sign of damage done to their bodies.
“Remove any unnecessary jewelry or clothing, it will reduce the burn,” Minhyuk said. Was that why he was mostly shirtless?
Mira and Hyungwon hurriedly took off any jewelry they had on, like bracelets and rings. Hyungwon took off his jacket, shirt, shoes and socks. If it weren't for Mira he probably would have taken off his pants too. Mira on the other hand was at a disadvantage. She took off her jewelry and her shirt leaving her in her tank top she had worn underneath. She didn't have her shoes on either because she hadn't put them back on when she woke up that morning. Minhyuk diverted his gaze away from Mira as she took off her shirt.
He continued along and another large door was in front of them, “Stay here.”
Minhyuk proceeded towards the door but Mira ran forward to grab his arm. He turned to see her searching his eyes worriedly. With his free hand he pat her head, then said with confidence, “Trust me.”
Mira hesitantly let go of his arm and he continued on his way, walking through the door and it opened on its own. The flames behind that door looked several times stronger than the flames that surrounded them.
Hyungwon moved next to her, “Crush much?”
Mira felt her heart jump at his statement. The girl glared at him as if shooting daggers at him through her eyes. He threw his hands up as if surrendering seeing her ‘scary’ face.
“Is this any time to even be joking?”
“Nothing changes whether I do or not,” Hyungwon replied nonchalantly, “Plus, I wasn't kidding. Just stating the facts.”
“I don't have a crush on him,” she said avoiding Hyungwon’s eyes and looking at the door Minhyuk had entered.
Suddenly an image appeared in front of the door, like a holographic screen. There were two figures in the large space, one person was significantly larger than the other. Mira and Hyungwon quickly identified the smaller person as Minhyuk and quickly learned that who the larger being was as Minhyuk spoke his name, “We meet again, Hades.”
A monstrously loud sound echoed through the place as Hades laughed, “What took you so long to come back and visit?”
“Doesn't really matter, I only came here to beat you again,” Minhyuk said before drawing out Hyungwon, Mira and his own name out in a chant. He was betting their souls on the battle.
Hades was offended and extremely displeased at this point, “I believe you haven't forgotten that every time you come back, it gets more disadvantageous to you. Have you forgotten how I crushed almost every bone in your body 2 years ago?”
Mira’s heart sunk in her chest. Just listening to what he saying she could already deduce that this battle would not be in Minhyuk’s favor. Her heart thumped with worry. What if something bad happened to him. Could he beat Hades?
“Or will you have your human companion donate blood to you mid-battle again?” Hades laughed mockingly.
Mira let Hades’ words sink in. In this form they were equal to as when they were on Terra so if he were weak, he could take her blood. She could help him!
“Not this time,” Minhyuk turned his gaze and in the screen it looked like he was looking at Mira, “She trusts me.”
The fear she was feeling dissipated and she set her mind on believing in him.
“Very well. Let the battle begin.”
Hades’ form began to morph and transform into.. Minhyuk? They looked identical but somehow Mira could spot the little differences between the two. Like the color of their eyes. For whatever reason, Hades could not imitate the color of Minhyuk’s deep blood red eyes and instead were the bright, fire red that most Vampires had.
The last image on the screen was of them running at each other at full speed before the screen disappeared. All that was left was the painfully nerve wracking battle cries and loud bashing sounds that came from beyond the door. But what was even more worrying was the sinister laugh that could be heard. If Hades could be laughing during battle, how much stronger was he in comparison to Minhyuk?
Several tense minutes later, the screen appeared once again to reveal Minhyuk kneeling on one knee while panting heavily. Hades was standing a few meters away with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. The screen then disappeared once more. Mira almost couldn’t take the suspense as she fidgeted in her spot, playing with her fingers nervously.
The longer they were in there the harder it was for Mira to control the rush of emotions that invaded her body. She couldn’t help but worry about Minhyuk despite already putting her full trust in him. What else could she do in this situation? With unpleasant sounds ringing through the space and no signs of how Minhyuk was doing, there wasn’t a chance that she could just sit there without a worry.
Finally the screen popped up once again and Mira could get herself a visual update of what was happening in there. Minhyuk was in Hades’ grasp but he elbowed Hades with all his might, freeing himself and going in for a kick, but the other’s reflexes were so quick that his leg was caught. He was lifted by the leg and flung against the ground. He broke his fall using his arms but the way Mira saw it he might have very well had gotten his arms broken instead. Only he wasn’t any normal person, so his multiplied strength prevented that. One worrying scene and the screen was gone again before it reappeared showing Minhyuk laying on the ground.
“Looks like someone needs a little blood they get them on their feet,” Hades mocked. He wasn’t exactly in good condition either but if you were to compare them, he looked like he had much more fight left in him than Minhyuk did.
At sound of his words Mira’s mind went blank and she walked up towards the door, ready to push her way in, until she heard Minhyuks’s voice, “She trusts me.”
The 3 words rang in her head like a record on repeat. She thought long and hard, suddenly his words from before they came to Infernum came to mind.
“Whatever happens, I need you to trust me. I can't tell you what it is,” he spoke in a soft tone, “But don't do it.”
Mira unwillingly clenched her fists and stepped away from the door. The impulsive feeling in her chest wouldn't stop, she wanted to barge through the doors so badly. But she believed there was a reason he clearly told her not to do anything. She wasn't sure if this was the situation that he meant, but her gut feeling told her that if she stepped in there the situation would only worsen.
Minutes later an extremely loud horn was heard. The ringing hurt Mira and Hyungwon’s ears and they fell to their knees crying in pain. Mira felt her heart thump hard and her eyes shot open. Her breath was caught in as she felt her ability to breath slowly slip away. Her screams no longer made it past and she watched as Hyungwon fell to the ground clutching his chest.
Mira clawed at as if trying to open a passage for her to breath but to no avail. Her vision blurred as the doors opened revealing Hades in his original form, Minhyuk nowhere in sight.
The last thing that registered in Mira’s mind was the cynical laugh of the Underlord before everything turned to black. Clearly, it was the end.
It was bright out again when Mira finally opened her eyes. She was now in an familiar place. She took in the familiar scent, the view, the soft bed beneath her and even person next to her. She smiled to herself as she was face to face with a certain male she had met a three months ago. He had blonde hair, supernatural abilities and hated wearing shirts. His name was Minhyuk and he was a rebel Vampire.
Mira ghosted her finger over Minhyuk’s face, tracing his features. She closed one eye as if she were looking into a camera's viewfinder, carefully hovering her finger around his face.
“Good morning to you too,” Minhyuk smiled, eyes still closed.
He reached for her finger and wrapped his own around it, bringing it to his lips to place a kiss on her knuckle. Mira’s face flushed a subtle shade of red. She held his hand and carefully brought it to her lips to return the kiss. She let her lips linger on his hand as he let his free hand brush out strands of her hair from her face.
“Breakfast?” Mira asked.
Minhyuk nodded grinning and pulled her close into his embrace. He cupped her face lightly and leaned, pressing his lips full against hers. Mira let her hands rest against his bare chest as she kissed him back. Her lips moved in time with his, parting slightly to deepen the liplock.
They pulled away after a minute and looked into each other's’ eyes. Both their eyes had hints of sleep yet they were glistening with happiness. Minhyuk sat up, easily lifting Mira into his lap. He carefully carried her like a princess out of bed and put her on her feet. Letting his hand intertwine with hers, he stared her in the eyes and gave her another loving peck.
“Let's go get some real breakfast.”
Fin.
Dear Kimmi,
I'm sorry this turned out this way T-T Everything turned out to be much longer and more complicated than I anticipated. I was going to write the action scenes in Infernum but they would have been so long I would have taken forever to complete it. I know there's a long development in the plot before they meet and there is a lot of processes here and there so that the story and the universe flow. I just. I don't even know how to explain this. I just hope you enjoyed and that the small fluff at the end makes up for all the lacking parts. I actually have a little bit more to this story after they get together (The breakfast scene basically) which I can write for you in my free time. But because I wanted to get this in on time, the story ends here!
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