Miyoung released Jessica’s neck and held the unconscious girl in her arms, the blood off her lips. The flavor of it still lingered in her mind. She had never tasted blood so sweet.

She looked at the girl in her arms. Jessica looked like a sleeping princess, except for the scowl that was etched on her forehead. Miyoung suddenly felt sorry for the girl.

She moved aside some of her hair where the bite mark was and gently kissed it, making it heal. She then picked up girl’s fallen dagger, however, after feeling the silver burn her hand, she dropped it.

“I’m a vampire. She’s a hunter. I must remember my place.”

She thought about what to do with the dagger, when a thought came. She tore off a piece of her cloth and wrapped the knife in the cloth, so the silver metal wouldn’t touch or burn her. She placed it in her pocket before lifting Jessica up, carrying her as she walked through the shadows of the night.

With a title as “royal”, Miyoung owned a grand mansion secluded in the deepest, darkest part of the city. The doors opened widely as Miyoung walked in and closed behind her, the loud echo of the doors creaking and closing shut resonating through the empty manor. She walked up the stairs to an empty bedroom; Miyoung never needed it, since she rarely ever slept, but it was always just there in the mansion.

She laid Jessica down on the bed and watched over her silently as she slept. Silver moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the girl’s flawless skin.

“It’s been so long… You’ve grown up to be a hunter just like them, haven’t you… Jessie?”

Miyoung had met Jessica before. Or rather, she had seen her, only once. A very long time ago…

Flashback, 6 years ago…

It was the very night Jessica and Krystal’s parents were killed by a powerful vampire. Miyoung was there when it happened. She saw how the two girls cowered in fear, crying over their parent’s lifeless bodies, as the monster crept forward, eyeing the two.

In a panic, Jessica had picked up her father’s gun and pointed it at the vampire. Her hand shook as she aimed it, threatening to kill him.

“Go away…! Don’t come any closer…!”

Miyoung saw the whole thing unfold. That monster, an evil, merciless Royal vampire, was going to take the lives of those two innocent children. It was a miracle that their parents had arrived to save them. However, at the cost of their own lives.

The vampire smirked as he stared at them.

“We shall meet again,” he turned and left the two. Jessica held her younger sister as she cried into her chest.

When he returned, Miyoung asked him, “Why didn’t you kill them?”

“Everyone has to wait for when the apple is ripest, correct? They’re still young, not fully matured.”

“Why have you been watching over them for so long now? Something about the girl peaked your interest?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Just remember. You can never be with the girl. You’re both from two different worlds.”

End of Flashback

“I should’ve seen this coming…”

Miyoung felt disgusted by herself. Why did she care so much for those two human girls? And specifically of the two. Jessica? She had felt guilty when she saw the two attheir own parent’s funeral. There was this burning pain in her chest whenever she saw Jessica’s face, a mix of grief and anger in her eyes.

She didn’t know why she let the girl catch her attention. Just every now and then, the memory would pop back in and out and always remind her of the girl. She simply sighed and looked back over at Jessica.

“These feelings are forbidden… we’re from two different worlds… yet…“ Her hand slowly reached out to touch Jessica’s hair. “Whenever I see her, it feels…”

Before her fingers could touch her, however, Jessica’s eyes snapped open and looked straight into Miyoung’s.

Miyoung pulled her hand away and slowly stepped back as Jessica sat up from the bed, completely in shock over the situation.

“You…!” Jessica reached for her blade, but she realized it wasn’t where it should be. “Eh? Where? Where is it?!”

Miyoung took out the blade wrapped in cloth. However, she hesitated on givingit back, as she knew this girl was out to kill her.

Jessica glared at Miyoung. “You monster…”

“Please,” Miyoung tried to reason, placing the blade back in her pocket. “I don’t want to fight.”

“I think otherwise…” Jessica growled as her hand balled into a fist.

No weapons meant she was left to fight with her bare hands. She ran up to the vampire and swung her arm to punch her, but immediately missed. Miyoung wasn’t going to use her speed this time, it would only cause more trouble. She wasn’t going to fight, so she was merely relying on her reflexes to dodge.

“Vampire…! I’ll kill you!” the hunter roared as she ran to attack Miyoung once again.

After a few dodges, she was able to catch the vampire off guard and landed a punch on her cheek. Soon after her guard was weakened, she was stricken down by another punch. She touched the blood on her lips with her thumb.

Miyoung smirked. “You’re trained well.”

“Don’t flatter me,” Jessica growled with anger as she lifted Miyoung up, punching her repeatedly. “All of you vampires are the same…! Monsters! You only care about yourselves!”

“J-Jessie…”

Anger flared in Jessica’s eyes and she swung her arm harder. “Don’t you DARE say my name!”

Miyoung knew it’d be bad having this girl who’s out to kill her in her own home. And if she let this girl leave, she’d still want to revenge and come back for her with more than just a gun and a silver blade. If she told the other hunters her location, it’d mean the end of her.

She had no other choice. She had to make Jessica forget.

Before she could land another punch, she quickly grabbed Jessica’s fist and pushed her down, making them switch positions. She pinned both her wrists to the floor as Jessica struggled to be released from her grip.

“Let me go! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you once and for all, vampire!” She yelled angrily.

To hypnotize somebody, one needs to look straight in the eyes. But with Jessica thrashing around, Miyoung found it to be a bit more difficult. She needs to catch her off guard, make Jessica look at her eyes.

She smirked as an idea crossed her mind.

With some difficulty, Miyoung managed to grab both of Jessica’s hands in one hand, and at the same time grab Jessica’s face with another. She held her chin and touched her forehead against Jessica’s, their lips just inches apart.

“Let go…!” Jessica tried to struggle out, but Miyoung maintained her grip.

Her eyes locked on the vampires, staring into the pitch black orbs against her will.

“Don’t fight.” Miyoung said softly.

Jessica struggling ceased, but she was still trying to break free from her restraints.

“I said don’t fight.” Miyoung said in a more forceful tone.

After that, Jessica’s struggling finally stopped. Her eyes lost their light and become empty and lifeless.

“Just relax. Everything’s okay, there’s no need to fight.”

“…No need… to fight…”

Miyoung stood up while pulling Jessica with her. She released her hands and they both fell limp at her sides. She smiled as she kept staring into Jessica’s empty eyes, further hypnotizing her.

“You will go back to your headquarters. You will tell them that you did not find me, and you will forget what I look like in two days time.”

Jessica stared back at Miyoung with unblinking eyes. “Okay… I will do as you say.”

Jessica obediently turned around and left the room. Miyoung shut the door as she took out Jessica’s blade. She knew she had to return it. She couldn’t keep it.

She placed the cloth covered dagger on her dresser.

“I’ll give it back the next time I meet her… whenever that will be…” Miyoung sighed out, holding her cross. “But… she’ll still hate me… because I’m a vampire… I can’t make her change how she feels…”

Then another idea crossed her mind.

“Unless…”

………………………………………………….

As Jessica was walking down the city streets that night, she dialed a certain number on her phone. She heard it ringing on the other line before the person picked up.

“Sica. Do you find her?” Taeyeon’s voice answered.

“Yes. She thinks that I forgot about her. I’m gonna lay low for a while, just in case she tries to move again. Once she does, I’ll catch her when she least expects it and kill her.”

“That’s why you’re our Ace.”

“I’ll be going home now.”

“Alright. Night, Sica-ah.”

“Night, Taeyeon.”

As she hung up, Jessica walked back to where she had parked her motorbike and started riding across the city streets.

“She’s stronger than I expected… I need to plan something for the next time I face her.”

That night, she road alone as she was contemplating on how to face that vampire. More importantly, she knew she had to find her, she needed to find it fast so she can kill that vampire Hwang.

Jessica finally arrived home and parked her bike outside beside of Krystal’s bicycle. She walked inside the house and saw there was only one light on, coming from a lamp in the kitchen. There, she saw Krystal, sleeping on top of the counter table. There was an empty plate and glass in front of her, implying that she had finished dinner, as well as some homework papers from her school. She is still in high school, after all.

Jessica smiled and pet her younger sister’s hair as she looked at her sleeping face.

“You really won’t change, will you?” She whispered before picking Krystal up into her arms and carrying her to her bedroom.

“Unnie…” She heard the puppy girl whisper in her sleep. “Unnie… come home safe…”

She smiled slightly, seeing how Krystal cared for her so much. Jessica sat her down in the bed and tucked her in. She then gently leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“I’m here, Soojung-ah. Don’t worry… no vampire can never keep me from you. I won’t let it happen.”

~~~Flash Forward~~~

Two days passed since Jessica had seen Miyoung. She had disappeared from Korea without trace. They weren’t even able to find her mansion, even though Jessica remembered the exact path of where it was.

She knew that the vampire must’ve been planning something.

But, in any case, Jessica continued to lay low so Miyoung wouldn’t catch what she was doing. She remembered how she was able to resist Miyoung’s hypnosis and faked having her memories erased, Now, the vampire wouldn’t suspicious of Jessica coming back. Then, like a stealthy panther eyeing her prey, Jessica would pounce and kill Miyoung when she finally cornered her.

Jessica and Krystal were training together when Yuri called all the hunters together. They all stood in front of the tanned girl as they saw a very happy face on her.

“I have good news. We just gor a new hunter in. She’s going to make a very formidable ally. Come on,” she called the person forward.

Jessica’s eyes widened. “No…!”

The girl smiled as she pulled some of her raven black hair behind her ear, smiling as she looked at them with dark, almost pitch black eyes. The snow white skin, perfect face.

“It’s nice to meet all of you. My name is Stephanie Hwang. You can call me Tiffany. Please take care of me.”

to be continue