Time was not on her side anymore. Yerin’s priority was to find her beloved family, SinB and Eunha. Wearing the ring her father gave her before, she ran out of their mansion. Using her aerokinesis ability, she tried to trace the fainting scent of SinB and Eunha to locate their position. Praying silently for their safety, she ran as fast as she could toward Ave Maria Academy, where SinB’s scent was present.

The campus was already attacked by the invaders when all the present students were either struggling to fight off trained warriors that were equipped with silver blades and swords or running away for their lives. The rising sun made everything worse since some vampire students were burned into ash because of the dawn sunlight. Protecting herself with the black robe, Yerin slipped through the chaos quickly, cutting down anyone who dared to block her way. She rushed inside the campus, toward the senior’s classroom where SinB’s scent.

“Do not kill the girl with two colored hair. The Emperor needs her alive!”

Yerin heard one of the soldiers yelled at his comrades while they were pushing through the frightened students inside the classroom. The blonde knew that her beloved sister was trapped inside. Golden orbs shone in anger. Gathering all of her power into her palms, Yerin created a small tornado on her hands and blew away all the enemies in front of her. When half of the squad was thrown away, the human soldier realized the threat behind them and began to attack the blond girl. Not even flinched by the number of enemies or the sight of the deadly weapons in their hands, Yerin summoned more wind blades, chopping down the enemies one by one. Once the path was clear, she went inside the classroom. Ash and blood were everywhere. Only a few of injured vampire students remained from the fight. Quickly scanning the room for a certain girl, her heart was lightened in a second before it throbbed as she saw the brunette was in the middle of a fight against an armored human soldier.

Although SinB was stronger than human usual strength, she was still not able to fight bare-handed against a well-armored soldier. Trying to dodge all the incoming strikes from the silver blade, she tripped over a corpse of a soldier and fell down. Taking the chance, the soldier did not hesitate to swing up his sword and prepared to land his strike. Abruptly, he never made it since his hearts were pierced by a strong arm from behind. His dead body collapsed in front of the surprised brunette, revealing the person who just saved her from danger. Delightful and relieved, SinB immediately stood up and glomped the blonde girl who came to her rescue.

“Yerin-unnie. I’m so glad to see you.”

The brunette whispered into the older girl’s ear. Yerin smiled as she caressed the girl’s back gently to calm both of them. However, the fuss outside dragged them back tot he reality. They were not safe yet. Quickly breaking off the embrace, Yerin made a full checkup on SinB to make sure that the girl was not injured. After a relieving sigh, she grabbed the girl’s wrist and guided both of them away from the battlefield.

“Unnie. Slow down.”

“Sorry, SinB-ah but we don’t have much time. We need to find Eunha fast and then get out of here.”

Once they reached the entrance of the campus, the girls were surrounded by the army. Hiding SinB behind herself, Yerin took her pose and prepared for the fight as they soldiers circled around them, completely trapping them in the middle with no way to escape. The sun was high. Although the robe protected her skin from being burned, the blonde’s vision was blurred because of the brightness, fearing that she would not be able to escape. No matter what, SinB’s safety was her priority, even that meant to cost her life. Preparing to use all of her power, the blonde faced the whole army. The commander signaled the attack. All the soldiers focused on Yerin and fired their silver arrows.

Right the moment when Yerin was about to put up a windshield to protect both of them, all of the arrows froze in the middle air. Everyone stared in shock. The arrows just floated like magic. The warriors were frightened by the sight, not able to make any moves. While Yerin and SinB were still trying to analyze the situation, the blonde was awakened by a cute but serious voice in her head.

“Stop standing like an idiot and get SinB out of there, unnie!”

Giving the green light, Yerin scooped SinB up from the ground easily. The younger girl squealed softly by the sudden action, unconsciously wrapping her arms around the older girl’s neck for supporting her weight. Then, the blonde made a high jump to escape from the circle and disappeared behind the wood surrounding the campus before the soldier snapped out of their shock. Carrying the brunette in bridal style, Yerin passed trees by trees, never planning to stop as she could hear the hoofbeats chasing behind them. Among the commotion, the blonde was able to detect a soft rustle and a familiar cherry scent beside her. Unfazed by the presence of a new companion, she kept her eyes fixed on the path ahead. On the other hand, SinB was relieved to see her cousin was safe as she watched the bob hair girl wearing the identical black robe with Yerin’s running alongside with them, easily catching up with the blonde’s speed.

“The Council is down. The enemies are tracking down every single house for SinB, blocking all the remaining exits. We need to get her away from here as soon as possible, unnie.”

“I know.”

Yerin clicked her tongue. She never expected this to happen. They were overconfident about the barrier that had been preventing outsiders to invade the vampire world for decades. They also underestimated Yunkyu’s power too much that now they had to pay for their mistakes. The vampire race would be extinct after one day. They merciless murdered any vampire in their sights, and yet they wanted to capture SinB alive. What they wanted from SinB was still an unsolved question but Yerin did not have the time to think about it anymore.

Eunha used her telekinesis ability to block several arrows aiming at them while following right behind the other girls. They were heading to the north, where a hidden escape route was built since ancient time by their ancestors. The vampire elders had predicted one day, vampire’s and human’s world would clash with each other. Therefore, they built a cave that would lead to a neutral place in case of emergency. The cave had been there for centuries without any plan of utilizing it. Even Yonghyun had never walked through the escape route before. He only showed it to Yerin and Eunha when they were young, teaching them that whenever they were in danger, there was still a light of hope. Currently, neither of the young girls would expect to be the first ones in centuries actually walked through the cave. They had no idea what was on the other side, waiting for them. What would they do from now on, after the vampire world had been destroyed?

Burying herself in agony and pain, Yerin lowered her guard unconsciously. The blonde was too distracted to notice an attack coming at her. A wave of ice wall rose from the ground in high speed, heading toward the young girls. Yerin only realized the danger coming at them after SinB alerted her loudly. However, she did not have enough time to evade the attack. One second faster than the older girl, Eunha quickly pushed the blonde away from her position before the ice wall could reach them. Unfortunately, because of that act, the bob hair could not dodge the attack herself. The ice wall went through her left shoulder, cutting off her left arm. She groaned painfully then collapsed on the ground, holding her left shoulder tightly to stop the bleeding.

“Eunha-unnie!”

SinB recovered from her fall along with Yerin after they were pushed by the short girl. Although they were in the middle of the wood, the sunlight was dim but with a severe wound, it was enough for Eunha to feel the unbearable pain. Instantly taking off her own robe, the brunette ran to the bob hair girl and covered her bleeding wound with the robe. Tightening the piece of clothes to stop the bleeding, the brunette observed the pale face of her cousin. Right at that moment, another ice wall made its way to the injured vampire. This time, Yerin had come back to her sense. She stood in front of the younger girls and used her wind blades to break the ice wall, fencing them from any attacks.

“Yerin-unnie! The wound. It won’t stop bleeding!”

SinB exclaimed in panic as she saw how her robe was soaked in blood. Vampires had a fast recovery rate. They could stop the bleeding after a few seconds and regenerate a missing limp after a few hours. However, Eunha’s injury was really severe as the bunny girl’s baby face turned whiter and paler through time. She could stop the bleeding herself if the wound was not done by a silver object. However, something was not right. Yerin bit her lips as she realized something. The ice wall. Eunha’s wound. It was not caused by a mere human. They got a traitor among them. A vampire was working with the human.

“If you’re not a coward then show yourself!”

Answering for her provoke, several ice spikes were shot at the blonde. Yerin waved her hand up to form a windshield, blocking all the spikes. Right at that moment, from behind the tree in front of her, a big figure in a black robe, covering themselves from head to toe. The person stood far away from the girls in a safe distance. Yerin could not see their face. Netherless, she was furious. For a vampire to betray their own race was an unforgivable sin.

“You... You should better not be a vampire or else...”

“Or else what?... Jung Yerin... The only daughter of Jung Yonghyun and the heir of the Jung clan. Would you ever forget your name and kill a person?” Their voice was low but neutral, which Yerin could not identify whether it was a man or a woman.

“So you know me... You’re definitely a vampire... Traitor.”

Yerin clenched her teeth in anger. The person did not reply to her. Instead, they raised their hand up. Another wave of ice wall rose again, heading toward them. Yerin tried to block it with her wind blades but failed. She had to dodge aside while SinB hugged Eunha in her arms and moved away from its direction. Not even a moment of break, more ice spikes attacked them. SinB raised her arm up to guard the half-unconscious girl in her arms. However, nothing came. When she took a look at what was happening, she saw the blonde standing in front of her, using everything she had to build an air shield, protecting them from the storm of ice spikes. Suddenly, the blonde struggled to take off the ring on her finger and threw it to SinB, who caught it with a questioning look. But before the brunette could relax, all of her nerves tensed up and her heart throbbed painfully.

“SinB, do not lose that ring. Take Eunha with you and get out of here! I’ll hold them back to borrow some time for both of you.”

“But unnie. What about you? We can’t leave you here by yourself.”

SinB retorted. Her cheeks were wet because of the non-stop tears as she knew what was her sister’s plan. The worst nightmare that she would never want to even think about it. Before she could open her lips again to say anything, she was stopped by the sincere and affectionate smile from the blonde. The golden orbs stared at hers, filling with love and sorrow.

“SinB-ah... Please... I already lost my father today... I can’t lose you or Eunha too...”

“Yerin-unnie...”

“Please. I’ll be fine. I promise I’ll catch up with you in just a moment. Trust me.”

Yerin smiled reassuring her younger sister. SinB closed her eye, trying to stop her tears. She could not accept this but she knew that three of them could not run away together. Bitting her lower lip to hold back another sob, the brunette picked up Eunha on her hands, with the bob hair girl wrapped her uninjured arm around the younger girl’s neck for support. Both of the young girls looked at the blonde, who was facing the enemies.

“Please, don’t die, Yerin-unnie.”

Both of them said softly in unison before SinB ran away, deep into the jungle. The human warriors saw the two girls escaping. They were about to pursue but Yerin did not let them move away from their positions. Her air blades were ready to cut anyone who dared to chase the girls into pieces.

“Your opponent is me. If you want to follow them, you must walk over my corpse first.”

The blonde raised her voice, threatening all of her enemies. The human soldiers were frightened by her stern voice, cowardly stepping back. Only the mysterious person in the black robe kept their position. A soft chuckle could be heard from them.

“Big words from the Jung. I applause you. You’re definitely the heir of the Jung clan, much stronger than those old vampires in the council. However...”

With another wave of the hand, another ice wall rose again but this time, Yerin could not dodge it since the ice spikes never stop appearing in the middle air and flying towards her. She strengthening her air barrier but it was too weak against the attack. The ice wall broke the barrier. However, the ice wall was also smashed into the piece. The force was too strong that it sent Yerin flying few meters backward. The girl landed on the ground painfully.

“Your eyes speak everything. You’re not transformed yet. When you’re not at your ultimate power, you will never defeat me, Jung Yerin. You’ve already lost before this battle starts.”

“... I don’t care...”

Yerin groaned, pushing herself up in difficulty. She could feel two or three of her ribs were already broken from the impact. Glaring at the traitorous vampire, she ground her teeth to bear with the pain.

“... I don’t care if I die here... No one will be allowed to touch my sisters!”

The blonde flexed her upper body before straightened up again, sending a strong force of air to her surrounding. All of the human warriors were sent flying by the force, slamming hard on the trunks which broke their backs violently. They were all dead except for the traitorous vampire. They had built an ice wall in front of them, shielding them from the attack. Once the force was gone, the person stepped away from the ice wall, laughing evilly at the blonde that was on her knees, panting heavily.

“Interesting. Very interesting. As expected from a Jung. I can’t imagine what you will be when you’re transformed. The battle would be more exciting than now, probably.”

Another wave, Yerin yelped as her hands were trapped inside two ice column. Her feet were also frozen on the ground. The ice was spreading upward slowly, trapping her body in a growing iceblock. She tried to break free but it was impossible since her hands were paralyzed. Hopelessly, Yerin could only stare at the person in front of her, full of hatred.

“I would have killed you here to prevent any future threat. However, the girl has already run away so it is meaningless to do anything now. That girl is stronger than I thought... killing all of my bats. It’s the first time someone was able to get away from my precious bats.”

“SinB...”

Yerin whispered. Weakly smiling, she was relieved to hear that the girls were safe. At least her duty was done. But then again, she was in pain. Not physically but mentally. She broke her promise. She could not see them again. She would never be able to spend time with the brunette in the library and discuss all the books they had read. She would never be able to tease Eunha and pull pranks on the girl along with the brunette, ending up being chased by a bunny around the garden behind their mansion. She would never be able to share laughter or even go on an adventure together after all of them had graduated, like how she promised both of them before everything went down. All the promises, the fun she had turned into precious memories that she would keep with her to the death.

When the ice had reached her neck, her chin was lifted up by the other vampire. Because of the shade of the hood, Yerin could not see the face of her enemy, her last opponent before death. But she could see under the hood was an amusing grin that was plotting something.

“You know, killing you right now would be too easy. There is no fun anymore. So how about trapping you in a permafrost block? A slow death would suit your name more, right?”

As said, the vampire moved away from the blonde. Once they were far enough, they clapped their hands together and spread a huge icy ray toward the girl. From the ground, layers of permafrost appeared and grew taller, completely prisoning Yerin in the middle. After a few minutes, a 20-meter ice block was formed, with a hopeless girl floating inside. Yerin glanced at her opponent, emotionless and lifeless as she felt her breathes were taken away.

“Eunbi-ah... I’m sorry...”

The image of a certain smiling brunette warmed her heart for the last time before her consciousness was drowned by the infinite darkness.

***************************************

A/N: I didn't plan to update this chapter today since I only update when I've finished at least 1 chapter in advance (which means I haven't finished chapter 7 yet but still published chapter 6). The reason for this is the news about Sowon's late father. My sincere condolence #StaystrongSowon. Yesterday wasn't a good day to me either when nothing good happened to me. I was really down mood that I couldn't write anything at all. I don't know when will be the next update but hopefully my problems will be solved on Monday and I'll be able to update by then. Thank you for all the subscribes and upvotes. And thank you for all of your comments. They mean a lot to me. Please looking forward to my next update.