PRELUDE 1.2: Getting ready

 [General LEE’s home, Gwangju, South Korea]

LEE K.: “So…how did the meeting go?”

General LEE: “Wow…hello to you too…I also missed you”

LEE K.: “Anyways…how did the meeting go?”

General LEE: “I’m shocked…my own daughter doesn’t want to greet her own mother…why did I do to deserve this?! …How could I raise such an ungrateful daughter?!”

LEE Y.: “Omma!!! Stop overreacting…you know we missed you but all this time we’ve been dying to know what was happening…plus my unnie must be mad since you just left without telling us anything”

General LEE: “I did tell you…I left a sticky note on your sister’s face!”

LEE K.: [Sigh] “Are you going to tell us or not? ...are the rumors true? …is it really…related to hunters?”

[Silence] General LEE was well known for being a “free spirit”, she tended to take things lightly and tended to not worry about the future and the problems that could arise. Such characteristics made her clan chose her as leader, so that she could somehow balance the strong opinions the other leaders had.

However, unlike her mother, her oldest daughter didn’t inherited such a way to perceive life…instead the oldest of the LEE family sometimes tended to act like a mother, especially since her little sister was born. Her sister, or better said her headache, was just like her mother…playful and joyful…a combination that sometimes was misinterpreted as stupidity. That’s why the next in line to inherit her mother’s place as leader, had to constantly act as the responsible adult her mother often failed to be.

General LEE: “Ok, let’s sit down…I’ll explain the details to you”

“…you must have heard the rumors…there has been some people…better said Vampires that have gone missing…and it is possible it’s related to hunters…”

“…at the meeting, all the leaders decided, including me of course…that our heirs will have to go to Seoul to investigate this disappearances undercover”

LEE Y.: “What do you mean undercover? …are we going to use costumes?”

LEE K.: [Facepalm] “when are we going? And where exactly are we going?”

General LEE: “Be patient with your sister…you must take care of her when you leave…”

“…so, in two days you’ll be meeting the General JANG’s family…you’ll be traveling together to Seoul, since her daughter and your sister will be going to the same high school…which is where one of the Vampires went missing”

“On the other hand, you and General JANG’s son will be going to P. University…there you’ll be meeting the other heirs”

LEE K.: “Are we all going to be in the same University? …isn’t that strange? ...I mean, many new people joining in at the same time when the course has already started is a bit…suspicious”

General LEE: “Don’t worry my child…apparently P. University has many subdivisions as well as partnership, which aren’t known to the public…that’s why Eyoung, the Vampire who has been investigating on the subject so far, took time to make a connection between the missing persons…”

“…she believed the cases weren’t connected since the missing Vampires attended different Universities…now we know that those Universities actually belong to five major Universities: P. University, Yuehua University, Stone Institute, LOEN Institute & OTR University”

LEE Y.: “Does that mean the bad guys could be in one of those Universities?”

General LEE: “Exactly…that’s why we have decided to team you up and send two of you to the most important Universities. We believe we’ll get more information from those places and who might be responsible of the disappearances, plus there are some Vampires that attend those Universities who could help our cause.”  

LEE Y.: “Then…should we start packing?”

General LEE: “Absolutely…just don’t take everything you find like the last time we went on a trip” 

LEE Y.: “OKAY! …come on unnie help me packing please…I need your advice on which clothes I should bring, what if I find a cute guy”

LEE K.: “…what? ...WHAT?! ...you reckless child, you shouldn’t be thinking about boys…you’re too young for that!” 

LEE Y.: “As if…I’m 75 years old, duh! …but you are right, if you compare yourself to me then yes I’m a baby while you are a granny”

LEE K.: “YAH! Let me show you what a granny can do!” 

[Escapes at the speed of light] Many people could misinterpret the youngest of the LEE family’s actions, some could think that she was acting recklessly or that she didn’t get the meaning of their mission and the dangers it involved. But opposite to what most people might think, the youngest was well aware of what their mission meant, and how conflicted her sister felt. She could read her older sister face like an open book, and with each word her mother delivered, her sister face showed nothing but fear and concern.

 [Counselor OH’s home, Kyoto, Japan]

OH M.: “Okaasan!” [Hugs]

[Silence]

OH M.: “Okaasan? …why are you crying?”

Flashbacks of that day constantly repeated themselves on Counselor OH’s mind…she was after all the last one to leave the community when they were attacked. She can still hear the screams of her family and friends, and feel the heat of the fire, that was spreading through what was once their home.

And now she had to share some awful news with her only daughter. She couldn't help but to worry about her…she didn't want for her to face the same horrors. But to defy the King, to risk their clan because of that irrational fear…

She felt so conflicted...her daughter was everything she had and to lose her…she didn't even want to think about it

Counselor OH: [Sigh]

OH M.: “Mom…are you alright?”

Counselor OH: “Yes sorry…I didn’t meant to scare you…is just that…”

OH M.: “Is the situation that bad? …are hunters really involved with the missing Vampires?”

The relationship between the OH’s family was beyond close, there was nothing Counselor OH didn’t tell to her daughter and vice versa. They lived so far away from the other leaders and members of the Vampire clan, that they decided that it was for the best to always inform each other about any occurrences in their lives.

So when the rumors about some missing Vampires spread through the clan, Counselor OH didn’t hesitate to tell her daughter. After all, if there were hunters involved, then Counselor OH needed for her daughter to know so that she could be alert of any danger.

Counselor OH: “…no…is just…we really don’t know”

“That’s why we’ll send you, our heirs, to investigate and report whatever you find on the situation”

[Shocked]

OH M.: “…so I’ll be going to Seoul alone?”

Counselor OH: “Yes…well not alone exactly but…you’ll meet the others there and investigate further”

“My child I’m so sorry…I didn’t want for you to go but…to oppose the King and to put our clan at risk…I”

OH M.: “It’s okay Okaasan, I understand…I will do this gladly…I’ll protect our clan just like you did in the past”

Counselor OH: [Sigh] “…just…promise me something”

OH M.: “Anything…you know that”

[Counselor KIM’s home, Incheon, South Korea]

Counselor KIM: “Everyone, please gather I need to tell you something”

KIM MH.: “So what exactly is going to happen?”

Counselor KIM: “What do you mean...?”

KIM MK.: “Mother we already know what is happening in Seoul, you weren't really discreet about it”

Counselor KIM: “Oh... well yes there have been altercations in Seoul”

KIM MH.: “You mean kidnappings...”

[Silence]

KIM MH.: “Those worthless humans are trying to hurt us again...we know. We just want to know if we're going to defend ourselves or not”

Different from their peaceful and loving mother. The KIM heirs were cold and unapproachable. The reason for it was their late father. He, just like their mother, was present when the attacks happened hundreds of years ago. And although he didn't die at the attack, he was left without an arm and that made his heart dark with hate.

Therefore, when his children were born, he tried to fill them with hatred towards humans. He constantly told them that pretending to be human to survive was demeaning and an offence to what they are.

Later on he killed himself but not without letting his children know that it was all the humans fault. So, for the KIM heirs if a war was needed, then they were in seeking revenge.

Counselor KIM: “My children that’s not...”

KIM MK.: “When will we leave?”

Counselor KIM: “Wha...”

KIM MK.: “I just assumed that you will send us…your heirs…it's not like the leaders can leave their communities alone…”

“…and to send any other Vampire is way too risky”

Counselor KIM: “As expected of my children... always one step ahead...”

“…and no, we aren't going to defend ourselves or attack the humans…”

“…we are sending you to analyze the situation and to find who might be responsible”

[Silence]

Counselor KIM: [Sigh] “Look the 12 heirs will be meeting in Seoul in two days…we'll arrange your transference to different schools, the ones where the missing vampires studied. And from there you will observe any suspicious activities.”

KIM MH.: “That's it! ...we're going to run away from those weaklings again”

Counselor KIM: “My son…we need as much information as you can get, so we can make a proper decision and take action”

KIM MK.: “But mother won't it look suspicious for many new students to transfer?”

KIM MH.: “That's what we want, right? ...if they attack us, we will be prepared…”

“…they have no idea who they're messing with”

Counselor KIM: “Ease there my child, we don't want you to fight but to recognize who might be behind this”

KIM MH.: “Mother we aren't like the others they have captured...we are the heirs of the seven leaders”

Counselor KIM: “I know...you might be strong but they also had many years to prepare another ambush…”

It was meal time when the attack happened many years ago. Everyone was with their families, eating peacefully when the first detonation was heard. Most of the clan wasn’t able to react when a series of detonations occurred. They were all forced to go out from their homes, exposing themselves to the ruthless sun light of that summer day.

Their speed and strength diminish drastically, so when body on body attacks happened, even their special skills weren't enough to defend themselves from the immense army of hunters that was formed.

They didn’t not see it coming, they didn’t not expect it, and so…they were almost exterminated.