After enduring that dreading travel, Eunji and I finally reached the council territory. And as expected, guards are all over its premises as if those gigantic walls aren’t enough to insulate the place.

“So do we enter the right way or force our way in?” what Eunji meant by the proper way is passing through the main entrance and address our reason for visiting. We can’t really say that we’re here to pick up a human right?

“Oh, we’re definitely gonna do the latter but let’s try not to get any attention if we want to make it in time.” 

As agreed upon, together we leap and plunge through the trees around the wall. Trying to find the best area to slip through. Once we’re in, we tried our best to blend in with the crowd. “Do you remember where the main hall was?” I asked.

“The last time we were here was during my early days as a vampire and back then I was so scared to even take note of the place.” Eunji answered me and she’s right, it’s been so long since we last step in here.

“Park Chorong.” the council guard called and everything happened so fast, suddenly we’re running away from those black coats. In different alleys, we squeeze our way in like it’s some maze. 

“Can’t they even give us a break?! I’m so tired.” Eunji complained as she leads me while checking every possible corner where there are fewer vampires.

“What you say we split?” I suggested as it will be much beneficial for us. Even if one of us gets caught, at least the other one can continue her hunt for Yoon Bomi. 

But as if the world is so against us, we reached a dead-end and apparently, we’re followed by not just the council guards but by a crowd of vampires as well. They’re no help as they favor the council so much that they had to surround us making it impossible to escape. 

“The President will love this.” the guard finally catching up to our location said as he captures me and Eunji.

They brought us to this prison cell and knowing that we ed up, I understand why Eunji’s throwing this tantrum, “! Now what do we do?!” As much as I wanted to try my hardest to escape, I also know that it’ll be useless given how I may have used all my energy just to get to this place. 

“You may feel like our efforts were wasted but let’s not forget that Naeun is still out there.” Trying to be optimistic in this situation isn’t easy, I just had to bet all my chances on Naeun that she’ll make her way in. 

“Do you think they have Bomi now?” Eunji’s voice switched dry as she thinks of her best friend. I can’t blame her as she has the same right as I do to worry over Bomi. They’ve been through so much too.

“Have you seen their eyes?” Trying to shift the topic on hand, I started talking about my observations.

“Dark.”

“Yea.” I can’t help but notice every vampire we encountered, their hazel eyes are in a much darker shade. It is common knowledge for vampires to possess such eye color but its tone differs depending on our alertness and thirst for blood. It is not a puzzle to solve that they knew a human is near and that their thirst is reaching the limit, it’s also not a surprise given how strong Bomi’s scent is.

LOUD. She’s deafeningly LOUD. Hayoung is screaming and I can’t help but flinch and try my hardest to cover my ears as if it’ll help. 

“What’s wrong, Chorong?! It’s Hayoung isn’t it?!” Eunji asked and I nod, Hayoung’s ability is never a joke. She was bullied because of it but once you experience it first hand, you’ll see how useful it is to stun the minds of every pureblood in the vicinity.

“I think we’re right under the meeting hall.” I told Eunji as soon as Hayoung stopped, which not a good sign. The fact that she screamed, brings me back to our plan that she’ll only do it when worse comes to worst.

“You’re right.” The council guard said as he unlocks the cage, “Don’t try and beat us for your escape.”

“We won’t.” Eunji said, we both know the consequences of what we did and to try and escape the second time isn’t ideal given at the location we’re in right now. We have no other choice but to face everything now. 

“The President asks for you two, follow me.” He said and we did as told, we walk on this lengthy hall with empty cages. Such embarrassment that we’re the only ones who occupied it.

The sight inside the hall breaks my heart, to see Namjoo kneeling in front of Hayoung who’s sealed with a silver collar. “STOP! Don’t do this, please I beg of you! Take the collar off, she’s not a dog.” I pleaded for my friend. And Namjoo’s giving me the look that says how I shouldn’t be here.

“She will be.” The head council, the President, said. He can be ruthless, too cruel that the collar on Hayoung would kill her if not for Namjoo who’s holding onto it sharing the shock it emits. “Why don’t you take a sit, Park’s one and only heir.” He addressed me, is he trying to remind me of how ty my choices have been given that I hold such an important position, such heavy obligation.

Naeun soon entered the main hall but through the huge entrance and not the back doors where me and Eunji came from, she shows the same shock we had when we saw Namjoo and Hayoung’s position. “I’m here to offer a deal.” Naeun spoke too soon but the President seems to have his mind settled on punishing us as he only laughed after hearing Naeun’s statement.

“I will never understand how you find this funny.” One council in position said as she looks at the president who’s close to tearing up and choking on his own saliva.

“You see, Son Naeun followed our rules and enter through the gates while these two didn’t but they all end up here together in our hall at the same time. Don’t you find that funny?” It’s not funny at all, he’s broken. There’s nothing funny about what’s happening, my friend is dying and the toll on this conversation is not helping. “I guess your friendship is so much deeper than your obligations to this community.”

I feel like tearing up when I heard him acknowledge what we have, it’s true that no matter the difference.. at the end of the day, we’re f