Seokjin, it is time to wake up.

Wake up. These words once meant something to him.

Seokjin, there was a meaning to this combination of letters and sounds. An eternity ago, that was something that was said frequently in his direction, and a word that he answered to. But why? Why were those words so important?

Seokjin. He knew this word. He knew he did… Jin. Jinnie. There were other variations of it, and they elicited the same emotional reactions from him. Longing, sadness… but most of all, love.

Seokjin was his name, wasn't it?

Comprehension was slow, and recognition even more so. For too long his mind had been stagnant, the simulations keeping it active long since ceased, forcing it to rest. Seokjin was forced into an existence that deprived him of any interactions, much less movements. His only companion had been himself and the memories he had salvaged, but even then that hadn't been enough to keep him from going mad. Memories began to fade, events from his childhood, then his transition into an adult, and what followed after that. Speech became difficult for him to decipher and not long after that names seemed to leave his thoughts.

For so long all Seokjin knew was an oppressing and all consuming pressure of darkness. He was in a state where he wasn't dead but he wasn't really alive. He was in Limbo. Stuck in an endless darkness that he quickly became afraid of.

For centuries Seokjin wished to hear something else beside himself, to at the very least feel the gentle brush of a breeze against his skin, something; anything. But he was never that lucky. His non-existence remained until… he heard a voice, muffled and hard to hear.

He passed it off as nothing more than a longing wish, an illusion conjured up by his mind as it had done so many times before. But this time around, he could feel something different to the voice. Seokjin couldn't quite place his finger on it, why it was different this time around. It just was.

It took him another millennia to realize that the pressure around him was lessening, and there was a change to him. It began with a gentle tap against his chest. A small little action that repeated after a short amount of time.

Thump… thump… thump. The sensation quickened when Seokjin panicked—the sound and motion increased—and scared him further. The higher his panic and terror went, the faster the beat resounded against his chest.

The next thing he felt was a startling pressure against him, the touch came and went. The reverberating thump taking on a desperateness in its beat.

What was happening? Seokjin's mind mustered up a feeble thought as he was suddenly assaulted by thousands of stimuli. Hundreds of sensations begged to grab at his attention, pulling his focus at dizzying speeds. Seokjin couldn't keep up with them it was too much all at once.

Seokjin's budding conscience was overwhelmed with trying to place names to everything he was feeling, while also trying to identify himself. He was Seokjin. He remembered that much. And the thing in his chest… that was his heart, right? Was it supposed to be beating like that? What were fingers supposed to feel like? How could he make himself see again? Was speech still an action he could do at will?

While all of these thoughts were making their way through the heavy sludge that muddled his mind, the rest of him tried to readjust to the world around him. The first thing Seokjin discovered was that the unforgiving cold that had long ago taken residence within his veins was slowly giving way to a newfound warmth.

And with it, the sensations became slightly less ambiguous. Though that didn't necessarily mean that Seokjin knew what they were. The first thing Seokjin noticed was that something smelled foul in the air. He couldn't quite place the wrongness of it, but it was there. Right alongside one that smelled so familiar, yet foreign.

The next thing he noticed was that the sounds around him were next to non-existent. The beating in his chest was slowing, quickly becoming nothing more than comforting background noise, while the other sounds were of rustling and… voices he couldn't quite make out.

"You… see—first…"

The process was slow, and for some time Seokjin felt as confused and disoriented as a newborn. Perhaps, that was what was happening to him. He was being born into the world again after a prolonged death.

All too slowly the world embraced the young man again, though the darkness that had clung to him like a second skin was reluctant to let him go.

Seokjin wasn't sure how long it took him to master the ability of opening his eyes, and then how to get them to focus. But when he managed that, Seokjin realized that there was a reason to the scent that was comforting him.

To his right, a young man smiled down at him.

Seokjin stared, there was something about him that tugged at Seokjin's mind. A familiar fondness flooded Seokjin as he looked up at the angelic boy. The sadness that Jin saw reflected in his large brown eyes, however, disheartened him.

"Jinnie hyung?" The boy spoke with clear affection in his broken tone. There was a wilted weariness to the deep baritone that he instinctively knew shouldn't belong there. But despite the tired lilt to the tone, there was an abundance of warmth underneath it all, further enveloping Kim Seokjin in familiarity and comfort.

The voice was one he loved, treasured beyond measure. But, even then, Seokjin was having trouble placing a name to the beautiful face.

That very same voice had kept Seokjin company for an indiscernible amount of time before he surrendered himself to the void in his mind. Somewhere deep within himself, Seokjin had the answer of who the young man was. He knew he did. Just as he knew that he loved that voice and its host unconditionally.

The boy waited patiently as Seokjin let his eyes roam his surroundings. There was a candle burning somewhere to their left, and though Seokjin was placed on a cot, the rest of the room was minimally furnished, a small shrine pressed against the wall and a few tapestries decorating the walls. The image of the room was as familiar as the boy sitting beside him.

Home. The word was whispered in his mind and Seokjin calmed down further. He was home. And the person above him was part of that home.

Taehyung. The deep baritone belonged to none other than Kim Taehyung, his beloved younger brother.

"Tae—"

Seokjin's voice scraped out of his throat in a thick gravelly whisper, barely decipherable from disuse. Seokjin's chest constricted with emotion as he raised his head slowly. Vague recollections of his past were beginning to return, trickling gently into his brain like the waters of a calm stream. Amongst them were memories of his younger brother and their shared history. However, instead of immediate happiness, Seokjin was filled with a sense of doubt. Seokjin had imagined Taehyung's voice and presence too many times to count while he was asleep.

But this was too real to be another trick of his mind. Right?

As Seokjin wondered that, a new memory resurfaced. The last one he shared with Taehyung and with it came the reason as to why Seokjin had been put under.

They were fragments of a memory at best, but Seokjin could remember blood, pale flesh, a guilty gaze, and another set of eyes filled with inconsolable anguish. The last time Seokjin had seen Taehyung's eyes, he had hurt and unwittingly abandoned him.

Seokjin's eyes stung as a film of tears blurred his vision. How could Taehyung look at him with such a smile when Seokjin had abandoned him? Seokjin wasn't prepared to face Taehyung no matter how much he had missed him.

"I didn't mean to," Seokjin muttered at long last, not having the strength nor coordination to wipe away the tears that stained his cheeks.

"I know…" Seokjin could hear the sadness in Taehyung's voice, "You couldn't help it, Jinnie hyung. But it's okay, you're okay now. And, you're finally back."

When Seokjin provided no response to his soothing words, Taehyung's features softened. Seokjin then felt a light touch against his cheek, Taehyung was wiping away at his tears. "It wasn't your fault, hyung. We all know that."

Seokjin pressed his lips into a thin line, willing his mind to spare him the reminiscence. But the images refused to be locked away, continuing to come back to the forefront of his mind, forcing him to relive the last night he was alive.

However long Seokjin had been forced to endure the sleep of his Sire's spell, it seemed that the memory of his mistake had refused to deteriorate. It ensnared him in its claws despite his protests and for a brief moment, Seokjin wasn't alone with Taehyung in a temple, but back in that cold forest, Seunghyun towering over him.

The past, though, was powerless in holding him too long. Letting him go when a larger part of him demanded attention.

"'m hungry," Seokjin rasped out after a while, unable to agree with his brother but also having no strength to argue.

Taehyung's smile wavered momentarily before returning to his youthful face. "We had a feeling you would. Here, the blood's still warm."

What was given to Seokjin wasn't a corpse nor a recently killed animal. But some sort of clear… pouch with red liquid inside. Seokjin didn't have the presence of mind to question his brother, instead he gave in to his instincts. When his fangs sunk into the smooth fabric-like thing blood gushed into his mouth and Seokjin drank until all he was guzzling down was air. Taehyung passed him another one of those sacks, and then another until he had no more left.

By the time Seokjin returned to his senses, he was sitting up, the front of his jeogori splattered red with blood. He couldn't find it in himself to care too much about the article of clothing though, not when he was busy reveling in his current awe. Seokjin was more himself then he had felt in eons, and from the teary eyed look that Taehyung was giving him, his brother was glad he was back as well.

There were no words exchanged between the two brothers as Seokjin launched himself into Taehyung's arms and his brother mirrored the action. They clung to one another, tears and snot painting their faces with years of suppressed loneliness and sorrow as well as pure and unadulterated happiness. They were finally reunited. After so, so many years they were together again, and Taehyung was real. He was real and he was there.

"Thank you," Seokjin's voice was beginning to return to normal, the blood of the nameless things helping his parched throat immensely. However, it hadn't been enough to sate the hunger in the pit of Seokjin's stomach.

No amount of blood ever was.

And that was where Seokjin's problem lay, wasn't it? Seokjin was a class of vampire known as a glutton, he could be fed an army of people day and night and still his body would demand more. His Sire, Seunghyun, had overlooked the fact for the better part of a century until Seokjin made the mistake of draining someone that couldn't be ignored.

The two brothers fell into silence though refused to release one another, silently afraid of what would happen if they did. Seokjin was struggling to collect his thoughts, while Taehyung waited for Jin to adjust to his reawakening. After some time, Seokjin finally asked. "How long?"

Another pause passed between the two brothers before the younger finally answered. "Seunghyun hyung didn't want to keep you away this long. He had planned on a few decades, maybe a century if needed, but…" Taehyung trailed off and reluctantly pulled away much to Seokjin's dismay. He held out a hand to Jin, beckoning him to follow. "It might be easier to explain if I showed you."

Seokjin's brow furrowed in confusion, but he nodded all the same. After making sure that he wasn't about to topple over and trip on his own two feet, Taehyung turned away from him and took the lamp in hand. With one last glance at the shrine Seokjin trailed after his brother.

"... Seunghyun hyung sentenced me to a few years of sleep?" Seokjin asked, unable to stop the hurt from tainting his tone. He had been forced to sleep before, but never for more than a few days, weeks perhaps but never over months or a year, much less a decade.

Taehyung didn't answer right away, and when he finally did, he spoke so softly Seokjin was left wondering if his brother had said anything at all. "You were away for almost four, actually."

"Four what… decades?" there was a horrible feeling of apprehension churning Seokjin's stomach, dreading the answer.

"Hyung…" Seokjin could swear that Taehyung's voice cracked then. But he couldn't be entirely sure.

Silence fell between the two again as they made it to the door frame of the room, Taehyung pausing in his steps. "You were away for four centuries, Seokjinnie hyung. And in that time, many things have changed. Time was kind to humanity and extraordinary advances were made in every field that you can imagine. I just… I wanted you to know that, to prepare you for what you're going to see. At least a little, but please don't be scared. I told you, you're safe."

Even though Seokjin nodded, he wasn't sure if he understood what his brother was saying. He would just have to trust in the younger man and hope to take whatever it was that Tae was afraid of in stride, or whatever came close to it.

Taehyung offered Seokjin a boxy smile, the first since he had reawoken. And with that he opened the large heavy door in front of them.

Seokjin recoiled when the light engulfed them and assaulted his vision, but not before yanking the collar of his brother's jeogori to pull him back to the safety of the shadows. For a dreaded moment Seokjin feared that his brother had led them to their deaths under the gaze of the sun. But no warmth washed over him, Seokjin did not feel fire under his skin, was he… had his death been so quick he was not subjected the pain?

"Jinnie hyung, it's okay," Taehyung called for him and a hand gently pried his arms away from where they were clutching at Tae. "I'm sorry I should have warned you. Electricity has become one of the many things you will be familiar with soon. But you don't have to be afraid of it, the light here won't hurt you."

Seokjin heard Taehyung, but he didn't really hear him to the extent that he understood what the younger man was saying.

Instead of stupidly repeating the words that Taehyung said, Seokjin sent a wary gaze to the rectangular panes of glass on the ceiling.

"It does not burn us?" Seokjin asked tentatively not willing to let go of Taehyung until he was absolutely certain that his brother wouldn't erupt into flames before his very eyes.

"I promise," the younger said with a bright smile, his somberness momentarily forgotten.

Though slightly appeased, Seokjin refused to move unless he was still clinging onto Tae's arm, ready to pull them back into the safety of the dark room they had just emerged from. But imagine his surprise when the light actually didn't burn the skin from his bones. Just as Taehyung said, the fake sunlight wasn't deadly to them.

To say that everything was foreign to Seokjin would be an enormous understatement. He didn't recognize much of anything, and he very briefly wondered if up was still up and down was still down. Was left not left anymore? And what about right?

"Are we still in the temple?" Seokjin asked. The long corridor that stretched before them was strange, the walls too smooth to be made out of stone and wood. They appeared to be more like the crafting material the westerners were oh so fond of: marble. But it was also strange because the smooth surfaces seemed to be coated with a thin layer of paper. Seokjin frowned as he took in the other oddities, such as the soft mat under their feet, the smooth glass like surface the mat didn't cover. And the glowing rectangles that held small suns above their heads, Taehyung seemed to trust them, but Seokjin was still skeptical.

"We are not," Taehyung replied, watching Seokjin take in his surroundings.

"A few decades after your… sleep; we had to relocate. We moved South, then West, spent a good century up North and now; we're in Seoul… what used to be Hanseong but no one refers to it like that anymore. Jiyong hyung had this… structure built a little over a century ago. Modern times calls it a mansion," Taehyung paused. "If this gets to be too much for you let me know and we'll take a break, yes? Either way we can get into a more in depth explanation of what this building is later. For now let's get you cleaned up and into your room."

Seokjin had so many questions. Too many to voice out at once, each and every one clambering atop of the other in a rush to make it past his lips, but he did not give a voice to them. Not yet, at least.

Every one of Seokjin's senses was on high alert, and yet it seemed like he was still barely conscious. Seokjin was familiar with the aftereffects of being put under—he had been punished with forced sleep before, after all—but never once had it lasted so long. His resurgence period was always met with a hazy, dull, and sluggish mind; however, that sensation was multiplied tenfold with the addition of centuries and all of the new, strange things surrounding him.

After what could have taken anywhere from a few seconds to an hour—Seokjin wasn't really sure how to gauge the time anymore, if he was being honest—the pair stopped again, and another door was opened to Seokjin. At first, Seokjin just stared blankly into the new space while his exhausted mind tried to whisper sense to him. And once more time escaped Seokjin, but in the end he was able to figure out that he was standing at the entry of the only space within the… man-thing that made sense.

"This is my room," Seokjin breathed out as he finally released Taehyung from his grasp and wandered into the room. Maybe things weren't exactly like they were the last time he saw them, such as the bottle of ink and the rolled up parchments of paper on his desk, or perhaps that was how he had left things? Seokjin's memory was not the most reliable ally at the moment, but small details aside, Seokjin was on familiar ground.

An unrestrained sense of relief overwhelmed Seokjin, threatening to make his knees buckle under him as the warm sensation embraced him like an old friend. Before Seokjin knew it he was already walking forward, unsteady legs under him.

"We did our best to keep things as you left them," Tae chimed in from somewhere behind Jin, startling the older man who had momentarily forgotten about his presence.

Gratitude was on the tip of Seokjin's tongue, but instead his mouth asked, "We?"

"Seunghyun, Jiyong hyung, the others, and I… the coven has gotten larger since you last saw it. But we can meet them later. For now come here, let's get you cleaned up hyung."

Seokjin lifted his gaze from the small uninhabited cage that sat near the thin layer of bedding on the hardwood floor and to his brother. It didn't surprise Seokjin how Taehyung took it upon himself to take care of Jin as if he was the younger of the two, not anymore. Taehyung always treated Seokjin as gently as he could after his slumber sessions, letting him get adjusted to his resumed life once more before he reclaimed his title of the younger brother.

Seokjin would be lying if he said he didn't find the act immensely comforting.

With one last lingering look to the cage that was once filled with three sugar gliders Seokjin turned to face his brother who smiled encouragingly and took his hand.

"How did my hanbok survive this long?" Seokjin asked to fill in the silence as his brother guided him to an ornate door that presumably lead out of the room. Why a second exit was needed in his room specifically, Seokjin didn't know. Perhaps it was a specific corridor to the steam room?

"Looks identical, huh?" Taehyung mused looking back to Seokjin with his winning smile.

Seokjin nodded, not taking note of how his forehead creased in thought. However, it seemed that his unconscious pout was what got his brother to laugh. "We knew you were going to be sleeping for a while and to avoid further culture shock Jiyong hyung had so many hanboks made so that when you came back it would be easier for you. You will see that many people don't wear these anymore. Nowadays most people wear them to festivals, celebrations, and ceremonies. Jiyong hyung said you can wear them for a while but you will have to adapt to the new clothing style at some point."

Seokjin pursed his lips, looking Taehyung over. "But you're wearing a hanbok too."

"Yes, and in the same pattern we last saw each other in," Taehyung nodded, not sparing a glance at the clothing that draped his slightly shorter frame. "I wore this so you wouldn't be scared over the time change. I don't wear them anymore aside from what I told you."

Seokjin hummed as he struggled to accept the concept that was presented to him. One moment he had been in the Joseon Dynasty and now he was? "What family rules as Emperor now?"

"The last Emperor of South Korea ceased to rule over a century ago. Now the humans are under a new ruling system, they have a leader they all elect as their ruler and pretend to collectively decide on the outcome of the lands, but it's much more complicated than that…" Taehyung trailed off and shook his head, offering Seokjin a smile. "It's a hard concept to grasp right away, even for those living in these times. Don't dwell too much on it."

Seokjin nodded mutely.

The decision to pause his incessant myriad of questions was soon discarded as the door Seokjin had thought would lead to another large corridor actually lead to a small room.

"What—?" Seokjin started before a finger was pressed to his lips.

"Jinnie hyung, things will make sense in time I promise. For now just trust me, alright?" Seokjin could do nothing but nod at his brother's soft tone.

"Great!" Taehyung cheered.

"Okay, so for instance this," he gestured around the shining room, "is a bathroom, where people relieve themselves, as well as wash their bodies. Steam houses are still a thing, but are less used for what we were used to. In your absence humans created this thing here." Taehyung guided Seokjin to a large rectangular porcelain bowl. "It's called a bathtub, tub for short. They're very much like basins where you fill it with water and you know, sit in there to clean yourself…"

Seokjin had never been so confused in his life. Not only that, he was also frightened by how much he didn't know. Seokjin felt like a child, and not a very functional one at that. Still, Taehyung continued to explain as best as he could and Seokjin did his best to listen and understand. But, the truth of the matter was, his brain could only handle so much.

So in the end, Seokjin was just as—if not more—confounded than before.

Luckily Taehyung was patient and didn't ask anything too difficult of Seokjin.

And that was how he found himself chin deep in steaming warm water while his brother worked some sort of gooey mixture into his hair, filling the room with the scent of fruit and something earthy. Figs, Tae had supplied after Jin had asked.

"Is he still angry with me?" Seokjin asked, swiping halfheartedly at a cluster of dissolving suds.

"He was never mad at you to begin with," Taehyung whispered in return, rinsing off the white suds off of Seokjin's hair.

"Then why did he leave me under for so long?"

His brother's fingers stilled in his hair for a second before they resumed to play with the long dark strands. "I told you it was never meant to be this long… the strain between Covens was stifling and with you being unable to control yourself… he didn't want to bring you back to that. But, we've missed you Jinnie hyung. I missed you, and I think Seunghyun hyung was finally fed up with my asking for you to come back."

"He endured four centuries of your whining?" Seokjin chuckled for the first time since waking, "The man's patience really is something to be admired."

A gentle reprimand in the form of a tug to his hair made Seokjin laugh again, the laugh echoed by his brother only a few seconds later.

"And you do this every day?" Seokjin asked much later as his brother ran a rough cloth over his dripping hair.

"Yep," The younger said before correcting himself, "I mean—yes, sorry. I have to keep in mind that some variations of words have changed over time. But, I mean some people bathe or shower every other day. I know it's not what we were used to, but it's pretty refreshing, don't you think?"

"I suppose," Seokjin conceded, pursing his lips at the loose fitting garment that Taehyung had picked out for him, forgoing his 'shower' question to one more pressing.

"And what did you say these were called again?" they definitely weren't a jeogori and baji.

"Pajamas, hyung. Sleepwear, think of them as a new version of sokgoui and jeoksam."

"They feel odd," Seokjin confessed, and received a sympathetic smile from his brother who nodded in return.

"I know. But, you're doing great, Jinnie hyung. Are you—" whatever it was that he was going to ask was cut off by a knock at the door.

"Come in," Taehyung called, and Seokjin couldn't help but raise curious eyes to the door.

The handle turned without a noise and the door was pushed open to reveal a tall man Seokjin almost didn't recognize until their eyes met.

"Seunghyun-hyung," Seokjin breathed out and bowed his head immediately.

"Seokjin-ah." His voice was as warm as Seokjin remembered, not a single trace of malevolence within it. "It is good to see you awake again. How are you feeling?"

Jin didn't know when he had launched himself to the ground before his Sire. But he was positive that if there hadn't been a thick layer of rug coating the floor, then he would have split his skull open with the amount of force he exerted when he pressed his head down.

Pain blossomed at the forefront of Seokjin's head, though it was hard to tell if it was due to the hit he took when he kneeled, or if it was because of the memory burned into the back of his eyes. One of Seunghyun with tears marring his cheeks while his eyes held onto the broken expression of anguish and despair.

"Hyung, I am—there is no excusing what I did! There is no redeeming act I could ever do to wash away the sins I have committed that night. I am so so sorry—I beg for your forgiveness and I—" Seokjin's breath hitched with emotion as every ounce of his repressed feelings surged to the surface.

The emotions in his heart were messy and tangled into one another. And Jin's disorientation from waking was not helping him sort out the underlying hurt, relief, sadness, shock, shame, and happiness that he was feeling. Guilt still weighed heavily in Seokjin's chest, but he could not deny that he was happy to see his brother and Sire again, that he was glad to have been pulled out of the sea of black and nothingness.

"Thank you," Seokjin's voice broke, an odd combination of happiness and sorrow making his shoulders tremble as he worked though the lump in his throat and heaving sobs.

"Thank you." The word was repeated as best as he could manage through the wet sobs that clawed out of his throat. Centuries of loneliness and knowing nothing but his own memories as company poured out of him in tears and incoherent words until he could produce no more.

Time ceased to make sense for Seokjin yet again. He could have kneeled for minutes to hours or even days. There was no way for him to gauge the time that passed between them.

"Seokjinnie," Seunghyun tried again his voice thicker than before. "My Jinnie, you are not the one at fault here. It was not a punishment that you needed to carry out, and I am sorry I pushed that burden onto you." Small drops of liquid landed in front of Seokjin and the hand that had been carding through Seokjin's drying hair silled. "The fault does befall onto you. You were a child, Seokjinnie and I—I'm so sorry it took us this long to get you back home."

When Seokjin didn't offer any reply to his Sire's apology other than stuttering sniffles, Seunghyun sighed softly and Jin heard the distinct sound of clothes ruffling as a body settled in front of him.

"Jin-ah? Look at me?" his Sire coaxed gently, and after a moment added, "Please?"

Hesitantly Seokjin raised his head and looked at his Sire's chest, distracted by the fact that he was not wearing a hanbok.

"Just a little higher?" Seunghyun asked lowering his hand from Seokjin's hair down to his chin where he gently inclined his head upwards.

"There we go," Seunghyun smiled benignly at Seokjin and began to dab at Seokjin's face with a feather-light cloth. "And there's my Seokjin. I'm sorry we are reuniting this way, and even more so about the reason why." His smile dimmed and Seokjin was finally able to see the Sire he was familiar with for the first time in four centuries.

By all intents and purposes, he looked just as Seokjin remembered—at least as far as his face went. But there were some new lines Seokjin was pretty sure hadn't existed on his brow before. And the dark smudges underneath his dark eyes were definitely new. He looked tired, despite the gentle smile on his lips.

"There were so many times I wanted to wake you up, but I couldn't. It sounds unfair of me, I know. But I promise you that I did not keep you there for my own selfish wants or a misguided sense of punishment. I had to uphold that awful declaration, and… I'm sorry I'm rambling." Seunghyun stopped dabbing at his face.

"I wanted to apologize to you Seokjin-ah. And I'm not asking for your forgiveness right away but—" whatever Seunghyun was about to say was cut off abruptly by Seokjin embracing the older man, a new wave of tears soaking into the dark material of whatever it was he was wearing.

Seunghyun stiffened for a brief moment before deceptively strong arms circled around Seokjin's chest and returned the hug.

"Shh," he soothed. "Welcome back, Kim Seokjin."