When his lips touch yours, you gasp at the electricity that explodes in your body, every muscle and nerve tingling.

You shiver when he pulls away, wrapping your arms around yourself. “Did…Did it work?”

Jongdae’s eyes are glowing red, alluring and captivating as you watch them slowly change back to his normal dark color. “Yes, it did.” He raises his hand towards you, his thumb running across your collarbone, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake. “You’re marked.”

“Marked?” You ask, feeling considerably better now as you relax.

“Yes,” he nods, a small smile on his face. “I put an invisible mark here,” he pokes at your left collarbone, “which will allow me to know when you’re in trouble.”

You press your hand over the skin there, feeling the tingles underneath, like tiny sparks of electricity. Somehow, you feel closer to Jongdae this way. “Thank you.”

“No,” he chuckles dryly, shaking his head. “Thank you, for willingly risking yourself for us. This is the least I can do.” He looks sad, almost longing when he looks at you.

You’re not sure how to react. “Jongdae—”

“Here.” Jongdae hands you a dagger and a strap. “Strap this around your leg just in case.”

He looks away when you obediently strap it around your thigh, readjusting your clothes before you tell him you’re done. The dagger feels strange against you, but it makes you feel more protected.

“You should leave as soon as possible.” Jongdae says, his eyes serious. “The longer we wait, the more prepared they will be for us.”

You nod, feeling yourself torn. You feel as if you should turn away and leave, but something makes you feel as if it’ll be a long time before you see Jongdae again. You can’t help it when you bring your arms around his frame, squeezing him tight.

When his arms wrap around you, you almost don’t want to leave. Suddenly you’re afraid, the brunt of the situation catching up with you and it dawns on you that you could possibly die.

“Be safe.” He whispers against your hair, his voice pained. “Please be careful.”

You nod, breathing in his scent and trying to remember this feeling. Trying to remember him. The skin on your collarbone is throbbing, so much it hurts.

“You should go.” He reluctantly lets you go, his expression strained. You force out a smile, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Bye.” You whisper, unsaid words stuck in your throat.

You leave the room, feeling the dagger cold against your skin.

Jongin teleports you near the ruins of Exodauntia. He didn’t want to go too close, in case the enemy sees him.

“You’ll be okay?” Jongin asks, touching your arm gently. His face is filled with worry, scared for your life.

You place your hand on his arm, giving him a soft squeeze. “I’ll be fine.”

You can still feel the tingling on your collarbone. A reminder that Jongdae is watching, waiting for any signs of danger. You feel safer now, knowing he will come for you if anything happens.

Jongin nods, his face grim. In a flicker, he’s gone, leaving you all alone.

You follow their directions, heading straight up the hill to a wide, deserted plain. Exodauntia’s ruins litter the ground, rubble sticking up everywhere. You maneuver around it carefully.

Jongdae told you that Exodauntia isn’t actually in ruins. There’s a strong barrier around the area that makes it look like nothing’s there, put in place by the enemy’s vampires.

You take a deep breath, closing your eyes. This is it.

You steal yourself, before holding your breath and stepping through the place where you were told the edge of the barrier is.

Your surroundings immediately change, no longer rubble, but a daunting castle stands in front of you. It’s walls are made of stone, difficult to penetrate, it’s towers tall and pointed at the ends, threatening to prick through to the heavens.

Immediately, countless guards surround you, guns and swords pointed at you. “Who are you?” They demand, voice harsh and relentless.

You flinch, but try to remain as calm as possible. “I have information that you would want.”

“You’re human.” One says with narrowed eyes, coming towards you. He points the gun at your head. “How did you find the border of our barrier? What information could you possibly have that we don’t have already?”

“I know where the barrier is because I heard the Kims talk about it.” You answer steadily.

“The Kims?” The man repeats, his expression filled with suspicion. “Impossible, they’re dead.”

“Oh,” you allow yourself to laugh, trying to look confident. “I can assure you that they’re definitely not dead. And they’re planning to take back the kingdom.”

The man throws his head back and barks out a boisterous laughter. “So what if they’re not dead? They’ve tried fighting us thousands of times before, but could never do anything.”

“Not this time.” You raise your head so that you’re staring right into the man’s eyes. You hold it steady, showing how serious you are. “When they attack this time, you will lose. Unless…” You trail off, purposely making them lean in to catch your next words. “Unless you find them and kill them first. And I know where they are.”

“Alright, what do you want?” He presses the gun against your temple, making you gulp at the contact. “I bet you didn’t come all the way here to tell us information for free.”

“I want to see your leader.” You say, voice becoming quieter. “I believe the information I hold is valuable, and I will share it only with your leader.”

“You?” The man raises a brow, looking unsure. His eyes flit between his comrades, who don’t speak but merely stand by and watch. Finally, as you choke on your nervous heart, he nods. “Alright. Be sure you don’t try anything funny, human, or we’ll kill you on the spot.”

You nod, eager to have the gun removed from you. The guards open up a path for you, but stand close around you to ensure you can’t