It was dark when she left school. She had found an excuse to stay longer: extra Physics work. Her hand hurt from a day of writing, but it would fade within the hour. She’d have a lot of time now. There was a full moon today. She always liked such nights. Her mind would immediately clear when she saw the pale orb in the sky. It strengthened her kind as well. She felt it in her steps, which had been so heavy today. Now she could walk with ease.

Her mind went to food now. What would she eat? She enjoyed chocolate, but it made her hungrier after eating. The food from the vampires had also been good. Had it been called pasta?

She walked down the street, looking into the different restaurants. There were many that smelled nice, but nothing appealed to her. She couldn’t eat very much. Her appetite had always been small, but ever since she’d been captured, it had plummeted. She knew she had to increase it. Not just to look healthier, but to also avoid people asking even more questions. She also enjoyed eating.

When she reached the supermarket, she bought herself a sandwich. It was simple and filling. It would last her the evening and tomorrow morning. After taking the first bite, she went outside again. The air was cool, but not freezing. Yet something was wrong. 

At first she thought it was magic, fae magic, but that would be impossible. Then she saw fear in the air. It was recent and familiar. It was the fear of being followed. She listened for any sounds of struggle, but heard nothing. Why couldn’t she hear footsteps? There were not even the sounds of passing cars.

Then she sensed emotions of hunger and anticipation. Dahyun’s stomach clenched. She was no stranger to the horrors of the world and the soul, but she knew only little about the crimes committed in the modern world. Even so, what little she was aware of was enough to make her follow the trail. 

As she got into a run, she felt a pressure lift from her shoulders. Then she heard yelling. 

“Get away from me!” Then there was a shriek. Surprise filled the air, then horror. 

Dahyun reached for the other presence immediately. She drove out the aggression, trying to transfer it immediately into the physical world. In her hand, she felt the blade of aggression and a desire to fight forming. Her head didn’t hurt.

She went into the alley. What she saw made her stop in her tracks. Whatever she had soothed was standing there, staring at her. Her vision was blurred. She couldn’t make out specific features. 

It was a hulking figure, taller than her and no doubt stronger than her as well. Its eyes were red. It was surrounded by emotions she could only describe as murderous. There was a residue of confusion within it, as well as dread. Then feral rage erupted from it. 

Her moment of hesitation was her mistake. It lunged towards her. Dahyun dove away, but not before it caught her in the side. She couldn’t help her cry of pain. 

She got up with difficulty, not wanting to make the gash any worse. Letting the creature’s anger flow into her, she tried to pass it calm instead. No such luck. Rage flowed through it like a river. How could there be so much in one creature? 

Even so, anger was not an emotion that weakened her. She threw a dagger at it before leaping into the air. The creature snarled. She cursed. The blade had not been made of calm, but of anger. 

She returned to the ground. A second later, the creature grabbed her. It threw her at a wall. She felt her entire side sear in pain. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the girl it had been hunting. To her relief, she was still alive. 

The beast sent a fist into her abdomen. Dahyun gasped, the air leaving her. She took hold of the dagger in the creature, pulling on the anger still in its mind. She forced it to attach to the blade, making it expand. If she did this right, the creature would live. She gave it fear, feeling a twinge of guilt as she did so. The anger pushed against her, the creature dug its claws into her side and her shoulder, but it was held in place by the terror it felt. She silently vowed she would take it back. Tears ran down her face. Her mind was more in the emotional world than the physical. That was the only thing that kept her from screaming.

“Sleep,” someone said. Dahyun felt the magic of the word course through her. She did not fall asleep, but the beast before her fell immediately. It pulled her down, twisting within her body. She cried out again. 

Lying there, she could see the beast’s face properly. It was covered in fur, and its mouth and nose had extended into a snout, but it was humanoid. Was this a werewolf? It was sleeping, but its breath was more a gargle than anything. Had she pierced its lung?

“Dahyun,” the person said. Worry filled her vision. “You’re bleeding out.” It was Sana. Why was she so concerned? The wounds would not kill her. They would heal in what, a day? Two?

“I won’t,” she said through gasps. “The other one might.”She couldn't let it die.

Sana shook her head. “It’ll be you before them.” Were her eyes purple? With her pink hair, this made for a a fitting emotional combination: desire and love. Dahyun wondered again whether or not the girl knew this. 

Dahyun took a deep breath, the pain was truly too much. “Make them forget,” she said. Her jaw was clenched. If she let anything slip, her scream would probably wake neighbourhood. If the fighting hadn’t already. 

“I’ll worry about that later,” hands pressed to her wounds, “can you have vampire venom?” Was there electricity coursing through her body? It warmed her. A vampire with magic other than their compulsion abilities. It was unheard of, but recently little seemed to be impossible.

“I’ve never tried it.” She knew potions for healing, but venom had never come into the equation. Knowing its effect on her would have required interaction with the outside world. They didn't do that. “Is the other girl hurt?” 

“I think she fainted.” Her voice sounded strained. It must have been the blood. 

“Leave me,” she said. “I will be fine.” If that creature was a werewolf, the anger within it might trigger something. Perhaps it would even lose itself to the anger. The blade needed to go. The creature needed to heal. 

There was a flare of anger. “You’re lying in a pool of your own blood. It’s not stopping.” 

“Go,” Dahyun spat. She didn’t mean to sound so venomous. “It’ll be better for you.” 

“The other girls are coming soon. Please tell me you know a spell that heals you.” 

Right. The potion. “Pass me my bag. I don’t care if you make it bloody.” 

She heard a crackling sound. Dahyun felt goosebumps Sana’s hand was alive with sparks. Her bloodied hand was suddenly only covered in black flecks. Burned blood? Sana disappeared for a moment. Dahyun took the opportunity to push herself into a seated position. She raised a hand, all