Baekhyun released a heavy breath of air as he collapsed against the cushions of his couch, hands pressed against his closed eyelids hoping that their pressure would be enough to dull the pain in his head. He had been suffering with an occasional headache ever since yesterday morning and it was slowly beginning to make Baekhyun a little frustrated since the painkillers he had been religiously relying on, seemed to have lost their effect after the prescribed third and final dose of the night.

The morning sunlight which had never been unpleasant to wake up to had the poor human groaning as he awoke, the bright beams blinding his eyelids and forcing the hammer in his mind to return to its constant banging. Hence the reason he declined Lay's invitation to drive him to school which had become their weekly routine, his excuse being that he certainly couldn't get out of bed long enough before another wave of hurt hit. Thankfully the teacher let it pass, claiming that he would gather Baekhyun's homework from his classes and deliver it to him when he returned home later in the evening. Baekhyun offered him a sweet smile and sent him on his way with a tender embrace.

"Nana?" Baekhyun called out into the room, his eyes still shut which gave his mind a momentary pause from the drilling. "Nana are you there?"

It took a long minute but eventually the soft quiet giggling forced him to peak out from beneath his closed lid, she stood with her arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed in his direction. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I've been suffering a headache for the past two days, not the best thing to have to deal with but I'm managing.." he tried to smile but it was so obviously forced. Nana chuckled, her head shaking as she approached him.

"Are you running a fever?"

"No, I've also been eating and drinking water. I've taken the right dosage of painkillers every four hours like the box tells me and yet I'm still suffering." Baekhyun couldn't stop the pout from creeping up on his lips, his shoulders sagging on each side of his head. The lack of energy really made things difficult for him, what once was a standard task of opening one's eyes now proved excruciating.

"Maybe this is your body's way of telling you that you need to rest?"

"I don't think I will be getting any rest for at least the next couple of days, there have been too many things on my mind lately."

"Oh?" Baekhyun laughed at the ghost's genuinely confused reaction. "What type of things?"

"Well for starters I've figured that the person you were following that day I bumped into you at the café was Chanyeol, which clearly means that you were someone important to him. This theory also proved effective when Lay walked into my apartment, you were surprised to see him which means that when you were alive you had the pleasure of meeting him. Therefore I was able to conclude that you were some sort of family member." Baekhyun declared, gently tilting his head backwards so that he could rest it against the backrest of the couch. He heard Nana giggle beside him and suddenly the bright light shining against his lids was gone, when he peaked an eye open Baekhyun wasn't even surprised to see that the curtains in the room had been closed. Being a ghost surely came with it's perks.

"Better?" she wondered, tilting her head while her lips curled in a smile. Baekhyun nodded his head, his lips remaining closed hoping that she would speak on the words he had stated. "You're certainly on the right track there!" she grinned, happy that now the human could look her in the eye as they spoke.

"The next thing that you told me was that you were something of an old soul, you instructed that I should think of any age for you but I would never be right because I would have to times it by a thousand and I would still reach no-where. Naturally I would think that you died centuries ago and yet the clothing you appear to me in are quite modern so that begs the question of your death date.."

"I've been dead about two weeks now." Nana claimed, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of Baekhyun's concentrated face. Here she sat thinking that all this time she would have to wait for Chanyeol to tell him the truth and yet here he was figuring it out for himself, how she wished that she was alive to record this moment because it was truly extraordinary.

"You appear so young but I have been told before that looks can be deceiving, as can your age. You're following Chanyeol who only addressed his Appa as his sole parental figure so at first I would assume that you were his mother but then Kyungsoo mentioned Chanyeol's parents as an alive united force which cancels you out of the equation for his mother. You claimed to have died two weeks ago but Jongin doesn't look to be grieving over anyone in particular so that rules you out as his mother, Kyungsoo would have also mentioned if his mate's mother had died. I suppose you could be an aunt but your words still continue to haunt me whenever I think about your part in the family tree. You told me that you were an old being so without judging by looks I would be forced to assume that perhaps you are Chanyeol's grandmother?"

Nana was stumped, her jaw hanging open in surprise. Baekhyun had been able to come to the conclusion all by himself, using the information that he had observed and heard about over the course of their meeting. The human blinked at the ghost before him, misunderstanding her frozen figure to be a reaction caused by his cruel thoughts. Maybe the poor lady wasn't Chanyeol's grandmother and was surprised that Baekhyun would even assume such thing-

"You are quite the brain-box aren't you?" Nana whispered, her voice raising an octave. She was grinning from ear to ear, eyes crinkling and dimples being displayed. "Well done Baekhyun.."

"It would just make sense since you were able to recognize Lay he was Chanyeol's babysitter after all-"

"Yixing wasn't just Chanyeol's babysitter.." Nana interrupted, biting her lower lip when she realised that she would be adding more information into the poor boy's already numbing head. "Yixing was my grandson's protector. He protected and cared for Chanyeol when the boy's parents couldn't be taken away from their work, in some way Yixing became a father-figure towards him since his own father was never there for him and still isn't."

Baekhyun's brows furrowed in the centre of his forehead, Kyungsoo mentioned something about Chanyeol being protective over his Appa but why would he be if the man was never there for him? A shooting pain generated from one temple to the next, straight across Baekhyun's forehead making the boy grunt out in pain momentarily.

"Protector? Why would Chanyeol need a protector? What exactly were his parents jobs?"

"That is something that I don't think I can tell you, I know that you are already aware that my family is quite complicated and as Kyungsoo had stated last night Chanyeol is choosing to keep these secrets from you because he wants to protect you. I also think that he's hiding things from you because he fears that the moment you find out, you won't be able to handle it and probably run as fast as you can away from the life you thought you knew."

"I know that there has been something going on around me my entire life," Baekhyun's chest deflated as his breath met with the air around him, shoulders slumping against the couch cushions. "I've just never known what. Now everything is coming into the light so suddenly, I mean I guess that I hoped that I would have graduated high school before whatever all this is happened but I know I can't deny fate. Chanyeol is my mate or at least that's what I'm willing to believe with this ink magic as my proof, I just hope that he'll feel comfortable enough to tell me soon."

"I think that in your heart you already know the answer, or have at least compiled a list of potential answers to the questions you have for him especially after that little stunt he pulled in the parking lot with Jongin yesterday."

"I don't know if I find it creepy that you're everywhere and see everything, or if I'm actually glad that I can talk about everything with you.." Baekhyun admitted, looking at the woman before him. Nana's lip curled in the corner, her hand reaching out to touch his hand but before her touch could lay on his skin Nana's hand hovered over it. Baekhyun's lips curled downwards in a sad smile, he wanted to feel her touch but they both knew how that would turn out. Whenever he was touched by a ghost his body was sent into countless shivers at the foreign touch, a spirit's presence brought goosebumps along his skin. It wasn't a terrible thing but he disliked the uncomfortable feeling that he felt whenever it happened, so in a way he was grateful Nana stopped her touch before it landed on his skin. "Can you at least tell me if he's a part of a mafia or something? I feel like I would need quite a bit of time to wrap my head around that one..."

Nana's laughter rang through his mind, the ghost's shoulders shook as she chuckled happily on his couch. Baekhyun didn't know if that laughter meant that she was nervous to tell him the truth, but judging by her shaking head it meant that her answer would bring him some sort of relief. "Not the mafia, but it is dangerous."

Or maybe not.

"I guess it would have been easier to wrap my head around that, now that I don't even know what he could be I'm a little more hesitant." Baekhyun admitted, his gaze turned to the carpet beneath his feet. He could see the swirls of the colourful threads woven into the rug, their presence bringing a small smile to his lips. "I know that whatever it is I won't mind it, not really. I suppose that I might get a little confused or surprised by it but I trust him, apparently he's keeping things from me because he's trying to protect me so I know that I can't hate him for that."

"He's protecting you and he's doing a lot to keep you in the dark because he's afraid that you won't be able to handle it. I suppose he thinks that you won't be able to love him to the extent that he loves you after you hear about it. I think he takes this view because it's the way he sees himself, he sees himself as a monster and he tries to deny his true self but he's willing to do anything for those he cares about which is why he's taking over the top position of the family so that Jongin doesn't have to do it."

"That sounds very mafia-like to me..." Baekhyun's eyes narrowed, looking at Nana with a judgmental gaze. The ghost laughed but continued to shake her head.

"If you want to think of it like that then fine, it isn't completely right but I can see why you would think that." she giggled while standing up from the soft couch cushions, Baekhyun's eyes focused on the cushion as it moved back into formation after the ghost's presence. "My son would be in your view the Donna then."

"Not the Don?" Baekhyun's brow raised in surprise, not completely understanding why Nana would place her son in the stereotypical lead female mother-like role in a mafia family. When he saw Nana shake her head, Baekhyun's mind went into a craze. Was Chanyeol one of the few children born from two male parents? Baekhyun had heard about the cases before but had never really given himself time to look over them, but from what he could remember a genetic mutilation caused by some failed vaccine enabled males the ability to give birth. It was a rare condition but most hospitals had developed their systems to be able to help such people, after the first case back in the early 1920s. "So your son is a gifted one?"

"Technically he is, yes" Nana nodded her head, a proud smile on her lips. She walked towards the window again, her eyes seeing further than the curtains she had pulled earlier. "but I'm afraid that Chanyeol doesn't carry the gene himself which to some in our community can be quite saddening as he is expected to carry on the line of succession."

Baekhyun felt his heart drop from the centre of his chest and land in his stomach, he had little to no idea about the life Chanyeol had but from the nuggets of information Nana was feeding him he couldn't deny that his mate had it bad. There was a lot expected of Chanyeol, Baekhyun could only imagine the amount of pressure hanging on his mate's shoulders. Chanyeol was young, he should have the entire world at his feet and yet he wasn't like everyone else. He had large responsibilities, tasks that Baekhyun couldn't even begin to imagine. Situations that Chanyeol was trying to keep away from him in hopes that Baekhyun would continue to stay by his side. This was bigger than he expected. But sonehow he was excited for it.

"Should I tell him that I know?" he wondered, looking up at Nana who turned to him with raised brows. She noticed that his words ran a little deeper in tone, which made her realise that Baekhyun wasn't just talking about the fact that Chanyeol was born from two male parents. He was talking about knowing what Chanyeol was, or at least his occupation and what was waiting for him.

"Tell him what exactly?" she threaded on the edge of a cliff, her fingers dancing around each other across her chest. She viewed the boy beneath her eyelashes, her breath hitching as his lips formed the words.

"Should I tell him that I know he's a royal?"

If she was still alive Baekhyun was almost certain that the woman would have fainted to the floor after his claim, her wide eyes and quickening breath had him jumping off the couch. He didn't know why because he couldn't touch her body if she did end up fainting, it must have been muscle memory. Nevertheless she waved her hand and he took back his seat, offering her a wry smile.

"Can I ask how you managed to figure that out?"

"Kyungsoo had a great interest in what I thought about royals and when you told me that your family wasn't a mafia family I wasn't really left with many other options, I think when you said the 'line of succession' bit made me finalize my theory. It also explains why Lay was needed, I've seen him in action and he is quite good at fighting when necessary. It also crossed my mind when I was chatting with Kyungsoo yesterday, his family was quite happy with his link to Jongin which would make better sense if it was because he had money. Again Mafia like ideas but could also relate to another high ranking position in society, I mean they could be ministers but again what you said makes me conclude that you come from a royal bloodline. It would also explain his home schooling. A duke perhaps? Maybe a lord?"

"Or the king himself?" Nana added, her lower lip being taken beneath her teeth when she noticed Baekhyun's alarmed state. "You could honestly believe that Chanyeol could be something as low as a lord? Baekhyun, Chanyeol is the Prince, my son is the queen and his father is the reigning king."

"But there is no royal family of South Korea, there hasn't been one since 1910 when we signed the Japan-Korean treaty." Baekhyun's headache momentarily came back as his mind flooded with possibilities, he groaned at the pain before it suddenly disappeared when a new idea came to mind. "Your family is a royal family not known to the public, which means that clearly no one knows of your existence... or at least no one human does."

Baekhyun watched as Nana's throat swallowed the lump in it, his eyes widening when everything began to click into place. Nana's teasing jokes about her age, Kyungsoo's interest in his view on the supernatural, Chanyeol and Jongin's sudden appearance outside their school, Chanyeol's hesitancy to enter Baekhyun's apartment, his mate's discomfort with the blood lesson that would be happening tomorrow, the banter between Chanyeol and Lay when they discussed things Baekhyun couldn't understand, their double meanings.. There clearly was never something human about them from the beginning, but Baekhyun simply brushed it off as something strange but normal. It wasn't. There was nothing normal about the past two weeks.

"You're not human," Baekhyun whispered, looking up at Nana who froze in her spot at his statement. "none of you are. Not you, not Kyungsoo, not Jongin, not Chanyeol not..." he heaved for breath, tears filling his eyes. "Lay."

"Baekhyun-" Nana's voice was broken, her own tears falling down her cheeks as she tried to reapproach the boy but Baekhyun was quicker than the ghost. He shot up off the couch and ran behind it, putting a barrier between them. It seemed dumb in the moment since she was a ghost and would be able to simply pass through it but Baekhyun watched her as she stopped her advances towards him.

"Leave me alone." he begged, shaking his head when she refused to leave. He knew that she wanted to explain, he could see it in her eyes as she begged him quietly to stay. But he couldn't, how could he when he was suddenly overwhelmed with the reality of his life? What started out as a simple mundane life ended up with him being the mate of some supernatural royal boy whose intentions may have been good but his lack of communication with him made Baekhyun's entire world crumble around him. He knows that he should have been able to handle this breakthrough with a calm and collected mind, especially after his conversation about the supernatural beings last night with Kyungsoo. But knowing that the closest people to him couldn't even tell him what they were, hurt him. The consequences or danger be damned.

"I don't think that me leaving right now would be the best decision Baekhyun, I know you feel hurt and I'm sorry that I couldn't just tell you straight out. You're clearly overwhelmed with the amount of information you just figured out by yourself here, finding out that not only is your mate a supernatural creature but is also a royal, although granted he isn't exactly seen as such in the eyes of the humans-"

"I'm human," Baekhyun hissed, gazing at Nana who was surprised that he had interrupted her. "why didn't you include me in your explanation?"

"Because we both know that you're not just a human Baekhyun," Nana's voice was firm, whatever emotion she had earlier was gone now leaving behind the seriousness of the situation. "you can't be if you're the soulmate of my grandson. You may look and smell human but there is a different blood type swimming in that body of yours, I may be dead but I can still see it whenever I look at you. I have been spending all of my time trying to get answers for you because I know in the future you will need them, I've been contacting the witches here and they too are willing to help me."

"Here? Where exactly are you, if not in the same room as me?"

"I'm in the same room as you, but you're not exactly in my realm. It's complicated to explain since you've already dealt with enough information today." Nana's hands went all over the place, Baekhyun's eyebrow raising in confusion but her words held some truth so he decided that he would have to wait for another day to figure that out. For now he was going to cook himself some breakfast and watch a ton of Netflix to make up for the horrible morning, maybe later he could treat himself to a delivery.

"I do appreciate everything that you've done for me Nana," Baekhyun admitted, forcing his lips to curl upwards. "I'm sorry that I wasn't entirely prepared for everything that I figured out. I will come to terms about it today and then by tomorrow I should be fine, would you please come to visit me?"

Nana's shoulders dipped, a weight clearly being ed off of them. She grinned and nodded her head. "I'll leave you alone to rest today, I'll come by again tomorrow. Be careful Baekhyun and look after yourself, make sure to eat your meals too okay?"

The boy bowed his head and when he looked back up again he was surprised to see that the ghost had fully disappeared. It was at this moment when Baekhyun realised that even though he had come to the conclusion that Chanyeol and his family were members of the supernatural community, he didn't exactly know which species to define them under. They weren't particularly hairy so a werewolf was crossed off the list, they didn't have dead or glossy eyes so they weren't zombies either, witches wouldn't necessarily call for their age jokes and he saw Chanyeol and co out in the sunlight so they weren't vampires. Baekhyun decided that he had already covered enough for today, he could figure out what exactly they were another time. For now his Oreo O's were calling him from the top cabinet, breakfast was waiting! 

Baekhyun particularly skipped to the door with a bright smile on his face when he realised that the ringing was caused by the delivery man bringing him his desired food. He ordered some Chinese food, figuring that it was a little healthier than his original pizza idea and since he wasn't really in the mood for chicken and cola. A Hotpot with the side dishes of dumplings and Sichuan Pork would certainly be making his day a little brighter. He happily pulled open the door, cash already in hand but the sight before him had his grin slipping off his lips.

Where was the delivery guy?

An overwhelming feeling settled over Baekhyun, his heart started to pound against his chest. Every nerve in his body was begging him to get back into the apartment where things would be saver, but for whatever reason his feet were glued to the doorframe. He turned his head towards the left, his gaze travelling down the hallway. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, the hallway was still lit up with the overhanging lights. He turned his head to the right, his heart leaped when he momentarily forgot that the light just before his apartment was blown and hadn't been replaced just yet.

"Get back in the apartment." Nana's sudden appearance directly across from him had Baekhyun's breath leaving his lips, she felt so close and her desperate eyes had Baekhyun take a step back. The tips of his toes pressed against the wood defining his threshold, his gaze was locked on Nana who let out a relieved breath at his compliance to her warning.

He might not have seen the danger that was lurking in the hallway but he could certainly feel it, he refused to turn around and close the door. He was going to stay where Nana told him to remain, apparently he was safe within his apartment and as long as he stayed inside it there shouldn't be a problem. At least that's what he gathered from her words and look of content when he followed them.

"What's going on?" he whispered, waiting for Nana to turn back to him. He swallowed the extra saliva that developed in his mouth the moment the ghost's head snapped to him almost as quickly as she had appeared, her eyes were wide and for a split second Baekhyun thought that she looked terrifying. However in the blink of his eye Baekhyun wasn't staring into the eyes of his friendly ghost friend any longer, instead he was staring into the eyes of a monster. His breath hitched in his throat but he refused to sound scared as he blinked back at the snarling creature in front of him.

Bright blue eyes stared right into his soul, the pupil dilated against the colourful iris.The entirety of the sclera from these human-like eyes had completely disappeared, exchanged for a deep blood red colour. Dark grey veins pressed against the skin just beneath the creature's eyelashes seemingly pumping blood into the eyes, Baekhyun's gaze dropped to the lips that were covering him in spit. His heart pounded against his chest when he realised that just beneath these plump lips hid a set of fangs, large and sharp ready to sink into anything they could reach. The longer he looked at this creature's face the more familiar it got, Baekhyun's brows furrowed as he concentrated on the snarling creature's face yet again. The eyes were the wrong colour but it was him, it was Mr. Lee the building manager who had been searching his apartment days ago.

"What the hell happened to you?" Baekhyun asked, not really expecting an answer when the creature hissed back at him. The boy swiped the spit that fell on his face off with the pad of his finger, he blinked hoping that what he was seeing would disappear the more he blinked. Sadly that didn't happen, Mr Lee was still there and was looking a lot more frustrated than before.

"Why can't I get in?" The man asked, his eyes narrowed in Baekhyun's direction. The boy whined at the sight of the man squinting, the red sclera looked really aggravated and he doubted that squinting would be helping the man with it. "Step outside Baekhyun."

"Yeah no thank you." the human attempted to smile but it just turned into a disgusted grimace, his hand seeking out his front door. He stepped aside to allow the door access, before he was able to close the door in the building manager's face the man's hand came up and pushed it backwards. Baekhyun was able to jump out of the way before the door flew back at him with an increased velocity, he was able to grab it before it impaled the wall behind it.

"Step outside Baekhyun."

"Don't do it." Nana appeared next to him again making Baekhyun momentarily short circuit, he was having more trouble with the ghost than the crazy looking creature in front of him. The human turned to look at her, his nostrils flared while his arms spread out on either side of his waist.

"Jeez thank you for the advice captain obvious! Like hell would I step outside and be at the mercy of whatever the hell that is!"

"Who are you talking to?" Mr Lee questioned, his brows furrowed in the centre of his forehead. Baekhyun shivered at the sight of the questionable glance, that was nasty.

"Your human face." Baekhyun deadpanned, surprised to hear the words slip out of his mouth when he didn't even think about them in his mind first. "Mr Lee, tell me what happened to you because that" he gestured towards his face. "isn't usual for you." 

"You really are clueless!" the man screamed, his shout causing Baekhyun to jump in fright. "I got turned into a vampire Baekhyun and I have orders to kill you-" 

Slam. 

Baekhyun stared at his front door, content now that it was back in place over his threshold. He turned his entire body to Nana who was frozen by his sudden action, he offered her a small smile but she could see that the poor boy was screaming on the inside. 

"You have got to be kidding me." he hissed out through the gaps in his teeth, Nana continued to stare at his grin and how creepy it looked when he said those words. 

"Surprise?" She did a terrible attempt of jazz-hands, forcing Baekhyun's hand to hit into his forehead. "It really isn't your day today, is it?" 

"No.." The boy's voice squeaked, his hand sliding off his forehead, past his eye and down his cheek before falling back to his side. "I think I better go cancel my food order." 

"Yep that sounds like a good idea." Nana's lips pressed together as her head nodded, she watched as the boy agreed before heading back into his living-room to make the call. She gave him a couple moments of peace before walking back inside, her fingers playing together against her stomach. 

"How do you feel?" 

Baekhyun sighed and shook his head while his shoulders rose against his ears, his face looked like it had aged at least five years. She couldn't blame him or his reactions, Baekhyun had really come to terms with everything happening around him. She had hoped that he would have been given the opportunity to figure it out on his own but apparently the universe decided that he needed to know quicker than later. Nana wouldn't admit to it if anyone was to ask her but, she was glad that Kris had sent Mr. Lee to kill Baekhyun because she wouldn't have been able to handle it if the boy was kept in the dark any longer. 

"How am I supposed to feel Nana?" Baekhyun wondered, blinking through his tears. The ghost felt her heart crack when she watched him sniff and rub at his eyes harshly. "I know that I said that I wanted to figure everything out but I didn't think that I actually would, how am I going to be able to leave my house now with him standing outside?" 

"Yixing, he may be out for groceries right now but he will be back soon. Mr. Lee knows about him so he won't want to stay out there all night when he knows that your protector will be right next door, besides Yixing can get into your apartment since you have already-" 

"Invited him in?" Baekhyun finished for her, swiping a single tear with the side of his thumb. "I've read Dracula, vampires need to be invited into dwellings otherwise they can't enter." 

"Quick note," Nana stuck out her pointer finger wigging it around in front of Baekhyun's nose, teasing the poor boy with the idea of touching it. "if it's a vampire that owns the property all vampires can have access. Which is how Chanyeol was able to step inside Yixing's apartment without the protector having to invite him in like you would have had to do if you wanted him here." 

"But Mr Lee owns the building-" 

"He may own the building but he doesn't technically own the apartments inside the building, you signed a contract when you came here right?" Baekhyun nodded his head. "That means that to vampires this place is yours and they can't access it if you don't grant them entry, which is why I told you to get back inside." 

"You knew that he was going to come for me, didn't you?" 

"I suddenly had a really bad feeling, I was out following Yixing around the mall but you pulled me back. I knew that you were in danger so I had to come and see if you were okay." 

"Thank you." Baekhyun bowed his head, the ghost understanding enough to reassure him a simple bow would be enough. "I guess I'll be making my own food tonight huh?" 

"You could always text Yixing and let him know that you haven't eaten yet, I'm sure he would happily cook for you." 

Baekhyun let out an airy chuckle, dipping his head in agreement. However, he shook his head the next moment. Before Nana could get her words out and ask why, the boy had beaten her to it. "I think I just want the day to myself, I need to take this new piece of information into consideration and I think it would be better for everyone if I handle it alone. I'll pretend that I have no clue tomorrow and see how things go, maybe I'll slip questions in or suggestive remarks but for right now I think I'm just going to be by myself. You said it yourself, I'm safe here so that's reassuring." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah," Baekhyun claimed, good he found his confidence again. "I got this. Thanks Nana." 

"I'll see you again soon Baekhyun." 

"I'll see you tomorrow." The boy offered her one last smile before she allowed herself to disappear, she didn't leave right away choosing to stay behind to watch him for just a couple minutes more. Her heart broke as she heard him sob into the palms of his hands, his body shaking and quivering as the sobs rattled his entire body. She had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from crying, the pain Baekhyun was experiencing was so strong she couldn't believe that he had been carrying it alone for so long. 

"Nana," a voice called beckoning her away from her grandson's mate, she quickly dried her eyes before she turned towards the voice. She stuck on her most convincing smile, knowing that the girl standing before her would be able to see through it nonetheless. "is that him? Is that Chanyeol's mate?" 

"Yeah he is," Nana nodded, allowing the girl to reach her. She watched as the girl stared at the crying boy in curiosity. "he just found out that our family are vampires." 

"I pity him," she whispered, looking into her fellow ghost's eyes. "he is going to have to deal with so much when he fully accepts it." 

"I just hope for our sake that he does, we both know that Chanyeol loves him and the boy would be crushed to see the mate he has spent his entire lifetime searching for leaves him." 

"Besides the quicker he agrees, the quicker I get to wake up." 

"Now Skylar that is no way to talk about your future brother in law!" Nana scolded, hitting the girl across her shoulder. The other ghost giggled, swaying to the side just in time to miss her grandmother's smack. "You mustn't hurry him along, he's been doing an amazing job all by himself. Baekhyun is an opened minded spirit, he knows that the world doesn't only contain humans and he's willing to accept that he just needs a little time in order to wrap his head around the fact that everyone he has gotten close to are such creatures." 

"You had the opportunity to tell him so many times before, why didn't you?" 

"Because I thought your idiotic brother would save me the trouble, but clearly we aren't the only ones feeling frustrated. Baekhyun was too which is why he summoned me to be by his side today, he wanted answers and now he has them, I just hope that Chanyeol will forgive me for indulging in his mate's questions." 

"Chanyeol was always and will continue to be whipped for you, you're his favourite family member I doubt even death could change that." 

"Have you paid a visit to Kris like I asked?" 

"Of course," Skylar grinned, bouncing on the tips of her toes. "he's still in China. I only wished that I appeared at any other time because he was knee deep in some poor hooker's a-" 

"Yes thank you very much for that, but I don't think those were the exact details I sent you there for.." Nana interrupted, her voice sounding a little high as she travelled through the wall next to Baekhyun's television. Skylar's loud laugh following her. 

hands pressed against his closed eyelids hoping that their pressure would be enough to dull the pain in his head. He had been suffering with an occasional headache ever since yesterday morning and it was slowly beginning to make Baekhyun a little frustrated since the painkillers he had been religiously relying on, seemed to have lost their effect after the prescribed third and final dose of the night.

The morning sunlight which had never been unpleasant to wake up to had the poor human groaning as he awoke, the bright beams blinding his eyelids and forcing the hammer in his mind to return to its constant banging. Hence the reason he declined Lay's invitation to drive him to school which had become their weekly routine, his excuse being that he certainly couldn't get out of bed long enough before another wave of hurt hit. Thankfully the teacher let it pass, claiming that he would gather Baekhyun's homework from his classes and deliver it to him when he returned home later in the evening. Baekhyun offered him a sweet smile and sent him on his way with a tender embrace.

"Nana?" Baekhyun called out into the room, his eyes still shut which gave his mind a momentary pause from the drilling. "Nana are you there?"

It took a long minute but eventually the soft quiet giggling forced him to peak out from beneath his closed lid, she stood with her arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed in his direction. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I've been suffering a headache for the past two days, not the best thing to have to deal with but I'm managing.." he tried to smile but it was so obviously forced. Nana chuckled, her head shaking as she approached him.

"Are you running a fever?"

"No, I've also been eating and drinking water. I've taken the right dosage of painkillers every four hours like the box tells me and yet I'm still suffering." Baekhyun couldn't stop the pout from creeping up on his lips, his shoulders sagging on each side of his head. The lack of energy really made things difficult for him, what once was a standard task of opening one's eyes now proved excruciating.

"Maybe this is your body's way of telling you that you need to rest?"

"I don't think I will be getting any rest for at least the next couple of days, there have been too many things on my mind lately."

"Oh?" Baekhyun laughed at the ghost's genuinely confused reaction. "What type of things?"

"Well for starters I've figured that the person you were following that day I bumped into you at the café was Chanyeol, which clearly means that you were someone important to him. This theory also proved effective when Lay walked into my apartment, you were surprised to see him which means that when you were alive you had the pleasure of meeting him. Therefore I was able to conclude that you were some sort of family member." Baekhyun declared, gently tilting his head backwards so that he could rest it against the backrest of the couch. He heard Nana giggle beside him and suddenly the bright light shining against his lids was gone, when he peaked an eye open Baekhyun wasn't even surprised to see that the curtains in the room had been closed. Being a ghost surely came with it's perks.

"Better?" she wondered, tilting her head while her lips curled in a smile. Baekhyun nodded his head, his lips remaining closed hoping that she would speak on the words he had stated. "You're certainly on the right track there!" she grinned, happy that now the human could look her in the eye as they spoke.

"The next thing that you told me was that you were something of an old soul, you instructed that I should think of any age for you but I would never be right because I would have to times it by a thousand and I would still reach no-where. Naturally I would think that you died centuries ago and yet the clothing you appear to me in are quite modern so that begs the question of your death date.."

"I've been dead about two weeks now." Nana claimed, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of Baekhyun's concentrated face. Here she sat thinking that all this time she would have to wait for Chanyeol to tell him the truth and yet here he was figuring it out for himself, how she wished that she was alive to record this moment because it was truly extraordinary.

"You appear so young but I have been told before that looks can be deceiving, as can your age. You're following Chanyeol who only addressed his Appa as his sole parental figure so at first I would assume that you were his mother but then Kyungsoo mentioned Chanyeol's parents as an alive united force which cancels you out of the equation for his mother. You claimed to have died two weeks ago but Jongin doesn't look to be grieving over anyone in particular so that rules you out as his mother, Kyungsoo would have also mentioned if his mate's mother had died. I suppose you could be an aunt but your words still continue to haunt me whenever I think about your part in the family tree. You told me that you were an old being so without judging by looks I would be forced to assume that perhaps you are Chanyeol's grandmother?"

Nana was stumped, her jaw hanging open in surprise. Baekhyun had been able to come to the conclusion all by himself, using the information that he had observed and heard about over the course of their meeting. The human blinked at the ghost before him, misunderstanding her frozen figure to be a reaction caused by his cruel thoughts. Maybe the poor lady wasn't Chanyeol's grandmother and was surprised that Baekhyun would even assume such thing-

"You are quite the brain-box aren't you?" Nana whispered, her voice raising an octave. She was grinning from ear to ear, eyes crinkling and dimples being displayed. "Well done Baekhyun.."

"It would just make sense since you were able to recognize Lay he was Chanyeol's babysitter after all-"

"Yixing wasn't just Chanyeol's babysitter.." Nana interrupted, biting her lower lip when she realised that she would be adding more information into the poor boy's already numbing head. "Yixing was my grandson's protector. He protected and cared for Chanyeol when the boy's parents couldn't be taken away from their work, in some way Yixing became a father-figure towards him since his own father was never there for him and still isn't."

Baekhyun's brows furrowed in the centre of his forehead, Kyungsoo mentioned something about Chanyeol being protective over his Appa but why would he be if the man was never there for him? A shooting pain generated from one temple to the next, straight across Baekhyun's forehead making the boy grunt out in pain momentarily.

"Protector? Why would Chanyeol need a protector? What exactly were his parents jobs?"

"That is something that I don't think I can tell you, I know that you are already aware that my family is quite complicated and as Kyungsoo had stated last night Chanyeol is choosing to keep these secrets from you because he wants to protect you. I also think that he's hiding things from you because he fears that the moment you find out, you won't be able to handle it and probably run as fast as you can away from the life you thought you knew."

"I know that there has been something going on around me my entire life," Baekhyun's chest deflated as his breath met with the air around him, shoulders slumping against the couch cushions. "I've just never known what. Now everything is coming into the light so suddenly, I mean I guess that I hoped that I would have graduated high school before whatever all this is happened but I know I can't deny fate. Chanyeol is my mate or at least that's what I'm willing to believe with this ink magic as my proof, I just hope that he'll feel comfortable enough to tell me soon."

"I think that in your heart you already know the answer, or have at least compiled a list of potential answers to the questions you have for him especially after that little stunt he pulled in the parking lot with Jongin yesterday."

"I don't know if I find it creepy that you're everywhere and see everything, or if I'm actually glad that I can talk about everything with you.." Baekhyun admitted, looking at the woman before him. Nana's lip curled in the corner, her hand reaching out to touch his hand but before her touch could lay on his skin Nana's hand hovered over it. Baekhyun's lips curled downwards in a sad smile, he wanted to feel her touch but they both knew how that would turn out. Whenever he was touched by a ghost his body was sent into countless shivers at the foreign touch, a spirit's presence brought goosebumps along his skin. It wasn't a terrible thing but he disliked the uncomfortable feeling that he felt whenever it happened, so in a way he was grateful Nana stopped her touch before it landed on his skin. "Can you at least tell me if he's a part of a mafia or something? I feel like I would need quite a bit of time to wrap my head around that one..."

Nana's laughter rang through his mind, the ghost's shoulders shook as she chuckled happily on his couch. Baekhyun didn't know if that laughter meant that she was nervous to tell him the truth, but judging by her shaking head it meant that her answer would bring him some sort of relief. "Not the mafia, but it is dangerous."

Or maybe not.

"I guess it would have been easier to wrap my head around that, now that I don't even know what he could be I'm a little more hesitant." Baekhyun admitted, his gaze turned to the carpet beneath his feet. He could see the swirls of the colourful threads woven into the rug, their presence bringing a small smile to his lips. "I know that whatever it is I won't mind it, not really. I suppose that I might get a little confused or surprised by it but I trust him, apparently he's keeping things from me because he's trying to protect me so I know that I can't hate him for that."

"He's protecting you and he's doing a lot to keep you in the dark because he's afraid that you won't be able to handle it. I suppose he thinks that you won't be able to love him to the extent that he loves you after you hear about it. I think he takes this view because it's the way he sees himself, he sees himself as a monster and he tries to deny his true self but he's willing to do anything for those he cares about which is why he's taking over the top position of the family so that Jongin doesn't have to do it."

"That sounds very mafia-like to me..." Baekhyun's eyes narrowed, looking at Nana with a judgmental gaze. The ghost laughed but continued to shake her head.

"If you want to think of it like that then fine, it isn't completely right but I can see why you would think that." she giggled while standing up from the soft couch cushions, Baekhyun's eyes focused on the cushion as it moved back into formation after the ghost's presence. "My son would be in your view the Donna then."

"Not the Don?" Baekhyun's brow raised in surprise, not completely understanding why Nana would place her son in the stereotypical lead female mother-like role in a mafia family. When he saw Nana shake her head, Baekhyun's mind went into a craze. Was Chanyeol one of the few children born from two male parents? Baekhyun had heard about the cases before but had never really given himself time to look over them, but from what he could remember a genetic mutilation caused by some failed vaccine enabled males the ability to give birth. It was a rare condition but most hospitals had developed their systems to be able to help such people, after the first case back in the early 1920s. "So your son is a gifted one?"

"Technically he is, yes" Nana nodded her head, a proud smile on her lips. She walked towards the window again, her eyes seeing further than the curtains she had pulled earlier. "but I'm afraid that Chanyeol doesn't carry the gene himself which to some in our community can be quite saddening as he is expected to carry on the line of succession."

Baekhyun felt his heart drop from the centre of his chest and land in his stomach, he had little to no idea about the life Chanyeol had but from the nuggets of information Nana was feeding him he couldn't deny that his mate had it bad. There was a lot expected of Chanyeol, Baekhyun could only imagine the amount of pressure hanging on his mate's shoulders. Chanyeol was young, he should have the entire world at his feet and yet he wasn't like everyone else. He had large responsibilities, tasks that Baekhyun couldn't even begin to imagine. Situations that Chanyeol was trying to keep away from him in hopes that Baekhyun would continue to stay by his side. This was bigger than he expected. But sonehow he was excited for it.

"Should I tell him that I know?" he wondered, looking up at Nana who turned to him with raised brows. She noticed that his words ran a little deeper in tone, which made her realise that Baekhyun wasn't just talking about the fact that Chanyeol was born from two male parents. He was talking about knowing what Chanyeol was, or at least his occupation and what was waiting for him.

"Tell him what exactly?" she threaded on the edge of a cliff, her fingers dancing around each other across her chest. She viewed the boy beneath her eyelashes, her breath hitching as his lips formed the words.

"Should I tell him that I know he's a royal?"

If she was still alive Baekhyun was almost certain that the woman would have fainted to the floor after his claim, her wide eyes and quickening breath had him jumping off the couch. He didn't know why because he couldn't touch her body if she did end up fainting, it must have been muscle memory. Nevertheless she waved her hand and he took back his seat, offering her a wry smile.

"Can I ask how you managed to figure that out?"

"Kyungsoo had a great interest in what I thought about royals and when you told me that your family wasn't a mafia family I wasn't really left with many other options, I think when you said the 'line of succession' bit made me finalize my theory. It also explains why Lay was needed, I've seen him in action and he is quite good at fighting when necessary. It also crossed my mind when I was chatting with Kyungsoo yesterday, his family was quite happy with his link to Jongin which would make better sense if it was because he had money. Again Mafia like ideas but could also relate to another high ranking position in society, I mean they could be ministers but again what you said makes me conclude that you come from a royal bloodline. It would also explain his home schooling. A duke perhaps? Maybe a lord?"

"Or the king himself?" Nana added, her lower lip being taken beneath her teeth when she noticed Baekhyun's alarmed state. "You could honestly believe that Chanyeol could be something as low as a lord? Baekhyun, Chanyeol is the Prince, my son is the queen and his father is the reigning king."

"But there is no royal family of South Korea, there hasn't been one since 1910 when we signed the Japan-Korean treaty." Baekhyun's headache momentarily came back as his mind flooded with possibilities, he groaned at the pain before it suddenly disappeared when a new idea came to mind. "Your family is a royal family not known to the public, which means that clearly no one knows of your existence... or at least no one human does."

Baekhyun watched as Nana's throat swallowed the lump in it, his eyes widening when everything began to click into place. Nana's teasing jokes about her age, Kyungsoo's interest in his view on the supernatural, Chanyeol and Jongin's sudden appearance outside their school, Chanyeol's hesitancy to enter Baekhyun's apartment, his mate's discomfort with the blood lesson that would be happening tomorrow, the banter between Chanyeol and Lay when they discussed things Baekhyun couldn't understand, their double meanings.. There clearly was never something human about them from the beginning, but Baekhyun simply brushed it off as something strange but normal. It wasn't. There was nothing normal about the past two weeks.

"You're not human," Baekhyun whispered, looking up at Nana who froze in her spot at his statement. "none of you are. Not you, not Kyungsoo, not Jongin, not Chanyeol not..." he heaved for breath, tears filling his eyes. "Lay."

"Baekhyun-" Nana's voice was broken, her own tears falling down her cheeks as she tried to reapproach the boy but Baekhyun was quicker than the ghost. He shot up off the couch and ran behind it, putting a barrier between them. It seemed dumb in the moment since she was a ghost and would be able to simply pass through it but Baekhyun watched her as she stopped her advances towards him.

"Leave me alone." he begged, shaking his head when she refused to leave. He knew that she wanted to explain, he could see it in her eyes as she begged him quietly to stay. But he couldn't, how could he when he was suddenly overwhelmed with the reality of his life? What started out as a simple mundane life ended up with him being the mate of some supernatural royal boy whose intentions may have been good but his lack of communication with him made Baekhyun's entire world crumble around him. He knows that he should have been able to handle this breakthrough with a calm and collected mind, especially after his conversation about the supernatural beings last night with Kyungsoo. But knowing that the closest people to him couldn't even tell him what they were, hurt him. The consequences or danger be damned.

"I don't think that me leaving right now would be the best decision Baekhyun, I know you feel hurt and I'm sorry that I couldn't just tell you straight out. You're clearly overwhelmed with the amount of information you just figured out by yourself here, finding out that not only is your mate a supernatural creature but is also a royal, although granted he isn't exactly seen as such in the eyes of the humans-"

"I'm human," Baekhyun hissed, gazing at Nana who was surprised that he had interrupted her. "why didn't you include me in your explanation?"

"Because we both know that you're not just a human Baekhyun," Nana's voice was firm, whatever emotion she had earlier was gone now leaving behind the seriousness of the situation. "you can't be if you're the soulmate of my grandson. You may look and smell human but there is a different blood type swimming in that body of yours, I may be dead but I can still see it whenever I look at you. I have been spending all of my time trying to get answers for you because I know in the future you will need them, I've been contacting the witches here and they too are willing to help me."

"Here? Where exactly are you, if not in the same room as me?"

"I'm in the same room as you, but you're not exactly in my realm. It's complicated to explain since you've already dealt with enough information today." Nana's hands went all over the place, Baekhyun's eyebrow raising in confusion but her words held some truth so he decided that he would have to wait for another day to figure that out. For now he was going to cook himself some breakfast and watch a ton of Netflix to make up for the horrible morning, maybe later he could treat himself to a delivery.

"I do appreciate everything that you've done for me Nana," Baekhyun admitted, forcing his lips to curl upwards. "I'm sorry that I wasn't entirely prepared for everything that I figured out. I will come to terms about it today and then by tomorrow I should be fine, would you please come to visit me?"

Nana's shoulders dipped, a weight clearly being ed off of them. She grinned and nodded her head. "I'll leave you alone to rest today, I'll come by again tomorrow. Be careful Baekhyun and look after yourself, make sure to eat your meals too okay?"

The boy bowed his head and when he looked back up again he was surprised to see that the ghost had fully disappeared. It was at this moment when Baekhyun realised that even though he had come to the conclusion that Chanyeol and his family were members of the supernatural community, he didn't exactly know which species to define them under. They weren't particularly hairy so a werewolf was crossed off the list, they didn't have dead or glossy eyes so they weren't zombies either, witches wouldn't necessarily call for their age jokes and he saw Chanyeol and co out in the sunlight so they weren't vampires. Baekhyun decided that he had already covered enough for today, he could figure out what exactly they were another time. For now his Oreo O's were calling him from the top cabinet, breakfast was waiting! 

Baekhyun particularly skipped to the door with a bright smile on his face when he realised that the ringing was caused by the delivery man bringing him his desired food. He ordered some Chinese food, figuring that it was a little healthier than his original pizza idea and since he wasn't really in the mood for chicken and cola. A Hotpot with the side dishes of dumplings and Sichuan Pork would certainly be making his day a little brighter. He happily pulled open the door, cash already in hand but the sight before him had his grin slipping off his lips.

Where was the delivery guy?

An overwhelming feeling settled over Baekhyun, his heart started to pound against his chest. Every nerve in his body was begging him to get back into the apartment where things would be saver, but for whatever reason his feet were glued to the doorframe. He turned his head towards the left, his gaze travelling down the hallway. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, the hallway was still lit up with the overhanging lights. He turned his head to the right, his heart leaped when he momentarily forgot that the light just before his apartment was blown and hadn't been replaced just yet.

"Get back in the apartment." Nana's sudden appearance directly across from him had Baekhyun's breath leaving his lips, she felt so close and her desperate eyes had Baekhyun take a step back. The tips of his toes pressed against the wood defining his threshold, his gaze was locked on Nana who let out a relieved breath at his compliance to her warning.

He might not have seen the danger that was lurking in the hallway but he could certainly feel it, he refused to turn around and close the door. He was going to stay where Nana told him to remain, apparently he was safe within his apartment and as long as he stayed inside it there shouldn't be a problem. At least that's what he gathered from her words and look of content when he followed them.

"What's going on?" he whispered, waiting for Nana to turn back to him. He swallowed the extra saliva that developed in his mouth the moment the ghost's head snapped to him almost as quickly as she had appeared, her eyes were wide and for a split second Baekhyun thought that she looked terrifying. However in the blink of his eye Baekhyun wasn't staring into the eyes of his friendly ghost friend any longer, instead he was staring into the eyes of a monster. His breath hitched in his throat but he refused to sound scared as he blinked back at the snarling creature in front of him.

Bright blue eyes stared right into his soul, the pupil dilated against the colourful iris.The entirety of the sclera from these human-like eyes had completely disappeared, exchanged for a deep blood red colour. Dark grey veins pressed against the skin just beneath the creature's eyelashes seemingly pumping blood into the eyes, Baekhyun's gaze dropped to the lips that were covering him in spit. His heart pounded against his chest when he realised that just beneath these plump lips hid a set of fangs, large and sharp ready to sink into anything they could reach. The longer he looked at this creature's face the more familiar it got, Baekhyun's brows furrowed as he concentrated on the snarling creature's face yet again. The eyes were the wrong colour but it was him, it was Mr. Lee the building manager who had been searching his apartment days ago.

"What the hell happened to you?" Baekhyun asked, not really expecting an answer when the creature hissed back at him. The boy swiped the spit that fell on his face off with the pad of his finger, he blinked hoping that what he was seeing would disappear the more he blinked. Sadly that didn't happen, Mr Lee was still there and was looking a lot more frustrated than before.

"Why can't I get in?" The man asked, his eyes narrowed in Baekhyun's direction. The boy whined at the sight of the man squinting, the red sclera looked really aggravated and he doubted that squinting would be helping the man with it. "Step outside Baekhyun."

"Yeah no thank you." the human attempted to smile but it just turned into a disgusted grimace, his hand seeking out his front door. He stepped aside to allow the door access, before he was able to close the door in the building manager's face the man's hand came up and pushed it backwards. Baekhyun was able to jump out of the way before the door flew back at him with an increased velocity, he was able to grab it before it impaled the wall behind it.

"Step outside Baekhyun."

"Don't do it." Nana appeared next to him again making Baekhyun momentarily short circuit, he was having more trouble with the ghost than the crazy looking creature in front of him. The human turned to look at her, his nostrils flared while his arms spread out on either side of his waist.

"Jeez thank you for the advice captain obvious! Like hell would I step outside and be at the mercy of whatever the hell that is!"

"Who are you talking to?" Mr Lee questioned, his brows furrowed in the centre of his forehead. Baekhyun shivered at the sight of the questionable glance, that was nasty.

"Your human face." Baekhyun deadpanned, surprised to hear the words slip out of his mouth when he didn't even think about them in his mind first. "Mr Lee, tell me what happened to you because that" he gestured towards his face. "isn't usual for you." 

"You really are clueless!" the man screamed, his shout causing Baekhyun to jump in fright. "I got turned into a vampire Baekhyun and I have orders to kill you-" 

Slam. 

Baekhyun stared at his front door, content now that it was back in place over his threshold. He turned his entire body to Nana who was frozen by his sudden action, he offered her a small smile but she could see that the poor boy was screaming on the inside. 

"You have got to be kidding me." he hissed out through the gaps in his teeth, Nana continued to stare at his grin and how creepy it looked when he said those words. 

"Surprise?" She did a terrible attempt of jazz-hands, forcing Baekhyun's hand to hit into his forehead. "It really isn't your day today, is it?" 

"No.." The boy's voice squeaked, his hand sliding off his forehead, past his eye and down his cheek before falling back to his side. "I think I better go cancel my food order." 

"Yep that sounds like a good idea." Nana's lips pressed together as her head nodded, she watched as the boy agreed before heading back into his living-room to make the call. She gave him a couple moments of peace before walking back inside, her fingers playing together against her stomach. 

"How do you feel?" 

Baekhyun sighed and shook his head while his shoulders rose against his ears, his face looked like it had aged at least five years. She couldn't blame him or his reactions, Baekhyun had really come to terms with everything happening around him. She had hoped that he would have been given the opportunity to figure it out on his own but apparently the universe decided that he needed to know quicker than later. Nana wouldn't admit to it if anyone was to ask her but, she was glad that Kris had sent Mr. Lee to kill Baekhyun because she wouldn't have been able to handle it if the boy was kept in the dark any longer. 

"How am I supposed to feel Nana?" Baekhyun wondered, blinking through his tears. The ghost felt her heart crack when she watched him sniff and rub at his eyes harshly. "I know that I said that I wanted to figure everything out but I didn't think that I actually would, how am I going to be able to leave my house now with him standing outside?" 

"Yixing, he may be out for groceries right now but he will be back soon. Mr. Lee knows about him so he won't want to stay out there all night when he knows that your protector will be right next door, besides Yixing can get into your apartment since you have already-" 

"Invited him in?" Baekhyun finished for her, swiping a single tear with the side of his thumb. "I've read Dracula, vampires need to be invited into dwellings otherwise they can't enter." 

"Quick note," Nana stuck out her pointer finger wigging it around in front of Baekhyun's nose, teasing the poor boy with the idea of touching it. "if it's a vampire that owns the property all vampires can have access. Which is how Chanyeol was able to step inside Yixing's apartment without the protector having to invite him in like you would have had to do if you wanted him here." 

"But Mr Lee owns the building-" 

"He may own the building but he doesn't technically own the apartments inside the building, you signed a contract when you came here right?" Baekhyun nodded his head. "That means that to vampires this place is yours and they can't access it if you don't grant them entry, which is why I told you to get back inside." 

"You knew that he was going to come for me, didn't you?" 

"I suddenly had a really bad feeling, I was out following Yixing around the mall but you pulled me back. I knew that you were in danger so I had to come and see if you were okay." 

"Thank you." Baekhyun bowed his head, the ghost understanding enough to reassure him a simple bow would be enough. "I guess I'll be making my own food tonight huh?" 

"You could always text Yixing and let him know that you haven't eaten yet, I'm sure he would happily cook for you." 

Baekhyun let out an airy chuckle, dipping his head in agreement. However, he shook his head the next moment. Before Nana could get her words out and ask why, the boy had beaten her to it. "I think I just want the day to myself, I need to take this new piece of information into consideration and I think it would be better for everyone if I handle it alone. I'll pretend that I have no clue tomorrow and see how things go, maybe I'll slip questions in or suggestive remarks but for right now I think I'm just going to be by myself. You said it yourself, I'm safe here so that's reassuring." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah," Baekhyun claimed, good he found his confidence again. "I got this. Thanks Nana." 

"I'll see you again soon Baekhyun." 

"I'll see you tomorrow." The boy offered her one last smile before she allowed herself to disappear, she didn't leave right away choosing to stay behind to watch him for just a couple minutes more. Her heart broke as she heard him sob into the palms of his hands, his body shaking and quivering as the sobs rattled his entire body. She had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from crying, the pain Baekhyun was experiencing was so strong she couldn't believe that he had been carrying it alone for so long. 

"Nana," a voice called beckoning her away from her grandson's mate, she quickly dried her eyes before she turned towards the voice. She stuck on her most convincing smile, knowing that the girl standing before her would be able to see through it nonetheless. "is that him? Is that Chanyeol's mate?" 

"Yeah he is," Nana nodded, allowing the girl to reach her. She watched as the girl stared at the crying boy in curiosity. "he just found out that our family are vampires." 

"I pity him," she whispered, looking into her fellow ghost's eyes. "he is going to have to deal with so much when he fully accepts it." 

"I just hope for our sake that he does, we both know that Chanyeol loves him and the boy would be crushed to see the mate he has spent his entire lifetime searching for leaves him." 

"Besides the quicker he agrees, the quicker I get to wake up." 

"Now Skylar that is no way to talk about your future brother in law!" Nana scolded, hitting the girl across her shoulder. The other ghost giggled, swaying to the side just in time to miss her grandmother's smack. "You mustn't hurry him along, he's been doing an amazing job all by himself. Baekhyun is an opened minded spirit, he knows that the world doesn't only contain humans and he's willing to accept that he just needs a little time in order to wrap his head around the fact that everyone he has gotten close to are such creatures." 

"You had the opportunity to tell him so many times before, why didn't you?" 

"Because I thought your idiotic brother would save me the trouble, but clearly we aren't the only ones feeling frustrated. Baekhyun was too which is why he summoned me to be by his side today, he wanted answers and now he has them, I just hope that Chanyeol will forgive me for indulging in his mate's questions." 

"Chanyeol was always and will continue to be whipped for you, you're his favourite family member I doubt even death could change that." 

"Have you paid a visit to Kris like I asked?" 

"Of course," Skylar grinned, bouncing on the tips of her toes. "he's still in China. I only wished that I appeared at any other time because he was knee deep in some poor hooker's a-" 

"Yes thank you very much for that, but I don't think those were the exact details I sent you there for.." Nana interrupted, her voice sounding a little high as she travelled through the wall next to Baekhyun's television. Skylar's loud laugh following her.