Ryeowook knew that he was alone even before he opened his eyes. It wasn’t silence that surrounded him; the soft chirping and rustling from the awakening spring forest around the hut came through the wooden walls easily. But the lack of any human sounds or the feeling of someone else’s presence in the room was a clear indicator.

He slowly opened his eyes, taken aback a little by the sharpness and colorfulness of the place. No direct sunlight permeated the barred windows and there was not even a tiny slit in the hut’s walls, but even the twilight was enough for him, almost even too bright for a moment. He sat up slowly on the bed and let his gaze travel over the small one-room hut. He took in the kitchen area that Kyuhyun was obviously using, and the two buckets with water next to the counter. There was a low table with a hassock situated between the kitchen area and the fire.

He tried to recall what had happened before he fell asleep, but there was only a haze of agony, and red, making his throat burn in the present. He rubbed his hand against it uncomfortably, but the burning sensation couldn’t be stilled so easily.

His eyes landed on the two buckets with water again and he fought his way up, feeling a little unsure on his legs at first. How long had it been since he last got up? He supported himself on the wall with one hand, waiting a little until he felt more secure and was certain that his legs wouldn’t give out the moment he tried to walk, then he slowly made his way over to the kitchen. Once he had managed to locate two mugs and took one of them, he sank to his knees in front of the bucket and looked at his reflection, blinking slowly. Was that really him? He looked… lifeless, almost. His cheeks were a little sunken in, his hair was a mess, dark shadows had appeared beneath his eyes in stark contrast to his unnaturally pale skin… Right, he had been sick before Kyuhyun turned him. Of course the turning wouldn’t miraculously restore his looks to sometime before the sickness.

He shook his head lightly, but he couldn’t shake away the worry about his appearance. As a prince, it had always been such a natural thing to worry about and now he was afraid that the twilight even hid the true extent of his condition. Maybe splashing some water into his face would help a little? He looked around once more, but he couldn’t spot a bowl that looked like it was meant for such purposes, so he disregarded that thought for the time being and focused on his initial goal to drink some water.

A part of him wavered and he felt like he had forgotten something, but trying to recall it only gave him a headache, so he dipped the mug into the bucket and lifted it to his lips, trying a small bit. The cool liquid felt good against his dry lips and he was tempted to drown the whole cup in one go, using all his self-restraint not to do that while he focused on the feeling of the water making its way to his stomach. It was such a normal act and yet such a strong sensation.

A wave of nausea hit him without preparation. He hastily put the mug down, hearing it tip over and fall to its side while he pressed his other hand over his mouth, staggering up. The outhouse! Or at least outside! Quick!

He gagged, forcing everything down. Somehow, he was at the door, but his hand couldn’t find the handle, searching, searching, then finally it was there, he opened it. The pain intensified with the first rays of light that entered the room, shining right on him.

He stumbled back, away, gagged, coughed, squinted his eyes. He was trembling, couldn’t stop gagging, couldn’t breathe! Tears were dripping from his eyes, running over his cheeks, but he couldn’t stop them, held on to whatever was right there with him, something soft.

He was still trembling when the gagging and coughing finally stopped. There was a small, wet patch on the floor, no more than the sip of water he had drunk. The arm that had pushed the door open felt like it was on fire, but when he glanced at it, he could only see an angry red glare.

“Right after you’re turned, there are a lot of things that you will have to be careful about. Many things will normalize eventually, but right after the turning, you can only go outside at night. The sun will get more bearable after a few weeks, but until then, direct exposure to it harms you. You also can’t eat or drink anything but blood: your body will need more time to adjust to its new nature.”

The thought of blood and the throwing up made his throat burn again and Ryeowook took a shaky breath, trying to calm himself. Right, nothing but blood, not even water. And no daylight for some time. So that was the thing that he hadn’t been able to recall right away.

He slowly raised his head, squinting against the suddenly bright room. He knew that it was late evening and the sun should set soon. The knowledge was there, as implemented and certain as his own name and heritage. And yet, the glare of the sun seemed as bright as noon, tinting the world in too much color that Ryeowook could hardly bear to glance towards, let alone process. The thought struck him that he should probably close the door, but he didn’t know how—the entire area around it was flooded with sunlight. There was no way that he could get close to it.

Time passed. How much, he couldn’t tell, but the sun’s outline moved bit by bit and the rustling and chirping outside continued, a little louder now that the sounds could travel into the hut without barrier. Ryeowook had realized at some point that he had instinctively crouched down by the bed. A pile of blankets near the head end of the bed showed what Kyuhyun most likely used to sleep, immediately making Ryeowook feel guilty. How long had he denied the other the comfort of a bed? Though his memories had returned quickly, the last thing he could remember clearly was the night that Kyuhyun had turned him, the look in the other’s warm eyes, the kiss, the pleasure-pain of the bite… and then a painful, red haze.

Something nudged at the edge of his consciousness, interrupting his thoughts, and he frowned, trying to figure out what it was. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration and he listened more closely to his surroundings. The birds had gone quiet, but aside from that, nothing seemed to have changed. So what was this thing that had taken away the tiny bit of peace he had found?

A scent! Both familiar and unfamiliar. The sound of steps followed right after that realization, steps that sounded almost like the other person was running. Ryeowook wondered if he should be afraid at his defenseless situation, but instead, he felt even calmer than before, as if whoever was coming bore the promise of rest, certainty, and relief.

Ryeowook raised his gaze towards the door, not squinting this time because his eyes had grown used to the slowly dimming light that shone through it. The steps were closer now, reaching the hut, then the door was pulled open with a quick movement. More light streamed into the room and Ryeowook had to look away, squinting once again.

He heard a sigh of relief and just a moment later, the door was closed, finally giving Ryeowook’s eyes more rest. “Thank god you’re here. What happened? Why was the door open? What are you doing there? Did anyone come here? What happened with your arm? Ryeowook, didn’t I tell you not to go outside?” The voice came closer and with it the overwhelming scent that brought the pain in his throat back with an almost unbearable intensity.

Ryeowook could finally look at Kyuhyun, numbly following as the other pulled Ryeowook up by his good arm and made him sit on the bed, carefully pulling the hurt arm closer to inspect it. Empty phrases of protest and reassurance died on Ryeowook's lips before he could speak them as his eyes took in the young man right before him. His features that seemed even sharper than before, his sun-kissed skin that shone in a new and unique color, the hair that seemed blacker than before, the soft creases of his forehead while he studied Ryeowook’s hand and arm, the worry in those brown eyes, suddenly so much more intense in their color, the even lighter, almost golden patches that seemed to reflect Kyuhyun’s element so much more than they used to, his straight nose, those lips, tempting as ever, yet currently pursed in concentration. Ryeowook couldn’t help his eyes dip even lower to Kyuhyun’s slender neck, suddenly mesmerized with the carotid artery that moved ever so lightly with each heartbeat, causing an uncomfortable pull in his upper jaw. Had his teeth seemed as sharp just a moment earlier?

“You’re lucky, you weren’t burnt badly.” Kyuhyun gently guided Ryeowook’s hand to the bed and looked up, his gaze meeting Ryeowook’s. The young prince’s attention was distracted immediately, getting lost in the beauty of those eyes.

His healthy hand appeared in his vision even though he hadn’t noticed that he had begun to raise it and he rested it against Kyuhyun’s cheek ever so gently. Was he cold or was it just because Kyuhyun was always a little warmer? The contrast of their skin tones seemed so strange, so stark. Had they always looked this different?

Movement distracted Ryeowook all over again and finally, he got an amused smiles out of Kyuhyun, more sparkling and dazzling than ever before. His heart fluttered, an intense feeling full of life.

“What is it, huh? Has my entrance rendered my little prince speechless?”

“I’m not a little prince,” Ryeowook mumbled, startled by his own voice, sounding so different, hoarse but also… just different.

Kyuhyun’s smile brightened and Ryeowook knew then that he had never seen true beauty until that moment. The view was denied from him very quickly, though, when Kyuhyun’s face turned serious, full of worry. “But really, Ryeowook, what happened here?”

The freshly turned vampire shook his head lightly, letting his hand drop. He tore his eyes away and found the mug across the room, still lying on the floor. “I just… I was thirsty… I forgot, somehow… So I wanted to drink something, but…” He looked down, embarrassed. Kyuhyun had told him not to forget his instructions, he had made Ryeowook repeat all of them until he was satisfied… and yet Ryeowook had still forgotten.

“And then you felt sick, so your first instinct was to go outside. I see,” Kyuhyun finished. “How is the pain?” The pain? Which one? The arm? The throat? “Your arm, silly,” Kyuhyun specified as if he had read Ryeowook’s mind, but the dilemma had probably been written all over the prince’s face. “But you can also tell me about how thirsty you are.”

“The arm is okay. It hurt at first, but it’s not too bad now. My throat feels worse…”

Kyuhyun nodded, seemingly not having expected much else. “That’s normal. Your body is still adjusting, give it some time. Do you think you’ll be able to wait with feeding until tomorrow?”

Feeding..? Ah, right. Ryeowook tried to listen to his body, but the more he thought about it, the stronger did the pull in his upper jaw and the pain in his throat get until he just shook his head, not sure whether it meant ‘no’ or ‘I don’t know’.

“Distraction it is, then. Let’s see how far we can stretch this. But remember, be honest with me, okay? If you feel like you can’t bear it anymore, tell me. Honesty is the only way to figuring this out in the most controlled manner possible.”

Ryeowook nodded dutifully, but he still didn’t look up. He looked at his burned arm, wondering if he should have applied any medicine or at least cold water. Did they even have an ointment against burns—or whatever exactly had happened?

Another question popped into his mind and no matter how strange his voice still sounded in his ears, he asked it aloud, “How long?”

He felt Kyuhyun’s eyes on him and wondered if he should have specified the question. When he couldn’t bear the silence anymore, he looked up to find the other smiling again. “Little prince, such a thing doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that you’ve overcome the worst now. There’s still a fight awaiting you, but that will only be arduous, not as painful anymore.” Suddenly, the comforting smile turned into another one of Kyuhyun’s infamous mocking half-smirks. “That is, assuming that you’ll remember my tips this time.”

Ryeowook rolled his eyes, yet he repeated his question, “It’s important to me, though. How long was I unconscious?”

Kyuhyun’s expression became serious, almost pained, and he shook his head. “Let it slide, please. I understand why you think it’s important, but that time has passed now and that’s good.”

Ryeowook swallowed his protest, looking away in disappointment, yet he knew not to ask further. He wanted to ask about that expression, wanted to know why Kyuhyun so vehemently refused to tell him about it. What had happened during that time? Had he done something bad? Had he gone rogue? Had he hurt Kyuhyun? Had something else happened that he should know about but was too painful for Kyuhyun?

He looked around the hut, but aside from their bags being packed and his clothes lying neatly folded on the small table, nothing seemed to have changed. So nothing too bad had happened, right?

“Oh, what is the weather like these days? We won’t get drenched again immediately, will we?”

Kyuhyun smiled lightly and shook his head. “No, the weather has been good these days.”

“Right, why did you say that rain will make it more difficult for anyone to follow us? As long as no one sees us—or me—does it really matter what the weather is like?”

Kyuhyun nodded. “Yes. I suppose that the court employs vampires and chances are that they will lose track of us more easily after it rained.”

Ryeowook raised an eyebrow. “The court employs vampires? I don’t think so, I would know if the court employed vampires—and then the concept wouldn’t have been this new to me.”

Kyuhyun shook his head. “It’s not as unlikely as you think. I’ve met a few vampires who settled down and asked one of them about it. He said that he had made an exclusive contract with someone from the local elite that allows them to stay and receive legal protection if necessary. Those contracts are usually renewed with each new generation taking over the official’s position. Did you really think we’d spend all our lives travelling nonstop?”

Ryeowook looked at Kyuhyun, distracted by his looks once again, and smiled softly, grateful to find the typical mocking half-smile back on the other’s lips. “You’re beautiful.” He instantly felt himself blush when he realized he had actually said those words, somehow wondering how there was apparently enough blood in his body for him to blush, but those thoughts dispersed at the sound of Kyuhyun’s laughter. Ryeowook jumped a little, not having expected how loud it was, before he relaxed quickly, smiling with the other.

“Your speechlessness and you basically devouring me with your eyes kinda already gave that away, little prince.”

“I wasn’t—“

“Oh, you totally were!” Kyuhyun got up and went over to the kitchen area, picking up the mug from earlier and placing it back on the counter before he took the other mug, filled it with water, and drank it in one go.

“How unfair,” Ryeowook mumbled, feeling his throat itch with the need to drink something as well.

Kyuhyun shrugged. “I’m the only one responsible for you, if I don’t drink and feed enough, that’ll be bad for both of us.”

Ryeowook bit his lip in shame. How could he criticize Kyuhyun with everything the other did for him?

“Anyway,” Kyuhyun changed the topic, suddenly sounding a lot more serious, “are you ready to try out your new vampire skills?” Ryeowook raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t have to ask before Kyuhyun explained, “When I was in town today, I heard a few people gossip about some high-ranking officers from Korea having arrived in Dalian yesterday. I don’t think they know our exact whereabouts yet, but I don’t want to risk it either.”

Ryeowook gulped and nodded. He wanted to stay in, to just chat with Kyuhyun and relax, but of course they couldn’t do that, not if he didn’t want to be found. “Let’s go.”

Kyuhyun gave him a curt nod. “Remember to tell me if the hunger gets too much, okay?”

“Yes.”

Kyuhyun brought Ryeowook’s clothes over, then he busied himself with packing their backpacks, giving Ryeowook privacy to get dressed. It didn’t take long for both of them to get ready and Ryeowook took one more look around the hut, then he turned away and back to Kyuhyun who was watching him.

“Let’s go,” Ryeowook repeated with a small smile and Kyuhyun gave him another nod, then he led the way.