[CONTENTID1]Choice: Wait for help.[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Haera winced as she shifted in her place to minimize the chance of her legs falling asleep. 

“I guess I'll wait for help for a few minutes,” she said to herself. “If they don't come, I'll head to that castle to see if I can ride out the rain there instead.”

Left with no choice but to stay in her current spot, Haera squatted down in a position that was comfortable for her despite the injury she sustained. She tried to recall pieces of information she previously studied for her upcoming test to keep herself occupied.

A rustling in the forest opposite from the castle perked her ears. Despite the roaring rain and sporadic thunder and lightning, the sounds she heard were distinct. It sounded like rushed footsteps behind the bushes covered in the night. As she looked closely, she discerned a tall figure with what looked like a cape flowing behind them. 

‘Is that a costumed student?’ she thought. Then her heart sank at another possibility. ‘What if it isn’t?’

She tried to stay hidden as much as she could, but a twig below her snapped. She felt her heart stop when she saw that the figure snapped their head towards her direction. Bright, piercing, orange eyes locked with her dark brown ones, making her breath hitch. 

“Oh my god, oh my god…!” She hurriedly scurried backwards as the figure slowly inched closer towards her. However, she lost her footing, making her tumble onto a pile of wet leaves.

“Who’s there?” a clear and calm male voice asked. He was now about fifteen feet in front of her, making his bright and slanted orange eyes more visible. “Are you lost?”

Haera tried to show her confident attitude from before but nothing came out of her lips. Her flashlight quivered as she scanned the unknown male in front of her.

The man before her wore a black ed suit with a white shirt, now drenched, along with some black slacks and dress shoes. Despite being subjected to the strong rain, she noticed that his looks didn’t seem to have been disturbed as much as hers. The man also wore a dark cape that was red on the inside. It latched loosely under the collar of his shirt which made a little bow around his neck. His maroon-colored hair, which looked like it had been gelled, didn’t look a strand out of place.

“Oh my,” he looked down worriedly and saw her limp left leg. “Oh dear, you’re hurt.” 

Haera may not have met every single one of the students who joined the Halloween event personally, but she did take a glance at all the faces back at the camp at least once. That’s how she knew that this person was not one of them. 

“Who are you?” she managed to say loud enough against the pouring rain. 

“My name is Jooheon,” he sweetly smiled, showing his sharp canines. He then stretched out his hands to the sides, making his cape flow beside him. “Vampire.”

Haera looked a bit confused. She could have sworn she saw most — if not all — of the people who were a part of the event. She had a pretty good memory too. Perhaps she missed a face back at the camp. It certainly was hectic the whole day. “I’ve never seen you before. Are you part of the scare team?”

“Oh!” The man’s face lit up with a child-like innocence. “That’s the first compliment I heard in years! You see, we’re supposed to be seen as scary but most of the time, people don’t find me to be scary at all.”

Her face must have looked pale at the statement which prompted Jooheon to reorganize his thoughts. He remembered that her ankle needed some tending.

“But first, let me help you,” he bent down and stretched out a hand for her to hold. Haera, however, flinched at his invitation. His face dropped. “Don’t be scared. I just want to help.”

“I don’t even know you. For all I know, you’re some sort of serial killer.”

“Hey now,” he pouted, retracting his hand to cross his arms on his chest. He bent down to her eye level. “Vampires rarely kill these days. And if we do, it’s either an accident from drinking too much blood or we underestimated our strength.”

“I get it,” Haera pointed to his getup. “You’re in a vampire costume. Just drop the act.”

Jooheon’s lips formed a flat line. He gave it some thought before he continued, “Well, my friend—” He stopped m