“It’s long been accepted that Were- Societies have followed the Alpha, Beta, and Omega hierarchy.” The professor droned. 

The only noise in the old, dusty, archaic classroom was the soft snores of a few students and the soft scratching of quill on paper. It was a pivotal moment of history for them all so it was important to take notes. Although, in Wheein’s case, it was important to draw doodles in the margins of her notes in order to remain awake. Unlike Byul, who immediately dozed off once the topic changed from their vampiric histories to the basics of Were-society, Wheein knew the importance of learning about the very beings who are rivals turned allies. Even though her eyes wanted to close at any second. 

“However, it’s been proven false now that we have a clearer understanding on how they operate,” The professor pushed the chalkboard aside to reveal a new one with diagrams drawn on as dust and various chalk particles danced in the air with the sudden movement, “What we believed to be a fundamental core of their society being a socio-ual hierarchy has been debunked and instead it shone a light on our own misunderstandings on the most simplest of things.”  

Wheein jotted down a note before dipping her quill in ink and moving to a new spot to doodle. 

We’re not as smart and all knowing as we claim to be

“Instead, this Alpha, Beta, and Omega dynamic is a family dynamic,” The professor announced with a hint of amusement in their voice. As if it was a silly concept that they were explaining.

Several murmurs and whispers echoed throughout the classroom from the few students that were still awake. Some were surprised. Others were confused. All in all, this was the most attentive they’ve been since this overview of Were- Society topic started. Even Byul was awake. 

“How did we think it was a socio-ual hierarchy from something that turned out to be a family dynamic??” Byul whispered. Her eyes were dull with sleepiness as her hair partially stood up on the side she slept on. 

“Either the vampire historian that first observed the Were- Society had some unknown kinks or maybe they observed an outlier,” Wheein shrugged as she gently patted Byul’s hair down. 

The professor continued to drone until the grand bell tolled. A sign of the end of their long torture known as higher education. 

“Ah, I forget about time, but nonetheless, we went over the basics of Were- Society so now you are all prepared to engage, enlighten, and entertain our new allies in the upcoming….,” The professor waved their hand in the air as they searched for the right word, “Well, for the lack of a better term, let’s just call it a extravaganza.”

Students immediately began to shuffle out of the room. Being the last class of the night, all of them were itching to change out of their uniforms and into something more comfortable and less archaic. As advanced as everything was nowadays, there were just some things their vampiric society couldn't let go of. As if everything from the past held some sort of power despite it being obsolete. 

“So are you ready for the pre-party?” Byul asked as she stretched. Their footsteps barely echoed throughout the stone hallways. Like their ancestors before them, they mastered the art of silence unknowingly.

“How is it a pre-party when it’s the 5th party this week? Better yet, how is it a pre- anything when it’s just parties before we finally mingle with Werebeasts?” Wheein questioned as she eyed Byul. As much as Byul begged, Wheein never went to the pre-parties. They were full of debauchery that would make even the most hardened human vomit. All Wheein wanted to do was enjoy her time before the world she knew changed with this newfound alliance. 

“Ugh, why do you always the fun outta everything??” Byul groaned, “It’s one of the last times that we can all get to enjoy ourselves before being subjected to the awkwardness of being around strangers from a different society, culture, and species!”

“Uh-huh, you didn’t seem to worry about such mingling when humans were finally welcome to--” Wheein began before Byul’s finger cut her off.

“That was different! That was before humans became the menace they are today,” Byul huffed. Her hand covered the other in a far off memory.

“So you mean you don’t mind mingling with beings that are significantly weaker than you?” Wheein couldn’t help but smirk.

“Wheein, I swear I’m gonna suplex you,” Byul vaguely threatened with a glare. 

Wheein burst into laughter as they finally left the campus grounds. The gravel underneath their feet crunched ever so slightly as they made their way back to their quarters. The walls were slick with water and the stalactites dripped. Despite having no weather in the underground city, the rock walls and stalagmites and stalactites always told them what was happening in the outside world. They knew how far human society has come and as curious as they were they were also weary. Humans only knew one thing, and one thing only. They knew how to destroy. 

“You think the humans that drove us away from our homes are gone now? I never liked living under the earth,” Byul mused aloud as her eyes were focused above. As if counting the fangs above them would make time go by faster. 

“Considering how the expedition never came back, I assume the answer is no,” Wheein answered as her eyes were focused on the gravel road ahead of them. Her hand around Byul’s arm as the oldest was lost in memory. 

Despite how homogeneous everything was around them, it was easy to find their quarters. Well, more accurately, it was easy to find Byul’s house. Despite the few resources, and unmalleable material, Byul’s family still managed to carve out an elegant castle into rocky walls. Or, carve the front exterior of a castle into the rocky walls. Since that was the only thing that stuck out and there was no room to actually build castles. The rest of the interior was carved into rock and despite the many attempts to make it like the castle of old, it was still very much a cave. 

“You never answered my question, Whee,” Byul said as she unlocked the front gate of the mini courtyard before her house. Despite being where the sun never touches, that never stopped her family from trying to grow whatever flora they could. The tangle mass of failures covered the secret success that glowed underneath the dead husks of the flora of old. 

“What was the question again?” Wheein removed her bag from her shoulder to shift it to the other side. There was no requirement to review course materials, Wheein always wanted to be prepared. The professors were notorious for surprise quizzes and tests and projects that, despite having time on their side, it was easier to be prepared beforehand. 

“Are you ready for the pre-party?” Byul’s voice was laced with mischief and her eyes glistened with humour. curled upwards in a small smile. A smile that would normally put Wheein at ease, but with the talk of parties, it only filled Wheein with dread. 

“Does my answer even matter if you’re gonna drag me along anyway?” Wheein sighed.

“It does!” Byul said as she closed the gate behind them, “Well, sort of.”

“See! Then why--”

Both of them stopped in the middle of the path to the front door. Despite the familiar area around them, something felt off. They looked at each other with the same question in their eyes. What was wrong? They were too young to harness the ability of prescience so they were just left with the feeling of foreboding. 

“Ah! About time you got here!” Byul’s sister opened the front door with a big flourish and with a strained grin.

“Hey, what’s going on? What--”

“Hurry up and get in here and get presentable!” Byul’s sister said in a rush as she beckoned the two inside.

“Presentable?? I’m always presentable,” Byul said with a questioning squint as her sister began to push her inside. 

“That’s debatable,” Wheein muttered as she followed the two. Her senses on alert as the nagging feeling continued to prod in the back of her mind. Something was off. But what?

“I heard that, Wheenie,” Byul turned her head to glare as her sister started to drag her in faster towards her room. 

“She’s not wrong. Afterall, this isn’t something you can grease your way out of.”

Byul let out a dramatic gasp and laid an exaggerated hand on top of her chest.

“How dare ye! What did I ever do to deserve such slander!”

“Exist.”

“Wheeinie!!”

“By the loud commotion, I can safely assume Byul is home,” An elegant voice reached all of their ears with it’s haunting allure. 

Despite the neutral tone in the voice, all three of them couldn’t help but freeze at the commanding presence. As much as they poke fun at their elders, there is no denying how powerful the older vampires are. Especially when they are the ones that created you. 

“Mother, I was just bringing Byul to her quarters in order to freshen up before introductions,” Byul’s sister sounded meek. 

“An excellent idea. Won’t want to assault our guests' noses with the common rabble now,” A hint of humour was actually heard in the omnipresent voice, “Go ahead and let Byul clean up. Wheein, dear, come and join me. I’m sure you’re curious as to why something seems…..off.”

The voice and tone wasn’t demanding but none of them dare defy the wishes of a grand vampire. Byul and Wheein made eye contact and each gave a shaky nod to each other. A silent pat on the back as they separated. 

Wheein took a deep breath as she straightened her back. No matter how long she has lived with, and continues to live with, Byul’s family, she can never shake the feeling of being an outsider. Being from a lowly caste and being adopted into a higher one may have given her many opportunities but that doesn’t mean she fully assimilated either. She’s just good at hiding. But, as the centuries roll by, it’s getting harder and harder to hide. She wants to be herself without the chains of expectations. 

Before entering the great room, the smell finally hits her nostrils. It wasn't vampire or human. No, it was foreign. There is something human about the scent but it’s almost as if it morphed and mutated into something else. It was clear. 

This was the scent of a Werebeast. 

“Wheenie, darling, say hello to our guests, the Kims,” Byul’s mother’s face was hidden behind a mask that all grand vampires wear as she extended a hand and gestured towards the Kims. The porcelain mask was elegant and extraordinary in it’s craftsmanship. With colour that accented the black eyes and mouth and with motifs that extended to the surrounding decor. This mask was the calling sign of its wearer. And just as ancient.

They looked human enough. In fact, they all looked like average humans. No fancy dresses or suits in sight. Just well tailored clothing. Nothing too exciting.  Well, besides a certain allure to them that could be attributed to charisma. A dangerous charisma. Even Wheein felt herself be drawn to them. 

“Ah, when you said you had a dhampir in your house, I thought for sure that there would be a clear distinction between a full bred vampire, such as yourself, and a halfling, but you were right!” The man exclaimed as soon as there was space to speak. His age showed, but as Wheein knows, Werebeasts can live just as long as vampires if not longer. 

Wheein was dumbfounded. Byul’s mother made it very clear to hide Wheein’s true nature, even amongst their own, but to willingly admit it to Werebeasts? What goes on? 

“Wheein is a rare case of Dhampir,” Byul’s mother said as she brought up a glass of blood wine to the lips of the mask and began to drink, “Wheein is more vampire than human. Heh, even more vampire than some pure blooded ones.”

“Your actions never cease to amaze me,” The woman mused as she also drank. Much to Wheein’s relief, the drink was water and not blood wine. She would have fainted if she saw a Werebeast drink bloodwine specially selected for the most ancient and powerful vampires. 

“I owed her human mother a favour, and I never go back on my word,” Byul’s mother placed the glass down with a calculated thunk. 

“And you always make sure others keep their word as well,” The woman mused again with a twinkling of knowing in her eye. 

Wheein looked between them all. Her focus was on Byul’s mother and on the two Kims that she almost forgot that there was another Kim there. Silent, as if waiting for an unspoken signal. 

“Alright, mother, what guests do we--” Byul barged in without a thought and paused the moment she saw the guests and surmised just what they were. still agape as she stared at the three Kims. 

“Byul! What did I tell you about your manners? And what did I tell you about staring?” Byul’s mother snapped her fingers and Byul went rigid with obedience. 

“M-my apologies, mother. I was just….” Byul trailed off as her eyes darted back to the three guests again. 

“Just being an unruly heir again,” Byul’s mother sighed and gave a small shake of her head. 

“So this is the heir? Good to know it’s not some old, creepy fellow,” The man said in jest. Even the woman let out a chuckle. 

“Sit down you two. We have much to discuss,” Byul’s mother waved a hand at the still standing Wheein and Byul.

They obeyed without question. Even as their bodies moved automatically, their thoughts were racing. It was another two days before the formal introduction of Werebeasts to vampiric society so how are these Kims here? Moreover, what are the Kims doing here to begin with? Do they know Byul’s mother? As someone who is keen on keeping the caste system as rigid as possible, and as ancient as vampiric society itself, how and why is Byul’s mother willingly inviting Werebeasts over? 

So many questions, so little time. 

“What do we have to discuss, mother?” Byul broke the silence first as the Kims observed. 

“Why your future of course! With this new alliance, it makes sense to take the initiative and solidify a close bond with our new cohorts,” Byul’s mother answered as she took another sip of the blood wine. 

“Thanks to your mother, we now have the knowledge and foresight needed in order to make the process go about a bit more smoothly,” Mrs. Kim said with a small twitch of her lip. 

“Close bond? Do you mean to take these Kims as business partners?” Wheein questioned as curiosity finally got the best of her. 

“Oh no. That would be silly.  Werebeasts are very meticulous when it comes to business, so instead we came with an agreement that would benefit us both,” There was a clear grin in the voice and it sent shivers down Wheein’s spine and it gave Byul a sense of dread. 

“What sort of agreement?” Byul asked slowly. 

“To put it bluntly, an arranged relationship that is being made to look like it’s going towards marriage,” Byul’s mother answered as the abyss where the eyes should be bore into Byul’s being. 

“Wh-what?” Byul barely muttered. Her eyes flicked over towards the young Kim that remained silent throughout this whole exchange. 

“Why not an arranged marriage then?” Wheein’s curiosity was on fire. 

“That would be too obvious,” Mrs. Kim waved a hand in the air, “As much as joining the families seems tempting, we’re also realistic. Coming into this new alliance with marriage already on the table is condemning. In order to make the transition easier on both of our kind, we need ambassadors of what could be.”

“Yongsun here is an outstanding member in Werebeast society, and you’re the heir of one of the oldest vampiric families in known history,” Byul’s mother became vibrant with passion, “With you two top of our respective social hierarchy, it will make it easier to sell to the common folk. Afterall, they care not for politics, they care about a riveting story.”

“And if we can make that story something that any of them could achieve, then we’re that much closer to true unity. And that much closer to banding together to fight our common enemy,” Mrs. Kim added as her eyes glowed a piercing blue. 

“So you’re just using us to get what you want?” Byul said as she hid her anger and disgust. 

“It’s just to get the people’s buy in, Byul. I know how fickle you are and how you have your issues with commitment so this should be easy for you,” Byul’s mother answered with a cool shrug, “It’s nothing permanent. After we get everyone aboard then you two will be free to part ways as you see fit. As much as I would love for you to get another friend, I know how you are, Byul.” 

“If it’s just going to end anyway, then why start it?” Wheein asked as she eyed the quiet Yongsun. Despite being quiet, and looking as meek as possible, it was clear that Yongsun was powerful. Wheein saw the hint of muscle and saw how Yongsun’s eyes flashed with recognition and planning. 

“By making the story fade away,” Mrs. Kim answered, “As many stories that are finished, there are plenty more that are left unfinished and thus are forgotten. And with our longevity, it’s easy to forget.”

“Wheein can ask all the questions she wants, Byul, but it’s not going to change the choice we’ve made here today,” Byul’s mother raised a hand to gently cup Byul’s cheek, “I never once forced you into something you didn’t want to do. So, let me ask you….”

Byul leaned into her mother’s touch. Despite how old she is, there is always something comforting in a mother’s touch. And it’s within that touch that told the answer that Byul needed to say. 

“Do you want to do this, Byul?”

“Yes.”