The mist stalked the streets this beautiful night engulfed in darkness. A foggy cloud in the distance, muffling the view that was once clear. The expressive lights of the traffic and incoming cars could be seen, announcing their arrival; up in the sky, accompanied by the dancing clouds as well, was the pale moon in its full glory. Stunning in all its beauty, but so strangely ominous.

What a macabre night. The air was charged with an energy that the humans could feel, making their bones shake at the slightest rust of leaves and the howling of the wind rushing past them. Nothing like a little ghostly fingertip to caress the spine of those who were celebrating Halloween, so carelessly. So unaware that behind the flashy costumes sometimes lay a real monster, just that it was hard to find when it was shrouded in the secrecy of darkness.

The dashing cat-like eyes of Hwang Yeji glowed more than ever tonight. Was it that atmosphere around her that made her feel powerful tonight? Or was it the sinister power of the gorgeously treacherous moon? She could not tell, but she was not going to let this bad ‘mojo’ in the air ruin her Halloween night, especially when a party was brewing up just a few hours from now. Everything was in the cards tonight and she was prepared for everything.

“Yah, Hwang Yeji,” Lee Chaeryeong said loudly from the kitchen, watching her friend stare at the door lost in thoughts through the kitchen window. “Am I rubbing off on you or something?”

Popping up from behind Chaeryeong, Choi Jisu observed with a tilted head. “What’s gotten into her?”

“YAH!” Chaeryeong finally shouted.

“WHAT?!” Yeji turned around abruptly to face them, disoriented, but smiling upon noticing that it was just them. “Ah sorry, sorry. I’m just a little lost in thought.”

Chaeryeong rolled her eyes and laughed, grabbing a snack from the bowl of candy. “You better not be spacing out during the party.”

Jisu took the initiative and grabbed the bowl away from Chaeryeong’s grabby hands, walking out of the kitchen as she spoke. “And you better keep those cat eyes of yours peeled, because you’re driving.”

Yeji playfully rolled her eyes and grabbed the bowl from Jisu’s hand. “Just trust me, okay? And it’s not like you guys can’t drive either.”

“I would not recommend it,” Chaeryeong said simply, walking out of the kitchen and jumping onto the couch before dropping down on her knees, getting really comfortable and ignoring the stinky eye from Yeji that told her ‘I told you not to put your feet on the couch’. With a cheeky grin, she spoke. “You don’t drink and we do.”

Fair point.

Well, it’s not like she could get intoxicated anyways.

“You’re lucky you’re staying to sleep over,” Yeji mumbled under her breath, watching Jisu laugh at it.

Jisu motioned Chaeryeong to get up. “Get up. We have to do your makeup.”

“This early?”

“It’s gonna take a while, so while Yeji takes care of the kids trick-and-treating, we get a head start.”

Then that dreaded knock on the door happened, making Chaeryeong and Jisu panic and run out of the living room while Yeji watched stifling a giggle. Well, they didn’t like to deal with kids -- especially during Trick or Treat season, simply because they could get mean, but Yeji didn’t mind. She, instead, put on a tender face, set the bowl nearby and opened the door to greet every adorable child and their parents. The neighborhood was vibrant tonight, full of decor and lights that glowed bravely against that thin fog that was threatening to thicken up. The parents, some familiar to her and some unfamiliar, shared greetings both enthusiastic and exhausted. Costume after costume, Yeji had seen it all from the typical mummy to the caveman outfit, the standard cop to the robber, the boring lawyer outfit versus the sparkly clown (which she, privately, deemed slightly satanic out of her own fear of clowns -- though that was rich coming from Hwang Yeji).

Without realizing, the bowl of candies and treats emptied, the streets had the children of the neighborhood playing around under the watchful gaze of their parents, who were chatting amongst themselves, and the hours had drifted by. The night was young and slowly growing older before her eyes, and it was soon time for the kids to go back inside and rest for the night. Now, it was time for the grown-ups to have their parties.

“Have a good night, dear!” Said the polite parent of the last sleepy child for the night.

“Likewise, ma’am,” Yeji politely replied, bowing and making sure they made it out of her lawn first before closing the door.

Lock.

And a sigh full of relief left Yeji’s lips. Another beautiful night of trick-or-treating that went smoothly, with no threats of a house covered in toilet paper or rotten eggs crashing through her windows.

“Are the goblins gone?” Jisu asked first, peeking her head first before anything. “Is the zone safe?”

Yeji looked confused. “Yeah, it’s about time--.”

“Ta-dah!” Chaeryeong said, unceremoniously popping out from behind Jisu out of beat, her face completely transformed into a treacherous (and sinister) looking witch.

Which amused Yeji none. “I--That’s your costume for tonight?”

“Didn’t I do a terrific job?” Jisu smiled proudly, arms crossed under her bust with an air of royalty. “It’s, a-mazing.”

“That… it looks great,” Yeji laughed. “I just thought you were meaning to hook up tonight?”

Chaeryeong twirled around, still grinning from ear to ear. “That’s the plan, but aren’t I all bewitching.”

“She’s gonna grab a guy that doesn’t go for looks, but her personality,” Jisu clarified.

“When you guys said make-up, I didn’t think it would be this makeover,” Yeji scratched her head, a little worried.

“I’m not gonna do it on you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

BEEP!

Yeji, startled, looked at her watch and saw that time was of the essence.

“No, it’s not that--.”

But then she looked up, pausing abruptly upon noticing that right before her eyes was not her parent’s humble abode, not even the busy streets filled with halloween decoration or people dressed up, but rather a forest.

THE Forest, the one down south close to the outskirts of town. The forest she remembers bits and pieces of.

“W-What?” She asked softly, mouth agape as she looked around frantically, seeing nothing but endless wood expanding around her, without any visible change or end, like it was all the same illusion all over.

The dark sky flickered its lights, sharp strikes of thunder spreading across it while Yeji observed confused but not entirely terrified. For the meaning of this was just as obscure as the meaning of the charged air around her, but this was not the first time something peculiar happened during Halloween.

Yes, yes, she remembers that the previous Halloween she had a flash just like this one, with less clear intentions. Well, with blurrier images as well. Precisely when the clock strikes nine in the evening, a flash would come to her eyes for the past five years, but it was far too quick to understand it.

This one was clearer, it was like she was stuck in this flash, as the leaves didn’t sway with the wind -- in fact, there was no wind. She could only see the sky repeatedly flashing, the veins of thunder scattered and disappearing slowly. So strange to look at, but not the strangest thing.

Yeji finally turned around and caught in the distance the glimpse of a dimly lit building. Even from afar it looked historic, but the intact stained glass -- even though vague in the darkness -- told Yeji what she needed to know. This was a church, a chapel, or whatever have you.

To further confirm her suspicions, a bell gonged with its first beautiful ring.

TANG!

It shook the earth beneath Yeji, it made the world tremble with its beauty, but it alerted of something far more somber brewing up. Such a treacherous bell, so loud and so ethereal.

So terrifying.

Then silence.

Yeji paused entirely for a moment, her body frozen. Something was not right. She bent her knees a bit and prepared her nails, feeling the growing unease within her becoming too much to ignore. Her eyes were fixed on the church, unshaken and prepared.

TANG!

Another pause.

Yeji gulped, feeling her sharp fangs growing a little sharper, her muscles itching to expand and her body growing warm with adrenaline. Something was going to happen, but she wasn’t sure what. Slowly, her legs made distance with each other, preparing to jump and run, to attack but nothing came; her hair slowly developed its silver streaks but nothing jumped at her.

She awaited for the next loud ‘tang’ to happen, but it was falling off the beat. It was a pause that was far too long, like there was someone deliberately tampering with it. She was growing tense.

And when it finally happened…

TAAANNNGGG!

It was far slower, like time was actually slowing down around her. It sounded sinister; it rung in her ears and it buzzed, making her ears feel heavier and heavier.

Then just atop the church stood an ominous figure cloaked in dark attire. A humanoid figure that carried the distant fog around them, it wore them like it was part of themselves. It wafted around them ever so quietly, without a hurry, like bony claws that slowly crawled around them. Yeji could not figure it out. Its pale skin tone spooked even the brave Yeji, who couldn’t decipher if it was because of the moonlight or… its true nature.

Its head, whoever it was, was down, hanging low like it was liveless.

Sudden fear crawled inside of Yeji’s skin, her bravado stripped away immediately.

Before it could lift its head…

BEEP, BEEP.

What?

BEEP, BEEP!

Yeji woke up from her trance with a jump, looking at her watch abruptly to notice the alarm was going off. Tentatively, perhaps still disoriented, she turned it off.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jisu asked, squinting, while Chaeryeong merely tilted her head.

Yeji finally looked up at them, happy to see familiar faces, but still deeply shaken as to whatever that meant. “What?” She only said, unable to even form thoughts.

“You’ve been standing there for a while, you didn’t even finish talking.”

Yeji frowned a little bit, rubbing her temples. “I think I’ll be fine…”

Whatever that was, was her imagination, right?

Unknown to Yeji, that was not the case.

The bells of death began to chime far, far in the distance, in that desolated church nuzzled deep in the forest. It has been left untouched for centuries, vague memories of it erased with the time. But tonight, just like that tenebrous night of Halloween five years ago, it echoed on the empty heart of the woods, begging to be heard, for it called to take the life of the innocent. Or perhaps I am misinterpreting this? Maybe it warned the innocent of an extraordinary change in their life? Maybe it was just a foreshadowing of the mysterious aura of the night? One could not tell with these things.

The same TANG that Yeji heard so distorted in her hallucination ran wild through the woods, ran past the unsuspecting citizens, running across the roofs and dropping down to ground level, tearing through the walls of Shin Ryujin’s room and landing in her innocent ears with a faint whisper, a warning that she jumped to, but could not understand where it came from. She turned around abruptly, spooked, looking everywhere for the source of that mysterious whisper. Ah, she rubbed her ear, afraid of that sudden break in her peaceful silence. Couldn’t a girl do her make-up in peace these days? Instead, she looked at the open window, watching the curtains billowing at the somber waltz of the crisp wind. With a frown, she closed the window and hoped it had just been her imagination or the wind playing its tricks.

The ticking clock hung on the wall, and it suddenly felt so strange to Ryujin. What was it counting down to?

Unknown to her, it was counting down to the hour of her death.

x

The party was just getting started, living in colors and the youthful spirit of college freshmen and those veterans to it. Not a kid in sight, or a highschooler, except for the occasional smartass that found a way to sneak in. Costumes, from the flashy and expensive to the more common and cheap, all gathered about.

Ah, but you would NOT believe the location for this oh-so-spooky party.

That’s right, an abandoned mansion. The mysterious mansion that remained untouched by the outskirts of the town. Gothic wrought iron gates kept the mansion safe from the large field behind it, the neck of the woods right there, within a walking distance. Hauntingly beautiful, like the very mansion itself.

However, out of the three witches, Hwang Yeji looked the most shaken. Chaeryeong, whose face hid behind pounds of makeup and special effects, was also a little afraid, the prospect of meeting new people being the only thing to fuel her bravado.

“Ah, you guys, don’t worry about it,” Jisu hugged them both and rubbed their arms. “The guys took care of everything, so no one should be worried.”

Yeji looked around, not saying anything while Chaeryeong tried to stammer out a sentence. In the front yard alone were a lot of couples having their one-on-ones with cups in their hands. The occasional trio was here and there, as well, looking around to fish an opportunity. Your typical party except for the fact that many monsters and villains from films and series were hilariously mixed together. However, the terrifying look of the mansion itself was an eerie contrast to it all. Still, the big wooden doors, a little crooked and definitely uninviting, were open for them.

Entering the mansion, a lot more people were in its gigantic lobby/living room, or whatever this big area was used for. Music blasted, crowds of people amassed in the middle to dance to the music (or at least jump and pretend they could keep a beat) and way in the back another set of crooked doors was open. Of course, it had more people, smaller crowds of people that just sought to have a drink and watch the night sky.

Then suddenly, Yeji felt a pinch in her right arm.

“OW!”

Jisu was pouting, and so she crossed her arms. “I said ‘We’re going to have a lot of fun tonight’, yes or no?”

“Yes!” Yeji said loudly, straightening up. “Yes, we’ll have fun,” her tone was confident, more determined, trying to cast aside any fear. “We’ll meet up here in the front in three hours, though.”

Jisu and Chaeryeong looked confused.

“I--Just to see who wants to leave by that time.”

The two witches shrugged. “Fine, fine.”

With one more victorious chant, they all split ways. Well, it wasn’t necessarily intentional, but Yeji figured this would happen. Jisu’s way of having fun was at times outstandingly different than Chaeryeong’s. And if Yeji wasn’t going to drink too much tonight, then she opted to stay closer to the dance floor. The three witches all found different places they felt comfortable in. Or, in Yeji’s case, somewhat less nervous. She might as well shake those nerves away to the sound of a generic beat.

Shin Ryujin walked into the mansion with a silky cape dragging behind her. Like royalty, she walked like she floated, with an air of mystical powers coming out of her. The velvet lining of the cape popping off right off the bat to anyone who turned to watch her. It combined with her red contact lenses and vibrant red lipstick, a stark contrast to her pale blonde hair and black attire. Confidently, she showed off those vampire fangs -- glistening with their plastic sharpness, menacingly attractive in every angle.

Well, her costume was hard to admire in the dimly lit mansion. The shadows quite practically combined with her attire, save for the pale face and the platinum hair. Mumbling, she scolded herself for opting out of the velvet vest that matched with the cape. At least that way she would’ve been somewhat noticeable. No harm no foul, though. Black looked great on her!

“I think I finally found a friend.”

Ryujin heard from behind her, making her turn around to face…

Someone who she didn’t recognize, someone whose pale face was truly pale, someone whose smile showed off fine fangs that looked very real. Around her neck was a choker with a gothic design that instantly drew Ryujin’s eyes to it as its eyes glowed red. Then, she looked up to the woman’s eyes to see gorgeously round and big chocolate eyes. This woman, whose face was so striking and whose eyes were so hypnotizing, was nothing like she’s ever seen, really. Well, it was not like Shin Ryujin had been in this town long enough to know people, but she hasn’t seen something like this ever since she moved.

Ryujin shook her head to wake herself up and moved back a bit. “Sorry, do I know you?”

“No, no,” the woman laughed, her smile a big gummy one that was so comforting to watch. Politely, she held her hand out. “The name is Park Jihyo.”

Ryujin stared at the hand for a second, noticing the beautiful nails and the almost dainty hand, going up to notice the woman was donning more or less the same concept as her. Dark trousers, dark shirt, but she instead had a purple vest and a cape with silky purple lining. The cape was less flashy, the collar popped but not exuberant like Ryujin’s. Well, she figured the woman didn’t need it as she was taller than Ryujin herself. She already stood out with her height!

“Oh,” Ryujin laughed, finally understanding everything. She shook her hand firmly and introduced herself.

“I’m Shin Ryujin, I’m new to town.”

Jihyo’s smile slowly twisted into something more motherly, perhaps fond. Oh, but there was wicked intent in it.

“So am I.”

And when the conversation started to flow and slowly move to the back of the mansion, Hwang Yeji arrived with the rest of the girls.

Shin Ryujin only had thirty minutes left by then.

x

There was this putrid feeling in Hwang Yeji’s gut that crawled up to , but she couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. The dancing mass was suddenly suffocating, the smell of sweat in the air lingered and didn’t feel like going away. The sensitive senses of the extraordinary Hwang Yeji were tiltilated; she felt she could smell even the factory of whoever designed that cologne the star-quarterback of high school was wearing, with deadly precision at that. Her hearing, which was never her good sense, suddenly had her ears twitching at the sound of unnatural music blasting off the speakers. It was not agonizingly bothersome yet, but she knew it would only get progressively worse if she stayed inside.

With hasty (but not frantic) steps, she pushed through the drunk-and-dancing crowd to the much quieter part of the mansion. The back of it still had few groups of people here and there, most of them too tired of shouting at each other inside the mansion and opting to let their sore voices rest. A drink to quench their thirst and the soothing, deceptive wind to freshen them up. Some of them already discarded parts of their garments, some had completely taken off heavy makeup, many laid down on the freshly cut grass, some leaning against the iron fence that was beating, nervously glancing at the crooked and partially open gate, flirting with the possibility of going into the woods just for fun.

Hwang Yeji walked out and felt the tense air around her dissipate immediately, like she was finally let out of an enclosed box with barely any air in it. She was hit with freshness, sweet relief, and a brand new environment.

The sweet taste of relief from those overwhelming sensations! Well, they were not overwhelming to the people dancing inside, Yeji noted while looking backwards to the dark lobby filled with people. They were just overwhelming to her. Still, she sighed of relief and let her head hang back. She’ll take the pleasures of life where she can get them, especially with these bizarre changes to her life.

After a few seconds of just breathing, she opened her eyes to watch the full moon. It was just there, glowing silver, but something felt so strange. Then a thought passed her mind as she looked at the stars. Her tantalizing neck was at full display for, say, any wild creature to devour.

Perhaps, a monster?

Like the creature that--.

Yeji’s head snapped back down, unsure of why her mind had suddenly taken that route. It was so brusk, violent, making her body shiver under the thick fabric of her witch costume.

“Ah, what’s the matter with you, Hwang Yeji?” She mumbled to herself, rubbing her eyes, walking towards part of the corroded gate, not aware why. It was like the forest was calling, pulling her closer and closer. Her hands touched the bars of the gate and she could feel that unease within her growing. Ever so slowly, it spread and tentacled through every inch of her body. Ah, she was overtaken by unease, like something was awfully wrong.

Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn’t noticed that a good chunk of the people around her had slowly started to walk back inside. The cold breeze, the bastard, was picking up too quickly, the distant howling of a coyote surely tickled everyone, but Hwang Yeji was standing there looking at the forest with eyes lost in wonder and her thoughts incoherent for her own language.

What WAS the matter with Hwang Yeji?

Poor thing, she truly didn’t know something was amiss. All around her were humans that felt no effect under the moonlight, didn’t feel the heavy air and how it could suffocate. The uneasiness forming in like a lump she couldn’t swallow. Choking in anguish, but she couldn’t understand.

“Yeji!”

The witch snapped and turned around immediately, finding Chaeryeong and that terrifying face. But she didn’t jump, instead, her eyes were wide and round like she had seen a ghost.

It made Chaeryeong uncomfortable. “What, what’s wrong?”

Yeji noticed soon enough and shook her head. “Nothing, w-what is it?”

“Jisu asked me to tell you that she’s going to be picking up a ride with some old friends she met -- are you sure you’re okay?”

Yeji nodded absentmindedly, understanding what Chaeryeong meant to say, but not necessarily comprehending it, if that makes any sense. Absorbed in her strange sickness (which she knew, at this point, had to be supernatural and vaguely blamed the moon for), she just looked around and never answered.

Chaeryeong was seriously confused now, placing her hand tenderly on Yeji’s shoulder. She only noticed then that the woman was trembling, ever so slightly. An earthquake manifesting in her body, so subtle unless you touched her. “Yeji.”

Those wild, foxy eyes focused on Chaeryeong’s face for a brief moment, and something didn’t read to be alright.

Something wasn’t alright, not when Park Jihyo’s sharp fangs, clean and glistening, turned out to be terrifyingly real.

Shin Ryujin’s pathetic strength meant nothing; she punched and punched, pushed and pushed, but Jihyo’s grip was otherworldly. Her hands were decisive and possessive, carrying years of despair in each fingertip and Ryujin could only imagine it.

In each fang, she held the insatiable desire to turn everyone, to grow an army.

In those big orbs, so tender and endearing, was hidden true terror. Terror hidden in the mist that suddenly crowded around Ryujin’s ankle the moment she realized that Jihyo had lured her closer to the abandoned church not to show her something cool.

But to… bring her to her end.

The horrifying scream jumped out of and lips before she couldn’t even fully understand the situation, it echoed helplessly around the forest, it alerted the crows of the show that was about to happen, it made the coyotes nearby seek shelter. But no one could hear it, no one was going to save her.

Well, Park Jihyo’s plan didn’t account for the impossible.

Which was Hwang Yeji, the only werewolf in town.

And frankly, the only werewolf Park Jihyo would see face to face.

The fake-witch’s eyes widened way more before than before, her body truly trembled to hear that distant scream for help. Chaeryeong didn’t hear it at all, but she felt that quaking inside Yeji’s body.

Yeji only stared at her, Chaeryeong felt a strange mixture of fright and concern.

“Chaeryeong, go inside. I’ll see you later,” Yeji said firm but hastily, reaching down to take off her heels.

“W-what?”

“GO,” Yeji said again, her voice now a ferocious rumble that made Chaeryeong move inside immediately.

When Chaeryeong disappeared into the darkness of the party, Yeji turned and began to run off towards the Forest. She wasn’t sure why, but that’s where she heard the scream. Her body moved here, so she followed the instinct. But not just her normal instinct. No, no, that instinct was telling her to run back to the dilapidated mansion, to seek shelter in this dark night.

But here bestial instinct? It was telling her to go see who that was.

Divesting herself of the annoying costume’s trinkets and accessories, she began to pick up an unnatural speed, her feet suddenly more powerful, beating down the earth as she ran faster than she’s ever ran ever since she was turned.

The moment she was coated with the tender, shadowy blankets of the forest’s tree, she began to show part of her true self. Her skin grew fur slowly and surely, her slender and long legs began to grow strong, stone-like muscle, her body following suit slowly. Her teeth became sharper, precise; her senses following as well. She felt stronger, she saw better and she heard better.

Yes, she could hear her heart beating wildly within her, but she could hear far more than she was used to.

Far more than she warranted.

The bestial Hwang Yeji soared through the woods like she was a bird flying across the woods, feet powerfully stomping through the uneven dirt and ground; fangs growing ever hungrier, eyes growing clearer through the dark curtains of the night and the mist making way for her powerful frame to crash through them. The fur on her body, soft and warm, sifted through the wind as she grabbed more speed, getting closer and closer to the thumping sound of a heart weakening. A human heart that cried for her, clamoring in that poor human’s chest in one last ditch effort to survive. Survive an ordeal that Yeji just KNEW was beyond her understanding (and the human’s, for that matter).

Ah, it was like the woods stretched far and wide, teasing Yeji away from her destiny and keeping her at bay while the cold, sharp fangs of a monster sunk deeper and deeper into Shin Ryujin’s tender skin, drawing fresh human blood, glowing red with its humanity, tainting it for as long as she lived.

Which wouldn’t have been far, had Hwang Yeji not roared out.

A guttural scream of desperation, telling whatever it was to stay away, alerting (perhaps a bit foolishly) any creature nearby that an unnatural force of nature was running through and was seeking a fight.

Shin Ryujin didn’t hear this growl, for it was too far in the distance and not even the echoing essence of it reached her buzzing ears. Instead, her sight grew dimmer, her arms felt weaker, and she knew this was the end. Until she was violently dropped to the ground, like a ragdoll that was no longer of use. She hit the ground with a thud that she felt on her weak bones, a sharp pain tentacling all over her body and oozing out of the open wound in her neck, like crimson strings now dancing on the floor of the forest, vulgarly besmirching its beauty with such a humanly (and pitiful) way to die.

But she was still alive and breathing.

Alive, but dwindling like a flickering light. Oh, but she was alive enough to see that floating dark robe gracefully making an exit. Was it scared? Did something not go according to plan? Ryujin felt her own limbs move to her command but give way instantly, trying to crawl to the source of such a traumatizing torment, but with one blink it was gone. There was only the swaying forest trees, the dark sky peering over her, the distant rumble of the thunder…

The distant panting of a beast that was sure to take the rest of the life she had left.

All the clocks in town striked the fatal hour for Ryujin, the time she was supposed to die as it was decided by the gods above her (should they exist), but something was never accounted for. The presence of Hwang Yeji was powerful enough to throw away the plan completely, it left the gods (if they were there) flabbergasted at the shape of the course of history. What could they do now? Nothing. Striking thunder down on Yeji would disturb the new current to a darker era, as they felt it would bring too much trouble and consequences -- unforeseen even for the gods. All they had to do was to watch it unfold.

All she had to do was arrive on time.

Just in time for the dark figure wafting through the air, inhumanly, to disappear in the shadows that shrouded the forest.

Hwang Yeji ran on all fours like the beast she was, her claws growing sharp and her transformation nearly complete by the time she saw, in the distance, a young woman sprawled pathetically on the floor of the forest, body ever near to the abandoned church but nowhere near any protection or holiness. Her heart twanged at the realization that this was the very church she saw in whatever premonition she had. This girl was exactly the same girl she saw in that other premonition, the gorgeous woman whose lively eyes widened in fright for that fraction of a second. She SAW through the eyes of whatever it was that had caused her to scream, but she had no earthly (or supernatural) idea what that was, what frightened the woman so.

“Hang in there,” Yeji mumbled to herself as she picked up more speed, skidding to a stop right before the girl, exerting her inhuman force to stop her body from crashing into the girl’s frail one.

What Yeji saw was a vaguely familiar sight, but she still had no idea what she was looking at. The dim moonlight glowed directly to that heavenly face, but her skin was certainly paler than it needed to be. Her eyes, disoriented, looking everywhere, mouth slightly open but no words dared to come out, her plastic fang glowing with its fakeness. Yeji looked around, at a loss of words and no idea what to do. She saw the girl’s brown eyes turning paler and noticed she vaguely looked at her, but wasn’t quite sure of what was happening.

Yeji’s face, still quintessentially hers, was slightly transformed, but her eyes were still sharp and leonine-like.

Those eyes, glowing with warm and concern, were the last thing Ryujin remembered and saw, before her eyes shut down completely. The buzzing in her ears didn’t stop, but faded slowly. She could feel, in a strange way, she stood before her Maker (whoever they were), preparing for the final judgement, understanding that this was her end -- such a young life wasted, but at least ever closer to heaven.

But this wasn’t so. The golden hand of the heavens didn’t grip her tightly, neither did the claws of the reaper. Instead, she had been seduced to a dark eternity, unaware that she had walked into her doom, but also her salvation.

Yeji’s arms, slightly bulkier now in her beast form, though still lanky, carried the young woman. Yeji looked at her, eyes full of compassion, but she had no idea what to do to proceed. Well, she would figure it out, but she first needed to reach the end of the woods.

Only then, when Yeji’s fur felt the blood dripping from Ryujin’s neck, she understood the incomprehensible. Her eyes widened, a ferocious clap of thunder lightened the sky and the crows, watching over the show, cried and flew away scared at the wrath of the god of thunder. Leave them be in peace, he said, and the crows cawed away.

To further scare away everyone away from this sacred place, the bells of the church began to chime loudly. It travelled under Yeji’s skin and shook her bones enough that woke her up. Yeji looked at the woman and knew she had to get out of there. Carefully, and with soft apologies, she placed the woman’s limp body over her strong shoulder, held her tight with her arm and began to take off.

Without knowing, Yeji had restarted the clock of Shin Ryujin’s life.

How long did she wind it back for? If the gods don’t know, how could we know?

It took weeks before Hwang Yeji and Shin Ryujin locked eyes. They had met for the first time then. For the first time, brand new, fresh, right there on campus, surrounded by a group of common friends. But there was something ferocious growing within them the moment they locked eyes. Was it history? Oh, but that stretched further than they thought and beyond what you’ve seen. Was it perhaps otherworldly? Something that jumped through time and time again? There was that sensation but neither of them could pick up on that feeling.

Instead, they knew exactly where they have seen each other in THIS life.

This wasn’t a look of attraction, my dear. This was a look of surprise, anger and amusement. They recognized each other, in a manner of speaking. Yeji knew that angelical face, it was printed in her brain because of that horrifying night where she had to confront the inevitable and the uncomfortable truth of the supernatural. She saw that face resting distressed, ready to die; she saw it in her arms, under the magical moonlight. But what puzzled Yeji was the fact that her neck was clean and smooth, no wound or scar. She said it again, to herself. There was no wound in her neck. Hell, the beast Yeji had a fleeting thought at the moment! Was it all real? She doubted it for a second, but when Ryujin recognized her and frowned, she knew it was way real. All too real, unfortunately.

To Yeji it was all a blur, after the beast nearly overtook her body that night as she carried the fainted damsel in her muscular (and furry) arms. As fast as she could run, Yeji felt the time was running out quick as the woman turned pale and paler. Her neck stopped bleeding, but the wound was too obvious. There was no plan, really, but she let the animalistic instincts take over, her pure heart interjecting only to reassure her that the girl COULD be saved.

Yeji blinked.

Chaeryeong looked at her with a horrified face and agape. The make-up had come out partially, the view unintentionally terrifying, but she was more terrified at this strange amalgamation of Yeji she was seeing. It was strange, just like in the fairytale! A werewolf! Who would’ve thunk it? Yeji’s face remained nearly identical, her foxy eyes kept the same enchanting shape but her eyes were glowing a maddening red. The fur on her face gave the look of the werewolf, her hair still luscious and long and her fur was the same color of it, her ears grew sharper and fuzzier. Her slim (but toned) frame changed a bit. Thicker and more muscular, coarse skin that could take a bite and a slice, long sharp nails.

And equally razor-sharp fangs that told Chaeryeong to run away.

But Yeji’s confused and worried face, and the woman sprawled limply in her arms, told Chaeryeong all the reasons to stay put. What else could she do but help her friend? The entire party was raving inside, away from the bastard chills of the night. No one was out, Yeji had the perfect situation, except that she needed an ally. And that ally needed to find the truth, as harsh as that was.

“Help me?” Yeji said. Her voice was gravelly, lower than her usual voice, but it was quintessential Yeji. She was on her knees, looking at Chaeryeong distraught and worried, making herself look smaller to gain her trust.

Chaeryeong, perhaps on a primal level, understood the intention; she could not leave Yeji like this.

“Let’s get to the car.”

In another blink, just like that, Yeji laid the woman in her bed. The wound on her neck clean and covered, still unconscious but her pulse was there, she was breathing like she was asleep. Was her body relaxing after such ordeal? Was it too exhausted to even open her eyes? Could she hear them?

For this, Yeji -- back to normal -- spoke quiet to avoid disturbing her celestial sleep.

Chaeryeong, on the other hand, had her volume waver with fear. “Do you think she could’ve died?”

Yeji, seated by the edge of the bed, rubbed her dry lips. Always happened when she went back to normal. “I think so? I’ve never seen something like this.”

Chaeryeong crossed her arms, looked at the unknown woman, feeling shivers running down her spine at the mere look of the woman. She could not believe it, she could not reconcile it.

“You saved the life of a stranger,” Chaeryeong said almost in disbelief.

“I had no choice, I… felt like I had to,” Yeji said immediately. “Her scream crept to my bones and I could not shake the fear off of me. Like I was sharing her same fear, and she was scared nearly to death.”

Then the silence befell upon them. There was nothing more to be said, and Chaeryeong couldn’t refute what Yeji said, no matter how ludicrous it sounds to her.

Yeji doesn’t remember how, but Chaeryeong said she’d find a way to get this woman back home. When she passed out, she left it in the hands of Chaeryeong, who worked her magic, apparently.

When Yeji opened her eyes, she saw Chaeryeong already awake. She only nodded in response to the silent question that hung in the air, evident by Yeji’s confused look. Jisu looked at them both, equally confused, but Chaeryeong expertly moved the conversation along. Deep down inside, Yeji felt guilty not telling Jisu anything, but the girl sometimes was better off oblivious.

She figured she would tell the truth later, but for now, she slumped her still-exhausted body down on the couch and chatted with the girls about last night’s happenings, while sharing worried looks to Chaeryeong, who looked less disturbed.

She knew something Yeji didn’t, it seemed.

When Ryujin woke up, she had those terrifying memories tickling her shivering and weak bones. A haunting reminder of the fragility of life, how everything could change in just a second. Her body felt sore, like something had shifted, but she ironically felt stronger than before. It was a weird mixture of feeling strong and weak; a hangover that extended all across her body, weighing heavy on her muscles, yet training them.

Then, flashing for a quick second, was the painful memory of what had happened. That memory was the spark, the detonator, to a flood of putrid memories she wished to stop. First it was that terrifying… creature -- a vampire, let’s assume -- and then it was all blank, just the crows staring at her as she felt sharp pain in her neck.

She touched her neck, but it was silky smooth, like nothing had happened to it.

Then she remembered feeling weaker, falling limp to the dirty ground, looking at the moonlit church. She felt it, doom; she was done for. Until she opened her eyes again to see…

Her.

Or, well, a distorted version of a woman. Maybe it was the darkness of the forest, or maybe the wicked light of the moon, but she didn’t look entirely human. The aura surrounding it was ethereal, supernatural, yet vaguely humanoid. But she does remember those eyes, sharp and enchanting, full of human compassion.

Whatever this other creature was didn’t mean to harm Ryujin and perhaps Ryujin understood this in the last seconds of her life.

Her human life.

Because she’s awake and tangible now. Fingertips poking and prodding soft, human flesh, feeling its warmth; undoubtedly alive. But she felt so differently. Something had indeed shifted, and the clock kept on ticking, but with a different name and a different sound.

To recall what had happened was almost hilarious to Ryujin -- she even laughed, but she only laughed to avoid the panic and the impending doom descending upon her shoulders. It hadn’t really settled in her brain up until then, and she did her best to piece it together.

She was bitten by a vampire that was disguised as a vampire in the middle of a Halloween party. Such irony, such hilarity, but how sorrowful. The fangs were real, her weakening upon being bitten was real, the… eyes.

If fiction was at all to be of help, this meant a few things.

Shin Ryujin was a vampire.
Abruptly, she got up from her bed to check the mirror by her vanity, only to find herself perfectly visible. Her trembling body stood as best as it could, she could see herself shaking. Then, she looked out the window and saw the ferocious sunlight showing off its bright sunrays.

She stuck her hand out, gathering all the strength in the world to stand by the window.

Her hand didn’t burst into flame, didn’t burn up. She felt weaker, sure, but didn’t burn.

She… wasn’t a vampire?

Ryujin was confused, eternally confused, thinking for a split second that maybe it was all a dream. A dream induced by a substance that she had or was slipped in in any drink -- but she never had a drink, she never ate anything there. She only interacted with that Jihyo woman, that witch -- or, well, vampire -- and there was no one that could’ve slipped anything. So that rules… practically everything.

It was all a confusing mess until, when having lunch, the food didn’t quite sit right with her.

Because she put garlic in it.

In a slightly hilarious turn of events, Ryujin was in her bathroom violently, uhh, expelling all the demonic pain in her stomach when she sorrowfully realized that she was indeed a vampire.

But not in the same caliber as the vampires in the legends, the movies, the shows…

Well, she didn’t feel anywhere near cool or otherworldly. Much less like this.

When her body stopped turning against her, she went on over to her computer and began -- perhaps in a maddening way -- to search for answers and for solutions.

Solutions entailed death, answers were vague, and her search history was packed with confusing questions. That’s how disoriented Shin Ryujin was at her own demise. Practically, she had spent her entire day seated, drinking water and crackers to soothe her rumbling stomach while she searched fervently to the insane theories and myths, to the more grounded and realistic ones. Too much information on a lot of things she could and could not do, a lot of things to consider but…

None of them gave the answer she NEEDED.

But when the moon started to peek out and the sun hid quietly, Ryujin started to feel stronger and stronger, but ironically feeling like she was losing a bit of her sanity the more the sun hid. ‘Tis was the curse, she reckoned, to be give strange powers at the cost of a normal life as a mortal human, a sanity to be lost with it.

With her head in her hands, she started to slowly get accustomed to her new reality.

But when she was face to face with that girl, she knew exactly who it was. It had been a few weeks since the incident, but the distorted look of that humanoid… thing… was stuck in Ryujin’s now-immortal brain.

Ryujin really didn’t know how to feel about it. Yes, she indeed felt conflicted about it, upset, like her normality had been disturbed again; she knew this woman, whoever she was, was also not normal. A vampire? Ryujin couldn’t say it with confidence, she looked far too distorted to be so -- unlike the treacherous Jihyo who looked identical from start to finish, a view muffled only by the exaggerated makeup. There was certainly something more, something more sinister going underneath the mortal noses of everyone.

For a moment, Chaeryeong was confused as to why Yeji was standing there completely still, staring rudely into something. That is, until she looked at what Yeji was staring. Oh, the ironies in life tickled her too much, but she kept composed when Jisu kept introducing everyone to everyone. At least she knew Ryujin was alive and well, even though it was evident she was before. Still, to be face to face with the victim was proving to be upsetting to both Yeji and Ryujin.

While everyone was mingling, standing in the middle of the busy campus, Ryujin and Yeji couldn’t stop staring at each other with wonder and confusion but far too nervous to move from where they were to ask each other what the hell happened. It was a stand-off, like in the old west, but with bigger stakes and far deadlier weapons. Yeji held something very powerful against Ryujin that could ruin her life, something equal parts embarrassing and terrifying; Ryujin held something incredibly complicated on Yeji, something terrifying. They knew to disimulate they didn’t know each other, but the burning questions behind the stoic faces couldn’t wait any longer.

As Jisu, Chaeryeong and everyone mingled, Ryujin slid closer to Yeji who tensed up.

It was one whisper.

“We need to talk.”

Yeji only looked at her bewildered and worried, but nodded.

It was high time to confront what had happened, and what would happen after.