XV

  Jeongyeon anticipated the feeling of lightweightness, the unexplainable contentment flowing within her body and mind and the endless darkness. She had read a book once that these feelings had some relevance when experiencing passing in life. And the author of it must have experience it himself for it was surprisingly on point. It was exactly what she was feeling at that moment but somehow there was a slight difference. The author never mentioned anything about hearing the voices of her friends in afterlife. But thinking it was just the manifestation of her regret for not having the chance to say goodbye, the adviser just shrugged it off. She was too immersed with the feeling of peace and serenity to bother.

The nagging voices continued to persist though.

"What do you mean she became a vampire?!"

  It was Nayeon. The loud, obnoxious but still endearing voice would only belong to her precious friend. And she could never be mistaken. She had treasured this person's flaws and ticks all her life. She even longed for it when they were separated.

"Will she still be our Jeongyeon when she wake up?"

  Another voice whom she instantly recognize as Jihyo's. How could she also be mistaken? Her ears had suffered much from her tirades and lessons on how to be a proper lady. The adviser could admit it was partially her fault for engaging on countless pranks back in the days and for teasing them every opportunity that arose. Such a shame, she could only reminisce in her condition now.

"I'm afraid we would only know once she wakes up."

  Guess she shouldn't be surprised to hear Mina's voice too, after all the Japanese beauty had also played an integral part in her life. The woman had showed her there was no such thing as impossible if you set your mind on it. And she can still never fathom how the gentle and sweet soul can easily cut the limbs of an homunculi without even flinching or batting an eye. It was one of the mysteries she will be leaving unsolved it seems.

  Jeongyeon supposed it was good and all to hear her friends’ voices but it was also a little confusing. Why now? And shouldn't she be relieving a past memory or event that held some importance? Where was the flashing of life before her eyes? The memories before the monsters attacks? Why are they talking about vampires anyways? There was a point where she remember Nayeon obsessing about the Twilight Saga but it was a long time ago.

  She could also hear the faint beating of a heart. The tall adviser could tell it was not hers but from someone near her. The steady throbbing invading her senses was also not from one person. She could clearly tell it was from several individuals and to top it all, she can even hear them inhale and exhale as if they were breathing mere inches away from her ears. It sprung countless questions in her muddled mind.

"There is a possibility that she will attack one of you if she fail to control her thirst but rest assured we will confine her if it comes to that point."

  It was Chaeyoung. The cute lint in her voice was unmistakable. But it also meant one thing. The cub had survived which was probably Mina's doing. There was probably one person she know who could pull of such a miracle and Jeongyeon felt relieved to know she had been successful. There was no resentment with how she was not saved as well. She had accepted the harsh reality. She was just glad to know the young woman was safe and still alive and did not suffered the same fate as hers. It didn't lessen her confusion though. The topic they were having was still irrelevant for her. Shouldn't they be discussing about her untimely death or their next course of action? And did she just turned into a ghost and that is why she was still not ascending to where she supposed to be?

  But then she felt warmth envelop her hand and wetness touching her fingertips which she thought was simply impossible in her condition. Isn't she supposed to feel cold and numb? How can she still perceive and feel the touch of someone alive? And she could tell it was Nayeon based on familiarity and the older woman's tendency to intertwine their fingers rather than clasp it gently. But how? Isn't it a irregularity? Is she the irregularity? "Open your eyes, Jeongie. I promise to laugh at your lame jokes from now on. And I believe you would not harm anyone here. I believe you will still remain our dorky neat freak adviser. You will still be my Jeongie."

  And it shouldn't have worked. She was convinced she had died due to the strain of being bitten and just luckily, her body seemed not turn into a monster. But still she knew it shouldn't have worked. There was no way a dead could speak to the living unless all the ghost stories had been real along. She only wanted to voice out her reaction to Nayeon's words. To convey what she thought, but it should not be possible for her to be heard.

"Stop that, you look ugly when you cry and my jokes are world-class. It is you who have no sense of humor at all."

  The effect was instantaneous. She fel