i stand speechless. frozen.  so does Dae Sung. nobody moves an inch of muscle for as long as we thought it was. and then he winces in pain. he holds onto his left arm tightly, but the blood only streams down his skin even more swiftly. he falls on his knees as a mysterious dark fog tries to swallow him up. i cannot believe what i am seeing, but i break free from Dae Sung’s hand, rush towards his direction and take the ultimate plunge to save him from whatever it is.

 

hello, Hyun Xin. i’ve been waiting for you.

 

a woman’s voice echoes in my head as i hold onto Young Bae’s shoulders. i attempt to shield him from the ghastly fog with my body, but it only seeps into the little nooks and crannies between Young Bae and i. i cannot hear a thing. the night is silent as the dead. or maybe something’s gone wrong with my ears. Dae Sung is trying to pull us away from the menacing fog—he looks like he’s screaming, too, but our legs are planted to the ground by an invincible force.

 

see, he broke the deal. so i had to take something in return.

 

“who—who are you?!” i scream out by the time the three of us are already surrounded by a thick layer of darkness. “Hyun Xin, stay close to me!” Dae Sung yells back into my ear. i can hear perfectly. what’s going on? the air consuming us is as still as a rock. this feels too familiar.

 

and, you’re just too much of a tempt to resist, you know?

 

the voice echoes in my head. over and over again. Dae Sung is grabbing my sleeve, while i’m still holding on to Young Bae. the voice fades away for a moment as it transforms into an endless ringing, making my head throb in absolute pain. i don’t let go of Young Bae when i pull my other hand to press my temples, hoping that the pain will subside if i did. the throbbing pain only grows worse as seconds pass. i fall to my knees, and so does Dae Sung—i know because he’s now breathing heavily right at me. he’s panicking, and so am i.

 

we’re helpless.

 

“Ciel… leave her alone, leave them alone…” Young Bae’s voice manages to break past the horrible ringing in my head and into my ears. who’s Ciel? the voice in my head? i’m in too much of a pain to think straight. it’s still pitch black around the three of us. how long have we been trapped here? it feels like an eternity already. the thick, dark substance is disturbed for a moment, almost as if it’s ordered to leave, and it dissipates completely, returning us back into solid reality. the pain in my brains subsides for only a brief moment, then it bounces back into my skull again. i’m still on my knees, unwilling to let go of the fragile Young Bae i am looking at now, despite my fuzzy vision.

 

“whatever that was, we have to get home, Hyun Xin. can you stand? c’mon,” Dae Sung helps me up, along with Young Bae, and the three of us walk awkwardly back home--our arms hanging over Dae Sung’s shoulders, half-limping and half-dragged. the blood on Young Bae’s arm disappears mysteriously afterward, yet even so, he doesn’t seem to be in his best shape. as strong as i know Dae Sung is, half-carrying two person on your own is no easy task. by the time we’re in front of my house, Dae Sung is already panting heavily, yet he’s still trying hard to not show his fatigue. my headache didn’t go away at all. it’s only gotten worse—as if someone is continuously shooting me in the head.

 

coincidentally, Ji Yong opens the door to find all three of us just as Dae Sung is about to figure out a way to knock on the door without dropping either of us. “SEUNG RI! SEUNG HYUN!” Ji Yong’s first instinct, is of course, to get help. my arm slips away from Dae Sung’s shoulder weakly, my eyes are half-open and i’m sweating all over when Seung Ri carries me to my bed. i curl up into a ball in my bed to ease myself like when i have a stomachache, but nothing is working.

 

you’re not going to make it, Hyun Xin. you’re all mine.

 

the voice whispers in my ear in a taunting way. it’s coaxing me to pass out. i’m afraid i’ll never wake up to anyone’s smile again—be it Dae Sung or Young Bae.

 

***

 

“Hyun Xin, Hyun Xin!” no response. the girl only struggles and whimpers in pain. everyone in the room is struck by confusion, whereas Ji Yong, sitting next to his little sister, is anxious as ever. Dae Sung tries to take a look at Hyun Xin’s condition, but Ji Yong stands up furiously to stop him from even stealing a glance. “what the hell happened?!” Ji Yong yells and pushes Dae Sung, making him straggle back a few steps.

 

“we were at the park, then Young Bae, he appeared outta’ nowhere, with his arm bleeding and all—it was, just now, trust me! then this crazy dark fog tried to swallow him up and Hyun Xin just jumped in to try and stop it from doing so. i followed behind her and for some time we were trapped in nothing but darkness, then Young Bae tells someone—or something, to leave us alone, and soon enough, the fog is gone . but Hyun Xin, she caught some kind of, sickness. i don’t know what, okay?! i’m panicking as much as you are, Ji Yong! please, let me take a look at her!” Dae Sung pleads to his possible future in-law. Ji Yong mumbles a curse and lets him through.

 

no one notices, but Young Bae is waking up now; his tiny eyes embracing the world and all of what’s happening right before his eyes. Hyun Xin’s face only turns paler by the moment, and no one knows how to fix this. “we have to get her to the hospital,” Seung Ri says. surprisingly, it is Seung Ri who is the calmest and the first to think of this, in spite of his age being the youngest amongst them. “it’s no use. she’s taking her, because i broke the deal,” Young Bae is now standing right in front of her bed. everyone else is staring up at him.

 

Ji Yong rushes towards him and grabs him by his hoodie. “how can you be so ing calm, then?! first you dump my sister for no apparent reason, and now she’s suffering because of you?! FIX THIS, YOUNG BAE!”

 

“what the hell is happening exactly? care to explain, mr. heartbreaker?” Seung Hyun says cynically, as he too, stands up from his seat. Dae Sung is dumbfounded. he only wants her to be saved. Seung Ri is prepared to listen. Ji Yong lets go of his ex-best friend to hear what he’s got to say.

 

“i know this will be hard to believe, but i made a blood pact with a witch. yes, they do exist, but there’s only a handful of them left, and they’re living on because they’re the most powerful ones. i made a deal with a witch named Ciel when i was only a kid, and she told me there was a price for what i wanted so badly. i had to give up something else. i asked her if it was friendship, but she said no, and told me she needed a deeper bond. love. i had to give Hyun Xin up to make sure my dreams come true. i was stupid back then—all i wanted to be was a famous artist, a singer who can warm people’s hearts. but really, i can’t even warm my own heart without her—how am i supposed to spread the warmth to people now? …i’m going to fix this, Ji Yong,” Young Bae says. as he takes off his jacket, a tattoo surfaces on the left side of his neck.

 

“i know you’re here, Ciel,” Young Bae says. the witch fabricates in the room and frightens the other four boys. her hair is now let down, and she’s only in a simple black shirt and sweat pants. she looks harmless, but Young Bae knows better. “take back the deal, Ciel. i want her back. you can do whatever you want with my career and me,” he says. Ciel chuckles. her face is clean from make-up: she looks more angelic than ever. “oh but Young Bae,” her voice sounds like a sly, old fox, ready to trick an opponent and pounce, then rip the flesh out of their bodies. “i can’t do that anymore. i haven’t had a girl’s blood in such a long time! well, one of my ancestors did mate with a vampire. which explains the lust for young, fresh blood. you can’t save her anymore, Young Bae-ah. she’ll be all mine to devour. hahahahaha!”

 

Ji Yong tries to attack her, but is pushed back by an enormous force, landing on the carpeted floor. Seung Ri helps him up while Ji Yong curses.  Dae Sung is still holding on to Hyun Xin’s hand, as if looking at her face for the very last time. unable to do a thing, he feels utterly helpless and weak. “Young Bae!” Dae Sung screams. “whatever it is you can do, please, do it now to save her!” it’s the only way to save her. Young Bae’s the only way.

 

“if i die, then the pact will be broken. isn’t that correct, Ciel?” horror storms across her face for a brief moment before she breaks a sweat. she knows he’s right.

 

***

 

DUN DUN DUN DRAMAAAAAAAAA! NO COMMENTS, GUISE? )': i feel sad. geebers. THIS IS ENDING SOON ;A; ;A; ;A; POOR DAESUNGGGG. i swear i'm writing a DaeSung fanfic after this ends. <3