24. Returned from the dead kiss

The sweet of your blood

Sunggyu's footsteps in the forest were silent, almost as if he was floating on the grass. He was attentive to every detail, as his vision was more vibrant in the dark. It didn't take long to find one of the young men who had wandered away from his camp group to piss on a tree. They used to be his favorite targets. Careless teenagers who separated from their friends and then couldn't explain why they were bitten.

Sunggyu acted in a hurry, grabbing the boy behind the tree and sinking his fangs into his neck. The young man was unable to scream because the attacker was covering his mouth tightly. When he withdrew the fangs, he the blood for long seconds, enough that he just passed out. Sunggyu didn't like to exaggerate any more than that.

After leaning his unconscious body against a tree trunk, he wiped his mouth and moved away. He was about to return to his mansion when he saw the exact moment a car flipped and left the road, rolling down the hill until it hit a tree.

Sunggyu raised his apathetic eyes towards the road, noticing the driver of the other car leaving in complete shock. He looked wobbly and the smell of alcohol was so strong that Sunggyu could smell it even from a distance.

The man certainly didn't know he was being watched. He made a point of running towards his own car, starting it and driving away as fast as he could. Pathetic. Thought Sunggyu. If I follow him now, I might be able to scare him a little.

He smiled at the thought, but before he walked away, a weak voice made him freeze at the same moment.

“H…Help.” Sunggyu turned around, realizing that one of the passengers was still alive. Even with his blurred vision and the large gash on his forehead, he kept his gaze fixed on Sunggyu. “Please help me.”

Sunggyu raised an eyebrow, approaching slowly. With the exception of that man, the other people in the car were dead. A couple in their 50s and a teenager. If everyone were a family, wouldn't it be better if they left together?

Sunggyu ripped off the dented door as if it were made of paper. Leaning over him, Sunggyu noticed his labored breathing and the way he struggled so hard to live. Sunggyu's long, cold fingers trailed over his black hair, hesitating as he noticed cuts all over his body.

He was beautiful. Perhaps one of the most beautiful people Sunggyu has seen in all those centuries. It was a shame his life was hanging by a thread. He could have had a promising future, maybe starting a new family. He didn't deserve that fate because of some drunk on the road.

“What is your name?” asked Sunggyu, in a soft voice as he caressed his face.

“Woo…” He swallowed hard, blinking his eyes hard. He seemed to feel pain all over his body. “Woohyun…”

“Maybe you'd rather die right here and now, Woohyun-ssi,” Sunggyu muttered, noticing that Woohyun had relaxed with his caresses. Even so, the fear in his eyes returned upon hearing Sunggyu.

“No…please,” he begged, his voice coming out like a breath. “I do not want to die.”

Sunggyu didn't respond, still believing he would regret it later. Most begged for help and complained about the consequences of eternal life afterwards. Sunggyu hadn't cared for many years, but he was aware that abstaining from so many things was unbearable for almost everyone.

He noticed his breathing stop for a few seconds. Sighing, Sunggyu brought his own wrist to his lips, tearing the skin with his teeth. Leaning over him, Sunggyu held Woohyun's still face, bringing their lips together.

Sunggyu's icy body seemed to warm from the softness of Woohyun's lips, relieved to feel him hold his coat without much force. He pulled away, slowly wiping Woohyun's bloodied lips with his fingertips.

Noticing him freezing again, Sunggyu hoped he still had time. Woohyun started to breathe again, panting as Sunggyu's blood corroded his entire body. He grunted and shuddered from head to toe as the wounds slowly healed. Sunggyu watched him with some nostalgia.

“Do you feel better?” Sunggyu asked as he grabbed his coat again, confused by what was happening to his body.

“I'm thirsty…”

Lips heaved and Woohyun watched his own family in shock and intensity. Sunggyu was already used to the smell and control over his own body, but he knew he should get him out of there before Woohyun did something he would regret a lot later.

“I know a place where you can eat,” Sunggyu commented, smiling softly and his hair. He still remembered the group of youths who were camping nearby. I just need to be careful that he doesn’t kill anyone in that state…

Even though very shaken, Woohyun obeyed him, following him as soon as the two got up. Sunggyu guided him into the forest, knowing they would have a few more hours before dawn.