"Life is such a short fleeting experience, isn't it, Yeosang?" 

"Hmm? But vampires live a long life. Ever since you turned me, I haven't aged a day." 

"But we still eventually die or we are already dead."

"I guess so. What's wrong, Wooyoung?" 

"I... I just wonder what the world would be like in the future. If things are already progressing this quickly in such a short span of time, what would the future look like?" 

"It can look like anything you want it to be." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean... If you take control of the world, you can spin it however you like." 

Wooyoung smiled and shook his head. "I think this world looks better with freedom." 

Yeosang lowered his gaze. "This world is in strife with war and famine. It is killing itself." 

"Maybe. But we are all inhabitants of it. That means we are the ones killing it." 

"Perhaps." 

"I want to live a long life... long enough for me to be satisfied with what is to come." 

"But you died and left me all alone. Even though I tried to give you a long life like you wanted but you... you left me." 

Wooyoung gnawed at the chain, trying to break free of it but it only made his jaw hurt. He grumbled and kept tugging, wondering where they were even connected to. Despite his ability to see in the dark, it felt like the darkness was too deep here that it absorbed any sort of visibility you might have. He sighed and wondered what time it was or what day even. He felt like he had been here forever even though he knew that wasn't true. The door opened and Wooyoung flinched. He watched as Mingi approached him and pursed his lips. 

"Shh... I'm not here to do anything bad to you," Mingi said to Wooyoung's confusion. 

"You almost broke all the bones in my body and that's what you have to say?" he scoffed. 

"Sorry. I was being controlled." 

"Right... By this nasty bug thing?" 

Mingi lowered his collar just to prove to Wooyoung that he was in the same boat. "I want to teach you how to resist it." 

"Resist? Why would you teach me something like that? Even if you are being controlled by the Overseer, what do you even gain by helping me?" 

"A chance to escape too?" 

"Why not just let me go now?" 

"I don't have the power. Only the Overseer does for this room. But we don't have much time before the Overseer comes so listen to me." 

"I don't trust you." 

"Whether you do or not, your friend's life is on the line and so is your creator's?" 

Wooyoung blinked. "Are you talking about Seonghwa appa?" 

"Yes. In the final round of the competition, you'll fight against the remaining survivors. To the death. There will be no quitters, only dead vampires." 

"You're saying... I have to fight him?" 

"Yeah. There's no way the Overseer would let you lose either so you'll have to kill him. Whether it's by your own will or not. And after him, it'll be San." 

Wooyoung pursed his lips and looked down in frustration. "Okay. Fine, teach me." 

Mingi walked closer to Wooyoung and started to teach him to close off his mind. Wooyoung felt like he had trouble doing that or rather he couldn't understand what Mingi was trying to tell him to do. 

"Well this is a problem," Mingi muttered and they both froze when the door creaked open again. Mingi stood upright as Yeosang approached them with a glass in his hand filled with red liquid. A sickeningly sweet smell wafted into the room and Wooyoung felt his pupils shake as he recognised the scent. 

"You.... Hah.... What did you do to San?!" Wooyoung growled, feeling his throat dry up instantly, and pulled against the chains. "You hurt him!" 

"Don't be silly. Extracting blood without hurting the person is a simple thing to do," Yeosang replied. "I thought this might motivate you better." 

"What..." Yeosang brought the glass close to Wooyoung's lips and the other quickly moved back. "You'll make me drink his blood?" 

"Why wouldn't I?" 

Wooyoung was stunned, surprised even. Did Yeosang not know about San's background? He looked towards Mingi in a panic and Mingi blinked in confusion. "You don't want to do this."

"What are you talking about?" Yeosang asked and held his cheeks. Wooyoung squeaked and tried to squirm free. 

"I'm being serious! Help!" Wooyoung yelped as Yeosang brought the glass to his lips again. Wooyoung pursed his lips together tightly and tried to turn his head away. Mingi felt the panic in his voice and started to head out. 

"Where are you going, Mingi?" Yeosang asked and Mingi flinched. 

"I'm... going to check on the competition's preparations," Mingi quickly blurted out. 

"No need. Just stand there. Once Wooyoung drinks this, we can all go together." 

The liquid touched Wooyoung's lips and he started to panic. He grunted and shut his eyes tightly. Maybe dying wasn't such a bad idea, he suddenly thought. This could all end with his death. 

Mingi caught hold of a guard passing by and whispered into his ear quickly. The guard's eyes flashed red and rushed into the room. 

"Sir!" 

"What is it now?" Yeosang hissed and lowered the glass. 

"There's an uproar happening in the arena!" the guard said seriously and Yeosang frowned. 

"Well, get it under control." 

"We need your help. Only you can calm them." 

Yeosang rolled his eyes. "Mingi, come here. Make sure Wooyoung finishes this." 

"Yes, sir." Mingi took the glass from his hand as Yeosang stormed out with the guard. Wooyoung breathed in deeply and sighed in relief. 

"What's going on?" he asked curiously. "Is there really an uproar?" 

"No, I lied. That's my ability," Mingi said. "Why didn't you want to drink this anyway? I get not wanting to hurt your friend but... the look on your face was more..." 

"I'll die."

"What?"

"I'll die if I drink it." 

"Your friend is a vampire hunter?" 

"How did yo- no, he's not. His parents were." 

Mingi stared at the liquid in the glass and smiled. 

"Why are you looking at it like that?" 

"I'm keeping it. I'll be right back." 

Mingi sped out of the room to Wooyoung's confusion but he quickly wiped off the blood on his lips onto whichever part of the sleeve he could reach before he thought twice and it up. San's blood had an alluring scent that made him feel almost dizzy after all. 

~

Seonghwa noticed the Overseer walking out to the arena and wondered if something was wrong since he looked upset and the guard beside him was not faring any better. 

"There is nothing going on. What is your problem?" Yeosang scoffed and the guard bowed. 

"I-I sincerely apologize. I thought there was." 

"Nevermind that. We are starting the competition. Ask Mingi to bring Wooyoung out. I will unchain him now." 

"Yes, sir." 

Seonghwa kept an eye on Yeosang who flew up to the level he was on previously and landed gracefully before turning around to greet them. 

"Welcome back, my fellow vampires. Let us begin with the second competition where only 20 of you will be able to pass this time. The task is simple. Everyone will lift a special boulder and the 20 who lift it the longest will be able to move on. Anyone who drops their boulder or if it touches the ground will be executed." 

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would we need to do something like that?" Wooyoung asked Mingi as he overheard what Yeosang said. 

"Being a vampire lord is also about being the strongest in everything. Speed, wits, strength, abilities," Mingi replied him. 

"Can't I just run away now?" Wooyoung asked since it was only Mingi who was keeping an eye on him and if he truly was on his side, he had no need to keep him there. 

"Of course not. Unless you can get rid of the beetle, there's no running away." 

"Right. This...." Wooyoung lifted his hand to his neck and Mingi immediately slapped his hand to stop him. "Ow. Hey." 

"Don't. It'll bite you and you'll be in a lot of pain. I tried it already." 

Wooyoung pouted and Mingi motioned him into the arena. 

"Good luck, Wooyoung. Don't die." 

"I'm starting to think dying is the better idea," Wooyoung scoffed and spun around. He gasped when he saw Seonghwa amongst the vampires and started to run up to him but didn't get close enough when boulders started raining from the sky. He jumped to the side as one almost crushed him. It was much bigger than him and he started to doubt his own capabilities. 

"Anyone who doesn't lift a boulder within the first 10 seconds will be executed too. The competition begins now."

The vampires, buff or small, started to pick up the boulders. Those without any particular noteworthy strength were almost instantly crushed by the weight of the boulder. Wooyoung gulped and tried to lift the one beside him. He grunted and struggled but somehow managed to get it off the ground. He stumbled and almost crashed into another vampire near him since he couldn't find his balance but the vampire hissed and made Wooyoung flinch instead. He almost dropped the boulder but something stopped it from touching the ground. He blinked as he felt a helping hand lift the boulder. He gasped when he saw Seonghwa and felt like tearing up. 

"Appaaaa." 

"Shhh," Seonghwa shushed him and he sniffled. He really thought he was going to die from being unable to lift a boulder which he honestly found stupid. "You don't seem to be controlled today." 

"Huh? That-that stuck a bug on my throat! Appa, what should I do? He has San and he almost forced me to drink his blood. I want to go back," Wooyoung started to whine and sob. Seonghwa pitied him but knew it wasn't the right time to save Wooyoung now. 

"You have to hold on a little longer, Wooyoung. Once we figure out how to stop the beetle's abilities and have a proper plan, I'll definitely save you and San. For now, just play along." 

"Why can't you just bust us out now?" 

"Because the Overseer will send everyone here at us. All these vampires, they all listen to him." 

"But why..." 

"Because they fear him. He might not look strong but the Overseer is capable of reviving himself and each time he does that, he gains a new ability too. We don't know the full extent of his powers either." 

"He's like a mega cheat," Wooyoung grumbled. "But I have to fight you... I don't want to." 

"I wouldn't want to fight you either." 

"How are you lifting both our boulders...?" Wooyoung asked curiously since he just realized that there wasn't much weight for him to lift. 

"I'm using a bit of Jongho and Yunho's abilities." 

"You can do that?" 

"You can too, with training." 

Wooyoung wanted to chat more with Seonghwa but he felt his consciousness being dragged away. He knew this feeling and tried to warn Seonghwa but it was as if someone had pulled a rug out from under his feet and he could only sink deeper. 

"Wooyoung?"

His eyes glowed red and he lifted the boulder with ease. Seonghwa stepped back as Wooyoung grinned and swung the boulder, knocking down several others. 

"Wooyoung! Stop!" Seonghwa reached out to try to stop the other but the boulder headed his direction and he quickly stepped back. "Damn it..." Seonghwa looked up at the Overseer who was smiling as he looked down upon them. "Wooyoung, don't let him control you. Come back to me." 

Come back. Wooyoung. Take my hand. 

Who.... 

Tak-

Seonghwa flinched when he was forcefully pushed out of the telepathy and gritted his teeth. This was more difficult than he thought but then again, Seonghwa knew it would take more than their telepathic connection to knock Wooyoung back to his senses. With Wooyoung knocking others off their feet and some even fighting back, the vampires started dropping out of the competition like flies. While it was beneficial for Seonghwa since he didn't have to do anything, he worried about Wooyoung. He seemed unhinged and Seonghwa could feel a strange power coming off of him. Something that didn't feel like Wooyoung. Seonghwa guessed it must've had something to do with the Overseer.