Alternate title would be "What have we here?" if we didn't decide to make everything as ually driven as humanly possible. You're welcome.

Also it is 6:24 am, we're running on vast amounts of caffeine and we're probably not going to sleep at all tonight because we worked so hard to finish this. You're welcome.

“Take me with you!”

“No, Mary Sue!” Chanyeol’s hands were on your shoulders as he stared earnestly into your eyes. You pouted back at him.

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing while you and Jonghyun and everyone else are in danger because of me.”

“Mary Sue, we’ll get Jonghyun back,” he insisted. “I promise. But above all, we have to protect the Chosen One.”

You cringed internally when he called you that.

“You’ll be safe here where we won’t have to worry about you,” he continued. “So no matter how concerned you are about us, you have to stay here. Understand?”

You nodded, annoyed.

He gave you that grin of his, the one with the wide eyes and all of his teeth, and you couldn’t help but smile back. The Phoenix Talisman, which he was now wearing around his neck, flashed orange and caught your eye for a moment.

Baekhyun came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You ready?”

Chanyeol nodded at him and followed him and the rest of the Hunters out, shooting you one last smile before they disappeared, leaving you alone with only Kris and Luhan, who were to stay with you and make sure you didn’t try to leave.

An awkward few seconds passed before Kris cleared his throat.

“Are you hungry?” he asked you.

You shook your head, but then changed your mind. “Yeah.” You turned to look up at him. “Can you make me something?” you asked sweetly.

He nodded and smiled and left the room.

Luhan then turned his attention to you. “Do you need anything else?” he offered.

“No,” you answered, plopping yourself down onto the sofa. “I’m really tired from all of this. I think I just need to sleep.”

He nodded. “I’ll let you sleep, then.” He turned off the lamp and shut the door quietly so you would have some peace.

Jonghyun was led harshly to a huge stone room and shoved before a throne where a female vampire was sitting.

She grinned at the sight of him. “Once again, you have managed to bring me the Chosen One,” she said. Her voice had a musical quality. “Well done, TOP.”

Jonghyun was totally confused by this, until he realized he was still wearing the wig. And when he was wearing the wig, nobody could tell him and Mary Sue apart. Nobody.

“I’m not the Chosen One,” he corrected meekly.

The vampire’s eyes flashed angrily at him. “What are you saying?”

He glared up at her defiantly. “I said, I’m not the Chosen One.” He slid the wig from his head and watched her face contort into a furious expression.

She glared at the vampire who had brought him here. “You useless fool!” she shrieked. “You’ve brought me a decoy!” She lashed her hand out and slapped Jonghyun across the face. The force threw him to the ground. He brought a hand up to his cheek and looked at it. She drew blood.

Just then, he noticed her pupils had dilated, and she brought her fingers to her lips, ravenously at the blood beneath her nails.

“I don’t understand,” she breathed. “Your taste.” She her fingers fervently. “Your blood. Who are you?”

Something suddenly occurred to Jonghyun. If his blood could be of use to these vampires, then maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t go after Mary Sue. He stood up slowly, trying to ignore his shaking legs, and squared his shoulders at the vampire in front of him.

“I’m the Chosen One’s twin brother,” he stated firmly. “Her identical twin brother.”

She gasped. The sound was a strange mixture of realization and pleasure. “Of course,” she breathed. “You look just like her. You even have the same brown eyes as she.” She held him roughly then and buried her face in his neck, inhaling deeply. “And the same blood.” She brought her head up suddenly and addressed the other vampires in the room. “Put him in a cell until the eclipse,” she said. “We will use him for the ritual.”

TOP forcefully grabbed Jonghyun by the arm and led him toward the exit.

“Well done, TOP. It would seem you haven’t completely failed me,” Ga In said. “Make sure it stays that way,” she added as a warning.

Jonghyun had no idea what she meant by that. But the thought was somehow terrifying.

You crept swiftly through the halls of the Hunters’ hideout, avoiding the two men assigned to watch over you. You couldn’t just wait around while the people you cared about were endangering themselves for your sake, and you certainly couldn’t stand by and let Jonghyun be harmed at the hands of vampires who wanted your blood.

You wouldn’t let anyone get hurt because of you.

Without running into Kris or Luhan, you managed to reach the chapel and strode between the pews, trying to come up with a game plan.

You would go to the vampires’ hideout. You would make sure Jonghyun was okay. You would find him and free him and fight your way through any vampires who tried to stop you.

As you threw the church doors open, cold winter air hit your face. Your car was still parked outside, and you got inside and revved up the engine, taking off down the street.

Above all, you wouldn’t let yourself be used to start a vampire apocalypse. You wouldn’t be the catalyst. You would be the hero who stopped it.

After all, you were the Chosen One.

Jonghyun sat at the far wall of his cell, watching the two vampires who were watching him. TOP was staring lustfully at him, his lips.

“TOP,” warned the other. “Restrain yourself.”

“Se7en,” TOP growled. “I know I’m not the only one who desires the blood of the Chosen One. You must want it too.”

“You’re the youngest vampire of us,” Se7en said. “You have the least amount of self control.” With a growl, he said, “I heard what happened last time.”

TOP snarled at Se7en angrily.

“Perhaps, if you cannot handle it,” Se7en suggested. “You should stay away from the ritual altogether. We can’t have you lapping up the blood from the stone, can we?” he taunted.

“I will be fine,” TOP spat.

“You had better be,” the other warned. “If you can’t restrain yourself from taking him,” he indicated Jonghyun. “We won’t have enough time to retrieve her for the ritual.”

Jonghyun’s ears perked at this. Maybe he could stop this on his own, and the vampires wouldn’t get the chance to use his blood for the eclipse, and Mary Sue would still be safe. He gulped at the thought. It was a terrifying idea. But if it was for his own sister, and for his friends, he could sacrifice himself.

“Is my blood really that good?” he asked tentatively.

Se7en glowered at him. “Ignore him,” he growled.

TOP only chuckled darkly. “You have no idea,” he answered.

Jonghyun nodded slowly and looked away, trying to look unfazed by everything. He brought his hand up to the cut on his cheek. “Ow,” he hissed.

TOP’s eyes widened in an almost concerned expression. “What is it?” he questioned.

Jonghyun glanced back at him. “Nothing,” he said, inconspicuously picking the cut open again. “I just thought the bleeding would have stopped by now.” He slowly dragged his bloody fingers down to his neck, making sure the vampires saw the motion, while trying to seem nonchalant about it at the same time.

TOP drew in a shuddering breath, and Se7en eyed him warily. “TOP,” he hissed. “Stay where you are.”

“He’s already bleeding,” TOP exhaled. “Why let it go to waste?”

Before Se7en could say anything else, TOP was across the room and had Jonghyun pinned to the wall, the blood off his face. He followed the trail down to his neck, and Jonghyun felt his senses heighten from the adrenaline. His instincts told him to push away, but he reminded himself of why he was doing this.

Unable to control himself anymore, TOP sunk his teeth into Jonghyun’s neck. For an instant, Jonghyun suddenly thought this wasn’t such a good idea. But then the venom kicked in, and Jonghyun felt himself succumbing to TOP’s embrace, pulling the vampire even closer.

Then a rush of cool air, and Se7en had TOP pinned to the opposite wall. No longer being held by the vampire, Jonghyun fell to the ground.

“You fool!” Se7en growled at TOP. “You’ve tainted him. His blood is of no use to us now!”

TOP tore his gaze from Jonghyun and looked at Se7en.

“Go,” the older vampire hissed. “We must tell leader Ga In of this.” He released his grip on TOP. “Leave him here,” he said looking at Jonghyun’s crumpled figure on the floor. “I have no intentions of being here when he turns.”

With that, the two vampires left Jonghyun alone in the cell, weak and wondering what he could have meant by that statement.

“Is she okay?”

Luhan nodded. “She’s asleep.”

Kris smiled and continued cooking as Luhan sighed and leaned against the counter.

“Do you think they’ll be okay?” he sighed, his eyes full of worry.

Kris considered him a moment and nodded. “Of course,” he said, trying to remain confident. “They can all take care of themselves.” They all have their powers, he thought.

He tried not to dwell on the thought that he and Luhan were probably left behind because they were the only ones who didn’t yet have their powers.

Although he still wasn’t so sure about Luhan.

Maybe he could ask him about it? He glanced over at the other Hunter, who was still gazing off with a worried expression. Kris cleared his throat. “Luhan?”

Luhan’s concentration broke and he glanced up at Kris questioningly. “Yeah?”

He hesitated. “Do you think they left us behind with Mary Sue because of our powers?”

He hoped he wasn’t being too obvious.

Luhan just looked confused. “What do you mean?”

Maybe he wasn’t being obvious enough.

“I mean they can all take care of themselves because they’ve all discovered their powers by now,” he elaborated. “But I don’t have my power yet, and you…”

He left the thought open, hoping Luhan might fill it in for him, but instead he just smiled in understanding. “Don’t worry,” Luhan told him kindly. “You’ll get your power when the time is right.”

Kris still had no idea about Luhan.

He didn’t have anything else to say though, so he just stirred the packet of flavoring into the noodles he was cooking and poured the dish into a bowl.

“I’ll take this to Mary Sue,” he mumbled, leaving Luhan in the kitchen.

When he peered into the room they had left Mary Sue in, however, he found she wasn’t sleeping on the couch. She was gone.

He rushed back to tell Luhan.

“What?” The Hunter’s eyes were wide with confusion. “What do you mean she’s gone?”

“She’s not in the room,” Kris repeated. “She must’ve gone after them.”

Luhan wavered a little. “How do you know she went after them? She could’ve just gone to the bathroom or something.”

Kris sighed. “This is Mary Sue we’re talking about,” he argued. “Do you really think she would just stay put while everyone else was risking their lives for her?”

Luhan could only stand there, his mouth hanging open in worry and shock, until Kris grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him away.

“Come on,” he said breathlessly. “We have to find her. Before something bad happens.”

As they stepped out into the cold winter air, their worries confirmed by the absence of Mary Sue’s car, Kris tried not to think about what would happen if they didn’t find Mary Sue in time.

It was a race against time as the Hunters all spread out over the area after arriving on the grounds of the vampires’ lair, trying to find and rescue Jonghyun before the eclipse began.

Not that Tao had a problem racing against time.

He turned another corridor, the sound of his footsteps echoing off the stone walls, and kept running.

The time controller had separated himself from the rest of the group early on. He had his own agenda on this mission, and he didn’t want any of the other Hunters to interfere. This was his chance to repay his parents’ killer for what he had done. It was his chance for revenge.

He heard a low chuckle reverberating through the halls and stopped running, his heart beating quickly as he recognized the sound of that voice.

Max stepped out from a passageway on the side and stood smirking as he looked over his adversary. “Well, well,” he said, sounding pleased. “What have we here?” He stepped lazily forward. “Have you finally come to take from me…” His grin grew to reveal his sharp, gleaming teeth. “…what you’ve craved for so long?”

Without responding, Tao spread his legs into a fighting stance, eliciting a low growl from the vampire.

“A little eager, aren’t we?” He let out an exaggerated sigh of disappointment. “Maybe we should take it a little slower,” he said. “It’s never satisfying if we get right to the action and skip all of the .” The vampire grinned at Tao. “I want it to be good for both of us.”

“I’ve waited for ten years,” Tao hissed. “That’s enough for me. I’ll be satisfied once I kill you.”

Tao steeled himself, his heart racing in anticipation as Max stepped forward, finally able to face the man he had hunted for so long.

He was ready.

As the two enemies stood still, eyes narrowed calculatingly as each considered how to attack, Tao was sure of one thing.

By the end of this battle, at least one of them would be dead.

He vowed to make sure Max wouldn’t be the victor, just as the vampire lunged menacingly forward and Tao ducked out of the way just in time.

It was quiet. Almost peaceful. And cold. The ground was hard, the air was damp, and the world was dark. And Jonghyun felt numb.

He had done it. He had sacrificed himself so that he couldn’t be used to stop the eclipse, and now the vampires had no one.

He wondered what would happen to him now. Right now, he was just waiting. Mulling over his choices as he lay there in the cell, wondering if he was going to die, and how long it would take.

He thought about his family. Mary Sue would be safe from the vampires now. He hoped she wasn’t worrying too much about him.

He thought about his friends, and how they could all live freely now without worrying about a vampire apocalypse. He knew they would all be okay without him.

He thought about Key. He wished he had had the courage just to tell him how he felt. But his insecurities always got in the way. And now he was alone, in a dark room underground, the feeling in his limbs beginning to ebb away as he went numb.

Jonghyun thought that if he had a chance to do it over again, he would tell Key from the beginning how he felt, and he wouldn’t run away from it.

He knew it was hopeless, but Jonghyun wished for a second chance.

Kai ran down the dank corridor, adrenaline pumping through his veins. The Hunters had split up into groups, in hopes of finding Jonghyun faster. He just happened to be searching with Kyungsoo, Key, and Amber. He had been the one to decide their grouping.

They hadn’t run into any vampires yet, to Kai’s disappointment. He was hoping this mission would bring some excitement to his day, but so far it was just a lot of running and nothing else. No vampires. No excitement.

So to entertain himself, he decided to run behind everybody and discreetly check out their asses as they ran.

Suddenly, a dark peal of laughter echoed throughout the corridor, and the four of them stopped and looked around, trying to find the source of the laughter. Kai’s eyes landed on a figure emerging from the shadows. He smirked. ‘Bout time something interesting happened.

“What do we have here?” asked the vampire, whom Kai recognized as Xiah, one of the more important clan members.

Kai stepped cockily toward the vampire. “Why don’t you guys keep going,” Kai suggested. “I can handle this.”

Xiah’s eyes held a menacing yet intriguing spark.

Kyungsoo gave him a worried look. “Are you sure about this?”

Kai kept his eyes on Xiah. “Run along kids, and let the grownups talk,” he said.

This relaxed Kyungsoo just slightly, and he smiled and shook his head. “Don’t let that arrogance of yours get you killed,” he warned.

“Don’t worry about me,” Kai said. “I always have an escape plan, if need be.” He winked at Kyungsoo before watching him turn and lead the others onward.

“Am I to mistake your actions for bravery?” Xiah asked. “A selfless sacrifice for the sake of your friends?”

Kai cocked his head in response. “I thought you knew me better than that, Xiah.”

The vampire chuckled. “Your over confidence will be your downfall,” he said.

“I have a good safety net,” Kai responded.

Xiah’s eyes alit on the triangular talisman hanging over the Hunter’s heart. “It’s true, I can’t bite you while you have that,” he admitted.

“That’s okay, we all have performance issues now and then.”

The vampire’s lip rose over his teeth in a snarl. “But I can kill you in other ways.”

Kai moved into a stance more suitable for fighting. “A little less talk,” he said.

Xiah followed suit.

Kai smirked. He loved fighting vampires.

You panted and turned left to find yet another long corridor of stone walls lined with lit torches. So far, you hadn’t found anyone, friend or foe, as you ran through the vampires’ hideout. You took a right and were met with a similar setting.

This place is like a labyrinth, you thought.

You needed to find Jonghyun and make sure he was okay. He was probably in a holding cell somewhere, maybe with a thick steel door like the one in the cell you had been in. You couldn’t say which one though. There were a lot of hallways and a lot of doors.

You had to start opening doors if you wanted any hope of finding Jonghyun.

Empty. Empty. Empty. Keep trying. You had to keep trying. You had to find someone, anyone.

Or the plot. The plot would be a good thing to find.

You turned another corner and opened another door. This room wasn’t empty. In fact, it was full of lavish furniture and drapery. A four-poster bed with lace hangings took up a good portion of it. You were momentarily captivated by the setting, standing entranced in the doorway.

“Well, well,” you heard a breathy, sing-song voice say. “What do we have here?”

You had just stumbled your way into Ga In’s bedchamber, falling straight into the clutches of the clan leader.

You were about to run from the room, but in an instant she blocked the doorway. Her dark eyes glinted malevolently as she smiled, reaching a hand up to your face.

“The Chosen One has graced us with her presence after all,” she said lowly, her cool touch paralyzing you. “What a pleasant surprise.”

Her smile revealed her gleaming white teeth and she gazed at you hungrily.

“Come,” she said, sliding her fingers from your face all the way down your arm to your wrist, where she took hold of you and began guiding you further into the room. “Let’s make you presentable, shall we?”

You couldn’t resist her pull, following her as she held your gaze with her own. You gulped in fear.

Her eyes flashed with delight. “You should be ready for the ritual. After all,” she whispered, “you’re the guest of honor.”

Sehun was running after Suho, with Chen trailing just behind, following his leader through hallway after stone hallway. This entire place seemed to just be stone hallways lined with lit torches. Every corner they turned presented them with an identical hallway, and Sehun was beginning to wonder if there was anything else in this place, or if they were all just trapped in a paradox, doomed to run down stone hallways with lit torches forever, until they finally reached a room that looked important.

It was a vast room, still with stone walls and lit torches. But in the center of the room was what looked like a big, round, stone thing. Of sorts.

The three of them stopped, and Suho motioned for them to be quiet as he carefully stepped toward the giant thing, glancing around him to make sure no vampires ambushed them or something.

They approached the thing, and Sehun got a better look at it. It was like three cylindrical slabs, stacked on top of each other, decreasing in size as they went up. And every visible surface was covered in ancient runes.

“Is this the device they’re going to use?” Chen whispered.

Suho ran a hand over some of the runes. “I think it is,” he answered.

Suddenly, a low chuckle reverberated through the vast room, growing in volume. The Hunters spun around, instinctively turning their backs to each other. Sehun then saw a figure lurk out from behind a stone pillar.

“Well, well, well,” the vampire growled. “What do we have here?”

“Rain,” Suho addressed. “Don’t tell me Ga In has you on guard duty.” He spoke in an ironically friendly tone.

“I chose to watch over the device myself,” Rain retorted.

Suho chuckled. “I don’t think it’s going anywhere.” He gestured at the thing. “It’s kind of… massive.”

“And attached to the ground,” Sehun added.

Rain shot him a dirty snarl. “The device is crucial to the ritual,” he stated. “I intend to keep it from being destroyed, and I will kill anybody who plans to.”

Suho paused and looked around the room, his stance oddly casual, as if his guard wasn’t up. He then looked back at Rain. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but you’re outnumbered here,” he said.

Rain only grinned darkly. “Actually,” he said, “It is you who are outnumbered.”

Five other vampires stepped out from the shadows behind other stone pillars, and the three Hunters found themselves surrounded. Suho cocked his head. “Good,” he said grinning. “I was afraid this was going to be too easy.”

The three Hunters readied their stances. Sehun felt his adrenaline kick in. He noticed two of the vampires eyeing him in particular, marking him as their target. He glanced at Suho and Chen, then back at Rain and the other vampires. Prepare yourselves for a storm, he thought, grinning.

“Mary had a little lamb,” sang your captor as she applied a faint layer of rouge to your cheeks, giving you a rosy complexion. “Its fleece was white as snow.”

Ga In finished her work and stepped back, allowing you to scrutinize your reflection in her tarnished vanity mirror.

You looked like a doll. Your impossibly colored hair was in curls and your bright green eyes were framed by long dark eyelashes. A lacy white dress also hugged your frame, making you look even more childishly innocent.

The vampire smiled, pleased at the sight of you, and she gently took your hand again with that paralyzing touch that you couldn’t resist.

“Come, little lamb,” she coaxed. “It’s almost time for the sacrifice.”

You couldn’t move away, and you couldn’t fight against her. There was something about her that just wouldn’t let you pull away. You were trapped beneath her hungry stare, caught under her control, and there was no way out of this one.

She grinned maliciously, sending your heart into your throat as she walked you from the room and through the winding corridors, to your ultimate end.

Jonghyun pressed his face against the cool stone of the wall he was leaning against. He was certain it had gotten hotter while he was in there. He felt clammy, and a little dizzy, and he no longer had any accurate conception of time, so he had no idea how long he had been sitting in there alone. Regretting all of his decisions.

He heard a faint sound from outside the cell. It kind of sounded like someone was calling his name.

So he was having audial hallucinations now too. He supposed this must be what death was like.

The calling grew louder, and he held his head, praying for the disturbance to stop. It seemed to be so close now, right outside the steel door. “Jonghyun!”

“Aaaagh!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. He couldn’t take this anymore.

The calling stopped then. He exhaled shakily and relaxed back against the cold stone.

Suddenly, the opposite wall exploded into his cell! Jonghyun leapt to his feet in surprise. The dust cleared from the brand new hole in the wall, revealing Kyungsoo standing there in a strong stance, and Key and Amber just behind him. The latter two rushed into the room and embraced Jonghyun. For a moment, he couldn’t comprehend what was happening, but when he finally did, he felt overcome with relief and emotions.

“We should probably get away from here,” Kyungsoo said, causing them to break apart. “I doubt nobody heard that.”

They all started out of the room. Jonghyun followed after Kyungsoo and Amber, but was suddenly halted by a gentle tug on his arm. He looked back at Key curiously as the other two continued down the hall in haste.

Key suddenly seemed at a loss for words, and he quickly removed his hand from Jonghyun’s arm. “I don’t want to have any regrets,” he finally let out.

Jonghyun gazed at him. His mind was still kind of hazy at the moment. “What are you saying?” he asked.

Key was really flustered. “I… I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t know what to say anymore. I don’t know what to think. But for once, I just don’t want thinking to get in the way of—“

Jonghyun didn’t even realize what he was doing until it was happening. He had done it. He kissed Key. The instant their lips touched, Jonghyun felt suddenly terrified. What if this was a mistake?

But then he felt Key tangle his fingers in his hair and draw him closer. And he wrapped his arms around Key’s waist and slid them up his back and pulled their bodies closer too.

They stayed there in the dusty cell, kissing for Jonghyun didn’t know how long, because time was still kind of muddled to him, neither wanting to let the other go. Because what if there wasn’t another chance?

Finally, Key hesitantly and gently broke away, but his hands remained where they were. “We should go,” he whispered.

Jonghyun nodded, his nose brushing softly against Key’s cheek. Key was right. Amber and Kyungsoo were probably long gone now, and they should probably follow suit before something happens. They couldn’t have the plot furthering without them.

He reluctantly unwrapped himself and prepared to go find the plot. They started for the hole in the wall, when suddenly—

“Well, what do we have here?” TOP emerged from the dust-cloudy hall, eyes sparkling when they landed on the two in the cell.

Uh-oh. It seemed the plot had found them.

Tao grunted as his back hit the wall. His arms were held up in front of him, tangled with the vampires’ as he held him at bay, their faces inches apart. Max’s smirk was absent as they struggled, but his eyes still glimmered. Tao could feel his panting breath on his face.

He shoved the vampire off of him and threw a low kick to knock Max’s feet from beneath him. He was effectively thrown off balance, but he still held onto Tao’s arms and the two of them hit the floor. They both let out pained noises at the impact, Max groaning when the back of his head hit the opposite wall.

He glared up at the Hunter on top of him. “This space isn’t very…accommodating, is it?” he panted.

Tao narrowed his eyes with hatred. “I don’t care where we are, or how comfortable,” he spat. “As long as I kill you.”

Max smirked. “Then I suppose you won’t mind a change of scenery.”

He pushed the other down to the floor, switching their positions, and tried to extract himself from the other’s grip, but Tao refused to let go. He flipped them back around and slammed the vampire against the ground, leaning over him menacingly.

“I’m not letting you get away from me so easily,” he said in Max’s ear. “You will die by my hands.” He bared his teeth threateningly. “Tonight.”

Max’s amusement was gone. Swiftly, too fast for Tao to react properly, he brought his foot up and kicked the Hunter hard in the gut, throwing him off. Tao hit the wall hard and the vampire crouched before him and brought his face close.

“You’ve waited years,” he growled, “to face me. Obsessed over killing me. And I’ve waited.” His breath was cool against his skin. “For you to become strong enough to finally be worthy of fighting against me.”

Tao struggled to recover from the last blow, stunned and warily taking in the vampire’s words.

“I want the moment,” Max whispered, his lips grazing Tao’s ear, “to be perfect. Don’t you?”

He straightened up and flashed a grin before taking off at the super speed vampires were capable of.

Luckily Tao was capable of keeping up. He recovered himself and followed Max through various corridors until they both ended up outside in the open air.

There were a few trees surrounding the wide area on one side, and on the other was a drop off, revealing a view of the distant geography from hundreds of feet up.

The world was also much darker now. Tao saw Max, standing in the middle of the clearing and grinning beneath a deep red sky. The eclipse had already begun.

As if the music had started, the two immediately fell into a dance of fast-paced hand-to-hand combat. Tao was in front of the vampire before he could say one word, forcing him to quickly throw up his arms and block the kick that was aimed at him. He threw a jab, then a cross, and Max kept blocking as the Hunter advanced on him, stepping forward and forcing the vampire to step back.

They maneuvered around each other, blocking and kicking and punching and dodging. Max stopped Tao’s fist and held it between them, leaning forward.

“See?” he breathed, smirking. “This is much more fun, isn’t it?”

Tao wanted to punch that smirk off his face. He growled and shoved him away and they separated and began circling each other.

Max took a deep breath of the cold winter air.

“I wish it could last longer,” he remarked. “The build up is enjoyable, and there’s nothing more satisfying than the feeling of the final kill. But once it’s over…” He sighed wistfully.

Tao bristled as they both stepped slowly around each other. He kept his guard up as the vampire continued to talk.

“I want to savor you,” said Max. “Like I did your parents.” The vampire grinned darkly and his lips. “I hope you’re as delicious as they were.”

At the mention of his parents, Tao stopped his pacing and stood still. Max stopped as well. He was framed by the wide expanse of sky and the stretch of landscape beyond the cliff on the edge of the clearing. The Hunter swallowed, hoping he wouldn’t fail.

“But alas,” the vampire continued. “If I were to really allow myself to enjoy your taste, I would miss the ritual.” He brought his lips down into a mock pout. “And I would really hate to miss that. If only we had more time…”

Wish granted, Tao thought as he slowed the speed of time around them. He simultaneously lunged forward and launched himself at the vampire, who, still operating at normal speed, was too slow to react in time to save himself. From Tao’s perspective, he moved like he was swimming in molasses, as if the Hunter had ordered him to get in slow motion and he was compelled to obey.

He didn’t want him to throw him off this time. He wouldn’t give him the chance. So Tao ran both of them right over the edge of the cliff before plunging a dagger straight through the heart of the vampire who had stolen his parents and so many years of his life from him.

Max’s face contorted in pain and fury and fear before he dissolved into nothing but dust and was swept away, leaving Tao alone, freefalling through the air and ready to greet death.

His reason for living was gone now, his mind completely blank, and he wondered where all the time had gone.

Kai laughed as he evaded another one of Xiah’s attacks. The vampire was visibly annoyed at this point, probably because he kept teleporting whenever he came close to landing a hit on him.

“Don’t give up,” Kai taunted from behind Xiah. “You were admirably close that time.”

The vampire growled in irritation. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”

Kai flashed in front of his opponent. “I’m pretty amused by myself, yes.” He disappeared again before Xiah could react.

“Of course,” he hissed. “You’re always so ing amused.” He stood up straight in the middle of the hallway and stopped trying to catch the Hunter altogether. He was clearly unamused.

Kai pouted. Well, this wasn’t any fun. Tauntingly, he appeared directly in front of Xiah and swung at him, only to teleport right behind him to get him from the other side too. It was a maneuver he had used often. This time though, the vampire was predicting his movements. Before Kai could even react, Xiah forcefully pinned him to the stone wall, gripping him by the throat.

He wasn’t playing anymore. “I’m sorry for having to cut this short,” he growled. “After all, we were having so… much… fun.” He emphasized his words by tightening his grip on the Hunter’s throat.

Kai couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t even teleport. He was trapped by this vampire’s paralyzing touch.

“But unfortunately,” Xiah continued, bringing his face close to his prey’s. “I’m late to my next engagement.”

Kai struggled under his captor’s grip, trying to escape, but it was no use. Xiah had every intention of strangling him right there. His vision started clouding as his body ached for oxygen, but was denied it. Well, this wasn’t exactly how he had pictured his death happening. He had always thought it would be more glorious than suffocation. At least he thought there would be more people to witness it.

Suddenly, the wall opposite them exploded into a giant heap of rubble and dust! The force threw Xiah off of Kai, and Kai fell to the ground. He raised his head at the cloud of dust and saw Kyungsoo standing there, staring down at him with that ing smile of his.

Kai had never felt so glad to see him.

At the sight of the second Hunter, Xiah bolted down the corridor away from them.

Kyungsoo offered a hand to Kai and helped him up. “I knew you would get yourself into trouble,” he said.

Kai rubbed at his neck. “That was quite an entrance,” he stated.

Kyungsoo shrugged. “I like to go big.”

The other tilted his head thoughtfully. “Bit flashy for my taste.”

Kyungsoo could only chuckle at that.

“Well, let’s go after him,” Kai sighed, nodding in the direction Xiah went.

The two Hunters chased after the vampire until he led them to a vast and important looking room, where it seemed the main plot was happening. They could only stare in shock and terror as they realized at that moment that their worst fears had been realized.

You were shackled to the cold, ancient stone slab of the device, facing upward where the ceiling had opened up to reveal the wide expanse of a red sky. The battle that had been taking place in the chamber was halted, the Hunters having been outnumbered and restrained as everyone watched the cylinders rotate and the device raise up through the ceiling. You were out in the open now, exposed to the cold winter air and unreachable by those in the chamber below.

There were even more vampires outside, all waiting to witness the ritual that would keep the solar eclipse in place and allow them to roam freely on the surface without limitations.

There were also more Hunters. Your eyes immediately found the one you least wanted to face now.

His eyes were wide with horror. He was also being restrained by vampires and forced to watch the ritual. You wished he didn’t have to see you like this.

Ga In, dressed in a ceremonial robe with the hood pulled low over her face, approached the device slowly, her lips moving quickly as she recited words in a language you didn’t understand. You could see her teeth glinting from between her lips.

Slowly, as she chanted, the clan leader raised an ornate dagger above her head with both hands. She stood over you with it, her voice gradually becoming louder and louder with every word, and you looked up and saw the eclipse was almost completely in place.

Then she plunged the knife through your chest and you gasped at the immense pain.

Your blood drained from you, spilling out all over the stone slabs and filling the crevices and carvings of runes. A white light began to gather around you, and it became blindingly bright until you couldn’t see anything. It surrounded you and shot up, forming a pillar up to the sky.

Your senses were so overwhelmed. Your eyes were blinded by the intense whiteness and your ears were deafened by the screams of all those watching, both in triumph and in terror. But most of all, your body was overwhelmed by the immense pain of having a knife shoved into you. You just hoped it would end soon.

You were beginning to slip away finally as the giant beam of light stopped shining. Your eyes tried to readjust to your surroundings and you looked around. They found Chanyeol’s face, and you focused on it as you grew colder, before your vision dimmed and blurred and you lost sight of him completely.

You took one last shuddering breath and screamed out one final word before you departed from this world.

“What?!”