A day passed without Taemin.

Gillian felt empty. She'd stared at her phone for hours, waiting for his call. It never came.

She sighed. "Aren't boys supposed to call right after the girl meets his parents?" she mumbled, shifting her position as she continued to stare at her phone. "They are, aren't they?"

"Who?" a voice said at her door and she looked up at Jonghyun.

"Nothing." she said and sat up properly.

"What's up, Gill?" Jonghyun asked, sitting beside her.

"I missed you." she said ang hugged Jonghyun. He patted her head and chuckled quietly. 

"Nice cover-up but not working." he said.

Gillian sat up again and pouted at her brother. "I'm not covering-up anything." she said and collasped on a pillow. She glanced at her phone. Jonghyun didn't miss it.

"Alright. Whose call are you waiting for?" he asked, lying down beside her.

"Taemin's." she mumbled quietly.

"Whose Taemin?" Jonghyun asked, frowning.

"A boy."

"You're dating a boy? Aren't you supposed to be dating a man?" Jonghyun said as Gillian glared at him. "Better yet, aren't you supposed to be not dating at all?"

"What gives you the idea that we're dating?"

"He's the one you went out with after the check-up, right?" Jonghyun said, staring at her ceiling and fiddling with both his thumb.

"Oh right. You were the one who entertained him."

"And he's the one who kept you late last night, right?" Jonghyun continued, ignoring her previous statement. 

Gillian glanced , sighed and just nodded.

"You like him, Gill?"

Gillian stopped with whatever she was doing and blinked up at her ceiling. Like Taemin? She'd never thought about that. "hhmm... like? as in..." she dragged the sentence. "Like-like? or like, friends-like?"

Jonghyun looked at her. "Like-like."

"Uh.. hehe" she said awkwardly. She didn't know how to answer that.

Jonghyun sighed and stood up, hands in his pockets. "He hurts you, call me." he said, moving to the door.

Gillian blinked. "I didn't even say anything yet." 

Jonghyun smiled at her by the door. "That's the point. You could've just said no." he said and stepped out. "'Night, Gill." he said and closed it.

Gillian puffed out her cheeks and glanced at the window. It was already dark.

Taemin woke up inside a huge dark room. 

He flexed his hands and found that they were very tightly bound with a wooden rope. Any sudden moves and his wrists would bleed.

He looked in front of him and saw a collection of wooden knives neatly arranged on a wooden table. It was clearly meant for torture.

He felt a presence behind him and took in a deep breath. "Too bitter, Mr. Jung?" he said, his voice husky and tired.

The man behind him laughed with no humor and clasped his shoulders. "My boy... do you know how long we've spent to actually find Krystal a worthy partner? Someone deserving enough of our daughter?" Mr. Jung said, his grip hard on Taemin's shoulders. "To.. to make her forget that-- that filthy human boy. Do you--" Mr. Jung stopped and maintained his composure.

"Why won't you look at me in the eye?" Taemin asked, his gaze hard on the wall in front of him.

"Because that would be stupid." Mr. Jung replied, tying a cloth over Taemin's eyes and moving in front to face him. "There." he said ang got one knife from the table. "Maybe i'll just write the ancient marks on your arm first. Would that be fun, my boy? Or maybe i'll do it on your chest. Just before I cut your eyes out." he said as the knife's glint reflected in his cold eyes. 

"Ready or not." he said and took a step forward, touching the sharp tip of the wooden knife to Taemin's wrist, going up to make a long cut. 

Taemin winced. 

The knife never left his body till he was fully marked. So he screamed.

The next day, Taemin still hadn't called so Gillian decided to pay a visit.

She knocked on their door. Twice. 

"Hello?" she said loudly and knocked again. She hoped she wouldn't be ansered by the servants considering the clothes she was wearing weren't anywhere near princess clothing. 

The door opened, revealing Elli. "Princess." she said and looked at her from up going downwards. "What's up?" she asked a little stiffly.

Gillian looked past Elli and saw nothing but the dark halls of the huge mansion. "Where's Taemin?" she asked.

"Who?"

"Taemin."

"Master Taemin?"

"Yes. Taemin. Where is he?"

"Somewhere, surely." Elli smiled elfishly.

"Of course he's somewhere. I'm asking where that somewhere is exactly."

"Huh?" Elli said.

Gillian sighed innerly. "Where is he, specifically?"

"Welll...." before Elli could answer, someone interrupted.

"Elli? Whose there?" It was Jinki.

"Hyung. Where's Taemin?" Gillian asked, stepping forward.

Jinki regarded her with passive eyes as he blinked and cleared his throat rather loudly. "He-- He went out."

"Out where?"Gillian pushed, getting suspicious with all their stuttering. 

"Somewhere." Jinki said as he held the door. "You should go now, Gill. It's awfully late with vampire time."Jinki said, glancing at the bright sunlight and slowly closing the door. 

Gillian impulsively stuck her foot out.

Jinki looked at her.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asked, hearing her determined voice encompassing the exact opposite of what she was feeling; shaky.

Jinki sighed. "Go home, Gillian. Taemin's not here." he said, his voice a bit tired. "I'll let him call you when he comes back." he continued.

Gillian slowly nodded as she lifted her foot from the door. It closed.

What aren't they telling me?, she thought and heard voices beyond the door.

She stepped closer and put her ear near the door.

"--don't let her come in again... not until I get Taemin back." Jinki's voice said.

"He's still missing, then?" Elli's voice hesitantly asked.

"No. I know where he is. I just... need some preparations before I go there." 

"Where is he? May I come with, Master Jinki?" Elli said.

"No. It's too dangerous... but we appreciate it, Elli."

They were quiet for a few moments when Gillian realized that her heart was beating way too loudly. Had they heard?

"Who did it?" Elli asked.

Jinki sighed. "You might as well know. The Jungs."

At that moment, although Gillian knew it was way too dangerous, she had to know something; where Kibum lived.

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On my way with the next chapter. This chapter's kinda boring. hahaha xD Subscribe and comment!! :D

Merry Christmas~ <3