It was still dark when Hyomin woke up, on the floor, covered by snow.
She had fainted, exhausted.
She did not know how long she had stayed there, but it had been enough for her wound to heal.

“Joon…” - Hyomin stood up quickly and started running.
She had promised to come back.
For a vampire, a word said, is a word kept.

She had run for nearly one hour, until she saw the church, or what was left of that.
Neatly everything had been destroyed.

The turkey was all burnt, on the filthy floor; the church’s benches were all broken; the curtains all ripped… the small green box containing the gift Joon had not had time to give her almost completely burned.
It was a truly sad scene.

Hyomin took the small box from the floor, opening it.
Inside of the box, she saw a bracelet and a note.

“Hyomin,
Not many things last forever.
This bracelet will not and neither will I, but there’s one thing I would like you to always carry. This thing is faith.
More than anything, Hyomin, have faith. If not in the God I believe in, in yourself.
Also, please remember: all things happen for a reason.”

The bracelet was made of copper. It had “faith” written on it. No doubt Joon had done it himself.

Hyomin felt something strange on her chest, something that she had not felt in a long time: She felt her heart beating.
Whether vampires do or not have a heart, it’s not important.
Hyomin had to have one. One must have a heart in order to feel it breaking.

She wore the bracelet and started walking. Sadness on her eyes.
Her chest felt heavy when she saw a hand under a bunch of broken things.

It was Joon. It could only be him.
Hyomin was paralyzed.

It was thanks to him that she was still there.
The only one who had known her true nature and had not tried to kill her was now dead.
But he was just a man, like so many others, like all the others…

No.
Joon was different. He had protected her, he had helped her, and he had made her feel alive.

She took all those things from over his body.
He couldn’t be dead.

She kneeled next to him, on the church’s dirty floor.
It had been there that he had saved her life a year ago.

“Hy…omin…” - Joon managed to speak, half smiling. – “It was…God who sent you” –
There was blood on his clothes and face.

“I… don’t think it was God…” – she spoke, caressing Joon’s hair. Tears on her eyes.

Tears… then maybe she did have a soul.
Vampires are creatures with no soul, it is said.
In order to cry, there must be emotion. Without a soul, there are no emotions.
However, Hyomin had found her soul. She had found Joon.
It was just sad that she had taken this long to see it.

She knew what would come next. She could listen to Joon’s weak heartbeat.
She knew he was dying.

“I…don’t have much time…” – Joon spoke again. His voice weak. - “Promisse…you’ll be good…” – he said, closing his eyes.
He had no strength to keep awake.
Life was slowly leaving his body.

“I…can’t be good without you” – Hyomin’s voice broke. Tears falling down her face.

“I…will always… be with you.” – Joon raised his hand to touch Hyomin’s face, wipe her tears away, but he had no strength.

Hyomin closed her eyes.
It was not fair. It was not supposed to be like that.

“I’ll make sure you will” – she whispered.

And she placed a gentle kiss on Joon’s neck, before her fangs sank into his skin.