Chapter 6.

Everything burned.

His skin, his insides, everything. It felt as though even the clothes on his body were sizzling against his skin.

Not a sound left his lips, though he wanted to let out a thousand screams. He wanted to beg for the burning to stop, to just slip away.

But it continued, as though it could hear his thoughts, and the burning intensified.

You two will be the end of everything.

xXx

Jonghyun jolted straight up in his bed and screamed, or, thought he did. He must've been still asleep when he did otherwise half of the Kim's staff would've been right by his bed, trying to calm him. He still felt the ugly burns inside, and he pressed a shaky hand to his sweat-soaked shirt.

You two will be the end of everything....

 That haunting voice seemed to echo all around him for a moment before it fell silent. Jonghyun looked around. He was still in his room, same old room, nothing seemed to have changed. He tried to calm himself until fatigue took over once again. He lay for what felt like hours, exhausted, but sleep was far from his reach.

You two will be the end of everything.

What…What was that supposed to mean?

He ran a hand over his face, mussing up his hair. There were so many things about that statement that coiled his stomach.

Who were you two? It could be him, it could not be. Was it him and Rinka? Or maybe it had nothing to do with the either of them.

The end of everything? The end of what?

He swallowed, feeling uncomfortably warm, trying to push the bile that attempted to rise in his throat back down.

Jonghyun hoped, no, prayed, that it wasn't him and Rinka. But who else could it possibly be? The warmth he felt from under the covers was suddenly unbearable and he flung them off him. The end...of vampire civilization? How could he and Rinka accomplish that? What was with the burning? An invisible fire burning him from the inside out... Jonghyun swallowed again, trying to keep the bile down, but just thinking about the dream seemed to put every bit of him on edge.

"Rinka.... no..." He muttered. He never realized how much he despised the thought of harm coming to her. No. He wouldn't allow it, not after what happened the day before. Then it occurred to him, the sun! That linked to the hateful flames in his dream, but what about in reality?

He rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face in his pillow. Worry and confusion and fear still rippled and raced, almost painfully, all over him like insects.

He shot up out of bed, the emotions coursing through his veins agonizing, and he began to pace, gripping his hair in his hands. Softly, he whimpered.

The end of everything…

“Shut up,” he muttered, shivering.

The heat in his body had dimmed, leaving goose bumps on his skin. He fell back onto the bed, curling into a ball, much like he had done as a child when the storms would rock his bedroom window. He shuddered violently, and closed his eyes tightly.

Please, just stop!

xXx

Rinka.

I opened my eyes only to see a little bit of sun trying to seep through the curtains. Why was I awake? Wide awake, at that, what in the world?

Suddenly a dark burning sensation hit me full force, causing me to sit up.

It hurt so badly, and I cried out, wrapping my bandaged arms around my stomach. I rocked on my bed for moment, begging for it to stop in a mess of whimpers and sobs.

 I looked up, eyes blurred with wetness. Someone was coming; a maid? Familiar dark brown curls peeked from around my door. The ninja maid entered with a glass in her hands and some kind of container. She glided across the floor to my side and gently caressed my cheeks, wiping away tears I didn't notice. She said nothing as she ever so carefully unwrapped my arms to reapply some burn cream from the container. I watched her, and as if she had read my mind she muttered, "Milady needed my help so I came quickly to her side. If you can stomach a beverage, drink. It's type O. It should help your arms and stop that burning in your belly."

I nodded mutely, tipping it carefully to my lips, wincing as the blood slid down my throat.

“Does it burn?” She asked in response to the twisted look on my face, and I merely nodded once more.

“Then you’ll heal quickly, hopefully.” She smiled at me, and it was warm. It made my stomach coil. I hadn’t seen that genuine of a smile since…Since my brother was killed.

I shook off that thought as soon as it flashed through my mind. I hadn’t thought of him in years and now wasn’t the time.

“Are you feeling better?” She asked and I nodded, clearing my throat. I was still unsettled by how quickly that burning had settled into my bones one moment and had disappeared the next. Still, I could feel the heaviness in my chest.

“Let’s get you dressed then. You have a dinner with the Kim’s tonight, remember?”

I curse bubbled from my lips before I could stop it, but Ninja said nothing.

“Let’s lace you up.”

I nodded and slipped out of my nightgown and into the dress she held for me, holding my breath as she laced me up.

I could already tell today would be long.

xXx

I stood in the Kim’s living room, on my left my maid, on the right the Kim’s.

“Oppa will be down in a few moments, until then make yourself comfortable,” Bell, the Kim’s maid, stated, swiftly leaving the room.

“Will you be alright alone?” Ninja asked me.

“Of course,” I replied, sitting down on the plush, crème colored couch. She disappeared and I leaned my head back, closing my eyes.

Resting my eyes won’t hurt…

xXx

Onew sighed, holding his chef’s hat in his left hand while using his other to run through his hair.

“Oh, so much to do…And I spilled the soup…Must remake that…”

“Is there something I can do?” At the sudden appearance of the petite woman he jumped.

“A-Ah, sorry, you startled me,” he said, bowing a bit.

“I’m sorry! I have a bad habit of doing that…No wonder my lady calls me Ninja Maid…A bit ridiculous, but accurate.”

“Oh, you’re Miss Rinka’s maid, then? I’m the chef for the Kim’s, Lee Jinki. They call me Onew, however.”

“Pleasant to meet you. My name Is Choi Ali.” She offered her hand and he took it, placing a kiss on her knuckle.

“You as well, miss Ali.”

She gave him a shy smile and he couldn’t stop the grin that lit up his lips.

“Now about that stew…”

xXx

I didn’t think the air around Jonghyun had ever been this tense, not even the day we met. There was so obviously something on his mind and I half wondered if it had anything to do with me, but dismissed the thought.

My bones felt heavy and I rubbed my arms, sighing. Jonghyun, sitting on the settee next to me, looked over, our eyes locking for the first time that night.

“Is something wrong? Do your arms still hurt?” It had been days since the incident, and I had long since ridded myself of the bandages.

“No, no, just…Sore, is all.”

A frown graced his plump lips and I smiled to reassure him. I had woken up every morning since the first time with tight skin and the slight burn of remembrance. I hadn’t told Jonghyun of my problems, as he seemed to be having some of his own.

“Oh.” He went silent once more, which bothered me.

“Jonghyun-oppa?” I asked him and his gaze once more snapped to me. His normally golden eyes were flooded with red.

I stared at him, startled. He cleared his throat and rubbed his eyes. “Sorry. What is it, Rinka?”

“Um…Are you alright? You seem very…quiet recently.”

“I’m fine. I’ve been thinking a lot, is all?”

“When was the last time you fed?”

He seemed to jolt at the question and he stared at his hands for a moment. “…I don’t know.”

“I’ll get you a glass. Stay here, okay?”

“Yes…Alright.”

I stood and smoothed down the fabric of my maroon colored dress, making my way out of the room.

Ali, I had learned her name was (it was rather horrible I hadn’t thought to ask before) appeared, her blue eyes sparkling. In her hand she held a glass of, after a whiff I knew, O type blood.

“For Master Jonghyun.”

I was used to her knowing when I needed something, so this didn’t startle me. “Thank you, Ali.”

The maid nodded and, with a smile, disappeared.

I my heel and reentered the room, walking over to Jonghyun. I laid a hand on his shoulder, and he jerked, looking up at me with wide eyes.

“A-Ah, sorry, oppa, I did not mean to startle you.”

“No, sorry Rinka. Did I scare you?” I shook my head yes, but added on a, ‘it’s alright’.

I sat beside him, one hand on his lower back. “Now drink this. You’re a mess, oppa.”

“Thank you,” he said, his voice just a bit sarcastic. But it made me smile.

He sipped it, and I watched as his eyes cleared. “You haven’t been taking care of yourself, have you? What’s been worrying you?”

He looked at me, and I found myself trapped within the gold hue of his iris, and could not protest when he said, “Nothing, Rinka. I’m fine.”

And he smiled and I could tell it was fake, but I was unable to say a word as he looked away once more, setting the now empty glass down.

The wrenching feeling in my stomach tightened and I looked down at my hands.

You two will be the end of everything…

xXx