A Crimson Night

Barely a few seconds Lana and Mira left the group, Tao and Sehun sent telepathic signals to the rest of EXO of their encounter. While doing their rounds, they stumbled upon dead animals, plenty of them; deers, rabbits, boars and bears. This was the first time they ever came across such a scene and immediately felt imminent danger ahead.

Tao: Hyungs, keep a look out. I think we have company.

Once the message was received, Jongin stood up abruptly and went in search for the girls only to hear a piercing scream. The guys jolted to their feet and used their unparallel senses to locate the girls. In a speed of light, Jongin together with the rest of EXO made their way in search for both Mira and Lana. They were very sure that the scream was by either one of them. Jongin’s heart raced as he navigated his way. He tried to use the special gift he possesses but because he was having a hard time controlling his heart thumping beat, he couldn’t hear Lana’s heartbeat.

“!”  He muttered furiously.

Luhan approached him and rested his hand on Jongin’s shoulders. “Jongin, calm down... Remember what Uncle Lee says, find your weakness or she suffers.”

Jongin remembered and tried to calm his anger. That was his weakness. Jongin’s temperamental nature was the reason why Lana is suffering. He had to get a grip of himself. Slowly, he controlled his breathing as he concentrated to listen to her heartbeat. “Over to the North!” Jongin yelled once he heard her.

The rest tried to track Lana using her scent but to no avail. It was as though she didn’t enter the forest. Similarly, there was no trace of Mira’s scent either. This worried the guys to no end. However, thanks to Jongin’s gifted ability, the guys immediately dashed to the North.

Back in the palace, Yongguk sensed something was amiss. Instantly, he ordered the rest of the Princes to head straight to the forest. Yongguk’s senses were always spot on. That was an innate ability the royal princes possessed and now that all six of them sensed something was not quite right, it confirmed his intuition. Himchan pushed open the grand back door and stepped outside. He looked up to see the magnificent full moon overlooking their inferior selves. Lights and music occupied the other side of the palace but at this portion, it was quiet, too quiet.

Daehyun instantly tilted his head to the right when he sensed an unwanted presence. Without moving an inch, he summoned the vampire using his gift. Daehyun possessed a rare ability to numb someone by controlling his thoughts. Just like Yongguk’s healing talent, Daehyun and the rest of the royal princes’ powers were the reason why they were subjected to enemies even of their own kind.

The unknown vampire staggered before the princes with wide and panicked eyes. Unable to control his movement due to the numbness Daehyun has used to control him, the vampire dropped to his knees as instructed.

“What are you doing sneaking at the back?!” Junhong stepped forward, crouching down to the man’s level.

“I-I-I...”

“Who are you?” Yongguk asked as he eyes intently fixed on the man.

“I-I-I...” Once again the man stuttered nervously.

Himchan lost his patience and lifted the man with just his right arm. In a split second, the man cried in agony. “Stop! Please stop!” Himchan infiltrated the man’s mind with unpleasant thoughts that were terrorizing him. That was his gift.

“Who are you?!” Himchan yelled as he stopped his power temporarily.

The man flopped to the ground and wailed uncontrollably due to the effect of the immense pain Himchan has inflicted on him. Finally, after a brief respite, he finally revealed. “I’m Junsu... I w-w-was l-l-l-ost...” He stammered.

Jongup walked forward and looked at the man’s eyes intently before saying. “You’re lying.” His eyes flickered uncontrollably.

“My name is Junsu. I’m not lying!” The man stated, pleading excessively as he was afraid Himchan might use his power on him again.

“Yes, you’re Junsu but –“ Jongup stopped briefly and then added. “You’re not lost.”

“I am –“ Before he could end his words, Himchan once again attacked the man’s mind with unpleasant and dark thoughts and images. “URGH!” The man winced in pain.

“He’s lying.” Jongup reported back to Yongguk who was already clenching his fists tightly. Jongup could tell when someone is lying or keeping a secret.

Youngjae was the next to step out. “Looks like I’m the one who can determine whether you’re telling the truth or not.” He placed his hand on the man’s forehead and closed his eyes. Reading memories was Youngjae’s specialty. “Nope, you’re not lost. You were ordered to stay here to keep a look out by –“ Youngjae stopped. “Jaejoong...” And his voice trailed.  

The name definitely rang a bell. It was too familiar for the Princes that they immediately clenched their jaws. Junhong, who unable to control his anger, stomped towards the man and grabbed him by the neck. If Youngjae could read the past memories, Junhong could determine future intention of the man. Enraged by what he found out, he twisted the man’s arms forcefully. “Where is she?!” He asked. The rest of the princes looked at Junhong to confirm what he was asking. “Where is Lana?!” Junhong finally burst. He found out that the man was ordered to keep a look out at the palace because something was going to happen to Lana.

Yongguk dashed for the guy. “Answer the damn question!” However, before Yongguk could receive a reply, the man let out a laugh and pulled out a bottle of liquid, gulping its content. Everything went passed in a split second. “NO!” Yongguk roared but it was all too late. The man fumbled to the ground and instantly his body turned to dust.

Jongup picked up the bottle on the group and sniffed. “Silver...” Only a blessed silver could poison and eventually eliminate a vampire.

Without wasting any precious time, Yongguk went straight into the forest in search for Lana knowing that she was in danger. The rest of the princes followed, ignoring the party that was still ongoing in the palace.

The two male vampires smirked and waited bravely despite knowing many men were chasing for them. In their captivity was two girls and one of them was possibly the girl they had been searching for. Mira was tied up to a tree, fully unconscious while Lana was gripped firmly.

“Hey pretty, don’t be too rough or you’re going to hurt yourself.” One of the vampires warned as he flashed out his fangs.

Lana gulped nervously seeing his sharp white fangs yet she remained a strong front. “Let her go!” She blurted out loud. “She’s not the one!”

“What makes you think I believe your words? She could be the one and you could be the bait instead.” The other vampire wasn’t convinced. If they could, they would just the both of them dry but it was too big of a risk. But it wasn’t for them. The girl had to remain alive for someone else.

Lana’s shoulders deflated in despair. It was hard not to drag Mira in this. As much as she was the real one these vampires were looking for, it was still so hard to convince them. “Who are you guys?” She posed a question, hoping to buy some time before EXO could locate them. She wanted to scream if she could but was too afraid they would harm Mira because of her recklessness.

“Oh sorry for not introducing ourselves... My name is Jaejoong and he’s Yoochun.” The tall blonde male answered as he pointed to the other vampire and introduced him as well.

“Junsu’s gone.” Lana heard Yoochun whispering softly to Jaejoong. “We don’t have much time left. Should we just kill the both of them and get their blood?”

Jaejoong shook his head and calmly replied. “No, my brother. We shouldn’t be too hasty. Remember the deal we made with –“

“They’re here.” Yoochun sensed presence coming their way.

“LET HER GO!” Jongin entered out of a sudden shoving Jaejoong violently but of course, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Jaejoong and Yoochun weren’t ordinary vampires either. They were strong.

Yoochun firmly gripped Lana who was already trying to break free. “If you move, I’m going to kill her.” He whispered into her ears. His voice was so haunting that Lana immediately stopped and shivered. He definitely meant every single word he said about killing Mira if Lana refused to abide. “Tell that friend of yours to stop attacking us or I’ll kill her.”

As if she was under a spell, Lana obliged. “Jongin, stop!” Simultaneously, the rest of EXO joined and they stood just barely metres away from Land and the two vampires. “Don’t attack!” Lana ordered the rest of the guys.

“Lana –“ Tao called and was about to take a step forward when he stopped.

“Tao, no. Please don’t...” Lana pleaded as tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn’t know why but it was as though those words were not by her. Yoochun’s voice was so haunting and he was controlling every part of her. He order and she followed. She was unable to say more but abided to his requests like a puppet. Also, she didn’t want Mira to get hurt just because she chose to disobey him and save herself instead.

Jaejoong pushed Jongin and clapped his hands as he laughed hysterically. Jongin was about to throw him a punch but Jaejoong swiftly intervened. “Didn’t you hear what she says? She told you to stop.” He flashed a smirk and then added. “Man you’re reckless, coming straight for me when your precious girls are at our mercy.  You know, we can kill them right before your eyes but –“ He stopped and turned to his partner, Yoochun.

“Let’s have some fun, shall we? The night is still young.” Yoochun casually smirked. EXO gritted their teeth and tightened their fists. If it wasn’t because of Lana and Mira’s safety, they would have killed these two bloodsuckers. The vampires were definitely at the upper hand of the battle. “Come on, choose one. Do you want us to play with her first?” Yoochun pointed to Mira who was still unconsciously tied. “Or this pretty one?” Yoochun bent down his neck as he sniffed Lana’s neck in front of him.

Jongin once again was losing his patience but was immediately held back by Joonmyun. “Jongin, please don’t... You’re going to hurt Lana.”

Lana trembled in fear as Yoochun sniffed her neck. She could feel his cold lips brushing against her skin. She closed her eyes and tried to remain as calm as possible. Yoochun moved his lips to her right ear and whispered. “Listen to whatever I say... Go to the girl...”

His voice was so hypnotic that Lana suddenly moved towards Mira unknowingly. Right when she stepped forward, Yongguk and the rest of the princes finally entered the scene.

“Oh we have more company.” Jaejoong smirked as he stood up to greet Yongguk.

“What are you doing –“ Yongguk stopped and then added. “Jaejoong?”

Sehun snarled. “Bloody hell! You know these guys?!”

“Yes...” Himchan responded as he face turned grim.

“I knew all along they can never be trusted!” Baekhyun roared.

“Hey –“ Daehyun interjected. However, out of a sudden he flopped to the ground as if in pain. Struggling, he tossed and turned with his brows furrowed in agony. The rest of his brothers gathered.

Meanwhile, Jaejoong and Yoochun laughed watching their misery. “Have you forgotten who we are?” Jaejoong grinned.

Yongguk knelt down and checked on Daehyun. “Daehyun, do not use your powers on them. Jaejoong can reflect your powers and go against you instead. Remember that...” He warned. He knew all along it was useless using their special powers on them knowing that they were equally as strong; or even stronger.

Daehyun understood and stopped. “I got it.” He stammered.

Yongguk stood up and faced Jaejoong bravely while the rest of EXO surrounded the area. Despite the overwhelming numbers of enemies, the two vampires weren’t the least bothered by it. In fact, they displayed an even stronger aura. “Jaejoong, let the girls off...”

“Which one? You can only choose one.” Yoochun asked.

If possible, Yongguk would have chosen Lana but this involved more than just a mere question. He knew the mind games these guys were playing. “Whatever it is, you can never reverse the curse.” Yongguk stated.

“Oh really?” Jaejoong mocked. “Let’s see shall we?”

Meanwhile, Himchan warned Joonmyun. “Tell your pack not to do anything reckless. They’re strong.”

“Come on, Jae. It’s getting pretty boring here.” Yoochun remarked as he tapped his feet impatiently. He focussed back his attention on Lana who he was still holding tightly. “I want you to inflict pain on her...as painful as possible...go...” He ordered.

Lana was unable to control herself any more. She paced forward towards Mira and stood in front of her as she watched her emotionlessly. Swiftly and surprisingly, Lana kicked Mira right at the stomach.

“Lana!” Jongdae shouted, obviously shocked at her action.

Mira jolted awake immediately as she cried in pain. “Urgh!”

“Do it again and again and again...” Yoochun once again invaded Lana’s mind.

Lana once again kicked Mira violently causing the girl to flinch. Mira’s eyes widened both in shock and pain as she saw who was kicking her. She didn’t expect Lana to be the one. Even after her cries, Lana was still attacking her.

Unable to withstand any longer, the EXO guys began to attack. Kris dashed for Jaejoong but the latter instantly vanished. Kris turned left and right searching for the male but he was nowhere to be found.

“Behind you!” Junhong cried. Instantly, Kris turned around only to see Jaejoong grinning at him. In a flash, Kris was sent backwards as he hit hard against a tree.

“Hyung!” The rest of them gathered.

Meanwhile, Youngjae dashed for Yoochun. However, Yoochun dragged Lana and placed her in front of him, acting as a shield. “Youngjae, watch out for Lana!” Yongguk yelled. Because Lana was in his way, Youngjae couldn’t attack Yoochun. Instead, Yoochun whispered to Lana and ordered her to attack him.

Subsequently, Lana began hitting and throwing punches at Youngjae. Although it wasn’t much of a pain to him, he wished for her to wake up from the spell. “Lana, stop...” Youngjae pleaded as he let her attacked him. He couldn’t retaliate, fearing he might hurt her instead.

Luhan went for Lana and held her arm that was about to hit Youngjae, however, she pushed him back forcefully. To his surprise, she was incredibly strong. The girl then went to attack Mira again. This time, she took a sharp knife from Yoochun and was about to pierce right at Mira’s stomach when Jongin stepped to intervene. “Lana, wake up!” He said as he gazed her eyes.

Lana struggled and tried to push Jongin away. Just like Luhan, Jongin was amazed at her strength. It must have been Yoochun’s work. In the midst of the struggle, Lana managed to only scrape Mira’s cheek with the knife and blood trickled down. “Ahhhhh!” Mira screamed. Jongin held Lana with both his hands but to no avail. She kept pursuing for Mira.

Jaejoong and Yoochun watched delightfully as the scene unfolded right before their eyes. Lana was attacking Mira and the guys were helpless. They couldn’t save Mira because they needed to pass Jaejoong first. It wasn’t easy considering how powerful Jaejoong was. As for Lana, the guys didn’t dare to use any strength on her despite her attacks on Mira, fearing they might hurt her instead.

Yixing went for Mira who was already semi-conscious from all the attacks she received. She was gradually weakening. They had to do something. Lana, on the other hand kept pursuing for Mira while the guys struggled to stop her. Yongguk stopped Lana by placing his arm on her but Jaejoong once again intervened. Fearing for Lana’s safety more than anything, Yongguk loosen his grip on the girl.

Jaejoong appeared behind Yoochun swiftly and whispered to his brother amidst the chaos. “I think that’s enough for tonight...”

“But –“ Yoochun spoke out. “Fine, at least let me do something.”

“Don’t be too harsh.” Jaejoong warned.

Yoochun sneaked behind Lana and whispered softly into her ear. Yongguk knew what he was up to and quickly made a dash before it was too late. “Yoochun, don’t!” He snarled. However, the male lifted his head and smiled triumphantly.

In a flash, Jaejoong grabbed Yoochun’s arms and the both of them disappeared. They turned into dust which ultimately surprised EXO. These two guys weren’t ordinary vampires for sure. Yongguk went for Lana immediately but Jongin reached her first.

Meanwhile, Joonmyun said. “Yixing, watch Mira.”

The rest of EXO gathered as their eyes pierced right at the royal vampires. “What are they?” Kris asked.

“Vampires... Special ones...” Daehyun answered while clenching his fists tightly. He was angry at the fact that they couldn’t do much against them.

Chanyeol stomped forward and roared. “This is ridiculous! You know who they are yet you guys didn’t stop or kill them?!”

“You saw how Yoochun was controlling Lana and Jaejoong was already up at Mira’s neck. One wrong move from us and the both of them could have been killed!” Youngjae burst.

“We were equally furious but we know what they are capable of. These guys definitely have more up their sleeves.” Junhong stated in a calmer tone than his older brothers.  “Thanks for not acting rash from your side too.” He commented.

“You don’t have to thank us. Although it would have been better if we have killed them, we need to think of the girls’ safety above anything.” Luhan added and then stopped to check on Lana who was still staring blankly.

Yongguk turned and knelt before Mira to check on her. The girl was breathing heavily and she was gradually weakening. The kicks and punches Lana inflicted on her were too much for a young girl to bear. Her physical injuries can be healed but mentally, Yongguk wasn’t sure. He placed his palm on her forehead and closed his eyes. Slowly, he absorbed the pain in her. As compared to Mira, Yongguk was strong enough to withstand it. After a while, he opened his eyes and looked at Yixing. “She’s fine. Let her rest and she’ll be okay.”

Yixing nodded and said. “Thanks...”

Jongin stood closely beside Lana who was in a daze. He nudged her shoulder and called. “Lana... Lana...” There was no respond. She didn’t even blink her eyes.

Yongguk approached Lana next to check on her. As he placed his right palm on her forehead to heal her, he felt a burning sensation entered his body. He flinched and shut his eyes. For the first time, the pain was unbearable even to him. He pulled his hand away and right at the moment, Lana collapsed.

“Lana!” The guys shouted in unison. Thankfully, Jongin caught her before she falls to the ground.

“What did you do to her?!” Jongin roared. Panicked, he gently slapped her cheeks as he turned his focus back to the girl. “Lana, what’s wrong?”

Jongup held on to Yongguk who was steadying himself and asked. “Hyung, are you alright?”

“Y-Y-Yes...” Yongguk stuttered. After gaining his composure, he turned to look at Lana worriedly.

“Jongin, bring Lana back home.” Joonmyun ordered.

Jongin lifted Lana in his arms and was about to make his way back when Yongguk stopped him. “Jongin, don’t...  Bring her to the palace.”

“What?” Jongin looked at him with so much hatred in his eyes. It was because of Yongguk Lana collapsed suddenly.

“Jongin, she needs treatment. “

“Yes, she needs treatment and it’s going to be at our home.” Jongin brushed him away and held Lana in his arms tightly, never wanting to let her go. The girl remained unresponsive as both guys watched her in concern.

“Listen, you have to bring her –“

“She doesn’t need your help. All this while she’s able to survive on her own. Why would she need help from a bloodsucker like you?” With that, Jongin left together with EXO.

Yongguk watched his back slowly disappeared into the darkness. He sighed and mumbled. “Jongin, you’re wrong... I’ve always been there for her... Always.”

To be continued