Another Shining Knight

Mira eyes twitched a little before slowly opening to the pairs of eyes looking at her worriedly. Finally, everything felt safe. She vaguely recalled the incident and could only piece out a few memories of it. However, the only memory she could confirm without hesitation is that Lana attacked her. Mira clealy remembered the look plastered on Lana’s face and immediately her fists clenched in absolute anger.

“Mira, are you alright?” Tao asked as he bent down a little to examine her wounds.

Although she was still covered with bruises and cuts, it wasn’t as terrible as before. Besides, she didn’t feel pain any more. It was as though no one attacked her. “I’m okay.’” Her voice croaked.

Kyungsoo took a glass of water and placed it on her lips as she gulped the liquid. That night was definitely an eventful one. She glanced at the clock only to see that it was just a few minutes before dawn. She realised she was out just barely three hours yet she felt surprisingly energetic and fresh. “Rest more...” Kyungsoo advised and placed the empty glass down.

“What happened? Why don’t I feel any pain?” Mira asked curiously as she sat up. She looked at her hands and arms.

Minseok sat opposite and held her hands in his. He smiled brightly knowing that she was alright and wasn’t in any pain. “Someone healed you... We’re glad you’re okay.” Minseok said as he her cheeks gently. “Mira, don’t think much about –“

“You want me to forget that Lana did all these to me?” Mira cut in and then pointed at the physical wounds which were still visible. “I know you’re going to tell me to do so. To forget everything, am I right?”

“Mira –“ Yixing sighed. “You know Lana didn’t mean –“

However, before Yixing could finish his sentence, Mira struggled to stand up. She remembered something suddenly and immediately went to the mirror. To her utter shock, she noticed the deep scar across her right cheek. In the midst of the struggle, Lana unintentionally scraped Mira’s cheek inflicting a deep scar on her face. Mira’s eyes widened as she felt the scars. It wasn’t painful at all but it was enough to make her flinched in disgust just by looking at her own face. Tears started to brim not because of sadness. “She...did...this...”

“Mira, it will go away –“

“No, it won’t!” Mira snarled angrily. “It will leave a mark on my face!” Mira sobbed as she buried her face in her hands.

Minseok spun her around and embrace her shaking body tightly. He her back and gently whispered in her ears. “Mira, trust me, it won’t leave a mark.” Although he wasn’t sure what he was saying, he just hoped Mira wouldn’t be too affected by it. Scar or not, he was just glad Mira and Lana were safe. That was his utmost concern.

However, that wasn’t the case for Mira. Her mind was clouded by the image of her ugly scar. Her heart was only full of revenge and hatred for Lana as she was the cause of all this. “I hate her...” Mira sobbed.

“Mira, please don’t...”

“Oppa, I hate her!” Mira reiterated.

The guys sighed in despair knowing that whatever explanation they tried to give, it was just futile. They knew Mira too well. That incident only escalated her hate against Lana and they only had themselves to blame for being careless, lacking and weak. Yes, EXO was still weak.

Meanwhile, in Lana’s room, the rest of the guys gathered as she watched her sleeping face tenderly. They breathed a sigh of relief and were thankful nothing unfortunate happened to Lana. Yet, it wasn’t a reason to turn lazy and be complacent. It only proved that they needed to be stronger to face the enemies. Although they outnumbered the opponents, they were struggling to be at the upper hand of the battle. This was definitely not the last encounter as they were sure there were going to more in the future.

Kris tapped Jongin’s shoulder, as the male has been sitting beside Lana, wrapping and kissing her hands tightly. She might be safe from harm for now but Jongin was still worried. “Jongin, relax...” Kris soothed. He knew Jongin would blame himself entirely over what happened.

Luhan sat at the edge of the bed and stared down. “Are those vampires out to get Lana to break the curse?”

Joonmyun let out a sigh before replying. “It seems like it, Hyung.”

“Lana just turned 18... It’s time...” Chanyeol stated.

“We should have listened to Jongin. We shouldn’t have brought Lana outside especially on this night.” Baekhyun added.

“Jongin, we’re sorry.” Jongdae placed his hand on Jongin’s shoulder.

Jongin shook his head and replied. “Don’t apologise. We all wanted Lana to be happy... It’s just... I failed. I failed to protect her.”

Sehun nudged Jongin’s arm and flashed a warm smile. “Hyung, we failed to protect her. Don’t put the burden to yourself.

“Yes, Jongin... We’re all in this together...” Joonmyun added.

Jongin smiled and said. “Thanks... Let’s just hope Lana wakes up soon.” Jongin reached his hand and lovingly Lana’s cheeks.

Little did they know miles away, someone has started his game.

Jaejoong tapped his feet continuously as he recalled the event which just occurred. He was back at the comfort of his huge mansion along with Yoochun who was sipping blood wine from the glass casually. Unlike Yoochun, Jaejoong was deep in thoughts.

“Is Junsu really gone?” Jaejoong asked.

Yoochun pulled his lips away from the wine glass and faced his brother. “Unfortunately, yes...”

Jaejoong let out a long sigh and said. “We shouldn’t have left him all alone. We may be strong but they are bigger. I didn’t expect the wolf clan to be that many –“

“Relax, my brother. Although they have more from their side but we are a lot smarter.” Yoochun smirked and then continued sipping the blood wine.

Jaejoong could only nod and agree. “Yes but we need more men.”

“We have plenty... Don’t worry so much.”

“Alright...” Jaejoong replied and then added. “So, who do you think is the half blood child?”

“I’m not sure but can’t we just sacrifice them both?” Yoochun asked.

Jaejoong shook his head lightly and replied. “We can’t afford to kill another mere human. The King is already at his last stage. If we get the wrong one, he’ll be gone.”

“Oh well, it’s about time he should be gone anyway –“

“Yoochun!” Jaejoong snapped. “Don’t you dare talk rudely of the King...”

“But he’s powerless now.” Yoochun justified.

Jaejoong’s eyes pierced sternly. “Not anymore... We just need to find the half blood child. Once we have her, the King will conquer the throne that is rightfully his. Then, we can get whatever we desire; blood, more human blood, wealth, power and even be able to control the whole world. The vampires are growing but we are losing more too. We need to end this curse, regardless!”

“Aye man, relax... I was just kidding. Of course we’ll get the girl and eventually dethrone the incapable Princes and rule back the palace.” Yoochun laughed.

“Yes, we will...” Jaejoong’s eyes displayed the determination he has in order to reclaim the position of the King.

“Take it easy, brother. We’ll get her for sure but for now I’m going to have some fun with the pretty one first.” Yoochun smirked.

“Hey, don’t kill her yet.” Jaejoong warned lightly knowing well that Yoochun’s power can cause fatality even without his actual presence.

Yoochun closed his eyes and muttered a soft spell only he knows. After a brief moment, he opened his eyes and flashed an evil smile. He continued sipping his blood wine as he sat comfortably. “I won’t... I’m only playing around with her weakness.”

Lana opened her eyes only to find herself all alone in a dark vast room. It was so dark she could barely see anything else other than pitch black. She tried to recall what happened which led her to this unknown place. She wanted to get out. She wanted to go back to EXO but her mind was numb. It was as though it is as blank and dark as the place she was at. Her body slowly trembled as her ears picked up a haunting voice.

“Lana... Lana... Where is your mummy? Where is your daddy? Poor girl, all alone...”

“Who are you?!” Lana yelled back. Although it was pitch black and she couldn’t see a thing, she knew the voice must have come from somewhere.

“Lana... Lana... Poor girl... They left you... They left you... Mum and Dad left you all alone...”

Lana stomped furiously trying to search for the owner’s voice but it was to no avail. “Come out and show yourself!”

“They don’t love you... They left you... Do you want to see it?”

A question was raised suddenly. Lana remained still, waiting for what was about to happen. In a few seconds, a large image appeared right before her eyes. There was it, an image of her beautiful mother. She has never seen her before but she could recognise her straightaway. Lana’s heart stopped for a while as she watched her own mother for the first time, clearly in her eyes.

“There your mother... The traitor...” The voice started again.

“She’s not a traitor!” Lana yelled defensively.

“The betrayer of our kind...”

“She’s not!” Lana turned mad at the names directed towards her mother. In a blink of an eye, another figure appeared; her father. Just like her mother, Lana may have not seen her father ever but she could easily spot him.

“Now, the filthy enemy...” The voice continued. Lana gritted her teeth angrily but she tried to compose herself. “He was an utter disgrace.”

“Shut up!” Lana snarled.

“Then, you... Lana... The half blood child... The curse... The forbidden... The unwanted...”

Lana’s eyes stared straight at the screen which showed herself together with her parents. Suddenly, her parents distanced away from her and slowly turned their backs against her.

“They left you... They left you all alone... The unwanted child whom her parents didn’t want... Lana, they left you...”

“No, they didn’t...” Lana mumbled as she tried to convince herself however tears started to flow down her cheeks as she watched the image of her parents leaving her all alone.

“Lana, they left you... You are alone... They don’t love you...”

“No... Go away!”

“They left you... You are alone...” The voice kept chanting the same phrase.

Lana closed her ears with both her hands but the voice kept haunting her. She yelled helplessly. “Stop it!” It kept chanting continuously and Lana could only cry. Her knees went weak as fell to the ground. Still with her ears closed, Lana begged. “Please stop... Go away...”

Lana hated loneliness. That was her weakness.

Back in Lana’s room, Jongin noticed movement and immediately went to Lana. However, just when he thought Lana has finally woken up, she frantically tossed and turned in bed. A loud scream blasted the room and the guys scrambled to Lana’s side. Instead of waking up, Lana was screaming and crying as though in pain. She was struggling. Even with her eyes wide open, Lana seemed to be uncontrollable.

“Lana, what’s wrong?” Jongin held both her hands tightly but only to be pushed away by her quite roughly.

“Go away! Stop it! Go away!” Lana screamed. She pushed herself up but was restrained by Jongin and Luhan.

“Lana, wake up!” Luhan shouted.

“Go away!” Once again, Lana sneered. Amidst the struggling, the guys could see tears streaming down her face.

Joonmyun jumped onto the bed and held her shoulders firmly. He looked right at her eyes and said. “Lana, wake up.” He knew this was all just a nightmare and Lana has yet to wake up. Even if it was just nightmare, it hurts to see her in so much pain.

“Please stop...” Lana finally mumbled calmly and closed her eyes. She has stopped tossing and turning. Yet, she kept mumbling incoherently. Kris, Chanyeol and Baekhyun even tried to console her but it was all futile. She might be physically awake but her mind wasn’t.

“What should we do?” Sehun asked as he looked at Lana who has her head hung low. kept repeating the same lines.

“She isn’t responding to our calls.” Luhan worriedly said as he gently Lana’s back hoping she would get better.

Jongin’s heart sank. Instantly he pulled her into a hug but nonetheless, Lana remained the same.

“Go away... Please go away... Stop...”

“Lana, please wake up...” Jongin whispered into her ear yet everything wasn’t going well.

It was already the next morning, barely a few hours after the night’s event. Mira was doing fine although she was still a little traumatised. Due to Yongguk’s impressive healing power, Mira felt no pain physically. Lana, however, she wasn’t doing as well. Despite waking up from her unconscious state, her mind seemed to be still blank and numb. She kept mumbling incoherent words and refused to respond to the guys, not even Jongin. She pushed them away like dirt and her eyes showed nothing but fear. It was as though someone was controlling her mind and infused it with unpleasant fearful thoughts. Hence, Jongin was clueless on how to treat her. If it was physical pain, then he would gladly sacrifice his blood for her, again. But this was far different. Lana was fine physically but her mind was not.

When they thought nothing could get any worst, Yongguk, Junhong and Jongup barged into EXO’s mansion. Tao and Minseok stopped them at the living room.

“What are you doing?!” Tao yelled as he positioned himself for an attack.

However, Yongguk and the rest of the vampires weren’t trying to defend themselves at all. Instead, they remained calm and still. “I need to see Lana.” Yongguk replied.

“Get the hell out of –“ Minseok was about to throw a punch when suddenly Joonmyun yelled from the second level of the mansion.

“Minseok Hyung, stop!” Junhong and Jongup lifted their heads to see the leader staring at them with a furious glare but it wasn’t intended for them. “Let them enter...” Joonmyun ordered.

Reluctantly, Tao and Minseok walked aside and allowed the three cold blooded past them. They climbed the stairs and went straight into Lana’s room. Jongin sensed their presence and in a flash he stood up and went straight for Yongguk.

“What are you doing here?!” Jongin roared and shoved the eldest Prince. Meanwhile, Junhong and Jongup intervened. They were about to shove Jongin away when Yongguk prevented them.

“It’s okay. Don’t hit him...” Yongguk spoke.

Kris and Chanyeol pulled Jongin away from Yongguk. “Jongin, calm down.” Kris ordered.

Jongin’s eyes turned golden brown signalling his anger but because of Kris’s order, he had to stop. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath to calm his nerves. He hated the sight of vampires more than anything. He hated how near they were to Lana.

Joonmyun stepped forward and asked. “What brings you here?”

Yongguk composed himself for a bit before answering. “I need to see Lana. How is she?”

“She’s not doing too well.” Joonmyun replied.

“Let me see how I can help –“

“No! Don’t you touch her!” Jongin snarled.

Kris placed a hand on Jongin’s shoulder and calmly said. “Jongin, maybe he can help.”

“I don’t want them anywhere near –“

“Look, I just want to treat her.” Yongguk cut in and instantly went for Lana, disregarding Jongin’s protest. He was getting impatient. He knew every second was precious.

Yongguk knelt beside Lana and placed a hand on her forehead. Lana’s head was down and she was in a sitting position. kept moving but it was almost inaudible. She seemed to have lost all her energy. Whatever her illness was, it was definitely draining her life slowly. Yongguk continued his healing touch as he closed his eyes. Junhong and Jongup stood behind him protectively. Jongin, on the other hand, started to calm down when he realised Yongguk could be the only one who can help Lana.

After a brief minute passed, Yongguk pulled his hand slowly and opened his eyes. The healing process took a toll on his strength a little as he fell back weakly. Thankfully, Junhong and Jongup were able to catch him from falling. “Hyung!”

Meanwhile, Lana has quietened down. Slowly, she leaned to the right and let her body fell onto the bed. Jongin rushed by her side and lightly tapped her cheeks. “Lana, are you alright?”

Yongguk steadied himself and stood up. Without breathing a word, he took Lana away from Jongin and carried her in his arms. Despite the glares he received, Yongguk was not affected at all. His only concern was Lana. She needed treatment and the only place he could save her, is the palace.

“What are you doing?” Jongin snarled when Yongguk picked Lana up.

“I’m bringing her to the palace.”

“Hell no!” Luhan snapped. “Put her down!” He demanded.

“She needs treatment. Trust me; she will not survive if we don’t heal her.” Junhong explained.

“I said no!” Jongin lashed again.

Yongguk walked towards him with Lana in his arms and pierced right at his eyes. “This is not about us. This is not about the war between us. This is about Lana. Do you want her to die?!” Yongguk finally snapped. “I don’t know about you but I know I won’t let her. Even if my heart has stopped beating for decades, I don’t want her heart to stop –“ He stopped briefly and spoke in a calmer tone. “Jongin, I will never ever lose that beating sound of her heart. I know you have the ability to listen to her heart. Well, so can I...”

To be continued

Hmmm..... How significant is Yongguk in Lana's life?

"Gurl, you're talking about me?"

And then, we have Jongin...hmmmm...

"Lana's obviously mine..."

Thanks for the comments and hello to the new subsribers! Enjoy the new chapter!