chapter 8

Sunggyu decides he’ll visit his father at the restaurant. He doesn’t have to work for a few days so he thinks he’ll just get dinner there. Maybe he should bring Sungyeol. He stands and takes a walk around the house, finding Sungyeol in his room.

            “Do you want to come with me to my dad’s restaurant? I’ll get him to cook his best dish for us.”

            Sungyeol looks up from his comic book and smiles widely. “Seriously? Dude~” Sungyeol jumps to his feet and makes a run for it, dragging Sunggyu along as well. “Since you’re cooking is awesome, your father’s probably is, too! I’m so excited!”

--

            “Oh my God, this is fantastic! How on Earth can something taste so good?” Sungyeol claps his hand on his stomach and sits back in his chair, full from the meal. Sunggyu laughs and places some money down on the table just as his father’s friend comes over to collect the plates.

            “So how was it? Good?” he asks.

            “Good? It was delicious! Best I’ve had – other than Sunggyu’s food, of course.”

            He laughs. “I’ll be sure to mention that to the chef. Have a nice night, then.” He’s about to turn when he suddenly remembers something. “Oh, someone came looking for you earlier; thought you’d be here. I’d never seen him before and neither had your father so we told him you weren’t here.”

            Sunggyu blinks. Someone was looking for him? “Did he tell you his name?”

            “He said his name was ‘Minhyuk’. Said he goes to the same university as you.”

            Sunggyu and Sungyeol look at each other, neither of them having an idea of who this Minhyuk person was. “Oh, um, I don’t know anyone named Minhyuk. Maybe I just don’t remember him?”

            “Well, if he comes again, I’ll just call you.”

            “Okay. Goodnight.”

            He walks away and Sunggyu stands, placing his napkin down on the table. “Why do you think he was looking for you?” Sungyeol asks, following Sunggyu to the kitchen.

            “I don’t know.”

            “Maybe you’ve got a secret admirer? Woohyun won’t be happy with that~” Sungyeol teases, clapping Sunggyu playfully on the back.

            Sunggyu rolls his eyes. They say hi to his dad before heading out. The street is quiet and lit only by the streetlights. “What do you think the soiree is like?” Sungyeol wonders aloud.

            “I don’t know. Would they be like human parties?”

            Sungyeol laughs. “How human could a vampire party be?”

            Sunggyu joins in his laughter although he’s not sure what’s so funny. What is a vampire’s sense of normality? Could they really be so different?

            Sunggyu’s thoughts are interrupted when he feels a presence behind him. “I see you missed my invitation.”

            Sunggyu whirls around and stumbles backwards. Standing before him is someone he’s never seen before. He has cherry hair that hangs over his matching eyes. He wears a black tux and  He’s seriously good-looking and pale and Sunggyu has a growing suspicion that he’s a vampire.

            Sungyeol grips Sunggyu’s jacket. “Who are you?”

            “Ah, how rude of me. My name is Minhyuk – vampire -- and It’s very nice to finally meet you, Kim Sunggyu,” he bows and smiles almost kindly at Sunggyu. This is the person who’d been looking for him? Why? How does he know who Sunggyu is?

            “What do you want from me?” Sunggyu takes a step back and Minhyuk takes a step forward.

            “I just wanted you to attend the soiree. You’re an important guest and it would have been terrible if you could not attend. Everyone wants to meet the great prince’s Claimed one! And you’re so cute, too. What a shame it would be if you could not attend!”

            Sunggyu gulps, frozen in his place. Who is this person? How does he know about Woohyun and Sunggyu? Minhyuk reaches forward and lifts Sunggyu’s chin with his fingertips. “There’s no need to be so anxious. You’ll be treated with the utmost care.”

            Another figure emerges from the shadows but before they step into the light, Sunggyu suddenly feels very lightheaded. He sways and falls forward into Minhyuk’s arms. He can faintly hear Sungyeol calling his name before his vision goes totally black.

--

            Sunggyu wakes up several times – in short snip-its each time. What he saw made no sense to him and he always just passed out. He remembers seeing a grand ballroom decorated beautifully with majestic ornaments and flowers, lots of people dressed in flowing, glittering dresses and clean suits. He remembers them dancing around to a lovely orchestra but the thing he remembers most is the smell of blood heavy in the air. It made him sick but before he could vomit, he passed out again.

            The last time he wakes up he finds himself tied to a chair behind curtains. The curtains are pulled slightly open and Sunggyu can see the ballroom below. Is this the soiree? Has he really been brought here?

            He looks around frantically but the room is dark and all he can hear is chatter and music. He looks down at himself and there’s enough light drifting through the curtains that he can see what he’s wearing – a white button down with the top three buttons undone and black slacks. He hadn’t been wearing this before.

            His breath shakes and he looks out to the ballroom when the music and chatter dies down. “Ladies and gentleman! Oh, how glad I am that you could all join me on this wonderful night to celebrate another year of prosperity!” a voice booms. Sunggyu can’t see who is speaking.

            “It is time for the main event! And the prince has graced us yet again with his presence! It is time for the ritual to commence! Let us wash in our prince’s blood!”

            Sunggyu strains to see as much of the ballroom as possible. When he manages to get a good view, he sees Woohyun walking out in the center of the ballroom where the crowd has parted. Woohyun pulls out a dagger engraved with intricate designs from his jacket and holds it up to his palm, gracefully slicing through his skin. Deep red seeps out and drips to the floor and the colour in Sunggyu’s face drains. What is he doing?

            “I, Nam Woohyun, present my blood to the vampire world and baptize my subjects in it. What will you do to me? Set wild dogs on me or perhaps give me a dance partner to play with? Do your worst for I have yet to see your best!”

            “You’re probably wondering what’s going on, aren’t you?”

            Sunggyu’s head spins around and he sees Minhyuk in the small sliver of light. “The Baptism is a ritual in which the prince or a member of the royal family sheds their blood to appease the vampire world and offer it to the darkness in which we live. It’s merely a show – a performance – and we love it.”

            Sunggyu struggles against his restraints fruitlessly. “Now, now. The show is about to begin! You’ll be joining His Majesty very soon.”

            Sunggyu watches, his bottom lip between his teeth, as someone stumbles out into the opening. He looks drunk and very unkempt. “Ah, a lunatic this time, is it?”

            Sunggyu watches in horror as the lunatic lunges for Woohyun who dodges easily. “Oh, don’t go so easy on him, prince!” Minhyuk cheers quietly. Is this seriously a game for him?

            The lunatic whirls around and almost falls over. He bares fangs that are four inches long and he jumps quickly. Woohyun swings his arm and for a split moment nothing happens but the lunatic splits in half and falls to the floor in two.

            The sight of it makes Sunggyu black out, his head falling forward, hanging.

--

            “What a show! Exquisite! It is indeed a beautiful sight!”

            Woohyun turns and fixes his collar, dead bodies lying around his feet. He’s tired and just wants to leave so he can see Sunggyu. He lets out a sigh and is about to walk away when he hears his uncle speak. “And now for the final stage! I present to you our prince’s long awaited Claimed!”

            Woohyun freezes. No, it couldn’t be. They didn’t, did they? Woohyun slowly turns around, truly afraid of what he will see. His heart drops when he lays his eyes on what they’ve prepared. Sunggyu is tied to a table by his wrists and his feet, red roses surrounding him. He looks soundly asleep, long lashes against flushed cheeks. His milky skin is untarnished and seems to glow against the red. His shirt is ed, leaving his neck and chest exposed. He looks peaceful despite his situation.

            “Sunggyu… no…”

            “And now let us complete this rite of passage!”

okay last time im saying this: not proofread. sue me.

and yes its minhyuk from btob

because i may or may not have watched the thriller mv like 56 times in a row and i may or may not have been totally inspired to make them vamps in this story.

is it okay to call it a baptism because like its meant to be like washing in royal blood like a baptism except that its blood not water and it isnt christian but yeah you get the idea

kay off to the david bowie exhibit at the a.g.o.