Tom N Toms Coffee
Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Friday 23rd October
4:37PM

“One Iced Americano please.”

“Anything for you?”

“No... thank you.”

Jennie’s rosy petals curved into a soft smirk while she pays for her drink. Leaning against the counter she continues to observe the new student who luckily happens to be her new dance partner. Tall, dark and handsome. Not to forget he was mysterious. Her freshly manicured nails tapped timidly against the dark countertop of the coffee shop, eyes never leaving Taemin’s facial structure.

“So… are you single?” The girl batters her lashes.

Taemin’s brows furrowed, the only reason he had agreed to meet her after school was to discuss their plans for this project, but it seemed she had other intentions. Though, Taemin had made the decision to be paired with Jennie after the teacher had rushed to follow him all he had to do was compel her to make a change. However, he was starting to regret his decision being with Jennie. She never stopped talking.

“One Ice Americano for a Jennie?!”

“Thank you.”

Taemin inhaled the strong fumes of freshly grinded coffee beans and this human’s scent, not the best thing he had ever smelt but it would do the trick for what he had planned for her. Going behind his father’s back changing schools when originally his father had planned him to attend Seoul National University. What was the harm in attending two different schools? He had to use his powers somehow.

“I’m single, why does that matter?”

“Because you’re hot! Sorry, but I speak my mind.” Jennie shrugged taking a sip of her coffee.

‘You talk too much.’

The screeching of metal along laminated flooring. Taemin and Jennie took a seat as she slurps on her plastic straw, her daily caffeine intake was very much needed after the brutal end to her day. Well brutal end for Taemin.
Sighing. The young vampire stares into the distance as she continues her rant. The sky is clotted with clouds. Dull, gloomy. Rain spits. ‘Shame, the weather was lovely earlier.’ Taemin hums now and again to whatever Jennie was gossiping about.

’How did I get stuck with you?’

Cars are a hazy presence, and the noise of traffic is buried underneath a thick blanket of fog, their vague growls as the end day rush takes effect on the traffic.

‘Focus. Focus your hearing on the many assortments of sound that consumes your consciousness.’

“Here’s my number. Whenever you are free, we should hang out. I really appreciate it that you chose me for your dance partner.”

Jennie leans in for a cheek kiss. Still ignoring her, he takes the small pink paper she slipped towards him. Her number written in curved handwriting as she slides off her stool making an exit and disappearing into the smoke.

‘Ugh humans are so infuriating.’

Tapping on his temple he smiled slightly. Taking his phone out he checks the time while implanting Jennie’s unwanted number into his phone, sighing once again. Leaving the coffee shop, he strolls down the pathway, taking a turn off down the alleyway. Inhaling deeply, he starts to run before—-

“Hey! You.”

Stopping in his tracks turns around to see a familiar face. Coming out from the shadows, bubbly and pixie, cute facial features and by her side a male with big dinosaur eyes, short height, and muscular build.

“Taemin?”

Frowning he nods with confusion.

“It’s me Krystal, we met earlier today at school. This is my boyfriend, Kim Jonghyun best friend of Minho who is Sunyoung’s brother.”

Taemin glances down at the outstretched hand that belonged to the man, remaining still and silent. “Okay— not much of a skinship guy, I get it. I guess... thanks for looking out for Sunny she’s like a sister to me.”

“I didn’t do anything.” Taemin replied.

“Uh, she told me about this morning with the piano and such... It was a nice gesture. Er, what are you doing in the alley?”

Krystal smiled brightly at the vampire who shrugged off her warmth.
Buzzing cuts their conversation short as Taemin’s phone goes off. The small LCD touch screen lights up with a contact Taemin didn’t want to see. ‘Father.’ Taemin’s brows furrow as Krystal peeks at the phone screen.

“I gotta take this. One second.” Both Krystal and Jonghyun nod as Taemin answers his phone turning his back towards them to conceal some privacy.

“Hello? Father I’m on my way home. I got delay—-“

“No! Taemin you don’t come home do you understand me?! They are after you. Bangtan are he—-“ The other end of the line buzzes before the line is cut off.

“Father? Onew?!” Ending the call Taemin abruptly slips his phone in his jacket running passed the couple.

“I gotta go!”

Black Forest
Seoul
Friday 23rd October
6:27PM

Taemin sighed as he continued to walk home like a normal human being, if it were up to him and not his father Jinki, he would be running here and there with lightning speed. Just one of the many ideas Onew had come up with for Taemin to maintain a human lifestyle or so he calls it. Approaching the entrance to the forest. Glancing left, then right. All clear, Taemin made a break for it. A sigh of relief washed over him as he felt the cool breeze on his face, the speed, agility, the freedom. His true form taking hold as he pounced round— but no time to have fun he needed to head home.

The sound of trickling water, trees humming in the wind and screams.

“No, no, no!” Taemin shouted.

The white stone cottage coming into view as Taemin ran out to the open field, bodies blurred as a fight commenced. Clenched jaw, fists turning into balls as he ran towards the flurry of bodies. “Father!”

*Hissing from behind*

Taemin spun round, throwing a punch. The enemy vampire dodged the attack, pouncing on Taemin with such speed. Open palms as Taemin clenched onto the limb of the other vampire. Twist. Snap! The vampire cried out clutching the open wound where his arm once used to resign. Forcing his fangs out, jumping up in the air and landing beside the wounded upir, feet side by side against the head. Hands holding the skull, one big twist and the head snapped off. Crack! Taemin flipped off landing gently on the soil dropping the dismembered head on the blood covered grass. To be extra sure he was dead, Taemin curved his hands into a blade like shape enough force to pierce the chest pulling out the pulsating heart, long, slender fingers clawed round the organ— like it was trapped in a cage before squeezing it. The heart popped.

“That’s all you got?!” He yelled out to the openness, tossing the dead organ aside.

Hissing. He was circled. He was in trouble now. Crouching, hand risen ready for the attack. The surrounding vampires hissed. Darken hues assessed the remaining vampires before hissing back at them. Irises were nearly black, just a hint of red round them. “Kill him.” Taemin sprung into the air like a springboard and came back down with so much impact the vampire he landed on exploded backwards. Taemin hissed, hands and teeth used in combat. Bangtan weren’t going to quit without a fight. For so many centuries they had chased down the Lee coven and for what? Jinki? This was all because his father refused to join them. Refused to join the war against humans.

And why? Because Onew was in love with a human.

“Taemin! I told you not to come home.”

Jinki ran over his fingertips clean. Covered from head to toe in blood, this was the continuation to a long on-going blood war between the two covens: Lee and Bangtan.

“This is my home too! My coven. I will protect it, father.”

Frustration in the tone of his voice as he kicked the dead corpse on the ground. “Where is everyone?” Jinki shrugged, checking the status of each vampire laying on the ground.

“Your mother disappeared shortly after the attack started. I haven’t had the chance to find her.”

Taemin felt a wave of nausea in the pit of his stomach hearing those words come out of Onew’s mouth.

“How could you not?! You know she won't stand a chance alone.”

Onew responded with a saddened expression. “Onew!” A feminine voice echoed out. Taemin turned his head towards the sound seeing the rest of his clan run over.

“Sohee, what happened?”

She shook her head, smudging the blood on her temple. “They took him. They took Kibum. We tried to track them down, but we couldn’t— we would have passed the border into their territory.”

Onew yelled. “Sohee!! That is my wife. Taemin’s mother!! You couldn’t even keep an eye on him.” Sohee glanced at Taemin, a slight twinkle in her eyes as she watched the dark-haired vampire make eye contact with her. Taemin remained silent as they exchanged looks, smiling softly at him— he turned away.

“I’m sorry. But we have a bargaining tool.”

Onew scowled, “that is?” Snapping her fingers Myungsoo dragged in a tied mundane. A rag in , tears flowed down her cheeks as she looked up at the faces that landed their eyes upon her.

“Whee-In? J-Hope won’t be happy with us. You just made this ten times worse for us Sohee!”

“Jinki! We can use her, arrange an exchanged. Whee-In for Kibum. J-Hope won’t want anything to happen to her.”

“That’s a massive gamble, and a dangerous game you’re playing.”

“We have to try.”

“On your life I hope this works...”

Black Forest
Seoul
Friday 23rd October

Sigh. The soft sounds of buzzing in the back of Taemin’s ear was like a fly. checking his reflection in the mirror he drops his head. Everyday some poor human would be enchanted by his good looks, but it was nothing more than a disguise to his true nature, the monster within and over the years he had learned how to hide it.

Lifting his head to stare at his reflection he inhaled deeply, touching the smooth surface of his skin, not a scar or a pimple in sight. Not a flaw… His fingers glided along his cheekbones until he stopped at his eyes, reaching his finger to his pupil he taps his finger on the contact lens pulling it off his iris, giving it a clean and placing it back into the small container.

One, two they both came out.

Taemin inhaled deeply staring down at his shaken hands, elevating his head he saw them, the monster. Eyes red as blood, bright as a burning flame staring back at him. If only he could cry truly at this sickening sight.

“You miss them?”

Spinning round in his chair Taemin glanced up at his father ignoring the fact Onew had been watching him for the last five minutes.

“Your eyes, you miss them?”

“Why are you even asking me this?”

“Because I can tell you miss them. The normality, being a vampire, we all live with the reminder we’re no longer human.”

“You have no idea what it feels like. You have your natural coloured eyes back.”

“T