rating: G to PG ( unsure because I don't think bloodsucker is appropriate for G-rated vocabulary )

genre: fantasy

word count: approx. 3,900+

*note: this is a follow-up to another drabble, “formidable”

Though she and the others were guaranteed their safety, Krystal couldn’t bring herself to sleep that night. There were too many thoughts, too many questions, swirling like a storm inside her mind; and she wanted answers to all of them.

Even if it meant seeking them out herself.

Still in her traveling clothes, Krystal padded barefoot along the empty hallways, her only light coming from the thin crescent moon. She walked over several fragments of black darkness and silver light, the patterns on the Gothic windows casting distorted shadows on the cold stone floors and high walls. Krystal had no idea where she was going, and in hindsight she probably should have cast a protective enchantment on herself before venturing out on her own, but alas, it was too late.

If I screamed, I wonder if the others would hear me, she thought. Sehun certainly would, what with his exceptional hearing. But whether or not he would react to it has yet to be determined. Sulli might try to do something, but taking into consideration how unreliable her sense of direction was, she probably wouldn’t have gotten far.

Krystal sighed. What a team.

She wandered further, deeper, into the castle, using the wall as a guide when it got too dark for her to see. In the distance she saw a sliver of light seeping through a slightly opened door. Slowly, Krystal made her way towards it. Since the door was so vast in size, she had to press both hands and lean in to them to open it. The creaking of the hinges ground against Krystal’s nerves, splitting the silence, but apparently disturbing no one.

Once the door was opened wide enough, Krystal squeezed her way through the gap, then took a sudden intake of breath. Before her was a huge expanse of smooth marble floor touched by an equally vast stretch of moonlight. At the end of the room was a large window that arched all the way up to the ceiling, framing a collection of stars and constellations closer to the earth than Krystal ever believed was possible. Several columns stood tall along the four walls, upholding a second flooring that could easily be used as a place for observation. There were no notable decorations, but Krystal didn’t believe there needed to be any. The room was much too beautiful on its own.

Making her way towards the center of the room, Krystal wondered what kind of events were held here. She felt only whispers of the past, ghosts of waltzing figures dressed in lavish gowns and handsome suits; laughter echoing against the walls and children weaving around the people coupled up on the dance floor. There was music. Joyous music. Their musicians playing the kinds of songs appropriate for celebration—songs of victory, friendships, and love.

Krystal smiled, staring absentmindedly at the floor. If these walls could talk, she only anticipated good things. Which was ironic, all things considered. Now this castle was inhabited by a sadistic, self-praising, bloodsucking lunatic who Krystal couldn’t imagine having any use for such a grand and glorious ballroom.

The smile on Krystal’s face soon faded as another presence apart from her own made itself known. As she was still a sorceress in training, she had no idea who it could be. All she knew was that this person was cold—colder than the coldest she’s ever felt, yet fluid like a river of clear water.

Swallowing the lump in , Krystal called out, “Who’s there?” She knew it was a stupid question, but she couldn’t help but ask.

The answer she received came from a voice that was, unfortunately, familiar. “Let’s use the process of elimination, shall we?” he suggested. Though Krystal knew he wasn’t expecting a reply. “Including you and myself, there are only four people who are inside this castle. My voice is much too deep, so I certainly can’t be that deranged faerie. And my scent is much too clean, so I can’t be that crazy dog either.”

Hearing his voice grow near, Krystal whipped her head around only to find Kai standing upright before her, dressed in all black and barefoot just as she was. His dark hair shined like the feathers of a black raven, handsomely tousled and perfectly imperfect. Under the light of the moon, Kai’s complexion appeared as pale as ever, eerily smooth like the marble floor beneath them. His eyes didn’t look nearly as alarming as Krystal remembered. No longer the menacing red she saw before, Kai’s eyes looked more muted, like the color of a dark wine.

A part of Krystal should have known that he would be up at this time. Vampires always had a certain (and sometimes creepy) affinity for the night. Except—maybe—a part of her already knew he’d be awake. She was just hoping he would find her before either one of them realized it.

“I doubt you’re any more well-mannered than he is,” Krystal said finally. “Neither of your eating habits seem relatively attractive.”

“Ah.” Kai held a long finger in the air. “But at least I have a seat at the table instead of a metal paltry dish with the name Fido engraved on it.”

Krystal crossed her arms, rolling her eyes as she shifted her weight against one foot. “You really need to cut out the wolf jokes. They’re starting to grow stale. Like you.”

Kai’s mouth dropped; he looked visibly affronted. “Excuse me?” he said, incredulous. “I might be well over three hundred years old—give or take a decade—but I am far from stale.”

“Yeah, well, from my point in the age spectrum, you’re pretty old.”

“And how old are you, then? Fifteen? I can’t imagine you’d be any older, I mean look at you,” Kai half-sneered, shooting a scrutinizing glance at Krystal that seemed anything but threatening.

“I’m eighteen,” Krystal corrected him, to which Kai responded with a dismissive wave of the hand.

“Fifteen, eighteen—anyone under the age of seventy-five are all the same to me,” he said. “You’d be lucky if you managed to live that long.”

Krystal made a sharp laugh. “Unless what? You’ll kill me? Because you could have done that hours ago, but instead you keep us here as if you were running some kind of weird hotel.”

The corners of Kai’s mouth were turned down as he cast a disapproving look towards Krystal. “Please don’t dismiss my extravagant abode as something as meager and common as a hotel. That’s just rude. And contrary to the impression I’ve given you, your demise won’t come directly from my hand. There are …” Kai appeared hesitant for a split-second. “… greater powers at work,” he said finally.

“Oh-kay,” Krystal said, laughing partly out of nervousness and partly out of disbelief. “You’re going to have to be more specific than that because I already have a hard time grasping my own powers and I don’t think I have the capacity to wrap my mind around any more.”

“I’d say you don’t have the capacity to grasp anything at all,” Kai murmured. Then he shrugged. “But! I’m a vampire. So who am I to judge?”

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Oh but, darling, you never asked me a question to begin with.”

The crooked grin on Kai’s face was both annoying and compelling as Krystal’s impatience grew to a dangerous degree. “Don’t push it, bloodsucker,” she muttered. “I know I’m weak, but I doubt even you would be stupid enough to make another enemy.”

Kai raised a single eyebrow. “So we aren’t enemies?”

“Greater powers. Explain. Now.” The tone in Krystal’s voice was fierce and demanding, and Kai couldn’t help but concede.

He heaved a great sigh. “Oh, all right. Come with me.” Krystal stared at the back of him as he the balls of his feet and started for the door. “You don’t have to worry about getting bitten,” he added. “I’ve already had my fill earlier this evening, and quite frankly, I can’t stand witches’ blood.”

The corner of Krystal’s mouth twitched while she moved to follow behind him. “What? Too sour?”

Kai paused and glanced over his shoulder, a faint sparkle of amusement twinkling in his eyes. “As a matter of fact, yes.”

Within moments of their midnight tour, Krystal really wished she had found some kind of night-vision spell to aid her as she, somewhat haphazardly, followed after Kai. She can’t remember how many times she bumped in to strange oblong art pieces—or face-planted against Kai’s back in a poorly thought-out attempt to catch up to him—but at some point, it came to be a hindrance. Rather impatiently, Kai seized one of Krystal’s hands in his own and guided her through the dark hallways, his grip strong, yet gentle, and inexplicably cold.

It was a strange feeling. Except it was hardly something Krystal found herself wanting to shy away from. While his hand felt extremely cold, her face felt extremely hot, and suddenly, Krystal became increasingly thankful for the darkness that disguised her.

Eventually, Kai led the two of them back into the light as he pulled Krystal inside another room. Unlike the ballroom, which was empty, this room was filled with volumes upon volumes of books stacked against shelves that reached all the way up to the ceiling. A single wall composed of several tall, arching windows cast a sufficient amount of light into the library, geometric patterns of silver seeping in between shelves and bookends and stretching across the floor to meet the tips of Krystal’s toes.

Awestruck, Krystal took in the silent brilliance of it all. Never in her life had she seen so many books all at once. She was quickly brought out of her reverie, however, once Kai slipped his hand out of hers and motioned her to keep following him. Krystal wanted to reach out and take his hand again, but upon recognizing the impulse, she refrained.

“Have you even read all of these?” she asked.

“You’d be surprised by how productive a handsome, young—and perpetually bored—vampire can be under the appropriate circumstances,” Kai said. “It’s not like I spend all my days hanging upside down from the ceiling and all my nights hunting for fresh blood.”

Krystal frowned. That was her initial expectation, but she was glad for it to be dismissed and disproved. “Then what do you do?”

“I read. I sleep. I read some more. But, if I’m feeling really rebellious, I skip sleeping entirely and just read.”

“Not that I want to bring up a touchy subject,” Krystal went on, her questions unrelenting. “But how often do you eat? Or drink? Or whatever term you vampires like to use.”

Kai chuckled, his shoulders shrugging slightly as he answered, “I feed as many times as I need to. Gluttony is considered one of the seven deadly sins, after all.”

“Aren’t you dead already?”

“Touché, mon amie. Except technically speaking, I’m not dead until I’m fed an indecent amount of garlic, pierced by a wooden stake, and then roasted by the scorching heat of the sun.”

“That seems a little dramatic,” Krystal commented.

“It comes with the castle,” Kai said simply. “The atmosphere really changes you. Gives you a sense of theatricality and etcetera.”

“Don’t you live with anyone else?” Krystal questioned, not caring so much about where Kai was leading her now. “Any family, friends—human subjugates?”

“As you can probably tell, I’m no good at making friends.” Running his index finger along a series of ancient titles Krystal couldn’t hope to decipher, Kai appeared casual and nonchalant. “And having a lifelong servant that doubles as a portable blood fountain isn’t nearly as convenient as it sounds. Most of the subjugates I’ve had were quite stupid. Worse than your faerie friend—and that’s saying something.”

“Right.” Krystal watched Kai thoughtfully as he pulled out a large, leather-bound book and set it on the long table between them. “What about your family?”

With his red eyes almost completely black under the shadow of his brow, Kai looked at Krystal, his face nearly expressionless. “All the members of my family are dead,” he said. “Not half-dead like me, but literally dead.”

“Oh.” Krystal’s eyes widened, and for a moment she felt a sudden flash of embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Kai said as he began flipping through the book’s extremely thin pages. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Then whose fault was it?”

“A group of mercenaries that just so happened to be composed of inordinately violent werewolves.”

Ah, it all makes sense now.

Pressing her palms on the edge of the table, Krystal leaned forward to examine the book. Despite its supposed age, the structure of it appeared in exceptional mint condition. Kai turned the yellowed pages carefully, cinching his brows together as he swiftly perused the indiscernible text Krystal could only see as controlled black loops and curves on paper.

“Looks like this is a popular read,” she remarked.

“How can you tell?” Kai asked, his eyes still hovering over the book.

“It’s not as dusty as the others,” Krystal answered as she leaned closer forward. “What does it say?”

Finally stopping on a page with an illustration of robed figures standing on the peak of a mountain, Kai pushed the book towards Krystal as he explained. “In the early years of our world, there was this group of men and women called the Praviesi. In English, the word translates as the Prophets. As their name suggests, they were given the power of foresight—along with the chronic ability to be inconveniently vague.”

“Sounds a lot like Sulli,” Krystal murmured, touching the corner of the page.

“It does,” Kai said with a hint of a smile. “But Prophets were never born faeries, nor were they synonymous to any other kind of magic besides the power they were already given. It wasn’t something they could actively control since all Prophets were born as humans.”

Krystal turned the page to another picture, one of a single robed figure standing above a crowd of indistinguishable people that were presumably human as well. “That’s strange.”

Kai rolled his eyes. “Says the girl who lived the past eighteen years as a human not knowing she had any powers—much less that such a world existed—until very, very recently,” he said emphatically. Krystal gave him a look while he continued. “Anyways, it can be safely assumed that the visions seen by the Prophets have all come true at some point. Save for the exception of one.

“One of the last Prophets spoke of a formidable Darkness that would later consume the world in heavy smoke and flames. It wouldn’t just affect the humans; it would affect everyone and everything. All of the nations would be swept under a sleeve of violence and disarray, the Darkness unavoidable.”

“It needs a better name,” Krystal said.

“Yes, but for the sake of convenience, we’ll stick with what we’ve been given,” Kai said. He then turned to the next page, pointing at a diagram of four different creatures: the first with pointed ears and flawless skin; the second with golden eyes and sharp claws; the third with glowing hands and beams of light shooting out from its eyes; and the fourth with white skin and bared fangs. “The same Prophet explained that the Darkness would disguise itself in one of four magical beings: a fay, a shape-shifter, an enchanter, or a nightling.”

“So basically a faerie, a werewolf, a witch or wizard, or a vampire,” Krystal summarized. “That’s a pretty narrow scope, if you ask me.”

“Well, back then, it was broad enough,” Kai said. “Before this prophecy, our numbers were equal to the population of the humans. We didn’t have to keep our true selves hidden in fear of becoming extinct or endangered, like those sad, pathetic animals caged up in a zoo.”

“Then what happened after the prophecy?”

“Genocide.” Kai sounded grim, his jaw set and lips pressed in a fine line. “Humans went after all our kinds, putting ransoms over our heads and slaying us in scores as if we were no better than a pack of deer waiting to be hunted. They might have done all of this to protect themselves from an unknown evil, but for us, it couldn’t have been any more terrifying than having your entire species wiped off the face of the earth,” he said bitterly.

He turned a page again, revealing a rather macabre illustration of a ferocious massacre of faeries ranging from the elderly to the infantile. Krystal stared at the picture and felt a sudden twist in her stomach. She should be upset, what with her newly found identity as a sorceress; but still, a part of her couldn’t help but be defensive of the people who raised her. Regardless of blood ties—or the lack thereof—Krystal’s family was just that. Her family. If she had known such a prophecy existed before, she would have raised hell and set the world on fire herself if it meant protecting them.

“This Darkness,” she said slowly. “Whatever it is, is it still out there?”

“I think so. In fact, its host might be a lot closer than you’d think.”

Krystal raised her head, her eyes connecting with Kai’s, and gave him a confused look. In that moment he suddenly looked very weary, as if he had been carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders for the past several years, and was still carrying it now.

“The reason my family is dead—why I’m apparently the only vampire in existence—is because the last Prophet made somewhat of an amendment to the initial prophecy,” he said.

“And that is?” Krystal looked at him pointedly, urging him to go on.

Though he didn’t have an actual need for it, Kai took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “After a decade or so into the genocide, the scope narrowed even further when the Prophet said the Darkness would come from only one of those four creatures.”

Krystal leaned back slightly, a sudden wave of realization washing over her like a cold bucket of water.

“A nightling,” she breathed out.

“Yes.”

“Which is a vampire.”

“Yes again.”

“Which is you.”

“Guilty as charged.” Kai raised both hands in the air, palms out. Narrowing her eyes, Krystal searched him for any hint of duplicity; but a part of her knew he couldn’t be lying. This story was much too elaborate to not be true. And the fact that Krystal knew so little of this world to begin with was evidence for how careful and cautious everyone was. How careful and cautious her parents were in protecting her from her own identity.

“How do you know that it’s you?” she asked finally. “For all you know, they could have killed the real host of the Darkness ages ago.”

“They could have,” Kai said, not necessarily agreeing with her. “Likewise, they could have not. The Prophets are long gone now, and the only person in this world who has the Sight is your friend—whose predictions involving me have been none too favorable as they were helpful.”

“I see.” Krystal said, her voice falling silent. “… Is this why you’ve been living up here by yourself all this time? Hiding from everyone?”

Air hissed through Kai’s teeth as he breathed an exasperated sigh, shaking his head. “Your curiosity is truly astounding.”

“It doesn’t matter how curious I am unless I’m right. So am I?”

The corners of Kai’s mouth quirked into an imperceptible grin. “Yes, and no. Living in complete isolation has been a willing choice of mine. But I hardly consider it hiding when everyone seems to know where I am,” he said with a knowing look.

Krystal frowned. “What’s keeping others from coming after you, then?”

“Can’t say.” Kai shrugged. “Either they’re too afraid of my assumed talents, or they just don’t care. But if what the Prophet said is true—which is most likely since their kind had a certain flair for being one-hundred percent accurate—I don’t want to take any chances.”

Krystal bit the inside of her cheek, a small wrinkle cutting in between her eyebrows. “There has to be a way to stop it if it is real. Shine a flashlight in your insides or something.”

Kai only laughed, the sharp tips of his fangs somehow less intimidating despite himself. “That’s adorable, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Nothing is ever that easy,” he said softly, reaching over to smooth out the wrinkles on Krystal’s forehead. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. I hardly think of myself worth saving, and I doubt you or the others would disagree.”

Almost reluctantly, Krystal pushed Kai’s hand away from her face and looked up at him defiantly. “Stop being so full of yourself. I mean, sure you’re unpleasant and conceited, but I wouldn’t wish this kind of life on anyone—not even you,” she added. “It’s just too sad.”

Despite Krystal’s words, Kai felt no assurance. If anything, he looked visibly wounded—as if the pity in Krystal’s voice burned his skin like acid. “That’s enough,” he said, his voice clipped. Slamming the book shut, the broad-shouldered vampire stood upright and looked at Krystal straight in the eyes, his irises burning an angry crimson. “The last thing I need is you feeling sorry for me. Just forget I told you any of this at all.” he said, making his way around the table and towards the door.

With a sudden look of alarm sweeping across her face, Krystal stared helplessly at him. As much as she wanted to follow, she couldn’t bring herself to. It seemed too much like something she would sooner or later regret.

“Kai, you know that’s not what I meant,” she said eventually.

“Then what did you mean?” he snapped, turning around and shooting daggers in Krystal’s direction. “Because you don’t need to tell me how ‘sad’ my life is. I already knew how it was going to be long before you were even born. I’ve searched across the entire world for others who were like me, only to find out that there is no one, and there never will be. Besides—” He spun back around and strode towards the door again. “—I’m much to accustomed to being alone, so I can hardly stand being in the presence of anyone who is beneath me. You and your ragtag couple of fools included.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Krystal insisted. “I just don’t think it’s okay for you to be alone. No one should have to experience the kind of loneliness you have.”

Kai stood still for a moment, willing himself not to look back a second time. The sky outside was slowly turning into a cobalt blue, advising him to leave despite his unexplainable desire to apologize and stay. “It’s almost dawn. I have to go,” he said finally. “Goodbye, Krystal.”

And once the door clicked closed, Krystal was left alone again, sorting through more and more questions, their less than satisfying answers, and a deep-seated sense of regret she had for not being brave enough to go after him.

author's note: Posting this a bit early today because why not? :D Like the annotation tabbed at the top says, this is a follow-up to "formidable." Krystal is still a sorceress, Kai is still a vampire, Sehun is still a werewolf, and Sulli is still a faerie - but there are a few differences.

Kai is also still haughty and unpleasant, but he isn't as sinister/evil as he was in the drabble. He has reasons for driving people away, and that's because he has some sort of hidden power he really doesn't want to use. Clearly, he is a troubled character. And to a certain extent, I enjoy making my characters feel troubled. It makes them mean something, if you get what I mean xD

As for Krystal, the reason why she's a "newbie sorceress" is because she was raised by human parents who kept her true nature a secret from her until she turned eighteen. I haven't fully thought out how that's supposed to go, but that's the basic idea. And the reason why Krystal is on this adventure is because she's seeking answers: How am I supposed to use these powers? Where did I come from really? Who were my parents before? Are there any others who are just like me? And etc.

Sehun and Sulli didn't make any direct appearances, but if I were to turn this in to an actual story, they would still serve as my main source of fluff. Because fluff is good. I like fluff.

Krystal: Watch over Sulli while we're gone.

Sehun: Since when did I become the watch dog?!

Kai: /raises a stern finger in the air/ Stay.

Sehun: Ugh. This is the worst.

Sulli: /pats his head affectionately, smiling innocently/ Good boy ^^

The entire story has developed itself in my mind actually, and I've already written out a general outline, but I won't do anything to it yet since I've got my Divergent au thingy all up and ready to go!!! Very excited and very scared to be taking on a new project since I haven't exactly been the best at consistently finishing stories ... But this one I swear I will finish! I dunno how - I just will! Feel free to go subscribe to it here if you'd like ^^

That just about wraps up all I have to say here. I hope you guys liked this little window of the world. Who knows - maybe in the future, when I get better at world-building since I , this will become a chaptered fic. I wouldn't get too ahead of myself, though. See you all again next Friday! - Ella