Silence.

It was her lone companion.

There was nothing. She was dead to the world, blind to the light, and deaf to the sounds of life. But in this stillness, she found peace. Her earthly worries seemed distant and intangible.

Was she really dead?

That, she could not answer. That, she was unsure.

Here, in this place, was nothing. She had been devoid of her senses. No sight. No hearing. No breathing. Wait, was she breathing? Not sure. She couldn’t feel anything. No more pain. No more… feelings?

She tried movement.

She tried moving her fingers. Nothing. No response. Again. And again.

One more. Another. She gave up.

She wondered.

Where is this place? What is this place? Why am I here? Where is my family? Was it Taeyeon-unnie I saw before I out?

Questions her mind kept asking yet remained unanswered. Then, like the small glimmer of light penetrating the dark jungle, it came. Her answers began revealing themselves little by little as she could feel her senses returning one by one.

A soft inhale and her lungs filled with air. She was breathing! Alive! Her pallid veins became colored with the flush of oxygenated blood. Vampire blood. Unique to the world. Immortal blood. Pure and devoid of imperfections brought about by the intrusion of a mortal’s life force.

Then, came the sudden rush of sounds bouncing off the contours that were guarding her eardrums. The sounds of air moving. A draft. A soft breeze that brought tingling sensations on her skin. Yes, she was able to feel now. Her fingers moved. Twitched. Ah yes, they moved!

She lifted her right hand. Slowly. Ever so slowly until it reached her forehead. She opened her eyes, her hand preventing the sudden intrusion of light against her pupils; her ebon irises returning to their normal crimson tint. The vampire’s eyes glimmered. What welcomed her was a sea of gray, darkened skies protecting the twilight.

She tried sitting up, her eyes scanning the surroundings for familiarity. This place was different. Where had she gone?

She felt lightheaded. She felt like she was floating in the dreary scenery painted by black, white, and gray.

“My child.” A familiar voice.

“Father?” She called, eyes searching for the one who sired her.

“Yoona.” This time, it was her mother.

“Mother?” Eyes widened upon the formation of two figures coming out of the thick fog.

“Yoona.” Her parents chorused.

“Mother! Father!” Yoona yelled as she got up from her seat and ran to meet her parent’s open arms, forgetting the sudden ache her body felt when she stood.    

She slipped into their embrace, their ethereal scents invading her olfaction. Tears began to fall as she closed her eyes to relish in the love that her parents have been showering her.

“I missed you.” She mumbled against her mother’s shoulder.

“Now, now, my dear. We miss you, too.” Her mother cooed as her father brushed her fair locks that cascaded down her shoulders. Her father leaned forward, planting his lips against her forehead as she silently expressed her feelings through the quiet sobbing.

“Do not cry, dear Yoona. Your mother and I are always with you, for you are a part of us. You have always been.” Her father said as he soothed his daughter.

“Mother, Father, I love you.” Yoona said upon pulling away from the embrace. A cheerful smile appeared on her face as she haphazardly brushed away the tears.

“We love you, too, dear.” Her parents replied; her mom cupped her face lovingly while her father patted her head. Yoona’s mother took her hand and pulled her along as the parents began to turn, leading Yoona away.

Her reunion with her family felt like a dream. It had been a long time since she had last seen them and had spent the time with them. She was always left in the care of the Kwons with Yuri as her mentor and guardian. Yuri had acted as her sister figure every time her parents went off to accomplish their duties with her father as a general and her mother as a healer in the battalion.

Yoona and Yuri would usually be left in the Jung Castle when their parents would set off on a journey and the two young girls often busied themselves learning the rigors of being a vampire noble.

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