XX: Fine
Nocturne Academy
"Jieun!" Yoseob glares at the mermaid with disappointment. "What did you do? Why? Hin did nothing to you!"
"She did nothing towards me," Jieun lets Yunho to stand in front of her as her protector. "But her dearest parents did something really bad."
Meanwhile Yonghwa takes out the mermaid tear from his pocket so he can help Hin but the tear doesn't heal her; the effect doesn't work. Yonghwa throws away the bottle with worried in his eyes. Jieun has planned everything all along. She only gave the real mermaid tears to Yoseob because he is an ordinary human. The other three bottles are fake.
Gikwang holds his lust of blood even though Hin is really tempting for him. Jieun planned everything precisely: how Hin would be caught off guard, her blood will tempt Gikwang, nothing can heal her from the wound.
Jieun has been waiting for a year to kill Hin.
"You're going to die soon, Hin," Jieun steps to the staircase, getting ready to the fourth floor, the top of the tower. "Finally, Hin, I have my revenge."
"Lee Jieun!" Yonghwa shouts her name and she stops her step immediately without turning around. "I'm not going to let you go if something happened to Hin. I mean it."
"Good luck with that," Jieun mutters without any expression and leaves them. Yunho follows her behind, giving a sad look to Hin before bowing slightly and walks away.
"Hin," Yonghwa calls her name to gain her focus back. Her blood keeps dripping to the floor and her breath is unsteady. "Can you listen to me?"
Hin, being the calm and cold human as she can, tries to control her breath despite the fact that her hands are really cold now. She has no idea why Jieun wants to kill her and she doesn't hold any grudge against her either.
She knows that Jieun was Taemin's fiancee but that's all. Jieun never showed the sign of hatred inside her heart and it made both Hin and Yonghwa to believe in her. Now that she's just stabbed by Jieun, she knows for sure Jieun isn't playing around.
"Mermaid...," Hin suddenly has a thought crosses her mind. "Jieun... Is she related to Song Minah in one way or another?"
"Song Minah?" Yonghwa frowns, trying to heal Hin's wound. He is not the Elf who granted the ability to heal wound but he tries his best to lessen the pain or Hin will die because blood loss. "The one who established Nocturne Academy?"
Hin nods slowly as her consciousness is disappearing painfully slow, "What is... Song Minah's maiden name?"
"Lee Minah," Gikwang is the one who answers the question. They turn to Gikwang and he continues, "I met her when I was a child. She asked my father to work as a teacher but my father refused."
"She was married to someone...," Hin coughs and she clutches her stained red uniform. "I don't... I'm not sure... I think Jieun is Song Minah's daughter..."
As much as she wants to continue telling them her conclusion, she can't. She feels as if her head is spinning around and she loses her senses slowly. Yonghwa wants to bring her out to save her but he knows it's useless; no one can get out from this tower without Mr Song's permission.
Gikwang's eyes meet with Hin's. For the last minutes, Yonghwa doesn't use his power to cloud Hin's mind because he is busy concentrating to heal Hin. He is really surprised when he reads her mind: Hin wants Gikwang to turn her into a vampire.
"Are you sure?" Gikwang blurts out and Hin nods one time with her left power. He looks at Yonghwa, "Your President wants me to turn her into a vampire. That's the only way we can save her from the Death."
Yonghwa's eyes widen in surprise but no word slips out from him. He knows for sure that Hin is proud with her human blood. She doesn't hate vampire for sure but, no matter what, her father is a vampire hunter. What will the world say if the daughter of vampire hunter turns into a vampire?
But then it is the only way for Hin to live. They can't get out and nothing can heal her except Jieun's tears yet her time is running out. With great hesitation, Yonghwa hands Hin over to Gikwang.
Both Yoseob and Yonghwa stop to give Gikwang space to save Hin with his own way. Gikwang moves her long hair so he can taste her neck without anything to disturb him.
Only pure blood vampire who can turn a human into a vampire. Joon doesn't do it due to the rules of Nocturne Academy but since this time Hin asks for herself, Gikwang doesn't break the rule. Not only Yonghwa, Gikwang has a doubt in himself as well because not all human can live during the transition from human to vampire.
The vampire blood and human blood will fight for domination inside her body. It can turn her to the insane state because it will be really hurt; she will be tortured because of the different blood inside of her body. If she can pass through the phase, she will be a vampire but if she can't survive it, she will die immediately.
Without any warning, Gikwang sinks his fangs on her bare neck. Hin bites her bottom lip to prevent herself from screaming. She can fill the uncomfortable feeling rushes in her body. She feels that her body is torn into two slowly but she tries to fight back the painful feeling, trying to focus with her condition right now.
Once Gikwang pulls away from her, Hin is closing her eyes. Her face is really pale and she is in the middle of last phase: whether she will die or survive as a vampire.
Hin almost loses her consciousness but Yoseob holds her hand all of a sudden, embracing her cold hand gently. Her sense returns and she feels an unexplained euphoria inside of her mind and soul.
The next second all of them know that Hin has changed. She is not a human anymore. She is a vampire now.
Hin opens her eyes slowly and shifts her gaze to Yoseob. Yoseob looks at her, hoping that she is still thinking clearly. Yonghwa takes a step closer to her and he feels relieved that she is alright now.
"You will get used to the new you," Gikwang smirks, feeling good after tasting her blood. "Now we need to get out from here before we lose our sense of time. I'm sure they don't prepare for this situation. Who will think that you're willing to give up your humanity?"
Yoseob helps Hin to stand up but Hin quickly pulls her hand away once she has stood up properly. Without wasting anytime, she steps to the staircase and the others follow her.
Mr Song is standing in the middle of the room with Jieun and Yunho. Three of them look surprised when they see Hin, especially after they know that Hin is not a human anymore because of her scent.
"A vampire," Mr Song laughs with sarcasm. "Why didn't I think of that possibility? You are really amusing, Hin."
"Mr Song," Hin ignores him and looks directly at him. "Are you Jieun's father?"
Mr Song stops his laughter and shock is written all over his face. He gives a glance to Jieun and then to Hin, "You're smart. Really smart. Since I'm not going to let you live too long, why don't you tell me about your thought, Hin?"
"Song Minah was your wife. Jieun uses her mother's family name so none of us would notice that she is your daughter. The reason both of you want to kill me...," Hin stops for seconds, taking a deep breath, "...because my parents killed Song Minah."
"Yes," Jieun grits her teeth. "I don't care about Joon's mother. She was a killer vampire with no mercy but your father wanted to kill Park Haeri. She did no harm to no one. Your parents worked together to trap her in the Shadow Forest with the help of Vampire Hunter Guild. My mother followed her. She wanted to help her friend!"
"But my father killed her," Hin finishes the story. That time Shadow Forest was not forbidden yet so she can understand how her parents trapped them inside.
"Park Haeri was the one who killed the previous Leader of Vampire Hunter Guild," Gikwang speaks out. "Even among the vampires, she was infamous as the vampire who made the Vampire Hunter to be aware of Vampire again but we shrugged the fact away."
"But still!" Jieun's long hair turns into wavy because she is really angry. "My mother had nothing to do!"
"I've been planning for years, Hin," Mr Song whispers with dangerous tone. "I waited for you to enter this Academy. I tried to win the election as the headmaster. I used my strategies so you could be the President of NASCA. I gained your trust with the help of Jieun. I let Joon to keep your parents as hostage until the day I can show your corpse in front of them, to see your lifeless beautiful face before I kill them. Tell me, Hin, how does it feel to be nearly killed by the one you trust?"
"Especially," Mr Song smirks, "in front of people you care for."
"They have nothing to do with me," Hin mutters, knowing that Mr Song is going to target Yoseob, Gikwang, and Yonghwa. "Mr Song Heuk, you will be under the control of Ministry of Law after this. You have broken the rule."
"If you can get out from here, that will happen," Mr Song takes a step backward while Yunho steps to his front. "Do you think you can get out alive from here, Hin?"
Hin takes quick steps behind while Yonghwa defends her from Yunho. Gikwang stares at Mr Song, trying to find his weakness but he has no idea what Mr Song is actually.
"I'm not going to let you kill Hin," Yonghwa states and swings his Elven sword. "I will protect Hin."
"Father, I will take care of them," Jieun turns to Mr Song. "You can wait at the top. Please make sure what happened here can't be seen by outsiders."
"I leave them to you, my daughter," Mr Song walks pass her and puts his palm on the wall. Suddenly the bricks move over to reveal a staircase that leads him to the hidden floor of the tower.
While Yunho is in the middle of battle with Yonghwa, Jieun doesn't stay still. She starts singing a beautiful song, the way she uses to lure the men. Yonghwa is trained well enough so he can block the voice easily.
Unfortunately Yoseob and Gikwang are tempted by the beautiful voice of the mermaid. They step closer to Jieun who has a flash of hatred in her eyes, ready to kill both to make Hin suffer more.
"Jieun!" Hin takes out her rapier and jumps to Jieun but Yunho quickly pulls away from Yonghwa to protect Jieun. Their swords clash, making Hin to step backwards again.
Slowly but sure, Jieun forms a dart with her power, ready to kill Yoseob who is completely charmed by her voice.
Yonghwa makes a quick movement and reaches out his sword to attack Jieun but Yunho is faster than Yonghwa. He steps back to in front of Jieun and stabs Yonghwa on his stomach.
"What-" Yunho feels the sword on his body as well. Yonghwa could avoid his attack but he takes the risk, letting himself to be stabbed by Yunho but at the same time he stabs Yunho with his Elven sword.
"Yunho!" Jieun stops her singing. Both Yoseob and Gikwang returns to their sense and look at Jieun who is kneeling down, ready to give her tear to save Yunho.
"I'm sorry," Yonghwa murmurs and attacks Jieun with the poisonous darts he used to Suji before. Gikwang drags her away quickly so Yunho can't taste her tear to save himself.
Hin looks at Yunho as he is trying to stand up again despite his fatal wound. At the same time, Yonghwa is going to faint in any second. He used up his strength to throw the darts to Jieun.
"Jieun can save Yonghwa...," Yunho tries to pursuade Hin. "Don't you want to save him? Or have you changed cold because you are a vampire now? Don't you still love me, Hin?"
Hin steps backwards, feeling the scent of blood is filling the room. She understands now why it's really hard to press the feeling to drink the blood in front of vampire.
Using the chance, Yunho dashes to Hin with his sword. Thanks to her vampire instinct now, Hin is aware of his movement and lifts up her rapier to cut one of Yunho's arm.
"All of your words were lie," Hin looks at Yunho who is dying already. A tear escapes her eyes, realizing that she once loved the man who wanted to kill her just now.
Hin kneels down to check his pocket and finds a small bottle of mermaid tear. She knows that Yunho must have at least one because he is Jieun's guardian. Jieun just too panic that she wanted to give the tear by herself.
She rushes to Yonghwa's side and makes him to swallow the tear. Within a minute, Yonghwa's wound heals by itself. He looks at Hin but says nothing.
"I'm going to end everything now," Hin stands up, gaining her focus all in one again. She walks to where Mr Song stood before. She puts her palm and the secret path opens once again.
"I'm going with you," Yoseob grabs her wrist so she turns around to look at him. "You can't go there alone."
"And what can you do if you're with me?" Hin blurts out the obvious fact. "You are an ordinary human, Yang Yoseob. There is nothing you can do. We don't even know what Mr Song is."
Yoseob is taken aback by her words. He knows he is useless right now but he still wants to do something to help Hin.
"Stay and be safe," Hin touches Yoseob's cheek with her cold hand. "Be a reason for me to return here."
Without waiting for his reply, Hin steps up in silence. Yonghwa and Gikwang follow her, having the same thought with Hin right now.
The staircase leads three of them to the top of the tower where they can see the night sky. The full moon is shining upon them while Mr Song is standing in silence.
"What a surprise you can meet me here," Mr Song stares at them with mocking expression. "Shall we end everything here, Hin?"
His hands and feets turn into tentacles; Mr Song changes into his original form. His face changes slowly and now they know what he is.
He is Kraken.
He uses his tentacles to sweep off Hin, Gikwang, and Yonghwa but they jump quickly to avoid the tentacles. Mr Song is more experienced than them so he uses his other tentacles to wrap their bodies, engulfing them tight.
Hin tries her best to reach the pendant on her necklace. Once again she changes the form of her pendant into the rapier while she clenches her fist secretly. The rapier stabs the tentacle, making Mr Song to release her reluctantly.
"Yes," Hin cuts off the two tentacles which grabbing Gikwang and Yonghwa, "let's end everything here."
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Glossary #20
Fine: the end
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