Hakyeon woke to the sound of a scream. His head snapped off the ground as he whipped towards the sound, seeing Hongbin collapse to his knees, his shoulder shaking as he clutched at his chest. Sanghyuk slung an arm around him and quickly yanked him into his lap, clutching him tightly. Wonshik stood from afar, his eyes on the two slayers. Hakyeon had no doubt the vampire wanted to help Hongbin just as much as Sanghyuk did.

The bitten slayer shuddered again, scratching at his chest as he writhed in Sanghyuk’s arms. Hakyeon felt tears flood down his cheeks at the sight. He was in so much pain...

“Is he dying?!” Sanghyuk shouted, his head snapping towards every vampire in the room. “Please tell me he still has time!”

“He has plenty of time,” Taekwoon replied, shockingly close. Hakyeon turned to see him standing just a few feet away, his eyes on Hongbin and Sanghyuk. “The transformation is just painful,”

Hongbin stuffed the sleeve of his jacket into his mouth as he shuddered again, his scream muffled by the fabric this time around. Sanghyuk clutched him tighter, and Hakyeon tried to harden his heart, wiping the tears from his cheeks. Breathing heavily to stabilize his emotions, he began to roll up his sleeping bag and pack up. One thing he knew for sure was that he had to talk to Taekwoon. He had to ask questions. He needed to know what was happening to Hongbin, and he needed to know right now.

Standing up straight, the slayer the vampire, watching his golden eyes widen slightly, not expecting such a forward confrontation.

“We need to talk. Now,” Hakyeon demanded.

Taekwoon nodded, quickly enough that it seemed almost instinctive. He followed Hakyeon through the crumbling building until they reached a more private area behind old metal packing crates. As he turned towards the vampire, Hakyeon quickly lost control of himself, his questions flooding from his lips faster than he’d originally intended.

“What’s going on? Why is he in pain? Can we stop it? What can we do to help him? Is there-” Hakyeon demanded, suddenly cut off when Taekwoon raised his hands in front of him.

“It won’t stop until Hongbin’s transformed,” Taekwoon simply said. “Or until we prove that the legend you spoke of is true,”

Hakyeon swallowed. “Why is he in so much pain?” He felt his eyes tear up again, the liquid rushing down his cheeks in a rapid torrent.

“It’s what the venom does,” Taekwoon admitted, his hand lifting slightly, as though to reach for him. He quickly snapped it back to his side, his fists clenching. “It attacks the heart the most because that’s where the highest concentration of blood is. As it dies, it convulses,”

“So...Hongbin’s having...”

“Heart attacks,”

Hakyeon swallowed, shuddering as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

“They’ll come in waves,” Taekwoon explained. “Usually in sets of three, sometimes two, maybe as many as five. The worse they get, the sooner to death the victim is,”

“I thought you said Hongbin has a few days left,” Hakyeon rasped. “He wasn’t in this much pain yesterday,”

“I’m not too sure if the attacks had even begun yesterday,” Taekwoon admitted. “Wonshik would know. He was carrying him for most of the day. This might’ve been the first one, which explains his reaction to it,”

Hakyeon nodded, leaning against the crate, his arms trembling as he pressed his face into his hands.

“I won’t lie to you,” Taekwoon just said. “So I’m not going to sugar coat what’s happening to your friend. He’s dying in the worst possible way, and it’ll only end when he finally passes,”

“And you?” Hakyeon looked up at him, crossing his arms over his chest. “How did it go for you?”

Taekwoon winced, then shook his head. “It was a long time ago. I barely remember,”

“You lied,”

“I...”

“Taekwoon,”

“I was bitten and left to die. All I remember is the pain. Forget it, Hakyeon. The sun’s setting. We’re leaving soon,” Taekwoon pushed past him, heading back towards the group of awakening slayers. Hakyeon followed him, watching from afar, his eyes briefly glancing to where Hongbin was, surrounded by his family, all of them attempting to offer some form of reassurance. Hakyeon felt the tears flow once more, but this time, he thought of Taekwoon in Hongbin’s place, only he was alone, screaming just as the wounded slayer had, knowing nobody would ever come to comfort him.

...

Jaejoong discovered many things as he explored the tunnels of Yunho’s home. He discovered a library, far older than any other he’d ever seen. There were books that were written in languages he’d never seen before. Jaejoong had no doubt they were dead languages human scholars would’ve paid their mortality to get their hands on. Though he was able to decipher a few sentences of an old Chinese scroll over the course of several long hours, he was forced to roll it up and put it away as a new, more dominant thought attacked his mind, pushing away his curiosity for the old books.

The craving was back. His blood was running cold once more, and he felt himself beginning to shake. He needed the heat to come back. He let out a whimper as he searched desperately for Yunho, sniffing the air for that scent of lavender, though a distant part of his mind screamed not to. He was collapsing into temptation, and the longer he went without fulfilling it, the more desperate it became. It wasn’t until he’d looped through every hallway twice, tried every door, including the locked ones, did he realize that Yunho wasn’t here. He began to shake harder, collapsing against the wall, his fingernails digging into the stone as he let out a whimper.

He didn’t know how long he sat against the wall for, shoulders trembling as he shivered at the cold overtaking his limbs once more. A part of his mind said this was perfectly okay, that it was better he didn’t get what he so desperately wanted. He’d even started agreeing with it, bit by bit trying to push away that terrible, longing desire for the blood of his kidnapper.

When the scent of lavender reached him however, all of those thoughts exploded into thousands of pieces, replaced with the carnal desire for Yunho. He raced to meet him, wild and burning as he threw himself at his hyung who greeted him with a laugh and a brief hug.

“Come, Jaejoong,” Yunho said, holding his hand and leading him down the hall.

Following obediently, Jaejoong held himself back, his breath rushing from his throat in rough pants. He wanted to bite Yunho there and now, but the firm grip on his wrist was like a leash. It reminded Jaejoong that he wasn’t in control. Yunho was.

He was pulled down a hallway he’d explored several times, though it had led to nowhere but a pair of locked double doors. Yunho removed the key from his pocket and slid it into the lock, pulling it open and taking Jaejoong inside. Immediately, he took in the large, four poster bed and bookshelves and desks covered in paper and old novels.

“Come sit,” Yunho said, guiding him over to the bed.

Jaejoong sat obediently, his green eyes turning up towards Yunho who sat down beside him, sliding his fingers into his hair. Jaejoong shivered, the smell of lavender taking his breath away.

“Tell me, Jaejoong,” Yunho said softly. “What did you get up to today?”

“I explored,” Jaejoong replied immediately. “I was looking at one of the old scrolls in the library,”

“One of the Chinese ones?”

Jaejoong nodded.

“Hm,” Yunho nodded thoughtfully.

“I like the writing of the Chinese,” Jaejoong confessed. Then he was pushed violently by the voice at the back of his head. “Though I don’t understand it,” he felt guilty that he’d told a lie, but he was more shocked at the head rush the instinctive reaction had caused.

Yunho smiled. “I don’t suppose you’d enjoy the sound of it as well?”

Jaejoong merely shrugged, his eyes darting away as he bit his tongue, not wanting to reveal that he did in fact enjoy the sound of the Chinese language. It was one of the reasons he’d convinced Tao to teach him in the first place.

Tao, his mind suddenly rushed.

The sudden image of the boy’s face was knocked away violently by the feeling of Yunho’s hand caressing his cheek, it ever so softly as he leaned in, his scent overwhelming Jaejoong in an instant.

“You are mine,” Yunho whispered in Mandarin, making a chill rush down Jaejoong’s spine. “My beautiful, Jaejoong, you will stay with me forever,”

Another shiver racked Jaejoong’s body, making Yunho smile. He closed his eyes, feeling the hands of his kidnapper tracing his jaw and sliding down his neck. The hands pressed against his chest, the fingers tracing along the muscles beneath his shirt.

“H-Hyung...” Jaejoong rasped, his blood growing hot again. Yunho’s hand slid into his hair at the back of his head and tugged him towards him. Jaejoong barely hesitated to get off the bed and jump into his hyung’s lap, straddling his waist and pressing his lips into his neck.

“Drink,” Yunho murmured, rubbing his back.

And Jaejoong did, his hands clutching tightly at Yunho’s neck as he as much as he could get, the boiling heat burning and searing and making him moan. He felt hands slip under the fabric of his shirt, touching and caressing as he drank, fuelling the fire raging through him. He pulled away once he’d had his fill, gasping breathlessly.

“H-Hyung,” Jaejoong pleaded.

Yunho buried his fangs into his throat. Jaejoong let out a scream of ecstasy, clutching the back of Yunho’s head as his release came, sending him skyward and bringing back that lavender fogged bliss he loved so much. When Yunho pulled away at last, his lips were stained with Jaejoong’s blood. The younger didn’t even think for a second before pressing his lips against his hyung’s. Yunho stiffened for the briefest of moments before his arms slid around Jaejoong’s back, tugging him close as the younger the blood from his soft lips.

Though the kiss sent warm tingles rushing through him, it came to an end quickly as Yunho gently pushed him off his lap, making him stand on the floor once more.

“We have much to do, Jaejoong,” Yunho said, smiling at him. “That boy from the arena should be ready for us now,”

Surprise rushed through him as Tao’s face danced through his mind again. He should’ve known about this...he did know about this. The lavender fog swirled thickly through his mind.

No, Jaejoong thought desperately, holding Yunho’s hand as he was led back out of the room and towards the arena. Tao is important... Why was he so important though...?

The fog attacked his mind a moment later, drowning out his thoughts and returning him to that beautiful, floating feeling he never wanted to leave. It wasn’t until he was seated beside Yunho in the arena, listening to the sound of the gates grinding open did the images rush back to him once again. His head pounded and he grimaced, probably a little too visibly. Yunho, however, didn’t notice. He was already stepping up to the edge of the arena and smiling coldly down at Tao.

“I wonder,” Yunho said, the Mandarin sliding off his tongue effortlessly, “how much do you want to join your beloved allies in death?”

“I will join them someday,” Tao replied, his sword sliding from its sheath with a soft, metallic noise that sent a chill down Jaejoong’s spine. “Just not today,”

Yunho snorted, laughing coldly, turning towards Jaejoong. “Oh he’ll die for us today, my Jaejoong, mark my words,”

While Yunho’s back was turned to him, Tao made eye contact with Jaejoong. Even from a distance, he saw the tiny smile quirk on his features. Jaejoong’s heart leapt as he remembered the warning he’d given to the slayer the night before.

Smiling, Yunho sat back down in his chair and pressed the second button. The vampire rushed from the newly opened gate so fast, Jaejoong jumped. But Tao was more than ready, spinning out of the way on a single toe, his sword a blur as it slashed straight through the wrist of the monster that reached out to grab him. The vampire screamed, clutching the smoking stump as it turned back towards Tao. Hissing loudly through bared teeth, the vampire attacked again, lunging for Tao with his lone hand, only to have that lopped off just as quickly.

As though he was playing, Tao spun and cut the smallest of wounds in the vampire’s body, striking vital areas Jaejoong never would’ve thought of. The vampire was soon on his knees, both of his heels severed, blood running down the sides of his neck as he bled like a slaughtered cow, waiting to die. Showing no mercy, Tao reached for his lighter to set the monster ablaze, but a moment later, there was the grinding sound of another gate opening.

Though Jaejoong already knew the outcome of the battle, he still felt his heart stop as a second vampire lunged from the gate, racing for Tao. In half a second, the slayer had rolled to the side, wasting no time to check what was coming. Jaejoong heard Yunho’s furious snarl as Tao raised his sword once more, prepared and ready to fight. The vampire charged him, attempting to out speed him to no avail. The sword whipped through the air and sliced clean through the vampire’s chest. Tao barely hesitated to throw the paralyzed body on top of his wounded and dying ally and set them both on fire with a quick flick of his lighter.

“HOW?!” Yunho roared furiously. “You were supposed to die! Who the are you?!”

“My name is Huang Zitao,” Tao snarled, cleaning his blade and sheathing it smoothly. “I have trained since birth to fight your kind, and you took the lives of my brothers. I will not join them until I see your bones as ashes,”

“I will kill you, boy!” Yunho’s hands clenched so hard on the railing in front of him, the metal began to bend. “I will laugh over your corpse and let it rot with your ‘brothers’!”

The coldest smile Jaejoong had ever seen split across Tao’s normally fair face. He slid his sword back from his sheathe and beckoned to Yunho, his palm facing up.

“Come on then,” Tao spat, “stop hiding behind your minions like a coward and fight me yourself,”

For a moment, Jaejoong thought Yunho would leap off the edge of the stadium and take him up on that offer, but the true future rushed through his mind a moment later.

Up until now, Tao was being brought food for the sake of Yunho’s entertainment. The longer the boy stayed alive, the more fights he could be a part of. But now, Yunho would stop giving him the nourishment he needed. Tao would slowly whither from thirst and hunger, and then, the vampires would be set loose on him, and he would be torn to pieces.

Jaejoong immediately knew what he’d need to do. He would have to help Tao in secret, bring him food and water without telling Yunho what he was doing. The thought of angering his hyung sent terror racing through him, but the thought of watching Tao die made him feel sick. He couldn’t let it happen. He just couldn’t.

“Coward,” Tao hissed, turning on his heel and heading back to his cage. The gate slammed shut behind him, locking him away. To Yunho, the slam of the gate promised the end to Tao’s life. To Jaejoong, it promised a challenge, a bitter war he’d fight with the hyung he loved and feared all in a single breath.

Everything will work out, the voice at the back of his mind whispered.

...

Hongbin’s breath was hot and heavy against Wonshik’s neck. Cold, clammy hands clenched against his shirt as he carried the boy through the woods in the darkness of the night.

“Wonshik...” Hongbin rasped. “I...”

“Shh,” Wonshik breathed, rubbing his thumb against the side of Hongbin’s thigh, the only comforting touch he could give when he was piggybacking the wounded slayer.

“I’m scared,” Hongbin gasped, trembling roughly against his back.

“Don’t be,” Sanghyuk said before Wonshik could even respond. “You’ll be okay! We’ll find Yunho! We will!”

Hongbin smiled weakly down at his friend, the sweat on his brow making his chestnut hair stick to his forehead. Sanghyuk reached up and smoothed it from his face.

“Wonshik...?” Hongbin spoke up again, his eyes closed.

“Hm,” the vampire responded, ignoring the sharp glare he received from Sanghyuk.

“Will you tell me about how you were bitten?”

Wonshik let out a breath, wondering if he should even begin to tell that story. He felt Sanghyuk’s eyes on him, and already knew he had Hongbin’s full attention. He supposed maybe he should talk, even if it was just briefly.

“I was turned...maybe fifty or so years ago, I think,” Wonshik said, nodding to himself. “I was a soldier in the Korean War. I was fighting for the South.

“I was in a battalion, travelling towards the North to take a caravan before the supplies could reach the soldiers. We were unable to capture the caravan, as the Northern soldiers saw our ambush and open fired on us. I was shot in the shoulder, but I managed to escape. I was bleeding badly, and chose to take a shortcut through the woods to get back to my base camp.

“The thing was...” Wonshik mumbled, biting his lip slightly. “I’ve always known when trouble was coming. It was sort of like a sixth sense I guess. I felt as though the shortcut was a bad idea, but I was bleeding so badly, I forced myself to take the path. The vampire leapt out at me so fast, I wasn’t even sure what hit me. It bit me and probably drank half of my blood before I hit it with the silver rosary my mother gave me before I went to war, so it ran away. After that, I tried to continue my way back to the base camp, but I didn’t make it.

“After I turned, I was scared, but I continued on my way. The smell of the camp was...overwhelming. I could hear everything and smell even more. I ran from there as fast as I could, and I just...” He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. “I won’t lie, I killed a few people on instinct. After Taekwoon found me though, he helped me. I’m so grateful for him. I don’t know where I’d be without him,”

Sanghyuk was chewing his lip as he finished his story. Hongbin squeezed him a little tighter, nuzzling into his shoulder.

“Wonshik...?” He mumbled.

“Hm?”

“Will you look after me?”

Sanghyuk snapped his head towards them, his voice cutting out in a loud snarl. “You’ll be fine, Hongbin! You won’t turn!”

“If I do turn,” Hongbin added, a shudder rushing through him once more, drawing a soft whine from his lips. “P-Please look after me, W-Wonshik,”

“I will,” the vampire promised, brushing his thumb along the slayer’s thigh once more.

Hongbin sighed, falling limp against his back as his heart stuttered once more. The rhythm stabilized a moment later, beating terribly weak and slow, signalling the slayer’s fast approaching death.

Ba-dum......ba-dum......ba-dum......

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A/N: Hmm...

Not much to say about this chapter aside from

Thank you so much for reading <3

Love

~starlitskies