The door creaked open.

“Are you sure we can come here?” a small voice sounded.

“Off course, it’s ours after all.”

Solbi’s boyfriend flashed her a radiant smile to soothe her.

“But shouldn’t we wait until we get the official paperwork?”

Solbi peeked inside the dark house nervously.

“What if someone sees us here and calls the police? We can’t prove this house belongs to us yet.”

“Oh, honey,” Damien sighed. “It’s fine. Really.”

He ushered her inside.

“We’re just here to check things out,” he continued smoothly. “To see how much work needs to be done.”

“I don’t know…”

She hesitated, but gave in to her boyfriend’s smile like she always did. The door fell closed behind them.

“God, this place is a dump.”

Damien hummed distractedly, peering in the dark to make out the narrow hallway.

“Maybe it’s not so bad inside.”

Solbi sighed, seriously doubting that, but walked on. The further she got, the colder she felt. She shivered. Something nagged at the back of her mind. A fear, old and buried.

“I don’t think we can expect any help cleaning up from Ae Ri, you know.”

She walked into the worn out living room. The furniture was covered with rags. With every step, the floor creaked threateningly. Damien kept his hand on the small of her back, taking in every inch of the room.

“She’s always hated this place,” Solbi continued to ramble.

She always rambled when she got nervous. And this house was really making her nervous.

“I’ve never seen her so mad before. When we told her about this place. About renovating it.”

“Let’s check the kitchen and then head upstairs.”

“Is that safe?” Solbi frowned.

She eyed the stairs in worry. Damien gave her a small impatient push towards the back of the house.

“It’s fine,” he assured her. “The notary was here before.”

“Right.”

They found the kitchen and Solbi sighed heavily. There was nothing usable in here at all. From what she saw so far, it would be easier to tear this place down to the ground rather than renovate it. She didn’t mention it to Damien though. He seemed to love this house so much. It had been his father’s after all. A chill blew past her, making the hairs on her neck stand up straight.

“I think I should call Ae Ri after we get back,” Solbi said while Damien guided her back to the living room. “We shouldn’t have fought like that.”

“She was at fault, honey. She practically blew up when we told her our plans. It’s almost like she doesn’t want us to be happy.”

Solbi quickly turned towards Damien, forcing him to look at her.

“That’s not true,” she soothed. “She just doesn’t like sharing me, that’s all. She’s been telling me ghost stories about this house for years and now that we’re grown up, I’m listening to you instead of her. She has some issues letting go.”

Damien kept glancing around, but smiled at her.

“She better let go. You’re mine now.”

Solbi smiled and rubbed her arms for some warmth. Why was it so cold in here?

“Let’s just check upstairs,” Damien urged. “So we can go home after.”

She nodded and turned. She carefully climbed the splintering stairs. Her attention was so focused on not stepping through the rotting wood, that she almost didn’t notice it until she passed the bend itself. Her scream resounded through the entire house. She was staring at the stairs. Where a body lay as if it had been thrown there. Her hair cascading around her. Her clothes covered in blood. And her lifeless eyes staring straight at Solbi. She screamed again. This couldn’t be real.

“Ae Ri…”

She fell to her knees. Her hand shakily reached out to her still friend. She yanked her hand back in absolute shock. Ae Ri was as cold as ice.

“Oh, god…”

She was dead, she was really dead. Solbi felt like throwing up.

“Damien… That’s… This…”

She turned, instinctively searching for the support of her strong boyfriend, but he wasn’t behind her anymore. He was back at the base of the stairs, looking around him as if he was about to be jumped. What was…? Where the hell did he get that gun from?!

Solbi went dizzy with confusion and fear. Which only worsened when they heard a small laugh echo through the living room. Damien jumped at the sound. Solbi turned to see a tall rank man standing there. He casually wiped his blonde fringe away from his face and when their eyes met, she felt completely paralyzed. He grinned at her before turning his attention on Damien who aimed his gun at him. Damien nervously cocked the gun in warning.

“So you’re the one playing vampire here, huh?”

“And you’re the one playing vampire hunter…”

Sehun looked severely unimpressed.

“A gun? I would have at least expected a wooden stake. How disappointing.”

Damien’s hand clamped down a little stronger on the gun.

“It’s all I need. You may believe this little act you’re putting on, but I’m not buying it.”

“I see.”

His voice was as cold as the air around them.

“Damien?”

Solbi’s voice quivered in fear.

“What’s going on here?”

He ignored her. Sehun didn’t.

“It would seem your friend’s ghost stories aren’t as farfetched as you believed.”

“What?” she croaked out.

She screamed when a loud gunshot went off. She stared in shock at the bullet hole in Sehun’s chest. He wasn’t hurt by it. He seemed just as relaxed as before, only slightly annoyed as he plucked at his damaged shirt.

“No silver bullets? You’re not even trying.”

More gunshots went off. Damien started looking very pale and Solbi forgot how to scream when not even those gunshots took the man down. Sehun smirked and his eyes glittered dangerously.

“How do you feel about my little act now?”

He swept his tongue over his sharp fangs. Damien’s eyes widened in shock. He ran. But not towards the exit. He thundered up the steps of the stairs towards a frozen Solbi.

“Damien…?”

“Here,” he practically shouted at Sehun who hadn’t even moved. “You want a snack, vampire. Here’s a fresh one.”

Vampire? Solbi’s blood turned cold. She stared at the pale stranger who laughed at Damien’s words.

“Damien…?” Solbi tried again.

Her voice barely held and she was shaking in her boyfriend’s bruising grip.

“Sacrificing your girlfriend, hoping I’ll spare you?” Sehun mused. “Ae Ri mentioned you wanted to try a dirty trick like that. At least you’re smart enough to realize you wouldn’t have made it to the door if you’re racing a vampire.”

“Well, want it?” Damien asked.

His eyes kept flashing towards the doors and windows. Almost all were boarded up.

“If I want it, I’ll take it.”

Sehun finally moved to stand at the bottom of the stairs. He leaned against the railing.

“But it’s not yours to offer. Anything that comes in here, is already mine.”

He moved so fast they didn’t even see it until he stood right before Damien, gripping him by the neck. Solbi thudded to the ground when he lost his grip on her.

“And little weasels like you were never destined for a very long life anyway.”

Another gunshot rang through the room. Solbi screamed and huddled into a small ball.

“Last bullet?”

Sehun watched in satisfaction as Damien started struggling in mortal fear. He broke his neck easily. The dry loud snap made Solbi jump. She felt sick and ready to faint. She gasped loudly when Sehun suddenly crouched on the steps before her.

“You… You’re…”

He grinned darkly.

“I’m a vampire. The one your friend has been telling you about for so long.”

“I didn’t… I didn’t think…”

Solbi couldn’t stop stammering. Her best friend was dead. Her boyfriend had just been killed right in front of her.

“You didn’t think I was real,” he nodded. “But I am. You should have listened to her.”

“But…”

“No buts. You believed your boyfriend over your best friend and now look where it’s gotten you.”

Her eyes slid to the dead body of her boyfriend downstairs and the cold one of her friend right next to her. She swallowed a sob.

“Why?”

“This is my territory. Anyone who enters, dies.”

He rose again and looked down at Ae Ri's dead body.

“Your friend knew this. She was a rare survivor, you see. Ten years ago she was still a child and I’d already eaten my fill. She promised never to return here. So there was no need to kill her.”

“I promise. I promise too. I won’t even set foot…”

His eyes flashed in anger at being interrupted. She quickly shut up.

“You’re not paying attention,” he growled. “She promised never to come back here, yet here she is. Does that not tell you anything?”

Solbi’s panic impaired her thinking. Sehun looked at her in disdain.

“She knew you were coming here, even though she warned you not to. You were too blinded by that flashy conman to listen to your best friend.”

“Conman?”

Despite her thundering heart, her anger peeked at the insult of her boyfriend. He noticed her look and hissed angrily. He grabbed her by the chin and forced her head to the side.

“This happened because you were too stupid to use your own head.”

Ae Ri’s eyes used to be a gorgeous blue that always sparkled when she laughed. Now there was nothing there. Nothing that somehow resembled her best friend anymore. Just flat blue eyes… Solbi chocked back a sob. Sehun hissed again.

“You didn’t think it strange that he never mentioned his father, but suddenly inherited a house from him just the same?”

Solbi started shaking. His sharp nails dug into her skin where he held her.

“A house that’s been wasting away for over a century, yet no one ever seemed to bother to fix or get rid of?”

She’d heard all this before. Ae Ri had told her all this before. Even yelled it at her in desperation. But she hadn’t wanted to listen.

“Your boyfriend who was always between jobs suddenly got interested in fixing up a house? How was he going to get the money?”

“How… How do you know all this?” she whispered, trying to stop her shaking.

He snorted.

“I know enough, Solbi.”

Hearing her name roll of his tongue like that, gave her a cold chill. He let go of her chin harshly.

“You knew he’d never love you. He’s been taking advantage of you since you met him.”

“No, he loves… loved me.”

“You were conned and now you got your best friend killed.”

“I didn’t…”

“Oh, but you did. She knew what would happen if she came back here. She knew I’d kill her.”

Solbi whined in sorrow. Tears were streaming down her face.

“No…”

“She begged for you. Ae Ri begged for your life instead of her own.”

Sehun stepped back slowly, looking down at her.

“So get out, before I change my mind.”

She looked up at him in shock. He showed her his fangs with a growl.

“Go before you waste your friend’s sacrifice.”

“But…”

“Get. Out.”

Solbi yelped in fear, scrambling to get up. She reached down for Ae Ri. She wasn’t strong enough to carry her, but it didn’t feel right to leave her here.

“She stays.”

“What…?”

“You can take that worthless piece of you called your boyfriend, but Ae Ri stays here.”

Solbi stared at him, but sensed the harsh glare from him and carefully slipped past him on the stairs. She stumbled down the steps, whimpering when she passed the corpse of her boyfriend. She didn’t reach for him. Reality was finally sinking in. There were already bruises forming on her arms where Damien had held her with his death grip. The bastard had tried to feed her to a vampire. She never should have trusted him. She should have trusted Ae Ri. But it was too late for remorse now. Solbi tore out of the house like a bat out of hell.