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“Jungeun!” The girl with the messy bangs yelled.“Run! Jiwoo, please, you need to run!” The slightly shorter girl yelled back.Jiwoo didn’t listen. She ran back with blood running down her face, blocking most of her vision. She quickly wiped at it with the back of her hand as she ran as fast as she could. Before she could reach her friend, bullets whizzed by barely missing her.“Get up!” She demanded, taking a hold of Jungeun’s arm.“My leg.” Jiwoo looked down to see a bullet wound on the other girl’s thigh. At least it went straight through and wasn’t lodged somewhere causing more damage, she thought.“You’ve had worse, now get up,” Jiwoo commanded through gritted teeth, still tugging at the brunette.Jungeun complied, taking the offering hand before she slung her arm over Jiwoo’s shoulder for support.They moved as fast as they could, but with the injuries they both sustained, the humans were catching up quicker than they thought.“I’m not healing fast enough.” Blood was dripping down Jungeun’s leg and it didn’t seem like it would stop any time soon.Jiwoo ignored her as they kept on running. They both knew the hunter’s weapons were laced with poison. She could feel it in her system with the arrow still stuck in her side. The tip of it didn’t exit the back of her body. It was still sitting there, spreading the poison around. If she didn’t get it out soon, Jiwoo didn’t know how much longer she could run as she felt more light headed by the second.Jungeun sensed her friend’s pain and veered off to the side. They didn’t slow down until they got to a fallen tree. She took her arm off of Jiwoo’s shoulder before helping the girl sit down.“You can’t keep running around like that.” Jungeun pointed at the arrow.Jiwoo nodded, knowing what they had to do already. This wasn’t the first time they’ve been shot at with arrows.“You ready?” Jungeun asked as she gripped the end.Jiwoo nodded again, clasping her hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Her other hand on Jungeun’s shoulder“I’m sorry,” the brunette said quietly as she counted to three before breaking the arrow so that only a few inches of it was still sticking out of Jiwoo’s stomach.Jiwoo silently screamed into her hand as pain erupted through her body. Her fingers dug into Jungeun’s shoulder, probably breaking the skin, but her friend stayed still for the initial pain to pass. For a moment her world turned completely white before black came again. When her senses came back, she felt her head on Jungeun’s chest as her partner held her tight.“They couldn’t have gotten far!” They heard a voice too close for comfort. “They’re probably just hiding somewhere. Fan out.” Another gave the order.“Can you stand?” Jungeun asked as she held Jiwoo’s face in her hands.The redhead nodded, still a bit dazed. “Can you?”“Yeah,” she simply said before struggling to get up to her feet. She reached down to help Jiwoo do the same. They both wobbled for a second before making their way slowly from the hunters. It wasn’t always like this. There was a time when vampires thrived. There was a treaty between the two kinds. Hunters only hunted those who killed humans and vampires who wanted to be left alone only fed on animals or blood bags. There were also willing humans who got a high and wanted a thrill from their blood being sucked, but the human council was not fond of that idea, shutting down the illegal feeding rings. They started viewing every one of them as threats again. Soon, hunters hunted whoever they wanted and peaceful vampires were forced out of hiding and to go on the run.The two weren’t newborns, but they weren’t old enough either. They grew up in a time where they didn’t need to learn how to fight, but now, it seemed like that was all they did. They’ve only killed to not be killed, but that put them on the high-risk list of threats. And so they ran and hid, but hiding never lasted long when you’re being actively tracked. They ran blindly. The trees getting thicker as they got deeper into the woods. They weren’t going to make it at this rate, and at that thought, their running stopped as they crashed into something. Someone.Her eyes were dark, but they could see it through the night. Her hair as dark as her eyes and her expression just as cold.They heard a click and turned around to a see a hunter standing there with his gun pointed up. He looked terrified to see that there was another vampire with them, but they weren’t even sure if this one was a friendly or not.Before either parties could process the situation, the man’s head snapped quickly to the side and was ripped completely off as they watched the rest of his body collapse onto the ground.Another woman stood behind him. Blonde this time, about as tall. And before they knew it, they were surrounded by four vampires altogether. Without much strength left, Jiwoo fell to her knees and grunted from the pain. The dark haired vampire behind them reached down to take ahold of her.“Don’t touch her!” Jungeun growled out, baring her teeth.The vampire ignored her and lifted Jiwoo up in her arms. The girl couldn’t argue, drifting in and out of consciousness.“If we wanted to kill you, we would have done it already, don’t you think?” The blonde walked up to them along with two others. The two were both shorter than her, but obviously older by the way they carried themselves. “Are you going to make a fuss if I lift you up too?”“What do you want?” Jungeun snarled without taking her eyes off of Jiwoo and the woman that had her.“Well, for one, you’re not going to last long with that nasty poison running through your bodies,” a short haired woman spoke. “We can help. Please, let us.” Her voice was monotone, but didn’t sound like she was lying.Jungeun slowly nodded. They didn’t have a choice. If she refused help, they would surely die, but if these four wanted to kill them, they’d be dead either way. “But I can walk on my own.”“Oh love, it’d be much easier and faster if I just carried you.” The blonde gave out an almost innocent looking smile. “Now don’t be stubborn.”Jungeun hesitated, but sighed. “Fine.”The vampire smiled again before approaching her. “Now up you go.” She easily lifted the small brunette up in her arms as they made there way to god knows where.Sensing Jungeun wanted to keep an eye on the half conscious redhead, the tall dark haired woman went first before the blonde followed.“We’ll take care of the rest of the hunters and catch up,” a pink haired woman said, giving off a little salute while dragging the other one along.It took five minutes at most before they reached a mansion deep within the woods. The blonde set Jungeun down once they were inside and reached the dining room. She then cleared the glass table before the other vampire carefully placed Jiwoo on it and walked out of the room. Jungeun was by her side in a second, reaching over for a cushion to put under Jiwoo’s head. “Jungeun-ah.” Jiwoo’s voice was soft as they held hands.“Hey, you’re gonna be fine okay?” Jungeun reassured her, brushing her bangs that were covered with blood out of her face.“Get me my supplies would you?” Jungeun turned to see the other two vampires already back. The pink haired one nodded and disappeared off, while the short haired woman walked over to the table.“I’m Haseul and the blonde is Jinsol.” She rolled up her sleeves and checked Jiwoo over. “Keep talking to your friend.”Jungeun did what she said.The dark haired vampire re-entered the room and handed a small towel over to Haseul. “You’re going to have to bite down on this okay?” she told Jiwoo, who opened her mouth for the towel to be placed in. “That’s Sooyoung and pinky over there is Vivi,” she said while moving her eyes between the two injured.Jungeun nodded again in acknowledgment. “Jungeun. My friend’s Jiwoo.”“Good.” Haseul smiled. “Okay, Jiwoo, this is going to hurt okay? But I need you to be as still as you can. Can you do that for me?”Jiwoo nodded and felt Jungeun squeeze her hand tighter.“Hold her down,” Haseul said to Jinsol who already was, but wanted to say every order out loud so that the two younger ones knew what was happening. “Take in a deep breath.”Jiwoo did what was told before letting out a muffled scream as Haseul pulled the end of the arrow free from her side. “You’re doing great, love.” The short haired woman placed another towel over the wound and told Jinsol to put pressure on it before taking a few things out of her med kit that Vivi brought over.The dark haired woman, Sooyoung, bit her own wrist, took out the towel from Jiwoo’s mouth once she calmed a little, and replaced it with her now bleeding wrist. Jiwoo drank slowly, being too weak to do much but nibble at the wrist. “Will she be okay?” Jungeun asked, still holding onto her friend’s hand.“Too early to tell, but she’s drinking, so that’s good,” Haseul replied. “This is some ground up herbs that will absorb the poison out of her system. I’m going to need you to sit down so that Vivi could do the same for you.”Sensing Jungeun’s hesitation from being away from Jiwoo, Haseul continued, “don’t worry, I’ll do what I can for your friend, but you’re no use to her dead, so I suggest you do as I say.”Jungeun nodded before leaning down to kiss Jiwoo on the forehead and muttered a quiet “I love you”. She then took a seat before Vivi came over and kneeled down in front of her. “Hey, darling, I’m going to need you to place your leg on this chair.” She did what she was told and watched as the pink haired woman started putting on the mushy looking herbs onto her wound as well.“She’s resting now. The bleeding has stopped, but it’ll take some time to heal.” Jungeun looked back to see Jiwoo with her eyes closed and Sooyoung licking the wound on her wrist.Jungeun couldn’t remember the last time another vampire helped them. They’ve been on their own for a very long time, not belonging to any clan. It was a risk, they knew it. Without a clan, vampires didn’t survive for long. They were just easy targets for hunting groups that outnumbered them. But everyone they knew was dead. They only had each other and they thought that it was enough, but nights like this proved them otherwise.
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“You’re awake,” the blonde from before stated the obvious.“What have you done with Jungeun?” Jiwoo bolted up quickly, getting away from the hand that was petting her hair, but regretted it when she felt pain shoot through her body.“Your friend is fine. She refused to eat without you. Kind of had to make her though.” The blonde stood up. “I suggest you not move too quickly. That wound was pretty nasty, but we managed to take care of it.” She tilted her head to the side. “Come with me. I’m Jinsol by the way. There are others, so don’t be alarmed. They chose me to watch over you because I look the least threatening apparently.” She smiled softly before walking farther into the gigantic house. Jiwoo hesitated, but got off the couch to follow along. She kept her distance, still wary of the stranger, wincing as her wound healed ever so slowly from the poison. She couldn’t remember much, having been too close to death.“Least threatening, as if I didn’t just rip a man’s head off,” Jinsol muttered under her breath as she scratched the back of her head.They reached the kitchen that looked homier than she would have thought. “Jiwooming!” Jiwoo eyes reached her friend and quickly ran to her side. “Are you okay?”Jiwoo nodded.“Look, they gave me a wheelchair and everything.”“Don’t you dare pop a wheelie,” Jiwoo warned, already knowing what Jungeun was going to do. She kneeled down and searched the girl of her injuries to find them all neatly bandaged up. “Are you okay?” She asked back, placing her hand on the brunette’s face, although the girl looked fine considering how they were on the verge of being killed not too long ago.“Mmhmm,” Jungeun responded, placing her hand over the one Jiwoo had on her before pulling it away and intertwined their fingers as the redhead stood up.Jiwoo looked around to see all four pair of eyes on them, silently watching them. “Haseul’s basically our medic. She got the poison out and closed everything up.” The blonde known as Jinsol said pointing at a short haired woman, breaking the silence.“Thank you,” Jiwoo said quietly, still trying to process everything that’s happening. She for sure thought they were goners.“My pleasure.” The woman smiled, taking a sip of blood out of her wine glass. “What do you guys want in return?” No one ever helped anyone out from the kindness of their hearts these days. Not that any of them really had actual hearts anyways. They had to be careful.Jinsol smiled softly again and pointed at a seat at the kitchen island. “How about we eat first?”Jiwoo didn’t want to owe them anything else and looked at Jungeun who only nodded. She hesitated, but sat down on the seat anyways.A pink haired woman passed her a glass of blood along with a plate of human food. It’s been a long time since they got to sit down and eat like this. They were nothing but skin and bones, having fed on nothing but small rodents here and there. It was hard finding food when humans were everywhere. Even hunting for animals in the woods became harder.“I’m Vivi.” The woman extended her hand.“Jiwoo.” She shook her hand and eyes landed on the woman with the long dark hair, who hasn’t spoken. “Thank you for the food.”“No problem.” Vivi followed Jiwoo’s gaze. “The ice princess over there is Sooyoung.”The said woman scoffed, moving her food around with her fork, not looking in their direction.“Be nice Sooyoungie,” Vivi said in a teasing tone as she walked over and placed a hand at the small of the woman’s back, giving her a quick peck on the side of her head.Jinsol laughed causing Sooyoung to glare, but didn’t say anything, going back to playing with her food.Jiwoo picked up the glass and looked over to Jungeun who was watching her. “Drink. You need to heal.” Jiwoo nodded, lifting the glass to her lips, taking a moment to smell the blood before taking a small sip. She raised her eyebrows.Human blood.As if Jinsol knew what she was thinking, the blonde spoke up, “couldn’t let those hunters go to waste right?”It’s been an even longer time since she tasted human blood, let alone fresh human blood at that. Not as fresh and warm as biting into someone’s neck, but it was almost as close.“Thank you for saving us and the hospitality, but we should get going after the meal,” Jiwoo announced right away, afraid that she could get used to this.“What are you going to do? It’s not like your friend could wheelchair herself out of the woods and you’re in no condition to even be moving around much.” The “medic” pointed out.“Why are you helping us?”“Jiwoo,” Jungeun started.“No Jungeun. I don’t know what you guys talked about while I was out, but no one helps anyone without wanting something in return,” Jiwoo argued back.“The four of us talked. Would you believe us if we said we’re a bit bored and maybe you two are a bit, how should I put it,” Jinsol used a finger to tap her chin as if she was thinking for the right word, “cute?”“Jinsol,” Haseul scolded the blonde.“What?” Jinsol said throwing her hands up in defense.“What she meant was that, you guys seem to be alone. You don’t have a clan I assume?” Haseul continued, taking over the role of explaining.They both shook their heads.“We’re not saying that we’re taking you in, but maybe that is what we’re trying to say.”“What do you mean by that?” Jungeun questioned.“We’ve been in different clans, but in the end, it’s always just been us four. Maybe we’re ready to try again, to add more to our clan,” Haseul said swirling her glass as if actual wine was in it. “A trial run you could say. Only if you two agree of course, but I do insist you stay with us a little longer even if you decide to decline our offer. Stay the night at least until you’re healed. There’s no point going off getting yourselves killed after we just spent our time tending to your wounds. Be such a waste if something were to happen to you two again.”The two younger ones looked at each other. They’ve been together for so long that could already tell what the other was thinking with just eye contact.“We’ll stay the night,” Jiwoo hesitated, but agreed, and Jungeun nodded along.“I’m glad to hear that.” Haseul smiled, finishing the rest of the blood.“If you guys like, we’re actually leaving this place tomorrow once the sun sets. The scent of the hunters and your blood are too strong even if we got rid of their bodies. We don’t know when the dogs will get here, so if you wanted to tag along for a bit, you can do that too,” Jinsol added on, not ready for the two injured ones to leave so soon.They looked at each other again before Jungeun spoke up, “We’d like that. A trial run right?”Jinsol smiled, her eyes lighting up. “A trial run,” she repeated.“We’re sorry that you all have to leave your home because of us.” Jiwoo did feel guilty for all they’ve done for them.“Don’t be silly. We never stay at a location for too long. This place isn’t even ours. We’ve only settled in for about two weeks or so.” The pink haired woman spoke up this time. “It was getting a tad,” she clicked her teeth, “dull.”“Jinsol, why don’t you show our guests to their rooms once they’re finished eating?” Haseul said putting away her already empty plate and glass into the sink. “Sooyoung, please don’t play with your food.”The said woman grumbled before shoving a fork full of food into her mouth and downed the rest of her glass.Vivi let out a small chuckle and went to clear the rest of Sooyoung’s plate onto her own, knowing the taller one wasn’t in the mood to eat.“Is it okay if we just share one room?” Jungeun asked, using her hands to move her wheelchair back and forth in a nervous fidgeting manner.“Of course. Whatever makes you feel most comfortable.” Haseul walked over to pick up their empty plates. “Don’t worry about it, I got it. Just go make yourselves at home,” she said as Jiwoo stood up, trying to help.“Are you girls ready?” Jinsol made her way over to the wheelchair as the girls nodded. “Do you need Sooyoung to carry you again?”Jiwoo looked up in surprise to know that the tall icy looking woman was the one to carry her here in the first place. “Um, no, I’m okay.”Jinsol looked down at Jungeun. “But I’m going to have to carry you up now because of the stairs, so you have no choice.”Jungeun didn’t argue and let the blonde pick her up once again.“I don’t think she likes us much,” Jungeun spoke once she was in Jinsol’s arms and out of the kitchen.“Who? Sooyoungie?” Jinsol asked with amusement on her face. “Would you believe me if I told you that she’s just shy? She’ll warm up to you, don’t worry.”“She hasn’t said a word,” Jiwoo said as they reached the top of the stairs. “Maybe we’ll just stay the night.”“Don’t be ridiculous. We all want you here. If Sooyoung didn’t like the idea, she would have spoken up. She’s not one to follow along if she doesn’t like something.” Jinsol motioned for Jiwoo to open one of the many doors. “There’s already everything you should need in the closet and in the restroom. If you need anything else, I’m just a door down to the left, but Sooyoung’s a light sleeper, so try to be quiet. Or actually, if you feel more comfortable, Haseul and Vivi are staying in the next room over mine.” She carefully placed Jungeun down on the bed.“Thank you for everything. I really mean it.” Jiwoo stuck her hand out for a handshake of appreciation, but Jinsol looked at it for a moment before pulling the shorter girl into a light hug.Jiwoo let out a small yelp, but let the blonde do as she pleased.“Yeah, for sure. It’s been awhile since we’ve come across such nice vampies.” Jinsol smiled, a little of her fangs showing. “And please don’t feel intimidated by Sooyoung. She really is just a bit awkward.”They both smiled back and thanked Jinsol once again before the blonde exited.“Sorry I left you alone for a bit. They insisted I had to eat right away because of the poison,” Jungeun said shifting on the bed to get into a better sitting position.“No, it’s fine. Just a little surprised to wake up to someone petting my head that wasn’t you.” Jiwoo ran a hand through her hair, only now feeling the stitches right below her hairline. “They seem nice.”“Too nice. Don’t you think this is too good to be true?”“We’ve been on our own for way too long, Jiwoo. Maybe we really should just give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, they said we could always leave right?”“Do you believe them? That they’d just let us leave.”“Well, we kind of have to now since we’re already here. I’m not saying to fully trust them. We’ll keep our guard up, but at the same time, maybe this is the silver lining we need.”“I don’t want to have my hopes up too much, but you’re right. We do need a break.” Jiwoo paused. “Plus the blood they supplied was good.” She let out a small laugh for the first time that night, trying not to forget the taste of how amazing everything was after just scraping by for food for so long.Jungeun laughed along before pulling Jiwoo in for a hug and kissing the top of her head.
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“Time to get up.”Jungeun groaned in response and tried to stretch out, but was unable to when a body behind her had a vice grip on her waist and arm. She turned her head a bit and could only see red hair up against her neck.“Already?” Jungeun asked, taking notice of the blonde that was in front of her, on the side of the bed. “The sun’s still out a bit, but the dogs are here faster than we anticipated.” Jinsol nodded her head over at Jiwoo, who still hasn’t moved.“You’d think she’s human by the way she likes to “sleep” even though we don’t even technically need to,” Jungeun teased, already knowing the redhead was listening, but just didn’t want to get up.“You’re pretty warm for a vampire,” Jiwoo mumbled into the brunette’s neck and finally unwrapped herself to acknowledge Jinsol’s presence.The woman smiled at them before heading out. “You got five minutes. We’ll be waiting downstairs.”“Are you healed?” Jungeun asked throwing the covers off of both of them.Jiwoo hummed in response, but didn’t need to ask the same when Jungeun swung her legs off the bed to stand up, making her way to the restroom as Jiwoo followed suit. They quickly took off the now unnecessary bandages and changed to clothes that was provided before heading down to meet the others.“Drink.” Vivi greeted them first with a gatorade bottle full of blood.“Thanks for the thirst quencher.” Jungeun wasted no time to down her bottle, having been still hungry from her previous injuries.Jinsol was the only one who seemed to get Jungeun’s gatorade joke and laughed out loud while the other three vampires stared at her questioningly, but didn’t say anything. Jiwoo rolled her eyes, being used to the girl’s lame jokes.“We tried to throw the bodies and mask the blood around the area, but the dogs they got out here are pretty good. They’re close, but we still have time to move, so I suggest we go now.” They haven’t asked, but the way Haseul always took charge made them assume she was leader of the clan.None of them took any belongings with them except for Jinsol who had on a small backpack, making her look like she was ready for her first day of grade school. They can now see why everyone says Jinsol looks the least threatening out of the four.They made their way through the back, going the opposite direction of where the hunters came from.“I’m still trying to understand why you guys would want to keep us around. What do we bring to the table that you don’t already have?” Jiwoo questioned, unconsciously taking ahold of Jungeun’s hand.“Did we not already say? To add more to the clan. It’s barely one with just four.” Haseul answered, but didn’t look annoyed that they kept asking the same question. “And we were out hunting. You guys just happen to run our way. Can’t have pesky humans coming to our place right? If we left you two out to die in the woods, the dogs would have found you and then come knocking on our door.”“I mean, we could have just burned your bodies, but Jinsol did have a point. You two are cute,” Vivi spoke up this time, smirking.“That’s not enough reason to keep us around,” Jungeun retorted back.Haseul sighed. “We really were just going to patch you two up and let you go on your way, but then, your presence felt awfully familiar,” she paused in her walk and turned around to face them, “tell me, who sired you?”The two looked at each other. “We don’t know. We woke up together, with no one else around,” Jiwoo said, holding Jungeun’s hand tighter. “I think we killed more people than we could remember that night.”“Poor kittens, left to your own devices with such hunger and no guidance,” Jinsol cooed at them trying to squeeze in between them to hold their hands.“Jinsol, they are not your pets,” Haseul scolded, pulling the blonde back by her backpack.“No, but they could be my babies right?” She looked moving from one girl to the other with such innocence in her eyes.“Um…” Jiwoo didn’t know how to respond while Jungeun gave out an awkward smile.“Jinsol, leave them alone,” Haseul warned again and started to walk, a little faster this time.The blonde pouted before slumping her shoulders and making her way to Sooyoung, clinging to her arm. The dark haired woman didn’t even budge at the contact, paying no attention to Jinsol.“Please don’t mind her. Jinsol tends to want to show love to the,” Vivi clicked her teeth, which started to seem like a habit of hers, “I don’t want to call you two strays, but that is what you are, am I not right?” “It’s fine.” Jiwoo gave out a little smile, not wanting to admit out loud that she kind of liked the attention. Jungeun gave her a look out of the corner of her eye, probably thinking the same thing.It has always been just them two. Sure they’ve been in different clans before, but it was only out of safety in numbers. It was never about having the clan’s back or anything. When it came down to it, they were only ever willing to risk their lives for each other and no one else.Haseul stopped in her tracks again, followed by Sooyoung who was looking around the woods. “Already? They were only coming in one direction just a moment ago.” Haseul looked up at the sky to see the sun setting through the thick covering of trees. “At least it’ll be night soon.” They were stronger without ball of fire.“These dogs getting smarter or what?” Jinsol took off her backpack and rummaged through it before pulling a few things out. She walked over to the two younger ones and handed each a small silver blade that was wrapped in cloth. “You’ll stay close to me, won’t you?”“I get the tiny one this time,” Vivi said running her hand down Jungeun’s arm before taking a hold of her hand. Jungeun looked down at her hand being held and then to Jiwoo, who just shrugged.“She’s taller than you,” Jinsol deadpanned.“I meant tinier compared to Jiwoo, geez.” Vivi pouted and leaned into Jungeun, who didn’t seem to take offense of being called tiny.“I like your height, love.” Jinsol patted the top of the pink haired woman’s head, but stopped when she got a glare from Haseul.“Now’s not the time. Keep moving, it’s better to run into one group than get surrounded.” Haseul was already ahead, while Sooyoung let everyone else pass her this time before taking her place in the back of the group.They didn’t even get far when they heard a low growl. Turning around, they saw Sooyoung with their backs towards them ready to attack whatever came from the trees.The eyes came first, glowing yellow, and then its teeth.An arrow shot through the trees before the creature made its full entrance. They watched as Sooyoung dropped to one knee and the wolf came jumping out at her. She threw the arrow that was caught inches from her face and rolled to the side, the beast landing to where she just was. Not wasting time, the tall vampire got up her feet and leaped on the enemy’s back. The hunter stepped out of the trees and tried shooting another arrow, but Haseul was by his side within seconds. He didn’t even have time to be scared for his life as she ran her sharp nails across his neck. He stood there frozen as blood poured out, and the shorter woman grabbed his weapon out of his hands before he could even fall to the ground.She aimed the crossbow at the wolf that was currently trying to shake Sooyoung off. The arrow made its way into its side as it yelped and started running, trying to shake even harder. “You can fight, yes?” Jinsol pushed Jiwoo behind her.“Of course.” Jiwoo’s fangs were already out, blade up, ready to hold her ground.There was no growl this time, just eyes before another jumped out in the same direction as the other. Jinsol ran for it before it could make its way into Sooyoung’s battle. Jiwoo followed close behind. This one was a lot smaller in comparison, but faster as it swiped at Jinsol, who barely had time to move out of the way. “Filthy dog,” the blonde snarled at it and jumped for its back as well, but again, it was quick. This time running for Jiwoo.The redhead ran at the beast as well, waiting for the jump as she slide down to the ground and thrusted the blade up. It only nicked at the wolf and watched as it flew over her, missing her completely.She heard a cry of pain and turned around to see Jinsol with an arrow sticking out of her left shoulder, the tip of it exiting straight through. The pain quickly turned into anger as the woman reached over with her other arm to break the arrow from the back and pulled the other half of it through the front. She snapped the already broken piece in half again in one hand before tossing it to the ground.Jiwoo ran for Jinsol as she saw another arrow fly through the air. She tackled the taller vampire. The arrow hitting nothing but tree. The small wolf came back charging at them. The both of them already up on their feet. Jinsol pushed Jiwoo behind her again and held her ground this time. As if her wound had no affect on her, she jumped for the beast, sinking her teeth into its neck. The wolf shook its head and swiped at Jinsol, who landed on her feet snarling. The blonde may look the least threatening among the four, but at this moment, it didn’t look like anything could stop her. She was ready to attack again when another wolf came from behind. Its fur almost had a light pink tint to it. And as if there wasn’t enough pink, Vivi tackled it before it could reach Jinsol. Jiwoo was almost too distracted to see yet, another arrow through the trees coming towards her. She moved out of the way last second, seeing the arrow fly right before her eyes. She turned to look at the shooter to only see Jungeun behind him, her sharp incisors digging into his neck, blade deep into his back as if her bite wasn’t enough.The wolf with an arrow sticking out of its body was now on its side. It took shallow breaths before shapeshifting back to a human, too weak to keep its animal form. The girl looked like a bloody mess after Sooyoung and Haseul got through with her, but before they could attack again, the two other wolves came running in front, protecting her.“Three wolves and a few measly hunters for six vampires?” Haseul stood there with the crossbow still in hand, though it was by her side rather than pointed up. She then scoffed, throwing the weapon onto the ground as if she didn’t even feel threatened by the enemies.The pink tinted wolf growled at them as the smaller one licked the wounds of the tall injured girl on the ground.“I suggest you let us go on our way unless you want us to finish you off.” Haseul’s voice was calm, almost monotone like the night the two younger vampires ran into the four.The growling one huffed and kneeled down on its hind legs as if indicating a sign for surrender.Haseul gave a little nod and motioned for everyone to keep moving in the direction they were originally heading towards. She kept watch of them, walking backwards slowly before turning around once they got a bit farther.When they were out of sight, Jinsol let out a little groan and held onto her shoulder, finally showing some sign of weakness. Sooyoung was by her side right away, taking ahold of her other arm.“You need to drink.” It was the first time they heard the icy looking vampire speak.“I’m fine.” Jinsol tried to shrug the girl off, but Sooyoung kept her grip. “I took out the arrow right when it hit.”“You still need to drink.” Sooyoung didn’t take no for an answer and bit her wrist to offer to the blonde.Jinsol sighed and drank a little before Sooyoung took her wrist back, licking at the wound.Jiwoo frowned as she began to remember bits and pieces of when she was injured, laying on the dining room table. It was Sooyoung who had done the same for her. Here she was thinking that the woman wasn’t fond of them, but vampires only offered their own blood to those they were close with.“You let me drink your blood.” Jiwoo stated. She was confused and wanted to know the reason behind the woman’s action.Sooyoung stopped the licking to look at the redhead. “Yes.” It was the first word she heard directed at her.“Why?”The vampire tilted her head. “Do you not want to live?” Her voice was quieter than the rest of the clan.“It’s not that,” Jiwoo voice trailed off.Sensing the confusion, Sooyoung spoke again, “your presence.” She again tilted her head, but to the other side this time. “You remind me of someone.”The redhead raised her eyebrows. She wanted to ask more, but Sooyoung’s attention was already off of her as she went back to checking on Jinsol.She looked at Jungeun who had slid her hand into her own once again. It was a habit. Their hands were like magnets.It was the first time they had the upper hand in a fight in a long time. Everything felt so long ago. Fighting alongside others was almost foreign to them. They could get used to this and it was a scary thought to think about. They both knew they couldn’t completely rely on their new found “allies”. Other people in their lives never lasted long. Everyone else disappointed them one way or another in the end.
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“Why are we heading into human territory?” Jungeun looked around to see people everywhere on the busy street.“Supplies,” came the simple answer from Haseul who kept her fast pace throughout the walk. They passed by restaurants and other stores before heading into an alley that was only lit up by decorative Christmas lights. They stopped by a door at the end and made their way in. “Back so soon?” A voice could be heard from within the shop as they entered. “What? You don’t want to see us?” Jinsol asked in a playful tone.“Oh, come on Unnie, you know I love having you guys around.” A girl with purple hair stood up from behind the counter and raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh, you’ve brought guests. You never bring guests.”“Yerim, this is Jiwoo and Jungeun. This is Yerim, the shop owner.” Haseul introduced the three.“Nice to meet you.” The girl smiled brightly and walked over to shake their hands.“Likewise.” Jiwoo had an equally bright smile on her face.“Nice to meet you too.” Jungeun shook her hand and took notice that it was warm. She should have known the purple haired girl was a human from the start, but didn’t think a clan like this would have any acquaintances with anyone outside of their own kind.Yerim gasped as Jinsol took off her jacket, now only seeing the wound on the shoulder. “Unnie! Sit down while I get you something for that.” She rushed off to a shelf full of herbs in jars and tossed a few into one of the empty mason jars on the side that was there for customers.The other vampires were scattered throughout the store, browsing and picking up a few things here and there.Jinsol had taken off her shirt to dispose into the trash can besides the counter before taking a seat at a stool. She didn’t seem to be in any pain as she sighed at having to throw away another shirt.Yerim combined the herbs along with other ingredients into a mortar and started to mix them. “I thought you guys found some secluded place.”“These two somehow managed to come into our neck of the woods,” Vivi said, sitting down on another stool besides Jinsol. She had her elbows on the counter and chin on her hands, looking bored. “Are you guys from around here?” Yerim asked the two as she applied the herbs onto Jinsol’s injury.“No. We were trying to get away from hunters, but they’re in every city, so I guess word got around that some strays were around.” Jungeun made a face, looking at a jar that was filled with liquid and what looked like a bunch of roots.The bell at the door rang, signaling that someone else has entered the shop.“Hello, welcome to Cheorry’s Cave,” Yerim greeted with another bright smile, putting down the pestle.The others didn’t need to look to know what kind of visitors were by the door.“We were surprised to find your scent so close to crowds of people.” The tallest of the three new guests ignored Yerim’s greeting and walked around the shop to examine her surroundings.“What is it that you want?” Haseul finally looked up from the current book she was reading from one of the couches.Vivi got up from the stool to sit on Sooyoung’s lap, who was also on the same couch. She knew the taller one would have gotten up and caused more trouble than needed. She got a huff of air in response, but only smiled down at the angry looking face before nuzzling herself into the crook of Sooyoung’s neck.“You killed several hunters and injured a few of my pack members.” “Well, your hunters tried to kill some of my clan members, so it was fair game to kill them, don’t you think?” The short haired woman stood up as the tall one approached. Haseul was more than a head shorter, but didn’t look intimidated by the height difference. “And as of your pack. They did attack first, am I not right?”The other woman narrowed her eyes. “I know you. Haseul is it? I’ve heard a lot about you and not once have I heard that your clan consisted of more than four bloodsuckers.”Haseul gave out a little laugh and shrugged. “They’re a bit new. Cute aren’t they?”“They’re wanted.”“Why? Too afraid to go after big fish that all you can do is take out strays? And I haven’t heard about you. You must be new to the game too.”“Nayoung and you better remember it, because this city belongs to us and you’re trespassing.” The said girl let out a snarl and got closer to the shorter woman.Haseul laughed again. “Kid, we’ve been here before you were even born.”Nayoung was now standing right in front of Haseul.“Ah.” Yerim stepped forward. “You really must be new here, because this is neutral ground. No harm can be done while you’re in the shop.”Nayoung whipped her head around and pointed. “You are harboring vampires.”“I am catering to customers, and I suggest you get out if you’re not going to buy anything, because that’s called loitering.” The bright girl didn’t look bright anymore. She had a scowl on her face as she took another step closer, getting in between the two leaders.The tall woman tested her luck by reaching out for Haseul again, but only to pull back when a small electric shock went through her hand. The other two with her stepped forward, ready to attack at the sudden surprise.“No harm could be done to others, but me on the other hand, this is my shop and I can do whatever I want.” Yerim warned, working her magic without even having to lift a finger.Nayoung clasped and unclasped her hand to get rid of the tingling feeling. “We’ll be back and we’re going to talk to the council about this place.” She threatened and walked towards the exit. There was no point in wasting more breath.“This shop has been approved for many generations. It’s older than you and everyone you know, including the council, so go ahead and try,” Yerim replied in a calm manner.Nayoung scoffed. “Chungha. Sejeong,” she called out to the two that still stood their ground, glaring at the vampires.The two weren’t fond of the little attack on their leader although she was the one that provoked the witch’s rule, but followed along with the order.“We are so sorry for bringing trouble into your shop, Yerim.” Haseul’s facial expression and tone changed drastically from just a moment ago.“We should have been able to smell those dogs.” Jinsol wrinkled her nose as if she was trying to get the rest of the scent out.“Unnie,” Yerim scolded.“Sorry, I meant werewolves,” Jinsol mumbled knowing the other girl didn’t like when anyone insulted others.“And it’s fine. Trouble always finds its way over here, one way or the other.” Yerim went back to checking on Jinsol’s wound. Scrapping the last bit of the mushy herbs from her shoulder before cleaning it up and bandaging it. “Do you have an extra shirt?”“No. We were just going to find some at the next house we were going to empty out.” Jinsol pouted at Yerim.The girl sighed. “Well, you know me. Always here with extra clothes in case some vampires come in with injuries,” she joked and walked to the back before coming back with a plain black t-shirt.“Don’t you think it’s a bit small?”“This is the only one I have. Sooyoung unnie took the last loose shirt last time.”Jinsol threw the shirt over her head and pulled at the sleeves that were too close to her armpits for comfort.“How much for all of this?” Haseul put a few items onto the counter. “You guys got anything?” she turned around to ask the others.“Oh, what about those pretty gemstone rings for Jungeun and Jiwoo?” Vivi asked from her seat on Sooyoung’s lap.“You’re going to have to come back for those. Gotta do a supply run before I can make any more, so you’re gonna have to deal with the sunburn for another day or two depending on shipment.” Yerim pressed a few buttons on the register. “$29.50.”Haseul handed over a hundred dollar bill. “Keep the change for the hospitality and for some more clothes.”Yerim thanked the vampire, always appreciating the little extra cash that really helped her out.Haseul tilted her head before pulling out another hundred. “You gotta eat right?”“Unnie,” Yerim started, but Haseul shushed her, taking her purchase and walking away from the counter.“Gemstone rings?” Jiwoo asked.“Keeps us vampies from burning from the sun,” Jinsol answered, still trying to adjust the t-shirt.“I know. It’s just that, there aren’t many witches that can make those.” “Oh, Yerim here is a prodigy. She’s such a sweet deadly kid,” Jinsol cooed and tickled under the said girl’s chin who could only giggle at the touch.“Stop it. No, I’m not.” Yerim looked down, busying herself with the register, obviously bashful from the compliment. “You’re right. You’ve worked hard to get to where you’re at. Such a talent.” Jinsol loved bragging about the people she cared about and Yerim wasn’t an exception.“We should get going.” Haseul walked over to the couch and wacked Vivi with her bag of supplies. “Could you stop that?”Vivi let out a small laugh in response and got up from her place on Sooyoung’s lap before taking a hold of Haseul’s other free hand.
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“Let’s stay here while Jinsol does her thing.” Vivi drummed her fingers onto Jiwoo’s and Jungeun’s intertwined ones. They nodded and watched as Jinsol went up to a house and rang the doorbell. She glanced over at them smiling, then turned back when the door opened. She had a flirtatious look on her face as she talked to a man that looked to be in his early 30’s. It didn’t take long for the house owner to invite the pretty blonde in.“Is she going to kill him?” Jungeun asked, not taking her eyes off of the now closed door.“She’s definitely going to kill him.” Jungeun turned to Vivi who had on an excited smile. She then turned to Jiwoo who had her eyebrows scrunched together.Sensing the discomfort, Haseul spoke up. “He’s a serial rapist. Got away with it because daddy dearest was friends with the judge.” The girls looked at Haseul and nodded understanding why they chose this particular man. “And they say we’re dangerous? We’re just cleaning out trash.”The front door opened again and Jinsol waved at the group.“Come. We’ll stay the day and talk about what you guys want to talk about, because I know you’re going to ask about the whole joining the clan thing again right?” Haseul stood up and walked towards the house.“Did you guys want some?” Jinsol used her thumb to wipe at blood at the corner of her mouth before pointing back into the house at the man that laid on this stomach on the floor, motionless.They all shook their heads, not needing to feed for the next few days from already have eaten. The blonde shrugged. “Bitter blood anyways. Contaminated with too many drugs. I think I can feel a little high from it. Nothing like Sooyoungie’s blood earlier though. That was nice,” she rambled on.“The clan.” Jiwoo ignored the giddy blonde and got right down to business.“Hmm, yes. We only said that you two were a part of the clan to those wolves to keep you safe, but you can still decline our offer.” Haseul walked into living room as the rest followed, taking a seat around the coffee table. “Like I said, you can leave any time.”“We remind you of someone,” Jungeun repeated what was said before. They weren’t sure if that was a good enough reason for a clan of seemingly infamous vampires to keep strays around.Haseul sighed and looked between the two as if she was trying to figure something out. She sat back so that she was leaning on the couch and then looked over at Sooyoung. The woman had her arms crossed, looking out into the backyard through the glass sliding door.“Do you remember anything from before you turned?” Haseul asked.Jiwoo and Jungeun looked at each other, communicating with their eyes.“That’s a bit personal don’t you think?” Jiwoo answered, wary of how this had to do anything about them so willingly to add the two to the clan.“You don’t know who sired you, but we might do. Don’t you want to know?” Haseul voice was low as she spoke. The other three vampires seemed to be avoiding the conversation.The younger ones looked at each other again. They had stopped wondering about their past a long time ago. For a few decades, they made it their mission to find out who had turned them into these monsters. The anger and confusion almost tore them apart. They had let go of the past, but the past always catches up it seemed.“We don’t know for sure, but we’ve been hearing about another clan that has been tracking down strays. Strays that they’ve turned, abandoned, and now taking back in to create some sort of army.” “So you’re basically recruiting us first before they do.” Jiwoo stated rather than questioned.“In a sense, yes, but not to create our own army against theirs or anyone else’s. We know this clan. We know what they’re capable of and they don’t take no for an answer.” The short haired woman ran her hand through her hair. “But with us, you always have an option. You can leave right now if you want or you can stay, be a part of this family and we will protect you.”“We’ve done many things in the past that we regret. You two actually seem to have morals and that’s rare these days. We would hate to see that corrupted or the result of you declining their invitation.” Jinsol voice sounded so serious for the first time that it almost scared them. It was such a different contrast than how she was just a moment ago. “And that arrow to the gut would have been nasty if you didn’t come through,” she said looking at Jiwoo. “We’re at least friends now right?”“You saved us once too, so I guess we’re even.” Jinsol couldn’t tell what emotions were behind Jiwoo’s tone.“What does it mean if we join? Do we just follow orders or what?” Jungeun asked for the both of them.“Have any of us been ordering you around? We would like to think that everyone here is equal.” Haseul slipped her hand in Sooyoung’s and gave it a squeeze. The taller woman still did not look like she cared about the conversation, but Haseul knew better.“But you are the leader right?” Jungeun kept the questions coming.Haseul looked around the room at her other members.“If you asked us who our leader was, yes, we would say Haseul, but that does not mean that everything she says is law.” Vivi finally joined in. “She’s the most, how do I put it? Level headed. She speaks when all the rest of us want to do is rip the enemy’s head off, but I guess that’s not practical in every situation is it?”“I understand that you’ve been in clans before. Maybe they weren’t ideal. Maybe they left a bad taste in your mouth. I don’t want to say that we’re different, but we are. I hope what we’ve shown you so far proves that.” The leader always spoke with such elegance that it was hard to think that there was any deception behind her voice.“It’s not like we have anywhere else to go,” Jungeun said nonchalantly.Jiwoo kicked Jungeun’s foot. “Joining a clan means that we’d have to feed from one another at some point. I apparently already fed from Sooyoung.”The said woman finally turned her head to face the smaller girl. “I am sorry.” Her voice was quiet, but their enhanced hearing picked it up.Jiwoo looked at Sooyoung in surprise. She was not expecting that as a response or getting a response at all. “I- No, it’s fine. You saved me.”“It’s not like we have to do that now. We understand that it takes time to build that bond, but you both are still welcomed to join us,” Haseul clarified.Jiwoo and Jungeun’s magnetic hands found their way to each other again. They weren’t sure if they were ready to be vulnerable to others again, but they knew they wouldn’t survive without a clan. Besides that reason, they wanted to deny that they didn’t already feel a little attached. It’s been too long since they felt genuine care from someone other than each other.“We hope that we can contribute to the clan as much as everyone else.” Jiwoo finally gave in while Jungeun nodded along.“This is exciting.” Jinsol clasped her hands together and grinned like she just got the presents she wanted on Christmas morning.“Jinsol.” Haseul was always there to warn her.“Sorry, it’s just been so long. I miss having others around.”“Are we not enough for you?” Vivi placed a hand over her heart, pretending to sound hurt.Jinsol practically bounced off of her seat from besides the younger vampires to cling onto the pink haired woman’s arm. “You know that’s not what I meant.”Vivi laughed and patted the blonde’s head.Haseul was right. They have been in clans before, but none like this. They were always more serious, less play. More killing, less talk. Everything about this clan was backwards to the ones they’ve been in. It’d be a lie to not say that they weren’t scared. Either people end up disappointing or everything good always comes to an end.
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1847 “Jiwoo! Come on, slow down!”“You’re drunk Daeul, go home!” Jiwoo yelled at the man that was on her tail along with two of his other goons.“You know I can’t do that. Your father told me to look after you.” Daeul caught up and grabbed Jiwoo’s arm to make her stop.She turned around and pulled back. “I don’t need a babysitter and what are you going to do? You’re staggering all over the place.” She shook her head and kept on walking. She didn’t have time for this, but with him in her life, he always made everything more difficult.“I know you’re going to go see that bitch!”She stopped in her tracks and turned around again. The man stood there, red in the face with anger and too much alcohol.“You can call me whatever you want, but don’t even mention her in your filthy mouth,” Jiwoo spat out.“You can’t hate me forever, Jiwoo. We’re getting married soon.” He wouldn’t let up and tried walking faster to catch up.Her father had set up an arranged marriage with a wealthy family without even discussing the matter with her. He just did whatever he pleased and expected Jiwoo to obey like a good daughter, but she couldn’t be tied down by someone else making decisions about her life for her. “Jiwoo.” She looked up surprised to see her best friend. They had planned to meet up at the park they frequented, but she was running late.“Jungeun.” Jiwoo tried motioning for the slightly smaller brunette to go out of view of the unwanted guests.“You’re so predictable, Jiwoo.” Daeul had caught up and now looked between the two. His friends behind him still drinking out of a shared bottle. “And I’m going to call this dyke whatever I want.” He got closer, trying to grab at Jungeun.Jiwoo stood in front of him and swatted his hand away. “Don’t touch her!” She reached behind to take a hold of Jungeun’s hand.“Your father has told me about how disrespectful you’ve become. You really need to be taught a lesson.” Daeul shoved Jiwoo to the side and reached out for the girl behind her again, who tried backing away.Jiwoo fell down harshly scraping her elbow and hands on the gravel. She looked up to hear Jungeun grunting in pain on her knees. She got up quickly and tried getting to the brunette but was grabbed from behind by one of Daeul’s friends. He had her in a tight grip from behind as she kicked at him.“Let go of me!” Jiwoo smaller stature did not give her the leverage she needed to get out, so she did the next best thing.“You bitch!” The man from behind yelled as he get go of the girl that had just bitten his arm.Jiwoo ran for Jungeun and threw her body at Daeul, knocking him off of the girl beneath him. He was caught off guard, but stronger as he tossed Jiwoo to the side like nothing.“Hold her.” He nodded his head over to his friends. Daeul was a sweet man in front of her father, but when he wasn’t there, things tended to get ugly. He had enough money to do whatever he wanted, so he chose to spend most of it on drinking. He was an angry drunk, laying his hands on Jiwoo more times than she could count. She always fought back and it would just make him angier.She now laid on her stomach when she felt arms pull her up. Each man had a vice like grip on either side of her.“Your father has given you so many chances to stop seeing her, yet you keep disobeying.” Daeul walked over to where Jungeun was curled on the ground. He gave her a swift kick to the stomach and all she could do was groan in pain from the air being knocked out of her lungs. She curled up more, trying to protect herself.“Jungeun!” Jiwoo cried out, knowing it was useless trying to get out of the men’s hold. “Please, please just let her go. I’ll never see her again. I’ll marry you! I promise, just please!” She has never been more desperate in her life. Jiwoo knew all she was saying were lies, but she just had to make him believe her. They had planned to run away. Get out of the city and move somewhere no one knew them. This wasn’t how she imaged things. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.Daeul bent down and grabbed Jungeun by the hair, pulling her up so that she was on her knees. “It’s too late Jiwoo. I know you won’t marry me unless she’s out of the picture.” He pulled out a knife from behind his waistband and placed it at the girl’s neck.“Please! I’m begging you, Daeul. Please don’t do this!” Jiwoo was now sobbing. The only thing keeping her from falling was the arms that still held her. “Jungeun,” her voice trailed.Jungeun looked at her with silent tears rolling down her cheeks. “Jiwoo, I love you,” she managed to get out as her eyes widen from the feeling of the knife sliding across her neck. It didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would. All she felt was the warmth of blood as it spilled, dirtying her shirt.“No, Jungeun! Get off of me!” Jiwoo shook her arms loose and the men let her go.She ran for the slightly smaller girl and dropped to her knees, not caring that the gravel was biting into her skin. Jiwoo took off her jacket and pressed down on the wound. Jungeun stared back at her, helplessly struggling to try to get words out. She still had so much she wanted to say to Jiwoo. They had so many things they wanted to do together.Jiwoo looked up to see Daeul standing there, the knife still in his hand.“You bastard. You fuckin’ bastard,” Jiwoo growled out. She got up and kicked him between the legs. He dropped to his knees and grabbed her arm as she tried swinging at him. He twisted it, forcing her down on one knee as well. She was trying everything she could do to hurt him when she felt the knife slice at her arm. She stared down at the blood before throwing herself on top of him, both hands grabbing at the knife. Jiwoo wanted to kill him for what he’s done. She wanted to hurt him so bad. The struggling didn’t last long when she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Jiwoo slowly rolled off of the man, not sure what had happened. She laid on her back as Daeul stood up by her side, looking down at her.“We need to go!” Jiwoo heard one of his friends say. “Come on!” The man grabbed Daeul’s arm, who was in a daze. She watched as they ran and finally felt warmth as she retracted her hand from her stomach for it to only come up covered in blood. The adrenaline in her system must have been in overdrive because she didn’t even feel the knife entering or leaving her body.Jiwoo turned her head to see Jungeun still struggling, using every ounce of energy to try to stay alive. She grunted from the wound, got onto her stomach, and used her elbows to drag her body to Jungeun’s. Jiwoo held onto the girl’s hand as they laid there side by side like some sick twisted movie. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to actually cause much harm to Daeul. In a way, Jiwoo was glad that she was bleeding out on the cold street next to the love of her life. They’ve wanted nothing but to be with each other, but they never would have thought that it’d be through death. Maybe the only peace they would ever find together was in the afterlife.
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The sun was almost setting when Haseul entered the kitchen to find Sooyoung sitting on a stool at the bar like styled island staring at nothing in particular.“Hey, are you okay?” she asked softly, wrapping her arms around the taller woman from behind, resting her chin on Sooyoung’s shoulder.“Yeah,” was the only reply she got, but she was used to getting short replies, not wanting to push her to say more.“It’s a bit much isn’t it?” Haseul felt the normally icy vampire relax in her embrace.Sooyoung hummed in response and laced her fingers with Haseul’s that were currently around her stomach.“The past is the past. I wish you could see what I see in you, love.” Haseul placed a soft kiss on Sooyoung’s shoulder. The woman sighed and shook her head lightly. “It just seems like everything I do pushes me two steps back.” Her voice was quiet as if she was afraid of anyone else hearing her vulnerability. “I know you’re scared and it’s okay, but what we’re doing here is pushing you forward. We got you, you and Jinsol, you know that right?” It wasn’t like Sooyoung to show much emotions, but when she was alone with her family, she trusted them with every part of her, the good and the bad.Haseul gave her another quick kiss on the back of her head before letting go, having felt another presence about to enter the room.“Hey,” Jiwoo greeted, walking in slowly. It was the first time for this combination to be alone together and she tried not to show her awkwardness.“Did you rest well?” Haseul looked over and took a hold of Sooyoung’s hand to pull her to the dining room table so that they could all sit.“Yeah, I did. The room was getting a bit stuffy though.”“The others should be getting up soon anyways. Don’t know about Jungeun, but might have to drag the other two out though.” Jiwoo didn’t want to ask, but it seemed like they were used to the change in roommates between the four. They all seemed a bit too close, but it wasn’t unusual for vampires to have more than one partner. “You could ask if you want.” Jiwoo looked up in surprise, wondering if the older woman was a mind reader. “I can’t read your mind if that’s what you’re thinking. I’ve just been noticing you and Jungeun glancing at our little interactions every now and then is all.”Jiwoo gave out a nervous chuckle. “I don’t want to be rude.”Haseul smiled. “It’s not rude. You’re now part of the clan, so you can ask whatever you want. But if you’re too shy, our relationship is out in the open. Having lived for so long puts things in perspective doesn’t it? Why only love one person when you could love more?” The woman shrugged and placed her hand on Sooyoung’s thigh. “It just makes sense after you throw out everything society has taught you, I guess.”Jiwoo nodded, already used to seeing vampires with multiple partners, but their relationship felt different. When others craved for lust, these four moved in synchronization of making sure everyone felt safe and cared for. Now that was not something she was used to. Jungeun entered the room as Jiwoo turned around to greet her. She was sure Haseul knew of her approaching and said what she needed to say so that the two new members could be aware of their obvious relationship. “Good evening, Jungeun.” Haseul smiled her usual soft smile. “Why don’t you go get the others out of bed, love,” she said to Sooyoung, who only nodded and got up. “We’ll be heading to Yerim’s to see if her shipment has arrived yet. It would have been much easier if we didn’t toss out the last of our burner phones. Pesky humans really out there making our lives harder.”“Should we worry about the wolves coming back?” Jungeun didn’t want to bring more trouble to Yerim’s place. The girl seemed sweet, having only talked to her briefly.“They know they can’t do anything on neutral ground, so I doubt they’d try to do anything there again.” “You guys are up early. We were waiting for the sun to go down.” Jinsol’s cheery voice made herself known.“The sun is down.” Haseul rolled her eyes and got up from her seat, prompting for the other two at the table to do the same.The walk to their destination was uneventful. It was the same as the other day. Full of tipsy young people, out having dinner or whatever with their friends at the many restaurants that littered the streets.“Hey, Unnies.” Yerim’s normally bright tone was turned down a few notches today as they entered the shop. “I picked up some supplies, but I’m still waiting on the shipment, which most likely will come in tomorrow. Sorry about that.”“That’s fine.” Haseul went over to the counter to place a burner phone in front of her. “Picked some up on the way here.”Yerim nodded and pocketed the item. “There were vampires here earlier in the day, Unnie,” she started. “They also had on daywalker rings.”Haseul looked up and frowned. “What did they want?” There weren’t many vampires around that could obtain such a ring. Most vampires and witches weren’t exactly on friendly terms, so those with one either had a connection or threatened witches for it.“I don’t know. They were just looking around.” Although Yerim’s place was neutral ground for all kinds, it wasn’t often vampires entered her shop, let alone ones walking in when the sun was still out. Haseul drummed her fingers on the counter and looked back at her members, who had on unreadable expressions. “When do you get off? Is someone walking you home?”“Yeah, but I also always walk home with a cloak.” Yerim understood the worry. Every new face that showed up to town that stood out from the norm was potential trouble. She always masked her presence with a small spell, knowing witches were easy targets without the armor of a werewolf or healing of a vampire.“Sorry for the short visit, but we’ll see you tomorrow okay?” Haseul wanted to go back to their current shelter and discuss this with the others. With new clan members, she wanted to make sure they knew how to protect themselves. “Stay safe.” She pushed the door open to go back out into the alley.“Fancy seeing you here.”Haseul stopped in her tracks to see a stranger at the end of the only exit along with two others. She heard Sooyoung growl behind her, stepping forward, directly in front of Haseul to keep her out of harm’s way. The shorter woman didn’t want the protection, stepping to the side and in front of Sooyoung again, who was now pressed up against her.“Didn’t know you keep company with witches these days.” Haseul calmly spoke first, taking notice of the human’s heartbeat behind the taller one.“I could say the same to you.” The stranger looked up at the “Choerry’s Cave” sign above the door.“Just getting supplies.”“Oh, I’m sure I’ve seen you here more than once.” The smirk that was on the other woman’s face glowed of confidence, knowing she has caught them off guard.“Are you going to tell me what you want or are you going to get out of my way, Jiu?” Haseul could feel Sooyoung tense behind her at the mention of the name.“You have something that belongs to me.” Her face turned dark as her head nodded to the vampires behind the leader and she showed a bit of her sharp incisors.“You gotta be more specific, there’s quite a few of us.” Haseul kept her composure, but in truth, she didn’t want to provoke the other. She knew if things got out of hand, she wouldn’t be able to stop her clan.The woman went back to smirking as if she had two different personalities. “I could say I’d like Sooyoungie and Sol back, but I guess it’s a little too late for that. Seems like the two little ones haven’t been with you long though.”The two were behind Vivi who had a grip on their hands. They were blocked for the most part, with Jinsol in front of the pink haired woman.Sooyoung snarled and tried to step out from behind Haseul again, but the shorter woman raised her arm out to stop the vampire from moving forward.“You’ve always been the more hot-tempered one.” Jiu laughed at Sooyoung’s attempt. “I remember making sure you knew where you belonged and I can do it again.”Before anyone could react, Sooyoung fell to her knees, grabbing at her head in pain, trying not to cry out. The shorter woman from behind the enemy’s leader seemed to have the control.“Let her go!” Haseul shouted through gritted teeth as Jinsol quickly kneeled down besides her lover, pulling her into an embrace. The pain got too much as Sooyoung screamed out, almost falling forward if it wasn’t for the blonde holding her.Haseul full fangs came out of instinct as she stepped forward. “There’s people everywhere just outside of the alley. You can’t be doing this here.” She had to keep calm. She couldn’t attack. She had to keep her clan safe and more importantly, she couldn’t let Yerim come out of the shop. Haseul knew that the purple haired girl could take care of herself, but she was also human, and humans didn’t share the same fate of immortality.“Just give me my two little ones.” The tall woman had on an almost expressionless face, ignoring Sooyoung who was still on the ground writhing in pain. “I can always remind Sol of her place too.”“They don’t belong to you. None of them do.” Haseul kept her voice even. “Now let them go, because you know you’re outnumbered and that witch isn’t strong enough to take a hold of all of us.”Jiu face didn’t change as she lifted her hand up, signaling the woman who had control over Sooyoung stop. The vampire in Jinsol’s arms didn’t stop shaking as the aftershock of the magic still affected her, her cries of pain reduced to small whimpers. The emotionless woman hummed and then changed her expression back to the smug look. “Well, this has been a fun reunion. Maybe I’ll drag this out and see where this takes us. I’ll catch you guys some other time.” And with that, she turned her back towards them, arm up waving goodbye before leaving the alley with her minions.Haseul finally broke from her calm demeanor and turned around to kneel besides Sooyoung. She brushed hair out of her face and stroked her cheek as her head laid in Jinsol’s lap. “Hey, hey, you’re okay.” The shaking woman reached out for her and Haseul pulled Sooyoung into a hug. Jiwoo and Jungeun held their breath from their place still behind Vivi, who stood there frozen as she watched the exchange between her clan members. She wanted to comfort them, but also had to take care of the younger ones.“She’s the one that sired us.” Jiwoo stated more than she asked. She wanted to make sure Sooyoung was alright too, but knew not to disturb the moment. It scared them to see the vampire in such a state when she normally didn’t show much emotions.“We’re afraid so.” Vivi’s voice was barely above a whisper, losing the normally playful tone. “We weren’t entirely sure at first, but this pretty much confirms it.” The pink haired woman turned around to face them. “There’s some things that we should probably tell you.”
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“We were part of their clan before leaving.” Jinsol was the first to break the silence as they entered the house and made their way back to the dining room. “I mean, me and Sooyoung anyways.”“You should go up and rest,” Haseul whispered to the dark haired vampire, who only shook her head, taking a seat next to the leader.“And that woman, she was the one who sired us?” Jungeun repeated what Jiwoo said earlier. “Were you there?”Jinsol shook her head in frustration. “That’s what we’ve been trying to figure out.”Everyone turned when the small voice in between Haseul and Jinsol was heard. “We were there.” Sooyoung had her eyes casted to the table before looking up. “That witch, she showed me things, things I’ve been trying so hard to forget.”“You let her turn us into these monsters and then just left us there?” Jiwoo didn’t know what to think. The two clans seemed like mortal enemies, but she couldn’t help but feel anger build up. They had woken up, scared and alone, not understanding why nothing satisfied their hunger for blood. “I woke up thinking that I survived, looking over to Jungeun who’s throat was still slit, laying there motionless.”“I-,” Sooyoung started, but stopped. “1847. We were so young.” The unwanted memories started flooding her head again.“I don’t know how we could have forgotten you two. You killed most of town. It was all over the news.” Jinsol shook her head in realization. “Yes, we were there and we did leave the both of you. We’re not proud of who we were in the past, and that’s no excuse for what we’ve done, but please believe us when we say that we’re terribly sorry.”Jiwoo elbows were on the table, with her head in her hands. “Why’d you leave the clan?”Jungeun stayed quiet, rubbing the redhead’s back in comforting circles.“They thrived on knowing they could create chaos by siring people and then leaving them without proper guidance when they woke up crazed with hunger.” Jinsol held onto Sooyoung’s hand to keep her from digging her nails into her palms. “I guess we were sucked into the thrill until we realized immortality didn’t grant you the right to ruin other people's lives. It was small at first, the ripple, but it was like a flap of a butterfly’s wings. It got out of control and we had to get out.”Jiwoo sighed before speaking again, “I forgive you.” Her voice was quiet, but everyone in the room heard and turned her way.Sooyoung looked up in surprise. “For what I’ve done, there is no forgiveness.”“I forgive you,” Jiwoo repeated louder this time. She had so many different emotions running through her head. “I can’t say that I haven’t done horrible things either, things that have also ruined lives. For so long, I’ve been so angry, and I still am, but that anger should be directed towards the ones who hasn’t changed to see past their own ego.” She couldn’t see Sooyoung and Jinsol in the same light as the vampire they just faced. Even she herself and Jungeun were nothing like who they are now from when they first turned. It wasn’t right for her to not give them another chance for things they’ve done ages ago. It was different, having lived for so long.“You’re right, we have been in a few different clans, but those clans were built on lies and so many secrets that just came spilling out,” Jungeun finally spoke up. “I want to believe that this one is different. We’ve always kept our guards up, but this is the first clan to actually communicate with each other without violence. And maybe you don’t think you deserve forgiveness, but we’re forgiving you anyways.”When they first turned, they wasted so many years being angry and killed whoever they could for information about who sired them. It resulted in countless enemies and almost destroyed their second chance at being together.“Thank you.” Never in this lifetime did Sooyoung ever think that she’d hear those words directed towards her. She lived an immortal life full of guilt and only started to slowly learn how to love herself again once Haseul and Vivi took her and Jinsol in.“You don’t know how much that means to us to hear.” Jinsol smiled, but it wasn’t her usual happy-go-lucky one. As much as she was glad the two didn’t hold any ill will towards them, the guilt still ate at her. It would take time for both her and Sooyoung to forgive themselves.Jungeun sighed. “There’s no use in fighting when you took us in on the verge of death. Who we were in the past doesn’t mean that’s who we are today. It might have broken us at some point, but we chose to turn it around and I have to believe you all have done the same.” Trust was a tricky thing. There was no time limit of knowing when to fully trust someone, but if they didn’t rely on anyone now, they’ll be good as dead on their own. “Please don’t prove us wrong.”If this was back then, this conversation would have ended up differently. It would have been a blood bath on both sides, but those days were long over and they were completely different people. “What do we do now?” Jiwoo asked, unsure of what the arrival of the new enemy meant.“We can’t leave, not yet anyways. They know about Yerim and I’m not about to leave her on her own when we’re the ones that lead trouble to her doorsteps.” The other vampires around the table nodded in agreement as Haseul spoke.“We’re also not ones to run when threatened, and especially now that she dare cause harm to Sooyoung,” Vivi growled out, licked at her teeth where her fangs would be. “They’re also not ones to stop until they get what they want.”Jungeun threw up her hands. “Great, so now we have the whole shabang after us.” She shook her head in disbelief at not only having hunters and werewolves after them, but other vampires and witches too.The brunette looked up when no one responded. They were all staring at her. “What?”“The whole shabang? Really?” Jiwoo had an annoyed look on her face. “Where do you learn how to talk?” “I mean, it summed up our situation, didn’t it?” Jungeun argued back.The other vampires looked at the two in amusement as they bickered over nothing after just having a very serious conversation. Sometimes living for so long afforded you the ability to care less about things you should care about. “I’ll call Yerim first thing when the sun goes down again to check on the rings.” Haseul smiled at the interaction, but got the group back on track. “Like most vampires, these ones play dirty. They attack at any time, even in the day.”Playing dirty was common in the vampire community. When you’re immortal, rules suddenly didn’t apply. Everyone just did whatever they wanted and that is why there are hunters put in place, but even with hunters, they couldn’t see beyond the fangs. The ones that lived peacefully were also targeted, so in the end, everything just ended up in violence.“We should actively be on watch in case anything happens. It’s too late now to move locations if they’ve already been tracking us. We’ll ask Yerim if she could cast a cloaking spell once we see her again.” The short haired woman continued. “We have to trust that Yerim can make it home on her own tonight, because it’s too dangerous for any of us to be going out. If anything, we’d probably put her in more danger by being around her.” “We’re going to have to tell her what’s going on. We can’t hide this from her and we got to have to limit the amount of times we see her until this clears,” Vivi added on. Yerim was too important to them to not inform her of this new threat. She also wasn’t fond of the idea that one of them won’t be there to walk her home, but Haseul was right, it’d be too risky.“I’ll give her a call to let her in on the situation and when she’s home safely.” Haseul stood up from her chair. “You really should go rest, love.” Her voice softer as she spoke to Sooyoung.The taller woman nodded and stood up as well, making eye contact with Jinsol who could basically read her mind. The blonde took Sooyoung’s hand as they left the room together and went upstairs to rest. They knew that they’d somehow run into their old clan some time sooner or later, but they didn’t think it would be now and certainly not like this. There was no way in actually preparing for this event even if they knew it would eventually come. When old memories came haunting back, Sooyoung and Jinsol found comfort in one another, having been together since the start of their second life.“Shall we head to the living room? These chairs are a bit stiff.” Haseul stretched before heading out. “You’d think these rich bastards would buy more comfortable chairs with their daddy’s money,” she muttered under her breath.
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1847Jiwoo felt like every inch of her was on fire when she came to. She had her eyes wide open, but everything was so blurry, like looking through a window with heavy rain against it. She hadn’t realize that she was screaming at the top of her lungs from pain until the muffled sounds of her hearing became clearer. The feeling of gravel beneath her body finally suggested that she wasn’t surrounded by the nothingness she had just felt. She blinked rapidly to try to make sure she wasn’t going blind, but when the blur lifted and she was staring at the face of her dead lover, she wished that she was.Jiwoo screamed out again. This time the emotional pain surpassed the physical one. She cried out as she struggled to sit up, her limbs failing her as she kept falling again. She just wanted to hold Jungeun and she couldn’t even do that. Jiwoo stayed there laying on her side, her cold hand holding onto an equally icy one. She didn’t want to be alive. She didn’t want to live until the icy hand in her cold ones slightly moved. It was such a small movement that anyone would have missed it, but not Jiwoo. She felt as if every sense was heightened and every emotion was on overdrive. She stayed still and prayed. She stayed still until Jungeun took in a gasp of air and screamed out in pain. The girl arched her back up, her other hand going to the injury on her throat as she struggled to find her place in this reality. Jiwoo used every last ounce of strength she had in her to sit up, taking Jungeun’s head into her lap as she tried to calm her down. She didn’t understand, but was beyond grateful when she watched the gruesome wound on Jungeun’s neck start to close up. She reached down to her own stomach to find that the entry of where the knife went in was no longer there.“Jungeun.” Her voice came out hoarse as if she hasn’t talked in ages. “Jungeun,” she repeated, this time a little clearer.The girl in her lap had stopped screaming, but her cries were still loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. Jungeun started blinking rapidly like what she did not too long ago to get rid of the haze.“Jiwoo?” Jungeun voice was barely above a whisper. She wasn’t making eye contact, probably still not being able to see clearly, but she didn’t need to see to know the girl holding her was her best friend. “How?”“I don’t know.” The girl in her arms didn’t stop shaking as she also tried to sit up.Finally facing each other, the two studied each other’s features. They looked the same, but somehow different. Jungeun reached out to place a hand on the redhead’s cheek. The warmth she once felt was no longer there. It was replaced with such coldness that she was finally aware that she herself was freezing. Every inch of her felt like a cold burn and she didn’t know how to stop the feeling as she grunted in pain again. Jiwoo pulled Jungeun into a much needed hug, but even with their bodies pressed so close together, there was no warmth. Everything was just cold, like they were surrounded in blue when their world used to be bursting with colors.“I’m so cold,” Jungeun mumbled against Jiwoo as they both shivered.The redhead nodded understanding and hugged her tighter before pulling away, studying her face again. “Your eyes. Your teeth.” Jiwoo frowned and touched the two sharp fangs that were protruding out of the girl’s slightly opened mouth.“You too.” Jungeun reached out and mirrored the action. “Are you hurt?”“I don’t think so. I just feel so weak.” Jiwoo groaned as she struggled to stand up. Almost falling, but got on her own two feet and held out a hand for Jungeun to take.They both stood there for a moment just taking in their surroundings. The ground was splattered with blood, their blood, but they were somehow still alive. The wind on their skin almost hurt like prickles of needles and every little sound hammered in their heads. The sound of water dripping rhythmically in the distance and the absence of their own heartbeat.They don’t remember how, but moments later, they ended up on the doorsteps of the man who had left them there to die. The door opened to reveal his mother.“Jiwoo, darling, what are you doing here so late?” The woman asked, but there was no real concern behind her voice. “What happened to you?” She furrowed her eyebrows looking the girls up and down in their filthy clothes dried with blood and dirt.“Could I please come in?” Jiwoo ignored the question and peered into the house.“I’ll make you a warm bath, but your friend here needs to leave.” The woman walked back in and left the door open for Jiwoo to come through, but as she tried passing the doorway, she was stopped by some invisible force.Jiwoo frowned and looked back at Jungeun who looked equally confused. “May I come in?” She called out again.“Yes dear, that’s why the door is open. Daeul is upstairs by the way.” Even from outside, the house reeked of cigarettes.Jiwoo felt her teeth itch at the mention of the name. “I’ll be back in a few.” She let go of Jungeun’s hand and took a step inside, this time, nothing stopped her.“Be careful.” Jungeun tested her luck and tried entering as well, but was unable to. She didn’t want Jiwoo going in alone, but something about their new bodies gave them a sense of strength even though they felt weak from the transition.Jiwoo slowly made her way up the stairs, hand lingering just above the railing to feel the cold polished wood on her fingertips. Each step she took creaked just ever so slightly, but it bounced off the walls and bore into her head, causing it to pound.She reached his room and gave it a quick knock. There was shuffling on the other side of the door and then she came face to face with her murderer. The look on his face was pure terror and she had to admit that she enjoyed it a bit too much.“Ji- Jiwoo,” he stammered and took a step back. “How?”“Hi, Daeul.” She took a step inside of the room as he backed away more.“I-.” Before he could finish, Jiwoo pounced on the man, the weight of her body making him fall backwards with a thud. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say.Instinct took over as her sharp fangs dug into his neck. She was so hungry. He was so loud, laying there screaming and thrashing around. And as much as she enjoyed hearing his pain, his voice was hurting her head, so she bit deeper to shut him up and drained him dry.He had stopped moving as Jiwoo stood up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She heard footsteps racing up the stairs. Daeul’s mother was shouting, asking what was going on. When she appeared at the doorway, her shrill scream echoed, looking at the lifeless body of her only son.Jiwoo just wanted all of the noise to stop being so loud. She approached the still screaming woman who stood there frozen from fear. The redhead placed her hands on either side of the woman’s face before giving it a quick twist, snapping her neck. She dragged the body down the stairs, step by step to where Jungeun stood right outside the front door with a worried look on her face, but that expression soon turned into something she couldn’t understand. Jungeun felt so hungry. She could almost feel the woman’s warm blood running down her throat as she fed and she did when Jiwoo offered her the woman, prompting her own fangs to emerge as she bite down on the neck.She tossed the woman’s body to the side like a rag doll when she finished, looking up at Jiwoo who still had hunger in her eyes.The redhead wordlessly took her hand and they walked together down the road towards their next destination. The only people still out past midnight were the drunks who didn’t want to go home to their wives, too busy spending their hard earned money on poison that they drank. Men approached them and it all ended up the same, with two puncture marks on their neck and the never ending thirst for blood. Nothing satisfied them as they took out everyone in sight before reaching another house.Jiwoo’s house.She opened the door with her keys, but like before, she wasn’t able to enter. This was no longer her home.She called out to her father and mother, hoping it would wake them. It took several tries before the both of them appeared. “What is with all of the ruckus, Jiwoo?” Her father voice was full of annoyance as he rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. “What the hell happened to you?” He placed a hand on her shoulder to examine the damage and she tried her best not to kill him right there and now. “Why is she with you?” He nodded his head to Jungeun angrily, who was standing a little off to the side.“She’s my best friend, my lover.” Jiwoo voice lacked any emotion.Her father’s expression turned from angry to full on pissed off. He dug his nails into Jiwoo’s shoulder, probably breaking the skin, but she didn’t feel anything. He took a step out of the house and that was all it took for Jiwoo to roughly yank him towards her, tilt his head to the side, and sink her teeth in. He screamed. They always screamed. Jungeun joined in on the other side of his neck, ignoring the horrified voice of Jiwoo’s mother. They dropped his body as they finished. The woman was still inside of the house, hand over her mouth having witnessed such horror. Jiwoo stood there, looked at the doorway before trying to take a step inside. Her foot planted itself down, the invisible force that kept them out was no longer there. “Please,” the woman begged. “Jiwoo, please.”“You just stood there and watched him beat me. All of these years, you just stood by as you watched the man you loved beat your own daughter,” Jiwoo spat out, her anger intensified ten folds as she watched the woman cry. When she herself has cried so many times as the woman she called mother did nothing.“He didn’t mean it. He loved you.” It was something Jiwoo has heard so many times. She didn’t understand what love was. All she knew was pain and suffering.“Like how Daeul loved me? You threw me to one abusive man to another. Is that what love is?” Her voice grew louder as she felt Jungeun hold her hand from behind.She never knew what love meant until she met the girl with the magnetic hands. No matter what happened, they would always find their way back to each other.“Please, Jiwoo. It doesn’t have to be like this.” Her mother had her hands clasped together in front of her, still begging.Jiwoo tilted her head to the side. “But it does, mother.”
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The restless vampires stayed in the living room, keeping an eye on things while Sooyoung and Jinsol were still upstairs in their room, being more mentally exhausted than anything. It was much different than when Jungeun and Jiwoo were on their own, hiding in small dirty places with only them two to watch each other’s backs. Haseul watched as the sun began to slowly rise when the presence of others invaded her senses. “They’re so predictable.” The two upstairs having sensed the same oncoming intruders barely made it down from up in their room when they heard the breaking of a window, and then another. Jinsol was caught off guard when Sooyoung was shoved from behind, tumbling down the rest of the steps, landing with a loud bang at the bottom. Before the blonde could turn around to see the enemy, her hair was roughly tugged causing her to fall back hitting the steps at an awkward angle. She groaned and looked up to see a pair of eyes smirking at her.“Bora,” Jinsol whispered out. Her hair was grabbed again and she was tossed down the stairs, knocking Sooyoung back over, who was half way getting up.The scent of the other vampires weren’t present like it was just a moment ago. They both quickly got up, keeping an eye on the vampire at the top of the stairs, who slowly made her way down. Their heads whipped around when they heard a scream.Jungeun.“I’ll keep her busy.” Jinsol lightly pushed Sooyoung to make her go. The dark haired woman hesitated for a second before making her way to where the Jungeun’s voice was getting farther away. “To think that I was the one you used to protect.” Bora sneered and jumped down the last few steps to attack, but Jinsol was faster, moving out of the way and throwing the other vampire to the other side of her.Bora landed crouched down on her feet, hissing, baring her fangs before she got up again. She stood there, but her expression changed, the corners of her mouth forming into a small smirk.Jinsol took a step forward, ready to take the upper hand when she felt something cold, stopping her from moving. She gasped and looked down to see a sword had ran itself through her from behind. She didn’t even need to turn to know who it was. The blade pulled out as she fell on her right knee. The newcomer stepped in front of her to reveal another blonde. The woman bent down to Jinsol’s level and placed a hand on the injured one’s cheek, running her thumb on her bottom lip before shoving the sword back through her body. Jinsol cried out, holding the handle of the sword as it was pushed in farther and twisted.“It’s been too long, hasn’t it?” The woman licked her own lips and then bit it softly. “Do you still taste as good as I remember?” She whispered into Jinsol’s ear before tugging her hair back to reveal her neck.“Really Siyeon? I got to her first. Get your hands off of her,” Bora said in annoyance and made her way towards the two, but stopped when she sensed someone from behind. She turned around too late when her vision was blocked by pink hair and her neck snapped to the side, easily taking her out of the game. Vivi stepped over the body with rage in her eyes. Siyeon scoffed and quickly pulled the sword out, leaving Jinsol now on both knees, clenching the wounds on her stomach. “I’m going to have fun with you.”The blonde enemy charged at Vivi, slicing with her weapon, but the pink haired woman’s agility was heightened when she saw the state Jinsol was in. The sword swiped for her head as Vivi ducked, using a leg to sweep Siyeon off of her feet. The weapon flew out of her hand as the blonde fell, landing a few feet away. They both looked at it, got up, and scrambled for it. Vivi reached it first, kicking it farther when the blonde grabbed for her arm, throwing her at a nearby wall. She went back for the sword when Vivi picked herself up.“Useless without a weapon or what?” Vivi always knew what to say to make others ticked.Siyeon turned around, sword in hand before tossing it to the side from the insult. “No, I just think it’s fun to slice people up. Sol and Sooyoungie used to always try not to scream when I had them chained up. Don’t you remember, babe?” She threw a glance back at the blonde as Vivi let another growl of anger out.Jinsol was healing, but not fast enough to help as she just glared up at the sadistic woman. She stayed on her knees, gasping in pain as blood spilled between her fingers.“Jinsol.” She heard a voice to her left as Jiwoo came into view, face covered with so much blood that she wasn’t sure if it all belonged to the redhead or not.The smaller girl kneeled and helped Jinsol sit down so that her back was against Jiwoo’s leg, but in an offensive position in case anyone came to attack. “Drink.” Jiwoo bit her own wrist and offered it to Jinsol while keeping an eye on Vivi’s fight. Feeding from another vampire had healing properties, but it wasn’t enough to replenish the blood loss. They would have to find human blood.-Haseul stood frozen from the start, frustration running through her veins as she watched helplessly. The witch sat on the couch with a single leg crossed over the other, keeping Haseul’s feet rooted to the ground.Jungeun struggled as she was grabbed and pulled by two vampires. She did everything she could to get out of their grips, but it was futile. They were heading towards the entrance of the house. She screamed knowing what was going to happen. She screamed again when they tossed her through the front door. The sun blazed down as her skin slowly started to sizzle. She curled up into a fetal position to try to stop the burning, but nothing helped.The witch was too smug with herself noticing too late the dark haired vampire behind her as she was lifted up by the shoulders and tossed to the other side of the living room. With the spell broken, Haseul didn’t waste any time running for Jungeun.Sooyoung stalked over to the witch, but was stopped when she couldn’t move, much like Haseul before.The witch was on all fours, with her right arm out before standing and brushing off her clothes. “Walk,” she commanded.The spell was down when Sooyoung tried taking another step forward, but clenched her head as the same pain as before erupted through her skull. She screamed out, but stood her ground.“I said walk.” The witch gritted her teeth and nodded towards the entrance.Sooyoung complied this time, making her way to the door where she could still hear Jungeun pained voice. She walked into the sun to see Haseul standing there, shouting at Jiu, who had her arms crossed from a safe distance away from everyone else. Sooyoung didn’t recognize any of the vampires that stood by the tall redhead’s side. She reached Haseul, but couldn’t move any farther as the witch had control over them.“You’re really testing your limits aren’t you? Pulling us out when there are other houses nearby?” Haseul shouted, her temper rising.Jungeun wasn’t screaming anymore, probably have lost her voice as blood and pus oozed out of the blisters all over her body.The other leader ignored her. “I would have thought someone as noble as you would have lended your ring to one of the little ones. Guess you don’t care about them that much.”“I didn’t lend them mine in case you played dirty, which you did, and so I could kill you myself.” Haseul was usually calm, but at this moment, she wanted nothing more than to rip that woman’s head off.Jiu clicked her teeth. “You’re in no position to be threatening me, Haseul.”She tried in vain to move, but the more she struggled, the witch’s power intensified, causing her to feel like needles were being inserted all over her body. She tried again when blonde and pink hair ran past her.The witch’s mouth opened in surprise as she tried to stop them, freezing Jinsol and Vivi, but the spell on Haseul and Sooyoung broke. The taller vampire ran for the enemy as Haseul turned a different direction towards Jungeun. She scooped the barely conscious vampire up in her arms and ran into the house, carefully placing the brunette down next to the open door. The girl was making gurgling noises as she struggled from the amount of pain she had to endure.“Jungeun,” Jiwoo called out worriedly as she had watched the whole ordeal helplessly from the door. She wanted to hold the smaller girl’s hand, but was afraid of hurting her more.“I got you. I got you. I’m so sorry.” Haseul laid Jungeun’s head on her lap. She bit her own wrist and placed it slightly above, watching her blood drip into Jungeun’s mouth, the girl being too weak to feed on her own.Haseul looked out the door to see her members taking turns freezing and unfreezing as they tried to reach the enemy. The witch was only strong enough to hold two of them frozen at a time. Eventually, they’ll get there, but it never happened as Sooyoung came skidding onto the ground, the all too familiar pain shot through her head.“I suggest you back off.” Jiu still had her arms crossed as the rest of the Haseul’s clan stood their ground, not knowing what more damage the witch could do to Sooyoung. “Gahyeon, please tone it down a bit, the neighbors might hear.” The witch nodded as Sooyoung’s screams lessened. Vivi being the closest went to her side and pulled the dark haired woman into her arms.“It’s always so nice to see you two, and Sooyoung, you never do learn do you?” Jiu smiled at her ex clan members. They watched her usher a light brown hair vampire forward. “Remember back when we spent a few years in China? That was such a great time. You remember Handong don’t you? Because she sure remembers you sinking your teeth into her neck, Jinsol.”The blonde didn’t remember, having killed and sired so many people in her young days. Those her and Sooyoung have abandoned have come for them before so it wasn’t anything new, but this was the first time one got into Jiu’s hand, being manipulated by her.“This has been fun as always. I really can’t wait until the next time we meet again.” Jiu smiled softly as if they were all friends. The woman waited for Siyeon with Bora in her arms, exiting through the back of the house, before turning to leave.Sooyoung was slightly shaking, but mostly fine as she sat up on her own and helped to her feet. The three quickly made their way into the house to see Haseul desperately trying to get Jungeun to drink as much of her blood as she could while Jiwoo was saying comforting words to her.“She needs blood, quick. Our’s won’t suffice.” Haseul hated feeling helpless. They singled her out. There wasn’t a scratch on her when she looked up at her clan to see them all covered in multiple wounds. Jiu made her feel incompetent as a leader, but she quickly shook the thought out of her head as Jungeun let out another cry of pain.Jinsol tried heading out the door again with her members, but was stopped when Vivi pulled her back. “You stay here. You’re in no condition to go on a supply run.”The blonde wanted to argue, but knew she wouldn’t win, so she opted in helping Haseul move Jungeun to the couch instead. As much as it probably hurt to move the girl, the floor wasn’t an ideal place for someone so injured.To think that they were so easily targeted even when they were on guard didn’t sit well with them. They weren’t a clan to be messed with, but it’s been a long time since they’ve seen Jiu and it seems she has collected quite a few new faces.
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“This wasn’t a full on attack. It was just a show of power on who’s two steps ahead. They want us to know that no matter where we go, we aren’t safe.” Haseul ran a hand through her hair, not caring that Jungeun’s blood was getting all over it. The unconscious girl was resting on the couch having have fed from blood bags that were brought back. Most of her wounds were healed, but it still left her drained of energy. Jiwoo had Jungeun’s head on her lap, stroking the brunette’s hair, trying hard to keep it together.“It won’t be long until the dogs get here.” Vivi was the only one standing, pacing around the room with too much built up anger in her system.Haseul nodded in agreement. “I’m going to need you and Sooyoung to go pick up the rings from Yerim. I asked her to come a little earlier to her shop so that we could leave as soon as possible. I also filled her in on some stuff, but don’t mention anything about Jungeun’s injuries. Kid’s just gonna blame herself for something out of her control.”“But even if we move, without the cloaking spell, Jiu could still be tracking us.” Jinsol reached for Vivi’s hand to stop her from being so tense and pulled her down onto her lap. The pink haired woman didn’t argue as she sat down. “And with that witch, we won’t be able to know when they’re coming.” “We’ll deal with that when we can, but right now, the wolves are more of our concern.” “I’m going to kill the bitch with the sword,” Vivi mumbled under her breath.“You want to kill everyone, love.” Jinsol kissed the back of her head as she felt Sooyoung slip her hand in her’s. The icy vampire wasn’t one to usually start skinship first, but the recent events must have rattled her more than she’d like to admit. The woman was staring off at nothing, something she did too often. They always worried about each other, but sometimes, they worried a little more about Sooyoung.With their speed, taking less crowded routes, the two went on their errand to get the rings from Yerim. The familiar sound of the bell rang as they entered the shop.“Unnies.” They were greeted by the jars of herbs. The girl seemed busy picking the right combination for whatever she was doing. “I made the rings as soon as I got the shipment in. It takes time for the spell to have full effects though, so a little burning might still occur until it settles.”“As long as we don’t die, it should be fine.” Vivi followed Yerim to the counter with Sooyoung trailing closely behind.“Please don’t joke about dying, Unnie.” Yerim gave her a disapproving look and pulled out a box revealing two rings. “Peach and red, such pretty colors they picked out.” She picked the rings up and handed it to Vivi, knowing they didn’t care about any fancy box or wrapping. “Thank you so much, Yerim. Sorry for being a hassle, rushing you to do things,” Vivi said pulling out her wallet to pay.“It’s no big, I’m always glad to help.” Yerim took the money and was about to give back change, but like always, they always let her keep it. “I also made you something extra.” She slid the jar of herbs she had combined earlier and a pouch to the vampires. “There must be a reason you guys split up to come see me. The herbs are for wounds and the gemstones are for cloaking. They’ll only last about a day or two though and will need to be recharged.”“I thought you can only cloak with all of us present.” Vivi took the gifts and handed it to Sooyoung.“That’s the better option. I could keep you all cloaked if I was in your presence, but if I’m not, this will have to do.” Yerim sighed. “How bad is it?”The two vampires exchanged quick glances. “Haseul filled you in didn’t she?” The pink haired woman went to reach for her wallet again, but was stopped.“They’re gifts, Unnie. You don’t pay for gifts. And of course she filled me in, but she also never tells me the whole truth.”“It’s for the best, Yerim. We’ve brought enough trouble to you. All we need you to do is stay safe.”Yerim looked at the vampires before moving from behind the counter. She quickly wrapped Vivi into a hug, who only smiled and hugged her back. She then made her way to Sooyoung who held an arm open for her, the girl smiled and was grateful for the warm gesture. The icy vampire wasn’t keen on letting anyone outside of her members touch her, but the purple haired girl was an exception. She was basically one of them with all she has done for the clan. They were just as thankful to her as she was to them.“Please stay safe and keep me updated okay?” Yerim said softly. She knew the vampires could take care of themselves, but now knowing that Sooyoung and Jinsol’s old clan was back left an uneasy feeling in her stomach from all the stories she has heard.“We don’t know when we can be back here, so you call us if anything happens.” Vivi held onto Sooyoung’s hand, who pulled Yerim back into a small one armed embrace to give her a small kiss on the head before letting go and heading for the exit.“Should we try on the rings?” Vivi opened her palms to reveal the objects. They walked out of the alley and into another place where the sun wasn’t blazing down. They both took off their own rings and replaced them with the new ones. Vivi looked at it on her finger before trying to step out, but a hand on her arm pulled her back.“I’ll go first,” Sooyoung said as the other woman frowned.“I’m older than you, but if it gives you a peace of mind.” They both trusted Yerim’s magic, but it was just like them to try to keep each other out of harm’s way anyways.Sooyoung nodded and stepped out a bit. The sun tingled, but didn’t hurt as much. She fully stepped out to feel a slight burn.“It’s bearable.”“They can borrow our rings until these ones are in full effect.” Vivi stepped out to feel the same sensation before shrugging and going back into the shade. “Come, let’s go.”Vivi pulled out her phone to let the others know about the goods, but before she could get a word out, Haseul spoke first. “We had to leave. Blocked the windows of the man’s car as much as we could, but it’s still dangerous.” Her voice came through staticy on the other side of the line. “The wolves were getting too close. We’re heading back to the woods.”“Okay, I’ll follow your scent. Yerim got us something that will cloak us for the day, so we should be good once we meet up.” They picked up the pace, not knowing how much time they had.“How are you guys doing?” Haseul looked back from the passenger seat at the two younger ones that were wrapped from head to toe in blankets.“Fine, considering we can’t see anything,” Jiwoo answered with Jungeun’s head on her lap.The girl was doing better, but still both physically and mentally tired. They’ll have to find more blood when they can.“We’re going to have to walk the rest of the way. The trees are getting too thick,” Jinsol said as she stopped the car. It was better being in the woods where there were plenty of space to run and hide, rather than in a house, where they’d be surrounded until nightfall.Jinsol got out of the driver’s seat and opened the back door. “Hey, Jungeun-ah, I’m gonna lift you up.” The girl gave her a quiet “okay” before Jiwoo helped her out of the car.“Keep the blanket on until we’re deeper in the woods.” Haseul opened Jiwoo’s door and guided her out.They walked for a bit until the familiar scent of the same dogs they’ve met before surrounded them. They were being tracked too fast, with their blood all over the other house and on them. There wasn’t much time to clean up, so they did the best they could, but the wolves were able to pick up even small traces of anything.“Why do they keep sending you rookie dogs to get in my way? I don’t have time for this.” Haseul growled out, not keeping her usual calm demeanor.Nayoung stepped into view from behind a tree, still in her human form. She was followed by the girl named Chungha and two others. The tall one that had an arrow in her side and a much shorter girl, who they could tell was the fast small wolf.“You killed a man for his house and then have an open dual with other vampires where humans could hear.”“Are you just going to stand in my way telling me things we already know?” “You’re getting so riled up. What happened, Haseul?” The leader huffed out an air of annoyance at the way the dog said her name.“You’re really testing my patience. If you’re going to try to kill us, then do it, because I will take you all out myself.” Haseul pulled Jiwoo back so that she was standing with Jinsol and Jungeun. She felt helpless, frozen by the witch in their fight earlier, but she wasn’t going to be helpless this time.
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“All you bloodsuckers are the same,” Nayoung scoffed and shook her head in disgust.“All you dogs are the same,” Haseul retorted. “What are you even doing? Hunting vampires that have been nothing but taking out scumbags like that man we killed.”“Just because you’re immortal doesn’t make you god. You don’t get to decide who lives or dies.” As if these dogs haven’t told them the same things over and over. As if they weren’t doing the same by killing off every vampire they came across.“You all think you do so much good, but you’re fighting with the wrong “bloodsuckers”. The real big bad ones are out there and you’re just here trying to take out the one clan that can possibility take out the actual threat.”“We don’t need any of you, and you’re really underestimating us.”“No, you don’t know what underestimating means because if you did, you wouldn’t be standing here right now. You’re just a kid. Go home.” Haseul didn’t want to fight, but if she had to, she’d do anything to protect her own.Nayoung narrowed her eyes and lifted up an arm as the three behind her changed into their wolf form.Jinsol guided Jiwoo to a sitting position by a tree and carefully laid Jungeun down. “You don’t take off the blanket no matter what okay?” She saw Jiwoo nodding from under as she stood in front of them guarding.The blonde pulled out a blade from each side of the belt holster on her waist, handing one over to Haseul. They wanted to end this fight fast and silver was always the easiest option.“Don’t cry when I kill your pups. I gave you a chance to walk away.” Haseul’s fangs were fully extended, eyes looking darker than usual.The three wolves charged as their leader started to change form behind them.Haseul jumped to the side as the small wolf came at her, grabbing a chunk of the fur to swing herself on top of the enemy. The wolf shook her head back and forth to get the vampire off, but fell on her hind legs when she felt the blade dig in between her shoulder blades.“Yoojung!” Nayoung shouted out, in mid transition.Chungha leaped for Haseul who was still on top, but she quickly rolled off the injured one, landing on her feet at the side as the other wolf flew past.The young, but taller wolf they previously fought went for Jinsol and the others. The blonde waited for the dog to come at her before throwing her knife at the enemy. It took a split second for the wolf to move out of the way, but that was all Jinsol needed to run at the enemy and take hold of its neck, and sink her teeth in. The wolf howled in pain and swiped at Jinsol, who easily ducked out of the way. The blonde ran for the fallen knife and threw it at the wolf again, this time, she didn’t miss as it impaled itself in the right front leg.“You’re children! Just stop! Are you going to keep fighting as your pup has my vampire’s bite running through her system?” Haseul kept her eyes on Nayoung and Chungha as they circled around her. Yoojung also slowly got up, the blade not hitting any vital parts.Just when they were about to attack, the rest of the clan jumped into the picture. Sooyoung and Vivi stood in front of Haseul, hissing.“A leader should know when to stop fighting and retreat,” Haseul calmly said, twirling the blade in her hand. “Tell your council or whatever that there’s a much bigger threat than us out here. You can’t be that stupid to not know that there’s another clan that’s been building an army, yet you’re out here doing what? I’m just trying to keep my family safe, taking out serial rapists and murderers off the streets, and you’re just lecturing a vampire that’s too old for your brain to even comprehend.”Nayoung growled loudly and huffed before backing off a bit. Her pack did the same as the little wolf went to the taller one, much like before. “Don’t come for my clan again unless you can actually do some damage, because the next time you decide to attack, I won’t hesitate to let my members do what they want with you.” Haseul walked past the wolves as the others helped the two young ones up and followed.“Sorry we missed the fight.” Vivi rubbed a hand on Haseul’s arm, trying to calm her down.“I could barely call that a fight.” “Sooyoung and I are wearing the newer rings since the magic isn’t in full effect yet. Burns a little, but it’s fine.” Haseul nodded, still too annoyed to give a better response. Two attacks and it wasn’t even noon yet. Vivi went to the back of the group to slip her ring onto Jiwoo’s finger as Sooyoung was doing the same for Jungeun. “Much better right?” Vivi pulled the blanket off of Jiwoo and fixed the girl’s messy bangs.The redhead looked down at the pink ring. “This is yours.”“Yeah, well, you both will get your actual ones once we test it out for a bit to make sure it’s okay.” Vivi looked at Jiwoo’s ring on her own finger. “Hmm, this is really pretty though. Maybe I’ll just keep it.”“Hey, no, that’s mine.” Jiwoo pouted and Vivi would only laugh at how cute she was.“You doing okay though? I mean, considering everything.” She linked arms with the taller girl who was walking besides Sooyoung carrying Jungeun.“I mean, we’d probably be dead already if it weren’t for you guys, so I guess considering everything, it could be worse.” Jiwoo shrugged and glanced over at the weak brunette. “This isn’t the first time she’s been thrown out in the sun, probably won’t be the last, but no matter how many times it happens, the pain always feels new.”Vivi nodded, remembering the times she herself has been burned by the sun. Death by sun was one of the cruelest ways to go. Sometimes it took hours before you actually died, just laying there writhing, not even having the voice to cry out in pain anymore. She wanted nothing more than to subject Jiu and her clan to the same torture.“We’re going to go see the sasquatch,” Haseul announced up ahead with Jinsol by her side. “He’s this guy that somehow knows a bit too much about everything.”“Bigfoot exists?” Jiwoo whispered, raising an eyebrow at Vivi.The woman let out a small chuckle. “No, he lives in the woods, but is never in one place. Humans have spotted him before, believing they’ve caught a glimpse of bigfoot. He’s easy to find though, although he’s always moving here and there. You’ll know when you start smelling him.”Jiwoo raised her eyebrows again, but understood what she meant when they got deeper into the woods and the stench of wet garbage filled her nose.“You smell him don’t you?” Vivi smiled amused by the redhead’s scrunched up face as she nodded.“Codrin,” Haseul called out into the woods. “I know you’re here, you damn bigfoot!”They all stood still for a minute until part of a thick tree started moving to reveal a gigantic vampire with broad shoulders.“You really think you can camouflage with your smell stinking up the whole damn place?” Haseul huffed out some air to try to get rid of the scent.“Haseul, it’s so nice to see you.” The tall built man approached the leader, attempting to give her a hug, but she backed away instead.“Please, I’m already filthy. You’d just make me easier to track if anything.” Haseul took a step back and crossed her arms.The bigfoot didn’t take any offense and smiled. “It’s been too long.”“It’s been a long time since I’ve needed your assistance.” Haseul looked back at her clan. “That’s Jiwoo and the other is Jungeun,” she said pointing at each girl.“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I would shake your hand, but it’s a bit dirty.” He waved at Jiwoo from a distance. “And of course it’s always lovely to see the rest of you. Ah, Vivi, darling, that pink looks so good on you.”“Yeah, I know, but everything looks good on me though.” The woman said it with such seriousness that Jiwoo wasn’t sure if she was joking or not, but figured it was probably a bit of both when she heard Sooyoung scoffing next to her.“Alright, this is cute and all, but let’s get down to business.” Haseul was always one to keep everyone on track. “What do you know about Dreamcatcher?”“Well, I know it’s hung up as protection,” he started.“Don’t play stupid, Codrin.” Her voice came out snarling. “You know I’m talking about the clan.”His smile disappeared, replaced with one that was almost unreadable. “Once upon a time, your clan was one of the most feared by vampires. You kept them in check to make sure they played by your rules, but time has changed. They’re coming and I’m not sure you can stop them.”“There’s always a way to stop an uprising.”“Humans and those dogs have been hunting us like animals. Maybe this doesn’t need to be stopped.”“You really think this world ran by vampires would ever make it? You think with a clan as vicious as Dreamcatcher, vampires like you would stand a chance? They will kill you for knowing too much. They’ll kill everyone that resists them and anyone else they pleased.” Haseul licked her teeth, fangs retracted, showing no signs of attacking, but menacing nonetheless. “I’ve been staying low, but if vampires need to be kept in check again on who’s to be feared, I’m always happy to make a comeback.”Codrin smiled a nervous smile. “Haseul, we’re friends right? You’re right, Dreamcatcher is a dangerous bunch, but I wouldn’t mess with you either.” He clasped his hands together to keep from fidgeting. “I heard they’ve been running illegal feeding rings again. They’re siring the nobodies, the ones humans won’t miss. They’re also collecting the ones they’ve left behind, ones with no clans, promising them with the idea of home.”Jiwoo shuttered at the thought of Jiu’s clan getting to her and Jungeun first before Haseul’s. They weren’t easily manipulated, but can see how Jiu could charm her way through with how powerful she presented herself. Things would have turned out very differently if they didn’t make a turn in this very woods on that night they thought they would cease to exist.
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“I think I can walk on my own now.” Jungeun’s voice came out soft from Sooyoung’s arms.“Are you sure?” The woman looked down at her, eyebrows a little scrunched.“Yeah, my insides don’t feel like they’re melting anymore.”Sooyoung nodded and put her down carefully, but kept a hold on the girl in case she wasn’t ready to stand yet. Jiwoo was also by her side, an arm wrapped around her waist to steady her.Jungeun took a few test steps before giving a thumbs up. “I’m good. Thank you for carrying me, though I feel like a baby.”The tall vampire frowned. “Torture by sun is not something to be taken lightly.” She placed a hand on top of the brunette’s head before walking back to take her place besides Vivi.“There’s a place owned by some guy at the edge of the woods that knowingly sells drugs cut with lethal substances to minors,” Haseul said up ahead without looking back. “I’m not god, but since the higher power seems to be absent, and I’m here blessed with the fine gift of immortality, it’s only right to use it to cleanse the earth a little of scum like that wasting precious space.” She often spoke with such little emotion that it was sometimes difficult to differentiate whether it was sarcasm or not, and that made the clan leader all the more scarier if one did not know her.Jiwoo and Jungeun were glad that they were on Haseul’s good side, because she could be threatening someone and it’d still sound elegant. Something about the way she talks would send shivers down any person’s spine. While Jiu loved playing games, but the enemy would probably already be dead before they even realized what Haseul said was a warning of death.“The cloaking stones Yerim gave us will only last a day or two.” Vivi went to retrieve the pouch from Sooyoung before passing a gemstone to everyone.“We clear the house, and then half of us will use that as an opportunity to go find one of these feeding rings. We have to act first this time before Jiu comes for us again, thinking that she can just eliminate us any time she wants.” “Is splitting up such a good idea?” Jiwoo felt a bit anxious about having to be apart. They were already on the losing end when all of them were together.“No, but it’s our only option with Jungeun and Jinsol still needing time to recover.”“I’m fine,” Jinsol argued back.Haseul turned around. “I know you are, but a little more rest wouldn’t hurt. And if something were to happen there, you’ll still be in fighting condition.” She looked over to the others. “We need to use the cloaking stones to our advantage. Can’t have Jiu thinking that she’s always ahead of us in her little game of who’s the more superior clan. I’m going to need someone that knows where these potential feeding rings are, so Sooyoung you’re with me and also you, Jiwoo. Gotta see how well we work together.” It wasn’t that any of them doubted the younger ones, but they were new and the clan had to know their abilities in order to function well as a unit.Jinsol, having just been injured again took her role to kill the man once they reached the borderline of the woods meet city. He tasted more of drugs than the last man, a mix of bitter and sour blood. Jungeun joined in, frowning at the awful taste. Needing more blood than usual from what she had to endure, so she drank what she could.“We’ll see you guys in a bit alright?” Haseul turned to Vivi, who already looked a bit bored. “Sorry you’re gonna miss out on the fun, though we might not find anything at all.”“No, it’s fine. I’ll make sure the blonde rests.” Vivi smiled with a little playfulness behind it.“You know I can hear you right?” Anyone could tell that Jinsol was rolling her eyes from farther inside the house.Vivi’s smile grew wider knowing that she was able to get a rise out of the healing vampire.“Please try not to kill each other okay?” Haseul joked, but with a hint of seriousness because although there was no question that those two loved each other, the way they took pleasure in annoying one another got a bit much sometimes.“What, you don’t trust me babysitting?” They both knew that Jinsol was still listening to them, but the other decided not to comment again.“Vivi.” Haseul scolded.The pink haired woman threw her hands up. “Alright, alright. I’ll be good. You three stay safe okay?”Haseul waved her off and started walking away from the house as Jiwoo nodded and followed suit.“Please take care of her, of them. You know how she gets with our old clan back.” Sooyoung’s voice came out hushed.Vivi sighed and spoke in an equally quiet tone. “I know. Please be careful okay?” As much as she liked to tease her members, she sometimes hide her emotions behind her jokes.Sooyoung pulled Vivi in a quick one armed hug and kissed the top of her head before following Haseul. The shorter woman eyebrows knitted together, knowing Sooyoung wasn’t usually one to start goodbye hugs. She knew the taller vampire and Jinsol have both been acting off because of recent events, but they seemed to be more scared than she thought. It has been awhile since they last saw Jiu’s clan. Vivi thought time would heal, but it only made things worse with no closure.“They like to use clubs as a front. Mostly 18+ ones since they like young blood.” Sooyoung said as she caught up to the group. “They have vampires within the club scouting for potential feeds. They get them in by promising them of an amazing high.”It was the first time Jiwoo heard the icy vampire speak this much, and she decided that she definitely did not mind listening to her talk.“I don’t know if it’d be stupid or smart, but they might be using an old feeding ring we used to frequent around in the red light district,” Sooyoung continued, hands shoved in her leather jacket. “Are you cold?” She turned to Jiwoo who was only wearing a t-shirt.“You’re asking a vampire if she’s cold.” The smaller girl raised her eyebrows.Sooyoung shrugged. “Seemed like a nice thing to ask. Jinsol says she feels safer with an outer layer.”Jiwoo softly smiled, glad the icy vampire was warming up to her enough to talk first. “No, I’m fine, thank you though.”“Stay close when we reach the area.” Haseul looked back at the redhead who only nodded. “As if men aren’t sleazy enough, they’re even more so in the district and I’m not sure if I can stop myself from killing them if they tried anything on you.”Jiwoo hummed in response, knowing what Haseul meant. She died at a young age, her baby like features have always been present, making her look innocent when she was anything but that.“It’s not that late yet, so it might not be crowded, but they operate all day long since the vampires hoard in the back of the clubs to stay away from the sun.” Sooyoung took a hold of Jiwoo’s hand as they entered the district. “Is this okay?” The redhead looked down and then back up, nodding at the surprising contact. Not even a day ago, she never thought that she’d ever be this close to the taller vampire. She seemed so distant, even with her clan at times, but Jiwoo was starting to understand Sooyoung a bit more. She reminded her of Jungeun sometimes, cold, but soft. It was midday, but people were still being loud and staggering on the streets. Some looked their way, but didn’t bother them, seeing only glares coming from the vampires. They walked a little farther inside the area until they stood in front of a club. From the outside, they couldn’t spot any of their kind.“They usually don’t allow any vampires to linger in the front. Too obvious for those who are looking for them,” Sooyoung explained, leading them along.They went down an alley covered with tarps on top of wooden planks, a clear tell that they were trying to keep the sunlight out. Reaching the end of the darkened alley, they saw a girl with short blonde hair sitting on a stool counting money by the back entrance.Sooyoung pulled Jiwoo behind her, giving her hand to Haseul to hold instead.“Yeeun.” Jiwoo wasn’t sure how Sooyoung felt as she said the girl’s name.“Sooyoung.” the blonde looked up startled, her voice a mix of surprise and concern, not what Jiwoo was expecting. She thought she’d sense fear or something threatening. “They’re not here if that’s who you’re looking for.”“No, I wasn’t looking for them. I wasn’t even looking for you, but here you are.” Sooyoung’s voice was still a bit flat. It wasn’t exactly like how Haseul spoke, but just as hard to read. “You know why I’m here.”The girl got up from where she sat and frowned. “Are you going to kill me?” She didn’t sound scared, more hurt than anything.Sooyoung took a step forward. “We’re not on the same side anymore, but if you just walked away, I wouldn’t come after you.”Yeeun clenched her teeth. “Sometimes I wish you’d be angrier with me.” If anyone else said it, it would sound almost like they were ready to start a fight, but there was some sadness behind her voice.“You know I’m not like that, but if you or any of your clan stand in my way, I will do anything to protect my own over yours.”“I know.” The blonde sighed and walked towards the group. It was clear that both sides were not going to attack. “Good luck Sooyoung. I really mean it, but I’ll also protect my own over you and Jinsol.” She then walked past the tall vampire, looking at Haseul, giving her a nod before going towards the alley, out of their sight.“Dreamcatcher is Dreamcatcher, but they have other clans that they work with. They only grow more allies as time goes by. What vampire wouldn’t want a world where we ruled the earth?” Sooyoung shook her head, running a hand through her hair and then placed it on the doorknob of the back entrance of the club.
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Sooyoung opened the door to be met by a vampire standing right behind it. It was common to be greeted by an escort that took customers into their feeding room. The vampire didn’t even get a word in when a grip on his throat stopped him as he turned around. His eyes widen as Sooyoung pulled him in close before pushing him roughly back against the wall.Jiwoo, who still had a foot outside the club, stepped back out to pick up the stool and slammed it down to break one of its leg off before handing the makeshift stake over to the taller woman. The vampire that was pinned was too stunned to fight back. Out of all people, he was not expecting to see Sooyoung, someone almost everyone knew of that was associated with Dreamcatcher long enough.Sooyoung felt the stake being offered to her as she took a hold of it, pressing the sharp end to the enemy’s chest.“They promised you false hopes, but I can promise you more,” Sooyoung whispered into his ear before ramming the stake through his heart, turning him into nothing but dust. “A quick death that you don’t deserve.” He’s heard of that line before. Jiu often said it before turning willing participants. It was the last thing he heard as a human and also the last thing as a vampire. Sooyoung gave a quiet thanks to Jiwoo before handing her the stake and leading them deeper into the back of the club.There was an open room with a bunch of empty seats that was set up like a waiting room. To the left was a hallway with different rooms with their doors closed. Sooyoung opened the closest one to the right to see a barely conscious woman being fed on by a messy feeding vampire, whose face was covered in red, blood dripping down her chin. The vampire tore her face away from the woman’s neck at the sound of the intrusion. She hissed and tossed the body to the side, getting up to her feet.“Sooyoung,” she hissed out and took quick steps forward, but was stopped by Haseul who stood in between.“You say her name as if you know who is going to be the cause of your death.” The vampire growled at Haseul’s taunting and raised her right arm to attack, but Haseul gripped the enemy’s wrist, twisting it before grabbing a bunch of the vampire’s hair to toss her behind. Sooyoung gave out a smirk as the vampire was thrown at her. She finally showed her fangs as she leaned her head back before coming forward to sink her teeth into the woman before her. The vampire screamed and tried to pull away, but before the scream could attract much attention, Sooyoung took a handful of hair and an arm before tearing the vampire’s head cleanly off of her shoulder. The body fell to its knees, turning into dust before it could hit the floor.They turned to hear a grunt of pain and another vampire was at the door as Jiwoo staked him through the heart.“Haven’t done that in awhile,” Jiwoo commented, forgetting the feeling of thrill as she looked down at the weapon in her hand.“How does it feel?” Haseul asked knowing that killing your own kind was a different feeling than feeding on helpless humans.“Like I finally have some control over my life.” It’s been too long since she has had hope. Her and Jungeun were going day in and day out only thinking about how to survive the next day. They never thought that they’d ever have a future beyond running and hiding until recent.The two gave her a small smile before moving on to the next room. They cleaned each out quickly and then headed to the last room at the end of the hall. Before they could get too close, the door swung open and vampires came pouring out. Sooyoung didn’t even hesitate as she lunged forward at the oncoming bloodsuckers. Snapping necks left to right as Jiwoo staked the fallen ones while fighting off enemies of her own.Jiwoo thought she’d be rusty, fighting against more vampires than she ever had in years, but it was like her body moved on autopilot, knowing there were others who now had her back. And just at that thought, she felt fingers graze at the back of her neck, but the hand was immediately pulled away and she was met with Haseul’s angry but protective eyes.It didn’t take long for them to take out the seven or so of low ranked vampires. Each too weak and inexperienced to go up against ones that were all over a hundred years old. All became dust except for one that stepped out of the room last.“What are you? The final boss or something?” Haseul asked sarcastically, unimpressed by the size of vampire who stood well over a foot taller than her.He snarled and advanced, his heavy footsteps making more noise than necessary.She glanced back at her clan, Jiwoo getting the message without Haseul having to say a word as she tossed the stake over to her.Haseul ducked as he took a swing at her and took the opportunity to stab his left foot with the weapon. He howled in pain as she swung her body behind him, sending quick jabs of the stake in different places behind his back before throwing the weapon to Sooyoung to finish him off without breaking a sweat.“That was no fun.” Haseul let out a sigh, almost bored that none of these vampires were a challenge. “You think Jiu will know it was us that took out one of her feeding rings?“Are you forgetting Yeeun?” Sooyoung dropped the stake and dusted off her hands.Haseul hummed in response before nodding her head towards the open door the vampire’s came pouring out of. “Heartbeats.” She didn’t need to say, the other two already heard them.They took a step forward when Haseul immediately moved her head slightly to the right as an arrow came at her face. It went flying past her and into Jiwoo’s grip, stopping it from going any farther before she turned the sharp end around to throw back into the room. A grunt was heard, followed by a thud as a body hit the floor. More arrows came out as they ducked into other rooms with Jiwoo to the right and the other two on the left.“Hunters?” The youngest questioned after hearing more footsteps come out. These humans mainly worked with werewolves or on their own, but never with vampires. They were the very thing hunters were against.She saw Haseul shrug before the woman came skidding out of the room, coming right under a hunter. She smirked up as he aimed his weapon at her, but it was already too late. She gripped it, pulling him down with her, biting into his wrist as he let go and screamed in pain. Haseul tossed the weapon back as Sooyoung stepped out to catch it and used their own crossbow against them. The leader used the man as a human shield as she stood up. The other enemies fired, he screamed with each arrow that hit his body before any sound from him ceased.Jiwoo hid behind Sooyoung who took steady steps forward, firing, and when they got close enough, she pounced on a tall man who had a gun up. A bullet lodged itself into the ceiling as he fell to the ground with the small vampire on top of him. She left him laying there, bleeding out, and jumped onto the next hunter that got too close.“You’re scared now? But you weren’t scared when you made a deal with vampires like Jiu?” Jiwoo heard Haseul ask as she finished off the human.She stood up and wiped her mouth with the back of her palm. There was one hunter left, gun up, hands shaking.“What did she promise you?” Haseul asked another question, but it didn’t seem like she was looking for an answer. “Because whatever she said are nothing but lies. You think she’d let you live when her one goal in the end is to kill of powerless humans?”“If you’re going to kill me then just kill me, because I’m not going to tell you anything.” The hunter decided to act brave despite her knuckles white from gripping her weapon so tight.“Maybe I’ll let you live with the memories of all your traitor comrades being torn apart.” She started walking away as Sooyoung and Jiwoo followed, but as she reached the end of the hallway, she turned back around and gave out a soft smile. “Oh, I guess you can also send Jiu a message for me.” “Has anyone ever told you that you’re scary sometimes?” Jiwoo asked, crossing her arms as she caught up.Haseul chuckled lightly. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re still cute even with all that blood all over your face?”Jiwoo frowned and tried to wipe futilely at her face. “Jungeun has,” she mumbled under her breath and used both hands but it did nothing but squish her cheeks together, making her look more childish than she already did.She stopped her action when she felt a jacket being draped over she shoulders and looked to her left to see Sooyoung in a black crop top.“Your shirt has blood stains all over it. People are going to question.” The tall vampire said without looking.If Jiwoo could blush, she’d be blushing right now. “Thank you,” she let out quietly.“You think Vivi and Jinsol are playing nice?” Haseul asked from a little up front.“If anything, they’re probably babying Jungeun.” Sooyoung shrugged, knowing that’d be the most likely scenario.She wasn’t wrong, knowing her members a little too well.“Are you sure you don’t need anymore blood?” Jinsol asked as she was the one pacing around the room this time. Jungeun nodded. “I’m getting bloated from all the blood you keep feeding me.” Her head was resting on Vivi’s shoulder as older vampire stroked her hair. The younger one was laying down before but wasn’t feeling too well, so she opted to sitting up with Vivi volunteering to be her headrest.“Okay, I’m just making sure.” Jinsol scratched her head and paced around quicker. “Would you stop pacing? They’ll be fine.” Vivi tried to reassure, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t worried either.Jinsol was about to sit down when the doorbell rang. They all looked up at each other, having not noticed any presences, but then remembered about the cloaking stones. “I’ll get it,” the already up vampire said, walking towards the front door. She didn’t bother looking through the peephole, because if it was Jiu’s clan cloaking with the witch, they probably wouldn’t ring the doorbell before attacking.The blonde opened the door to be met by another blonde who spoke first.“Mother.”
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“What are you doing here?” Jinsol scrunched her eyebrows in question.“You’re not going to invite me in?” The smaller blonde asked and peered into the house. “Though it doesn’t look like I need to be invited in. Doesn’t seem like a place you’d settle into for long.”Jinsol unfroze from her spot before moving to the side. The new guest took a step in before she was engulfed into a tight hug. “It’s been too long.” The older vampire held on for a little longer than necessary.“It really has been and I’m sorry for that.” The girl melted into the hug, not wanting to let go either.They made their way into the house after the warm greeting. Vivi and Jungeun sat up straighter, realizing it wasn’t their clan that was back.“Jungeun, this is Chaewon. Chaewon, this is Jungeun, a new member of the clan,” Jinsol introduced.“You didn’t tell me you had a new member.” Chaewon raised her eyebrows before Vivi got up from her seat to give her an equally tight hug. “You haven’t been around,” the pink haired vampire commented before telling their guest to sit down.Jungeun fumbled with her fingers nervously. She wasn’t used to being around strangers in such close quarters. She took in the sight of the smaller girl. The blonde was pale, her clothes black, which was such a contrast to her skin and hair. There was a small greenish pouch that hung from a thin crossbody black strap that rested to her right. The necklace she wore looked familiar, but Jungeun couldn’t pinpoint where she’s seen it before.“It’s not like you to come dropping by unannounced.” Jinsol sat close to the girl, their hands intertwined with one another.“You probably wouldn’t have seen me for awhile longer, but the necklace called.” Chaewon reached her right hand up to fiddle with the crescent moon necklace that had a clear orb filling in most of the empty part of the moon. “Yerim was attacked.”Jungeun took in a breath. That’s where she’s seen the necklace before. Yerim wore one that was quite similar, but instead of that shade of green for the crescent, her’s was purple.“What?!” Jinsol and Vivi exclaimed at the same time.“She’s fine,” Chaewon reassured immediately, regretting not having said that part right after. “But it’s not every day she’s attacked like that. She told me you guys filled her in, but we both assume there’s more to it than you’re letting on. Time to spill because whether you want her or me involved, we’ve been involuntarily pulled in. I’m not going to sit around when my family’s being attacked.”Vivi let out a growl. “That bitch is really asking for it.”“I heard rumors she’s out collecting vampires she has sired, vampires her clan has sired,” Chaewon said ignoring Vivi’s usual comment while looking at Jungeun in the corner of her eye. It wasn’t often the clan made friends let alone have new members.“Are you scared she’ll come after you again?” Jinsol asked. “I’ll kill her before she lays a hand on you.”“That is a concern, but I’m more worried about you guys and my coven.” The small blonde let out a sigh. “I’m not even supposed to be here right now. Heejin is accompanying Hyejoo to Jeju again since she hasn’t been feeling too good lately.”“Is she okay? You should go back.” Jinsol didn’t want Chaewon having to deal with two problems at once.“She’s fine. We’re just taking precautions. And as much as I trust you all with my life. Fighting against witches is a bit different and I’m not about to leave Yerim on her own.”Jinsol nodded. “The rumors are most likely true. The others are checking out a potential feeding ring as we speak.”“I assumed so. Yerim’s cloaking stones cloak you from others, but she made it so our coven can track it. Safety measures.”They all heard the front door swing open as they turned their attention to the entrance.“Mama!” The small blonde practically jumped out of her seat and ran into Sooyoung’s arms, who let out a small grunt from the unexpected contact.The icy vampire’s normally expressionless face gave out a soft smile as she pat the small one on the head and gave her a kiss on the crown.A black cat meowed as it rubbed itself in front of Sooyoung’s legs before the woman picked it up, cradling the animal like a baby.Jungeun swore the cat wasn’t there just a moment ago, but didn’t say anything about it.“Unnie,” the blonde greeted the leader and gave her a hug as well. “Another new member?” She motioned over to Jiwoo who was too busy trying to still rub off the remaining blood on her face, not wanting to look like a mess in front of the guest.Haseul smiled in response and introduced the two. “Can’t forget Aeongie as well,” she cooed at the cat as it jumped from Sooyoung’s arms to Haseul’s.“She’s cute.” Chaewon gestured to Jiwoo in the oversized leather jacket.“She’s also older than you,” Sooyoung said walking over and taking a seat next to Jinsol, making room for Chaewon who sat in the middle.“Ah, as expected, another unnie.” The blonde smiled a crooked smile. “Yeojin says hi by the way.”Haseul sat on the far side of the other couch as Jiwoo took a seat next to Jungeun on the right after washing her face. “How is she?”“Besides the occasional pranking? She’s fine.” “Fine” seemed like the word Chaewon chose to describe everyone in any situation. “She’s talking my ears off more than usual these days though.”The cat walked off of the leader’s lap, purring as it went to each of the younger vampires, purring. Jungeun took notice of the collar, it had the same necklace as Yerim and Chaewon.This time, curiosity got the best of her. “The necklace.” Jungeun took the cat’s necklace in her hand to examine. It was yellow in color.“My coven’s necklace,” Chaewon spoke. “She seems to like you two. The brat usually doesn’t like anyone.”At the mention of the cat, it turned around to face Chaewon and let out a hiss.“Be quiet, brat.” The blonde rolled her eyes and crossed her legs, looking like a princess. “The necklace connects all the members together. It swirls colors when one of us is in danger.” She held her own necklace in her hand. “Mine swirled purple for Yerim, but she’s fine.” Adding the last part of the sentence in, learning from her mistake after telling Jinsol and Vivi.“Where is she now?” Haseul asked, eyes growing dark. They thought they were doing something by taking out a feeding ring, but Jiu seemed to be moving faster.“At her shop. She was attacked right outside of it when she was coming back from lunch.” Chaewon scoffed and then continued, “attacking on protected grounds as if it’d do anything.”“If that’s so, it was probably just a scare tactic.” Haseul reasoned. “We encountered Jiu outside of the shop too. She apparently has been keeping tabs on us. She knew we were coming in and out of the place.”“Her ego’s so big, she knows she can’t rule this city with the clan in the way.” Chaewon played with the ring on her finger.Jiwoo and Jungeun looked at each other confused. Necklace of a witch with a daywalker ring of a vampire.“Ever met a hybrid?” Chaewon smirked, noticing the looks on the newer clan members. “Mom says I’m special, but I already know that.”“Where do you get your cockiness from because it isn’t from me,” Jinsol commented.A small chuckle could be heard as they turned to look at Sooyoung who was smirking to herself.“Oh god, I forgot how annoying you could get sometimes.” Jinsol rolled her eyes at Sooyoung who only smirked again in response.“What are we going to do about the situation?” Haseul spoke up, playing her role of keeping the members on track.“Who attacked exactly?” Vivi asked.“I didn’t recognize either of them. A witch and a short haired vampire.” “Like Haseul said, seems like a scare tactic that’s making us question whether to keep Yerim close to us or we should still keep away from her since none of the older members were present.” Vivi leaned back on the couch as the cat stretched out and laid on her lap.“Yerim’s not going to want to stick together. She has a business to run and a human life she has to attend to.” Chaewon got up from her seat as the cat climbed up the blonde and laid lazily on her shoulder. “I just came as a messenger. I’ll be walking Yerim home like I usually do. Probably stick around until Hyejoo or Heejin calls too.”Jinsol stood up. “Please stay safe and take care of each other. Dreamcatcher isn’t playing around.”“We will and I know they mean business from the looks of it.” It was obvious to her that Jungeun was thrown out into the sun. It was a common sign when the brunette kept massaging her arms as if they were still burned although everything physical was healed.“I wish you could stay longer.” Jinsol pouted and hugged the smaller girl as Sooyoung got up to do the same. “Me too.” Chaewon tried to get out of the small group hug as her parents squeezed tighter before letting go. “It was nice meeting you two. I’d love to hang around and chat, but I gotta bounce.” The two waved her bye, not knowing what else to do as they just met the girl. They had so many questions, but stayed quiet, not sure if it was their place to ask or not, figuring they’d get answers later anyways.The blonde hybrid and cat disappeared in a quick swirl of eden green and yellow colors. Jiwoo and Jungeun gave each other another look. There weren’t many witches that could teleport, let alone teleport with another living creature.“We should have mentioned that we have an extended member to the clan,” Haseul explained. “She used to be around more when she was younger, but she’s always been more of a witch than a vampire by heart.”“So like a subunit?” Jiwoo asked, referring to the most similar thing she could think of.Haseul let out a laugh. “Like a subunit,” she repeated.
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1882“Don’t you get bored sometimes?” Jinsol asked as they got ready for the night. “Seems like I’m the only one not having as much fun as I used to these days.”“If you have something to say then just say it.” Sooyoung sat on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, waiting for the blonde to be done.“I just—,” Jinsol paused and frowned. “We’re immortal Sooyoung.” She walked over and got closer, lowering her voice. “We could be doing so many things that sometimes killing off all of these helpless humans just seem trivial, yet that seems like all we’ve been doing for the past 100 years or so.”“You guys ready to go?” Another voice interrupted their conversation as Jinsol stood back up straight.“Yeah, just give me a second, Jiu.” The blonde’s face went back to her usual carefree smile as she picked up shoes to put on.“You’re with me tonight.” Jiu smirked, pulling Sooyoung up by the hand and wrapped her arms around her waist.Sooyoung kept her eyes on Jinsol, the blonde seemed like she didn’t just question their whole purpose in this life as she chatted away happily with Siyeon and Bora. “Isn’t my new blade so pretty?” Siyeon pulled it out of the sheath. “I don’t know why you prefer your knives over something like this.” She started twirling the sword around and slicing the air.“You’re complaining about the knives when you’re the one that gave them to me?” Jinsol rolled her eyes, pretending to be annoyed.“The old ones you came in with were so bland.”“Leave her alone. The knives are cute,” Bora said as she put her arm around the blonde’s shoulders.“Cute? You know how many people I’ve killed with this?” Jinsol shrugged off the arm. “Why are you guys always teasing me?” She whined.They both laughed, but didn’t answer the pouting vampire as they walked out of the house.The clan wore their most outlandish clothes, all black with parts of their skin showing, something no woman dared to do. People stared and talked as they passed, but it only made their confidence go up, knowing that none of these people opinions mattered if they’d eventually die anyways.There was a small town they arrived at that was rumored to have an orphanage full of witches that were suppressed of using their powers due to fear of the unknown. “Seungyeon’s clan is around and wants to join in on this one, but they’ll be fashionably late like always. We’ll just start the party first so they can easily find us.” Jiu took a swig from her bottle before pouring it in front of a house and setting it on fire. “This is going to be fun. Imagine the little abandon witches waking up in their new lives wanting revenge on those who’ve done them wrong. They’ll do most of the killing for us.” She grabbed for Sooyoung’s hand again.“Let me go with Jinsol tonight.” Sooyoung lightly shook off the hand. “She’s been feeling a bit sentimental about old times when it was just us two, so I thought maybe this might do her some good.”Jiu smiled although she wasn’t happy about the sudden change in plans. “Jinsol’s always been a lot softer than the rest of us. Makes me wonder how you two have been together for so long with such difference in personalities.”“Siyeon and Bora adore her just fine.” Sooyoung knew Jiu favored her and hated the way the leader would make small offhand comments about Jinsol in a way to make it seem not insulting.“I adore her too. I was just pointing out how opposites attract sometimes.” Jiu tried reaching out for Sooyoung again, but the icy vampire crossed her arms. “Oh, come on, Sooyoung.”“I’m going with Jinsol tonight. Take the other two.” She walked away before Jiu could say anything more. She linked her arm with Jinsol who had been helping the other members with lighting up another house.“I thought Jiu wanted you with her?” Jinsol questioned after Bora got a bit whiny that she hasn’t been killing with the blonde lately.“I asked to switch,” Sooyoung simply explained.“If this is about what I said earlier then just forget about it. I was just in a mood is all.”“Since when have you been one to lie to me?” The slightly taller of the two asked, but didn’t make eye contact.“What do you mean?” Sooyoung hated when Jinsol played dumb, both knowing the blonde was anything but that no matter how absent minded she usually acted. “Say what you want to say to me. Don’t take it back as if you can’t talk to me about how you really feel.” Sooyoung stopped in her tracks making them both stand still as they stared at each other. “I would never pick anyone over you and I’m sorry if I’ve been making you doubt that.”“Sooyoung.” There was pain behind Jinsol’s eyes, more than she thought she would have at the other vampire’s reassurance. “I don’t doubt you. I’m just scared.”“We do what we have to do tonight and then we talk.” Sooyoung pulled them along. “Since the start, we’ve agreed that clans are clans, but in the end, it’ll always be just us two okay? Nothing’s changed.”Jinsol nodded as she held onto Sooyoung’s hand. “Jiu would never let us out that easily.”“We’ll deal with that when the time comes, but right now, let’s just feed. I’m getting hungry.” Sooyoung knocked on the door of a house.It only took several minutes for a man to open the door, questioning why they were there in the middle of the night. He was such an easy target, stepping out to close the door behind him, afraid of making noise that’ll wake his family.Sooyoung took the opportunity and yanked him over, pushing him towards Jinsol who quickly sank her teeth into his neck. His screams were muffled by the hand over his mouth as he started to feel dizzy from the blood loss. Jinsol tossed him before bending down to bite her own wrist, dripping some of her blood into the man’s mouth. Sooyoung opened the door, picked up the man, and threw him back in.It was a routine they often did after joining the clan. Jiu smiled as she first explained to them of how it just made sense to only turn one person in a house. Let them wake up with no control over their blood lust as they kill off the rest of their family. It was evil, but Jiu had no concept of what that meant. With so much power, they could do whatever they wanted with almost no consequences.The orphanage was easy to spot after being down with several other kills. The tall metal front gate was already pried open, indicating that their members were probably already in. They pushed the heavy ajar door open to hear screams and saw blood on the floor. The stairs creaked as they slowly made their way up. Some rooms were open while others were closed, but there was only one with lights spilling out from the gap under the door of one them.Their footsteps made prints of red as they walked. Jinsol tried twisting the doorknob of the lit room, but it didn’t budge. She gripped it tighter in her hand before giving it an even harder twist, ripping the handle from the wood before kicking her way in. In the middle of the floor was a blonde girl with her legs crossed. Their entrance only made her slightly flinch, but other than that, she didn’t look scared even as they circled her. She was surrounded by her own circle of candles and other objects. For an orphanage of suppressed witches, this one didn’t seem too powerless.They hissed at her threateningly, but she only kept her hands slightly raised up by her side as they bled through her balled up fists. “Are you not afraid?” Sooyoung asked with her voice low.“What’s to fear if we all die anyways?” The small blonde kept a straight face as she had her eyes trained on the two intruders.Jinsol went behind her and swept the girl’s hair to the back, exposing her neck. “For someone so young to accept death is a great gift.” The vampire softly pierced the skin with her teeth, making it as painless as possible.The girl only grunted briefly, but other than that, made no noise of fear or discomfort.Sooyoung took her place on the other side of the girl’s neck and sank her teeth in as well, but quickly pulled away when the witch held onto her hand. Sooyoung stood up from the sudden contact and let Jinsol finish as she bite her own wrist again to feed to the now unconscious girl.As they got up to leave, the girl let out a scream. They looked at each other in confusion. Transitions didn’t happen that quick or did they ever have the victim emit swirls of lights around their body.“What spell was she casting?” Sooyoung asked, pulling Jinsol behind her.“I don’t know. Some blood magic? I mean, her hands were freakin’ bleeding.” They’ve turned witches before, but they’ve never experienced this.The girl on the ground curled up into a ball before seemingly going unconscious again. The two vampires got close and bent down to check the result of their victim, but as Jinsol reached out, her arm was grabbed.“Please don’t leave me,” the girl cried out. She blindly stared up with blood leaking out of eyes, replacing what should have been tears. “Mother, please.”Jinsol looked at Sooyoung not knowing what to do.“We need to go.” The dark haired vampire pulled at Jinsol’s arm.“I can’t just leave her. She just called me mother for christ sakes. Who does that?” Jinsol’s voice was in a panic.“You’re not her mother. She’s a witch. She’s just playing tricks, manipulating you.” Sooyoung tugged at her arm again.“Sooyoung,” Jinsol said, not knowing what she was pleading for while still holding the crying girl in her arms.She let out a small growl. “You wanted out didn’t you? I guess your prayers have been answered.”“It’s not supposed to happen this fast. We said we were going to talk about it.” Jinsol was conflicted. She did want to leave the clan because no matter how much time has passed, the only person she still considered family was Sooyoung, but if they left, their lives would be in danger.“Well, it’s happening, and what’s there to talk about? I know you’ve been thinking about this for awhile now. You haven’t seemed happy and I should have said something, but I wanted you to come to me first.”“What are we supposed to do? Take the kid and run? I’m not sure if I’m ready to take care of a newborn.” Jinsol lifted the smaller blonde up into her arms.“Like you said, she called you mother. Let’s just hope she doesn’t try to kill us. As if Jiu coming after us won’t be enough trouble. And if the little witch does want to kill us, we’ll get rid of the problem easily.” Sooyoung started walking out of the room as Jinsol followed, but stopped when she came face to face with someone.“Yeeun.” Sooyoung tried to block the two behind her out of view, but she knew it was pointless.“What are you doing?” The other vampire peered into the room. “We don’t keep any younglings, especially witches.”“Why are you telling me something I already know?” There was no point in hiding it anymore when the situation was obvious. “Move out of my way, Yeeun.”“What are you going to do? Jiu trusts you, Sooyoung. You’re breaking her rules.”“I know she trusts me, but I don’t hear Jinsol’s name coming out of your mouth when you speak of trust. You know where my loyalty lies and I can’t be in a clan knowing the leader doesn’t have Jinsol’s back.”“You’re brave, I’ll give you that, but I can’t let you just leave.” Yeeun blocked the door, fangs extended.“Out of all people, I thought you’d understand.” Sooyoung looked a bit hurt by what was said. “How many times have you come to me for a listening ear? Not once have I told anyone or judged you for sticking around even though you’ve been dissatisfied with all of this pointlessness.”Yeeun clenched her teeth. “They’re my family. I owe them my life.”“Jinsol is my family. The only person I owe my life to is her, you know that.” Sooyoung reached behind to tug the quiet blonde closer. “I’m sorry I can’t take you with me. I know you wouldn’t leave even if I asked, but please just let us go.”The vampire before them let out a sigh and moved away from the door. It was true that she confided in Sooyoung when she was afraid of telling her own members the truth. “You only have a few minutes. Our clans are supposed to meet up. I can’t lie to them.”“Then don’t, but we’re leaving and we’re not coming back, even if it means we’ll be hunted.” Sooyoung used her free hand to place behind Yeeun’s neck to pull her in for one last kiss on the forehead. “I hope one day you’ll be free to do what you want.”“Me too, but if we meet again on opposite sides, just know I won’t be able to let you go again.”“I know. Thank you, Yeeun,” Sooyoung said gratefully as she walked passed the girl with Jinsol and the small blonde in tow.Living for so long meant being thrusted into different situations endlessly. With so much time to overthink, nothing was ever a permanent deal even though they’d like to pretend it was. Vampires moved from clan to clan with passing of members and leaders, but leaving unannounced was often punished by death.
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“Do you smell that?” Haseul asked as they walked through the woods.“Blood.” Jiwoo answered for the group. She took another whiff of the air around them. “Smells like the pups.” “Should we head another way?” Vivi was ready to turn around. “No, let’s see what’s going on. I don’t hear much noise, so whatever happened seems to be over.” Haseul lead them through as the trees got thicker.The smell of blood got more strong that they wondered if the werewolves they sensed were even alive anymore, but their question was answered when they saw the two younger pups from before laying next to each other.“Heartbeats, but faint.” Jinsol went ahead to check out the situation. “Could be a trap. Stay here,” she said taking careful steps as the others kept their eyes open for potential threats.She reached for the smaller of the two when a bloody hand tried reaching out for her.“Don’t touch her,” the taller of the two werewolves growled out.“Look, we’re not here to fight or anything. We were on our way out when we smelled you guys.” Jinsol looked down at the young girl who could barely open her eyes from the amount of blood that was blocking her vision. She looked back at her clan and motioned Haseul over. “With your permission, we would like to help.”The girl looked hesitate at first, but came to the conclusion that they’d die either way whether it was by the vampires or by blood loss. “Please help her first.” She pointed weakly over to her unconscious friend.“There’s enough hands to help the both of you. What’s your name?” Haseul asked while rummaging through Jinsol’s backpack for supplies. “I need you to try to stay awake for me, can you do that?”The girl nodded. “Doyeon. That’s Yoojung.”“Ok good, Doyeon. These are a mix of herbs that will stop the bleeding.” Haseul showed the material in her hands before passing them off to Jinsol to work on. “We’re going to need take care of that before moving you guys, but if it’s the hospital you need to go to, you know it’s dangerous for us to head there.”“The device in my jacket.” Doyeon motioned to her clothing that was a bit far away. “You can just press and hold on to the red button. It signals my pack to my location.Vivi went to go fetch the jacket, digging around the pockets until she found a small black walkie talkie like device and pressed the button before kneeling down to help. The rest of the clan stood around the group as they worked in case enemies came.Haseul rolled Yoojung onto her side. The girl had a large gash on her back that ran from the left shoulder blade to the right side of her hip. Vivi poured water over the wound and did the same with a bottle of alcohol to save on material, and then took some of the herb paste Jinsol made to apply onto the girl.“I’m assuming vampires attacked you?” Jinsol asked gently as she wiped away blood from the injured wolf’s head. “How long ago?”“5, 10 minutes. I’m not too sure.” Doyeon grunted, trying to hold in the pain. “We were out patrolling when that clan you’ve talked about came out of nowhere. Dreamcatcher.”Jinsol tensed at the mention of the other clan. “You should be healing faster than this, but you’re not.” She pointed out the obvious. “Poison?”“Could be,” Doyeon’s voice trembled as the pain got more intense.“That’s a whole different set of herbs.” The blonde looked up at Haseul who was thinking the same as the leader went into the backpack to get more things out. “About how long will it take for your pack to get here?” Haseul knitted her eyebrows together. “I’m not going to lie. You both need to go to a hospital as soon as possible. There’s only so much we could do.”“Shouldn’t be long.” Doyeon’s voice was quieter as her eyelids drooped.“Hey, hey, stay awake. You’re going to be fine, okay?” Jinsol gave light taps to the tall girl’s face as her eyes fluttered open. “You always knew this dangerous path was for you or what?” She questioned to try to keep the girl awake.“Yoojung, I’ve known her since we were kids. We’re new to this, but we’re good, or that’s what we’ve been told. I’m not too sure anymore.”“No, I’m sure you are. It’s just been shitty luck that you had to come across my clan and Dreamcatcher.” Jinsol looked up to catch Haseul’s eyes telling her the situation didn’t look too good. The three other standing members turned their heads to the direction sound was coming from. They took an offensive position knowing whoever was heading their way could attack first before asking questions.The wolf’s leader and the two second in command in their werewolf form came into view with anger in their eyes.Haseul stood with her arms up to let Vivi take over tending to Yoojung’s wounds. “We didn’t attack them. We’re not here as enemies.”“Then what are you doing here?” Nayoung didn’t get a chance to get closer to Haseul as Sooyoung stood in between, something that seemed to happen often, but the smaller leader lightly pushed her aside telling her that it was okay.“There’s not really much time to chat. You need to get your members to a hospital. They’re losing too much blood and we’re suspecting that they’ve been poisoned because they’re not healing as fast as they should be.” Nayoung’s face paled as she walked past the vampires and to her members. “If you’d just let us put on some medicine that will absorb the poison, we’ll let you on your way with them.” Haseul still had her arms up in case the pack still thought she was a threat.Nayoung bent down as Jinsol stood up from the injured girl. “Doyeon.” “They’re helping. Please, Yoojung.” Doyeon nodded her head to the other girl who was still on her side.Nayoung looked up at Haseul. “Do what you have to do.”The vampires took their positions back to the werewolves and started to apply the new set of mixed herbs on the wounds.“After 15 minutes, scrap the medicine off. The bleeding has already stopped, but they’re probably going to need a transfusion with what they’ve lost. I don’t know about their internal injuries though,” Haseul explained as she got to work quickly.“I’m going to lift her up.” Jinsol motioned to Doyeon.“I’ll do it.” Nayoung placed her arms under Doyeon as the blonde stood out of the way, not wanting to interfere.Haseul stood as well, watching the pack’s leader place the tall girl on the back of one of the wolves. She returned to pick up Yoojung and did the same as she signaled for her two members to go.Nayoung turned her attention back to the clan. “Talk.”“Like I said. We were helping. We were on our way out when we found them like that.” Haseul was still covered in blood, but it didn’t seem to bother her as much as it did with Nayoung. The younger girl was trying to wipe her hands of her member’s blood.“Why does that sound so unlikely? I don’t care that Doyeon said you were helping. For all I know, this could just be a ploy to try to convince us you’re on our side,” Nayoung sneered.“Yet you’re standing here alone and my clan looks anything but threatening. If anything, they look rather bored.” Haseul glanced back at her members who were talking amongst themselves. “Doyeon mentioned a clan’s name. Dreamcatcher ring any bells?”Nayoung straightened up. “Dreamcatcher doesn’t leave people alive.”“Well they did, probably thinking the poison would kill them anyways. You should be grateful that it was probably just a warning to you and your wolves.”“And you just happen to find them.” Nayoung was still not convinced. “My hunter reported back to me. The club in the red light district ring any bells?”Haseul scoffed. “I left that hunter alive to give a message to Jiu, but I guess it’s my fault for thinking that’d work out. I was hoping she wouldn’t be stupid enough to try to lie to you about it, but that’s my fault.” The leader clicked her teeth in annoyance. “Ask me how I think your pups have been poisoned. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jiu obtained it from your hunters.”“They wouldn’t be that sloppy.” “Or they just don’t care. Why were your hunters spotted in a feeding ring only known by vampires?” Haseul watched as Nayoung tried to come up with something. “A leader should attend to their pups who are clinging to life rather than talking to some vampires who just might have saved your pups lives.”“Stop telling me what a leader should and should not do,” Nayoung yelled out.“I wouldn’t have to if you acted the part better. Tell me, who trained you because it sure wasn’t Jihyo.”Nayoung raised her eyebrows at the mention of the name. “You know Jihyo?”“I know many wolves, but I’ve never heard of you. If you want answers, call Jihyo. We need to talk anyways.” Haseul started walking away. “We’re done here. Go take care of your pups. And try to stay away from the woods, would you.”“It’s our home.”“Not as long as Jiu is around. She’s obviously trying to make it uninhabitable.” Haseul led the clan to walk past the wolf as she did nothing to stop them from leaving.“Who’s Jihyo?” Jiwoo asked, finally speaking up from just observing the situation. It seemed that was a lot of what her and Jungeun were doing as they were still trying to get into the flow of how everything worked with this clan.“A wolf that has been around longer than the ones we’ve been dealing with. She trained for some ungodly amount of years before becoming who she is today,” Haseul explained. “A respectful werewolf. One that knows that not everything is so black and white.”The younger ones hummed in response. It wasn’t unheard of for vampires and werewolves to be on friendly terms with each other, but it was a lot rarer these days with vampires being hunted more than usual. “As much as we don’t want to involve Yerim, she’s already involved isn’t she?” Vivi hated the idea of asking the younger girl for help. “With the witch on their side, there’s no way we’ll be able to track them and our cloaking stones probably only have a day left.”Haseul sighed. “You’re right. It’d probably be a lot better if we talk to her soon rather than trying to protect her from staying away since that doesn’t seem to be working.”
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“Do you guys hear that?” Vivi asked as they got a few blocks from Yerim’s shop.“It’s a bit too quiet,” Jungeun replied taking notice of how still the air was.“Exactly.” They knew eyes were on them as they walked the streets, but they couldn’t do anything about it now. It wasn’t long before they felt themselves getting surrounded. The first batch came from behind restaurants and other stores, a hoard of vampires pouring out from alleys before more from all different directions.“Get Jungeun to Yerim’s. Now.” Haseul pushed the two younger ones as they tried making a path. As healed as Jungeun was, she didn’t want to risk it if she still wasn’t in good mental and physical condition to fight.The leader grabbed a vampire by the face as it flew at her, shoving him back, bringing down a few others on the way.Jinsol took out her knives as she threw one while running, hitting a vampire square in the chest as it was knocked off its feet from the impact and turned to dust before it even reached the ground. She ran for the knife, ducking down to grab it, and rammed it into another’s heart. Jinsol turned to throw her second knife at a vampire that was getting too close to Vivi. The older vampire’s pink hair was dyed red from the amount of blood that was already all over her.“You’re always so messy,” Jinsol commented, making her way over.“Shut up, knife twirling loser.” Vivi wiped at her mouth as her other free hand went up to another enemy’s throat. She threw the much taller vampire back at Jinsol who already had her knife up to turn to dust from behind.“You always make fun of me yet you still let me have my fun.”“That’s because you’re my knife twirling loser.” Vivi smiled but it dropped just as fast when she saw who was behind the blonde. Jinsol turned around, her playful smile dropping as well before yelling at her clan that was up front. “We’ll hold them back. Just get to Yerim’s!”Haseul looked back and hesitated, but with the amount of vampires surrounding them, they weren’t getting far no matter how many they were killing off. “If you have to, you run. Do you understand?”She got nods in return before heading off with the other three, trying to lead most of the enemies away as Jinsol and Vivi dealt with another problem.“How fitting that it’s you two again. The last fight wasn’t really fair now was it?” The black haired vampire spoke.“It’s not my fault your neck was so easy to snap,” Vivi said nonchalantly.Bora growled and took a step forward, but was stopped by a sword. “I get the pink haired bitch.” Siyeon had her eyes on Vivi.“You fought her last time.” Bora shoved the sword away from her.The taller blonde snarled and moved her eyes to the other target. “Fine. I guess it’s you and me, Sol. A little sparring like old times. Cute that you still have the knives I gave you too.”“Are you blind? Don’t flatter yourself. These ones are a gift from Haseul.” Jinsol twirled one of the knives to show the handle of a different design.Siyeon scoffed and raised her sword. “Finally, you guys done bickering?” Vivi was fixing her hair as an annoyed Bora came running at her. She stepped to the left and grabbed the other’s arm to swing her around as she got close, using her other hand to wrap around her enemy’s throat. “I’m going to make sure you stay down this time.”Bora smirked at the threat. “Let’s see how long you can stay standing up to try.”Vivi frowned, finally feeling pricks at the side of her neck. She brushed at it and pulled back to find two thin but about three inch long needles. “What are these?”“Now, it wouldn’t be much fun if I told you right?” Bora smirked again as she twisted the arm that was at her throat.Vivi grunted and her knees bent from the pain, but used that opportunity to ram her body against Bora’s lower half, bringing them both down. Bora immediately used her right foot that was under Vivi to throw the other vampire over her head as she fell to obtain her position on top. Landing on her back with a grunt, a fist came down as Vivi moved her head the side, causing the punch to hit nothing but concrete. The vampire on the bottom pulled the wrist next to her head to get Bora to lose balance, making her fall to her elbow. With the second she had, Vivi yanked the taller girl down close by her collar and placed her right shin across the other’s chest from underneath and swept her to the side. Before Vivi could get on top, Bora backed away and kicked the other woman squarely on the chest, knocking her back down.Vivi got up quickly, but a wave of dizziness rushed over her as she steadied herself and shook her head from the weird sensation. She looked up to see that smug look on Bora. “Are you really that scared of fighting me when I’m at my best?”The smirk was wiped off of Bora’s face in an instant. “I’m not scared of you or anyone else. I just need you bowing at my feet before I let you watch me kill everyone or should I kill you in front of everyone first instead?” The taller vampire put her thumb and pointer finger under her chin as if she was thinking. “I haven’t really decided yet.”Vivi snarled and rushed for the woman. She felt her movements become sluggish as she tried throwing a punch and was met with one square to the jaw instead. Vivi staggered back and spat out a glob of blood from her mouth. Before she could react, a knee made its way to her stomach. A second knee came as she was able to block it with both hands. The third hit combo that came up was grabbed from behind the knee, Vivi using the momentum to tug the other woman to the side, but she was too slow as Bora spun them around and slammed Vivi onto her stomach.Vivi groaned and got up on her hands before a foot behind her upper back pushed her down again, her cheek scraping against the ground.“I’m going to make sure you stay down this time,” Bora repeated the line Vivi had said to her earlier. The dark haired woman took a hold of Vivi’s arm with her foot still on her back and yanked at it in an awkward angle until she heard a snap.Vivi screamed in pain as she felt her shoulder being pulled out of its socket. She tried to get the foot that was still on her back off, but whatever that was in those needles made her feel too weak.Jinsol laid on her back with her knives up blocking Siyeon’s sword from coming down onto her face. She turned her attention to the right when she heard Vivi scream. With a spurt of strength, Jinsol pushed the sword back up and moved her head to the side, having the blade hit the ground next to her head. She got up on her elbow and threw one of her knives at Bora, who was grabbing onto Vivi’s other arm.Bora yelled out in a mix of pain and anger. She tried reaching her arm back to pull out the knife that was impaled in her back, but her fingers were mere centimeters away from it. She let out another yell of frustration and locked eyes with Jinsol.The blonde didn’t keep the eye contact as Siyeon’s sword came down at her again. Jinsol rolled away, getting up on her knees and sliced the back of the other blonde’s calves causing her to get on her knees as well while using her sword to hold herself up.Jinsol turned her attention back to Vivi. Bora had a grip on the pink haired vampire’s injured arm, dragging her towards the blondes as Vivi struggled to get up on her feet.Siyeon tried to stand up, but Jinsol threw her other knife on one of the vampire’s already wounded leg. She ran over and kicked Siyeon’s sword out of her hand, picked it up, and placed the woman’s own weapon at her throat.“Funny how things turn out doesn’t it, Sol?” Siyeon let out a little laugh as the blade pressed closer to her neck. “To think we loved you.”“Stop,” Jinsol whispered through gritted teeth.Bora’s grip became tighter as she yanked Vivi up to her knees. The other woman couldn’t do anything but let a cry of pain out as waves of nausea and pain hit.“Stop!” Jinsol yelled this time. “I loved you! I loved both of you!” Her voice started to tremble as she choked out, “but I couldn’t stay.”“You left us!” Bora yelled back angrily, her other hand coming down on Vivi’s throat as her nails bubbled up blood from digging them in. “You just got up and left without even saying goodbye.”“Jiu would have never let me out alive. She didn’t care for me like how she did for you guys or Sooyoung.” Jinsol hated recalling past memories she wanted so bad to forget. “Did she ever tell you that she planned on killing me?”“You’re lying.” Siyeon tried looking up at the blonde, but was blade at her neck told her not to.“I’m sorry for what I put you both through, but all those years, I have never lied to you and I’m not going to start now.” Jinsol eyes wandered to Vivi who had them closed tight. “You can do what you want with me, but please let her go.”Bora hand tugged Vivi’s hair back so that her neck was exposed more and growled out, “I should kill her in front of you.”Jinsol slid Siyeon’s blade slowly at her throat, letting Bora watch blood begin to drip down. “I won’t hesitate to do the same.”Siyeon stayed silent, not showing any sign of fear as her own blood dripped onto her hands. She caught Bora’s stare who softened for a second, confliction in her eyes.Bora huffed and shoved Vivi face down onto the ground in surrender. “She might as well be dead anyways.”Jinsol didn’t waste any time in rushing over as Bora also made her way to help Siyeon up. The blonde tucked her enemy’s sword in her belt, having a feeling she wouldn’t be getting her knives back either. Jinsol carefully turned Vivi around, cursing at how out of it she looked and lifted her up in her arms to get away from the scene as fast as possible.“Vivi,” Jinsol finally called out, trying to get the woman in her arms to respond to her. “Vivi, what the hell happened?” She’s couldn’t see any physical injuries that would cause the older vampire to look so much in pain when they’ve endured much worse than this.“Needles. Must be poison or something.” She finally opened her eyes from clenching it from the dizziness. “I can walk.”“Are you sure?” Jinsol held her tighter.They rounded the corner of a restaurant when she saw a bunch of other vampires roaming around. Jinsol silently cursed at her pathway to Yerim’s shop was blocked.“Yeah, you can’t fight with no hands anyways.” “We could find a way around.”“They’re everywhere. Any way is as good as it’s probably going to get.” In truth, Vivi wanted to just lay down. She wanted them to fight their way through and get it over with.
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Heads and limbs were torn apart as the rest of the clan made their way to Yerim’s. The hoard started to disappear as they got close enough to see the shop’s front, the purple sign of “Choerry’s Cave” lit up in the night.It was a clear shot from there until Haseul felt herself freeze in place, not being able to move a muscle. In the corner of her eye, she could see Sooyoung in the same position.The younger ones turned around sensing something off to hear a familiar voice echo out, “Don’t you just hate feeling helpless?”“You really are afraid to fight me aren’t you?” Haseul said from her frozen spot.Jiu scoffed, but smiled after. “Wouldn’t it be fun to watch a showdown between the little ones instead?” She had the witch and three other vampires next to her. “Or you two could just join me. It’s not too late.”“After what you’ve done? No thanks.” Jiwoo pulled Jungeun behind her.“Oh come on, mothers have to punish their children when they’re being naughty.” She frowned. “What does Haseul have that I don’t? I could offer you so much more.” Her face was between anger and disappointment.Jiu shook her head and motioned for the three vampires to step forward. “I can’t have my little ones running around knowing they could come back to try to kill me now could I?”“Doesn’t seem like a fair fight.” Sooyoung watched as the three circled Jungeun and Jiwoo.“Oh honey, the word fair doesn’t belong in fights. You know that.” She smiled a sickeningly sweet smile that almost reached her ears.“I get the cute baby faced one,” another redhead called out as she ran for Jiwoo.The smaller redhead moved to the side, blocking the punch with both her hands before kicking the back of the enemy’s knee and twisting her arm behind. “That’s rude. My girlfriend’s cute too.” The taller one responded with swiping her leg back, but Jiwoo being faster, jumped out of the way. She glanced at Jungeun, hating how the match was uneven, with two vampires coming at her when she was still a bit weak from torture of the sun. Jiwoo’s focus turned back to the vampire that was a head taller than her when a kick came her way. She was able to block it again and countered with her own kick that landed squarely on the other’s chest.“Yoohyeon!” Jiu yelled out in a more commanding voice than concern.The said woman staggered back by the kick, surprised at how strong the much smaller vampire was. Yoohyeon let out a snarl and dusted herself off before coming for Jiwoo again. She delivered another kick, but again, it was blocked. A fury of kicks and punches were thrown out, but it was like the other vampire could see each move coming.“Fight back,” Yoohyeon growled in frustration.“You’re the one that wanted to fight and now you can’t even hit me?” Jiwoo taunted. She could do this all day. Hand to hand combat was her specialty.Yoohyeon advanced and raised her arm before even reaching the other vampire. She threw it back in a wave like motion. Jiwoo’s body lifted off the ground and was thrown crashing through a glass front of a store.Jungeun turned at the sound and was distracted when arms wrapped tight around her body from behind. Her mind snapped back to her current situation. Handong, the Chinese vampire that was sired by Jinsol, was coming at her. Jungeun jumped, using both her legs to kick at the woman as she advanced and then used that momentum to land back on her feet and throw the other vampire that had a grip on her over her shoulder.Jiwoo groaned and stood up in surprise. Each wound closing one by one as she started picking out glass that were sticking out of her body. She gritted her teeth pulling one that went through her cheek, cutting her tongue. Jiwoo footsteps crunched as she walked on glass and back out of the store. “Hybrid,” Jiwoo said under her breath as the smirking vampire witch stayed standing where she was.She let out a small yelp of pain when she felt another cut on the same spot of her cheek that just healed. Jiwoo placed her hand up to her face and drew it back to see blood. She looked up at Yoohyeon who had a hand up. Another wave and Jiwoo grunted again, cuts on her arms and stomach appeared, and another, but this time, falling to one knee, feeling cuts behind her legs.Jungeun could feel her skin burning although the sun wasn’t there. It was one of the after effects that came with the torture. Every hit she took felt a little more painful than it should. She didn’t have to turn to know that Jiwoo needed help and knowing that made her forget about her own pain as she pounced on the short haired vampire, knocking her back into the other. Her hands grabbed the smaller of the two’s head as she bashed it repeatedly on the ground before moving on to her next target, not letting them have a chance to stand up. Jiwoo’s cuts healed, but not fast enough when more appeared. She only moved about a foot at a time, trying to approach the hybrid that still stood in the same spot. Jungeun roared, taking a hold of Handong, slamming her down onto the vampire with the bashed in skull. She didn’t waste time as she made her way over to Yoohyeon, but stopped when she couldn’t move. The hybrid turned to look at her, smirking before her attention went back to Jiwoo. The smaller redhead was about two feet away now, on her knees with a pool of blood beneath her as her body tried to heal the multiple cuts she endured. Jiwoo looked up to meet Yoohyeon’s eyes before the woman waved her hand again. Jiwoo’s hands immediately went up to her throat as blood gushed through her fingers. She crashed to the ground causing her own blood to paint the side of her body red.A wave of the past hit Jungeun, having her own human life taken away from her with a slit of the throat. Jungeun couldn’t even scream out. The hybrid had a hold of her voice. She watched as the tall redhead bent down, grabbing a fistful of Jiwoo’s hair. Yoohyeon then let out a cry of pain of her own, letting go of Jiwoo before she could do what she was planning on doing. She stood up in a flash and turned to cast her eyes down at a small blonde with a black cat on her shoulder right in front of her face. “Maybe you should fight someone your own size.” Chaewon raised her hand as Yoohyeon went flying through the air, crashing into the two other vampires that were attempting to get back up.The hold on Jungeun was gone as she ran for the injured girl. “Jiwoo,” she called out in concern. She knew they couldn’t die from just a simple slicing of the throat, but that split second where she recalled their past and how easy their lives ended made her fear for Jiwoo’s life.“I’m okay,” the bleeding girl gasped out.The wound on her neck was slowly healing along with the other cuts on her body. She was covered in blood from head to toe as Jungeun helped her up. The brunette took off her own jacket to place over Jiwoo’s shoulders to cover up her tattered clothes.“Chaewon,” Jiu sneered but stayed in her spot.“Hi.” The small blonde gave out a salute.“Cute familiar. Be so sad when I kill it.” Yoohyeon was already up and advancing towards them.The cat on Chaewon’s shoulder hopped off and stretched as the tall redhead got close, but before she could reach them, the animal jumped at the oncoming enemy. Yoohyeon was about to throw her hand up to attack when she felt her body crash to the floor, a girl with long black hair was on top of her.“I’m nobody’s familiar, bitch.” The girl scoffed making her catlike features more prominent.Jiwoo and Jungeun looked at each other confused, but it shouldn't really surprise them by now. The cat did have the same necklace as the rest of the coven and teleported when Chaewon did.The new witch jumped up as Yoohyeon tried throwing magic at her. The girl didn’t show much facial expressions as she blocked what was thrown her way, throwing back her own attacks. Even in the night, one could see the scar that ran from the top of her right ear, across her cheek and chin, and down to her neck, going beyond what can be seen with her shirt covering the rest of the closed wound. She had the same pouch Chaewon had hanging off to the side and long hair that flew with the wind as she dodged more attacks.Chaewon went for the other witch that had a hold of Sooyoung and Haseul still, but her magic was blocked.Jiu smirked not even flinching as Chaewon tried to break down the barriers.Chaewon smirked back. “You know your witch isn’t as strong as me.” The blonde held out her hand as a halberd appeared in it. With the bottom of it touching the ground, the weapon was a little more than twice her size with eden green feathers that attached to the end of the axe and spear head that meets the shaft. The appearance of the weapon also came with a transparent figure of a blonde werewolf and a small girl that was shorter than Chaewon herself. Both figures started materializing as she walked forward.“Keeping an old enemy just to taunt me?” Jiu sneered. “Or is it a trophy to keep track of who I’ve killed?” Her face always going from angry to smug in a split second.The wolf jumped at the invisible shield that was placed up. Its claws bashing at it as the magic got weaker. Sooyoung and Haseul felt themselves being able to move inch by inch as the witch that had a hold on them focused more on keeping the protection shield up.The small materialized girl stood before them, opening her hands to blow out a dust of orange sparkling cloud.Haseul stepped forward and then took another step as the freeze wore off and to stand in front of the girl. “Yeojin.”The said girl had on a playful smile before jumping onto the vampire, giving her a hug.“I’ve missed you.” Haseul eyebrows furrowed in sadness, kissing the girl on top of her head.Yeojin smiled brightly again and tried saying something, but no words could be heard. It was something they were used to, having a one sided conversation because Haseul couldn’t talk to the dead.“Jinsol and Vivi haven’t shown up. They should have been here by now,” Haseul voice was full of concern, not knowing what was going on with the rest of her clan.Yeojin nodded and gave out a salute before disappearing and reappearing by Chaewon’s side. The small blonde gave a glance at Haseul before nodding as well, confirming that she was going to check up on the others.
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Vampire dust layered the ground as Jinsol walked through it, holding up Vivi with one arm. The pink haired vampire’s moves were sluggish, having to be pulled up once in awhile as her legs started to give up. “There’s too many of them,” Jinsol whispered out as vampires circled them. No matter how many they killed, more kept popping up.“Leaving me isn’t a choice?” Vivi had her eyes closed as she spoke. She barely knew what she was saying. At this point, she didn’t care what happened to her. She just wanted to rest.“Is that even a question?” Jinsol’s voice came out angry, not letting her eyes leave the enemies as they slowly closed in, obviously enjoying this moment too much.As all hope was lost, a section of the vampires came tumbling down on each other as a blonde werewolf rammed its way through.“Sorry I’m a bit late!” Chaewon yelled out from behind the wolf. Her giant weapon then swung with such force that vampires were knocked off their feet, all crashing to one side.“Bless that sweet child.” Jinsol lifted Vivi up in her arms. “Hang in there, love.” She kissed the woman’s cheek, but only got a groan in response.Chaewon ran to her mother as the wolf fought off oncoming vampires. “What happened?” Her usual playful smile was in a frown as she approached them.“Some sort of poison. I don’t know. It’s never been like this before.” Jinsol looked down at Vivi who still had her eyes closed, jaw clenched tight trying to keep in the pain.Chaewon swept Vivi’s hair to the side to reveal black like veins forming on her neck where the needles were. “Witch’s magic, way stronger than hunter’s poison. Stay behind me. I’ll make a path.” But before she could attack, most of the vampires started running off in the direction they were going towards. “Yeojin, check ahead,” she called out as the little girl from before came into view with a nod and disappeared off again.She couldn’t go far from the princess of the dead, but Yeojin was able to oversee more things than Chaewon could on the ground.-“You sent your most powerful witch away just when things were getting fun,” Jiu said as Yoohyeon and Gahyeon threw attack after attack at the black haired witch.The vampires fought amongst themselves when even more came pouring in from behind Jiu, having heard the call of one of the witches.Haseul let out a frustrated growl that they couldn’t seem to catch a break, but she spoke too soon when an arrow nicked the side of her face, making matters worse. She turned to the direction the attack came from and saw a hunter and then another appeared. Haseul didn’t have time to get rid of the pests when she heard Sooyoung yell out of pain. The taller vampire was on her knees, the shorter witch had a hold of her as she still had a smaller shield up with her other hand. Haseul changed her direction from the hunters when she saw Jiu stand in front of Sooyoung, both hands cupping her face, thumb running over her cheek before twisting the kneeling vampire’s neck as she fell forward into the enemy’s arms.“Sooyoung!” Haseul yelled as she tried reaching for her. “Hyunjin!” She called out to the catlike witch who already knew what to do.The said girl quickly threw up a few simple hand signs to cast a protection spell around herself as attacks tried to break through, causing ripples of different colored lights to hit the invisible shield. She opened the small pouch that was by her side, digging around before pulling out a small mirror. Keeping her eyes on the enemy, she tossed the mirror to the side in a lazy like manner. Right as the object hit the ground, a purple light emitted from it and out came Yerim welding her own attacks before she even set foot on the ground. Vampires came close but all went to their knees. First their eyes started to bleed, then their nose, then the rest of the openings on their faces as Yerim walked passed, creating a path for herself. Hyunjin followed closely behind, sending twin stakes flying from her seemingly too small pouch with the wave of her hands to turn the bleeding vampires to dust.Haseul fought through more vampires, but as it cleared up, she could no longer see Sooyoung or Jiu. “No,” she whispered out. The leader ran looking around desperately, unaware that weapons were aimed at her as a metal arrow goes through the top of her back, just missing her heart. She cried out more in anger than pain as she reached a hand back to grab at the metal, but before she could touch it, she was pulled off her feet and dragged backwards by a chain that was attached to the end of the arrow shaft. She extended both arms back until she felt the cold metal in her hands and yanked it as hard as she could. Haseul heard a yelp as the hunter at the end of the weapon was the one off of his feet this time. He didn’t even have time to look up as the short haired vampire sprinted for him, smashing his face into the ground while pulling out the sharp metal from her back.Haseul felt another arrow coming for her this time, turning around, it stopped inches from her face before turning the other direction, dusting a different vampire instead. She looked around to see the hunters now had their aim towards the witches, but as arrows and bullets came at Yerim, they stopped inches away from her before falling to the ground.Hyunjin stepped out from behind the purple haired girl. “You may not hurt humans, but like Haseul says, “scum is scum” and I might as well take out a few kneecaps.” She shrugged as Yerim shook her head and held off the enemy witches instead.The arrows and bullets that came for them this time did not drop, but instead, turned to hit right back at the shooters. One by one they dropped like flies. Screams of pain echoed, but Hyunjin felt no sympathy.Yeojin, the little girl with Chaewon, appeared in front of Hyunjin, waving a finger back and forth before disappearing off by the hunters. Hyunjin scoffed. “Brat.” Knowing most witches didn’t hurt humans since they’re not supernatural, but she rarely followed the rules when the humans were attacking her and her family.Yeojin slowly raised both her hands up from her sides before quickly bringing them down, making the ground open up under the hunters. Chaewon came into the picture, using her halberd to raise the dead to pull the hunters beneath as they were buried alive.“Yerim, open your shop now!” Chaewon yelled out as she made way for Jinsol with Vivi in her arms. The witch had a spell up that blocked every outsider from coming into her place.Yerim nodded, saying a few words to let down the shield before putting it back up when the members got inside.Haseul had the short haired vampire up by the throat as she told Jungeun and Jiwoo to follow the rest of the clan to safety. “Where did she take Sooyoung?” She demanded.When she didn’t get an answer, Haseul grabbed the vampire’s left bicep, nails digging into it before giving it a twist and pulling the arm completely off of the shoulder. The vampire screamed, thrashing her legs and using her other arm, desperately try to get out of the vice like grip. Haseul was about to go for the other still intact limb when she felt someone coming for her from behind. She turned to see the Chinese vampire frozen in her place, Yerim forcing her on her knees as her other arm was up, blocking the magic Yoohyeon was shooting at her.Handong screamed out, clenching her head as blood started to leak from her eyes. A particular strong blow from the hybrid caused Yerim’s body to shift slightly forward. She turned her head as another attack was sent her way, but this time, instead of her palm open towards the enemy, she clenched it with her fingers facing up. Yoohyeon’s magic formed into a ball of energy before Yerim opened her hand and flung the attack back. The hybrid threw her arms up to block it, but the force still knocked her off her feet.Yerim turned back to Handong, purple lightning like stakes came out from her hands. “I can’t harm humans, but vampires are a different story.”“Stop!” Yerim’s stakes immediately disappeared as she heard Haseul yell out, but the protection shield was still up as attacks bounced off of it from behind. “Jiu has Sooyoung and I don’t know what she’ll do if her members end up dead.” Haseul still had the vampire in the air as she turned to the others. “I could kill you all, but you’re going to go to Jiu and you’re going to tell her if she harms Sooyoung or if,” her voice trailed, “I will not stop until each one of you is dead.” She threw the vampire so hard, they could hear bone crunching as the body hit a wall of a store. Haseul knew they were long gone. It was no use in running after Sooyoung to try to find her without a plan.All magic was stopped. All around them was just dust and red. No signs of any bodies to indicate whose blood any of it belonged to.Haseul was shaking as they all made their way to Yerim’s after the fight. With the same words and a wave of the younger girl’s hand, they entered the shop to find more chaos.Vivi laid on the counter coughing up thick black blood as Jinsol stood by her side holding her hand.“What happened?” Haseul came running to her other side. She had wanted to devise a plan to track Sooyoung down, but there was another member that needed her as well.“Where’s Mama?” Chaewon asked.“Tell me what happened first.”“It’s a blood magic spell,” Chaewon informed the members that just walked through. “There’s no way it was one of those witches that did it right?” She didn’t fight them long to know how strong they were, but not many witches dabbled in dark magic and was good at it.“With Dreamcatcher, they have too many resources. There could be more witches for all we know.” Yerim rolled up her sleeves as she approached the counter. “You tried sucking out the contaminated blood with spells?”Chaewon nodded. “I tried several things, but we need something more than just the herbs in your shop.”Yerim checked the black veins that were on Vivi, it now traveled down her left arm and covered her lower chin. She shook her head, recognizing the symptoms. “We need unicorn hair.”“I wasn’t going to result to that.” Chaewon gave her a look.“That exists?” Jiwoo was just as bloody as before resting in Jungeun’s arms.“It’s just a name. I only know of one guy that might have it,” Yerim said, choosing to ignore the small blonde.“Might,” Haseul repeated. She needed a clear answer. Too much was already going through her head at the moment.“It’s rare and expensive, only sold in the black market.” Yerim started to walk around the shop, shoving items that were way bigger than the pouch she put them in. “Now, where’s Mama?” Chaewon asked again after the taller woman still hasn’t entered the shop.“Jiu took her,” Haseul simply said.“What?” Chaewon walked over as the other members looked up.Vivi gasped for air that she didn’t need as her body shook with another coughing fit, spouting out more black fluids. Jinsol whispered words of comfort, wiping the blood away with a towel. The multiple injuries on her weren’t healing either as some kept bleeding.“Can you get what we need?” Haseul directed her attention to Yerim.“I don’t know, but I will go check, if not, I’ll find another way.” Yerim ran her hand through her hair. “Codrin. He has to know somebody if the guy I know doesn’t have it.”“I know your coven has no duty to us.” Haseul motioned to her clan, “but I wouldn’t ask for help if I wasn’t this desperate.”“Unnie, Chaewon’s family is our family and you know that,” Hyunjin finally spoke up.“You’re not immortal. You could die. Do you understand that?” Haseul has always thought she was a competent leader, but with the state her clan was in and now putting humans, her extended family, in danger made her feel like a failure. “We could die either way if Jiu rises in power,” Yerim noted. “We’re not going to stand around knowing we could help stop Dreamcatcher from taking away our home and family.”Haseul felt grateful that after how long she’s been alive, she has made so many true friends. “Jungeun and Jiwoo, go with Yerim.” The two nodded, pulling apart from each other. “Vivi’s going to need a witch here.” Hyunjin raised her hand half way into the air. “I got it.”Haseul looked over to the small blonde. “We’re going to go see Jihyo.”
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“Seems unfair that you could find me any time you want, but I can’t do the same,” another leader with short hair commented as she was approached by two people.“Hello Jihyo.” Haseul stood just outside the property of a small cabin in the woods with Chaewon next to her.“It’s been awhile.” The woman sat on a log by a campfire. “Please take a seat, the both of you.”They took the invitation and sat across from the werewolf.“How’s Sana?” Jihyo looked at Chaewon, who gave out a soft smile.“She’s good. I’m never bored even when I want to be. She just talk my ears off all day,” Chaewon joked as the wolf chuckled.“Don’t think that we didn’t smell all of the blood although you witches cleaned up pretty well,” Jihyo said getting to the point of why the vampires are really here. She snapped a twig with both hands before throwing the smaller piece into the fire. “I may not be able to pick up Sana’s scent anymore, but I do know when she’s been somewhere by the claw marks she leaves behind.”“There were hunters,” Haseul mentioned, not wanting to hide the truth, but figured the other leader already knew.“There were,” Jihyo stated, acknowledging that she did indeed know. “They’re also back aren’t they?”Haseul eyebrows knitted together. “They are.”“So the rumors are true. I was hoping it was just a copycat clan, but wishful thinking doesn’t ever work does it?”“They have Sooyoung.”Jihyo‘s head lifted up from the fire to meet Haseul’s eyes. “I know you’ve had business elsewhere, but if you haven’t heard, Dreamcatcher tried taking out some local werewolves,” Haseul continued.“I did hear.” Jihyo threw the other twig into the fire. “Nayoung speaks highly of you.”Haseul scoffed. “Wolves these days have no respect.”“Wolves these days don’t know a thing about what we’ve been through to be able to see from the other’s perspective,” the wolf tried to defend both sides.“If you could kindly tell them to stand down. They’ve been interfering, giving my clan more trouble than they need.”“Done.” “Just like that?” Haseul raised an eyebrow. “My clan has killed many of your hunters just of now.”“We all know that corruption runs deep. These hunters didn’t just somehow start to wander off to the other side. My team has been investigating it on the down low. We don’t know who to trust so it’s just nine werewolves against the whole council right now.” Jihyo winced before correcting herself, “eight werewolves.”Haseul gave her a look of sympathy although the other leader had her attention elsewhere.Chaewon made her way over and sat by Jihyo on the log, her halberd appearing by her side. The wolf finally looked up to see a blonde smiling woman kneeling in front of her. “Sana,” she whispered out, reaching her hand out to the woman instinctively, only to have it pass right through her.It took a few moments for the figure to materialize. It was almost as if she was still alive, but anyone could tell she wasn’t by some off features that were replaced by magic. Jihyo reached out again, this time her fingers grazed over Sana’s cheek as the woman placed her own hand over the wolf’s. She was cold as ice at first, but Chaewon made it so warmth could be felt through their touch. They all knew it was an illusion of magic making the warmth seem real, replacing something that wasn’t actually there. Jihyo didn’t care whether it was fake or not, to her, it was as real as it would ever get again.“She says she misses you,” Chaewon translated the distorted sounds coming from Sana. “She says she’s having fun annoying Chaewon.” The hybrid rolled her eyes at the usual teasing. “She wants you to know that she’s doing fine despite the circumstances and that she wants you to eat more. You’re losing your baby fat,” Chaewon paused and turned to Sana frowning, “do I really have to say that?”Sana gave the girl a look and nodded with a playful smile.“She says she misses your cute cheeks and beautiful voice,” Chaewon mumbled as Jihyo blushed red. Even in the afterlife, Sana could still make her flustered.Jihyo cleared her throat, trying to hide the obvious red.“Um, we can stand somewhere else while you two talk in private,” Chaewon suggested standing up as Haseul did the same. “You won’t be able to understand what she’s saying like usual, or I’m sure you could considering how close you two were, and you can talk to her freely.”Jihyo nodded, thanking the two. It’s been awhile since they last talked, both parties being busy with their own thing as Sana went wherever Chaewon went.“Have I told you how glad I am that Yeojin has you?” Haseul said as they walked through the woods, keeping a range where Sana was still at her most materialized form. “Many times.” Chaewon jumped onto a fallen tree and walked along, balancing on it. “And as annoying as she could get, I can’t imagine my life without her.” The small blonde crouched down and gave out a sad look. “I’m sorry you can’t have her by your side, but she’s always by mine, and I could tell you that she’s the best sister anyone could ask for.”Haseul looked down at her feet before sitting down, resting her back against the tree. “My time with her was cut short, but I will not allow the same thing to happen with Sooyoung.”Chaewon hopped off the tree to sit by Haseul, tucking her knees into her chest. “I’m scared, Unnie.”Haseul reached out to pull Chaewon into her arms. “I know. I am too, but we can’t lose hope. Knowing Jiu, she’ll keep Sooyoung there. She likes playing games, dragging things out like the sadistic bitch she is,” Haseul said, losing the elegance from her tone.“There’s only so much she could handle. Mama seems tough, but we all know she’s been through too much.” Chaewon buried her head into the crook of Haseul’s neck as the older vampire held her tighter.“I know, darling, I know.” Haseul stroked the smaller blonde’s hair and kissed the top of her head.They pulled apart, having heard footsteps and stood up to see Jihyo coming towards them.“My pack will be on the lookout. Hunters like to talk and brag, thinking they’re superior to other humans because they hunt vampires more for game than the job.” Sana was no longer in sight as Jihyo stood before them. “I’ll try my best to keep other wolves out of your way, but it might be hard since I don’t really have a say in the council. I can however, keep the locals at bay to buy you some time, but the attack on open ground will sure have everyone’s attention.” “Thank you. That’s all we ask,” Haseul said.“No, thank you for coming all the way out here to inform me of the bad, but also for letting me talk to Sana again.” The campfire was low now, having no one tending to it. “I assume you’ll be on your way now.”“Yes. I can smell your pack coming. Sorry we can’t stay to let you guys have a reunion.”“If this ends well, I’ll come here again before I have to go back to my coven.” Chaewon knew as a keeper of the dead, she didn’t owe anyone anything, but sometimes the living needed to see their loved ones again in order to move forward.“Thank you, really.” Jihyo reached out and pulled Chaewon into a hug. The girl let the still grieving wolf do as she pleased, giving her a comforting squeeze as well.“Of course, you and Sana both have been the friends I never knew I’d have. Who’d figure I’d be friends with dogs,” Chaewon joked as Haseul glared at her.“Some of you bloodsuckers aren’t too bad yourselves,” Jihyo joked back, already having been used to Sana’s teasing that Chaewon wasn’t much different.They headed away from the cabin in the woods when Haseul pointed out, “you’re best friend is literally Hyejoo.”“Yeah, well, she was pretty annoying at first too,” Chaewon joked again before turning serious at the thought of other members. “Heejin and Hyejoo haven’t called. I think I should go check up on them but Mama and Vivi unnie needs me too. Mom is probably so worried right now.”Haseul frowned at the young vampire having to deal with so many problems at once. “Go to them. I’m just going to go back to Yerim’s to see what I can do. I’ll have someone call you when we get more information or come up with a plan.”“I want to check up what’s going on at Yerim’s first and then I’ll go.” Having two families so far apart was stressful, especially when both required attention. Chaewon was conflicted on where she needed to be, wanting to be in two places at once.
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A few years ago“I wish I could keep you as a pretty trophy, but too bad you’re just a filthy dog.” Jiu leaned in close to the bloody woman she held up by the hair, never breaking eye contact as she spoke.“Sana!” A voice cried out in desperation, but it was no use being held up by two others on her knees with a sword sticking out of her stomach. “Please, please don’t do this!”Jiu turned around smirking. “To have the great werewolf pack leader, Park Jihyo, begging on her knees is like music to my ears.” The sadistic woman lowered her arm so that Sana was now on her knees as well, facing Jihyo. “You’re the talk of the town. The number of vampires you’ve put down is quite impressive.” Jiu yanked back the hair she still had a grip on, forcing the blonde to open her clenched eyes. “Do you know how many dogs I’ve killed?”“Please,” Jihyo still begged as she bled out. The grips on her arms never loosening as the two vampires by her side looked ahead, not even paying attention to her.“Do you know how many have been in your very same position?” Jiu walked behind Sana and kneeled down to her level. “You’re lucky I’m even letting you beg. I usually kill much faster, but you and your pack has been fun, Jihyo, I’ll give you that.” She licked the side of Sana’s neck as the girl shuttered from fear and disgust. “Is Momo doing good? I didn’t know someone could still live with the amount of blood that was under her. I guess I underestimated the human body. You are human after all, aren’t you? It’s quite funny how vulnerable you all are in a different form.”“Someone’s coming,” The vampire that had stabbed Jihyo with the sword informed.Jiu already knew. She was waiting for it. “Well, it really has been a pleasure, but I guess all good things must come to an end.” Before Jihyo could get a word in, Jiu had already pulled back her head and quickly sank her teeth into Sana’s neck as the girl cried out.“Sana!” Was all Jihyo could scream as she watched the scene before her.It didn’t take long before Sana’s eyes started to close and her body involuntarily leaned back against Jiu’s chest. The vampire looked up once she was done feeding, blood dripping down her chin with the sick smile she always smiled from ear to ear as she bit into her own wrist and watched Jihyo’s face light up in pure terror.“You can’t do this. Please, don’t do this to her.” Jihyo’s voice was a stuttering mess between her sobs.Jiu didn’t listen. She lowered the barely conscious wolf into her arms as she held the bleeding wrist slightly above the blonde’s mouth and watched as it slowly dripped down. “I really do wish I could keep her.” Jiu stood up when she was done and looked to her clan, who were mesmerized by the bloody scene. “Siyeon. Bora.”Siyeon, the woman with the sword, held the handle and quickly pulled the weapon out of Jihyo’s back. Without arms holding her now, the short haired girl fell forward, crashing onto the ground.Jihyo could barely feel her own body move as she scrambled to Sana’s side. She somehow managed to sit up, pulling the blonde into her lap, gently sweeping hair out of the dying girl’s face. “Sana,” she choked out.“Jihyo.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as her eyes fluttered open. “I can’t become one of them.”“I know.” Jihyo would be lying if for that split second, she didn’t think of letting Sana live on, but it would have been cruel when they both knew the blonde had to die.“Jihyo,” Another voice called out quietly from behind her.She didn’t need to look up to know who it was. “You’re late.” She hasn’t even realized the others were gone, replaced with a whole different clan.“I’m sorry.”Jihyo looked up in anger, her eyes meeting another vampire, but this one didn’t have the same cold look as the previous ones. “You led them here, Haseul. They’re here because of your clan! Because you protect those who have killed hundreds of people!” She shouted out looking between Sooyoung and Jinsol.Haseul didn’t flinch as she took whatever was yelled at her. She motioned for her clan to stand farther away. “You need to go to a hospital, Jihyo.” She chose to ignore the wolf’s words, knowing it would be no good for her to defend her clan of the true claims.“I don’t need anything. I just need her.” Her voice cracked as she continued on, “she’s going to turn.”“You are leader of a pack. A pack that very much needs you.” Haseul looked at her members and then back to Jihyo when the girl didn’t answer her. “I know I’m in no position to offer you my assistance, but maybe there’s a way we could help.” She motioned for the small blonde. “Chaewon.”The said girl stepped forward and kneeled down. “We both know that a soul of a vampire cannot move on, but if with your’s and Sana’s permission, I could make it so that she’ll still have a purpose in the afterlife, rather than being stuck in limbo.”“Jihyo, please,” Sana’s voice came out quieter than before, but with enhanced hearing, they all could make out her words.Jihyo kept eye contact with Sana as she spoke, knowing what the girl was pleading for. “So what now? She’s just going to be your puppet for when you need her to come into battle?”“No, though she does have to be by my side, she can choose if she wants to help me fight or if she wants to just rest.” Chaewon looked down at the wolf that only had about a minute or two left to live as she saw the girl’s aura start to fade. “I don’t know how to explain it, but the souls that stays with me have a place they can make their own. It can be whatever they want it to be and with whichever souls they choose to be around so they won’t get lonely.”“Sana hates feeling lonely.” Jihyo sniffed back tears as the girl in her arms smiled softly back at her. They both knew it was their only option. Vampires were demons after all and demons had no place in a peaceful afterlife.“I love you, Jihyo,” Sana struggled to say. She was too weak to reach her hand up to the leader’s cheek, so Jihyo held it up for her as she placed it gently on her own face.“I love you too,” She choked out, knowing it’d be the last time they’d be able to say that to each other.Jihyo watched as Sana’s eyes got too heavy to stay open and she watched as her chest stopped rising. She couldn’t stop the sobs that wracked her body as she held the dead girl close. They knew it wouldn’t be long until the blonde turned into one of the very things that had killed her.Chaewon already had her halberd in her hands. It was a weapon, but also a tool she often used to help guide souls to the afterlife. “I’m sorry.” She placed a hand on Jihyo’s shoulder to indicate that they didn’t have much time to grieve in peace before Sana’s soul would be lost forever if she turned into a vampire.Jihyo nodded although she wasn’t ready to let go. She still had Sana in her arms as Chaewon’s hand was placed just above the girl’s heart. They watched as she closed her eyes, chanting a few quiet words before light emitted from Sana’s body and disappearing just as quickly. “It’s done,” she said opening her eyes again, the light only being there for a few brief seconds.“Just like that?” Jihyo didn’t know what she was expecting, but she wasn’t expecting it to be that fast. There was no grand ritual where she got to see Sana’s soul actually leave her body or anything close to how she’d imagine it to be like. It was over before she even knew it. A bit too fast for her brain to take it all in.“She was willing, so it was fast,” Chaewon explained. “Sometimes it takes longer if I’m trying to guide lost souls, but Sana wasn’t lost. She knew where she wanted to be and you can rest assure that she isn’t in pain with me.” It was said that a vampire’s soul was either left to rot or tortured for eternity in the afterlife, but with Sana by Chaewon’s side, she’d be able to pass through as a human once the princess of the dead ceased to exist.
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“Maybe you guys shouldn’t have come with me.” Yerim walked fast as the two newer clan members followed closely by her side.“Do you like to work alone?” Jiwoo asked not understanding why the other girl didn’t want back up.“No, it’s not that. The guy we’re going to go see, he’s just— he’s not very fond of vampires,” Yerim said reaching into her pouch to pull something out. “Here, give this to him. He likes rare things.”They each took a book Yerim had in her hands. “You’re like Doraemon,” Jiwoo commented.“What?”“Your magic pouch that all your coven members have ‘cause there’s no way these books could have fit in that tiny ass pouch.”“Ah yes, my magic pouch. I’d make you one, but only witches could use it.”“You just want it to hold all of your snacks,” Jungeun butted in. “You’re a vampire, why do you even like human snacks?”“I just like food okay,” Jiwoo grumbled as she felt herself getting hungry at the mention of food and having lost so much blood in the battle just before.They reached an old looking bookstore in the middle of nowhere that didn’t seem to have any customers inside even though the open sign was still on.“Maybe you guys should wait out here.” The purple haired girl stopped in front of the door and gave the two vampires a look.“Haseul said not to let you out of our sight.” Jungeun took a step forward.“I’m not powerless,” Yerim countered back at how she got babied all the time.“No one said that, but you are human, so if we need to take a bullet for you then we will,” Jiwoo spoke up this time.“I’m human, yes, I’ve been told many times, and if he was going to harm me, I’m pretty sure he’d boil me from the inside out or something,” she rambled before taking a breath to open the door. “Ok, let’s go then since there’s no use in wasting time.”The bookstore seemed a lot bigger than it did from the outside. There was nobody inside but a few cats that laid lazily on top and around the shelves.“Heechul ojusshi, I know you’re here,” Yerim called out in the middle of the room. When she waited for a few seconds and didn’t get an answer, she frowned. “The amount of money I can get you is worth seeing.”“You bring vampires to my lair?” Came a voice from nowhere.“I can hardly call this a lair if it’s out in the open.”Suddenly, like a camoleon coming out of hiding, there were legs by one of the shelves and then the body and head appeared revealing a man with hair down to his chin. “First you bring vampires here and then you call me ojusshi. I’m either an oppa or ajusshi, make up your mind and it better not be the latter,” he snarled and then raised his hands up.Jungeun and Jiwoo felt themselves freeze, already knowing what was going on.“Do not test me when it comes to these monsters, child. You’ve been settling with the wrong crowd lately.” Heechul slowly clenched his hands and lowered them slowly making the vampires fall to their knees.Yerim casts her own spell to break his. “Do not speak to me like I am some immature witch that doesn’t know anything.”The two vampires got back up after being released from the short hold, fangs out, but kept their ground.“I’m not here to fight. You know I’d never put you in danger unless absolutely necessary,” Yerim said putting both her hands down. “The only clan that can stop Dreamcatcher is injured and I need unicorn hair.”Heechul laughed, putting his hands down. “Unicorn hair. You can barely pay for your rent. How do you expect to pay for this?”“Money isn’t an issue.” “Oh, I’m sure it’s not when everyone knows you’re running with Haseul’s crew, but I expect something more than just money.”Yerim sighed already predicting that was what he was going to say.Jungeun and Jiwoo each held out a book to Heechul. He eyed them cautiously before looking at the book. “The twins.”“Yes, finding one or the other is easier, but are they both ever in this good of a condition?” Yerim pointed out as he reached out to take the books, placing one down on a desk before carefully flipping through the other one.He let out a small laugh. “Would it be funny if I told you’re not going to get the unicorn hair?” His face turned into a scowl, quickly lifting up his hands to throw out magic at the three.Yerim didn’t flinch as she watched the magic hit an invisible shield up in front of her. “You think I don’t know what you are?” She said with a straight face.The two vampires bared their fangs but didn’t understand the situation.Heechul smiled again. “I guess I shouldn’t underestimate a witch from the Choi family, though I do recall that most of them are dead. Maybe I should wipe out the rest.”Yerim scoffed. “You can’t even do your research to get Heechul’s character down correctly. He’s the one that told me to call him ojusshi, you dimwit. How are you gonna kill me?”The man made a few hand signs before throwing out another spell, this time, a little leaked through the shield, making Yerim throw a few hand signs of her own to reinforce it. She frowned at how strong the witch was when most couldn’t break through her barriers. When Yerim was done fixing her shield, she looked up to see “Heechul” had turned into a woman, revealing the true form of the shapeshifter.“What are you doing here, Eunseo?” Yerim asked confused, anger in her eyes.“What, you don’t call me unnie anymore?” The tall brunette had on a smirk. “Unnie is reserved for people I respect.”“That’s too bad. I thought we had fun learning some of the dark arts together.” The witch raised one arm, looking at her own hand as she moved her fingers in a wave like motion to see black ink like fluid circling around it. “How’s Hyejoo doing?”Yerim tried not to show any emotions, but it was hard not to at the mention of one of her coven member’s name. “She’s doing fine, no thanks to you.”“Oh? Is that so? I heard she hasn’t been in the city or did I hear wrong?” Eunseo finally looked back up before clenching her fist together, causing the black fluid to move around rapidly.Yerim immediately threw an attack of purple lightning at the other witch, but it was deflected into one of the book shelves. She threw another and another, the third hit finally nicking at the hand covered in black making the fluid go back to its steady pace.The two vampires had no idea who this newcomer was, but if Yerim was attacking, they followed suit only to be stopped in their tracks. As fast as they froze, they unfroze with a wave of the purple haired witch’s hand.“I know I can’t kill her, but damn does it hurt.” Eunseo tilted her head to the side with that smug look.“What is she talking about?” Jungeun questioned.“Blood magic. She has a hold on Vivi unnie.” Yerim gritted her teeth as she kept her eyes on the other witch as she spoke. “Your nose is bleeding.” Jiwoo pointed out, looking at her in concern.Yerim reached up to wipe at her nose and true enough, her hand came back with blood as she looked up to see Eunseo smirking once more.They couldn’t even react when a small mirror fell out of Yerim’s sleeve, landing right by her feet as she disappeared into it. Eunseo looked around already knowing what was coming, but was thrown of guard when something hit her back anyways, causing the black from her hand to fully disappear.Yerim stood behind her. “Stupid to not check for every single little mirror in the room.” She threw out another attack as the witch raised her hand to block it, but was a little too slow as it knocked her back almost making her fall. “You’re so sloppy to not know that Heechul ojusshi loves looking at himself.” Eunseo growled and advanced, but was stopped when the vampires ran for her as well. She froze them again, but like before, it was countered by Yerim. This went on as both sides kept on throwing out attacks while freezing and unfreezing the two.“Eventually, they’ll reach you!” Yerim yelled out.Eunseo let out another huff of frustration, finally giving up on the freeze and attack as she used both hands to make hand signs before hurling the vampires across the room with an energy blast. She quickly raised her arms up to defend an attack that was coming as she was making the hand motions, but was a bit too late when it broke through the thin defense, throwing the witch at a desk, breaking it.Yerim walked towards the witch on the ground and was about to attack again when she herself froze in place. She fell to one knee as Eunseo got up, both hands coming up to face Yerim.“This feels awfully familiar doesn’t it?” The witch didn’t have a smirk on this time. Her face was just full of hate. “I’ve always been the better blood bender.”She didn’t have time to do anything else as the vampires ran for her again. The tall brunette tried to break the hold on Yerim to attack back, but being alone, she couldn’t hold all of them as Jungeun sank her teeth into the witch’s arm. Eunseo let out a yell, waving her hand to break a leg of a chair to use as a makeshift stake and sent it towards Jungeun. Jiwoo already saw it coming as she picked up a thick book to throw and intercepted the stake, knocking it out midair.Jungeun let go of the arm as she let out her own yell, clenching her head, but that also stopped shortly when Yerim defended it. “Stupid to only have you here when you’re clearly outnumbered.” Yerim stood there ready to be on the offense again.“Stupid to think I’m here alone,” Eunseo said, dusting herself off.Before anyone could do anything, Jungeun’s body was replaced in a blink of an eye by a small silvered haired girl. Jiwoo looked around to find Jungeun on the other side of the room, away from everyone else as she ran to her.“Luda,” Yerim whispered out as her tried to stop her hands from shaking at the appearance of another witch.
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“Missed me?” The new witch smirked. “Jiyeon unnie says she wishes she could be here for a little reunion, but she’s a bit busy at the moment.”Yerim didn’t say anything as she tried reaching into her pouch, only to find herself in the very spot Luda was just in while the other witch swapped places with her. Now, she was side by side with Eunseo as the other witch grabbed for her, but Yerim already had another small mirror on the floor she dropped, teleporting through to a different part of the room where another mirror was. She pulled out what she was looking for and blew on the whistle. No sound came from it as she placed it back in her pouch. Soon, a black cat appeared by her side before turning into a girl.Hyunjin.“Have you forgotten that I made more friends along the way?” Yerim snarled that she had to see people she never wanted to see again show up. “I knew you guys were low, but to side with Dreamcatcher?” She scoffed. “Once upon a time, you hated vampires.”“Well times has changed and I want to be on the surviving side at the end. Good never wins Yerim, you should know that.” The silver haired girl spoke. “Tell Hyejoo I said hi, but for now, I guess we’ll just leave since this party seems to be getting a bit too crowded.”Yerim put an arm in front of Hyunjin to stop her from attacking as they watched the two witches walk across the room and out through the back door. If they wanted to end the fight here, she’d let them knowing that her family needed her right now.She snapped out of the daze when she felt a hand on her shoulder.“Vivi unnie isn’t doing too well,” Hyunjin tone was low. “I’ll see you there.” The witch turned back into a cat before disappearing off again.“Let’s go.” Yerim’s shoulders were still tense as they made their way out of the bookstore, stepping over debris from the fight.“What about the unicorn hair?” Jiwoo asked.Yerim shook her head. “There’s no use looking for it. Heechul ojusshi hides his whole stock with magic. Only he could locate it and he’s not here.” She didn’t have time to look for him, but she hoped he wasn’t dead. Heechul was one of the only trustworthy suppliers in the black market she knew of and if he was gone, so was her connection to rare materials.“Then what do we do?” “Those witches aren’t the only ones who knows dark magic.” “That witch mentioned that you learned together,” Jungeun said joining in.“It was desperate times. I made friends with the wrong people to try to help my own friends,” Yerim explained as they walked as fast as they could back to her shop.“The girl that everyone keeps mentioning? Hyejoo?” The brunette asked for clarification. Everyone kept talking about things without telling them anything, but it was given with how new they were to a clan and coven that seemed to have so much history together.“Yes.” She stopped in her tracks for a second at the name, but continued walking on. “She’s a childhood friend of mine. Some stupid family curse had a hold on her and I wasn’t going to let her crumble to some twisted fate she had no control over.” Yerim shook her head. “The curse of immortality. The curse of having demons feed off of your soul. Yeah, there seems to be a lot of curses going around and I should be thankful I’m not cursed although I sure as hell feel like it.” Anyone could tell the girl was stressed as she went on, “I’m only 27, yet I feel like I’ve experienced way too many things to just be human.”“You’re not just human. You’re also a witch,” Jiwoo pointed out.“Maybe that is my curse.” Yerim sighed. She wasn’t one to let all of her feelings out, but sometimes talking to people she didn’t know so well was easier than talking to those she was close to. “Sorry, you don’t need to hear all of this from me.”“We were a few years younger than you when our human lives ended, but for sure did not have all of these responsibilities at that age, so please don’t be sorry,” the redhead reassured as Jungeun nodded along.Yerim let out a shaky breath and ran her hand through her hair as they reached her shop. Her shop, another responsibility that was passed onto her without actually wanting it. Sometimes it seemed like her future was already decided for her the moment she was born. The Choi family was a big name in the witch community, though it has been dying down with Yerim being the sole survivor left. Her friends were her only family now and having them in danger made her want to switch places with them when she knows she can’t, so she’ll do everything in her power to try to keep them safe.Yerim let down the shield as they entered the shop. “Haseul unnie and Chaewon aren’t back yet?”“They called earlier. They should be here soon,” Hyunjin spoke, her eyes not leaving Vivi as she tried anything she could to lessen the pain. “Unicorn hair was a no go?”Yerim shook her head while wasting no time to gather supplies. “Could you guys change the water bucket and towels?” She asked the two vampires that entered with her.They both nodded, taking the supplies that were next to Jinsol as they made their way to the sink in the restroom.The blonde looked like she aged although she couldn’t with the amount of worry that was etched on her face.“What do you need that for?” Hyunjin asked knowingly at the things Yerim was carrying.“You know what this is for.” Yerim didn’t make eye contact as she started to place candles around the floor to create a circle. “Unnie, could you please carry Vivi unnie here?”Jinsol did what she was told, lifting up the barely conscious vampire up in her arms and bringing her over. “What are you going to do?”“She’s being crazy, that’s what. This should be a last resort thing.” Hyunjin grabbed at Yerim’s arm to stop her from placing any more candles down.The purple haired girl looked up. “This is the last resort.”The witch with the scar let go of her arm and shook her head.“What’s going on?” Jinsol asked, looking between the two.“I can make it stop.”“She’s going to absorb the blood magic that was placed on Vivi unnie into herself and then try to make it stop,” Hyunjin countered, her voice raising in volume.“What?” Jinsol was the one to grab Yerim’s arm now as she was grinding herbs with her pestle and mortar.“I can do this. Just trust me.” In reality, she wasn’t sure, but if she couldn’t even do this, then what was she good for?“Vivi unnie can’t die, but you can.” Hyunjin kneeled down in front of the other witch. “There has to be another way.”“Chaewon can’t. She knows blood magic, but she doesn’t have human blood to perform it.” Yerim continued on with what she was doing. “It was a trap. Jiyeon’s coven knew I’d be going to Heechul’s. There’s probably not unicorn hair anywhere near the city. We can’t go finding Sooyoung unnie with Vivi unnie like this.”Hyunjin sighed in defeat. “Then let me absorb some of it.”“You can’t. Chaewon made sure you didn’t dabble too far in the dark arts and you’re not going to start now.”“Chaewon isn’t my keeper.”Yerim reached out to hold onto both of Hyunjin’s hands. “She’s not, but I’ve been doing this since I was 15, so just trust me. I can do this.” She then looked to the front door. “They’re here.” She let down the shield as Haseul and Chaewon entered. “What is this?” Chaewon asked right away, seeing what was on the floor.“Dreamcatcher has recruited Jiyeon’s coven and they made sure we’re not getting the unicorn hair, so I’m performing some blood magic as a last resort and you’re not going to stop me,” Yerim explained in one breath.“Okay.” Chaewon stepped into the circle and started to move items to their spot.“You’re not going to argue with me?” Yerim raised her eyebrows, surprised how easy that was.“It’s dangerous and you’re being stupid, but I also know that you could pull this off.”Hyunjin scoffed. “We both know she could, but it’s still dangerous.”“Haseul unnie?” Yerim looked up at the clan leader.She bent down to pull Jinsol into a one armed hug. “I could advise you not to, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop you.”“No, it’s not.” Yerim shook her head knowing how stubborn she could be. She had to be. If she wasn’t, nothing in her life would have worked out the way it did. “I need you two to move out of the circle.” She motioned to the vampires, who nodded and stood by where Jungeun and Jiwoo were. “Hyunjin, can you light the candles?”The said girl sighed and shook her head again, but did what was told.Chaewon already knew what to do as she started drawing some designs inside the circle with white chalk while Yerim placed other objects around. Once she was done, she took a knife and placed the blade end into her left palm before quickly cutting herself, letting it drip into the mortar. Hyunjin started mixing it as the three moved in sync, and then placed the herb mixture on different parts of Vivi’s body. Yerim then used her right thumb to dab some of the blood in her palm to a draw symbol on the vampire’s forehead. She turned to Chaewon who helped her draw the same symbol on her own forehead as well before taking a cloth to close the wound.Yerim held her hands out for the two witches on the other side of Vivi’s body to take. She felt each girl running their thumb over the back of her hand as a silent communication to be careful as she made eye contact with them and nodded her head. They began chanting. At first, nothing happened, but as the chant went on, the candles started to flicker like there was wind in the room. The vampires watched in silence until a scream erupted from both Vivi and Yerim.
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Vivi’s body arched up as she continued to scream. Yerim felt like she was being torn apart. The black like veins on Vivi started to disappear, spouting out of her mouth and into Yerim’s. She threw her head back involuntarily when everything started to go numb, but her members grabbed onto her hands tighter, knowing they couldn’t break the circle. They’ve done many dangerous things before as a coven, but it never gets easier. The worry and fear of the unknown is always the same. Vivi’s body went slack when the transfer was done. Yerim’s head was now down, with her chin to her chest, hair covering her face. She was breathing hard as Chaewon and Hyunjin started to chant a different passage. Yerim tried yanking her hands away when the pain came back tenfold, but again, it only made the other two grip tighter. She couldn’t even scream as she started to cough up black liquid and tried to breathe as she choked on it.Haseul got close to the circle, wanting to stop whatever was happening, but a shield around them made it so she couldn’t get within five feet of them. She and the others watched helplessly as Yerim struggled to hold on.After some time, Chaewon and Hyunjin stopped the chanting and broke their hold on the hurting witch, crawling to the girl right when she was about to fall over.“Yerim, Yerim, hey, you got this.” Chaewon turned the girl to the side and held her in her arms, brushing hair out of her face.Hyunjin took the towel out of the water bucket and wiped away as much of the black as she could.“What’s going on?” Haseul asked from a distance.“We did what we could, but it’s done now. The rest is up to Yerim.” Chaewon looked up with worry on her face.“How could she do anything in that state?” Jinsol spoke just as concerned.“She can. We just have to trust her.”Yerim let out another scream as the black started to clear from her throat. “Chae—,” she struggled to say.Chaewon stroked Yerim’s hair that was getting damp from sweat. “I’m here. We’re all here. You got this okay? We’ve messed with the dark arts so many times. This is nothing. I’ll guide you through this blood magic like I always do.”Yerim gritted her teeth and grunted in response with her eyes shut tight. Hyunjin watched on as she gritted her teeth as well, but for a different reason. Blood magic is a type of dark arts that she never got into. It would be a lie to say she hasn’t dabbled in the dark arts, most witches did, but don’t get far because of how intense it could get. Hyunjin had wanted to go further and would have if it wasn’t for Chaewon stopping her. The hybrid learned at a young age, younger than Yerim and knew the risks that came with it, so she made sure the other coven members didn’t touch it. She wanted to argue so many times, though she always refrained from it, knowing it was for her own good, but times like this, she hated feeling helpless.“Breathe through your nose and out your mouth,” Chaewon instructed to Yerim. “I know it hurts, but you gotta concentrate. Imagine your own blood circulating throughout your body, not this foreign blood magic done by someone else. It doesn’t belong in you and your magic is stronger than theirs. Jiyeon and them can talk all the crap they want, but they don’t know shit. You’ve always been a better witch than any of those assholes will ever be and this is coming from me, an old ass vampire and an even older witch, so you know I’m not just saying this to say it.” Yerim wanted to laugh if she wasn’t in so much pain. Chaewon always had a way with words even when trying to comfort people, but she always knew what she was doing, so she did what she was told. Yerim closed her eyes, concentrating on her own blood pushing out the bad. Flashes of purple went through her head as the minutes passed and she swore she was just imagining things in her current state, but then she heard a faint voice calling out her name. A voice that didn’t belong to anyone in the room. She squeezed her eyes tighter, knowing it wasn’t possible, but then she heard it again, this time a little louder.Yerim snapped her eyes open as she sat up, reaching out to someone that wasn’t there. “Choerry,” her voice came out in a quiet whisper.“What?” She heard Chaewon and Hyunjin ask besides her and the sound of footsteps of the vampires as the protection shield went down.Yerim groaned and laid back in Chaewon’s arms from feeling weak. She felt like her body was her own again, no trace of the other witch’s magic in her, but it still left her drained of energy. “Nothing,” she replied with her eyes closed again.“Look at me Yerim,” Chaewon commanded.She did what she was told. The girl above her looked hazy as she blinked rapidly to clear up her vision. She tried to steady her breathing from gasping for air as all the blood magic left her body.“Your eye.” Chaewon reached down and placed a hand on Yerim’s cheek, using her thumb to run under the witch’s right eye. “Choerry.”Yerim looked up confused, before trying to sit back up, only to lean herself onto Chaewon. “It’s impossible.”Hyunjin pulled out a mirror from her pouch and passed it over to Yerim, who took it after some hesitation. She placed it up to her face slowly and sure enough, there was a purple ring around her right iris that she hasn't seen in years. “How?”“Maybe she never left and you somehow triggered the connection you had with her,” Chaewon tried to think of an explanation. “She was always there when you needed help and maybe being in such a vulnerable state, without thinking, you found her again.”Yerim was still looking at the mirror until the purple started to fade before disappearing completely. “I should try to talk to her.”“Not right now. You need to rest first.” Chaewon stood and picked Yerim up in her arms to place her on a couch. “Vivi unnie should be fine. She’ll probably wake when her body is healed enough to do so.”The vampires nodded their heads, thanking the coven. Jinsol picked up Vivi as well to place her on the other couch.“What if I can’t go to her again?” Yerim asked once a pillow was placed under her head.“You’ve survived with and without her. She can wait, but right now, you’re in no condition to try to travel dimensions.” Chaewon sighed, as she took a seat at the edge of the couch. “Rest.” The blonde bent down to kiss Yerim on the forehead before heading to the other’s in the shop.“What was that?” Haseul asked as they cleaned up the circle with candles and the counter.“She doesn’t talk about it often, but she used to be able to travel to different dimensions. Alternate realities where there are different versions of ourselves.” Chaewon sat down on one of the stools at the counter, running her hand through her hair as Hyunjin handed her a glass of water. She thanked her before holding onto the girl’s hand, pulling Hyunjin down to the stool next to her. It was common for the coven to want to feel close to one another after dangerous situations.“I need to go check up on Heejin and Hyejoo. They must be worried even after we told them about the whole Yerim and blood magic thing,” Hyunjin spoke quietly, allowing herself to be pulled closer by the blonde.“Just stay for another minute?” Chaewon looked over to Hyunjin who nodded her head at the request. She looked back at the vampires to speak again, “In one of those dimensions, she found another version of herself named Choerry, hence the name of the shop, but something happened and she wasn’t able to travel to those places anymore. It’s been years since we’ve seen that purple eye. Didn’t think we’d ever see it again and we’re not even sure if it’ll happen again, but we’ll see. Yerim is as determined as she is stubborn, so it won’t be a surprise to find her doing whatever she can to travel those dimensions again once she’s rested.”“We should keep an eye on her about that,” Hyunjin said knowing how Yerim often liked to overwork herself.“I can’t say I know much about the whole witch business, but doesn’t that make Yerim sound freakishly powerful?” Jiwoo commented, not knowing traveling dimensions was even a thing.“She is. Even up until now, I don’t think she’s reached her full potential yet. She grows stronger so fast that it scares me.” Chaewon sighed, looking back at the now sleeping girl on the couch. “We’re lucky she’s on our side, but then again, I don’t think that ball of sunshine has a bad bone in her.” She smiled softly before telling Hyunjin that she was okay now.Hyunjin nodded, giving her hand another squeeze before turning into a cat and teleporting to the rest of their coven.“You should go too,” Haseul said, knowing that Chaewon wanted to check up on her members.The blonde waved her off, having already sent Hyunjin. She did want to see them too, but there were other matters at hand. “About Mama, I think I could take down the witches cloaking spell, but I didn’t fight them long enough to really catch their magic presence.” She got right down to business after taking care of Vivi’s.“Hyunjin did,” Jinsol piped in after cleaning Vivi up of all the blood and black that was left after the whole ordeal.“If you want the best tracker of our coven, Hyunjin’s the one, but I want to try first to see if I could get through.” Chaewon bit her lip. She wanted to be the one to be able to locate Dreamcatcher. Using a tracking spell made your mind vulnerable to the enemy if they knew of the intrusion. It allowed the minds to connect and there was no telling how powerful the other witches were.
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Sooyoung’s chin was to her chest, looking through blurred eyes as blood dripped down, pooling around her feet that barely touched the ground. Her arms ached from being suspended up. Her wrists chained to the ceiling was the only thing keeping her from the desire to just lay down and rest. She wasn’t sure how much time has passed though it felt like eternity.“I could just keep you here forever like this.” The voice sounded distant, but when a hand roughly grabbed a fistful of her hair to yank back, the voice became so loud, it made her head pound. “After everything you’ve done.”Sooyoung gritted her teeth at Jiu’s threats. She should be angrier, but being so disoriented made her feel some kind of sadness from how things have turned out. Both her and Jinsol knew the consequences of leaving Dreamcatcher, but to have Jiu come after them like it was some drawn out game rather than killing them quickly made her feel sick. “I’m sorry,” Sooyoung managed to whisper out. She knew the woman before her wasn’t always like this. Jiu used to tell her stories about her human life and how meaningless it was. Who she is now had nothing to do with that life, she’d try to convince herself, but Sooyoung knew better. For someone to be hurt so badly and to feel like no one ever had her back chipped at the soul little by little until there was nothing left. She didn’t want to hurt Jiu then, but Jinsol was the only thing in her life that made sense at that time and she couldn’t stay knowing that Jinsol’s heart wasn’t into it anymore.“You’re sorry?” Jiu pulled her hair back harder and gripped the handle of one of Jinsol’s knife that was impaled in her stomach. “I thought you were different, but you’re just like everybody else. Only say sorry if you mean it, not because you want me to spare your clan.” She shoved the knife in deeper, but didn’t find any satisfaction when Sooyoung let out a small cry.“Jiu.” Sooyoung’s body involuntarily shook at all the blood loss and constant pain she had been enduring.“Don’t you say my name like that.” Jiu gritted her teeth, finally letting go of the vampire’s hair, watching as her chin fell back down to her chest. “Gahyeon.”The said witch was off to the side watching the whole ordeal before waving her hand as Sooyoung threw her head back, screaming at the magic that was thrown at her, making her feel like she was being torn from the inside out.“Jiu!” She screamed out with a strained voice.For a second, her heart hurt seeing Sooyoung like this. Jiu’s mind wandered to the past when Sooyoung had called for her like that when she was sure she was going to die. Somehow they managed to step into a trap full of hunters as arrows attached to chains came flying. Jiu was able to stop some, but the majority ran itself through her body, immobilizing her. She remembered in Sooyoung’s fit of rage came barreling through, killing most of the hunters with her bare hands. They were good together.Jiu motioned for Gahyeon to stop as Sooyoung’s body went slack against the chains. She lowered the hold on the dark haired vampire until Sooyoung was now on her knees. Jiu got down to her level and tilted the woman’s chin up. “Why?”Sooyoung knew what she was asking without having to say more. “You know why.”Jiu growled out of frustration. “Why her over me? What does she have that I don’t? All of them.”Sooyoung stared into Jiu’s eyes searching for something she wasn’t sure was there. “You think you know what love is, but you don’t. You never did and that’s why you don’t understand why I had to do the things I did.” She spat out the blood in her mouth onto the floor. “I loved you Jiu, but you couldn’t love me the way I needed you to. You would have killed Jinsol if it meant I was your one and only. That’s not love.”Jiu’s hurt eyes turned to anger in seconds. “So you just left? That’s not love either!”Sooyoung shook her head. “There’s nothing I could say to make you understand, because it’s not a concept that you ever knew. And I’m sorry you never got that and I don’t blame you for feeling the way you do, but what you’re doing now, if you go through with this, there’s really no turning back.”“It’s already a little too late for me, isn’t it Sooyoung?” Jiu let out a small chuckle. “Like you said, I don’t understand a lot of things, so I guess I’m just going to do what I do best and kill every last one of you because you’re no use to me now.” She stood up, letting go of Sooyoung’s chin to watch her head fall again. “Oh, pretty sure your pink haired lover is just begging to die right now.”Sooyoung took every last strength in her to look back up. “What did you do?”Jiu smiled and looked over to Gahyeon before walking away. “Work your magic.”“Jiu! What did you do to her?” She yelled out before her voice turned to screams that echoed throughout the place, but with barriers up, no one from the outside could hear a thing.Jiu walked up the stairs, opening a door to another room. “Where were you guys?” She asked the two vampires that were seated next to each other.“You told us to hold some of them off and use that witch’s needles and we did,” Bora spoke, not looking up from the book she was reading.Jiu scoffed. “And you didn’t think to meet back up to help?”“Doesn’t seem like you needed help.” Bora glanced at the door Sooyoung was behind.The redhead walked over, kicking Bora’s feet off the table as Siyeon stood up to get between the two.“Back off.” The blonde had her hand up to Jiu’s chest. “And you, shut up.” She pointed at Bora.“What’s your problem?” Jiu looked at Bora from over Siyeon’s shoulder.“Jinsol said something,” Bora said calmly.“And what? It hit a nerve? You believe whatever that traitor has to say?”“You wanted to kill her.”“Of course I do, after what she did? Making Sooyoung leave with her.”“Before that. She said you planned to kill her while she was still in the clan. And it was as much Sooyoung’s fault as it was Jinsol’s. They didn’t force each other to leave like that.”Jiu crossed her arms as Siyeon stepped to the side, taking the body language as one that wasn’t going to attack. “You really believe her? She would say anything to get you to back off.”Bora stood there, trying to read Jiu, having known the vampire for so long, she still wasn’t sure about the things that went on in her head.“Don’t you see what she’s trying to do? She tore us apart once and she’s trying to do it again. We could be strategizing on how to take over this city, yet here we are, arguing over useless things.” Jiu started to walk off to another part of the place. “If you want a round in, Sooyoung’s still up.”“Do you believe her?” Bora asked Siyeon once Jiu was out of earshot.Siyeon shrugged. “Even if we don’t, what would we even do? We’re never getting Jinsol and Sooyoung back and that’s a fact that we have to live with. I just want this to be over so we could move on.” She reached out to hold onto Bora’s hand. “Come on.”Bora sighed and allowed her to be led down the room where Sooyoung was being held.“That’s enough,” Siyeon told the witch. “Out.”“Jiu told me to stay here to keep watch in case she tries anything,” Gahyeon protested.“You think we can’t handle her on our own?” Siyeon went to retrieve a bucket of water and towel from the corner of the room.Gahyeon clicked her teeth in defeat, knowing there was no use in arguing back as she went up the stairs and out the room.Siyeon sighed as she got to one knee in front of Sooyoung. Bora stood behind her with her arms crossed. They’ve been in this position before, with Sooyoung chained up and tortured, but it somehow felt different this time. Siyeon took the towel out of the bucket and tried to dab some of the blood off of the woman’s face, but as she got close, Sooyoung flinched back. They spent so much time in anger over the two of them leaving. They hunted them down, made them feel like they always had to watch their backs, but hearing Jinsol say that she loved them made them feel something towards the two they hasn’t felt in a long time. They weren’t even sure if the blonde meant it, but it pained them nonetheless.“I’m not going to hurt you,” Siyeon said softly as she tried to clean the vampire’s face again. This time, Sooyoung let her. “This doesn’t mean anything though. We’re still on opposite sides and when it comes down to it, you know we’re going to have to fight.”Sooyoung didn’t respond.Siyeon put her hand on the woman’s chin to tilt her head up to clean the blood off of her mouth. “I wish things were different, but I know we can’t have you both back by our sides.” Bora began pacing, not knowing how to contain all of the pent up emotions she was feeling.“Did you even love us, Sooyoung?” Siyeon asked genuinely.The bleeding vampire stared back at the blonde for a moment before yanking on the chains to lunge forward. “What did you do to Vivi?” She yelled out.Siyeon jumped back in surprise, but then her face quickly turned to hurt and anger, throwing the bloody towel on the floor. “To think I felt sorry for you in this moment.”Bora went over to pull the chains on her wrists back up so that Sooyoung’s feet were just a centimeter off the ground. They both left her hanging again as they went out of the room.“I should hate her for answering me like that.” Siyeon ran a shaky hand through her hair.“But you don’t,” Bora stated.“No, I don’t. They used to fight tooth and nail for us, but now they’re fighting for someone else and I can’t bring myself to hate them knowing they loved us like that at one point. They left because of Jiu and,” her voice trailed. “God, I don’t know what I’m saying. I love Jiu too. You know I do.”“I know.” Bora tried to find the right words to say. “And it sucks how things turned out, but this is what we want right? I don’t want to be hunted anymore by humans and dogs, and Haseul’s clan is in the way of that.”“It’s really unfortunate.” Siyeon had her back to a wall, sliding down with knees up to her chest and head in her hands. She felt so conflicted and couldn’t help but think of how much time was wasted trying to seek revenge after Jinsol and Sooyoung. They left them with a pain they didn’t think was possible, but it tore at their hearts knowing the outcome in the end would be with only one clan standing.
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Jiu/Minji’s pastThe only sound she could hear was her own breathing as she laid on the cold floor of a cell she now called home. Minji wasn’t sure how long she’s been there, but she felt numb to the pain that she has felt all her life.“Time to get up, slave,” a harsh voice called out. The sound of sword meeting metal could be heard as the man outside of the cell dragged the weapon across the bars.She shuddered with fear as she struggled to sit up. The man unlocked the door and went in to yank Minji up to her feet. “You’re lucky you’re still alive being a witch like yourself.”Minji wasn’t a witch. She didn’t possess any power she has seen, but that didn’t stop people from labeling her as one. She was just a good pickpocketer, learning from a young age to try to live on her own. Minji was just a kid when her parents left her at an outdoor market, telling her they’d be right back, but to never return. She wandered the streets for what seemed like forever in search of them. For a long time, she thought something bad happened, but as she grew older, she realized all of her parents fights were because of her. They never wanted her. She was a mistake.“Clean the house and then await your punishment.” The man’s breath smelled of alcohol as he leaned his head in close.She had tried to steal from the man, but was caught red handed. No one cared for an orphan as the man took it upon himself to enslave the woman for her wrongdoings.Minji did what she was told. It seemed like every other day, she was cleaning the house of the aftermath of some drunken party her owner threw. Her heart ached every time she thought about how this was probably how she would live out her days, property of someone else without having any freewill of her own.“When I come back, this place better be spotless.” He pinched at her arm hard before walking away.Minji didn’t even flinch at the harassment. She was so used to people treating her like trash. Her own parents never paid attention to her, always leaving her on her own to take care of herself. Minji thought it was normal to learn how to cook as a kid and tend to her own wounds whenever she got hurt. She didn’t understand friendship or love as she watched people around her being so touchy and kind to one another. She craved for the attention, but didn’t know how to receive it. Minji didn’t know what it meant to be nice to a person when everyone she has ever known has been cruel to her.This man was no different. Physical pain was something new to her, but it didn’t hurt as much as the emotional one. She doesn’t even scream as she’s whipped from missing a spot in the house and when her skin sizzled from being burned. A knock on the door jolted Minji out of her thoughts. She placed the broom leaning against a wall as she walked to answer whoever was there. She opened the door to be greeted by a woman with long black hair.“Good afternoon, Miss.” The woman tipped her hat.“If you’re here to see Mr. Kim, he isn’t in,” came the usual reply.“Oh, I’m not here to see Mr. Kim.” The stranger looked into the house. “May I come in?”“I’m ordered to not let anyone in.” Minji fidgeted with one hand on the door. She’s never gotten a reply where someone said they weren’t there for her owner.“What if I said I was here for you?” The woman smiled sweetly. “I’ve been watching you. I’m very picky, you see, but something about you made me intrigued.”Minji stood frozen, not saying a word. “I’m Sunmi. You can call me Unnie and I’m here to offer something you won’t be able to resist.” She reached her hand out for the woman before her, but stopped to change directions at the end, resting it against the door frame. “A chance to be free. Would you like that? No more rules would apply to you and you can kill every last asshole that have done you wrong.”Minji didn’t understand what the woman wanted. What she was saying sounded too good to be true that she almost wanted to slam the door in the stranger’s face, but a part of her wanted to hear more.“I could make you immortal. Nothing but the sun could ever hurt you again, but even I have connection to make you be able to walk in the day.” Sunmi leaned closer. “Let me in.”Minji knew she would be punished whether she did a good job of cleaning the house or not. Her owner would find a reason to beat her until she was barely conscious. She decided letting this woman in was a risk she was willing to take at such a tempting offer.“Please, come in,” she spoke softly before she could even think about what she was doing.Sunmi smiled again before stepping through the doors. “Nice place. Would be better if you could sit at the table to eat though right?”The other woman looked down to her feet, rarely having been able to sit at a table for as long as she could remember. She was always eating on the floor or eating off of the floor that she thought it was normal for someone with her status.Sunmi reached into her bag to pull out a loaf of bread before handing it to the cautious woman.Minji eyed it suspiciously. “Why are you being so nice to me?”“I’ve been in a similar situation and I know how powerless it could feel when your life isn’t your own. I can promise you so much more.” She placed the bread closer to Minji as she hesitantly took it. “Eat, you don’t know when the next time you’ll get bread as good as this.”Minji looked down at the food in her hands and back up to the woman before quickly prying at the knot on the cloth to get to the bread. She shoved a mouthful in before attempting to shove the rest that was in her hand into her mouth.“Hey, eat slowly now,” Sunmi said softly to the hungry woman. “Imagine being able to go on days without food too. Immortality is a gift and if you accept my offer, I could make it so you’ll never feel powerless again.”Minji finished swallowing the bread, tying the cloth that carried the food back up. “And what is it that you want from me?”“Join my clan. Together we could cleanse this earth of the filth that’s been taking over like a plague.” Her smile was almost ear to ear that it should frighten Minji, but she couldn’t help herself from smiling too.“You’ll be my new owner?” Minji questioned.“Oh no love, I may be a leader, but I’m no owner.” Sunmi placed her hand on Minji’s cheek. “You’re free to do as you please as long as you stay by my side for the meantime, but once you’ve grown, you can do whatever you like.”Minji smiled as she leaned her face into the hand. She hasn’t felt any kind of warmth from anyone before even though the woman’s hand was cold as ice. “Please have me.”Sunmi grinned satisfied with the answer. She pushed Minji’s hair to the back to expose her neck and leaning into whisper out, “It’s going to hurt just a bit, but when the high hits, you’ll be thanking me.” She licked at Minji’s neck as the woman shivered from the unexpected contact before letting out a small cry, feeling teeth sink into her neck.Minji usually didn’t flinch at pain, but she wasn’t expecting how much this hurt. It made her whole body go numb until she felt the euphoria that came after. It was like she was floating, the weight of the world was no longer there. She didn’t know where she was at and reached out to hold onto Sunmi as an anchor to keep her grounded. Minji let out a small whine when the teeth left her neck. It left her feeling completely drained of energy, but a high she has never experienced before.“You just need to eat a little more okay?” The woman that had her in her arms said.Minji watched as Sunmi bit her own wrist and placed it in front of her mouth. It was like her body moved on its own as she gently grabbed at the wrist and started drinking the blood. It made her feel more bursts of the high, smaller, but it was still there, making her head swim. “You’ll just rest for a little while until you wake up feeling new okay?” Sunmi was gentle as she cradled the younger girl.“Okay,” came Minji’s tired reply. She couldn’t think straight, but for the first time in her life, she felt like someone actually cared for her. She remembered waking up cold and in pain, a pain that gnawed at her bones. It felt like knives dragging across her body and needles pushing from the inside out. She felt herself go numb as her voice screamed out, hurting her own ears. Minji couldn’t see a thing, but a comforting voice close by kept her from having a complete meltdown.“You’re okay. You’re okay, child. I got you.” The voice was low, but Minji was able to make it out.When her vision cleared, her eyes met with equally dark ones. “Unnie,” she called out instinctively. Whatever happened made her feel like her connection with the woman above her was stronger than ever although they had just met.“You’re going to be okay now, Jiu-ah.” Sunmi rocked the girl in her arms and stroked her hair.Minji felt like her name has always tied her down to her parents and the past she had wanted to forget. Hearing the new name Sunmi spoke made her feel reborned. With the new identity, Jiu reached for the hand on her head and held it close, soaking in the moment where she has woken up in her new life. “My owner should be home soon,” she said remembering her situation before their meeting.“You’re hungry aren’t you, darling?” Sunmi asked, ignoring what Jiu said.The woman sat up, nodding. She didn’t crave the usual foods she craved. No, she craved for something else, but she didn’t know what. “When he comes through the front door, you’ll know what to do.”Jiu thought she would be scared facing the man, but something in her knew that everything has changed and he no longer held any power over her.They waited on the couch for the man to arrive and when he did, he came crashing in loudly. The alcohol off of him smelled stronger than before as he made his way into the house.“Who the fuck is this?” He yelled, stomping over to the two women on the couch.Sunmi sat with one leg crossed over the other, a smirk on her face as Jiu stood up quickly to get between them.He tried grabbing for her, but Jiu twisted his wrist, snapping it before he could lay a finger on her. He screamed in pain. “You bitch!” He used his other arm to swing at her, but again, it was caught and twisted so far straight behind him, that Jiu was sure she was going to rip his arm off and so she did.The sight and smell of his blood made her teeth itch. Jiu licked at them, feeling the sharp incisors as she grabbed the man by the hair and sunk her teeth in, not caring that she was making a mess of the floor she had cleaned every other day. When Jiu was done, she threw the motionless man down like a rag doll and stared at it. She has never seen a dead body before, but to see someone who she used to fear become nothing but a scared pathetic man made her want to imprint the memory in her head.“No one will ever own you again.”
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Everything was dark, so dark she couldn’t even see her own hands as she wandered aimlessly, arms outstretched, in search of anything. She shouted out, but no voice could be heard. There was no sound, no indication that she even existed in a place she felt like she has been to before. Her thoughts were a mess of nothing that even made sense. There were just incoherent words, all jumbled together as she tried to pick something distinct out of the disarray. A name.Was it her name?It got louder until it got too overwhelming. It was like every emotion started surfacing up and the silence couldn’t even drown it out.Yerim jolted awake, gasping for air as if she’s been holding it under water.“Yerim!” She reached out for the voice as her vision cleared and latched onto the small blonde.“Chae—,” Yerim spoke so quietly, she wasn’t sure she spoke at all.“I’m here.” Chaewon held her tightly in her arms, almost afraid of letting go. “Are you okay?”“Yeah, I’m,” her voice trailed, taking notice of the headache that was pounding away. “I’m okay. I just— I think the spell just took a lot out of me.”The blonde sighed, already knowing how bad fighting against blood magic could get. The purple haired girl was already into it before they met, so she couldn’t stop Yerim even if she tried. It didn’t seem like her place to order someone around who has already been too far into the dark arts, but if she could convince her other clan members not to, she would do anything in her power to stop them. Yerim was levelheaded, Chaewon trusted her to make the right choices although there has been times where she needed the blonde to remind her of the dangers. They all needed the reminder at times when it came to fighting for loved ones.When they let go of the hug, Yerim laid back down, only noticing now that Hyunjin was in her cat form, snuggling up beside her. She pulled the cat in close as it purred. It wasn’t unusual for the witch to stay in that state, preferring a form that didn’t have any flaws compared to her human body that was littered with scars and a small limp she couldn’t get rid of.“How long have I been out for?” Yerim finally noticed everyone else in the room, looking concerned, but gave her the space she needed and she was thankful for that.“All night and day. The sun is about to go down. Thought you’d be out longer.” Chaewon got up from the couch. “We’re trying to do a location spell on the witches that have the cloaking spell up to find Mama, but I’m not getting through.”The black cat hopped off of the couch and stretched herself on Chaewon’s leg while she was standing. She kept meowing until the blonde looked down and picked up the cat. “You’re such a brat sometimes.” Hyunjin let out another meow in response. “Let me try one more time and then you can have a go at it okay?” She replied as if she understood what the cat was saying.Hyunjin jumped out of her arms and went back to her place where Yerim was still resting. Vivi was now up, sitting besides the two witches, exchanging words of thanks and scolding of how dangerous it was.“It doesn’t feel right,” Haseul spoke up. “I should be finding ways to get Sooyoung back, not you guys.” The longer she didn’t know what was going on with Sooyoung, the more antsy she got. She needed to know if the other vampire was okay or even alive. Haseul tried to push the thought aside, but she couldn’t help but feel afraid.“You can’t do everything on your own, Unnie,” Chaewon said, tapping her fingers on the counter. “I know my coven’s not immortal, but they’ve faced vampires, other witches, hell, we’ve went up against rank A demons and lived to tell the tale.” The blonde sighed and reached out to hold Haseul’s hand. “Our home is going to turn to shit and we’re not just going to stand by and watch it happen, you know that.”“I don’t remember you cussing this much,” Jinsol commented as she came over with a few glasses of blood that were in Yerim’s mini fridge.“There’s more pressing matters at hand, Mom. Me cussing is the least of your worries.”“You’re right, like how you’re gonna try to locate Sooyoung again. Don’t you need to rest?”“No, not really.” The small blonde shrugged before going to the middle of the floor and sitting down, crossing her legs. “Jiu really wants her own powerful hybrid, but does she really think she could find someone better than me?” She didn’t wait for an answer before continuing, “anyways, describe to me how her powers are like again please.”“She’s actually pretty strong for a witch, not so much a vampire, or Jiwoo’s just too good at hand to hand combat,” Yerim spoke up, having fought the hybrid longer.“Jiwoo’s just too good at hand to hand combat.” Jungeun nodded along seriously with her arms crossed.Everyone in the room turned to look at her.“What?” She stared back. “I’m just stating the truth. You guys try sparring with her.”“Yeah um, she likes telekinesis a lot. Seems to have better offensive than defensive abilities,” Yerim continued. “I sensed a bit of dark magic with her attacks, so maybe that’s why some of them were strong, but I don’t think she has enough mana to keep it up for long.”Chaewon hummed. “Okay, that narrows it down a bit. Looking for a bulldozer hybrid who doesn’t know how to conserve her energy, got it.” She exhaled loudly out of the mouth before closing her eyes with her hands on her knees.Everyone else in the room stayed completely silent so that the blonde could concentrate. Another exhale could be heard from frustration after a few minutes and then Chaewon opened one eye, sighing.“Ok, my turn.” All eyes went to Hyunjin who no longer was in her cat form. She didn’t waste time to take Chaewon’s spot on the floor. “I’m just going to cycle through the witches until I find something, so this might take a bit.”“I know you don’t need me to tell you, but please be careful anyways. If you feel something wrong, you get out of it right away okay?” Chaewon was still at her eye level and waited for a nod before standing up and going over to Yerim.They watched in silence once again, not sure how long it would take. If this didn’t work, then they would have to do it the old fashion way by tracking their enemy’s steps and asking around, but they didn’t want to resort to something that took too long. They’ve already been talking to people, but no one seemed to know anything or were just not talking.Hyunjin didn’t move or make a sound for the past ten minutes. It gave Jiwoo and Jungeun the chance to really see the girl since she was always either gone or in her cat form. They noticed another scar peeking out of her left sleeve that might be an extension of the one on her face and neck. Behind the thick scars and intimidating personality, the witch’s features made her look innocent in this meditative state.Just as the quiet started itching for them to make noise, Hyunjin’s eyes shot open at the same time she reached a hand out, but before she could say a word, she vanished into thin air, replacing her with another witch the coven knew.“Hyunjin!” They yelled out in unison as the lights turned off and it became a battle of different colored magic being thrown at each other.“Be careful, she can switch places with anything and,” the voice stopped, followed by a crash.As the shop lit up with each attack, everyone was able to make out where others were, but as it got dark and lit up again, people would be at different spots, making it hard to know where to attack and who they were attacking.“Where’s Hyunjin, you bitch!” Another voice yelled out in the dark, followed by eden green lights.The witch had on a smirk as her silver hair flashed with Chaewon’s color before being replaced by blonde.Jinsol barely was able to duck out of the way on time as the attack was aimed straight for her head. She growled, running for the enemy to tackle her down. Her body collided with another. Her fist was about to meet face when a high pitched voice yelled out to her. She stopped inches away, falling to one elbow, realizing it was Jiwoo and not the witch that was under her. Just as fast as she realized, she found herself at a different part of the shop.Jiwoo looked up in surprise, but still managed to move her head to the side when another fist came down for her face. She grabbed the wrist with both arms and quickly bucked off the witch with her hips, rolling them to the side before taking the top position. Luda pressed her open palm to Jiwoo’s chest, but her magic was stopped, giving her a painful zap through the arm instead. The redhead used that to her advantage, grabbing the arm and moving off her opponent to get to the side, but just like before, the witch was replaced by someone else.“Don’t break my arm!” Jiwoo stopped, recognizing the voice as Jungeun and instead, pulled the girl up into a tight hug.“I honestly think it’s better to just stay put,” Jungeun said as Jiwoo changed their position so that the redhead was back hugging the brunette with her chin on her shoulder.They watched as the scene unfolded in front of them, ready to attack when needed, but it seemed more like a mess if they intervened. Objects and people were switched around the shop every time they could see with the flash of lights. It was chaotic at best, but they stayed where they were until they were needed. There was a moment where they were about to jump in, but the lights turned back on and all magic stopped.
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One moment, Hyunjin was sitting in the middle of Yerim’s shop, but now, she was standing in some room with no windows. She threw up her hands quick at a sudden attack thrown at her. The shield she had up made the magic spread around the invisible wall around her before it bounced off and hit the ceiling, causing pieces of it to fall to the ground. She was only a few feet away Dreamcatcher’s witches and two more witches she was all too familiar with.Hyunjin looked behind to see how much space she had when her eyes widen. “Sooyoung unnie.” She took careful steps back while keeping an eye on her enemies as they threw constant attacks at her.The woman was still hanging, head down and blood pooling around her feet. Hyunjin hadn’t even realized that she was making bloody footprints with each step she took. She turned her head back to the other witches when a particularly strong blast caused her shield to falter. The only way she could teleport to Yerim’s was to transform back into a cat, but she wasn’t sure if she had time to do that before getting hit. “You can’t keep the shield up forever, Hyunjin!” The one besides Eunseo yelled.“Wanna bet, bitch?” She scoffed, making hand signs to reinforce her shield.The witch with the scars racked her brain for ideas. Even if she could teleport out, there was no way she could take Sooyoung with her. This was their purpose, to make it seem like she was so close for a chance to rescue the vampire, but know trying would be impossible. Hyunjin reached up to her face when she felt something warm drip down. She pulled her hand back from her nose to see blood.“Like I said, you can’t keep the shield up forever, Hyunjin,” the witch taunted.“Stop saying my name like that, Jiyeon,” she said dragging out the name in a mocking manner. Jiyeon was the leader of her coven that consisted of Eunseo and Luda. It’s been years since Hyunjin has last seen them, but it seemed like all familiar enemies were coming back with the rise of Dreamcatcher. She wasn’t particularly fond of seeing them again, but if this meant that they could wipe out all of them at once, she was willingly glad to do so.There was a hole somewhere in her shield that Eunseo was focusing on. It was the only way her blood bending was affecting Hyunjin. The hole must be too small since she still had control over her body, but if the other witch was able to get through, it could be game over for her. She was stronger than that though. Hyunjin knew she could get out of there, but it would mean leaving Sooyoung behind and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to do that at the moment although she had to soon.Hyunjin let the attacks keep hitting the magic she had up. She was waiting for her shield to absorb more of their power to unleash it. And when it got to the point she couldn’t hold any more, she reached out to place her hand on Sooyoung’s waist as a silent apology that she couldn’t take the vampire with her.Hyunjin raised her right arm up to finally throw an attack of her own. Right when she let go though, one moment she was standing, and the next, she felt the bottom half of her back hitting something from behind before crashing to the ground onto her stomach.“Hyunjin!” A voice called out as she grunted in pain.An arm pulled at hers and she let them, already recognizing the dark wooden floor of Yerim’s shop. She was rolled on her back with faces hovering above her’s.“I’m so sorry,” Chaewon frantically exclaimed and pulled the witch’s head into her lap. “Are you okay?”“I’m fine. Crystal and map, now.” Hyunjin struggled to sit up and almost laid back down from the dizziness, but she had to get back to work.The items were brought over and placed on the ground as Hyunjin took the crystal and dangled the silver chain that was attached on it over a map. Now that she had a sense of the place Sooyoung was at, it was easier to find. She watched as the crystal swung around in circles before landing itself onto a point.“There. Sooyoung unnie’s there, but they could be gone by the time we get there.” Hyunjin examined the map to see how far away they were from the location. She frowned when a drop of blood landed on the paper.“Unnie.” Yerim’s voice was full of concern.“You’re not okay.” Chaewon placed her hand under Hyunjin’s chin to get the witch to look at her.“I am. Eunseo didn’t get far.” She shook her head and tucked hair behind her ear. To be honest, her back hurt more from crashing into the counter, but she didn’t want to make Chaewon feel more bad than she already did. “Help me up?”Chaewon stood and reached a hand out for Hyunjin to grab. She tried not to wince when she was helped up to her feet.“You dropped this.” Jiwoo had an object in her hand that looked a bit like a tiny gameboy attached to a short yellow lanyard and a faded eden green carabiner. “Another witch device?”“No.” Hyunjin grabbed the object and examined it for damages before clipping it back onto one of the loops on her jeans. “Thanks.”“You still keep that thing around?” Chaewon asked.Hyunjin blinked, eyebrows scrunched. “Yeah.” She shook her head, trying to forget images that flashed into her mind. “We should head out now if we want to find Unnie.”“You’re not going anywhere.” The small blonde frowned.“What do you mean? I’m fine.”“Hyunjin, please just stay here with Yerim.”“They have five witches on their side, I’m coming along.”“No, you’re not.”Hyunjin was about to argue again when Chaewon’s hand on her shoulder stopped her.“Please, Hyunjin. I know that hit you took from me hurts, so stop trying to be tough all the time.” She pulled the taller girl into a hug and whispered out, “I can’t lose you.”As much as the two bickered and teased each other, they both knew how much they cared for one another.Hyunjin sighed in defeat, but understood. “Okay, but I really am fine,” she tried to reassure.“It is best if you stay here and rest,” Haseul said already at the door. “Vivi, you’re staying too and don’t even try to argue because you won’t win.”Vivi was still seated on the couch, already knowing Haseul was going to say that. As much as she wanted to help in finding Sooyoung, she knew she was in no condition to. “I called Jihyo earlier. Her clan is keeping watch around here, so maybe go out for a short blood run,” Haseul continued. “She also asked me to check out some dead bodies that’s been showing up around town. Did you guys want to take up that task?”They nodded in agreement. There was no way they could sit around and wait anyways. It would drive them mad and Haseul knew that. “Like Hyunjin said, they could be gone by the time we get there, but we have to look anyways. There could be clues or just anything we could use to find Sooyoung.” Haseul opened the door and stepped out, before turning around. “Stay safe and thank you guys again for all you’ve done.”“Of course. Sooyoung unnie’s family,” Yerim spoke, receiving a smile in return before the vampires left the shop.“We’re stealing a car,” Haseul announced.There were no arguments to that as they walked quickly.It felt strange for Jungeun and Jiwoo to feel the heat on their faces. They still weren’t used to walking out in the sun, so they almost hesitated to walk out of the shop. Jungeun rubbed her arms every now and then. Jiwoo noticed, taking the girl’s hand in her own to stop her from the reminder that she was thrown out in the sun to burn not too long ago.“It’s an abandoned hotel we used to go to when we were too lazy to find a place to stay,” Jinsol said while hotwiring a car they found not too far from the shop. “What Hyunjin described sounded like the basement and with all the blood on her shoes, we have to be prepared for the state Sooyoung might be in.Haseul looked out the window from the front passenger seat as Jinsol finished up and began driving. She was trying to keep it together for everyone, but sometimes being a leader took its toll on her. Sometimes she just wanted to break from the own rules she has set for herself and just let her vampire instincts take over, but she knew she had to keep a level head to protect her clan. Haseul flinched as a hand was placed on top of her own.“Hey, you okay?” Jinsol glanced over. “We’re going to get Sooyoung back.”“I know. I’m just worried is all.”Jinsol sighed, wanting to say more, but she wanted to talk to Haseul one on one, knowing the women didn’t like to express herself in front of others.
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“Did you know she could do that?” Hyunjin asked as Yerim kept the bag of ice on her back.“No, of course not. If I knew, I wouldn’t have let you use the locating spell.” Yerim frowned at how colorful the giant bruise already looked. “Probably right when you found her magic presence, she switched with you before you could break off the connection. She must have been training that power of her’s though. There’s no way she could switch places without actually seeing the object or person like the last time we saw her.”“I was so close to breaking off the connection. If only,” her voice trailed.“Hey, it was something you couldn’t predict, okay?” Vivi gave a squeeze to the girl’s shoulder. “Yeah, I know,” Hyunjin sighed, unconsciously rubbing her right knee.“You okay?” Yerim asked.“Hmm?” Hyunjin followed the girl’s gaze to her leg. “Oh no, I’m fine. It just aches sometimes.”This time, Yerim was the one sighing. She knew the other girl has been stressing and she chose not to say anything, but this was just one more thing to add to the mess in her head that Hyunjin always kept to herself.“I really am fine. Stop worrying so much.” The taller one stood up once Yerim took the ice bag off of her back. “We should head out.”“How could I not? You say you’re fine when your back is black and blue, and you say you’re fine when I know you’re beating yourself up for not being able to get Sooyoung unnie out of there.” Yerim followed the other witch as she started walking towards the door.Hyunjin stopped in her tracks and turned back around. “You’re right. I should have gotten Sooyoung unnie out of there, but I couldn’t. It seems like I fuck up everything I do and now we’re not even sure if she’s still there,” Hyunjin raised her voice, but instantly regretted her outburst. She wasn’t one to talk much, but bottling things up had its consequences and she knew Yerim knew that she wasn’t just talking about this situation.“Hyunjin,” Vivi said quietly. “There was no way you could have gotten her out, we all know that. And it’s no good if we’re fighting like this. I know things are more tense, but we got to keep a clear head although I also want to destroy everything right now.” Vivi was used to being the one that needed to calm down, but with only the two witches here, she had to step up as the older sister role.Hyunjin ran her hand through her hair, exposing more of the scar on her face that was covered by it. “I know. I’m sorry. I just— you know how I am. I just overthink everything.”Yerim silently pulled the girl into a soft hug, afraid of hurting her. “If you turn into Aeongie, you can just chill on my shoulder,” she suggested while smiling, not wanting Hyunjin to walk on her own if she was in pain.Hyunjin gave a small smile back. “You sure? Chaewon’s always complaining when I do that.”“You know she loves it. She just likes giving you a hard time.” Yerim tapped her own shoulder when the cat appeared before her and she bent down to pick her up. “You’re so cute,” she cooed, knowing Hyunjin couldn’t say anything back to that.Instead, she got a meow in response as the cat stretched herself and then laid lazily on her stomach on Yerim’s shoulder.“About those dead bodies, I’m totally not going to feed off of them, because that’s just gross,” Vivi spoke, opening the door to the shop. “But then again, feeding off of crappy men suck too, but I guess I can’t be too picky right?”Yerim hummed, never having the ability to imagine going on a liquid diet, much less a liquid diet of blood. She took one glance back before stepping out and locking up the door.The shop looked almost spotless minus a few things Yerim had to throw away. Having powers had its perks, but also being low on mana meant they had to clean some things by hand since they were trying to reserve as much energy as they could.“Is Jihyo unnie still at the alley a few blocks from here?” Yerim asked, not using much energy to keep a protection spell on them.“She said she was having lunch around the area, so she should be there for a while.” Vivi held her stomach at how empty it was and how fatigued she felt even after having some blood at Yerim’s. “Goes out to check up on dead bodies and then goes to eat lunch. I barely remember my human life, but that isn’t normal right?”Yerim chuckled at the pink haired vampire. It seemed like Vivi always just said whatever was on her mind, something none of her coven members could relate too, but then again, the vampire has lived much longer. She sometimes wondered how different she would be if she was immortal, how her members would be. Yerim couldn’t fathom it, not wanting to live on forever in an endless cycle of nothingness, but maybe forever wasn’t such a bad idea if she was with her coven.“Oh god, such a rancid smell yet Jihyo just let the body stay here without informing the authorities?” Vivi raised her hand up to her face to block it out, cursing that vampires had a better sense of smell.“Pretty sure she is the authorities.” Yerim spotted the alley as she quickened up her pace.They stopped, seeing Jihyo and another person with her stepping out from a restaurant ahead.“I thought I sensed you guys,” Jihyo said while walking over to them.“Unnie.” Yerim smiled and gave the wolf pack leader a quick hug before turning to the other. “Ah, Nayeon unnie. I haven’t seen you guys in such a long time,” she said giving her a hug as well.“Kind of wish we could meet on better circumstances.” Nayeon reached over to play with the cat’s paw and got a meow in return. “I missed you too, Aeongie.”“Like I told Haseul, there’s been dead bodies showing up around town, but it doesn’t seem like there was any foul play and I would have been able to smell drugs if it was that,” Jihyo explained, getting right down to business. The leader led them to the alley before turning into it.Yerim finally got a whiff of the smell and covered her face with her sleeve.They walked a little farther in and stopped by a pile of newspaper.“We found her like this, left under a bunch of rubbish as if she was trash.” Jihyo bent down, moving things aside until a face was revealed. “I wanted to close the woman’s eyes, but figured it’d be best to leave her for you guys to check it out for yourselves before I touched anything.”Yerim let her hand drop from her face as she got closer to the body. “She looked frightened.” She stared into the dead woman’s eyes, not sure what she was searching for. “Did you check her body? You said there seemed to be no foul play, so no markings?”“I couldn’t smell any blood and there’s no bruising on her neck that would indicate asphyxiation.”Yerim could only think of one thing, but if it was what she was thinking, it would be bad news for all of them. “Her eyes look a bit cloudy, dull of its color.” She used a bent out of shape pen she found on the ground to move more of the rubbish aside. “Cracked fingernails.” She pointed out. “Not necessarily from scratching or getting away from someone, but it just looks really fragile. Her hair looks like it’s falling off too, although she doesn’t look that old.”“Do you know what this is?” Jihyo asked, not really understanding why Yerim was only saying some points out loud.Yerim sighed, but didn’t say anything as she used the same pen to move the dead woman’s bangs to the side before hovering her hand over it. They watched as nothing happened for a second until a faint symbol appeared on her pale forehead. It became more apparent the longer Yerim’s hand was there, and when it was finally fully visible, she pulled away, revealing a marking of some kind.“Seems like we have a case of a witch going around literally sucking the life out of people.” It was something Yerim has never witnessed, but has read it from books her grandmother kept in the house.“So like a vampire, but a witch?” Jihyo was still confused as she used her hand to close the woman’s eyes.“When I say sucking the life out of people, I meant that whoever this witch is is hunting down other witches to steal their mana, killing them in the process.” Yerim threw the pen down and crossed her arms. “It’s one of the darkest of dark magic, to take someone’s power without their permission and to drain them dry of it.”“Could it be Dreamcatcher?” Nayeon spoke up, tapping her foot on the ground.Werewolves and vampires fighting each other seemed like an even match, but with witches in the picture, it was something more unpredictable.“It could be, but I feel like this is more up in Jiyeon’s coven’s area. I mean, they might as well be considered Dreamcatcher since they’re allies now.” Yerim shook her head, hating the idea that if those witches advanced in the dark arts the last time they met, it might mean that she might have to fight back using it too.“Jiyeon’s coven?” Jihyo asked.“I wouldn’t call them old friends, but they’re a group I knew back when I was a teen. I made the mistake of asking them to help me when I didn’t know much about the dark arts.”“I haven’t known you long, but it doesn’t seem like you’d be into the whole dark side.”“I wouldn’t exactly call it the dark side, it just depends on how you use it, and I choose to use it for good. It’s dangerous though and powerful, that’s why people who dabble in it usually end up using it for selfish reasons.” Yerim started walking out of the alley, the smell making her stomach feel queasy. “It kind of messes with your mind sometimes. The more you use it, the more vulnerable you get to those. Sometimes you feel like you’re in a dream, but you’re awake, other times, you’re dreaming, but you think it’s real.” Yerim didn’t exactly know what she was talking about. She was just rambling, trying to figure out who and what she has to deal with and the consequences that will come with it.“That sounds scary.” Nayeon frowned as they stood just at the entrance of the alley.Yerim hummed, not really paying attention to anything around her before snapping back. “Yeah, um, can you send me a list of where all of these bodies were found and if more show up?”“Yeah, yeah, I’ll send them over right now. There’s only been a handful, but it seems like it’s been every other day for a week now.” Jihyo pulled out her phone to send the list.“Whoever this is, they’re just getting started then. We might be able to stop them before they get too far.” Yerim rubbed at her temples and then pulled the two wolves into a hug. “We’ll see you guys okay? I’m going to go back to my place to check out some stuff on this.”“Yeah, thanks for everything Yerim,” Jihyo said and then turned to Vivi. “There’s been some gang violence on the other block, this is the time they’re usually patrolling the place. Thought you liked to know since you’re looking a bit more sluggish than usual.”“Duly noted.” Vivi did a little head bow in a sign for thanks before the two groups parted ways.Jihyo was part of a team that kept humans safe, but she wasn’t one to always follow the rules when she knew nothing was always black and white. If she could help keep the streets clean without having to do the dirty work herself while feeding the vampires that are the only things fighting back against Dreamcatcher, then she’s willing to help them any way she could.
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Vivi and the others started heading to the shop after having fed. They took some blood and saved them in jars for the rest of the clan for when they got back as well, knowing some members were still recovering.“Now, it’s my turn to ask.” Vivi glanced over at the purple haired girl. “You’re okay right? What you did back there for me, I know it took a lot out of you.” She was concerned before, but hearing what Yerim said about the aftermath of using too much dark magic worried her even more.“I’m good. My head feels a bit foggy at times, but I can usually shake it off,” Yerim tried to reassure.“Usually? What about the times you can’t?”“I mean, I can, eventually, but it just takes a little more time. I’m used to it though, so I can handle it.” Yerim stopped in her tracks before turning the other way. “Can we actually go back to my place? My apartment I mean, I want to shower and grab a few things. It’s close to the shop anyways.”“Yeah, sure, that’s fine.” Vivi eyebrows knitted together. She was thankful that Yerim got her out of her torturous predicament, but was sorry that the younger one had to suffer because of her.Vivi woke up feeling absolutely drained, but looking around to not find Sooyoung and asking where she was without a quick answer scared her more. She was so out of it, but had wanted to get up right there and then to march out looking for the younger vampire. And now that she was here, resting while everyone else went to go search for Sooyoung, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for not being able to do anything.“It’s kind of a mess, but that’s cuz Chaewon gets bored while we’re sleeping and just does whatever that she does,” Yerim said, dropping her keys onto the table once they entered. “I’m going to shower real quick, so just make yourself at home.”Yerim walked into her shared room with Hyejoo while the other two stayed in the living room.“I’m going to put the blood away,” Vivi said to the cat that was laying on the couch.Vivi opened the fridge to not find much in it and frowned. “Do you guys not eat or something?” She placed the jars in when a bright colored bag on the floor by the sink caught her attention from the corner of her eye. “Why is there cat food? Don’t tell me you actually eat cat food, Hyunjin.”“That’s not mine. Yerim likes to feed the strays outside of our place.”Vivi turned around to see Hyunjin back in her human form with one arm outstretched on top of the couch and a leg crossed over the other.“Yeah sure, anyways, do you guys want me to buy you some groceries or something, because I don’t think ketchup and cabbage counts as a meal.” Vivi made her way over to the couch and plopped herself next to the witch.“Yerim is the only one that has been staying here the most to take care of her shop. Chaewon and I have been back and forth from here to Jeju for Hyejoo, so we don’t really eat here.” Hyunjin sighed, the arm on top of the couch went to rubbing her right knee again. “She says she eats, but sometimes I’m not sure.”“That kid is a workaholic. I know she stays after shop is closed just to study up on magic. There’s like no off switch with her.” Vivi remembered days where they’d visit Yerim around closing time and quickly leaving as the shop was supposed to close, but the witch always said that they could stay longer since she’d still be there practicing her arts.Hyunjin hummed in agreement. “I think after this is over, I should stay with her more. We’ve just been so worried over Hyejoo that I sometimes forget that Yerim’s the type that needs people around her. She’s too bright to contain all that energy to herself.” Hyunjin smiled thinking of Yerim always being happy, but quickly frowned when she realized that she hasn’t seen that bright smile in a while.“The shower’s been off for quite some time.” Vivi pointed out, looking at the direction of Yerim’s and Hyejoo’s room.“Just give her a bit, she might need it,” Hyunjin said, knowing as much as Yerim liked people, she also needed some space after stressful situations.~Yerim stood in front of the fogged up mirror with her hands on the sink for the past few minutes. She stared into a reflection she could not see before reaching a hand out to wipe at it. All of the noise around her seemed to disappear as she could only hear the sound of her own breathing trying to keep it steady. Breathe in through the nose and exhale through the mouth, she thought to herself, but the more she concentrated on it, the more uneven her breathing got. All of the sudden, the beating of her heart could be heard pounding in her head and her grip on the edge of the sink got tighter. The girl in the mirror looked like her, but wasn’t reflecting what she was doing. Yerim blinked rapidly and tried not to panic.“October 19th, November 15th, November 19th, November 13th, November 11th.” Yerim’s voice trembled as she recited the birthdates of her coven members under her breath before repeating it again to get her mind to focus. “October 19th, November 15th, Nov—,” she trailed when her reflection gave a smile that wasn’t her’s. It looked like her, but everything about the mirror image was slightly off.Yerim stared into the stranger’s eyes as the reflection’s hand slowly reached up while hers were still planted on the sink. “Get out of my head,” she growled out quietly, clenching her teeth. “You can’t have me.”The hand didn’t stop, almost reaching the edge of the mirror when a knock on the restroom door jolted her out of the trance, making her whip her head in the direction of the sound.“Hey, you okay in there? You’ve been in there for a while now.” Yerim heard Hyunjin’s voice on the other side of the door.Yerim looked back into the mirror to find the reflection now mimicked her movements. She shook her head and cleared her throat. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll be out in a second.” She waved a hand around to see if it was back to normal and sighed in relief when it was.Yerim ran a shaky hand through her hair. This wasn’t the first time this has happened, but it seemed like every time it does, it gets a little harder to snap back to reality. It’s like with each drop of blood she gave to the dark arts, it also took something else from her that she was uncertain if she’d ever get back. With time, it gets better, but once in a while, it comes back very faintly, like a whisper in her ear that she wasn’t sure she actually heard or a light tap on a shoulder when no one was there. Her coven knew that it could get bad sometimes, but she’s never told them just how bad it could actually get and how much worse it has become every time she spilled her own blood for the sake of keeping her family safe. Yerim knew she had to tell them soon because as much as she thinks she could handle it, there were times where she would have nightmares she wasn’t sure she’d wake up from, and moments where she’s awake, but nothing is like how it seems.Yerim closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, letting out another shaky breath before opening the restroom door that led to her room. She stared at Hyejoo’s empty bed that was unmade, two game controllers resting on the edge of it. Hyejoo was never one to make her bed, saying it was pointless since she’d be there all day anyways. Yerim’s eyes welled up with tears thinking of her best friend who hasn’t been home. She hasn’t seen her in a few weeks and she was missing Hyejoo more than ever now that she was in this vulnerable state. Yerim just wanted a hug, she’d be okay with just a hug, knowing the tough looking girl was rather soft and knew when Yerim needed that comforting contact.“I can do this,” Yerim whispered to herself and clearing her throat before walking out into the living room. “Grabbed a few things that might be useful, so we can go now,” she said calmly to the two on the couch that were flipping through channels.“Do you just eat ketchup and cabbage all day?” Vivi asked, turning off the tv and facing the witch.Yerim frowned confused. “What?”“That’s all you have in your fridge.”“Yeah, well, I don’t really have time to cook. I usually just buy food.”“And when you say buy food, you just mean all of those empty cup noodles in your trash right?”Yerim crossed her arms. “Look, I’ll eat healthier okay? But right now, we have more pressing matters.”Vivi stood up from the couch and pulled out her wallet.“I don’t need you guys to keep giving me money. I appreciate it, I really do, but I’m fine.” Yerim reached for Vivi’s hand to stop her.The pink haired vampire brushed her off. “Yerim, I don’t even need money. I can get more any time I want. It’s okay if you need help and we want to help, so please, just take the money, for you and your members.”Yerim sighed and bite her lip. “Thank you,” she whispered out. She has always felt guilty taking money, but she knew there was no need to feel that way because what Vivi said was true. She was just so use to taking care of herself that it was sometimes hard to let others in.“Yeah, thank you Unnie. I’ll make sure Yerim eats more than just low grade cup noodles.” Hyunjin smiled and gave Vivi an one armed hug before turning to Yerim. “Don’t give too much to Hyejoo when she comes back though, she’s just going to buy games. Give her more when she needs it.”Yerim chuckled at how true that was, but the introverted girl played as much games as she ate, so she wasn’t so worried about Hyejoo not eating..A buzz from Vivi’s pocket turned their attention to it as the woman picked it up. “Hello? Yeah, we’re at her apartment.” There was a short pause as the other side talked. “Wait, what? Okay, we’re coming right now.”“What happened? Did they find Sooyoung unnie?” Yerim asked as they all headed out of the apartment.Vivi has been trying to keep it together, but she couldn’t help all the emotions that were rushing up in that instant. “Yeah, they found her.”
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“How was she able to attack in Yerim’s shop? I thought that couldn’t happen,” Jiwoo asked as their car reached a gate that led to an abandoned looking hotel.“She was countering it somehow. I think when she switched places, she gets this split second where she can do something before she gets the shit zapped out of her,” Chaewon said getting out and using a little magic to open up the locked gate. “They might already know we’re here, but they might also be gone.”“I’ll lead.” Jinsol never thought she’d be back to a place that held so many memories of her past with Sooyoung and Dreamcatcher, but here she was, walking towards Jiu’s sick twisted game.They didn’t go through the front, instead, there was a door that was cracked open at the back. Jinsol sighed knowing this could just be a trap, but it was a chance they were willing to take if Sooyoung was here. She led them through a completely dark hallway that smelled of dead bodies. Chaewon lit up the place with a spell that looked like a small orb of light that hovered a little above her hand. It was a short distance before they reached a door. Jinsol took in a breath before opening it. It led them to a well lit lobby of the hotel with many windows. “There’s stairs over here that leads down to a basement like room.” Jinsol kept walking until they were at another door, her hand stopping at the knob. “It’s too empty. They should have attacked by now.” She had already lost hope that Sooyoung was actually here and knew the others were feeling the same.“Either way, we’re going down there,” Haseul tried saying with a straight face, but she was panicking more than she’d like to admit. “Open the door.”Jinsol gave out a small nod before twisting the door knob, hearing it creak as she yanked it open and ran down the stairs with the others, ready to fight if she had to.“Sooyoung.” Jinsol’s voice was shaky looking into the empty room as she reached the bottom.There was nothing but chains on the ceiling and too much blood spilled around the room.“That blast on the wall.” Chaewon pointed to the opposite side of where the chains were. “Looks like Hyunjin did some damage.” She was faced away from everyone else.“Chaewon,” Jinsol called out quietly before placing a hand on the younger hybrid’s arm.Chaewon didn’t turn around, instead, her shoulders started to shake uncontrollably as she fell to her knees. Jinsol bent down with her and held her in her arms.“Where’s Mama?” The small blonde sobbed, not being able to contain her emotions anymore. Everyone kept trying to keep it together, but she was just so tired.“Shh, it’s okay. We’ll find her.” Jinsol tried comforting her while looking up to Haseul who looked like she wanted to break down as well. She reached up for the leader to take her hand.“There has to be something, anything we could use around here,” Jungeun spoke up. “You said they liked playing games right? There’s no way they’d leave this place for us to find without giving us something.”Jinsol racked her brain, trying to think of anything before quietly whispering out, “room 808.”“What?” Jungeun asked confused by the response.“Jiu’s room is 808. She kept all of her prized possessions in that room, including Sooyoung when she could,” Jinsol explained, standing up and pulling Chaewon with her. She held her hand as they walked back up from the basement and into the lobby.They walked up all the stairs until they reached the 8th floor. They weren’t sure what they’d find, but hoped for anything at this point.“Could you guys stay here? I— I think I need to go in there alone.” Jinsol passed Chaewon’s hand over to Haseul’s to hold.“Be careful.” Haseul didn’t want her to go in by herself, but knew it was something she had to do.Jinsol nodded before pushing the jammed door open. She stepped in to feel like she was her younger self again. Some things were still in their place while others were missing. She walked over to the coffee table and ran her fingers across it. Not being able to handle the blast from the past, Jinsol took a seat and looked around the room. There was no longer a bed, just the frame, rusted from years of being unused. Jinsol’s elbows were on the table now with her face in her hands. She just wanted to cry, but knew she had to keep it together. She glanced around again, nothing really caught her eye until the very faint smell of blood entered her nose.Sooyoung’s blood. The blonde frowned and got up from her seat to walk over to the night stand. She slowly opened the drawer to reveal a small jewelry box. Jinsol’s trembling fingers opened it up and spilled its contents onto the stand. She moved around the items until she picked up a ring.Jinsol panicked, running out of the room to meet with the others. “Sooyoung’s daywalker ring.” Chaewon’s hand went up to her mouth to keep herself from sobbing again. She was thinking about the worse case scenario and she knew everyone else was thinking the same although no one wanted to admit it.“This doesn’t mean anything,” Haseul growled out. “They could just be toying with us,” her voice raised as she walked over to Jiu’s room, ripping the door of its hinges and then throwing it over the stairs. The sound echoed as it hit different things on its way down before reaching the bottom. “Let’s go. We’re going back to Yerim’s.” She stomped off with her fists clenched to her side.Jiwoo offered to drive this time, with Jungeun in the front passenger seat. Chaewon was in the middle, being hugged by Jinsol on her left, and Haseul staring out the window from the other side. The ride was quiet except for the occasional sniffing from the smaller blonde.“I’m going to take out all of her feeding rings,” Haseul said without looking at anybody. “Someone’s going to talk. I’m going to make them, and if they don’t, I’m going to kill everyone they know, everyone they’ve ever loved. I don’t fuckin’ care anymore. If they want war, I’m bringing it to them.”Chaewon turned to Haseul, never having seen the clan leader so unhinged. “And I’ll be right by your side.” The hybrid reached over to take a hold of the vampire’s hand.Never in Chaewon’s human life has anyone ever loved or cared for her. She was abandoned as an infant, left on the doorsteps of an orphanage to keep her from her powers, but that couldn’t stop her from figuring out that she was a witch. The night she turned into a vampire was the night she was using a blood magic spell to make herself immortal, tired of a life she didn’t want anymore. Ironic how she didn’t even need to perform it as Jinsol and Sooyoung sank their teeth into her neck as she finished the ritual. Chaewon remembered traveling to the land of the dead, spirits all around, including her’s as her eyes closed in her human life. The spell didn’t work on her, she was already turning into a vampire as Jinsol fed the smaller blonde her blood. The spell worked on something else though. She woke up being able to talk to the dead, to raise them up, and use them as her own army. People all around her wanted to suppress her powers, but in the end, they just made her stronger.Chaewon remembered waking up in her new life with some unexplainable connection she didn’t understand as she called out for the closest thing she could call her mother. Jinsol and Sooyoung didn’t even know her. They could have just left her, but they didn’t. They left everything they knew to care for her as if she was their own and never stopped loving her even after she decided to leave the clan to make her own coven. Now that one of her mothers were missing or even possibly dead, she was going to raise hell and nothing was going to stop her. They reached Yerim’s shop in no time. Getting out of the car and dragging their feet back to square one. It wasn’t until they walked farther into the alley did the smell of blood hit all of their noses. They all stopped for a second to look at each other before running towards the shop. They weren’t prepared for what they saw. A figure was laying on the ground, curled up in a fetal position against the entrance, trying to keep away from the light as her bare feet and ankles sizzled from the sun.“Mama,” Chaewon breathed out and bent down next to her, reaching her hand to place on the vampire. She was preparing for the worse, never expecting to find her missing mother here as if Jiu knew all of their plans and they were just a pawn in her game.Sooyoung flinched back and whimpered, a terrified sound they have never heard from the woman. She wouldn’t stop making sounds of pure terror and trying not to cry too loud.“Sooyoung,” Jinsol choked out and tried to get the brunette to respond to her voice. “Sooyoung, it’s me, Jinsol. I need to put the daywalker ring back on you, you’re burning.” She got closer until she swore the vampire was trying to tell her something.Sooyoung hugged her knees tighter, not allowing Jinsol to get to her hands.“Sooyoung, please.” This time, it was Haseul’s desperate voice. The woman finally looked up slightly and was mouthing something before her voice came through. “Please, please, please,” she kept begging. “Just kill me, please. Ju— just kill me.” She sobbed quietly as her body shook.Haseul choked back her own sob and looked over to Jinsol who now couldn’t stop crying either. “We need to get her inside.”Chaewon nodded, not holding in her emotions, and stood up on shaky legs before taking off the spell that kept them from entering. She opened the door with Jungeun and Jiwoo as they silently went in to get supplies for what’s to come next.“Jinsol, hey.” Haseul pulled the blonde into a hug. “Come on, she needs us.”Jinsol nodded and wiped her face with her sleeves before trying again. “Sooyoung, we’re not going to hurt you. Please, we just need to bring you inside. You’re going to burn out here.” Jinsol reached out again, this time, the brunette let her with some hesitation.Sooyoung was covered in blood, some dry and some parts still wet as Jinsol placed her arm under the woman’s head. The slightly taller vampire had her eyes wide open with so much fear in them, still letting out little whimpers. Jinsol uncurled Sooyoung from her fetal position to put her other arm under the legs to carry her lover. She let out a gasp when she saw the knife in Sooyoung’s stomach.Her knife.She bit her bottom lip to prevent her from losing it right then and there as she carried the woman on the cleared off counter that Vivi was just on when she was injured. Sooyoung tried curling back up, but the knife prevented her to do so as she grunted in pain.“I need to call the others.” Haseul’s shaking hand reached into her pocket to pull out the phone. She dialed and let it ring before a voice was heard on the other line. “Vivi. Where are you guys? Are you near Yerim’s shop?” She waited for the reply before talking about. “We found Sooyoung. It’s bad, Vivi.” Haseul turned back to the group after a few more exchange of words before hanging up. “They’re coming.” She ran a hand through her hair, slightly tugging it hard out of frustration before going over to the others.“I need to get the knife out.” Jinsol was brushing the bloody vampire’s hair out of her face while Chaewon had one of Sooyoung’s hands in her own.“I can help hold her down,” Jungeun spoke up as Jiwoo agreed along. What they saw scared them. They weren’t used to seeing the normally icy vampire this way. She looked so vulnerable, almost like a lost child.Jinsol nodded and whispered to Sooyoung, “Love, this is going to hurt, but you need to bear with me okay?” She didn’t get a reply as she placed both hands on the knife’s handle and looked at the younger vampires. “1, 2, 3,” she counted before yanking the weapon out, watching as blood ran freely out of the wound. Sooyoung screamed out and thrashed around weakly, trying to break out of their hold, but Jungeun and Jiwoo held on tightly.Haseul was right there, biting her own wrist to fed to the brunette once she calmed down a bit. Sooyoung was too weak to feed on her own, just having blood drip into her mouth. She made gurgling sounds as Haseul pulled her wrist away. Sooyoung coughed uncontrollably, not drinking any of the blood as it came out as it dripped out of the corner of her mouth.“Sooyoung, love, please, you need to drink,” Haseul begged as her wrist bled onto the floor.The brunette blinked up at her, barely being able to keep her eyes open anymore. Chaewon was trying to keep it together as she wiped as much blood as she could off of her mother’s face with a wet towel. “Mama, please.” She still had a hold on one of her hands, giving it a light squeeze.“Chae—,” they heard her struggle to whisper out.“Yes, Mama, it’s me. You need to feed okay?” Chaewon was about to bite her own wrist when the entrance bursted open.“Sooyoung!” Vivi cried out.
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Vivi had both her fists clenched tightly, feeling blood starting to bubble up under her fingernails as she quickened her pace with the two witches right behind her. Haseul told her that they found Sooyoung, but she didn’t know what condition she was going to find her in, only knowing that the situation wasn’t good.They reached Yerim’s shop shortly with every emotion starting to become too overwhelming. Vivi yanked the door open and cried out, “Sooyoung!” She saw everyone huddled around the counter and made her way over. She gasped out at the sight of the younger vampire. “Sooyoung,” she whispered out this time.Vivi tried reaching out when the bloody vampire recoiled back, almost making her fall off the counter if it wasn’t for Jinsol on the other side. She frowned and tried approaching again, but slowly this time.“No, no, no,” Sooyoung repeated in between sobs, getting as far away as possible.“She hasn’t been responding well to us,” Haseul spoke up, not sure what was wrong with the vampire since they found her. It’s not like it was the first time any of them have been tortured and probably wouldn’t be their last.The pink haired vampire knitted her eyebrows together. Vivi didn’t know what state she expected Sooyoung to be in when she saw her again, but having the vampire not want her around hurt her even more if that was possible.“You’re dead.” They all turned to Sooyoung who was looking directly at Vivi.Vivi frowned as to why the vampire was saying such a thing. “Sooyoung.” She tried again.“Stop,” Sooyoung cried out. She was trying to get onto her elbows weakly, but the blood on them kept making her slip, falling back onto the counter.Chaewon tried to reach over to stop her mother from hurting herself when Sooyoung recoiled from her too.“Just stop. I don’t want this anymore.” Sooyoung’s voice was strained from how much she has been crying. “You’re all dead. This isn’t real. Just kill me, please. This isn’t real,” she repeated over and over again.The small blonde’s hand went straight up to her mouth to stop another sob from coming out as she rushed to the back of the shop with Yerim and Hyunjin following closely behind.“Chaewon,” Yerim called out, placing a hand on the blonde’s shoulder to stop her.“I can’t do this.” Chaewon brushed off the hand and started pacing. “How the fuck am I supposed to do this?”“Chaewon, stop.” This time it was Hyunjin’s firm voice.The blonde paused in her tracks and looked over at her coven members.“We’ll find a way,” Hyunjin said.“How?” Chaewon gritted her teeth angrily. “I’m a necromancer, not a mind manipulator.” They all knew this was the case with Sooyoung when they heard her say that they were all dead. It was the only answer they could think of.“Then we kill the witch who did this. We kill the witch and the spell goes away.” Yerim didn’t kill other humans, but when it came down to it, if she had to protect her family, she was ready to break her own rules. “Let’s go back out and talk to the others.” The purple haired girl rubbed Chaewon’s arm to calm her down.The blonde didn’t waste any time explaining as she entered the main part of the shop again.“A witch has been messing with her mind.” She let out a shaky sigh. “At first, I didn’t know what was going on, but the whole thing about how Mama thinks we’re all dead and this isn’t real. It sounds like we’re dealing with a mind manipulator.”“What are we supposed to do then?” Haseul asked, not understanding how any of that worked.“We find the witch and we kill whoever it is to cancel out the spell.”“And if we can’t?”“Blood magic works, but I’ve never dealt with the mind, so it could be tricky,” Yerim suggested.Chaewon frowned. “You’re not doing blood magic for this.”“I’m just saying it as a last option thing.”“It’s not even an option. You’re not doing it,” Chaewon said firmly.Yerim sighed knowing it probably would be better if she listened to the blonde. “Fine.” The mind was a tricky thing. If whatever Yerim did didn’t work, it could possibly backfire and cause even more damage to both her and Sooyoung, but if they didn’t find the witch fast enough, it could also cause lasting effects on the vampire.“So far, they have five witches on their side,” Hyunjin started talking. “Luda switched to come here and fight you guys, and from what I saw when I was in that room with Sooyoung unnie, the only one that was barely using magic was Jiyeon. If I had to guess, I would think it’s her.”“Mind manipulation requires a hefty amount of energy, so she must have been saving up,” Yerim added on. “We went to go see the bodies Jihyo unnie found around town. There’s a witch stealing mana from other witches, basically taking their life force and killing them. It could be the same witch. It could be Jiyeon. It’s not the first time she has borrowed another’s mana.”“So she’s a mind manipulator and a soul eater.” Chaewon threw up her hand in disbelief. “Um, how are we supposed to defeat that?” Jiwoo raised up her hand as if she was in school.“We kill the bitch, that’s what. I’m going to stab her with my halberd and drag her filthy soul to hell,” Chaewon growled out. She couldn’t help all the anger that was building up and she didn’t know how to contain it.“But first, someone still needs to talk,” Haseul said. “You guys stay here and take care of Sooyoung. The rest come with me to visit Codrin in the woods. If he doesn’t know anything, we’re going to take out their feeding rings.”Jiwoo and Jungeun nodded and followed Haseul to the door.“What about me? I can come along.” Yerim started to walk over.“You’re staying here. I know how dangerous blood magic can be and I am so grateful for what you’ve done, but you still need to rest.” Haseul waited for a response and got a small nod in return. “And take care of Chaewon.”“I will.” Yerim sighed. She wanted to do something that would take her mind off what what was going on in her head, but staying put was probably the better option.“Codrin has always been a neutral source to all vampires, but from how he was swaying back and forth the last time we saw him, I don’t know what’s going to happen when we visit him now,” Haseul explained to the two.“He seemed like he wanted to side with Dreamcatcher, but is also afraid of you,” Jungeun pointed out.“I don’t use fear and manipulation to get people on my side, but if anyone gets in my way, I will use force.” At this point, Haseul didn’t care about anyone other than her clan and coven.They got back into the stolen car as Jiwoo offered to drive again, knowing just how distracted and on edge the clan leader was. Before they knew it, they were back in the woods and stopped driving as the trees got too thick for the car to pass through.“You two should stay here in case Codrin thinks we’re a threat to him. I’m sure he knows what has been going on and with tension building up more from both sides, he’s not going to like visitors that come in numbers.” Haseul adjusted the messenger bag that was by her side.“And if you run into trouble?” Jungeun asked.“I’ll be fine. I won’t be more than 20 minutes. I guess if it passes that mark, you should come find me,” Haseul said and then looked around and quirked an eyebrow. “You sense that right?”Jungeun and Jiwoo nodded.“You two will be fine? I should head there now before more people come asking Codrin for answers or something.”“Yeah, we’ll handle whatever is coming if it’s a threat,” Jiwoo reassured. “Be careful.”Haseul gave a small nod before heading off. She followed the source of the smell, which was the only real way of finding the vampire of the woods. It felt as if he was coming towards her instead though as the smell got stronger.“You usually like when people come find you, not the other way around,” Haseul said to the trees.“Seems like a lot of people are seeking answers these days,” a voice came from nowhere. “What do you want?”“I’m not here to fight or anything, Codrin. Why aren’t you showing yourself?” Haseul wasn’t sure where the vampire was. The smell was everywhere.“I like you, Haseul. Almost enough to call you a friend, but if I have to choose my life over yours. I’d save myself.”Haseul sighed. “We’ve been over this. Dreamcatcher isn’t going to let you live with the amount of information you know. They’re playing you.”“They might be, but right now, they can offer me more protection than you could.” The voice seemed closer, but Haseul couldn’t see him.“So if I asked you questions, you’re not going to answer them? What happened to being neutral?”“They didn’t give me much of a choice, Haseul.” The smell got even closer until the camouflaged vampire came out from one of the trees to reveal the tall built man.Haseul raised her eyebrows when another Codrin came out from a different tree. Two identical vampires stood ahead to her left and right. Before Haseul could question it, the one on the right raised his arm and shot out an energy blast. The clan leader stood her ground as the magic was about to hit her but was stopped when a cat jumped out of her bag to shapeshift into Hyunjin with a forceshield in front of them.“You really think I’d come here with no reinforcements?” Haseul’s voice was low and dangerous.
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“Give it up.” Hyunjin stood there with no emotions on her face. “I know it’s you, Eunseo. Whether you’re in a different form or another, I could sense you nonetheless.”The Codrin on the right smirked before shifting back into a tall girl with long brown hair. “You guys are so predictable. We have eyes all over town. You think you could go anywhere without us knowing?” “Just wanted to see which allies are now our enemies,” Haseul said looking over at Codrin who could only sigh.“Survival of the fittest, Haseul.” Codrin shook his head.“Even if you guys succeed in this grand plan of Dreamcatcher’s, what do you think is going to happen?” The clan leader asked. “You think Jiu’s going to listen to anything you say once she gets her hands on this place?”Eunseo scoffed. “My coven may be helping Dreamcatcher, but allies are different from friends. They know it as much as we do.” She then turned her attention to Hyunjin. “I liked your coven you know. You guys are a force to be reckoned with, I’ll give you that, but if you think letting powerless humans be at the top of the chain is how it should be, then you’re weaker than I thought.”“Keeping order isn’t weak, thinking you’re superior over others is.” Hyunjin crossed her arms. “In the end, that’ll be your downfall, like your injured shoulder you’ve been hiding, but I know you got that from me during the blast back in the basement.”Eunseo growled out of anger and raised her hand, but Hyunjin threw hers up as well.“You had four witches on your side down there, but now that you’re just facing me, you’re not getting through this shield.” Hyunjin did a few simple hand signs to strengthen the protection spell even more. “Just let us go. There’s no point in wasting energy when you know it’s useless.”“You don’t know what I’m capable of. You haven’t seen me in years, Hyunjin.” Eunseo placed her hands by her side anyways. “I can’t wait for our reunion. It’d be like old times with the whole gang.”Hyunjin let out a small chuckle. “Yerim may have gotten mixed up with your coven at one point, but me, I never liked you or your band of dark magic witches.”Eunseo returned with her own laugh. “You don’t have to like us, but you can’t deny that without my coven, Hyejoo probably would have ended up dead.”“You have no right to even speak of her,” Hyunjin sneered angrily.“Did I hit a nerve?” Eunseo had on a little smirk.“Enough,” Haseul interrupted. “We’re going to walk out of here and you’re not going to follow unless you want your head ripped off and sent back to your witches.” They couldn’t afford to waste time when they needed answers. They had to get back to their family.Eunseo tilted her head to the side. “Empty threats when you know you’re running out of time.”It took every ounce of power in Haseul and Hyunjin to not say anything, knowing the witch was talking about Sooyoung as they began to walk away. As they got closer to where Jiwoo and Jungeun were, they sensed more presenses from earlier and could only hope that the other vampires were dealing with it.Jiwoo felt someone familiar approach as she held onto Jungeun’s hand tighter. “What are you doing here Joowon?” She pulled Jungeun behind her.“Is that how you greet an old friend?” The blonde newcomer walked towards them with hands in the air. “I’m not here to fight.” She then looked behind her shoulder and then back to the two. “Yeonjung is here too, but she’s keeping watch.”“And Yeri?” Jungeun questioned as she tried to step forward, but Jiwoo kept her where she was.“Business elsewhere.” Joowon let her arms fall before crossing them.“Last time I checked, everyone went their separate ways,” Jiwoo commented. She was tense not knowing where anyone stood in this war with Dreamcatcher.“We did, but when we heard that you guys were now in Haseul’s clan, we found each other again to see what was going on, because damn, a lot has been going on.” The blonde stood far as they spoke, not wanting to be viewed as a threat.Jiwoo nervously stroked Jungeun’s hand with her thumb. “And now that you found us, what do you want?”“We’ve done many things when we were in a clan together, but that never included trying to take over this city, this world, or whatever Dreamcatcher is after.” Joowon tilted her head. “Maybe we’re not exactly friends or even allies, but we know that no good is going to come with someone like Jiu in power. I’ve never met the bitch, but from how I now know she’s the one that sired you two and the stories I’ve heard, there’s not a chance I’m letting her decide my fate.”“So what? You came to check up on us after all these years because you’re afraid to die? You wanted to see how Haseul’s clan is to know if they’re capable of taking on Dreamcatcher?” Jiwoo accused.Joowon shook her head. “It’s been so long. We were children back then. I’ve been talking to Yeonjung and Yeri again, and we’re all so different now.”“You left her there to die!” Jiwoo yelled, not caring about what the other vampire had to say.“I’m sorry okay?” Joowon shouted back and then looked at Jungeun who was still behind Jiwoo’s back. “Jungeun, I’m sorry.”The slightly smaller vampire bit her bottom lip before whispering out, “I forgive you.”“What?” Jiwoo turned around to face Jungeun.The brunette held onto Jiwoo’s hand tighter. “This is my decision okay? Joowon is right. It’s been so long and we never got the closure we needed and I need this.”Jungeun stepped forward. “I forgive you and whoever else wants forgiveness because I need peace of mind and if you need it too, I’m giving it to you.” She then looked at Jiwoo again. “We can’t keep in all of this anger forever. We have to let it go.”“And I really am sorry.” Joowon took a step towards them too.“Back off,” Jiwoo sneered. “Jungeun may have forgiven you and you may be sorry, but you’re still not going anywhere near her.”The blonde sighed. “We just came here because things have been turning to shit. Vampires are getting killed left and right by Dreamcatcher and any of us could be next. I didn’t want to die knowing you two hated me without trying to explain things.” Joowon tried to choose her words carefully. “There’s no excuse for what I did back then. I didn’t even regret it after, but being alive for so long, being alone for so long, you start to think about things, and I thought about everything. And I could only say sorry.”Jiwoo exhaled and gritted her teeth. “Yeonjung not coming to say hi?”“I’m afraid not. There were some vampires lurking around the area with hunters. She went to go take care of them. We’re all in different clans now, and I know you don’t want to hear it, but you’re not alone in this fight against Dreamcatcher.” Joowon looked into the woods. “Your clan is coming. I should get going now.”“Are you guys okay?” The two turned around to see Haseul and Hyunjin.“Seems like everyone’s past is just catching up to them.” Jiwoo looked to where Joowon just stood.“Did you get anything?” Jungeun asked already knowing the answer from the annoyed look on Hyunjin’s face.“No, one of the other witches was there,” Haseul spoke. “They have eyes everywhere, so as much as I’d like to wreck all of their feeding rings, it’s probably not the best idea.”“Magic.” They all turned their attention to Hyunjin. “I know we should be saving up on mana and the locator spell didn’t exactly work out like how it did last time, but I think have an idea.”
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1875 It’s hard to tell who’s your friend in a life where immortality makes things seem so trivial. People were just another replaceable piece in this long game of hide and seek. The hunt for blood was all that was needed to keep a clan together, but when limits were tested, friends can suddenly turn into enemies or strangers at best.Jiwoo ran as fast as she could through dense trees with hunters chasing after her.“I don’t know if it was such a good idea to split!” Yeri yelled out, glancing back to see flashlights in the distance.“Well, we didn’t have a choice did we?” Jiwoo hated that she got separated from Jungeun, but she had to pray that the vampire could take care of herself.Their other clan member, Yeonjung, was a little ahead as they kept their pace. “Hurry!” She shouted back at them.Jiwoo ran faster until the trees thinned out and they came into a clearing where there was a small town.“Guys!” They heard another voice and turned around to see Joowon running towards them.“Where’s Jungeun?” Jiwoo asked immediately, not seeing the other girl.Joowon shook her head. “There were too many of them.”“What do you mean?” Jiwoo took a step forward to the blonde. “She was with you.”“She was and then dogs started coming,” Joowon explained.Jiwoo scoffed and started to head back into the trees, but was grabbed back.“What are you doing?” Yeri asked with a grip on Jiwoo’s arm.“What does it look like? I’m going back in for Jungeun ‘cause someone just left her there,” Jiwoo growled out and yanked her arm away.“It’s too dangerous.” Yeri stepped in front of Jiwoo.“Then stay. Run and find some place to hide, but don’t stop me.” Jiwoo pushed passed Yeri and ran towards the flashlights.Jiwoo furrowed her eyebrows as the scent of Jungeun got stronger deeper in the woods, knowing that the other vampire was injured with the amount of blood she was smelling. She paused shortly and hid behind a tree as she came across a group of hunters in a circle. A scream was heard and Jiwoo had to stop herself from running forward when she made out a figure, curled up on the ground, surrounded by the humans.Prepping herself up for the stupid thing she was going to do, Jiwoo bared her fangs and sprinted towards the group. She grabbed the first man behind the neck and threw him off to the side, causing his body to hit a tree with a sickening crunch. Wasting no time, she yanked another by the arm and used him as a human shield as his fellow teammates shot at her. She pushed him forward until he couldn’t walk anymore and tossed him down. An arrow came for her head, but she was quick enough to move out of the way and then grabbed another midair. She threw the arrow back, hitting a woman in the chest, and then rolled forward to take her weapon. Jiwoo aimed it up, but quickly dropped the crossbow when something took a hold of her arm.Jiwoo screamed out in pain and used her left hand to gouge at the eyes of a werewolf that had its teeth locked onto her. The wolf yelped and threw Jiwoo against a tree before charging at her. Jiwoo stood her ground with her arm bleeding and waited for the wolf to get close before snarling in anger and jumping at the enemy. They collided together, rolling on the ground as the wolf got the upper hand and pinned Jiwoo to the ground. She quickly used both her arms to shove at the large wolf to try to move to the side to create space and pulled out a knife from her waistband and slashed upward. Not expecting the hidden weapon, the wolf jumped off as its front leg bleed from the attack.Getting up to her feet, Jiwoo threw the knife at the wolf, but missed as it moved out of the way. Jiwoo was going to go for the crossbow again when she felt pain in her left shoulder. She turned around to see another hunter and ran for him, tackling him down and biting his neck, ripping off flesh as he screamed in terror. She stood back up to see the wolf growling at her. She saw it eye Jungeun, who was laying on the ground with multiple arrows sticking out of her body and bite wounds. Jiwoo ran for the brunette as the wolf did the same. They collided again, but this time, Jiwoo was able to sink her fangs into the wolf’s leg. It tried to shake her off, but she held on, using her sharp nails to climb up onto the wolf’s back and then snapping its neck. The wolf went limp as Jiwoo jumped down to the ground and made her way to the other vampire.“Jungeun,” Jiwoo breathed out and fell to her knees.“Jiwoo,” the brunette managed to say with blood spilling out from between her lips.The redhead whipped her head up at the sound of unfamiliar voices. “You have to stay quiet, but I need to pull these out.” She gripped onto an arrow as Jungeun nodded. “I’m sorry,” she whispered and yanked the sharp object out from the brunette’s stomach.Jungeun let out a small cry, but stayed quiet for the most part.Jiwoo looked up again to see if anyone was coming before taking a hold of another arrow and pulling it out, and then another, and another. After five, Jungeun laid there bleeding out, but no longer had arrows in her.Carrying Jungeun up into her arms, Jiwoo started to run back out of the trees. She forgot about the arrow in her own shoulder until it started to hurt again as she readjusted Jungeun to get a better hold on her.The voices got louder and Jiwoo could smell the scent of other werewolves. She couldn’t think about anything other than wanting to live to see another day with Jungeun.Jiwoo ran and ran until she saw the town again and quickly sprinted between two houses. She crouched down with Jungeun in her arms and held her close.“You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay,” Jiwoo repeated over and over. Biting her own wrist, she held it above Jungeun’s mouth for her to drink.Jiwoo shot her head up when she smelled familiar scents. A second or two later, the three members of her clan showed up.“Jungeun,” Joowon called out and ran towards the two with the others.“Don’t,” Jiwoo growled and pulled Jungeun even closer to herself.Joowon paused in her step. “Jiwoo, come on,” she pleaded.Jiwoo reached a hand behind her shoulder and gripped the arrow that was still there. The angle was awkward and made it more painful as she pulled it out. Throwing the object to the ground, she slowly stood up and carried Jungeun with her. She started to walk as the clan followed her, not saying a word.“Is your silence a sign of apology or do you guys feel like you did the right thing?” Jiwoo felt her feet heavy from the poison in the arrows, but she didn’t allow herself to slow down.“Jiwoo,” Yeri started. “There were so many of them back there. We thought Jungeun either would have made it out on her own or she was a goner.”“Yeah? Thought she’d make it out on her own?” Jiwoo scoffed. “Tell me, Joowon, was that before or after she was shot a bunch of times and thrown around like a rag doll by dogs?” She hissed out.Joowon didn’t answer right away. “Look, if I stayed, those dogs would have torn me into pieces too,” she tried to defend herself.“So you just left her there? Would you have left any of us there?” Jiwoo questioned angrily, and started to feel lightheaded between the stress and wound. “I guess being a clan doesn’t mean anything.”“Would you have stayed for me, for any of us, Jiwoo?” Joowon raised her voice. “Would you have died with us knowing Jungeun was waiting for you?”Jiwoo turned to look at the blonde. “Like I said, I guess being a clan doesn’t mean anything.” She couldn’t think straight. At that moment, the only thing in her mind was to get Jungeun to safety.“You don’t mean that, Jiwoo.” Yeonjung caught up to the redhead’s walking speed.“You all left. None of you even came back for us. You all waited until you knew we were out of danger.” Jiwoo felt like crying as she bit her lip. “But Joowon is right, we are vampires, selfish creatures. Let’s be real, none of us would have sacrificed ourselves for each other. We were just here for a good time and that good time is over.”“Jiwoo, we can talk about this later, but just let us help you, let us help her,” Yeri said softly, gesturing to an almost unconscious Jungeun.“I don’t need your help.”“What are you going to do then?” Yeri’s tone became a little angry at her stubborn clan member.“I’ll go to Sunmi.”Yeonjung grabbed at Jiwoo’s arm. “You can’t trust her.” Jiwoo pulled away and shook her head. “I can’t trust anyone, but at least I know if I do a favor for her, she will help me, and that means we’d be even.”Joowon stopped walking and folded her arms. “If she doesn’t want our help, then let’s just go,” she said in annoyance at how useless this was.“That’s right. Just leave. Sooner or later we all would have left.” Jiwoo stopped in her tracks too, facing the group. “This isn’t the first time any of us put ourselves before the clan and it won’t be the last. I think it’s time to stop pretending like we care when it reality, we’re just scared of being alone.”Yeri dropped her head in disappointment. “I guess newborn friends are just that. Lost immortals who found each other in a time of need, but you’re right, maybe we don’t need each other anymore. Maybe we haven’t needed each other for a while now.”“Then I guess this is goodbye.” The redhead turned around without staying to hear what any of them had to say. When no one stopped her, she kept on walking until she couldn’t smell their scent anymore.Jiwoo knew that no matter what, her and Jungeun would have went their separate ways in the future, but she never thought it’d be like this. They were the first friends besides Jungeun she has ever had, even when she was a human, her father didn’t allow her to socialize with many people. She once thought her clan were different because they all shared the same kind of fate, but in the end, the only person she has ever truly cared for was Jungeun.
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Yerim rubbed her hands together and then pinched her arm to feel the sensation of being awake. She had to make sure everything that was happening right now was real. She couldn’t afford to make mistakes.“You’ve been distracted,” Chaewon pointed out as she sat on the couch.Vivi and Jinsol had taken Sooyoung into the restroom at the back of the shop to clean her up, leaving the two witches by themselves.Yerim silently cursed at herself knowing that the small blonde knew something was up with her. “It’s just with everything that’s happening, it’s hard focusing on one thing.”Chaewon sighed and tapped her fingers on her thigh. “How long has this been going on?”Yerim looked up confused. “How long has what’s been happening?”“Oh, come on, Yerim. I know the signs of a witch who’s trying to fight against themselves because of the dark arts.” Chaewon stood up and went over to sit on one of the stools by the counter where Yerim was at. “How long have you been playing with blood magic? Well before the age of when a witch should right? There’s a reason why there’s a recommended age and I tried to get you to slow down, but you didn’t listen.”Yerim shook her head and let out a bitter scoff. “What did you want me to do then? Something was killing Hyejoo and I had to stop it at any cost.” She would have done it all over again if she had to. “But you didn’t stop using after did you?” Chaewon voice slightly raised, but then her expression softened. “Don’t try to hide things from me because I know you. I tried to give you space so you’d come to me or any of us on your own, but there’s a limit and you’re still trying to deal with things on your own.”Yerim look in a shaky breath as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. “I need to go see Choerry.”Chaewon slammed her fist down on the counter in anger. “Did you not hear anything I just said? You don’t even know if you could find her again or, or,” she stammered out, “or if you’ll be stuck in some dimension with no other way back.”“Jiyeon’s coven is powerful and have only gained more strength since the last time we’ve seen them. If I could ask Choerry to let me borrow her powers, maybe we could even out the playing field with how many witches they have on their side,” Yerim tried to reason. “This is more than just about me, Chaewon. This is our family and our city that we’re talking about.”“No matter what I say, nothing could stop you anyways right?” Chaewon rested her elbows on the counter and placed her head in her hands in frustration before looking up again. “I can spot you.”“I want Hyunjin here too.” Yerim was starting to get nervous at what she was going to do. It’s been a long time since she has been able to use this kind of magic.“She’s not going to like it.”“She’ll just have to deal with it.”“She’ll have to deal with what?” They both whipped their heads around to see Vivi standing there with a change of clean clothes.“The connection I have with Choerry is back. It’s more faint than how it used to be, but it’s there. I could feel it.” Yerim quickly flipped through a book. “I need to find her and I need to do it soon before it fades.” She pointed down to one of the pages she stopped at. “There are hundreds and thousands of versions of ourselves from different dimensions. What Choerry and I have shouldn’t even exist because realities aren’t supposed to bleed together, but somehow we found each other and we made it work. She helped me keep Hyejoo alive and she might be able to do it again.”“I thought this was about evening the playing field with Jiyeon’s coven and Dreamcatcher’s clan.” Chaewon crossed her arms, not liking where this was going.“This is, but think about Chaewon. We could have more fire power against them and get Hyejoo back at the same time.” Yerim started to flip through more pages when Chaewon’s hand grabbed her wrist to stop her.Yerim looked up in confusion.“The last time we asked Choerry for help, you almost died. Do you not remember that?” Chaewon voice was so calm that Yerim knew the blonde was angry.Yerim pulled her arm away. “The last time I asked Choerry for help, we saved Hyejoo.”Chaewon exhaled loudly and closed her eyes.“I wasn’t there when those things went down when you were younger, but from what Chaewon told me back then, it seemed like one hell of a risk,” Vivi commented as she took a seat on the couch. “But if I had the potential power to save my family, nothing would be able to stop me. And I know that’s how you are, and all I could say is that, you have people who love you, Yerim. At least remember that.”Yerim reached back out and took a hold of Chaewon’s hand. “I know.”“Then please reconsider,” Chaewon pleaded.“We have tried everything we could, Chaewon. I know we took Hyejoo to Jeju for precaution, but that was weeks ago. It’s almost been a month and she’s not back.” Yerim felt tears well up as she quickly used her free hand to wipe at the corner of her eyes. “I just want her home.”“Me too.” Chaewon ran her thumb over the back of Yerim’s hand before bringing it up to her lips and kissing it. “I can connect to your mind while you go see Choerry. Hyunjin will be the link that keeps us grounded if we end up wandering too far.”Yerim gave her a small thankful smile.Vivi stood up and walked to the back as Jinsol appeared with her arm around Sooyoung’s waist. The pink haired vampire went to the other side of Sooyoung to help the woman walk to the couch and sat her down. There was no longer blood on the tall woman, but instead of looking scared, she just looked lost.“Sooyoung,” Vivi started and tucked fallen hair behind the vampire’s ear.The woman didn’t respond. She fiddled with her daywalker ring, trying to take it off.“You need to keep that on, love.” Jinsol gently grabbed her hand and adjusted the ring back on. Sooyoung let the blonde do whatever as she sat there stoically, staring off at nothing.Yerim looked to the door and recited a few words under her breath.Not a second later, the front door opened up to reveal the rest of their group.“Codrin’s place was a bust.” Haseul entered with Hyunjin in cat form on her shoulder. “I was going to go to the feeding rings, but I guess that would be stupid on my part considering how they really have eyes everywhere around the city now.” She walked over to the couch and bent down to softly kiss Sooyoung on top of the head before giving the same greeting to Jinsol and Vivi. Taking a seat next to Jinsol, she placed her arm over the blonde’s shoulder and crossed her leg.Hyunjin jumped off of Haseul’s shoulder and turned back to her human form. Stretching out, she sat down on the stool next to Chaewon. “Do you have any food?” She asked as her stomach growled slightly.“There’s sandwich ingredients in the mini fridge.” Yerim nodded towards the back.“Great.” Hyunjin stood back up and walked out of the main lobby to the break room area.“Our old clan is back,” Jiwoo spoke up from the other couch across from the other vampires. “They don’t seem to have a side, but they are against whatever Dreamcatcher is doing.”“So we have more allies to fight against them,” Jinsol concluded.Jungeun straightened up in her seat as Jiwoo leaned on her shoulder. “Not exactly allies. It’s more like, we stay out of their way, they stay out of our way while we all try to keep Dreamcatcher from killing us all. Pretty sure a lot of them hate your guys clan as much as they hate Dreamcatcher, but at least Haseul isn’t trying to destroy the city.”“You mean our clan,” Haseul corrected. “They hate our clan, and that’s fine. Being hated can be fun.”Jinsol shook her head at what Haseul just said. The clan leader was usually calm and composed, but her more snarky sarcastic side came out when she was under stress. The blonde rested her hand on Haseul’s thigh to get her to relax from how tense she was.“You think I could get a read off of the dead bodies that’s been popping up around town?” Hyunjin asked with her mouth half full as she came back into the room with a sandwich in one hand and a plate in another. She sat back down on the stool and slid the plate over to Yerim who took the other sandwich that was on there thankfully.“That dead woman we went to go see, did you get anything off of her?” Yerim bit into the sandwich and savored the taste of real food. It’s been a long time since she has had a proper meal.“Not really. I think maybe if there’s a fresh body, I might be able to trace some things back though” Hyunjin took another big bite and handed Yerim a napkin, watching as the younger woman devoured the sandwich, not being aware of how hungry she was. “Please slow down. I don’t want you choking on that.” Hyunjin pointed to the water bottle on the counter. Yerim nodded and took a gulp of it before passing it to the taller woman.“We can go later, but Yerim here wants to visit Choerry first,” Chaewon said, nonchalantly.Hyunjin coughed as a bit of water went down the wrong pipe. “Wait, what?” She shot a glare at the purple haired witch.
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“You just need to be the anchor while I go see Choerry. I need to get to her before the connection fades,” Yerim explained to Hyunjin in simple terms. “We need all the help we could get.”“And you’re okay with this?” Hyunjin asked, turning to Chaewon.Chaewon threw her hands up in defense. “I’m not okay with anything, but if this is what Yerim wants, you think any of us will be able to stop her? You think I didn’t try to talk her out of it?”Hyunjin sighed and rubbed her temples. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to kill two birds with one stone, because I know you’re thinking about Hyejoo right now.”“Do you have any better ideas? I called Heejin up earlier and Hyejoo isn’t doing so well. If I could help save the city and one of my best friends, I’m willing to take that risk.” Yerim placed a small glass bottle with purple liquid on the counter. “This gives me 5 minutes. If I somehow get stuck there, this potion automatically teleports me back to this dimension.”“You say it like it’s a walk in the park,” Hyunjin scoffed while drumming her fingers on the counter.“Would you just trust me?” Yerim walked over to the open space on the ground where they had saved Vivi before.“I always trust you, Yerim, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t worry.” Hyunjin grabbed Yerim’s arm to get the witch to look at her. “I just— just be careful okay?” She bit her lip, hating how she was horrible with words and expressing herself.Yerim nodded and went back to placing candles on the ground as her coven members helped as well.“Is there anything we could do?” Haseul asked from her seat.Yerim shook her head. “No, just make sure Sooyoung unnie is comfortable.” She looked over to the dark haired vampire who was still staring off, not paying any attention to what was going on.All three witches sat down in the circle surrounded by lit candles and salt. They were close enough so that their knees touched as Hyunjin recited some words to create a boundary spell to keep nothing from leaving or enter the space they were in.“Are you ready?” Hyunjin asked as she felt the spell get stronger by the second until it was complete.“Yeah,” Yerim responded, adjusting the mirror in the middle of them so that it was facing her. She picked up the potion and took the cap off. “Cheers.” Raising it up to the group, she then quickly drank the bitter concoction, frowning at the taste.Chaewon took in a deep breath and placed both her hands on the side of Yerim’s head so that her fingers were lightly on the purple haired witch’s temples. The blonde chanted a phrase over and over as the flames on the candles started to flicker. Less than a minute later, Yerim teleported into the mirror and before Chaewon could collapse to the ground, Hyunjin took a hold of her, carefully placing the blonde’s head in her lap.Hyunjin was saying a different spell under her breath the whole time, now with her hand on Chaewon’s head, brushing hair out of her face. She opened her eyes after a moment, pulling the blonde closer. “Please be careful,” she whispered out to her members.Yerim was now in a different dimension while Chaewon’s mind connected to hers in case she needed guidance. Hyunjin was the link to both of them in the real world that kept them from wandering too far.One moment, Yerim was sitting on the floor of her shop, and the next, she was sitting in an empty warehouse in a world she hasn’t seen in ages. She quickly got up and looked around, but stopped in her movements when she heard a gun being cocked back. Yerim raised her arms and turned around to see a blonde woman with a futuristic looking gun pointed up at her.“Choerry?” The woman asked in confusion.“Jungeun unnie?” Yerim questioned back after realizing that the blonde looked exactly like the vampire, but with a different hair color.The woman raised her eyebrows and took a step forward, her gun still tightly gripped in her hand. “If you’re not Choerry, then you must be Yerim.” The blonde lowered her gun and placed it in her holster. “I don’t know who this Jungeun is, but my name is Lip.”Yerim nodded and then got straight to the point. “Where is she?” She looked at the watch on her wrist, only seconds had passed although she knew it had been a few minutes in this dimension since time worked differently.Lip nodded her head behind Yerim as the witch turned around to come face to face with a woman who just entered the room and looked exactly like her, but with darker hair.“Yerim,” the woman whispered and then quickly walked over.They stared at each other for a bit, studying the changes over the years before giving each other a tight hug.“I’ve missed you so much, Choerry,” Yerim’s voice was muffled in the other woman’s shoulder.After a few moments, they pulled apart and couldn’t help but stare at each other again.“I missed you too, and I see you’ve met Lip.” Choerry glanced over at the blonde who was tying her hair up into a high ponytail. “I’ve actually met her already, but in my dimension. Her name is Jungeun, but she has brown hair and is a vampire. She’s part of Haseul’s clan now.” Yerim was now studying Lip, concluding that both counterparts were nothing alike with the way the blonde carried herself. Her Jungeun looked a bit softer compared to this confident looking woman.Choerry winced at the mention of the clan leader’s name. “Yerim,” she started.Yerim turned back, not being able to read Choerry’s facial expression. “Yeah?”“Yves is dead,” Choerry quietly said, swallowing the lump in her throat.“No. How?” Yerim felt her legs go weak as she thought of her own Yves, Sooyoung.“Jinsoul was in trouble. Yves got her out, but it doesn’t even matter, because we have no idea where Jinsoul even is right now,” Choerry explained, walking over to a couch at the side of the warehouse as Yerim and Lip followed.Choerry and Yerim took a seat on one couch while Lip sat down on another across from it.Yerim has known Yves and Jinsoul in this dimension when she was a kid before meeting their other selves in her own world. It was odd to see them young when the vampires she knew didn’t age.“Sooyoung unnie isn’t doing so good,” Yerim confessed.Choerry let out a small cry, but quickly composed herself. “Every day I think about Yves, I feel blessed that at least Sooyoung is still alive, although I never got to know her well. And now, just hearing this?” She shook her head.“That’s why I came here. Things aren’t looking too good in my world either. I did some blood magic to get Vivi unnie out of a predicament and that’s how I found you again. And I’m sorry that it has to be under these circumstances, but I need your help.”Choerry nodded and leaned back in her seat. “I would do anything to help you.”“It’s not just that either, it’s Hyejoo again.”“The demons that were attached to her are back? I thought we got rid of those things.”“I did too and I’m not entirely sure, but she’s been feeling weak and sick again lately so we took her back to Jeju.” Yerim started to feel worried, thinking about her friend.“The amulet I gave her, does she still have it?”Yerim nodded.“Once you go back to your own world, I’ll be able to see if I could do anything, but right now, while you’re here, I can’t really tell if our connection will disappear again or not.”“I’m sorry, by the way.” Yerim ran a hand through her hair. “It was my fault that our connection was severed.”“You don’t have to explain now. We have way too much catching up to do and I know you have to get back to your home.” Choerry was about to say more when the door to the warehouse opened to reveal two more people.Yerim held her breath.“Kahei, Olivia, you guys said you’d be out for a little longer.” Choerry got up from her seat as Yerim did the same.“Vivi unnie,” Yerim mumbled under her breath.“Yerim, this is Kahei. Kahei, this is Yerim,” Choerry introduced.“This is so weird. You’re Vivi unnie in my dimension.” Yerim stared at the woman with red hair and bangs.Choerry tilted her head. “We’re meeting the same people.”“It seems so.” Yerim then turned her attention to the other newcomer. “Odd how things work out.”“Don’t I get a hug?” The tall girl with long dark wavy hair asked as Yerim continued staring.Yerim couldn’t help but tear up, seeing the girl that looked exactly like Hyejoo in front of her. She quickly threw herself at Olivia and hugged her tightly.“I wish this hug was for me, but I know it’s more for Hyejoo,” Olivia said with a smile.“I’m sorry, but I really did miss you too.” Yerim let go of the hug, but kept her hand on the girl’s arm.“I’m just joking. You can use me as your Hyejoo if you’d like.” Olivia smiled again, but then her expression turned a little sad afterwards. “Is it okay if you give Sooyoung a hug for me when you go back?” “Yeah, of course,” Yerim said and let it hit her again that the Sooyoung of this dimension was no longer alive. She then looked at her watch. “I have to go.”Their goodbyes were short. Their reunion bittersweet.Nothing about the situation was ideal. They all haven’t seen each other in years, but had to keep it a short visit. It was always short. A stay in a different dimension never lasted long because realms aren’t even supposed to clash, yet Yerim and Choerry found a way into each other’s worlds.
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“Come on, any second now,” Hyunjin muttered while staring at the mirror with Chaewon still in her arms. She checked the time on her phone again and counted down in her head.As the time hit exactly 5 minutes, Chaewon shot up gasping for air and out through the mirror came Yerim as she flew against the barrier that kept them in the circle. Her body hit the invisible force shield before crashing down to the ground.Hyunjin rushed over for Yerim when Chaewon’s voice rang out. “Don’t!” She shouted, still in between breaths. “Hyunjin, get out of the circle.”But it was already too late.Yerim’s head snapped up, the ring around her left iris glowed purple when Choerry had hers on the right. The witch before them was Yerim, but her facial expressions looked nothing like her. The imposter threw her hand out causing Hyunjin to stop where she was, hands going up to her throat as she found it hard to breathe. Hyunjin felt her body drop as she curled into a fetal position, every inch of her body felt like it was being pulled apart.Chaewon made a few hand signs before throwing it out and keeping her hands up to fight against a magic she wasn’t familiar with. The blonde started chanting in a tongue the vampires in the room has never heard. “Hyunjin!” She called out and continued with the spell.The witch on the ground grunted from pain, but heard Chaewon trying to reach her. She gathered all of her strength to repeat what Chaewon was saying and kept going until the volume of their voices were even.The vampires stood right outside of the circle, watching helplessly. As much as they wanted to get them all out of there, they knew they couldn’t break the circle. There was no way of telling what they would be releasing into their world.Chaewon crawled over with one hand up and using the other to grab onto Hyunjin’s as they kept the spell up.The purple haired witch’s eyes flickered between her normal color and the other of the imposter.“I can get her back!” Hyunjin shouted through gritted teeth and gestured the sign for blood magic.“Hyunjin, no.” Chaewon warned as they watched Yerim fight against whoever had a hold of her body and mind.“Please,” Hyunjin begged. She has already been into the dark arts, but blood magic was a portion of it that Chaewon and Yerim has always tried to keep away from the coven.Chaewon hesitantly nodded as Hyunjin raised her hand up to her mouth and bit the fleshy part until it bled. Hyunjin let out a cry as she curled up again, but started to recite a spell under her breath as the blood that dripped to the ground collected together and made its way to Yerim. The blood wrapped itself around Yerim’s wrists until the witch couldn’t hold her arms up anymore. Yerim and Hyunjin screamed in pain for a few seconds until everything stopped and the purple haired witch collapsed onto the ground next to Hyunjin.Chaewon held her breath and got in between her two coven members. She could hear Yerim mumbling something.“October 19th, November 15th, November 19th, November 13th.” Chaewon heard Yerim mutter. She reached out a hand when the woman pulled away, backing up against the invisible barrier.“Don’t touch me!” Yerim shouted and pulled her knees up to her chest. “Not yet,” she said quietly in a shaky voice.Chaewon pulled Hyunjin onto her lap, much like what Hyunjin did for her earlier.The boundary spell was down by now with all the candles out and salt circle broken.“First aid kit please,” Chaewon’s voice was barely above a whisper, but the vampires could hear as Jungeun rushed to the restroom to get the supplies. She kept her eyes on Yerim as the witch tried to collect herself. “You should have told me, Yerim,” she said in a soft tone.Yerim looked up with tears in her eyes and hands shaking. “I should tell you many things, but I don’t tell you anything. You can’t do anything. Oh god, Hyunjin.” She let out a cry seeing the witch on Chaewon’s lap. She was pale, but looked okay for the most part. “I didn’t mean to, oh god, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she rambled, her voice almost hysterical.Hyunjin slowly sat up with the help of Chaewon. “Yerim, I’m fine. That wasn’t you. I’m okay,” she tried to reassure. “Please just come here.” Hyunjin had her arms open.The purple haired witch looked at her hesitantly before making her way over. She allowed her coven members to pull her into their embrace as she let sobs wracked her body. It didn’t take long for the exhaustion to take over as Yerim passed out in their arms. Chaewon carried her over to one of the couches and pulled a blanket up before kissing the witch’s forehead.“Is someone going to explain what that was?” Haseul asked, trying not to sound scared, but whatever had happened to Yerim scared her more than she’d like.Chaewon sighed. “20 is the recommended age to use blood magic, but blood magic isn’t recommended to be used at all. Yerim started when she was just a teen.” She glanced over at Hyunjin who was getting her hand bandaged up at the counter by Vivi. “You’re using your own blood to conjure up dark magic, and that does something to your mind.”“Jiyeon’s clan uses blood magic,” Jiwoo pointed out.“They do, but that’s the thing. When you use blood magic, you either fight against what it does to you like Yerim or you let it consume you, like Jiyeon’s clan,” Chaewon explained. “I don’t know if they were just shitty people to begin with, or if their personalities have been altered because of the constant use of blood magic, but the power it gives a user is such a high that it’s hard to stop, but once you do stop, it’s hard to get rid of it completely. So you just keep going to chase that high, never letting the comedown affect you fully.”“So what we saw now was that magic trying to come through?” Jiwoo spoke again, not having much knowledge about witches.“I don’t know what we just saw,” Chaewon honestly said. “Her left eye glowed purple when Choerry has hers on the right. Sometimes Yerim is able to channel Choerry’s power through that, so it seems like another version of Yerim from a different dimension was trying to break through or something. The magic that you just witnessed right now, I’ve never seen before. I don’t think it even exists in this world. I think whatever is happening to her now is a combination of all of her powers.”“No witch should be able to have that much power, but Yerim started young and mostly on her own.” Hyunjin continued, running her fingers over the bandage on her right hand. “She’s already from a line of powerful witches, but even if she wasn’t, I still feel like she could have found this power on her own with the way she’s always pushing herself anyways.”“Then we keep her from using blood magic,” Haseul concluded. “She wasn’t even using it just now though.”“Like I said, it’s hard to get rid of the effects completely even after a witch stops using it. She also hasn’t used her dimension jumping power in ages, so those things factored in, it probably got jumbled up and messed up somewhere,” Chaewon tried to reason, but she wasn’t exactly sure what had happened.Hyunjin unconsciously rubbed at her right knee again, feeling it ache after being in the circle. “Do you think whatever she did work?”Chaewon shrugged. “She was there with Choerry, I felt that at least, but we can’t be sure of anything until she tells us herself.” She then turned to Hyunjin. “You should rest.”“I’m fine.” The taller witch waved her off. “I’m going to give Jihyo unnie a call and see if there has been any reports of dead bodies popping up. The whole useless Codrin thing annoyed me, so I need to do something.” Hyunjin slowly got off the stool and went to the table by the couches to get her phone. The limp in her walk was more apparent than usual.“Dead bodies popping up.” They all turned their heads to look at Sooyoung. “Dead bodies popping up,” the tall vampire repeated.“Hey, it’s okay. It’s nothing you need to worry about,” Jinsol said softly and held onto Sooyoung’s hand.Sooyoung pulled away and stood up from the couch abruptly. She tried to make a run for the exit when Chaewon jumped off of the stool and got in front of her.“Mama,” she tried to get Sooyoung to listen to her.“You don’t understand,” Sooyoung mumbled. “I need to leave. I need to leave.”“I’m not a mind manipulator, but I can at least help ease it if you’d let me.” Chaewon reached out, but her arm was quickly swept to the side as Sooyoung went for the exit again. The blonde’s hand went into her pouch to pull something else and blew the powdery substance in front of Sooyoung. “Shatali allamit,” Chaewon spoke in a quiet, but firm voice.Sooyoung fell to her knees, but Vivi caught her before she could fall.“Sleeping spell. It’ll keep her down for a bit.” Chaewon tried to keep her voice steady, but it hurt to see her mother not well.“Jinsol,” Haseul called out as the taller blonde vampire left the room and went into the back of the shop.Vivi caught Haseul’s eye. “Go.”Haseul nodded and went after Jinsol.The tall blonde had her back towards Haseul as she entered. “Hey.” She took another step forward until she was directly behind Jinsol and wrapped her arms around her.Jinsol relaxed in the embrace for a second before turning around to face the smaller vampire.“We’re going to be okay. We’ll get her back,” Haseul reassured even with some doubts that lingered in her mind.“Will we?” Jinsol bit her lip and allowed Haseul to drag her over to a small table in the break room.Haseul sat down with Jinsol next to her. “In terms of vampires, I don’t think we’ve been alive that long compared to how it was back then. In terms of clans, we also haven’t been together as long as so many others, but what we have, no one could compare to us.” Haseul sighed when Jinsol continued to not look at her. She reached for Jinsol’s hand and held it in her own. “Some people have called us weak for letting our feelings cloud our judgements, but I’m pretty sure those people are regretting their words when we put them down in their graves. Some people call us ruthless, but I’ve only done the things I’ve done in order to protect my family. And if I need to be ruthless again, for Sooyoung, for all of us, I’d gladly kill every single last one of them.”
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“It’s just been some endless cycle of Jiu coming after us and I know it won’t end until one of our clans are dead.” Jinsol dug her fingernails into her palm until blood surfaced. “I know you’d go every length to get rid of them, but sometimes I can’t help but think this is my fault.”Haseul furrowed her eyebrows. “There was no way you could have known she’d turn out like this, and no matter what path you took, you and Sooyoung would have had to leave that clan sooner or later, and be glad you left when you did, because then we wouldn’t have Chaewon or any of this.”“I know. My mind is just so conflicted and I just want to talk to Sooyoung about this, but I can’t even do that.” Jinsol looked up to Haseul. “What if we can’t get her back?”“I know you’re scared and so am I, and everyone else, but you can’t think like that. We’ll get her back.” Haseul raised a hand to Jinsol’s cheek and tucked blonde hair behind her ear. “Vivi brought back jars of blood. You should eat.”“I have too much pent up emotions. I want to feed.” Jinsol’s fangs started to show.Haseul glanced back to the lobby of the shop. Her hearing picking up conversations. “Hyunjin just got off the phone with Jihyo. Apparently no one notified her of a body that’s been out for at least half an hour. You want to come with me to check it out?”Jinsol nodded and stood up as they both walked back out.“The dead are popping up closer to the area. Don’t know if the body is still good for me to trace back the magic though, but we can try,” they heard Hyunjin say.“We can go back out and check. Hyunjin and Jinsol with me. Everyone else eat, rest, take care of each other,” Haseul instructed and didn’t wait for a second opinion as she walked out of the shop.“Jihyo unnie isn’t going to be there this time. She has some errands to run, but her pack is watching the place so no one gets to the body. The only ones getting through are us.” Hyunjin tried keeping up the pace, but was lagging a bit behind, her leg aching more than she’d like to admit.They turned a corner after going down several blocks, the smell of a fresh corpse already reaching the noses of the vampires.“They really just left the body out in the open like this thinking no one would stumble upon it?” Hyunjin mumbled, walking to a man laid sprawled out next to a dumpster. She bent down and recited a few words. “Shit,” she hissed out and backed up a bit with her hand to her head. Hyunjin looked up at the vampires. “The trace is weak, but I got a hit. It stopped though and zapped the hell out of me with some blocking spell.”“Where does it lead to?” Haseul asked, helping Hyunjin up to her feet.“You said you don’t want to go to the feeding rings anymore, but I think we’re going to have to. This feels a bit like Jiyeon’s magic, but I’m not sure. It feels like her, but it’s different from what I remembered.”“I’m no expert at magic, but you haven’t seen that coven in ages. Their magic could be evolving into something else and getting a different read.”Hyunjin nodded. “The trace is still pretty fresh, so if we want to see if we could catch them, we have to go now.”“Do we even have a plan?” Jinsol asked as they walked away from the body.“If this is Jiyeon or any of her clan members and I could get close enough, I might be able to get a read on who has a hold on Sooyoung unnie’s mind. And honestly, that’s the first thing I want right now. We can deal with everything else after.” Hyunjin ran her hand alongside the cars they passed. “It’d also be easier if we drove there.” She stopped at a black car and used a bit of magic to unlock it.Jinsol smiled a little and got in the driver’s seat. “Between you and Chaewon, I don’t know who is more mischievous.” She started the car and headed off to the red light district of the city.“Chaewon listens to Yerim more, so I think I win that category.” Hyunjin smirked from the back.“Bless that sweet soul. I’m glad she’s there to put you two in time out when I’m not there,” Jinsol teased, trying to lift a bit of stress off.Hyunjin rolled her eyes. “She puts all of us in time out.” She leaned back in her seat thinking about Heejin and Hyejoo too, and how much they all liked to bicker with each other.“How are they by the way?” Haseul asked, concerned about her extended family that she didn’t get to see as often as she’d like.Hyunjin sighed and looked out the window. “They went to a few witches, a few werewolves to find answers, but like before, what they have isn’t enough to figure anything out. They can’t even determine if it’s the same demons or different ones this time, or if it’s something entirely different.”“Maybe if Codrin wasn’t such a coward, we could have asked him for some information,” Haseul spoke with a bit of annoyance in her tone. “I know this whole mess is taking up a lot of your time, but you guys should go see the rest of your coven.”“I do check up on them, Chaewon too, but you know Yerim would have to fly there.”“I meant all three of you together.”“You know that’s impractical. We’ll go when this is all over. We have to make sure Hyejoo and Heejin still has a city to come home to first.” Hyunjin glanced at the streets. “Turn left here and the trail ends about half a mile,” she informed.Jinsol let out a small growl. “If it’s at the club I think it’s going to be at, then we have all the permission to kill everyone in there. It’s just a gathering of the lowest scum in this city.”“We’re not here for a bloodbath, Jinsol,” Haseul warned.“No, but I’m hungry, so I guess there will be some blood shed.”“On second thought, maybe if we caused a scene, the attention will be on us and then Hyunjin could go find the witch or something.” In all honesty, Haseul could use some self created chaos too.Jinsol smirked at the idea and stopped the car at the corner of the street. “Front or back?”Haseul started to walk. “I mean, if we want to cause a scene, it’d be through the front wouldn’t it?”“And you call me mischievous,” Hyunjin mumbled as she followed the two.Haseul yanked the door open to let Jinsol in first. The blonde didn’t waste any time to bare her fangs, grabbing the first person that was in reach and sank her teeth into the unlucky woman’s neck.Jinsol tossed the woman to the side and wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve. She frowned at the bitter aftertaste of the blood. “Is there anyone here that doesn’t do drugs?” Screams echoed through the club as people started to scatter, but that didn’t bother the vampires as they took hold of whoever passed by them and drank them dry.Hyunjin focused her energy on trying to sense where the magic she followed was coming from, but was distracted when arrows came at her, bouncing off of her invisible forcefield. She scoffed at their weak attempts and went back to following the trail that was being masked.“Jinsol!” Hyunjin was distracted once more at an unfamiliar voice that rang above the noise.The blonde vampire stopped where she was, blood dripping down her chin as she threw a body across the club. By now, most of the people were gone, left with low level vampires and some hunters scattered around the place.A woman with long dark hair tied up in a high ponytail walked down the stairs. “We all know Yeeun let Sooyoung walk away that day your clan decided to visit one of our clubs. I wish I could do the same, but we both know that’s not going to happen.”“We were friends once, Yujin.” Jinsol licked her fingers clean of blood as she watched the other vampire come towards them.The other woman stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “We were.”“Then please just walk away because I’m not here to play games,” Jinsol threatened.“You know I’m not alone.”“And you know what they did to Sooyoung!” Jinsol shouted out in anger.There was a flinch of hurt in Yujin’s eyes. “I’m sorry, but you both chose your sides and you know where I stand. It’ll always be vampires over your pesky humans,” she scoffed.“This isn’t about protecting humans. This is about keeping the balance and not exposing the supernatural,” Jinsol argued back. “You know how dangerous humans could be to us.”“All the more reason to kill them,” Yujin snarled and stepped forward.Jinsol did the same while Haseul stayed next to Hyunjin, knowing this wasn’t her place to step in.“Stop,” Hyunjin called out. She then looked around the club before her eyes landed on the enemy vampire. “You are going to let us walk out because I just put up a barrier around us and you won’t be able to touch us even if you tried.”Yujin crossed her arms. “You come to my club and kill my customers like that to just walk out. You vampires have no dignity refusing a fight like that.”“Dignity was thrown out the window the moment you sat by and allowed a witch to fuck with Sooyoung’s head. That’s lower than low,” Jinsol growled. “Out of all people, you should know that there are no rules when it comes to Dreamcatcher, so we’re going to do what we want.”Jinsol turned around and started to walk out the club followed by Haseul and Hyunjin. They got back into the car and drove off as they saw Yujin outside of the club watching them.“The witch that has a hold on Sooyoung unnie is Luda,” Hyunjin announced as they got far from earshot.Haseul turned around from the passenger seat. “Are you sure?”Hyunjin nodded. “She was in the club, using some spell to mask her magic signature, but every witch has a very unique character of their own magic and I was able to sense a bit of it that leaked through.”“Why didn’t we stay to find and just kill her?” Jinsol questioned, looking through the rear view mirror.“Because she wasn’t alone and it’d be too much of a risk if she felt threatened and decided to mess with Sooyoung unnie even more.” Hyunjin fidgeted with her fingers trying to process the magic she just felt. It’s been a long time since she has come across such dark magic.
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Yerim jolted awake. For a moment, she forgot where she was until her vision cleared and a small blonde was beside her. “Chae,” she breathed out.“Hey, you’re okay.” Chaewon was kneeled by the couch Yerim was resting on. She helped the purple haired woman sit up before taking a seat next to her. “You finally going to tell me what’s been going on?”Yerim looked around the room to see that eyes weren’t on her, but knew they were listening. “I have a headache,” she replied, rubbing her temples.Chaewon let out a sigh. “I want to yell at you so bad right now, but I’m not going to do that. Can you at least tell me that you have things under control?”“I have things under control,” Yerim reassured.“Do you really?” Chaewon said with annoyance in her voice. “Because that didn’t really look like under control back there.”Yerim looked up at the hybrid. “Then what do you want me to say? You said you weren’t going to yell.”“I’m not yelling. I’m just fuckin’ annoyed with you.” Chaewon’s actions didn’t mirror her words as she placed an arm around Yerim’s shoulder and pulled her in close. “You’re so fuckin’ stupid,” she mumbled, planting a kiss on the witch’s head.Yerim relaxed in the embrace. “I’m sorry.”“I know you are, but I thought we said no more secrets?” Chaewon said in a softer tone.“There's just been so much going on and I didn’t realize when things started to get so bad, and I just ended up not knowing how to tell you and the rest of the coven.” Yerim closed her eyes. “That person, that thing from the other dimension, it’s been trying to get through.”Chaewon shivered, remembering how different Yerim had looked in the circle. Her eyes were dark and had a smug evilness to her smile that it scared her to the bones. “This isn’t the first time,” she stated.“No, but Choerry could help.”“Going to see Choerry was what triggered it in the first place,” Chaewon argued back. “So you did see her?”Yerim nodded. “I saw her and a few others. Seems like we’re meeting the same people. I saw Jungeun unnie and Vivi unnie there, but they weren’t them, of course.” She thought about mentioning Yves, but decided not to when she glanced over at Sooyoung, who was still out cold. Blinking back tears, she cleared her throat. “I can still feel her. My connection with Choerry is back like it was before.”“But so is the connection with this other you in a different dimension,” Chaewon pointed out. “The person used some magic I’ve never seen. I just got lucky that the spell Choerry taught me in her world worked against it.”“As long as it’s using me as a host to get through, it’s weaker against the magic of this world.” Yerim kept her eyes on Sooyoung, still thinking about what Choerry and the others must have gone through with losing a friend they considered family.“That’s not very reassuring.”“I know it seems like I had no control, but I did. Even if it was a little bit, I was still there, fighting.”“But it gets stronger every time doesn’t it?” Chaewon searched Yerim’s eyes for the truth. “We should do a binding spell.”Yerim let out a shaky breath. “I can’t, not yet anyways. We need Choerry’s help still.”“But is it worth it?” The blonde took a hold of Yerim’s hand and pulled her up from her seat. They walked to the back of the shop as Chaewon put up a spell to block the others from hearing their conversation. “Tell me the truth, Yerim. Do you have this under control or not?”Yerim bit her lip. “Sometimes. Sometimes I feel like I can handle it, but other times, god, other times I can’t tell if anything’s real,” she finally admitted as she felt tears come up, but quickly wiped them away. “We need her to even out the playing field.” Yerim was scared, but she was more scared knowing that the magic she felt from the enemy witches were dangerously strong and they were outnumbered.“I know you won’t take no for an answer, so I only have one condition.” Chaewon ran her hand through her hair. “No more blood magic. I mean it. I don’t care how bad the situation gets, but no more blood magic.”“It’s my fault Hyunjin used it.” Yerim finally remembering that the taller witch had used blood to save her against the imposter.“Promise me, Yerim,” Chaewon said, desperately. “I can’t lose you.” She thought of Yerim and she thought of Sooyoung and Hyejoo. She thought of all her family members that have been so close to death and it tore her apart.The purple haired witch snapped her attention back to her friend. “I promise.” In all honesty, she wasn’t sure if she could keep it if it meant it could save someone’s life, but she made the promise anyways.Chaewon threw her arms around the slightly taller girl and hugged her tightly. “Hyunjin’s back,” she mumbled in Yerim’s shoulder.“We take out Luda, we get Sooyoung unnie back,” They heard Hyunjin say as they walked to the front again.“Is she the one draining witches of their mana?” Jungeun asked, never having had to deal with such powerful people.“No, I followed that scent to the club, but then it disappeared, and then I only got a little hint of Luda’s. I can’t tell if she wanted me to know or if she was just stupid enough to stick around, knowing I was there.” Hyunjin’s eyes landed on her coven members as she made her way over. She wordlessly held Yerim’s hand and led her back to the couch to sit down. “The magic I sensed was darker than any other I have felt in ages.”“Everything’s dark.” They all whipped their heads to the other couch to see Sooyoung lying there with her eyes open, staring up at the ceiling. She reached out when Vivi took the vampire into her arms.“You’re okay,” Vivi spoke softly, rubbing circles on her back. She then quickly grabbed at Sooyoung’s wrist and frowned. Sooyoung had dug her nails hard enough into her arm to make it bleed, but it healed back, leaving red all over her arms.Haseul and Jinsol immediately went over as Vivi got Sooyoung up from her seat. They made their way to the restroom, cramming themselves into the small space.“I need to shower,” Jinsol murmured, slowly peeling off her bloody clothes and stepped into the tub.Before this place was turned into a shop, it was a house owned by the Choi family back in the day. With no one but Yerim left alive, the shop became her coven and Haseul’s clan usual meeting place. It once was filled with happiness, but now, it just felt like it has seen too much blood shed.“I think Sooyoung could use another one too.” Haseul used a small towel to wipe the sweat from the taller vampire’s forehead. She sat Sooyoung down on the covered toilet seat and helped her take off her shirt. Bending down, she planted a soft kiss on the woman’s bare shoulder. “I love you, Sooyoung,” she mumbled, finally allowing tears to fall. The stress of everything was suddenly hitting her with the four original members of her clan finally being alone together. Haseul stood back up, only to find herself in Vivi’s embrace. She couldn’t even relax in it when she let out a small sob. Haseul’s hand shot up to cover her mouth, not wanting anyone outside of this room to hear her. She let out a shaky breath after a moment and reached out to tuck hair behind Sooyoung’s ear. The woman looked up at her, but Haseul couldn’t tell what was going through the vampire’s mind.They got Sooyoung into the tub after Haseul calmed down a bit and sat her down so that her back was against Jinsol’s front. Vivi sat on the edge of the tub after taking the shower head down from its place and helped wash away the blood that was on the both of them.Haseul sat down where Sooyoung was just at and placed her head in her hands. “We have no idea where Dreamcatcher is.”Vivi turned her head towards the leader. “We’ll find them.”“We’re running out of time,” Haseul growled lowly out of frustration. “The longer Sooyoung is in this state, god, I don’t know if she’ll even,” her voice died in the back of her throat. She wanted to have hope, but nothing was going the way she wanted it to. Having Sooyoung’s life and sanity in question made it hard for her to think straight.“We’ll get through this. We’ll get her back and we’ll help her through every step, no matter how long it takes,” Vivi tried to reassure, but in truth, she was just as scared.Haseul glanced over at Sooyoung who had started to whimper in Jinsol’s arms as the blonde held her tighter. The short haired woman didn’t even try to stop the tears that were falling from her face, seeing Sooyoung in so much constant pain. She wasn’t usually emotional in front of others, but she didn’t have a problem showing her vulnerable side to her family.Haseul stood up and grabbed a towel, handing it to Vivi once they were done with the shower. She took another one and gave it to Jinsol before taking a step back, just watching the three of them take care of each other.Once upon a time, Haseul never thought she could love anyone. After losing her sister, she did everything in her power to try to find Yeojin’s lost soul once she became immortal. It was her life mission that almost tore her apart. She was no leader. She was no good to anyone, but they needed her, and she needed them.She would die before anyone took them away from her.
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1654Haseul held her breath as she sat in a small crawl space under the house with her hand clasped over her sister’s mouth. Dust was falling through the cracks on top of her as men walked right above where they were.“Where is she?” They heard a man that went by the name of Declan hiss out. It wasn’t his real name of course, but it was a name given to him by higher power apparently.They heard loud noises as things were being thrown and shoved to the side. Their mother screamed while their father pleaded with the man.“Please, she’s not here,” their father tried to persuade them. “I have sent her off with her sister.”“You let a witch get away? She will destroy everything like how witches like her always do.”“She will be of no more harm. I swe—,” their father’s voice was cut off, followed by a loud thud and their mother screaming again, but this time, her voice was filled with more pain than terror.The screaming stopped after a few seconds as it was followed by another thud and then silence.Haseul tried to keep the sob from escaping her mouth and held onto Yeojin tighter.A drop of warm liquid fell onto her forehead from above as she used her free hand to wipe at it, only to pull away to see her fingers covered in red.Yeojin could see where her parents bodies were with how cracks of light didn’t come through parts of the floorboard. Her breathing became uneven and she couldn’t help the energy that surged through her body.Haseul gave her a pleading look, but her sister couldn’t control it.Yeojin raised a hand and the floor above them started to crack until it exploded, sending wood in every direction, but none hit them with a shield Yeojin had put around the two.The men above yelled out in surprise and backed away.“Yeojin, don’t!” Haseul shouted, grabbing at her sister, but the smaller girl didn’t listen.Yeojin climbed up to the top, followed by Haseul. They couldn’t help the tears that spilled, seeing their dead parents lying motionless on the ground.The small witch raised a hand up at the three men before her. She turned her hand over so that her palm was facing the ceiling and then made a fist, watching two of the men fall to their knees. Declan, the man in the middle, stood there smiling. “So predictable.”Yeojin frowned, still keeping her hand up as the two men collapsed, struggling to breathe. “You want to kill me for being a witch when you’re using magic of a witch to protect yourself. How ironic.”Declan let out a laugh. “I don’t want to kill every witch, just ones that won’t join the resistance.”“What you’re doing is no resistance,” Haseul spoke up this time. “You’re nothing more but a bloodsucker pretending to be a savior for humanity.”“Oh, but I am saving the humans. I’m giving them immortality.” The man bared his fangs as Haseul pushed Yeojin behind her.Declan pulled out a knife and hurled it at the two, but Yeojin stepped to the side and deflected it with magic. Throwing it back at him, the knife stopped inches from his face before falling to the ground.A tall young girl stepped through their front door with a hand up as well, followed by an older looking woman with long dark hair.“Lena,” Yeojin whispered out.“Yeojin,” the girl called back. “It doesn’t have to be like this. We can be together if you’d just join.”“Join what? My parents are dead because of this man! ” Yeojin raised her voice in anger. “Immortality is just living forever through hell with every memory you’d want to forget some day.”“No, Yeojin. Immortality is how we’re gonna change the world,” Lena countered back.Before Yeojin could answer, a wave of the other woman’s hand brought her down to her knees as spikes were thrown out of her sleeves.Yeojin couldn’t react fast enough when Haseul got in front of her again. Haseul stood her ground, feeling pain throughout her body as her legs shook. Feeling blood drip, Haseul looked up, glaring at the woman.The woman chanted a spell when Yeojin’s voice was reciting one of her own. They threw out their hands at the same time only for everyone in the room to be thrown off their feet.Haseul groaned as she felt her back hit the floor. Her hand went to her stomach and she looked down to see two impaled there and one a little farther up on her ribcage.“Your sister won’t last long. Those weapons are poisoned,” the woman said, getting up to her feet. “Humans are so weak.”Yeojin crawled over to Haseul, but kept her eyes on the enemies.“Yeojin, please,” Lena begged. “Just come with us.”“Do you know what happens when you become a bloodsucker?” Yeojin asked with no emotion in her voice. “That man you call your savior is a liar,” she then spat out. “You think you get to keep your magic? Once you turn, that’s it for you. You’ll be immortal, but the magic that runs through your veins will fade, and you’ll become nothing but a monster who’ll never see the sun again.”“You’re wrong. We’re going to cleanse the earth of the weak and then save those who are strong and willing,” Lena tried to convince herself by repeating what has been said to her so many times before.Declan smiled at his young follower’s words and began to walk towards Yeojin and Haseul. He bent down in front of them with Yeojin glaring at him.“Your sister will die soon unless you join us.” Declan offered a hand out.Yeojin looked at the man and then down at the hand. She reached out, placing her own hand in his and watched as he tried to yank it back while screaming out in pain as it sizzled.“Your protection spell can only get you so far,” Yeojin growled and was about to place a hand on his head when she was thrown back.The woman stepped forward and walked their direction. She stopped next to Haseul, who was struggling to breathe as poison began to work on shutting down her system. Yeojin tried getting up, but the woman raised her hand, bringing the smaller girl back down on her knees.Bending down, the woman stroked Haseul’s cheek and smiled. “Such a strong will to live when you should have already been dead with how much poison there is in these little things.” Her hand gripped one of the spikes in Haseul’s stomach and shoved it in deeper.Haseul let out a pained scream and tried to thrash around, but the woman placed a knee over her shoulder to keep her from moving too much.“Unnie!” Yeojin cried out. She tried to move again, but the magic that had a hold on her was too strong.The woman then yanked out the spike as Haseul let out another scream. She placed the weapon in front of her face, watching the blood drip from it before putting it next to her mouth and licked the thick liquid off of it. She then dropped the spike down to the side, letting it clink on the floor before her hand went to the spike lodged in between Haseul’s ribs.“You see, little one, you’ve gotten your information wrong.” The woman looked over at Yeojin with a smile. “Bloodsuckers and witches are separate beings, but what if there’s a way to be immortal and still have all the benefits of being a witch?”“What are you saying?” Declan asked now that he was up on his feet again.The woman turned back around to face the man. “Oh, Declan, Declan, Declan,” she repeated his name. “Such a scary man, scaring people, sucking their blood dry. You’re in way over your head thinking that you’re some savior when you’re the one that’s going to need saving from me.”“What are you talking about, you bitch,” Declan growled out, advancing towards the woman.The woman pulled out a spike harshly, not caring about Haseul’s screams as she tossed it to her other hand. “I don’t even need magic to kill you.” She pointed the weapon at the man and then bared her own fangs.“What? How?” Declan stammered over his words.“Ever heard of a hybrid?” The woman smirked and quickly threw the spike, hitting her target at the side of the neck.Declan’s hand went up to the spike and quickly pulled it out, but the wound didn’t heal. The effects of the poison hit right away as he started to feel numb.The woman approached him as Lena stood by the door, not moving a muscle as she watched the scene unfold in front of her.“Sunmi, please,” the man begged.The said woman tilted her head and gave out another smile. “Men should never be in charge.” She quickly placed both hands on the side of his head and gave it a twist. Before his body could hit the ground, she held onto one shoulder, the other gripped onto his hair as she ripped his head clean off. She let the body drop and let out an exhale. “Now where was I?”Sunmi was about to turn back around when Yeojin had her hand out. The woman raised her own so that her arm was in front of her at a 90 degree angle to block the magic. Yeojin was about to cast another spell when she cried out in pain.“Such a shame that I’m going to have to kill you, little one. Such a powerful little witch.” Sunmi exhaled as if she was deep in thought. “I wonder how long your soul could be tormented for before it drives you completely insane.” She clicked her teeth. “I guess I’ll never know, but it’d still be fun anyways, right?”“Unnie, please,” Lena called out from behind.Sunmi turned again to face the tall girl. “Oh, Lena, darling. You’re going to have to let go of everyone and everything from your past if you want to move forward.” She then let out a sigh, seeing the fear behind the young girl’s eyes. “Lena, please step outside.”The tall girl stayed in her spot and made eye contact with Yeojin before doing what she was told.Without warning, Sunmi turned around and threw out a hand, throwing the small girl into a wall as she fell onto the ground in a heap.Haseul couldn’t even cry out for her sister. She couldn’t talk, she couldn’t move a muscle as tears spilled out. She didn’t even remember when her mind started to fade. The last thing she saw was the woman kneeling down beside her sister as she drifted off into unconsciousness. Haseul jolted up with a scream, but her body hit something soft as she collapsed back down. Her vision was so blurry no matter how many times she blinked and her insides felt like they were being ripped apart. She didn’t stop screaming out of pain until she could make out a soft voice humming next to her ear.Calming down a bit, she focused on the voice as her senses slowly came back to her. Everything felt so overwhelming, like waves crashing against rocks as she was pulled under water.For a moment, she forgot where she was until the ceiling of her house came into view and her body shook with sobs. She tried to sit up, but was too weak as she felt arms wrap around her. For some reason, she felt safe in these arms that didn’t belong to anyone she knew, because everyone she knew was dead.“I’m so sorry for what you had to go through, love,” the calming voice sounded so far away.Haseul reached out instinctively when the person held onto hers, softly running a thumb over the back of Haseul’s hand.“I’m sorry for what I have done to you,” the quiet voice spoke again. “But if it’s revenge that you need, I can help you, but that’s not what you need. If you want help to find your sister’s soul, I’ll be by your side.”“Wh— why are you helping me,” Haseul’s teeth chattered, her voice barely above a whisper.“Because your sister helped me once and I won’t allow some hybrid to curse her soul for eternity. She doesn’t deserve that.”“Who are you?” There was so many unexplainable emotions running through Haseul that she didn’t know what to do.The woman holding her gave out a gentle smile. “My name is Vivi.”
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1654“You should have let me die,” Haseul sobbed out in anger, trashing her own house where her family still laid motionless.“Haseul, please,” Vivi begged, standing off to the side, trying not to interfere with the newborn vampire, knowing just how dangerous it could be in such a vulnerable state.“You have no right to say my name!” Haseul yelled, throwing a chair across the room, watching as it smashed against the wall.Vivi furrowed her eyebrows out of sympathy for what the other woman had to go through. “That hybrid was going to drag your soul to hell. While Yeojin’s soul is still wandering this earth, there would have been no way for anyone to come save you,” the older vampire tried to explain why she did what she did. “I know souls of a vampire end up becoming nothing when we finally meet our end, but becoming nothing is better than being tormented for all eternity. And I’m sorry if I didn’t give you a choice.”Haseul stood there, fuming, but let those words sink in. Her shoulders suddenly shook as sobs took over again. Slowly walking to her sister’s body, Haseul dropped to her knees, pulling the small girl into her lap.“I don’t want this,” Haseul cried. Every sense and emotion was heightened to the max, where she found it hard to control anything that was happening to her with how many thoughts that were bombarding her mind.Vivi walked over with a soft sigh and bent down besides the woman. She kept at a distance to let Haseul know that she respected her space and let her grieve the way she wanted to. Vivi bit her lip knowing that she’d have to cut the moment short though.“You need to feed,” Vivi gently said.Haseul’s cries had ceased to quiet sniffling as she sat there, staring off at nothing.“You will die if you don’t feed.” Vivi stayed rooted in her spot, although she wanted to go over to comfort the woman.“Then just let me,” Haseul spoke with no emotions.“She put a curse on Yeojin. Her soul is wandering aimlessly with no understanding of what’s happening. If you don’t want to live, then that’s fine, but I’m going to find your sister with or without you.” Vivi had to be more firm this time. She had to make Haseul understand.Haseul kept her stare elsewhere for a moment before turning to Vivi. “I’ll have to kill others,” she stated more than questioned.“No, you can just drink a little blood at a time from different people, but you’re going to need a lot since you’re a new vampire.” Vivi had made sure she never turned a human, but she had been drawn to the woman before her. Though she has known Yeojin for quite some time, she kept her distance away from Haseul, not knowing how she’d react to her sister befriending a vampire.Haseul felt her fangs start to come out at the mention of blood. She turned her head away from Yeojin, who had red all over her. Her whole house with filled with blood.She had to get out.Haseul gently placed her sister down and stood up. “I, I need,” she swallowed the lump in her throat.Vivi stood up as well and took a chance to place her hand out for the other woman to take. “Please let me help you.” She knew what Haseul meant even if Haseul didn’t know exactly what she herself needed.Haseul looked at the hand, not making eye contact with Vivi before hesitantly placing her own onto the vampire that sired her. For some reason, she felt safe with the woman who had just cursed her with a fate of immortality that she never wanted.Vivi gave her a soft smile as they made their way out of the house. “All the sounds and smells and everything else about the outside will get a bit overwhelming,” she warned. “It may be hard to control your hunger. If you don’t want to kill, I can stop you, if you’d like.”Haseul thought about it for a quick second before tilting her head. “No, I don’t want you to stop me.”“As you wish.”Vivi opened the door and led Haseul through as she took her first step out into her new life.Like what Vivi had just said, the outside world felt a lot different than inside those four walls. The wind that hit Haseul’s body felt like millions of needles prickling her skin and all her other senses felt like they uncomfortably heightened with no words to describe it.By now, Haseul’s fangs were all the way out and she could already smell blood pooled up in individual warm bodies. The heartbeats of humans were steady, not knowing what was coming for them.Haseul broke out into a sprint without warning as Vivi followed closely from behind. The first person came into sight with Haseul pounced on the tall man from behind, sinking her teeth into the side of his neck. He screamed like they all do and then was already dead by the time he hit the ground.Haseul let out a yell with blood dripping down her chin as the people around her ran in panic. She grabbed a woman that got too close, yanking her towards and snapping her neck before drinking her blood dry. She then went after another and another until she finally felt her senses lessen down a notch and she was able to control her hunger a little more than before.Without any direction, she somehow ended back at her house. There was so much pent up anger but when she remembered why she was in this situation in the first place, she couldn’t help but fall down to her knees and held her face in her hands as sobs wracked her body. She tried to scream all of the emotional pain out, but it wouldn’t stop.Vivi again, bent down beside the woman, keeping a small distance between them. She didn’t say a word as she watched Haseul breakdown in front of her. Being alone during a transition was dangerous when nothing made sense and Vivi didn’t want Haseul to go through that. It hasn’t been long since she herself turned, but when she did, she was on her own. The things that happened to her mind without guidance almost drove her insane. She was so close to losing it if it wasn’t for the help of Yeojin. Vivi owed the younger witch her life. Helping Haseul was the least she could do.The two stayed where they were for a few more moments until Haseul couldn’t help but blindly reach out. She didn’t know what she wanted or what she was doing, but when Vivi took it as a sign to get closer and hold the young vampire in her arms, Haseul relaxed in her embrace, quietly crying.“Shh, it’s alright, love,” Vivi said in a soothing tone, stoking the woman’s hair. “We will lay your family to rest where they no longer have to feel pain and then we will do as you please.”“I want to kill that woman,” Haseul spoke through gritted teeth, having Sunmi’s face burned into her mind.“I understand. You are angry,” Vivi started and ran small circles on Haseul’s back. “But that anger will lessen and your love for your sister will overtake that feeling.” She didn’t want hate to be the first thing Haseul went after. Going down that path was always messy and she didn’t want that for someone who she knew had a life full of love.“Yeojin,” Haseul whispered out in between sniffles. “I should have been born a witch in the family instead of her. She didn’t deserve this.”“No one deserves this, but it’s what happened. Life is unpredictable and nothing is forever, but I can promise you that I’ll be by your side for as long as you need me.”Haseul pulled away from the embrace a bit to look at Vivi in the eyes. “Why? You don’t even know me.”Vivi placed a hand on the side of Haseul’s face. “Because I sired you. You are my responsibility and right now, I owe everything to your sister, but I hope that one day, the both of us will want to start a clan together because maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to not be alone.” For the first time in her vampire life, Vivi felt a connection to someone. She has been on her own for so long that she has almost forgotten how it felt like to even have a meaningful conversation with a person.Haseul searched the woman’s eyes. Just a moment ago, they were strangers, but now, Haseul couldn’t help but feel like she has found purpose again. “You won’t leave me?” She asked, almost in a childlike tone.Giving her a gentle smile, Vivi pulled her in closer and kissed the top of her head. “Only if you want me to.”“I don’t want you to.” Haseul didn’t understand why she felt safe with this vampire. It might have been because she was sired by her or maybe it was something more.“Just because I sired you, it doesn’t mean that you’re stuck with me forever. You always have a choice. You might feel the need to be around me for some time because of the effects, but once you’re no longer a newborn, you’re free to do as you please,” Vivi explained as if she read what was on Haseul’s mind.Haseul nodded, not fully understanding anything, but she knew Vivi wouldn’t cause any harm to her. It almost scared her how much she trusted this woman she had just met. She figured it must have been the effects and she’d figure everything out once it faded.“Up now. The sun will be out soon.” Vivi stood and held a hand out. “We will come back for your family, but right now, you need to rest.”Haseul took it without hesitation this time and didn’t let go as they held hands, walking to a destination she didn’t know. She looked up at the sky, noticing it changing colors as the sun was ready to peek through. Frowning, she thought about how she would never see the sun rise again when it was one of her favorite times of the day, watching it come up with her sister by her side. They would climb a hill, one close to home, but one not a lot of people knew about. They would lie on the grass with the cool breeze hitting their skin as they talked about everything and nothing. She would never have that moment again. Her past was just that, her past, and today was the start of her new life.
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“They wouldn’t be that sloppy,” Haseul spoke into the device she had on speakerphone.“No, but with how confident they have been two steps ahead of us this whole time, anyone’s bound to get sloppy,” Jihyo’s voice could be heard from the other line. “Seems like they’re so sure they’ll win this little game of theirs that they don’t really care who’s spotting them now. And not to mention the newcomers coming in from outside of the city.”Vivi huffed out air and crossed her legs. “Or it could be a trap.”“Either way, they’re not really hiding their tracks, so we at least know where some of their activities are,” Jungeun pointed out, leaning back onto Jiwoo who had a hold of her from behind as they sat on the arm of one of the couches.“Then what’s the plan?” Jinsol asked with Sooyoung lying on her lap.“I have my team scouting out the area. Right now, it just looks like some members of Dreamcatcher and their low level vampires are just roaming the place. It’s probably just a show of power,” Jihyo informed them. “I’m not doing anything right now just because they haven’t caused a scene yet and I don’t want to just attack when there’s civilians everywhere.”“I need to leave.”They all turned to Sooyoung who whispered the same thing she has been saying earlier.Vivi bent down in front of the woman who was trying to sit up. “You’re not going anywhere, love.” She brushed some hair out of Sooyoung’s face and tucked it behind her ear.“You, you don’t understand.” Sooyoung’s voice got frantic as she looked around the room, but didn’t make eye contact with anyone.“I can let her sleep with a spell again,” Chaewon suggested, getting off of the stool by the counter but was stopped by a hand grabbing at her arm.“No,” Hyunjin disagreed. “Maybe we don’t understand.”Chaewon turned back to her. “What are you talking about?”“Maybe Sooyoung unnie does have to leave. Maybe she knows something we don’t.” Hyunjin was trying to think of why the vampire kept saying the same things over and over. There had to be a reason.“A mind manipulator has a hold of her. Luda, the witch that likes to mess with people.” Chaewon didn’t want to listen. She didn’t want to put one of her mothers in danger.“Hyunjin could be right,” Yerim spoke up. “The mind is a tricky thing. Maybe Sooyoung unnie is trying to hold on, trying to get to us, but we’re not listening.”“Or this could all be a trap.” Chaewon threw her hands up in the air. “I’m not letting Ma walk out of this shop in the state she’s in,” she argued back.“We’ll be right there with her.”This time, everyone turned their attention to Jinsol.“You too, Mom?” Chaewon questioned in shock, thinking that if it were anyone, it would have been Jinsol on her side.“Honey, there’s not many options right now,” Jinsol tried to reason while holding onto Sooyoung to keep her still. “This could be nothing, just her talking nonsense, or she could be wanting to lead us somewhere. It’s better if we do something about it rather than just ignoring it.”Chaewon sighed out of defeat. “I’m not letting Ma out of my sight.”“I was hoping you’d come along anyways. Be best if we have a witch with us if something goes wrong.” Jinsol held Sooyoung close, but the other vampire kept whimpering, making her emotions falter every time.“I can have some of my pack follow too since they’re already patrolling around the city,” Jihyo’s voice came through, reminding everyone that their wolf leader was still on the phone. “The thing is though, we have to be discreet and not interact with each other outside. The Council has more eyes out there than I do. The magic that has been used, leaving trails of the dark arts is something they’re not fond of. I know that you guys use it for good, but they don’t see it like that. There has been too much chaos and it’s too difficult to track.”“Well, fuck the Council. Where the hell are they when we’re doing all the work here to this city from crumbling down?” Vivi growled out angrily. “They promote this unity, keeping things in order between all factions, yet their own people, their hunters have been compromised.”“Believe me, I understand. I work right under them, but they’re the ones giving me the tools to operate safely. And as rigid as they are, there is a method to their control and how this city has been afloat for so long.” Jihyo could be heard sighing over the line. “I’m not saying that whatever they say and do is right, because everyone knows I also work out of bounds to the rules, but I wouldn’t want to make an enemy out of them.”Yerim scoffed. “That’s just impossible then. There’s no way we’ll win this fight without the dark arts. They see things so black and white when nothing ever is. Just because something is dark doesn’t mean that it’s evil. It always depends on the person. We always have a choice. The Council knew my family and what they’ve done for this place with the same magic.” She herself has been using it for so long. People have judged her, but she knew that in the end, she always used her magic for good.“You’re right, the Council did know your family, but they don’t know you that well after you refused their offer to work under them,” Jihyo added on.Yerim shook her head out of annoyance. “And why would I work for them after what they did? Or what they didn’t do anyways,” she growled lowly out of anger. “I’m all alone because they would rather save their asses than help my family when they needed it. After everything they’ve sacrificed for the Council and that’s how they repay them?” Yerim felt an arm going around her waist, turning to see Hyunjin by her side. “They can do whatever they want to me, but I’m going to continue to do what I want and what I think is going to save all of us whether they like it or not.”“I knew you would say something like that,” Jihyo started. “I know it probably doesn’t mean much, but I am sorry for what happened to your family. I’m only telling you this to warn you, but I know the only way that we’ll get anywhere with Dreamcatcher is if we break the rules and I sure as hell know that every single one of us is good at that.” Shuffling could be heard from the Jihyo’s side before she spoke again. “Like I said, the Council sent my pack around the city to patrol, but I’m sending some to your aid because this is the only way that we’re going to get things done.”Haseul smiled at the response as she kept quiet, already knowing that Jihyo was someone who played things fair, but stepped out of line when she needed to. Her clan has encountered many werewolf packs throughout their immortal lives, but none were like this one and she couldn’t be more proud to have friends like this when werewolves were once just enemies to them.“Sana will be happy to hear,” Chaewon spoke softly, knowing how much the werewolf spirit she kept by her side missed her family.Jihyo hummed at the mention of the blonde’s name. “When this whole ordeal gets taken care of, you think you can come by the cabin? I mean, I understand that you have other responsibilities first, like Hyejoo, but it’s almost the anniversary of when Sana,” she stopped in her sentence and cleared her throat.“Yeah, of course,” Chaewon replied right away. “I’ve been meaning to visit with Hyejoo anyways, but you know what happened to that. Hye keeps talking about how much she misses the woods and your pack.”“We miss Hyejoo too,” Jihyo chuckled. “Well, I should get going now. Please call Dahyun if you need anything. Her and the rest of the school meal club will be the ones in your area,” she said, referring to the youngest three of her pack.“We appreciate the help, Jihyo,” Haseul finally spoke up.“Likewise.”And with that, Jihyo hung up, leaving everyone in the shop to figure out what to do next.“Are we sure it’s Luda that had a hold on Sooyoung?” Jinsol asked since there has been different culprits named.“At first, we thought it was Jiyeon since I’m sure she’s the one stealing mana from witches, but the magic signature I got in the club belonged to Luda,” Hyunjin reasoned. “I guess we can’t be sure because they can be masking it somehow. Either way, I plan on destroying that whole coven.”“Usually, I’d be against the killing of humans, but are they even people at this point?” Yerim rubbed her temples, hating that it has come to this point. “What’s even going to happen to us when the Council finds out? They work with the police. We could go to prison for this.”Chaewon rolled her eyes at the mention of the Council again. “Oh please, you think we won’t be able to cover our tracks? They can know what we’ve done but they’ll never find the evidence.”“That doesn’t really make me feel any better,” Yerim mumbled. As much as she despised Jiyeon’s coven, her morals wavered with the bloodshed she knew she would have to spill.“Sooyoung’s getting restless,” Jinsol spoke softly, stroking the brunette’s hair who now had her head rested on Jinsol’s shoulder.Vivi took ahold of Sooyoung’s hand to get her to stop trying to dig her fingernails into her arms. The woman kept muttering words as Vivi wrapped an arm around her waist.Watching the scene from the side, Haseul looked away, hating to see her clan so vulnerable. “We let Sooyoung lead us to wherever. If the trail goes nowhere, then so be it, but I’m really hoping that we find something, just anything,” her voice got desperate at the end.“If we’re really doing this, then I’m going for sure and I know you’re going, Mom.” Chaewon nodded her head at Jinsol.Jinsol nodded back. “One more person would be good, but I don’t think any more than that would be ideal since traveling in a smaller group right now might be better to keep off of the radar.”“I want to be there,” Haseul spoke up, feeling like she hasn’t spent that much time with Sooyoung as of late since she’s been running around the place to get things done. She then turned to Jiwoo and Jungeun. “You said that you’re old clan is back, but they’re not on either sides.”The two younger vampires nodded in response.“I know they don’t want to work with our clan, but would they work with you two?” Haseul asked.Jiwoo held onto Jungeun’s hand. “What do you want from them?”“We have this part of the city covered if Dreamcatcher decides to get bold, but we don’t have security everywhere. Jihyo said that newcomers are coming into the city. We need to regulate that somehow. We can’t be going up against the current clans plus even more, whether they’re newborns or Jiu’s collection of vampires she sired.”“So you want us to ask them to kill whoever comes in?” Jiwoo asked for clarification.“Yes, only if they can and they have to play it smart to not draw attention to themselves.” Haseul drummed her fingers on the table between the couches. “This will benefit us as much as it will benefit them. No one wants newcomers infiltrating the city like pests thinking they can take us over.”Jiwoo bit her lip, not being fond of the idea of seeing her old clan again. “I can see what I can do, but I can’t guarantee anything.” She glanced at Jungeun. “We haven’t seen them in so long that I don’t know how they operate anymore.”“That’s fine. I’m just trying to see if we can get help outside from our small group, but if others can’t see the big picture, then that’s on them.” Haseul stood up from her spot on the couch across from her clan and walked over, kneeling in front of Sooyoung. Caressing the taller vampires cheek, Haseul leaned in and planted a kiss on them. “We should get going soon.”
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“Where are we even going? We’re getting to the edge of the city,” Jinsol spoke up after some time, holding onto Sooyoung’s hand as the vampire lead them far from Yerim’s shop.They reached an area where it just looked like a bunch of abandoned buildings with no one in sight. There were no cars, no noise other than their footsteps.“Give her some time. If we get too far and nothing comes up, we’ll head back.” Haseul wasn’t sure if anything was going to come out of this, but they had to try.The clan leader followed closely behind with Chaewon who was concentrating on their surroundings in case she were to sense unwanted intruders. Besides some of Jihyo’s pack following them from a distance, she didn’t want any other presences popping up.“So close,” Sooyoung mumbled out, gripping Jinsol’s hand tighter.Before they could advance further, Chaewon rushed forward to take a hold of Sooyoung’s arm. “Stop,” she warned the group. She then turned her attention to the spirit at her side. “Yeojin, check ahead.”The small transparent figure nodded, sprinting away faster than any other human.“I don’t like the feeling of this,” Chaewon muttered.They stayed where they were, waiting for Yeojin to come back, but with every passing second, they couldn’t help but feel as if they weren’t alone.As the feeling intensified, Chaewon instinctively stood in front of the group, right arm stretched to the side as her giant halberd appeared in it. She took an offensive stance and swung forward at a figure hidden in the shadows. “I will not hesitate to slit your throat,” she growled out.“I’m not here as a threat,” the figure had their arms raised up. “I already told your little ghost friend that.”“What are you doing here, Siyeon? You think this is some kind of joke?” Jinsol questioned in anger, pulling a trembling Sooyoung behind her.“No. I don’t think this is a joke.” Siyeon took a step forward, walking closer to Chaewon’s weapon so that the blade was right up against her neck. “I advise you to lower your weapon. Killing me would just prolong the time it takes in getting Sooyoung help, and that time is running out.”“What are you talking about?” Chaewon pushed her weapon forward, almost nicking at the vampire’s throat, ignoring the advice.“Bora, you can come out now, although I’m pretty sure they all know that you’re also here,” Siyeon called out. Her attention went back to the group after. “We’re not here to fight. This wasn’t how we imagined things to turn out.”The other vampire revealed herself, stepping out to stand next to Siyeon as the bladed weapon swung itself to her. Bora raised her arms in the same manner as Siyeon. “That thing’s a bit sharp,” she made an off hand comment.Siyeon glanced at Bora, shaking her head that that was all the shorter vampire had to say. Turning back to the others, her gaze went to Sooyoung who was still hiding behind Jinsol. “Jiu didn’t tell us anything about what she was going to do to Sooyoung,” she started. “We had no idea she was even going to take her, much less have some witch manipulate her mind, so we got our own witch to make Sooyoung lead you all to us.”Jinsol scoffed as she felt anger rise. “Don’t act like you guys didn’t just stand around and watch as Jiu had her filthy hands on her. I know how you all operate. Hell, I used to be on your side.” She then exhaled loudly. “What do you really want?”“We can offer you the location of the witch that has Sooyoung’s mind captive, but you have to move quick,” Bora spoke this time.“Why would you help us?” Chaewon pulled her weapon to the side, not feeling like there was a threat at the moment, but she was still cautious.Siyeon let out a laugh and shook her head. “Because,” she bit her lip, eyebrows furrowed. “Because as much as I hate the both of you for leaving, and I know that one side is going to have to die before we could all move on, but this isn’t the way I want things to play out.”“Sooyoung doesn’t deserve this torment,” Bora whispered as hurt filled her eyes from seeing the usually icy vampire so filled with fear, and it was directed towards her and Siyeon. Sooyoung hating her was one thing, but she never wanted the woman to fear her.“What difference does it make if you want her dead anyways?” Haseul finally spoke up, her voice monotone. “You think one way will make you feel less guilty? You do understand that whatever state Sooyoung will be in after this is still part of your responsibility right? You know for a fact that she won’t be the same after this.” She tried to hide the shaking of her voice, but it was hard as unwanted feelings bubbled up. “You know first hand just how bad it could get.”“Sooyoung isn’t like her,” Siyeon tried to defend the frightened dark haired vampire that was still mostly hidden behind Jinsol.“No, she isn’t,” Haseul stated quietly. “No one could compare to her, not even Jiu. Sunmi is someone in her own league, yet you still chase after this world she wants to create out of nothing but death and misery.”“You wouldn’t understand,” Bora scoffed. “She can be ruthless, but in the end, it’s for our survival.”Haseul’s facial expression didn’t change although she wanted to bad mouth the vampire that was older than all of them. “Of course you’d say that because you’re protected by Sunmi, but once you’re no longer useful, she’ll just throw you away.” She clicked her teeth and tilted her head. “You can’t be that naive to think she actually cares for any of you.”Bora was about to speak when Siyeon held an arm out to stop her.Shaking her head, Siyeon let out an exhale. “Like I said, it’s for survival. I couldn’t care less about Sunmi, but she sired me.” She then gestured to Bora. “Sired us, and as of right now, that still means something to her.”“I guess that doesn’t apply to Vivi anymore though, right?” Jinsol stated more than asked, already knowing the answer.Bora gritted her teeth. “I guess she got lucky then.” Her gaze then went to Haseul. “She sure made a mistake by not finishing her off. You wouldn’t even exist right now without Vivi.”“I may not have been sired by Sunmi, but she created me no less.” Haseul felt too much as her past surfaced, but held it in. “We’re all in this position because of her.”“You can still stop this.” Jinsol wanted to beg, tired of all the fighting. She could feel Sooyoung’s grip on her arm dig into her skin, but she barely registered the pain.“Luda’s going around town, switching places with witches for Jiyeon to take their mana,” Siyeon said, ignoring Jinsol’s plea. “You can tell your wolves to stop trying to track down the single bodies they’ve been finding because they’ll lead you nowhere. They’re just a distraction from where their actual location is.”“And you’re just going to give us the location just like that?” Chaewon asked while magic flowed all around them. She had created a barrier around the perimeter so that no one could sense where they were. Siyeon and Bora didn’t answer, but instead, their eyes shot to Sooyoung who had stepped to the side. The vampire spoke under her breath, but with enhanced hearing, it wasn’t missed.“Stop,” Jinsol whispered, pulling Sooyoung back.The slightly taller vampire didn’t listen, yanking her hand out of Jinsol’s. Before the blonde could hold Sooyoung again, the other woman ran. Jinsol ran after her, only stopping a few feet away from the opposing clan as Sooyoung also came to a stop.Siyeon and Bora didn’t move, letting Sooyoung come at them, waiting for an attack that never came. Instead, Sooyoung grabbed them both into an embrace, almost falling down to her knees if it weren’t for the two vampires that held her up.“There isn’t time,” Sooyoung said frantically. “They’re coming.” She pulled back, looking at the two with fear in her eyes. “You have to hide. I can get out. You guys need to go.”Bora took a step back, trying to get away. “Stop it, Sooyoung,” her voice held a different tone than her usual snarky one. She looked up at Jinsol who had her eyes on them. “I can’t do this right now.” Taking another step back, she watched Siyeon hold the dark haired vampire in her arms. “They were right under your nose. The hotel, or what’s under it anyways.”“The tunnels under there are collapsed,” Jinsol pointed out. She wanted to yank Sooyoung out of Siyeon’s arms, but refrained from it, knowing that her lover wasn’t in any danger at the moment.“They were, but I guess magic does have its benefits.” Bora tugged at Siyeon’s elbow. “Don’t waste anymore time because she doesn’t have any.”“We’ll be fine, Sooyoung,” Siyeon said under her breath. “Jinsol needs you.” She gently pried the other vampires arms from her. “Go to Jinsol.” Directing Sooyoung towards her clan, Siyeon stepped away, slightly colliding with Bora from behind.Sooyoung nodded, standing there wordlessly until Jinsol took her back into her arms.Siyeon and Bora didn’t wait for a thank you they knew they weren’t going to get anyways. Quickly making their way out of the scene, they didn’t look back no matter how much they wanted to.“She thinks we’re back in that village,” Bora stated what they were both thinking when they got out of earshot. “She thinks we’re in danger and trying to save us from those hunters that had Sol,” she let out a bitter laugh at how ironic it was. They were completely fine while Sooyoung was the one that needed saving.Siyeon shook her head and held onto Bora’s hand. “Weren’t you the one reminding me to not be swayed? It’s a little too late to feel sorry now.” She looked up at the darkening sky. “We’ve done things we can’t be forgiven for, things I don’t want to be forgiven for because I don’t deserve it.”“You do understand what we’ve done, right?” Bora questioned as they ducked into an alley.“We’re part of Jiu’s clan, but Sooyoung used to be one of us too.” Siyeon looked straight ahead as she walked. “We are immortal, but just like everything else, nothing lasts forever. When my time comes and I cease to exist, I do not want the weight of Sooyoung’s sanity on my hands without trying to make things right even though everything’s already been fucked.” She stopped in her tracks for a moment before continuing on her way. “I guess I never stopped loving them.”Bora clenched her jaw. “I don’t think any of us did.”“As much pain as Jiu wants to inflict on Sooyoung,” Siyeon paused in her sentence to try to find the right words. “I hate to say it’s out of love, because I’m not sure if Jiu even understands what that means, but I don’t think anyone has hurt Jiu emotionally as much as Sooyoung has. That doesn’t justify what she’s done, but I somehow understand why she did the things she did, you know?” Exhaling out of frustration, she stood in front of Bora. “Please tell me that we’re making the right decision.”Bora swallowed the lump in her throat. “I would never leave Jiu. You know that.” She kept eye contact with Siyeon as they stood there at the end of the alley. “As flawed as she is, I want to believe that she cares for us. You know she’s capable of that.”“Is she?” Siyeon questioned. “Did she care about Sooyoung or was Sooyoung just one of her possessions? We’re seeing the same cycle again, aren’t we? With Yoohyeon now, she’s become obsessed again.”“You’re wrong on that.” Bora shook her head and lead them out. “Jiu listens to us. She listened to Sooyoung. It was different. And as much as I argue with Jiu, I know she wouldn’t hurt me unless I did something wrong, like,” she laughed at their current situation. “Like betray her. Telling Haseul’s clan where that stupid little coven is. She’s gonna find out about this.”Siyeon felt conflicted, not sure of anything anymore. “I want to believe that even if she finds out, she’ll get why we did what we did. If she really does care about us, then she’ll forgive us, knowing we’d never leave her side anyways.” She agreed with Bora on that. “No matter how messed up Jiu is, I can’t help but still love her. Life has screwed her over so many times and we’ve gotten so far with her even if she doesn’t know all the things we’ve done to try to help her get better. She may not understand what a lot of emotions are, but could you blame her? She isn’t human and even when she was, she was treated like shit. She is the product of a relentless cruel world and I can’t let her die alone.”
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“Where have you two been?”Bora and Siyeon entered a mansion that was deep within the woods to hear Jiu’s voice before they could even see her.Jiu came into view with Yoohyeon by her side. “Jiyeon said that the both of you left her place some time ago.”“You keeping tabs on us now?” Bora questioned, walking passed Jiu to go into the living room.“It’s just a simple question,” Jiu countered as she followed the other vampire.“We got hungry,” Siyeon answered for them. “Took a detour since the dog’s been scouting around the city,” she lied through her teeth.Jiu hummed at the response. “How’s Gahyeon doing with the coven?”“She’s not very fond of them, but who is?” Siyeon sat down next to Bora who had plopped on a couch that was facing a large television. “Things are coming along though. Jiyeon’s holding a massive amount of mana, but she’s at her limit, so there’s no need to hunt down anymore witches for their magic.”“Gahyeon’s making sure they stay in line and not deviating from the plans,” Bora added on while flipping through the channels.“How’s Sooyoung?” Jiu asked, taking a seat on a different couch and pulling Yoohyeon down along with her.The other two vampires tried not to show any kind of reaction at the mention of the name.“What do you think?” Bora replied with attitude. “Kidnapping Sooyoung without telling us was one thing, but getting a witch, much less some tiny crazed dark arts witch to fuck with her without talking to us first still pisses me off, you know?”Jiu huffed out air. “I said I was sorry, didn’t I? I had the chance and I took it to take her, but the whole witch thing was in the heat of the moment.”Bora threw the remote to the side and crossed her arms. “You’re really excusing it as that?”“She was bringing up shit she shouldn’t have, okay?” Jiu growled out angrily. “If I recall correctly, you two didn’t even come back for me after running into Sol and that pink haired bitch, did you? So I did what I did because you two weren’t there.” She felt her temper rising, but calmed a bit when Yoohyeon took her hand.“The things that happened, happened already and we can’t change that, so would you two shut the hell up?” Siyeon finally interrupted. “Now is not the time to be at each other’s throats when we’re so close to what we want.”“And what is it that we want?” Jiu spoke lowly. “Because we don’t seem to be on the same page.”“I just don’t get why you won’t let Sooyoung go.” Bora’s voice was softer this time instead of her usual snarky tone.Jiu stayed silent for a moment, staring off somewhere else. “Because I don’t want her to remember me.”But Sooyoung still remembered them. She showed that earlier by displaying knowledge of their past. She knew exactly who they were even if her mind wasn’t in present time, but they didn’t tell Jiu that.“But I didn’t ask for this,” Bora hissed out. “I want Sooyoung to remember me. I want her to remember the things I’ve done and remember why she left us. We are who we are because of our own actions and you can’t just take that away from me.” She clenched her jaw before standing up and walking out of the room without waiting for a reply.Jiu was about to follow, but Siyeon stood up as well.“Let her be.” The blonde vampire raised a hand to stop Jiu. “You do understand why she’s angry, right?”The leader stared at Siyeon before sitting back down. “I am not a child. I can think of a few reasons why she’s mad at me.”“She’s not the only one,” Siyeon said, referring to herself. She then sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Would you have killed Jinsol if she stayed?” She asked the same question about their past that they had accused of her after their run in with Jinsol and Vivi.“You’re asking that again?” Jiu was the one to sigh this time.“It’s just a simple question,” Siyeon mocked Jiu’s own words.“And what would you do if I said yes?” The clan leader challenged.The blonde vampire’s facial expression didn’t change. “I wouldn’t do anything. I just want you to be honest with me.” She then glanced over at Yoohyeon. “Would you leave us alone for a moment?”Jiu held Yoohyeon’s hand tighter. “She’s part of this clan. She can stay if she wants.”The hybrid slowly loosened the grip. “I’ll go check up on Yubin, see if she needs help managing the feeding rings,” she insisted, not wanting to get on Siyeon’s bad side.Siyeon watched as the woman walked off before leaning back on the couch and crossed her legs. “Clan or not, you putting some newer hybrid ahead of me, who has been with you for centuries leaves such a bad taste in my mouth,” she clicked her teeth in annoyance.“She’s not just some newer hybrid,” Jiu defended.The blonde scoffed and shook her head. “No, she’s not. She’s the new Sooyoung and I wonder if you’d start treating me and Bora like how you treated Jinsol.”“You’re really not going to let that go?”“Unlike how you felt about her, Sol was my family, to me and Bora,” Siyeon raised her voice. “All we did was kill for the thrill, but there was more to Sol than that. I fuckin loved her, but you wouldn’t have it, huh? You hated that my attention was going to her, that Bora would rather watch the sunset with her than burning down towns with you every night.”“She was taking the both of you away from me!” Jiu couldn’t control her anger at the constant reminder that she never really had control over anything to begin with.“Jinsol held us together!” Siyeon argued back. “You were the one neglecting us to go play with Sooyoung to god knows where without even telling us, but she told Sol, and Sol always told us everything.” She let out a loud sigh. “She told us everything until you made her afraid of you.”“She was taking everything away from me,” she started.Siyeon didn’t let her finish talking. “Do you hear yourself? How many times have I assured you that I love you as much as I loved them? This, this paranoia of yours has to stop. You keep assuming things when I keep telling you to just talk to me. I’ve told you that you can always talk to me,” she repeated, wanting Jiu to understand what she was trying to say.“I’m sorry. Is that what you want to hear?” Jiu clenched her jaw.The blonde slumped her shoulders. “Would you even mean it?”Jiu broke their eye contact, deciding to leave her gaze elsewhere. “I don’t know how I feel. You can keep explaining to me about all the things I’ve done to mess this up, but I’ve only made these decisions how I thought best would benefit this clan.”“I know,” Siyeon said softly.Jiu was a complicated being. She didn’t operate like most because she wasn’t raised like most. When a person is born out of hatred and left behind like trash, the mind does what it can to survive and that’s what Jiu did. It was all she knew. “Do you,” Jiu stopped in hesitation. “Do you still love her?”Siyeon tilted her head, getting up from her seat to go sit down next to Jiu. “Even if I did, that doesn’t change anything. We’re on two completely different sides now, wanting different things. She doesn’t see what we see, not anymore anyway. As long as humans run this city, we’ll never be free to do what we want. We tried. We even tried to start feeding rings with willing humans, but the Council shut us down, calling it inhumane as if them hunting us justifies what we need to do to survive. What’s the difference of them killing us and us killing them? Because of the beating of their hearts? The souls that we don’t have?”“Humans always call themselves the good guys when they’ve been exiling us since the beginning of time. And not just that, they even genocide their own people and they call us evil?” Jiu added on. “This world is backwards, but it’s not our fault that vampires need human blood to survive. It’s just survival of the fittest and they think they’re on top of the food chain, but they couldn’t be more wrong.”“I’m sorry that you ever thought that I’d leave you, but you can’t keep making decisions without talking to me and Bora first,” Siyeon brought them back to the topic. “If we’re going to win this war, we can’t keep going on like this.”“You’re right,” Jiu agreed.“Then I’m begging you, you need to let this anger on Sol and Sooyoung go. You’re wasting so much energy on the past when they want nothing to do with us.”“But Haseul is still in the way and they’re a part of her clan, so that still makes them my problem.”Siyeon closed her eyes knowing it was inevitable for them to clash, especially after what Jiu had done to Sooyoung, but she just didn’t want to actively seek them out anymore. “Haseul is one thing, but you have to understand that if I run into the other two and I decide to let them go, then so be it.”“You think they’ll do the same for you? For Bora?” Jiu questioned.“I wouldn’t blame them if they went after me,” she answered truthfully. Siyeon then placed a hand on Jiu’s knee before standing up. “I’m going to go talk to Bora.” She didn’t wait for a response and left to go find the other vampire.Taking slow steps up the stairs, Siyeon couldn’t help but feel so drained with everything that has been going on. They had spent so much time hating Sooyoung and Jinsol, but seeing them now after so long and how everyone has changed, put things into a different perspective. All they had to do was talk rather than fight and maybe everything wouldn’t have ended like this.Standing in front of a door, she knocked on it and waited for a reply. Not getting one, she knocked again to finally get a grunt as a response. Siyeon opened the door to find Bora lying in bed, curled up in the middle. Sighing, she made her way over and sat down.“Can I lay down with you?” Siyeon asked.Bora had her back towards her and scooted over, but didn’t say anything.Siyeon took it as a yes and pulled the blanket up enough for her to slide under. She gently placed an arm around Bora’s waist and held her close. “Did you hear everything?”The smaller vampire turned around to face Siyeon. “Do you think that we’ll ever get the chance to talk to Sooyoung and Sol before things go down?”Siyeon sighed at the question. “I’m not sure if they'd be willing to talk.”Bora nodded. “I guess we don’t deserve closure, do we? How can Jiu just walk around like everything’s fine?”“You know she’s not fine. She just hides it better than we do.”“She sure seems fine with Yoohyeon by her side instead of us. All of the sudden, hybrids are all the rage.”“Things are changing, now even half dog half witches are rising. We have to adapt like we’ve always done. Jiu just needs that somebody with her, keeping her grounded when we’re not around, so consider it lucky that she found Yoohyeon. Otherwise, there’d probably be more chaos than there already is. You know how she gets,” Siyeon reasoned, recalling back to the time when Jiu was more out of control than ever after Sooyoung and Jinsol left.Bora shifted in her position and slightly pulled away from Siyeon to look at the blonde. “I know I don’t say it enough, but you know that I love you, right?”Siyeon smiled and kissed Bora on the forehead. “You’re such a brat, but I love you too.”
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“Sana,” Chaewon called out quietly.Just a moment later, a wolf appeared by her side along with Yeojin.“I’m sorry to cut your reunion short with some of your pack members, but we need to go.” The small blonde stroked the partially transparent wolf’s hair. “Jihyo’s been so busy, but she never forgets to bring you up, you know.”The wolf leaned into Chaewon’s touch. Even after death, Sana was still affectionate when it came to skinship.“Could you two scout around, please? Bora and Siyeon might have been telling the truth, but we can never be sure if this is just a trap,” Chaewon asked as the two figures disappeared as she finished her sentence. She then turned to the vampires. “Are we just dropping off Mama at Yerim’s?”“We can’t leave her there alone,” Haseul spoke up, trying to think of a solution.“I can ask Hyunjin to stay, but I think she’ll be annoyed to be left out of the action,” Chaewon suggested. She then went between her moms, holding both of their hands.Jinsol smiled at the contact. It felt like some time since the three of them have been together even if it was under these circumstances. “It’d probably be best if she did stay back though. I know she hates that we try to protect her because she’s still just a human, but that limp of hers seem to be bothering her more than she likes to admit.”Chaewon nodded in agreement. “Hyunjin’s probably the most stubborn person I know.”“And that’s coming from you,” Jinsol teased.The small blonde rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything back as they reached the shop again. She said a few words until the barrier came down and they entered the place.“Where’s Hyunjin?” Chaewon questioned, only seeing Yerim surrounded by different ingredients for spells and Vivi sitting by the counter, looking bored.Yerim looked up from what she was doing. “She went to go check up on Hyejoo and Heejin.”Chaewon frowned. “Are they okay?” She then looked down at her coven necklace to see it at its neutral color, indicating that all of her members were fine.“I’m sure they are.” Yerim rubbed a few leaves between her hands so that they rolled up before throwing them into a mortar. “Jungeun and Jiwoo unnie called a bit ago. They got their old clan to agree on staying at the edge of the city to keep watch and take out any newborn vampires that are part of Jiu’s.”“We were going to ask Hyunjin to stay with Ma so that we can go visit your buddy, Luda, in the tunnels,” Chaewon explained everything else as she walked over to see what Yerim was doing.Yerim quirked an eyebrow, closing up a book near her before Chaewon could see what it was. “You mean the tunnels that have been collapsed for ages?”The blonde nodded. “Just because I said no more blood magic, you’re resorting to this type of dark arts?” She frowned at the book that wasn’t closed fast enough.“You wanted to do a binding spell to keep that other me from another dimension out. This is the closest we can get while still being able to channel Choerry into this world,” Yerim justified what she was doing while crushing the different ingredients with the pestle. “And those tunnels, the last I heard, they were collapsed for a reason. The demons that haunt that place is no joke.”“I know. They are Jiu’s doing after all.” The blonde then went to the couch, sitting on the arm rest next to the Sooyoung.“Energy cannot be created or destroyed,” Jinsol added on. “The amount of people Dreamcatcher, that includes me and Sooyoung, killed down there just stayed there even after their bodies became one with the earth. Such gruesome deaths result in lost souls that are just wandering down there with the same script.” She hated that she was part of why those tunnels were cursed and having to go back down there made the hairs on her neck stand up.“I know it isn’t my place to ask Hyunjin to come back to take care of Sooyoung, but we need to get moving,” Haseul said as she still stood by the entrance of the shop.“No, I understand.” Yerim finished what she was doing and stood up. Slowly raising a hand, the mixed ingredients in the mortar swirled up around the witch before disappearing. As the spell settled, she pulled out a small whistle from her shirt that was hanging on a necklace and blew it to hear no sound.They all waited for a few seconds until they heard a cat’s meow. Turning their attention to the door, they saw the cat weaving in and out of Haseul’s legs before transforming into the tall witch.“You called?” Hyunjin stretched her arms, throwing one over Haseul’s shoulder.“We know where Luda is and we need to get there as soon as we can,” Chaewon started. “Ma needs someone to watch her.”“And you want that someone to be me,” Hyunjin stated rather than questioned. She walked over to where Sooyoung was, kneeling down in front of the woman. “You need to be well again so you can yell at Chaewon for always bossing me around,” she lightly joked, taking Sooyoung’s hand into hers.Chaewon scoffed. “So you’re not going to argue with me about wanting to come along?”Hyunjin sighed, standing up to sit next to the blonde on the armrest of the couch. “What’s the point in arguing? I just want Sooyoung unnie back and if you need me to take care of her, then I will.” She then gently pulled Chaewon into her arms, giving her a light hug, knowing the smaller hybrid needed it.“Thank you,” Chaewon spoke softly. The two often bickered, but she knew Hyunjin would do anything for her. She pulled away after a moment, hand lingering in the witch’s before standing in front of Sooyoung. Bending down, she kissed the woman on top of the head. “I love you, Mama.” Her voice shook as she tried to get Sooyoung to look at her, but the vampire’s gaze was elsewhere. Clenching her jaw, she placed out a hand to Jinsol. “Let’s go.”The taller blonde took the offering hand, standing up to take her place next to her daughter as they walked out of the shop with everyone else.“This isn’t going to be some quick operation where we just take out one person.” Haseul led the group to the car they had used before. “Ripping Luda’s head off is the goal, but we know she won’t be alone.”“I mean, the more heads we rip off, the better, right?” Jinsol spoke casually, going to the driver’s sideVivi lightly nudged Jinsol. “Can I drive?”The blonde gave her a look. “You swear you won’t drift this time? We got kids here.”Chaewon popped her head out from the back. “For your information, I’m over a 100 years old.”“Shush, my child.” Jinsol opened the door and gestured for her daughter to move over. “Please put on your seatbelt.”“Yes, Mother.” Chaewon obeyed from the middle seat as she turned to check on Yerim, but the purple haired witch was already buckled up.Vivi started to drive while the rest of them talked over plans or lack of anyways with how they didn’t know what to expect. They were going in blindly, being desperate with the condition Sooyoung was in.“Doesn’t this seem too easy?” Yerim asked, keeping her gaze out of the window. “Can we really trust Bora and Siyeon that this isn’t a trap?” She then turned to see all eyes on her. “What if this is what they want? Only Sooyoung and Hyunjin are at the shop now. My magic is strong, but Luda has found a loophole to get in before.”“I don’t think they were lying,” Jinsol defended them. “I’m not saying that I trust them, but they’re not evil. Not in the sense that everyone makes them out to be anyways.” She closed her eyes, remembering back to a time when her life was different. “I want to believe that it was never their aim for this to happen to Sooyoung. They’re not Jiu.”“But they are a part of her clan,” Haseul chimed in. She turned around in her seat to look at Jinsol. “I know you have a past with them. One that you’ve told me all about, but I don’t know them like how you do. So I’m going into this with my trust in you, not them. But if this goes wrong, you can’t blame yourself either, okay?”Jinsol bit her lip, not sure if she even trusted herself, but nodded anyways. Desperation made her sloppy in her thinking, but she was hoping that Siyeon and Bora wouldn’t prove her wrong. As much pain as they have brought her, they have never lied about their true intentions before.With Vivi’s fast driving, the hotel they were at before started to appear in the distance.“If they really are here, they’re hiding their magic signature well.” Yerim closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. “I don’t sense a thing.”“Me either, but I’m hoping what we have up won’t let them sense that we are coming either,” Chaewon said, getting out of the car after Jinsol.“Going through the hotel seems risky. We’ll take the slightly longer way in.” Jinsol led them in a different direction rather than towards the hotel. She then glanced at the two witches in their group. “If things get too chaotic, you two teleport out, got it?”“You’re going up against witches. If things get too chaotic, you’re going to need us,” Yerim countered.Chaewon tugged at the witch’s arm. “But you also need to remember that you are human. I cannot die as easily, but you can.”“I may be human, but I’m also the strongest witch on your side and that’s not just me bragging, because you know it’s the truth.” Yerim knew they meant well, but she was never one to back down when it came to fighting even when she was more vulnerable than most. What she had in magic made up for her human body.The small blonde sighed, shaking her head. “You have to know when to run. It doesn’t make you weak. This is about surviving,” she spoke firmly.“I’m not going to run when things get crazy. I’m not leaving any of you behind,” Yerim countered stubbornly. “Listen to what you’re asking me to do. Whether you like it or not, you need me and I need you, so let’s just stop wasting time.”Sighing out of frustration, Chaewon held onto Yerim’s arm. “You stick by my side, do you understand? Yeojin will be with you throughout this whole thing.” She then turned to her left. “Right, Yeojin?”The transparent figure appeared at the mention of her name and gave a thumbs up.Haseul frowned slightly at seeing her younger sister even though they mainly saw each other during battles. With everything that has been happening, she couldn’t help but regret not spending more time with Yeojin. The coven and clan were two different teams, which meant that they each had separate goals, making it hard to find time to all be together. Being by her blood family and her chosen family now threw her emotions into a mess knowing that they’d all sacrifice themselves for each other.“No time to waste now, love,” Jinsol softly called out, snapping Haseul out of her thoughts.The clan leader smiled at the blonde who already gotten their members down underground through a hidden opening a bit away from the hotel. Haseul watched as Jinsol went down the hole first with the help of the manmade ladder before she was the last to head down as well.Reaching the bottom, Haseul expected it to be pitch black, but with the two witch’s magic, they had lit up the tunnels, but kept the light tight so that it didn’t spread out through the rest of the place.“I have a feeling that they already know we’re here,” Chaewon whispered out. “No matter how much we try to mask ourselves, the levels of mana I feel as we entered is insane. Bora and Siyeon might have been telling the truth, but I don’t think they took into consideration how well equipped these witches are.” She then pulled back Vivi who was ahead to take the front position before sending Sana ahead.“Did you hear that?” Yerim asked as she stopped in her tracks, causing Jinsol to almost bump into her.“Hear what?” Jinsol questioned, looking around the tunnels that she helped maintain once upon a time.Yerim’s heart started to pound in her chest and her throat became dry. It was an odd, but familiar feeling. “These demons that hide in the dark. They know who I am.”“Quick,” Chaewon ushered the group ahead. “We make this quick. The goal is to find Luda. Kill the bitch, and we get the hell out of here.”Everyone nodded in agreement as they rushed forward, not waiting around long enough for the things Yerim was hearing to come out of hiding.“There’s no way Dreamcatcher is down here with all of this negative energy swirling around,” Yerim hissed as she felt a headache coming on. The small spell she had tried to place up didn’t seem like it was coming into effect yet. She wasn’t even sure if it was going to work with everything she was feeling at the moment.Jinsol held onto Haseul’s hand who was at the back of the group. “You’re right. When things started to get bad down here, we collapsed it for a reason. The voices we’d hear and the things we saw started to manifest itself into something physical. It was getting too much to stay in the tunnels.”“They must be in one spot or something with a spell to block it out,” Chaewon assumed, leading the group to where her senses were taking her. “With all of those dead witches they’ve been sucking magic from, they’re probably putting it into use right now.”“It was so much easier back in the day when all I had to do was fight off bloodsuckers and stay away from the dogs,” Vivi grumbled. “You witches are some scary ass beings.”
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“Please tell me that you all saw that,” Yerim whispered, grabbing the closest person next to her, which happened to be Vivi.The pink haired vampire held onto Yerim’s hand, pulling her close as everyone did the same. Still moving forward, they tried to be more aware of their surroundings than they already were.Chaewon recited a few words under her breath to strengthen the barrier she had around the group. “I didn’t see anything, but it doesn’t mean that you’re just imagining things,” she tried to reassure Yerim, knowing the younger witch got paranoid at times. “You’ve always been able to sense negative entities more than the rest of us.”“Yeah, and it’s not fun,” Yerim mumbled, thinking about the demons that have been a pest to her childhood friend, Hyejoo.“I smell blood,” Haseul spoke up. “I think we’re getting close to their dumping ground or something because it’s getting stronger with each step we take.” Usually the amount of blood she could smell would trigger vampires to bare their fangs automatically, but unlike others, she had control over it.“That’s good because I’m literally just trying to follow the dead’s souls to see which are fresh kills, but the ones that have been lingering for ages are disrupting it.” Chaewon let Haseul take the lead as she followed close behind the clan leader.Yerim shivered as she felt the hairs behind her neck stand up. “Chae,” she called out quietly.The small blonde turned around already being able to read Yerim’s tone. “What is it?”“Something’s coming,” she whispered in a hushed voice.They all stopped walking and huddled into a tight circle so that their backs were touching each other. There was nothing but silence so quiet that it was almost unbearable.Seeing something in the corner of her eye, Yerim threw out an arm before even turning to look at what was coming for them. She whipped her head to the right to see a transparent greyish blue figure with all red eyes, horns, and just as sharp teeth to match. Holding her breath, she knew no one else in the group could see what she saw, so she tried to keep calm, although the beating of her heart was louder than any sound around her.The barrier Chaewon had around them kept out most supernatural beings, but against something that was nothing but negative energy needed something more powerful.“Chae,” Yerim called out again. “Your halberd.” Her sight didn’t leave the figure that was currently bashing against her more energy consuming spell as no one around her knew what was happening. Already familiar with the situation, Chaewon didn’t waste time and summoned her giant weapon, swinging it in the direction Yerim had her hand out. The force of the hit almost knocked her back, but she stood her ground, knowing that her aim had hit its mark.“Yeah, um, this isn’t going to work,” the hybrid let out a half hearted laugh and shook her head. She then turned around to look at everyone. “Run. Run to my right side. Now!”The clan ran, knowing they’d just be in the way if they tried to help. Sana ran with them, knowing that Chaewon would have wanted her to protect the group.Yerim didn’t even think of running. She stayed rooted in her spot, gathering magic into her palms that were pressed together before thrusting both arms out, directing it towards the demon. The creature screeched so loud that she had to bend forward, hands going over her ears. Blinking rapidly, she felt like she was in a daze, not knowing where she was for a moment.“Get up!”Hearing the voice jolted Yerim, but she couldn’t comprehend the words that were being shouted. “Choerry,” she whispered the only thing her mind set itself to.“Yerim!”“Choerry.” She heard herself repeating, but wasn’t sure if it was her voice.In a split second, her foggy mind became clear, only now noticing that she was on her knees. Standing up with a new strength, she threw her hands out again. This time, the demon shrank in size, taking on a different form.Afraid that Yerim would use too much energy, Chaewon gripped her halberd tighter, tucking part of the handle under her arm, she made signs with just one hand before bringing it to her mouth, slightly blowing into the loosely closed fist and then throwing it forward.The creature thrashed around as Chaewon now held her weapon with both hands. Just as she was holding on tighter, the weight on the halberd disappeared, causing the front of the axe part to clash onto the ground.“Go!” Chaewon pushed Yerim forward, not even letting them catch their breath.They ran knowing that the vampires didn’t get far, most likely not wanting to leave anyone behind. Plus having Sana with them made it so Chaewon could track them as she used her undead comrades to her advantage.“Are you okay?” Jinsol questioned right away as the two witches came into view. “Is that thing gone?”“Yes and no,” Chaewon answered. “We’re fine, but that thing was powerful and that was just the first one. It takes more than that to rid a,” her voice trailed. “It could have been a Rank A demon for all I know.”“B,” Yerim corrected right away. “This one was smaller.”“Rank B and you guys couldn’t even get rid of it,” a voice that didn’t belong to the group interrupted.Everyone turned in one direction to see Jiyeon standing there.Chaewon scoffed at the other coven leader. “You really think that we’re going to fall for your little hologram trick when I know you’re too pussy shit to be on this side of the tunnels.”“You can only take on a Rank B by yourself if you stole mana from other witches,” Yerim added onto the insult.The witch that was ahead of them clenched her jaw out of anger and threw out a hand, but knowing the figure was a fake, they didn’t flinch as nothing hit their barrier.“One trick pony, I’m getting bored of this.” Chaewon rolled her eyes and pretended to check her untouched nails.Jiyeon didn’t get mad this time. Instead, she smirked before disappearing.“So if we see the real her, I’m allowed to rip off her head right? Maybe a few limbs first,” Vivi asked as they started walking again. “Unless someone called dibs, because I always honor dibs.” She placed a hand over where her heart should be to show that she was telling the truth.“You can do whatever you want with her, Unnie,” Yerim replied, trying to talk to ground her to this reality, but it was getting hard with everything that was going on.“You all realize that we’re all now walking into an ambush right?” Haseul’s mind wandered as she tried to think of a plan.Chaewon tilted her head with a smug look on her face. “Since we’ve entered this place, I’ve been telepathically talking to the witches Jiyeon has killed and piled here. They’re more than willing to help, but they’re not as strong as the buddies I keep by my side since they haven’t been dead for long.”“Have I told you how scary witches are?” Vivi said, blinking slowly. “Not to mention you’re also a vampire that summons a weapon that’s twice your size. Like how?” She then narrowed her eyes and patted the small blonde on the head. “I’m so glad you’re on our side.”The hybrid rolled her eyes out of habit. “Out of all of us, I’m the least likely to be evil no matter how damn powerful I am.” Turning to Yerim, she gestured to her friend. “No offense, Yerim. You’re all sunshine and all, but that dimension hopping thing,” she stopped without finishing her sentence.“No offense taken. Love the other Yerims that are trying to break through,” she joked lightly at her situation. “At least Choerry is cool,” she mumbled. “And the other Yerim on the non supernatural earth that’s an idol. Can you imagine being an idol?” She asked a rhetorical question. “Almost scared the crap out of her when I accidentally teleported to her world once.”“Love that we’re keeping this light.” Jinsol appreciated the talk that was distracting her from how scared she actually was. Fighting vampires and werewolves were no problem, and even witches weren’t always as strong as the ones they’ve recently been up against, but demons were an entirely different thing. She has heard stories of what the coven had gone through with Hyejoo’s predicament, wishing she could have been there for her daughter and the rest of the coven during those times. That part of the supernatural was something the clan wasn’t familiar with since demons didn’t haunt the dead.“These souls are getting restless,” Chaewon announced as she stepped in front of Haseul who was still following the scent of blood. Turning her head to Yerim, she gave her friend a small smile. “Hyejoo would have loved being here with us.”Yerim returned the smile. “Imagine the field day Heejin would have.”Holding her arm out, Chaewon brought the bottom of her halberd onto the ground, causing it to shake. “Let’s get ready to rumble,” she said under her breath before running forward with everyone following.The first predictable figure appeared as a newborn vampire. It didn’t even get far before Chaewon’s new dead witch friends chased it down, making the bloodsucker lose sense of where it was before Haseul walked up and tore its head off.More vampires and a few hunters came into view, but just like the first, they were held back by angry souls. There was one that got a bit too close and just as it was about to be attacked, the tall male vampire turned into a small woman.“Looking for me?” Luda asked with a smirk on her face in front of Chaewon.The hybrid growled with baring fangs, but just as quick as the witch appeared, she was replaced by another low level vampire. Chaewon didn’t hesitate to reach out and twist the neck of the creature in front of her, watching it fall as she advanced forward.“Stupid bitch and her switching powers,” Chaewon hissed out angrily. “The next time she does that, I’m gonna teleport,” she stopped and swung her halberd at approaching vampires, “gonna send her off to Timbuktu.”“Timbuktu?” Jinsol questioned with a raised eyebrow.Chaewon turned to her mom and shrugged. Nodding her head at a vampire ahead, she spoke again, “I’m sorry for the constant curse words that comes out of my mouth, but I think that bitch belongs to you.” Jinsol followed Chaewon’s gaze. “Handong, right?” She squinted her eyes at the woman that was standing a little farther within the tunnels. “I still don’t remember siring her.”“That’s because you’re old and you never remember anything anyways,” Chaewon spoke before thinking.“I would scold you right now, but this is a serious situation and I just want you to know that I love you, baby,” Jinsol softly said as her hand rubbed her daughter’s arm. Nothing was certain and she couldn’t go into this without telling the child that turned hers and Sooyoung’s life around that she loves her.Chaewon dropped the playful act that she often used as a defense mechanism and turned to her mother. “I love you too, Mom.” She then silently prayed although she was anything but religious, but it was the only thing she could think of when she thought about her other mother. “We’ll get you back, Ma,” she whispered to herself.
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“It’s nice to finally face the person who brought me into this life,” a vampire with long light brown hair said.“I ain’t your mother if that’s what you’re trying to imply,” Jinsol sounded a bit annoyed at the usual phrase when she ran into someone she has sired.The other woman, Handong, smiled. “You’re more of someone I’d rather get rid of so that I wouldn’t have to have any connection to the monster that left me rotting in some cell.”“My deepest apologizes.” Jinsol did a slight bow, actually meaning it since her past self wasn’t someone she was proud of. “Your goal of killing me is one thing, but being on Jiu’s side out of revenge isn’t the way to do things. And if you’re done talking, I’d like to get this fight over with before these demons in the tunnels eat us.” But before they could begin, she felt something from behind, the blonde quickly turned around, hand coming up to grab the arrow that was a little too close to her face.Taking the opportunity, Handong sprinted towards the other vampire, but wasn’t able to get an attack in when Jinsol turned again and threw the weapon that was in her hand at the oncoming woman.“Attacking an enemy when their back is turned?” Jinsol raised an eyebrow, but wasn’t surprised.Handong had grabbed the arrow, tossing it to the ground. “Last I checked, playing dirty is a vampire’s game, unless you think you’re superior than us.” She didn’t wait for a reply and jumped at the blonde.Seeing the move from a mile away, Jinsol stepped to the side, only to bump into something that felt like a wall. The force caused her to stumble a bit but she kept her footing. Turning to see what it was, she saw a transparent forcefield around part of the wide tunnels. Inside of the enclosed barrier held Yerim, Chaewon, and the two witches from Jiyeon’s coven, but no Jiyeon in sight. She figured that the leader was elsewhere, saving up her mana, but saving it for what was the thing that was bothering her.Jinsol didn’t have time to ponder the different possibilities that could be the reason for stealing so much mana as Handong ran at her again. She blocked a punch with her left arm and then grabbed the other witch’s wrist, using her momentum to swing her behind.Stopping with a skid, Handong charged again, this time, nicking the side of Jinsol’s face as she got distracted from a flash of light to her right within the forcefield. She knew that Chaewon and Yerim could handle themselves, but it didn’t stop her from worrying and that proved to interfere with her own battle.“Okay, I’m done playing around,” Jinsol mumbled as she blocked another hit, knowing that it’d be better to decrease the amount of enemies as fast as she could.Just as she was about to take hold of the other vampire’s throat, she ducked instead and rammed her body at Handong’s legs for a takedown, seeing another arrow coming at them. The sharp weapon found its way into Handong’s upper back as she fell to the ground with Jinsol on top.“Your hunters have horrible aim,” Jinsol commented before trying to go for the throat again.Handong was a bit on her side instead of flat on her back, giving her space to scoot her hips out to try to buck Jinsol off, but being on top, the blonde vampire knew how to keep her position with all the fights she’s been through. Jinsol stayed where she was, but lost the grip on Handong’s throat as her hands went to the ground above the brown haired vampire’s head to keep balance.“Sol!”The blonde quickly whipped her head around, hearing Haseul call her name. She didn’t see the attack that was headed towards her, but instead, her vision was filled with a familiar materialized figure as Sana ran to cover her back. The undead werewolf deflected some of the magic that was thrown at her with the aftershock still throwing Jinsol to the side as she landed next to Handong. She knew Chaewon must have asked Sana to stay close to her at how quick the wolf had appeared, showing that her daughter worried for her as much as she worried for her daughter. She almost hated it, knowing that Chaewon wasn’t using all of her resources on herself.One moment, Handong was lying next to her and the next, the vampire turned to dust before her eyes.Jinsol looked up to see Haseul standing there with an arrow in hand, using it as a stake.“Sorry to take your kill, but Chaewon notified me that someone had cast out a signaling spell,” Haseul spoke in her usual calm tone, grabbing the vampire on the ground to help her up, “which means that your old clan is probably coming soon. Hyunjin also came into contact saying that Jihyo is sensing a pooling of supernatural energy in some spots of the city. It could be the newborn vampires trying to pour in, but we can’t be sure,” she updated the situation.“I was going to epicly destroy her,” Jinsol mumbled, only commenting on the vampire that was nothing but dust that blended with the tunnel ground.“Sorry, love. You can tear off the other arm of the short haired vampire in Jiu’s clan if you’d like. I’m sure she doesn’t want to face me after I ripped the first one off.” Haseul lightly stroked Jinsol’s hair, but then quickly pushed her out of the way. She growled, catching an arrow that was lit on fire. Turning to Jinsol, she held up a peace sign. “Give me two seconds.” Sprinting off, Haseul caught up to the man that had shot the arrow and shoved it in his chest as she watched as his clothes came up in flames.The man screamed such a horrendous scream, but Haseul didn’t feel any remorse. Anybody whether they were supernatural or human that came after her family were her enemy, and she could be just as wicked as the wicked themselves.“May your soul rot in hell,” Haseul said under her breath as the man fell to his knees. She walked back to Jinsol to find the blonde with her teeth sunk into another hunter’s neck. “Did I mention that the Council isn’t fond of Jihyo yet they let their stupid little traitor hunters bring bow and arrows to a supernatual fight? Like who the hell is regulating these humans?”“Jihyo and her pack are the only ones keeping this city afloat.” Jinsol wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I mean, we can say that we’re helping too, but I think I care more about getting Sooyoung back then keeping humans alive.”Haseul gave a little shrug and nodded. “Agreed.” She then looked inside the barrier the witches were in. “Now, how do we kill that little witch before the others get here?”“Chae is keeping the barrier up. Those two witches are too dangerous to be loose.” Placing an arm out, Jinsol easily grabbed a newborn vampire that was coming at them and threw her at Haseul who twisted the woman’s neck and tossed her to the side. “From the stories I’ve heard, they’re just as skilled as the witches on our side, which is saying a lot, but they haven’t seen each other in years, so who knows what each coven has learned since then.”They watched as different colored lights appeared and disappeared within the forcefield. Not being able to tell which side had the advantage, they went off to aid Vivi and Sana in ridding the place of other vampires and hunters.Vivi was a mess, with blood already covering most of her face and clothes, but most of it wasn’t hers. It wasn’t her fault that hunters got too close and she was hungry. Growling lowly, she pounced on another with superhuman strength, crushing the man’s ribs beneath her. He screamed out, but it was stopped quickly as she shot his own weapon down on him.“Messy baby.”Vivi heard from behind and smiled, recognizing the scent and voice. She stood up and tilted her head at her clan. “Your fault for leaving me alone,” she pouted.Haseul reached a hand out and used her thumb to wipe at blood that was dripping from the corner of Vivi’s mouth. “To think that you’re the oldest.”“Age doesn’t matter when you’re having fun,” the pink haired vampire smiled, but then frowned seeing Yerim getting thrown at the barrier.They hated that they couldn’t do anything to help the witches, so they opted to stop talking and grabbed the closest enemy to kill.Haseul spotted the one armed vampire that she faced in an earlier fight, giving out instructions to others. She ran at the woman who didn’t even react to her, and she understood why when her movements was stopped by another barrier that was placed up.Yubin, the short haired vampire, smirked. “Handong underestimated your clan by running out like that, but I won’t make the same mistake.”“Knowing you won’t last a second in a fight with me is wise,” Haseul spoke with no emotion in her voice. “Tell me, who’s going to save you when all of your witches are dead?”“Funny you say that when your witches can’t even touch ours.” Yubin nodded at the battle to the side of the tunnels.“Funny how those witches aren’t even yours,” Haseul mocked back, knowing that just because Jiu’s clan and Jiyeon’s coven were working together, didn’t mean that they were friends.Yubin gave out another small smirk. “But the one behind you is ours.”Haseul frowned, but didn’t get a chance to say another word when she let out a scream of pain and fell to her knees. In an instant, Sana stood in between and snarled at the witch that was coming for the clan leader.Gahyeon, the one that has just entered the fight, didn’t flinch at the giant undead werewolf, but instead cast a spell and threw it out.Sana took the hit, feeling herself losing connection to this realm without Chaewon reinforcing her stay. Her form started to turn transparent again as more magic was thrown at her.Having her head in her hands, Haseul couldn’t tell whose touch was on her. She wanted to lash out, but the witch’s hold on her was too strong. When she felt the magic getting a bit weaker, she threw an arm upward, hand flying to the throat in front of her.“It’s just me, love,” Vivi’s soft voice entered Haseul’s ears.Breathing heavily, Haseul was helped up to her feet.They turned their attention to Gahyeon to see her fighting off the undead witches Chaewon had raised up. While they were weaker from being killed off recently, there were many of them, making it hard to counter all of them at once.Sana stayed by their side as she started to materialize again.Reaching out, Haseul stroked the wolf’s fur, only to feel a slight tingling sensation since she couldn’t actually touch her. “Thank you for always protecting us even if the way we do things is a bit different than what you’re used to.”Leaning towards Haseul’s touch, Sana’s gesture was to show that no thanks were necessary. Although werewolves, vampires, and witches operated differently, being apart from her pack and working with Haseul’s clan and Chaewon’s coven let her view things from a different perspective. In the end, everyone’s just trying to keep their families alive.
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Yerim felt her back hit the barrier with a particularly strong blow that she couldn’t block in time. Landing on her stomach with a thud, she groaned and rolled to the left as another attack was thrown at her. She got up to her knees and gathered mana up, channeling it through her hands. Seeing an offensive spell coming her way, she didn’t move this time as Yeojin appeared in front of her, countering the spell by deflecting it back at the enemy.Luda wasn’t quick enough to cast another spell, so she jumped out of the way of her own magic being thrown back at her. The energy blast hit the wall behind her with parts of it flying around in different directions inside of the enclosed barrier. As Yerim tried to gather herself together, Yeojin ran ahead with arms wide, getting ready to use magic that Chaewon had lent her through her necromancy powers. Having already found her footing back, Luda saw Yeojin coming and immediately used her own magic to switch places with Yerim instead, knowing that she couldn’t do the same with the undead. Now that Yerim was in the way of Yeojin’s attack, the small partially materialized figure stopped herself quick enough by disappearing altogether and reappearing by the purple haired witch’s side. Not wasting time, Yerim, who had been working on a spell, threw her attack right when Luda switched places with her, hitting her target as the enemy witch went crashing into the barrier this time.Luda tried to get up, but found that her hands were stuck to the ground, making it impossible to use hand signs to perform magic. Taking a different route, she bit her lip until it drew blood and recited a spell loudly, not caring that Yerim knew what was coming. As the last word left her mouth, Luda saw Chaewon’s halberd swinging at her from the corner of her eye. Looking at the blonde’s direction, the halberd was stopped by another weapon that formed next to Luda, taking its form as a large sword made out of blood.“You’re crazier than I thought,” Chaewon spat out, withdrawing her weapon to swing at Eunseo, who was her original opponent, but saw that Luda was trying to use blood magic against Yerim. “The dark arts have truly driven all of you mad.” She spun her halberd to deflect another attack from Eunseo and then teleported to Yerim’s side.The silver haired witch got up to her feet, eyes filled with blood so dark that it looked almost black. “Are you sure we’re the crazy ones?” She asked with a smirk. More smaller weapons out of blood started forming as Eunseo lazily walked over. “Don’t think that I can’t tell that Yerimie’s mind is wavering a bit. I can see it in your eyes and the way you move. Just let it sink in. Don’t try to hold on. You know you want to just let go,” she taunted.Yerim clenched her jaw, hating that the enemy could read her so easily. “Unlike you, I’m not easily manipulated.”“You calling me weak?” Luda snarled at the implication. “You wish you had this much control over blood magic.” She lifted her arms up as the weapons made out of red raised and then pushed her hands out in front of her to attack. The blobs of blood started forming into different sharp objects and came flying at the other coven causing them to pull magic up to defend themselves. Chaewon swung her halberd with ease, deflecting the assault, but as the weapons hit hers, they went from a solid material back to liquid, splatting some on her. The blood that landed all over her started to move on its own, coming together as the blonde frowned, confused at what was happening. Before she could warn Yerim, she screamed out, falling to her knees as her halberd disappeared from sight.“Chae?!” Yerim yelled out with a transparent shield in front of her, keeping the blood from touching her. Running over to her friend, she kept the protection up as Chaewon’s own barrier around the group started to falter. She turned to where Yeojin just was to find the small girl gone as well. Trying to keep calm, Yerim reinforced her defense spell, but wasn’t fast enough as weapons of blood rained down on them, some red leaking through the shield.Chaewon was on her hands and knees, gripping gravel on the ground as she felt the enemy’s blood bite into her skin, feeling waves of nausea hit her. It was trying to make its way into her system, but the foreign substance was being rejected by her body as she started to cough out blood of her own.Taking quick steps back as Luda’s blood leaked through, trying to make its way towards her, Yerim cast small spells to rid it, watching as the red burned and went up in smoke. She turned her head back to see Chaewon struggling, falling down to her elbows. Yerim’s heart started to race, knowing she had to do something, but that something was going to piss Chaewon off.By now, the barrier Chaewon had up around the witches was down as Eunseo and Luda had the freedom to do as they pleased.Kneeling in front of the blonde, Yerim bit her thumb until it bled and then lifted up Chaewon’s chin to press the blood against the hybrid’s forehead, drawing out a symbol. She then said a spell under her breath before offering her wrist to her friend. “Drink,” she demanded.Chaewon looked up, her fangs already out. “No,” she whispered, trying to scoot away.Yerim shook her head. “You can’t fight this off without me.”She was hesitant, but knew Yerim was right as her lips landed on the purple haired witch’s wrist. Slowly opening her mouth, she bit it, feeling the warm liquid enter her mouth. It wasn’t the first time she has drank from Yerim, but it was the first it carried blood magic properties as she immediately felt Yerim’s blood fighting off Luda’s. She took another small gulp before letting go of the wrist, knowing she only needed a little.“I’m sorry,” Yerim whispered, taking Chaewon into her arms. “I know you told me not to use blood magic anymore, but I need you, Chae. As strong as you are, you wouldn’t have been able to fight that on your own.” She stroked the blonde’s cheek as she fought against the magic with eyes closed.Being a vampire had its perks, but without human blood running through her veins, Chaewon wouldn’t defend against blood magic. It was the one thing she has always hated, seeing Yerim being the only one capable of having such a powerful skillset. She hated the fact that Yerim was alone in her struggles and that her friend would do anything to protect her.Feeling the enemy’s blood starting to leave her body, Chaewon’s senses started to clear as the sound of attacks on their shield became louder, but then it suddenly stopped.Yerim turned again to now see Luda also kneeling on the ground, starting up a spell with Eunseo creating their own shield around them. Just as she was starting to panic, Yeojin appeared by her side again. “We can’t let them finish that spell.” She nodded her head towards the pair. “Cover me?”The small undead girl gave her an “ok” sign with her fingers and stood in front.Chaewon was doing better, being able to sit up on her own now. Recovering always took less time thanks to her vampire half, but it still threw her off her game. Yerim started to chant another spell, feeling the tunnels started to rumble with whatever Luda was doing. She didn’t let it distract her though as she continued on. “I ask for help under these circumstances,” Yerim spoke under her breath to no one in particular. “My world is yours and yours mine.” She could feel a surge of strength running through her body as her surroundings went between something familiar and something of the unknown, making it hard to concentrate. Breathing in, it was difficult to remember where she was, but then it started to come together.“Yerim,” Chaewon whispered out as Eunseo turned her attention back at them and threw out attack after attack at their shield. While Yerim’s own started to waver, Chaewon mustered up her strength to create another shield in front of Yerim’s in case it went down. “You should have waited for me,” she muttered, wiping blood from her mouth with the back of her sleeve.Whatever spell Luda was trying to perform, she was trying to speed up the process while Eunseo threw stronger attacks after sensing the energy being emitted from Yerim.The purple haired witch was breathing heavily as she stood up slowly with hair covering her face. Soon, mirrors of all different sizes and jagged shapes appeared around Yerim one by one.Eunseo paused and looked back at Luda who was looking at her knowingly.Finally looking up, the noticeable purple ring around Yerim’s right eye caused the enemy witches to stop in their movements.“That’s impossible,” Eunseo growled out and placed up another shield while looking at Luda again. “Hurry up!” When she turned back to her opponents, she realized that the mirrors got closer, so close that they surrounded everyone in their immediate quarters in the tunnels. She glanced around, not being able to keep her eye on all of them. “Tell that bitch, Choerry, to stay back or Luda’s gonna release hell on that weak ass vampire mother of yours!” She threatened, but then let out a small yelp, hand coming up to her face to draw back to see blood. Frowning, she could see the mirrors slowly making their way into the shield she had up.“Boo.”Hearing the soft whisper, Eunseo whipped her head around to see a person that looked like Yerim, but with darker hair and a scowl on her face with her hand on Luda’s throat.“Choerry,” Eunseo said lowly in anger, but there was also a bit of fear behind her voice.The newcomer smirked but knew Luda wouldn’t be that easily killed when the witch swapped places with a low level vampire instead. Immediately snapping the neck of the male bloodsucker, Choerry threw the body at Eunseo who moved out of the way.Not wasting time, Eunseo threw out an attack, but Choerry disappeared into one of the floating mirrors and then reappearing by Yerim and Chaewon’s side.“Earth is still as ugly as always,” Choerry commented.Yerim shrugged. “It’s not so bad when I get to see Chaewon’s face every day.” She smiled over to her friend who was still trying to recover.“You’re right. Chaewon’s a cute one,” she complimented with a smile that looked a bit more mischievous than Yerim’s. “Shame that I haven’t ran into you in my dimension yet.”The small blonde that was leaned on Yerim finally stood up straight and summoned her halberd again. “Yeah, we can talk about how cute I am after this.” She then looked between the two that looked like twins. “Thank you for stopping that spell. She was trying to come for Mama.”Choerry smiled a sad smile this time. “I’d do anything to help Sooyoung.” Having her own Sooyoung, Yves, of her dimension dead, made this fight so bittersweet. She was happy that Sooyoung was still alive, but couldn’t stop thinking about how she could have done more for her Yves and hoped that she could step up to the plate this time and help protect Yerim’s Sooyoung.
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Just for a split second, Yerim felt off, like her whole world was shifted just slightly to the side. Gravity didn’t feel like a concept as her body felt light like a feather, head swimming. But then her reality altered again, throwing her arms up to block a powerful attack that made her stumble back, almost falling down, but she caught herself at the last second.Shaking her head, she tried to clear her mind from the fog that was trying to overtake it. “Come on, Yerim,” she muttered to herself. “Get a hold of yourself.” She raised her arms again to defend against another strike. This time, it clipped a part of her shoulder, knocking her to an almost sitting position as she immediately used her hand to slid herself back up to a crouch.Getting ready to throw out an offensive spell at Luda, the one switching back and forth between attacking her and Choerry, she was half way with gathering mana up when a sharp pain in her head caused her to drop down to both knees.“Let me in.”It was just a slight whisper, barely loud enough for Yerim to hear, but she couldn’t miss it. The hairs on her neck stood up on one end, her hands started to get clammy as the only sound she could hear was herself trying to breathe once more, but she felt like she was underwater, not sure if she was actually taking any oxygen in.A sudden tingling sensation landed on her upper back made her snap out of whatever was happening and she swung her arm behind to get whoever it was off of her.“Yeojin,” she choked out, realizing it was just the undead witch.The girl was protecting her as best as she could, but with Chaewon still feeling the effects of blood magic and trying to keep other souls in the battlefield, Yeojin wasn’t as strong as she could be.“Things haven’t been good for you, it seems.”Yerim looked up to see Choerry in front of her with a transparent shield around them, but like Yeojin, she wasn’t as strong in this dimension since it wasn’t hers.Choerry held a hand out for Yerim to take. Standing up, they stood back to back, taking in the scene before them. Luda was switching in and out with other vampires and objects around the tunnels to get a better leverage in the fight while Eunseo and Chaewon were neck and neck with each other. The one factor that was throwing them off was that Gahyeon was now in the scene, more to the side, but she was still attacking while keeping her distance.Haseul’s clan has cleared out most of the vampires, leaving hunters for last since no matter how well equipped they were, they still were the weaker targets.The weapons of blood was hitting their shield, going from a solid to liquid form as it stuck to the transparent layer, trying to force its way in. No matter how powerful they were, the amount of mana Luda was using to keep her blood magic up was at a substantial amount they haven’t seen from their old enemy before.“Another dimensional being is trying to break through,” Yerim explained while burning the enemy’s blood that had leaked through. “She’s another us, but not like us. I don’t know what she wants, but I want her out of my head,” she growled out the last part.“Your nose is bleeding,” Choerry spoke without commenting on what Yerim just said, already knowing the risks of what the other witch has gone through.Yerim reached up to pull back fingers covered in red. “Eunseo,” she hissed at the familiar blood bending powers, looking around to spot the witch that was currently fighting Chaewon, but apparently was also trying to get to Yerim at the same time. “I’ll get the mirrors back up.” She concentrated on gathering mana as the mirrors surrounded the tunnels again. Disappearing in one next to her, she reappeared behind Eunseo, but was quickly swapped out when Luda switched places with her, making her ahead of Choerry instead.Exhaling loudly out of frustration, Yerim tried going through mirrors again. Now she was in between the two enemy witches as her arms were outstretched, only having time to throw a small energy blast at the both of them, knocking them off their feet. Wasting no time, she jumped onto Luda, ready to attack when she was swapped out again and again.Yerim ended up looking down at her mirror image. For a second, she thought it was the other her that was trying to break through, but realized that it was just Choerry. She was about to get off of her when she was yanked up by the back of her neck. Swinging her leg behind her, she caught Luda’s ankles, causing the witch to let go of her and fall to her side. Yerim quickly threw herself on top of the silver haired woman.For a moment, Yerim contemplated about killing the witch. She may be powerful, but if she went through with this, it would be the first time she’d be ending the life of a human. It would be murder, but somehow, she felt okay with it.It only took a split second of hesitation for the witch underneath her to switch out, leaving Yerim to stare down at another face with a smug look. She watched as a drop of blood fell from her nose and onto the other woman beneath her. She wanted to move, but found herself rooted to where she was.Blood magic was something Yerim has learned from a young age, not having the parental guidance to stop her. There were different aspects to it, but she never went deep in learning blood bending. To take over your enemy by controlling the blood within their very bodies was a dark art form Yerim swore she would never dabble too far into, but at the moment, she wished she did as she felt the total loss of control over her being.Eunseo was still under Yerim, giving a show to others that the purple hair witch still had the upper hand, but in truth, it couldn’t be more wrong as Yerim felt herself reach inside the inner pocket of Eunseo’s jacket to pull out a knife. Before she knew it, she had the sharp end pointed towards her own stomach. Holding her breath, Yerim stared directly into Eunseo’s eyes with so much hate that it almost scared her. Letting out a grunt, she felt the tip of the knife break the skin and slowly started to pierce into her body.She couldn’t die now. Not like this.With every last ounce of energy and mana and everything else in her entire being, Yerim gritted her teeth and wrenched the knife away from herself only to bring it back down onto her own hand, stabbing it straight through the back of her palm, hitting the ground beneath. Letting out a scream, the pain brought Yerim back as she watched Eunseo’s smirk turned to utter surprise that her opponent was able to break through so easily.Yanking the knife out of her now bleeding hand, Yerim used the pain to ground herself as she brought the sharp end under Eunseo’s chin, holding it against her throat.“You may be a better blood bender, but I’m the stronger witch overall,” Yerim growled out as the blood on the knife started to drip onto Eunseo and moved on its own, entering the enemy witch’s mouth as she tried to spit it out.Eunseo let out a frightened scream, but it quickly turned to gurgling sounds as she choked on the blood Yerim was forcing into her system.Getting off of the witch, Yerim stayed on her knees, cradling her injured hand. She felt stronger than ever, but knew it wasn’t a good thing. The blood from her stab wound started to flow onto the ground and also kept making its way to Eunseo.To the side, Yeojin was going in and out of this realm, like a flickering candle, indicating that Chaewon was using up too much mana to keep all of her undead comrades in the fight. The small girl was trying to get Yerim’s attention but to no avail.Feeling an ominous presence, Yerim looked up to see Luda’s weapons of blood making their way towards her when Choerry saw and directed the mirrors to intercept them. The attacks went through the mirrors only to reappear elsewhere, but turned to liquid as they exited and splatted to the ground like rain.“Cover me!”Yerim heard someone yell out, but couldn’t tell who it was until blonde hair filled her vision.“Yerim, you need to stop,” Chaewon yelled out desperately, coming over as fast as she could when her coven’s necklace swirled, notifying her of Yerim being injured. She kneeled down and lifted the witch’s chin up. “Your eyes,” came a shaky whisper, seeing purple rings around both of Yerim’s iris while the whites were blood red.Feeling the high of blood magic, Yerim could barely register what Chaewon meant. “Help me,” she uttered the only words she could, but she wasn’t sure if they even left her lips.Chaewon cupped her friend’s face in her hands. “I’m here,” she reassured. Saying a spell out loud, she tried to lessen the mess in Yerim’s head for her to find her way home, but as she said the last word, she was thrown back by an unseen force that came from her coven member. Body colliding with her own shield she had around them, she got up from her push up position with a groan.Directing her attention to her friend again, she now saw the witch standing with her back towards her, but then she realized the witch had dark hair while Yerim was still on her knees. She frowned, knowing that Choerry was occupied with holding off the enemies.Without hesitation, Chaewon thrusted her hand forward to strike with a blast when the person standing over Yerim turned around to reveal a woman that looked identical to the purple haired witch and Choerry, but also almost looked nothing like them with how soulless her eyes were.One second, the newcomer was there, but then she wasn’t; like a deja vu she wasn’t sure even happened.Getting up to her feet, Chaewon scrambled over again. “Yerim,” she called out in fear.The injured witch looked up with tears streaming down her face, but eyes back to normal. “I killed her,” she whispered, not believing her own words. Yerim didn’t have to mention the name for Chaewon to understand what she meant. The blonde looked behind her coven member to see the enemy witch lying there lifelessly with eyes open and blood still dripping out of the corner of her mouth.
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“How are you sitting so still, Unnie?” Hyunjin directed her question at the vampire who was seated on the couch, knowing that she wasn’t going to get an answer as she paced around. “Every fiber of my being tells me to go to Yerim because my necklace went crazy for a moment.” She held the chained coven item in her hand as she nervously fidgeted with it. “But Chae is telling me she’s okay, but what does okay really mean?” Looking up to the ceiling with hands on her hips, she let out a frustrated sigh.Hyunjin wasn’t used to not being in the front line of a fight. She didn’t know what to do around the shop to keep herself busy, wondering how Yerim does it, since the witch was usually the one that stayed behind to be their person back at base in case something happened. Their necklaces swirled different colors during battles all the time at different intensity depending on how injured their members were. She concluded that she had to trust her friends like how Yerim trusted them when she was on standby and will wait until they called for her since she didn't know their exact location anyways.Letting out another sigh, Hyunjin took a seat in the middle of the floor. “Maybe I should just meditate,” she mumbled, crossing her legs and rubbing her clammy palms onto her black jeans before closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. It didn’t even hit the 30 second mark when Hyunjin opened her eyes again and ran a hand through her hair. “How does Yerim do this meditation thing? The silence is killing me.” She cleared her throat, adjusted her position, and then closed her eyes again, giving it another try.The first deep inhale she took, she didn’t feel any different. Exhaling, she wasn’t sure if she was relaxing or not, but thought it’d work over time. Repeating the process a few times, Hyunjin lost count of how many breaths she was taking. During the next inhale, she noticed the drop in temperature as she took in a freezing breath. She frowned and opened her eyes just in time to see her own breath as if she was outside in the freezing cold.“Something’s wrong,” she muttered to herself and then turned around.One second, Sooyoung was sitting on the couch, and the next, her stoic face turned to anger as she quickly charged at Hyunjin, too fast for the witch to register what was going on as she was knocked off her feet by the vampire. Reaching out a hand to use a small spell to stop Sooyoung, Hyunjin screamed out in pain instead when the vampire’s teeth clamped down onto her right forearm. Tugging at the arm once like a rabid animal, Sooyoung let go and ran for the door.“Unnie, don’t!” Hyunjin yelled out, not even having time to examine her wound as she scrambled to her feet and chased after Sooyoung.The vampire had yanked the door open and ran out with Hyunjin right on her heels. Reaching the outside, she spotted Sooyoung not too far from the shop, just standing there with her back faced towards her.Letting out a sigh of relief that Sooyoung had stopped, she carefully made her way towards the vampire when her legs suddenly buckled from a pain that shot through her body. Falling to her knees, Hyunjin planted both hands on the ground to stop herself from collapsing. The attack had gone through the shield she had up, but prevented further damage.“That was easier than expected.”Hyunjin whipped her head up to see Jiu standing in front of her with an arm around Sooyoung’s waist like the woman belonged to her. Growling, Hyunjin lifted a hand as she gathered up mana. “Where’s your pussy ass witch that’s hiding right now?” She said through gritted teeth.Jiu smirked and tilted her head. “She’s not my witch, so I can’t really tell her what to do with you.” Slipping her arm off of Sooyoung’s waist, she held onto her hand instead.Knowing which coven had her on her knees at the moment, Hyunjin stood up quickly and moved away just on time when another blast came from behind. It hit the ground where she just was as debris flew up, ricocheting off the alley walls. Throwing her arms up blindly, she was able to block another attack, but it was so strong that she stumbled back with arms wide to keep her balance. Looking up, she saw Jiyeon, the coven leader standing there with an emotionless expression.“This is the second time that you can’t save Sooyoung.” Jiyeon nodded her head behind Hyunjin.The cat like witch turned to see Jiu leading Sooyoung away. Hyunjin was about to act when another figure filled her vision. Raising her arms up again, she defended against a punch that came her way and then ducked as a kick almost collided with her head. Backing away to gain distance, she looked to her left to where Yoohyeon had just tried to attack her and then glanced to her right as Jiyeon was walking closer to her. At this rate, she was going to be surrounded and she knew she wouldn’t be fast enough to get rid of them to go after Sooyoung, but she had to try anyways.“I’m sorry, Unnie,” Hyunjin whispered to herself at the fleeting figures before throwing out both of her arms as yellow lightning came out to strike the two enemies.Jiyeon stayed where she was, knowing the attack couldn’t touch her hologram figure if she wasn’t really there while Yoohyeon threw her arms up to deflect it.Before Hyunjin could conjure up a stronger spell, she fell to her knees again when a drilling sensation entered her brain. She couldn’t even scream as the pain intensified and all she could do was clutch her head with ears ringing. Doing the only thing she could think of, she brought both hands flat down in front of her as the ground rumbled. The feeling of moving concrete beneath her let her focus on something else other than the sharp pain as she borrowed energy from the earth, feeling it flow into her fingertips. Hyunjin let go of the breath that she was holding and thrusted her arms out blindly causing the air around her to ripple.As Yoohyeon was thrown off her feet, Hyunjin channeled the earth and air around her to feel when the hybrid’s body collided with the ground without looking. Like echolocation, she felt another thud from above, making her whip her head towards the roof, knowing that the real Jiyeon was up there rather than the hologram she displayed in the alley.Immediately transforming into a cat, Hyunjin teleported to the roof of the shop and then went back to her human form. Spotting the witch that was getting up to her feet, she threw out rapid spells from each hand only to have them deflect back on an invisible shield. Seeing her own attack coming back at her, Hyunjin jumped out of the way. Landing off to the side, the building shook a bit but as the shockwaves reached Jiyeon’s shield, Hyunjin could tell where the weakest point was and started to attack the edge of the forcefield.Jiyeon didn’t flinch at the onslaught, but instead, she let down her defense and with a wave of her hand, Hyunjin went flying off of the roof. Transforming to a cat again, Hyunjin wasn’t fast enough as she hit the building across. As she was falling, she quickly teleported midair and was able to safely get inside of the shop, but collapsed as she went back to her human form.Groaning, Hyunjin’s left arm wrapped around her ribs as she tried to get up. She was almost to her feet when her right leg buckled, causing her to crash onto the ground on her hands and knees again.“Shit,” her voice came out shaky that her old injuries were acting up. “Stupid bitch can’t fight me without using other witch’s mana,” she complained to herself. Getting to a sitting position, Hyunjin used her hands to drag herself to the back of one of the couches and leaned against it for support. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” The last word being louder than the rest. Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she dialed Jihyo’s number. Her head pounded as she closed her eyes. Hearing a voice after a few rings, Hyunjin straightened up. “Unnie, Jiu has Sooyoung unnie,” she informed.“We have eyes,” Jihyo answered. “Nayeon was on watch at the shop and was able to catch Sooyoung’s scent and is on their tail as we speak.” She then paused to give out incoherent commands on the other side of the line before speaking again, “sorry I couldn’t get one of my pack members to back you up, but I’m assuming you’re doing okay since you were able to call me.”Hyunjin switched the phone over to her left hand and lifted up her other arm to see that it had stopped bleeding from Sooyoung’s bite. “Yeah, I’m doing peachy,” she replied, trying not to sound sarcastic. “I need to get word to my coven or Haseul’s clan about Sooyoung unnie. Doubt they’d pick up my call right now.”“I can’t reach them in the tunnels, but some of my members are with Jiwoo and Jungeun, and I just informed them to head towards Sooyoung. Tzuyu should be near you soon.”“No,” Hyunjin said immediately. “The witches are still here. I can feel them lurking around.”“Then what are you going to do?”Trying to think of an answer, Hyunjin let out a frustrated huff of air. “I don’t know.” Looking up to the ceiling with a hand on the ground, she could feel Jiyeon up on the rooftop every time the witch moved. “Jiyeon is here with that hybrid. Why are they here on their own when everyone else is in the tunnels?” She asked the question more to herself than she was talking to Jihyo. “They’re up to something, but I just don’t know what.”“To keep you from entering the battlefield?” Jihyo suggested.Hyunjin shook her head. “I may be a damn powerful witch, if I don’t say so myself, but it doesn’t make sense. Jiyeon could wipe me out if I faced her again with how much mana I could feel surging through her.” The shop had a shield around it, but Hyunjin wasn’t sure if Jiyeon’s magic could pierce through Yerim’s or not. The witch hadn’t tried yet and it made her wonder why. “Something’s not right. I know our mission right now is to kill Luda to get Sooyoung unnie back, but I think we also need to focus on Jiyeon. I think we have to take her out as fast as we can. Send other forces in, not just Tzuyu unnie, but it’s dangerous, you know that right, Unnie?”“I know,” came Jihyo’s simple reply. “My pack knows. We all know what we’re getting ourselves into and we’ve already said what we need to say to each other.”Swallowing the lump in her throat, Hyunjin reached up to her coven’s necklace, thinking about how she couldn’t even remember what the last thing she said to them was. “You have other witches on your side,” she stated, knowing that the Council had many allies.“Yeah. I’m not sure how many the Council are willing to send in though, but the ones I can get, I’ll direct them towards your location.”“Thank you.” Hyunjin was grateful, but also sorry for the lives she knew were going to be lost. “Jihyo unnie,” she called out to the pack leader.“Yeah?”“Thanks for always following your morals rather than letting this whole stupid war against the supernatural factions get in the way.” She closed her eyes again, thinking about everyone in her life that has been affected by this ongoing war.“I can say the same for you. I know things aren’t looking good right now, but there’s a balance to things,” Jihyo tried to explain. “You might not see it now, but it’ll work out the way it should.”Hyunjin opened her eyes and leaned her head back on the couch. She wasn’t sure if she believed in the words Jihyo said, but she had to have hope. They had to bring Sooyoung back home and make it out alive.
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Using the back of the couch, Hyunjin pulled herself up with a groan. “Come on. Cooperate with me,” she mumbled to herself as she massaged her right knee that was aching. Hobbling to the other side, she plopped down on the edge of the seat to gather her thoughts, but those thoughts were interrupted when her coven necklace swirled a color she wasn’t expecting.The silver glow mixed with black made her hold her breath. “Shit, not now.” Different scenarios ran through Hyunjin’s head as she tried to figure out what to do. She had wanted to go after Sooyoung, but staying at base to keep Yerim’s shop afloat was another dilemma she was facing, and now with her necklace, she knew she couldn’t stay.Quickly transforming to her cat form, Hyunjin teleported to a place far from where she currently was. She arrived at a location filled with fog that she could barely see a few feet around her.“Hyejoo!” Hyunjin called out. When she didn’t get a reply, she tried again with another member’s name. “Heejin!” She shouted louder as her voice echoed.Something felt off right when Hyunjin got there, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was. Her throat started to get dry, hands getting clammy as an uncontrollable sense of fear entered her system. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she shook her head of the fog that seemed to have also invaded her mind.Sensing something from behind, Hyunjin ducked, but wasn’t quick enough when she was thrown off her feet and landed with a groan as her arms flew up to her ribs. Her necklace started to swirl even brighter causing panic to set in. “Hyejoo! Where are you?!” Her voice firmer than before, but she wasn’t sure if there was anyone around to hear her.Scrambling up to her feet again, Hyunjin tried to find somewhere that wasn’t so out in the open, but everywhere she went, there was nothing around. There was nothing around until a figure of something she hasn’t seen in a long time appeared. “This is not good,” she muttered as she stood there frozen.The figure was twice her size with horns bigger than its face and deep red eyes. Its black form was half materialized, half indistinguishable. It spotted her sooner than she’d like as it roared its nasty roar that hurt Hyunjin’s head. Covering her ears with both hands, she ran in the opposite direction, not waiting to see what the figure wanted.But the figure followed, and it followed close.Knowing that she couldn’t outrun it, Hyunjin turned around and thrusted her hands forward to throw out an offensive spell. She hoped the magic would do even the littlest of damage, but with her luck, it went straight through the creature as it kept advancing towards her.“This is so,” she stopped mid sentence to jump out of the way of a clawed hand that swiped at her. Falling to the side, Hyunjin landed with a grunt and transformed into her cat form again before bolting out of the scene. She tried to teleport, but was brought back to more fog, seemingly going in circles.She couldn’t get back to Yerim’s shop.Seeing trees ahead of her, Hyunjin ran, teleporting high up only to have the creature below bash at the trunk and used its claws to climb up. Teleporting once more, she landed roughly back to where she started and turned to her human form so that she could try to defend herself for what came next. But what came next wasn’t what she was expecting when she felt a grip on her right shoulder that lifted her off the ground and tossed to the side like a rag doll.Screaming out of pain, Hyunjin got up to her elbows with her left hand coming up to her shoulder. She pulled back to see her hand covered in red as she tried to even out her breathing. Wincing, she glanced at her wound to see deep bite marks that covered down half of her upper arm and almost reaching up to her neck.Looking up, Hyunjin now saw two creatures next to each other. The newcomer that had had a hold on her was a bit smaller than the first, but just as menacing as they bared their fang like teeth.“Hyunjin!”The cat like witch whipped her head towards the voice, but it sounded so far that she almost missed it. Frowning at the familiar person calling her name, she was confused that the voice didn’t belong to either Hyejoo or Heejin.“Chae?!” She yelled back so loud that her voice came out hoarse.Using her elbows to prop herself up, she tried to get up to her feet as the two figures got closer, but felt like her limbs each weighed over a hundred pounds.“Chaewon!” Hyunjin shouted again, not sure of what to do since her magic didn’t seem to work on them. The distance was closing in when she decided to do the only thing she could think of. “Chae, I’m sorry,” came the shaky whisper.Blood dripped down her arm and between her fingers as claws from above came at her, but before it could reach, her own blood created a shield, blocking the incoming attack just in time. Tilting her head that it actually worked, Hyunjin used her left hand to form forbidden hand signs of the dark arts.“Chae,” she whispered out again, not wanting to complete the spell she was about to perform knowing that there was no turning back once she crosses the line.And as if her luck was finally turning around, the witch she had called upon appeared in front of her. Chaewon had her back towards Hyunjin with her halberd on fire and her blonde hair now a dark silver.“You can’t have her, demon!” Chaewon yelled out, swinging her giant weapon. “Get up, Hyunjin,” she said without looking back.Hyunjin wanted to get up, but she started to feel cold and dizzy, not sure if she was still breathing. Concentrating became hard as she tried to listen to Chaewon’s voice.“You’re stuck in the in between,” the hybrid explained. “You’re the best locator in the coven, now focus and find Yerim,” she commanded as she placed a barrier of fire up. “You don’t belong here, Hyunjin. Get out!”The last part seemed to jolt Hyunjin out of her daze as she tried to think of her other friend. Soon, the necklace that once swirled silver and black started to show a faint purple.One second, she was bleeding out on the cold ground with fog surrounding her and the next thing she knew, she opened her eyes to look up at a familiar ceiling. “Hyejoo!” Hyunjin screamed out, realizing she was back in Yerim’s shop. “Hyejoo’s hurt!” She panicked, trying to get up.“Hey, hey, stay still.” Yerim gently pushed Hyunjin back down. “Hyejoo’s fine. Chae went to check earlier.”“Chae?” Hyunjin questioned, looking around the shop to find the blonde laying next to her.“Our necklaces started swirling your color,” Yerim started. “We came back to find you unconscious. Your pulse was barely there,” her voice shook as she took a clean towel and pressed it against Hyunjin’s wound. “Chae found your soul lingering in the in between and she went after you.”“My necklace was telling me that Hye was hurt. I tried teleporting to her but I couldn’t find her.” Hyunjin winced as Yerim pressed down to stop the bleeding. “How am I injured when I wasn’t physically there?”Yerim shrugged and shook her head. “There’s a lot about the magical world that is unexplained.” Scooting closer, she carefully lifted Hyunjin slightly up and placed her head in her lap. “I thought I was going to lose you,” she mumbled and sniffed back tears. She and Chaewon had come back to the shop to find that wounds were appearing on Hyunjin without anyone physically being there. It reminded her of the things that have haunted their youngest coven member, Hyejoo, and she couldn’t bear to think that happening to another friend.Before Hyunjin could respond, a gasp next to her turned her attention to the blonde. “Chae.” She tried to move, but Yerim kept her still.The hybrid sat up in an instant after coming back to her world, hands reaching out to take ahold of the injured witch. “Are you okay?!” Her voice was even more high pitched than usual. “Jesus, Hyunjin,” she breathed out, frowning at how much blood was pooling underneath her.“The name is Kim Hyunjin, not Jesus Hyunjin,” she lightly joked, hating to see her members worried over her.Instead of getting a laugh, Chaewon let out a small cry instead. “Are you seriously joking right now?” She replied angrily. “You don’t even know how fuckin’ close you were to dying! That demon, those two demons were going to fuckin’ rip you apart, and then what? Your soul would have just been stuck there, tortured for eternity and you think this is funny?!”“Chae,” Yerim sighed out her name calmly. “She’s losing a lot of blood.” Placing another towel over the wound, she tried not to panic that the bleeding wasn’t stopping.“You get on my nerves, but you know that I fuckin’ love you, right?” Chaewon choked on her words and stood up to get medical supplies.Hyunjin let out a small chuckle. “I love you too, brat. Both of you.” Glancing over at Yerim, she frowned at something she didn’t catch at first. “You’re hurt.” She used her good hand to hold Yerim’s injured one, trying carefully not to touch the open wound.“It’s nothing,” Yerim dismissed the concern. “You should see the other witch.”“Eunseo is dead,” Chaewon said bluntly, going back down on her knees to tend to Hyunjin.Instead of commenting on that, Hyunjin’s heart dropped remembering about another problem. “Jiu has Sooyoung unnie.”“I know,” the hybrid replied, slightly lifting Hyunjin up again to place a towel behind her shoulder.“You should be going after her.” Hyunjin tried not to wince, but her injury started to get even more painful, making it feel like a cold burn.“If Jiu wanted to kill her, she would have done so already.” Chaewon gritted her teeth before continuing. “We still need to kill that other witch, but even if we destroy that hold Luda has on my Ma, I’m not sure how mentally damaged she’s going to be.” Swallowing the lump in her throat, she let out a sigh. “I have to make sure you’re okay first before going after Mama.”“I’ll be okay,” Hyunjin tried to reassure. “And Hyejoo’s really okay? Like as okay as she can be?” She asked again just to make sure.Chaewon nodded. “Our necklace is never wrong. Someone must have been messing with yours or,” her voice trailed. “Or made you see something that wasn’t there.”Hyunjin looked up to the ceiling where she could still feel footsteps up on the roof. “Jiyeon.”
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“No more teleporting for you while Jiyeon is in our presence,” Chaewon started while cleaning up Hyunjin’s shoulder wound the best she could after stopping the bleeding. “She probably intercepted it somehow using whatever dark magic she has conjured up.” Scrunching her eyebrows together, she couldn’t help but worry about how bad the injury looked. “Can you move your arm?”Hyunjin was only half listening, half trying to concentrate on keeping her mind from drifting. “I don’t know. I can’t feel it.” Her right arm laid by her side as Yerim reached down to hold her hand.“Can you try squeezing my hand?” Yerim asked, scared that things weren’t looking good. When she didn’t feel anything back, she held on a little tighter. “It could just be the effects of a demon’s bite and could wear off. How are you feeling?”“Cold,” came Hyunjin’s simple reply.Yerim looked over to Chaewon. “There’s blankets in the back, stacked up from when Hye needed it.”Nodding, the hybrid stood up and made her way to the other side of the shop.“We need to get you to a hospital,” Yerim mumbled, sweeping hair out of Hyunjin’s face.The cat like witch smiled. “Think we could destroy Jiyeon and that hybrid out there to get through?”Smiling back slightly at how playful Hyunjin still was despite the circumstances, Yerim tried to think of a solution. “Sana’s out there keeping an eye on what’s happening. Pretty sure the two on the roof knows that we’re here, but they’re not attacking, so I’m not sure what they’re doing.”“Jihyo says she’ll try to send reinforcement our way, but knowing the Council, there probably won’t be much help,” Hyunjin spoke with some difficulty as she started to feel nauseous.“Are these blankets from when you were a kid or what? They’re all cartoon characters,” Chaewon commented, making her way back to her members. Throwing the blankets on one of the seats, she went over and reached down to place an arm under Hyunjin’s neck. “I’m gonna take her to the couch.”Yerim nodded, carefully taking Hyunjin’s head off her lap. She watched as Chaewon used her vampire’s side strength to lift the taller witch up. Standing up, she took notice of all the blood that was on her, most of it not belonging to her.“You okay?” Chaewon asked, looking back at Yerim.The purple haired witch nodded, clearing her throat and walked over to grab the blankets. Placing them over Hyunjin, she bent down to take the older woman’s hand. “The cold is going to burn,” she informed, although Hyunjin already knew this from having experienced it before. “You really need to stop getting yourself so hurt,” she mumbled, running her fingers over an old scar that ran down Hyunjin’s upper left arm.“I’ll be fine,” the other witch reassured again. She then looked at Chaewon. “Go get your Ma, would you?”Chaewon frowned at how many problems were arising in such a short amount of time. “I don’t want to leave you.”“There’s no point of you staying here. Yerim can keep me company,” Hyunjin tried to persuade the hybrid.Thinking for a moment, Chaewon stood up. “You said that Jiwoo and Jungeun unnie are heading towards them?”Hyunjin nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t know how far they are. They were still trying to negotiate with other clans to take out any newborns Dreamcatcher has sired.”“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Chaewon asked, being conflicted on what to do.“As okay as I could be,” Hyunjin replied. “I’ve suffered worse.”“That’s not very reassuring,” the blonde scolded. “Please keep out of trouble. If Jiyeon or that other hybrid tries anything, call me.”“Now you’re just wasting time. Go. I’ll take care of Hyunjin.” Yerim lightly pushed Chaewon to leave.Sighing, Chaewon bent down again and cupped Hyunjin’s face with one of her hands. “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m away.” Planting a kiss on the woman’s forehead, she lingered there for a bit before standing up again.“Love you too, brat,” Hyunjin replied with a smile.Chaewon rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Yerim. “No more dimension jumping for you either. The mirrors are letting things in that shouldn’t be here.”Biting her lip, Yerim slowly nodded. “Please get Sooyoung unnie back. Choerry’s doing what she can back at the tunnels, but can’t stay in this world for long.”Chaewon nodded in return. “I’ll see you guys in a bit.” She did a little wave before teleporting out, not being afraid of anyone intercepting her magic since she was familiar with the place Hyunjin’s soul got sent to.Following her senses, Chaewon’s power took her somewhere near the tunnels, away from the city. She frowned as to why she was there again, but could feel that she was close to Sooyoung.She pointed straight ahead without speaking as Sana appeared in her wolf form and took off in a sprint. “The amount of vampires,” she muttered to Yeojin who was now by her side. There was a concentration of the undead that Chaewon could smell and wasn’t looking forward to having to plow through them to get to her mother.Whipping her head to the side at familiar scents Sana led them to, Chaewon teleported again. Entering the scene of a fight that just started, she quickly tackled a vampire and then summoned her halberd, bringing it down, turning the enemy to dust.Looking up, she spotted who she was looking for. “Jungeun unnie, duck!”The surprised brunette did what was told without hesitation as an arrow flew past her head. Grabbing another vampire that was coming for her, she threw the creature towards Jiwoo who immediately tore into his neck with her teeth.“What the hell have we missed?” Jungeun asked, making her way closer to Chaewon.The blonde let out a small growl. “Our plan backfired. We weren’t prepared going in and now they have my Ma.”“Jihyo’s wolf let us know. Sorry we couldn’t come quicker,” Jiwoo spoke up with her fangs still out and blood dripping down her chin. “They aren’t far.”Even with how many vampires were in the area, it was easy for them to be able to pick up Sooyoung’s scent from the others with how much time they’ve spent with her.Jungeun nodded her head over at wolves that were currently ripping enemies apart with Sana joining them. “You go ahead. We’ll keep these pests off your back.” She then suddenly frowned at the whiff of someone familiar that caused her to tilt her head in confusion. “Why is she here?” Jungeun questioned under her breath as she took ahold of Jiwoo’s hand.Chaewon turned to the two in surprise. “Are we picking up the scent of the same person? Are we talking about the same person?”“Only if you know Sunmi.” Jiwoo pulled Jungeun along. “The wolves can handle these vampires. We should talk to her.”The hybrid immediately grabbed Jiwoo’s arm to stop her from walking. “What do you mean talk to her? She’s the one that sired the three from my parent’s old clan. She’s the one that turned Vivi unnie.”“Wait, what? And you’re just telling us this now?” Jungeun questioned in half surprise, half annoyance that this information was kept from them.“How was I supposed to know that you two knew her? You guys didn’t even know who sired you, so why would we bring it up?” Chaewon exhaled a little out of frustration. “There’s no time to waste. I’m going after my Ma.” Not waiting for an answer, she teleported out, leaving the other two to run after.“What does this mean?” Jiwoo asked as they followed the different scents.Jungeun didn’t reply right away, still trying to comprehend the situation. “I don’t know,” she mumbled.It’s been some time since they had last seen the old vampire. They weren’t counting for their reunion to be some time soon and especially not in the same vicinity as their new found clan. It would be a lie to say that they weren’t worried. Sunmi wasn’t someone who showed up to a battle for no reason and to find out that she has connections with most of the main players in this fight on both sides left them with an unsettling feeling.They rounded the corner after a few blocks to come to a location closer to the hotel where other abandoned buildings were. There stood Chaewon at a distance away from Jiu and Sooyoung, while Sunmi was off to the side. Her eyes met theirs with a small smile right when they got to the scene.“Unnie,” Jiwoo uttered, confused to what side the older vampire was on.“I heard you found yourself another clan,” Sunmi greeted right away. “Shame that you refused Jiu’s offer.” She let out a small sigh and walked closer to Dreamcatcher’s leader. “But I guess Haseul is a bit convincing, isn’t she?”“What is she talking about, Jiwoo unnie?” Chaewon asked with her weapon out, ready to make a move, but stood her ground seeing that Jiu was holding onto Sooyoung’s hand.“Funny how things turn out doesn’t it?” Sunmi ignored the other hybrid’s question. “If I can recall correctly. Jiwoo, darling, don’t you still owe me a favor?” She said it so casually that it was hard to read what the woman was feeling.The redhead with bangs clenched her jaw. “Not now.” She held onto Jungeun’s hand tighter, trying to push the other vampire behind her.“Jungeun would have been dead without me.” Sunmi’s voice was leveled, not showing much emotion. “I don’t think you want to refuse to repay me back when I ask you to.”“Unnie please,” Jiwoo begged. She glanced over at Chaewon who was giving them a look of confusion.“All you have to do is kill one member of Haseul’s clan or one of the coven members and you’ll be free of this debt.” Sunmi then shrugged as if it was just a simple request.“Do you understand what you’re asking of me?” Different things bombarded her mind as Jiwoo knew there was no way out of this. “I’m a part of her clan.” Going through with this would leave them back at square one, left in a dangerous world with no family watching their backs.Sunmi scoffed. “You should have thought more before you made a blood oath with me.”Before Jiwoo could answer, a growl turned their attention as Sooyoung left Jiu’s side and came charging at Chaewon. The blonde, too shocked to move, was knocked down as her mother raised her arm to bring it down on the small hybrid.Finally coming to her senses, Chaewon moved her head just in time when Sooyoung’s fist made contact with the concrete ground below. Her knuckles made a sickening crunching sound as she raised it again, but moving faster this time, Chaewon kicked Sooyoung off of her and scrambled back with hands and feet.Sooyoung stood up slowly with her right hand dripping blood, but it healed up fast as she came at her daughter once more.“You do know the consequences if you refuse, don’t you? It’s the one rule I have. Every favor must be repaid.” Sunmi spoke, a hand wrapping around Jiu’s waist, pulling the woman close. For once, the Dreamcatcher leader didn’t look menacing, instead, she looked more like a small child in the care of her mother. “It’s either kill them or forfeit your own life, and I can’t guarantee what I’d do to Jungeun after.”Jiwoo watched as Sooyoung kept on attacking Chaewon while the blonde defended herself, refusing to fight back.“Jiwoo,” Jungeun called the woman that was just standing there, glancing at the different vampires at the scene before shaking her head.Letting go of Jungeun’s hand, Jiwoo sprinted forward. Reaching the fight between mother and daughter, she grabbed onto Sooyoung’s arm, the other hand coming to the taller vampire’s throat before throwing her to the side.The blonde hybrid snarled, her fangs coming out with anger etched on her face as she kicked at Jiwoo who moved out of the way. “You don’t want to make an enemy out of me,” Chaewon spat, taking quick steps towards the redhead.
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Everyone that knew Sunmi or has heard of her was aware that the old hybrid was a woman who had many powers that were desirable, but making use of those powers came with a cost as the debtee.Every favor must be repaid and Jiwoo made a deal with the devil once upon a time. Too injured to think of another solution, the redhead had left her old clan to come to Sunmi for aid when Jungeun was bleeding out in her arms. At that time, she didn’t care what she had to do in order to save the love of her life, but never thought it’d be such a disadvantage in a time like this.Blood oaths weren’t taken lightly. It was an agreement between people that a favor was done and the other person would be in wait until they were called upon to complete the debt. Both sides spilled blood in order to commence the oath and now Jiwoo had to finish what she started because there was only one consequence of not repaying back what was owed.Death.We were all born with the same fate. To die was something that was inevitable in human life, but even as a creature that did not age, nothing lasts forever.Jiwoo stepped to the side as Chaewon charged at her, only to have the small hybrid turn back around and come for her again. Before she could reach the redhead, she was shoved with such force that caused her body to fly through the air, but landed on her hands and knees.“Don’t do this, Jiwoo,” Jungeun begged after getting Chaewon away from them. She stood in front of the other vampire, seeing the confliction on her face.“I love you, but this is my debt to deal with.” Jiwoo didn’t have time to say more when a figure came from behind Jungeun. Pushing the brunette aside, she instinctively threw her arms up and blocked a hit that was aimed for her face.Sooyoung had her fangs fully extended out with such rage in her eyes that Jiwoo barely recognized the woman. Being hesitant, the redhead didn’t move fast enough as a hard kick made contact with her chest, sending her crashing into a building. She scrambled up quickly as the angry vampire approached. Stepping out of the way at an oncoming punch, Jiwoo grabbed Sooyoung’s wrist with her left hand and turned her body with her right leg slightly extended to trip the woman. Sending Sooyoung into the ground, Jiwoo pounced on top of her, but was immediately yanked up by the back of her right arm. Just as fast as the hand grabbed her, the grip disappeared as she turned around to see Jungeun trying to get in between her and Chaewon.The distraction was enough for Sooyoung to gain the upper hand again as she came from behind and placed both hands on the side of Jiwoo’s head, ready to snap her neck when the smaller vampire pushed her body backwards as hard as she could, causing both of them to crash to the ground. Rolling off of Sooyoung, Jiwoo saw how close she was to the other clan and decided to take a risk.Being caught off guard, Jiu didn’t move as the redhead came for her with a hand going to her throat, but before she could rip out her windpipes, Jiwoo fell to her knees and grabbed her own head as she screamed out in pain. All she could register was someone lightly stroking her hair as the unbearable anguish continued.Sunmi was bent down in front of Jiwoo with a sad look on her face. “Poor little one,” she muttered, resting her hand on the other vampire’s head. Looking up to see magic coming at her, she raised an arm in front with her fist pointed towards the sky at a 90 degree angle. “So interesting to see all of these alliances in shambles.”“Unnie, please.” Jungeun’s voice was shaky. She wanted to run to Jiwoo but knew it wasn’t a good idea. “You said she made a blood oath with you, but nowhere does it include Jiu, so she’s free game!” She tried to reason.Tilting her head, Sunmi stood up and at the same time, Jiwoo collapsed to the ground, curling up in a fetal position.Chaewon didn’t let her speak as she summoned Sana behind the other hybrid. The materialized wolf bashed at the shield Sunmi had up. Turning around from the distraction, Chaewon used the opportunity to throw spell after spell at the shield, and just as it got weaker, the blonde swung her halberd at it, creating a small hole. But a small hole was all Chaewon needed as she teleported inside of the barrier. Swinging her weapon again, it stopped inches away from Sunmi’s face before she was thrown back by an unseen force.“I must admit, you’ve gotten a lot stronger from the last time we met.” Sunmi smiled, watching the blonde get back up to her feet, but right as she was about to stand, she was almost knocked down again by Jiu when Jungeun got in the way to defend Chaewon. “Shame that you want nothing to do with me when I could make you into a great apprentice.” Using her foot to push Jiwoo onto her back, she bent down slightly. “You on the other hand, whether this blood oath is repaid or not, death still lingers over your head.”Feeling a hand yank her head up by her hair, Jiwoo was forced on her knees with Sooyoung behind her.“Oh how I wish I was the one who sired you, Sooyoung,” Sunmi spoke, watching the scene in front of her.Without hesitation, Sooyoung brought her head back before quickly bringing it down, latching her teeth onto the side of the redhead’s neck. Screaming at a different kind of pain, Jiwoo tried to pull away, but the grip the dark haired vampire had on her made her unable to move. Slowly feeling her energy drain, she felt herself involuntarily lean back against Sooyoung’s chest.The mind manipulated vampire’s hold on Jiwoo’s upper right arm tightened as the smaller woman heard bones crunch under the vice like grip. Letting out another scream, Jiwoo didn’t even think of fighting back.She didn’t want to fight back.Whether she was under a blood oath or not, betraying her new found clan never crossed her mind. She couldn’t do that to the only people that actually truly cared for her and Jungeun. They’ve never felt emotional connections like the one that was quickly developed over a short amount of time. And to see the bond between the vampires and witches of Chaewon’s coven made her almost jealous that she never got the support and love she craved for over almost two centuries of being alive, but was glad she got to experience it with Jungeun after such a long time of being on the run as strays.Jiwoo heard her name being called, but she couldn’t tell where it was coming from or who said it with Sunmi’s magic still affecting her. Feeling herself being lifted up again, her body soared through the air to only crash against a hard structure. Crashing roughly onto the ground, Jiwoo laid there on her stomach as gravel bit into her skin. She could feel warm liquid run down her face, body aching with what she was enduring. Her wounds weren’t healing and she couldn’t understand why until she felt something sharp that was impaled in her back, lodged between her ribs. She suddenly recalled memories of how Sunmi used to use poisoned weapons to torture her enemies and she guessed now she was a part of that ever growing list.Trying to look up, Jiwoo could barely make out the figures in front of her with her vision so blurred, but then, one silhouette grew bigger as it approached her.“We used to have so much fun.” Sunmi placed a hand to lift up Jiwoo’s chin, forcing the vampire to use her good arm to try to steady herself. “I saw your ex clan leader recently. Funny how everything always comes full circle. You really think they’re enough to stop whatever you’re trying to stop?” Sighing, the old hybrid stroked Jiwoo’s hair again. “You were my favorite debtee because you always repaid me back, but I guess no one stays the same right? Even I have changed, or my goals anyways.” She paused for a second before continuing. “You left your old clan to ask for my help, it’s only right that you complete our oath.”Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, Jiwoo could see Chaewon at a distance raising up her weapon before slamming the bottom of her halberd onto the ground. Before she could register what was happening, everyone in the vicinity was thrown off their feet except for the one that created the power surge. Her body was lifted into the air and hit the side of a building. Now in a seated position against the structure, she could feel the spike impaling deeper into her back but Sunmi wasn’t in front of her anymore.“Hey,” Jiwoo tried to whisper out, but wasn’t sure if the word left her mouth as she saw Yeojin coming towards her.The tiny girl only responded by sitting by Jiwoo’s side with knees up to her chest. They both watched the ongoing fight in front of them as they sat in silence. Jiwoo quietly thanked the undead witch for coming to her side even though she wasn’t sure if Chaewon was angry with her for coming at Sooyoung or not.They saw Chaewon throwing out a loaded spell towards Sunmi, but the woman conjured up her own. Both magic clashed against each other to create a loud exploding sound with different bright colors that resembled fireworks in some ways. It almost looked beautiful if it wasn’t for the fact that it was two powerful hybrids trying to kill each other.Having two vampires on her, Jungeun was on the defense as she tried to block every hit. Stumbling back at a particularly strong blow from Jiu, she was able to move out of the way of a fist that came from behind. Sooyoung was relentlessly throwing hit after hit, and right when Jungeun thought that she couldn’t continue defending herself, Sana came through and tackled down the dark haired vampire. Now only having Jiu in front of her, Jungeun still shivered remembering that not too long ago, the enemy clan leader had ordered her members to throw her out in the sun. She still felt her skin blister once in a while although she had fully healed from the ordeal.Jiu was fast, too fast for Jungeun to defend against all of the attacks as a combination of hits landed on her face and body. Before she could fall onto the ground, Jiu grabbed her up by the neck, but Jungeun brought both arms down onto the other vampire’s own, loosening the grip.Seeing that Jungeun wasn’t doing well on her own, Chaewon tried to run over to help when she felt her feet leave the ground. Frustration raised as the blonde summoned another undead that she hasn’t brought into battle in a long time.This figure was small with ashy brown hair and an unreadable expression on her face.“Taeyeon,” Sunmi growled out. She then scoffed, turning to Jiu. “I don’t have time for this. Leave them to Sooyoung. The newborns are coming.” And with that, she transformed into a raven and flew out of the scene without another word.Jiu stepped back, but didn’t leave. And as Sunmi said, vampires came flooding in when it was clear of them just a moment ago as if she had been keeping them out. But with them, came part of Jihyo’s pack and familiar wolves of Nayoung’s that they haven’t ran into in awhile.With other vampires now keeping Chaewon and Jungeun busy, Jiu made her way over to Jiwoo. She got close, but was stopped when Yeojin stood in front of her, thrusting her arms forward to throw out an offensive spell. Easily dodging it, the tall vampire growled out of annoyance.“Your magic is too weak against me in your state, dead child,” Jiu snarled as she kept walking forward.Jiwoo felt herself drift in and out of consciousness as the poison worked its way throughout her being. Even after Yeojin had managed to pry the spike out of her back earlier, without proper treatment, the black magic stayed lingering in her body. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen to her, but after everything, she doesn’t regret sacrificing herself under a blood oath in order to save Jungeun all those years ago.
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The element of surprise when witches are going up against other witches isn’t usually too high, but to fight against an art of another dimension that has never been seen before is another story.Choerry threw up peace signs using both hands, crossing them over one another to form a hash symbol in front of her mouth, and then recited a spell in a foreign language. Without her fingers leaving contact with one another, she planted her palms together as if she was praying before quickly turning her right hand outward so that her fingers were pointed towards the enemies while the left hand stayed still. At first, it seemed like nothing happened until Luda flung a weapon made out of her own blood towards Choerry. Seemingly not too concerned, Yerim’s counterpart copied Luda’s hand motions, summoning her own bloody weapons. The two red dagger-like items clashed before turning to liquid and splattered on the ground.Scoffing out of annoyance, Luda tried to switch places with a vampire to get closer when Choerry intercepted it, keeping Luda where she was. The silver haired witch gave out a look of confusion only to see a smirk on Choerry’s face, but then, that face was swapped out with someone else and now Choerry was right next to Luda.“Pretty neat power. I never copied this one before,” Choerry said in a taunting manner. She then quickly tried to attack the other witch when she dropped down to one knee and let out a scream when her head started to feel like it was being pulled apart. Knowing who was the cause of it, she mirrored that power as well and shot it back.On the other side of the tunnels, Gahyeon also fell to her knees as one of her specialty powers came back at her causing her to let go of her hold on Choerry.Seeing Gahyeon’s guard down, Jinsol made a run for the witch. She was two steps away when Yubin got in between, stopping her advance and throwing her back towards her clan. Jinsol landed on her feet and looked up with a growl.Changing directions, Luda tried going for the vampires instead, thinking they’d be easier targets, but it was her mistake when a trap Choerry had set up stopped Luda from moving. Smirking that she had predicted the enemy witch’s play, Choerry held her right hand out with palm facing up. She advanced forward and then tightly squeezed her hand closed, watching as Luda dropped to her knees. Seeing that the silver haired witch was trying to raise an arm to counter the trap, Choerry used her other hand and threw it out to the side, watching as Luda’s arm mimicked hers like a mirror.“What is this?” Luda questioned in panic. “This isn’t blood magic!” She would know if her blood was being controlled. This was similar but somehow different.Choerry smirked again and then did hand signs Luda has never seen before. “No, this isn’t blood magic.” She continued performing a spell while still having the other witch, Gahyeon, occupied as well. Kneeling down, she pressed two fingers on the ground and drew a symbol, watching Luda do the time with no free will. “May your soul rot down here.”Luda widened her eyes, not sure what was going to happen, but then suddenly let out a terrified scream when she felt something clamp down on the side of her neck. She tried to move to push the person away, but Choerry kept her hold on the witch and wouldn’t even allow her to uselessly fight back. The screams didn’t last long and then there was no noise left to make.A few low level vampires came for Choerry as she let go of Gahyeon to take care of the ones coming after her. Putting a shield up, she watched as they collided with the transparent force.“Call off your little pets!” Haseul’s voice rang out. She walked over to Luda’s body that was still up from Jinsol holding it, her teeth still latched onto the dead girl’s neck. “We came here to kill the witch and the witch is dead so I suggest you back off before we decide to kill the rest of you.” Resting a hand on top of Jinsol’s head, she gently stroked the blonde’s hair.Gahyeon, not really caring too much that Luda was dead, took a step back. “I got other things to do anyways,” she huffed out in an almost bored tone. “I don’t have control over them.” She motioned over the other vampires. “Deal with them yourselves.” And with that, she walked in the opposite direction they had come from.“You guys go,” Choerry spoke up, conjuring up a larger shield. “I can hold them back for some time and then I gotta get back to my dimension.”Haseul gave her a nod. “Still find it weird that you’re nothing like Yerim.”Choerry smiled. “That’s because I’m not Yerim. Kid’s an angel compared to me.” She threw up a peace sign, watching as Haseul shook her head and grabbed onto Jinsol’s arm.The blonde vampire finally tossed Luda’s body to the side before standing up. Bringing her foot back, she swung it full force against the witch’s stomach, sending her ragged body bouncing off the wall of the tunnel. “Stupid bitch,” she muttered.“Are you guys done?” Vivi asked, arms crossed in front of her. “I think we should get out of here.” She shivered when a weird feeling crawled down her spine. The negative energy of the tunnels just kept going up with the body count and she did not want to wait around to see what else was coming out of there.Haseul and Jinsol made their way over to the oldest vampire when the clan leader turned back around for a moment. “Thanks Choerry. We’ll see you around.”Choerry strengthened the shield and gave the vampires a little salute with two fingers. “See ya,” she said, nonchalantly. “Oh, and thought you’d like to know, but you can count on Luda’s soul being trapped down here.”Haseul gave a small thankful nod before the three ran towards the way they came from, hoping it’d be a clear shot out. It got darker the farther they went, but they didn’t need to rely on their eyesights to sense where they were going. They didn’t say anything to each other as they quickened their pace, only having Sooyoung on their minds.Reaching the surface faster than they anticipated, Jinsol got out first and helped the other two up. “I have never been happier to see the green earth,” she exclaimed, stretching out her arms in the open air.“Looks more brown to me,” mumbled Vivi.“Quiet.” Haseul placed a hand up to silence the two. “Do you hear that?” She asked as her hearing adjusted to the new surroundings first before her sense of smell hit and once it hit, her eyes widened as she started to run.Jinsol and Vivi immediately followed closely behind, having sensed the same thing; blood from their clan members.“We had no visibility up here while we were down there,” Haseul pointed out the obvious in a frustrated tone. “They continue to be two steps ahead and I can’t help but wonder if we’ll ever catch a break.”“We’ll catch a break once we get rid of Jiu.” Vivi then ran ahead of Haseul, feeling someone coming. She pounced on the intruder before she even saw him, making the newborn vampire crash to the ground. Twisting his neck, she then tossed him behind for Jinsol to finish off. “We’re close.” She frowned as the familiar smell became stronger.Rounding the corner of a building, they came into view of a battle between vampires and werewolves. Trying to find their clan, they scanned the scene as they ran towards the crowd. Eyes landed on someone else first, causing Haseul to growl. Seeing Jiu with her back turned, she looked to her members before making her way over. She was half way when another figure entered her field of vision. “Sooyoung,” she whispered.The dark haired vampire wasn’t being subtle with the way she was moving, taking big steps right behind Jiu. As Sooyoung got close, Dreamcatcher’s leader turned around, arm going up to block a hit the other vampire threw at her. With a look of surprise on her face, Haseul couldn’t help but give out a smile that killing Luda seemed to already be showing some effect. But the little feeling of happiness was replaced with worry when she witnessed how out of control Sooyoung looked, her moves wild and unpredictable.“Sooyoung!” Haseul called out as she ran for the vampire while Jinsol and Vivi headed to where Chaewon and Jungeun were.The dark haired vampire didn’t react to Haseul’s voice and continued to attack Jiu. Spotting Jiwoo leaned against a building not too far from them, Haseul decided to go to her first, seeing that other enemies were trying to get to the injured woman. She took big strides forward, throwing vampires left and right to clear the way. Finally reaching Jiwoo, she bent down, frowning that her chin was down to her chest.“Jiwoo,” Haseul said her name lightly, but didn’t get a response. Placing a hand under the woman’s chin, she carefully lifted it. Seeing Jiwoo’s eyes slowly flutter open, Haseul sighed out of relief. “Sorry, I couldn’t come earlier.” She then winced seeing how mangled the redhead’s upper right arm looked. “Poison?” Already knowing that’s the case with how the wounds weren’t healing.Jiwoo nodded, looking paler than she already was. “Sooyoung,” she whispered, scared that the mentally unstable vampire was in trouble.Haseul turned to see Sooyoung and Jiu still fighting, but now, Vivi was making her way over to them. “We killed Luda. I don’t know what state Sooyoung is in, but the witch doesn’t have a hold of her anymore.”Nodding again, Jiwoo tried to adjust her position, but then suddenly reached out with her good arm and shoved Haseul to the side. An arrow was coming straight for her when an unseen force knocked it away midair.Yeojin appeared back by Jiwoo’s side and gave Haseul a little wave.The clan leader greeted her with a nod. “These pests are kind of getting on my nerves,” she mumbled. “I need to get you out of here.” Getting closer, she gently placed Jiwoo’s left arm over her shoulder, but was stopped when the woman shrugged her off.“Now’s not the time to run.” Jiwoo nodded her head behind Haseul to see that Siyeon and Bora had entered the vicinity.Exhaling out of annoyance, Haseul ignored Jiwoo and lifted her up anyways. “I at least can’t have you out in the open.” She then turned to Yeojin. “You can keep Jiwoo company, right?”The little girl nodded and ran in a clear direction, leading them somewhere away from the main fight.“Do you know if Hyunjin’s okay?” Haseul asked, knowing that Yeojin was with Chaewon when their coven necklace informed them of the cat like witch being in danger.Yeojin formed signs with her hands to communicate as Haseul shook her head from the message. The small undead witch then brought them inside one of the abandoned buildings and threw up more signs.“That’s not good.” Haseul carefully placed Jiwoo down, leaning her up against a wall. “Hopefully Jihyo can send reinforcements to the shop soon or I’ll make Chaewon go back.”Quickly signing out more words, Yeojin then sat down close to the redhead, making sure she was okay as she could be.“You’re right. Chae would have to be here for you to keep an eye on Jiwoo.” Racking her head for a plan, Haseul tried to think of what to do.
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“Do you need more blankets?” Yerim asked, tucking the ones already on Hyunjin up to her chin.“I don’t think any amount of blankets are gonna help with the effects of a demon’s bite.” Hyunjin’s teeth chattered as she held onto the purple haired woman’s hand for comfort.Yerim sighed with eyebrows scrunched together, not saying anything else.“Stop frowning. You’re going to get wrinkles before you’re even 30,” Hyunjin joked, trying to keep things light, but then changed her expression when Yerim didn’t find it amusing. “I’ll be fine.”Frowning even more, the younger witch got up from her kneeling position and sat down on the couch beside Hyunjin. “You don’t look fine. You’re getting paler than you already are. You need to go to a hospital or at least one of those black market doctors Chae has on tab or something.”“We’ll find a way out of here. We just gotta wait a little bit. Jihyo unnie’s probably doing all she can to get the Council to lend her some people or we just have to wait for Chae to come back for us.”“Do you think she got to Sooyoung unnie?” Yerim hated waiting around although out of all the coven members, she was usually the one that did that the most. To be left behind while others went to the action left her feeling useless and anxious, but knew her role was also necessary.Hyunjin grunted as she tried to adjust herself on the couch. “I’m sure Chaewon’s there kicking ass right now.” She then looked down at her necklace to see that it was at its neutral color. “This thing hasn’t changed even in the slightest, so she should be okay at least.”Yerim stayed silent, seemingly in thought before speaking again. “What do you think about me closing up shop for a bit after all this?” She scooted closer, throwing her other hand over Hyunjin to rest it in her waist. “I think we should all be with Hyejoo, have our whole coven together. I miss the six of us in the same place.”“Yeah, I think that’d be a good idea,” Hyunjin agreed. “You especially. All you’ve been doing is working. You need to learn how to chill sometimes.”“I chill,” Yerim retorted back.Letting out a small snort, the slightly older witch smiled. “You don’t even chill when you sleep. Hyejoo complains about you greeting customers and reciting spells in your sleep. She said you almost blew up the room once with your subconscious conjuring up magic.”“Oh please. She was being so overdramatic.” Yerim rolled her eyes. “It was just a tiny spell.”“Your bedsheets caught on fire,” Hyunjin deadpanned.“Okay, yeah, maybe I do need a break. We all do.” Pulling the blanket down a bit, Yerim examined Hyunjin’s shoulder wound again. “At least the bleeding has stopped, but I’m pretty sure this is gonna be added to your ever growing collection of scars.” Frowning again, she traced the old scar on Hyunjin’s left arm once more. “I’m sorry,” she randomly let out.Furrowing her eyebrows out of confusion, Hyunjin pulled back her arm a bit from Yerim’s touch. “For what?”Yerim shook her head and let out a sigh. “I wish I could protect you better. It hurts me to see you putting on a brave face every time something goes horribly wrong.” She then placed her hand up to Hyunjin’s face, caressing her cheek gently. “It’s okay to express how you feel sometimes, you know?”Now it was Hyunjin’s turn to let out her own sigh. “It’s not that I don’t want to express how I feel. It’s just that I don’t know how.” Growing up as a witch was hard for her. While she wanted to just grow up with a normal life, fate had different plans for her. She used to despise having magic running through her veins, but after becoming friends with her coven members, she realized that she wasn’t alone like she always thought she was.Yerim was about to respond back to that when an odd feeling distracted her. “Do you sense that?” She questioned and then looked up as the lights started to flicker. “Do you think,” her sentence was cut off when the feeling made her heart drop. “The shield around the shop is down.”Getting up from her seat, Yerim was going to make her way to the counter for some items when the front door suddenly burst open and she was thrown over the couch, skidding onto the floor, only the wall stopped her from going any farther.“Yerim!” Hyunjin called out, using her good arm to try to sit herself up. She couldn’t tell what was going on until a face appeared in front of her. Trying to throw an arm up to defend herself, she found that the forcefield she was trying to get up didn’t work as she felt a hand go around her throat.She was face to face with Dreamcatcher’s own hybrid.“Without magic, you’re just a weak human.” Yoohyeon smirked as Hyunjin struggled to breathe, her right arm uselessly dangling to the side while the left was trying to pry the hand away.Yerim scrambled up to her feet and tried to throw out a spell, but when nothing happened, she sprinted for the two without thinking of a plan. Before she could get close, Yoohyeon tossed Hyunjin towards her as the both of them crashed onto the floor.Coughing and gasping for air, Hyunjin felt herself being pulled back by Yerim as the smaller witch tried to drag her away from the approaching hybrid.“Funny to see you both so useless without powers,” another voice entered the room.Yerim carefully sat Hyunjin up against one of the stools near the counter and then stood up in front of her. “What did you do, Jiyeon?”“It’s quite ironic that I had to gather up so much damn mana just to stop magic for a bit, don’t you think?” The dark haired witch’s boots clicked as she walked around the shop.Not showing much emotion, Yerim tried to stay calm. “That means you’re just as useless now.” Grabbing the mortar off the counter without looking, she hurled the heavy object at the other woman.Moving out of the way right on time, Jiyeon snarled out of anger at the attack and then turned to Yoohyeon. “I don’t care what you do with them, just get rid of them.”Scoffing, Yoohyeon rolled her eyes at being told what to do. “Sucks that you can’t do shit, but I guess I’ll have fun with this then.”Jiyeon clenched her jaw, but decided not to say anything about the insult, knowing that she was powerless against the vampire.Still standing in front of Hyunjin, Yerim couldn’t think of what to do as she grabbed a stool and held it up, but she was no match for the enemy when Yoohyeon yanked the object from her hands and threw it against the wall. It broke apart, sending pieces of wood flying.Yerim then tried to punch the hybrid, but the vampire’s reflex was too fast as Yoohyeon grabbed the hand and twisted her wrist. Letting out a cry, Yerim felt her legs buckle as the pain radiated up her arm.“I forget how brittle human bones are.” Yoohyeon twisted it more until she heard a snap. Smiling at the sickening sound, she let go only to use the same hand to grab at the witch’s purple hair.Screaming, Yerim tried to pull away but it was futile. Tears involuntarily sprung to her eyes as she gritted her teeth, knees crashing to the ground.Not knowing what to do, Hyunjin threw herself at the hybrid’s legs, trying anything to stop the enemy from hurting Yerim further.Yoohyeon huffed out air from annoyance and kicked Hyunjin away, sending the woman a few feet from them. Dragging Yerim by the hair, she lifted up her head to expose her neck. “I would love to taste the blood of a Choi witch, but draining you dry would be too kind of me.” She bared her fangs and bent down to get closer before whispering in her ear, “but maybe just a little taste.” Bringing down her head suddenly, Yoohyeon latched her teeth into the side of the witch’s neck and bit roughly.Yerim’s screams echoed throughout the shop, but Yoohyeon didn’t seem to mind as she kept drinking.“Ah,” Jiyeon let out, walking over to Hyunjin, kicking the woman back down as she tried to crawl to her friend. “Where do you think you’re going?” Bringing her leg back, she kicked again, connecting her boots to Hyunjin’s ribs who then curled up. Using her feet to push the witch on her back, Jiyeon stepped down on the wounded shoulder.Hyunjin’s scream mixed with Yerim’s as she tried to use her good arm to get Jiyeon off of her. “Please,” she begged. “Call her off, please.” Her wound started to bleed again, but she didn’t care.“She does have a point.” Jiyeon turned to the hybrid and tried to get her attention. “Lay off the whole vampire thing, you’re gonna kill her too fast.”Yoohyeon pulled her head back immediately and let out a satisfied sigh before her expression showed annoyance again. “Can’t I feed in peace without you two yapping?” She kept Yerim up by the hair as the witch wanted nothing more than to just rest, feeling her energy depleting. Running her thumb at the corner of her mouth, Yoohyeon wiped the excess blood and then licked it off. “Kinda boring that you can’t put up more of a fight,” she commented, lazily running the back of her hand on Yerim’s cheek. She then got in front of the witch and forcefully grabbed her chin, using her other hand to drag sharp nails across her face.Yerim whimpered at the sensation of the skin on her cheek being pulled apart as she felt warm liquid run down. Her tears mixed with blood, but her throat hurt too much to scream anymore.“Please,” Hyunjin cried out from her position on the ground. She thrashed around, still trying to get up, but Jiyeon’s foot on her shoulder kept her down.“It’s crazy to think that all of this fighting and death has led up to this very moment,” Jiyeon started, looking at Yerim. “You think that us being here is all there is to it? We have vampires and hunters, other witches on our side invading the Council’s headquarters as we speak. With magic being down for the next couple of minutes, we’ll take over the organization that thinks that they’re above the rest of us.” She then looked down at Hyunjin before taking her foot off of the woman, only to bring it back down onto her stomach.Getting the wind knocked out of her, Hyunjin coughed, but instantly started to try to crawl to where Yerim was again.“Stubborn.” Jiyeon clicked her teeth and walked over to the counter to pick up another stool. Swinging it above her head, she threw it down on Hyunjin’s back, stopping the woman’s attempt to reach her friend.Crying out of frustration, Hyunjin didn’t even think about the pain she was in as she kept trying to get to Yerim. As she got closer, Yoohyeon smirked, grabbing the purple haired witch by the back of her arm and started dragging her away.“I should render you useless.” Carelessly tossing Yerim to the ground, Yoohyeon bent down and held onto the witch’s left hand. “Nasty wound,” she commented at the knife injury she sustained earlier before slowly bending the woman’s index finger back.Yerim cries were muffled as she tried to get away, but Yoohyeon got closer, bringing a knee on top of her stomach so that she couldn’t move. Finally hearing a snap, the vampire moved onto the next finger.“Without hands, your magic would be greatly limited.” Yoohyeon fiddled with Yerim’s middle finger before giving it a quick twist. Satisfied with the sound of screams, she smiled a wicked smile. “But to think I’m going to let you even live would be so naive.” Without warning, Yoohyeon pulled her up by the hair again so that she was on her knees and reached to the side to pick up one of the broken stool leg before thrusting it into Yerim’s stomach.Hyunjin’s eyes widened, not accepting what was happening. “Yerim!” Her voice was strained as she yelled for her coven member. She was now free to crawl using her left arm and leg as Jiyeon let her go.Gasping at the new pain that flooded her system, Yerim’s mind started to wander. She always knew that she was going to die in battle, but she didn’t think that the day would come so soon. There was still so much she wanted to do and say to her members that she felt that it was unfair that life has led her down this path.“Yerim,” Hyunjin called again with a cry, finally being able to reach her friend. She laid down beside the witch, placing her hand on Yerim’s uninjured side of her face, caressing her cheek just like what Yerim had done to her just a moment ago.Yerim doesn’t even remember falling to the ground, but she felt so cold as she laid on her side. She tried gasping for air only to let out a cough, causing blood to trickle down the corner of her mouth.Jiyeon suddenly laughed despite the scene in front of her. “You’re the last witch of your bloodline.” She lazily motioned to Yerim. “And once you’re gone, the protective shield your family has up around the Council will no longer exist. That magic will forever be gone and to know that the Choi family will cease to exist brings such joy to me.” She then chuckled, running a hand through her hair before looking at Hyunjin next. “You on the other hand, it doesn’t matter if you live or die.” Humming at a thought, she then spoke again. “But maybe having you alive would be better. Please do retell this event to the rest of your coven and bloodsuckers. I’m sure they’d appreciate a good story.”Hyunjin didn’t even bother to respond as she couldn’t stop crying, pressing her hand over Yerim’s wound to get it to stop bleeding. “Please, Yerim, God.” She wasn’t religious, but praying to a god that wasn’t listening was the only thing she could think of doing.“Unnie,” Yerim managed to say. She looked down at the coven necklace that dangled from Hyunjin’s neck to see that no colors were swirling, indicating that magic was still down. There was no way for their members to even know that they were both bleeding out on the cold floor of her family’s shop that they call home.They didn’t even realize that Yoohyeon and Jiyeon were no longer there after a while. They were now alone with the sounds of Hyunjin desperately trying to get Yerim to keep her eyes open and Yerim trying to just breathe.“Hey, hey, you’re gonna get through this. We’re going to be okay.” Hyunjin kept talking as Yerim started to lose focus. “You said we’re going to see Hyejoo and Heejin after this. Promise me, Yerim. We’re going to go see them after this,” she repeated as tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.“I—,” Yerim started. “I want to see them,” she struggled to say.Hyunjin nodded. “We’re gonna chase away those demons from Hye and we’ll bring her back home.” She looked down to see blood spilling between her fingers as she kept the pressure on Yerim’s stomach.“Chae,” Yerim said under her breath.Letting out a choked cry, Hyunjin brushed hair out of the other woman’s face. “She’ll come for us. She’ll come right when magic is back up.” She glanced at Yerim’s own necklace, waiting for it to activate.“Book.”Hyunjin frowned at what Yerim was trying to say.“Gram’s book.” Yerim’s eyes wandered to a shelf behind the counter. “Hye needs those spells.”Shaking her head, Hyunjin tried to stop another cry from leaving her lips. “I know.” She hated that Yerim was using her energy worrying about others when she was the one that needed to be worried over at the moment.The old family heirloom contained information of the dark arts that could be used for good or evil depending on the user, much like any other magic, but this one was far more dangerous. Being in the hands of Yerim, it was guaranteed that such powerful spells were used for good and it was something that must be protected.“I’m sorry,” Yerim whispered as coughs racked her body. “Unnie, I’m— I’m so sorry,” she said again as she shivered from the cold of blood loss.“I love you so much, Yerimie.” Hyunjin bit her lip, knowing that things weren’t looking good. She had to have hope, but with no one knowing what had happened to them, she didn’t know when help was coming or if it’d come at all.Yerim gave a small smile at Hyunjin’s response. It was rare for the older woman to express how she felt and it made her happy despite the circumstances to hear those simple words. The pain started to fade and her clouded head started to become clear. She doesn’t remember the last time her mind has been at peace, having dark magic invade the space up there. She didn’t even realize how much it had been affecting her until now. There was always this little thing in the back of her head that kept her from falling asleep, it ate at her soul, digging up feelings she didn’t want to feel. Her own demon’s were feeding off of her, but now they won’t be able to anymore. She'll finally get to rest.People always told her that she’s the strongest person they know, mentally and physically as a witch, but they couldn’t be more wrong. She has never thought of herself as someone who was capable since everything played against her since the day she was born. Her friends were the ones that made her strong. Without them, Yerim wasn’t so sure if she could have survived for this long.Bleeding out now, Yerim had so many regrets that she couldn’t help but start to feel sad. She’s never seen Hyunjin so hurt that all she wanted to do was reach up and wipe away her tears, but she couldn’t even do that as her broken hands laid there uselessly. The woman before her used to be so distant, keeping everyone at arm's length, but having been through so much together, Hyunjin started to open up and Yerim couldn’t be more thankful that her friend allowed her to experience that side of her. To show vulnerability was something Hyunjin absolutely hated, but her coven showed her that it was okay to show weakness. Weakness was strength in a way. To be able to rely on one another was a gift.They say when you’re close to death, your life flashes before your eyes, but Yerim concluded that it wasn’t the case. Now, all she could think about was how nice her adventures have been with such friends in her life. There was still so much she wanted to say to her members, but she guessed it would have to wait for another lifetime.Keeping her hand on Yerim’s cheek, Hyunjin kept talking to the woman, trying to keep her awake, but those brilliant bright eyes she grew to love started to fade, being replaced by a glossiness that Hyunjin couldn’t comprehend.“Yerim?” Hyunjin held her breath and stopped crying, lightly shaking the witch’s shoulder. When she didn’t get a response, she shook harder. “Yerim?!” The sobs erupted from her throat so loud that she couldn’t recognize her own voice. “No, no, no,” she repeated over and over. Trying to get up to pull Yerim towards her, she let out a cry from frustration when her arm slipped under her, causing her to crash to the floor again. “Yerimie, wake up.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Wake up!” She then yelled, running her thumb over the woman’s cold cheeks. Searching her eyes, Hyunjin tried desperately to get Yerim to look at her, but her gaze was elsewhere.Hyunjin couldn’t breathe.It was as if the world was caving in and swallowing her whole.Throwing her arm over Yerim’s waist, she pulled the woman in, wanting to feel close to the coven member she practically called sister. Sobs racked her body as she held Yerim’s head against her chest. “I’m so— so sorry,” she stuttered between cries.Hyunjin never thought that she’d ever be friends with someone so happy and seemingly carefree as Yerim. Having met as teens, Hyunjin was a moody kid that always thought life was out to get her. Despite all of her sarcastic and negative remarks, Yerim chose to ignore the attitude and befriend her anyways. She couldn’t understand why such a person would want to get to know her, but as time went on, she realized that she needed the tiny kid with sparkling eyes as much as Yerim needed her. Yerim wasn’t bright because her life was great, she was bright because she chose to be. Everything tried to work against her, but Yerim never let the negativity win and that made her the strongest person Hyunjin knew.Their coven members were all so different from one another, but they somehow meshed together like pieces of a missing puzzle. And now that one piece was gone, Hyunjin doesn’t know how they’re ever going to recover from such a loss of their best friend, their sister.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chaewon knew something beyond what she could fathom to be possible just happened the moment Sana and Yeojin disappeared from her radar, and she no longer felt magic running through her veins. Looking around, everyone looked the same, still fighting the fight as if nothing was wrong, but she felt so off. All of the sudden, her blood ran cold and all she could think about was how she had left Hyunjin and Yerim defenseless, if whatever was happening to her was happening to them too.Whipping her head to scan the area, she tried to land her eyes on each vampire from the clan she called family to find a few missing. The last person she could find was Sooyoung, throwing hit after hit at Dreamcatcher’s leader who didn’t seem to mind the attack. Her mother needed her, but so did her friends.She had to make a decision. It almost made her feel guilty that it wasn’t hard for her to make. As much as she loved her mothers and every vampire that helped raise her, they have lived more lifetimes any creature should ever be given. Her coven were made of powerful witches, but being powerful didn’t come with immortality. Witches without magic were just bodies filled with blood in the end. It made her so anxious. She was always so anxious when thinking about how she’s over a hundred years old, but her coven members were just children compared to her, not even have reached three decades of life. Such a short amount lived, yet the impact they have made on her was more than she could ever imagine.Looking back at family one more time, she gritted her teeth and ran out of the scene without a word. There was no time to waste. She couldn’t teleport to them, and the phone rings, it rings, but no one picks up.Awful things kept popping up in her head, but she had to remind herself that it could just be nothing. They could be fine right now and she’s just paranoid over them like how she always was. They were so fragile and she couldn’t relate, and it made her hate herself sometimes. She wished she could hurt and wish she could bleed like them, but she’s not anything like them. She’s a monster, stories told at night to scare children. So she ran and she ran so fast to the only people that has ever made her feel human, but she hasn’t been human for so long that sometimes she’s scared that her personality has just been altered to fit in, and that the real her was somewhere buried deep within, waiting to burst out.The unmistakable smell of blood flooded her nose before she could even see the alley way that kept the shop tucked in it. There was so much of it that it almost made her gag.“No, no,” Chaewon repeated under her breath, already knowing just whose blood it all belonged to.Running past a bunch of young drunks, she sprinted into the dark alley, her footsteps echoing against the wet floor. She reached the end in no time and stopped in front of a door that was slightly open. Her mind went blank as her hands went on autopilot and reached up to slowly push it in farther. Taking a step in, the smell got stronger and she couldn’t understand what her eyes were seeing.Sometimes she forgets how much blood a human body could hold.She was almost thankful that her vampire abilities were still working. It was probably something no one could turn off unlike what was happening to her magic. It allowed her to already know that there was only one heartbeat in the room, but it was so faint that she was afraid that if she got closer, it would just stop.Dragging her feet over, her legs felt like they weighed a hundred pounds each. When she got close enough to be able to see part of their faces, she felt her knees hit the ground before she could even comprehend that she was starting to shake. It was as if all sound went out and it was replaced by a silence that hurt her head and soul.Chaewon’s hand hovered over the purple haired witch’s leg, almost afraid to even touch her. Scooting closer, she then sat behind her back, looking at how much blood was underneath her. Reaching out after finding courage, she hesitantly placed a hand on the other woman’s shoulder and turned her around. And like a snap of fingers, everything came rushing back as every sound got too loud and every sense felt like they were on overdrive.“Yerim,” Chaewon finally cried out in a voice that was foreign to her. She grabbed the woman gently as if she was afraid she was going to hurt her and pulled the witch onto her lap. “No.” The word was almost inaudible between the sobs. “No,” she repeated again, but this one was more firm.Pulling back, she looked down at the already pale face to see it cut up in such an animalistic manner. Eyes then landing on Yerim’s mangled hands and then down to her stomach. Chaewon knew she should feel angry, but at that moment, the grief that was bombarding her system was so overwhelming that she wasn’t even sure she was making sound as she was crying.She has never felt such pain in her life. People come and go, but Yerim wasn’t just any person. Before she knew the woman, Chaewon was already the leader of a coven that she was sure wasn’t going to increase in numbers. She wasn’t planning on adding anyone else in, thinking that the three she already had was all she needed. Her members thought the same, their bond was stronger than anything else in such a short amount of time. And as bubbly as Yerim was, she never thought about joining a coven either, especially since she has been an outcast since the day she was born. Witches talked behind her back, pretending to feel sorry for the little girl that didn’t have parents, and humans just didn’t understand a thing about her. She had many friends, but none of them knew who she really was. She had to hide a side of her from society, but she didn’t have to when she was with her childhood best friend, Hyejoo. Both never have fitted in, fit together perfectly as if the world fated them to be.Chaewon didn’t know how she was going to tell Hyejoo, to tell Heejin, that the woman who kept them together in the darkest times was gone. It was their coven’s necklace that was supposed to do the hard work. It has been on their necks for as long as they’ve been together because they knew that one day, they wouldn’t be together anymore and they didn’t want to be the one to tell each other the bad news. They were scared. They never talked about it, but they all knew it was inevitable. They knew why they had to keep the crescent moon necklace on and the one time they needed it the most, it failed at its job.Seeing a tiny light, Chaewon reached down to hold Yerim’s necklace in her hand. It glowed a faint yellow, but no purple was present. Registering that magic was back up, the blonde tried summoning her halberd. She’s never been more happy when it appeared, but then every fiber of her being sank into a pit of realization that she couldn’t feel a thing.“No,” she said again, but her tone was filled with desperation this time. “Where are you?” She mumbled, concentrating on something that wasn’t there. “Yerim! Where the hell are you?” Chaewon shouted at the body that was turning colder by the second. Frantically looking around, tears fell every time she blinked as it blinded her vision. “What did they do to you?” Her voice was angry, holding onto the witch tighter. She knew it hasn’t been long since Yerim took her last breath, but she couldn’t feel the presence of her soul anywhere. Brushing hair away from Yerim’s neck, she let out a small growl at the teeth marks that were there. She had missed it with how much blood was already on the woman.Shaking her head, Chaewon didn’t know that her heart could drop further down into her stomach than it already was. “There’s no way,” she said in denial. “She’s not going to turn. Yerim, you’re not going to,” she choked out, not being able to think of another reason why she couldn’t feel Yerim’s soul. Her mind had concluded that whoever drank from the witch had intended to make her a vampire. It was the only thing that made sense. Monsters didn’t have souls, and she was the biggest monster of them all. The things that were currently running through her head were so out of character that she was almost afraid of herself. Just almost, but not enough to make her stop. She didn’t care anymore. She was going to raise hell and she didn’t care who got in her way. Maybe this was the real her. The side of herself that was itching to surface. All her life, she had wanted so bad to be good, but being good didn’t get her anywhere.Her sobs died down until it was silent again. Gently placing Yerim beside Hyunjin, Chaewon got up slowly and made her way to the counter. Spotting the shop’s phone there, she picked it up and walked to where she just was. Pulling Yerim back onto her lap, she dialed a number and let it ring.“Now’s not a good time,” a woman answered on the other side after a few seconds.“Yerim’s dead.” Chaewon was surprised at how steady she sounded, her voice lacking any emotion.“Chae.” There was a sigh and then she cleared her throat. “I tried calling earlier to tell Hyunjin that the Council was under attack and that they wouldn’t let me send anyone to help.”“Can you call an ambulance for me?” Chaewon asked, ignoring what the woman was saying.Jihyo let out another small sound. “Anything for you.”“Say there was a break in or something. Hyunjin’s still alive, but barely.”“Oh god,” Jihyo muttered at the second news.“I can’t deal with the police right now.” Her voice finally shook again, having to talk about this when she didn’t want to talk at all. “Jihyo,” she then called out.“Yeah?”“I know you did everything in your power to get them help.”Jihyo’s shaky breath could be heard clearly. “I’m sorry.”“You don’t have to be. This isn’t anybody’s fault, but mine,” Chaewon replied.“Chae,” Jihyo started, but was cut off when the hybrid pressed the off button.Tossing the phone to the side carelessly, Chaewon reached out to a piece of wood that was on the ground. Gripping it tightly, she didn’t allow herself to think as she quickly brought it above her head and then down, burying it into Yerim’s heart before yanking it out and throwing it far away. She didn’t think it was possible for more blood to spill out of a body that was starting to look almost fake.She couldn’t risk the possibility of her coven member waking up as a bloodsucker. They had promised each other that the life of immortality wasn’t something any of them sought after. It was a miserable life and Chaewon wouldn’t allow her family to go through the things she has gone through.Pulling Yerim’s body closer to her, Chaewon let sobs take over again as she rocked the woman in her arms back and forth. She rested her forehead against Yerim’s, repeating apologies over and over. Knowing that this was going to be the last time she’ll get to hold the witch made her heart ache more than she thought it could.There was no time to waste, she could already hear sirens approaching from far away.“Yerimie.” She tried to stop her cries to clear her vision. Resting a hand on Yerim’s cheek, she ran a thumb across it to only have it smear blood onto pale skin. Lowly growling that she was just dirtying her friend even more, she bent down and kissed her forehead instead. “I’m so sorry.” She kissed her again and hugged her tight before carefully placing her down.Crawling over to the other side, Chaewon was afraid to touch Hyunjin, scared that any further damage would stop her slow beating heart. Bending down, she placed a kiss on her other coven member’s forehead as well, hand caressing her face. “You have to live, Hyunjin. You have to live because there will be no one to stop me.” She clenched her jaw and breathed deeply through her nose. “And because I need you.”Standing up, Chaewon looked down at her members one more time. “I love you, Hyunjin. I love you, Yerim. I’ll see you in another life.” And with that, she walked out of Yerim’s shop without looking back.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
9 years ago “I can’t believe we’re finally moving in together.” The voice being high pitched more than usual because of the excitement.“Aren’t you a bit too excited on a Monday?” Chaewon commented while carrying a box that looked way too big for her small stature. “Where do you want this?” Yerim kept the smile on her face despite her friend’s usual gloomy attitude. “Anywhere is fine.”Going to a corner of the room, the blonde placed the heavy box down gently. “Don’t you think this is a bit too much stuff?”“I still gotta sort through all the books my Grams left behind. Most of this is going to the shop anyways.”“Are you sure you want to take over that place?” Chaewon asked, taking a seat at the end of Yerim’s bed. “You know that you could always go to college or something, get a job you’ve always wanted. I know the shop has been passed down through your family, but you have a choice too.”Tucking hair behind her ear, Yerim went to open one of the boxes and grabbed a book out. “I know that.” She then sighed and flipped through the pages, mindlessly. “What would I do in college anyways? I'd rather be studying up on spells and strengthening my magic.”“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Chaewon mumbled. “You’re young, Yerim. There’s life outside of being a witch. I know that you’re just gonna spend all your time cooped up in that shop and work yourself to death. You need to learn how to chill or something.”Yerim gave her friend a look before closing the book she wasn’t reading. “Why does everyone always tell me that? I chill,” she retorted back.“The only time you chill is when you’re eating ice cream in the middle of the night, because you’re too busy to make yourself proper food.”“Okay, now I feel like you’re just lecturing me.”Sighing, Chaewon got off the bed and walked over to the other witch, slinging an arm over the slightly taller woman. “Life is short, kid. I don’t think you’ve ever had any type of fun since the day you were born. And don’t even try to argue with me on that ‘cause Hyejoo has known you since you were both in diapers and she’s told me so many stories of you just spending every second of your time worrying over everybody else.”“Now you’re just being overdramatic.” Yerim lightly shoved Chaewon’s arm off of her as she started to walk out of the room. “I know how to have fun.” She then entered the living room to hear a snort. Glancing over to the couch, she glared at another woman that sat there with an arm over the seat and feet on the coffee table. “I don’t want to hear anything coming out of your mouth, Hyunjin unnie” she threatened.“I didn’t say shit.” Hyunjin laughed, keeping her vision on the TV.Yerim rolled her eyes and plopped down next to the woman with cat-like features. Looking at her friend, she could see the smirk still there.The thick scar across Hyunjin’s face that was still prominent from a past injury was usually the first thing people noticed when they looked at her, but Yerim didn’t see that. All she saw was Hyunjin’s eyes that held so much mystery in them that she sometimes found her hard to read. She used to get frustrated that she never knew what went on in the other woman’s head, but concluded that it was just part of her charm.“Are you done unpacking already?” Yerim asked, watching as Chaewon made her way to the kitchen.Hyunjin flipped through the channels to land on a show about food. “Yep,” came her simple reply.“I only saw you bringing in like two boxes.”“One box for clothes, another for snacks. What more do I need?”Yerim chuckled at the answer, thinking how typical it was of her friend. “Well, good thing you don’t have much because I think Heejin unnie is lugging over every single flannel she owns. And just how many skateboards does she need?”“One less apparently, because I accidentally broke one of hers the other day.”Sighing, Yerim lightly kicked at Hyunjin’s leg. “How many times have I told you to not try such dangerous tricks?”“Hey, watch the knee,” Hyunjin complained, but was only joking since Yerim barely touched her. “I’m just having fun, Yerim,” she said in a teasing tone.“Hyejoo thinks I’m fun,” Yerim muttered.“I think you’re annoying.”Yerim glanced up to see a dark haired woman walk out of the hallway on the other side of the living room. “I think you’re annoying,” she mocked back. “And all you do is game all day, Hyejoo, so don’t even talk to me about being fun.”Snorting, Hyejoo walked over to the couch, making sure to purposely bump into Yerim and Hyunjin’s legs so she could sit on the other side. “Remind me to never offer my help to Heejin unnie when it comes to her belongings. That woman has such an extensive collection of flannels and beanies. I think she has some in colors I didn’t even know existed.”“Yo, it’s a full moon tonight. Who wants to go out and test some new spells?” Came another voice from the hall.“Oh look, flannel and beanie, how surprising,” Hyejoo deadpanned.Heejin looked down at her clothes and then scratched her head. “What’s wrong with the way I dress.”“Nothing,” Hyejoo replied. “I just like bothering you.”Choosing to ignore the younger woman, Heejin held up a small book. “I forgot my parents gave this to me for my 18th birthday a year ago, but there’s a bunch of fun sounding spells in here.” She then opened it to a page she had bookmarked using a receipt from food delivery they got the other day. “How cool would it be to have some sort of object on us that could tell each other when one of us is in trouble?”Coming from the kitchen, Chaewon entered the living room while sipping on a glass of warmed up blood. “How would that work?”“I don’t know,” Heejin answered, scanning through the spell. “Oh, I think I know how to tweak it so that whatever object we use it on, it can display different colors or something.”“Leave it to the artsy nerd to figure that out,” Hyejoo piped up. “I call some silverish black color,” she then added on.Yerim reached across Hyunjin to smack Hyejoo on the arm. “Stop giving Heejin unnie crap. You know she’s not gonna say anything back to your annoying comments.”The youngest of the coven glared at her childhood friend. “Oh please, Heejin unnie knows she’s my favorite so it’s fine.”“You said that about Chaewon unnie like a week ago,” Yerim deadpanned.Hyejoo shrugged in response, but didn’t say anything more.“I’m looking forward to when I’m your favorite,” Hyunjin spoke, slightly pushing Yerim, who was still half on her.“You’re alright,” Hyejoo teased with a flat tone.Hyunjin scoffed and then scooted closer to the right. “Yerim’s my favorite maknae anyways.”Hyejoo let out a laugh, not really caring about Hyunjin’s reply.“Children, please.” Chaewon gulped down the rest of the blood before licking her lips.“You shouldn’t even be speaking. You’re the worst when it comes to bickering, Unnie,” Hyejoo remarked.The blonde smirked, knowing how true that was.“Anyways, how about we just use our coven necklace as the object for this spell?” Yerim suggested. “It’s something we always have on already.”“See, this is why Yerim is in the coven. She actually has useful input.” Heejin finally gave in to insulting her members. She then looked down at her nonexistent watch on her wrist. “We should head out so we’re not out too late. I got dramas I gotta watch.”“Your priorities,” Hyejoo mumbled, but got up from her seat anyways. Pushing her way through, purposely bumping into her members again, she got a bunch of annoyed sounds coming from Hyunjin and Yerim.The other two got off the couch right after while mumbling complaints.“Please bring jackets. It’s gonna get chilly at night,” Chaewon said, throwing herself down at the seat where her members just were since she didn’t get cold. “Especially you, Yerim, you’re always forgetting yours.”“Why does it feel like I’m always the one getting lectured?” Yerim muttered under her breath, but followed Hyejoo into their shared room anyways.Chaewon then let out a sigh of annoyance when everyone was gone. “If you change the channel one more time, Yeojin,” she growled lowly. Glaring to her left, a little girl sat next to her with the most mischievous grin.Not listening, Yeojin kept flipping through the channels.“I think I created the most annoying coven ever,” Chaewon complained and tried to smack her friend, watching as her arm went through the transparent undead witch. “What do you think your sister has been up to these days?”Yeojin shrugged, her mouth moving, but the sounds that came out weren’t words that could be understood by anyone else other than Chaewon, the necromancer.The blonde let out a laugh at Yeojin’s response. “You’re probably right. I can totally picture her babysitting my mother while she’s into whatever she’s into these days. Heard she got a new car that she street races with now.” Laughing again at something else Yeojin said, Chaewon responded with a happy sigh. “I really wish I got to know you when you were still alive.” She glanced to her left again. “Yeah, I’m glad I was the one to find your soul too,” she responded to the witch. “Crazy how things turned out, huh? It’s like we were all fated to meet.”“You being sentimental again?”Chaewon turned her head back to see Hyejoo coming out with a leather jacket on. “I just can’t wrap my head around everything that has happened in just a few years. I mean, before you and Yerim, this coven was so different.”Hyejoo smiled at her friend as Yerim joined them in the living room. “Yeah, before all this, it was just me and this stubborn brat.” She motioned over to the other woman next to her.Frowning at the constant teasing, Yerim lightly pushed the taller of the two. “Used to think we were all alone in this world.” The mood changed as the sentence ended.“Used to think a lot of things. Used to be a lot of things,” Hyunjin said, straightening out the collar of her jacket as she walked back into the room with Heejin, who had a backpack of supplies on. “Ready?” Getting nods, she headed for the front door and opened it.“She smiles a lot more these days.” Chaewon gestured her head towards Hyunjin.The said woman was already out the door, heading to the car.“Yeah,” Yerim agreed, remembering how quiet and negative Hyunjin used to be when they first met. “I’m happy that she doesn’t hide her face behind her hair anymore.”Hyejoo nodded with a frown, thinking back to how Hyunjin got that thick scar on her face that extended across her neck and upper arm. Clearing her throat at the different emotions that started to surface, she tried to hide how she was feeling. “We've all changed so much.”Looping her arms with Hyejoo and Yerim, Chaewon smiled despite the mood. “And now we’re a bunch of badass witches that have come together to create the most badass coven.”“And don’t y’all forget that!” Heejin yelled out from ahead while digging into her pocket to pull out a lollipop. She then turned and walked backwards to face her friends. “Which other coven can say that they’ve faced multiple Rank A demons and lived to tell the tale?” Plopping the candy in her mouth, Heejin threw her arms out wide as if she was holding the world before turning back around.Chaewon smiled wider, feeling a sense of pride thinking about her coven and the things they’ve been through together in such a short amount of time. The bond they had was something she didn’t think she’d ever experience, having only known the vampire clan that she was a part of. Finding witches that weren’t afraid of her and that she could actually relate to always brought a smile to her face, especially how being able to do magic was such a big part of her.Getting into the driver’s seat, the blonde buckled in and right when she started the car, the bickering between the members began, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. “How complicated is this spell?”“Hmm, I don’t think it’s too bad,” Heejin replied from the front passenger seat. “It does require some talking amongst us though.”“What do you mean talking?” Chaewon questioned. “Oh, you know, just this and that,” came Heejin’s vague answer. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll go more into detail when we’re actually there.”“Be nice to know what we’re doing before actually doing something,” Hyejoo remarked.Turning in her seat, Heejin faced one of the maknaes. “Do you trust me?” She asked.Rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, Hyejoo gave out a small scoff. “Of course I trust you.”Heejin smiled, satisfied with the answer. “Then you don’t need to worry about anything.”Hyejoo hummed in response and then looked out the window at the sky. “I still can’t get used to being out in the woods on a full moon.”“Yeah, it still makes me anxious sometimes,” Yerim agreed. “But things are different now.” She then placed a hand on her friend’s leg from the middle seat. “We’re finally free to do as we please and tonight should be a celebration of all of us moving in together. We haven’t really had much time lately to just hang out and talk and I think tonight will do us some good.”The members nodded in agreement, sure that all of them felt the same feeling at the moment of being content and just overall happy that things turned out the way it did. Having had so much stress on their shoulders for so long, it was a needed change that life was leading them in a direction they never thought they’d get to.“I think we need food if we’re calling this a celebration.” Leave it to Hyunjin to bring up the topic of eating when the atmosphere was all nostalgic.“Yeah, we can always hit up some places, bring it back and just chill?” Chaewon suggested.“Yeah, I'd rather eat at home than go out.” Hyunjin nodded along in agreement.“Home,” Yerim repeated quietly with a smile, thinking about how home had such a personal definition. Having been on her own at a young age, she lived in a house, but it was hard finding comfort in a place that held so much misery.Veering to the left, Chaewon drove off the road and onto a dirt path. They kept going until too many trees were blocking their way and they had to stop the car. Parking and getting out of the vehicle, they made their way deeper into the woods. It wasn’t unusual for supernatural activities to happen in these areas because of how secluded it was. Being able to freely use magic out in the open was something every witch craved for, but even though there’s not many people that come to these parts of the city, it was always better to create some sort of shield around to block out potential unwanted eyes and ears. And creating a shield was what they did as Heejin took charge in making one to hide their presence.“This spot should be good,” Heejin said after they walked some distance. She took one of her backpack straps off her shoulder and swung the bag in front of her. Unzipping it, she started to take items out, placing it on the ground of a small open area they found.The members helped spread out candles into a circle while Hyunjin took the handmade decorated jar of salt to form a circle around the group. Already having set up a sacred place many times for the coven before, they knew what to do without speaking. It only took a few minutes for everything to be in place before they all stepped into the circle.“Would you guys be mad if I said that some blood needs to be spilled?” Heejin questioned with a sheepish smile.“I thought I said no blood magic within the group?” Chaewon scolded while Yerim casted her eyes to the ground.“It isn’t blood magic,” Heejin assured. “I just need a few drops from each person. Using magic to create something so personal like having an object that basically tells each other our life forces requires a part of us,” she explained while pulling out a small knife from her backpack. “It’s just a prick.”“I’m fine with that,” Hyejoo agreed right away.Hyunjin shrugged and sat down with legs crossed as everyone else followed along.“Are we cool?” Heejin asked. “Oh and also place your necklace in the bowl.”Hyunjin made a face. “That’s kind of nasty?”“It’s magic, Hyun. It’ll be fine.” Heejin looked around at her friends. “Ready?”Everyone gave their own short response. With the coven now seated in a circle formation, Heejin began first and pricked her index finger with the knife before letting it drip into a metal bowl. After she was done, she took her necklace off and placed it in, and then she passed the items clockwise where Yerim sat.Without hesitation, Yerim pressed the knife against her finger and watched as blood came to the surface. She let it drip with guilt filling her heart at how many times she has bled for blood magic even when her friends have asked her to stop. This wasn’t the dark arts, but looking up to see all eyes on her, she knew that they were all thinking the same. With a small sigh, she then handed everything over to Hyejoo, who carelessly pricked her finger quickly and then passed it to Chaewon, and lastly, Hyunjin.Getting the bowl back, Heejin placed it down in front of her. “Alright, now this is where the fun begins. I’m going to start the spell and then we gotta all say one thing we have never told anyone,” she said, as if it was the simplest thing.“And this is why you wouldn’t explain things to us?” Chaewon shuffled in her seat, feeling a bit of nervous energy at the request.“Even if I told you before we started this, you’d still agree that it’d be a good thing we have something like this on us. We’re not always together and who knows what dangers are out there,” Heejin reasoned. “I rather know if one of you guys are in danger or not instead of worrying every time anyone goes out.”The blonde didn’t change her expression. “You’re right. I even worry when I don’t get a text back after five minutes.” She then glared at Heejin. “Especially somebody, I won’t say who, but there’s a certain somebody that never answers her phone.”“I can't multitask, okay?” Heejin exclaimed in defense. “I promise I’ll try to be better with that.” Sitting up straighter, she flipped to the page of the book to what she needed. “Anyways, you guys ready?” Instead of verbally answering, everyone lifted up a lighter that Heejin had passed around earlier. Turning around, they each lit a candle that was behind them. Even with the slight breeze, the candles stayed lit with the magic they casted around the circle.“Okay.” Heejin skimmed through the page before she started to recite a passage, replacing certain words to cater it to her coven. It didn’t take long for her to finish the incantation since it was just the introduction of the spell. “That was the easy part and now the talking section begins.” She looked around the circle at her members. “I guess I’ll go first since this was my idea.” Clearing her throat, she scratched the back of her neck out of nervousness. “I thought of leaving the coven after what happened to Hyunjin,” she blurted out quickly.“Wait, what?” Chaewon spoke up about the new information. “Are we able to discuss this or just going around confessing stuff like this?”“Uh,” Heejin began, looking down at the book. “It doesn’t say in here that we can’t talk about things said, so I guess now would be a good time to get things off of our chests.”“Well, you can’t just say something like that without an explanation,” the blonde said, knowing that there were a lot of unspoken things between the group. Heejin sighed. “I know. It’s just that,” she paused, trying to find the right words to say. “It’s just, we were so young. Hell, we still are. Yerim and Hyejoo just turned 18 and the things that we went through were just crazy. I feel like I was forced to grow up faster than I should, you know? And, and I couldn’t even tell my parents any of it. I hate lying to them.” Slumping her shoulders, she fidgeted with her fingers. “It’s not that I wanted to leave you guys. I just didn’t want to see anyone else hurt.”“I’m sorry,” Chaewon said the only thing she could think of.“And here we go again.” Hyunjin threw her hands up. “Everything that happened wasn’t your fault, Chae. I don’t know what any of us could say to make you think otherwise.”“It’s not like you forced us into this coven. We all had a choice and we chose to be by your side,” Heejin added on.Chaewon was scared to look up, but when she did, she saw nods of agreement coming from each person. “You guys were just kids,” she quietly muttered.“We haven’t been kids for a long time,” Hyejoo finally spoke up. “If everything that went down was your fault then I’m to blame as well.”Yerim frowned. “You know that’s not true.”“Look, it was no one’s fault, okay?” Heejin said with a firm voice.“What made you decide to stay?” Chaewon asked, wanting to understand how her friend was feeling.Heejin gave out a small smile that was hard to read. “I stayed because.” She bit her lip before continuing. “Because you guys are my family. I don’t have a backstory like you all. I lived a normal happy life with loving parents and an amazing, but annoying older sister. And my life was good. I could have just gone back to them, but it isn’t what I want.” She smiled again, but it was a real smile this time. “I have never felt more alive than being with each and every one of you, and it’s not because we go out and fight evil or anything like that, but because the bond we built is unlike any other. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to have something like this in any other lifetime and I’d do anything to keep it.”Chaewon hummed at the response, still feeling conflicted about what was going through her head. “I wish you would have talked about this earlier.”“I’m talking about it now,” Heejin replied.“You know what I mean.”“I know, but I don’t feel that way anymore. Time passed and I just didn’t think it was something necessary to bring up, but I also don’t like hiding things from the people who always have my back.” Heejin then gestured towards Yerim. “We’re good here, right? We can talk more after this, but it’s your turn.”Yerim’s heart started to pick up now that she had to speak next. “I don’t really have anything to confess.”“It really can just be anything you’ve never told any of us, doesn’t even have to be serious.” Heejin tried to help the other witch out with what to say.“Yeah, but I don’t want to waste this opportunity to say something more, I don’t know, meaningful.” Yerim thought for a second and then spoke again. “Since we’re here making some magical object that will tell us about each other’s lifeline or whatever, then I guess, I should say it now.” Not meeting anyone’s eyes, she spoke again. “If something were to happen to me, I don’t want to be turned into a vampire.”“I don’t think any of you guys should turn.” Chaewon had thought about this topic before, but never voiced her opinion on it. “But that isn’t my choice.”“I don’t think I would want to turn either,” Hyunjin agreed with the younger witch. “When this happened to me.” She motioned to the scar on her face. “When I thought I was going to die, the only thing I could think about was how I hoped Chae understood me well enough to not turn me. I feel like that was a discussion we should have had already, especially after that incident, but we’re all so good at avoiding things we should talk about.”Chaewon shut her eyes right before opening them again. “I would never forgive myself if I turned you.”“And I wouldn’t have put that burden on you.” It wasn’t often that Hyunjin expressed how she felt, but seeing her friend so conflicted over every little thing they were saying made her feel guilty.The hybrid gave her an understanding look and then glanced at Yerim. “Then what do you want?”The younger of the two shrugged. “What happens after we die?” She asked a rhetorical question. “I used to think that once I pass over, I’ll be able to see my parents again or any of my other family members, but we really don’t know, do we?” Breathing in deeply, she looked over to meet Chaewon’s eyes. “I guess I’d want to be by your side.”Chaewon smiled slightly at the bittersweet response. “You just want to bother me for all of eternity,” she joked.Yerim laughed out loud, imagining annoying her friend like how Yeojin constantly pestered her.“Well, you don’t have to worry about that for a long time because you still have to be here to take care of me.” Hyejoo had on a smirk, enjoying how everyone always teased Yerim.“I’m not your babysitter. Make your own ramen when you’re playing games late at night.” Yerim pretended to be annoyed, but the smile on her face betrayed her. “But yeah, I feel like this human life has been eventful enough and I’m not even 20 yet. I just want to live my life to the fullest with what I have and when that is over, I hope I won’t have any regrets.” “And this is why I want you to chill sometimes,” Chaewon brought up the topic again. “Like I said, you’re young. Go out and have fun, or stay home and have fun, whatever, but you always have your nose in some book, trying to learn as much magic as you can. You have a lifetime for that, but don’t waste your youth.”“Yeah, I know. I’ll try to relax more, but it’s hard for me. I’m just used to trying to strengthen my magic because there’s always some constant battle to be fought.”“But we’re not fighting anything right now,” Hyejoo added on. “Chae unnie is right. It’s hard for us to watch you lose sleep over your constant worrying. It’s not healthy.”Yerim nodded in understanding. “I promise I’ll try harder, but it’s going to take time. I can’t just shut everything off when I want to.”“That’s all we ask for.” Heejin placed a hand on Yerim’s arm. “And we can help you with that.”Yerim nodded again in thanks and then motioned to the next person to go.Hyejoo sighed, but started right away. “It isn’t news that I’ve wanted to give up so many times when we were trying to get rid of those demons that were latched onto me.” Her gaze then fell to the ground. “But there was a time where I was so close to ending everything myself.”“Hyejoo,” Yerim softly called out her name. She knew how much her childhood friend was suffering and it’d be a lie to say that that thought has never crossed her mind that Hyejoo would try something like that.“It was just for a brief moment, but I was just so tired of everything. Everything got so overwhelming,” Hyejoo explained with a desperate expression on her face. “I was being selfish. I wasn’t even thinking about any of you guys. I was just focused on me and it made me so angry.”“Hye, you weren’t being selfish. Everything that you’ve gone through was so unfair and I understand why you had those thoughts.” Yerim placed a hand on Hyejoo’s knee, gently rubbing it. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to comfort the other woman or herself, but figured that they both needed it.“You texted me,” Hyejoo made a seemingly random comment, placing her own hand over Yerim’s.The slightly older witch’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. “What?”“I—,” Hyejoo began, but paused to swallow the lump in her throat and then shook her head, looking up at the sky. “It was a full moon like tonight. I told you that I could handle myself for the night, and I really thought I could have, but then, I don’t know. One second I was fine, but the next, everything got too much and I didn’t know what to do.” Turning to look at Yerim, she was scared that she wouldn’t be able to hold in her emotions. “I wanted to give you a day off from taking care of me, but I couldn’t even give you that, huh?” She laughed bitterly, but her best friend just held her hand tighter. “I was in the bathroom and I hated what I saw in my reflection. I told you a demon attack had broken that mirror, but it was me. And the sharp pieces that laid there was so tempting, but then you texted me. It wasn’t even something significant. I can barely remember it. I think you just messaged me to ask if I’ve eaten yet or something, but that was enough to snap me out of whatever was going through my head.”Yerim didn’t want to think about the what if’s. She doesn’t even remember that moment, because she was always texting Hyejoo. Quickly wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve, she sniffed back tears that were threatening to fall. “I’m glad you trust us enough to tell us this. And I’m sorry you had to go through it alone.”Hyejoo shook her head. “I didn’t go through it alone. You were all there in your own ways, even without knowing it. I didn’t want to say anything about it because I didn’t want anyone to treat me differently. I was already a fragile doll everyone was cautious around and I guess I was tired of everyone treating me as if I was broken. But now that everything’s over, I understand why things played out the way it did. I was so angry all the time and everyone had their reasons to worry, and I just want to say thank you for the all the times everyone was patient with me, especially since most of you barely even knew me.”“You know how people say it’s love at first sight?” Hyunjin asked, randomly.“Um, yeah?” Hyejoo answered in confusion.“Okay, maybe that’s the wrong phrase to use, but when I first met you two.” She gestured to Hyejoo and Yerim. “I’m not the type to go out and just make friends with anyone, but you two intrigued me. I guess seeing your guys' relationship made me think a lot about the ones I had.” Glancing at Chaewon and Heejin, she saw their eyes on her. “I have my own blood family who loves me and I love them, but there was always something missing, and I guess I’m just trying to say that, friends are our chosen family. I’m not a very patient person, but you’ve taught me to be, because love is about taking on one thing at a time, together. And you know I’m not good with words, so I hope you understand what I’m trying to say because I barely understand what I’m trying to say.” She ended her talk with a laugh.Hyejoo laughed along, half because Hyunjin was always such a character that people found hard to understand and half because she understood perfectly. “I don’t have a blood family, so I’m glad you’ve chosen me to be a part of yours.”“You’re the kid sister I never wanted,” Hyunjin joked with another laugh. “But seriously, I can’t imagine this coven without you and Yerim. We thought we were complete with four, but I guess life had other plans.”“I mean, just some years ago, I was on and off in Haseul unnie’s clan. I didn’t even think about making a coven yet look how things turned out.” Chaewon looked around at the members with a smile.“And now it’s your turn to talk, Unnie.” Hyejoo pushed the topic to the blonde.“I’ve always known who my birth parents were,” Chaewon blurted out right away.Murmurs could be heard within the group, surprised at the confession.The hybrid then let out a half sigh, half chuckle. “I haven’t even told my Mother or Ma.” Sighing again, she straightened up her shoulders. “My birth parents were powerful witches, birthing a powerful being.” She gestured to herself in a cocky manner, but the coven knew it was her defense mechanism when she was trying to cover up how she really felt. “But like some typical tragic novel, they were told that I was fated to become a great source of evil, and if you think about it, they weren’t wrong. Back then, all vampires were considered bad because they didn’t have a soul. And to become a half vampire, half witch? That’s just the evilest of them all. It was like a vampire that could pass as a witch, pretending to be good. No one wanted that.”“Why’d you keep this to yourself?” Heejin asked, not sure why her friend would hide something like that for so long.Chaewon shrugged. “I guess I was embarrassed, ashamed. My parents didn’t even love me enough to try to fight against some prophecy an old witch had told them.” She then let out a bitter laugh. “Imagine raising your kid for 7 years and then just dropping them off at some orphanage, lying to them that they love them and will be back. I fuckin’ waited every day by the front door. Eventually, I stopped though, and then I just started lying to myself, pretending that I never knew my parents. Pretending that I was born and raised in that orphanage that tried so hard to suppress my powers. And look at me now.”“And now you have loving parents that would do anything for you.” Having been around the older vampires, Heejin knew just how much Jinsol and Sooyoung cared for their chosen daughter.Chaewon smiled at the mention of her mothers. “I still can’t believe that they took me in like that. I was probably just so delirious after attempting a crazy ass blood magic spell and they just barged in wanting to drink me dry. I know none of you understand the feeling, but to be sired by someone is just,” she stopped mid-sentence to try to find words. “I just felt this immediate connection and I knew, and they knew, that it was the effects of turning someone into a vampire, but they took me in anyways. And after those effects faded, my connection stayed. I just never thought to talk about my human birth parents because my mothers now are the only true parents who love me for who I am.”“It’s crazy how much I thought I knew everyone here, but after hearing everyone talk, it’s like, I don’t know.” Hyunjin shrugged and had on her usual straight face that was hard to read. “I guess everyone has their secrets.”“There’s a right time and place for everything. Just because we keep secrets doesn’t mean that we aren’t close,” Chaewon explained. “Everything takes time and I’ve been around for a while compared to the rest of you, but in that short amount of time, I’ve already told this coven way more about myself than I have ever told anyone else in like 100 plus years of living.”“You wanna know my secret?” Hyunjin asked with a mischievous look on her face.Chaewon rolled her eyes at how unpredictable her friend was. “It’s your turn anyways.”Hyunjin smiled wide enough to show her teeth, making her look even more like a cat. “I know how much on edge everyone has been with me for the past few years. And I’m not gonna lie. It’s been tough, really tough, but I just want everyone to know that I think this is the happiest I’ve been in my entire life.”“Aw, Hyunnie.” Heejin made a soft sound at her friend’s confession.“Hey, why are you tearing up?” Hyunjin frowned, lightly pushing the woman to her left.“Because.” Heejin sniffed and laughed at the same time. “It’s hard to ever hear you say something like that.” “I know,” the taller witch replied. “I’ve just been really happy with us moving in together and bickering nonstop. I feel like I’m getting back a piece of my childhood I never got to experience. And I guess this was only half of what I wanted to say, because happiness scares me,” she admitted. “I’m scared that this won’t last long and that something is bound to happen. Good things never lasts forever, and it scares me to death that I sometimes wish that I could go back to being angry and sad.”“Unnie,” Yerim sighed out. “We can’t predict the future, but we’re here now, in the present, together, and that’s what matters. Happiness is like any other emotion that comes and goes. If you’re happy now, don’t deprive yourself of it. Live it out with us because I’m happy too.” She smiled brightly as Hyunjin returned it with another smile of her own.Hyejoo threw her hands up in the air before placing both of them on the ground behind her and leaned back. “Ah, I’m happy too!” She yelled out, knowing that no one would be able to hear them with the magic they had around them.Chaewon laughed at how loud Hyejoo could get when most people that first meet the woman always think that she’s quiet. “Me too,” she chuckled along.“Same.” Heejin grinned. “Now is Yeojin gonna speak up or is she just gonna hide?”“She’s behind the tree.” Chaewon pointed behind her. “You were just talking my ears off a second ago and now you’re hiding?”A rush of wind passed by them, indicating that Yeojin was around. She then appeared by the blonde as the hybrid pulled the materialized girl onto her lap.“You can’t escape me now,” Chaewon joked although she knew that Yeojin could just leave her arms whenever she wanted to. “Come on. You may be dead, but so am I, and we’re both somehow a part of this coven, so speak.” Her laugh then died down, replacing her smile with a frown. She then looked to her members. “I’m going to speak for Yeojin as if she was speaking.” Getting nods from everyone, she listened carefully before talking. “I barely remember my human life. When Haseul unnie talks about the past, I sometimes just agree, but those memories have faded so much that I sometimes think they’ve been replaced by what my sister tells me. I’m not sure if anything I remember is real and I don’t want to tell her, but I sometimes question if my life with her ever existed.” Chaewon then cleared her throat, trying to hold onto Yeojin tighter. “You don’t have to say anymore if you don’t want to.”Everyone understood that Chaewon was now speaking to Yeojin instead of the group.The blonde let out a sigh and scratched her eyebrow at what Yeojin was telling her. “I know,” she said, still talking to the smallest member. “I don’t know how to explain it.” She looked up at the coven. “When we die a violent death, sometimes our souls are trapped in this realm, trying to make sense of things, but for Yeojinnie, her soul was still in this world, but a different world?” She tried to explain the best she could. “A darker version of this world where everything is distorted. And when you’re dead, your thoughts aren’t like your human ones. They’re scattered, confused, like being drunk or something. Little pieces of yourself are here and there, but also nowhere.”“That must have been scary.” Yerim fidgeted in her seat, listening to what was being said. “Have you tried going back to where it all started?” She questioned with some hesitation.“No,” Chaewon answered for Yeojin. “I’m scared that even if I go back, I won’t remember a thing, but I’m more scared that the memories will come back, and everything I think is real would be different. Almost everything I know about my human life is from Haseul unnie’s perspective and I’m not sure if I want that chance of ruining the image she has created for me.”“One day, if you want to go back, you know that we’d all go with you. You don’t have to deal with this alone.” Yerim wished she could hug the witch, hating that they couldn’t physically comfort each other.“Maybe one day,” Chaewon repeated Yeojin’s words, quietly. “She says it’s getting late and that we should complete the spell now. We can wrap this up and talk more if we want to at home.”“Alright, uh.” Heejin brought the bowl of their mixed blood and necklace closer to her. “I just gotta light this thing on fire now.” Looking around, she tried to find her box of matches.“You’re sitting on them.” Yerim pointed and then reached out to pick up the item, passing it to her friend.“Thanks.” Heejin took the box and opened it up, dropping a few matches on the ground while trying to pick one out.“You sure you don’t need help?” Hyejoo asked in a teasing manner.Heejin playfully glared at the younger woman. “I got this.” Striking the match on the side of the box. It lit up quick and then she tossed it into the bowl.They watched as the items went up in flames. The smell of burning blood made them scrunch up their faces, but they maintained their positions in the circle. After a bit, different colors started to emerge and then the fire died down, leaving them back in the dark with just candles giving them light.Heejin grinned at a feeling that rushed throughout her being. “Did you all feel that?” She asked, looking around excitedly to see a bunch of nods. “I knew it would work.”“What do you mean? Was there a chance of this not working?” Chaewon asked with a raised eyebrow.Heejin laughed in response, carefully taking one of the necklaces from the bowl. Tossing it one from one hand to the other, she let it cool before passing it to Yerim. “This one is yours.” She then turned her attention to Chaewon to answer her. “I lied about forgetting that my parents gave me this book last year for my birthday. I mean, they did give it to me, but I didn’t forget.” Picking up another necklace, she tossed it over to Hyunjin, who caught it with one hand. “The spell requires trust,” she explained with a grin. “I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want anyone to overthink it. I think last year was a tough year, and once everything settled after a bit, I guess I decided that I was ready to show you guys this spell. Not every coven can say that they could complete this, but here we are.” She raised up her own necklace after handing everyone theirs and then placed it over her head to wear it on.“Here we are,” Yerim repeated, holding the necklace in her hands. She never had the support system she needed growing up, but having friends like this made up for the lack of love she craved for. Looking at each member as they talked amongst themselves, Yerim couldn’t help the constant smile that plastered itself on her face. She used to think that Hyejoo and her would have to fight everything on their own, but now that they were a part of a coven that always had their backs, she couldn’t be more thankful. No one should have to face the things that they have gone through, but life was unfair. She was just glad that instead of tearing them apart, they became stronger as a team, as a family.Yerim let out a small laugh at how things have turned out. She’s never been happier and wished that they all could be together for as long as life allowed them.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Life is unpredictable. Strip down the magic and all there’s left is a human body with a beating heart and more blood than a vessel seems like it could hold. Such fragile beings with more power than one should possess, yet this world allowed it. The inevitable chaos that followed was the only thing that was a for sure deal from the beginning. Nothing was black and white, good vs evil. The in between was what really mattered. The grey area where fine lines were crossed, and crossing it was what they were pushed to do.Chaewon has never considered herself to be a pessimistic person, she was just realistic, snarky at best. Even with how unfair her life has been, there was always something that kept her going, but now, she wasn’t so sure what that something was. She used to think that immortality was a gift she was given to finally live the life she has always wanted. At first, she had everything she could ask for and more, but what was the point of anything if she’d have to watch all of her loved ones die anyways?Now she couldn’t see immortality as anything other than a curse. It has condemned her to the misery of seeing the people she cherished hurt and now death lingered in her mind like a virus overtaking her system.No one really knows what happens to a vampire after they die, but she knew that she couldn’t summon them back into this world. Not knowing what happened to Yerim’s soul after she left this earth was something that was going to haunt her for eternity and she couldn’t help but think, what would have happened if she stayed? She knew her coven was vulnerable yet she chose to leave, thinking that the trust she had in them was enough to keep them safe, but trust didn’t have to do with anything when it came down to it.Being a necromancer was a title she was proud of. She’d probably go down in the history books as a new breed or at least as a hybrid that defied the laws of death for those around her. But now, she never felt more useless when she couldn’t even get to her best friend on time. Out of all people, the young witch at least deserved an afterlife she wanted, by Chaewon’s side.Shaking the thought out of her head, the blonde looked down the alley, hearing sirens coming closer. She gritted her teeth and teleported back to her clan, not allowing her mind to wander more, knowing that she couldn’t be distracted from what she had to do.Appearing where she just was before going to the shop, she stood on the edge of the battlefield with her halberd by her side, gripping it tightly until her knuckles turned white. And the moment she got there, heads immediately whipped in her direction. She regretted making eye contact with her mother and then Jungeun, both giving her a knowing look at the blood they could smell and see on her. Her gaze then fell to Jiu, who had Sooyoung’s arm twisted back while Vivi tried to reach them, only to be stopped by Siyeon.The second her eyes met Jiu’s, a smirk appeared on the vampire’s face as she held Sooyoung’s neck from behind. Chaewon growled, knowing that the clan leader was taunting her over the knowledge of her coven member’s death. She then teleported closer, but an unseen force threw her back as she crashed into a few hunters who quickly pointed crossbows at her. Slamming the bottom of her halberd onto the ground, the vicinity shook as her weapon covered itself in flames. Humans and vampires alike that were once standing, fell to their knees. Screams filled her ears and the smell of burning flesh entered her nose, but she couldn’t be bothered when her vision was set on one person.“Chaewon!”She heard Jinsol calling for her. Ignoring her mother, she made her way towards the woman that had Sooyoung in her grip as she thrashed around wildly.“Chae, stop!” Jinsol yelled again, snapping the neck of an enemy that got in her way before heading for the blonde whose hair was now a dark silver. She tried to get closer when the heat of Chaewon’s power started to sizzle her skin. Grunting at the pain that felt like the unforgiving sun, she tried to push through, but ended up on her knees as her flesh burned, only to heal itself over and over again.Chaewon didn’t stop. She kept advancing. And with each step she took, a different spirit would appear near her, slowly materializing. There were women and men with the same distinct semi transparent figure that showed that they were under Chaewon’s command. But to say that they moved as she pleased would be wrong. They weren’t controlled. They were her comrades, each with a different story, but the one thing they all had in common was that they chose to be by Chaewon’s side in the afterlife, like where Yerim should have been.The woman with ashy brown hair from earlier that Sunmi seemed to know reappeared. Her face was still unreadable, but this time, she was accompanied by a woman that was a few inches taller with dark bangs and a smile that could rival Yerim’s. The two didn’t waste any time and using Chaewon’s power that was lent to them, they cleared the way for the angry blonde hybrid.“I won’t hesitate to rip out her throat,” Jiu threatened loudly as Chaewon took heavy steps closer. She twisted Sooyoung’s arm back more until she felt it snap. The defenseless out of control vampire didn’t even seem to register the pain as she kept flailing around to get out of the clan leader’s hold.Chaewon didn’t respond. Instead, she stopped where she was and in an instant, Taeyeon and her partner that stayed close by stepped in front of the hybrid. The smaller spirit of the two turned her head to glance at Chaewon before giving her a nod. Raising her arm up with palm facing Jiu, Taeyeon then closed her fist and began to approach the enemy.“What is she doing?” Jiu questioned out of uncertainty, not sure if she should be afraid, especially after seeing Sunmi run off at the appearance of the undead stranger when the older woman wasn’t one to back down unless it was on her own accord. Holding Sooyoung in place was easy with the vampire weaker than she usually was. In the back of Jiu’s mind, she knew there was no return to how things once were yet she still tried. She tried so hard, but Sooyoung didn’t want anything to do with her. That was evident in how the vampire didn’t hesitate to attack her after the mind manipulation spell was lifted. Jiu had hoped that things would have turned out differently, but who was she kidding? She never had Sooyoung as long as Jinsol was in the picture and even if the other vampire didn’t exist, she wasn’t so sure if the woman she loved would have stayed for her. She drove everyone away. She knew that. She knew it, but couldn’t help it. It was as if her actions and words betrayed everything she tried to change. Maybe she never tried hard enough, because at this very moment, all she could think about was tearing out the heart of the woman that broke hers.Growling lowly, Jiu forced Sooyoung back down on her knees by her neck and placed her left hand on the vampire’s shoulder blade, out of sight from everyone else. She forcefully drove her fingers into Sooyoung’s flesh as the woman froze at the intrusion. Not letting herself think, she could feel the thick liquid starting to coat her hand, but her mistake was underestimating her opponent.Chaewon wasn’t someone that showed off her abilities although she knew she had more power than she cared for. No one really knows what she was truly capable of, not even herself. With no one like her, there wasn’t anybody to guide her through her lonely path that she accidentally stumbled upon.Immediately being able to differentiate the smell of Sooyoung’s blood from all others that surfaced at an alarming amount, Chaewon slid a foot forward, but didn’t need to say anything as Taeyeon took action instead, tightened her fist that was still up. Even though she wasn’t as strong as when she was alive, the undead spirit was still more skilled than most as Jiu instantly let go of Sooyoung at the attack that pierced through the shield that was around her, drilling into her head so deeply that she felt her knees start to shake. As unbearable the new sensation was, Jiu stood her ground with eyes shut, stubbornly trying to resist the magic that was gnawing at her very being. And upon opening her eyes again, she came face to face with Sooyoung. The slightly shorter vampire looked more composed than she has been since Jiu preyed on her through the dark arts of another witch.Without a word, Sooyoung bared her fangs, latching onto the first thing her teeth came in contact with. Jiu didn’t even have time to throw up her hands to defend herself as she felt sharp incisors dig into the side of her face, ripping her cheek from bone. She didn’t know how to feel. Pain wasn’t something that was new or had much affect on her, but the person that was intentionally trying to cause her the pain hurt more than the physical aspect of it.Jiu deserved everything that was coming at her. She was never who she wanted to be, but Sooyoung never asked her to be someone else. Everyone expected her to hold up a front she displayed for the public like a mask she couldn’t take off. Since birth, she was forced to be strong when she was weak, and as time passed, she had convinced herself that she was invincible. Her clan never believed it though. Inducing fear was how she kept control, but was lucky that Siyeon and Bora never cared enough about their own lives to be afraid of anyone. They came as a pair, reckless and intrigued by the vampire known as Sunmi’s protege. And with them by her side, she thought that they were all she desired until a slightly younger vampire than herself stumbled into a trap she had set up for bloodsuckers that were indebted to her.Starving and weak, Sooyoung entered her life ready to die. Left leg almost ripped off at the knee was how Jiu found her. The woman sat with her back against a tree, a dead body still full of warm blood laid just out of reach like a tease. Sooyoung didn’t say anything as she approached, just casually stayed in her spot as if there was no threat present.Jiu was used to people being afraid of her. She counted on it, craving for the power she had over others, but almost felt sick when she tried to scare the injured vampire whose only reaction to her act was a silence she wasn’t expecting. Most would have tried to fight or at least begged for their life, but Sooyoung’s face held something she was reminded of back when she was alone, trapped in a house she couldn’t call home.“Are you not afraid of death?” Jiu asked, curious as to why she couldn’t feel fear off of the heavily bleeding woman. Kneeling down on one knee, she moved her head in front of Sooyoung’s eyes until the vampire finally looked at her.“Aren’t I already dead?” Sooyoung asked back in a calm voice. Resting the back of her head against the tree, she let out a small sigh as if she was getting impatient that Jiu hadn't killed her yet.The double meaning threw her off. She wasn’t sure if the woman meant that vampires didn’t have a beating heart or if she was ready for Jiu to put an end to her immortality. “What were you going to do in your current state if I didn’t show up?”Sooyoung closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again, giving a shrug that came with her uncaring behavior. “Sit here until the sun comes up, I suppose.”Jiu gestured to the dark haired vampire’s hands. “You don’t even have a daylight ring on,” she pointed out the obvious.Slowly lifting up her arms with a pained grunt, Sooyoung looked between her hands, examining them, and then caught Jiu’s eyes again. “I guess I don’t.”Letting out a small airy laugh at the ridiculous response, Jiu shook her head at the interesting woman with humor that didn’t match the situation. She then glanced back and nodded towards the dead body that laid a few feet away from them. “If I carried that bastard over to you, would you feed?” She wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but killing the vampire who has already decided her own fate wasn’t in her plan anymore.“Why do you keep asking me questions?” Sooyoung finally showed a bit of emotion as her eyebrows couldn’t help but knit together. She knew her injured leg was caused by a trap the vampire before her had placed. She could smell her intoxicating scent that lingered in the air.“Killing you when you’re already waiting for death seems a bit,” she paused and clicked her teeth, “pointless, even for me who kills just to kill.”Sooyoung didn’t respond for a moment, just caught in a staring contest with a woman who wouldn’t leave her alone when she had been enjoying the silence as she sat bleeding out. “It’d be a hassle to find another human and drag them back here to reset your trap.” Sitting up straighter, she used her hands to push herself off of the tree she was leaning on. “Would you like me to leave so that you could catch whoever you’re trying to catch?” Her left leg laid there uselessly as she started to scoot to the side. “Might take me awhile though. I’m assuming your bear trap of sorts had poison on them?”Jiu scratched the back of her head at how absurd the other vampire was being. It was almost comical to watch the stranger actually trying to exit the scene by using her hands to slowly drag herself. “I have an antidote.” She stayed rooted in her spot, but her eyes followed the woman who was leaving behind a trail of blood as she inched away.“That’s nice,” Sooyoung responded without looking up. After a few more seconds of Jiu watching her struggle, she stopped in her movements and let out a frustrated huff of air. “Can the sun please come up quicker?” She mumbled to herself, using her hands to lift up her injured leg to pull closer to her. “Do you mind just cutting this limb off? I think I can maneuver around better without it. Maybe leave the knee though. I like my knees.”Finally standing back up, Jiu only needed to take two steps to be in front of Sooyoung again. “You’re more entertaining than Bora and that tiny woman is the definition of entertainment,” she made an unrelated comment. Bending down once more, she grabbed Sooyoung’s right arm and placed it over her shoulder. Her arm then went around the smaller vampire’s waist as she lifted her up to her feet. “Don’t worry. I’m not trying to deter you from your death wish, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to take out the poison from your system, and then you can go wherever you please as your choice of a final resting place.”Jiu didn’t give it much thought when she brought the stranger back to her place, thinking that the woman would leave right away, but Jiu didn’t want her to leave after all. She found it easier to relate to those who had nothing to lose. They were more honest and unafraid of her presence no matter how many stories they have heard and continue to hear about her. And sometimes, she just needed someone that needed her too.Feeling hands wrap around her throat as teeth let go of her mutilated cheek, Jiu allowed herself to be pushed up against the side of a building. “I’ve never seen more life in someone who’s already dead,” she struggled to say under the grip, looking into Sooyoung’s hateful eyes that weren’t looking at hers.Something in Sooyoung seemed to snap at the same comment that was said to her when the two of them first fell in love. Loosening her hold, sadness flashed across her face before it was quickly replaced by anger again. “You should have left me to die that day.” Her voice hoarse from it being unused, almost scared that no sound would come out.The corners of Jiu’s lips curled up, displaying a soft smile. “You know you don’t mean that.” She felt blood on her shoulder start to bubble up as Sooyoung’s nails bit into her flesh. “I’m not the type to say sorry, because nobody has ever said it to me and meant it without fear as a factor, and that includes you,” she whispered the last part as all the noise of fighting and death that lingered around them seemed to disappear as they stood there. “I don’t know why I do the things I do even when I tell myself not to. I guess I was just born broken and people don’t really change.” She then let out an amused laugh. “Excuses, right? You always said I had a lot of excuses, but Sooyoungie,” she stopped in her sentence to shake her head with another light chuckle as blood kept dripping down her face although the wound had already begun to heal. “I say sorry to you in my head all the time. You might not believe me, but I really—,” she paused again, but this time, she gasped as an unfamiliar pain started to radiate throughout her body. “Sooyoung,” she managed to choke out before she couldn’t help but scream as she felt herself burning from the inside out.Sooyoung still had a hold on Jiu when she pulled away a bit in confusion. Her mind couldn’t even process what was going on when the vampire that has been tormenting her for decades began to engulf in flames. One moment, the woman she thought she hated was there, but in an instant, she was looking down at her hands as ashes of the woman she once loved fell between her fingers. “Minji,” she breathed out in disbelief.“Mama.”Whipping her head around, Sooyoung could make out her daughter’s voice from afar despite every sound that came rushing back, clashing against her ears so loud that it hurt like nails on a chalkboard. Mind still scattered from everything that was happening in such a short amount of time, she felt overwhelmed with emotions, not understanding what she was feeling. And before she knew it, her knees harshly collided with the ground, hands being the only thing keeping her from falling completely as she placed her forehead down against the gravel, finding it too difficult to hold herself up. She let out a cry that made her body ache, momentarily not caring about anything that was going on in her surroundings.She wanted it all to stop. She didn’t want to feel when she felt all too much.Praying for an end, Sooyoung felt some sort of relief as an arrow dug itself between her ribs. The pain didn’t bother her much when another barely missed her head, finding its way into the back of her neck. It threw her off balance as she collapsed onto her side and curled her knees up to her chest.All she could wish for was that this battleground was her final resting place.
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It was only wishful thinking afterall. Nothing ever came easy.The arrow to the back of her neck was barely hanging on when Sooyoung felt it being ripped out. She didn’t even flinch, but found herself having to move when she was pulled up to her knees. Everything felt so out of place, skewed from reality. Nothing seemed real, yet the pain from the other arrow that was yanked from her between her ribs told her otherwise.“Sooyoung. Get up!”It was like an out of body experience. A name was called and she knew it was hers, but it sounded so foreign.“You can’t just stay out in the open.” The voice hissed, urgently.Ironically, it wasn’t the yelling that got her attention, but the breath of words close to her ears that made her blink in confusion. Slowly coming back to her senses, Sooyoung instinctively leaned back against the body that held hers up, feeling too drained to do anything else.“We gotta—,” the sentence was cut off when Sooyoung felt the person behind her jolt a little. Looking to her left, she saw an arm outstretched, holding onto an arrow that had come for them and then a figure approaching at a speed too fast for her to register in her current state.They all collided and Sooyoung came crashing back down onto the ground, but not as harsh as she thought the hit would be. Instead, most of the impact was from behind, causing her to turn towards the direction it ended up in. She frowned at who she saw. It finally clicked in her head that the soothing voice that was trying to save her belonged to Siyeon. Anger instantly started to bubble up as the lump in her throat got hard to swallow. And it scared her even more that the anger wasn’t only directed at her ex coven member, but also at her current one as she watched Haseul try to get the upperhand in the fight.The mix of emotions got too much. Sooyoung didn’t know what to do when the sharp pain in her head came back tenfold. “Stop,” she whispered through gritted teeth, hands clenched onto a fistful of gravel that dug into her palms. “Stop,” she repeated in the same tone. “Stop. Stop! Stop!” She ended up yelling at the top of her lungs. But no matter how loud she was, no one listened to her. She just wanted someone to listen to her.Sooyoung was up on her feet before she even knew it, and with a low growl, she headed straight for the pair that were still grappling on the ground. She plowed into them recklessly; none of them affected much as they all quickly scrambled up. Not reading the confused atmosphere, she went for the closest person to her.“Sooyoung,” Haseul barely got the name out of her mouth when the woman came at her on almost all fours, not even taking the time to fully stand up. She didn’t want to move, wondering what would happen if she just stayed still. Holding her breath, she waited for the attack to come, but when it didn’t, she couldn’t tell whether to be thankful or not that Sooyoung was yanked back at the last second, inches away from her.“Calm down,” Siyeon hissed, keeping her weight on the thrashing woman’s back to keep her flat on her stomach. She then looked up at Haseul, who didn’t have much of an expression, but knew that things were more complicated than the blank stare that was displayed. “I’m not here to hurt her,” she grunted out, shifting around to keep Sooyoung still. “Or you for that matter.” Making eye contact with the vampire she was just fighting, she nodded her head back down. “We need to get her to stop whatever she’s doing. She’s going to hurt herself.”The last sentence seemed to snap Haseul’s focus to where it needed to be. Bending down, she grabbed onto one of Sooyoung’s arms that was flailing around while Siyeon had the other pinned. “Sooyoung,” she called out calmly. Placing her free hand on top of the brunette’s head, she gently stroked her hair. “Hey, you’re okay.” Glancing up, she caught the enemy vampire’s eyes again as she kept speaking to her coven member. “Jiu’s gone. You’re okay now.” She saw Siyeon clenching her jaw at the mention of the name, but Haseul didn’t react to it.The name seemed to have an effect on the out of control vampire too as her movements became nothing but light struggles and heavy breathing.Waiting a few more moments, Siyeon then spoke up. “If I get off, you have to promise not to go all berserk again.” She gave Sooyoung’s wrist a light squeeze to let the woman know that she was talking to her and needed an answer.Nothing made sense, but Sooyoung knew it was useless to keep fighting when every move she made was running on fumes. Feeling defeated, she gave a small nod. It was barely noticeable, but it was enough to get most of the weight off of her back. She laid there, not knowing how to function until she was helped onto her side. She kept her eyes tightly shut before deciding that she had to face reality at some time. Opening them again, she blinked slowly to clear her vision to see two faces of concern beaming down on her. “Siyeon,” she mumbled almost inaudibly before her mind could even process the name that slipped out between her lips.The blonde vampire immediately got closer, not noticing the flash of hurt that crossed Haseul’s face. “We need to get her out of here.” She began to lift one of Sooyoung’s arms when she was stopped.“We,” Haseul emphasized the word, “don’t need to do anything.” Taking the now stoic woman, she didn’t feel any sort of comfort even with Sooyoung in her arms. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but it’s not going to work.” She then nodded her head behind to where another fight was taking place. “I would suggest you assist your mate before you have another member less.”Siyeon’s eyes trailed over, landing on Bora who was currently unleashing everything she had onto Vivi, who seemed on par, but with a closer look, the pink haired vampire was being pushed back inch by inch. Siyeon knew who her lover was really after. She herself was conflicted on what she wanted, but she felt it too. Everything stopped when she all of the sudden couldn’t sense Jiu anymore. Instead, the last part of the clan leader clung ever so briefly onto Sooyoung, that the younger vampire’s scent got so overwhelming as Siyeon tried to chase after what was left of the torched woman. It was an indescribable feeling that was then replaced by anger towards the one that took one of her oldest friends away from her.Chaewon needed to die.The thought repeated itself over and over in Siyeon’s head when she had pinpointed who the killer was. She knew what she wanted to do then, but Bora had beat her to it as the smaller vampire came rushing into danger without a plan. Seeing her love so filled with rage made yet, another thing snap inside of her. She then realized that what she wanted to do wasn’t what she needed to do. They were two completely different things, and at that moment, she knew she couldn’t let anger totally consume her. She was tired of losing people. She was sick of fighting a fight that never seemed to end. This whole plan to take out those who hunted them and the vampires that protects the humans and dogs was supposed to be her way out. But what was the point of wanting freedom now if she couldn’t spend it with those she loved?Bora was outnumbered, but Sooyoung laid curled up on the ground, defenseless. Siyeon’s loyalty undoubtedly lies with Bora, but after seeing their former lover completely broken to the point of having no fight left in her, it tore at Siyeon’s heart more than she wanted it to. She knew that although she never agreed to Jiu’s plan of using mind manipulation on Sooyoung, she was still largely at fault for not putting a stop to it.Being next to her ex lover now, with Haseul close enough to tear her throat out, Siyeon realized that Sooyoung didn’t need her. The dark humored, but overprotective woman hadn’t needed her in a long time, and she just chose to not accept it.This was her own doing. She was so blinded, tunnel visioned after one thing that she couldn’t see beyond her own selfish desires. She was still selfish now. Siyeon just wanted to get Bora out so that they could leave, not caring about following through with Jiu’s plans anymore. Without a leader for the revolution, she wasn’t going to stick around to pick up the role or watch how it played out.Standing up, Siyeon watched Haseul do the same, carefully lifting Sooyoung with her. And without another word, she sprinted towards the fight she didn’t want to be in. Coming right behind Vivi, she gripped onto the back of the vampire’s neck but the woman’s reflexes were too fast as she was quickly thrown over the enemy’s shoulder. Barely being able to land on her feet, she ended up side by side with Bora.“This isn’t worth it,” Siyeon spoke firmly, tugging at Bora’s arm.The other woman scoffed and pulled away. “Jiu’s always worth it,” she growled. No matter how much she clashed with the clan leader at times, she couldn’t deny how much she loved her.“Jiu’s dead.” To say those words out loud made their situation sink in more. “But you’re still here,” Siyeon pleaded with desperation.Bora kept their eye contact for a moment and clenched her jaw before tearing her gaze away to look back towards Vivi, who was now preoccupied with other attackers. Beyond the pink haired vampire was Chaewon on her knees with Jinsol in front of her trying to get her to stop whatever she was doing. They were encased in a forcefield that was constantly fluctuating in and out, appearing in different shapes and sizes.Seeing the magic around the two drop once more, Bora made a run for it. She knew she was going to be stopped again and she was when Vivi threw a hunter in her direction. The man came hurling at her, but she was able to side step and dodge. Just as the vampire in front of her was going to attack, to keep her away from Chaewon, the woman fell to her knees and hands flew up to grip her head. Bora looked around, quickly spotting Gahyeon off to the side, handling several people at once. Taking it as her chance, she dashed forward, not caring about finishing off Vivi when her mind was only set on one person.The forcefield was up again, but Bora advanced anyway. She could smell her flesh burning before the pain even hit as she got closer. Whatever the necromancer was doing, she was exerting an immense amount of energy that was destroying everything around her.“Bora!”Ignoring her name being called, the side of her face started to heal when Chaewon’s magic dissipated for a brief moment. She could already imagine her fingers wrapping around the hybrid’s neck as she got nearer, but was suddenly pulled back and shoved away, just in time to see the forcefield go up again.Bora scrambled up in anger that her chance was yanked away from her, that she didn’t even care that her skin was starting to blister again. It wasn’t until a scream of pain directed her attention towards the person that had essentially saved her from the unforgiving magic that was ready to eat her alive.“Siyeon,” Bora called under her breath. The taller woman was on her stomach, trying to use her arms to crawl away from the forcefield. Most of her lower half was engulfed in flames as each move got harder with the unpredictable strength of power Chaewon was producing. Siyeon didn’t know whether she was welcoming death or if she had to keep fighting to survive. The decision was eventually made for her when she felt arms flip her over and drag her away.Her mind was going all over the place. It went from wondering if her legs were still there to if things could have turned out differently. She could have been a better friend, a better lover. She could have pried more into Jiu’s head, stayed up longer by her side when she wanted to talk. Question Jinsol every time she saw doubt in her eyes and how reluctant the woman was at allowing herself to be loved. There were so many things she could have done, but she wasn’t sure if it would have ever been enough to change anything.“Shit, Siyeon. I’m so sorry,” Bora cried out, not sure if the injured woman could even hear her with how disorientated she looked. When her skin felt like it wasn’t sizzling anymore, she got them to a side of a building, stopped and dropped to her knees. She quickly took off her jacket and threw it over the still burning woman to try to stop the flames. After what seemed like eternity, she extinguished the last of it to see how charred Siyeon’s body was as blisters started to pop and pus started to drain from them. She stayed rooted in her spot and waited, letting out a small sigh of relief when she saw that Siyeon’s injuries were healing, but at a very slow rate. Carefully pulling the last member of her original clan into her arms, Bora glanced around at the chaos that surrounded them.Was everything worth it?