Chapter Text
‘Eui-Jae’
It was supposed to be just another simple day.
When it happened, my body moved faster than my brain could process it, as it always had. I barely registered a familiar desperate voice calling out to him.
I heard a high-pitched screech, and my head snapped towards the direction. Before I knew it, my legs were moving. A car was skidding out of control, and it heading straight towards a school bus.
‘’Hyung!’’ That voice sounded so distant, yet so warm.
BANG.
I saw bright white light came rushing towards me at an alarming rate, my heart was beating rapidly from the adrenaline.
Pain exploded through my body before I could even scream. It was not sharp at first, but heavy and crushing, like every part of me had been struck at once and I felt myself flying backwards onto the hard concrete. An incessant ringing in my ears, and the pounding of my own heart were deafening.
The only thought that went through my head at this point was white-hot pain like I have never experienced before, but also relief….
‘Did I save those children?’
My chest burned as I tried to breathe in harshly, but my lungs refused to work. My limbs felt weak and numb. I couldn't move anything and I felt myself submerged partially in a puddle of liquid.
My vision was blurry, but I felt droplets dripping down onto my face and warm arms enveloping me. A beautiful face filled my vision, he was crying. My most important person in the world. I felt a pang of regret twist my heart, consuming me as I forced my hand up to cup his face with the remaining strength I had. My vision was turning red from the liquid dripping freely down my face.
This was the end.
‘‘I’m …. Sorry….. I couldn’t fulfill….. our promise…. ‘’ I choked out harshly as I coughed up more blood.
He shook his head aggressively.
‘’Don’t do this to me. Not now!’’
‘’In our next life…. Will you wait for me…. Again?’
‘’Always.’’ A resolute and simple response.
His fingers traced my lips as I smiled back at him.
Ah, how selfish I am. To make him wait for me again….
I’m sorry….
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‘’I see you are hiding here again,’’ a familiar voice called out from behind me. I came to my senses with a start. I must have been having the same dream again. Did I actually fall asleep while standing on a railing? It was so frustrating, I could not remember the dream no matter how much I tried, except for this vague feeling that kept tugging at me. That I was looking for someone.
‘’Jungbin, you’re back. Was it a difficult task this time?’’ I jumped down from the railing I had been balancing on precariously.
‘’The vampires are getting really aggressive recently. There have been four vampire assault cases this week alone, almost double the number from the previous week.’’
That is really worrying. Ever since vampires first appeared thousands of years ago, they had isolated themselves and never appeared in public after the war broke out between them and humans. Humans who were strong enough to fight against the vampires naturally rose up, forming the first group of people known as ‘Vampire Hunters’. The war officially stopped when the vast majority of the vampires died, after it was discovered that silver was extremely lethal to them coupled with a clean stab through the heart. Vampires disappeared from the face of the earth for a few hundred years, etched into the dusty corners of humanity’s old history, lost to time.
Up until a few years ago. That was when humans started being admitted to hospitals suffering from blood loss with a puncture mark on their neck as if to mock humanity for forgetting their existence. The police and government were plagued by incessant calls and reports of missing people. People were either going missing every day, or being found deathly pale after being drained of all their blood.
The long-forgotten Vampire Hunters were re-established hastily by the government to deal with the vampires. Fast forward to now, the Vampire Hunters Association stands as a pillar similar to the government, handling any sightings of vampires. However, it was not that easy, as some vampires seem to have learned how to integrate into human society. The only way to distinguish them from humans was their weakness to silver.
Hearing what Jungbin said, I let out a little sigh. Clutching the spear in my hand, I looked out into the night city view. The large moon hung over the skyline like a lantern, illuminating the city with its soft glow.
‘’I have been summoned to investigate a particular case where three corpses were found back to back in the West Sea’’
‘’Are you still having issues with sleeping? Your voice sounds really tired.’’
‘He could tell that even with my mask on?’
‘’It’s nothing, I will be heading off now.’’
‘’Please take care of yourself. You may be the strongest hunter, but you are just human.’’ Jungbin said, his voice filled with worry.
‘’Don’t worry. If I don’t do it, no one else can. This vampire looks extremely aggressive. I need to be the one to handle it.’’
‘’Alright…’’ He sighed with resignation.
I jumped off the railing onto the city streets below. My footsteps silent against the wet pavement. Lights blurred around me in streaks as I weaved through the silent streets. No one in their right mind would be out at this hour, when they know the vampires are most active at night. The cold night air rushed against my face but I did not slow down. Every minute I saved was a potential human life saved. My heart hammered loudly in my ribcage, my breath came in short bursts, and every muscle in my body burned in protest as I pushed my way faster through the silence of the city.
As I got nearer to my destination, the familiar rusty smell of blood rushed into my nose. But today, the blood carried a tang of sweetness. Is it just me? This has never happened before. No time to think about it. I shook my head. I can’t be worrying about it now.
I dashed into a dimly lit alley where the smell of blood was strongest. Two corpses lay right in front of me at my feet. One man, one woman. The life in their eyes had gone out, surrounded by a pool of dark red liquid. I looked further down. A boy who looked to be my age with messy black hair, was being held down by a larger man. The vampire’s fangs glittered sharply, inches away from the boy’s neck
I aimed my spear at the vampire’s chest and threw it with all my might.