Low Stress: Bite Me (Jikook)

Chapter Twenty: Can You Hear Me?

"One day you will ask me which is more important? My life or yours? I will say mine and you will walk away not knowing that you are my life."

Gibran Khalil Gibran (1883-1931)

~

Park Jimin was dancing. He didn't recognize the club he was in; it had to be some new trendy spot Hoseok found through the dancer pipeline. He had to admit that it was a bit extra, but at least the place knew how to do ambiance.

The club was structured like an old ballroom with columns so high up that Jimin couldn't see any detail in the paintings stretching the ceiling's arches. It was romantic, in a way, how red light flickered on those very arches like crimson shadows, illuminated by three massive chandeliers. Each one was adored with hundreds of blood red crystals, clouding the floor below in a crimson red hue. Men and women dressed in dark lace danced within it, each with a pair of eyes glowing a similar blood-red color.

"Didn't know vampires had their own bars." Jimin joked to Hoseok. The vampire was suddenly standing next to Jimin's side. Hoseok's crimson eyes searched the space in confusion as he lifted his arms to find his body dressed in a suit of black lace. 

"Hobi?" Jimin asked, furrowing his brows. "You good? You're acting weird-" Jimin jumped as he found Yoongi on his opposite side. He was sure the older hadn't been there a second ago - but where else could he have been? Jimin swallowed; the pale prince was dressed in the same black lace as everyone else, eyes settled in that deep red color and there was fresh blood dripping from his fangs.

"Okay, gross." Jimin said. His brows furrowed as Jimin lifted a wine glass, unsure when or where he'd gotten the drink from. He choked when thick blood passed his lips instead of wine. Immediately the thin neck of the glass slipped out of Jimin's fingers, shattering at his feet. Jimin gagged, coughing the blood out of his throat and onto his chin. Where was he? What was this place?

Jimin. A voice called out. It filled the hall just as couples filled the dance floor, swept in each other's arms, waltzing to music played by an unseen orchestra. Jimin. Please.

"Do you guys hear that?" Jimin said, turning to his friends who were now expressionless. They looked like puppets that had lost their strings, crimson eyes staring forward. Jimin blinked, taking a step back and his heel crunched on the glass below him. He looked down, stumbling again when he caught sight of himself in a shard. His skin was pale like the moon, blood bright against his chin. His features looked sharper, his hair darker, but most off putting was the pair of crimson eyes burning in his reflection.

Jimin's heart raced. At least - it should have, but there was no beating heart to race.

Please don't leave me. That strangely familiar voice echoed again.

Jimin looked around for his friends in a panic only to find them lost in the sea of dancing vampires. The music swept across the room and the violin picked up pace, screeching into a new key. The vampires all picked up their steps, dancing in perfect circles except for one figure standing at the opposite end of the room.

Jimin jumped in surprise as the blood from his shattered wine cup began to inch towards the figure, snaking straight through the ballroom dancers until it connected with the man across the floor. The second it hit his foot, the blood became a solid thing, looking much like a red ribbon, and the dancers all immediately disappeared from the floor as it suspended in the air between them.

Jimin, Jimin please. You have to accept the change for it to happen. Don't fight it, please.

"Who are you?" Jimin asked the figure, taking a step towards him and felt his body flush. His name danced on Jimin's lips, shaped like a single word that felt dangerously close to "eternity."