When Blood Meets Silver

Chapter 31

"What is this?" Heejin reached for her own neck, where the two red dots still marked her skin.

"I tried to make it stop, I tried to suck his blood out-"

"You bit me?!"

Hyunjin recoiled, her words hurting more than any silver weapon could ever. As if the same hatred and disgust and fear reflected on Heejin's eyes.

"I was trying to save you," Hyunjin said, her voice barely a whisper. "That's why you needed blood, that's why Haseul was giving you blood, I didn't know if you were a human or a vampire."

A sob sounded at their side, and Hyunjin looked at how Haseul sat, face hidden in her hands.

For the second time, she witnessed someone turn.

"Haseul-"

The front door barged open. Hyunjin turned at the same time Jinsol gasped, stopping on her heels. A second later, Yerim walked past Jinsol, reacting the exact same way.

"What in the moon are you doing here?" Hyunjin asked, standing on her feet. "You're not supposed to be here, Yerim!"

"Like I care!" Yerim scowled, rushing to Heejin's side.

"Jungeun called me, told me to come here. What... what happened?" Jinsol couldn't take her eyes off of Heejin. "The others aren't here yet?"

"No," Hyunjin said, that fact pilling up on her worries.

Heejin had fallen awfully quiet, her body like stone. Yerim squatted next to her, holding her hand without a word. Hyunjin would have done the same, if her friends' scents hadn't reached her nose. She turned and dashed to the door. "They're arriving."

At the end of the road, Jungeun and Jiwoo ran ahead, and a couple steps behind, Hyejoo brought Chaewon in her arms.

"Oh, no," Hyunjin took a small step back, feeling a pang in her chest.

"What happened now?" Jinsol was by her side and held her arm.

"Haseul!" Jiwoo shouted as they approached. "We need Haseul!"

Hyunjin knew she should go and help them, but fear locked her in place. Fear of what had happened, because she could smell blood.

Hyejoo was slowing down. Jungeun looked back and approached her, getting Chaewon in her arms instead, sprinting towards Hyunjin's house.

Moving aside, Jiwoo stepped inside. "Chaewon, she's hurt," she said between breaths, and straightening herself, she noticed Heejin. Another gasp, hands to her mouth in shock. "H-Heejin?"

"Move!" Jungeun said, and Jinsol grabbed Jiwoo's arms, pulling her away so Jungeun could come inside with Chaewon.

And what Hyunjin's eyes witnessed as Jungeun walked past her with Chaewon in her arms was another image that would mark her mind forever.

Chaewon, barely awake, tears streaming down her face as she gripped her own right hand... where her pinky and ring fingers were missing.

"Haseul," Jungeun called, laying Chaewon down on the couch. "Help!"

"No," Hyunjin mumbled, the world spinning around her. "No..."

Her vision went blurry. It got glimpses of Haseul leaning towards Chaewon, of everyone gathering around her and Heejin, snapping out of her silence, asking what had happened over and over again.

"Hyunjin." Jinsol's voice seemed to come from the bottom of a well. "Hey, Hyunjin!"

"This is all my fault," Hyunjin said, holding her head with her hands and taking another step back, her back hitting the wall.