I.M stood in front of the large window. He stared at the glass shards scattered upon the windowsill. Gunhee was gone. His newest fledgling and their newest clan member was gone.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. He hadn’t expected Gunhee to awake so quickly. It had only been an hour since their return to the penthouse. The image of Gunhee punching through the window kept repeating in his mind. He wished he could have stopped him.
“Hangil is no more.”
I.M clenched his fists, turning to face the last two council members. The last thing he wanted to do was listen to them speak. He had wanted to go after his fledgling but then the council arrived just as Gunhee left. Unfortunately, he had been stopped before he could go after Gunhee.
“As the one who defeated Hangil, I made an announcement that there would be a transfer in leadership from Hangil to me,” Boram said. “Chorong will continue to work by my side.”
Shownu nodded.
“In a few days new negotiations will be discussed,” Boram said. “But for now, we will rebuild.”
Shownu nodded. “That is good to hear.”
“Why are you telling us all this?” I.M asked, arms crossed.
I.M wanted the council to leave their home. All he cared about was Gunhee. He didn’t know what was going through the new vampire’s head. Gunhee waking early worried him. I.M knew the new vampire wasn’t feral, but he still couldn’t help but worry about him.
Boram looked at him. “This is what you and your clan were fighting for. A new future, something better. That’s why I’m telling you this information.”
I.M frowned, eyes narrowed.
“You’ve done a great deal to help the plan along,” Boram said.
Kihyun scoffed, arms crossed as he sat on the couch. I.M glanced at him. He could hear the disgust in Kihyun’s voice. He couldn’t blame him. Boram was aggravating to listen to at the moment. He glanced around the room, analyzing the rips in his clan members’ clothing and the holy water burns on their skin. It was clear they had been through a lot.
Kihyun leaned forward. “You mean we’ve suffered a great deal to help your plan along. There are so many things you left out as if our thoughts on the matter didn’t occur to you.”
“Vampire kind and humankind were in danger,” she said. “The plan was carefully created. However, there had been a last-minute interference from I.M, so my sister and I had to devise a new plan based on what was happening at the moment. Despite this last-minute change, everything was necessary to get to even that point. Perhaps, the last-minute change was what we needed to win in the end.”
“Necessary?” Kihyun asked, eyes narrowed. “You should have thought of a better plan. I watched my clan suffer a lot. You tortured Hyungwon, nearly got Jackson killed, kept I.M at the council, set a building on fire with our new member Jooheon inside, and caused our clan so much unwanted pain. Two humans nearly died because of you. And you want to say everything was necessary to my face.”
“Kihyun,” Shownu said, shaking his head.
The shorter vampire quieted.
“You feel insignificant,” she said. “But I assure you, this victory wouldn’t have happened without every single one of you. Sacrifices had to be made and I will not apologize for it.”
I.M narrowed his eyes. “Why did you come here? We have more important things to do then look at you both.”
Shownu reached out, calming him with a small burst of reassurance through the bond. I.M sighed, taking a seat on the couch by their leader. I.M guessed Shownu was trying to make sure they didn’t cause trouble. Honestly, I.M wished he could throw the council out.
“I’ve come to extend an offer. It is an offer Hangil had formerly extended to you I.M.,” Boram said. “I want to extend the same offer to Shownu, your leader, and Jooheon. There is great potential in the MX clan, some greater than others, but still great. I want some of that greatness serving on the council. We are heading into a new era of leadership. Hangil’s ways will not work any longer. There is far too much unrest between members of the vampire kind. I want to fix it.”
“I’m shocked you care about other vampires,” I.M said. “Considering how easy it was to manipulate us.”
She glared, red yes on him. “It may seem that I don’t care but that is far from the truth. I assure you the last thing my sister and I want is to harm our kind. Unfortunately, I was blinded by Hangil’s promises. I didn’t notice he had been carefully setting up unnecessary blocks and obstacles for us vampires. He wanted us to take back what we deserve without human help, but I prefer to work with the humans to lift that heavy blanket of control. Hangil believed an enraged vampire was the best vampire. He wanted us to feel like there was nothing else to do but revolt violently to get what we want. I no longer agree.”
I.M chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s great you had an epiphany and learned or whatever, but I honestly don’t care. My fledgling broke through our window. I need to go out and search for him. So, please continue talking about whatever. I will not be here to hear it.”
Boram frowned.
“Hm, that seems like feral behavior to me.”
I.M clenched his fists. “I assure you he isn’t feral. I don’t make feral vampires. Or have you forgotten everything Hyungwon, Jooheon, and I went through because of the council.”
Boram didn’t respond.
“What do we do now?” Hyungwon asked. “What about Jooheon, Gunhee, and I and the sixth vampire rule?”
“The rule is still in place,” Boram said. “However, the rule doesn’t apply to you or your clan. As long as I.M bites humans there won’t be any problem with feral vampires. However, other clans will still have to abide by the rule until there is a way to keep sixth vampires from going feral.”
“So, you’ll still kill?” Kihyun asked. “You’ll still get rid of the sixth vampire and the clan for adding a sixth member?”
“No, it won’t be necessary to resort to violence.”
A sigh of relief left Shownu’s lips. I.M looked over at his leader, pleased. He couldn’t imagine the horrors Shownu had to face while employed by the council. He knew the older vampire had to participate in killings in order to protect their clan. Shownu couldn’t go against the council. I.M was happy to know no clans would ever face the same kind of punishment previous clans before them faced. A thought came to mind as he remembered what Boram said. He looked at her, confused.
“As long as I bite?” I.M asked. “I don’t plan to bite anyone else.”
Chorong glanced at him. “Are you certain? Perhaps you would be interested in starting your own clan, branching off from the MX clan. It’s obvious that a new clan from you would be filled with a lot of hidden potential.”
“No thanks, I don’t foresee myself leading my own clan,” he said. “I’m fine being a member of the MX clan. I will not be branching off.”
“Very well,” Boram said. “There isn’t much we have left to say except be vigilant. I told a general there will be no more fighting but that doesn’t mean no more fighting. Until I meet with the human leader things will still be uncertain.”
“Of course,” Shownu said. “We’ll be careful.”
Boram gave them a firm nod, getting up from her chair. “Well, we will be relaying this message to the Agashe clan as well. We plan to spread this information to all the clans over the next few days. Our meeting with the human leader will be at the beginning of next week.”
Shownu nodded. “I wish you both the best during your meeting.”
Boram gave him a warm smile. “I appreciate the well wishes. I too wish the best for your clan as well as your newest member. Hopefully, he’ll have a smooth transition. Good day to all of you.”
“I wish the same,” Chorong said. “My hope is the MX clan will have a bright future.”
“Thank you,” Shownu said.
“Well, we must be going,” Boram said, walking toward the door.
Shownu walked toward the door and placed his hand on the doorknob. Boram took a look at the clan one last time before disappearing out the door with her sister. Shownu closed the door after them and took a seat on the couch beside him.
“They should have kept their well wishes. The last thing I want from them are well wishes,” I.M said, legs crossed. “Every step of the grander plan was filled with suffering. I want to believe they will be better than Hangil but I’m not that convinced.”
“We give them the benefit of the doubt,” Shownu said, exhaustion evident in his voice.
“Honestly, I don’t really care,” Jooheon said, looking at the broken window. “Can we please go find Gunhee?”
I.M looked at Jooheon, a lump in his throat.
“He must be so confused and scared,” Jooheon said. “I had no idea it would be like this for him. If I knew I wouldn’t have—I don’t know what I would have done. I need to find him. Please can we go find him?”
Hyungwon nodded in agreement. “We need to find him.”
Shownu nodded, getting to his feet. “We’ll all go out as a clan. I was going to say Wonho, and I will go alone, but I know my suggestion wouldn’t have been received well. So, we’ll go together. Gunhee will be fine. He is just experiencing a difficult transition.”
I.M shook his head. “Makes me wonder what’s wrong with me. Everyone I’ve turned into a vampire always experiences a difficult transition.”
“Things happen, I.M,” Kihyun said. “Please, don’t blame yourself.”
I.M sighed.
“Let’s go everyone,” Shownu said, walking toward the door. “I’m sorry we couldn’t leave as soon as Gunhee disappeared. I’m still trying to be careful when it comes to the council.”
Shownu opened the door and entered the hallway. I.M quickly followed after their leader, eager to find their newest fledgling. He lost track of time during the unwanted visit from the council. He wished he knew how much time passed since Gunhee’s disappearance.
Outside in the chilly evening air, I.M made sure to concentrate on looking in every alley. On his left, Jooheon and Hyungwon called out to their friend. Shownu looked over his shoulder and told them not to call out for Gunhee. I.M understood. It wasn’t the best time to call attention to themselves.
“Gunhee is a part of our clan,” Shownu said. “If we all concentrate on the bond, then we will be led to the place we need to go. I know all of you still struggle with this ability but if we try hard, I’m sure we can do it.”
I.M nodded. As the sire, he knew he would be the one to feel the bond between him and Gunhee the strongest. As they walked the sidewalks, they tried their best to avoid the cluster of evening walkers. He looked to his left at Hyungwon and Jooheon. The best friends whispered to each other.
“I hope he is okay,” Minhyuk said, voice filled with worry.
“Eurwangni.”
I.M turned his attention away from Minhyuk and focused on Jooheon.
“What Jooheon?”
“Eurwangni Beach. That is where Gunhee is.”
Kihyun frowned, brows furrowed. “The beach?”
“It’s where I found Hyungwon after an incident,” Jooheon said. “I know that is where he is.”
I.M nibbled at his bottom lip. He hadn’t been able to think of a possible location. All he could focus on was the pain and fear coming from Gunhee. Nothing else came to mind. However, he knew he could trust Jooheon. The younger vampire had been friends with Gunhee for longer than I.M knew him. The beach was a good place to check.
“Jooheon must be right,” I.M said. “He has known Gunhee for a while.”
Shownu stopped walking and looked at them. Everyone stopped moving.
“Then we go to the beach quickly.”
Jooheon nodded.
Shownu encouraged them to pick up the pace as they changed direction. I.M moved his arms and legs quickly as he followed closely behind their leader. Within seconds they arrived at a parking lot. Shownu slowed to a stop, turning toward them all. Everyone paused to await further instruction.
“We are not going to crowd him,” Shownu said. “It is clear that he doesn’t need that. So, the only one coming with me will be I.M.”
I.M’s eyes widened. “What about Jooheon and Hyungwon?”
Shownu looked at him. “You are his sire. It has to be you. I’m just here for support. He needs you right now, I.M.”
Jooheon crossed his arms. “That’s ridiculous. Gunhee is our best friend. Hyungwon and I should come too.”
Shownu shook his head. “The Gunhee you know is not here right now. He is a new vampire, a fledgling. He is disoriented, scared, anxious, and possibly violent. Out of all the bonds in this clan, the bond between the sire and fledging is the most important. Therefore, I.M will be the first one to approach Gunhee.”
“Okay but—”
“Jooheon, I know you are worried,” Shownu said. “I can feel it. But we have to do it this way.”
“You can feel?” Jooheon asked, curious.
Shownu nodded. “In the bond. You sound surprised by this. I.M never explained the bond to you?”
Jooheon didn’t respond.
“You know, Jooheon is our newest member,” Minhyuk said, looking at the other. “Why can’t I sense him in the bond at all? I mean I sensed him for a little bit just now, but it went away quickly.”
I.M glanced at Jooheon, noticing the face once filled with emotion changed back to indifference. His chest hurt. For a second, he could feel Jooheon in the bond. Sadly, it was only for a second.
“Hyung, Jooheon is experiencing a different kind of transition,” I.M said.
He didn’t want to come out and say what he truly thought about the situation. Kihyun walked over to Jooheon. Both Jooheon and Hyungwon glanced at him. I.M paused, curious.
Kihyun frowned, cupping Jooheon’s face in his hands. “I can tell the transition is hard for you. This will pass, I assure you. When Wonho and I were turned by Shownu, Wonho experienced the same thing as you. We were worried he would always lack emotion. It took a little time but after that he was able to feel emotions again.”
“How long did it take?” Jooheon asked.
Kihyun removed his hands from Jooheon’s face, glancing at Wonho.
“I struggled to feel for several years,” Wonho confessed. “I went back and forth between extreme emotional outbursts to feeling numb, nothing. See, when you are emotionally distant it is almost like you don’t exist to your clan. Since I didn't exist in the bond, they worried about me a lot.”
Jooheon nodded. “Okay, I understand. Can please just find Gunhee.”
Kihyun nodded, stepping away from Jooheon. “Of course.”
“We’ll all head down to the beach,” Shownu said. “But the moment we see Gunhee, I.M and I will be the ones to approach him. So, please listen. We must be careful.”
I.M nibbled at his bottom lip as they walked down the wooden steps onto the sand.
“He isn’t feral,” I.M said. “I know he isn’t.”
Shownu looked at him and nodded. “I know he isn’t too. Don’t worry. We’ll find him.”
I.M’s frown deepened as they walked the beach, searching the shore for Gunhee. He truly believed his own words. He didn’t make feral vampires. However, when an hour passed, he began to wonder if maybe that wasn’t the case anymore. Gunhee did awaken in only an hour. A heavy sigh escaped I.M’s lips.
A wave of fear and anxiety punched him in the gut. He stopped walking, falling to his knees. Everyone stopped and turned to him. He waved away their concerned faces.
I.M got up from the ground, eyes focused on a lifeguard tower in the distance. I.M analyzed the fixture, curious. He started to take off into a run toward the large fixture on the beach. In the background, the rest of his clan followed after him. Once he arrived at the tower, he stopped.
“I sense him here,” I.M said.
“Okay. Everyone else stand back please,” Shownu said.
I.M looked to his left just as Shownu stood beside him. The sun was setting on the horizon, casting a glow on the serious expression on their leader’s face. They gave each other a firm nod before walking up the ramp toward the tiny house-like fixture. I.M’s eyes widened at the sight of the wooden door hanging off its hinges. Inside, Gunhee sat on the ground trembling, back pressed against the wall.
“Hi, Gunhee,” I.M said, a heaviness in his chest. “It’s me, your sire. No need to be afraid. Your clan is here to take you home.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A week later the council officially started to rebuild. He heard about it from a vampire in a convenience store located ten minutes away from their home. A sigh left his lips as he keyed in the code for the apartment door. He hadn’t returned to his tutoring job in a while and had to notify his students that his sessions will start back up in another week. He was too emotionally exhausted to engage with their studies.
He closed the door behind him and headed toward the living room. Jooheon and Hyungwon sat on either side of Gunhee. After I.M and his clan found the younger vampire at the beach, things remained difficult for them. When they brought Gunhee home, the younger vampire refused to say a word. Instead, he resorted to hissing, snapping, and staring at everyone as forms of communication.
He walked over to the other vampire, kneeling on the ground. “Hey, Gun.”
Gunhee scowled, red eyes burning with rage.
“I stopped by the café Wonho works at and bought you something,” he said, producing a tiny treat from his bag.
I.M winced as he presented the item to Gunhee. He almost sounded like he was talking to an animal, a scared animal. Gunhee grabbed the cupcake from his hands and devoured it without a single word of Thank you. The younger vampire must have been starving. It was unfortunate that Gunhee refused to drink a drop of blood.
I.M sighed heavily. It had been a difficult week. Not only was Gunhee not speaking to any of them. The younger vampire started to head out late at night every single day. Oftentimes he would come back in the morning. It had been difficult getting used to the behavior. I.M began to realize how hard it had been for his clan when he was staying out late years ago.
“Thanks for buying the snack for him, I.M,” Hyungwon said. “I’m sure Gunhee appreciates it.”
Jooheon agreed. “He loves sweets.”
“Has he said a word yet?” I.M asked.
“No,” Hyungwon said, voice filled with sadness. “No, he hasn’t said anything.”
The door opened in the background, the familiar voice of Minhyuk filled the penthouse. The older vampire stopped in the living room, eyes analyzing the scene before him. I.M smiled at Gunhee before he got up and ran past Minhyuk. He rushed down the hallway, Minhyuk following closely behind. He rested his back against the wall, face in his hands as his whole body trembled.
“Hey.”
I.M looked up at Minhyuk, the heaviness of negative emotions on his shoulders.He tried to focus on his own sire, but all he could think about was Gunhee refusing to speak to anyone. All he could think about was Gunhee not drinking blood and staying out late. I.M trembled more, unable to stop.
Minhyuk pulled him into an embrace, whispering encouraging words over his head. I.M. whimpered as he wrapped his arms around his sire. Minhyuk rubbed comforting circles into his back. I.M.'s chest hurt as he thought more about their situation.The fighting may be over outside but within their walls a war was still raging.
“He’ll come around,” Minhyuk said. “Hyungwon and Jooheon came around. You did eventually.”
“Hyung, he isn’t saying a word. And he isn’t drinking any blood.”
Minhyuk nodded. “We will figure it out. You on the other hand can’t be too hard on yourself. I know it’s hard, but you’ll lose your mind if you keep beating yourself up like this.”
“It is just,” I.M said, sadness dripping from his voice. “He didn’t want this life. I shouldn’t have done this to—”
“Hey,” Minhyuk said. “Like I said, don't beat yourself up about this. I’m serious. It isn’t going to help you or Gunhee. I know it’s hard, but you have to be strong.”
I.M nodded. “Okay.”
Minhyuk pulled away, holding him at arm’s length. “You aren’t alone in this I.M. We are all going to help you. We are a clan. And Gunhee is a part of that now. We just have to be a little positive.”
I.M sighed. Their home had been filled with nothing but gloom and hopelessness. He knew Gunhee felt all the negative emotions. Minhyuk was right. Positivity, acceptance, and warmth would help their newest vampire ease into his new life better.
“Come on,” Minhyuk said, giving him a friendly slap on his shoulder. “Let’s go back out there and watch some television. We have to plan when to move their things into the penthouse.”
I.M nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
The clan decided that Hyungwon, Jooheon, and Gunhee should move into the penthouse officially. They paid the fee for breaking the leases early. It would be better if the younger vampires were living with the clan. A lot of changes were on the horizon for vampires. He wanted them to all be close in a time of such uncertainty.
I.M walked back out into the living room after dropping his bag down in his room. As he approached the couch, Hyungwon and Jooheon looked at him and then each other. He paused. A burst of warmth and acceptance filled the bond. A small smile fell across his lips at the sensation.
He looked over his shoulder at the warmth shining from Minhyuk’s eyes. I.M walked over to the couch. Jooheon and Hyungwon moved away from Gunhee. He glanced at Jooheon who nodded. I.M sighed, taking a seat right next to Gunhee. It had been hard to get close to the new vampire since his arrival.
I.M sat down, placing a gentle hand upon Gunhee's shoulder. Gunhee didn’t move.There wasn’t any signs of disgust on the other’s face. He was relieved.
I.M looked at Gunhee. “I know this is a little too late but I’m sorry. I'm very sorry.”
Gunhee glanced at him, nodding quietly. I.M removed his hand from Gunhee’s shoulder. He knew his words weren’t enough to ease the other’s pain. All he knew was he had to let Gunhee know how he felt about their situation.
After a few seconds, Gunhee scooted closer to him, resting his head against I.M’s left shoulder. I.M was shocked. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped the moment he spotted tears rolling down Gunhee’s cheeks. His eyes widened in alarm.
Gunhee sobbed, body shaking. I.M wasn't prepared. He had never seen a vampire cry. He glanced at Minhyuk, concerned. He thought vampires couldn’t cry. It was the one thing vampire kind all shared. They couldn’t shed physical tears. Despite the shock, he pulled Gunhee into a comforting embrace.
Minhyuk took a seat on the other side of Gunhee and wrapped his arms around him as well. Hyungwon and Jooheon moved closer. The sobbing increased, drowning out any other sound in the penthouse. The pain within I.M.’s chest grew in size. As he sat holding Gunhee close, he wished things were better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later in the evening, the rest of the clan returned and joined them on the couch. Gunhee rested quietly beside him, tear-stained face focused on the television program. I.M frowned, wondering if there was anything he could do for the new vampire. But nothing came to mind.
He wrapped his arms around Gunhee, a knot forming in his chest as he tried his best to push warmth and acceptance into the bond. Gunhee moved slightly, but didn’t say a word, focused on the television. I.M. sighed, wishing he knew what to do. He really wanted to help the younger vampire.
Gunhee laughed at the show on the screen. I.M looked at Gunhee. He had never heard him laugh. The knot in his chest unraveled as Gunhee threw his head back, laughing louder. He sensed a little bit of happiness in their shared bond. It was a good sign. He knew it would take time for things to get better. But this moment in time let him know things would be fine eventually. I.M smiled as the last remaining feelings of sadness slowly melted away leaving behind nothing but love and acceptance.
~~~~~~~~
Hi again!
I want to thank everyone for reading, voting, and commenting.
Also, the next chapter will be the last. I can't wait to be able to post it.
Thanks again for the support!