warning : blood-gore content ahead ⚠
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
the urge to scream was so strong that it numbed his throat when he surpassed it and his chest vibrated from the sheer pressure of staying silent.
however, taehyung swallowed the scream, a dry rasp against the sandpaper of his throat. his gaze wide with terror clung to jeongguk, who looked at him, his eyes glowing like yellow gems and tips of fangs peeking out of those red wine lips before strolling forward casually like he's taking a walk in a garden.
his grip on the candle tightened as he stepped back unknowingly, to make as much distance as from the vampire.
"what are you doing all the way down here?" jeongguk asked, circling around the man he just threw on the ground like trash.
taehyung didn't answer. his tearful eyes followed jeongguk's every move. sweat beaded on his forehead and nausea overwhelmed him but he held it all in - the fear, the tears and the urge to scream.
taehyung had never known a fear like this. not when he'd discovered jeongguk's secret— not even when he'd seen the monstrous form beneath.
this was different. it wasn't terror, not exactly but a numbness. a chilling dread that froze him to the spot. he couldn't move, couldn't speak— couldn't even think straight. he just stared, eyes wide and glassy, as if trapped in a nightmare he couldn't wake from no matter what.
"you're something, doll" jeongguk chuckled as he turned to taehyung, analyzing his stoned form. "are you scared of me?"
a shake of his head or perhaps a flicker of resistance was all taehyung had to do. it wouldn't stop the vampire, wouldn't turn back the fear swirling within him but at least it wouldn't hand jeongguk the satisfaction of seeing him crack.
yet, his body stayed rooted and head unmoving— answering jeongguk's question truthfully.
with a nonchalant tilt of his head, jeongguk snagged the nearest chair, the wood groaning ominously as he dragged it across the floor and closer to the still body. his gaze, sharp and predatory, flicked to taehyung, a single finger beckoning towards another chair positioned just out of taehyung's immediate reach. "sit down, doll"
this time taehyung gulped, lips trembling to speak. "w-w-why?"
jeongguk's eyes pierced in amusement. "you'll see why"
but taehyung refused to sit down and that made jeongguk shrug. "alright then"
thirty minutes went by. counted only by the shortening candle and taehyung's ragged breaths. silence clung to the dank basement—broken only by the occasional drip of wax. across the floor illuminated by candlelight, jeongguk sat unmoving, eventually getting bored of just sitting.
then, after that half an hour, the figure slumped on the ground stirred, a pained groan rasping into the quiet. taehyung flinched, candlelight flicking as he turned, the light settled on the man. groaning again, he fumbled at his head, eyes squeezed shut. slowly, they cracked open, blinking against the weak light. taehyung held his breath, fear warring with a fragile hope in his gut.
he... he's alive! taehyung's eyes widened in realization and he watched as the man slowly looked up at the ceiling, the shock registering in him before he turned to look at taehyung. their eyes meeting and taehyung felt his heart skip a beat in fear.
taehyung stumbled back, his gaze snagged on the man's one side of messed up face. the flesh was raw and misshapen, a gruesome mosaic of bone and swollen tissue. it was a face barely recognizable, so disfigured it defied humanity. perhaps that's why taehyung was so shocked to see the man being alive.
"w-who are you?!" the man screamed, sitting up as he dragged his body behind.
but when he looked to the other side, finding jeongguk sitting there, looking at him blankly the man screamed even louder. "you! it was you!" david screamed, recognizing the man who led him to the alley.
"don't shout, you filthy human" jeongguk rolled his eyes, now standing up. stretching his arms from sitting for so long.
david moved behind further but halted when his hand touched something. he looked behind and let out another scream when he saw a rotten skeleton. he dragged his body away, screaming in utter fear.
taehyung watched, eyes wide and hollow. his gut churned, a knot of helplessness twisting tighter with every passing second. the only thing he could do was watch, a silent witness to a scene he wished he could unsee.
just what the hell was jeongguk planning to do? what was the point of all this?
he was about to find out very soon.
"finally now that it's awake" jeongguk's gaze flickered to david, whose glare crackled with a mix of terror and fury at the sight before him.
but a chilling truth dawned on both david and taehyung – jeongguk wasn't just a threat, he was the embodiment of danger.
"i'm starving" jeongguk's lips stretched into a chilling smile, revealing pointed fangs that seemed to lengthen with each unhurried step he took towards david. david, in turn, retreated inch by inch, his body a dead weight he dragged across the uneven floor, not caring about touching the rotten skeleton anymore.
"s-step back! w-what are you even? v-vampire!?" david widened his eyes when jeongguk stood right in front of him, peering down at him with a sinister look in his eyes that glowed like yellow gems. stretched lips showing the sharp fangs that likely can pierce through anything.
"correct! magnificent!" the space amplified jeongguk's sinister laughter, sending shivers down taehyung's spine. he desperately wanted to intervene, to somehow shield david from the unfolding horror. but helplessness pinned him in place, a silent observer in this macabre play. after all, what could he do against the vampire?
before david could say anything more, jeongguk with an inhuman snarl, lunged forward. his long fingers tipped with needle-sharp claws clamped around david's throat. a strangled scream ripped from david's lips, his hands clawing uselessly at jeongguk's iron grip. it was a pathetic display of resistance against the overwhelming strength of the vampire.
with effortless ease, jeongguk lifted david up, the man's legs kicking frantically in the air. his face contorted in agony, eyes bulging with terror as he choked, gasping for breath that eluded him.
"w-what are you doing?!" taehyung finally gained his voice back, screaming out the question.
jeongguk slowly turned his head at taehyung while still choking david who struggled in air, flapping his legs. "what a ridiculous question, doll. i'm killing him"
taehyung's eyes widened, stepping forward unconsciously.
"uagh— l-let g-go-o aaghuh" david coughed, gripping jeongguk's hand in an attempt to remove them but jeongguk didn't budge even a bit.
"let him go jeongguk..." taehyung softly requested because he knew losing cool right now wouldn't be the right thing. david's life was in jeongguk's hand, one wrong move and the man would lose it in a second.
"say please?" jeongguk smiled, tilting his head.
"please, jeongguk let him go, i beg you" taehyung instantly added. feeling a bit relieved when jeongguk slowly lowered david, until his feet reached the ground.
but his fingers were still wrapped around the man's neck.
"now remove your hand, please"
"oh?" jeongguk arched one eyebrow. "are you ordering me, doll?"
taehyung shook his head aggressively, "n-no! i'm begging y-you..."
"but i'm starving" jeongguk whined playfully, his fingers loosened around david's throat to give the man some space to breath.
"is t-there no other way?" taehyung's question brought a dirty smirk on jeongguk's lips.
"yes of course there is."
"what is that?"
"let me fuck you" taehyung's cheeks reddened from embarrassment, glancing at david who was just focused on how to breathe.
"will y-you let him g-go then?"
"sure if that's what you want" jeongguk shrugged.
"okay! i'll l-let you do whatever you want! please let him go..." he didn't understand the sudden surge of protectiveness, but the idea of witnessing another human's life snuffed out before him was unbearable.
in that moment, a desperate hope bloomed in taehyung's chest; maybe, just maybe, if he yielded, if he offered himself in place of the man, he would spare others. he didn't know if it would work but better than just keep watching.
"okay" jeongguk slowly loosened his fingers around david's neck. david smiled from happiness, couldn't believe his life was being spared from a creature he didn't even imagine existed until now.
the pressure on david's throat vanished. jeongguk's cruel grip being gone— sending the man stumbling back, gasping for air. taehyung felt a tidal wave of relief wash over him, tears stinging his eyes. he saw david rub his sore neck, eyes wide with shock and gratitude.
but none of the human's happiness could last long as before anyone knew,
a piercing sound echoed in the basement.
the flicker of hope in taehyung's eyes died faster than a candle in a storm. just when david cautiously retreated, jeongguk lunged with inhuman speed. his hand a blur of shadows, darted forward, his long nails that seemed to grow in the blink of an eye. with a sickening thud, they plunged into david's chest, his breath hitching in a sharp gasp.
david coughed out blood as he looked down, eyes widened in horror seeing jeongguk's hand inside his chest.
"too late, doll."
a sick smile stretched across jeongguk's face as he found what he sought under david's trembling ribcage. his fingers, cold and sharp, curled around a pulsing warmth and with a single, swift motion, he ripped out the heart, leaving behind a gaping hole in david's chest.
the now pumping heart of david in his hand.
taehyung's vision swam, the air thick with a metallic tang. he stumbled back, his throat constricting with a silent scream. in jeongguk's outstretched hand, a dark, pulsating bleeding heart throbbed, a stark contrast to the pale fingers that clenched it. it was a chilling echo of life, ripped from its rightful place. pumping in and out like how it does inside a body.
david, his chest gaping like a broken window, swayed for a moment, a marionette with its strings severed. then, with a final shuddering breath, he crumpled to the floor. soon blood gushed out like a fountain, making a sort of pool around the lifeless man.
jeongguk stepped back with eyes on the pumping heart to not let his shoes get dirty. the bloodlust sparkling in those yellow eyes.
"haa~" jeongguk moaned as he dug his nails in the heart, making blood gush out. he held the heart above his mouth, the blood streaming into his wide opened mouth.
taehyung watched in horror as jeongguk, face painted in someone else's fresh blood, threw his head back and chugged the blood straight from the pumping heart, his adam's apple bobbing with every gulp.
a scene straight out of a horror movie taehyung wouldn't even watch if the ticket was free.
taehyung's legs turned to jelly. he stumbled back, a strangled sob catching in his throat. his hand flew to his mouth, but it couldn't stop the flood of tears spilling down his face. his gaze flickered between david who was still and lifeless, and jeongguk who ravished on the lifeless man's pumping heart.
he couldn't leave. he knew he couldn't. if he wanted to be alive, that is. and seeing how jeongguk actually consumes human blood— taehyung felt fear truly for the first time.
jeongguk is a real vampire. a vampire that kills — who will rip out your heart to satisfy his thirst for blood.
he wasn't the sweet gentleman neighbor taehyung had thought.
taehyung leaned to the wall, for support because running was out of question right now. jeongguk was in his real form and most likely not in the right senses to spare his life if he does something stupid.
as always, taehyung was helpless.
the smell of blood nauseated taehyung. urging for him to puke and this time he couldn't hold it in. crouching down he threw up all over the place. coughed until everything was out of his stomach. watching as his tear drops and saliva mixed with the puke on the ground.
"ah~" jeongguk gulped down the last drop of blood, the once-pulsating heart, now a lifeless husk, tumbled from his grasp, landing with a dull thud beside david's lifeless form. his stoic gaze then shifted to taehyung, who sat on the ground, his face hidden in his hands.
a cruel smirk stretched across jeongguk's face as his boots echoed in the cavernous space, each step a hammer blow against taehyung's racing heart. the sound seemed to amplify in the dead silence, sucking the air from his lungs, leaving him trembling with each approaching beat.
taehyung squeezed his eyes shut, a futile attempt to block out the approaching horror. his arms tightened around his knees, burying his head in a desperate attempt to shut out the world. tears, silent and hot streamed down his face. he held his breath, a desperate plea for invisibility, for oblivion, as jeongguk hovered over him.
"look at me doll"
taehyung didn't.
"i said look at me" jeongguk lowered his tone.
taehyung had to raise his head if he didn't want to meet the same consequences as david. and so he looked up, his terrified gaze landing on the vampire who gazed down at him.
jeongguk's lower part of face was drenched in blood so was his dress shirt. eyes yellow and sharp fangs out in display.
jeongguk looked absolutely terrifying.
taehyung's body shivered in fear. he was this close to lose consciousness but he didn't want to be off guard at a time like this. he might not be significant to this messed up world but he deserves a normal death at least, doesn't he?
he looked into jeongguk's eyes and muttered, "don't kill me please"
jeongguk crouched down, leveling to taehyung's face. "kill you? i would never, doll"
taehyung sobbed, wiping his tears but they won't stop. jeongguk reached out, his crimson-stained hand hovering over taehyung's face. taehyung flinched, his body instinctively recoiling from the cold, sticky touch. the feeling of blood, smearing across his cheek, sent a shiver through his soul. but jeongguk's hand remained firm yet strangely gentle. the bloody thumb brushed against taehyung's tear-streaked cheek.
a sinister smile played on jeongguk's lips. "this is your fault, do you know that?"
taehyung looked at jeongguk, a hint of confusion in between the terror in those tearful eyes.
"i gave you enough chances to come to me. spread your legs for me to fuck your hole. didn't i?" jeongguk licked his blood dripping lips clean and smirked. "you left me no choice but to satisfy my thirst in other way"
"y-you are lying... you would have killed him anyway" taehyung reasoned. just to think he was the reason that man lost his life in the most gruesome way was unimaginable. taehyung wouldn't be able to take it.
"why would i lie to a mere human like you?" jeongguk laughed, now cupping taehyung's face with both of his bloody hands.
"but perhaps you're right, i would have done it later or sooner. i just love to savor blood this way, it's so delicious"
taehyung didn't know what to feel at this point. jeongguk had done this before, maybe several times and taehyung had no interest in knowing how many times precisely.
however, by jeongguk's words it seemed as though his thirst could be satisfied in a different way.
and that way was him.
taehyung didn't know why he asked the next question and put himself in front of the gates of hell like this. but he would actually rather die than see this scene repeat again.
"does fucking me satisfy your thirst?"
jeongguk stopped smiling and looked at taehyung blankly before he bit down on his lips, a hint of lust in those yellow gems.
"it does more than satisfying. it calms the monster in me, doll"
so he was right. only he can save those people now and taehyung never knew he had it in him, to be a hero to others without even showing them.
looking into jeongguk's eyes with an unknown rage, he uttered. "then fuck me, jeon"
jeongguk arched an eyebrow.
"fuck me all you want. just don't do this again"
"careful with words, doll. you know there's no going back after this, right?"
taehyung nodded. "you have my words"
jeongguk's lips stretched into a sly smirk. "sweet"
━━━━━━━━