The high pitch wail of a police siren ripped through the silence. I.M broke from his stress induced trance, getting to his feet. He crouched in front of the stranger, wrapping long arms around his neck. Once he had the stranger situated on his back, he bolted from the alley. The sound of the police siren faded into the background as he left the alley behind.
Humans rarely got involved with vampire attacks, but occasionally, one citizen would make a call to the police. He was certain that some human saw them and contacted the authorities. Despite this realization, he wasn't too worried about being seen. He had no plans to return to the same alley. He rushed toward home, balancing the still body on his back. If he had been human, the trip from Geumcheon to Gangnam district would have taken longer. He guessed there were some perks that came with being a vampire.
As he arrived at his destination, he kept thinking about the situation he had gotten himself into. He turned a human. There was a great chance that the stranger would descend into madness and become the uncivilized beast vampire society was worried about. In three to four days, the stranger, he took pity on, could kill thousands and thousands of humans because of an uncontrolled blood lust.
He stood before his clan's home, red eyes focused on the illuminated building. A couple walked past hand in hand, laughing about a movie they had seen in the theater. The woman eyed him for a second before grabbing onto her companion, eyes wide. He frowned. Maybe he should have cleaned up before he left the alley, but there was no time. He didn't want to stick around to chat with the police. The council members weren't the only individuals who knew about the rule and he knew the police wouldn't hesitate to report him to them.
As soon as the human couple disappeared, he rushed past the human doorman and through the gilded lobby. He ignored the shock on the faces of the human staff. There would be talk in the morning about the 'reckless vampire who brought home his kill', but he couldn't do anything about it. Once in the elevator, he took the time to relax. He almost had to take a ride up with a human businessman, but he was quick to hit the close button for the elevator doors. He wasn't even a little sorry for his rudeness.
The rich scent of iron and roses was barely detectable by the time he reached their floor. The transition was in full effect. I.M groaned, disappointed in his inability to stay out of trouble. He didn't regret saving the stranger from a lonely death, but he did regret how he came to the solution. Maybe if he had thought more about a solution, he would have figured something out.
I.M keyed in their door combination and waited for the familiar buzz. Vampires couldn't breathe. There were no working lungs within their chest, but he wished he could take a deep breath. He pushed the door open and was greeted by the sight of his clan sitting on their leather couch looking at him. Their eyes drifted to his new companion draped along his back. Shownu's head tilted to the side, brows furrowed. All the others had varying expressions of horror and concern on their faces. He gulped.
"Is that blood?" Wonho asked, gesturing toward his clothing.
He frowned, glancing at the reflective surface of their large glass table. A large red stain circled around his mouth and an even larger stain stretched from his collar down to the middle of his shirt. He should have cleaned up before returning to them, but he realized he couldn't hide the truth even if he tried. Instead, he faced his members. He readjusted the boy on his back, ready for their questions.
"Yes, it is blood."
Wonho's eyes widened, lips trembling. I.M lowered his gaze to the ground, unable to witness the look on the older vampire's face. Humans always had these preconceived notions about vampires. He knew if they every met the older vampire, they would be more open-ended mind about their kind. Out of all the clan members, Wonho was the most sensitive. He had chosen to keep a stronger attachment to his emotions despite the general opinion on the matter. Most vampires tried to distance themselves from their emotions. The MX clan and Aghase clan were the only clans to keep their emotional reactions as close to human as they could.
"What happened, I.M?" Shownu asked, eyeing him.
"I-"
I.M couldn't bear to look his leader in the eyes. All he could remember was the unspoken rule they had within the clan. As a clan, they decided they wouldn't participate in hunting. Instead, they lived off blood bags and blood pill supplements. He knew he looked like a reckless monster to them, because of the body on his back.
"Is he dead?" Minhyuk asked, eyes sweeping over the pale face of the individual on his back. "Why did you bring him back here? Why did you kill him?"
He turned his attention to Kihyun's focused glare, unable to answer Minhyuk's questions. The dark brown-haired vampire hadn't said a word since his arrival. He expected to be scolded. The older vampire had always been a rule abiding citizen. He had taken all the council's rules seriously. He didn't befriended a human, he didn't turn humans after the rule was set, and he made sure to keep to curfew. After every monthly council meeting, Kihyun jotted down careful notes to discuss with his members.
Kihyun arose from his chair and walked toward him, eye shifting left and right as he examined the boy on his back. "You turned him, didn't you?"
I.M's eyes widened at the question. He clenched the arm of the boy within his grasp. In Kihyun's eyes, he saw disappointment and anger. "I-"
I.M bit the inside of his cheeks, lips pressed into a thin line.
"Wait, Kihyun? I.M turned him?" Minhyuk questioned, eyes wide.
"Turned?" Shownu asked.
Shownu arose and headed over to him to inspect the boy for himself. After a quick look, he turned his disappointed gaze toward him. I.M tried to seem unfazed by the disappointed faces, but he had lived with the MX clan for 50 years. He knew them too well and for too long to be unbothered by their disappointment.
"I.M we aren't allowed to turn humans anymore, you know that right?" Shownu asked, eyes on him. "The council put that rule in place for a reason. The sixth vampire-"
"I know, I know Shownu. The sixth vampire always turns into a grotesque uncivilized murdering machine. I know. You don't have- "
Kihyun moved closer, eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare disrespect, Shownu by interrupting him with that tone of voice."
"Kihyun-"
"Do you think this is a joke, I.M?" Kihyun asked. "You do realize the council is going to come after us, right? All Shownu hyung's sacrifice will be for nothing if we are all destroyed because of you."
Shownu reached out for the shorter vampire, squeezing his shoulder. "That is enough, Kihyun."
Kihyun took a few steps backward and crossed his arms, moving his shoulder out of Shownu's grasp. "You just put a large target on our back. Don't you care about us at all? All those years we held your hand through the transition, did it mean nothing?"
I.M glanced at the solemn looks on his clan members faces and winced. He could never forget the years of struggling he faced. As a vampire, he hadn't had an easy transition. While the full process took a week, he had been unable to adapt as quickly. He had been a burden to his clan.
"Kihyun, let us think about this. We should consider his side of the story." Shownu said.
"I don't think we should. Shownu, you know I respect you, but all the clans that have ever created a sixth vampire were destroyed. The council will not hesitate to do the same to us. It won't matter how much you've done for them," Kihyun said. " I just can't believe that this is it. Everything you've ever done for us will mean nothing soon. Sorry I-I got to go. I'll be back - I- just need to get away."
I.M opened his mouth to respond but closed it. The door slammed behind them as Kihyun headed out. Wonho arose from the couch and made his way over to him.
Wonho's comforting hands held his face. "Hey don't worry about Kihyun. He will be back. Please don't worry."
I.M tried to listen to the kind words, but all he could hear was Kihyun's anger and disappointment. There was now a large target on their back. The council would find out about them in no time. He couldn't see any solution in sight.
"Come on, let's put him into the guest room for now. We will discuss further and deal with the issue tomorrow," Shownu said.
"You mean get rid of him tomorrow," I.M said, watching Wonho step away from him.
Shownu removed the boy from his back. "He is already dead I.M. Vampires are not alive, remember?"
I.M nodded his head. It was obvious that the decision had already been made. The poor boy who suffered at the hands of evil would face a second death. Shownu carried the boy down the grey hallway. For a moment, I.M wanted to keep the new vampire close, but he pushed the thought aside. Wonho brought him back into a comforting embrace. He couldn't feel the warmth, but he knew it was there.
"It'll be okay, I.M," Wonho said.
"You think I made a big mistake."
Wonho held him closer , eyes focused on a spot behind them. "When additional members joined the clan, I promised Shownu I would help him protect everyone."
"I understand. We get rid of him before the council does," I.M said.
Minhyuk wrapped his arms around him, sighing.
"I-you know how I feel about it? I don't want to hurt anyone. It is against what I believe in. I just don't know what to do about the new vampire. I mean Kihyun is right. We are in danger," Wonho said. "I really wish this wasn't so hard."
Minhyuk on his left, nuzzled further into his side, reminding him he wasn't alone. He felt like the worst clan member to ever exist. Here he stood wrapped up in the arms of his older clan members and all he could worry about was the human he turned. Of course, he cared about his clan members. But the poor boy had suffered enough. He deserved peace.
Both his clan members pulled away from him, a sad smile on their lips. He watched Minhyuk and Wonho disappear down the hall, whispering words between themselves. He knew they were discussing about him and his failures. The council was right about him. He was a trouble maker. Even though I.M turned the stranger to save him from death, in the end nothing mattered. I.M did nothing right. All he achieved was cursing the human with the the vampire life and causing him pain.
He didn't want to head to bed, so he headed over to the couch and curled into a ball. The thought of getting rid of the new vampire, whom he didn't know by name, did not sit well with him. But he had no choice. As soon as the transition was over, the MX clan would have to get rid of their sixth member, a member he created. If he could cry, he would.