My world burns black.
The colors fade away one by one until it only leaves the blistering heat of the fire, the dark crimson of blood. When I try to scream for the millionth time, nothing comes out of my dry throat.
It's like poison.
It's like he'd put poison that's turning the blood inside of me into ashes, my skin into dust. If anyone told me this is hell itself, then I would fully believe them without doubt.
The pain comes in fiery waves, before I can brace for them. I'm changing— everything that'd once defined me shifting into something more powerful, something more unnatural.
And then the pain simply dissipates like the snap of a finger.
I am vampire.
__________________________
My entire body feels refreshed as I open my eyes, although I should be absolutely exhausted from the long, terrible battle I'd just fought.
My eyes meet Jungkook.
Even though I'd been the one to have gone through more than I'd ever gone through in my entire life, Jungkook looks so drained that I would've thought that he was every step there along with me.
"Thank God," He whispers as he presses a gentle hand against my cheek. "Thank God, Elle."
"You're beautiful."
I let out a soft laugh, surprise rocking through me when I raise myself from the bed. My body feels so light— like I could easily weigh the weight of a feather.
Maybe I'd lost weight during the coma?
"Are you relieved because I'm pretty?" I say, making his face flush with red. He instantly rebukes my question as he helps me up to my feet.
"I'm relieved you made it through alive." He murmurs, embracing me to his chest. "And you somehow still smell like gardenia— which is really not helping."
I smile.
Then I tighten my grip around his figure, feeling more safer than I'd ever felt as I bury myself in his warmth. He suddenly lets out a groan, and I quickly look up in surprise.
"Jungkook?"
"Sorry," He says, looking at me with something like pride in his eyes. "It's just that— you've gotten so strong now."
"You're not really my delicate little gardenia anymore."
"I feel like you." I admit, brushing my fingertips together. "You've always had that grace, you know? Like an aura of constant elegance. Even if you tripped over your own feet, you'd still find a way to make it look beautiful."
He frowns. "I don't ever recall tripping over my own feet."
"It's because you never do."
Then the door slams open, revealing an excited vampire that I'd last seen pouring blood from a wound carved into his chest. His stunning regenerative abilities had already taken care of the slash, leaving skin as good as new behind.
"Tae!"
Then Jungkook's grip tightens on my waist, too quick and too strong for normal. All of a sudden, his fingers are wrapped around my neck and slamming me down into the bed.
Surprise flashes through my eyes before my instincts kick up, and something deeper caresses my senses.
Something amazing.
Something beyond my control.
My eyes tingle for a split moment when Jungkook's grip suddenly releases. Horror fills my blood when I see him, as well as Taehyung, both crumple to the floor with eyes glazed with agony.
What..
Then as fast as it had come, my powers leave me. All that remains behind is a splitting headache enough to drop me to my knees, breath rushed and panicked at what had just happened.
Jungkook scrambles to his feet, still looking dazed as he stumbles over to me. Taehyung also seems shocked as he blinks slowly, too stunned to even move from his spot.
"Elle— relax." He says, folding my trembling figure in his arms. "Breathe. Don't forget to breathe."
Breathe.
"Okay."
Then all of a sudden, the door bursts open. I flinch at the unexpected entrance as Yoongi practically flies into the room, his eyes quick to assess the current situation.
"Cyan eyes," He breathes, staring at my eyes before turning his gaze to a shocked Taehyung. "And I'm assuming that you already had a taste of her Gift? What is it?"
"I don't know," Taehyung stutters, finally breaking out of his daze. "We we're trying to trigger her Gift, and then it was just— it felt like I was being torn apart."
"Her Gift is hurting her." Jungkook notes, eyes wide with concern. "That's not normal, hyung! I've never seen anyone—"
"Hold on," Yoongi says, scrunching his eyes together. "Let's get this straight first— what's her Gift? To create pain?"
"Not create."
Everyone's eyes turn to me as I look up at Yoongi, trying to recall the strange sensation of the power bursting through my bloodstream.
"It was more like— inflicting."
"Inflicting pain," Yoongi says, his tone awed. "That's an overpowered Gift— of course it'd come with some setbacks. Just refrain from using it any more from now, alright? I don't want to risk anything until I know more about this."
All of us nod numbly as Yoongi turns, posture thoughtful as he walks out the door. As soon as the door swings shut, Taehyung leaps onto the bed.
"That," He breathes in astonishment. "Was amazing. You could take down anyone in seconds!"
"And take down myself, too." I sigh, recalling the piercing headache that had thundered through my head the second I'd released the foreign Gift. "What's the point then?"
"But you can get better—" His already widened eyes grow even wider as he waves at Jungkook. "You could even get better than Jungkook! Now that would be absolutely—"
"No," The maknae cuts off, voice already competitive. Even though he looks at me playfully, I can tell that he hated losing— especially to someone he'd always protected. But maybe it was time for that to change.
"I could be saving you now!" I giggle, poking at his tensed side. "Instead of you always saving—"
"You've saved us plenty of times, Elle." Jungkook sighs, taking my hand in his. "You don't need to feel obliged to do it more than you've already done."
His lips purse.
"Besides," He continues with a light frown. "I'm the one who's going to keep you safe."
"Alright, Kook." Taehyung laughs, playfully giggling as he backs off a couple steps. "No need to be so overprotective. We all know."
"At least I have some kind of backup plan now," I say, flexing my fingers. "This Gift is terrifying."
"Which is why you won't use it unless we're all dead and you only have yourself to survive," Jungkook stresses.
"Which absolutely will not happen, so you won't ever need that backup plan."
A/n: One more chapter!