Chapter Text
Kihyun pulled away from Minhyuk’s neck and wiped the blood from his lips. He softly analyzed Minhyuk and then looked to his right. A familiar vampire ran toward them. Kihyun grabbed the vampire's leg, stopping her from moving.
“Let go,” the vampire woman said.
“We're on the same side,” Kihyun said.
The woman with bright blonde hair nodded once she recognized him. If he remembered correctly, her name was Eunji and she was one of the oldest members of the Lee clan. Kihyun turned his attention back to Minhyuk. The bite was already healing successfully. He sighed and then turned back to Eunji.
“Who is he?” Eunji asked, kneeling beside him.
“Hyungwon’s friend.”
“Oh,” she said. “Is he alright?”
Kihyun sighed heavily.
“He will be.”
Her eyes widened from realization.
“I need your help,” Kihyun said.
“Anything,” Eunji said.
Kihyun smiled warmly.
“Please, take care of him for me,” he said.
She nodded, picking up the unconscious new vampire.
“I'll bring him to Hyungwon.”
“Thank you. I–I have to end this,” Kihyun said, softly. “Only I can stop this whole thing.”
Eunji looked toward the castle entrance.
“Okay,” she said.
Kihyun looked at Minhyuk and then her.
“Be safe,” he said and then ran toward the castle entrance.
Kihyun entered the castle, analyzing his surroundings. The once pristine castle was in disarray. He looked around, searching for the King. He looked at the throne room, imagining the King sitting on his throne as if he had no worries. Kihyun clenched his fists.
He pushed open the ornate doors and entered inside. Confusion descended upon him. He began to wonder if the King had run away. It wasn't something he expected the King to do. The King wasn't someone who ran from a fight.
“Looking for someone in particular?”
Kihyun turned, eyes narrowed.
“What's this? The Crown Prince isn't happy to see a trusted noble? I wonder why?”
The vampire man standing opposite of him was a regular attendee of the King's meetings. Kwanghwan was an older vampire with long nails and a sharp attitude. His long silver hair was twisted in knots. He smirked. The older vampire looked as if he had experienced the worst of the fight.
“This is treason, you know? What you are doing is treason,” Kwanghwan said.
Kihyun didn't respond.
“You know? We all thought you would rise up one day,” he said. “Be just like the King.”
“Not anymore,” Kihyun said. “I no longer want to associate myself with such a monster.”
“Kihyun, let's not be ungrateful,” he said, amused. “ King Sungnam has done so much for you.”
Kihyun hissed, eyes narrowed.
“Very well,” Kwanghwan said. “I wasn't instructed to do this but it would be my honor to tear you to shreds.”
Kihyun glared.
“You'd never be able to get your hands on me,” he said.
The man cackled, throwing his head back.
“I'm centuries older than you. You won't be able to win this fight.”
Kihyun smirked.
“Guess you're in for quite a surprise.”
Kwanghwan glared. Kihyun charged, eyes narrowed as he leapt through the air. He needed to get to the King immediately. A fist connected with his lower jaw. He hit the ground. Kihyun rolled out of the way before a foot could slam against his chest. He quickly got to his feet.
“Interesting,” Kwanghwan said. “Didn't you just say I wouldn't be able to get my hands on you, Crown Prince?”
Kihyun clenched his fists.
“Who knows maybe after I dispose of you I'll be handsomely rewarded.”
Kihyun refused to be defeated. He needed to focus and remember every skill he picked up in his short vampire life. There was no way he was going to let Kwanghwan take him down. Kwanghwan lunged at him. Kihyun leapt out of the way.
“I wish the kingdom could see you now. Crown Prince Kihyun, next in line for the throne, running away from a fight.”
Kihyun ignored the insult and dodged a fist aimed for his head. After a second of avoiding hits, Kihyun changed his technique. He needed to get back to fighting. Kihyun charged toward Kwanghwan and jumped into the sky.
He grabbed the nobleman's shoulders and dragged him down as he landed back on the ground. Kwanghwan dropped to the ground but quickly got up ready to fight again. Kihyun bit the inside of his cheek, annoyed. He didn’t have time for distractions. Kihyun needed to end the fight.
“Give up, prince,” Kwanghwan said. “Accept defeat and maybe I’ll show you mercy.”
Kihyun snorted.
“I’ll never accept defeat,” he said and then ran toward Kwanghwan.
Kihyun threw a punch making direct contact with Kwanghwan's chin. He heard the crack of bone but knew the hit wouldn’t be enough to stop the other. They were vampires which meant they could heal instantly. Kihyun looked around his surroundings, lips pursed. His eyes widened as an idea came to mind. He ran toward the intricate wooden table located outside the throne room.
“Once again, you’re running away like the coward I know you truly are.”
Kihyun ignored Kwanghwan. Instead he smashed the table with ease. Kwanghwan followed him out the doors, and cackled as if his destruction was funny. Kihyun ignored him and grabbed a piece of the broken wood from the ground. He kept his back turned hoping his plan would work.
“I would say turn around and fight me but I’m not opposed to killing you while your back is turned.”
Kihyun gripped the piece of wood in his hand tightly. He spun around and thrust the pointed stick into the chest of the noble. Kwanghwan's eyes widened from shock. Kihyun had hoped the nobleman would be too preoccupied with his own voice to investigate what Kihyun was doing. Luckily, Kihyun was right.
“Like I said,” Kihyun said, glaring at the other vampire. “I will never accept defeat.”
He let go of his makeshift stake and pushed the other vampire down. Kwanghwan fell to the ground, eyes filled with shock. Kihyun turned to his right and headed further down the corridor.
Kihyun rushed down the hall, carefully searching every corner. His eyes turned toward the garden. It was odd spotting the beautiful flowers untouched by the chaos outside and inside the castle walls. The area was peaceful as if there wasn’t a war outside. He stepped into the garden, drawn to the peaceful atmosphere.
After a second of enjoying the peace, Kihyun exited the garden and ran down the hall. He hoped his brothers were doing well. Kihyun wished he could be by their side but he knew he had an important goal to achieve. After he met with King Sungnam, he would join his brothers again.
Kihyun hit the wall. He dodged a fist aimed at him. Kihyun focused on his attacker, ready to fight back. His eyes widened at the sight of Hyungwon glaring at him, eyes burning a blood red.
“Hyungwon?”
Kihyun dodged another punch. He frowned. Kihyun didn’t understand why Hyungwon was attacking him. Before Hyungwon could throw another punch, Kihyun grabbed his left wrist and then grabbed his right one. Hyungwon shrieked as he struggled to escape.
“Hyungwon! Hyungwon what is this meaning of this? Hyungwon! Listen to me! Calm down and listen!”
“I trusted you!”
Kihyun froze, shocked. Hyungwon narrowed his eyes at him, lips trembling as he kept trying to break free. Kihyun moved his head away the moment Hyungwon tried to headbutt him. Hyungwon thrashed around, screaming for him to let go.
“Hyungwon tell me what’s going on!”
“I trusted you and you betrayed me!”
“Hyungwon. What are you talking about?”
“How could you? How could you?”
“Hyungwon! Tell me what’s going on right now!”
Hyungwon’s eyes widened. Kihyun hadn’t meant to raise his voice but he needed answers. Hyungwon stopped struggling for a moment. A look of pure disgust fell upon his face.
“I should have never trusted you. Of course all of this was just an elaborate scheme to get the throne,” Hyungwon said. “You're just like King Sungnam. You're just like that gosh awful monster that took everything away from me.”
Kihyun glared.
“I'm nothing like him.”
Hyungwon threw his head back and laughed.
“Liar! You planned all of this. Every encouraging word and carefully crafted plan was a lie. Yes, you wanted to defeat King Sungnam but for your own selfish reasons. This is it isn't? This is the moment you take the throne for yourself and get rid of us. This is the moment where you start your own personal brand of terror.”
“Hyungwon, what are you saying? I don't have time for this. We need–”
“You turned him! You turned Min even though I told you not to! You turned him into a vampire! How could you? You monster!”
Kihyun let go of Hyungwon's wrists remembering what he had done. At the time he had only one thought on his mind, save the human. He didn’t think about anything else. Kihyun sighed.
“Hyungwon I-”
“How could you?” Hyungwon asked, throwing a punch at his chest. “Why did you do this?”
Kihyun grabbed Hyungwon and pulled him into a tight embrace. For several seconds, Hyungwon struggled and then he stopped. All Kihyun could hear was the sound of sobbing. Kihyun frowned.
“You ruined everything.”
“Hyungwon, he was dying.”
Hyungwon stopped crying.
“Minhyuk, your friend, was dying. If I didn't turn him he would have died.”
“You’re lying,” Hyungwon said, pushing Kihyun away.
“I’m not.”
“I don’t believe you,” Hyungwon said. “This is all a part of your plan. You–”
“It’s not,” Kihyun said. “Minhyuk was dying, Hyungwon. I’m so sorry it came to this but I had to turn him. I couldn’t leave him to die. I know how much you care about him, so I knew what needed to be done. I couldn’t let him die.”
Hyungwon shrieked. Kihyun pulled Hyungwon back into another tight embrace. He looked up at the ceiling as he held his fellow fledgling, his brother. Hyungwon circled his arms around him, wailing.
“I meant no harm,” Kihyun said, rubbing comforting circles into Hyungwon’s back. “My intention was to save your precious friend. I couldn’t let him die, Hyungwon. Forgive me.”
For several seconds, Kihyun held Hyungwon as he cried. Hyungwon had wanted Minhyuk to keep his humanity, but unfortunately that wasn’t his fate. He broke the embrace and held Hyungwon at arm’s length. The younger fledgling made eye contact with him, tears still running down his cheeks.
“I have to go now, Hyungwon,” Kihyun said. “I have to find the King and end this. Again, I’m so sorry.”
Hyungwon nodded quietly. Kihyun sighed as he stepped away from Hyungwon. Hyungwon didn’t say a word, just watched him. Kihyun frowned as he turned away from Hyungwon. He needed to focus on finding Sungnam.
“Be safe.”
Kihyun paused and then turned around. Hyungwon stood in the corridor, attire full of rips, black hair in disarray, and cheeks stained with tears. Kihyun smiled softly and then nodded. He turned back around and ran down the corridor in search of the King. As he searched, he wiped a few stray tears from his own eyes.
Kihyun punched a wall out of frustration. He had been running all over the castle but he hadn’t found the King. Honestly, he was shocked that Sungnam would hide. The King was too proud to hide.
He placed his forehead against the castle stone wall. There was a war raging outside, tragedy was happening all around him. He needed to end his seemingly endless search. Kihyun needed to end the war.
Kihyun moved away from the wall, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. His mind filled with horrific thoughts as he started to lose focus. His brothers and the Lee clan were fighting tirelessly. There was a chance they could have lost their fight.
He bit the inside of his cheek. He wondered if Hyungwon was the only fledgling of his clan left. There was a chance Jooheon had met his end. Kihyun shook his head, dispelling the negative thoughts from his mind.
Kihyun changed direction, deciding it was time to exit the castle and look for the King outside. It was strange, there hadn’t been many vampires within the castle. He guessed most of them decided to take the fight outside. Quickly he returned to the entrance of the castle.
He noticed Hyungwon was no longer standing in the corridor. Kihyun guessed the other vampire had returned to the fight or Minhyuk. He casually looked at the throne room one more time and then paused. Seated on the throne was King Sungnam, his sire. He moved closer to the entrance of the throne room, shocked by the sudden appearance of the King.
“Ah, my favorite Crown Prince,” Sungnam said, amused. “I was wondering when I’d see you again.”
Kihyun dug his fingers into the palms of his hands. It was finally time for him to put an end to Sungnam's reign of terror once and for all. He entered the throne room, eager to fight.