Chapter Text
Throughout the ages there had been plenty of us; plenty of those who seek for the unimaginable in exchange for what – their soul? Or was it their life?
I couldn’t tell.
We all have been there, at the bottom. In a place from which we believed was no escape. I was there, others too. Well, at least those who I’ve spoken to. Many choose this path, many stumbled upon it and thought it would be a good beginning, but there are still some who had no other choice.
Choice is important, or it should have been. It could have saved many lives from the unending misery, which life itself can sometimes be. I didn’t have a choice, but it doesn’t matter anymore. As the times passed I’ve slowly get used to it - to the possibility of never doing some things and to the necessity of doing other things.
That’s what my life has been for more than four centuries. Misery filled with occasional pleasures, although the pleasures never lasted more than a few years. After the constant obligation to move places, change lives, get rid of old names and memories, it became a burden and I’ve succumbed to solitude.
There were always others, people or not so people-like-creatures, who knew the truth. Mostly because they were like me, but as the time has been running through my fingers, the number of us rapidly decreased.
People, the creatures so naïve that I almost want to laugh on their behalf, with their beliefs, fame and fortune, however, they know nothing. Even though they think they do. Their methods of exploration, wars and revolutions have never been more effective, and even with them they failed to expose us, failed to find out we actually exist. I used to believe in them. When I was young and foolish, when the times weren’t so desperate, and most importantly, they knew what they were doing. But time has passed and things have changed.
Therefore I don’t believe in fate, nor the Death and Life. I don’t even believe in humanity anymore, it has let me down so many times.
I have a simple belief left that there would be someone in the end.
These days, there are only seven of us. The last seven from the numerous of those who could live forever are left. Many have died in the wars, many have decided to leave this world and many have just gone with the flow.
Someone once asked me whether I would want to live forever. I was two hundred years old by that time. My answer has always been the same. If only I’ve had a chance to say no to those who gave me this unwanted ‘gift’.
Gift, as they called it, brought me nothing but bad experiences. First of all, I have died – and wanted to stay dead, but my prayer hadn’t been heard. So, I was given a new chance to live. With only one condition, I will forever have to feed on the others.
The question of how I feed, or on what I feed, was my biggest nightmare. The first years, even decades, were hell on earth, mostly because of the company I’ve had on my travels.
My companions were my so-called creators, or those from whom I’ve received my life. They had a strange way of living, I would say. Not just because of their bloodthirst or the amount of bodies they always left behind.
They didn’t understand me and who I was before they set me on this path. Simply I wasn’t like them and they didn’t like it. They always thought of me as something they could use in the future that I would be glad to thank them by a little service when they would need it.
I wasn’t grateful at all. I’ve hated them and this life. It was the years that changed me. Not even the people I’ve met – and believe me I’ve met a dozen of the great thinkers, a dozen of the royalty and another dozen of artists of all kinds.
And they weren’t there for me when I needed them. I was and me and only myself. Therefore I’ve began to live in solitude, with only a few knowing of my current whereabouts. Those are the six others who are still alive, after all those years when we firstly thought that the world could someday be ours.
We have failed, as well as our numbers have been cut down, we decided to tell our story - The story of those who lived even though they weren’t supposed to live.
I personally don’t believe to be important for the whole concept, but the other told me to do it. So I am doing it.
And only now you are asking who we are?
I will, of course, tell you.
Before that there are a few things you must bear in mind.
One. These are information that no one was supposed to know.
Two. When you decide to read further there is no way back.
Three. You must not tell anyone about our names, whereabouts, or the purpose we have.
Four. The names (except for our own), places and events are purely made up, don’t try to follow or look them up. They will lead you nowhere.
Five. Enjoy your journey through the unknown.
Here you go.
We are just like you, we look like you, we walk like you, but in the end we are here when you are too old to function, when you die. No, we are not death servants; we are neither the reapers nor your killers.
You would probably call us vampires, just because we need blood to keep living; but we are not just that. We are here to help you with your pain, at least that’s what I’ve been doing the last two centuries. I’ve been helping the elderly to die peacefully, without any additional pain and well, with the last sparks of pleasure they could have.
My name is Min Yoongi and I am the pianist.