Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You were the only child of the previous queen of the kingdom. As the sole heir to the throne, you had a great deal of responsibility on your shoulders. Your kingdom was a peaceful one. The world that you inhabited is one full of magic, monsters, and recently, great scientific advancements. 

You remember the day when everything changed, the day you lost your mother and the day you were crowned the new ruler. It was a day like any other. The guards had reported recent sightings of something unidentifiable flying in the air. It was expected to be a dragon. 

Dragons were rare, and few in number. When they were discovered, they usually kept to themselves. A dragon that strayed this close to human civilization was worrying. 

Since the reports were unclear, and the likelihood of it actually being a dragon was low, these concerns were dismissed. It was a mistake. The dragon came in the night, breathing fire and killing dozens of your people, and among them, your mother. Brave knights, accompanied by skilled wizards and witches, fended off the dragon, but were unable to kill it.

You decided to relocate your capital to another city, one that would be easier to defend and fortify. Your citizens followed you. You searched for the best blacksmith in the land, one that could forge a weapon of epic proportions to kill the dragon. Finally, you found him. 

The dragon had not attacked again since that day, so you had time in between growing your city for further development on the prospective “Dragonblade”. The blacksmith worked with witches, wizards, and knights to find the materials for such a blade. 

After a few months, the sword was complete. It needed a proper wielder, and you had just the person in mind. You bestowed the quest to kill the dragon on your most loyal and daring knight. With him was his apprentice, a common thief girl. 

That girl was trouble. She had been known to steal from anyone: the rich, the poor, and then some. She had finally been caught when she had tried scaling the gate to the high class housing district. 

The people loved the knight, but were wary of his apprentice. You too shared in their reluctance, but still, you saw them off the same. 

Anxiously, you and your citizens waited for them to return. For if they did not, even with such a legendary weapon, then hope was lost. It was with spectacular celebration and happiness that the news of their homecoming brought. 

The dragon had been slain, and you could rest just a little bit easier knowing that. Surprisingly, the thief girl had managed to hold her own fairly well. You supposed she would one day be a worthy knight after all. 

(Nothing would change her love for money, as she had tried to make off with half the dragon hoard, were it not for the intervention of the knight).

With the threat of the dragon subdued, you were freely able to expand and strengthen your kingdom. Your kingdom now had an even stronger military, a thriving economy, and a great investment in the arts. 

Nowhere else was this more prominent than in the capital of your kingdom. It was where the headquarters of the Council of Science resided, the residence of one Madame Abeille (co-owner of the renowned Abeille’s Sweets), and where the most talented musicians and performers gathered.

Your citizens were what made your kingdom special. Whether they be plant people, aliens, undead skeletons, sentient slimes, or (formerly) cursed chests. 

The dragon had been by and large the most difficult problem to deal with. However, you had other problems to resolve, issues like an infected granary stock...or a ban on pineapples.

That’s where your royal advisor came in. A while after dealing with the dragon, she had come to your kingdom. She came from a town in another kingdom east to yours. She had come highly recommended, as an expert in political and diplomatic affairs. She had been the best candidate for your royal advisor, and you were glad she was. You could not imagine anyone else in that position. 

Over the years, you two had grown closer together. You found yourself admiring not only her skills in government, but outside. You noticed the little things, like her love for animals. She’d feed the stray cats, and she was fond of one particular orange tabby. She had named him Boots. You liked Boots, so you let him stay in the castle. You’d scratch his belly and feed him fish when you had the time.

Eventually, your kingdom gained admission into the esteemed Council of Crowns. It had not been easy, as along the way, you had to search for a notorious resident of the Comfy Kingdom: Yarno. You uncovered a conspiracy in which another citizen, Button Boy, had pretended to be the royal advisor of King Pin in order to catch Yarno.

Upon joining the Council of Crowns, you had noticed that your royal advisor had seemed sadder. Yes, while it was true that you had more work dealing with the matters of other kingdoms, you always made sure to make time for your royal advisor. 

She and you had become friends, not just colleagues. When you spent time with her, you’d catch yourself admiring her golden blonde hair that always seemed to shine in your eyes. You liked the sound of her laughter, the way she smiled, and her enthusiasm.

So could it be that these feelings you had for her, extended beyond friendship? Could it be...love? You were afraid to find out, and you were afraid to ask. You’d daydream and wonder about the possibilities. You knew that it’d be incredibly awkward if she didn’t return your feelings.

Still, that desire to know tortured you. It was impossible not to think of her, when you saw her everyday. Which is why, on a particular day, you decided to end your doubts once and for all. There was no going back. Even if she didn’t accept, even if you ended up with a broken heart.

You brought her to one of your favorite places in the city, a hill. On that hill was a pure white oak tree, with the bluest of leaves. A wandering wizard had left it as a gift to you before he left. 

Then you told her everything: how much you valued her presence in your life, how you admired her, how you loved her. To your delight, she returned your feelings. 

You two went on several dates together, as a couple. You were extremely happy to tell anyone and everyone that you had a wonderful girlfriend. More time passed, and then you two decided to get engaged. A while after that, you got married and the two of you lived happily ever after.

Chapter Text

Ten years ago, people who could transform into vampires began to appear in Korea. Ever since then, these morphing vampires have been slaughtering people while hiding their true identities. But there's something that people don't know. A secret, that if it got out, would change the world and the way that people saw vampires forever.

Pureblood vampires. Vampires who are stronger, faster, and more powerful in every way. How do I know about them? Because I am a pureblood vampire.

My parents were both pureblood vampires. They used to live in Korea, before they had me. They decided to move to the US and settle down in a small town. 

My life was a peaceful one. Sure, it was hard trying to hide my identity as a vampire, but it wasn't that bad. I was homeschooled, up until I was ready to go off to college.

College was a new experience for me. I had fun making new friends, taking classes taught by different teachers, and being in a new environment. I went home to visit my parents during breaks.

I wish I had gotten to say goodbye to them, if I knew that I'd never be able to see them again. 

It was winter break. I was excited to see my parents again and spend time with them during the holidays. I had plans for movies we could watch together, games we could play, and more.

The bus stopped in my neighborhood, and I got off, still brimming with anticipation. That is, until I saw the smoke.

The smoke was coming from the direction of my family's home. I ran there as fast as I could. When I got there, I saw the firefighters putting out the last of the flames.

Our house was a complete wreck. I frantically rushed past the onlookers and firefighters to dig through the rubble, and search for my parents. I was dragged away, still screaming and sobbing. 

Later, the police told me about what had happened. It was reported that two explosions were heard from our house, and then a fire started not long after. The firefighters were dispatched, but it still took a while for them to get from the station to our house. They found my parents' bodies, unrecognizable as they were. 

The explosions were written off as gas leaks, since our house was an old one. This may have been a reasonable explanation to anyone else, but not me. I knew better.

We were pureblood vampires.

Any regular vampire that manages to consume the heart of a pureblood vampire would become a pureblood vampire themself. We knew this, but we thought we were safe here in the US, when vampires began to appear in Korea ten years ago. 

My parents must have sacrificed themselves to destroy their hearts, along with their attackers. 

Our mailbox still had some mail in it. Bills to pay, letters for my parents, and letters for me as well. I expected this. What I was not expecting was the note left in the mailbox, addressed to me.

If you want revenge for your parents' deaths, come to Korea.

I crushed the note in my hand. 

Whoever came after my parents didn't succeed, but it cost my parents their lives. Now they're after me. They know I exist.

Fine. If they think I'll be easy prey, I'll prove them wrong.

Living in Korea was different from living in the States. 

I had applied to study abroad, and the university I applied for was Hanguk University. I managed to rent an apartment at a decent price in a modest neighborhood. I heard that there was a nice church in the area, run by a priest who also takes care of orphans from the nearby orphanage. 

It was hard enough adjusting to life in another country, never mind one where bloodthirsty monsters come out at night. Lucky for me, I had the distinct advantage of being one of those "monsters". 

Admittedly, not only did I feel guilty for not being able to prevent my parents' deaths, I realized what a privileged life I had been living. All my life, just on the other side of the world, there were innocent people being terrorized by vampires.

But now I'm here, and I have the power to do something about it.

I'd find whoever was responsible for my parents' murders, and I'll rid the world of vampires, one bastard at a time. 

Between going out at night to kill vampires, and scrounging up information about their secret hierarchy and criminal underworld, I was also busy with my normal, "human" life.

I attended the orientation for my new university.

Yet it wasn't at the orientation that I'd meet the woman who'd change my life.

The first day of school was always the same: new students rushing to find their classes, old students saying hi to their friends, and teachers making note of who to look out for that year.

I greeted a few people I had met at the orientation, but there was one girl who was going around greeting...everyone. She was quite pretty, with dark brown hair and eyes. 

She was so enthusiastic, bowing her head at every person she came across, that I couldn't help but smile. 

With her friendly demeanor, I was sure she'd already have made plenty of friends, but I noticed later that she had no one to sit at lunch with. I myself was sitting alone, but that was of my own volition. I debated whether or not to go to her table and sit with her, but I opted not to, in the end. 

Over the next few days, I kept seeing her around. She still greeted everyone cheerfully, and had earned the nickname "Miss Popular" around campus. I found it very fitting for her. 

Things continued on like this. Her, greeting everyone with enthusiasm but sitting alone. Me, silently watching her.

I decided that I had done enough observing, and that it was time to formally meet her.

Bringing my lunch with me over to her table, I sat across from her. She had started eating her lunch by then, so when I unexpectedly arrived at her table, she choked on her food. 

"Hey! Hey, are you okay?!"

I got up from my seat, prepared to do the Heimlich maneuver if necessary, but she waved a hand to stop me, and grabbed a nearby water bottle with the other hand to drink. She beat her chest a few times until she was no longer gasping, and I sat down when I confirmed that she was fine. Other people who had noticed the incident went back to eating their lunches. 

We sat there, awkwardly gazing at each other, until she groaned and covered her face with her hands in embarrassment.

"Nice going Hayan...first person who decides to sit with you at lunch, and you make a fool of yourself..."

"Oh no, that was my fault! I'm sorry for surprising you like that...so, uh, your name is Hayan?"

Hayan took one hand off her face, before slowly removing her remaining hand. 

"Yes, my name is Hayan...Park Hayan."

I introduced myself, and then we...shook hands. I decided to start a new topic of conversation, before Hayan had an existential crisis.

"Hayan...is it alright if I call you Hayan?"

She nodded her head affirmatively before waiting for what else I had to say.

"I hope this isn't out of line for me to say, but I've sort of been watching you for a while now. I notice that you always say hi to everyone, but you're still sitting alone at lunch? Um, Hayan, do you have friends?"

Hayan looked taken aback for a moment, before hanging her head in shame.

"It's...it's complicated? I've been trying to make friends, and since I didn't attend the orientation, I thought saying hi to everyone would be a surefire way to meet new people, but I haven't had much luck..."

"You didn't attend the orientation? So that's why I didn't recognize you. Hayan, if you're trying to make new friends, would you...like to be friends?"

"Seriously?! I mean, how could I reject?!"

Hayan enthusiastically slammed her hands on the table and jumped up, before sheepishly sitting back down when she noticed people's curious glances. 

"Yes! Let's be friends!" 

I talked with Hayan until lunch was over, and it turned out that we had a lot in common. Neither Hayan nor I were able to finish our lunches, busy as we were with chatting with each other. We decided to exchange phone numbers to keep in touch with each other. 

After that, I wasn't occupied with just school and my nighttime activities. I hung out with Hayan outside of school. We went to cafes and coffee shops to get drinks and spend more time with each other. 

She and I were the same age: twenty. When I applied to Hanguk University, I had to apply as a freshman, since not all of my credits from my previous college transferred over. 

Hayan was looking forward to a get together that some seniors had organized at a pub. Students from every year would be there, and she hoped to meet other freshman besides me. I wasn't one for drinking, since vampires couldn't get drunk anyway, but I decided to go for Hayan's sake. 

Gatherings of college students tend to go south pretty quickly, but it was what happened after that was a disaster. 

The pub was crowded, noisy, and filled with the laughter and shouting of overexcited young adults.

I sat down at a random table with Hayan. When we sat down, I heard someone suggest a drinking game to lighten the mood. Next thing I knew, we were all pointing fingers at each other, and Hayan was the unfortunate person chosen to drink. 

Two hours and several more drinking games later, Hayan was still unsuccessful at making another friend. I was surprised to note that Hayan was not a lightweight at all. She had drunk nearly twenty bottles of soju by herself! And If I was being honest with myself, I thought that made her even more amazing than she already was.

"Hayan, do you want to go home now?"

"Ah, yeah, I guess so...It seems my latest plan to make friends failed..."

In my head, I could see the comical tears of defeat in her eyes.

Hayan got up and grabbed her bag, but before we left the pub, a senior announced one last drinking competition. It was between a heavyset senior named Jang and anyone who dared to challenge him. If no one won, the freshman had to show off a talent during our start of year trip. 

I knew what was coming before anyone else. I decided to take bets, and when the drinking match was over, I made a nice one hundred thousand won from people who had bet Hayan would lose.

Actually, calling it a "match" would be wrong. It was so one-sided, I almost felt bad for Jang.

Hayan finally got her wish granted. I saw two freshman asking Hayan for her number to join their study group. As I looked at Hayan's giddy face, and the admiring expressions of everyone else around us, I felt happy for Hayan.

Just when Hayan was making a toast to her victory, the sirens went off.

The joy of everyone around us immediately died out, to be replaced with worry and fear instead. 

People scrambled to gather their belongings and leave the pub, and I hurried over to Hayan's side.

"Come on, Hayan. We'd better go. The sirens mean that vampires will be out soon..."

"Right! Um, let's go!"

We left the pub, prepared to follow everyone else in order to catch the last bus. 

"Hayan! Let me walk you home!"

Before I knew what was happening, there was a random guy standing in front of Hayan. He completely ignored me. If that wasn't enough to piss me off, his condescending smirk and the arrogant way he held himself did. Let me guess, this guy's one of those idiots who try to act macho in front of girls to impress them. 

"Um, no thank you. I already have a friend I'm walking home with..."

"A friend? Sure you do. Come on, what are you so afraid of? Me?"

"Hey buster, back off. She already said she's got someone to walk home with!"

I shoved him away. As he recovered from my unexpected interference, he quickly masked his anger with the same infuriating smirk. He gave me a once over, before his smirk widened. 

"So this must be the friend you mentioned. Well, I can always walk you both home."

Great. Just great. Not only is he wasting our precious time, he's hitting on Hayan and me.

"Tch. Fine. Clearly you're invested in walking with us, for some unfathomable reason, so I'll deign to let you join us, but only if I'm between you and Hayan."

He seemed to be more interested in Hayan than me, so I thought putting myself between her and him would get him to stop talking. Instead, he kept blabbering on about how vampires are no big deal, and there's nothing to worry about.

He's extremely lucky that we finally made it to the bus stop. Otherwise, I might have punched him.

There were some people running to get on the bus before it left. The annoying guy was still flirting with Hayan, but my attention was diverted when I heard a crash. The three of us turned our heads toward the source of the noise.

It was a man who had been thrown on the ground. The other man standing above him was obviously a gangster, a loan shark out to collect his debt. My intuition told me something bad was going to happen, and not because of the loan shark.

Sometimes, I hate being right.

It happened faster than the human eye could see, but I could discern perfectly with my vision. The man on the ground thrust his arm straight through the loan shark's chest.

As he stood up and shoved the now dead body off himself, the vampire walked closer step by step to Hayan and I. The annoying senior had long run away. He really was just a coward in the end. I would deal with him tomorrow. Right now, I had bigger things to worry about.

Normally, I'd just transform and then kill this no-name vampire, but I had to worry about Hayan. She was digging through her bag, looking for something. If only the bus was still around. Then Hayan could have run away and escaped.

I made a split second decision.

"Hayan. Listen to me. Run away as far as you can and don't look back."

"What? But, what about you? I can't leave you here alone!"

"Damn it Hayan, please just run away!"

"And where do you think you're going, bitch?!"

The vampire lunged towards Hayan and grabbed her hair. Before he could bite her, I transformed and slammed him to the ground. I smashed his head in, and watched as his body scattered into dust. 

With the immediate threat out of the way, I checked on Hayan. She had fallen on the ground when the vampire let go of her hair. I helped her as she stood up weakly. Hayan blinked, as she alternated between looking at the crater where the vampire used to be, and me. I spread my arms out to either side, and gazed steadily back at her.

"This is me. This is who I really am. I'm a vampire, a monster that people want dead. Hayan...do you hate me too?"

I waited with bated breath for her answer. The truth is, I could erase her memories. Make it so she never remembered what happened this night. But I didn't want to. 

Ever since my parents died, I had no one else who knew the truth of who I really was. I was good at pretending. I've been doing it my whole life. But I needed just one person I didn't have to pretend with, and I hoped that person could be Hayan.

Hayan studied my white hair and blue eyes. She looked pensive. 

"No...no I don't hate you. Because you're my friend."

She hugged me, and if I noticed that her hold was tighter than normal, I didn't mention it.

"Hayan...thank you."

I hugged her back. 

We remained like that for a while, until I offered to take her home.

"Wait, you want to...you want to carry me?! In-in your arms?!"

"Well, yes. I could also give you a piggyback ride, but since I'll be running and jumping on rooftops, this should be more comfortable for you."

"O-okay."

Putting one arm under Hayan's legs, and the other supporting her back, I made sure Hayan was securely in my hold when I leapt from the ground. Hayan kept her eyes closed the entire time, until I landed with a thump in front of the church. 

"Good night, Hayan."

I smiled softly and gave Hayan a small wave, before hurrying home. 

Hayan and I grew closer after that night. 

Since I no longer had to pretend I was human around her, I invited her over to my apartment, and vice versa. She introduced me to her "father" and her "siblings".

"It's nice to meet you sir. I mean, Father Michael. Um, Father-Michael-sir?"

As it turns out, Hayan was an orphan. I knew she lived in the same neighborhood as me, but not at the orphanage next to the church that I heard about when I first rented my apartment. The neighborhood ladies were always giggling about Father Michael, but he was more intimidating in person, even to a pureblood vampire like me.

"At ease. You're the friend Hayan has been talking about?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

Hayan was fighting back laughter behind me, while I kept on sweating nervously. 

"It's good she has a friend like you."

"Thank you, Father!"

I barely held back a sigh of relief that I seemed to make a good impression on Hayan's adoptive father. It was time to meet the younger siblings now.

"Woah! This is all for us?!"

Hayan's adoptive siblings, Yerim and Yunsu, bounced around eagerly when they saw I had brought bread for them. Hayan told me her siblings really loved bread, especially sticky rice bread. I had bought a couple for them from the school dining hall, and then went to a bakery to buy some more bread (mochi, sesame, tapioca, etc.) Since I couldn't eat any of it myself, I bought what was recommended to me by the baker, and hoped for the best. 

"Hayan! You need to bring your friend by more often!"

"You are my new favorite person!"

"I thought I was your favorite person?!"

I chuckled as Hayan chased her siblings around in order to catch them and tickle them. 

Hayan has such a lovely family. It's no wonder she's also a lovely person.

It was a normal evening at the university. I had stayed behind at school to work on homework and assignments with some classmates.

The student body was abuzz today with new gossip about the "super senior". He was the senior who had entered college nine years ago, and still had yet to graduate. This was none of my business. What was my business was that he was rude and a bully. In fact, just that afternoon, he had bumped into Hayan and insulted her instead of apologizing. If I saw him, I'd give him a piece of my mind, regardless if his family was well off or not.

After finishing our assignments, I accompanied my classmates on their way to get the last shuttle bus. To my displeasure, we had the misfortune of running into the aforementioned "super senior" Byungsu.

My classmates greeted him, but when he gave them no reply, they said goodbye to me and ran off to catch the bus.

I noticed that he seemed to be in a daze. Hayan did tell me that it seemed like he was sick, and looking at him now, I could tell that she was speaking the truth. Regardless of any beef I had with him, if he was feeling unwell, he should go see a doctor. 

"Hey, Byungsu. Do you need to go to the hospital?"

He didn't answer, instead just glaring at me, and clenching his fists. Whatever was going through his mind at that moment was not pleasant. I wanted to ask him more questions, but we were interrupted by a man on the phone.

It was Professor Donggyu Park. He was not one of my professors, but Hayan said he's one of her favorites. He's very dedicated to his job, has memorized all of his students' names, and even speaks to students on days he doesn't teach. It looked like he was in a hurry to get home, judging by how he greeted us quickly and then got into his car.

I was too late to stop what happened next. 

Byungsu threw Professor Park's car into the air. It flipped over and landed on its top with a crash. I dashed toward the car to check on Professor Park. He was bleeding from his head and unconscious, but he was still alive.

I was the one who was clenching my fists this time. Well, I had the perfect target to vent my anger out on. 

This side of the school was deserted at this time of the night, and the security cameras were down for maintenance today. With no one watching me, I could kill Byungsu. 

He was heading this way, no doubt to murder the professor. 

I opened the car door, gently took Professor Park out, and placed him on the ground. Then I transformed.

"What the fuck, you're a vampire too?"

"Shut up. You won't be alive for long anyway."

My hand was enveloped in blue flames as I disappeared and then reappeared in front of Byungsu. I grabbed his face, and watched as it melted away. The fire burned everything and left nothing behind, not even ashes. 

After de-transforming, I performed first aid on Professor Park and called 119.

When the ambulance arrived, I was questioned by police officers about what had happened. I told them the fake story I made up: I was with some classmates on their way to catch the last bus home, and then we ran into Byungsu. I went back inside the university to get something I had forgotten. When I came back outside, I saw Professor Park's car turned over and him inside unconscious. 

I was held in questioning until the police contacted my classmates to confirm I was with them. Professor Park woke up after receiving emergency medical attention, and told the police he had also seen Byungsu. That, coupled with the sudden emergence of footage showing Byungsu had caused a traffic accident and killed the victims, all but cemented the fact that Byungsu the vampire had attacked Professor Park. 

Byungsu was put on the national wanted list, and around campus people started calling me "The Lifesaver". 

To recap, since school started, I became friends with Hayan, saved her from a vampire by revealing my secret, met Father Michael and Hayan's younger siblings, and also saved another person from a vampire attack.

My life in Korea had been extremely eventful, and it only became more so with the introduction of Detective Euntae Hwang. 

It was another day at the university, and there were students outside of the school protesting the recent vampire attacks. I was irritated, but I could also understand where they were coming from. Recent examples like Byungsu had shown that it was all too easy for vampires to hide on campus.

I was with Hayan, and the two other freshman she had met at the pub. 

"Excuse me, are you Hayan Park?"

We all turned around to see a handsome red haired man. I looked at Hayan, and from her reaction, she recognized him.

"Hayan," I whispered to her, "you know this man?"

"Yes," she whispered back, "he saved me and my siblings from gangsters this one time."

Well, if he helped Hayan, he could be a good person, but he could also be faking it...

"Oh, and you must be the other person I'm looking for!"

I pointed at myself in surprise. "Me?"

"Yes, you! Let me introduce myself..."

He smiled, before proceeding to tell us all how about how he graduated from the police academy at the top of his class...and how he was made captain of the criminal investigations unit...and how he was the superstar of the vampire task force....and...

I sighed and facepalmed. 

"We get it, you're a detective. Please, we don't need to hear your entire life story..."

"Oh, silly me! I chattered on for too long, huh?"

Hayan's friends said goodbye before leaving us with the detective, blushes still present on their faces. As Hayan and I walked to the dining hall with the detective to continue our conversation with him, I noticed a lot of attention on us. Or rather, the detective.

By the time we got to our destination, Hayan and I had begrudgingly learned more about him.

He wasn't kidding when he said he was an expert about vampires. He had even invented a method to kill vampires: paralyzing them and then burning them alive in a furnace. To create such a brutal method, this man...he was dangerous.

I was on my guard while waiting for what else he had to say. He had ordered an entire table's worth of food, while I ordered drinks for Hayan and I. He insisted on buying food for us as well, but I rejected him quite firmly. 

The detective, Euntae Hwang as he called himself, asked us about the vampire who had killed the loan shark. Apparently, that was what Detective Hwang was investigating. The police were trying to figure out how the vampire died, and if it was related to the recent case of Byungsu...

I could tell that Hayan was nervous around the detective. He must be bringing up bad memories of the vampire attack.

Detective Hwang didn't let up in his interrogation though. If anything, he got more extreme. Did he suspect Hayan and I were vampires? Well, that wouldn't do. I pondered how to get out of this mess, when something unexpected happened. 

The detective cut his hand with the knife he was using for his food. 

It was quite a deep cut, and the blood flowed steadily from the wound.

"Ouch! I cut myself! I guess my fingers were too tense..."

Was he that desperate to reveal us as vampires? I'm glad I had the foresight to order a drink, so that I had something else to focus on instead of the blood. But it made me upset that Hayan seemed to look even more uncomfortable now.

"Detective, why don't you go to the nurse's office and get a bandage for that cut?"

"Are you sure? I can always get a bandage at the police station..."

"No, no, you should definitely go and get that checked out. The sooner the better."

"Alright then. I suppose this is goodbye for now."

'For now?' I hope that's 'forever' instead. The detective left after packing up the rest of his food, and I wanted Hayan and I to go home as quickly as possible, but Hayan insisted on buying some sticky rice bread for her siblings. I was going to object, but caved after Hayan gave me her best pair of puppy dog eyes.

The line for the baked goods was long today. We waited for a while, until we finally bought the bread and left the dining hall. But, we ran into the detective on our way out. 

"Hey, we meet again!"

I facepalmed, for a different reason this time.  

"Yayyyy...so glad we keep running into each other."

If he noticed my sarcasm, the detective didn't comment on it. 

"Well, we'd love to stay and chat more, but Hayan has to go home and take care of her very sick siblings..."

"Huh? But my siblings aren't -"

"Yep! Very sick! Oh the poor little ones!"

I grabbed Hayan's hand and we speed walked away from the detective...

....

....

"It's time for us to takes matters into our own hands! Let's prove that we're not vampires!"

Damn it. 

The protestors from earlier were now cutting people in order to prove that they weren't vampires. It was chaos all around us. Some students were willing, but most thought that the student council protestors were taking it too far. I thought about going back inside and waiting for the chaos to die down. There had to be teachers who would stop this madness, right?

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked back to see it was Detective Hwang. 

He leaned down to whisper to Hayan and I, "Just start walking." So we did exactly that, until we were stopped.

The student council members were blocking our path. 

"Have you done the test to prove you're not a vampire?"

They weren't backing down. Hayan raised a complaint, but that only seemed to make them angrier. One of them grabbed Hayan's wrist, and I prepared to brush it off, but when he pulled back Hayan's sleeve, we all saw the bandage on her arm.

It was still wet with blood.

But whose? Is it...the detective's? From when he cut his hand earlier with the knife? When and how did he get the bandage onto Hayan's arm?

"You see? We already did it. Do you need more proof?"

Detective Hwang was calm and collected as he slid Hayan's sleeve back down. That should have been the end of the matter, but a new obstacle stood in our way: the student council leader. 

"She could have gotten that bandage anywhere. I wasn't able to see her do the test, so I need her to do it again."

This was getting ridiculous.

The student council leader made a go at grabbing Hayan's arm again, but Detective Hwang caught him midair.

"It's a crime to go around using a blade on people against their will. Unless you want to be charged, I suggest stopping."

He flashed his police ID at the student council members, which was finally enough to get them to leave us alone. The three of us were able to get away from campus unimpeded.

I was reluctantly grateful for the detective. Hayan and I could have waited inside the university, but then the council members would have kept accosting other students outside. With the threat of police intervention, they'd be unlikely to continue. 

"Thank you...Detective Hwang."

"Oh please, call me Captain."

"...Captain Hwang."

He added his number to Hayan and I's contacts, before the three of us parted ways. 

I had gotten a text from Hayan.

I...I need you. Please...please come. I'm sitting in front of the pizza restaurant...

I knew exactly where Hayan was referring to. I grabbed my umbrella and my rain jacket, before quickly heading out to find Hayan. I had no idea why she'd send me such a strange text, but whatever the reason, it sounded urgent.

The rain was pouring, and Hayan was absolutely soaked. 

"Hayan! You're going to get sick like that!" 

I gave Hayan my umbrella to hold, while I went into the nearest store to buy a towel for Hayan. I came back out and gave her the towel to dry off while still holding onto the umbrella. After she finished drying off, Hayan looked...dejected.

"Can you tell me now why you called me out here?"

Hayan kept her head lowered as she explained what happened to her.

"Father Michael...he...he and I got into a fight."

"You got into a fight...? About what?"

"He...he's not letting me go to school anymore."

"What?!"

I was flabbergasted. Then, my astonishment turned into indignation.

"He...he can't do that! You haven't even finished the semester yet!"

"I know...I tried arguing against it, but he...he's made up his mind."

"Hayan..."

I was still aggravated on Hayan's behalf, but seeing her appear so defeated dampened my mood. 

"Maybe you need to spend some time away from Father Michael...that could do both you and him good."

"But...where would I stay?"

"Don't be siily! You can stay with me!"

"Really...? You'd do that for me?"

"Of course!"

I gave Hayan a hug. She was no longer frowning, but grinning in relief instead. 

Hayan stayed over at my apartment that night. She went home briefly to get her things and her scooter, and to tell Father Michael she was staying over at my place. That made him more upset, but Hayan didn't care. She was still mad at him.

My apartment was relatively small, so I didn't have a guest room for Hayan to stay in. She told me it was okay, and decided to sleep on my couch instead. I was embarrassed I couldn't get Hayan a more comfortable place to sleep.

The next day, Hayan and I decided to go on a walk in the neighborhood to cool off. It was raining again, and we saw a bunch of people gathered around the street gutters. They were panicking, and when we peeked inside the gutter to see the source of all the commotion, we saw a cat close to drowning.

I wanted to help the cat, but I didn't want to reveal my alter ego. Then, I came up with a brilliant idea.

"Attention, please! Does everyone here know what tug of war is? Yes? We can do something similar! Everyone here line up behind me, and hold on to the person in front of you! Then, pull with all your might!"

They did as I instructed, and with the help of my vampire strength, we were able to pull the lid off of the gutter and save the cat. Someone had called 119 beforehand, but since we all saved the cat, there was nothing left to do but get our picture taken in the newspaper. Hayan and I were one of the people who received the "Good Samaritan Award".

Hayan wanted to go home and tell Father Michael about how we saved the cat. I didn't think it was a good idea, but I conceded in the end. Surely Father Michael couldn't be mad about saving an innocent animal's life?

I was disappointed to find that I was wrong. Hayan came to me in tears. She had another argument with Father Michael. So another night passed where Hayan stayed over with me. 

Father Michael called Hayan the next morning to tell her that he, Yerim, and Yunsu moved to another neighborhood. He sounded apologetic about the day before. He told Hayan that he moved her stuff to their new home, and if she'd like to come over to see it.

"Go ahead, I don't mind. You should check up on your siblings too."

I gave Hayan a thumbs up, and encouraged her to go. I'd still be there for her when she needed me. Hayan gratefully thanked me, and went over to check up on her siblings, and Father Michael. She called me later, in better spirits.

"I patched things up with Father Michael. It's still kind of rough, but we're making progress."

"Hayan, that's great news! Why don't you stay over tonight then?"

"Okay...."

Hayan stayed with Father Michael, Yerim, and Yunsu for the rest of the week, while I was busy with school. I had mostly accepted the fact that Hayan wouldn't be going to college anymore, but at least we could still hang out together outside of it.

I got a request from Hayan to come and watch over her siblings for her, while she went out. 

"Thank you so much for coming over! Yerim and Yunsu are in bed, but if they wake up and need anything, I feel much better knowing you're there with them."

"It's no problem at all! But just out of curiosity, what do you need to go out for?"

"Father Michael still hasn't come home, even though it's already night time. He's never been this late before..."

"Oh, I see. You'll be going to the church then?"

"Yep!"

"Okay, I'll see you when you get back!"

I expected Hayan to come back with Father Michael, after dealing with whatever was keeping him busy at the church.

But instead, Hayan came back with a police officer and a coroner. 

"Unnie, what's going on?"

Yerim and Yunsu were rubbing the sleep from their eyes after they had been woken up by Hayan.

"As Ms. Park requested, the three of you present, sans Ms. Park's friend, are the next of kin of Father Michael. It is with a heavy heart and our deepest condolences that we announce the passing of Myeongsu Choi on this night. We are sorry for your loss, and offer you all our deepest sympathies."

After the coroner announced the death of Father Michael, the police officer and the coroner left to allow Hayan and her siblings to grieve. Yerim and Yunsu were quiet, before tears started falling from their eyes.

"U-unnie, what did they mean? F-father Michael is dead?"

 "Yerim....Yunsu..."

Since Hayan arrived earlier, she had tried keeping up a strong front for her siblings. But as she embraced them in her arms, I saw her shoulders trembling. I enveloped Hayan in my arms as the four of us stood there, the quiet of the apartment interspersed with the sniffles and sobs of Hayan and her siblings.  

Three days later, Father Michael's funeral was held. Captain Hwang came, along with everyone in the neighborhood, to pay their respects to Father Michael.

I stayed with Hayan and her siblings the days after the funeral. Hayan and her siblings had to prepare to move out, because of the death of their adoptive father. I helped them pack their things back at the apartment, while Hayan visited the rectory to get Father Michael's belongings.

She later told me about the letters Father Michael had written to her.

"He wrote all those letters...for me....he wanted to give them to me, but never found the chance to..."

'And now he never would', was left unsaid.

"I found this too...a business card from the Red Bomb Club."

"Red Bomb Club?!"

That was a club I had found out about during my nighttime excursions. Vampires frequented the club, and even worse, they lured unsuspecting humans in to become their prey, by posing as a safe haven.

"Why did Father Michael have a business card?"

"I don't know, but I overheard police officers at the funeral say a bunch of them had been stuck in Father's pockets."

"Could this be related? You don't think...they killed Father Michael?"

"Not just think...I know they did."

Hayan looked absolutely enraged.

"What will you do now?"

"I want to get revenge. But there's something I have to tell you first...at the church tonight."

Hayan and I snuck away to the church after making sure Yerim and Yunsu were safe and sound.

The roof and the walls of the church had burned away, leaving gaping holes for the moonlight to stream in.

"Okay, we're at the church. What did you want to talk about?"

"Remember that day you saved me from a vampire? You were truthful with me then, so I want to be truthful with you now."

"Truth? What truth?"

"I'm...also a pureblood vampire."

Before my very eyes, Hayan pulled her hair free from her ponytail, and I watched as it lost its color. Her eyes that I loved so much turned blue, like my own eyes when I transformed. 

"This...this is...."

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, especially when you told me first..."

"....Amazing!"

"Huh? You're not betrayed? Upset I kept this from you?"

"Why would I be upset, dummy? You're the first pureblood I've ever met aside from my parents."

"Your parents? You never talk about them..."

"That's because..." I hesitated before forcing out the words. "...they died."

"Oh...would it be alright if I asked how?"

"They died in a fire after sacrificing themselves."

"Just like Father Michael..."

Hayan and I contemplated our losses, and the tragedies that led us to where we were at present.

"Is it okay now if I asked about your life? How did you end up with Father Michael?"

"Father Michael...took me in when I was ten. I had no one and nowhere left to go. I hated myself so much that...I even tried to turn myself in for being a vampire."

"And Father Michael stopped you?"

"Yes...Father Michael became a second dad for me."

"What happened to your birth parents?"

"I can't remember. My memories of before I met Father...are unclear."

"Well, I'll help you get your memories back! After you get revenge on Father Michael's killer."

"Thank you...thank you so much..."

Hayan hugged me tightly, just like the day I saved her from the vampire.

After she and I let go of each other, I took Hayan's hands in mine. 

"Hayan...I'll always be by your side. And I'm not just saying this because we're both pureblood vampires. Even if I wasn't a vampire, I'd support you no matter what. You're my friend, and I'll be there for you, through whatever hardships may come."

"And you can depend on me too. You don't have to shoulder your burdens alone."

Hayan and I left the church, our hands still interlocked.  

Chapter Text

Before I was born, my parents founded Cyberato Inc.

In the changing technological landscape of the twenty first century, they established one of the most successful and lucrative tech companies in the world. Cyberato Inc. is known for popularizing "green tech", also known as green technology. My parents saw the impacts that climate change was wreaking on both the environment and people, so they sought to create a company that could reduce technology's impact on the planet. They started out creating light bulbs that would last longer and longer, before moving on to bigger projects like creating hover cars. 

The automatization of the workforce industry and outsourcing to robots and artificial intelligence was also a concern for my parents. They made sure that the employees of Cyberato Inc. would always be treated respectfully, and provided free training and education to employees as well. Cyberato funds public schools, universities, and colleges, in order to cultivate the next generation of engineers and scientists. 

Through the tireless efforts of my parents, Cyberato Inc. became a well regarded company, both by businesses and the common masses. 

After I was born, I came to understand all of this. I came to understand the legacy I had to live up to, but also what I had to surpass. 

I was always a smart kid, as the offspring of two of the brightest minds in both the scientific and business communities. I excelled in anything I was given, and was quickly labelled a "prodigy". My mom and dad were not like other rich and affluent parents who were inundated with work and could not spend time with their child. So I was lucky to have loving parents who were present all throughout my childhood.

My life sounds like a dream, and it pretty much is, except for one thing. Even though I was a prodigy, I was not homeschooled. My parents wanted me to go to a regular school to experience social interactions with students my age. 

It sounds nice in theory, but in practice, I never really hit it off with other kids. For one thing, since I was so smart, I found it difficult to interact with my peers, and vice versa. Teachers treated me better than other students, and I think this made them jealous. Although, because of my family's reputation and background, I was never bullied, I did feel lonely. Therefore, I found solace in video games.

Video games were becoming more and more popular at the start of the twenty first century, and not much has changed over the years in that regard. In fact, today, video games are so dominant that entire cities have been built to accommodate this popularity. In the past, you couldn't make a living being a professional gamer, streamer, or entertainer. Now, those are pretty much the only occupations kids will talk about.

Speaking of video games, around the time I graduated high school, a man by the name of Derek Lucks revolutionized the industry by introducing his new invention: the Meta Runner arm. It's a cybernetic arm that can be implanted in a person in place of their real arm. With their new cybernetic arm, they can play video games faster and better than the average person.

When he introduced the Meta Runner arm, it wasn't an immediate success. People were hesitant to become "cyborgs" just to play video games. But the appeal of video games wasn't to be underestimated, as soon there were thousands of applicants to be Meta Runners.

Only a few people could become the first Meta Runners. After they became Meta Runners, and more information was available on the processes and logistics, more people became convinced.

Lucks founded his own company, TAS Corp. Pretty soon, he got offers and collaborations from other businesses. There were companies that refused to work with him though, and that included Cyberato Inc. My parents were weary of Lucks and TAS Corp.

Time would prove my parents' suspicions correct. Allegations were emerging of TAS Corp: unfair contracts given to Meta Runners, abuse of power by hiring mercenaries and private military contractors, and more.

None of the rumors had concrete evidence to back them up though, and on the surface at least, TAS Corp remained a powerful and influential gaming tool production company. 

Despite the success of the Meta Runner arm after it became available to the public, most people were barred from becoming Meta Runners, simply because of the high cost of acquiring it. Most people were still using regular gaming equipment and gear, not Meta Runner arms.

After graduating high school, I went on to study at a top college in the country, and became invested in making my own inventions. Then, after graduating college, I officially became the new CEO of Cyberato Inc. I decided to move the company headquarters to the new gaming capital of the world, Silica City. Once I moved there, I opened a new branch of the company for gaming tools, to directly compete with TAS Corp.

I invented biodegradable and recyclable technologies, like wooden computer chips, batteries made from cardboard, etc.

My time as the new CEO of Cyberato Inc. was going smoothly. I'd be the first to admit that I was a workaholic, so I got my work done quickly and efficiently. For the most part, I enjoyed my work, and was satisfied knowing my parents had less on their plate, but there were some aspects of my new position I did not enjoy. Meeting with stockholders and investors, being underestimated because of my young age, and the parties.

Corporate parties are nothing more than an excuse for snooty businessmen and women to throw extravagant celebrations, rub elbows, and try to wring the most benefits for themselves out of the other attendees. 

And of all parties, I was invited to a TAS Corp party. 

I got out of the limo and thanked my chauffeur. He tipped his hat off in goodbye, before driving off. 

Looking up at the towering building before me, I let out a sigh of resignation. If I could choose not to be here, I would, but in order to protect the company's reputation (and mine), I had to show up, at least just to exchange pleasantries. My parents had refused to work with TAS Corp, but things were different now that I was in charge. I was being put under more pressure to collaborate with TAS Corp, yet I had neither denied nor assented.

I walked up to the front entrance. There were two guards placed on either side of the door. Handing my VIP invitation over to them, I waited for a minute or two as they examined the invite to make sure it was not a fake. After receiving a nod in confirmation from one of the guards, I entered the building, where a security escort was waiting for me. He guided me to an elevator, and I was told to take it all the way to the top floor.

Waiting for the elevator to arrive at my destination, I closed my eyes to prepare myself for the inevitable.

Disembarking from the elevator, I came up to another door, where there were two more guards in front. 

"Welcome ma'am. We hope you'll enjoy the party."

"Yes, thank you. I'm sure I will."

If the guards were somehow able to notice my sarcasm, they did not comment on it. After all, their job was just to greet guests, not make small talk.

They opened the door, and I stepped inside. 

TAS Corp went all out for their parties, just like all of their affairs. There were tables on opposite sides of the room filled to the brim with food. The remaining side of the room, the one not containing the entrance where guests entered from, had a wide stage. Waiters were walking around offering drinks to the guests on platters. After I entered, all eyes were on me. How could they not be, the way I was dressed?

The gown I wore was a spaghetti strap, dark red, and floor length. It had sheer sleeves, decorated on top with floral appliqué. The right and left sides of my gown were decorated in a similar manner. Other than that, I wore red butterfly earrings to match my dress. 

"Ah, I see the guest of honor has arrived. So glad the CEO of Cyberato Inc. could join us here today!"

Inwardly, I frowned. Guest of honor? I turned towards the stage where the voice had come from. It was Derek Lucks. He was obviously older than when he had founded his company, but other than a few more lines on his face, he still looked remarkably handsome. 

"Now that everyone is present, I hope you all will have a wonderful night! Drink, eat, be merry! We're not here just for business, we should enjoy ourselves as well!"

With that closing remark, Lucks left the stage to a round of applause. Everyone began conversing with one another, and a few people started heading in my direction as well. I grabbed a glass from a nearby waiter, and took a sip. Thankfully, the drinks at the party seemed to be non-alcoholic.

I made light conversation with the other guests. Soon enough, as I expected, Lucks made his presence known.

"Apologies for interrupting what I'm sure is riveting conversation, but may I have some alone time with the CEO?"

Of course, no one would reject the host of the party, so the others left after wishing us well.

"I'm sincerely grateful you could make time out of your busy schedule to come here tonight, CEO."

Gently, he took ahold of my hand that was not holding a glass, and left a kiss on it.

"Likewise. Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Lucks."

I repressed my surprised flinch after Lucks kissed my hand, and kept my tone civil and polite. Lucks looked at me with what I could only describe as curiosity and intrigue in his eyes, like he had found a puzzle that he was itching to crack open and solve.

"I thought you might not make it. You are the CEO of Cyberato Inc. after all. And only at the age of twenty three! Truly an impressive feat."

"You're flattering me, Mr. Lucks. How could I miss a party by my fellow CEO? The CEO of TAS Corp, our only rival in Silica City?"

"And what a worthy rival you are! Though perhaps that may change in the future?"

Lucks had a smirk on his face at the implication in his words. He was implying that our companies would collaborate in the future...but could he have possibly meant that we...me and him? Together in the future? I clutched the glass in my hand tighter. Business marriages and marriages of convenience were not uncommon in the industry, but I wanted to avoid that so I could marry someone I love, like my parents.

"That is yet to be determined."

"Hm, yes...after all, who can predict their future?"

Lucks still had that annoying smirk on his face. 

"But let's not focus on the future right now. Let's focus on the present! Are you familiar with Meta Runners, CEO?"

"Who isn't aware of them? I doubt anyone at this party doesn't."

"Right again, CEO. But have you met a Meta Runner yourself?"

"I can't say I have." This was true. I didn't have many friends, and my acquaintances were not Meta Runners. I had seen a fair few in Silica City, but I didn't approach them. I stuck to watching Meta Runners on screen, during live streams and such. 

"Then this is the perfect opportunity. My company has recently assembled a team of three new Meta Runners! Let me introduce them to you."

Lucks offered his arm, and I reluctantly linked our arms together. He guided us to three people I had never seen before. The crowd around them dispersed as we got closer. True to his word, they were all Meta Runners. Two of them were a man and woman around my age, while the third was an eighteen year old girl.

The eighteen year old girl had carmine colored hair with orange streaks in a messy ponytail with burgundy eyes. She wore a short-sleeved white jacket with blue threads and a black undershirt, black pants with a white belt, and black boots.

"This is Belle Fontiere, our most promising new rookie." 

The woman around my age had bright long fuchsia hair, pale fair skin, and a slender build. She wore a black tank top and dark-blue shorts with a navy hoodie tied around her waist, as well as black tube-socks and thigh-high black leather boots, and a necklace with a sky-blue pendant. 

"This is Lucinia Porter, an experienced Meta Runner."

The man around my age had dark, shaggy hair, thick eyebrows, brown eyes and some facial hair. He was around the same height as Lucks, and taller than Belle and Lucinia. He wore a collared long sleeve black shirt, with blue streaks on the sleeves. He also wore gloves, and dark cargo pants that had similar blue streaks as his shirt. 

"And last, but certainly not least, is our Meta Runner team captain, Masa Shimamoto. Everyone, this is the CEO of Cyberato Inc."

"Hey, how's it going?" Belle acknowledged me with a casual, laidback greeting.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss." Meanwhile, Lucinia was polite and flashed me a charming smile.

"Your eyes are like the ocean; I could swim in them all day." Masa gave me a kiss on one hand like Lucks had, but unlike then, I did not flinch. Instead, I smiled back in response. Belle was gagging in the background, while Lucinia was trying to hide giggles. And Lucks...Lucks looked displeased.

"Need I remind everyone to be on their best behavior around the CEO? Now, while I take care of some matters, there better not be any more remarks like that from you, Shimamoto. And Fontiere, ignore the urge to make a laughingstock of yourself, please."

"Yes sir..." all three Meta Runners chorused. Finally, Lucks left, and it felt like a breath of fresh air after having been trapped in a tight space.

"Ugh, what's with that guy? He's got a stick up his ass 24/7."

"Belle!" Lucinia was giggling again and reprimanding Belle, but it was clear she didn't mean it. 

"Hey. I have an idea. Why don't we ignore everything he just told us to do and leave? Come on Lucinia. Lover boy over there can stay with his crush."

"Hey! I don't have a crush - " Masa attempted to stop Belle and Lucinia from leaving, but they were too quick for him and disappeared into the crowd of people.

"Why, Mr. Shimamoto, I'm offended. Do you know how many men, and even women, have wanted to date me?" I gave Masa a teasing smile, as he looked embarrassed and rubbed the back of his head. 

"I...don't know what got into me. I, uh, am usually not this forward with women, especially, um, pretty women..."

"So you do think I'm pretty?" I had an even wider smile on my face. Masa was handsome, like Lucks, but his attempts at being forward with me were endearing and cute, instead of being unwanted and crude. 

"Yes...but I'm just a Meta Runner...and, well, you're a beautiful and talented CEO...."

"Hey, for being just a 'Meta Runner', you've got my attention."

"Really?" Masa had a hopeful smile on his face.

"Really."

Chapter Text

Encanto. Enchantment. A lot has changed about my small town and the residents of it.

Six years ago, I, Mirabel Madrigal, ended up saving my town, my home, and my family, after restoring the "miracle". Even though the magic was saved and everyone returned to their daily lives, things weren't the same as before. In our own family Madrigal for instance. 

Luisa didn't work as much as she used to. That's not to say she doesn't work, but she doesn't burden herself like she used to do. She's no longer just "the strong one", the one everyone depends on to do the heavy lifting. No, she's learned to not take on more than she can bear, to share her load with others and not force herself to do everything just because she can.

Isabela isn't "the perfect one" anymore, and never have I been more glad she opened up to me six years ago. She looks so much happier and free than when she was still under Abuela's control. After discovering she could grow more than just pretty flowers, Isabela has been experimenting with growing crops and produce. The town has never had such a bountiful harvest!

Dolores and Mariano are still going strong. In fact, they've recently gotten engaged! Hehe, it took them long enough...

And me? Well, I'm preparing to be the next head of the Madrigal family! Trust me, that took me by surprise as well. But after saving the miracle, Abuela decided that there was no one better fit for the role. I've been learning the ins and outs of being the leader of the village too.

Which brings me to my next point...

After the magic disappeared, the mountains protecting Encanto split open, connecting us to the outside world after having been isolated for fifty years. We didn't think much of it back then. We had all just assumed that when the magic of Encanto returned, our village would remain hidden.

But we were wrong. 

People started showing up. Outsiders. Not just any outsiders, but refugees. 

Abuela didn't like talking about her time before Encanto. Aside from the pain that memories of Abuelo's sacrifice brought her, thinking of the turmoil and upheaval of that time upset her. 

Here in our town, we don't talk about the outside world. The other elders aside from Abuela were just as tight lipped about their lives before they came to these mountains. There was no point in wondering about a world we no longer had access to anyway. But that was before the mountains opened up. Before these runaways and outcasts found their way here, to Encanto. 

They were more often than not families. Mothers, fathers, children. Or those with no one by their side at all. No matter who they were, they had the same weary and tired expressions. Carrying nothing except what was on their backs, they had fled their original homes to find a better and safer place to settle. In fifty years, nothing had changed at all. The outside world was still violent and dangerous.

So what else could we do except help these poor souls? We built new homes, grew more food. And, I'll admit, it was funny seeing these newcomers' reactions to my family's magical abilities.

That doesn't happen in Encanto. It can't, when the residents have lived here all their lives and seen all there is to see. 

And that's how we adjusted. We changed, adapted to the arrival of these new settlers. At first, we were all panicking about the possibility of our town being revealed to the outside world. But then we saw that it was always refugees who arrived, people seeking a haven and shelter. Not just anyone arrived in our town. No soldiers, no criminals, no one with less than pure intentions. Only those who had already lost everything, with nothing to gain.

None of the refugees ever left. They always decided to stay after we helped them. So the population of Encanto grew year by year.

Life continued like this for six years. I had nothing to worry about, other than my new duties as the family head, and village leader. Things were peaceful for me...until the arrival of one Marco Diaz. 

It was a day like any other. Which was strange, considering this was the day I'd meet someone who was not like any other. 

"Hey, how's it going! Love what you've done with your hair, by the way! Oh, is that a new dress?"

I was making my rounds around the town, greeting the townspeople I came across. 

"Woah!"

Someone had run up to me, panting and gasping. I recognized them as one of the persons on guard duty, that is to say, they would come by the river every day and check if new refugees had shown up. 

"Mirabel, we need your mother at the clinic! Urgently! This man is in bad shape!"

"What?! Oh no, I'll get her right away!"

From the sound of their voice, it seemed like the matter was urgent. Occasionally, we would have refugees who would faint from exhaustion and the like, but never any in critical condition. I wonder what had happened to this man to get him to the point where he needed urgent medical care. I ran back to Casita as fast as I could. Luckily, Mom was in the kitchen when I found her.

"Mom! They need you at the clinic! They found a refugee in critical condition!"

"What?! Well what are we hanging around here for?! We have to hurry!"

Mom left the dishes she was washing, and ran with me to the town's clinic after grabbing a few of her arepas con queso that she had on hand.

When we got there, we were led to a room where a man was lying propped up on one of the clinic's beds. He had numerous bruises all over his body, and he was bleeding. 

"Sir! You have to stay awake! You can't close your eyes!"

There were people there who were trying to keep the man awake, as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"Thank goodness! Julieta Madrigal is here!"

My mom hurried over to the man's side, placing an arepa in his mouth and encouraging him to eat it. The man, despite his waning consciousness, seemed to hear her, as he bit the arepa and swallowed a small bite. The change was instantly apparent. His bruises started to heal one by one as he ate more and more of the arepa con queso. When he completely finished it, all of the bruises on his body were gone and he was no longer bleeding.

Now that he was healed, I examined his appearance. He looked around my age, and he was, admittedly, quite handsome. He had tan skin, black hair, brown eyes, and a beauty mark below his nose. He wore blue jeans and brown leather shoes...and a sleeveless white shirt. It was quite a strange shirt. I had never seen men in Encanto wear sleeveless shirts like his. 

The man, who was now fully conscious and alert, looked around himself in desperation.

"Who are you people? Where am I? Why am I here? Where are my belongings? And where is Dante?"

Dante? Who's Dante? Someone that was with him? 

Bark!

I and everyone else turned our heads toward the entrance of the room. A dark blur rushed inside and jumped onto the unknown man. Everyone was startled at the sudden appearance of this...animal? It was some kind of four legged creature...skinny, almost hairless, with wrinkled brown skin and long legs. There was a tear on its left ear. It had its tongue sticking out, and missing teeth. It was wagging its tail as it stared at the man happily.

"Dante!"

So this was Dante! It was kind of cute! Not really what you'd think of when you hear the word cute, but it was charming!

"We are so sorry. We tried keeping him in the other room, but he ran out. And here are your things, sir."

Someone gave the unknown man lying on the bed a suitcase and a...guitar case? 

"Thank you. And everyone here can just call me Marco. Marco Diaz."

"Well, Marco, it's nice to meet you! My name is Mirabel! Mirabel Madrigal! And this is my mother, Julieta Madrigal!"

I took the initiative to introduce myself after he did so. Everyone in the room went around doing the same. 

"I'm the town's leader! Welcome to Encanto! Now that you're feeling better, how about we get you up and running? You can meet with some other refugees, and they'll explain everything to you and get you set up with lodging. Do you have any special skills? Or a trade you'd like to learn?"

"My family...no, I...was a shoemaker..."

He was trying to hide it, but I could sense some hesitancy in Marco's words. Did he...lose his family too? He wouldn't be the first. Many of the refugees that came to Encanto had lost family and friends along with their homes. I could ask him for the details later, but what was the most important was getting him settled into Encanto. 

"How about I stay with Marco and show him around town? Mom, you can head back to Casita. And everyone else, thanks for your help today!"

Just like that, everyone left after saying their goodbyes, leaving me alone with Marco and Dante. I could finally ask him the questions I had been holding back since I was too embarrassed to ask them in front of everyone else. 

"What kind of animal is Dante? What's that weird shirt you're wearing? Why do you have a guitar with you? Why did you have so many bruises?"

Marco looked caught off guard at the rapid fire questions I asked him, but he still tried to answer them one by one.

"Dante is a xolo dog. I wouldn't expect most people here to be aware of what kind of dog he is, since his kind is not from Columbia, but from Mexico. Um, the shirt I'm wearing is called a tank top. And that guitar is my guitar. And I had bruises because...I'm sorry, I must have looked terrible, didn't I?"

Marco looked apologetic, but then he clenched his fists and glared at them in anger.

"Those damn bastards...why did they have to come to my town..."

"Who?"

I had an inkling of who he was referring to, but I just needed to make sure...

"They...they killed my family...burned my hometown down...and I couldn't do anything to stop them! I was in another town entirely...and then they came to the town I was in...and I tried to stop them then...but where did that get me? Just a bruised ego and battered body..."

"So...these people...they came to your town, and you confronted them, but you got beaten up as a result?"

"Yes...I'm sure they thought I was dead...throwing me and my things away...if Dante wasn't there to guard over me until I woke up..."

"And how did you get here? To Encanto?"

"I don't know...I...wandered for a long time. I had no food and water...I was...so hungry...I just kept going....hoping to find somewhere, anywhere else...and then I collapsed...the bruises on my body were too severe. The last thing I saw was a butterfly. Then I was here, in your clinic, with people begging me to stay awake...and I ate your mom's...arepas...hold on..."

Marco widened his eyes in realization. 

"How did...your mom's food heal me? I was sure that I was dying!"

"Oh, haha...this is something you have to see to believe."

In all the confusion, I had forgotten to explain just what was so special about Encanto.

"Let's go outside!"

I grabbed Marcos's hand and took him outside the clinic. His hand had calluses on them, maybe from his guitar playing? Dante followed us eagerly.

"Welcome to Encanto, where things are quite literally magical!"

At that moment, Luisa was walking by with a pile of donkeys on her shoulders. 

"Hey Mirabel! New refugee?"

"Yep!"

"Alright, get him situated soon. I'll see you later for dinner! Time to return these guys to their owner...."

Luisa left, leaving Marco with his mouth gaping open. Ah yes, that's the reaction I've come to expect. 

"What? How is...was that your sister? How did she carry...?"

"I'm part of the amazing Madrigals! And...well, I usually have a whole song about this, but hey, why don't I just give you the abbreviated version?"

Marco was still in a daze as I told him about everyone in my family and what they could do. 

"I thought it was weird when you didn't know what a tank top was...but then I find out your family is literally magical...a town named Encanto...that I've never heard of before...magic...it all makes sense!"

"Yes! So, I still have to get you situated, but you're welcome to stay here if you'd like!"

"I...well, it's not like I have anywhere left to go..."

Marco was back to looking dejected again. I didn't want him to wallow in his own despair, so I grabbed his hands again, both of them this time. 

"Hey...I know that no one will ever be able to replace your family, or anyone you knew in the past...but, I want you to know that I'm here for you. Everyone in Encanto is. There's other refugees as well...people who have lost their hometowns just like you...you don't have to be alone. You aren't alone. You don't have to bottle up your grief. You can let it all out."

Marco was silent, before he closed the distance between us and...hugged me. I could feel drops of liquid on my shoulders, and slight shaking as Marco sobbed while holding onto me.

"Thank you Mirabel. I needed someone to tell me that."

And, things were back to being peaceful in my life again. Save for the presence of Marco. Marco had adjusted to living in Encanto. I think talking to the other refugees like I had suggested helped him. He took up shoemaking, like he said he would, apprenticing under our own resident shoemakers. And I was pleasantly surprised that he was quite good at making shoes. Marco got to know everyone in town as he fitted and made shoes for them. 

As for me? Well, I...grew attached to Marco. There were plenty of handsome boys and beautiful girls while I was growing up in Encanto, but none of them made me laugh like Marco did. None of them could tell stories about the outside world, which I had grown curious of with the presence of more refugees, like he did. 

I had thought that the outside world was all bad, full of terrible people. But that wasn't the truth. There were good people, like Marco, like the other refugees. Encanto would always be my home though.

In the time I had gotten to know Marco, I had never actually seen him playing guitar. He told me that he had left his family's hometown in order to pursue music. But I had yet to see him sing, much less even strum a guitar.

Was he still feeling guilt over being unable to prevent his family's death? That he left his hometown in order to become a musician?

My heart broke for him, but unlike his other trauma, this was something personal to him. Something he could only solve on his own. 

When I started spending more time with Marco, I would be teased at home, by Luisa, Isabela, Camilo...even Antonio! Just because he's the first guy who I've spent prolonged periods of time with, and who is not a family member, doesn't mean I like him that way! Or do I? Gah, I wish I knew!

Why is it so hard to have a crush on someone? Not knowing if they'll return your feelings? Did Dolores feel like this too? But Mariano was technically engaged to Isabela at that time...and Marco isn't engaged to anyone (although he had admirers, much to my chagrin)...

Should I just tell him? But if he doesn't feel the same...this was one of the few times I regret living in a town where everyone knows everyone...

I could always just hide away in Casita...and never come out...like Tío Bruno....

No! No! Bad Maribel! I can do it! I can confess my feelings! And...even if he doesn't feel the same, I will still be friends with Marco! Because...our friendship is stronger than...a crush...

So I gathered up my courage and asked Marco to meet me at the river that night. 

Alright, here we go Mirabel! You can do this! I psyched myself up by breathing in and out quickly.

"You can do this! You can do this! YOU CAN DO THIS!"

"Mirabel."

"Gah!"

I whirled around to see Marco, with a wide grin on his face.

"Were you nervous about meeting me?"

"Yes. Well, no! I mean, uh..."

I cursed at myself for getting tongue tied at this exact moment. 

"It's okay! I...was also feeling nervous meeting you tonight. Because I have something for you."

Marco set something down on the ground, and I realized he had been carrying his guitar case the entire time.

"It took me so long to pick up my guitar again...but I wanted to...because of you...because, Mirabel, you're special to me."

Marco took out a beautiful white guitar, with a grey checker pattern around the edges, and inlaid with gold. He tuned it, before beginning to sing.

♫ What color is the sky
¡Ay, mi amor! ¡Ay, mi amor!
You tell me that it's red
¡Ay, mi amor! ¡Ay, mi amor! ♫

I listened with bated breath until he finished singing. 

"Marco, does this mean...you like me? Romantically?"

"Yes...I have for a while...or maybe even the first day I met you...but Mirabel...do you...feel the same way?"

"Are you kidding me?! I was psyching myself up because I didn't think you liked me!"

Marco had placed his guitar back inside its case, leaving his arms free for me to jump into.

"Of course I love you! Of course!"

He spun me around and laughed. I knew that somewhere, Dolores had probably heard all of this, and had maybe already told the rest of our family, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered to me in that moment was staying in Marco's embrace.

Chapter Text

Su Luxia remembered the day she first met you. 

You were the daughter of a rich and influential family. So was she. It was common for affluent families to mingle with each other, and more importantly, for their children to mingle with each other. Whether it was for future marriages, or business opportunities, parents would never pass up the opportunity to have their children interact.

However, you were different. Despite being the first born daughter, your mother had died in childbirth, so your father remarried. After your father's remarriage, his new wife also gave birth to a daughter. Two daughters of similar ages, yet as different as night and day.

The younger sister was lively and outgoing, while the older sister was quiet and rarely interacted with others. No one in the circle knew much about the older daughter. The younger daughter outshined her in every way: in academics, in achievements and accomplishments, etc. 

No one needed to know about the older daughter though. It was clear to everyone that the younger was better in every way. It was only a shame, everyone whispered, that your father made you the heiress instead.

Su Luxia did not meet you when you were both children. No, she met you in university. 

It was the most affluent university in the country, where only the smartest and most successful students would be accepted. Su Luxia was in her first year. Being who she was, and also quite beautiful, she was already popular on her first day. 

She lived in a dorm with another female student. That student was you.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. Your name is Su Luxia?"

She was surprised to find that you were honest and polite. Not aloof or rude as gossip and rumors in the circle made you out be. Come to think of it, how did these rumors even come about if you never talked to anyone?

Did someone spread them intentionally to slander you? 

"I hope we will continue to get along with each other."

True to your words, you and Su Luxia did get along well. The more time she spent with you, the more unfounded the rumors about you became. It was said that you were not as bright as your sister, but how could that be when you were one of the best students in the grade? Su Luxia wondered how you were admitted to this university if you supposedly had bad grades.

"It was a scholarship, for special circumstances. I know my family has enough power to get me in through the back door, but I don't want that. I want to go through life with my own efforts."

Su Luxia admired how independent you were. She wanted to be like you, and to strive to be her best self.

Eventually, a year passed, and with the beginning of another, drama followed suit.

Your sister had been accepted to the same university that you and Su Luxia attended. However, by then, you had already firmly established yourself as a competent and intelligent woman. Those who were part of the business circle no longer believed you were a dumb and ignorant person. 

Su Luxia found it suspicious how, after your sister arrived, there were always more attempts at slandering you. None of them succeeded, of course, but the timing was very suspect. Still, with no concrete evidence, there was nothing she could prove.

You and Su Luxia had the reputation of being "goddesses" of the campus. Therefore, there were many attempts to ask both of you out. You were usually busy with your own theses, research, and other tasks that kept you occupied, so you had no time for dating. Many men would turn their attention to Su Luxia instead. 

There is no one who likes being a backup choice. Su Luxia despises men like this, who treat women as interchangeable and disposable. Of all the men who pursued her, this included the university's "male god". 

Her distaste for him in particular is also a result from seeing him around campus with multiple girls. He would flirt with them simultaneously, but no one would call him out on his behavior. One of the girls he was seen most often with was your sister.

In fact, it was commonly thought that the male god and your sister were dating. Su Luxia believed that too, until the male god started pursuing her. After this, her life also became more difficult. Recently, her parents's business had been struggling.

Su Luxia did not want to bother you with her problems. You were her good friend, and you were much too busy taking care of schoolwork, one day being in charge of your father's business, etc. She thought she had to shoulder this burden alone.

Until events started happening one after the other, like a domino effect.

Her parents's business was no longer in dire straits, the male god stopped pursuing her, and best of all, your sister's ugly secrets were exposed to the world: bullying in high school, bribing teachers to stay silent, cheating, stealing others' work, etc.

It was a sordid and vile affair. 

Su Luxia was happy that her life was no longer looking bleak, and that your sister had gotten what she deserved.

After this, you spent some time to have a private conversation with her.

"Xia Xia...it was me. I did all of this."

"It was...you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry if I overstepped any boundaries. It's just that...I know this was all my sister's doing. Because she is jealous you had the guy who she likes' attention. So she wanted to ruin your life too."

"Too...?"

"I have something to confess. It's not that I didn't want to talk to others, it's that my sister wouldn't let me. At home, I have my stepmother and sister ganging up on me. At school, kids would bully me. It's all because of my sister."

"That's terrible! How could she have gotten away with all of that?"

"Because she's a cunning bitch, that's what."

Su Luxia was briefly shocked you swore, before erupting into laughter. After calming down, she questioned you again.

"But...why do this all for me?"

"Why wouldn't I? You're my friend! But...more than that...Xia Xia, I hope you don't get upset at me, but...I love you. I love you, in the way that means I want to be the only one in your heart and no one else."

Su Luxia was at a loss for words. She didn't know if she could return your feelings, but one thing was for sure...your words made her feel warmth like no one else's did.

"I...don't know if I can say the same....yet. But maybe, one day, I will be able to."

"Xia Xia...thank you. That is all I ask for."

You hugged her, and if Su Luxia blushed, that was only for her to know.

Another year passed, and your and Su Luxia's lives were much more peaceful. Your sister had been expelled from the university, and your father had disowned her and divorced your stepmother. 

Yet, the peace was not to last.

The dorm that you and Su Luxia lived in was its own separate building, away from the university. The students of the university could afford to have their own private dorms. It was on a day like any other that you returned home.

You found the house engulfed in flames.

Dropping your stuff to the ground, you ran to the front door and opened it as quickly as you could. The building was falling apart, the flames reaching towards the ceiling, beams and rafters dropping from the sky.

"Xia Xia?! Xia Xia?! Where are you?!"

"In here!"

You heard a voice from Su Luxia's room upstairs. You climbed up the stairs, covering your mouth and nose, and trying as best as you could not to breathe in the noxious fumes of the fire. 

Su Luxia was completely tied up with rope, wriggling on the floor as she tried to get free. You dropped to your knees, desperate to release her. Finally, you got the rope off, and slung one of Su Luxia's arms around your neck as you helped her stand up from the floor.

"We need to get out of here!"

Just as you reached the door, a pile of flaming debris landed in front of you and Su Luxia. 

"Damn it!"

You looked around to see something that would help you escape, and your gaze landed on Su Luxia's bed. 

"Xia Xia, help me tie these bed sheets into knots! Then tie it to your bed frame and climb out the window!"

The two of you worked together to create a suitable climbing rope. 

"There's something I have to tell you, Xia Xia."

"Can it wait until we get out of here?"

"No it can't...I don't know how to put this, but I am a system agent. I'm not from this world. I came here to reverse the fate of the original host. And...I reversed your fate too."

"What...what do you mean?"

Su Luxia continued tying the bed sheets, but were it not for the threat of the fire and imminent death, she would have let go of it immediately. 

"You were supposed to die here today. But I won't let you!"

Finishing the rope in the nick of time, you and Su Luxia hurried to the window. 

"Go! Climb down now!"

"What about you?!" 

"I...I'll be right behind you."

Despite her misgivings, Su Luxia trusted you, and climbed down. 

"What are you waiting for?! Hurry!"

Su Luxia was frantic, as she waited down below for you. 

"I'm...I'm sorry Xia Xia. I can't...This...This is goodbye. Please, live on."

To her horror, Su Luxia watched as another flaming pile of debris fell down on you, crushing you under its weight. Hours later, she was still sobbing your name as the firefighters put out the fire.

Your last conversation with her stayed in Su Luxia's memory. After discovering the culprit behind her drugging, arson, and your death was your sister, your sister was sentenced to prison for life. 

Your father was devastated by your death, and he died from grief, leaving all his wealth and assets to charity.

Su Luxia spent the rest of her life trying to contact the "system" that you talked about. The keychain that you had given to her as a gift when you were still alive was the "key" to unlocking the mystery.

And when Su Luxia finally became a system agent, it was nothing like she imagined it to be. The missions were exceedingly difficult, and she failed several of them, before finally passing one and securing her place as an agent.

She gained a system of her own, one that she affectionately dubbed Fat Rat (you used to be fond of bamboo rats too...)

Su Luxia traveled to many different small worlds, reversed the fates of many cannon fodder just like her, but none of it mattered....none of it mattered compared to having you in her arms again.

So she could tell you...

"I love you."

Chapter Text

I wake up to the sound of someone making an obnoxious racket, slamming their hands on what is probably a keyboard.

"Who the fuck keeps making all that noise...?"

Groaning, I lift my head from the table. 

Wait...table? The last thing I remember is falling asleep in my bed. Definitely not a table.

"Oh! You're awake! Sorry for, um, waking you up!"

"You’re a nerd, can’t you just reroute the encryptions or some shit like that and shut up about it?!"

"...Oh, I see. You must have been taken in by the popular misconception that everyone smart knows how to hack a computer. Or that computer hacking is magic...or that encryptions are a thing that can be rerouted."

My head is still spinning in confusion as I try to make sense of my surroundings. I look around me, and I seem to be in some kind of library. After my examination, I turned my attention to the voices I heard. There was a blond haired girl in a cheerleading outfit, a boy in football armor, and another bespectacled boy who was sitting in front of a computer.

The blonde haired girl looked apologetically at me, while the two boys were still arguing with each other.

"And who are you people?"

Still none too happy about being abruptly awoken, my question came out more biting than I intended.

"I'm Jen, and that's Billy and Nelson over there. And you're Anne, right? Um, the new girl?"

"New girl?"

"Yeah! It's your first day here, right? It must suck to have detention on your first day of school, huh?"

"Detention?"

Suddenly, I felt a splitting pain in my head as I cried out. I clutched my head tightly, closing my eyes, as memories of someone else's life flashed by: "Anne", the teenager. She's sixteen years old this year. She's an orphan, but was adopted by a family when she was younger. They recently moved to Pennsylvania. 

When I opened my eyes again, Jen was by my side, worried. In her hands, she was holding lipstick and a compact mirror. 

"Hey, are you alright? Do you need some aspirin or something?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks. There is something I need though. Can I borrow your mirror?"

"Huh? Oh, sure I guess?"

Jen handed me her mirror, and as I examined myself in it, the reality sunk in for me. Anne was a Thai girl, with light brown skin, auburn hair, and dark brown eyes. Nothing like my old appearance.

How did this happen?! I went from being an adult to a teenager?!

Wordlessly, I handed the mirror back to Jen. 

"Thanks again. And what'd you say your names were? Jen, Billy, and Nelson?"

"Yeah?"

Oh god. As if my previous realization that I had just possessed the body of a random teenager wasn't bad enough, I knew those names. I knew three teenagers with those exact names from Pennsylvania.

They were in a podcast I listened to before falling asleep.

Shit. I was in The Once and Future Nerd.

As if right on cue, thunder flashed outside the library's window, and the next moment, the power went out. I heard everyone around me panicking and searching for their lipstick (Jen), a flashlight (Nelson), and whatever the hell Billy was doing. 

Meanwhile, I found a backpack next to my side on the floor. Knowing what would happen next, I hurriedly strapped the backpack to myself, just in case. 

The lights came back on, and I watched as everything played out the way it did in the podcast. Nelson found himself looking at Jen's butt, Billy gets mad at Nelson, Jen gets between the two's ensuing argument. I expected all of this, but what I did not expect was the lightning bolt that burst through the window and immolated Jen, Billy, Nelson...and me.

Annoyingly, once again, I was the last to wake up. At least this time, I wasn't the only one who was unconscious. 

I imagined the other three were not in better shape than me as we all stood up, battered and bruised.

"Don’t worry, Jen, I used to go hunting with my uncle. Now the sun’s setting that way...And the moss is growing that way...Which means...wait..."

"I don’t know if you can go by that. I think we read in bio class about lots of things determining moss growth. Didn’t we?"

"Actually, while it's true mosses will grow on any hard surface, including the sides of trees, they prefer to grow on North-facing surfaces because they like the darker, more humid environment. If you don't see any moss growing on trees, also check on rocks."

I blinked, stunned by my sudden outburst. Judging from the reactions of Billy, Jen, and Nelson, they were similarly shocked.

"What the fuck? I thought Nelson was the only nerd around here! And you're a girl too! Don't you have better things to do, like  makeup and shopping and shit? Then again, you're Asian. Are Asian girls nerds too? Thought that was just the guys."

"Hey, babe, that was kind of uncalled for."

"As a fellow marginalized member of society, that was, in fact, 'uncalled for'."

"If I had better things to do, would I be standing here listening to your misogynistic ass?", I snapped.