Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Today was not a good day for Lee Felix.

First, like any cliché character from every single drama he’d ever watched, he woke up late for school.

Second, when he tried to get out of bed, he was assaulted by a headache stronger than he’d ever felt before, and a wave of nausea had ushered him to the bathroom the next second.

Third, he didn’t make it in time to said bathroom, and ended up emptying his already empty stomach on the tiled floor, bile burning his throat and tears searing his eyes.

Ugh, of all the days to get sick…

Once Felix stopped hacking out acidic saliva and undigested chunks of yesterday’s measly cup of ramen he had had for dinner, he gathered his strength and dragged his feet to the kitchen. Downing an icy glass of water – which momentarily alleviated his pounding headache, but not for long – he then got started on cleaning up. As he finished cleaning up the bathroom floor, though, another wave of nausea that thankfully didn’t make him throw up again convinced him that he would not be going to school today. Screw his classes, screw his exams – he was going to keel over the moment he stepped foot outside his apartment, that much he was certain of.

He groaned as he felt his t-shirt sticking to his sweat-covered back. He hadn’t even noticed up until now, but his temperature was definitely too high for it to be healthy.

He took a very brief shower to get rid of the immediate discomfort before changing into a fresh pair of sweatpants, not even bothering with putting on a shirt. Drinking some more water, he somehow found the strength to write a brief e-mail to his RA before dragging himself back to bed and flopping onto the mattress, exhausted.

Felix absolutely hated being sick. Hopefully, whatever bug he had caught would be gone by the time he woke up again.

.

Felix did not feel better upon waking up.

In fact, he felt worse.

His entire body ached as if he had run an entire marathon without even warming up. His skin felt hot, molten lava running through his veins. His head was throbbing as if someone inside was trying to break through with a pickaxe and, the moment he tried to move, pain shot throughout his entire body as it spasmed, his muscles contracting and refusing to answer.

When he tried to open his eyes, all he saw was absolute darkness. No matter how many times be blinked, he might as well have become blind – he couldn’t see shit. Panic set in as he felt tears trail down his cheeks, ice-cold against his sun-kissed skin. And, when he tried to open his mouth to call for help – it was unlikely someone would hear him, but he didn’t have many other options – all that came out was a garbled whimper. His vocal cords didn’t work either, sore and raw, and his gums were aching, pain biting under his teeth as if someone was pressing ice-cream directly onto the nerves.

Felix had been hurt at numerous occasions in his life, for a variety of reasons. He had felt the pain of breaking his wrist the first time he fell off his bike, he had felt the pain of disappointment when he failed a math exam he had studied really hard for, he had felt the pain of humiliation when he was publicly rejected by his first crush, and then was relentlessly teased for it for the rest of the year.

He had felt the pain of a punch to the face when he stood up for one of his friends back in high school. He had felt the pain of heartbreak when he broke up with his first boyfriend because things simply weren’t working out between them, no matter how much they loved each other. He had felt the pain of busting his skull right open after performing one stunts too many on his skateboard.

He had felt the pain of loss when his mother died. He had felt the pain of loneliness and unfamiliarity when he had moved to Korea to start over.

Yes, Felix had felt pain many times in his life – many of which he had even forgotten about, because he had always been a bit of a reckless kid, so coming home covered in scratches or bruises was a common occurrence. However, never before had he felt anything like the agony he was plunged into now.

Felix didn’t understand. His pain-induced haze was making it hard to think, but he knew for a fact that he hadn’t felt any different the day before.

Before he could think it over any longer, though, the pain in his chest grew. He wheezed, coughing out liquid that he belatedly realized was blood, and the burning sensation started spreading through his chest. Completely paralyzed, fear was the last thing he felt as he noticed the ice slowly encasing his slowing heart.

I’m… dying…?

He tried to scream as the pain became unbearable, but nothing came out, and his unseeing eyes finally closed as darkness completely overtook him.

.

Felix’s chest heaved as his eyes flew open, wide and unfocused. His breathing was fast-paced, ragged, his sweat-soaked sheets sticking uncomfortably to his skin, and it took him a minute or so to get over his crippling fear and come to one conclusion:

I’m not dead.

Had all of it only been a nightmare? Felix found that hard to believe. His muscles were still sore, though he was no longer paralyzed. His teeth ached, the muscles of his jaw were practically throbbing, and his throat was on fire. With a groan, Felix pushed himself up. He could see again, but everything was blurry, for some reasons – as if his eyes were going in and out of focus. Rubbing them a few times, he eventually gave up for the moment, feeling too sluggish to really be bothered.

Letting out a shuddering breath, he placed a hand over his heart… and froze.

It’s not beating.

He stayed still for an impossibly long time, trying to make sense of the lack of heartbeat underneath his palm. After a few minutes, though, he had no choice but to accept it: his heart wasn’t beating. Feeling sick all over again, but for a wildly different reason, Felix rushed to the bathroom. He stumbled, hit the wall face-first because of his blurred sight, but somehow found his way there. Swaying, he gripped the sink to keep himself steady as he stared at his reflection in the mirror and, at last, his sight started settling.

He froze when ruby-red eyes stared right back at him.

“Holy shit!”

He stumbled back, his head hitting the corner of a shelf, and it took him a moment to notice the pain he hadn’t felt upon contact.

That was wrong. Felix had a rather fragile body, as much as he hated to admit it, and he bruised and scarred easily. He got hurt by the simplest bumps and stumbles, and he bled easily and for a long time. Hitting his head like he did should have resulted in a bloody gash, at the very least – but as much as he touched where he was supposed to be wounded, he didn’t feel anything.

No blood. No pain. Not even a small bruise or dent.

What the fuck…

It took Felix a few seconds to find the strength to get back to his feet, but that was only because his stomach grumbled so loudly it snapped him out of his own thoughts. Careful to avoid looking at his reflection, he stumbled out of the bathroom and made a beeline for the kitchen.

He didn’t have much in terms of food, but he wasn’t going to be picky today. He ended up eating two cups of ramen, three slightly brown bananas, an entire box of crackers, a bunch of protein bars, and half-a-box of cereals. He also chugged down numerous glasses of water in hopes to lessen the burning in his throat – which helped, but there was nothing that proved suitable to soothe the lingering ache.

Felix felt better once he was done eating. His head was no longer pounding, his body wasn’t as sore, and he could think more clearly.

Gulping, he started looking around. He had been ignoring it all up until now, but now that he no longer had his hunger to occupy himself, he was forced to acknowledge all of the weird things he had been picking up on ever since he woke up.

The constant, distant noise of cars outside. The muffled voices of people in the streets, someone stomping down the staircase, the whirring of a fan, the buzzing of the lightbulb above his head, someone’s TV that was turned up to the max for some reason…

If his eyesight had been blurred before, it was now almost painfully sharp. He could see the slightest detail, seeing his surroundings like he’d never seen them before. Everything was sharp, crisp, detailed – it was almost too much, really.

And then there was his heart, which still wasn’t beating.

I should be dead, but I’m not. What the fuck is going on?

Gulping, Felix slowly found his way back to the bathroom. He only now noticed the actual hole in the wall where he had run into face-first earlier. More than a little weirded-out – because he knew for a fact that he wasn’t that physically strong – he stepped inside, and stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed the hand-shaped indents in the sides of the sink.

Did I… Did I do that…?

All hopes of everything potentially being a dream vanished when he faced his reflection once again. Ruby-red eyes stared right back at him, taking in every inch of skin that definitely didn’t use to be this pale, and his hand slowly coming to rest upon his uncovered chest, where his heart used to beat.

Felix wasn’t an idiot. He knew exactly what he was looking at, what was happening to him – what he didn’t understand was how, and why.

Humans weren’t the only intelligent creatures on this planet. Many centuries ago, the existence of Vampires was brought to light, and a horrifying war had broken out between the two species, neither able to coexist peacefully. Vampires of the time treated Humans like livestock and prey, and Humans answered in kind by treating them like unintelligent beasts meant to be put down or hung on walls as hunting trophies.

Faults had been made on both sides, the war only ending once each party realized that the losses greatly outweighed the gains – almost to the point of no-return. Vampires had gone almost extinct, and there wasn’t enough soil left to burry all of the Humans killed, both hunters and innocents alike.

A treaty had been drawn between the two species, meant to help everyone coexist. It wasn’t easy at first, of course, what with all of the prejudices and lingering bitterness but, as time passed, Humans and Vampires slowly mended the rift separating them, coming to understand that they could accomplish greater things when working together.

Vampires and Humans alike evolved, and so did the world they lived in – and, as such, the ways of thinking also changed. Blood-banks were set up in all of the most populated cities, where Humans could go and donate blood that would later on be distributed equally amongst all of the covens in the area. Laws were made to criminalize the feeding and turning of unwilling Humans, some more were also made to ban the hunting of Vampires and the selling of their bodily goods, so to speak.

The world had come a long way since the war. Vampires and Humans could coexist peacefully, and they often worked hand-in-hand to develop numerous projects that brought about a new kind of prosperity for everyone. They lived side by side, grew up and studied together, worked, and sometimes even fell in love with each other.

A new race was born following the mixing of the races: Dhampirs. They were the result of a direct union between a Human and a Vampire. However, anyone born from a Dhampir was always Human, because of “superior” genetics.

But Felix wasn’t a Dhampir. Ever since birth, Felix had most definitely been Human, and that hadn’t changed since. He had one or two Dhampir friends when growing up in Australia, but there had only been one actual coven of Vampires in Sydney because even though Vampires no longer turned to dust under the sun, it could still hurt them greatly, and so Australia wasn’t the best environment for them.

Moving to Korea, Felix had found himself crossing paths with Vampires much more often but, as polite as they were, they mostly kept to themselves. He also knew that his school was a Day/Night College, meaning it was open to give classes during the night to the Vampires attending it. With that being said, even though he was now much more surrounded by Vampires than he had ever been back in Australia, Felix knew for a fact that he had never been bitten by one. He never went to one of those shady clubs to get high on Vampire venom in exchange for blood, and he hadn’t been in a relationship since that guy he broke up with when he was sixteen.

But the eyes were an unmistakable telltale. Only Vampires had eyes like that, the shade growing darker as their skin grew paler and their veins turned black the hungrier they got. He didn’t look that bad, despite the painful itch in his throat, but he had had enough classes on Vampire anatomy back in the day to understand what was happening to him.

The inhuman strength he had displayed, and his body’s brand-new durability, were also pretty good proof. Adding to that his now enhanced senses, and the fact that his heart wasn’t beating anymore, well…

Yeah, Felix wasn’t stupid. He knew he had just turned into a Vampire.

What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck!?

He didn’t know what to do. What was he supposed to do? People didn’t just get sick, died, and turned into Vampires. What was wrong with him?

Having no better option, he went back to his room and turned on his computer so he could do some research.

Most of the symptoms he displayed were those of a Dhampir. The fact that he could still feel things such as pain, sickness, and cold were proof that he wasn’t a full-fledged Vampire. Also, he was still warm to the touch, and his skin certainly wasn’t as marble-white or diamond-tough as a normal Vampire’s.

The fact that eating Human food helped settle his hunger also showed that he wasn’t entirely a Vampire. What didn’t add up, however, was the fact that he wasn’t entirely satisfied with it, and that he still craved… something else. Normally, Dhampirs could be fully satisfied with either type of food, and most even rejected blood because of their more Human nature, unable to find it as appealing as their full-blooded brethren.

Another thing that didn’t make sense was that Damphirs were known from birth. Even if one didn’t know the identity or race of one of the parents, a child born from both races had distinct characteristics that made it impossible to mistake them: they physically grew up faster until they reached the “form” of a teenager, they had an unnatural eye or hair color, their teeth were a little pointier than normal, and they had above-average strength, speed, and resilience. They healed faster, too, and didn’t get sick.

Felix was none of those things. He knew for certain, even without having known his father, that he had been Human from the start.

So, what does that make me now?

He tried looking up his symptoms, even reasoned with himself and thought that maybe he was a weird Dhampir with a belated growth, but no matter the forums and specialist sites he looked up, he couldn’t find anything. As it happened, “waking up as a Vampire without being bitten” was not a popular trope.

Out of options, Felix resigned himself to posting something on a popular Vampire forum in hopes that at least one of them would know what he was dealing with. So, quickly creating an account, he then went through with his idea.

[By: FairyLix

Subject: New Vampire (?)]

[Hello!

This might seem weird, and it’s most definitely unconventional, but I simply don’t know who else to ask. Yesterday, I got really sick—like, unable-to-get-out-of-bed sick. When I woke up, everything hurt like hell, and I couldn’t move, and I felt like I was dying. And, when I woke up  again, well… I was dead.

My heart stopped beating, and… well, obviously, I’m still here. I am now most definitely a Vampire (got the eyes and all the other stuff). Problem is, I’ve never been bitten by a Vampire. Also, I’m not a Dhampyr either—I’m now twenty-two, I would have known beforehand if I was.

I am most assuredly Human—or at least, I used to be.

I don’t know what happened to me. I don’t understand. Is there some sort of disease or virus out there that can randomly turn Humans into Vampires? I’m really worried, I don’t know what’s happening to me.

Please, if anyone has an answer, I really need it.]

Exhaling deeply, Felix then turned off his computer and laid down on his bed to think for a bit. It was rather uncomfortable, what with the sweat-soaked mattress and the dried bloodstains covering his pillow, but he didn’t pay it any mind, trying to think things through without outright panicking.

Denying reality would be useless. No matter what was going on, life still ran its course, and he needed to keep up with it. So, after a few minutes of tossing and turning, Felix got up again to make a list of things he needed to do as quickly as he could:

- Procure a talisman

- Write to RA to switch to nighttime classes

- Buy food

- Buy blood bags

- Call my workplace

- Register as a newly-turned Vampire

- Look up symptoms of newly-turned Vampires and how to deal with them

- Go to the hospital

Felix absolutely needed a talisman if he wanted to avoid burning to a crisp under the sunlight. And, as much as he hated the thought, the itch scraping at the back of his throat was painful enough to make him consider drinking blood, if only to soothe the need. He also needed to buy new groceries since he raided his fridge earlier today.

Once someone became a Vampire, there was no turning back. As such, Felix quickly resigned himself to pursuing his studies with nighttime classes. As annoying and scary as it was, he had worked too hard to get to where he was right now to let this kind of stuff stop him.

He’d have to register as a Vampire so that it could change on all of his official documents. If he remembered his lessons correctly, he had one to two weeks to do it, but he’d rather be done with the legislation business as quickly as he could.

But can I even go out without risking attacking someone? He wondered, feeling his parched throat tighten a bit. Can I have that much control?

There was only one way to find out, really. And, while the list he made seemed short, he knew for a fact that it was easier said than done, and that he was in for a wild ride.

.

He managed to order a pack of talismans online, and they were delivered the very same day, much to his joy. Also, he was relieved to find that, while the scent of the delivery guy’s blood was somewhat alluring – and it did accentuate the burning in his throat – he didn’t feel overwhelmed with the urge to bite him and drain him of his blood, so he took that as a good sign.

As soon as he tested the talisman – it was quite pretty, if he was to be honest, a silver star attached to a silky black choker – and ensured that it wasn’t some cheap thing that would result with him getting sunburns, he readied himself to go outside.

Before doing anything else, he needed to recuperate fully – which meant drinking blood. So, quickly changing into a fresh set of clothes, he then shoved a cap over his head for good measure, and also put on a pair of sunglasses. The last thing he wanted was for people to get the wrong idea about him. Plus, the sunlight was pretty uncomfortable when added to his enhanced sight, so it helped.

The first few steps outside were hesitant and wary. Then, when he understood that he truly wasn’t about to turn to dust any time soon, he relaxed and started walking in direction of the nearest supermarket, where he knew he could find blood bags on sale.

(They were actually for “vegetarian” Vampires, or those who preferred drinking animal blood rather than Human blood (which was usually directly delivered to covens and couldn’t just be found on the shelves of a random fridge), but it ought to do the trick.)

Felix wasn’t picky. The scents surrounding him were pretty intense, the burning was becoming a little too much to bear with, and he didn’t want to risk losing control and attacking the nearest civilian. So, he quickly grabbed a couple of the cheapest bags he could find (pig blood, if he read the label correctly) and paid before going on his merry way.

He crossed paths with a few Vampires on the way back. Much to his surprise, he was now being acknowledged. Where he used to simply be ignored, and thus ignoring in return, he now received simple nods, brief greetings, or even a smile – all of which he was quick to return, because Felix had been raised to be polite.

When he finally got back home, he was quick to tear into the first bag. Well, he hesitated at first (should I bite right into it? Or use a straw?) but finally served himself a glass. And, as disgustingly fulfilling as it felt to finally drink what his newly developed instincts had been yearning for for two days now, there was no denying that the taste in and of itself was… well, pretty bad.

Not bad as in “ugh, blood” but more bad as in “cabbage VS chocolate cake”. He figured that while he could eat pig blood to quench his thirst, he’d probably have to look into other types of blood in order to find what he liked better.

Despite the somewhat disappointing taste, however, there was no denying the immediate changes: his headache completely disappeared, the soreness in his muscles vanished, and the aching of his jaw disappeared. Only his gums kept on throbbing every few minutes, and it took him an absurdly long time to understand why.

I’m supposed to have fangs now, aren’t I?

Looking up symptoms of newly-turned Vampires, Felix easily found what he was looking for: after being turned, a Vampire’s fangs need to be forcefully pushed out for the first time. After that, they could be retracted or showed off on command.

Finding his way to the bathroom, Felix opened his mouth wide, flinching a bit as he noticed the purpling bulges underneath his gum tissues. Unsure of how to do it, he started putting pressure on the first one, like one would do when popping a pimple and, after a few, somewhat painful seconds, something finally pierced through. With some blood bursting out, a brand-new, scarily sharp fang popped down as his normal teeth slid to the side in order to make room for it. He didn’t feel them shift, so he supposed it was part of the reason why his mouth ached so much before, what with his entire anatomy adapting to his new form.

He popped out his other upper fang, then did the same for the two below. They were smaller and shorter, but also sharper – they were the ones meant to dispense the venom, while the upper ones acted as an anchor and were the main tools for sucking.

After a few minutes of cleaning his mouth with water and messing around with his new teeth, Felix figured out the trick behind retracting them at will. And much to his relief, the pain finally disappeared, too.

Felix felt a lot better than he had in the last two days. He was full, no longer thirsty, he was back to full strength, and his mind was clear. Nothing hurt anymore, he was no longer exhausted, and everything in his new anatomy seemed to work normally. He was also in possession of a bunch of talismans that worked perfectly, and he was slowly getting used to his enhanced senses. Plus, adding to all that the natural self-control he seemed to possess, well…

As weird as everything was, Felix now felt a lot more confident in his situation.

He was finally clear-headed enough to write to the school about his new situation, and his request to shift to the Nighttime College. While he didn’t go into the details behind his turning, his RA was a sweet woman sympathetic to his plight, and who was quite eager to help him settle into his new lifestyle.

(She was probably under the impression that he had been turned against his will, which was the equivalent of assault, and Felix didn’t have the heart to correct her because… really. He didn’t know what was going on himself, so he’d rather not bother with questions he didn’t have the answers to).

His RA took it upon herself to contact his current teachers so that he wouldn’t be penalized for his absence for the entirety of the week (he promised himself he’d bake her a batch of brownies to thank her for that), and she then arranged his move to the nighttime classes, rearranging his schedule and contacting all of his new teachers to inform them of his presence starting next Monday. After instructing him to drop by the secretary’s office Monday at 10:30 PM to pick up his new schedule along with a few other necessities, the sweet woman bid him good luck, and that was the end of that.

.

Registering his new status as Vampire was a rather long affair, if only because he needed to process the forms in person at a special office.

(“And under what circumstances were you turned, Mr. Lee?”

“That’s… a bit complicated.”)

Understatement of the year, really. In the end, the woman processing his papers took pity on him, assuming the same thing his RA did and filling that particular part of the form with “unexpected circumstances”, assuring him no one actually read those, anyway. She was also kind enough to offer him a bunch of pamphlets with different services offered, from other Nighttime Colleges to special websites where he could order Human blood bags, and even a special service if he was interested in applying to join a Coven.

There were also a few pamphlets with a bunch of information that could prove useful for newly-turned Vampires, phone numbers of people or places to contact if he needed help or information about anything regarding his new lifestyle, and also the information of a special organization apparently meant to help protect Vampires who had been turned against their will (from reporting their Sire to how to deal with the trauma, and everything in between).

Felix was rather glad to find that, while his new condition wasn’t exactly his choice, he was still offered kindness and support. He had been afraid he’d have to deal with everything on his own, unsure of what kind of services he’d be offered and if he could afford them, and he didn’t have anyone (family or friends) to help him through it. He hadn’t expected such kindness from people he didn’t even know. Hell, he hadn’t even expected the smiles and gentle greetings of the Vampires he crossed path with, all of them treating him as if… as if he was one of their own.

What a strange feeling…

His existence had never been acknowledged so warmly when he was Human, that much was certain. Who knew? Maybe being a Vampire wouldn’t be all that bad after all, all questions and confusion aside.

When he finally got back home, he took a moment to check up on the forum. However, while many had seen his post, few were those who had bothered answering him, and those people could be divided into two types: those who thought he was some sort of scammer, and those who thought he was a newly-turned Vampire who had been bitten, but who couldn’t remember because of the trauma of the transformation.

In other words, not helpful in the least.

He heaved out a sigh, turning off his computer and laying down on the bed (he had changed the sheets earlier, no longer able to stand how dirty they were). Today had been a long day and, though he was under the impression that Vampires didn’t need to sleep (or at least, didn’t need as much sleep as Humans did), he was still tired enough to close his eyes and let Morpheus take him.

.

Felix had the rest of the week to get used to his new… situation. All of his papers had been processed properly, so he was legally registered as a Vampire now. His schedule shift had also gone through, and he had received confirmation from the school that he would start attending nighttime classes starting next Monday.

Felix found out that he liked beef blood a whole lot better than pig blood, that chicken blood barely filled him for a day (basically a snack) while veal blood gave him enough energy to last him for a few days. He started experimenting with taste, type, and quantity, eventually finding that he could live comfortably with consuming one bag of veal blood every three days, with some chicken in between if he felt like it, and normal Human food if he ever felt up for it or simply didn’t feel like drinking blood.

(His workplace had been accommodating enough, too, simply modifying his shifts around a bit so he’d work either in the evenings or in the very early mornings. He definitely needed the money now that he had added blood to his diet.)

Adjusting to the almost daily consummation of blood wasn’t as bad as Felix expected. Now that he was a Vampire, it didn’t taste or smell like blood used to taste and smell like when he was Human, so it was pretty easy to just pretend he was eating a particularly juicy steak most of the time.

What was a little bit harder was adjusting to the more physical changes, such as his enhanced strength. He had ripped out more than one doorknob in the last few days, and while he had somewhat of a good grip on his strength now, he still lost control from time to time (he had broken one too many glasses, really). Also, after forgetting to put on a talisman to go outside for the third time in a row, Felix settled for always wearing one, attaching the silver crescent pendant to what used to be a simple chain earring. It was kind pretty, and it saved him the trouble of always needing to think about it. He still wore his choker though, just in case the earring fell by accident.

All in all, it was a full and slightly exhausting week of learning to adapt to his new lifestyle. After the third day of not receiving the answers he was seeking through the forum, he stopped hoping and simply decided to move on with his life. Now that he was basically immortal, he was bound to find answers eventually anyway, right?

Oh my God, I’m immortal!?

Yeah. Might be better to keep the existential crisis for later.

Felix now stood in front of his college, biting his lower lip. It was the first time he stepped foot on the campus so late at night, and while he always knew about the nighttime classes, it was still a little strange to see so many students mingling and walking around like Human students would in the daytime.

Bracing himself for the incoming change of pace, Felix finally gathered the courage to step through the gate.

Here’s hoping things will turn out okay…

Chapter Text

Felix could feel all of the stares weighing on him as he slowly made his way through the campus in direction of the secretary’s office. He had been hoping his arrival wouldn’t stand out too much, but every single student he crossed paths with would stare after him until he was out of their sight.

He didn’t feel unwelcomed or threatened, just a bit uncomfortable – as if everyone was either curious, confused, or even wary about his presence. So, not outright rejecting him from the get-go, but definitely aware that he shouldn’t be there in the first place.

He didn’t have much time to linger on the thought, however, as he finally reached his destination. A little anxious despite knowing his transfer had been successful, Felix entered the office. Inside were only two people: a man who looked familiar, but whom Felix couldn’t quite place, and a woman sitting at the desk in front of him.

The moment he stepped inside, the two of them looked up, their red eyes almost reflecting his own.

“Oh, you must be our new addition!” greeted cheerfully the unknown man, instantly walking up to greet him. He extended his hand with a grin. “I’m JYP, the co-director of the school, and the one in charge of the Nighttime College. Tell me, have you been settling well with your new status?”

“It’s… a work in progress,” relented Felix with half-a-smile, shaking the hand offered. He was half-scared he’d tear off the guy’s arm but, thankfully enough, it stayed in place. “I’m Lee Felix, but you knew that already. Erm, thank you for approving of my transfer so quickly.”

“Human or Vampire, you’re still one of our precious students. Anything to help,” replied simply JYP with a grin. “Anyway, I’ll be leaving you in the care of Miss Sung now. If you ever need help with something, though, don’t hesitate to drop by my office at any hour of the night.”

“W- will do. Thank you, sir.”

With a friendly pat on Felix’s shoulder, the director then left. As soon as he was gone, Miss Sung offered Felix a warm smile that showed off her sharp fangs. Felix was just a bit disturbed by it, merely because he had been taught growing up that a Vampire showing their fangs was meant as posturing or threatening, depending on the context, but he decided not to comment on it.

“Welcome. I’m the secretary and the one in charge of handling the transfers,” she introduced herself, pushing a small file forward. “In this you’ll find your new schedule, along with the rules of the Nighttime Classes, a list of the services available, and the contacts of all of the teachers and staff working the graveyard shift.” The last sentence was clearly meant as a joke, but Felix wasn’t sure he fully understood the humor behind it, though he figured he would in time. “In any case, if you have any questions or requests regarding your classes, feel free to ask any of your teachers, or to come directly to me if there’s an issue. Oh, and you’ll also find a new student card in there, which will grant you access to different parts of the school library, along with the midnight meal service.”

“Midnight meal service?” he echoed, curious.

“Aah. The cafeteria is open at all hours of the night and you normally have to pay if you want a snack, like you would during daytime. However, Vampires without a coven, most of them usually newly-turned Vampires, are offered one free meal per week, along with daily free snacks, for the entirety of their first semester. It’s meant to help them settle into the new rhythm of their life and teach newly-turned self-control,” she explained with a kind smile. “If you ever find yourself having difficulties with procuring food, however, don’t hesitate to bring up the issue with me or another of the staff. We can easily adapt to a more appropriate feeding schedule depending on the needs of every student.”

“That’s… wow. That’s really helpful,” he admitted, surprised. “But, if I may ask… if it’s open all hours of the night, why midnight?”

She grinned at that. “It sounds cooler.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at that, and she chuckled along. Felix finally found himself relaxing, realizing that as scary as all of this change was, he truly didn’t have to deal with it alone. He was being offered an amazing support system on a silver platter, and he was going to do his utmost best to make the most of his new situation.

“Anyway, I suggest that you read the rules thoroughly,” she then remarked. “Our system is more lenient with newly-turned Vampires, but you should still be careful not to abuse those privileges.” He nodded firmly at that, promising to read them through before the next day, and she smiled again. “Good. In that case, welcome to NightCo!”

.

As it turned out, nighttime classes were exactly the same as daytime classes. The only differences was that there was no sun to blind Felix during calculus, the teachers were a lot nicer, and the students actively participated during the lessons. He was rather surprised by the latter two, because there appeared to be a certain closeness between teachers and students that definitely wasn’t there in Human classes.

Everyone looks so close and open… This certainly wasn’t what I expected from them.

Felix had always pictured Vampires as aloof and solitary creatures who lived in covens simply because it was the easiest way to procure what they needed to live, but maybe there was more to it than that.

Nobody sought out Felix until his fourth period, right before the lunch break. He was content in simply observing everything from afar, and he hadn’t been called upon even once to introduce himself, the teachers simply treating him as they would any other of their students after their initial introduction and greeting.

He appreciated not being put under the spotlight, but he couldn’t bring himself to reach out to any of his fellow students, feeling a little too out of place, still. And, as if sensing his unease, absolutely everyone stayed away, simply observing him from afar when they thought he couldn’t see them.

But fourth period, Vampire History and Analysis I, was where the script was completely flipped over without a single warning.

“Yo! How’s it going?”

Felix could only blink as a boy about his age suddenly dropped into the empty seat next to him, addressing him like he would an old friend and completely disregarding the fact that they had never met before.

“It’s going… okay?” he eventually answered, a tad hesitantly.

The blue-haired boy froze, midway through the process of emptying his bag and getting ready for class. After a beat, he turned his head to the side so he could look at Felix, and their eyes met for the first time. Felix was once again taken aback by how beautiful a Vampire’s eyes were, completely forgetting the fact that his were the same, now.

“… you’re not Seungmin.”

“Err, no?”

They stared at each other for a brief instant, a tad awkwardly, before Felix remembered that he had basically barged in smack in the middle of the semester and, while there were no seats assigned, everyone always claimed their seats at the beginning of the semester and rarely switched places – in other words, he had probably just stolen the seat of whoever this “Seungmin” was.

“I- I’m sorry,” he quickly apologized, biting his lip as he got up. “This is your friend’s seat, right? I’ll change places, don’t worry—”

“No, don’t!” The somewhat loud protest startled them both, and there was another moment of silence. A very faint blush spread on the boy’s pale cheeks – a sign he was well-fed, Felix remembered reading about that. “So- sorry, that came out weird. I meant to say that it’s totally okay if you want to sit here, really. My friend can just sit behind us, there’s really no problem!”

“W- well, if you’re sure…?”

The black-haired boy practically beamed as Felix slowly sat back down, gingerly thrusting his hand forward in greeting.

“Hi, I’m Jisung! Sorry for the weird encounter, ah, ah! We’re usually the only ones who bother sitting in the back.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” replied Felix, easing into a small smile of his own as he shook the boy’s hand. It was cold, but not uncomfortably so – if anything, it felt almost comforting in contrast to his warmer skin. “I’m Felix. It’s nice to meet you, Jisung.”

“Same here!” Jisung was quick to settle back down, too, peering at him with unrestrained curiosity. “Say, are you the new vamp everyone’s been talking about?”

“Considering there’s only one new vamp on campus and he’s the only face we’ve never seen in class before, I daresay it’s a stupid question,” snarked a smooth voice from the alley side, earning their attention.

Two boys were now standing beside their shared table. Both shared the same characteristics as all of the Vampires Felix had crossed paths with (red eyes and almost-white skin), but the one who had spoken almost looked like a puppy, with big eyes and soft features, while the other appeared just slightly younger, but with sharper traits and a fringe of dark red hair framing his cute, almost foxlike face.

“Seungmin, Jeongin!” greeted cheerfully Jisung. “Guys, this is my new friend, Felix! Felix, these are my old friends, Seungmin and Jeongin!”

“New- new friend?” blinked Felix, a tad taken aback.

Jisung instantly rounded on him, looking like a kicked puppy. “Oh, you don’t want to be?”

“N- no, that’s not it! I was just surprised, is all,” he quickly corrected, feeling a little bad, yet also hopeful at the same time. He offered them a sheepish grin. “You’re actually the first person to talk to me since Miss Sung, so I’m kind of relieved.”

“Yeah, everyone is always a bit on edge when a new vamp shows up,” nodded Seungmin, going to take a seat at the desk behind them, with Jeongin sitting next to him. “It’s nothing personal, it just takes everyone a little while to get used to a new face.”

“Do you not get new students often, then?” asked Felix, curious.

“We don’t get new Vampires period,” snorted Jisung, shaking his head. “Or at least, no one around our age. It’s usually adults who get turned later in life, most generally because they’re a Vampire’s mate.”

Felix faintly recalled learning about Vampire mates back in high school, but he figured he’d need to refresh his memory eventually. He should probably look into borrowing some books from the library sooner rather than later.

“We get Dhampirs from time to time, but they usually stick to daytime classes because of their Human sleeping schedule,” explained Jeongin, his eyes almost sparkling as he leaned over the desk to look more closely at Felix. “But you’re an actual Vampire, meaning you’ve just been turned, right? That, like, never happens nowadays. Have you already found your mate or something like that?”

“A- actually…” What was he supposed to say, really? Something like ‘oh, I got sick, died, and woke up as a Vampire without being bitten first. Real inconvenient, uh? By the way, what’s for lunch?’ Yeah, no, not happening. “I didn’t… erm, have a choice.”

There was a moment of silence as the three boys tried to process what he had just said, before all of their minds suddenly drew to the same conclusion, their eyes instantly filling with pity – and even something akin to anger, though Felix couldn’t tell why.

“I- I’m sorry for asking. That was rude, I should have known better,” quickly apologized Jeongin, leaning back.

“No, no, it’s okay!” quickly reassured Felix, not wanting them to get the wrong idea, but also not knowing how to explain things himself. “You didn’t do anything wrong, it’s okay to be curious, right? I’m not mad or anything, really – and I- I wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t want to, anyway.” He shrugged, offering an awkward laugh. “Shit happens, right? I just decided to take it in stride and move on with my life. No big deal, really.”

“Wow…” murmured Jisung. Felix glanced at him, and Jisung offered him another smile. “You’ve been through a lot, uh? But you’re strong, Lee Felix, I’ll give you that.”

“Ah, well, it’s really not that big a deal…” he replied, still a little awkward.

It’s not like he had been actually assaulted, else he would remember. Still, seeing as he didn’t have any answers himself, he decided to simply go with that explanation until he no longer could, if only to save himself a headache.

“Do you want to have lunch with us later?” suddenly suggested Seungmin.

“R- really?”

“Oh, totally!” exclaimed Jisung, instantly falling back into his cheerful persona. “I told you, you’re my friend now – so you’re our friend! You should definitely eat with us!”

“We can help you out, too. Like, if you have questions or anything like that,” suggested Jeongin, offering him an apologetic smile. He was obviously trying to make up for his earlier social bluster, but Felix simply smiled back, not holding it against him. “Everything must be new for you, right? So if you have questions or doubts, we can definitely help.”

“I’d… I’d really appreciate it,” he admitted, relief washing over him. “Thank you.”

Jeongin’s smile brightened at that. “Of course!”

Before any of the boys could add anything else, however, their teacher finally arrived and announced the beginning of class. They all instantly settled down but, as the lesson started, a small paper was flicked onto his notebook. Curious, he opened it, and found the drawing of some sort of weird dinosaur, with a little message.

Welcome to NightCo!

Surprised, he glanced at Jisung, aware that it was him who had thrown the note. Their eyes met, and Jisung offered him a small grin and a thumbs’ up, and Felix instantly grinned back.

Maybe things will be easier than I thought, after all…

.

As soon as fourth period ended, Jisung linked his arm with Felix’s and started dragging him in what Felix assumed to be the cafeteria’s direction, Seungmin and Jeongin quickly falling into step with them. They were chatting about the new material they’d learned in class, and Felix was once again surprised by the genuine interest they expressed.

Of course, it wasn’t wrong for students to show interest in learning, even more so when they enjoyed the class, but the students with whom Felix used to share his classes certainly weren’t as earnest in their studying. If anything, most of them complained about the workload and about how boring it was.

Another thing that surprised Felix was that he finally came to realize that everyone seemed to know everyone. All of the staff was addressed by name, there was an almost palpable sense of familiarity between the kitchen staff and the students, and he couldn’t make out any kind of social casts or groups. All students, though divided in groups of friends, appeared to mingle together in one way or the other, sometime yelling at each other from one side of the room to the other, or teasing each other in the line before splitting up to go sit with other people. It was rather strange to witness, considering he had grown used to people sticking to their own.

“Something wrong?” suddenly asked Seungmin, instantly drawing his attention back to the group.

“Ah, no, sorry, I spaced out a bit,” he quickly apologized.

Jeongin glanced at him, smiling slightly. “Question?”

“Well, yeah, but I’m not sure if it’s like, rude to ask or something like that…”

“It’s okay, don’t be scared to ask anything. You’re new to this whole Vampire shebang, no one expects you to get it right the first time,” quickly reassured Jisung.

“O- okay. Well, I was just wondering… How come everyone looks so… close? It’s like- it’s like there’s no social rift at all between any of you, including the teachers and- and like it’s really nice and all, but also… a little weird? In the sense that I’m not used to it, not that it’s a bad thing or anything,” quickly blurted out Felix.

He was a little scared they’d be offended by his observation, but they simply took it in stride, smiling encouragingly before Seungmin spoke up.

“The Vampire population is nowhere near equal to that of the Human population,” he pointed out, and Felix patiently waited for him to get to the point. He enjoyed listening to Seungmin talk, he had a very nice voice. “Pureblooded Vampires can only be born from a pair of Vampires who are mates, and most female Vampires die after giving birth, so the birth ratio for Vampires is very low. In other words, the only way to add to our numbers, so to speak, is to turn Humans. However, not many are actually willing to be turned, and those who are, are either mates, or the same situation as you.” Felix doubted anyone could be in the same situation as him, but he appreciated the tact, nonetheless. “In other words, even if it doesn’t look like it at first glance, there really isn’t that many of us.” He gestured to the cafeteria. “Everyone currently here represents almost half of the Vampire population in Seoul.”

At that, Felix’s eyes widened. “Seriously? That little?”

“That’s why we all know each other,” jumped in Jeongin, obviously eager to help out. “Most of us grew up together, as pureblooded Vampires, and those who joined covens later on were quickly introduced to the rest of the community. Since there’s so little of us, we’re closely knit.”

“We watch each other’s back and support each other as much as we can,” added Jisung, obviously proud of that fact. “Even if we’re from different covens, we’re all brothers and sisters in some way. That’s why all of us are so close, including the staff.”

“That… sounds wonderful, actually,” admitted Felix, gazing at the rest of the cafeteria in awe. “I never realized… But it’s amazing, really. I wish Humans could be like that – it’d save everyone a hell of a lot of trouble.”

Jisung barked out a laugh at that, slapping his back. “I know, right? Humans can be so complicated, even amongst their own kind. But! You’re one of us, now, alright? Give it a few days, and then everyone will have warmed up to you, and it’ll be as if you’ve always been with us.”

Felix could only smile at that. “Sounds great.”

They kept on chatting for a bit, sharing stories of their vampiric childhood together, and Felix truly appreciated how thoughtful they were, taking the time to explain when they used a term he didn’t understand, for example. They were patient, kind, and also extremely funny and, without even realizing, Felix started interacting with them as if they had been friends for years, now.

A few minutes after they had settled down at one of the tables, though, a tray was suddenly dropped at the empty space between Seungmin and Jeongin, right in front of Felix. Another boy around their age – who was, most probably, amongst one of the most beautiful people Felix had ever seen in his life – suddenly sat down and let his head drop on the table.

Hard.

Felix winced at the sound.

“Stake me now,” the unknown boy groaned pitifully.

“What now, drama king?” teased Jisung.

“I have an essay on the differences between Human and Vampire’s societal norms in regard to class differences due in three days and I don’t understand anything,” whined the pretty boy. “Why the hell did I take Human Sociology as an extra credit class?”

“Because you wanted to avoid being in the same class as Mina, and she took the only other extra credit class offered this year,” answered Seungmin, as if it wasn’t the first time he’d answered that particular question.

“Ugh…”

“I can—I could help, if you’d like.”

Felix didn’t know what possessed him to speak up, let alone what pushed him to volunteer. The moment the words stumbled out of his mouth, his three new friends shot him surprised looks, and it took a moment for the newcomer to lift his head from the table and look up at him with palpable confusion.

“… who’re you?”

“Lee Felix, new vamp on the block,” he introduced himself, the jargon feeling a little foreign, but not entirely out of place. The other three chuckled amusedly, so he figured it was an alright introduction. “Nice to meet you…?”

“Hyunjin,” completed Jisung, rolling his eyes a bit. “He’s an absolute drama king twenty-four/seven, so don’t pay too much mind to whatever he says.”

“Yah!” The newly dubbed Hyunjin glared a bit, before reporting his attention to Felix. He smiled, his eyes curling up in crescents. “Everyone’s been talking about you! It’s nice to meet you too! So, what was that you said about helping me?”

Jeongin groaned a bit. “Hyung, don’t start tricking the new kid into doing your homework.”

“Wha—he’s the one who suggested!” protested Hyunjin, offended.

“I was still Human like, a week ago,” Felix quickly cut in, hoping to avoid any sort of argument. He offered a smile at Hyunjin. “Human Sociology, was it? I should be able to help you out with that, then.”

“You mean it?” he gasped, desperate.

“Sure. You’ll have to help me out with Vampire Sociology, though.”

“Deal!” Hyunjin was suddenly right beside him, hugging him tightly and, had Felix not possessed an enhanced durability, he would have feared to be broken in two by the overexcited Vampire. “Oh my God, you’re an actual angel!!!”

“It- it’s nothing, really…”

Felix couldn’t remember the last time he had been hugged by someone, and he found comfort in the friendly gesture. He half-expected that hugging a Vampire would feel like hugging a big rock – hard and cold – but, as it turned out, it didn’t feel much different than a Human hug – other than the enhanced strength, of course.

“Wait, last week?” Hyunjin suddenly pulled back, staring at him with wide red eyes. “You were turned last week?”

“Yes? What about it?”

“You’re able to go out on your own?” he insisted, obviously surprised. “You don’t feel the irresistible urge to feed from every single Human you encounter?”

“Hyunjin!” hissed Jeongin.

“I don’t,” shrugged Felix, unperturbed. “I was worried at first but, as it turned out, I didn’t have any trouble going out. It’s not as bad as I heard it could be.”

“A newborn who can control their bloodthirst? That’s a new one,” mused Jisung, obviously impressed. “You’re kind of special, aren’t you?”

Felix bit his lower lip at that. “Is that… wrong? For control to be this easy?”

“No, it’s perfectly fine,” quickly cut in Seungmin, shooting a glare at the others. He didn’t want them worrying their new friend for nothing. “Every Vampire has a different level of self-control. While it’s unusual for a newborn to be able to contain themselves like you do, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.”

“If anything, it saves you a great deal of trouble,” added quickly Jisung, offering him a reassuring smile.

Felix didn’t like the idea of being even more different, but it did help assuage his worries a bit, and so he simply smiled back. In the end, no matter how confusing or worrying the situation might be, there was no denying that he quite enjoyed the new company.

Maybe… maybe Felix wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.

Chapter Text

“Hyung, you’re never going to guess what happened today!”

“A new vamp kid showed up at school?”

“Yeah, he’s—ahh? How’d you know!?”

Minho shot Jisung a flat look, silently admonishing him for his loudness, and then rolled his eyes a bit, sinking some more into the couch.

“Jisung, you know how small our community is. There was no way a newborn was going to go unnoticed – he was probably the talk of the council today,” guessed Seungmin.

At that very moment, Changbin walked on, typing quickly on his phone.

“Every Coven Leader got an official notice from JYP – the circumstances behind his turning are vague and worrying, so they asked for volunteers to investigate it,” he simply explained.

At that, three out of the four boys visibly cringed. Hyunjin shot his friends a slightly puzzled look, and it was Jeongin who spoke up.

“He… He said he didn’t have a choice in his turning.”

The air in the room instantly grew colder. Forcibly turning a Human wasn’t unheard of, of course, but unwillingly turned Vampires always turned bad. It was basically siring a psychopath and giving them the means to make the messiest bloodbath in existence.

Back during the Great Warring Times, forcibly turning Humans was actually a weaponized technique – the more unstable newborns, the better. They weren’t much of a danger for their fellow Vampires since they could let loose and kill as many Humans as they wanted but, after peace finally settled between the two species, it took away the newborns’ freedom of feeding, which led them to turn on their fellow Vampires and, in consequence, started an inner war amongst their kind.

In modern times, forcibly turning a Human was a crime punishable by death in all countries – both for the danger such a newborn represented, and also because it was a twisted form of assault that took away someone’s entire being.

Of course, it still happened from time to time. Thankfully, though, Vampires and Humans had long since established a proper support system for newborns like those and, with the proper guidance and patience, said newborns eventually managed to settle down and move on with their lives – without their initial psychopathic tendencies.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” then stated Hyunjin, frowning. “He told us he was turned last week. If he had been forcibly turned…”

He didn’t need to elaborate. It was already rare enough for a newborn to be able to control their bloodthirst in such a short amount of time, but someone as mentally damaged as a forcibly turned Human? It was nothing short of impossible.

“He wasn’t lying, though,” remarked Jisung, frowning too. “Seungmin would have known.”

“He was telling us the truth,” confirmed Seungmin. “Or at least, what he believes to be the truth. Maybe a Gift is messing with his memories…?”

Gifts that could influence a person’s memories were quite common amongst Vampires, but only Originals were powerful enough to use them to their fullest potential.

“What about his Sire?” then asked Minho, curious. “Did he say anything about them?”

“Frankly, I don’t think he even knows what a Sire is, at that point,” huffed Hyunjin, flopping on the couch. “Poor kid was clueless about everything. And, like, I get that newborns can’t know everything right away, but there were some things that are really basic knowledge and that are usually taught by Sires.”

“But then again, if he was forcibly turned, then maybe his Sire didn’t bother sticking around,” suggested Jeongin.

All of the Vampires winced at the thought. It was one thing to forcibly feed from a Human, another to forcibly turned them - but the lowest of the low was to sire a Vampire and then abandon them.

Sires were responsible for whoever they turned, be it forceful or not. They were also to be held accountable for whatever the newborn under their guidance did. So, for a Vampire to abandon a newborn they turned… Not only was it cruel – and illegal – but it also pointed at the existence of a Rogue.

Rogues were Vampires without a coven who didn’t bother following the guidelines and rules set up by the High Council and the Human World Government. The only thing they obeyed were their most primal instincts, which usually resulted in rampages, and the reason why Vampires were always on edge whenever a new face dropped by.

“Do you think we could meet him?” then asked Minho, startling the younger boys.

“Oh my god, do you think we can adopt him?” gasped excitedly Jisung.

Seungmin instantly whacked him behind the head. “You can’t just casually suggest integrating a newborn into the coven! No matter how nice he is, if he starts causing trouble, then it’d fall on Chan-hyung’s shoulders! Think a bit before speaking!”

Jisung pouted but didn’t add anything else.

“He volunteered to help me with my homework,” then recalled Hyunjin. “I can always invite him over at some point, if everyone’s okay with it.”

“I’ll bring it up to Chan-hyung first, but there shouldn’t be a problem,” nodded Changbin.

“Where is Chan-hyung?” then asked Jeongin, a tad exasperated.

“Filling paperwork in his office. He was the first to volunteer for the investigation I mentioned earlier,” shrugged Changbin.

No one was really surprised. Chan had always had a big heart – and also a deep-rooted hatred for Rogues. Plus, he was extremely protective of his coven. If there was the slightest risk that one of his boys could get hurt by a Rogue, then he’d be the first out on the field to draw first blood.

As such, he would definitely want to meet their newest addition to the community, if only to ensure he wouldn’t be a danger to his boys.

.

As told, it didn’t take too long for the rest of the students to warm up to Felix. In a matter of days, pretty much everyone had come to introduce themselves and welcome him into their community, each of them eagerly volunteering to give him a hand should he need some help settling into his new lifestyle. Felix was a bit overwhelmed, frankly speaking. He never expected to be welcomed so warmly. He was a stranger barging into a set of already well-defined dynamics, yet everyone was open and cheerfully moving aside to help him carve himself a place into their society.

Despite this, however, Felix ended up sticking with his initial group of friends. As much as he appreciated the thoughtfulness of the other students, he was pretty comfortable with the four other boys he’d befriended on the first day and, as such, he never really went out of his way to sit or eat with other people.

(No one seemed to mind, thankfully enough. He’d been scared of accidentally offending people, but Jisung had reassured him saying it was normal for people to stick to their own groups, even if they were all really close.)

And so, despite the strangeness of it all, Felix’s new life was going… pretty well – in fact, he daresay it was going better than when he was Human. His classes were more interesting, and so his grades were going up, his social life was blooming like never before, and he had an entire support system that guaranteed he wouldn’t have to pick between a roof over his head or food in his belly, meaning he could afford to take less shifts at his part-time job.

And so, a little over two weeks after he first started Nighttime College – and so a little under a month after he died and woke up as a Vampire – Felix found himself being invited over by Hyunjin. He’d been helping the slightly older boy out with his Human Sociology class at the library but, for some reason, he’d insisted on doing it at his coven’s place this weekend. A tad curious about what a coven would be like – both in terms of living space and lifestyle – Felix had accepted the invitation, agreeing to spend the entire weekend with his friends, who seemed eager on showing him the Vampire life outside of NightCo.

Which is how he found himself walking in the direction opposite to his apartment that Friday morning after class, with four excited Vampires leading the way.

“So, I don’t think we’ve ever gone into the details about that, but all of us and three others make up our coven. Our Coven Leader is Bang Chan and he’s, like, really, really old—”

“Great Warring Times old,” added Jeongin with a nod.

Felix’s eyes widened a bit. The Great Warring Times had occurred several centuries ago and, while he knew that Vampires had an unlimited lifespan, it was still disconcerting to confront that reality – he still hadn’t quite wrapped his head around the fact that he, too, was immortal now.

“He’s going to want to meet you, but don’t be scared. He can be a little intimidating at first, but he’s really just a big softie inside,” assured Hyunjin. “Same thing with Minho-hyung and Changbin-hyung – they’re not as old as Chan-hyung, but they still have a few centuries over us, so their auras are pretty intense.”

“Wait, I never asked before, but… how old are all of you?” asked Felix, curious.

The four boys exchanged glances, before Jisung smirked. “Jeongin is our youngest, but all over us are at least over eighty years old.”

“What!? Then why are you only just starting college!?”

“Because unlike Humans, we’re in no hurry,” shrugged Seungmin. “What’s the point in rushing through college and get saddled with a job if we have an eternity ahead of us? Most covens live off old money, so youngsters like us can afford a few decades of exploring the world and actually discovering ourselves before we eventually decide to go through with a full-out education.”

“We all decided to go through college together, but we’re not planning on getting jobs right after we’re done,” added Hyunjin. “We were actually thinking of going on sabbatical to visit Europe—wait!” he gasped excitedly. “You should definitely come with us! It’d be so much fun!”

A tad taken aback by the unexpected offer, a rush of eagerness then ran through Felix, only to be quashed as the more logical part of his mind quickly took over.

“It sounds amazing, but…” He shrugged awkwardly. “I’m not exactly rolling in money right now. Once I have the means, though, I’d love to go on a trip with all of you.” He could see them all exchange unsure glances, and so he decided to quickly change the subject before it could become awkward. “In any case, I was wondering but… all of you’re a purebloods, right? Born from two Vampires?”

“I’m a Dhampir, actually,” admitted Jeongin with a small smile. “But my Vampire genes are stronger than my Human genes – it’s not something that happens often, but it’s still possible.”

“You’re wondering how all of us came to join the same coven, aren’t you?” mused Seungmin.

“If you don’t mind answering, of course.”

“Well, Chan-hyung, Minho-hyung, and Changbin-hyung formed a coven together, and I was actually the first of us to join them,” explained Jisung. “My parents had decided to move to Malaysia, but I wasn’t interested, so they ended up leaving me in the care of Changbin-hyung since he was a friend, hence how I joined the coven.”

“It was Chan-hyung who brought me in. It wasn’t too long after Jisung joined but, while I was newer, I was also older, so we didn’t exactly get along,” recalled Hyunjin, amused. “And I actually used to be Human, too, but I don’t remember any of it. All I know is that I was on my death bed in the hospital and Chan decided to turn me after I practically begged him to save me.”

Felix’s face fell a little at that. “Hyunjin—”

“Like I said, I don’t remember any of it,” assured the older, offering him a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, okay? Don’t worry.”

“My arrival was a lot less dramatic,” then said Seungmin, cutting in before Felix could confound himself in unnecessary apologies. “I moved from America to South Korea because I was interested in the culture here, and I ended up meeting everyone and eventually decided to stay.”

“And my mother used to be a friend of Minho’s mother. So, when my parents realized I was more Vampire than Human, they figured it would simply be easier for me to join a coven and go for a Vampire lifestyle,” concluded Jeongin with a shrug. “Minho ended up inviting me to join their coven, and that was that.”

“I see. And… is it nice? Having a coven, I mean. From what I’ve gathered, it’s basically like family, right?”

“It definitely makes a lot of things a lot easier,” agreed Hyunjin. “But yeah, we’re like one big family and, considering our lifespan, having a coven is basically the only way not to turn insane with loneliness, I think.”

“Well, there are Vampires who prefer a more solitary approach to their immortality,” pointed out Seungmin. “But they’re usually from an older generation. Nowadays, Vampires prefer to stick together.”

Felix hummed under his breath, falling silent as he let all of the new information sink in, and the others took his silence in stride and started talking between themselves. Jisung still clung to Felix’s hand, though – a silent way to offer support should he need it. The freckled boy really appreciated everyone’s thoughtfulness. How had he gotten lucky enough to befriend such amazing people?

He couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t interested in joining a coven. Not now, of course, but the idea of finally belonging somewhere was definitely appealing. However, it wasn’t something he could just casually bring up. While they were friends, he didn’t want to impose more than he already did on their dynamics.

You’re thinking too far ahead, he scolded himself, squeezing Jisung’s hand with a small smile. Just enjoy what you have for now. You have all the time in the world to figure it out, anyway.

.

Felix had half-expected to be led to a mansion, so he was admittedly a bit taken aback when he was instead brought to a fancy apartment complex smack in the middle of the city. He didn’t even want to imagine what kind of rent they were paying but, then again, they definitely had money to spare if they had someone as old as Bang Chan as their Coven Leader.

Going in, Felix was a bit surprised to find that they crossed paths with Humans and Vampires alike. Even though their two species now lived in harmony, so to speak, there was always an underlying wariness that usually stopped most Humans and Vampires from actually sharing a living space.

They climbed onto one of the elevators, and Jisung pressed the button for the penthouse – which was fair, considering there were seven of them living together, but Felix couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated as he finally realized that his friends were basically rich and he… well, he wasn’t.

I’m never inviting them over, he swore to himself with a small cringe as they stepped onto the last floor. That’d just be asking for pity.

Because his living space definitely couldn’t compare to theirs and, though he’d never been ashamed of his living situation before – it’s not like he could help not having money – there was no denying the pinch of inferiority complex that reared its ugly head as he started taking in their home.

It was fancy, and spacious, and luxurious, and he even felt bad for stepping on the entrance mat because it was so pristine and pretty.

“Alright, come on in!” urged Jisung, tugging him forward. “Come on, we’ll introduce you to everyone! And then we can have a movie night, how does that sound?”

Felix definitely perked up at the prospect of a movie night. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d one of those, let alone one with friends. So, he let himself be dragged over to the spacious living room, where Jisung was quick to claim a spot next to him and claiming him as his cuddle buddy for the evening. Jeongin had whined a bit, saying Jisung was always monopolizing Felix’s attention, so the freckled boy had simply opened his other arm to let Jeongin settle on his other side – to which the red-haired Dhampir had eagerly agreed. But then it was Hyunjin’s turn to complain, so Felix offered for him to lay his head in his lap, and then he’d done the same for Seungmin because he didn’t want him to feel left out.

Which was how the four of them basically ended up piling up on Felix and practically trapping him on the couch for the entire duration of their movie. The freckled boy wasn’t about to complain, though, since he was admittedly pretty touch starved.

It was about halfway through the second movie that they were finally interrupted.

“Well, aren’t you guys cute.”

“Minho-hyung!” grinned Jeongin. “Welcome back!”

Felix bit his lower lip as he met the newcomer’s stare – Minho, then. He was kind of the stereotypical Vampire, tall, dark, and handsome, but there was an underlying kindness in his gaze that made him feel at ease. So, he offered the older a tentative smile, and Minho returned it in kind.

“Hello. I take it you’re Felix, then? I’m Minho, but you can call me hyung.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Minho… hyung.” He’d never had someone to call hyung before, but he’d get used to it. “Thank you for having me over.”

Minho snorted at that. “Those little gremlins have been making a ruckus to have you over for weeks, now – but it’s nice to finally have someone with some manners around. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be a good influence on them.”

“Oh boy, there goes Minho-hyung, talking like a mom again,” snickered Jisung.

For only answer, Minho whacked him behind the head. Jisung whined, hiding his face in the crook of Felix’s neck in an attempt to use him as a shield and, thankfully, Minho backed down, not wanting to drag Felix into their domestic mess – yet.

“Changbin and Chan-hyung won’t be back before tomorrow evening,” he then said, walking away to head for the kitchen. “Meaning I’m in charge. So, if you guys were thinking of causing trouble—”

“We would never,” huffed Hyunjin, pouting.

“Or at least, not consciously,” assured Jisung.

“We wouldn’t consciously cause trouble unless it was worth it,” corrected Seungmin.

“We were planning on showing Lix all of the hot Vamp spots in the city. Why don’t you join us, hyung?” suggested Jeongin with a smile.

“Thanks, but I’ll let you youngsters have your fun. But if I get a single phone call about you defacing public property again—”

“That was decades ago, hyung. You need to let it go!” protested Jisung.

“It was last week!”

“Well, we’re not the same Vampires anymore. We’ve grown as people, gained maturity through age and experience—”

“Okay, shush,” snorted Felix, flicking his nose before his rant could go on. “Just shut up and watch your movie, Sung.”

Jisung pulled his tongue at him, but he settled down and refocused on the movie. Since they’d missed a part of it, Jeongin rewinded it a bit, and the five of them soon fell silent as they started watching the movie again. After a few minutes, though, Minho came back and offered Felix a bowl of popcorn.

“There you go.”

“Oh, thank you!”

“Wait, where’s my bowl, hyung?” pouted Hyunjin.

“Make it yourself.”

“Yah! That’s blatant favoritism!”

“It’s okay, Hyunjin, we can share,” softly cut Felix, offering him some.

Hyunjin beamed at him as he accepted the treat. “You’re the best, Lixie~.”

Felix chuckled, patting his head before offering some popcorn to the others as well. Minho shook his head fondly at the sight. He’d only just met Felix, but he already knew the freckled boy was a keeper – and, if the way all of the youngsters were whipped with him was anything to go by, then he didn’t doubt they’d probably have a new face joining their coven before the year was up.

.

“He’s so cute!”

“Shut up, you’re gonna wake him!”

“You shut up!”

Felix let out a soft groan, turning on his side to huddle closer to whoever he was holding, and a soft chuckle slowly drew him back to consciousness. Blearily opening his eyes, he was soon met with the grinning face of the one and only Hwang Hyunjin. Jisung and Jeongin, the ones who’d been arguing before, were already gone.

“Hi, Lixie,” Hyunjin cooed playfully. “Nice nap?”

“Hmm, the best,” mumbled Felix, nuzzling the older’s chest. “Thanks for being my pillow, Hyunjinnie.”

“Anytime, sweetheart. Now come on, up you go – we have a fun day ahead of us!”

Despite Felix’s soft grumbles, Hyunjin eventually managed to coax him out of bed – which was a definite shame, because Felix actually liked that bed. It was big and comfy and it smelled like Hyunjin, and it was definitely ten times nicer than his own bed. Still, he eventually managed to drag his feet to the kitchen, where the others were waiting for them, with Minho making some sort of fruit shake in the blender.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” teased Jisung. “Someone was tired, huh? We didn’t expect you to conk out like that.”

“I was comfy,” he simply replied with a shrug. “What’s today’s plans?”

“A hell of a lot of exploring and fun,” grinned Jeongin.

“But first thing first, breakfast,” cut in Minho, suddenly offering them all large glasses filled to the brim with the fruit shake he’d been making. “You’re going to need your energy if you intend on spending the entire day outside.”

The others heartily thanked him and, at first confused, Felix belatedly realized that the red tint of the drink was most probably blood, and not fruits, like he’d first thought. Still, it smelled really good, so he took a tentative sip – and almost immediately melted on the spot as flavors exploded on his tongue.

“This is so good!” he exclaimed, staring at his glass in amazement. “What kind of blood is it? I’ve never tasted anything like it before!”

There was a moment of silence as he took another sip of his drink, humming happily under his breath. It’s only after a few seconds that he realized something was wrong and he looked up, finding the others staring at him with varying degrees of confusion.

“What?” he blinked, licking his lips. “What’s wrong?”

“Lixie… what are you saying?” asked Hyunjin, quirking a brow. “That’s Human blood. How could you have never tasted it?”

Felix paused, also confused, but it actually made sense. He offered them all a slightly sheepish smile before glancing down at the drink he was holding.

“Ah, actually… Human blood is too expensive, I can’t afford it. But- but it’s okay! I actually really like beef and veal, so it’s not like it’s that big a difference.”

Lies. Human blood was the best thing ever and though it creeped him out a bit to admit it, there was simply no lying to himself. Unfortunately, he wasn’t exactly a good liar, and the others easily saw through him. They didn’t call him out on it, though – if anything, they looked worried, for some reason.

“Lix, baby?” He startled a bit as Minho called out to him, quickly walking around the counter to come stand before him. What was up with the pet name? “Can you please show me your fangs?”

“Err, sure?”

He spared a confused look for the others, but none of them had the time to say anything with Minho already cradling Felix’s jaw and using his thumbs to gently pry his mouth open. The freckled boy did as asked, opening wide and letting the older Vampire do as he pleased. Minho’s frown only deepened, however, when he pressed down on Felix’s gums to pop his fangs out, and a mild ache instantly spread through the boy’s mouth.

“This isn’t good,” frowned Minho, eventually letting go. “Your gums are infected. Has no one showed you how to brush your fangs properly? And the fact that you’ve never consumed Human blood before definitely doesn’t help.”

“I- I didn’t think it was that important. I just figured that whatever kept the thirst at bay was good, right?” asked hesitantly Felix.

“That would be true if you were a Dhampir, baby,” replied Minho, gently tilting his head so he could check his eyes. “But you’re not, so you actually need to consume Human blood on a regular basis – even more so after being turned. It’s meant to keep you healthy and give your body the strength it needs to stay in shape.”

“If you don’t consume Human blood at all, your body’s going to deteriorate from the inside. Since we’re technically dead, our biology requires Human blood to function and ensure necrosis doesn’t actually settle in,” explained Seungmin.

Felix’s eyes widened in horror. “I’m decomposing from the inside!?”

“No, you’re not,” cut Minho, sparing Seungmin a mild glare. “But it definitely explains why you slept for so long – Vampires rarely need more than a few hours of sleep per week. How many hours of sleep do you usually get?”

“Err, maybe six or seven each day…?”

Minho shook his head. “That’s not normal. You can’t just sustain yourself on a vegetarian lifestyle – not when you’re so young, at least. Didn’t the school inform you of the feeding system set in place for newly-turned?”

“Ah, yes, but I thought it was mostly for those who had a harder time controlling their thirst or something like that… and I could still afford my own food, so I didn’t bother checking it out…”

“You’re going to need to drink a lot of Human blood to make up for the time lost and balance out your new biology,” concluded Minho, clicking his tongue. “I’m also going to show you how to brush your fangs and care for them properly, and I’ll give you something to get rid of the current infection. I’m also going to call the school to have you set up on a regular feeding schedule plan—”

“Slow your roll, Mama Minho,” cut in Hyunjin, rolling his eyes. “Let Lix have a word in, would you? It’s his life.”

Minho paused at that, then offered Felix a sheepish glance. “Apologies. I tend to get a little… carried away.”

“It- it’s okay. I, um, it’s been a long time since someone’s fretted over me like that,” admitted Felix with a small laugh. “But I daresay you would know better than me, so… go for it, I guess? I’d be really grateful for your help.”

Minho relaxed a bit at that. “Of course. Drink up and take Jisung’s serving, too, while I go fetch some stuff.”

“Yah! Why mine?” protested Jisung.

Minho didn’t bother with an answer and left. Amused, and admittedly relieved to have someone so competent looking out for his wellbeing, the freckled boy didn’t waste any time in finishing his drink. He couldn’t hide the disappointed frown as he put the now empty glass down but, before he could say anything, Seungmin slid forward his own full glass.

“Here, take it.”

“No, it’s yours—”

“Lix, it’s okay. I can easily make myself another,” assured gently the bespectacled boy, offering him a smile. “Take is as an apology for scaring you earlier. I tend to lack tact from time to time.”

“Ah, no, it’s fine. I just… feel a little dumb, I guess,” he admitted with an awkward chuckle. “I really suck at this whole Vampire thing, don’t I?”

“Felix, it’s not your fault,” frowned Jisung, grabbing his hand and squeezing comfortingly. “If anything, it’s ours – we should have noticed something was off. You’ve only been a Vampire for a month, and we tend to forget you don’t actually have a Sire looking out for you outside of school.”

“We’ll do better from here on out,” added Jeongin in earnest. “So please come to us if you need anything, okay?”

“Guys…”

“Alright, there you go!”

Minho suddenly returned, carrying a small bag. He placed it on the counter and opened it, and started pulling out different items he’d stored in it. First was a toothbrush, though the shape differed from what Felix was used to.

“That’s a brush specifically made for your fangs. Me or one of the boys can show you how to use it after dinner – I’d rather we wait until the Human blood you just drank settles in before touching them. It’ll probably be a bit painful until we’ve gotten rid of the infection, but it’s a rather common occurrence, so it won't be too hard to treat,” reassured the older Vampire, pulling out a small tube of cream. “Just apply this cream over your gums all around where you retract your fangs each morning and each evening for five days and that ought to do the trick. If not, though, come find me and we’ll figure something out.”

He then proceeded with pulling out some dental string, a smaller brush that could go in his gums because, apparently, food could get dragged into them whenever he retracted his fangs after eating, and it wasn’t unusual for blood to clot and get stuck there.

“These are blood pills,” said Minho, showing him a small, ten-pill tablet. “If you ever feel unusually tired, mix one of those up with water and drink the whole thing. It’s not particularly tasty, but it’ll give your body the nutrients it needs. Don’t ever take more than one per day, though.”

Finally, there was also a folded paper on which was scribbled Minho’s number, which Felix was quick to enter into his contacts. While he absolutely adored his friends, he had a feeling the older Vampire would be much more reliable in terms of adapting to the more technical aspect of the Vampire lifestyle – and he also felt more at ease asking questions to the older rather than his friends, for some reason.

(Probably because his life experience and his genuinely caring nature made Felix trust in him and know Minho wouldn’t ever judge him or tease him for his lack of knowledge.)

Felix then promised to come back for dinner so as to assuage Minho’s worries and, with that done, the five younger Vampires finally took their leave.

Chapter Text

“And that’s The Wall!”

Felix shot a deadpan look at Jisung. “Yeah, I can see it’s a wall. Why are we here again?”

The day had been going pretty well so far. Felix had never noticed how many hangout spots for Vampires could be found in Seoul. They’d gone to a cat café where the animals were actually trained not to be instinctively scared of them, they’d visited a cool restaurant/cinema where they offered a special menu to satisfy Vampires with all sorts of fancy presentations and neat movie picks.

There was a giant shopping district entirely dedicated to the Vampire culture. Clothing of all time periods and eras could be found, and Felix had caved in to his friends’ demands and had tried on a Victorian gown that ended up suiting him surprisingly well. There were also books and scriptures, what would be considered antiques along with technology better suited for Vampires – such as reinforced phone cases, to protect their phones better from their enhanced strength – and basically all sorts of resources that Felix would definitely have to check out later.

They’d also walked passed a bar that was currently closed due to the early hours of the day but, according to Felix’s friends, it was open every night and it was the best place to be if you wanted to hang out with people, have fun, and let loose. It was a mixed place, so both Humans and Vampires frequented it, but the security was top-notch – no shady deals, no drugs, no Vampire venom, no biting (even consensual) and, most importantly, it was a “zero tolerance for intolerance” kind of place, meaning racists could just get lost.

The Human blood he’d consumed earlier that morning had made a notable difference, with his energy levels hitting an all-time high even though he knew he’d normally be hitting his bed for a nap in that moment. As such, it was with a bounce in his step that he’d followed his friends to their next destination…

… only to find himself a bit disappointed.

“Don’t make that face,” laughed Hyunjin, patting his shoulder. “This place is great!”

“… I’m confused.”

They were standing a few meters away from a really high and large wall – maybe about five stories high? It looked pretty sturdy, and fairly imposing too, and it was kind of weird since it was a single brick wall smack in the middle of a park, but Felix couldn’t put his finger on what was special about their new destination.

“This place is more active at night, that’s why it doesn’t look like much right now,” explained Seungmin, his lips quirking up at Felix’s confusion. “Vampires use this spot to hang out and challenge each other to The Climb – every month or so, an unofficial competition is held between the challengers to see who can manage to climb the highest. There’s a money pot and everything, bets, crowned champions, that sort of stuff. It’s really entertaining.”

“There used to be a containment facility for Vampires here. It was taken down a little under two centuries ago, but they never managed to tear down this particular wall – it was made too solidly, meant to resist numerous Vampires’ full strength, so they eventually gave up and left it there,” added Jisung, grinning from ear to ear. “The younger generations of Vampires first used to come here for the scary factor but, a few decades ago, it turned into a popular hot spot for socializing and having fun.”

“And what does The Climb entail, specifically?” asked Felix, curious.

“Well, it’s pretty self-explanatory: the challengers have to scale the wall as far up as they can manage. They can gain momentum from the starting line painted over there, but not further than that, and they only get one chance per competition. The one who makes it the highest is crowned champion, gets to sign The Wall, and win the money pot,” answered Hyunjin with a wistful smile.

“It’s really not as easy as it looks,” added Jeongin, noticing Felix’s slightly dubious expression. “You can’t use your feet for support, only your hands so, even with our enhanced strength and speed, scaling that wall is no small feat. No matter our abilities, gravity is still a thing, and you’re not allowed to stop, either – the moment you stop scaling, it’s over.”

“I see. Have any of you ever participated?”

“Everyone’s participated at least once, if only to try it out,” shrugged Jisung. “Jeongin’s the one who made it the highest – he’s physically stronger than all of us despite being a Dhampir.”

“I made it a little over the third-floor mark,” nodded Jeongin. “But even then, I only scored amongst the average. While a lot of people actually climbed to the top at one point or the other, no one’s ever made it with a single jump – it’s just not possible. The highest would be the red handprint you can see over there, a little over the fourth-story mark.”

Felix narrowed his eyes and, after a few moments, he finally managed to spot the handprint in question. It was really high, and Felix couldn’t help but be impressed that someone had somehow managed to get all the way up there with a single jump – even for a Vampire, that was pretty incredible.

And there was no denying the curiosity now niggling the back of his mind.

Jisung nudged his shoulder, grinning. “Wanna try?”

“Can I?”

“Sure. If you beat the record, though, no one will be there to witness it.”

It was clearly intended as a joke, but Felix couldn’t help but take it as a challenge, in a way. Still on an energy high from the Human blood, and also with an almost vicarious need to prove himself – I’m one of you now, there’s no denying it! – Felix nodded, quickly going to take his place to the starting line.

Jeongin followed him, obviously intending on showing him how it’s done.

“Alright, so you might want to go slow with your first try,” he instructed. “You haven’t gone all out with your speed just yet, have you? If you lose control, you’ll just end up crashing and that will most definitely leave a mark – on you, that is, not The Wall. Why don’t you try to just run normally first, gauge the distance and everything?”

Nodding in agreement, Felix did exactly as told. He tried to keep it to a slow jog, calculating the distance and also jumping a few times directly in front of the wall to get an idea of the momentum he would need and, after a few minutes, he was finally satisfied with what he’d come up with and he was ready to give it a shot.

Jeongin did it first, running at incredible speed and practically pouncing at the wall, scaling it with the sole strength of his arms until he eventually lost his momentum and started falling – though, not before making it to the third-story mark. He swiftly landed back onto his feet, then turned to Felix with a grin.

“Your turn!”

“You can do it, Lix!” cheered Jisung, holding his phone.

“Then why are you filming me?” retorted the freckled boy with a snort. “Hoping to catch my failure on video?”

“It’s for posterity, don’t mind it!”

Felix rolled his eyes, but he didn’t exactly mind. Even if he failed and broke his nose crashing into The Wall, it’d at least give them all a good laugh later. So, breathing in deeply, he took his stance, recalculated everything one last time… and pounced.

He knew he’d gotten it wrong a second later, feeling himself veer right off course, slip, and ultimately fall. He made a few barrels, his momentum dragging him through the grass before he eventually landed onto his back, the wind knocked out of him.

“Felix—!”

“I’m okay!” he wheezed, pushing himself up. “Whoo! Let me try again!”

The others laughed a bit at his eagerness, obviously not used to him being so energetic – truth was, Felix was a bit of an adrenaline junkie. Since he bruised and got hurt easily, he always needed to be extra careful but, with his newfound resilience, he now realized that he didn’t need to hold back anymore, and that opened the door to a whole new world of very interesting possibilities.

Getting up, he dusted himself a bit before returning to the starting line. He didn’t wait as long for the second time and, this time around, he collided harshly with The Wall instead of scaling it. He stumbled back, a little stunned, but his rush only grew as he realized his nose hadn’t even bent a little.

I’m invincible!!!

Before any of his friends could try and stop him, he made a third attempt – and the adrenaline only started pumping faster through his veins as he felt his feet finally kick off the ground. He latched onto the wall, pushed himself up higher and higher and higher—

“Holy shit!”

Jisung’s faraway cry was what finally snapped Felix out of his adrenaline-induced haze and, with a start, he suddenly realized there was no more wall to climb. A tad dumbstruck, he gave one last push and heaved himself up.

He’d reached the top.

How the hell did I get up there!?

It was scary. He was really high up and, had he been Human, a fall from this height would have surely killed him – but if he’d been Human, he certainly would have never made it there in the first place. Amazed, all he could do was sit there and gaze all around him, unable to wrap his frazzled mind around the fact that he’d just scaled a five-story high wall with the sheer strength of his arms.

He slowly rose up to his feet, his hands trembling as an almost hysterical laugh bubbled its way up his chest and out of his throat, echoing loudly in the silence of the park as he cheered and whooped and jumped—

Oh shit.

He’d miscalculated that one. With a startled yelped, he felt his foot slipped from the top and, next thing he knew, he was falling. He barely even had the time to realize he was most likely plummeting toward a very serious injury, if not outright death, and then pain exploded in his skull and darkness instantly took over.

.

“—watch him!!!”

“We didn’t… make it…!”

Felix groaned softly, bringing a hand up to rub his head as he felt a nasty headache settle in as he slowly regained consciousness. He blinked a few times, a tad disoriented, and it took him a moment to recognize his surroundings.

When did we get back to the penthouse…?

“Felix!” Minho was suddenly beside him, his eyes wide with worry. “Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?”

“I- I’m fine…?” He frowned, patting the back of his head. “I thought for certain I’d exploded my skull back there…”

“You didn’t, but you did briefly suffer from the closest thing to a concussion a Vampire can get,” replied cheerfully Jisung, sitting down next to him. “But you’re a lot tougher than you look, huh? Jeongin barely had to make you drink any blood for you to regain consciousness after you crash-landed.”

“I woke up…?”

“Hmm. You probably won’t remember it, though – you were in a pretty delirious state.”

“That was my mistake,” sighed Minho, running a hand through his hair in a rare display of frustration. “I should have expected that ingesting so much Human blood for the first time would take its toll on your body – it produced a lot more energy than what it was used to contain and control, so it sent you on a bit of a high.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember that one,” groaned Felix, feeling a tad embarrassed. “It was… pretty intense.”

“It’ll be like that for a little while, until you’ve adjusted to your new diet. The highs will be intense, but so will be the lows – while you can do whatever you want, I’d recommend staying under supervision for a few days, just in case.”

Felix bit his lower lip, averting his eyes. Now that he was no longer blinded by his slightly displaced sense of invincibility, he couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed of how he’d acted out. While sometimes reckless, he wasn’t the type to run ahead of trouble, either, and knowing he’d basically ruined his day out with his friends left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Lixie?” Hyunjin sat on his other side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Hey, baby, it’s okay. Why are you crying?”

“What…?”

Felix hadn’t even noticed, but he’d started crying. Only more tears fell out as he noticed, however, feeling as if he was completely losing control over himself. Was this what Minho meant by “intense lows”? Felix figured he’d only been talking about exhaustion, but it looked like being an emotional wreck was also a part of the deal.

“I- I don’t know why I’m crying…! What’s happening to me…?” he blubbered out.

“Oh, sweetheart,” cooed Hyunjin, pulling him into a hug. “It’s okay, it’s just the aftermath of the high kicking in, it’s okay.”

“I- I feel so- so dumb…!”

“Shh, you’re not dumb, your head is just a bit of a jumbled mess right now but you’re going to be alright, hm?”

While his greatest emotions were amplified while high, his worst feelings were exacerbated just as badly while low. He didn’t really understand the logistics behind it, but he knew he absolutely hated it – high or low, he was losing control one way or the other, and it was the worst feeling ever.

“Don’t- don’t leave me a- alone…!” he cried, clinging tightly to Hyunjin.

“Shh, we won’t, sweetheart,” soothed Hyunjin, carding his fingers through the freckled boy’s hair.

“It’s kind of our fault you’re feeling like this in the first place, so we’re definitely not letting you deal with this alone,” assured Jisung, rubbing his back. “I’m sorry. We should have been more aware of what was going to happen.”

“Hyunjin was the same back when he was first turned, but we haven’t had a newborn around in decades, so I completely forgot to warn you about it,” added Minho, clearly apologetic. “Would you like to stay with us for a few days? At least until you’re feeling better?”

“Dibs on sharing my room with Lix!” exclaimed happily Jeongin, thrusting his hand up.

“Yah, no fair! I want Lixie-cuddles too!” protested Jisung.

Felix let out a watery laugh as the pair started bickering, with Seungmin throwing in comments like adding oil on a fire, clearly entertained. He was already feeling better, and the tears had stopped falling, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he became prey to another rollercoaster of emotions.

And so, while he was still clearheaded enough to make a decision, he decided to speak up about the offer.

“I- I’d love to stay,” he croaked out, too tired to feel bad for imposing on them. “Thanks for- for looking out for m- me.”

“Of course, baby,” replied Minho, patting his head before walking away. “I’ll go make you a drink. Think you can stay awake long enough to take a few sips, at least?”

“Hm-hmm.”

“Good boy. Just keep those pretty eyes open for a bit, I won’t be long.”

Normally, Felix would have grown incredibly flustered at the praise but, right now, the baby talk just made him feel incredibly safe and cared for, so he simply smiled and snuggled a little more into Hyunjin’s hold while doing his best not to fall asleep. The others help, tickling or poking him every time his eyes fluttered shut and, after a few minutes, Minho finally came back.

Felix managed to drink about half of the glass of blood before exhaustion finally got the best of him, and it was knowing that he was in good hands that he let himself drift off.

.

Felix woke up alone in what he assumed to be Jeongin’s bed. He’d found a note on the pillow next to him that warned him all of the boys had gone out to run some errands for Minho, and to simply make himself comfortable while he waited for them. Feeling a tad awkward being alone in a home that wasn’t his, Felix still found the strength to leave the room and head to the kitchen to grab himself a glass of water.

He couldn’t help but linger by one of the large windows as he drank, though – letting his gaze wander outside and admiring the view from so high up. A shiver of excitement ran down his spine as he briefly wondered if a fall from this height would do any damage, but he quickly repressed the intrusive thought – he wasn’t that stupid.

He instinctively patted the back of his head. He vaguely remembered the pain, and he still hadn’t quite come around the fact that he’d survived such a fall basically unscathed—

“Oh, hi! You must be Felix.”

A bit startled, the freckled boy spun around and found a somewhat intimidating Vampire standing a few meters away, his arms crossed over his chests and his muscles bulging out the slightest bit, effectively showing off the tattoo sleeve on his left arm.

“Yeah, hi,” he greeted, offering an hesitant smile. “That’s me. Yeah.”

Changbin chuckled. “Don’t be so nervous, kid. I’m Changbin. It’s nice to finally meet the new Vamp the kids wouldn’t shut up about – they’re already whipped for you.”

Felix let out an awkward laugh at that. “Yeah, I kind of figured that. They’re sweet.”

“Annoying, but with their hearts in the right place,” snorted Changbin, shaking his head fondly. “Anyway, Minho went on some errands too, but you’re free to join us in the studio if you don’t want to be alone.”

“Us? Studio?” echoed Felix, curious.

“Hmm. Chan-hyung is also home – and he’s been investing in music production lately, and I like dabbling, so we set up our own studio. Wanna check it out?”

“Sure!”

It definitely beat awkwardly lounging about until one of his friends came back, so he quickly followed after Changbin. There was no denying that he was quite eager to meet this Bang Chan character, too. He didn’t want to bother him with all of his questions, but surely someone as old as him would have a lot of interesting stuff to talk about, right?

Changbin guided him through the penthouse until they reached one of the rooms further in the back. Pushing the door open, he gestured for Felix to go in first, and the freckled boy was instantly taken aback by the sheer professionalism of the recording/producing studio – for people who were only “dabbling”, they sure had the equipment.

Though, then again, they can easily afford it.

It took him a moment to notice the man hunched over a computer a few meters away, thick headphones covering his head and effectively blocking out all noises. He looked busy, and Felix suddenly felt like he was intruding but, before he could turn back, Changbin closed the door and walked right up to the man.

“Yah, Chan-hyung!” He mercilessly ripped off the headphones. “I told you to wait for me!”

“Binnie!” The man jumped. “Ah, sorry about that…”

Changbin shook his head, obviously used to it, and then gestured to Felix. “Anyway, we have a guest with us – the kids’ friend, Felix, is here, so be nice and introduce yourself.”

“Don’t start getting cheeky with me, brat,” huffed the older Vampire, finally turning around to face Felix. “Hello, Felix! I’m Bang… Chan…”

Felix was a bit taken aback by the sheer beauty of the Vampire before him. It was different from Hyunjin’s and Minho’s, more handsome than pretty, and he carried an aura that almost instantly soothed all doubts and worries. For some reason, though, the guy looked… dumbstruck.

As if he’d seen a ghost.

“Yongbok…?”

Felix tilted his head in confusion. “I’m sorry? Err, I’m Felix. Nice to meet you, Bang Chan-ssi. The others have told me a lot about you.”

That seemed to snap him out of whatever daze he’d been plunged into and, jerking his head in a nod, he put down his headphones and quickly walked past Felix, muttering a “I forgot something important, sorry” before leaving the studio. Felix stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to make of the older Vampire’s sudden departure, before he eventually glanced at Changbin – who looked just as surprised.

“Did I… say something wrong…?” he hesitantly asked.

“I—no. I don’t know what’s gotten into him, he’s not usually like that,” assured Changbin, offering him an awkward smile. “A- anyway, he’ll surely come back and apologize later – he’s old, so he tends to act a bit weird from time to time. Now, why don’t you sit down and prepare to be amazed, hm?”

Understanding he was trying to change the subject, Felix didn’t insist and took a seat in the chair Chan had been previously occupying. He didn’t understand why the Vampire had run out the moment he’d shown up but, hopefully, Changbin was right, and it had nothing to do with him.

.

When everyone gathered for dinner that evening, Felix was seated with his friends, Changbin, and Minho – apparently, Chan had unexpectedly excused himself and wouldn’t be back before the next day. Felix tried not to be too bothered by this – how could it be his fault, really? – and focused on having a good time with his friends.

“What do you mean, you posted the video!?”

Well, mostly a good time.

“How could I not?” protested Jisung. “You did what no one else has been able to do before while still being considered a newborn – that’s incredible! We couldn’t not post it! And look, it’s already got millions of views, too!”

Felix was mortified. “Yeah, but you also included the first parts where I completely failed! That’s embarrassing!”

“It’s not embarrassing, no one cares about that – you beat all of the records of The Climb without any prior training!”

“Ji, you shouldn’t have posted the video without at least consulting Felix about it first,” cut in Changbin, serious. “It’s a serious breach of privacy.”

Jisung slumped a bit, pouting. “I just wanted to show everyone how awesome he is…”

Felix felt a little bad at that. He knew Jisung hadn’t done it with malicious intent, he’d just wished his friend would have at least asked him about it first. But, then again, it’s not like you could see Felix’s face, either, the camera was too far for that…

“It’s fine,” sighed Felix, patting Jisung’s hand in comfort. “Just… ask me next time, okay? I’d rather not become the laughingstock of the community when I’m still the new Vamp on the block.”

Jisung instantly perked up at that. “Right! I will! And, huh, sorry about that. But don’t worry, okay? Basically everyone thinks it’s a scam, anyway – you’ll have to do it again during an official competition if you want it to mean anything.”

“Just please practice your landing before doing anything of the sort again,” grunted Minho, aware he wouldn’t be able to stop Felix if that’s what the younger really wanted to do. “There’s only so many crash-landings your body can take.”

Felix laughed at that, promising the older he’d be more careful in the future. With that being said, though, he wasn’t particularly tempted to do it again, and it’s not like he had anything to prove, either – his friends knew the truth, and he’d had his fun, and he was completely satisfied with that.

.

The next few days were… a bit intense, for Felix. He had to call in sick to work, and he had a hard time focusing on his classes when his mind and body were constantly torn between outbursts of uncontrollable energy and slumps of intense exhaustion. His emotions were all over the place and he’d burst out crying more than once over the silliest thing but, thankfully, his friends were patient and very supportive.

They stayed by his side at all times, and Felix was never alone. He’d followed Minho’s carefully planned diet, he’d brushed his teeth exactly like the older showed him, and he’d applied the cream to get rid of the infection, too. And, after about eight days of the same routine, Felix finally felt like he was back in control of himself.

“Yup, they’re good,” announced Minho after thoroughly checking his gums, which were no longer aching or bleeding. “Keep the cream for a few more days, but the infection’s gone, and your fangs look healthy, too. Now that you’ve balanced out your biology, you should be fine with consuming animal blood as you used to, but you need to consume at least one pint of Human blood every two weeks for a while longer. The school’s already been notified, so they’ll supply you for the rest of the semester and, after that, we can figure out something else, alright?”

“Got it. Thank you so much, Minho-hyung. I don’t know how I’d have ended up if it wasn’t for your help, so I’m really grateful.”

Minho grinned, patting his head. “Of course. It was lovely to have you around, Felix. Make sure to drop by more often from here on out, okay?”

“What he’s not saying is that he’ll be worried sick and that he expects you to come to dinner at least twice a week so he can keep an eye on you,” snorted Changbin, sitting on the couch behind them.

Minho glared at him, but Felix simply laughed and pulled him into a hug. The Vampire instantly softened and carefully hugged Felix back.

“Thank you,” he simply said again. “And, um, please tell Chan-ssi that I’m sorry I’ve imposed on your coven for so long.”

“I won’t,” replied Minho without missing a beat. “You have nothing to apologize for because you didn’t impose on us, we wanted you here. I don’t know what Chan-hyung’s deal this week was, but I can promise you that he’s not usually like that.”

Felix offered a noncommittal shrug, trying to appear unbothered, but the truth of the matter was that Chan’s continued and noticed absence in the past few days had stressed him out quite a bit. He’d expected to befriend the older like he’d befriended everyone else, had been looking forward to it even… only for Chan to outright avoid him for the entire duration of his stay. Felix barely got any glimpse of the guy and, though he didn’t go out of his way to cross paths with him, it was hard not to notice how the older Vampire would outright flee the room the moment Felix entered. He’d also been absent for every single group meal, and he’d used a lame excuse not to talk to Felix every time the freckled boy tried to strike up a conversation.

For one reason or the other, Bang Chan did not like Felix, and it admittedly hurt a bit – but the boy tried not to show it and simply thanked his generous hosts one last time before finally taking his leave.

.

Returning to his crappy flat after so many days of basically bathing in luxuries that wasn’t his, Felix was a bit underwhelmed, and he promptly locked himself in his room in an attempt to forget just how lonely his house actually was when he’d spent the last week or so constantly surrounded and coddled by others.

Trying to distract himself, he turned on his computer and was surprised to find a notification from a forum website he’d completely forgotten about. Clicking the link open, he only then remembered the message he’d left on the forum when he first woke up and sought answers – it was only a month ago, but it already felt like it’d been years since he’d randomly turned into a Vampire.

A lot more people had found his message and had answered it with various theories, but one in particular seemed to stand out.

[By: 1234

In reply to “New Vampire (?)” by USER: FairyLix]

[I believe I have an idea of what has happened to you. While unusual, this isn’t the first case of spontaneous vampirism. Please DM me if you are interested in further details.]

Felix paused, rereading the reply a few times. It sounded like someone who knew what they were talking about but, on the other hand, it could also be a scammer. Still, it’s not like he was stupid enough to give away his personal information, so he figured there was no harm in at least checking out the lead.

(He’d been tempted to talk to Minho about how he became a Vampire but, for some reason, he never got around to doing it. He was already different enough, the last thing he wanted was to stand out even more when he was just starting to find his place.)

Finding the mysterious user’s account, Felix then quickly wrote them, telling them he was interested, and it only took a minute for them to reply.

[Private Messages]

[1234]

Hello. What’s your name?

[FairyLix]

I’m Lix. You said you could help me?

[1234]

Good day, Lix! And yes, I believe I can. I’m actually a member of a special research team currently studying cases of spontaneous vampirism, as we call it. It might surprise you, but you are not the first Human to wake up as a Vampire without explanation. We’ve already reached out to over ten other cases all around the world!

Felix bit his lower lip. How could he know for certain that his person, however professional they might sound, wasn’t just lying? Still, they hadn’t given him a reason to not believe them just yet, so he decided to go for it.

[Private Messages]

[FairyLix]

I see. Have you managed to find the cause just yet?

[1234]

Unfortunately, as of yet, we still don’t have enough cases to figure out an actual correlation. However, with your addition to our statistics, this could change! All we ask of you is that you fill out an internet form. It would only take a few minutes!

Yeah, that definitely sounded like a scam. Still, Felix was too curious to just let it go just yet, so he asked for the form to be sent and, barely a few seconds later, he received a link. A tad hesitant, he eventually decided to click it, and he was quite relieved to find it led him to exactly that: some sort of survey.

He started filling out the questions, leaving some spaces blank such as his name, his age, and the country he lived in (again, he wasn’t that stupid), but he was careful in answering the more technical questions such as how it happened, how long ago it happened, how much time it took, how he felt before and after the change, etc, etc. All of those questions appeared legit enough for a research group, and it’s not like he was giving away any important information, so he filled those out without issue. And, once he pressed send, it once again only took a few seconds for 1234 to reply.

[Private Messages]

[1234]

Thank you so much for your help! Rest assured that your cooperation will mark the start of a new and greater era!

Felix was a bit weirded out by the strange phrasing but, most importantly, he was disappointed. He’d been hoping for at least a semblance of answer, but it looked like that wouldn’t be happening any time soon.

Well, at least I’m not alone… There’s that, I guess.

With a sigh, he turned off his computer and got started on his homework.

.

The next day was rather uneventful compared to the last week of emotional rollercoaster, and Felix gladly took the break. He was finally able to focus in class again, he still felt energized even though he hadn’t fed in hours, and everything was just… going better, now. It was in good spirits that Felix eventually returned home. Even though he missed the coven’s company, he’d rather not impose again for a while, give Chan a break from his apparently unsightly presence.

(Okay, so maybe he was just a little bitter about it.)

Upon connecting to his computer, he was surprised to find a new notification – a private message from 1234. Maybe they’d figured something out? Curious, and just a tad hopeful, Felix quickly opened his messages.

It was a video, and a few seconds of playin it instantly made him realize just what it was – him, in the park, scaling up The Wall with almost frightening ease.

[Private Messages]

[1234]

[video.org]

Is this you?

Startled, Felix instantly disconnected and turned off his computer.

For some reason, he suddenly felt like he’d made a big mistake.

Chapter Text

Three days after 1234 last contacted Felix about the video (Felix hadn’t replied), he received a new DM from the mysterious individual.

It wasn’t any better than the last.

[Private Messages]

[1234]

Lee Felix. If you wish to know more about your condition, we can help. Send forward your address so we can meet up and discuss this further.

Felix’s entire body stiffened. Oh hell no! How the fuck did they even find my name!?

He’d been a fool, that much was obvious. Why did he trust a random person on a sketchy forum again? Ah, yes, because he was too fucking insecure to just talk about it with his friends and now because of that, he had a weirdo stalker asking to meet up. Cursing under his breath, the freckled boy blocked him – no answers were worth dealing with that creep.

He’d already given his age away in his initial message on the forum, but they’d been conversing in English, so surely 1234 wouldn’t realize he was actually in Seoul?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, someone knocked at his door.

Oh my God, he thought, paling. They’re here. How did they know I live here!?

His anxiety only skyrocketed when the knocking became a little more insistent and, without really thinking, Felix picked up the heaviest textbook in his room and slowly walked up to his door. Upon reaching it, he let out a small breath, grabbed the doorknob, and carefully cracked the door open—

“Felix-ssi…?”

“Holy shit.” All tension instantly left Felix’s body as he recognized the voice of the person behind the door. He put the book down and fully opened the door. “Bang Chan-ssi? What are you doing here?”

It truly was the older Vampire who’d been avoiding him like the plague. But why was he here now? And, most importantly—

“How did you know I lived here?” asked Felix, gesturing for him to come in.

Chan shrugged awkwardly, glancing around the apartment. Had Felix not been so relieved to find Chan and not some creepy stalker, he’d probably have feel a little ashamed of the sorry state of his living space.

“Everyone knows where everyone lives,” answered the older, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, the community’s small enough that all private information is usually shared between the covens… It’s for everyone’s safety, really.”

“Well that’s just creepy,” huffed the freckled boy, crossing his arms over his chest. “But anyway, what are you doing here? I don’t mean any disrespect, Chan-ssi, but…”

Thankfully, Chan seemed to understand, and the awkward tension in the room only grew. After a few seconds of visibly searching for his words, he finally deflated.

“You should probably take a seat.”

With a nod, Felix did as told and sat on the couch, while Chan stayed up to face him properly. He looked incredibly nervous and, had those been any other circumstances, Felix would have probably found it endearing.

“I… There’s really no easy way to say this,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Felix, how did you get turned into a Vampire?”

Felix instantly stiffened, averting his eyes. After a few more seconds of silence, Chan heaved out a sigh and crouched before him.

“Let’s do this differently. I’ll share my theory, and you’ll correct me if I’m wrong, alright?” Felix gave an hesitant nod, and the Vampire offered a tentative smile. “Alright. About a month ago, you died. You were not assaulted, you were not bitten by a Vampire, and you were not administered the venom in any way, shape, or form – but, somehow, you still woke up as a Vampire.”

“How- how did you know that?”

“It’s not the first time it’s happened,” admitted Chan, something akin to sorrow entering his gaze. “But it is the first time I’ve managed to get to you first.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Every single individual who met the same fate as you didn’t survive the process. Their bodies were too weak, the underlying power given to them too great – they all died within days of waking up as Vampires.”

“Power?”

“Felix, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll be blunt: you are the reincarnation of a very ancient and very powerful Vampire.” Felix’s breath was caught in his throat as his eyes widened. He was half-expecting Chan to yell ‘sikes’, but the seriousness in his gaze halted any doubts. “His essence has found a new host every single century, but none of them has ever survived this long – you are the first.”

“Wait, wait, wait, you’re not making any sense,” protested Felix, quickly becoming overwhelmed. “Me? Someone’s reincarnation? That’s ridiculous – and creepy, too! So what, I have the spirit of a crusty old Vampire stuck somewhere in my head, is that it!?”

“It’s not about coexisting spirits,” assured soothingly Chan, grabbing Felix’s hand and carefully unclenching his fingers before he could hurt himself with his nails. “You were destined to die and be reborn as a Vampire from the moment you were conceived – meant to begin the transformation process on the day the Original died, which was about a month ago.”

“This is crazy… But what- what do you mean, begin? I’m already a Vampire, what more transformation do I need?”

“You are now a full-blooded Vampire, that much is true. However, finalizing your transformation would mean returning to your initial form – that of an Original. Thanks to an ancient ritual, you would reclaim your powers, your abilities, your influence… Your right to the throne.”

Felix stilled. Chan squeezed his hands, now sounding almost desperate.

“You are the reincarnation of Yongbok, the Last Vampire King, the Bridge of Peace! You are the one who brought an end to the Great Warring Times, the one who first reached out for a tentative peace with Humans, the one thanks to whom Humans and Vampires can finally coexist today! You are the heir to an ancient and respected heritage, and you—” His voice broke, his eyes filling with tears he refused to shed, and Felix could only gawk at him, unable to make sense of what he was hearing. “You’re back.”

“I’m not,” he replied numbly.

“Yongbok—”

“That’s not my name!” Felix jumped to his feet, spooked. “Look, this has been great, but I think you should take your leave!”

“Yon—Felix, please,” pleaded Chan, reaching out to grab his hand again. “You have no idea of how long we’ve waited for you, we need you—”

“I said leave!”

Chan gritted his teeth, obviously pained, but finally backed away. After one last longing look for the freckled boy, he then walked out of the flat. The moment the door closed behind him, Felix collapsed onto the couch, gripping his head.

Him? Someone’s reincarnation? Heir to a Vampire throne he didn’t even know existed up until now?

This is crazy. This doesn’t make any sense!

.

Felix didn’t show up at school the next day, briefly texting his friends that something had come up and that he’d see them the next day. After what, he’d gone straight to the shopping district they’d visited the other day, hoping to find the answers he sought there.

There was a library there, with all sorts of ancient scriptures – if there was a single place susceptible of giving him more information, it was there.

Upon arriving, he found a young-looking woman with ruby-red eyes behind the counter. There wasn’t a single speck of dust to be seen despite the hundreds of books and documents gathered, and the place was actually more spacious than he expected.

“Hello!” she greeted cheerfully. “What can I help you with today?”

“Oh, I was… Um, I’m looking for books on the Great Warring Times? And, um, anything related to the Vampire monarchy system?” He shuffled awkwardly in place. “It’s for some History homework.”

“Ah, of course! Most of the documents relating to that period are currently in the hands of the coven or the High Council, but we should still have some interesting stuff around,” she nodded before gesturing to an empty table in the back. “Why don’t you go take a seat? I’ll bring you what we have in a minute.”

“Right, thank you.”

.

As warned, there weren’t many books, but Felix still found a lot of helpful information about the Great Warring Times, the ideals of the two opposing sides of the conflict, and the societal consequences on the Vampire community as a hole. What really drew his attention, however, was the last book he was given.

It talked of how the Great Warring Times came to an end.

He learned about Yongbok. He was a respected General during the Great Warring Times, but it was later on revealed that he’d saved countless of Humans while on the battlefield, bringing them to a secret safe haven where Vampire deserters had taken refuge, and where the humans he'd saved were kept safe until they fully had recovered.

Yongbok was an Original, one of the first Vampires to ever walk the Earth. As such, he was extremely powerful and, though loyal, his lack of interest in the war they waged put him on the First King’s bad side, so to speak. More than once he’d been tasked with terrible missions in order to prove his loyalty, but he finally drew the line when, one day, he was ordered to kill a Human child and offer her heart to his King.

He’d snapped then and, with the support of a few loyal friends, Yongbok managed to kill the First King, effectively claiming the throne for himself.

His unlawful ascension to the throne made many unhappy, and many decades were spent torn between warding off a civil war and bringing the current one to an end that would leave both sides satisfied and, well, alive. Despite the obstacles and difficulties, however, Yongbok proved to be strong enough to withstand any attempts against his life, and his merciful nature and ideals eventually gained the respect of his brethren.

With the support of most of the remaining Vampire population, and also that of the countless Humans he’d saved throughout the past decades, Yongbok finally managed to establish a first, tentative peace treaty with Humans, and the ceasefire lasted for exactly one hundred and fifty-two years… before tragedy struck.

“A Human assassin was sent – a trained Hunter, who betrayed Yongbok’s trust and dealt him a lethal blow to the heart, poisoning him with silver powder and thus ensuring neither him nor his loyal subjects could heal him.

He begged his friends not to let the blind hate of a single man destroy everything they’d managed to achieve. His death could have sparked the start of a second era of war and bloodshed but, in his infinite grace and mercy, King Yongbok gave his last order.

(-Do not lower yourselves to the whim of a single soul led astray by the hate of a generation that has long since passed. Do not let the mistakes of history repeat itself, for we are capable of achieving so much more. Hate is born from ignorance, so teach them – teach them that Humans and Vampires are worth so, so much more than this.

Let my death be the last. Let my end mark the beginning of a new and greater era.-)

On which King Yongbok passed away, in the arms of his lover and surrounded by his friends. His dedication to the peace he’d created was enough to convince their grief-stricken hearts not to seek vengeance and, instead, they created a trial made of Vampires and Humans alike to judge the assassin.

The assassin was found unanimously guilty by the mixed jury and was sentenced to a life behind bars – as per King Yongbok’s wish, his own death was the last directly caused by the centuries of hate and conflict, and he remains known to this day as the Bridge of Peace.”

The rest of the book talked of how the monarchic system was later on replaced by a democracy led by the High Council, most of which was made up of the remaining Originals, older Vampires, and the Coven Leaders – hence why Yongbok was also known as “the Last King”.

Nowhere in the book did it talk of a potential reincarnation, though. No myth, no prophecy – in the eyes of history, Yongbok was well and truly gone. So, what was the deal with Felix supposedly being that Vampire’s reincarnation? Sure, the workings behind his unexpected turning were a little strange, but reincarnation?

But the last sentence… Felix bit his lower lip, rereading the last words of the King. Why does it feel so familiar?

It took him a minute before it finally clicked. His anxiety suddenly spiking, he grabbed the book he’d been reading and rushed over to the counter. The woman behind the counter smiled, showing off her fangs – he’d learned since his first day that it was actually another way to say “hi” in Vampire unspoken language.

“Do you need anything else?”

“Actually, would you happen to have computers here?”

“Yeah, they’re just over there!”

“Thank you!”

It didn’t take him long to log into one of the computers, and then log onto the account he’d created on the forum website. Quickly, he unblocked 1234, and finally found the message he’d been looking for.

[Private Messages]

[1234]

Thank you so much for your help! Rest assured that your cooperation will mark the start of a new and greater era!

This was too much of a coincidence. There was simply no way this mysterious user wasn’t linked to the situation but, if such was the case, then that meant Chan… Chan was probably telling the truth. Why would this person seek to meet him otherwise, or be so interested in how he’d been turned?

A sharp inhale escaped him when, without warning, a new message came in.

[Private Messages]

[1234]

You have a greater purpose than you could ever imagine.

Don’t run.

Felix cursed under his breath, instantly blocking them again and logging out of the computer. Grabbing the book, he ran up to the counter and promptly checked out with it, feeling like he should hold onto it. As he stepped outside, however, he instantly felt it – the gaze boring into the back of his head. He frantically looked around, but there were too many people. All he knew was that someone was now watching him, and things were about to go real wrong real fast if he didn’t disappear now.

He started walking as fast as he could. He wasn’t too far from the building where his friends lived, he could make it in time, right? Panic settled in as he glanced back every few seconds – he was being followed, he just knew it. Out of ideas, he grabbed his phone and quickly dialed Jisung’s number.

The other didn’t pick up, and it’s only then that Felix remembered he was in class.

Damn it, I shouldn’t have skipped school today!

His fingers shaking, he picked Minho’s contact instead. After a few rings, the older finally picked up, and Felix felt like he could burst out crying in relief there and then.

“Felix? Aren’t you in class right now?”

“Hyung, I think I’m in trouble,” he croaked out. For the first time since he’d died, he felt genuinely terrified. “There- there are people following me, I don’t know what- what they want from me and I’m- I’m scared, I don’t know what to do—”

“Okay, slow down sweetheart, it’s going to be okay.” There was shuffling on the other end of the line, some shouts too. “Changbin, Chan-hyung and I are coming. Where are you?”

“I’m in- in the shopping district, like, ten minutes from your place?”

“Alright. Is there any place you can go in and stay with other people?”

“There’s- there’s a café just down the street… The one- the one Hyunjin likes.”

“Okay, good, I know which one you’re talking about. Go in there, get yourself some hot chocolate, and just sit tight, alright? We’ll be there in no time.”

“O- okay. Can you stay on- on the phone with me?”

“Of course, baby. Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing in the shopping district instead of class, hm? Skipping school?”

Felix let out a hoarse laugh as he entered the café. “Some- something like that.”

They kept on chatting for a bit, Felix eventually relaxing a bit as he took a seat in the back of the café while the older talked about his latest recipe. He could still feel someone staring at him, but he knew they wouldn’t try anything with so many other Vampires around.

He only truly relaxed when Minho entered the café, though, with Changbin and Chan right behind him.

“Hyung!” Felix exclaimed, relieved.

Uncaring of the few looks they were getting, Felix ran up to the older and hugged him tightly, fighting back the urge to cry. Minho shushed him softly, rocking him a bit while the other two carefully checked their surroundings. They couldn’t find anyone suspicious, however, and they eventually left the café.

“I wanna go home,” mumbled Felix, still clinging to Minho’s side and carefully avoiding looking at Chan at all.

“Are you sure? You’re welcomed to stay with us, baby,” assured gently Minho.

“No, I- I’m fine. I’ll feel better in my own bed.”

“Alright. We’ll take you home, then.”

He’d probably have felt safer staying with them for the night, but he simply couldn’t bear the thought of staying anywhere near Chan – not when the older looked like a kicked puppy every time their eyes met. He didn’t want a repeat of yesterday nor did he want to entertain the thought of being someone’s reincarnation, even less so when Chan seemed so intent on having him bear the full weight of a crown he had no interest in.

.

Chan didn’t try to approach him again, thankfully enough. Instead, he made a full round of the property with Changbin to ensure no one had followed them and that no one would be able to get in – a precaution Felix appreciated. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was maybe just becoming paranoid, but he felt safer, nonetheless.

“Thank you. I’m sorry for wasting your time, I—”

“No, your safety is not a waste of time,” cut Minho, gently patting his head. “Just call us if you need anything else, alright? And I’ll send the boys over to check up on you and deliver the notes for the classes you’ve missed, too.”

Felix hugged him one last time before biding him and the others goodbye, mindful not to meet Chan’s eyes. As soon as they were gone, he carefully locked the door, then went around his place to lock all of the windows too, just in case. Once certain there was no way someone could easily get in and get the jump on him, the freckled boy allowed himself to breathe a little easier.

He briefly stopped by the bathroom to take a blood pill, just to get his energy up, and shoved the tablet in his back pocket before he went to lay down on his bed, taking the book he’d checked out earlier and opening it on the page where the last words of Yongbok were written. No matter how many times he read them over, he simply… didn’t feel anything.

Well, he we awed by the King’s strength of character, and he was also touched by his dedication to his ideals of peace. He empathized with his words and could appreciate the genuineness of his feelings. However, if he truly was that man’s reincarnation, then shouldn’t he feel more… connected? None of those things even struck familiar. There was no dramatic flashback, no feeling of being incomplete – he was still very much Felix, and he didn’t know if that left much place for Yongbok. What he did know, however, was that he did not want to become… King, or whatever. The Vampire community, as small as it was, was thriving. They had no need for a King to mess this up, right?

With a groan, he put the book down and closed his eyes, rubbing his face. He couldn’t help but miss actually sleeping. Even if he wanted to evade his own mind for a few hours, he simply couldn’t. Maybe if he took sleeping pills? Would those even work?

Ugh, they should be giving a special course for “How To Vampire 101” or something like that. There’s so much I still don’t know or don’t understand—

A hand clamped over his mouth.

He screamed, bolting upward – or tried, at the very least. The noise was completely muffled, and he was harshly pinned to the mattress. His eyes flew open but, for some reason, he couldn’t see his mysterious attacker – but then, the shape of a person faded into reality, almost like a mirage coming to life.

It was a man. A Vampire, more exactly. A Vampire who could somehow turn invisible, and who was now trapping Felix in place.

“Hello, Your Highness,” he greeted, his voice almost rubbery, somehow – it was quite disagreeable to listen to, really. “You’ve been making yourself hard to find.”

Felix’s eyes widened even more. Was that his creepy stalker from the forum? The user 1234? But how could have Chan and Changbin missed his presence when they searched the entire flat mere minutes ago?

“We’re going to have to move,” then said his attacker, clicking his tongue. “This is not a conversation proper for interruptions.”

Before Felix could try and reply anything, pain flared in his shoulder. He hissed, trying to push the Vampire off, but the man was much stronger and easily kept him pinned down with one hand while he used the other to inject… something, in Felix. The freckled boy instantly grew dizzy, his muscles going lax.

What the hell… is this…?

It felt as if everything was going in slow motion. He couldn’t even lift a finger when his attacker released him, only to pick him and sling him over his shoulder. He barely felt as he was carried out of his apartment, half-hoping one of the other tenants would notice he was basically being kidnapped… but every single person they crossed paths with simply ignored them, not even sparing them a glance.

They can’t- they can’t see us…?

But whatever he’d been administered was strong and, by the time they actually left the apartment complex, he was already out like a light.

.

Seungmin was the first to notice that something was wrong.

“Felix wouldn’t have left like that – not after what happened,” he reasoned, worry gnawing at his guts. “So where is he?”

“Maybe he forgot to buy something and it was urgent? He was at the shopping district, for some reason,” pointed out Hyunjin, though he didn’t sound convinced.

“But he wouldn’t have left the door unlocked, would he?” frowned Jisung.

They’d come as soon as classes were over, eager to check up on the sweet boy after Minho texted them he’d had a rough day and needed comfort. Seungmin had asked for more details over a phone call on their way to Felix’s place, hence how they’d learned of the incident, so they were quite surprised to find Felix’s place, well, Felix-less.

“Something’s wrong,” growled Jeongin, frantically looking around. “Someone call him, someone else call Chan-hyung – I’m going out, see if I can pick up his scent.”

He was stopped in his tracks as a buzzing noise echoed from Felix’s room. Their worry only grew when Hyunjin returned from it a second later holding Felix’s phone.

“Okay, something’s definitely wrong. Jeongin, go – I’m calling Chan-hyung,” announced Seungmin, biting his lower lip.

Jeongin nodded, instantly running out. While Seungmin started quickly explaining the situation to their Coven Leader, Jisung walked over to Hyunjin, who was holding something else in addition to the phone.

“What’s that?”

“It’s an old book on the Great Warring Times. It was on the bed, and it just… felt out of place? I didn’t know Felix was a History nerd. There was a page marked, too.”

“Show me.”

It was a page relating the tragic end of the Last King. They didn’t really understand why Felix thought it was important enough to single out, but one thing was certain: whatever was going on with Felix, he was in trouble, meaning they needed to find him, and fast.

Chapter Text

“I found this further down the street.”

Jisung cursed loudly, while Hyunjin let out a small whimper. From Jeongin’s hand was hanging Felix’s talisman, the one he always wore as an earring. They knew the freckled boy usually wore two of those, as a precaution, but they also knew their friend wouldn’t have been careless enough to lose it, and the current circumstances didn’t paint a pretty picture.

Felix had been taken, and they didn’t know why, or by whom.

“It must the one who attacked him!” exclaimed angrily Jisung.

“Who?” frowned Minho.

“His Sire! We all know Felix wasn’t turned willingly, but he doesn’t talk about it, like, ever. What if his Sire came back to get rid of him so he wouldn’t get in trouble!?”

“Don’t say stuff like that!” snapped Hyunjin, whacking his arm.

“I’m sorry, I’m panicking!”

“Felix is fine – for now.” All eyes instantly snapped to Chan, who seemed… resigned. “I believe I know who’s taken him.”

“What are you saying, hyung?” asked hesitantly Changbin.

“It’s… complicated. You see, Felix… Felix isn’t just any Vampire.”

.

Felix cursed under his breath as he failed to force open the door, even with his enhanced strength. He’d woken up on the cold, stone floor of some sort of cell or basement, in complete darkness, and he’d been trying to get out for what felt like hours, now. He’d spotted a door in the back, but there was no lock or handle, and he still couldn’t get it to open, for some reason.

Damn it! I should just have gone back with them! He felt like crying, letting himself slide down the wall. Why is everything always going wrong!?

But then, someone decided to join his pity party.

“Finally awake, huh?”

Felix stiffened, eyes snapping up. The door was still closed shut, but a small vision panel had slid open on the other side, revealing a pair of gleaming red eyes.

“You!” Felix slammed his fist against the door, gritting his teeth. “Who are you!?”

“My name is Fabian. It’s nice to finally be able to speak properly, isn’t it?”

“What the hell do you want from me!?”

“Straight to the point, huh? You haven’t changed,” muttered the man on the other side. “But since I’m not in the mood to waste my time, I’ll humor you. You’ve done your research on Yongbok, haven’t you?”

“I… Yes. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, he’s you, for one. You’re him. Or, more precisely, you can become who you used to be. By completing the transformation process, you will regain all of your fabled powers and become, once again, the most powerful Vampire in existence,” summarized his captor as if he was talking about the weather.

“I- I can’t do that. I’m just me. I’m not King material,” insisted Felix, his voice shaky.

“No, you’re not – and yet, the empty throne is still yours to claim.” He heaved out a sigh. “Though, our organization isn’t very fond of the idea of the Last King taking over again – Lord knows he made enough of a mess when he was still alive. We’ve never had to worry about previous reincarnations before, they’ve always died on their own, but you… Hmm, you have a lot more potential than the rest. You could actually make it through the last stage of the transformation process. What an amusing thought, isn’t it?”

“You’re not making any sense,” protested weakly Felix. “Do you want to kill me so you won’t have to bow again to a potential King? Is that it?”

“Ah, no, that’d be silly. Tell me, Lee Felix, do you know what was the greatest mistake ever made in History?”

“No, but I guess you’re going to tell me,” he huffed.

Fabian’s eyes crinkled just a bit. “It was killing the Last King and thinking his foolish ideals of peace would die with him.”

Felix’s breath caught in his throat as his slightly frazzled mind quickly connected the dots. After a few seconds of silence, he gulped, and dared to speak up.

“You… You’re the one who killed Yongbok…?”

“Well, not directly. As powerful as I was back then, I wasn’t an Original like him – I wouldn’t have stood a chance. Plus, a Vampire killing another Vampire wouldn’t have sent the same kind of message, you know? No, we needed something much more striking – hence the Human assassin we generously paid for his services.”

“I- I don’t understand. Why would you have him killed? He was respected, he brought peace and prosperity to both kinds—”

“Because Humans and Vampires are not meant to coexist,” hissed Fabian, showing an ounce of irritation. “Vampires are the superior species and Humans are nothing more than fucking livestock! Miserable cattle meant to satisfy our endless existence!” He slammed his fist against the door, making Felix jump back a bit. “We could have won this war had it not been for this cowardly King! We could have claimed the Earth for ourselves and lived in eternal glory, instead of being treated like losers doomed to haunt the shadows!!!”

“That’s- that’s not what happened. Humans and Vampires live together now, and it works. You’re free to walk about in daylight just as much as them, you can buy the same food, live in the same neighborhoods, go to the same schools!”

“We deserve more than that!!!” Felix took another step back, scared. “But you… you wouldn’t understand. You’re no better than your first incarnation – still a peace-loving, foolhardy coward.”

“… what do you want from me?” Felix eventually dared to ask again. “What’s done is done, and Yongbok- Yongbok is gone. Your ploy worked. Reincarnation or not, I’m just- I’m just Felix. What could you possibly want more?”

“I want the victory we are due,” growled Fabian. “And you are the key to it. It’s simple, really: we’ve figured that the only way to undo the established peace was by destroying it with the very person that created it in the first place – you.”

“I’m not going to help you bring about war and destruction! Are you insane!?”

“You’re not going to have a choice,” snorted Fabian, calming down a bit. “Now, here's what's going to happen: you are going to undergo the last stage of the transformation process, and become Yongbok again. And, once you’ve reclaimed your powers, you will also reclaim the throne, and you will declare war on humankind once more. You can fight it all you want, ‘cause we have all the time in the world to make you change your mind.”

“Even- even if I do become Yongbok again, what makes you think he’ll think any different than I do?” insisted Felix. If he wasn’t scared before, he definitely was now. “He’s the one who instigated the end of the Great Warring Times – why would he desecrate his own heritage and ideals of the sort?”

“Mmm, I don’t want to entirely spoil the surprise… Let’s just say that newborns are so, so easy to manipulate, hm? You might possess great self-control, boy, but not even Yongbok’s reincarnation will be able to resist the call of blood for long – and until your mind caves in and you finally become the monster you’ve denied for so long… well, I guess you’re just going to stay here.” With a small, cruel laugh, Fabian suddenly slid the vision panel shut. “See you on the other side, Yongbok!”

“My name is Felix!!!”

But Fabian only laughed again, then stopped talking entirely. Felix guessed he was gone by now and, after a few seconds of standing in place, Felix let out a small sob and curled up on himself, unable to hold his tears back any longer.

He didn’t know for how long he stayed there. What he did know was that, eventually, his tears stopped falling and a strange sense of calmness took over. Slowly, he rose back to his feet and went to make himself comfortable in one of the corners. Then, without really thinking, he pulled out the pill tablet he’d shoved into his pocket a day earlier.

Nine blood pills left. He could work with that.

Felix held no doubt that his friends were already looking for him, and he trusted in them to find him before it was too late. He’d buy them as much time as he could with those pills and his own self-control and, hopefully, that would be enough.

And if not…

Don’t think about that, he cut himself, letting out a shaky breath. If you start thinking about it right now, you might as well give up. Just stay strong.

He wouldn’t let Fabian and his alleged organization achieve their malicious goal – no matter the price to pay.

.

Felix lasted for as long as he could manage before the pain of the thirst eventually became too much to bear and, since he didn’t have any water, he swallowed a first pill dry. It melted on his tongue and left a disgusting aftertaste but, ultimately, it did its job – the pain dulled, and he could think more clearly again.

He hadn’t found any way to get out, and the door was firmly locked into place – he truly had no choice but to stay there until someone found him. And so, he resigned himself to waiting, trying to think of anything that would distract him from the growing thirst.

He didn’t know for how long he stayed down there. Fabian came back to check up on him twice so far, and he looked displeased every time he found Felix nowhere near the famished and desperate state he wanted him to be in. However, Felix’s supply of blood pills could only last so long, and the time between each dose only seemed to grow smaller.

He felt sick. He couldn’t sleep at all, he was hungry and thirsty, and his muscles ached so bad he couldn’t find a single position that would alleviate the pain for a little while. It felt like his muscles were tearing apart at the seams, and black spots had started appearing all over his skin – and it felt like his fingers were sinking into the skin every time he poked one of the spots, which he tried not to linger too much on.

He had an idea of what was happening to him, and he absolutely hated it, but he’d rather die rotting from the inside than give Fabian and his stupid organization the war and bloodshed they wanted.

.

They couldn’t find him.

Felix had disappeared without a trace three months ago and they couldn’t find him.

The entire coven was going insane with worry. They all feared the worst, now that Chan had come clean about Felix’s true identity. He’d told them about a secret organization that sought to bring about a new Warring Era and they most probably intended on using Felix – or rather Yongbok – to make it happen, but even knowing this didn’t bring them any closer to finding him. The High Council had been warned about the situation, and dozens of Vampires and Humans alike were on the lookout for the freckled boy. His picture had been shared through the medias to incite the general populace to help them should they see him, and a lot of money had been offered for anyone who could come forward with pertinent information as to his whereabouts.

But despite their best efforts, they still couldn’t find him.

“This is insane. How hard can it be to find one single person?” exclaimed angrily Minho, pacing around the room. “We know they haven’t left the country, we know he was taken by that damned organization, we know at least one Vampire out there knows the truth – we should just make Seungmin interrogate all of them and be done with it!”

“Even with my Gift, they could still evade us,” sighed Seungmin, shaking his head. “And I’ve already questioned everyone at school – no one knows what happened.”

“Then interrogate the Council! Surely one of those old coots knows something!”

“Minho, you need to calm down,” sighed Chan, rubbing his temples. “Whoever’s taken him is obviously old and experienced – we won’t catch them that easily.”

“Felix is a really powerful newborn, though. Surely there aren’t that many places that could keep him contained, right?” pointed out Jisung. “What about the old containment facilities? Maybe they’re using one of those as a hideout?”

“We’ve already checked all of them. He’s not there,” huffed Changbin.

“How many of them are there? Five? Surely we can check them again,” he insisted.

“No, we need to focus our search on the unknown. We can’t afford to waste time or resources when Felix’s life is on the line—”

Chan’s rant was cut off by someone knocking at their door. Startled, the Coven Leader then gestured for Hyunjin to go open, since he was the closest. The young Vampire returned a few seconds later with a member of the Council hot on his heels – one Chan recognized from the old warring days, Fabian.

“Any news as to Felix’s whereabouts?” he asked, straight to the point – he was one of the most implicated in the case.

“None. Anything from the Council?” asked Jeongin, though he already knew the answer.

“I’m afraid not. Trust me, I’d tell you if I knew where he was,” the man sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m going to end up with grey hair at the pace we’re going.”

“You and me both,” huffed Minho, clicking his tongue. “Look, we appreciate the daily check-ups, but you should stop wasting your time coming by to deliver the same news every day. If you don’t know anything, just text or something.”

“Ah, apologies. It simply seemed proper to do this in person, and I was in the area, anyway,” replied Fabian, offering an apologetic smile. “I understand. I shall take my leave, and not contact you again until I have better news to deliver.”

“Thank you.”

With a nod, Fabian bid them all a good day before taking his leave.

The moment he was gone, however, Seungmin jumped to his feet.

“He lied.”

“What?” blinked Hyunjin.

“Trust me, I’d tell you if I knew where he was,” echoed Seungmin, his frown deepening. “He was lying just now.”

“But why would he do that?” protested Jeongin.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to give us false hope,” sighed Hyunjin. “Maybe they have a lead but, without being certain, it’d only be cruel to share it.”

There was a moment of silence, before Minho looked at Chan with an unreadable expression.

“Hyung… Master Fabian is as old as you are, is he not?”

“Ah, more or less. We fought in the war together, and he was one of the firsts to openly support Yongbok, too. What of it?”

“Well, surely a Vampire as old as him would have a Gift, wouldn’t he? What’s his?”

Chan’s brows furrowed a bit. “I… don’t know. I don’t think he’s ever developed one.”

But even saying that didn’t sit right on his tongue – though not all Vampires developed a Gift, Vampires as old as Chan or Fabian usually got one, as part of a recessive gene that mostly existed amongst the early generations of Vampires. As such, the chances of Fabian not developing a gift were… pretty low.

“We know someone took Felix from his home. There were no broken locks, meaning Felix either opened the door, or someone was already inside – but if the latter was the case, then we would have found them right away when searching his flat before we left,” reasoned Minho, growing more and more agitated. “But we didn’t – and we couldn’t even find a scent when we actively track Felix down, as if he and his kidnapper entirely vanished!”

“You think whoever took him has a Gift that renders them… what, invisible?”

“Or they can create minor illusions, or disturb someone’s brain through frequencies that messes with their senses – I don’t know!” snapped Minho, throwing his hands in the air. “But what I do know is that Felix is still missing, most probably in danger, and now Master Fabian is lying about not knowing his whereabouts, in addition to being one of the last Vampires alive to have actively interacted with Yongbok in the past!”

That was a lot of coincidence – a tad too many for anyone to feel comfortable. In the end, the paranoia won out, and Chan straightened up.

“We can’t throw baseless accusations around,” he stated firmly. “But we can lay a trap. If Master Fabian takes the bait, then…”

He didn’t need to finish. The others all knew that, should the councilman proved untrustworthy, then their Coven Leader wouldn’t spare any mercy.

.

It took a few days, but they eventually managed to set up their trap. Chan managed to slip a tracking chip in Fabian’s pocket when they met at an official meeting and, the following day, the Coven Leader contacted him.

“We’ve been given a lead,” he announced without missing a beat. “Someone from the organization, apparently. They’re saying they need the money and they’re ready to sell out his location if we up the offer a bit.”

Hook.

“Is that so?” Fabian’s voice was unreadable. “Are you willing to give it a shot?”

“I’m willing to do anything, at that point. We’ve already set up a meeting, but I’m not going to give away any info – I promised utmost anonymity. If everything goes well, then the next time we contact you, we’ll have Felix with us.”

Line.

“Sounds good. Just don’t get your hopes up, yeah? You can’t trust everyone.”

“I’m aware, thank you. See you soon.”

And sinker.

.

It didn’t take long for Fabian to move. They followed his movements on Seungmin’s computer and, before long, they found him walking… in the park? A tad confused, they watched as he stayed in place for a good twenty minutes before he eventually got moving again—

“Oh shit.” Jisung suddenly stumbled back, his eyes going wide. “Guys. Guys. That’s the park – our park! Isn’t- isn’t that where The Wall is located!?”

“What of it?” frowned Hyunjin.

“It was part of an old containment facility!”

“Jisung, it’s a wall. There’s nothing left of the facility—”

“The basement.” All eyes turned to Jeongin, who had paled considerably. “Wasn’t- wasn’t there a basement in each facility? To contain the- the strongest Vampires…? Even if they took it down, the foundations and the basement—”

“Are probably still there,” completed Minho, his eyes going wide. “Shit! Let’s go!”

.

They were too late.

They found the hidden entrance with relative ease, the trapdoor wide open. Going down, they found a humid and cramped hallway that led to a bunch of cells that were no longer used – but the one in the very back still held Felix’s distinct scent.

“Fuck!” cursed Changbin, hitting the wall. “We missed him!”

“He was right there,” mumbled Jisung, feeling sick. “He was right there, and we didn’t know. Has he- has he been down here this whole time…?”

“Guys… there isn’t any blood. That’s- that’s bad, right…?”

At Jeongin’s hesitant question, everyone tensed up. Quickly, they looked around, but realized that Jeongin was right – there wasn’t a single trace of blood. In that case, though, what did Felix eat while he was locked up down there?

The answer was quite simple, but nonetheless terrifying.

“Weaponize newborns,” whispered Chan, his voice breaking. “That’s- that’s what we used to do, during the war… If they starve him and- and complete the transformation process, then Felix will become Yongbok, but without- without a mindset healthy enough to process the shift. He’s going- he’s going to become nothing more than a husk, a- a powerful, bloodthirsty weapon for Fabian and his people to control—!”

Without warning, Hyunjin slapped him – hard. There was a moment of startled silence before the younger backed away, his lower lip trembling.

“Keep your cool, hyung,” he choked out. “Felix needs us now, more than ever – we can’t afford to lose it.”

“… you’re right. You’re right, I’m sorry.” Chan inhaled deeply, trying to think of a solution. “We obviously spooked him enough to make him move Felix – that means that wherever he’s taking him next, he won’t have the time to cover his traces properly. Seungmin, go back home with Hyunjin – I want one of you to monitor the tracking chip and direct us while the other contacts the High Council and inform them of the situation.” His red eyes gleamed in the darkness, suddenly promising hell for whoever had taken Felix. “The rest of us are going after them.”

.

Felix cursed as he struggled against his bindings. He’d woken up tied to a stone table (he did not want to call it an altar, that would be way too creepy) and the shackles proved to be able to withstand a Vampire’s enhanced strength – though, then again, he’d become greatly weakened, so he shouldn’t be that surprised.

A door slammed open behind him, and he craned his head to see Fabian and a three of other people he couldn’t recognize walk in. They were all Vampires, though one of them wore a super creepy cloak that completely covered them. While they took place around the room, Fabian came to loom over him and glared.

“You’re becoming much more trouble than you’re worth,” he hissed, throwing the empty packet of pills on him. “But you’ve also made things infinitely easier for us, so there’s that. When did you last take one of those, hm?”

“What does it matter to you?” Felix’s voice was hoarse, cracking on the edges.

“You’ve only prolonged the inevitable, and made things all the more difficult for you. Didn’t you know? These pills are good when taken sparingly but, when used to stave off your thirst, the chemicals in them only make you long natural blood even more.”

Without warning, the cloak was ripped off the hidden figure, revealing a Human woman. Her eyes were glazed over, her features lax – she looked completely out of it. Horror filled Felix was one of the Vampires cuffed her to the wall and made a single, simple scratch down her exposed arm. Blood beaded over the skin, and the smell hit Felix like a train – it took him a few seconds to even notice he’d started instinctively struggling against his bindings, unable to think of anything beyond satisfying his thirst.

He cursed again, forcibly averting his eyes, and Fabian laughed.

“There you go, Yongbok. The moment you completely lose it and kill that woman, we’ll be able to complete the transformation and call forth your past incarnation,” summarized the Vampire, grinning from ear to ear.

“I won’t do that,” growled Felix, clenching his fists.

“You will.” He gestured for the other Vampires to leave, then mockingly tapped Felix’s cheek, ignoring how the younger snarled at him. “Dumb little mutt, don’t you get it yet? It’s over.”

Felix simply narrowed his eyes at the man. “What happened to having all of the time in the world? If it truly was over, then why are you in such a hurry?” Fabian stiffened, and Felix felt hope surge through his chest. “They found me, didn’t they? They know—”

The blow that followed was harsh and made dark spots dance before his eyes. Fabian was seething, his eyes glowing with barely repressed anger. He then roughly gripped Felix’s chin, forcing him to meet his eyes again.

“You will kill her. You will feed, and regain your strength, and completely lose your mind,” he hissed through his teeth. “And once you do, we will complete the summoning ritual, and Felix will die, and Yongbok will rise – and once he does, his body host will be too far gone to support him. You will become nothing more than a mindless pet for us to use and neither you nor Yongbok will ever regain control again, lost to a timeless limbo of darkness and emptiness!"

“Sounds fun,” croaked out the freckled boy, mustering a grin. “I’ll- I’ll save you a seat.”

Fabian hit him again, irate – he wouldn’t get any further in breaking Felix’s spirit, not when he’d just given the wordless confirmation that his friends were finally coming for him. Knowing this, Fabian didn’t waste any more time and left the room and, the moment the door closed, he was plunged in darkness once more.

The scent of the woman’s blood was driving him crazy. Without Fabian’s presence to occupy him, all he could focus on was the blood, warm and inviting, barely a few meters away from him. He could feel it pumping through the woman’s veins, he could almost feel her pulse against his tongue—

No! He clenched his fists, stubbornly keeping his head turned the opposite way. I’m not caving in! I’m not!

His friends were coming for him. Soon, he was going to be saved. He just needed to hold on for a little longer.

Chapter Text

The door of the basement swung open.

“Felix!”

Jisung stopped as a low, animalistic growl echoed from further inside the room. He tensed,  glancing around, but all he could make out was a prone form in the corner, moving amongst the shadows and almost completely blending into them. On the other side of the room was an unconscious Human woman who appeared uninjured, thankfully enough, and Jeongin was quick to go check up on her.

Minho tentatively stepped forward, pausing when another growl echoed. After a few seconds of silence, Minho tried another step forward… and a snarl echoed, followed by a figure pouncing at the Vampire. Jisung let out a startled cry but Minho, experienced as he was, managed to catch his attacker and pin them to the ground.

“Felix!” It was effectively Felix, though he looked like a shell of himself. “Snap out of it!”

The newborn snarled again, his fangs out and his nails having shifted into claws that dug into Minho’s arm, but the older didn’t let go, pinning him down by the throat. He struggled a bit against the boy’s strength, but he refused to let Felix hurt him or anyone – he knew the freckled boy wouldn’t forgive himself if he did.

“Felix, it’s me!” he insisted, a tad desperately.

“He’s gone feral, hyung,” warned Jisung, tensed. “We won’t be able to reason with him until he’s drunk enough blood—”

“He can take mine.”

“Hyung!”

Without warning, Chan entered the room. They’d expected him to stay upstairs with Changbin and the other Vampires they’d rounded up to handle Fabian and his group of fanatics, but their Coven Leader obviously had other plans.

“Hyung, he’s dangerous,” warned Minho, gritting his teeth as Felix’s claws sunk a little deeper. “He’s going to hurt you.”

“It’s okay. I’m old enough to withstand any sort of injury he could deal.”

Chan obviously wouldn't let it go and, well, they didn’t exactly have a lot of options. They couldn’t exactly bring Felix back to the city to feed him properly, and the Human Government wouldn’t approve of a feral Vampire being anywhere near a populated area – which, you know, fair.

Jeongin had already taken the Human woman out to hand her over to the paramedics already waiting outside, and Chan ordered Jisung and Minho to wait outside and close the doors behind them, just in case. As soon as Minho let Felix go, the freckled boy tried to attack him, but Chan was quick to take over and grab him from behind, effectively pinning him against his chest.

Felix snarled and struggled with all his might, but it’s only once Minho and Jisung left that Chan released him. The freckled boy instantly scampered off into a corner again, obviously sensing the difference in power between him and the Coven Leader, but he was too far gone to actually care for that – he was just reevaluating how to catch his prey, like any good hunter would.

Chan simply sat down and, with a sad smile, he bared his neck and used his nail to pierce the skin and draw a line of blood.

“Come on. You must thirsty, huh?”

He didn’t have to say it twice, Felix’s raw instincts going wild at the smell of blood. The younger pounced on him, straddling the older and latching onto him with palpable need and despair as he immediately sunk his teeth into the offered flesh. Chan flinched a bit at the initial pain, but he forced himself to relax and started rubbing Felix’s back as the younger drank his fill.

“It’s going to be alright, love,” he murmured, cradling Felix’s head to help him keep a steady rhythm. “You were so strong, so brave. You held out for so long. I’m so proud of you. You can rest, now, everything’s going to be okay.”

Felix just kept on drinking, his little hands clutching tightly his shirt. He was making a mess – it was the first time he drank from someone, after all – but Chan didn’t care, simply murmuring encouragements and praises in an attempt to talk him down from his feral headspace.

Felix drank until not a single drop of blood was left, but that didn’t matter – Chan could easily replenish it once he drank too. He was old enough for his body to survive and function without blood actively flowing through his veins for a few days, so he wasn’t worried. Felix let out a low whine, though, sucking some more even though nothing but air was coming out, now.

“Shh, shh, it’s alright baby, I’ve got you,” murmured Chan, gently prying him off. The younger didn’t fight him this time, growing drowsy from suddenly drinking so much after such a long time. “You must be tired, hm? Messy baby. But it’s okay, you drank enough for now, hm? You can have more after you’ve slept for a bit.”

Finally full, and Chan’s gentle reassurances soothing him, Felix eventually passed out. As his breathing evened out, Chan let out a relieved sigh. Cradling the younger against his chest, he got up and walked right up to the door, knocking three times. Jisung, Minho, Jeongin, and Changbin were all waiting for him, obviously worried.

“He’s going to be fine,” he assured softly. “Let’s just get him home. We can figure out the rest from there.”

Minho was quick to claim the newborn from him, fussing over the blood caking the boy’s face and clothes, and also his general state, and Chan let him be – he knew his old friend had grown incredibly attached and protective of the younger. As he watched his coven members fuss over him, though, he couldn’t help but feel a pinch of guilt.

I’ll explain everything to him, he promised himself. As soon as he’s recovered, I’ll come clean about everything.

.

Blood pills were meant to help reenergize a Vampire, not satisfy their thirst or stave off their need to feed. Only surviving on those for months when his new biology had only just started settling had taken a definite toll on Felix – his muscles had atrophied, his cells had deteriorated, and necrosis had started spreading. Felix was greatly weakened but, most importantly, he’d grown an unhealthy dependency for the pills that they now needed to break. He’d need to feed on solely Human blood for months, in addition to feeding regularly three times a day. They’d decrease his consummation over time but, for now, this new diet was his best bet at making a full recovery.

He hadn’t gone feral again but, then again, he hadn’t woken up at all – two weeks after he’d been rescued, he was still plunged into a deep coma, and so he was being fed through a tube. The coven members were taking turns watching over him and keeping him company, having set him up in his brand-new room where most of his stuff had already been moved.

(They’d had the younger members of the coven work on decorating that room and setting everything up in an attempt to keep them occupied, rather than anxiously pacing around for hours – and it’d worked surprisingly well.)

They were worried about him, of course, but the doctor had been firm: he would wake up once his mind had recovered from the trauma.

And… it took one month and a half for that to happen.

“Hy- hyung…?”

“Felix!”

Minho’s joyful shout instantly attracted the rest of the Vampires in the penthouse, and it barely took a few seconds for a dumbstruck, slightly disoriented Felix to become trapped under a hug pile.

.

With Felix finally waking up, they could move on to a more proactive process toward recovery – meaning physical rehabilitation, regulated diet and medication, and psychological support. They needed to help his body become healthy again, inside and out, but his mind was just as important.

He’d been kept in almost total isolation and darkness for months, made to starve and become addicted to pills in order to survive, and never knowing for certain if he would ever be found before it was too late – needless to say, a few trips to a psychologist weren’t exactly a luxury.

Upon waking up, Felix had been a little distraught – he couldn’t remember anything past breaking free from his bonds, and he’d assumed he’d killed the poor Human woman who’d gotten dragged into this mess. The others had been quick to reassure him, however – his will stayed strong, and he’d only slipped into a fully feral mindset the moment they entered the room.

Relieved by the news, and glad to finally be safe, Felix had eagerly accepted their offer to stay with them until he fully recovered (not that he had much of a choice, Minho would have probably moved in with him in his crappy flat had he refused to stay). He felt safe with them and, right now, he really needed that.

(Maybe, just maybe, he was starting to believe that this was where he belonged.)

Everyone was incredibly supportive and helpful. Changbin, Jeongin, and Hyunjin took it upon themselves to help him out with his physical rehabilitation. Minho carefully monitored his medication and his diet, and he was always there within seconds whenever a migraine struck (an unfortunate side effect that would hopefully fade over time). Jisung, and Seungmin took it upon themselves to help him catch up with his studies, offer emotional support when he needed to talk or just be held for a bit, and overall cheering him up whenever a bout of depression hit (again, another unfortunate side effect, but the medication helped with that).

The only one who didn’t stick around half-as-much as he probably should have was Chan. Felix had barely seen him once since waking up. Apparently, the Coven Leader had gotten caught up in a lot of bureaucratic and political issues – the betrayal of Fabian (one of the councilmen), the implication of his coven in the case, and also the now public fact that Felix was Yongbok’s reincarnation.

(Felix still didn’t know what was happening with that. He knew for a fact that he did not want to go through the last part of the transformation process to become Yongbok, but would he even have a choice in the matter?

He hadn’t dared ask any of his friends, too scared of the answer.)

Felix was a bit unhappy about not seeing Chan around. He’d heard from the others how the older was the one who Felix drank from while in his feral state, and he wanted to apologize for hurting him. Also, they had a lot to discuss, because there was one particular question that had been haunting Felix for weeks, now.

(Not like he had had anything to do other than think, after all.)

But, thankfully, his weeks of restlessness were finally about to come to an end.

“It’s over.” Everyone gawked at Chan as he now stood at the end of the table where they’d all gathered for dinner – they hadn’t expected him to show up, and he looked positively dead on his feet. “It’s… finally over.”

“It’s done?” asked Minho, his voice strained with hope.

“It’s done,” confirmed Chan, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “Felix, we should talk—”

“We can do that after you’ve taken a shower, eaten something, and gotten some rest,” cut gently the freckled boy, frowning in worry. “You look like you’re about to keel over, hyung. Whatever we need to discuss can wait – please.”

At first a bit taken aback, Chan then spared him a small smile and a nod of agreement before taking his leave to do exactly as told – and that betrayed just how exhausted the Coven Leader was because, had he been his normal self, he’d have been stubborn and would have insisted on talking now.

.

As it turned out, Chan really needed to rest – he crashed for two full days without waking up once. When he eventually tumbled out of his room, a tad disoriented, he found Felix alone in the living room reading one of his school books and taking notes, a half-glass of blood on the table beside him.

“Oh, good morning, hyung!” he greeted with a smile. “Or, well, afternoon. How do you feel?”

“Better,” admitted Chan, cracking his neck a bit. “Apologies. I didn’t think I’d pass out for this long.”

“We were starting to get worried, you slept like the dead,” joked the freckled boy.

Chan snorted, going to sit on the couch in front of him. “How long have been holding that one in, huh?”

“I actually stole it from Jisung, but don’t tell him.”

They exchanged a smile, but that was the extent of their abilities to ignore the elephant in the room. After a few seconds, Chan sighed, taking it upon himself to talk first.

“Fabian is dead,” he announced. Felix’s shoulders almost sagged – he’d been worrying about the asshole coming back for him for a while, now. “He was put on an emergency trial and sentenced to death – his execution happened yesterday. His empty seat on the council will be filled with a representative of the younger generation of Vampires, and the officials are going through the profiles to pick the perfect candidate right now. At first, they wanted for you to take it, though.”

Felix scoffed. “I barely know anything about being a Vampire. Putting me on the High Council would have been stupid.”

“That’s what I told them and, after a lot of arguing, I eventually convinced them to look elsewhere. With that being said, your true identity was a matter thoroughly discussed in the past few weeks and, not going to lie, it sucked.” Felix let out a startled laugh at that, and Chan gave him a wry grin. “Many wanted to go through with the transformation process and have you claim the empty throne. After all, Yongbok is more than an historical hero – he’s a symbol. Having him back would assuredly change the course of life as we know it.”

“Are… Are they going to force me to go through with it?” Felix asked, a tad quieter.

“No.” The firmness with which Chan answered surprised him – after all, the Coven Leader had been the first to insist on him becoming one with his past incarnation. “It was a hard-won argument, but a won one, nonetheless. Most backed down after they realized that having a King again would only cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. As for the rest, they begrudgingly let it go when your mental and physical stability were brought into light – with the trauma resulting from what Fabian and his people put you through, chances are that you wouldn’t be able to survive the transformation process.”

“Huh. So they only backed off once my highly potential death was put on the table. Lovely,” huffed Felix, pulling his knees to chest.

Chan heaved out a sigh. “They’re old people with old-fashioned ways. Some had personally known Yongbok in the past, and the others were all raised to basically idolize him. But, as it is, you don’t have to worry: you will not be forced to undergo the final stage of the transformation. However, there was one condition that, unfortunately, I could not refuse.”

“What was it?”

“You have to join a coven. Even if you do not complete the transformation, you are still fated to become a lot more powerful than most Vampires, and the Council members decided that keeping you under supervision to keep an eye on your growth as a member of our community would be for the best.” Saying this, Chan pulled out a folded paper. He carefully unfolded it and laid it on the table so Felix could read its contents. “This is an official contract to join a coven. You are free to pick whichever you want, but… it would mean the world to me, and everyone else, if you stayed with us.”

“Hyung…” Hesitantly, Felix picked up the contract. It was very formal, and he could see Chan had already signed it. “That would mean… that you would be legally responsible for me, right? But I just… keep on attracting trouble. I- I don’t want to be a burden on your family—”

“Felix, you might not have realized, but you are my family. You’ve been one of us the moment the kids befriended you – and know that even if you decide to join another coven, you will always find a home and a family in this coven.”

Felix slowly nodded, his throat feeling a little too tight with emotions to speak at the moment. After a few more seconds, Felix slowly lowered the contract. Frankly, he wanted nothing more than to stay with them but, before that, he still needed to clear one thing up with Chan.

“Hyung… I really want to join your coven,” he eventually said.

Chan bit his lower lip. “But?”

“But… but I need you to be honest with me, first.”

“Of course. What is it you wish to know, Felix?”

Felix exhaled deeply. It was now or never.

“I read Yongbok’s story. And, at the very end, the book mentioned how the Last King passed away in the arms of his lover…” Swallowing thickly, he finally dared to look up, and met Chan’s unreadable expression. “Hyung… you were Yongbok’s lover, were you not?”

After a moment, Chan offered him a small, sad smile. “I was. I was planning on telling you, but I just… never managed to find the words for it. Yongbok was- he was everything to me, Felix. I loved him so much… When he died, I truly lost a part of myself. I was driven ill by my grief, and I spent centuries blaming myself for his death when, in truth, there truly was nothing I could have done to prevent it. I eventually managed to forgive myself and move on, and building up this coven greatly helped with that – but even with having moved on, a part of me has never stopped loving Yongbok.”

Felix nodded slowly. “And… is that why you wanted me to go through with the transformation process? When you first told me about him?”

Chan cringed a little at the memory. “I wasn’t… in my right mind, I must admit. When I first saw you, it was literally like seeing a ghost – I thought I’d gone mad, really. But then I kept on seeing you around, and I had to come to an understanding: you were real, and Yongbok… Yongbok had a chance of coming back. That’s why- that’s why I told you about him, and your true identity. I didn’t care about your powers, about the crown… I just really thought I could have him back, you know?”

“… I get it. But, hyung… I can’t be the ghost of someone you still love so much. I’m not Yongbok, and I never will be. I might look like him, maybe even speak or act like him, but he is gone and I am here,” replied Felix with the gentlest tone he could muster. “If you cannot differentiate past and present, then I will find another coven. The last thing I wish is for you to be in pain.”

“I acted foolishly. I didn’t mean to scare you or hurt you – and rest assured that I have long since come to terms with the fact that Yongbok isn’t coming back. It was a momentary relapse, but I can promise that it will not happen again. The last thing I wish is to inflict pain by stripping you of your identity and forcing another upon you.”

Felix could see the sincerity in Chan’s eyes as he spoke. While he was still very much in love with Yongbok, he’d also made his peace, and he was willing to accept Felix as, well, just Felix, and that was all the freckled boy needed.

“Okay,” he eventually said, relaxing as he offered a smile. “Thank you, hyung. Can you pass me a pen?”

The smile that Chan offered in return was almost blinding, and Felix’s un-beating heart skipped a beat at the sight. Growing just a bit flustered, he quickly averted his eyes as he focused on signing the contract with the pen he’d just been handed. And, when he finally returned the signed contract to Chan, the older Vampire simply smiled again.

“Welcome home, Felix.”

Home… Home had a nice ring to it.