Chapter Text
Vampires. The creatures of the night. The collective enemies of humans. They were hypnotic with their eyes, sweet with their voices. Violent, powerful, and cruel. They didn’t deserve the right to live in this world with their cruelty and arrogance. Even though they were currently not on the verge of war these days due to negotiations that were going on, they were still killers. That was why Changbin became a hunter. Those who commit murders and drain their victims of blood before their loved ones’ very eyes before doing the same to them, those who view humans as playthings and plain food, those who walk freely upon the Earth without ever owning up to their crimes… they didn’t deserve a right to be here. Changbin hated them with every ounce of his being, and the second he got a chance to train as a hunter, he signed up on the spot. In the hunter academy, he awakened his true talent: terrific aim. Guns were his best friends: they never betrayed him, not even once. Anywhere he wanted the bullet to go, it did without fail. He felt the ecstasy of shooting, the sensation of destroying a sinful being with his own hands, and fell in love.
However, today, it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen.
“Okay, what the fuck?” Hyunjin asked irritatedly as he adjusted the body-temperature glasses on his eyes. They had just been pursuing a rogue vampire, who was surprisingly fast for something out of control, and everyone was getting tired and irritated. “Don’t tell me that’s what I think it is.”
“It is.” Seugmin replied gravely as he lowered his chained swords. In front of them, right there on the roof of an abandoned three story building, a sizzling pool of blood accompanied a broken body of a rogue vampire. The creature convulsed irregularly, the wound on his throat and chest spurting more blood as he screeched meaningless cries. Changbin’s face twisted in disgust. This was supposed to be a hunt, to get rid of pent up frustration after today’s argument with Minho, and the fucker was already dead? Jisung walked up to the pathetic being and swung down his scythe. The vampire howled brokenly and disintegrated into nothing except for his clothes, which consisted of a tattered shirt and old pants. The squirrel-like man took out a piece of cloth and wiped the stains away, even though it would all sizzle up after a few minutes.
“This is stupid.” Changbin tore off his glasses in absolute rage. “We chased him all the way here, and he’s dead?” Chan raised his hand to give him a warning before letting it fall. Frustrated, Changbin kicked the rumpled spoils of war and growled. His gun was strapped to his side, and he itched to fire it. Anything, just something to give him some relief. He knew he had anger issues, but he chose to ignore it. It didn’t help that bullets were actually precious: humans had yet to figure out how to mass-produce anti-vampire bullets, so he couldn’t be as liberal as he wanted with his firearms.
If only I had unlimited bullets… He thought as he glared at the clothes. He would’ve killed every vampire he ever saw. He was trained as a sniper, and his aim was perfect. Nothing would survive his attacks. Sighing, he looked up, expecting to see the view an elevated ground would provide him. However, it seemed like the universe was not being predictable today.
Standing before him, several meters away, half hidden in the dark, was a man. Changbin’s mind went blank. Another person? Why was anyone at this abandoned place? Why didn’t they notice him earlier? The man was glancing around, like he was looking for something. His face was quite pale even in the dark, but his features were indistinguishable. Just as he was turning his back, Changbin caught sight of the robe he wore. It was black, and embossed on the back, in gold, was a symbol. Two lines converged at the top and slanted outwards, with a single horizontal line going through the middle, circumscribed in a ring. His eyes widened. He didn’t need his glasses to know what the thing in front of him was, and he saw red.
Instinctively, his hand ripped the gun out of his belt, simultaneously unlocking it. The firearm came alive with a small click , and that made the creature look up. He heard Chan gasp, but none of it mattered. Before anyone could stop him, he fired.
“Vampire!” Chan yelled as the gunshot went off. The creature in front of them leaped to the side, and Changbin realized in annoyance that he missed. Or rather, the vampire avoided his shot. He immediately took aim and fired again and again, anger clouding his senses. The creature was frighteningly agile as it backflipped out of his range, its hands and feet lightly touching the floor before propelling it into the air once more. It was surprisingly graceful for a vampire, and Changbin yelled in rage as he envisioned its mocking gaze. Suddenly, it leaped high up in the air and did a backwards somersault. Its eyes met Changbin’s, fiery red, and he was momentarily paralyzed. He heard a sharp whizzing sound as someone tackled him, and they crashed against the floor. Just before the person, who he realized was Chan after he saw the red hair, obstructed his view with his head, he felt something narrowly graze his hair and heard several thunks. He turned his head to the side, and he saw that everyone had taken cover on the ground. Minho had dragged Jisung down with him while Hyunjin straight up wrestled the maknae down with his own body. Seugmin had dropped to the floor directly. All around them, several knives thudded into the floor, the force of it enough to penetrate the concrete.
“It’s gone.” Seugmin announced as he got up first. He clenched his swords tightly as he warily stepped closer to where the creature once stood. The rest of the members all stood up after him, and Chan was the first to explode.
“Okay, explain, Changbin. Why the fuck did you just open fire like that? Those bullets weren’t cheap, and you could’ve gotten yourself killed! You didn’t even have your glasses! You were frozen!” He yelled as he grabbed Changbin’s shoulders. “What the fuck, man?” Behind him, Jeongin looked back and forth between them, frightened. They didn’t fight often on the field, because it always got pretty ugly. Changbin threw his friend’s arm off and strapped the gun back into the holster. “Answer me!”
“That fucker was from Ateez.” He said coldly. Chan stiffened, and he himself clenched the ax strapped on his back. “I saw the pattern on his cloak.”
“Are you sure?” He asked, his tone dangerously calm. Changbin nodded. The symbol was forever seared in his mind, the scarlet emblem with its edges slowly dripping down the wall. For as long as he lived, he would never forget it, and he would kill anyone associated with it even if it cost him his life. Chan’s breath was getting heavy, and his chest rose and fell rapidly as he glared into the distance. The atmosphere was tense, and Changbin heard Jisung’s scythe slam into the ground. He turned, and what met his eyes was the sight of the man biting his lips, his eyes filled with angry tears, as he clutched the necklace he always wore in one hand while the other gripped the scythe, which was now impaled into the ground, his knuckles turning white.
“I should’ve attacked him with you.” He said, his voice filled with regret. “I could’ve- ”
“Gotten yourself killed in a second because he was a knife thrower.” Hyunjin cut him off. He had yanked several knives off the ground and was examining them closely. “You wouldn’t have stood a chance, Jisung. That guy was good.” The indent on the floor did not look shallow. In fact, it was a good five centimeters into the concrete. “If he wanted, he could’ve killed us all in one throw. He threw seven knives at us, and something tells me that wasn’t random.” He turned the handle around, and a single letter was carved into the base. A harsh-angled S. “I say we keep these knives for future reference.”
“Good idea.” Seugmin agreed. Minho sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
“If the dude is already dead, do we have the money for the job?” He asked nonchalantly as he threw an arm over Jisung’s shoulder. The younger looked down, his hand falling to his side as he released the necklace. Seugmin gave the elder a dirty look.
“All you care about is money.”
“Not the first day you met me, sweetheart. I’m only here for the money.” Minho replied haughtily, but his eyes betrayed him as they stayed on the younger man beside him for a second too long. Changbin snorted. Jeongin, ever the eager and hardworking youngest, went over to the pile of clothes and picked them up. He gently wrapped it in the bounty bag and sealed it carefully. Changbin’s mind glitched, and for a second, someone else stood in Jeongin’s place. Pretty blond strands that gleamed even in the dark, a sweet, sweet smile, a galaxy of dimples scattered over the bridge of his nose. He blinked, and Jeongin stood before him again, his navy blue hair appearing almost black in the dark. He bit the inside of his cheek and looked away. It had been two months, and it felt just as painful as it did that day. The day he lost something so precious that a part of him died along with the incident. The day the group was forever changed, Jisung shattered beyond repair, and Chan in constant emotional agony. All because of that accursed symbol.
Why did it have to be you, and not me? Jisung wouldn’t be like this, and neither would Chan. He blinked away his tears before anyone could see them. Why did it have to be you, Lix-ah?