Chapter Text
in a world of supernaturals, there lived the royal family. secluded from the outside world, folks rarely catch a glimpse of them. only their messengers and representatives were seen entering and exiting the castle. laws and announcements from the royal family were carried by the great council. some even say the vampire royal family might be a myth.
so… how the hell did yang jungwon, a human, be involved with the vampire royal family?
it was quite simple, to the point it was absurd. he wandered around the supernatural territory, oblivious to the fact that he entered the territory of vampires. nobody dared to trespass their kingdom, as it was protected by a blood wall.
the blood of the previous trespassers.
blood magic is the strongest form of magic in the world of supernaturals. it is casted by powerful beings with the help of blood, therefore making it impossible to defeat. it was a miracle that he was able to pass through it. he must’ve have some kind of special blood running through his veins. but that was impossible. his whole family are all pure humans. they lived in a full human civilization.
“speak. what were you doing at the gates of the castle in the dead of the night?” a tall, muscular vampire spoke. he wore a uniform fit for a high ranking soldier.
“funny story.. i… got lost. i was looking for my cat and i.. i..” jungwon was lost for words. he knew about the existence of supernaturals, vampires, demons, werewolves, and more. however, this was his first time actually facing one.
“no one can just pass through the vampire blood wall. let alone the blood wall of sanguis kingdom.” the man spoke.
jungwon froze. he heard all about the sanguis kingdom, how only vampires roam this kingdom, and they live secluded even from other supernaturals.
“listen.. i.. i don’t know how i was able to get through the blood wall. i am just a mere human. if you could… kindly… return me back.. i’ll forget all about this.”
“human? that’s impossible. even other vampires can not entire our blood wall.”
“but i am telling the truth.” jungwon was now shaking from fear, he just wanted to go home to his dorm and pretend this never happened. he was foolish enough to go out during the night, but his pet cat ran away and went to the woods.
“i’m afraid you are no ordinary human. i apologize but i must bring this matter to the royal family.”
“what are you saying? what’s going to happen?” jungwon asked, oblivious on the next events that will occur.
“i apologize but this is the only way.” the man responded.
jungwon had no time to dodge the fist that was coming to his face.
darkness.
jungwon could feel that his surroundings changed, he was now chained to a chair. he has not opened his eyes yet, afraid of what he will see as soon as he opens them.
“are you certain? there must be a mistake.” he heard a man spoke.
“i’m certain. it seems like he was telling the truth, he was not carrying any weapon with him, and he truly did not know that he was entering sanguis.” he recognized that voice, it was the tall soldier who knocked him out.
he slowly opened his eyes, he was in a room. from what the looks of it, he was now in the castle. he heard stories about the royal family of sanguis. they were all vampires, and nobody knows what they look like.
“you’re awake.” a man spoke to him. he was tall, skin pale as porcelain, and good looking.
“where am i…?” jungwon asked.
“you are in my castle.” the good looking man answered.
“i’m afraid you can be not on the loose at this time of the night. vampires will feast on a human mindlessly roaming.” he added.
“why am i chained?”
“captain heeseung, i told you the chains were too much.”
so that was the tall soldier’s name, heeseung.
captain heeseung rolled his eyes and proceeded to free him from the chains. they were quite loose in the first place. oddly enough, jungwon didn’t feel like he was in any type of danger.
“what’s your name?” the good looking man asked.
“jungwon. yang jungwon.”
“yang.. it does not ring any bells..”
“my whole family are pure humans, i live in concordia city, it is a pure human civilization.”
“the city of concordia? you must have traveled far. you must be famished. captain, bring him food at once.” he ordered.
“as you wish, your majesty.” captain heeseung said and exited the room.
“i am sunghoon. the crown prince of sanguis.”
jungwon was confused. why would the crown prince of sanguis show his face to him? as far as he knows, nobody knew what they look like. even the citizens of their kingdom didn’t know.
“if i may ask.. why are you showing your face to me?”
“i can sense you are no threat to the kingdom. but i can not figure out how were you able to pass the blood wall. the kingdom of sanguis has been protected by the strongest of vampire magic for many centuries. it was made stronger by the blood magic provided by the trespassers who couldn’t pass it… so why… you… a mere human was able to pass it?”
“i don’t know. i am certainly not a vampire, your majesty…”
“no need to call me that. prince sunghoon will do. this must be a sign from the gods.”
“i’ll say this in the most polite way possible, i don’t think this was a deed by the gods. i am just an ordinary college student in my city. i got lost looking for my pet cat, and i landed here.”
“is your pet cat by any chance, a black cat?”
“yes, i found him on the streets two weeks ago. how did you know that my pet was a black cat?”
“you didn’t adopt a cat. you adopted a vampire.”
“what? impossible. the cat was normal! and vampires can’t turn into cats! you guys turn into bats, right?”
“ordinary vampires turn into bats, royal vampires have the ability to turn into both.”
“what?” jungwon was horrified. in the two weeks that he was with the cat, he had grew rather attached to it.
“how was the cat able to travel from sanguis to concordia?”
“the same way you were able to reach our kingdom. you went through the forest of illusion.”
suddenly, there was a knock of the door. the captain of the army, heeseung entered. jungwon assumes he was the captain basing from his uniform and how prince sunghoon addressed him earlier.
“food for the human, your majesty. it took quite a while to assemble food fit for humans.”
“eat, jungwon. you must be famished.” prince sunghoon ordered.
“i also apologize for knocking you out. i can not risk you knowing the exact location of the royal family.” captain heeseung said.
“telling me to close my eyes would’ve suffice.” jungwon sassed.
“i can not risk you knowing the exact location of the royal family.”
“captain, wake my brother up. that rascal has the answers.”
jungwon felt a wave of energy in his veins at the mention of the brother of prince sunghoon. he brushed it off, it must be the hunger catching up to him.
“your majesty…?” captain heeseung hesitated.
“i know what i’m doing, hee.” jungwon felt like that wasn’t an order as the crown prince, but rather a request as a friend.
captain heeseung had no choice but to exit the room, and to wake the younger prince.
“there is only one single explanation for your presence here in sanguis.”
“what the hell do you need me for? it’s four am!” the younger prince ranted as soon as he entered the room.
“jungwon?! what are you doing here?”
“huh? what?” jungwon was confused. he has never seen this man ever in his life, but yet he knew his name.
jungwon took a good look at the young prince. he was definitely younger than prince sunghoon and captain heeseung, yet he was taller than them.
is everyone in this kingdom good looking and tall?
“you rascal! so that explains your disappearance every night!” prince sunghoon said.
jungwon was confused. he mentioned that only royal vampires can turn into both cats and bats… so does that mean.. the cat that he was looking after was actually a vampire…?
“...knight?” jungwon called out. that was the name that he had given the cat. if the younger prince responds to that name, then his theory would be correct.
“yes, jungwon?”
jungwon froze again. he was taking care of a royal vampire all this time!
“what’s going on?” captain heeseung asks.
“prince ni-ki has been sneaking around and pretending to be a pet cat for this human. that’s how he was able to pass through the blood wall, he has the prince’s essence.”
“what were you doing in concordia? do you know how dangerous it is for a young vampire to be away from his kingdom?” prince sunghoon lectured.
“but i’m fine. i’m standing here in one piece. besides, i got a good owner.” the younger prince said.
“do you know how dangerous it is for a human to come in contact with royal vampire essence? be grateful he isn’t being hunted by other kingdoms!” prince sunghoon continued to lecture.
“but he’s here… standing in one piece… isn’t he?” the young prince slyly said.
“what am i going to do with you? what a headache you are!”
“what is all the commotion?” another tall and good looking man walked in. that proves it, everyone in this kingdom is tall and good looking. must be a vampire trait.
“you must be so confused, jungwon. i apologize. i’ll introduce everyone.”
“i am prince sunghoon, the crown prince of sanguis kingdom. this is my younger brother, prince ni-ki. that tall man who knocked you out is captain heeseung, the captain of my army and my right hand. the man that just entered is prince jay, my twin brother.”
“i’m… this is too much… i.. just want to go home.” jungwon expressed.
“i’m afraid we can not let you. you now have the essence of prince ni-ki. royal vampire essence is easily recognizable by other vampires. you will be hunted down.”
“but i live in a full human civilization!”
“there is no such thing as full human civilization. there are still supernaturals in your city, just in hiding, or they have binded their own magic.” captain heeseung explained.
“then what will happen to me…? i… i have life!”
“i’m afraid you have to stay here.” prince ni-ki finally spoke.
that rascal! i should have left him alone in the streets!
but deep inside, jungwon knew he would not have been able to do that. he would not be able to resist helping a poor cat alone in the streets.
“stay here?! i have a life in concordia! i swear, i wil not tell a single soul about this. just take me home and i can pretend this never happened. i swear on my life.” jungwon pleaded.
“i’m afraid royal vampire essence can not be undone.” prince jay answered.
“what? what is this royal vampire essence? i don’t understand!”
“royal vampires have a different aura, magic, and scent compared to ordinary vampires. royal vampire essence is an aura surrounding an individual. it alters an individual’s scent and aura, to be the same as the royal vampire who gave them the essence. it can be acquired through marriage.. or magic bonds.” prince sunghoon explained.
“individuals get hunted by having the essence of a royal vampire, as they provide eternal protection from dark magic and the power of the moon.” prince jay added.
“how.. how did i acquire this? i only took care of prince.. ni-ki,” jungwon stopped speaking, he felt the wave of energy again by speaking his name. “... i took care of him when he was a cat. we didn’t have any magical bonding moment. i am quite knowledgeable with magic and supernaturals.”
“sometimes, magic bonds are pre-determined. the aura only gets stronger when the two individuals have met.” heeseung answered.
“impossible. i’m human…?” jungwon was lost for words. he only hopes this is some twisted dream.
he fixed his gaze to the youngest prince, he was quiet, listening intently to the conversation, yet jungwon knew that the prince was observing him.
“it is not impossible, my bonded one is a werewolf.” prince jay answered.
“but i am afraid there is nothing we can do. i can not allow you to be hunted by greedy vampires. you must stay here… our castle is the most protected place in the kingdom.” prince sunghoon said.
“but what about my life? i can’t just leave my life in concordia!”
“jungwon…” prince ni-ki called out.
“our… our magic bond was predetermined. you did not find me in my cat form by any accident. it was destined by the moon goddess. we were bound to meet either way.” he added.
“but? but my life? how about my life? i am a college student with a promising future. i can’t blend in with vampires! there must be something that we can do!” jungwon pleaded. this was all happening too fast. he lived a very normal life. he had his family, studied hard, and went to live alone for college. his life was mundane.
“there must be a way… right?” jungwon repeated.
“jungwon… predetermined magic bonds are decided by the moon goddess and there is no reverse for it. you may not have met prince ni-ki in the most convenient way, but you two were bound to meet, one way or another.” prince sunghoon explained.
“if there is anything we could do for you, we will. the sky is the limit, however, you must stay close to us.” prince jay added.
jungwon closed his eyes. he wishes this was just a dream. but it isn’t.
“so i really can’t go back to concordia?” jungwon asked.
“you could, but you’ll get killed by greedy vampires… and you risk everyone around you. even your family could be harmed. our family’s essence is especially rare, as we do not expose ourselves to other beings. the moment you step foot out of sanguis, you will be hunted.” prince sunghoon answered.
the whole room was silent. all eyes focused on jungwon. he was a smart person, he knew how to be rational. and in this scenario, he knew he had no choice. he can’t blame prince ni-ki or anyone, as their bond was predetermined. this was meant to happen either way.
maybe this was his destiny. maybe he lived a mundane childhood, as the universe knew he was going to have a chaotic adulthood.
“is it true that you can compel human beings?” jungwon finally spoke.
“only experienced vampires can.” prince ni-ki answered.
“you said you’ll help me… can you…. can you place a spell on my family?”
the four vampires in the room were surprised. they were not expecting that question.
“it depends on the spell. my family does not engage in dark magic.” prince sunghoon answered.
“put a spell on them to believe that i just.. never existed…”
the room fell silent again. even a pin drop could be heard. neither the princes or the captain could have guessed what jungwon was going to ask.
“are you sure? we could perform the spell, but it would be almost impossible to reverse.” prince jay said.
“i always believed in fate and destiny. my… my older brother believed he was destined to be involved with demons, so he ran away from home. he always told me he knew he was destined for supernatural life.”
“me picking up the cat… or prince ni-ki was always my destiny. the moon goddess knew the yang brothers were not destined to live a mundane human life.”
“are you sure? i… i don’t want to… be the cause of your pain.” prince ni-ki said, walking towards jungwon.
strangely enough, he felt safe in his presence. it was as if he felt whole.
“i am well informed about the norms and lives of the supernatural, even as a human. i know the moon goddess doesn't make mistakes.”
“very well then. we will talk about this further once everyone has rested. the sun will shine soon. hee, give jungwon one of the finest rooms in the castle… close to ni-ki’s chambers.” prince sunghoon ordered.
“as you wish, your majesty.”
“jungwon, follow me.”
jungwon followed captain heeseung to a rather massive yet beautiful castle. adorned with gothic architecture, it was truly a castle fit for a royal family of vampires.
“prince ni-ki’s chambers are beside this room. please get some rest, i will knock on the door when it is safe for you to come out. i apologize again for knocking you out.”
“apology accepted, cap… captain heeseung.”
“very well then, rest well.”
as soon as jungwon entered the room, he felt like he was in heaven. despite the gothic architecture and the room being black as it can be, he felt safe. he laid down by the bed and he felt like he was laying down in the clouds. the bed and pillows were the softest, and he had no trouble falling asleep.
hours passed, and jungwon slept like a baby. the bed and pillows must be laced with magic, as that was the best sleep of his life.
he heard a knock on the door. he read somewhere that vampires have super hearing and heightened senses, they must’ve sensed he was awake.
“come in.”
captain heeseung entered, holding a pile of neatly folded clothes.
“feel free to take a bath, here are the clothes that prince ni-ki prepared for you.”
“i’ll be out in a bit. thanks, captain.”
“no worries. when you’re done, just open the door. i’ll guide you to the throne room. the princes are waiting for you.” captain heeseung said and left.
jungwon took a deep breath and proceeded to get ready. maybe this was the adventure he was waiting for. ever since his older brother left to be with the demon he loved, he also secretly craved that type of adventure and thrill in life.
his mundane life had stability, but he had always been a good son and student. he never got to be a rebellious teenager. he skipped out on that phase as a teenager. but now, he had the chance to come out of his comfort zone. besides, he had faith in the moon goddess of supernaturals, as this was his destiny.
jungwon admired himself wearing the clothes that the young prince had picked out, he must be a fashionista, he thought.
he went outside the room, ready to face his destiny, despite it happening too fast for him to cope. within seconds, captain heeseung showed up. still wearing his captain uniform, hair all nice and slicked back. he looked put together, truly a man with power in the kingdom.
jungwon read all about the capabilities and magic of vampires, they were fascinating supernaturals, with abilities like no other. no wonder vampire kingdoms can withstand being secluded from other people for centuries.
“shall we? the princes are there, discussing already.”
jungwon grabbed heeseung’s hand, to his surprise, the captain used his sonic speed to arrive at the throne room. he wasn’t used to magic, so it made him feel dizzy.
the throne room was magnificent. truly fit for one of the most powerful vampire clans and kingdom. jungwon can not believe he was fortunate enough to be bonded with a royal vampire, let alone their family.
“did you sleep well?” prince sunghoon asks.
“the pillows and bed must be laced with magic. i slept like a baby.”
“only the finest pillows and bedsheets for you.” prince ni-ki answered.
“take a seat, jungwon.” prince jay offered, pointing to the table and chairs in the middle of the throne room.
jungwon sat down beside prince ni-ki, it’s still hard to believe that for two whole weeks, he was taking care of a vampire in the form of a cat. no wonder he would only show up during nights, and didn’t seem to like cat food.
“as what we have discussed earlier, jungwon and prince ni-ki are bonded by the moon goddess. there are different types of bonds, and we have yet to figure out what bond you two have.” prince sunghoon took the lead in the discussion.
“what types of bonds are you talking about?” jungwon raised a question.
“there are three types.” captain heeseung answered.
“the first is the most common type of bond, which are the soul bonds. two souls are already bonded the moment they were born, and will feel the fullness of love when together.” captain heeseung added.
“the second type of bond is not as common, but not exactly rare are the karmic bonds. they are two souls that have unfinished business in their past lives, and must work together to resolve those issues. if they fail to do so, they will continue to be reincarnated as the karmic bond of each other.” prince jay said.
“the rarest type of bond are solace bonds. they are two half souls bonded to be one.” prince sunghoon added.
“but what is the difference of soul bonds and solace bonds? they sound the same to me.” jungwon asked.
“in the event of a solace bond, one soul is a warrior, one soul provides solace. one soul is destined to be chaotic and full of hurricane type of emotions until they meet their solace.” captain heeseung answered.
“so… a warrior soul can only be calmed down by a solace soul?”
“correct. until the warrior soul finds its solace, they will continue to feel emptiness and extreme emotions.”
“are you guys bonded with someone?”
“royal vampires are born with a bond, they just wait until they find their bonded one and figure out which bond do they have.” prince sunghoon answered.
jungwon remembered prince jay’s answer earlier, “prince jay, what type of bond did you have with your werewolf?”
“sunoo and i’s bond are soul bonds. we prefer to call each other soulmates.”
“does… does sunoo also live in this castle?” jungwon boldly asks.
“yes, however he is a werewolf, they sleep quite a long time. i will let you guys meet when the time comes.”
“i’m grateful. what about you, prince sunghoon? if its okay to ask, what is your bond?”
“i haven’t found my bond yet. it is quite a surprise to me that ni-ki found his bond first.” prince sunghoon said.
“speaking of, ni-ki, you are awfully quiet. you would usually interrupt our discussions with blabber.” prince sunghoon adds.
“i… i don’t feel the need to annoy you, brother.” prince ni-ki answered.
“what did you say?” prince jay asks. almost as if it was impossible for prince ni-ki to utter those words.
“i don’t feel the need to annoy you.” prince ni-ki answered again.
“how do you know what type of bond do you have?” jungwon asks.
“it depends on how you two feel. if you feel like you are in cloud nine all the time with someone, it is most likely you have a soul bond. if you feel like that person is teaching you a lot of life lessons, that person must be your karmic bond…” prince sunghoon answered.
“…and you’ll know if its a solace bond if you feel a wave of electricity when you are together, and that you feel safe and whole.” prince ni-ki added.
“jungwon, i think we have a solace bond.” prince ni-ki told jungwon.