Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A blanket of stars cover the sun up, urging the townsfolk into a night’s slumber. But for Hyuna, the darkness eclipsing the sunny sky signals the start of her hunt.

After her eighteenth birthday and the departure from the horrid estate that she had called home, she had joined an underground group of vampire hunters who called themselves the rebellion.

They were a group of trained mercenaries tasked specifically to take out these vile creatures of the night and keep the townsfolk alive. Their work was classified and only a few know of their existence.

In a way, it was a little disheartening to some that their work would never be recognized by the public. They were to remain in the shadows, their work unseen by the public eye.

This never bothered Hyuna too much though, as just seeing the squirming faces of her prey as they shrivel up and die was enough satisfaction for her to keep her profession. Her rage for these creatures is what drove her into becoming one of the most renowned vampire hunters within the rebellion's circle.

Despite the isolated nature of her work, she has come to make some lasting friendships along the way. She was first introduced to the rough group of hunters by their leader Jacob who was the leader of the band of vampire hunters and is in charge of teaching the youth on the art of hunting creatures of the night.

He was a calm and collected individual. A perpetual smile always seemed to be etched in his face and Hyuna wondered if it was even possible to get mad. Despite his soft demeanor, he was a fierce hunter. He might not be the strongest, but his calculative mind and swift movements made it so that his foes were dead on the ground before they could even swing an attack on him. That’s what made him the leader.

Her first ever assignment she was tasked with had her teaming up with Jacob’s brother Isaac. Being more experienced than her at the time, he was there to show her the ropes. His movements were fast and efficient and his years of experience were embroidered into his skin by the multitudes of scars that litter his frame. He was easy to work with and Hyuna was always ecstatic to be teamed up with him for a mission.

Coincidentally, Hyuna and Isaac had met Dewey when out on a mission together. They had caught wind that a vampire was lingering around a small cottage, stealing their sheep and chickens and leaving their shriveled corpses out to dry.

By the time the two had made it to the cottage though, the vampire had already infiltrated the house.

They quickly got rid of the monster but it was too late. The man and woman that both lived in the cottage were both sucked dry. The only survivor of the attack was the small boy they found hiding under the couch. That boy ended up being Dewey.

After the slaughter of his parents, Isaac took the little boy under his wing. There, he was able to learn how to pay back the people who destroyed his home. The Dewey they met then was vastly different from the Dewey that he had become.

He was unlike any other vampire hunter in the field. He was loud and rambunctious, much different from the swiftness and stealth that usually came with vampire hunters.

Most tried to sneak up on their prey and take them out swiftly before they could become too much of a problem but Dewey was the exact opposite. He faced his foes head on and despite the disadvantage on his opponent knowing his position, he always came out on top.

His brash nature was a headache for Isaac and a thrill for Hyuna every time they were on a mission together. Though her first introduction into the field had initially been driven by her hatred for vampires, she has begun to cherish all the connections that she has made because of it. It drove her to become better than she was before, because she now had a family that she had to protect and will continue doing so until her last breath.

As she hears the bustling city street turn silent, she gathers her things in preparation for the hunt. A pair of sturdy black boots, gloves and a matching long black coat adorns her to fight against the biting wind. Finally, she arms herself with a wooden stake and a small pistol holding a round of five silver bullets.

Exiting the inn quietly, she makes her way into the dense forest just north of the city. The person guarding the city gate was already out cold at their post. Their cap was tipped over their face, covering their eyes and they continued to snore loudly as Hyuna snuck past them.

She was careful to not make a sound as she trekked towards her destination. Her steps were calculated with a level of stealth that came with experience. Only the soft hoots of an owl accompanied her throughout the serene quietness of the forest.

She had caught word of a vampire sighting around the woods. Two men had entered the woods to go hunting but only had come back to tell the tale. The monster was described to be a lean man. His strikingly porcelain white skin and light blond hair and matching eyes made it so that they almost seemed to shine under the moonlight. The man stated that if it weren’t for the devilishly sharp fangs of theirs and his friend’s blood staining the monster's mouth, he would have thought that he was looking at an angel at first.

Frankly, it sounded like the man was describing his crush rather than the murderous fiend.

Hyuna scoffed at the description. A monster was still a monster at the end of the day. She knew all too well that the exterior was only a mask of their cruel nature. Their alluring appearance was meant to draw in their prey before they strike. They were beings driven by their bloodlust and nothing else. She knew better than to be tricked by some pretty face and that’s why it was her job to take care of these pests.

But there was something that confused her about the story. If it were any other vampire, the man would have been dead and sucked dry on the forest floor. They never leave any traces behind if they can help it. After all, it is much easier to hunt your prey if they aren’t aware of your existence. It was almost like they wanted the townsfolk to know that it was there. No matter, it only served to make her job easier.

Once she was deep within the foliage of the forest, she knelt down to cover herself between the bushes. Taking the pistol from her bag, she harmed herself and kept her ears open to any sounds that might alert her that her target was near.

The moonlight was bright, illuminating the dark and damp forest floor, aiding her in her search for her target. She kept her eyes open, hoping to catch a glimpse of the creature she was searching for. She heard a small rustling toward her left. She quickly turned her head towards the source of the noise and saw the quick flash of blond locks flash by the corner of her eye. She cocks her pistol and promptly shoots it towards the blur of white and pale yellow.

A loud bang erupted as the bullet was fired, scattering a flock of small birds that were near the vicinity. The bullet flew straight into a tree, missing her target. She cursed under her breath while reloading a new bullet into the chamber.

She was on high alert now, the enemy was just a few feet away from her. Her eyes were vigilantly scanning the area, catching another small flash of yellow and firing another bullet. The shot missed again and the bullet rang out as it swished past the target.

This one is faster than the rest of them. She felt a small tap on her shoulder and she jerked towards the movement, firing yet another unsuccessful shot. This fucker. He was playing with her. If she didn’t want to kill them before, now she really wants to bash his skull in.

“Woah, no need for violence. I only wish to talk to you.” She turned her head towards the sound of their voice. She raised her pistol towards the target but when she caught a clear look at who she was fighting, her voice got caught in her throat.

His flaxen blond hair seemed to shimmer under the moonlight and his curls perfectly frame his face. The man’s ivory skin was striking against the harsh darkness of the night sky, making him stand out more than he already did. His features were soft and unaffected from age. He wore a loose ruffled white shirt with a wide v necked line that exposed the supple curves of his collar bone.

His pale yellow eyes were drooped downwards in a way that made them seem innocent somehow but his stare still managed to pierce her in a way she didn’t know eyes could. It was as if he was trying to burn the image of her into his mind. His lips were quirked up into a sly smile, showing off his sharp canine teeth. No words that she knew of could encapsulate the beauty of the man that stood before her. She was quick in her reverie though as she quickly snapped back into reality and fired another shot.

So what if the enemy was infuriatingly beautiful. She should do no better than to be tricked by their looks. She cursed at herself for losing her train of thought just because of a pretty face.

He moved his head to the side, letting the bullet pass him. “Now, that was unnecessary. Didn’t I just say that I wanted to talk?” He still had that same stupid smile plastered on his face. It pissed her off on an unprecedented level and she fired another shot at his head. He dodged again and let out a low whistle as it blew past his head.

Too worked up, she was being sloppier than usual. Her emotions were boiling over and her rage replaced the calm collectiveness that she previously held. They seemed to possess a special skill for getting on Hyuna’s nerves.

She went to cock her gun again only to find out that she had run out of bullets. “Shit.”

She tossed the pistol to the side and took out her stake, lunging at the man. He once again swiveled away from the trajectory of her attack but not before grabbing hold of her free hand and yanking her close to him. The coldness of his hand caused goosebumps to prickle up her skin. She bumped into his chest and when she peered down to see his face, his already smug little grin seemed to get even wider. “Feisty now, aren’t we? Why don’t you just give me a chance.”

She broke free from his hold and swished another attack at his head, hoping to break his skull open with her stake. Maneuvering his head to the side, her attack missed again. Angered by her continued failed attempts at injuring her target she spat at him. “Like I’d ever listen to anything that came out of your filthy mouth!” She raised the stake again, preparing for another attack.

“But Miss Hyuna, do you not want to hear the proposition that I have for you?”

That made her stop in her tracks, her stake lowering to her side. “Wait, how do you know my name?”

There was a little glint in his eyes as he started explaining. “Your reputation precedes yourself it seems. Why, your presence is the talk of our community. The news is that there is a new vampire hunter out on the loose.” He took a step towards her and in return, she took one step back. “You see, I was sent out here to kill you, but that’s not what I want to do. You see, I can help you and in return, you can help me.”

“There is no way in hells that I would ever work with the likes of you! Besides, what help can I get from a lowly vampire.” Well this was a first. Hyuna had thought she had seen everything there was to see in her career. A vampire trying to form an alliance with a human was never a thing she expected to ever happen.

“But there is. Despite what you think, I also share your animosity towards vampires and there is a specific one that I want you to help me kill.” If Hyuna wasn’t already bewildered by his proposition before, now she was really baffled. A vampire teaming up with a human to kill their own kind?

As if sensing her confusion, he continued to talk. “You see, before all of this, I was once human. That was before a vampire came and slaughtered my whole family before turning me into one. I want your aid in helping me kill him. After that, you can kill me.”

“Wait, you're letting me kill you afterwards?” The more he speaks, the more Hyuna feels her head start to spin. “Why?”

His eyes seemed to soften at her question. He stepped closer and this time she didn’t step away. It was as if she was frozen in place by his words. He took one of her hands in his and brought it to his face, plastering a small chaste kiss to her knuckle. He then placed his forehead on the back of her hand. The soft curls of his hair also tickled the back of her hand, sending shivers down her spine. “If I were to perish, I would like it to be by your hands.” Hyuna was glad that he wasn’t looking at her face right now or else he would have noticed the deep flush on her cheeks.

“You still haven’t explained why I have to be the one to do it.” She tried to calm herself. Afterall, it was just a small peck laid on her hand. So why was she blushing like a young maiden in love? Especially to someone who she is supposed to consider as the enemy.

“You are the most qualified to end my life. I wish not to die by the hands of any other but your own.”

A multitude of things were running through Hyuna’s mind. She was still puzzled by his proposition and how she added up into the equation. Another part of her brain is telling her to just kill the beast in front of her. It's just another monster in which she was tasked with killing.

She tries to move her hand towards his center and plunge her stake deep into his chest. Yet when she looks at him in the eyes, it's as if his stare casted a paralysis spell on her, keeping her hand planted by her side.His eyes seem lifeless yet when she looked into them, there was a fire that burned that felt familiar.

It was dumb. An absolutely idiotic thing that she is about to do. But if this creature is more just a monster under the surface, that the human he once was still in there, she was willing to give him a chance. Loosening her grip on the wooden stake, she lets it hit the floor with a small thunk and puts out her hand for a handshake.

“Okay, but if you ever bite someone when you are working with me, you’re going to be the one lying on the floor dead first.”

He stared at her hand for a long minute, as if he hadn’t actually expected her to agree to his request. Then a smile spread across his face, exposing his fangs. This time, the smile felt softer and more genuine in a way that his previous ones weren’t. He took her hand in his cold one and gave it a firm shake. “Heres to our new alliance.”

He then leaned in close, too close to Hyuna’s liking. He peered into her eyes, unblinking as if she were assessing her. He flashed her another toothy smile before speaking.

“I’m sincerely sorry for my rudeness. It seems that I have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Luka.”

Chapter Text

They made their way back to the inn that Hyuna was staying at. Hyuna made sure to cover Luka up with her robe before passing through the city’s gate. The blond man had a natural ability to stand out from a crowd which made finding a way to sneak him in and out of the city a pain in the ass for Hyuna. Word had spread fast about a flashy vampire running around, meaning that she and Luka could not stay within the city for too long. Not if she wanted to be burned at the stake along with Luka.

She also had to report back to the rebellion. Every time they are assigned a mission, they are to report back to verify the death of the vampire. This time, instead of informing Jacob of another successful hunt, she was going to have to explain why the enemy was standing next to her. She also wasn’t sure that she could convince Dewey and Isaac not to kill Luka immediately upon meeting him.

“You know, you’re making my job a lot harder than it already is.” She grumbled while rummaging through her pockets to find the key to her room. Once she found it, she unlocked the door with a soft click and walked inside, Luka closely following behind her. “We are going to leave for the town west from here once I pack my things.”

“Why not wait until tomorrow before we depart? I’m sure that you must be tired.” She doesn’t know why he is trying to be considerate to her considering he is the one who put her in this predicament.

“We can’t have you staying here any longer. Your face stands out too much within a crowd.”

“Are you saying I’m eye-catching?” She looks over her shoulder and just gawks at him. How can someone be so full of themselves all of the time?

Hyuna rolled her eyes at him, explaining, “No, you dumbass. I’m referring to your fangs.” She continues with her task of packing up, folding her clothing and weapons before stuffing them into a small bag. “Anyone can tell by looking at them that you aren’t human.”

“So is this better?” She looks over her shoulder only to be surprised to see that his fangs have seemingly vanished and in their place were small, human-like canine teeth.

She came over, grabbing his face and prying open his mouth to examine his teeth. They looked like any normal pair of human canines with no evidence of the long fangs that they were previously. It's as if the fangs were a figment of her imagination. “How the hells is that possible?”

“I can retract them.” He flashed another pompous smile. “Surprised?”

This information was news to Hyuna and incredibly frightening with the possibilities that it opened up. It was already a tricky feat to identify a vampire before with their incredibly human-like appearance but now there is a possibility that vampires might be walking around them while hiding away their fangs. This just added a whole new layer of problems that she didn’t want to deal with at the moment. She was going to have to inform Jacob of this whenever she gets back.

“We still have to leave tonight. I only booked the room for a night since my original plan was to kill you tonight and leave in the morning. Sadly for me, you aren’t dead and your kind burns in the sunlight. Leaving tomorrow morning isn’t an option”

“Oh, but I don’t.” It's as if everything that is spouted from his mouth was curated to give Hyuna a headache. She was already scared of the idea that vampires could be walking around the city at night, now she has to be aware of them in the daytime.

“How is that even possible, vampires should be weak to sunlight.”

He looked off to his side as if he was pondering, tapping a finger to his chin in contemplation. “Hm, you can consider me a special case since I’ve been alive for so long. Much stronger and higher ranking vampires tend to not be affected by the sunlight. Only the lowly get burned from it.”

That moment confirmed her suspicion, he was no ordinary vampire, but one whose powers had aged with time. Luka was far more dangerous than the fledglings she had faced before.

His movements were impossibly fast, a blur of shadow and grace that had even Hyuna’s trained eyes fighting to keep up with his movements. Not once did she manage to land a single shot on him and she was known to never miss a shot.

This also confused her more. “Well, if you are so strong, why not take down the one you want to by yourself. Why employ my aid?”

“I might be strong but this one has been alive for over 1000 years. His strength is unparalleled to any other vampire. That is why I need someone who is versed in killing our kind.”

“You still haven’t explained why me specifically. There are much more experienced hunters out there.”

He just shone a bright smile. “Like I’ve told you before. You are the most qualified to help me out.” Typical. Hyuna could feel her frustration boiling over as she studied him.

Luka spoke in a way that said a thousand words yet held no meaning between them. Hyuna prided herself in being able to read people yet Luka’s face had yet to reveal anything, a mask of smiles hiding away his thoughts. She had yet to pry a clear answer from his mouth.

If Luka was going to keep this elusive front up, she was just going to have to peel back the layers until she saw the truth underneath.

For now though, they have more pressing matters to attend to. She’ll leave the interrogation for later. “Fine, we can leave in the morning.”

She was indeed tired and the bed was just sitting in the corner, lulling her into a state of drowsiness. With what was going to be a complicated talk with Jacob, she knew she needed the sleep. “Might as well get my money’s worth for this room.”

She placed the bag that she was packing on the floor, taking off her boots and gloves before lifting the covers and settling under them. She hadn’t even bothered to change into her nightwear, too tired to do so. Hyuna tried to close her eyes and fall into slumber but the presence of a pair of eyes watching her prevented her from doing so. Through gritted teeth, she spoke up, “Luka, I can’t sleep if you keep staring at me.”

“Then I’ll turn the other way.” He said that but Hyuna still felt his lingering pressure of eyes behind her and turned around to face him. He was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed together and his head rested on the palm of his hand. He was still looking at her.

“Are you incapable of turning your head or something?”

“Hm, I’m just thinking…”

“About what?”

After a brief pause, he responded. “How about I join you in bed?”

Hyuna bolted up from the bed so fast, she felt the whiplash of it. She just stared at Luka in bewilderment while he continued to flash a toothy grin at her as if he didn’t just propose the craziest thing she had ever heard.

“Aren’t you nocturnal?”

“Why yes, but I feel lonely being on the floor by myself.” The smile was gone now as Luka puffed up his cheeks into a pout. For someone who has probably lived for hundreds of years, he was acting like a child whose parents told them no.

Hyuna should have refused his preposterous request. She would have in any other circumstance, but the heaviness in her limbs and the look within his eyes made her relent. She was too tired to even fight with him on this matter.

Sighing heavily, Hyuna rolled over to give room for him to squeeze into the tiny frame of the bed. She heard the quiet thump of his footsteps as he walked over to the bed and felt the mattress dip as he got under the covers. She was about to close her eyes again until she felt a pair of arms encircle her waist from behind her. Luka promptly plopped his head within the crook of her neck, nestling close to her. Her body had become as rigid as a board at the contact and she turned her head to glare at Luka.

“What the hells do you think you're doing?”

His lips were curled into a coy smile, unaffected by the daggers Hyuna was staring at him. “Getting comfortable. The bed is much too small and I would fall off otherwise.”

“Move.” Her words were stern yet the man stayed tucked by her side. If anything, he began to sink further into her touch as if he were made out of putty. Hyuna wrestled around a bit but his hold remained firm.

After a long while of trying to peel Luka off her, she just sighed in defeat. The wave of tiredness came at full force this time, ushering her drowsy eyes shut.

In the back of her mind, she wondered if this was just a scheme to have Hyuna let her guard down and kill her in her sleep. With how close they were pressed together at this moment, it wouldn’t be hard for him to just sink his teeth into her neck and suck Hyuna dry of all her blood. The thought didn’t stay long though as sleep won in the end as she felt her eyes close into a deep slumber.

-

Hyuna woke up from a dreamless night of sleep, her eyes fluttering open to the sunlight pooling through the window. She tried to get up and stretch but the weight of something holding her down prevented her from doing so.

Well this is going nowhere. Sighing in defeat, she plopped herself back down onto the mattress. Looking over, she saw Luka sound asleep behind her. His eyes were shut and his chest rose and fell in a calm cadence. His arms were still wrapped around Hyuna’s waist and his legs were tangled with hers. The loose curls on his head fell across his face, catching the sunlight spilling out from the window. Under the effects of sleep, he seemed more relaxed than he has ever looked.

Before she could help herself, she moved a strand of hair from his face. He mumbled something incoherent and his head moved closer to her touch, nuzzling his cheek into her palm.

She bit back a little chuckle at this. He reminded her of a cat she once fed when she was little. It used to always purr and push into her hand when she scratched the right spot just behind its ear. When asleep, he was somewhat cute.

Her train of thought froze and she violently jerked her hand away from Luka as if the contact had burned her. What was she thinking? Despite their temporary truce, he was still the enemy. But ever since she had come in contact with this peculiar vampire, her mind has been all over the place. She cursed under her breath for getting carried away.

As Hyuna was busy spiraling, Luka stirred out of sleep. He groggily blinked open his bleary eyes, squinting at the sunlight that shone into them. His hair was tousled and messy, probably from shifting around in his sleep. He cupped a hand over his mouth as he let out a big yawn. He looked far different from the put together man she had just met yesterday.

When Luka spotted her, the corners of his eyes creased as he smiled at her. “Good morning.”

Hyuna scoffed. She doesn’t know why Luka is acting so chummy with her. “Yeah, morning. Now let go of me.”

“Hm, how about just five more minutes.”

Instead of doing what she asked, he held on tighter. He made sure to wrap the entirety of his body onto her with his hands secured around her waist and his legs locked onto hers. What was he? Some kind of octopus?

Getting a little bit irritated, she forcibly pushed him off of her and off the bed. He was shoved off with little resistance and fell flat onto the floor with a small thump. A small chuckle emanated from the back of his throat at being kicked out of the bed.

“Aw, why so harsh.” He clutched his hand to his heart and sang in mock pity.

Scoffing, Hyuna got up from the bed and went to gather her things. “Get up, we’re leaving in a half hour.”

Before their departure, she made sure to hide away Luka’s face. A brimmed hat was placed on his head in order to cover his head and a pair of gloves to cover his sharp nails. Finally, he was given one of Hyuna’s large coats in order to shroud her figure.

“Wow, I feel like a criminal on the run.” He mused, toying with the button on the cuff of the jacket Hyuna had provided for him.

“Maybe because you are one. Now lets go.” They made their way down and out of the inn and into the bustling street of the city. The place was crowded and Hyuna instinctively reached out to grasp Luka’s hand in hers. Can’t have him getting separated from her and leave a vampire unsupervised. She felt as Luka squeezed her hand in return. She shoved her way through the crowd and tracked down a wagon offering rides. She gave them half the fare to get there and promised to pay the rest when they got to the city gates.

Clambering into the back of the wagon, she gave the destination to the driver and the fare to get there. They departed quickly from the city. Hyuna found herself gazing out at the passing scenery as the ride continued on. The ride was going to take a while, giving her time to think about last night.

Hyuna was curious, if not a little anxious at who they were going to go up against. Luka was one of the stronger vampires she has faced, so the fact that he needs her help has her a little on edge.

She also doesn’t fully trust Luka yet. For all she knew, he could just be lying in order to trick her into a false sense of security. Vampires were deceitful in nature, using flowery language to lure people into their trap. His avoidance of her questioning also raised some red flags in her mind. It seems counterproductive to hide things from her if they planned to work together.

But the promise that she made back then still stayed firm. She had made her decision to give Luka a chance back in the woods and she was going to keep it till the very end.

The ride had been drawn out for a long time with no one speaking up. Hoping to make small talk and clear up the silence, the wagon driver turned to them. “So, what a young couple like you doing traveling down west?”

Hyuna whipped her head to the direction of the driver. A couple? Do they really look like a couple together? The thought of people around her viewing it as such made her want to hurl. Just because a man and a woman are with each other doesn’t mean that they are a thing. As she was about to clear up the misconceptions, Luka spoke up.

“We’re visiting family. We’ve been a little busy and her mother has been nagging at us to come down for dinner.”

Hyuna just gawked at Luka and the elaborate lie that he came up with. In return, he just flashed her that patented smile of his, the one that made Hyuna want to pummel his face in. The wagon driver chuckled at this and he and Luka continued to talk the entirety of the ride as Hyuna just wallowed off on the side.

-

Soon, they made it to the gate of the other city and the wagon rider tipped his hat in goodbye as he rode off. They walked through the gate together and through the street. Hyuna was looking around at the stalls, looking for something to eat. She hasn’t had anything for breakfast before departing from the city and her stomach was reminding her so. There, she saw a stall selling meat skewers. The smell of the meat roasting made her mouth water and she found herself in front of the stall.

“Two skewers ma’am.” The woman nodded at her and handed the sticks over as she placed the payment down on the stall. Luka peeked over shoulder to see what she ordered.

“Did you get me one?”

She looked over at him and saw the little glint within his eyes. Smiling, she said in a mockingly sweet voice. “Nope, these are all for me.”

She proceeded to finish off the skewers within record time, giving away the empty sticks for Luka to throw into a bin for her. His mouth formed into a small pout as he threw away the trash. He proceeded to look like a kicked puppy as they continued walking down the street. Hyuna scoffed. Sometimes he really does just act like a child.

Soon, they made it to their destination. On the outside, it just looked like any other pub. On the inside though, it hosted the base for all vampire hunters. Hyuna pushed open the door of the pub and made her way in with Luka closely trailing behind her.

She spotted Isaac and Jacob immediately. They were both huddled up by the corner of the bar, chatting away with each other. Isaac’s head turned as he heard Hyuna approach them, offering a lazy wave in her direction.

Noticing that Hyuna was there, Jacob turned to her and offered her a soft smile. “Welcome back Hyuna. Here to report another successful hunt?”

Hyuna suddenly felt very self-conscious. She shifted her feet and her eyes looked everywhere but into Jacob’s eyes. She had this elaborate speech mapped out in her head when they rode over here, yet her mind went blank under Jacob’s stare.

Isaac’s eyes shifted from Hyuna’s uneasy face to the person standing next to her. He pointed a finger in Luka’s direction.

“Whose the guy you’ve brought in here, Hyuna.”

At the questioning pointed in their direction, Luka took off his hat. He then unsheathed the fangs he previously had retracted, showing off his vampiric nature.

Isaacs and Jacob’s responses were instant. They sprang up from where they previously sat and took out their stakes. She got in between them, trying to find a way to deescalate the situation that was unfolding.

“Guys, just chill out and let me explain.”

“Why the hells is a vampire in here!?”

Well shit, they were already off to a bad start.

Chapter Text

The atmosphere was thick with tension as the two brothers continued to stare down Luka, who looked way too collected for the situation they were in. His hands were by his head in a gesture showing he meant no harm yet the mocking grin plastered on his face and the defiant glint in his eyes said otherwise.

“Hyuna, what is a vampire doing in here?” Isaac had turned his attention towards her, giving her an exasperated look. He was clearly bewildered by the situation at hand. He assessed her face, searching for an answer from it.

“Hyuna…” Hyuna felt a shiver crawl up her skin as she heard her name on Jacob’s lips. He still had that same polite smile that always seemed stitched to his face but his voice carried an edge she didn’t know it could have. Somehow, she was way more frightened by Jacob’s cold anger rather than Isaac’s hot fury.

She got in between the two opposing sides, trying to deescalate the situation, “Please, calm down. He’s with me.”

“You can’t seriously be trying to protect the enemy now, are you?”

“I know it looks bad but trust me. He might be a total asshole but he isn’t here to harm us.”

“Hey.” Luka whipped his head around to face Hyuna, giving her an offended look at the sudden insult thrown his way.

“He’s still a monster controlled by bloodlust, any type of reasoning or coercion he might have done is only a ploy to trick you.” Isaac was not budging on the matter in the slightest. It’s not like she blamed him. Afterall, all the people who are a part of the rebellion were people who have lost a loved one to the vampires. She could understand his animosity towards Luka. That’s how she initially felt when she first met Luka.

But she had made a promise to Luka. They were going to find the vampire that had killed his family and bring them their deserved karma. She wasn’t going to break that vow just because of some pushback.

“If he wanted to, he would have killed me a long time ago. Why would he keep me alive for so long if his plan was to kill me from the start?”

Isaac seemed to falter a little at that information. “You don’t know, Hyuna. They’re a lot more unpredictable than you think.”

“You’re right, they are unpredictable.” Isaac seemed to let out a sigh of relief, thinking that he had managed to talk some sense into her but she continued to stand her ground, vehemently stating, “Some aren’t just the mindless beast who you are describing.”

“Hyuna…” It was clear that Isaac was becoming increasingly frustrated from their back and forth.

Jacob, who had been awfully silent throughout their conversation, finally spoke up. “Isaac, I think that we should hear her out.” Clearly not expecting that type of response from his brother, Isaac whipped his head around to give a bewildered look to Jacob. His eyes were so wide, it looked as if they were going to pop out of their sockets from shock.

“What!?”

“Hyuna seems adamant that he won’t hurt anyone. I trust her judgement, don’t you?”

“Well, I…”

“She is more than capable of making decisions for herself and even if it is a strange thing she is asking, I will support her in any decision she makes.”

She had trusted Jacob to be the one she could reason with. He was peculiar in the way that his mind was open to all sorts of things. He was never one to shut someone's ideas down and truly looks from their point of view before making a decision. It was the reason she was taught how to fight vampires in the first place.

Isaac was extremely against the idea of Hyuna learning how to kill vampires. She was a small girl at the time, just barely eleven years old when Jacob had found her crumbled over Hyun-woo’s body, crying into his bloodstained shirt.

His death had broken her, transforming her into a husk of her former self. Isaac thought that due to her mental state, she should not fight any vampires in the future.

There was also the fact that she was from a fairly well off family and Isaac thought it was best that she take advantage of that. The plan was for her to further her education in college and help Phan out with her research. Though she was a brilliant student with a mind who took in information like a sponge to water, it was never a path she had wished upon herself. The only reason she had previously tolerated school and Phan’s tutoring was because she was doing it with Hyun-woo.

Hyun-woo was unlike her in the fact that he gravitated towards science. He wasn’t as talented as Hyuna. He took a little more time to understand the material, yet his passion for it was what drove him.

Every time she found herself dozing off during one of the teachers lectures, Hyun-woo was right beside her diligently taking notes.

When they were little, Hyuna remembered rolling her eyes every time he went onto a tangent of something new he learned that day. She missed the way he used to talk her ear off about the different types of beetles.

Since he was gone now, she wasn’t going to entertain Phan’s plans for her anymore. There was no point in doing so.

It had taken a lot of back and forth between her and Isaac for Hyuna to finally convince him that she should become a vampire hunter, that and Jacob’s input on the matter. He was the one that encouraged her to become one, after all. He had said something similar to Isaac back then too.

“It’s clear that she had put a lot of thought into this decision, why not give her a chance to prove herself.”

It was because of those words that she is where she is right now, hunting vampires and not stuck in a stuffy lab coat with Phan. It's why Hyuna looked up to Jacob, respected him so much. He gave her a purpose when her world fell apart.

Under his brother’s questioning, Isaac was at a loss for words. His mouth opened and closed, clearly trying to think of anything that can rebuttal the adamant requests of both Hyuna and Isaac. It seems that he couldn’t come up with anything that could convince the two of them because he just let out a long defeated sigh.

Hyuna was as stubborn as a bull and Isaac knew better than to keep pushing a boulder that wasn’t budging. He still wasn’t fully trusting in Luka, but his trust in Hyuna outweighed his doubts.

Just as he was about to resign and agree to let Luka live, the door swung open. A loud boisterous voice boomed forward, alerting them of Dewey’s return.

“Hey guy, I’m back! Miss me-” His sentence was cut short when he caught sight of Luka in the middle of the room. Dewey’s once friendly demeanor immediately changed to that of a hostile one. Hyuna panicked as she saw Dewey dash in Luka’s direction, stake in hand. Hyuna tried to get in between the two, hoping to stop them before any of them got hurt.

Seeing Dewey bulldoze his way towards him, Luka swiftly in one motion, grabbed Dewey by the collar and promptly slammed him into the ground. The wood floor splintered with the force of the impact and Dewey choked out a pained cough. Isaac immediately ran to his side, assessing the damage.

“Hey, Dewey, are you okay?” He didn’t respond though. He was knocked out cold from the blow. It was baffling to believe such a lean frame like Luka could take someone like Dewey in one try.

Hyuna was shocked at the situation that seemed to unfold in just a matter of seconds. One minute, it seemed that she had finally managed to win over Isaac with Jacob’s help and now it seems like all that progress had been washed down the drain.

She turned her attention over to Luka, “Luka, what the hells was that! Didn’t you say that you weren’t going to harm anyone?”

Luka placed his hands in the air, defending himself. “It was merely an act of self defense. If you’re really concerned about the big oaf, you shouldn’t be. I just used enough strength to knock him out for a bit.”

Hyuna was sure this guy had a screw loose in his head.

-

After a while, Dewey awoke to an ice pack on his head and an insistent stream of apologies spewing from Hyuna’s mouth. When he spotted Luka tucked by in a corner, he sprang upright, ready to attack his assailant. He was held back by both Hyuna and Isaac as he thrashed around and threw profanities in the blond man’s direction.

It took a smack to the head by Hyuna and a long winded explanation of the situation for Dewey to finally settle down. It seems that he wasn’t fully convinced on the idea as when they sat down at the bar to discuss their strategy, he continued to stare daggers at Luka throughout the entire conversation.

Luka had seemed not pleased with how many people were present because he placed his head on Hyuna’s shoulder, grumbling, “Why do we need to discuss the details of the mission with them? I only asked you for help.”

She grabbed him by his hair and yanked him off her shoulder. He let out a little whine at the action but she knew that it wasn’t enough force to hurt him. He was just being whiny for no reason.

This guy had no awareness of personal space when it came to her it seems. He backs away from her other companions as if they were the plaque while sticking to her side like a lost puppy. It confused her to the fullest.

“They are more experienced than me at vampire hunting. I want their input on the situation. If you want my help then they are staying for the discussion.”

He could only sit there pouting as he crossed his arms in annoyance. Seriously, for a vampire who has lived for several decades or even centuries, he acted like a total child.

It was funny and Hyuna couldn’t help but tease him a little for it. She pinched his cheek and his frown deepened.

“Why are you pinching my cheek like a child? I’m old enough to be your great grandparent.”

“Maybe if you act like an adult, I’ll start treating you as such.”

“Ahem.” They looked back to see Isaac giving them an exasperated stare, clearly already fed up with the two of them. “If you two are done playing around, I would like to know why you brought a vampire in here.”

“Yeah, I’d also like to know.” Dewey piped up.

Hyuna relayed her encounter with Luka, to his peculiar proposition, to the moment she agreed. When she was done explaining, the room fell silent. Everyone was deep in thought.

Jacob was the first to speak up. “Hm, it seems that you’ve entangled yourselves with a frightening foe.”

Isaac spoke second. “I’m curious on how you’re going to find out where your target is. Now that we know that your kind can walk out in the daylight and hide their fangs, it’s going to be a lot harder to track them down.”

“Oh, that won’t be a problem.”

“How? You know where they are located already?”

Luka shrugged, giving out an airy answer as if the conversation bored him, “It wasn’t too difficult of a task. After all, Heperu isn’t a difficult figure to miss.”

At the name, Hyuna bolted out of her seat, she slammed her hands onto the bar, tipping her drink over with the impact. “What!? Your target is Count Heperu of Anakt!?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“And you never thought to tell me this sooner?”

“I didn’t think it was something important enough to bring up.”

This guy. Every time his mouth opens, Hyuna has to fight back the urge to throw a punch at his annoyingly pretty face. He was far too calm about this whole situation.

Heperu wasn’t just any count. She knew him. When she had lived with Phan, Heperu would often come over for dinner, much to Phan’s displeasure. It was clear that he harbored emotions for her that she did not reciprocate. Hyuna had suffered through enough awkward dinners to remember Heperu.

Throughout her time around the man, she had never suspected him of being a vampire. It also shook her to her core that one of the creatures that had so viciously taken her brother from her was walking around her this entire time.

She nearly wanted to vomit from this information.

“I can’t believe he was a vampire this whole time. How can someone possibly hide their immortality?”

Luka nodded, “We can change our physical appearance to be younger or older. Many turn into young children or elderly men in order to lure in their prey. Heperu uses this to make it seem as if he was aging, then he ‘dies’ and comes back as a different person.”

“Man, that’s messed up!” Dewey exclaimed. Hyuna had her head in her hands, still reeling from the new realization.

Luka, realizing that Hyuna was feeling unwell, looked towards her and said, “You seem distressed by this information.”

“Of course I am! This isn’t just anyone, he’s a count.” She slumped her head onto the table ,letting her forehead thunk onto it. Hyuna grumbled, “This makes our job so much harder.”

Jacob nodded, “Noble estates are usually littered with guards. It would be a hard task to isolate him from them.”

“That, I already have a solution for.”

“Oh, what do you have in mind?”

Luka went on to explain his plan, “Heperu holds a grand ball every year. The ball will take place two weeks from now. It's a masquerade ball so the plan was to disguise ourselves and sneak in.”

“Don’t you need an invitation for things like that?", asked Hyuna.

“Yes, I have that taken care of as well. We should be able to get into the ball with no issues.”

“Still, the place will be packed. How are we supposed to get him alone and take him out?”

“The plan was to wait for all the guests to leave. Heperu doesn’t keep his guards for the night since that’s when he goes out to find his next meal.”

Jacob hummed, “It seems that our target has given us an easy way to him.”

Wow. It seems that he’s really thought this through. For once, it felt like Luka was being helpful instead of being the cause of a problem. Hyuna had to give him props for that at least.

“Now that that’s settled, we should probably rest up for today and head out early in the morning.”

Isaac nodded, “Sounds like a plan.”

“Man, I wanna go!” Dewey grumbled. “I want to fight an elder vampire too!”

Hyuna chuckled at this. Dewey was never one to back down from a challenge, even seek it out. She knew that he was dying to try his strength against an older fiend.

Luka seemed less pleased by Dewey’s enthusiasm though as he crossed his arms and gave Dewey an annoyed stare. “Last time I checked, I only asked for Hyuna’s assistance on the matter. I’d rather avoid working with an imbecile like you.”

“What did you just call me!? Never mind, I wouldn’t want to work with such a stuck up guy like you anyways.”

“Trust me, you would have just slowed us down anyways.”

“Why you!”

“Okay, stop that.” Hyuna demanded, “Dewey, don’t start a fight you can’t finish.” She then turned to Luka, “And you stop picking fights with everyone around you.”

“I won’t make any promises.” Hyuna could only let out an exhausted sigh. Now she wished she had just let Dewey kick Luka’s ass.

Jacob let out a small chuckle at the commotion, before turning to the blond man, “Luka, was it? How about we go upstairs so I can set up a guest room for you.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary. I’ll just share a room with Hyuna.”

Isaac bolted from his seat, startled by what Luka had just suggested. “What!? Like hell!”

“Yeah, why’d you need to be in the same room as her anyways!” Dewey also spoke up. He was already hostile towards Luka and the thought of Hyuna being trapped in a room with such an awful guy turned on his protective mode.

“We slept together once already, I don’t see why it's a problem if I do it again.”

“You slept together!?” Dewey just gawked at the two of them. He never thought that Hyuna’s taste in men was this atrocious. Isaac also seemed horrified as he just stood their, face pale.

“Literally! We literally slept together in the same bed!” Hyuna could feel her face flush from such accusations. There’s no way that they actually think that she would sleep with a vampire, even if he was annoyingly beautiful. Turning to Luka, she demanded, “Luka, you’re sleeping in a different room.”

She was far too flustered to even think about sleeping in the same bed as him again.

“You’re kicking me out, after we spent the night together?”

Why the hell is he wording it like that!? Acting like a scorned lover from a one night stand. He wasn’t helping with Dewey’s assumptions on their relationship.

Dewey was looking to the side, a strained smile on his face. “Hyuna, it's fine. I mean, I don’t understand your taste. But at least I think I understand why you want to help him out now.” Jacob had a hand clasped around his mouth, clearly trying to stifle his laughter.

Hyuna grumbled, frustrated by the fact that now both Isaac and Dewey are convinced that she had slept with Luka and that Jacob was far too entertained by this whole mess.

“You guys are all morons!” She angrily stomped her way upstairs to her room, slamming the door closed behind her.

She could still hear Jacob loudly laughing from behind her closed door.

Chapter Text

Vale of Tears - coming from the phrase “valley of tears” meaning the sorrows and hardship we face in life.

Hyuna felt a hand on her shoulder as someone firmly shook her, waking her up from her slumber. She groggily opened her eyes to see Hyun-woo frowning down at her.

He spoke to her in a hushed tone, “Wake up, the teacher is going over what’s going to be on the test.”

She bolted from resting her head on the table to sitting upright. She did try to listen to the teacher, but as they continued on with their lecture, Hyuna felt her eyelids grow heavier as they droned.

Her head slumped into her hand as she fought to keep herself awake. She then felt a kick from under the table. She looked over at Hyun-woo who had his head turned to the board. He leaned a little closer to her and whispered, “Once we are done with this lecture, we can go play with Nadja later tonight.”

At this, Hyuna’s eyes opened and she listened to the lecture with her utmost attention. She just needs to get through this one lecture.

Recently, both she and Hyun-woo had made a friend. Nadja had come to them one night when they had snuck out of Phan’s estate to look at the stars. Ever since then, the two siblings have made it routine to visit Nadja at night.

They had first asked her to hang out with them in the daylight. Teary eyed, she had stated that she was sick and that during the day, she was bound to her house.

Their nightly escapades were why Hyuna was so tired in class. She was barely keeping her head during morning lectures. This lack of attention during class had been noticed and reported to Phan.

In some way, Hyuna had wanted Phan to care, maybe ask her what was making her so sleepy during class. Yet that never happened. She had brushed off the teacher's words, telling her a curt “focus in class” before promptly never bringing the subject up again.

She always seemed to care so little about what Hyuna and Hyun-woo were up to, to the point where she wondered why Phan had adopted them in the first place. It stung a little but anything was better than fighting for scraps in the orphanage.

Food was scarce back then. The people at the orphanage never had enough funding to fully feed every kid that was there. The cafeteria was set in a first come first serve sort of way, meaning the stronger older kids always took most of the food for themselves, leaving the smaller children starving.

Hyuna, being tall for her age and physically fit, took it upon herself to gather as much food and spread it to the smaller children there. Maybe it was the instincts that she got from being an older sister, but she couldn’t just sit there and let those kids starve.

She remembered that the day that Phan adopted them had just been like any other day. The caretakers had released them into the yard to play and her and Hyun-woo were playing tag with a group of other children.

Words were whispered around about how a duchess was going to come by. All the children were fidgeting, anxious yet also excited at the prospect of being the one to get picked.

Hyuna wasn’t all that concerned if she got picked or not. She can’t say that she wasn’t a little bit interested. If she could get adopted with Hyun-woo into a good family, she could guarantee a better future for her little brother. At the same time though, it is highly unlikely that the person coming was going to adopt the both of them.

After all, most families who came to adopt only left with one and Hyuna refused to get adopted unless it was with Hyun-woo.

When the orphanage’s doors opened and one of the caretakers appeared with a lady in tow, the children stopped what they were doing and ushered towards the door to get a better look at the possible future mother.

She was an elegant woman. Her face exuded youth which was contrasted by her stark white hair. The lady was wearing a wide brimmed hat and the simple dress she wore drew an air of elegance around her.

Her eyes scanned across the lot of children, her eyes cold and calculated as if she was selecting from options of show dogs rather than a child who she would raise as her own. It sent shivers down her spine. Even if the lady was rich, Hyuna wouldn’t want to be adopted by such a cold woman.

But fate had other plans as when the lady’s eyes landed on Hyuna, a small smile etched their lips. She walked over to Hyuna ,eyes not even glancing down at the other children. Hyun-woo was beside her and she held his hand closer as he saw the woman approach. Before she knew it she was promptly being picked up by Phan.

“I’m picking these two.”

Just like that, she and Hyun-woo were living in Phan’s estate. It was surreal to have been fighting for scraps against other children into having a fancy full course meal each day. She’s still not sure why Phan decided to adopt the two of them only to push them aside in favor of working in her lab.

Hyuna wonders what life would have been like if Phan had never adopted her. She probably wouldn’t have to take any boring classes like she was now.

At least Hyun-woo enjoyed it. That’s what she truly cared about.

As soon as she heard the teacher announce that class was over, Hyuna bolted from her seat. She exited the room at record speed, not even saying goodbye before she left. She wasn’t going to waste another second in that hell hole!

Hyun-woo had followed her out a moment later, out of breath from running after her. “You didn’t even wait for me to pack up my things!”

She only stuck her tongue out which caused the two of them to break out into laughter. They walked back home, happily chattering away.

Night soon came and the moon came up, replacing the sunny sky with a blanket of stars. This was their cue to unhinge their bedroom window and clamber out of it. The biting wind of the cold night tickled her warm cheeks, causing them to turn red in hue. They were both still wearing their night wear but both of them had made sure to put on another jacket before heading out.

They made their way down an old dusty road into the forest where the three of them had promised to meet. As soon as Hyuna saw the head of white hair that she was looking for, she ran towards them, waving her hand enthusiastically.

“Nadja!”

The small girl finally noticed the two figures running towards her and the corners of her eyes crinkled up from what seemed to be a smile. Hyuna wouldn't know. Nadja had always insisted that she had to wear a mask around them since she was ill and didn’t want to get them sick. She couldn’t help but feel saddened by her friend's predicament.

“You both came.”

“Of course we did!” ,Hyuna said. She embraced the smaller girl in a tight hug. She was always a touchy person, showing her affection through physical touch. “What’d you wanna do today?”

“Hm, I don’t know.” Nadja said, closing her eyes as if to think deeper about the subject.

“How about we play tag! ”,Hyun-woo exclaimed. That earned him a hit to the head by Hyuna and he clutched his head in pain. “Why’d you do that!?”

“You idiot! Nadja can’t run for long periods of time. Pick a different game.”

“You still didn’t have to hit me!”

Nadja’s voice broke through the two siblings bickering. “Um, how about hide and seek?”

“Hide and seek?” Hyun-woo asked. “That doesn’t seem that fun. There’s only three of us, meaning the seeker only has to find like, two people.”

He felt another smack on his head. “Ow, again!?”

“If she wants to play it then we’re playing it.” Nadja likely didn’t have many opportunities to play outside and with children around her age anyways. The least they could do for her was play the game she wanted to play. “Who wants to seek first?”

Nadja raised her hand. “I can.”

“Great! Then count to thirty and me and Hyun-woo will hide. Remember, no peeking!”

Hyuna saw the little girl shield her eyes with her hands and Hyuna bolted as soon as she heard her count. She surveyed the whole area in search of a hiding place but the darkness of the night sky made it hard to do so.

After a while though, she found a large hollowed out tree. Hearing that Nadja was almost done counting down, Hyuna had no choice but to hop into the hole and hope she wasn’t the first to be found.

“... twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty! Ready or not, here I come!”

She heard Nadja’s light footsteps as she walked around in search of the two siblings. The soft sound of crunching leaves getting more distant as she continues listening, notifying Hyuna that they had walked in the opposite direction. She mentally cheered to herself for that.

She was happy that she was likely to win the game, yet as time rolled by Hyuna's back began to hurt from laying inside the hole for long and her eyes grew heavy as the tiredness in her bones began to wash over.

Maybe they had forgotten about her? No, that was silly. It was probably because her hiding spot was too hard for Nadja to find her. She should have chosen an easier place for Nadja to find her.

Slowly exiting from the tree, she looked around to see if Nadja or Hyun-woo were anywhere in sight. She loudly called out to them.

“Nadja! Hyun-woo!”

No sound from the both of them. The only answer came from the crickets loudly chirping into the night. She wasn’t sure if they had forgotten her,but now she was really starting to believe that they did.

She began walking around, calling out in hopes of finding them. Her calls got more frantic as she was met with more silence. A looming sense of dread washed over her at the idea that they had left without her.

It was nullified though as she saw a familiar figure being illuminated by the moonlight.

“Nadja!”

She ran towards them, waving her hands around frantically. A sense of relief washed over and she was glad to see that they hadn’t actually left her. That feeling of relief was soon ripped from though as she saw the little girl covered in blood.

Panic seized her and she was about to ask what had happened to her to have gotten her into that state but her words got caught in her through as soon as she spotted the body laying limp on the ground.

It was Hyun-woo.

Any previous worries she had for Nadja were thrown to the side as she rushed towards Hyun-woo’s unconscious body. His clothes were soaked in blood, the redness seeping into her palms as she held him in her shaking hands.

“Hyun-woo, what happened!? Please wake up!”

His skin was cold to the touch and he didn’t react in the slightest as she shook him violently. Tears spilled out of Hyuna’s eyes in tidal waves, soaking the already bloodied fabric of his clothes.

Hyuna frantically searched his body for where the bleeding was coming from. That was when her eyes landed on the two puncture wounds by his neck. Her body froze as she examined the wound more closely. That didn’t look like any normal animal bite. It looked a lot like a …

“Hyuna?”

Nadja’s sickeningly sweet voice broke through Hyuna’s thoughts. Hyuna didn’t turn to look at the little girl in the face. She was afraid to do so, afraid that her assumption was correct.

That Nadja was a vampire, that they had been the one to kill Hyun-woo.

Not gaining an answer from her, Nadja started to slowly walk towards her. Hyuna, who had previously been too stunned to do anything before, swung into fight or flight. Her legs moved and she was sprinting away with all her might.

Her attempts proved futile though as she felt a harsh tug on her jacket, sending her tumbling down onto the ground. She felt Nadja looming over her and when she finally turned around to face the fiend, she was met with Nadja’s smiling face. A pair of razor sharp fangs greeting her.

The once meek girl she and Hyun-woo had met was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes held no warmth, just a jeering glint that had Hyuna pinned down.

She tried to escape, crawling away before her foot was seized by Nadja’s grasp. Hyuna swore she heard a crack as the monster strengthened its grip on her leg.

“Why are you running away? I caught you, didn’t I?” Before she knew it, her leg was being torn off her body, searing hot pain shooting up across her entire being. She let out a guttural cry as she clutched the place where her leg once was.

The blood pooled from the wound in a steady stream, tainting her hands.

She felt Nadja’s cold hands encircling her neck, the pointed fingernails digging into her skin and pricking drops of blood out. The soft pad of the fiend’s tongue lapped up the blood that leaked out.

“Mh, sweet.” There was a playful, teasing lilt in their voice and it sent shivers up Hyuna's spine.

This was it, Hyuna thought. I’m going to die. The only thing she could do in that moment was close her eyes and wait for her inevitable end as she felt fangs nearing her neck.

-

Hyuna jerked up from the bed, her breath heavy from being awoken from the nightmare. The memory of the night still remained vivid, playing on in her head like a broken record player.

The smell of copper still filled her nostrils and the phantom pain from her leg still lingers despite the many years since the incident. She could only let out a soft sigh, slumping back onto the bed. She carded her hands through her hair as she laid there, looking up at the ceiling.

Every now and then, Hyuna would wake up from that gruesome memory in a cold sweat. It was the one thing that she couldn’t wash down with alcohol, the memory coming back like a tide returning to shore.

Knowing she wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep, Hyuna begrudgingly got out of bed and headed downstairs to fix herself something to eat.

When she got downstairs though, she was met with someone who she didn’t expect to see.

“Luka?”

The blond man turned to the sound of her voice. His face was barely visible, only half illuminated by the lit candle on the table. That didn’t stop her from spotting his strikingly golden eyes.

They squint into slits as the corners of his lips quirk up, like the crescent moon shining in the night sky.

“Hyuna, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to see you awake.”

“I could say the same to you.”

“I’m nocturnal though. You aren’t.”

“Then why did you sleep last night?”

“Hm, I guess I just felt particularly tired that night.” His head was perched on his palm and he stared at her with that smug grin on his face. Hyuna is starting to wonder if Luka actually had a vendetta against her with how often he gets on her nerves.

She really needed a drink.

She went behind the bar, pulling out the first random bottle of alcohol her hand landed on. Grabbing a shot glass from one of the cupboards, she poured herself a shot and promptly finished in one swig, the liquid burning her throat as it went down.

“Did you really come down here just to drink? At this hour?”

Hyuna just shot him a glare, pouring herself another shot before gulping it down. “I know that I didn’t come down here to get judged by a prissy fucking vampire.”

There was a long pause after that. It was a little unsettling that he hadn't thrown out one of his snarky little retorts that Hyuna had trademarked him with. She looked up from her shot glass to see him looking at her with a look she couldn't quite decipher.

It was as if he was trying to look at her soul. She looked down at her cup, not able to continue facing that burning stare of his. The soft cadence of his voice brought her attention back to him though.

“Is everything all right?”

His voice was soft and low, as if he wasn’t sure of what he was saying. It lacked the teasing note that he always seemed to carry. Instead, it sounded fond and tender in a way that Hyuna didn’t know how to deal with.

She wonders what gave it away. Maybe it was her expression, the tone of her voice or the random late night drink that sparked Luka to ask her that. Or maybe she was really that easy to read.

Hyuna thinks it was the sluggishness that came from not getting enough sleep or the shots that heated up her skin, but she found herself speaking up before her brain had time to catch up.

“I lost my brother to a vampire. I thought that they were my friend and then one day I found them next to his body.”

She took a long exhale, pausing for a moment to take another shot. Luka just sat there silently, attentive listening and waiting for her to continue.

“It’s been almost sixteen years since he died yet I’m still getting woken up from the memory of it. I still wonder if I had known what they were back then, that I could have stopped it from happening, that he would still be here.” She let out a shaky breath.

“You probably think I’m pathetic.”

And they’d be correct, a little ugly part of her brain tells herself. Even now, she couldn’t face that moment before drowning herself in alcohol or burning her throat from the puff of a cigarette.

It was something she wished she could erase but remained like a scar that would not fade. She knows she shouldn’t blame herself for what happened to Hyun-woo. After all, vampires were just a myth to most people, a monster they told in fairy tales. Yet she never was able to let go of it, feeling like she could have done something about it; that there were signs that she had missed.

She knew she could never forgive the one who killed her brother, yet there was a little part of her who couldn’t forgive herself for not being there to protect him.

Luka didn’t say anything for a long while, just looked at her with an expression Hyuna couldn’t understand. He looked down towards his hands as if contemplating his next words. When he finally spoke, his voice was so light that if Hyuna wasn’t attentively listening to him, she was sure she would have missed it.

“I was a closed off person when I was younger, still am. I never hung out with other children my age, preferring to stay inside for most of the day.”

He fidgeted with his fingers, counting them as if he were a child. A self soothing motion, Hyuna assumed.

“I had many siblings of which tried to get me to play with them. It wasn’t until they were gone that I realized how much I loved them, how lonely I was.”

Luka then looked up at her, his eyes filled with a level of warmth that didn’t seem possible for someone who was undead. Hyuna doesn’t know if the buzzing heat under skin was coming from just the alcohol anymore.

“Mourning someone doesn’t make you pathetic. To grieve for someone so fully is to have loved them with all your heart.” His smile curved into something softer, not a hint of a teasing lilt heard in his voice. Instead his voice was draped in sincerity that had her struggling to keep her composure.

“I’m sure your brother was happy to have a sister who loved him so dearly.”

She kind of wished that he had just been the same snarky bastard she thought he was. Then, she wouldn’t have to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out. She could only throw out a weak mocking retort in response, not knowing how to properly respond.
She didn’t know how to give an answer to such sincerity, it was too much for her. All she could do was cover it up, mask the emotions that so desperately wanted to break free.

“Wow, wise words from someone who acts like a child half the time.”

“Living for a couple of centuries does tend to make you a little bit more wise.”

Hyuna gave a light chuckle at that. In a way though, it had felt good to have talked about it with someone. Her trio of friends have tried yet she always shot them down, opting for spending the night losing herself within a party. They never tried to push and Hyuna never brought it up.

Who knew that she would be spilling her heart out to someone who she has barely known for like two days. Much less a vampire.

She was about to take another shot before the glass was quickly snatched from her hand, looking over to see Luka clutching it in his hand.

“What the hells, give it back!”

She reached for the glass only for Luka to move it farther from her, extending his arm away from her outstretched one.

“No, you’ve already had enough to drink. Besides, you should go back to sleep since we have a long journey ahead of us.”

What was he, her dad? Why was he giving her a lecture about how much she could drink? Besides, five shots was barely anything.

“I won’t be able to go to sleep anyways.” Hyuna made another attempt of grabbing it but Luka just took another step back, making her spit a curse under her breath.

“My mother used to sing me a lullaby when I wasn’t able to fall asleep. Want me to sing it to you?”

“Like hell!”

He let out an airy chuckle, Hyuna finding his voice far more alluring than she would ever like to admit. All she could do was groan, slumping down on the counter in defeat. He placed his elbow on the bar, looking down at her slumped figure. If Hyuna had looked up at him, she would have caught a fond smile pressed on his lips.

“Why don’t I keep you company until the morning then.”

Her first instinct was to refuse him, his presence a thing she wanted erased. But she found herself wanting him to stay. A little bit of her trusting him despite the dangers that might arise from it. Hyuna found herself speaking and before she knew it, they had flown into comfortable conversation.

She found out that Luka wasn’t insufferable to be around and a great listener when he wasn’t stating some bullshit to get under her skin. It was easy in a way she didn’t know was possible.

As the conversation went on though, she felt herself grow more fatigued, the tiredness of her lack of sleep coming at her at full force. The smooth cadence of Luka’s voice pulled her into a deeper trance of sleepiness. She didn’t know when it happened, just that she slumped onto the table, entering a peaceful sleep for once.

Chapter Text

The first thing Hyuna noticed as she stirred from sleep was the plush surface of a mattress under her. It was weird since she didn’t remember tucking herself into bed. She wasn’t complaining, god knows the neck pain that would have come if she had fallen asleep on the hard surface of the bar. The cozy atmosphere of the bed beckoned her to sink further into its soft comforters.

Duty calls though and Hyuna found herself begrudgingly pulling herself from the comfort of her bed. Heading to the bathroom, she splashed some water on her face, washing all the grogginess off. She grabbed a small towel from the basket near the sink, dabbing off the excess water off her face.

After changing into something more appropriate for the chilly weather outside, Hyuna headed downstairs. The loud chatter from below notified her that the others were already awake.

One of the first things she noticed when she got downstairs was the nutty aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Jacob was beside the stove, an apron secured around his waist. Noticing her, he gave a small wave in her direction. Hyuna gave him an enthusiastic wave in return.

Pointing towards the kettle, he asked, “Want a cup of coffee?”

Hyuna dropped herself onto the stool next to Isaac, slumping down onto the bar’s surface. “God, yes. Fuck, I’m tired.”

Isaac glanced over his coffee cup, eyeing the heavy eyebags that came from her lack of sleep last night. “We can tell.”

“Yeah, you’ve been asleep for a while. It’s almost noon now.” ,said Dewey over a mouthful of food. From the stack of plates that stood next to Dewey, she could tell that he had been keeping Jacob busy by the stove.

“Dude, close your mouth. Finish chewing before you speak.” Isaac forcefully shoved Dewey’s mouth closed and a loud gulp was heard as he swallowed.

“What, why didn’t any of you guys wake me up?”

“We thought that you might need the extra sleep. After all, you have a long journey ahead of you.” Jacob explained, placing the steaming cup of coffee in front of Hyuna which she gladly gulped down.

“And you’d probably need it to deal with that insufferable prick anyways.” Isaac added.

She didn’t deny what he said.

Hyuna was glad that she was surrounded by so many supportive people. It made the isolated nature of her work a lot more bearable and she was glad that she was able to join them. Her life would have ended if Jacob hadn’t found her in time, after all.

Noticing the absence of a certain figure, she turned to Isaac to ask him. “Hey, you know where Luka is?”

Isaacs expression soured. He clearly still wasn’t the biggest fan of his still. “Don’t know, don’t care. For all I know, he could still be cooped up in the guest room.”

Dewey piped up, “Oh, I saw him earlier this morning! He said he needed to go outside to run some errands.”

Hyuna nodded at this information, getting up from her seat and placing her now empty cup into the sink. “Thanks, I’m gonna go find him.”

Jacob and Dewey waved as she walked to the door while Isaac just gave a nod in affirmation before she left. Stepping outside, the bitter chill of the winter wind stings her cheeks. Hyuna found herself pulling the gloves that she had tucked in her coat pockets out and onto her hands.

The city was busy now, with people crowding the streets. It was so packed with people that Hyuna wondered if she would be able to spot Luka from the crowd. That thought didn’t last long though as just a couple minutes into her search, she spotted a familiar mop of blond hair in one of the store windows.

He really does stand out in the crowd, doesn’t he?

Luka was clad in a long dark coat that she hadn’t remembered him owning and his eyes were idling staring at nothing. He looked bored; the only thing keeping him occupied was the twiddling of his thumbs together. What really caught her attention were the multitude of bags in which he was carrying.

Hyuna decided that she had enough of just staring at him through the window and entered the store. A soft ding of a bell called out as she opened the door. Luka looked over to see who had walked through and his eyes brightened as he spotted her.

“Hyuna…”

She greeted him, giving him a small wave. “Hey.” Her eyes swept over his figure again. “Nice coat but what’s with all the bags?”

“These? I thought that we should get some more formal attire for the ball.”

“But why so many bags and with what money?” When she had packed her things at the inn before their departure, she had asked Luka if there was anything that he needed to bring with him. He had only shook his head, leaving with nothing but the clothes on his back.

“I was intending on taking it from the display and disappearing before they caught me before this older woman offered to buy me these.” He looked down at the bags as if they were a nuisance to carry. “I had not anticipated her giving me so much.”

Hyuna stood there stunned at what he had just said. She was so shocked that she didn’t even mention Luka’s plan of robbery.

“You mean you got a sugar mamma?”

He quirked his head to the side as if what she said had perplexed him. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you are referring to. What’s a sugar mamma? There was no sugar involved.”

She tried to hold back her laughter before but the look of pure confusion on Luka’s face made her cave in. She let out a loud laugh, basically cackling while Luka just stood there, bewildered by her sudden volume. The shop owner shot her a point stare, giving her a warning to keep her voice down.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe you were being hit on by an old lady .”

He furrowed his brow at that. “There was no hitting being done. Also, if you had forgotten, I’m most likely older than that woman.”

“Pft, with how you’re talking. Yeah, I can tell, old man.”

“Old man, you call me child now I’m old?” Luka looked thoroughly scandalized and Hyuna found herself biting back her laughter again.

“You’re too easy to tease, it’s hilarious.”

He turned his head to the side as if to block his face from her, but Hyuna could still see the red that tinged his cheeks in embarrassment. For someone who lacked a beating heart, his face was as red as a tomato.

“Okay, stop. That’s enough now.” He cleared his throat before turning back to her. “It’s actually good that you came at this moment. I wasn’t sure of your measurements so I was planning to bring you here to try on some different gowns.”

Right, Luka wasn’t the only one who needed to get dressed up for the ball. It's been a while since Hyuna had worn a dress, not like there were many opportunities to. Her work made it so that she didn’t have much free time and.

The line of work she was in didn’t allow her to keep many dresses in her closet. It was one thing that she actually missed when becoming a vampire hunter, missing the opportunity to dress up as a woman during her early adulthood.

“Sure, it’d be nice to try on a few.”

They browsed around the shop, looking at the different arrays of gowns out for sale. Soon, they picked out three different outfits for her to put on. She headed to the changing room in order to try them on.

The first one was a red floor-length gown with a bow in front. Two thin strings held the bodice up. She twirled around, looking at herself in the mirror. It was nice, it hugged her body in a way that accentuated her curves but she wanted to try on the other options before she settled on one.

The next dress was white with gold trimmings all around it. It fell low, floor length with a trail. It didn’t advertise it as such but the dress looked far too similar to a wedding gown to be worn to a ball.

The last one she picked out though was perfect. It appeared black but put under the sunlight, it showed a brilliant midnight blue hue. The dress was also lengthy with it almost hitting the floor, stopping just by her ankle and a long slit ran down the lining of it. Also coming together with the gown, came a pair of long black gloves. Hyuna had also grabbed a pair of sleek black heels that matched perfectly with it.

Hyuna had already settled with this dress but got out of the changing room to get Luka’s opinion. After all, he was the one that was going to accompany her to the ball.

When she stepped out, Luka’s eyes immediately drifted to her. They widened in something like surprise; sitting there speechless as he continued to stare at her.

She gave a little twirl, giving him a view of the whole outfit. “Well, what do you think?”

He smiled in that moment; that awfully soft smile that he seemed to be doing more often nowadays. Hyuna found herself holding onto it, wanting to see it more often. She doesn’t know what to do with that fact.

He came closer to her and she had to stop herself from taking an intrusive step back. Gently taking a hold of her hand, he brought it up to his lips, giving them a chaste peck to the back of her hand, similarly to what he did back when they had first met.

She feels stupid for having it fluster her so much.

“Beautiful, absolutely dazzling. I’m afraid that our plan of sneaking in won’t work because you’ll stand out too much.”

She snorted at that. “Please, as if you aren’t the embodiment of a walking gold bar. I’m pretty sure you stand out more than me.”

“Despite what you think. I am not particularly a fan of sticking out.”

At that, she had to roll her eyes at him. “Yeah? Then do a better job at staying down low.”

He chuckled at that. “I'll make sure to do that.”

Luka gave her another once over, his eyes scanning the entirety of her body. She all of a sudden felt a little self conscious with how intently he was staring.

“Hm, maybe we should get you some jewelry to go with it.”

“Nah, that just seems unnecessary.”

“My, I have the perfect set of earrings for a woman like you!”

The store clerk seemed to have popped out of nowhere, startling Hyuna who jumped a little when she heard him speak suddenly. With them, they carried a velvet jewelry box. They opened it to reveal a stunning pair of gold hoop earrings.

“They are one of a kind and I only have one left in stock! These usually go for a high bargain at any auction, but for you, I’ll give you a discount. What’d you say?”

She had to admit, they were quite beautiful.

Hyuna was going to have to refuse though. The thing about him going on about it being one of a kind and the added discount was probably a scam anyways. They most likely didn’t have anyone else who wanted to buy it and was looking for someone to take it off his hands.

The earrings were gorgeous, sure, but it didn’t meet the criteria of women of this day and age. They were flashy and drew attention, which was frowned upon. Many women flocked to the more modest sets of jewelry which was why this pair was doing so bad.

It’s not like she had that much money to splurge on a pair of earrings and it wasn’t like she came in here looking for some. They were just accessories after all, so they weren’t needed to enter the ball.

Before her words could pass through, though, Luka was the first to respond to the clerk’s question.

“We’ll take them.”

She quickly whipped around to give him a bewildered look. He only gave her a dopey little smile as he accepted the box from the clerk. Hyuna swore that she saw money signs in their eyes when they handed the box to him.

“Luka, you can’t be serious. I don’t have enough money to pay for a pair of earrings.”

“I’m buying them for you, so no need to worry.”

“Ugh, that isn’t it. They aren’t necessary so you should just give it back.”

The shop owner piped up, interrupting their dispute. “If I may interrupt, I think that you should accept your husband’s gift. Why, he seems like such a doting one; why don’t you let the man spoil you?”

A feeling of Deja vu hit her again. Seriously, it was starting to piss her off how many people always assume that they were a thing. Couple now husband? It seemed to be getting more preposterous by the day.

“Sir, he is not my husband. He will never be my husband as I refuse to marry this buffoon.”

“Ouch, did you really have to be that harsh about it? A simple correction would have sufficed.”

“For you? It was necessary.”

The clerk stammered at this, quickly apologizing to Hyuna. “I’m terribly sorry, miss! I just assumed since…”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s fine. I’m over it now.”

“How about as compensation, I give you another ten percent off the pair of earrings?”

They were really persistent, weren’t they? “Wow, you’re still trying to sell them?”

“I have to make a living after all, miss.” They just shone her that patented customer service smile that showed that they didn’t really care about trying to give her a good deal; just wanted to find a way to take her money.

“Here, this should be enough for them, right?”

Luka proceeded to hand a stack of bills to the clerk whose eyes seemed to widen immediately. They snatched the notes from his hands, already greedily stuffing them into their pockets.

“Pleasure doing business with you, sir!”

Hyuna just gave Luka a deadpanned stare, not even bothering to be surprised at this point. More like disappointment that he played into the hand of the shop keeper.

“Seriously? I kept telling you not to buy them.”

He grabbed her hand, facing her palm upright and placing the box into it.
“I wanted to. They’re already bought so you might as well accept them.”

Truly, this man is going to be the death of her.

“Fine. I guess since it didn’t come out of my wallet, I’ll take it. It’s only your loss.”

He smiled at that, more of a smirk if anything. “I’ll actually take that as a victory.”

By this point, even rolling her eyes at him was beginning to become a chore with how much she was doing it nowadays.

Hyuna changed out of her dress and into her usual attire before they both left the store. Before they left, she offered to carry half of the bags he was holding. Holding four bags within each hand seemed excessive to her. They really did need to figure out where to keep all these extra clothes.

Hyuna wondered if Jacob had some extra storage space somewhere to store them.

As they stepped through the doors of the pub, Hyuna saw that Jacob, Isaac and Dewey were still cooped up in the same place.

“Hey, what’re you guys still doing here?”

Jacob greeted her with a warm smile. “We thought that we’d all stay so that we could get in our last goodbye’s in before you leave.”

“Yeah, gotta give you some encouragement before your departure!” Dewey walked over from where he was sitting; his eyes landed on the mountain of bags they carried.

“What’s with all the bags?”

Hyuna perked up at the question, excited to explain. “Oh, you wouldn’t believe what happened.”

Luka grimaced, already expecting what was about to come out of her mouth.

“Hyuna, please sto—”

“Luka got picked up by a damn sugar mama!”

Dewey, finding that information just as amusing as Hyuna did, started keeling over in laughter. He held his stomach as he cackled.

“What the hell? A sugar mama, really?”

Luka just stood there, looking like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

“Please, stop.”

Getting all her laughs in, she finally stopped the teasing. “Fine, but don’t be surprised if I bring this up again.”

He only grumbled in response.

Talking with Jacob, he said he had an extra room with a closet in which he could store the extra clothing Luka got. They also got an old suitcase in which Luka could use to pack the clothes he did need for the trip. Hyuna just went up and grabbed the bag that she had packed the night prior.

It was finally time for her to say goodbye to the trio. Even now, she found it hard to depart for every mission. It wasn’t always guaranteed that they would return from their outing, disappearances and failed missions a common occurrence in their profession.

She knew one thing, though, and that was that she was going to get back to them at any cost.

Jacob was the first to say his goodbyes, pulling Hyuna into a tight hug. “Make sure you come back, alright?”

She found herself returning his intense hold. “Don’t worry. I’m not letting any fiend get the best of me.”

Jacob chuckled lightly at that. “That, I can’t deny.”

Dewey came up from behind, squeezing both of them in a crushing embrace and lifting them off the floor.

“I’m gonna miss ya!”

It was Hyuna’s turn to chuckle. Dewey always was the most expressive of them, his heart worn on his sleeve.

“Right back at ya, big guy.”

When he finally let go of Hyuna and Jacob, Isaac appeared. He raised his fist in the air, drawn towards Hyuna.

“Make sure to go kick some ass.”

She smiled at him, connecting their fists together. “You bet.”