January 28, 1940.
Wonsung sits in a jazz club, finishing a bottle of whiskey. The alcohol was supposed to help him fight his emotions, but it's worse than he thought.
Anger mixed with sadness boils inside him so strongly that he can't control that eventually he starts to cry. Taking a seat at the bar counter, he lowers his face, hiding his tears from the bartender. He is not going to show his weakness because of one human woman he once saved.
Just behind him, the elite dances. Japanese men dressed in tuxedos entertain beautiful women.
Wonsung seems to be the only one who is gloomy in this place.
The boy can't stand it. He wants to tear apart all the happy people, because it turned out that the woman he secretly loves is a traitor. What's worse... not only does he have feelings for her, but also his older brother, who knows everything and protects her.
He grabs the bottle with the remains of the whiskey and staggers towards the exit. He doesn't want to mindlessly attack people and get himself into trouble, and he's close to making a mistake.
The freezing air hits him in the face as he steps outside, but the low body temperature makes him feel it differently than humans.
He walks forward, drinking alcohol from a bottle. It's late evening, and it's dark all around him.
He raises his face and looks at the starry sky, wishing he could die.
Because he's cursed, he has to live as a monster. Why? Why did that damn bastard cause him and his brothers to be reborn as immortal beings!?
He only made everything harder for them... it would have been better if they had died that day, killed by their father.
Wonsung stops mid-step and narrows his eyes at the person he hates the most. He's standing next to a scared girl who's shaking, and it's difficult to tell if it's from fear or cold.
" Jay ," he says through gritted teeth, squeezing the bottle so hard it shatters into smithereens in his hand.
The Original Vampire smiles cruelly as he pulls the body of the defenseless teenager towards him.
"I came to offer you my condolences in person, my friend," he says in a concerned voice, feigning concern.
- What are you talking about? - A feeling of unease fills Wonsung's cold body.
Jay theatrically puts his hand to his left chest, sighing.
"The woman you love caused your youngest brother to die." The words don't register at first. They echo in his head as if they were an illusion. "The little woman next to me killed him with a golden sword, on my orders. She's heartbroken, so she didn't even protest when she did it. She's a little shaken up now, but you can have a chat with her."
He pushes away the frightened Seohyun, who falls to the ground and, smiling savagely, disappears into the darkness of the street.
A teenager sits on the concrete, shivering from the cold and fear. She looks at the young man with terror in her eyes, but the darkness prevents her from seeing his face clearly. She only observes his silhouette, guessing that she will be punished for something she had no control over while under hypnosis.
- I... I didn't want to. He did this to me, he forced me to do this - she explains in a tearful voice. - Jay ordered me to kill Tan. I would never do that in my life. He helped me, he was everything to me...
- Shut up! - Wonsung's menacing roar echoes through the area. They are somewhere on the side of the street, where no one walks or drives by.
These are the seconds when the boy appears next to her in a frenzy and grabs her by the neck, lifting her in the air with one hand.
Terrified, Seohyun kicks her legs as tears stream down her cheeks, feeling as if they are freezing in the cold.
- I don't care if it was Jay's order! You killed my little brother! - he screams again, his eyes glowing red. - You killed him with your hands! You... and that damned Inha, who is responsible for Jay's anger!
"I'm sorry. I deserve to die," she says, barely audible, gasping for air. "The sword I killed him with is in the house, in the forest. I know you're anxious to leave this world. Tan told me."
"You deserve to die. I hope I catch you in the next life, and then I promise you that you will die in worse torment than this! I will never forgive you for this!" A terrifying scream escapes her lips as Wonsung grabs her by the throat with his teeth and tears at her like a rabid animal. Blood everywhere, and she dies with her eyes open, filled with tears.
Her sad, painful life ends instantly, brutally murdered by a vengeful vampire.
It would have been better if she had died under the wheels of a car that day. She would not have started serving a monster, she would not have met Tan, with whom she fell in love and who lost his life because of her...
Wonsung leaves her body in the garbage, wiping the blood from her mouth with his hand.
" Inha, you're next," he says, clenching his fists in rage. "But before I get to you, I need to get a sword, so my brother can't protect you."
***
Minki is worried when he senses an uninvited guest at his door. He looks at Inha, who suspects something is wrong.
"Don't worry, you're safe. You're safe in this house," he tells her as he walks to the front door and opens it wide. The cold air rushes in, making Inha rub her arms, looking at the guest with fear in her eyes.
- Good evening, friends - Jay declares, looking at them with feigned happiness in his eyes. - I will not insist on an invitation, because I guess I will not be allowed in.
- You guessed right. - Minki replies firmly.
- Well... that's a decent shield - the original vampire says, tapping his fingers against the invisible barrier. - You've prepared well for my visit.
- Tell me what you want.
- Didn't you tell your lover a while ago that you have a special connection with me? - Jay asks in an amused voice. - That's strange... because something so tragic happened, and you didn't sense it?
Minki frowns, feeling uneasy at his words.
- What are you talking about? - he asks in a worried voice.
- Don't you wonder where your little brother disappeared to? Didn't he always come home at this hour?
Minki's hand begins to shake as he realizes Jay has done something to him.
- Where's Tan? - He closes his eyes, afraid of what he's about to hear.
Inha stands behind him, placing her hands on his. She can sense how tense and nervous Minki is.
- I let him go to heaven, and your punishment was that you weren't able to say goodbye to him - Jay replies cheerfully, looking happy. - Why did I do that? Because of Inha , because she turned out to be a traitor.
The girl feels tears welling up in her eyes. She knew Jay would eventually do something to get revenge. She didn't think it would come so soon.
"You think this is a punishment? My youngest brother wanted it. He couldn't wait to die," Minki says, calming down. "He thought what you did to us was a curse for all eternity."
Jay frowned.
- Maybe you think so, but definitely not the middle brother, who has already gone so mad that he tore the girl who helped me kill him apart. Inha is next in line, because I hinted to him that she is the main reason for your misfortune - he announces, looking the girl in the eye. - Wonsung has blood on his lips, nothing can stop him now. Since he fed on human blood, he has more strength than your knight. Minki will not protect you, unless you start running now - he adds, glancing at his watch. - Your minutes are numbered. This will be fantastic fun. Good luck.
Nodding them goodbye, he leaves with a mischievous smile on his face, and Inha looks at Minki with concern in her eyes as he turns to face her.
- Wonsung is in a frenzy. He already knows I conspired with Jay. I'm afraid of what he might do. What if he turns me into a vampire in revenge?
The young man puts his hands on the girl's face and looks at her with tenderness in his eyes.
- I won't let you be hurt. Even if we leave this world, you must live, Inha. Being human is a beautiful gift. I will protect your precious life. I won't let Wonsung bring you eternal suffering.
Inha nods, looking at him with tears in her eyes.
***
The snow seems to be ankle-deep as they run through the hilly forest in the early morning, fleeing their vengeful brother. Minki senses from the scent that Wonsung is hot on their heels, getting closer.
At one point, the girl falls. Sitting in the snow, she looks at her oldest brother with tired eyes.
- Does that make sense? He won't let go, Minki - she says, shivering from the cold.
"So you want to let him bring you eternal suffering? He won't kill you, he'll do something much worse to you. Wonsung hates betrayal, especially from people he cares about," Minki says. "Do you want to go through what we went through? You have to live, Inha, as if you'd never met us!"
- So if you die, and I'm left alone, what will I do when Jay catches up to me!? What will I do if he turns me into a vampire in revenge!?
"He won't, you'll be safe. Trust me, Jay won't come near you again," he replies, lifting her off the ground. Inha looks at him with a surprised look as he places a golden necklace around her neck that he pulled out of his coat pocket. "Inside this circle is golden dust that will protect you. Jay won't be able to get near you. We also have this golden dust sprinkled by all the doors and windows, which is why he can't enter our house."
- Isn't it the gold dust that in large quantities can kill him?
- Yes, that's the dust. I recently sought help from a certain witch who told me so I could protect you from Jay. - Minki smiles slightly and brushes her hair behind her ear. - The most important thing to me is that you're safe.
- Instead of running away, you felt like flirting?
Minki turns to face his younger brother, who is standing with a golden sword. His face is covered in blood, so it looks like he has killed many people along the way in his rage. His murderous gaze is fixed on the girl he hates most in the world at this moment.
- Tan left, but that's what he wanted, like all of us. Why do you want to take revenge on Inha? - Minki speaks to him in a gentle voice.
- Why? - Wonsung's face twists into a wry smile. - Because she was conspiring with Jay all along! She was sent by our enemy! She's the reason he killed Tan! Furthermore, she's the reason I didn't get to see him and say goodbye! And you ask me why? And you're still protecting her?!
Minki grabs a thick branch that lies near his leg and with his other hand touches Inha, who is hiding behind him.
- Run, don't let them catch you. I'll do everything to keep you safe. I promise you.
With tears in her eyes, the girl first looks at the enraged Wonsung, then shifts her gaze to Minki and runs away. The younger brother attacks with a sword, but the older one protects himself with a branch, preventing Wonsung from running after the girl.
- I'll get her anyway, after I send you back to heaven, beloved brother! - he yells.
- So you saved her many years ago to now make her life hell?!
- She brought this fate upon herself.
A fierce battle ensues between the brothers as Inha runs through the forest, falling several times in the snow. She is frozen and terrified.
She had felt it would come eventually, but she wasn't prepared for Jay to attack her so quickly.
Furthermore, she struggles to get up from the snowdrift and, exhausted, runs on, accidentally hitting someone. She lifts her face and her eyes become as big as a doll's. She looks with frightened eyes at the person she hates most in the world.
At one point she starts crying and tugging on Jay's coat, screaming how much she hates him and that it's his fault.
"I can feel one of them has lost his life," the man says, wanting to grab her hands and teach her a lesson, but something burns him. He steps away from the girl, looking at her with a shocked gaze. "What are you protected with, Inha?" he asks in an angry voice.
Jay's words echo in her head, announcing that one of them had just lost his life.
She feels her heart ache, wanting to be there as soon as possible. If it was Minki who lost his life...
At some point, however, she notices him. He walks towards her, clearly hurt.
Inha runs to him and hugs him tightly, crying like a baby.
"My brother is in a better place now. At least he no longer suffers with this curse. I am at peace with the thought that both he and Tan will be reborn as humans," he states, placing a hand on her back.
"How hurt are you, Minki?" she asks him, worried eyes searching his face. " Jay's here, he got burned pretty badly when he tried to hurt me."
- So I'll go away peacefully with the thought that this scoundrel will never come near you again.
The girl moves away from him and looks at his entire figure.
- What do you mean, you're leaving? Where's the sword? - she asks in a worried voice.
"You'll have to go back for it and hide it well from Jay. I trust you can do that, Inha," he says, forcing a smile. " Wonsung managed to wound me slightly with the golden sword, so I'm starting to die."
Inha looks at him with panicked eyes, wanting to cry like a baby.
- I don't want you to leave me here so soon. Don't go away from me, please.
"Lead me in the opposite direction, because I suspect that bastard will follow my scent. When you're alone, I won't be able to smell you because of the necklace. Then come back here the next day and hide the golden sword that's in..." he adds in a whisper in her ear. "Don't ever let him find it. Let him suffer for all eternity, as punishment."
The girl can't control her tears when, after leaving the forest, she leads the wounded Minki along the street, fearing the next seconds. She is not ready to lose him at any moment.
At one point he stops and takes her face in his hands. He looks at her with tenderness in his eyes, forcing a smile.
"With my death, you will forget about me and my brothers," he says, not taking his eyes off hers. "But you will not forget to hide the golden sword and protect yourself from Jay for the rest of your life. Never take off the necklace I gave you." Tears run down her cheeks, which he wipes with the back of his hand. "I promise that I will find you in the next life and make it up to you. I believe that then we will be able to love each other with all our hearts and nothing will stop us from doing so, Inha. We will both be human."
A shriek tears through her throat as Minki dissolves in her arms. She falls to the ground, crying as if her entire world has just ended.
She is left alone in this cruel world, at one point not knowing why she sits in the middle of nowhere, shedding tears.
All she knows is that she must return the next day for the sword and hide it well. But why does her heart feel so empty and wounded?