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Chapter Text

Joseon Dynasty, 1864

It was an ordinary day when everything went dark. The candles went out and not even the moon seemed to shine. Just a few seconds after the general blackout began, people really couldn't even see the shadow of their own hands, so dark was it. The citizens of Joseon panicked. It was almost as if, all of a sudden, the vision of an entire dynasty had disappeared, and now an entire population was blind. In desperation, the people ran into the streets, groping for the palace, where they hoped to find explanations from the royalty.

Inside the palace, however, things couldn't have been worse. During the sudden blindness, not only had everyone become disoriented, but the voice of someone very important had not been heard for much longer than expected. Everyone in the palace knew how talkative their sovereign was, and his silence, especially at a time like this, was more disturbing than soothing.

While soldiers, lost in the darkness, tried desperately to call their ruler, things were slowly changing for the monarch.

King Gwangmu, only fourteen years old, was already far away, taken unconscious by a small group of five men as discreetly as possible, leaving no trace that they had kidnapped the ruler of Joseon.

Too far away for any guards or soldiers to find them, the five men walked with the young king into a forest, finding themselves further and further away from the empire.

- Faster, Jaewon - the red-haired man, who was walking ahead of the others, growled as he continued walking, without looking back.

Jaewon, the tall blond boy who was carrying the king's body, grumbled angrily.

- If you'd helped me carry this pile of meat instead of complaining that I walk slowly with a unconscious body on my back, we'd be a lot further, you bunch of idiots.

- You're the youngest in the group, kid, so you do what we say without complaining - a red-haired man said, mocking - Besides, you're the strongest in the group, that's nothing to you.

Jaewon grumbled, annoyed.

- I find a way to extract solanine and put it in all the kingdom's water sources to blind both royalty and the people so that the plan works and I inject an even higher dose of solanine into the king so that he faints,” he muttered, so low that no one heard, ”but of course I'm the one who does it all just because I'm the youngest.

Reluctantly, as the other three moved on, a black-haired man approached Jaewon.

- I'll help you carry him, Lee,” he said, grabbing the king's legs

- Thanks, Kangta - Jaewon nodded, relieved - He's too heavy for one person to carry, I don't know how Heejun can't see that.

- You know how arrogant he is. - Kangta said - Heejun doesn't accept any opinion that differs from his in any way, and if he thinks you could carry the king by yourself, he won't help you at all.

Jaewon rolled his eyes.

- If he hadn't been such an idiot and had helped me carry the king's body from the start, we'd have been in the cave hours ago,” he grumbled.

Kangta sighed, silently agreeing as the group continued.

After a few more hours of endless walking, the five of them finally entered a small cave situated among the trees, hidden from everyone.

Inside the cave, two other men were already waiting, sitting with their backs to the wall and turning their heads as soon as they heard the sounds.

- Have you brought the king? - one of them, with a tuft and the sides of his hair shaved, asked.

Heejun, the red-haired man who led the other four, rolled his eyes as he nodded to the other four.

- Here - he said, as Jaewon and Kangta placed the king's body in the middle of the room - Where are the others? They should be back by now, Brian.

- They should be here soon - said the man with the tuft, Brian - They stayed with the plants, they shouldn't be too long.

The other man stood up slowly.

- They should be here soon then,” he said, ”I'll bring Ji-hoon into the middle of the room.

One of the five boys who had helped bring the king in, with light brown hair and round glasses, held the king by the legs and helped the other move the king.

- Thanks, Woohyuk,” the man said, panting, ”I didn't think he'd be so heavy.

- I thought Jaewon was just throwing a tantrum - said the other man, Woohyuk, wiping his forehead with the back of his wrist - This guy is heavier than I thought.

- Dude, he's a king, do you know how much royalty eats? - he said - They eat every day like it's their last meal.

Woohyuk nodded.

- “True,” he said, sighing, “Anyway, we managed to get the king to the right place for the ritual, Hwanhee. Now we just have to wait for the other five to arrive.

The other man, Hwanhee, nodded and, with a small smile, returned to Brian's side and sat down.

- Tony! - Heejun called out, annoyed - Shouldn't the others have arrived by now?

The boy with the blond tuft and brown roots who had come with Heejun and the other boys looked at the red-haired man for a second and then walked towards the cave door, looking up at the sky.

- They should be here soon, don't worry,” Tony said, his voice calm, ”Joon said they'd be a little later than us because it's hard to find wild ginseng or angelica gigas nakai in the surrounding area, so they had to go further.

Heejun rolled his eyes, but nodded, knowing how difficult it was to find the plants in the area they were in.

A few minutes later, five men entered the cave, full of plants in their hands.

- We got everything - the tallest of the five said - wild ginseng, Chinese fringe tree leaves, cryptomeria, angelica gigas nakai, shrub peony, lotus flower, chrysanthemum, plum blossom, astragalus root, ginger, remmania root and houttuynia.

Brian went towards the men, taking some of the plants from their hands.

- “Come on, let's put them near the king and Rain,” he said, heading towards the center of the room, where the two fainted men were lying.

The tallest of the last men to arrive, Taewoo, took most of the plants in his hands and placed them gently next to the king, while the other four men took what was left of the plants and placed them with the king's body

- Right - the other man, Kyesang, said as soon as the plants were placed next to the king - What now?

- You really don't remember what we have to do? We've been over this a bunch of times! - another man, with his hair down and straight, complained.

- Leave it, Hoyong, you know that Kyesang's memory is terrible - the other man, with very neat hair, said, trying to calm him down.

- Leave it alone, Danny! We've gone over this plan a thousand times, it's not possible that nothing can get into this idiot's head! - Hoyong continued, still indignant.

Joon, the oldest of the twelve men, took a deep breath and closed his eyes, slightly irritated by the argument.

- Enough! - he said seriously - It doesn't matter, I'll repeat the plan without any problem as many times as I need to, you know that.

Hoyong rolled his eyes.

- I wouldn't have to repeat it if Kyesang wasn't stupid,” he muttered almost inaudibly.

Joon, having been the only one to hear Hoyong's complaint, looked deeply into his eyes, until Son looked away, unable to continue looking at the leader.

- Well - the older man continued, louder - Let's get things organized, shall we? Remember that the circle made around Ji-hoon must be interspersed, while the king's head must be under his feet, with his own feet outside the circle.

- Joon? - Jaewon called out - How should they be interspersed? Is there a specific order to things?

The older man nodded, closing his eyes and thinking for a few minutes.

- Wild ginseng, mouse skin, baekdu mountain rock, Chinese fringe tree leaves, ox skin, seorak mountain rock, cryptomeria, tiger skin, hantan river rock, angelica gigas nakai, rabbit skin, halla mountain rock, bushy peony, snake skin, chilseong rocks, lotus flower, horse skin, bukhansan, chrysanthemum, goat skin, insubong, plum blossom, monkey skin, jirisa mountain rocks, astragalus root, rooster skin, namhan river rocks, ginger, wolf skin, yongmasan rocks, remmania root, pig skin, geumgang mountain rocks, houttuynia, turtle skin and namsan mountain rocks - he finished slowly, opening his eyes as Kangta placed the last of the items in the circle.

After the circle was finished, Joon took a piece of charcoal and drew a rune on Ji-hoon's forehead, as well as a similar rune on the soles of the king's feet.

- All done,” he said, pausing for a few seconds to take a closer look at the work. Taewoo, the incantation.

Taewoo then approached the circle, towering above the two bodies, his own feet less than ten centimeters from the two unconscious bodies. He closed his eyes, raised both arms over the bodies and began to recite the incantation.

The words that came out of Kim's mouth almost sounded like Korean, but no matter how much the others paid attention, none of the eleven other members of the venue could understand a single word that came out of the man's mouth.

Standing in a straight line a few paces away from the man reciting the incantation, the group began to feel something strange, while Taewoo's own body began to tremble slightly.

As the hands of the eleven men tingled simultaneously and Taewoo's body began to tremble more and more, something even stranger began to happen to the two unconscious bodies.

The king's body seemed to start moving, while Ji-hoon's own body seemed to swell more and more, while tiny colored lines came out of the king's body, connecting with Ji-hoon's. Suddenly, a bang was heard outside the cave and Ji-hoon's body shone so brightly that no one could leave their eyes open.

Suddenly, a bang was heard from outside the cave and Ji-hoon's body glowed in such a bright light that no one could leave their eyes open, while the king's body shrank significantly in size until it disappeared.

When the king finally disappeared, the blinding light was gone and everyone was finally able to open their eyes, confused by what they saw ahead:

Ji-hoon's body was still in the air, spinning slowly, the man's hair bristling and his eyes open, completely white.

The eyes of everyone in the circle looked hopefully at Ji-hoon's body, which was spinning faster and faster in the air. The magic in the cave was so strong that it kept swinging the men back and forth frantically, forcing them to close their eyes again because of the force. Behind everyone, the fountains of magic ricocheted off the cave wall, leaving marks on the stones.

Suddenly, Ji-hoon's body stopped spinning and the fountains of magic that resided behind the participants quickly turned towards the man at the center of the ritual, entering Ji-hoon's body together through his ajar mouth.

Brian and Hwanhee looked at each other, fearful. That wasn't part of the ritual.

Then Ji-hoon's body glowed so brightly that everyone had to close their eyes. Suddenly, there was a bang and the next thing they knew, something gooey was hitting them, sticking pieces to their bodies.

When everyone opened their eyes, they understood what the gooey texture on their skin was. After all, in front of everyone, where Ji-hoon's body used to be, there was now a huge pool of blood, which was slowly changing color to a strange shade that resembled gold.

Then a scream was heard.

- Ouch! That burns! Help me! - Joon, the first to be hit by Ji-hoon's remains, jumped frantically as he tried to get the remains of the man's body off of him.

Suddenly, Hoyong fell to the ground with a scream, his legs weakening as the pain hit him hard.

One by one, the twelve men present in the circle fell to the ground, the unbearable pain filling their bodies more and more, as if the pieces of Ji-hoon's body were some kind of corrosive acid that spread rapidly everywhere it touched.

Slowly, after much struggling, the suffering of each of the men came to an end, the screams ceased and their breaths were extinguished. When the last of the twelve men died, small colored lights emerged from the bodies of each of them, passing one by one through the entrance to the cave and multiplying, floating in the most diverse directions, bringing something that would change the world forever.

Chapter Text

Seoul, South Korea, 2025

The most remote part of Seoul was a rather funny place. Unlike most of South Korea's largest metropolis, the suburbs of the big city were poorly lit and darker, giving those who passed through a feeling that there was always someone hiding, about to attack any unwary passer-by who walked through the streets of the most dangerous parts of the capital without due caution, making the frightened passers-by walk faster and clutch their bags to their bodies, fearful of having their belongings stolen or even worse, because you never knew what might happen in the dirty, poorly-lit alleys.

In that place where everyone walked cowering and apprehensive, hiding in corners and carefully observing each alleyway before passing through, one woman stood out. Walking as if the streets belonged to her, without even looking before passing through the alleyways, she flashed a huge smile as she skipped around the place, her flowery dress fluttering as the bag in her hand swayed happily from side to side.

Passing through the dark streets as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world, the woman turned a completely dark corner and skipped towards a nearby building, jumping up and grabbing onto an emergency staircase that seemed too high for an ordinary human being to reach.

Climbing the emergency staircase, the woman reached the top of the building and walked calmly across the terrace, reaching the edge of the building and, with a humanly impossible jump, landed on the roof of the next building.

Following the line of space between the buildings, which was too small for a human being to pass through, the woman jumped from building to building, climbing down a ladder similar to the one she had used to climb the first building and moving forward, passing through the dark alley until she came to a piece of abandoned land with a “for sale” sign so old that it was falling apart, the land having had no buyers for years due to the difficult access to the place.

Entering the lot, the girl walked peacefully past the sign and through the tall grass until she reached the bottom of the lot, where plants that hadn't been cut for a long time had accumulated so much that it was impossible to see what was behind them.

Entering the undergrowth while carefully dodging the thorny bushes, with such ease that this had to be a frequent route, the girl made her way deeper into the plants, not taking long to reach another lot, completely surrounded by trees and wild plants, but that was very clean compared to the surrounding woods and the land that preceded it.

At the end of the lot, an old-looking house could be seen, the paint on the walls peeling, the window frames rather worn and the front door blocked by wooden planks nailed to the frames.

Going around the house, the girl entered through a side door that was hidden among some plants, closing the door, placing the bag on top of the sink in the small kitchen and passing through the hallway, walking happily towards the living room, where two other women sat on the sofa, one of them, with long black hair and shorter stature, watching television while the other girl, of medium height and with ear-length brown hair, typed furiously on her computer.

— Where were you? - the black-haired woman watching the television asked, a hint of concern escaping her voice.

The purple-haired woman pointed to the kitchen.

— Our blood supply was running low, Bora - she said, unpretentiously, as she sat down on the sofa. — I thought I'd better be safe and brought some extra bags.

The woman working on the computer suddenly took her attention away from the screen and turned to the purple-haired girl, raising an eyebrow.

— I got blood bags less than three days ago Minji, what are you talking about? - she asked, confused.

— I hurt my arm badly yesterday and took the last three bags from the stock, Binnie - the black-haired woman, Bora, explained, somewhat embarrassed.

The brown-haired woman looked closely at the other woman's arm, worried, but relaxed when she saw the limb completely unharmed and made a brief noise of understanding with her mouth.

— Okay - she said simply, turning her attention back to the computer.

— Speaking of which, how's your injury, Bora? - Minji asked, a touch of concern in her voice.

Bora sighed, taking off her shirt to show the bands around her waist.

— Better - she said, touching the bandage and frowning — But it still hurts.

Minji sighed, removing the band from Bora's waist and frowning when she saw the burns.

— I'll be right back, - she said, getting up. — I know that burn paste doesn't help to heal, but at least it numbs the area for a while.

The short-haired woman frowned in concern when she saw the wound.

— What happened? - she asked, approaching and taking the T-shirt from Bora's hands as Minji left the room — You said you'd hurt your arm, not your abdomen.

Bora sighed, reluctant to reveal the reason for the burn.

— Hunters - she said quietly after a few minutes, — they saw me jumping over the buildings. I managed to escape the stakes and the fire, but the holy water caught me.

Yubin sighed, running her fingers through Bora's hair.

— You have to be careful, Bora - the woman said, sounding worried — Hunters can be everywhere, you know that.

Bora sighed, closing her eyes.

— I know, Binnie - she said, — I promise I'll be more careful from now on, okay?

Yubin stared at Bora for a few seconds, then let out a sigh.

— Thank you, unnie, - she said, running her fingers along the woman's chin — It makes me feel safer.

Bora gave a brief smile, enjoying the affection.

— Don't thank me for anything, - she said, lifting her head to give the woman more space, — I'm the one who should thank you for caring about me so much, Yubin.

Yubin smiled, running her fingers over Bora's cheek one last time and stood up, heading for the kitchen.

Bora closed her eyes, trying to rest, but just a few seconds later she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs and looked over to see Minji holding a white briefcase.

— Is this really necessary? - Bora asked, sighing — We're vampires, this will heal in two days.

— It's not because it's going to heal quickly that it can't get infected in the meantime, Bora, you know that - Minji said, putting the first aid kit down and opening it.

— It's going to heal anyway, Ji! - Bora protested.

— And you're going to complain all the time because if I don't clean this wound it's going to heal painfully! - the woman retorted — Now stand still, Bora, it won't take long.

While Minji carefully treated Bora's wound, Yubin decided to stretch her legs. She had been sitting for hours, revising work to hand in at college, and her body had been aching for some time due to the lack of movement.

Leaving through the back door of the house after picking up one of the blood bags Bora had brought, the girl observed the forest that grew around the house. Despite the remote location, Yubin didn't mind the long journey to get anywhere when she lived surrounded by so much nature, because for her, any long journey was worth it to get home and see the beautiful garden that Bora cultivated at the back of the house.

The girl sat down on the grass and closed her eyes as she opened the blood sac, taking a deep breath as she inhaled the gentle scent of the trees and the sweet aroma of the surrounding flowers, letting her worry fade away little by little, her mind becoming lighter and her body less tense as the blood flowed down her throat and the smell of the grass entered her nostrils.

Suddenly, Yubin heard a noise, and her body tensed up completely, the bag of blood hanging between her teeth, now without any absorption of the content. Her hearing wasn't as powerful as a werewolf's, but she could still hear better than an ordinary human being. Opening her eyes and quickly scanning the perimeter of the site, the girl let out a sigh of relief to find only a sweet gray cat watching her curiously from afar, standing out among the trees.

— Whew! - she sighed, relieved, as she looked at the feline with a small smile on her face — You scared me, cutie!

The cat looked at Yubin for a few more seconds, as if its round green eyes were scanning her thoroughly. Slowly, the cat moved closer, circling Yubin's body and sniffing the girl for a few seconds, before turning around and walking away in the same place it had come from.

Yubin gave a soft smile, finding the cat's behavior funny and a bit cute, then finished the blood bag, the nervousness draining more and more from her body and finally calming her nerves a bit.

The woman got up from the floor and, inhaling deeply the fresh air of nature for one last time, went back into the house.

— Ouch! Ji, that hurts! - Yubin's lips moved into a small smile when the first thing she heard upon entering the house was Bora's whining.

— We're almost done, Bora - Minji's sweet voice rang out from the kitchen as Yubin entered the house — Just let me do the bandaging, okay?

Yubin passed the two other girls with a soft smile, amused by Minji's gentleness and Bora's obvious drama, and went upstairs, more rested and ready to continue her work.

While Yubin continued with her student duties downstairs, Bora's big drama seemed to have finally stopped.

— It didn't even hurt! - she said, an ear-to-ear grin on her face.

Minji nodded, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

— Be more careful from now on, Booya - she said, running a hand over the woman's head — You may not age, but you're not immortal, dear.

Bora slipped an arm around Minji's waist in a side hug.

— I know, Ji. I promise I'll be more careful, okay? - she said, a soft smile appearing on her lips as she squeezed the older woman's hand, trying to reassure her — From now on, I'll only jump from building to building when you're with me and Binnie is complaining and telling us to stop!

Minji let out a soft laugh.

— We both know you won't keep that promise, Bora.

The black-haired woman shrugged.

— Maybe not - she said, a small smile on her lips — But it doesn't hurt to try, does it?

—And tomorrow you'll be jumping from building to building on your own, won't you?

A smile broke out on Bora's lips.

— Maybe, - she said — but it's the intention that counts in a promise, not whether it's going to be kept.

Minji laughed again, squeezing Bora's shoulders in a hug, knowing damn well that this promise would be broken quickly, because Bora had too much energy to just jump from building to building under her or Yubin's supervision.

Climbing the stairs to put the first aid box away, Minji raised an eyebrow as she spotted something outside the house through the half-open windows in the back yard. There was a fluffy gray cat lying on the outskirts of the woods, its round little eyes looking straight at the house while its tail swayed gently among the plants.

Shrugging, unconcerned by the feline's presence, the woman opened the cabinet and put away the first-aid supplies, then went downstairs to check on Bora once more.

Outside the house, a gray cat was getting up from its resting place, stretching its body and slowly leaving the area.

Chapter Text

Kim Bora was late.

She cursed herself for having made the choice to ignore Minji when the woman had first called her, having decided to sleep for another twenty minutes before getting up to go to work.

Holding the black bottle with blood that Yubin had given her between her teeth, the girl hurried her steps, glancing at her wristwatch. At the almost human pace at which she was running, she would almost certainly be late.

Looking at a dark alley ahead, Bora wondered if it was worth the risk. The girl discreetly entered the alley, storing the bottle in her bag and then removing a mask and jacket from it. Putting on the mask and wearing the jacket with the hood over her head, the girl smiled. Yubin would kill her if she knew that.

Laughing lightly at the thought, Bora climbed the outside stairs of one of the buildings in the alley and started running as soon as she reached the rooftop, jumping from building to building with such precision that it couldn't have been her first time doing it. The truth was that Bora liked to jump around, taking advantage of her physical advantages that allowed her to jump much higher and run much faster than any human being. Not that Minji or Yubin knew this, since Lee would have killed her for doing it in the first place while Minji would have strangled her for Bora's hypocrisy, since Minji herself was tired of listening to Bora's lectures about how dangerous it was to jump from building to building and how dangerous it was to be seen by humans in this way.

Halfway to work, Bora suddenly stopped. The girl was so used to the route she was taking that she knew exactly the only time she smelled blood: when she passed the butcher's shop two blocks from her house. At this point in her journey, Bora shouldn't have been smelling any kind of blood, let alone the sweet smell that she knew for sure wasn't animal blood. It was blood that had been there for weeks, and Bora thought it was just someone clumsy who constantly hurt themselves, but now it was so strong that the woman could no longer simply ignore it.

Somewhat startled, the girl had the stupidest idea she could come up with: she decided to follow the smell of blood instead of going to work. Somehow, Bora knew that she somehow knew the smell of that blood, but she couldn't remember from where.

Getting closer and closer to the smell, Bora became even more concerned when her superhuman hearing picked up a grunt, similar to a whimpering dog. Something was wrong, very wrong.

Not planning to do much other than peek and, if there was a problem, call the authorities, Bora continued to approach the smell that was clearly human blood, jumping onto the terrace of a building next door and stopping suddenly. The smell was coming from the building, some floor below the terrace.

Suddenly, Bora's somewhat sensitive ears picked up something:

Another grunt? Not exactly, Bora thought it was something like an attempt at a growl, but it sounded like a quiet, muffled grunt?

Bora approached the terrace door and tried her luck. Surprisingly, the door was open.

As she continued down the stairs, wondering why the hell she was doing that, she heard a new sound, a little louder this time.

Bora suddenly heard a noise and held her breath, going downstairs as quietly as she could. Something was wrong, very wrong.

As she went down the stairs, Bora kept hearing tiny noises, so low that a mere human wouldn't even be able to perceive them. A sigh, a grunt, a growl, an attempt at a muffled scream, and each time, the sounds got louder.

Going down a little further, Bora stopped when the sound decreased slightly. Just to be sure, Bora went down another level to confirm. The sound diminished even more. Going up again, the woman looked at the corridor she was in:

There were eight doors in the corridor, and Bora's night vision helped her as she walked slowly down the dark corridor, carefully analyzing the doors.

Suddenly, Bora heard a grunt, followed by a growl and a whimper. Alarmed by the sound, the vampire walked faster, now knowing which door she was looking for thanks to the sounds.

As she got closer, the woman found the silence strange. Her ears weren't the most sensitive among non-humans, but she was certainly capable of hearing more than the average human being.

Bora froze for a few seconds when her ears caught the sound of a door opening, but breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that all the doors in the corridor were still locked.

The vampire still smelled blood, but strangely, something had changed. It was a slightly different smell, a little milder than before, but still very sweet, with a slightly woody touch, so discrete that it was almost unnoticeable.

Bora was alarmed; that smell wasn't unfamiliar to her, even though it wasn't common in her daily life, and she certainly knew what it was:

It was werewolf blood.

Well, knowing how the police treated non-humans, Bora completely dismissed the idea of calling the authorities.

A yelp was heard, and Bora knew that something just couldn't be right. From the scents she could smell, the only people in that place were a human and a werewolf. Humans weren't known for yelping, but a creature as strong as a werewolf should be able to defend itself against a human with extreme ease.

Something was wrong, very wrong.

Leaning against the door, Bora waited a while, just to make sure that the scent of human blood she had smelled before had completely faded and, after a few minutes, she finally tried to open the door, rolling her eyes when she realized that it was locked.

— Of course it's locked - she muttered, taking a deep breath — Well, it looks like things are going to have to be done a little more roughly.

Steadying her body on the floor, the woman lifted her leg and, with all the strength a vampire could have, kicked the door, right next to the locked handle.

The door shook and Bora heard something break, a few splinters flew and finally the wood gave in, the door slowly opening as the interior of the apartment was revealed.

It was dark, but thanks to her vampiric nature, Bora was still able to see what was going on. It was a strange apartment, as if no one had lived there for ages. Which made a certain amount of sense, since the building Bora had entered was so old and so badly looked after that she was absolutely certain that not a single person still lived there.

The furniture was so dusty that it looked as if they hadn't seen anyone for months.

Another groan was heard, and Bora became even more alarmed. Something was very wrong.

Moving carefully, the woman went further into the apartment, slowly passing through the living room and walking down the corridor, worried by the smell of blood that seemed to be getting stronger and stronger.

Reaching the last door, Bora raised an eyebrow as he looked at the handle. Silver, the handle was completely made of silver. Sighing, the woman tried to turn the handle and, surprisingly, the door opened, but it didn't take long for it to latch, as if there was something heavy on the other side, preventing the door from opening completely.

Bora heard another shriek coming from the bedroom and hurried to find a way to open the door.

Stopping to think for a few seconds, she finally had an idea. In the blink of an eye, the black-haired woman had disappeared and a bat had replaced her, entering the small opening in the door while flapping its tiny wings.

Stepping inside, Bora let out a small sound of horror as she saw what was inside the room:

It must have been a werewolf, if the smell and the fur spread across the floor were any indication. Her hands were tied by a rope to a piece of iron stuck in the corner of the room, the woman's clothes looked like rags and her lips were covered by a piece of cloth that was clearly too tight, leaving reddish stripes on her face. Her blonde hair was extremely disheveled and her clearly tired eyes showed an enormous amount of anger, but deep down you could still see the fear that crept into the poor woman's being.

The smell of blood now made sense. The woman had so many cuts and bruises that Bora couldn't even count, bleeding freely all over her body, while a few seemed to be starting to heal.

When Bora took a few more steps forward, the woman growled in an attempt to threaten, but deep down you could see that her eyes expressed nothing but fear.

Perhaps Bora would be foolish to actually help a werewolf, knowing full well the disagreements vampires had with the species, but she wasn't just going to leave the poor woman there, chained up in a corner and trapped in a place that wasn't worthy of even the most vile of creatures.

— It's okay - Bora said, just loud enough for the woman to hear — I'm going to untie you and help you out of here, okay?

Slowly, Bora approached, careful not to frighten the suspicious woman. Her posture was still defensive, but she no longer growled, and Bora took that as a good sign. Carefully, she crouched down next to the woman and slowly brought her fingers closer to her face, fumbling a little with the cloth, but finally removing the gag from the woman's mouth, who was still looking at her suspiciously.

As she struggled to undo the knots in the rope, the woman spoke, her voice a little raspy.

— Careful - she said with a struggle — It's silver.

Bora looked at the rod on which the woman stood, frowning at the metal. Why would anyone do that to her?

— Don't worry about me - the vampire said calmly — silver can't hurt me.

Hesitantly, the woman nodded, watching intently as Bora finished undoing the knots.

When the vampire had finished untying the woman and moved away a little, she slowly brought her hands to the ground and, with some struggle, used them to drag herself away from the silver rod, sighing in relief.

Slowly twisting her wrists to get the circulation going again, the woman turned to Bora.

— Thank you - she said, her voice low, — I can't thank you enough.

Bora nodded.

— You don't have to thank me - she said — No one should be in this situation.

The woman shrugged, looking around.

— I don't know how I got here, - she said quietly — or when I got here. This place is so dark and quiet that I think I've lost track of time.

Bora sighed, observing her surroundings.

— Let's get you out of here first, then we'll think about how you got here - she said, approaching again — Come on, I'll help you up.

With Bora holding her, the trembling woman finally managed to get up, smiling slightly in the vampire's direction.

— Thank you very much, really - she said, — By the way, I'm Siyeon, nice to meet you.

Bora smiled slightly, looking at the woman.

— Nice to meet you, Siyeon - she said quietly, her voice low so as not to frighten the poor woman. — My name is Bora. Now that the introductions have been properly made, let's get out of this place, shall we? Anything you need to tell me can be said outside. It's more important that you get out of whatever this place is.

Siyeon nodded and, slowly, Bora led her out of the room, through the dark, abandoned corridors until she finally left the building, leaving behind whatever had happened to put the woman in the deplorable situation that Bora had found her in.

Chapter Text

Perhaps Bora was a person of moments. Perhaps Bora shouldn't have potentially risked herself to save a woman she didn't even know. Perhaps Yubin and Minji would kill her if they discovered the possible danger she had subjected herself to. Perhaps she shouldn't have been taking the unknown woman into her house.

Bora didn't think about the lecture she'd get when she broke into the apartment, she didn't think about the trouble she'd get into when she broke down the door and untied Siyeon, but now, with the semi-conscious woman on her back, her wolf ears occasionally brushing against the vampire's face, she started to think about it.

Bora didn't know Siyeon. She didn't know where she came from, she didn't know her family, she didn't know her history, Bora didn't know anything. And yet the woman was taking her to the safety of her home. It wasn't the smartest idea, and maybe Bora really should take her to a hospital instead of her home, but what happened a few decades ago still haunted her, and even if times were different, Bora would never trust a hospital run by humans after what happened to Yubin.

Sighing, Bora continued to carry the werewolf on her back, walking through the quieter streets of Seoul while completely ignoring the strange looks she received from the very few people who passed through the deserted alleys, because it wasn't every day that you saw someone carrying a unconscious werewolf on their back.

The way home was longer, because Bora couldn't simply climb the buildings with the woman weakly holding onto her back, so all she could do was walk the streets.

After some time, the woman finally reached the empty lot, sneaking between the plants to find the old house where she lived.

As she walked slowly to the back door, Bora held her breath when she noticed some kind of movement at the nailed windows on the second floor.

Minji was still at home. Usually, the older vampire liked to visit a few random coffee shops on a daily basis, but it seemed that Bora wasn't having any luck. She looked over her shoulder, where Siyeon's unconscious face rested, and took a deep breath. She was going to have to get in one way or another and Minji wasn't going to disappear from the house at the snap of a finger. Well, at least it seemed to be just Minji, because explaining the situation to Yubin would be even more complicated.

Opening the door, the woman entered slowly, carefully passing through the kitchen and into the small hallway to reach the living room, where she placed the werewolf on the sofa, careful not to open her wounds even more.

In a matter of seconds, Bora went into the kitchen and returned with a bowl and a glass, which she placed in Siyeon's hands.

— I made tteokbokki for Yubin to eat yesterday and there's some left over, I hope you like it - she said, as she handed the jeotgarak, the metal “sticks” used as cutlery, into the other woman's hands — I brought you some water too, you must be thirsty.

Siyeon nodded, picking up a tteok with the silverware and sniffing it for a few seconds, before shrugging and starting to eat normally.

— Thank you - Siyeon said, popping some tteokbokki into his mouth and then sighing — It's been a while since I've had something so tasty.

Bora looked at Siyeon for a few moments, worried by the woman's statement, but took a deep breath and kept quiet. This wasn't the time to discuss it, if they were going to discuss it at all, it was time for Siyeon to eat well.

Sighing, Bora sat down in the armchair next to the sofa and looked at Siyeon, watching the woman completely devour the tteokbokki.

Nudging her ear, she sighed as she put her fingers behind the ear, pulling out a small device.

— Much better - she took a deep breath — I don't usually feel the expander that much, I guess I must have put it in wrong this morning.

Siyeon looked curiously at the small device on the coffee table.

— What's that? - she asked, her voice still wheezing.

Bora looked at the woman.

— Hearing expander, - she said simply, — Binnie designed it for us, just in case there were hunters whispering in the surroundings. Vampires hear much better than humans, but we don't have the hearing of a werewolf, after all. I don't usually wear it much because it's a bit uncomfortable, but I heard there was going to be a discussion about me at work, so I wore it just in case.

Siyeon nodded, still looking at the object.

— How are you feeling? - the woman asked, after a few more seconds of silence, as she watched the werewolf's irritated wrists.

— Better, I think, - she said as she turned her attention away from the device, her voice now a little less hoarse, — The ropes I was tied to had silver in them, so I think my wrists will take a while to heal from the irritation, and my wounds were also made with silver, but I'm not there anymore, and that's what matters.

Bora nodded.

— Good, - the vampire murmured —and why exactly were you in this situation?

Siyeon shrugged.

— I'm not sure, - she said quietly, frowning — Gahyunie was at college and Dongie had gone to the market when someone broke into the house.

Bora raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

— Shit, I should have listened to Dongie when she said to be careful with stuff, her advice always has a purpose - Siyeon cursed softly — Anyway, I was in the back yard when I heard someone open the gate. I thought Dongie had come back from the market earlier than usual, until I realized that the smell of whoever had come in wasn't her smell.

Siyeon took a deep breath, closing her eyes and leaning back for a moment.

— I'm not sure who it was till today, - she murmured, just loud enough for Bora to hear — They had a horrible smell of rotten meat and a weird voice, but I never saw their face, because I remember being blindfolded since I woke up.

Bora sighed.

— Can I do anything to help you, Siyeon? - she asked softly.

— Do you have a phone? - the woman asked, carefully — I need to let the girls know that I'm okay. Gahyun-ie and Dongie must be freaking out.

The vampire nodded, giving a soft smile.

— Give me a minute - she said, leaving the room and heading for the stairs.

Alone in the room, Siyeon carefully observed the place, still somewhat dazed. It was an old house, but the interior was in perfect condition, the furniture so clean and immaculate that it practically gleamed.

Looking behind the sofa, there were large stairs, down which Bora had disappeared, diagonally across an old dining room with a kind of bar, the shelves on the wall full of old bottles that Siyeon wasn't sure what they contained. Looking down the corridor that presumably led to the kitchen, the woman assumed that she had entered the house from there, since the large front door seemed to have timbers nailed all over it, preventing any entry.

A few moments later, the vampire came down the stairs, cell phone in hand.

— Here - she said, handing the phone into the woman's hands — They must be worried.

With her cell phone in hand, Siyeon was ready to dial the number and finally let her family know she was alive, but she stopped for a moment when she smelled something.

— Siyeon? - Bora asked, confused — What's up?

— Do you have any other creatures living here? - she asked, casually.

Bora raised an eyebrow, confused.

— No, - she said, — we're just three vampires. Well, we have Binnie, but she's half vampire anyway.

Siyeon raised an eyebrow.

— There aren't any werewolves in the house? - Lee asked.

Bora raised an eyebrow, confused.

— No, no werewolves.

— What about the surrounding area? - Siyeon asked, looking at the locked windows.

Bora frowned, finding Siyeon's behavior increasingly strange.

— No - she said — I've never seen any werewolves around.

— Then there's something wrong, very wrong... - Siyeon muttered, so quietly that Bora didn't hear.

— Siyeon? - Bora called out — Is everything all right?

Suddenly, the kitchen door opened, and Siyeon turned her neck towards the small corridor quickly. In a few seconds, a tall blue-haired woman entered, her walk stiff as her green eyes stared at Siyeon, looking frightened.

— Oh, hi Yoohyeon! Minji's upstairs - the vampire said, oblivious to the tension that seemed to be building between the two women — Please don't tell her there's a werewolf in the house, okay? I think she'd kill me.

Siyeon saw the woman's, Yoohyeon, body stiffen and she swallowed, her eyes avoiding Siyeon at all costs and her body exhaling what Siyeon knew to be the smell of fear.

— Of course - she said stiffly, her voice cracking slightly as she leaned her back against the air instead of the wall, swinging her arms in fright and balancing on her own two feet at the last second, her hands resting on her knees as she continued on her eager mission to avoid Siyeon's gaze — I'm going up now.

Bora nodded, looking confused, as the tall woman practically ran towards the stairs.

— Weird... - she muttered — Yoohyeon is always so nice, I wonder what happened?

Siyeon, still looking in the same direction as the stairs where Yoohyeon had disappeared, took a deep breath and coughed, Yoohyeon's scent impregnating her nostrils.

— Do you have a glass of water? - Siyeon asked quietly — I think I'm thirsty.

Bora nodded.

— One second - she said — I'll bring it to you in the blink of an eye.

Siyeon smiled slightly and nodded.

Feeling watched, the woman looked around and, from the top of the stairs, saw the blue hair and green eyes of the other woman, who stared at her, looking frightened.

Siyeon gave a soft smile in Yoohyeon's direction, trying to calm her down. The other woman, still a little frightened, smiled back shakily. Siyeon could still smell the fear, but it was a little softer, the panic no longer so present in Yoohyeon's body.

Clearly, the rest of the residents of the house were unaware of the woman's lycanthropic nature and, if that was what she preferred, Siyeon wouldn't be the one to expose her.

A crash was heard and, when Siyeon turned to look, Yoohyeon had fallen down the stairs, her feet fumbling with the steps.

— Yoohyeon? - Bora called out, returning with the water — Is everything alright?

— All right, Bora-unnie - the woman's trembling voice was heard — I just tripped.

The vampire raised an eyebrow.

— Yoohyeon, are you sure everything's okay?

She nodded firmly as she stood up.

— I'm fine, Bora unnie - she said, swallowing — I'll go and see what Minji's doing.

With that, Yoohyeon left the room, but her scent still remained. Siyeon shrugged when she heard the woman bump into something that, from the sound of it, seemed very heavy. She knew from the smell that the other werewolf had only just disappeared from her sight, but she was still in the surroundings, listening intently.

— Yoohyeon is usually clumsy, but this is already too much, - Bora said, looking worried. — I know she's only human, even clumsier than a normal one and doesn't have the ability of a vampire, but this is too much even for her.

“Human?” Siyeon thought, looking confusedly at Yoohyeon, who was staring at her with even more desperation from the top of the stairs, her eyes practically begging Siyeon not to say anything about her smell.

Finally, the girl's despair made sense. Bora and, it seemed, all the other residents of the house, didn't know that Yoohyeon was a werewolf, and the girl seemed to be terrified of everyone's reaction.

Sighing, Siyeon cast a reassuring glance in the direction of the woman, who seemed to calm down slightly. Letting her gray wolf ears show, Siyeon lowered her right ear in a sign of peace. Looking sideways to make sure no one else was around, Yoohyeon also let her brown ears appear, lowering her right one for a few seconds and then letting them disappear. The two girls looked at each other for a few more seconds and nodded, Yoohyeon's nervousness mostly fading away.

Finally, they exchanged nods, along with soft smiles, and Yoohyeon went on her way, her scent, now calmer, disappearing down the corridors, hoping that Siyeon wouldn't reveal her secret.

Chapter Text

Siyeon observed the surroundings of the room she was in for a few more seconds. After Yoohyeon left the room, she and Bora were alone again. Remembering the phone in her hands, the werewolf looked at it and took a deep breath, dialing Handong's number slowly, hoping that she was alone, because if Handong's reaction was bad, and it probably would be, her sister's would be even worse.

Voicemail. Siyeon sighed, knowing that there wasn't much she could do. In her bruised and weak state, there was no way she could find the strength to find Gahyun and Handong. Unfortunately, her sister and her best friend would have to wait for her for a few more days.

She smiled softly as she looked around the room, feeling relieved. It was strange to feel so safe in a stranger's house, but at the moment, anything could give Siyeon more security than the dirty old place she had been put in, and Bora's house was almost so organized that it seemed spotless.

Looking at the spot from which Yoohyeon had disappeared a few minutes ago, Siyeon gave a soft smile. As grateful as she was to Bora for changing her daily routine to save her even if she didn't have to, especially considering the history of rivalry between vampires and werewolves over the centuries, Siyeon was still happy that there was another werewolf in the house, even if it was a secret. Smelling the scent of a harmless wolf, even if it was a wolf that wasn't in her pack, was comforting, almost as if she could feel her sister's furry form wrapped around hers, the two of them warming themselves on a cold winter's night as Handong snuggled between them.

In a way, it hurt. Siyeon missed her sister and her best friend. The feeling of finally being out of her previous captivity was liberating, of course, but it was still constantly overshadowed by the immense longing and worry that Siyeon continued to feel for the two women who were the most important beings in her life. Gahyun and Handong must have been dying of worry at the moment, after Siyeon had been disappeared for so long.

Taking a deep breath as she tried to make her thoughts go away, Siyeon slowly sat up. Perhaps it was finally time to at least wash her face after so long with a body full of dirt.

Carefully, the woman rested both hands on the sofa and, with some difficulty, stood up, her vision spinning a little. Having to support herself on the sofa again for a few seconds, her eyes finally returned to normal and she walked in what she hoped was the direction of the bathroom.

— Shit - she said, leaning against the wall as she took a deep breath, her legs hurting immensely as she barely moved her knee, barely lifting her foot off the floor — I didn't think it would be this bad.

Reaching the bathroom with more difficulty than she had expected, she took a deep breath, her eyes closed. Walking those few steps had been much more tiring than expected.

Raising her head and finally meeting her own yellow eyes in the mirror, her slit-like pupils stared at her deeply, as if her reflection were someone else desperately trying to understand what had happened to the poor being staring back at her.

Siyeon looked awful at the moment, and she knew it very well. Her long platinum hair was uneven, almost as if she'd cut it wrong, her bangs that had already reached her cheekbones parted in the middle, exposing her forehead so that the strands wouldn't fall over her eyes. Small cuts could be found on her cheeks, and there was a part of her neck that was still burnt, the silver leaving a mark that Siyeon didn't even know if it would disappear. Her wrists were still irritated, the ropes with traces of silver on them made Siyeon weaker, so she was never able to break them, and the friction of the silver against her bruised wrists made her even more sore than the contact of her skin with an ordinary rope.

Her clothes were practically rags, she realized. Her t-shirt, which had previously been intact, now had so many holes and rips that Siyeon couldn't even count, her pants so dirty that Siyeon could hardly see the light shade of the jeans, which had been completely taken over by the dirt in the filthy place. The shoes weren't so bad, Siyeon thought, looking down at her own feet. Sure, the once-white sneakers were completely dirty, but nothing more. Unlike the shirt and pants, which had numerous rips, at least the shoes were still in one piece.

— Siyeon? - Bora's voice broke into the bathroom — Is everything all right?

Startled by the sudden noise, the woman turned around quickly, groaning in pain as the sudden movements opened her bruises.

— I'm sorry! - Bora said, approaching the woman who was cringing in pain — I didn't mean to scare you.

Siyeon nodded, gesturing with her hand to indicate that everything was fine.

Slowly, Bora helped Siyeon sit down on the toilet, leaving the towel and the pile of clothes she was carrying on top of the sink.

— I've brought some of Minji's clothes for you, I think you might want to take them off now that you're no longer locked up - she said softly — there's also a towel with it, if you want to take a shower. Do you think you need help with that?

Siyeon nodded, looking a little embarrassed.

— It's okay, - she mumbled — I can shower by myself.

Bora nodded, bending down to open the cupboards.

— Here, - she said, leaving a white suitcase next to the clothes — There are bandages and first aid equipment inside, if you need them.

Siyeon nodded.

— Thank you - she said weakly.

— If you need anything else, I'll be right outside. - she said — Just call my name and I'll help you with whatever you need.

Siyeon gave the woman a small smile.

— Thank you, Bora - the emotion leaked out of her voice — For everything, really.

Bora smiled back, nodding.

— No need to thank me for anything, Siyeon - she looked into the woman's eyes — No one deserves to be in the situation I found you in, I didn't do more than the minimum by getting you out.

— But you didn't have to - she muttered — You could have ignored whatever you heard and got on with your life.

Bora shrugged.

— I could have, - she said — but I didn't. And now you're here, simple. It wasn't a lot of work to get you out, you don't have to thank me for anything.

— Bora - Siyeon said, looking seriously into the woman's eyes — You saved my life. How can I see this as nothing? If it weren't for you, I'd probably starve to death in that place.

Bora sighed, knowing there was no way to win the argument.

— I'll let you get ready, okay? - she said, with a small smile — Remember, feel free to call me if you need to and, if you want, take a shower as long as you need to, okay?

Siyeon nodded.

— Thank you Bora, really - there was a small smile on her lips.

Bora nodded, sighing.

— You're welcome, Siyeon - she said, also giving the woman a small smile.

As soon as Bora came out of the bathroom, Siyeon took a deep breath. It wouldn't be easy to shower with all the wounds on her body, but Bora had already done too much for her and Siyeon simply couldn't accept any more help than the woman was already giving her. Gritting her teeth, the woman removed what was left of her blouse with some difficulty, some of the small cuts on her torso opening up because of the movement. Taking deep breaths and pausing from time to time, she finally managed to undress completely, sighing and dragging herself into the shower, watching as the blood, both dried and slowly seeping out of her still open wounds, ran down her body and onto the floor, letting itself be carried away by the water, never to be seen again.

The shower took a while, mainly because Siyeon simply couldn't move quickly enough, but eventually her body was completely clean and she sighed with relief. The feeling of the water falling on her now totally clean body was liberating, as if all the dirt she had previously encrusted on her skin weighed ten kilograms more, and she could finally feel how light it was to be clean, without a gram of dirt, blood or dust on her body.

Walking slowly out of the shower, the woman dried herself off, still with some difficulty due to the injuries, and picked up the case that Bora had left for her, opening it.

Gauze, saline solution, bandages, medicines, thermometers and some other medical equipment that Siyeon hadn't paid attention to were inside the case. A little clumsily, the woman took the saline solution and applied it to a large wound on her stomach, cleaning and disinfecting what the water hadn't removed. Then she put the gauze over the wound and fixed it in place with the adhesive plaster, looking in the mirror to check the bandaging. Sighing at the amount of bruises she had on her body, she looked at the suitcase. Maybe she would have to spend more than just gauze.

A few minutes later, Siyeon finally emerged from the bathroom, bandages scattered over her neck, arms and legs, some of them hidden under her clothes. Wearing a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants that smelled of flowers, the woman moved slowly towards the living room, dragging her slippers on the floor as she leaned on the walls from time to time.

Bora was waiting for her, sitting on the sofa in the living room, looking in the woman's direction.

— Everything okay? - she asked, watching Siyeon slowly sit down on the sofa.

The werewolf nodded.

— Everything alright - she said — Thank you for letting me use your bathroom, I don't think I've ever felt so light after a shower.

Bora waved her hand in dismissal, as if it didn't matter.

— I told you, it's no big deal, - she said, — Is there anything else I can help you with?

Siyeon denied it, giving a soft smile.

— You've already helped me more than I need, Bora, I'm more than fine.

— All right, - she said, sighing, as she handed the phone back to the woman — Here, in case you want to call your family. They must be worried.

Siyeon sighed, nodding as she looked straight through the phone that was back in her hands.

— Thank you - she said simply, her eyes still completely fixed on the device.

After a few minutes of sitting still, the woman sighed, holding the phone tighter and slowly dialing the numbers, her fingers going over each key before a new number was entered.

Finally finishing typing in the number she wanted, the woman put the phone to her ear, but frowned immediately afterwards.

— That's strange, - she muttered — Dongie's always got the phone nearby, why doesn't she answer it?

Bora raised an eyebrow.

— Well, - Siyeon sighed, looking defeated — I didn't want to have to call Gahyun-ie, but I guess that's all I have to do at the moment.

As slowly as she had typed in the previous number, the woman pressed key after key, watching as the cell phone rang and the call went straight to voicemail.

Siyeon frowned.

— That's strange, - she said, sighing a few seconds later and putting the phone down on the coffee table — Well, I guess if I wait a few more minutes to call again they'll pick up. They're probably busy at the moment.

Bora nodded.

— Can I help you with anything else, Siyeon? - she said, looking at the bruises — You still don't look very well.

Siyeon shrugged, making a face as she remembered her own condition.

— It's okay, Bora. I don't need anything else - she said. — I can only hope that the silver wounds will heal over time, I can't do much more than that.

Bora nodded.

— If you need anything, just call my name - she said — I'll let you rest for now, Siyeon.

The woman nodded.

— Thank you, Bora - she said — I'm very grateful for all the help you've given me.

The vampire dismissed her thanks with a wave of her hand, as if what she had done was no big deal.

— Don't worry about it, - she said. — Get plenty of rest, will you? I think you've lost too much blood from those bruises.

Siyeon nodded, with a small smile, and Bora left the room. Sighing, the werewolf gave a small smile, happy to feel so free for the first time since her life had been turned upside down.

Chapter Text

A bang was heard and the front door, completely protected by wooden boards, shook, alarming the girls inside the house. Bora, worried, emerged from the corridor she had just entered, finding Siyeon looking worriedly at the door.

At the top of the stairs, a purple-haired woman appeared, with a worried expression on her face.

— What's going on? - she asked, looking at Siyeon for a few seconds and then at the door.

— About her, - Bora pointed at Siyeon — it's a long story. About whatever is happening on the other side of the door, I have no idea what it's all about, Minji.

Siyeon, with her sensitive ears completely stunned by the sudden noise, finally seemed to come to his senses.

— Shit! - she muttered, still dizzy from the sound — I know that smell.

Bora turned quickly to the werewolf.

— What did you say?

— Open the door - she said, determined, the dizziness seeming to have passed — Or the girls will break in.

— The girls? - Bora asked, confused and somewhat stressed — Siyeon, what are you talking about? Do you know who's trying to break down the door to our house?

Before Siyeon could answer, a loud noise was heard and everyone turned around, identifying the source of the sound. The noise at the door must have caught Yoohyeon's attention, because the woman who had left the room a few minutes ago was back. On her way back into the room, the girl seemed to have had some kind of accident, because she was holding her leg while, a few meters away, a small table seemed to have been quickly put in place, the books so close to the edge that they threatened to fall over and the small tablecloth covering the table askew, as if it had been put there quickly.

— What's going on? - she asked, as if nothing had happened — Why am I hearing strange noises?

Siyeon sighed, looking at the door.

— It seems that Dongie has finally managed to track me down - she said, smiling — My sister is going to break this door into a thousand pieces if you don't open it soon.

Bora and Minji looked at each other, sighing.

— It won't open - the purple-haired woman said, staring at the wood that was shaking more and more.

Siyeon raised an eyebrow.

—What do you mean? - she asked, confused, shrinking back when she heard a growl — Shit, Gahyun-ie is getting angry.

— This door has been jammed for years - Bora said —It just won't open normally.

Siyeon took a deep breath, hearing another bang.

— Okay - she said quietly, then raised her voice, almost shouting — Hey, you two! I'm fine, you don't have to break down the door!

The banging stopped and, after a few seconds, Siyeon nodded, getting up from the sofa, still a little shaky.

— Are you all right? - Yoohyeon, still at the top of the stairs, asked.

Siyeon nodded, sending a soft smile in the woman's direction.

— I'll help you get there - the purple-haired woman, Minji, volunteered, stepping forward.

Siyeon shook her head furiously.

— There's no way Dongie's going to be friendly with vampires - she said, looking worriedly at the door.

Minji and Bora looked at each other, defeated.

— I'll go - Yoohyeon suggested, walking slowly down the stairs, her voice trembling.

— Yooh, no - Minji looked worriedly at the girl — You're fragile, love, a werewolf can tear a human into a thousand pieces in a matter of seconds.

Siyeon raised an eyebrow. No one really knew anything about Yoohyeon in that house.

— I'll be fine, Ji, - the blue-haired woman said, a soft smile on her lips as she gently stroked the vampire's cheek — I promise you I'll come back from outside in one piece, okay?

Minji sighed, looking into Yoohyeon's eyes for a few long seconds.

— Be careful, okay? - she said, pecking the woman's lips — If anything happens, call my name and I'll be there in a few seconds.

With a foolish smile on her lips, Yoohyeon nodded, giving the woman a kiss before walking away.

— I'll be right back, my love.

And with that, Yoohyeon approached Siyeon, slipping her arm around her waist and helping her walk to the back door, which was the only functional door in the house.

— Your girlfriend doesn't know? - Siyeon asked quietly, as they walked through the lot.

Yoohyeon sighed, looking sadly into the house.

— No - Yoohyeon whispered in reply, looking defeated — I was afraid to tell her when we started dating because she's the best person I've ever met in my life and I didn't want her to dump me just because I'm not human. I was going to tell her over time, but it all happened so quickly that I couldn't find a way to tell her.

Siyeon nodded.

- I want to - Yoohyeon continued, while holding Siyeon more steadily - But the more time passes, the bigger my fear of losing her becomes.

— You know, if she really loves you, it's not a pair of hairy ears that's going to stop her from being with you - Siyeon said as he smiled, exposing her own ears and moving them alternately back and forth.

Yoohyeon smiled, observing Siyeon's furry ears.

— It's been a while since I've let my ears show, - she murmured, looking nostalgic, —Lately I've only been transforming on the full moon, away from everyone.

Siyeon's ears drooped in sympathy.

— Don't you have any other wolves to spend the moon with? - she asked.

Yoohyeon denied it.

— When I was younger, I ran everywhere with my cousin's pack, - she murmured, a nostalgic smile on her lips — We drifted apart over time, after I moved away their house was too far away and, besides, I don't want to be an inconvenience. I'm no longer a teenager who wants to be included in other people's packs, especially since, after my cousin went to study in the United States, I'm afraid I won't be welcome there anymore. The alpha of his pack has always been nice, but I'm still afraid of being a bother.

— If the pack alpha accepted you before, I don't see why they wouldn't now - Siyeon said, shrugging — Anyway, you're always welcome in my pack if you want to. You don't have to become an official member or anything, because I know that's a big step, but whenever you want to spend the full moon with someone or just transform and run around the woods, we're here. My sister and Dongie might seem a bit scary, but I promise they'll treat you well once they've calmed down.

And so, the rest of the walk to the front of the property was done in silence, Yoohyeon's gaze distant, as if contemplating the idea of having a pack to really belong to after so long.

Arriving closer to the front of the house, Siyeon and Yoohyeon could see small waves of smoke rising into the air, while loud angry snorts could clearly be heard.

Siyeon sighed.

— My sister isn't happy at all - she muttered, looking worriedly at the smoke.

Somewhat nervous, the two werewolves continued walking at the fastest pace they could, finally, after long minutes, reaching the front of the house, where they found a rather interesting scene.

In front of the door stood two women and a cat. One of them, shorter in stature, with pink hair and amber eyes, had a large pair of red draconic wings closed behind her and sharp claws on the tips of her fingers, smoke coming out of her nostrils and a look so angry that she looked like she could kill someone just by looking at them. The other woman, a little taller, had red hair and bright eyes with a violet iris, sclera and pupil, with a mist of the same color completely surrounding her, but she still seemed calmer than the other girl. The cat, resting on the red-haired woman's shoulder, gazed lazily at the two werewolves in front of her, looking unconcerned.

— Finally managed to track me down, Dong-dong? - Siyeon said, a soft smile on her lips.

The two heads turned so quickly that Siyeon could almost hear their necks crack. The cat, completely oblivious to the drama, almost fell off the woman's shoulder when she turned around, letting out an indignant meow, as if it were complaining.

— Careful - Siyeon said, looking amused at the girls — You'll end up knocking Nannan over like that, Handong.

In a matter of seconds, the two women practically flew towards Siyeon, the cat wisely withdrawing from the red-haired woman's shoulder as soon as she started to move. Yoohyeon, perhaps not so wisely, ended up not getting away from Siyeon in time, falling to the ground with the other three women.

— Are you okay, unnie? - the pink-haired girl asked, her large wings practically encapsulating everyone.

Siyeon let out a small moan, nodding.

— I'm fine, Gahyun-ie, - she said, with a little difficulty, — I'm just a little sore.

Quickly, the two women moved away a little, Yoohyeon taking the moment to help Siyeon sit more comfortably on the floor and move away a little.

Finally, Handong and Gahyun seemed to notice the woman with Siyeon, turning to her and moving closer to Siyeon, Handong's eyes beginning to glow and Gahyun's skin creating red scales, her wings hiding Siyeon from the girl's eyes while a pair of wolf ears appeared on her head, her amber eyes becoming slits while her fangs and claws became visible, in a threatening tone. The tail, which became visible seconds later, was static and had completely matted hair, barely moving behind the girl.

— Gahyun-ie, Dongie - Siyeon said, her hands on the two women's shoulders — Yoohyeon won't hurt us, it's okay.

The two girls looked at Siyeon doubtfully. Gahyun sniffed the air and growled again.

— Vampires - she said, pointing at the door.

Handong tensed his body, staring at the door while her eyes glowed even brighter.

Siyeon sighed, her hand moving to the girl's head, stroking the spot.

— They helped me, Gahyun-ie - the woman said calmly — They're not going to hurt us.

Handong looked doubtful, her body still tense and her eyes increasingly bright.

— Dong-dong - Siyeon called out, putting both arms around the woman and turning her body, making Handong look into her eyes — I promise you it's all right, okay?

The red-haired woman still looked doubtfully at Siyeon, but her body seemed a little less tense.

— Siyeon... - she said, doubt practically seeping into her voice — Are you sure about this?

The woman nodded, a soft smile on her face.

— I'm sure, Dong-Dong, - she said, running her hand over the woman's head, — Nothing bad will happen to us, I can assure you.

Reluctantly, Handong nodded, her eyes finally showing the sclera and iris turning brown, while the magic particles remained, but the movement was calmer, almost peaceful, but still with a shadow of threat in it.

Looking at Siyeon once more, Gahyun sighed as she nodded, the scales slowly disappearing from her body as her tail, ears and wings disappeared, her claws shrinking until they looked like very sharp nails and her fangs shrinking a little, but not completely hidden.

Siyeon sighed, knowing she wouldn't get any more than that from the two girls. At least now they weren't openly threatening anyone and, with the stress they must have been under during Siyeon's disappearance, the older woman knew that this was as calm as she could get the other two women.

She took the two women into her arms, Gahyun's head firmly buried in her chest while Handong hid in her neck, the two girls applying so much pressure that Siyeon, now sitting on the grass instead of fallen over, laid down again, her arms still somewhat weak and unable to bear the weight of the two women.

Suddenly, Siyeon heard the back door open slowly and turned to where Yoohyeon had been standing before, expecting to see the space empty, but raised an eyebrow when she saw that the woman was still there, sitting on the grass while smiling briefly, watching the three girls come together.

Looking at the door, Siyeon held her breath when she saw Bora opening it. She looked at Gahyun for a few seconds, the girl's warm and still somewhat agitated breath being felt on her chest through her clothes. Then she looked at Handong, still with her head buried in her neck, her magic particles surrounding the three women as if they were a shield while her agitated breathing finally seemed to calm down a little, and sighed. This was going to be complicated, more complicated than Siyeon would have liked.

Chapter Text

A good few minutes passed with Siyeon on the ground, the bodies of Handong and Gahyun still firmly attached to her. A few seconds after the collision between the three girls, the cat that had previously been on Handong's shoulder slowly approached, letting out a weak meow and starting to rub against Siyeon.

Siyeon smiled slightly at the two girls above her, stroking the cat gently.

— Hi, girls - she said softly — Hi Nannan.

The hug got even tighter, and Siyeon suppressed a grunt.

— I'd be careful if I were you - Bora's voice echoed from the doorway — I don't think Siyeon is well enough for that much pressure on her body.

The magic particles that Handong kept releasing increased, seeming to become sharper and aimed directly at Bora.

— What have you done to my sister, vampire? - Gahyun snarled, her sharp claws and teeth fully on display.

Siyeon sighed.

— Gahyun-ie - she called out — Bora didn't do anything to me, I can promise you that.

— Siyeon... - the girl's tone was doubtful.

— Sis - Siyeon called out, her hand caressing the girl's angry face — I promise you and Dong-dong faithfully that the girls in the house didn't do anything to me, okay?

Gahyun looked doubtfully at Bora, but sighed as she turned her gaze to her older sister and nodded.

— Okay...

— You're full of bandages - Handong observed, worried — What happened to you Siyeon? I tried to track you down in every possible way, but I couldn't until a few hours ago.

Siyeon sighed, looking hesitantly at the two girls. She paused for a while, letting her wolf ears and tail show, in an attempt to reassure the two women of her well-being.

— I'm not sure - she said quietly — You'd gone to the market, Dong-dong, and Gahyun-ie was still at college. I had gone to the back of the house when the gate opened. At first, I thought Dongie had come home early, but the scent I smelled wasn't hers. I don't remember exactly when I passed out, or how long I spent in that place, because as soon as I woke up I was blindfolded.

Handong sighed, stroking behind Siyeon's fluffy wolf ears.

— The important thing is that we found you, Siyeon-ie - she said softly — We missed you.

Siyeon smiled softly.

— I've missed you too, girls - she said — Being away from my family is harder than I thought.

After a few more minutes of the three women huddled on the floor in silence, Siyeon finally spoke up.

— Come on, girls - she said, smiling softly — I think you need to meet the woman who saved my life. I promise you that she's a good person, even if she is a vampire, okay?

Handong and Gahyun looked at each other, Handong's body tensing as if she was ready to defend herself but, after a few seconds, the two women nodded.

— Okay, Siyeon-ie - Handong said, still tense — I trust you.

The woman smiled.

— Thank you, Dong-dong - Siyeon said, rubbing the woman's cheek with her thumb — I know it's complicated for you, but thank you for trusting me, really.

Handong sighed, appreciating the affection.

— You're my family, Siyeon, - she said, still tense — I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me.

— Thank you for trusting me, Dongie - she said softly.

Siyeon groaned as she tried to get up, her injuries still hurting.

— Shit - she muttered, leaning on her sister.

Handong and Gahyun looked worriedly at the girl.

— Siyeon-unnie - Gahyun called out, worried — what happened to make you hurt so badly?

Siyeon smiled at Gahyun, trying to hide the pain she felt in her whole being.

— Nothing much, Gahyun-ah - she said, leaning on Handong's shoulder — I'm perfectly fine.

— Are you sure, Siyeon-ie? - Handong asked, looking at the woman — You don't look well.

Siyeon looked at her own body for a few seconds.

— I'm fine, Dong-ah - she said, sighing, — Bora has helped me a lot since she found me.

Handong smiled softly, looking at the vampire in recognition.

— Thank you for saving Siyeon, Bora - she said stiffly — It means a lot to us.

The woman made a dismissive gesture with her hand.

— It's no big deal - she said simply, — No one should be in that situation, I didn't do more than the basics by getting her out.

— Anyway - Gahyun said, now in front of Handong, who was hugging her around the waist, her chin resting on the shorter woman's shoulder — You saved my sister's life. Thank you

Bora simply nodded.

— Do you want to come in? - the vampire said — I don't think Minji and Yoohyeon would mind, and there's food for everyone.

Gahyun and Handong looked at each other, then turned to Siyeon.

— What do you think, unnie? - Gahyun asked, cautious about the situation.

Siyeon sighed, glancing at the two girls briefly and stopping her eyes for a few more seconds on Handong.

— Dong-dong? - the older girl called out — Is everything all right for you?

The woman took a deep breath, looking at Bora for a few seconds, her body still a little stiff.

— It's okay, Sing-nie - she said — Just... Don't get away from me too much, okay?

Siyeon held Handong's hand, a sweet smile on her lips.

— You know we'd never do this on our own, Dong-ah - she said softly — We won't leave your side, I promise.

Handong nodded, closing her eyes for a few seconds, giving Siyeon's hand a gentle squeeze.

— Shall we go in, then? - she said, holding hands with the two women.

Bora, who was watching the scene in silence, gave a confused smile, not understanding the reasons for such hesitation.

— This way - she said, leading the way to the back of the house — We haven't used the front door for years because it's stuck, so we'll have to walk a bit.

The three women followed Bora normally, with some distance, but Siyeon's rather unsteady walking made things difficult and the woman stumbled, almost falling to the ground if it hadn't been for Gahyun's agility.

— Unnie - she said, holding the woman's waist while pointing to her own back — Get on.

Siyeon shook her head.

— I'm not going to make you bear my weight, Gahyun-ah. It's all right.

— No, it's not all right, unnie, you almost twisted your foot just now - she said, somewhat indignant.

— Gahyun, I'm fine, I mean it - Siyeon tried to convince her, without much success.

— Dong-dong - Gahyun turned to the woman, her slit- shaped amber eyes shining like a puppy's — Help me put Singnie on my back.

Handong looked away from Gahyun's bright eyes, her cheeks slightly red. Siyeon raised an eyebrow at the woman's reaction.

— All right - she sighed, still not looking at Gahyun — let's go, Siyeon-ah.

Siyeon looked at Handong, an eyebrow raised. The woman, looking embarrassed, looked away as she picked her up and placed her on the younger woman's back.

— Comfortable, Siyeon-unnie? - Gahyun asked, turning her head to look at the woman.

Siyeon nodded distractedly, slowly alternating her gaze between Gahyun and Handong.

— I'm fine, little sister, everything's fine - she said absently.

As Gahyun carried her inside, Siyeon watched the two women. Handong was stroking Nannan who was resting on her shoulder again, avoiding the werewolf's gaze, and Gahyun looked strangely happy, almost bouncing as she carried Siyeon. Something was different between these two, Siyeon was sure.

As they passed through the back door, suddenly the cheerful Gahyun and the embarrassed Handong disappeared, giving way to two serious women, their sense of protection for Siyeon still very strong.

The woman sighed.

— Dong-dong, Gahyun-ie, I told you I'm fine - she said, sounding tired.

— But alpha, it's an unfamiliar place, and you're hurt - Gahyun said seriously.

Alpha. Gahyun, who barely respected her as an older sister, had called her alpha.

Siyeon sighed, exhausted. This had turned into what Siyeon needed least at the moment, a pack situation.

Taking a deep breath, Siyeon looked around the kitchen for a few seconds.

— Put me down, Gahyun - she said, trying to calm the situation.

The younger girl shook her head.

— You're hurt, alpha, I can't put you down - she said, her voice still serious.

Siyeon looked at Handong for help, but the woman was also in protection mode, a semi-transparent ball of magic surrounding the three women.

“Shit,” Siyeon thought, sighing, ”Why did I mark Handong as a pack member anyway?”

Siyeon knew why, and would never regret having the Chinese woman as part of her pack, her family, but sometimes she missed when Handong managed to pull Gahyun out of protective mode instead of joining her.

They sighed again.

— Okay - she said, — let's go. Come into the living room and put me on the sofa, okay, Gahyun-ie?

Gahyun nodded, starting to walk towards the corridor. Handong, walking alongside the two women, had her fingertips glowing slightly red, ready for any kind of attack.

Siyeon sighed, a soft smile on her lips. Was this how the girls saw her when she went into her protective alpha mode?

When they arrived in the living room, it wasn't just Bora who was there. Sitting on the sofa were three other women, looking confusedly at the people entering the room.

— Siyeon, I see you've managed to calm your friends down - Bora said calmly — Sorry about the crowded place, I could only keep the girls away for a bit.

Siyeon nodded in understanding.

— It's y'all's house, Bora, you shouldn't be restricted only by my presence - she said, addressing the woman who was carrying her next, in a quiet tone — Gahyun-ie, put me down, will you? Dong-dong needs us more than I need your help right now.

Looking at the red-haired woman who stared rigidly at the women in front of her, her fingertips glowing brighter and brighter, Gahyun nodded, leaving Siyeon sitting in the armchair that was still available and then turning to Handong.

— Dong-dong, - she said, her tone affectionate — let's sit next to Siyeon-unnie, shall we?

Handong looked at the armchair where Siyeon sat for a few brief moments, her gaze still completely focused on the four women in the room.

Seeming to calm down a little, the woman took a deep breath and nodded, starting to walk towards the armchair, with Gahyun practically clinging to her.

Suddenly, she stopped, her eyes fixed on Siyeon as her pupil blurred, merging with her iris. Nannan let out a meow, climbing off Handong's shoulder and onto the back of the armchair.

Siyeon stood up quickly, ignoring the almost unbearable pain she felt, and walked as quickly as possible towards Handong.

— Shit - she cursed, grabbing the woman's shoulders as soon as she got close enough — Gahyun-ie, put her in the armchair, you know she gets dizzy when she comes out of these weird trances.

Gahyun looked at the fragile situation Siyeon was in and at Handong, who was practically static in her arms.

The short-haired woman, realizing that something was wrong, got up from her place on the sofa.

— Siyeon - she drew the women's attention — Sit her in my place, I don't mind standing.

Siyeon looked at the woman for a few seconds, confused.

— Thank you, um...

— Yubin - the woman said — Lee Yubin.

Siyeon nodded, smiling softly at the woman.

— Thank you, Yubin - she said simply, turning her worried gaze to Handong — But I don't want to take you away from your seat. Dong-dong can stay where I was.

— You're hurt - Yubin pointed out — You can't stand up for long.

Sighing, Siyeon nodded, placing Handong in the vacant seat that Yubin had previously occupied. Nannan, who was staring at her owner, quickly joined her, lying down on the arm of the sofa.

— Thank you, - she said, sitting down in the armchair, an undisguised grimace of pain on her face.

Yubin simply nodded, going around the back of the sofa and positioning herself next to the other women.

Gahyun, alternating her gaze between Siyeon and Handong, looked lost.

Siyeon sighed, looking sadly at her younger sister.

— Stay by Dong-dong's side, Gahyun-ie - she said, catching the girl's eye — I'm fine. Our little witch is going to need you now more than I do, you know that.

Gahyun nodded and, turning towards the sofa where Handong was, she sat down on the floor next to the woman still in a trance, while holding her hand tightly.

Siyeon sighed, looking at the situation. Handong was still in her strange trance-like state and Gahyun didn't know whether to worry more about her or Handong. Yubin, who had given up her place on the sofa to Handong, looked strangely at her sister and her best friend, while Minji, Bora and Yoohyeon seemed nothing but confused.

The werewolf took a deep breath, scratching her head. That would be hard to explain.

Chapter Text

Long seconds of tense silence passed while Handong was in a trance. Gahyun hadn't left the woman's side for a single second and Siyeon refused to look away, worried, while Yubin, Minji, Yoohyeon and Bora watched whatever was happening in complete silence, still completely confused by the strange situation.

Finally, Handong came out of her trance, looking around confusedly, seemingly lost.

— Dong-dong - Siyeon called out, hier voice low and sweet — Are you all right? What's wrong?

Handong looked at Siyeon for a few seconds with a blank stare, as if she didn't see the woman.

— Dong-ie? - Gahyun tried, her tone calm and careful.

The woman's gaze shifted to Gahyun's face. For a few seconds, it was as if she didn't see the girl, but after blinking a few times she seemed to return to normal, looking at Gahyun in a startled way.

— Handong? - Gahyun called out again — Are you all right?

Still a little dazed, Handong nodded.

— Siyeon - the woman said softly.

— Dong-ie? - the werewolf called out — Is everything all right?

Handong's eyes were getting different. They were still the same shade of brown, but her pupils seemed to be blurring, slowly merging with the brown iris.

— Soul - Handong kept speaking extremely quietly.

— It's one of those weird trances again - Siyeon sighed — I don't know what else to do about it.

— Past - the words kept coming out of the woman's mouth.

Gahyun and Siyeon looked at each other for a few seconds, sighing.

A few seconds of eerie silence passed, until Handong spoke again:

— Seven souls intertwined by fate will hear the call of duty. Among the beasts: horse, monkey, pig, rats and tiger, great deeds will come to light. The return of those who were said to be missing is brief, and it is up to the seven elements of the universe to restore peace to a world that will one day be immersed in darkness and sadness. In the midst of the destruction, the enemy species come together and, between howls, bites and spells, a connection of power is formed. Fire and Shadow meet at a difficult time, and a bond is formed as soon as whimpers are not ignored. Light carries secrets and fears losing Water's love, a fear stronger than her own desires. But Water, far from repelling Light, reflects it, and together they become even more beautiful. Between Ether, Earth and Air, feelings fluctuate, so confused that even the Earth, that thinks so much, is unable to understand. Only together can the seven points of the elemental star banish the sowers of fear. Bringing together the ones who have lived so long that they have seen their country fall into war so many years ago, the one who has been despised for being something that others didn't expect, the one who has been imprisoned and persecuted for the mistakes of an ancestor, the one who for a time didn't have the best way to find a family and who is unfairly chased by the men of power, the one who feels the wrath of others for the disappearance that wasn't her fault and the one who unleashes fire, with a heart and family so open that there is always one more to fit into the dynamic. And when Shadow rises up alongside Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light and Ether, the world will come to know true peace at last, finally free from the devourers of deformed faces who have been chasing the leader of the wolves for so long and planning so much destruction.

Handong's voice was... different, Bora noticed, looking confusedly at the woman in a trance. It sounded distant, and she could have sworn there was an echo in the woman's voice, even though the room produced no echo at all.

Siyeon looked worriedly at the woman who was practically her other sister. The trances weren't that unusual, but the distant voice worried her. It wasn't the first time Siyeon had heard Handong like this, but the last time had been years ago, and when it happened, things didn't end so well.

Siyeon remembered everything clearly. "When strangers knock on the door, they bring with them anger and the desire for the wolf's blood. The newest big wolf in the house will be chased and her family will have a duty to protect her more than anything. During their time on the run, an unfortunate separation will take place and the children will find themselves alone. The wolf will mature and its scent will attract them, and it's up to those who unleash magic and fire to protect the chosen one until she can protect them."

It didn't happen for a while at the time. A month or two passed, and both Siyeon and her parents and sisters had forgotten about it. Handong was practically family by the time it happened, having lived in the house for a year, but no one took what the fifteen-year-old girl had said seriously, not even herself, who barely remembered the words that had come out of her own mouth. They went on with their lives as normal, until Siyeon's coming of age day arrived.

It was scary, Siyeon would say, and surely Handong and Gahyun would agree. It was her sixteenth birthday, her lupine maturity had not yet occurred and she was happily celebrating her birthday with those who had become her parents in all but blood and those who were her soul sisters, until her parents froze for a few seconds.

They told them to run, and the girls obeyed, confused. Stepping out of the back door, they saw Gahyun's father turning into a large wolf while her mother's draconic wings seemed to get bigger and bigger, smoke coming out of her nose.

The door of the house had been broken down, was the only thing Siyeon understood, as she ran with a frightened fifteen-year-old Handong by her side and a confused twelve-year-old Gahyun on her arms.

Weeks passed without a single sign from Gahyun's parents, and they couldn't stop moving. At the end of the first day, Siyeon's maturity took place, and the attacks were even worse. Unable to move so that Siyeon could complete her transformation, the other two girls took turns to protect the place, their not-yet-mature powers working together to protect the one who was like their big sister.

The small fireballs that Gahyun released joined Handong's basic protection spells while Siyeon was helpless and, despite the many times when the efforts of the two younger girls were barely enough, they managed to survive well enough.

Siyeon remembered what was chasing her, at least in parts. They were few, but they had so many powers that it was hard to escape. To this day, she had no idea whether she was being chased by vampires, demons, witches, dragons or some strange kind of hybrid. They had a face that could have resembled a human one, but which had long since become deformed. Each of them looked very different, all with their bodies and faces so deformed that they were extremely frightening. Some, much taller and thinner than an average human, walked stiffly but quickly, one of them using his extremely long arm to help him get around, as if it were a third leg. Others, of average height, seemed to have some kind of deformity, whether it was a third leg growing in a random place on their body, a second nose or a limb that had clearly grown wrong. In general, they were monsters who might once have looked human, but who had long since disappeared and created whatever those creatures were. The only things they had in common with all the beings there were their completely white eyes, with no iris or pupil, the red streaks that ran across their faces in a way that seemed to have no pattern, and the coloring of their hands and necks, which were as black as pitch.

It was hard, very hard, and there were times when Siyeon didn't think they could survive. They couldn't stop running, and the only things that fed them after the few bills in Siyeon's pocket had been spent were the few kind people who saw the three girls hiding in terror in cafés or markets and took pity, giving them a cookie or two or a bowl of rice.

Gahyun and Handong had done a lot for Siyeon in the meantime. They protected her through her coming of age, giving their all and even hurting themselves in the process. Siyeon was part of the family, and they would never leave family behind.

Things only got better for the three girls some time later, when Siyeon's maturity finally arrived. The situation was almost ironic, because Siyeon's maturity actually brought the strange creatures closer to the girls than ever before, but luck was on their side and just a few days after Siyeon's adult werewolf life officially began they got some peace.

It was difficult, but Siyeon's new strength helped a lot. Now, things were different. Handong and Gahyun no longer had to protect Siyeon, because she was no longer weak. Lee Siyeon was a full-grown werewolf now, and she would do anything to protect her pack.

They fought side by side, almost equally with the monsters chasing them, under Siyeon's leadership. There were more and more of them, but with Siyeon now able to fight, things were a little simpler.

Despite the new strength, things weren't easy. Siyeon might be stronger, but she wasn't indestructible, and Gahyun and Handong's energy was being drained faster and faster, considering the increased amount of fighting they had to take part in.

After much fighting and fleeing, they staggered through the streets with difficulty, walking as fast as they could to get away from the creatures, but fatigue had been catching up with them for some time. Turning a corner, Handong took a deep breath in surprise as she looked down the street.

As the girl began to walk anxiously towards the last house on the street, an old abandoned house that seemed to be falling apart, Gahyun and Siyeon followed her in confusion, not understanding the situation. Handong didn't open her mouth to explain anything, seeming too fascinated by the old house in pieces.

As they entered the house, Siyeon raised an eyebrow when she saw an old tapestry next to the door. There were several photos with Chinese characters written below them, and at the bottom of the tapestry there were more recent photos, including a photo of... Handong?

It had been a surprise, to say the least, to find Handong's family tree in the middle of an abandoned house in South Korea. The girls knew, of course, that Handong was an orphan, but absolutely no one had expected to find traces of her family outside of China.

Gahyun looked out of the window, surprised to find the strange beings that had been chasing them looking around in confusion, but still circling the place.

It was hard to escape at the time, Siyeon knew, but once they entered the strange house that apparently belonged to Handong's ancestors, things got better, at least a little.

After days and days on the run, the three girls sat down on the old sofa in the living room and allowed themselves to finally cry over the loss of those who were their family, letting the feeling that had been stuck in their chests finally come out.

Handong comforted the two girls as best he could, tears welling up in her eyes. It hurt Handong and Siyeon almost as much as it hurt Gahyun. They were the girl's parents by blood, but Siyeon had been raised by them for so long and they were the only adults who had ever shown Handong any comfort, so it hurt, it hurt a lot.

Handong took a deep breath as she comforted Siyeon and Gahyun, trying to hold back her own tears. It was difficult, but she knew that the two girls needed her at the moment - after all, someone had to stand firm and, at the moment, Handong was the only one with any ability to think in a slightly rational way.

When Siyeon and Gahyun finally fell asleep crying, Handong dried her tears, looking around. Coming close to the window, she sighed when she saw that the strange beings still surrounded the place. She needed to find out what was in the house, because they wouldn't survive in that place without food, and clearly leaving didn't seem to be an option for a while.

She took a deep breath as she entered the house, hoping to find something that could help her in some way. The three teenagers were alone in that house, completely trapped, and had to survive on what was inside for who knows how long. Handong sighed, looking at the kitchen door. She hoped there was at least some food in the house.

Time passed and the girls got used to the place. It was a small house, with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom, and there they made things work. They had plenty of time to get to know each other better, because it took a while for the strange creatures to leave the door of the house, and that brought them closer together. During their time there, they got to know each other so well that Handong was practically a Lee, the closeness only growing stronger with time.

Sometimes the girls watched the windows as they waited for the strange beings to leave the house, but they got used to the situation. They had food, beds and were safe, and that was all that mattered.

Chapter Text

When Handong came to her senses, she had a completely confused look on her face, as did practically everyone else in the place. Closing her eyes for a few seconds because of the light that had suddenly hit her eyes, she opened them again and looked around, as if she found the place strange.

— Guys? - she called out, still a little dizzy, blinking frantically — Everything okay?

— Dong-dong - Gahyun called out in a soft voice, holding the woman's hand tightly — I think your strange trances have come back.

Handong stared at the younger girl for a few seconds in complete silence, looking completely lost.

— What do you mean, Gahyun-ah? - she said, looking confused, her head leaning against the back of the sofa and her voice slurred, speaking slowly — What happened? How did I end up on this sofa?

Siyeon sighed, looking at the woman worriedly.

— The distant voice and blurred pupils returned, Dongie - she said softly — Yubin gave up her seat so you could sit down, we were afraid you'd fall when you came out of your trance.

Handong nodded in understanding and closed her eyes, looking tired.

— Thank you for giving up your seat, Yubin - she said, nodding in the woman's direction, her eyes now seeming to recognize where she was — Sometimes I lose my balance a bit when I'm in these strange trances and the girls worry that I'm going to fall, so you giving me your seat helped me a lot.

Yubin nodded briefly, a soft smile on her lips.

— It's no big deal - she said simply, shrugging — You seemed to need the sofa more than I did, I have no problem standing up.

Handong nodded weakly as she looked gratefully at the woman and silence settled over the place for a few seconds, all eyes in the room still completely focused on the red-haired woman, watching her attentively, worried that she might fall into another trance afterwards.

— Shit - Handong sighed, exhaustion evident in her voice as she slowly turned to Gahyun — What did I say this time?

— Something about seven intertwined souls, seven elements of the universe and banishing the sowers of fear - the younger woman quoted, still looking at the woman worriedly.

The Chinese woman sighed, her eyes slowly scanning her surroundings.

— Great, that's all I needed - she said, scratching her head — Another one of these crazy things for the record.

Yubin had been staring at the Chinese woman ever since she had gone into a trance, and seemed curious about the situation.

— “Seven souls intertwined by fate...” - she murmured softly, with her eyes closed.

Siyeon turned to the woman quickly, her neck almost snapping as she flinched in pain from the sudden movement.

— What did you say? - she asked after a few seconds, her voice trying to hide the pain she was feeling.

Gahyun turned to the older woman, concern evident in her eyes.

— Siyeon unnie? - she called out — Is everything all right?

The older girl nodded slowly, trying to disguise the pain she felt.

— I'm fine, Gahyun-ah, - the werewolf said, a small smile on her lips — Just worry about Dong-dong, okay? There's nothing wrong with me.

— Are you sure, unnie? - she asked, doubtful.

— I'm sure, Gahyun - she said softly — I'm fine.

Gahyun nodded slowly, turning to Handong again, but still looking worried about her sister.

Silence filled the room for a few seconds, all the women in the room letting Handong rest for a while, her tiredness still visible in her eyes.

— It's strange, isn't it? - Yubin said, looking at Handong, who was now resting her head on Gahyun's shoulder, who had moved to be closer to the Chinese woman, sitting on the arm of the sofa — To go into a trance out of nowhere and start talking in riddles.

Handong nodded from Gahyun's shoulder, still looking tired.

— It's strange, but it happens from time to time - she said, her eyes closed.

— Yes - Gahyun confirmed — We don't know what it is, but we've learned to trust what Dong-dong says when he goes into these weird trances.

Siyeon gave a small smile, looking at the red-haired woman who was now lying half-awake in her sister's arms.

— Has saved us a few times - she said, looking lovingly at the Chinese woman.

Yubin continued to look at Handong in confusion, but then got up and walked towards the stairs, leaving the room.

— Binnie? Are you all right? - Minji asked, looking at the woman.

She nodded.

— I'll be right back, Minjiu - she said, at the foot of the stairs — Just a minute.

Yubin hurried up the stairs, disappearing into the corridors. When she returned, she had a notebook and pen in her hands, as well as some books.

— “Seven souls entwined by fate will hear the call of duty...” - she muttered, writing the words quickly in her notebook.

— Binnie? - Bora called out a few minutes later, when the woman had finished writing — What are you doing?

— They said that what Handong says during her trances has already saved them - the woman said, pointing at Siyeon and Gahyun — There must be some reason why she said that out of the blue.

Gahyun nodded.

— Dong-dong never gets that strange voice for no reason - she said, squeezing the woman's hand lightly — What she says always makes sense after a while.

— What did I say, anyway? - Handong asked, looking at the women in the room.

— "Seven souls intertwined by fate will hear the call of duty. Among the beasts: horse, monkey, pig, rats and tiger, great deeds will come to light. The return of those who were said to be missing is brief, and it is up to the seven elements of the universe to restore peace to a world that will one day be immersed in darkness and sadness. In the midst of the destruction, the enemy species come together and, between howls, bites and spells, a connection of power is formed. Fire and Shadow meet at a difficult time, and a bond is formed as soon as whimpers are not ignored. Light carries secrets and fears losing Water's love, a fear stronger than her own desires. But Water, far from repelling Light, reflects it, and together they become even more beautiful. Between Ether, Earth and Air, feelings fluctuate, so confused that even the Earth, that thinks so much, is unable to understand. Only together can the seven points of the elemental star banish the sowers of fear. Bringing together the ones who have lived so long that they have seen their country fall into war so many years ago, the one who has been despised for being something that others didn't expect, the one who has been imprisoned and persecuted for the mistakes of an ancestor, the one who for a time didn't have the best way to find a family and who is unfairly chased by the men of power, the one who feels the wrath of others for the disappearance that wasn't her fault and the one who unleashes fire, with a heart and family so open that there is always one more to fit into the dynamic. And when Shadow rises up alongside Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light and Ether, the world will come to know true peace at last, finally free from the devourers of deformed faces who have been chasing the leader of the wolves for so long and planning so much destruction".

Handong looked worriedly at Yubin, listening closely to her words.

— Shit... - she said, looking around — Seven souls...

Minji looked at the woman in confusion.

— Handong? - she called out — Is everything all right?

The Chinese woman looked at Minji for a few seconds, then nodded.

— I'm fine - she said — I just don't like the words that came out of my mouth just now.

Yoohyeon frowned, looking at Handong.

— Strange... - she said, her voice distant.

— Yoohyeon? - Bora called out — Is everything all right?

The woman blinked, nodding weakly.

— I'm okay, Bora unnie - she said, looking distracted — I just... remembered someone, nothing much.

Bora raised an eyebrow, but didn't go any further.

— So... seven souls intertwined, huh? - she said — What does that mean?

Handong sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time.

— Nothing is just by chance - she said quietly — not when I get weird like this.

Yubin raised an eyebrow.

— What do you mean?

— I mean that something's going to happen - Handong said simply — Whenever I get weird like that, something I said in trance happens.

Yoohyeon frowned, looking at Handong strangely.

— We have to be careful, then - she said — But what does that mean?

Yubin looked down at the notebook in which she had written Handong's words, looking confused.

— “Seven elements of the universe...” - she muttered — “the return of those who were said to be missing..."

Siyeon looked at Yubin for a few moments.

— Do you have the words written down? - she asked, looking curious.

The woman nodded.

— You said that it's probably no coincidence, and honestly, someone going into a trance and saying all this seems too strange to ignore - she said — I thought I should write it down so I don't forget it.

Siyeon nodded, looking curiously at the notebook.

— Can I see it? - she asked.

Yubin nodded and silently handed the notebook to Siyeon, still thinking about Handong's words.

— "Bringing together the ones who have lived so long that they have seen their country fall into war so many years ago, the one who has been despised for being something that others didn't expect, the one who has been imprisoned and persecuted for the mistakes of an ancestor, the one who for a time didn't have the best way to find a family and who is unfairly chased by the men of power, the one who feels the wrath of others for the disappearance that wasn't her fault and the one who unleashes fire, with a heart and family so open that there is always one more to fit into the dynamic." - the woman said — There are at least seven people.

Gahyun looked at Handong, looking worried.

— Seven people...- the Lee girl murmured, looking around — Could it be?

Handong sighed.

— I don't know, Gahyun-ie - she said, looking exhausted — It might just be seven random people, but it's strange that it comes just when there are only the seven of us here.

— Well - Siyeon sighed — there's not much we can do, right? We can only wait.

Minji looked confusedly at the girls.

— Can't we do anything to stop things from happening? - she asked — Usually being the one to bring peace involves a lot of fighting, I don't think I'm in the mood for fighting.

Handong looked sadly at the woman.

— Believe me, if there was a way to change things, I would have changed most of the things I say in a trance - she said, then lowered her voice — Most of them don't end very well...

Gahyun squeezed Handong in her embrace.

— It's not your fault, Dong-dong - she said, brushing a lock of hair out of the woman's face — We know you have no control over this.

Handong smiled slightly in the younger woman's direction.

— I know... - she said — it's just tiring when all I talk about when I'm like this is someone else's disgrace.

Siyeon sighed.

— Not always, Dong-ie - she said — Remember when you saved me from falling off the balcony at school because you “sensed something was wrong”? Your predictions aren't always bad.

— And when you came running to my side at school because my classmates were being mean and I didn't know how to defend myself? - Gahyun continued — You told me yourself that you “saw” something wrong when you were on the other side of the school, Dong-dong.

Handong sighed.

— Yeah - she said, — I guess it's not always bad. But I don't know, it seems like my trances are almost always bad. The last one didn't end well...

— Dong-ie - Gahyun called out, putting her arm around the older woman's shoulders — It wasn't your fault, you know that.

The Chinese woman didn't look the two women in the eye, making small circles with her finger on her leg.

— Handong - Siyeon tried, gently — Nobody blames you for what happened, you know that.

— Your trances even helped us, you know that - Gahyun said — We would have gone through that completely unaware if it hadn't been for you.

Handong nodded, her head buried in Gahyun's shoulder.

— Thanks, girls - she murmured — I'm feeling better.

A few minutes passed before Siyeon and Gahyun nodded in relief, still worried about the Chinese girl.

— Well - Bora stood up, drawing everyone's attention — Does anyone want bibimbap?

Chapter Text

As the seven girls slowly savored the bibimbap that Bora had prepared, the atmosphere seemed strange. The whole seven elements of the universe thing had scared the women, and they weren't sure how to act after what had happened. The silence was almost deafening, all that could be heard was the sound of chewing, the bibimbap being slowly consumed by all seven girls.

When they had finished eating, the strange atmosphere was still in the air. Minji silently collected the dishes and took them into the kitchen, watching the faces of each of the other six girls when she returned.

She let out a sigh, drawing the women's attention.

— It's not the end of the world, guys - she said, sounding confident — It's going to be okay, I'm sure of it.

Siyeon nodded.

— We'll be fine - she added — I don't know about the rest of you, but Handong-ie, Gahyun-ie and I have been through a lot, we're not going to let a trance scare us.

Yoohyeon nodded.

looking around nervously, as if something was going to attack them in the next second.

— Siyeon-ie? - Handong called out, her tone revealing the nervousness she seemed to be trying to hide — Can we leave today?

Bora raised an eyebrow, surprised by the worried tone in the woman's voice.

— I don't think she's well enough to move around much yet, Handong - Kim said, glancing briefly at a Siyeon who still didn't look very healthy.

Gahyun gave the vampire a strange look.

— We'll be fine - she said, looking almost as nervous as Handong — Siyeon-unnie can ride on my back and Dong-dong can hold her securely so she doesn't hurt herself, nothing will happen to her.

Siyeon sighed, knowing exactly why he was worried.

— Dong-dong, Gahyun-ie - she called, her voice soft — It's okay, nothing's going to happen to us, okay? We're safe here.

Handong looked deep into the older woman's eyes.

— Siyeon - she said, worried — Let's go soon, please.

— Dong-dong - Lee tried again, an assuring smile on her face — It's okay, the girls won't hurt us, they're good vampires.

Handong nodded.

— I don't mind them - she said — but I don't like what I'm feeling.

Gahyun nodded.

— Dong-unnie's acting weird - she said — I don't like it when Dong-unnie acts weird outside the house.

Siyeon sighed, watching the two women.

— What exactly is going on to make you want to leave so quickly? - the woman asked, worried about the girls.

Gahyun looked at Siyeon.

— Dong-unnie is acting strange - she repeated firmly.

Siyeon sighed.

— Handong? - she called — Why do you want to leave?

The woman pointed to the door.

— I don't like what I feel in there - she said simply.

Siyeon raised an eyebrow.

— Okay - at least now she had what could start to be a reason — And why don't you like the way you feel at the front door?

— I'm feeling a strange aura, Siyeon - she explained firmly — There's something wrong behind that door, I don't like it.

Siyeon's wolf ears twitched, and she lowered one of them.

— I can't hear anything - she said, confused.

Gahyun tried to hear better, leaning her wolf ear against the door.

— Nothing - she nodded, looking at her sister.

Siyeon looked at Yoohyeon, hoping that the woman had heard something.

The short-haired woman looked at the door and quietly denied it with her head.

Bora looked back at the door, shrugged and headed for the back door.

— I'll be right back - she announced simply, leaving.

Yubin shook her head, walking towards the door.

— I'll go with her - she said, leaving — Bora can be a bit reckless sometimes.

Minji nodded in agreement.

— Be careful - she said, looking worried.

Outside, Bora and Yubin were walking quickly towards the front of the house.

— I don't hear anything - Yubin muttered, confused — That's strange.

Bora nodded.

— Something's wrong - she said, finally slowing down.

When they reached the front of the house, the two women looked at each other in confusion at what was in front of the door.

— A box? - Bora asked — Who placed a box in front of the door?

Yubin touched the box with her foot.

— Strange - she said — What do they want with that?

Bora bent down and picked up the box.

— Bora! - Yubin warned — What if whatever's in there hurts you?

— Nothing's happened, Binnie - she said with an assuring smile — I'm fine, aren't I?

Lee sighed, massaging her temples in a mixture of what seemed to be tiredness, worry and nervousness.

— Be a little careful, Bora, please - she said, looking tired.

The woman nodded.

— It's okay, Yubin - she said, smiling — Shall we take the box inside?

Yubin looked at the box doubtfully, but then nodded.

— All right - she said — I think Minji would like to see it.

Bora and Yubin slowly entered the house, placing the box on the coffee table in the living room.

— It was on the door - Bora said, looking at the box — What are we going to do with it?

Handong frowned.

— I don't like it - she said, looking at the box as if it were the most horrible thing she had ever seen.

— Dong-dong? - Siyeon called out, worried about the woman — Is everything all right? What's wrong with the box?

— I don't know - she said — but I don't like it.

Bora shrugged.

— It can't be that bad, can it?

Yoohyeon frowned as she looked at Handong.

— Why do you think there's something wrong? - she asked, still looking directly at the woman.

— I don't know - she shrugged — I just don't like it.

Yoohyeon looked at Handong for a few more seconds, but nodded, accepting the answer.

— What do we do with it then? - Gahyun asked, looking suspiciously at the box.

— What do you think? - Minji asked, looking around.

While everyone watched the box nervously, Yubin sighed, coming closer.

— There's something strange - she muttered, analyzing the object to the millimeter — No one would send us a box for no reason.

Handong nodded.

— Strange, very strange - she muttered nervously, almost as if she was afraid of the box.

Bora sighed.

— Well, we need to open the box, don't we? - she said, approaching.

— No! - Handong exclaimed, alarmed — There's something wrong with that box, something very wrong.

— Handong - Bora called — I'll be fine, really. There shouldn't be anything too bad in that box.

The younger woman nodded strongly.

— Something's wrong - she kept repeating — I don't like this box, let's throw it away.

Yubin looked at the box intently for a few seconds.

— It looks normal to me - she said simply as she shrugged — There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the box, Handong.

The woman continued to nod.

— Let's put the box aside, throw it away, I don't know - she said firmly — I don't like it.

Gahyun and Siyeon looked at each other, worried.

— Dong-unnie - Gahyun caught the woman's eye — Why can't we open the box? What's going on?

Handong nodded once again.

— There's something wrong with that box, Gahyun-ah - she muttered, still alarmed — I don't like it.

Siyeon looked at the box with concern. Handong wouldn't have worried for nothing, she knew that. There was something wrong with the unknown box, and Siyeon didn't like the idea of getting involved in yet another problem over a simple box.

— What if we just throw it away? - Siyeon suggested — We don't know who sent it.

Yoohyeon looked at Handong intently for a few seconds before turning her gaze back to Siyeon and nodding.

— I think it's good if we throw it away - she said — There's no sender and we have no idea what's inside, it could be dangerous.

Bora didn't seem to have heard a word any of the four women were saying, because she stood up and opened the box, looking inside.

-—See, everyone, it's okay - she said with a smile — there's nothing dangerous in here.

And reaching into the box, she pulled out a soft, fluffy gray wolf plush.

Siyeon raised an eyebrow, looking at the plush.

— It looks like.... - she said, her voice dying away as she looked more closely at the toy.

— Unnie... - Gahyun's voice tried, and failed, to hide her concern as she looked at the plush — Why does the stuffed wolf look like you?

— What? - Minji asked, confused.

— It looks like me - she mumbled — It has the same pattern as my fur.

— Siyeon - Yubin asked, finding the situation strange — Are you sure about that?

Siyeon nodded and, in the next second, a large gray wolf was staring at Yubin, in the exact spot where Siyeon had been standing before.

— The same coat pattern, the same yellow eyes and the same scar on its left paw - Handong muttered — Who would put a scar on a wolf's left paw for nothing?

— Whoever sent this made the plush purposely look like Siyeon-unnie — Gahyun said worriedly.

— I don't like it, Siyeon - Handong muttered, looking at the gray wolf — I really don't like it. It even has your initials on the tag.

Taking a closer look at the tag, the girls noticed the “LSY” that was clearly embroidered on it.

The wolf closed its eyes and then Siyeon's human form was back, without any sign of her lupine features.

— There's something wrong - she looked at the plush attentively — This plush isn't a coincidence.

Taking the stuffed wolf in her hands, Siyeon cringed when she heard an incessant noise.

— What's going on? - Yoohyeon asked, her hands squeezing her ears intensely.

Handong looked at Siyeon, worried.

— Unnie - she said — It's coming from you...

— What? - Siyeon's sensitive ears couldn't seem to pick up anything other than the unbearable noise that started as soon as she held the plush.

Minji, Bora and Yubin looked at each other, startled.

— Give me this - Bora took the plush and left the room quickly, returning empty-handed — There! I've put it away.

Gahyun and Yoohyeon, who had tried to hide their annoyance as best she could, seemed relieved at the lack of noise, but Siyeon still looked annoyed.

— I still don't like it...- she muttered.

Suddenly, a bang was heard outside and the girls went straight to the windows, peeking through the pieces of wood that covered them.

— What...? - Gahyun muttered, staring in shock at the outside.

— Why is there a hole in the courtyard...? - Yubin asked, worried.

— That's... that's where I put the stuffed wolf... - Bora's voice was lower than a whisper, so low that only the three werewolves on site were able to hear it, with their enhanced hearing.

Yoohyeon shrunk back, looking worriedly at Siyeon, while she stood still like a statue and Gahyun clung to Siyeon tightly.

— They want something with me... - Siyeon said quietly, in the midst of the silence.

— Who could want to hurt you like that? - Yoohyeon asked hesitantly.

Siyeon looked at Handong and Gahyun for a few seconds and closed her eyes.

— Unnie, don't you think...? - Gahyun spoke up, not daring to finish the question.

The older werewolf sighed, looking individually at each of the girls around her.

— I think I need to tell the four of you a story... - she said, looking at the residents of the house.

Handong looked worriedly at the woman.

— Siyeon - she called out, worried — Are you sure?

Lee nodded, sighing.

— I think they were included the moment Bora decided to get me out of that shithole, Dong-dong - she said — It wouldn't be fair if they didn't know exactly what misfortune is happening now.

Yubin looked curious.

— Siyeon - she called out — What are you talking about?

What was probably the umpteenth sigh came out of Siyeon's mouth, but she spoke after a few seconds of silence.

— What happened in my lupine maturity to the four of you... - she said, her eyes closed and her appearance tired — I think you're too involved not to know that.

Chapter Text

When Siyeon finally finished telling them everything that had happened during the time of her lupine maturity, the four women who still didn't know about it were in nothing but shock and horror.

— You were... chased? - Yoohyeon asked, completely dumbfounded.

Siyeon nodded slowly in affirmation.

— For a while she said — I still don't know why.

— That's why we're so careful about Siyeon-unnie - Handong explained, staring at the werewolf for a few seconds before returning he gaze to the four women who were hearing about her past for the first time — She's the alpha of the pack and protects us from any danger she encounters at all times, but we're afraid that the chasing will happen again, because we've always known that, whoever these crazy people are, they're after her.

Minji frowned, looking worried.

— Is it still happening? - she asked.

Siyeon nodded.

— It's not as bad as it was when I went through my lupine maturity, but it happens - she said — Dong-dong spells usually help me hide, but we're always on the alert.

Yubin looked up at the wooden windows, taking a deep breath.

— I don't know if I like this - she said worriedly.

Handong strongly agreed with the woman, nodding.

— There's something wrong - she said nervously, then turned to the two sisters —Gahyun-ah, Siyeon-unnie, we need to get out of here soon, please.

Siyeon looked at Handong for a few seconds and then shifted her gaze to the nailed windows, remembering the crash she had heard.

— I think you're right - she said slowly, looking at Handong and Gahyun — I can't put anyone in danger anymore, not even you two.

— Don't even think about starting this conversation, Lee Siyeon - Gahyun said firmly — The three of us have discussed this dozens of times, we're not going to leave you alone.

— Gahyun, they're after me, not you - the werewolf insisted — If we're not together, you'll be fine.

— Siyeon - Handong pointed out — you're still injured, do you really think you're going to be able to defend yourself with all your strength?

— And besides - Gahyun added — You're our family, do you really think we're going to let you go because of a simple chase? We've been through this before and we're still here, Siyeon.

— We're not leaving just because the persecution is going on a little longer, you idiot - Handong added — We're going to stay with you until the end.

The tears ran down Siyeon's face like running water in a river, falling slowly down her cheeks and dripping onto her chin.

—Thank you, girls - she said, her voice breaking with emotion — it means a lot to me, you know.

— We're not going anywhere, Siyeon-ie - Handong said, his voice sweet and soft — we're family, and family doesn't leave anyone behind.

Siyeon nodded, hugging both girls with all the strength she could find.

— Thank you, really - she sniffled, overcome with emotion.

— Don't say thank you - Gahyun said — We know very well that you would do the same for us.

Siyeon gave a small smile, knowing full well that it was the truth.

Silently, while the women had their emotional moment, each of the other seven women slowly withdrew from the room, wanting to give the three of them their privacy.

In the kitchen, Minji, Bora, Yubin and Yoohyeon stood, looking sadly towards the corridor that led to the living room

— It's a lot to go through at sixteen - Minji said, sounding worried.

— And at fifteen and twelve - Yoohyeon added, also worried — They were all too young for that.

Yubin took her mind off the sad story of the three women for a moment, staring at the closed kitchen windows in complete silence.

— Yubin? - Bora called out — Is everything all right?

— Someone knows exactly where they are, or rather, where Siyeon is - she said, looking worried — And they don't seem to like her at all, if the explosive gift is anything to go by. I don't think I like what's going on.

— What do you mean?

— It doesn't seem like the best idea to have Siyeon with us, but we can't do much about it, apparently.

— What do you mean we can't do much about it? - Bora asked, confused — The girls said they wanted to leave soon.

Yubin sighed.

— What Handong said earlier, about seven souls intertwined by fate, I don't think it was random.

Yoohyeon sighed, nodding.

— It sounds like something Yeonjin would say - she said, looking nostalgic.

Minji raised an eyebrow.

— Who's Yeonjin? - she asked, confused.

Yoohyeon's gaze was sad and she avoided any of the women in the room, scanning the floor as she sighed.

— A friend of my sister's - she said quietly, sadly, without explaining any further.

Minji nodded and, sensing Yoohyeon's discouragement, didn't ask any more questions.

— What do you think we should do, then? - Bora asked — They said they wanted to leave soon, so they shouldn't cause us any trouble.

Yubin sighed.

— Someone sent a box with an explosive stuffed wolf to our house, Bora - the woman reminded her — They're already causing trouble. And if whatever that Handong woman said happens, we probably won't get away with whatever is happening to them.

— “The ones who have lived so long that they've seen their country fall into war so many years ago”, “the one who has been despised for being something others didn't expect” and “the one who feels the wrath of others for a disappearance that wasn't her fault” - Minji quoted, then sighed — That's us, isn't it?

Yubin closed her eyes and massaged her temples with her fingers, looking tired.

— I wish I could say that it's not us at all, but it's too much of a coincidence that she said it in front of us - she muttered — There's a possibility that it could be anyone else, but it's unlikely.

And so, the seven women tried to forget the previous events, doing their best to ignore Handong's words and the explosive gift that had arrived on the doorstep.

While Siyeon continued to rest, unable to do much more than that because of the condition of her leg, Gahyun and Handong continued to surround her, very concerned about her condition.

Bora, still a little nervous about the situation, headed for the kitchen.

— I'm going to cook - she announced, and disappeared down the corridor.

Yubin silently retreated from the room, cautiously climbing the stairs and disappearing from sight, still staring at the words she had written down.

— “Seven souls entwined by fate will hear the call of duty”... - she continued muttering as she walked towards her own room — Me, Minji, Bora, Yoohyeon and the other three, I presume. But what about the sowers of fear? Devourers of deformed faces? Who are they?

She sighed, entering the room and looking at the old books she had collected over her long years of life.

— I think I have some research to do - she muttered, pulling some old, dusty books off the shelf.

Minji, still in the room, watched the women and sighed as she left. Whatever had happened at the moment had tired her out, and her concern for the four girls who had been her family for so long only grew.

— Yoohyeon-ie - she called out, looking tired — I think I'm going to take a nap, dear. Would you like to join me?

Yoohyeon gave the woman a soft smile, but denied it with her head.

— Sleep, my dear - she said, running her hand over the vampire's face — Someone needs to stay with our guests, dear. Let me stay here.

Minji looked sadly in Yoohyeon's direction, as if all she wanted at the moment was a nap next to her, but nodded in understanding.

Yoohyeon brought her face close to Minji's and slowly sealed their lips as she caressed his cheek, pulling away as she opened a soft smile and caressed the older woman's cheek, her eyes shining so brightly that Minji could see all of Yoohyeon's love just by looking at her.

— Take a nap, dear - she said softly — I know you think you need to deal with this soon as clan leader, but you deserve a rest before you think too much about it, my love.

Minji nodded with a small smile, gave Yoohyeon one last kiss on the lips and left the room, climbing the stairs and slowly disappearing into the corridor.

Yoohyeon had a goofy smile on her lips, watching the stairs Minji had climbed with a passionate gaze.

— You should tell her, you know - Siyeon's voice snapped Yoohyeon out of her passionate state She loves you so much, I don't think she'd mind.

Yoohyeon turned to the three women and shrugged, fear visible in her green eyes as she stared at the floor, not facing any of the three.

— I don't know - she murmured — I'm afraid she'll stop liking me if I tell her.

— She clearly loves you, Yoohyeon - Siyeon remained firm — I'm not saying you have to tell her, but I don't think it's very comfortable or healthy for you to keep hiding it from her.

The blue-haired woman sighed, nodding.

— At some point I'm going to have to tell her - she murmured I want to tell her, but fear always speaks louder and I end up cowering.

Siyeon nodded in understanding.

— You're not alone, Yoohyeon - she said — I know I've already told you this, but you're always welcome to spend the moons with us, and I'm sure your cousin or his pack wouldn't mind keeping you company.

Yoohyeon nodded hesitantly.

— Maybe I'll call Somin at some point - she murmured — And thank you very much Siyeon, really, for the offer to spend the moon, but I don't want to get in the way of you and your pack.

— You wouldn't be in the way at all - Gahyun added with a smile — It's always good to have an extra wolf to run around with on the moon.

— Yes - Handong agreed — I may not be as hairy as them, but it's nice to have another wolf to run with on the moon.

Yoohyeon gave the three of them a soft smile.

— Thank you, girls - she said, emotion and sincerity dripping from her words — It's been a while since I've spent a moon with someone by my side.

— Well, now you have - Gahyun said, determined — we'll be here whenever you need us.

Siyeon and Handong nodded in agreement.

— Whenever you need us, Yoohyeon - Siyeon said, offering a smile.

— Thank you - she said — It means a lot to me.

The three women smiled in Yoohyeon's direction and knew that they would now have company for at least a few moons.

In the kitchen, Bora was nervous. She had already made all the simple dishes she could think of and was now setting the table as immaculately as she could, arranging the dishes symmetrically on the table and placing the napkins all in the same exact position next to the bowls.

— Girls! - Bora called from the kitchen door — Come and eat, I've just finished dinner.

Dinner? Was it really that late? Perhaps Siyeon had spent too much time abusing the vampires' hospitality.

Smiling, the girls got up from the living room, Gahyun and Handong helping Siyeon move towards the kitchen while Yoohyeon headed for the stairs.

— I'll fetch Minjiu and Binnie upstairs - she warned, loud enough for Bora to hear from where she was — I'll be down with them in a little while, Bora-unnie.

— Okay then! - Bora replied, also loudly — But come quickly, or the food will get cold!

In a few minutes, Yoohyeon was coming down the stairs with Minji and Yubin.

— You've made a lot of food today, Bora - Minji said as soon as she saw the countless containers scattered around the table — I don't know if we'll be able to eat it all!

— We're seven today, Minji, not four - she said, pointing at the three guests — I think I've made enough food.

— Bora-unnie - Yoohyeon spoke up — That's too much food even for seven people, there's bound to be leftovers.

Bora shrugged.

— We'll eat what's left over later - she said — It's always good to have extra food.

Then everyone sat down at the table, ready to enjoy the delicious feast that Bora had prepared.

Seeming to remember something, Yubin got up and opened the fridge, taking out three bags of blood and handing one to Bora and one to Minji, while keeping the last one for herself.

— Do you mind? - Lee asked, looking at the three guests.

Gahyun and Siyeon shrugged and looked at Handong, who was hesitantly looking at the blood bag Yubin was holding.

— There's no problem - she said at last — We're at your house, after all, you shouldn't deprive yourselves of anything.

The three vampires nodded and then, finally, the meal began, with everyone enjoying the delicious meal that Bora had prepared.

Chapter Text

While they were happily eating their food, everything seemed fine, everyone praising the delicious bibimbap and all the countless delicious dishes that Bora had prepared, Handong suddenly stopped, staring intently at the kitchen door.

— Handong? - Yubin called out, realizing the woman's condition — Is everything all right?

Handong shook her head in complete silence.

— Dong-dong? - Gahyun called out, worried — What's wrong?

Suddenly, the woman got up from her chair, holding Gahyun and Siyeon's shoulders tightly.

— Let's go - she said briefly.

— Finish eating at least, Handong - Bora asked — You haven't even finished your plate.

Handong nodded.

— Let's go now! - she said, looking at Bora — And I suggest you do the same.

Siyeon and Gahyun looked at each other, worried, but nodded.

— All right, Dong-ah - Siyeon said, leaning on the table to get up — thank you so much for your hospitality, girls, but I think the three of us will have to go.

Handong nodded again.

— Seven - she said simply, as she wrapped her arm around Siyeon's waist to help her up.

— What's wrong? - Bora asked, as if she hadn't heard correctly — Do you want us to leave too?

Handong nodded, looking anxious.

— We have to get out of here soon - she said simply.

Bora, Minji and Yubin looked at each other, confused, but nodded in agreement. From what little they had seen, going against Handong didn't seem to be a good idea and, from the increasing nervousness she was expressing, it didn't look like they really had a choice.

— How long are we going to be gone? - Yubin asked.

— I don't know - Handong said, still nervous — but I don't know if you'll be back here for a while, so take everything you think you need.

The three women sighed, but nodded and left the room, ready to separate their most important possessions.

— Dong-dong? - Siyeon called out, concerned about the woman's condition — Are you all right? Are you sure you don't want some water, something to calm you down? I'm sure the girls wouldn't mind giving you some.

— I'm fine, Siyeon - she said simply, while directing her gaze at Yoohyeon, who was still sitting in her chair — Do you have anything toing to bring?

Yoohyeon jumped up from her chair, her eyes wide.

— I-I have some clothes in Minji's room - she murmured.

— Get it - she said simply.

Yoohyeon nodded, getting up and running towards the stairs, climbing as she tripped on the steps.

While the four women packed their bags, Handong got up, opened the kitchen fridge and took out some blood bags, as well as food and water, and brought them to Siyeon and Gahyun.

— We need more food - she said briefly — and they need blood to live.

Siyeon frowned when she saw Handong taking a black backpack off her back that clearly hadn't been there five seconds ago. Was it the woman's witch powers or was Siyeon just still very dazed as a result of the kidnapping?

A few minutes later, the four women came down the stairs, carrying backpacks on their backs.

— I think we've got everything we could grab - Minji said — We just need the food.

Handong nodded and this time Siyeon actually saw a large cross-body bag appear on her torso.

— Let's put it in here - she said — Everything you need, bread, meat, milk, fruit, blood bags, water, it all goes in the refrigerated bag.

Although confused by the sudden appearance of the bag, the four women agreed and led Handong into the kitchen, where she opened the fridge and took out practically everything inside and put it in the bag, leaving Minji, Bora, Yubin and Yoohyeon surprised.

— How does all this fit inside that bag? - Bora asked in shock.

A sideways smile appeared on Handong's face as she opened a second fridge in the kitchen, took all the blood bags out of it and transferred them into her cross-body bag.

— Anything else? - she asked.

Minji, Yubin, Bora and Yoohyeon denied it with their heads.

— Great - she said — Shall we go?

— Dong-dong - Gahyun called out — I'll carry the backpack.

— Gahyun-ah, let me take the bags - the Chinese woman replied — You take Siyeon-ie, right?

Gahyun nodded, lifting Siyeon and putting her on her back.

— Hey - the older Lee spoke up — I can walk by myself, okay?

Handong rolled her eyes.

— Right, Siyeon. And yet, Gahyun-ie will carry you, because we know you're still sore to say the least.

Gahyun laughed a little, but suddenly stiffened, her face showing seriousness and concern.

— Gahyun-ah - Siyeon called out, noticing the change in her sister's posture — Is everything all right?

— Unnie - Gahyun said quietly, nervously — Can you hear it?

Siyeon raised an eyebrow, looking at her younger sister, until suddenly she too froze.

Looking at Yoohyeon, Siyeon knew that the woman had heard something too, if her frightened look meant anything.

— What's that? - Siyeon asked quietly.

— I don't know if I want to know - Gahyun murmured apprehensively — but it sounds like footsteps.

Suddenly, a bang was heard and the girls jumped back, desperately trying to muffle their screams. Someone was trying to break into the house.

Siyeon suddenly widened her eyes.

— It smells like whoever kidnapped me - she said quietly.

— We're leaving, and we're leaving now! - Bora exclaimed, leading the seven girls towards the exit.

— Quick, let's go, girls! - Minji called out, opening the kitchen door.

When the last girl came out of the house, Minji closed the kitchen door and they ran through the woods surrounding the old house under Bora's leadership, aimlessly and with the sole objective of getting away from whatever were those monsters that were trying to break down the door of the house.

They ran like there was no tomorrow, scared of whatever was at the door, and only stopped when they thought they were far enough into the woods.

— I think we got away - Siyeon murmured as she lightly squeezed her sister's shoulder — You can put me down, Gahyun-ie.

Taking a deep breath, the girl nodded and sat Siyeon down next to a tree.

— I think we're safe - Yubin mumbled tiredly as she looked in the direction she had come from.

— Yes, I think we're fine now - Gahyun confirmed, putting her arm around her sister's neck.

Sitting among the trees, far from the house and the beings that were chasing them, the girls allowed themselves to close their eyes for a few seconds, taking a deep breath and taking advantage of the time they had to recover their energy.

Unfortunately, the rest didn't last long.

— Gahyun-ie - Handong called out suddenly, opening her eyes — I'm going to need Siyeon-unnie to get back on your shoulders now.

Gahyun looked confusedly at Handong for a split second and then nodded, getting up and putting Siyeon on her back without question, ready for whatever Handong needed.

— Let's go - Handong said resolutely — We can't stay here.

Looking at each other, the six women nodded and continued their walk, with the sole aim of getting away from the house that had been invaded by the shadowy creatures.

Sneaking through the plants, they passed more and more trees in the woods, trying their best not to scratch themselves with the thorny plants that grew between the trees.

— Unnie... - Gahyun suddenly froze — Siyeon-unnie.

— Gahyun? - Siyeon called out, confused by the younger girl's worried tone — Is everything all right?

Handong's gaze suddenly became more and more terrified with each passing second.

Suddenly, five beings that were humanoid in shape, but too distorted to be human, entered the women's field of vision. They had all sorts of different distortions, the only things in common being the red streaks on their faces, their completely white eyes and their arms and necks, which were completely black.

— Shit... - Siyeon muttered, the hairs on her neck standing on end.

— WHAT THE FUCK? - Bora suddenly shouted, mortified.

— RUN! - was all Gahyun managed to shout, holding Siyeon with all the strength in her arms and running further and further into the forest, towards the unknown.

Quickly, the five other women followed close behind, the plants hitting their skins and cutting them as they ran quickly into the unknown.

Amongst the plants, they ran as dirt stuck to their skins and thorns tore at their clothes, their breath and strength to keep running seeming to be getting closer and closer to running out. They pushed their bodies to the limit, but didn't give up, continuing to run until Handong's legs finally gave way and the woman fell to the ground, exhausted.

— Go - the Chinese woman said as she tried unsuccessfully to get up — I'll manage here, I'll hide among the trees.

Siyeon shook her head, looking at the way the witch had twisted her ankle when she fell.

— You're an idiot if you really think we're going to leave you, Dong-dong - Gahyun said firmly — You're coming with us, even if I have to carry you and Siyeon-unnie on my back.

Handong denied it.

— You can't exhaust yourself so much, Gahyun-ah - she said with a soft smile — You know very well that you're the toughest of us, but even you have your limits, little dragon.

— I don't mind - Gahyun retorted — You're going with us, Hadong, I don't mind taking you.

— No - Handong insisted — I'll be fine on my own, you take care of Siyeon-unnie, Gahyun-ah.

Yoohyeon, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, took a deep breath and stepped forward, putting her hand on Handong's shoulder.

— I'll help you - she said, with a friendly smile, as she bent down — Just get on.

Handong looked at Yoohyeon for a few seconds.

— I don't want to bother you - she said, shaking her head.

— You won't - Kim replied simply, — I have no problem taking you.

— Are you sure? - Handong asked.

Siyeon rolled her eyes.

— Just accept the help, Handong - she said — We're not leaving you and you can barely walk, just accept her offer.

Taking a deep breath, Handong nodded.

— Thank you, Yoohyeon - she said, giving a small smile.

Yoohyeon shrugged, smiling, as she bent down to lift Handong by the legs.

— Hold on to my shoulders - she said as she lifted the woman up — Shall we?

They all looked at each other for a few seconds, appearing calmer, but a noise in the distance made Siyeon, Yoohyeon and Gahyun shudder.

— Let's go - Gahyun said suddenly, starting to walk — They're getting close.

Nodding, all the women made their way through the woods, apprehensive and not knowing exactly where they were going, but too afraid to stop for too long and whatever was chasing them would end up getting too close.

Walking and walking through the trees that seemed to have no end, Yubin began to get apprehensive.

— How will we know where we are? - she asked — I never knew this side of the forest was so big.

Handong waved her hand dismissively.

— We'll sort it out later - she said — Gahyun-ie can fly over later to locate us, but right now we need a safe place.

Yubin sighed, looking doubtful, but nodded.

— I can help her if she needs it - she said simply.

Siyeon frowned, confused.

— Wasn't she a vampire? - she whispered in her sister's ear.

Gahyun looked at Yubin for a few more seconds.

— I thought she was - she replied — but I didn't care enough to differentiate between their smells. I just wanted to find you soon.

Siyeon gave a small smile, stroking the younger girl's head.

— But now that you mention it - Gahyun continued, looking at Yubin out of the corner of her eye — she smells different, doesn't she?

The older woman frowned, but nodded.

— I think it's still a vampire smell - she said — at least a little, maybe.

Gahyun nodded.

— But there's some other smell, isn't there?

— Yes - Siyeon nodded — My nose is still a bit strange because my senses were confused during my kidnapping, but I'm pretty sure it smells like something else.

— But what? - Gahyun asked, confused.

Siyeon shrugged.

— I don't live with that many species to know what they all smell like - Siyeon said — She could be a lot of things.

Gahyun shrugged, sighing.

— I don't think we can worry too much about that for now, Siyeon-unnie.

— Yes - the older woman said — we need to worry about our safety first and, considering that she didn't do anything when I was alone and practically defenseless in their house, she or the others are no threat.

Gahyun shrugged.

— I'm still not sure I trust them - she said — But you have a point. I don't think they're going to hurt us, especially since we're practically lost in these woods.

Siyeon nodded.

— We'll be fine, Gahyun-ie - she said — We'll get out of this and eat lots of tteokbokki at home.

Gahyun gave a soft smile.

— Yes, Siyeon-unnie - she said — Let's go back home and eat lots of tteokbokki.

Chapter Text

After the brief rest the seven had, they got up and continued walking, at a much slower pace, but doing their best to keep moving.

— We're not safe - Handong kept repeating, muttering and looking sideways every few seconds.

— Dong-dong - Gahyun called out, causing the woman to twist her neck quickly in her direction — We're fine, okay? Nothing's going to hurt us.

Handong looked at Gahyun seriously.

— They're after us, Gahyun - she said — After Siyeon. You know we're not safe.

Gahyun took a deep breath, knowing it was true. She really hoped that this time it was just Handong's paranoia rather than her forebodings, because with two people hurt, they were in no condition to run.

— I really hope you're bluffing this time, Dong-dong - she muttered, too low for the Chinese to hear.

— I hope so too - Siyeon murmured, lightly squeezing her sister's shoulder — We're already in too much trouble to keep running.

They continued walking through the woods, trying to recover all the energy they had spent running while continuing to move, because stopping any longer simply wasn't a viable option.

Suddenly, Yoohyeon felt Handong stiffen completely on her back.

— Handong? - she called out — Is everything all right?

Everyone's attention turned to the two women.

— They're close - the Chinese woman murmured, the concern more than obvious in her tone.

Yoohyeon shivered at what the woman said, frightened.

— Faster! - she said — They're close!

The seven women looked at each other, but ran again, without a choice.

— Closer and closer! - Handong suddenly shouted.

Gahyun sighed as she ran, resigned.

— I don't know if I can run this far in this body - she muttered, raising her voice afterwards — Siyeon-unnie, hold on to my neck!

Nodding, Siyeon leaned even closer to Gahyun's back and slipped her arms from her sister's shoulder to her neck, holding on tight as her sister transformed into her beautiful black wolf form, her amber eyes focused solely and exclusively on what lay ahead.

Minji suddenly exclaimed.

— We can run, but we can't leave Yoohyeon and Handong behind! - she exclaimed — Yoohyeon is human, she won't be able to run as fast as a vampire or a werewolf.

Siyeon sighed, looking at Yoohyeon for a moment, but nodded.

— Go at a human speed, Gahyun-ie - she said, stroking her neck — We can't leave anyone behind.

Yoohyeon sighed, closing her eyes for a few seconds.

-—Minji - she said, looking at her girlfriend — I'm sorry.

— Yoohyeon - Siyeon looked at the woman, worried — You don't have to.

— We could get caught if I carry on like this, Siyeon - she said — I think it's time to stop lying.

— Lying? - Minji was increasingly confused. — Yoohyeon, what's going on?

The woman sighed wearily.

— Ji, I'm sorry - she said, looking into the woman's eyes.

And then, where the tall blue-haired woman had been standing, there appeared a large brown wolf with bright green eyes.

— What? - Minji said in a whisper so low that only the werewolves could hear.

Siyeon sighed, looking sadly at Minji.

— I know it can be difficult, but Yoohyeon didn't do any of this out of malice - she said with a sad smile — I'm sure she'll answer all your questions later, Minji, but right now we really need to go.

Taking a deep breath, Minji nodded, looking at Siyeon.

— Okay - she said quietly — Let's go.

As soon as they started walking, Handong felt the hairs on her neck stand on end.

— Hurry! - she exclaimed, worried — Let's move faster!

The other six women looked at each other, tired, but nodded, trying to speed up their pace. Unfortunately, due to exhaustion, they were unable to go much faster than they already were.

Yoohyeon and Gahyun looked at each other in their wolf forms, then sighed. They knew they could walk faster, but they would lose the rest of the group and were unable to carry three women on their backs at the necessary speed.

They continued walking, and suddenly Siyeon felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. Looking back, what looked like an army of human-like beings with completely white eyes and red necks was getting closer and closer, their long, disproportionate limbs helping them get closer to the seven women faster and faster.

— Shit - the oldest werewolf muttered — We can't go any faster.

And in a completely unprepared act, Siyeon detached herself from Gahyun's back, suddenly falling to the ground and turning around.

The youngest immediately transformed into her human form, looking at Siyeon.

— Siyeon-unnie! - Gahyun exclaimed, turning to see her sister lying on the ground. — Why did you do that, unnie? I was fine!

— Gahyun - Siyeon said seriously — Leave me here and run as fast as you can, do you understand?

Gahyun shook her head, hugging Siyeon to help her up.

— I won't leave you here, unnie - she said — You know that.

Siyeon sighed.

— They're after me, Gahyun - she said — I can defend myself, I'll be fine. Now go. Go far away and stay safe, okay?

— You're coming with us, Lee Siyeon! - Handong exclaimed, still on Yoohyeon's back — You know very well that we won't leave you alone!

Siyeon took a deep breath.

“They could have already escaped,” she thought, sighing. “Now it's probably too late.”

Then, the army of deformed monsters actually caught up with them.

— Shadow - a distorted voice hissed among the monsters — And the other six. I think it's time to finish you off once and for all, before that nonsense happens!

Siyeon, Gahyun, and Handong looked at each other, mortified.

— Who are these guys? - Bora asked, already in attack position.

— The guys who used to chase me when I was younger - Siyeon murmured.

— “The return of those who were said to be missing”... - Yubin muttered — Shit.

Suddenly, the strange beings attacked, their powers so diverse that it was difficult to defend against them.

Handong, though injured, tried to help, conjuring a magical shield that prevented the attacks from reaching the girls.

— It won't last long! - she exclaimed, seeming to make some effort — I don't know how much energy I have left, but there are so many of them attacking my shield at once! It's not very strong, but it protects against most attacks from outside.”

Gahyun looked worriedly at Handong.

— From outside? - she asked.

Handong nodded.

— We can still attack through the shield - she said, already looking exhausted.

— What the hell are these guys? - Bora muttered.

Siyeon shuddered.

— I have no idea - she replied, her voice almost as low as Bora's. — But they all have the same eyes and the same black and red marks. They've been chasing me since I came of age, and it looks like they're not going to stop.

Bora let out the breath she had been holding.

— I'm sorry, their problem is with me. None of you should have gotten involved in this - Siyeon finished, looking at Handong and Gahyun as she completed her sentence.

Gahyun shook her head vigorously.

— Don't even start with that, Siyeon-unnie - she said seriously — You know very well that we won't leave you alone in the hands of these things.

Handong nodded as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, the effort to maintain the protections seeming to affect her more and more.

— You're our family, Siyeon - she emphasized — We're not going to leave your side in a situation like this.

Siyeon sighed, concerned for the younger women's safety, but she smiled slightly.

— Thank you, girls, really - she said gratefully — I just... worry about you.

Gahyun smiled slightly.

— We know, Siyeon-unnie - she said softly, — but we'll be fine, I promise you.

Siyeon nodded, still hesitant, looking at the two girls.

— All right - she said — thank you for being with me.

Gahyun and Handong just nodded in response, smiling.

— We're not going to leave you so easily, Siyeon - Handong said. — You're part of the family, we won't leave you alone.

— Thank you - Siyeon said again, smiling.

Suddenly, Handong let out a groan and fell to the floor, exhausted.

— It won't last much longer! - she exclaimed. — They want Siyeon, protect her!

Gahyun looked worriedly at the Chinese girl.

— Dong-unnie - she called — but what about you? They'll come after you too.

— I'll manage, Gahyun - she said, exhausted — Take care of Siyeon first.

Then Handong fell to the ground, exhausted, and the barrier dissolved, causing the girls to be attacked again.

Gahyun spread her dragon wings and took flight with Siyeon in her arms, watching apprehensively as the fight seemed to rage on below.

— HANDONG! - she shouted, flying down from the air.

During the fight, one of the strange beings was practically on Handong's back as she fought two others, about to press its sharp claws against the witch's unprotected back.

Suddenly, a completely black wall appeared behind the woman's back.

— Watch your back - the wall said, slowly dissolving.

— Thanks for the help - Handong said quickly as she continued to fight, acknowledging Yubin's presence with a slight nod.

— No problem - she said, continuing to throw black stakes with her hands at the monsters.

When Handong looked around, the other three women seemed to have decided to join the fight as well. With their fangs fully exposed, Bora and Minji bit everyone they could find, focusing specifically on the neck. Yoohyeon, transformed into her wolf form, jumped, scratched, and bit, attacking everyone she could reach.

While Gahyun remained in the air with Siyeon, Yubin protected Handong's back, who seemed to have the highest concentration of monsters around her.

— Shit! - Handong exclaimed, looking up. — Gahyun, some of them can fly, be careful!

Gahyun took a deep breath, flying higher while holding Siyeon more tightly.

Yubin looked at Handong, spreading a pair of wings that resembled those of a bat.

— I'm going up to help them, if you'll be okay on your own - she said.

Handong nodded.

— They're focusing on Siyeon, not me, - she said — I'll be fine.

Yubin looked at Handong for a few more seconds, but nodded and took off, rising into the air toward the two floating women.

— Watch out! - she said, intercepting a projectile while creating a black barrier — What the hell was that?

— Yubin! - Gahyun exclaimed as she frantically dodged the projectiles that were trying to hit her — What are you doing up here? You should be helping Dong-dong! And since when do you have wings?

Yubin shrugged, pulling Gahyun and, consequently, Siyeon, to the side with her pointed black tail, causing the two women to avoid being hit by a wave of black fire that had been launched.

— I'm half demon, - she said simply, as she continued to hit the enemies with pointed black projectiles — I'm not just a vampire.

Gahyun just nodded understandingly.

Siyeon watched her for a moment.

— I knew you smelled different - she said — I knew you smelled like a vampire, but it was different. I thought I was hallucinating.

Yubin smiled softly, continuing to launch the projectiles.

— Most people don't notice it so much because I usually hide it - she said. — I'm not so used to exposing my demon side, but the fight seemed to need support that I couldn't give as just a vampire.

Gahyun nodded.

— Thanks, by the way - she said, releasing a burst of fire from her mouth toward the enemies — You helped me a lot.

Yubin shrugged, throwing what looked like a whip of darkness at the monsters.

— It's no big deal - she said simply — Siyeon is cool.

The woman smiled.

— Thanks, Yubin. I like you too.

They smiled at each other, and soon Gahyun and Yubin continued to fight, protecting the older werewolf.

The fight progressed quickly, and Gahyun and Yubin's combination was powerful. The two women quickly took down more than one monster at a time, but even their combined strength didn't seem to be enough.

Tired, they continued to fight, doing everything they could to protect Siyeon, but exhaustion seemed to be creeping closer not only to Gahyun and Yubin, but to the other four women still fighting on the ground.

Chapter Text

Perhaps exhaustion was catching up with them faster and faster, and perhaps more and more monsters were arriving. Minji, Bora, Yoohyeon and Handong helped each other as best they could on the ground, almost too weak to do much about the creatures attacking them, but still managing to defend themselves enough with the energy they had left. In the air, Yubin was exhausted. Most of the monsters had gone up to find Siyeon, and while Gahyun had to carry her sister, Yubin had begun to do most of the defense. Her energy was gone and her wings flapped weakly, as if she were struggling to stay in the sky. Gahyun also seemed unable to take it anymore, but she still had energy. She flew back and forth with her sister in her arms, dodging the monsters and moving from side to side while occasionally bursting flames from her mouth, her mask of resistance only broken by the beads of sweat appearing on her body, beginning to show her exhaustion.

Looking back, Yubin sighed, uncertain. Gahyun seemed fine, but Siyeon looked increasingly worried at the younger girl carrying her, and Yubin didn't like that. She herself didn't have much energy left, and if Gahyun gave in, Yubin wasn't sure she could do much to protect Siyeon if she was alone.

Suddenly, Siyeon heard a scream and, worried, looked down, finding a scene that made her gasp:

Handong was on the ground, lying next to a brown wolf that could only be Yoohyeon, while Bora and Minji desperately tried to protect the two injured women, doing their best to keep the enemies away.

Siyeon looked around desperately. Gahyun and Yubin couldn't come down because the flying monsters were completely surrounding them, and that would only attract more and more monsters to the two fallen girls. Bora and Minji couldn't hold out much longer defending Handong and Yoohyeon from so many enemies, and Siyeon didn't know what to do anymore.

Perhaps due to exhaustion from fighting so much, Gahyun and Yubin's attention had wandered a little, and suddenly Siyeon felt a burning sensation on her back.

— Shit! - she cursed, feeling her arms weaken and let go of Gahyun, her weak fingers desperately trying and failing to hold on to her sister's shirt.

— UNNIE! - Gahyun's scream was excruciating, and Siyeon watched her sister turn quickly, swinging in the air, and try to fly at speed toward the older woman, completely ignoring the monsters trying to scratch her skin, which now consisted mostly of something that looked like a large reddish shell, so impenetrable that most of the monsters' countless powers had no effect on the girl.

Unfortunately, Siyeon was falling too fast, and Gahyun could never fly fast enough to reach her sister with so many projectiles hitting her, the monsters running her over and slowing her down as their attacks focused mainly on her after Siyeon had been knocked down.

Siyeon didn't know what to do. Falling faster and faster, she transformed in midair, hoping that her lupine form would at least help a little to lessen the impact she would take when she hit the ground.

With her eyes closed, not wanting to see either of the two fights that were taking place, she waited for her wolf body to hit the ground, begging that, during the fight, Gahyun had moved far away enough so that she wouldn't hurt any of the girls who were on the ground when she landed.

When she finally felt something, Siyeon found things strange, to say the least. The impact she had felt was minimal, the pain still too intense due to her numerous injuries, but she realized she had landed on something much softer than the hard floor.

Opening her eyes, she furrowed her lupine brow, confused, looking around. She was close to the ground, lying on what appeared to be a bed of plants that connected to the trees.

— Are you okay? - a friendly voice asked, sounding concerned.

Siyeon nodded silently, looking confused at the cute girl who was smiling at her.

— I'm Kim Jiwoo, nice to meet you! - she said, looking radiant as she offered her hand to Siyeon.

Cautiously, Siyeon transformed back into her human form and shook the woman's hand.

— Lee Siyeon - she introduced herself, looking around — Where am I?

— At our house - she said, smiling — Heejin-unnie made some illusions so the house wouldn't show up, but it seems you ended up here anyway.

Siyeon nodded slowly, looking around. Behind Jiwoo was a cozy-looking house with colorful walls, a well-kept garden with countless flowers, and a tiny brick chimney that kept releasing smoke.

— Do you want some help? - Jiwoo asked — I can take you to get something to eat. Hyunjin-ie is baking cookies.

Siyeon looked at Jiwoo doubtfully for a few minutes, but nodded, still confused. She was being helped by strangers for the second time in a very short period of time, and perhaps she was a little skeptical.

Helping Siyeon to her feet, Jiwoo cheerfully led the woman into the house. Siyeon frowned, watching the way the countless plants around them reacted every time Jiwoo passed by them.

Entering the house, Siyeon took a step back as she smelled the scents that filled the place. They were so varied and mixed together that it was difficult to distinguish them.

— Are you okay? - Jiwoo asked, concerned. — What's wrong? Can I do anything to help you?

— I'm fine - she muttered — It's just the smells.

The woman nodded.

— Hyeju also took a while to get used to it - she said — I think wolves' sense of smell is much more sensitive than that of other species.

Siyeon nodded, still stunned.

— I smell so many scents here that it feels like thousands of different species - she muttered.

Jiwoo smiled, helping Siyeon sit down on the sofa.

—There are several of us - she confirmed — There are ten different species here, so I think the smells can be confusing at first for those with a more sensitive sense of smell.

Siyeon's eyes widened in surprise.

— Ten species in the same house? - she asked — How do you manage that?

Jiwoo shrugged, smiling.

— We manage to work it out - she said simply.

Siyeon nodded, still looking surprised.

— And people find it surprising that I live with three species in the same house - she said, laughing slightly.

Jiwoo looked surprised.

— I thought werewolves lived in packs with other werewolves - she said, confused — At least that's what Hyunjin told me.

Siyeon shrugged.

— Usually, but we don't necessarily need to have a pack of only wolves - she said — My pack is me, a witch, and a dragon-werewolf hybrid.

Jiwoo nodded, surprised.

— Hyunjin said she was kicked out of her own pack because wolves didn't accept mates from other species, and Heejin-ie is a kitsune - she said — I thought it was like that for everyone.

Siyeon shrugged.

— I think most packs are like that, more rigid about who can and cannot be part of the group - she said, frowning — I just don't have a traditional pack structure. I don't believe in this nonsense of only having wolves in the pack, especially since my family basically consists of a witch and a dragon-werewolf hybrid.

Jiwoo nodded understandingly, and after the conversation, a brief silence filled the room.

— Cotton-candy? - a voice came from inside the house, and soon after, a head appeared at the door — Is everything okay? Who is this?

Jiwoo smiled broadly.

— I'm fine, dear - she said, almost singing — This is Siyeon, she fell here.

Siyeon gave a nod, shrugging her shoulders.

The woman at the door sighed, looking at the werewolf for a few seconds.

— I'll call Yeojin and Haseul - she announced — They should know what to do.

Jiwoo nodded as she and Siyeon watched the other woman leave the room.

— I know Sooyoung-ie can be scary, but don't let that get to you - she said, sitting down next to Siyeon — I promise you she's a sweetheart.

Siyeon nodded hesitantly.

— It's okay - she said simply — I don't think it's normal for her to have a stranger in the house anyway.

Jiwoo just shrugged, as if bringing a stranger home wasn't that unusual.

— You don't look dangerous - she said simply, analyzing the woman better. — In fact, I can help you with that, if you want.

Siyeon looked where Jiwoo was pointing, confused to realize that the woman was pointing at her T-shirt.

— Help me with my clothes? - she asked, confused — No need, thank you very much, I'm fine.

Jiwoo let out a cheerful, sweet laugh, as if she found the situation funny.

— No, silly - she said, still smiling — I'm talking about your injuries. It looks like they haven't healed yet.

Siyeon shrugged.

— I can't do much about them. Bora already helped me treat them, now I can only wait for them to heal.

Jiwoo smiled.

— I can help you with that - she said kindly — Druids have the power of healing, after all.

Siyeon raised an eyebrow.

— We're discreet - she said with a small smile — Would you like some help?

Siyeon nodded, watching as Jiwoo's hands came close to her body, but still without touching her. Suddenly, a faint pink light appeared in her hands, spreading across Siyeon's body and entering each of her wounds.

— Druids? - she said. — It's been a while since I've seen a druid around.

Jiwoo shrugged.

Seconds later, the werewolf felt relieved, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her body after so long.

— Thank you - she said, smiling gratefully. — It's been a while since I've felt this good.

Jiwoo smiled.

— No need to thank me - she said. — I only did what any self-respecting druid would do. Your aura is good and bright; you don't deserve to go through so much pain.

Siyeon nodded, smiling at the woman.

After a few seconds, the door opened and the other woman, Sooyoung, returned with two other women at her side. The taller one looked serious, eyeing Siyeon cautiously, while the shorter girl looked at her smiling, seeming happy to see her.

— You know my little wolf! - the shorter one said cheerfully.

Siyeon looked at the girl in confusion.

— Yeonjin-ie, what do you mean? - asked the taller woman beside her.

— She knows the little wolf, Haseul-unnie! - said the girl, smiling. — My little wolf and Chuu's!

Jiwoo suddenly turned around, confused.

— What do you mean, Yeojin? - she asked.

— Yoo-tonnie, Chuu-unnie! - said the youngest, almost jumping up and down. — She knows Yoo-tonnie!

— What? - Jiwoo, or Chuu's voice was shaky — Are you sure about that, Yeojin-ah?

The girl nodded frantically.

— I'm sure, Jiwoo-nie! - she said, euphoric — I'm sure she knows Yoo-tonnie!

Jiwoo quickly turned in Siyeon's direction.

— Do you know my sister? - she asked, trembling. — Kim Yoohyeon, she must be about twenty-eight now. She's a brown-furred werewolf, taller than me, with green eyes and brown hair.

Siyeon looked at Jiwoo with a soft smile and nodded.

— I don't know Yoohyeon very well, but I do know who she is, even though she has blue hair, not brown - she said — She was with me before I stopped here. She's fine, despite everything.

Jiwoo suddenly began jumping up and down and hugged Sooyoung, tears streaming down her eyes as if a faucet had been turned on.

— My sister is fine, Yves! - she said, looking at the woman still with tears in her eyes. —My sister is alive and well!

Sooyoung, or Yves, nodded with a soft smile, hugging Jiwoo and giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

— I'm happy for you, cotton candy - she said, her eyes shining. — I'm sure your sister will be very happy to see you after so long.

Jiwoo continued to nod frantically, practically jumping in place, the emotion still very strong within her. Sooyoung watched the girl with a big smile and eyes full of love, as if Jiwoo's happiness and excitement were contagious, like a virus of happiness spreading through the air. In a few seconds, everyone present was infected by Jiwoo's joy, smiling gently at the woman who was crying and humming with emotion and happiness.

Siyeon smiled, happy for Jiwoo's reunion with her sister, watching how euphoric the smiling girl was. She was happy that, despite continuing to subject Minji, Bora, Yubin, Yoohyeon, Gahyun, and Handong to so much danger, she had fallen into this strange place that made it possible for Yoohyeon to be reunited with her sister.

Chapter Text

While Siyeon was comfortably staying at Yoohyeon's sister's house in the company of her friends, things were not going so well for the rest of the group. Gahyun and Handong seemed increasingly desperate, while the other four women simply did not know what else to do to calm them down. The monsters were gone, but now the panic was due to the absence of the woman who was the alpha of that small three-member pack.

— Dong-dong! - Gahyun's large red wings flapped dramatically behind her body as she hugged the older woman tightly, tears streaming from her amber eyes like a faucet that had forgot to be turned off — My sister is gone again, Dong-dong!

Handong, trembling with nervousness, wrapped her arms around the younger girl's shoulders, her hands caressing the girl's draconic wings.

— Sing-nie is fine, Gahyun, - she said, her voice trembling — Siyeon-ie is fine and will be back with us soon, okay? She has to be fine...

While Handong and Gahyun once again held each other to endure the screaming pain and agony that Siyeon's absence caused them, the other four women sat on the forest floor a short distance away, looking worriedly in the direction of the other two.

— Poor things, - Minji murmured sympathetically —They found Siyeon after who knows how long, and she disappears right after the three of them reunite.

Bora nodded, worried. Handong and Gahyun's condition didn't look good at all at the moment.

— Siyeon wasn't in good shape either - she said, remembering the bandages and bruises the werewolf had on her body — If she's in danger, I'm not sure what she can do with all those unhealed wounds.

Yubin sighed, gazing intently at the floor.

— I should have done more - she murmured, kicking a small stone in front of her, still without raising her eyes from the ground. — If I had helped protect her more, Siyeon would still be here with us, and consequently Gahyun and Handong would not be in this situation.

Minji looked surprised and concerned. It seemed that Yubin had developed some kind of sympathy for Siyeon.

— You did what you could, Binnie, - she said sweetly — There was no way you could have done more than your body allowed.

Yubin sighed, as if she didn't agree, but nodded, still looking frustrated with her performance in the fight.

A few seconds of silence passed, and Minji let her eyes wander, just listening to the soft sounds of nature around her. Suddenly, her gaze focused on Yoohyeon, who was leaning against a tree a short distance away, scribbling on the ground with a stick. Her gaze rested on the woman for several minutes, without looking away from her apprehensive face for a single second.

— You should go talk to her, you know? - Bora said, watching the older vampire — She must think you hate her now.

Minji frowned, looking confused.

— I could never hate my sweetie, - she said, looking at the woman — Yootoni is everything to me.

— Then tell her that, Minji, - Yubin pointed out, placing a hand on the older woman's shoulder — Yoohyeon won't understand that until you go there and tell her that you still love her with all your heart, you know that.”

Minji nodded, sighing.

— I'll talk to her - the woman said, giving a grateful smile in Bora and Yubin's direction.

The two women just nodded firmly.

— Go talk to her now, Minji - Bora said — Before Yoohyeon starts thinking more and more nonsense.

The older woman nodded, getting up from the floor and walking toward the woman with short blue hair, who continued to scribble on the floor, looking sad.

— Sweetie? - Minji called softly, causing Yoohyeon to move her head slightly upward, still with it completely lowered — Is everything okay?

Yoohyeon did not raise her head when she heard Minji's voice, but the woman knew she had heard her because the stick had suddenly stopped moving.

Minji sighed.

— Can I sit here, my love? - she asked, pointing to the woman's side.

Hesitantly, Yoohyeon nodded, shrugging her shoulders and hugging her legs with her arms, the stick falling from her fingers and being completely forgotten on the floor.

Minji sat down cautiously next to her girlfriend, watching closely the frightened posture the woman displayed.

— Honey, it's okay, - she assured her, her sweet tone of voice finally making Yoohyeon look at her out of the corner of her eye — I'm not mad at you, sweetie.

The one eye Yoohyeon revealed from under her arms watched her intently, and Minji gave a soft smile.

— There's nothing wrong with being a wolf, my love - she said sweetly — You could have told me whenever you wanted, I have no problem with it.

Yoohyeon sniffed and seemed to shrink even more.

— Siyeon told me something similar - she murmured — I was just scared, I guess...

Minji's fingers tangled in her girlfriend's short blue streaks, gently caressing her hair near her neck. Looking closely, she noticed that Yoohyeon still had two cute furry ears on top of her head and was tempted to stroke them, but stopped herself.

— I understand, my love - she said, bringing her face close to the girl's and leaving a soft kiss on her cheek — But you don't need to be afraid anymore, okay? You're still the same Yootoni I love, but now I know you have this pair of cute ears, no big deal.

Yoohyeon smiled softly, moving her ears back and forth in a sign of happiness. Minji, fascinated, watched closely the movement of the two furry friends she now knew her girlfriend had.

— They look so cute - Minji murmured softly, but still loud enough for Yoohyeon's sensitive wolf ears to pick up the message.

Looking somewhat nervous, Yoohyeon looked at Minji, lowering her furry ears.

— D-do you want to touch them? - she asked softly, trembling.

Minji was taken aback by the question, surprised that Yoohyeon would let her, but she smiled happily.

— Can I? - she asked, trying not to show how anxious she was.

Yoohyeon nodded shakily, tilting her head.

— Y-yes, - she continued to stammer nervously, but offered her furry ears to her girlfriend.

Cautiously, Minji reached her hand to the middle of Yoohyeon's head, slowly moving her fingers behind her right ear, caressing the spot.

— It's so soft... - she murmured, fascinated, as she continued to stroke the furry ear.

Yoohyeon smiled, a mixture of happiness, relief, and nervousness stamped on her face. The woman didn't know how many times she had imagined Minji's hands caressing her furry ears, and finally having what she had dreamed of for so long was leaving her practically in the clouds.

With her eyes closed and a soft smile, Yoohyeon enjoyed Minji's affection with emotion, her eyes wet with unshed tears and a sob begging to escape her throat.

— Honey? - Minji called, still caressing her girlfriend's furry ears. — Is everything okay?

Yoohyeon nodded, sniffing as she lowered her head, trying to hide her tears.

— I-I'm fine, Ji - she murmured, her voice low and unsteady.

Minji sighed and held her girlfriend's chin with her fingers, moving her tearful face so that it faced the vampire's worried eyes.

— Honey, what happened? - she asked, concerned. — Did I do something wrong? I promise I won't touch your ears anymore if you don't like it, my love, you just have to tell me.

Yoohyeon shook her head vehemently, nervous.

— No! - she exclaimed, lowering her voice as soon as she realized how urgent it sounded. — You don't have to do that, Ji. I-I like your caresses.

Minji let out the breath she had been holding, relieved, because she herself didn't want to stop caressing Yoohyeon's cute ears now that she had touched them for the first time, but she continued to watch her girlfriend with concern.

— So what happened, honey? - she asked. — Why are you crying?

— I-I just... - she stammered, tears still running down her face as she hid it in her girlfriend's neck. — I-I was afraid, Ji. I-I was afraid to tell you and you would h-hate me.

— Oh, my love - Minji had a soft smile on her lips, her fingers gently running through Yoohyeon's ears and blue hair while her other arm pulled the woman's legs toward her, placing them on top of her own — I could never hate you, not in any way. You are as sweet as the most delicious treats in a bakery, Kim Yoohyeon, as soft and beautiful as the melody of a jazz beat, I could never hate you for any reason, especially not for something as cute as this pair of ears that feel like a warm, cozy blanket, my love.

Yoohyeon nodded, feeling a little better, tears now falling from her face out of emotion rather than fear, crying as she curled up and hid her face even more in Minji's neck.

— Thank you, my love, - she said, sobs breaking her sweet, emotional voice. — Thank you for accepting me even though I hid so much from you for so long, Kim Minji.

The vampire continued to caress her girlfriend's ears, trying to calm her down as she pulled the woman properly onto her lap, hugging her waist and rocking her, as if to calm a baby who was crying nonstop.

While Yoohyeon and Minji finally made up, hugging under a tree, Bora and Yubin finally felt the freedom to breathe a sigh of relief, happy that the two girls had made up.

— Finally - Yubin murmured. — I thought Yoohyeon was going to explode, she was so tense.

Bora sighed, shrinking her shoulders.

— It's not every day that you reveal such a big secret, especially in our society where species don't seem to mix, especially vampires and werewolves, who have been rivals for centuries.

Yubin nodded.

— It makes sense, I guess - she said, somewhat distantly.

— Binnie? - Bora called, looking concerned — Are you okay?

Yubin nodded slowly.

— I'm fine, it's just... - she fell silent for a few seconds, then sighed — I remembered my parents.

Bora sighed, putting her arms around the woman's waist.

— Are you sure you're okay, Yubin? - she asked, concerned. — Do you want to go for a walk?

The woman shook her head.

— I'm fine, Bora - she said with a sad smile. — I just wish they had accepted me the way Minji accepted Yoohyeon.

Bora sighed, tightening her embrace while still looking worriedly at the woman.

— But everything is fine now - Yubin continued — I have my real family now, a family that doesn't care that I'm half demon.

Bora smiled, ruffling Yubin's short hair with her hand.

— And we're not leaving anytime soon - she said, squeezing the woman's shoulder with her other hand — I'm still going to bother you for a long time.

The younger woman laughed softly, smiling honestly at Bora.

— Thank you, Bora-unnie, for everything - she said — I don't know what I would be without you or Minji-unnie.

— Unnie? - Bora murmured, amused — I don't think I've heard you call me unnie in years, Binnie.

Yubin shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

— I stopped calling you unnie a while ago, I don't know why I called you that just now - she said indifferently.

Bora smiled amusedly, squeezing the other woman's shoulder.

— It's been about thirty years, Yubin - she said, a faint laugh escaping her lips. — I think the last time I heard you call me unnie was in nineteen ninety.

Yubin shrugged.

— I don't know, it just came out of my mouth like that now, Bora - she said, laughing, deliberately using only the older vampire's name.

Bora smiled amusedly, noticing the deliberate lack of honorifics in the younger woman's speech. In any case, the silly discussion about the unusual use of honorifics at that moment had the effect Bora had hoped for. Yubin no longer seemed so sad, and that was all that mattered at the moment.

Chapter Text

Siyeon glanced around the cozy little house she was in, watching Jiwoo and her girlfriend Sooyoung hugging on the sofa in the distance, in the other room that could be seen through the open door. She liked the pretty little house, but she was anxious. She had already spent a full day there on Jiwoo's recommendation, who wanted to make sure her injuries had healed, and she knew that Handong and Gahyun must be freaking out right now. She had been missing for too long for the two women not to worry, especially since they had only recently reunited.

Getting up from the bed that Jiwoo had so insistently offered her, she left the room, observing the many women who were there:

Sooyoung and Jiwoo were talking in the living room while the other women in the house, whom she now knew were called Chaewon and Hyeju, left through the back door.

Minutes later, Chaewon and Hyeju returned, accompanied by Yeojin.

— Your sister is looking for you - the girl said simply.

Siyeon took a deep breath, moving her limbs.

— I think I'm better - she said, getting up — I can leave now.

Jiwoo watched Siyeon for a few seconds, then nodded.

— I think you're completely healed now, you can leave - she said, pausing for a few seconds and looking at the floor.

Siyeon raised an eyebrow, confused.

— Jiwoo-ssi? - she called — Is everything okay?

Yeojin smiled.

— She wants to know if we can go with you - the youngest announced — Me and her, that is, not all of us. We miss Yoohyeon-unnie.

Siyeon smiled softly, placing her hand on Jiwoo's shoulder and squeezing it gently.

— Of course I'll take you both to Yoohyeon-ie, Jiwoo-shi - the woman said sweetly. — You don't even have to ask. I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you.

Jiwoo smiled so big and so radiantly that it seemed to light up the whole place.

— Thank you so much, Siyeon-shi! - she said, practically jumping up and down where she stood — I haven't seen my sister in such a long time.

Siyeon smiled at the younger girl's excitement, watching her for a few seconds. She reminded her of Yoohyeon in some ways, now that she thought about it. Both were a little shy but cheerful, their almost childlike behavior appearing from time to time and infecting the entire room with an avalanche of happiness. Physically, there were some differences, but Siyeon could see the resemblance if she thought about it a little. Jiwoo's mouth was a little bigger than Yoohyeon's, but the shape was the same. What caught Siyeon's attention the most were the eyes. While Yoohyeon had green eyes, Jiwoo had beautiful brown eyes, but they both had something in common. They sparkled. They sparkled so much in such a similar way that Siyeon truly believed that Jiwoo was Yoohyeon's sister, because no one else would have the same pure sparkle in their eyes as Yoohyeon except her own sister.

Siyeon smiled at Jiwoo as she watched the girl skip happily around the room. It was good that Yoohyeon was reunited with her family, she thought, as she remembered her own parents fondly.

— Well - Siyeon looked at the women in the room — When do you want to go see Yoohyeon?

Sooyoung shrugged, looking at Jiwoo in a foolish way.

— When you are ready - she said, looking distant.

Siyeon nodded.

— We can go now, I think - she said, giving a small smile — Whatever Jiwoo did to me made me feel brand new. I feel better than I ever have.

Sooyoung nodded, looking at Jiwoo, who seemed about to explode with anxiety.

— I'll call the other girls - Jiwoo said excitedly as she walked out the back door.

Sooyoung gave a silly smile toward the door.

— Thank you - she said, looking at Siyeon — You don't know how much this means to Jiwoo.

Siyeon shrugged.

— It's Yoohyeon's family, it seemed sensible to try to bring the two together - she said simply — I don't know if I could live without Handong and Gahyun by my side for so long.

— Your sisters? - Sooyoung asked curiously.

Siyeon gave a sweet smile.

— More than that, they're practically part of my soul - she said. — Gahyun-ah and Dong-dong aren't my blood sisters, but we've been together for so long that they're practically part of me.

Sooyoung gave a soft smile.

— They seem wonderful - the woman said.

Siyeon nodded.

— They're everything I could ask for - she said, smiling. — I don't know what I would be without my girls.

Sooyoung nodded sympathetically.

— I don't know what I would be without my girls either - she said — There are too many of us to live in one house, but we live in houses that are practically attached because we know we wouldn't be able to stand living apart.

Siyeon smiled and nodded.

— It's hard to live alone after you get used to so many people - she agreed. — I live only with Gahyun-ie and Dong-dong, which is far fewer people, but I don't think I could bear to live alone after so many years together.

Sooyoung was calmer now, Siyeon noticed, her guard lowering slightly as the woman seemed to let her state of alertness slip away.

A few seconds later, the door opened and Jiwoo appeared again, along with a large number of women.

Startled, Siyeon looked around, counting the people present one by one. There were twelve, including herself, the woman realized.

— Eleven girls - she muttered, looking incredulous — That's a lot of people to share a single house.

— That's why we live in three groups - one of the girls said simply. — We split into three houses, but we meet every day.

Siyeon nodded, looking incredulous.

— Well - Jiwoo called the girls' attention, smiling — Shall we go?

All eleven other girls nodded and looked at Siyeon, who still looked surprised.

— L-let's go - she said, getting up from the sofa quickly, losing her balance when a wave of dizziness hit her.

— Be careful - said one of the women, whose name Siyeon wasn't sure of, as she held her so she wouldn't fall — Chuu healed you, but you're still a little fragile. Wait a few more minutes before making any sudden movements, okay?

Siyeon nodded slowly, standing on her own two feet.

— Thank you, uh...

— Chaewon, Park Chaewon - the woman said.

Siyeon nodded.

— Thank you, Chewon-ssi.

The woman shrugged.

— No big deal - she said as Siyeon slowly let go of her — Just be careful.

Siyeon nodded, moving more slowly.

— All right - she said — No sudden movements, got it.

This time, aware of how fast she could move, Siyeon turned to Jiwoo.

— Shall we go? - she said with a smile on her face — I'm sure Yoohyeon is eager to see you.

Jiwoo nodded, smiling.

— Can the girls come with me and Yeojin? - she asked. — I think I'm too anxious to do this alone.”

Siyeon shrugged.

— I don't see any reason why they shouldn't come - she said — Just please be careful. Gahyun and Handong are probably sensitive about my second disappearance in such a short time.

Yeojin nodded.

— They don't seem happy - she said, distantly.

Siyeon looked at Yeojin, confused.

— How do you...?

— I'm an oracle - she said, shrugging — I can see the past, the present, and the future. I can also sense some things, like seeing another location, and right now, your sister and her friend are two steps away from setting the forest on fire.

Siyeon nodded, frowning. That distant voice was somewhat familiar to her.

— So Dong-dong is... - she didn't finish the sentence, still doubtful.

Yeojin nodded, confirming.

— Your friend is an oracle, but she doesn't know it - she said simply. — It happens quite a lot, actually. Many creatures are prone to being oracles, but there aren't spirits for everyone. I'm human, your friend is a witch, but we were still chosen by the spirits of clairvoyance. They don't always tell us we've been chosen.

Siyeon nodded slowly, as if she were still thinking about the explanation Yeojin had given her.

— It looks like Dong-dong is going to have a surprise... - she said, still processing the information.

Yeojin shrugged.

— There's a bit of genetics in it, too - she said. — Your friend's family probably has other oracles, and she must have lived with them.

Siyeon shook her head.

— When I said that Gahyun-ie and Dong-dong are practically my sisters, I wasn't kidding - she said. — Unlike me, Dong-dong was never officially adopted by Gahyun's parents because they couldn't go through with the paperwork. Handong has no blood family because she was an orphan until she was fourteen, when Gahyun-ie's parents found her. She was unofficially adopted by our parents, and we don't know much about her biological family, except that Dong-dong is from somewhere in China.

Yeojin nodded.

— So she didn't live with any of them? - she asked.

Siyeon shrugged.

— If she did, it wasn't for long - she said simply.

— I can help her understand her powers if she wants - she said simply — All she has to do is ask me.

Siyeon nodded.

— I'll talk to her. I think Dong-dong will like to know that it's not a curse.

Yeojin raised an eyebrow.

— A curse? - she asked, confused — Our gift prevents disasters from happening and can bring the best blessings. It could never be called a curse.

Siyeon looked hopefully at Yeojin.

— I think if Handong talks to you, she'll finally accept her gift of clairvoyance better - the woman said. — Gahyun-ie and I have been trying to convince her that she's not cursed for years.

Yeojin nodded understandingly.

— Our prophecies can be interpreted in many different ways, and they always come true, whether people believe in them or not - she said — Many bad things can come from our words, but also many blessings. It's understandable that she doesn't understand the importance of her own gift. Many of us despise it because of the bad visions, and we end up forgetting all the situations in which we predicted good things and saved ourselves because of our visions.

Siyeon agreed silently, nodding her head.

— Dong-dong has saved us countless times because of her premonitions and visions - she said — But she insists on saying she's cursed. We even had to convince her to stay with us because she thought we didn't deserve her and her "curses" around us.

Yeojin sighed, looking away as she listened to Jiwoo, who had been silent the whole time, snort.

— Yeojin was like that too - she said — We had a hard time convincing her that she wasn't cursed.

— Chuu! - Yeojin warned, looking embarrassed.

— It's true, Yeojin-ah! - she said — How long did Chaewon-unnie have to tell you that there was nothing wrong with you? How long did I and the other girls have to tell you that you were a blessing and not a curse?

The girl just lowered her head, not meeting Jiwoo's eyes.

— It may take a long time, but one day they'll understand, Siyeon-ie - Jiwoo said, looking at the werewolf with a smile — Just keep telling her that, you and anyone else around her. One day she'll realize that she's a blessing instead of a curse.

Siyeon nodded, smiling at Jiwoo.

— We'll keep saying it, even if Gahyun-ah and I have to do it until we die - she said — Dong-dong needs to understand once and for all that there's nothing wrong with her, and we'll keep insisting until it sinks in.

Jiwoo nodded with a smile.

— One day she'll do like Yeojin and understand how blessed she is - the woman said. — I've been telling her that since childhood, when it was just the two of us, alone on the streets, until today, after Haseul-unnie took us in and we live comfortably in our warm home. She only understood when there were already twelve of us girls sharing three houses because the first one became too small for all of us.

Siyeon nodded.

— I've been telling her this for years - the woman explained. — I hope you're right and that one day she'll realize how wonderful her gift is, because I'm tired of seeing my Dong-dong tormenting herself over something she said when she didn't even have control over her own voice.

Jiwoo patted Siyeon on the shoulder sympathetically.

— It may take time, but one day she will finally understand everything you say to her, Siyeon-ssi. If Yeojin understood, then your sister will too.

Siyeon sighed, nodding as she stared into nothingness.

— I hope so, Jiwoo-ssi. I really do.

Chapter Text

Finally recovered, Siyeon looked at the door of the cozy house where Jiwoo, Haseul and all the other girls had taken her in. It was very kind of the twelve women, and Siyeon could never be grateful enough to those who saved her life.

— Thank you - she said, deeply grateful — for everything. I don't know if I would have survived without you.

Yeojin shrugged.

— You're Yoohyeon-ie's friend, and besides, I don't see anything wrong with you so far - she said — We had no reason not to take you in.

Jiwoo nodded, smiling.

— My sister's friends are my friends, and if Yeojin-ah doesn't see anything wrong with you, then we'll always welcome you.

Siyeon gave a soft smile to the women gathered in the room.

— Anyway, thank you - she repeated — You didn't have to do this.

— Yeojin trusted you - Haseul said — And besides, you didn't look like a threat with all those injuries.

Siyeon let out a soft laugh.

— Really, I don't think I could have done much if you had decided to hurt me - she said.

Haseul nodded.

— Shall we go? - Jiwoo asked, somewhat anxiously.

— Siyeon-ssi? - Haseul looked at the woman — Are you ready?

The woman nodded, standing up.

— Wow - she said, moving — Jiwoo-ssi really did a great job. I feel brand new.

Jiwoo smiled.

— I'm glad you're okay - she said.

After saying goodbye to the other residents of the house, Haseul, Jiwoo, Yeojin, and Siyeon walked out the door. Walking a few meters, Haseul bent down, picked up a stone that looked ordinary, and turned it over, revealing a strange rune underneath.

— Gowon-ah made our security with runes - she explained, while making specific movements with her fingers — It recognizes our aura and only opens if one of us twelve makes the right gesture. She's a clever little witch, our Chaewon-ie.

Siyeon nodded.

— Dong-dong did something similar - she said. — Only authorized people can enter our house because of the security systems she set up.

Haseul nodded.

— Witches like to be cautious - she said as she watched the barrier become visible and open a hole in itself. — Let's go.

As Siyeon passed through the barrier, she smiled slightly at the undulating sound it made, similar to the feeling of entering her own home, except that here the barrier had to be opened, while at home she just felt like she was passing through a fountain that never got her wet.

Leaving the barrier, Siyeon sighed, looking around. She could hear Gahyun's anger from afar.

— My sister is not happy at all - she said, watching as a source of smoke was seen a little in the distance — I suggest you be careful, Gahyun-ah can be impulsive.

Haseul nodded, placing herself in front of the other four girls.

Siyeon sighed.

— I'll go in front - she said. — The girls will knock you down if they see me behind you, and I don't want that to happen.

Haseul seemed hesitant to leave the girls practically unprotected, but she nodded and took a step back, staying by the girls' sides while Siyeon took the lead.

— Thank you - Siyeon said as she lowered one of her fluffy ears in a sign of respect, knowing how difficult it probably was for Haseul, as the alpha of the pack, to give up her place of protection to a werewolf she didn't even know — I promise I won't let any of your girls get hurt.

Haseul nodded, still hesitant.

Taking a deep breath, Siyeon began walking toward the smoke, knowing that was where her sister was. Behind her walked Haseul, Jiwoo, and Yeojin, the first looking cautiously around while having Jiwoo and Yeojin under her arms, holding the two girls' shoulders protectively.

— Dong-dong? Gahyun-ie - she called out when the smoke met her eyes and she could see nothing but the result of Gahyun's furious breathing — I'm fine, girls!

A pair of red eyes that shone like never before appeared through the smoke, and Siyeon knew that Handong had found her.

She waved her hand.

— Hi, Dong-dong - she said, smiling softly — I'm back.

The bright eyes disappeared, and Siyeon blinked, looking confused by the woman's disappearance.

Suddenly, a scream was heard, and Siyeon found herself on the ground for the second time in a few days.

The smoke seemed to be clearing now, Siyeon realized, and she could see better what was happening:

There was a human barrier around her, on all sides. Behind her were Minji and Yoohyeon, in front of her were Bora and Handong, while above her were Gahyun and Yubin, flapping their wings menacingly.

— Who are you and what have you done to my sister? - Gahyun practically growled, hot smoke coming out of her lips with every word.

— Gahyun-ie, it's okay - Siyeon said, trying to calm her sister down — They helped me.

Gahyun didn't even move, still watching the women with a threatening look.

Siyeon sighed, looking tired.

— Look - she lifted her shirt — I don't have any more bruises. Jiwoo healed me.

Bora suddenly turned around, examining Siyeon's skin.

— They're healed - she said quietly — Did they really help you?

Siyeon nodded, noticing how the women seemed to calm down a little.

— They're not a threat, girls - she said — They could have killed me as soon as they found me, but they healed me and helped me.

Gahyun still looked doubtful, but she backed away to the ground and nodded.

— Are you sure, Siyeon-unnie? - she asked, landing next to her sister.

— Absolutely sure, Gahyun-ah - she said, opening her arms — Look at me, I'm brand new!

Gahyun nodded hesitantly, lowering her guard a little and wrapping her arms around Siyeon's waist, sighing with relief when her sister put her own arms around the younger girl's shoulders.

— I'm fine, Gahyun-ah, don't worry - she said, gently stroking her sister's back. — Nothing bad happened to me.

Behind her, another pair of arms found Siyeon's waist as a forehead rested on her shoulder.

— Hi, Dong-dong - Siyeon said, wrapping her arm around the woman's head.

— Don't ever disappear like that again, Lee Siyeon - she said, trembling. — You've scared us enough already.

Siyeon sighed, moving her body to hug both women properly.

— I'm fine, okay? - she said, now looking at the other four women — Nothing happened, I just ended up falling in their yard.

Bora let out a sigh, looking relieved, while Yoohyeon, Minji, and Yubin nodded, seeming to relax their bodies. Siyeon smiled softly, realizing how worried the women who barely knew her had become.

— In fact Siyeon announced, after realizing that all six women were calmer, — Yoohyeon-ssi, I think you would like to meet two of these beautiful ladies.

— Hm? - Yoohyeon said, looking confused — What do you mean, Siyeon?

— Hi, Yoolfie - Jiwoo's shy voice was heard in the background.

Yoohyeon's body seemed to freeze completely as soon as her lupine ears picked up Jiwoo's voice, her jaw tightening and her eyes filling with unshed tears.

— W-Wooie? - Yoohyeon's voice trembled as she tried not to choke up — I-Is it really you?

Tears now fell freely from both faces, Yoohyeon practically sobbing silently while Jiwoo had calm tears and a smile on her face.

— It's me, unnie - she said — Me and Yeojin-ah.

Yoohyeon turned quickly, looking at Yeojin's face.

— Hi, Yoohyeon-unnie - she said, waving with an emotional smile.

In the next second, Jiwoo was on the floor next to Yeojin and Yoohyeon, who hugged both girls with all her strength.

Yoohyeon cried harder than ever, her face hidden in Jiwoo's neck while her arms held the two girls tightly, practically sticking to them in every way possible.

— H-how? - she asked, still in tears — T-they said you had d-died.

Jiwoo sighed, looking sadly at Yoohyeon.

— Mom and Dad never liked me, unnie - she said — Yeojin-ah was just a bonus because she was with me when I was kidnapped, she has nothing to do with it.

Yoohyeon looked confused through her tears.

— B-but they blamed me f-for so long - she said. — I p-practically live at M-Minji's house because of it.

Jiwoo looked confused at Yoohyeon.

— I thought they liked you - she said.

— And I thought they liked you - Yoohyeon replied, just as confused as Jiwoo.

The two women frowned, looking at each other.

— If they liked me so much, why did they never show it? - Jiwoo muttered, confused. — They always fought with me over everything and spoiled you.

Yoohyeon frowned.
— They spoiled me? I thought they spoiled you - she said. — They always gave you gifts and hugged you, while mom complained if I breathed too loudly and dad fought with me when I did anything.

— But they were always with you - Jiwoo retorted — and my gifts were never exactly good. On my last birthday with them, I got a holey sock and a worn-out candle that didn't even have a wick anymore.

Yoohyeon sighed.

— They neglected us both, it seems - she said, looking sadly at her sister. — I'm sorry I didn't protect you, Wooie.

Jiwoo shook her head.

— There was nothing you could do, Yoolfie - she said with a sad smile — They hated us both equally, it seems. We had no escape other than to run away, as I did.

Yoohyeon nodded.

— Now I understand why you left, Jiwoo - she said — They treated you as badly as they did me.

Jiwoo nodded, and the two women were silent for a short time, enjoying each other's presence.

— Yoohyeon-unnie - Jiwoo called, suddenly looking concerned — Are you still living with them?

The older girl shook her head.

— I never officially told them that I moved out, but I gradually took almost all of my things out of their house - she said — I live with Minji now.

Jiwoo raised an eyebrow.

— Minji?

Yoohyeon nodded.

— My girlfriend - she said — she was the one who helped me escape from that place.

In the background, Minji waved, smiling.

Jiwoo smiled back, nodding as if to say thank you.

— I'm glad you're okay now, Yoolfie - she said, looking into her sister's eyes —No one deserved the treatment our parents gave us.

Yoohyeon nodded, looking around.

— I see you look happy too, Wooie - she said, smiling softly — I'm happy for you.

A soft smile appeared on Jiwoo's lips.

— The girls take good care of me and Yeojin-ah - she said, her eyes shining — They welcomed us as part of the family the moment they found us.

Yoohyeon smiled happily.

— I have my family now too - she said, pointing to the six women, who waved — Minji, Bora, and Yubin practically let me live in their house, and even though I've only known Siyeon, Handong, and Gahyun for a very short time, so much has happened that we've become strangely close.

Jiwoo smiled at her sister.

— I'm glad you're doing well, Yoolfie - she said. — I was worried that you would get into trouble with our parents and end up alone, but I see now that I didn't need to worry.

Yoohyeon smiled.

— Just let me know if you move again, okay, Miss Kim Jiwoo? - she said, squeezing her sister's shoulder. — I don't want to have to worry for nothing again.

Jiwoo smiled at her sister and hugged her.

— I promise I'll let you know if I move, unnie - she said, tightening her embrace — And you, promise you'll visit me again, this time normally.

Yoohyeon smiled.

— Call me and send me the address - she said — I'll come as soon as I can.

Jiwoo nodded, going inside the house and looking for a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling some numbers and writing “Kim Jiwoo” at the top.

— Here - she said, tearing off the sheet and handing it to her sister — Write yours down.

Yoohyeon smiled, nodding and taking the notebook, writing her phone number with the name “Kim Yoohyeon” at the top.

— Here, Wooie - she said, smiling. — Call me, okay?

Jiwoo smiled, nodding.

— And you do the same, Kim Yoohyeon - she said, falling silent for a few seconds — I missed you, unnie.

Yoohyeon smiled sadly, hugging Jiwoo as tightly as she could.

— I missed you too, little sister - she said, emotionally — Every day.

Chapter Text

With the emotional reunion between Yoohyeon, Jiwoo, and Yeojin, all the women in the house smiled happily. It was good to see the three girls so happy because of a reunion that had been so long awaited. Especially because, after all the problems the seven women had before arriving at the house, it was gratifying to finally have a little peace and happiness.

— It's so good to finally see Yoohyeon so happy and excited again - Minji said, emotionally — I don't think I've seen her with such a big smile on her face in a long time.

Sooyoung nodded, understanding and sharing Minji's feelings.

— Jiwoo always murmurs about her sister while she sleeps - she said, looking at her girlfriend with eyes shining with emotion — It's good to finally see them together after so long just hearing Yoohyeon's name.

In complete silence, all the other women in the house watched as the three girls had not left each other's side since they entered, Yoohyeon sitting between the two younger women in a small space where she barely fit, her arms wrapped around Jiwoo and Yeojin's shoulders in a hug so tight that the other women thought it could not be broken even by force, as if Yoohyeon was making sure that the two younger girls would not disappear in clouds of smoke from her arms, while Jiwoo and Yeojin themselves also did not leave Yoohyeon's side for anything, having placed one of their own legs on top of Yoohyeon's, as if pinning the woman to the sofa to prevent her from leaving.

Siyeon smiled, genuinely happy for the girl. It was good to see Yoohyeon truly happy after so much fear and apprehension. She hadn't known the woman for long, but it was gratifying to finally see her smiling genuinely, without the fear and worry that always seemed to lie behind her bright green eyes. Siyeon could sense Yoohyeon's kindness from afar, and she was glad that things were finally working out for the werewolf, because the Yoohyeon she had known, the apprehensive girl who thought twice before taking even the simplest action, now seemed increasingly distant, leaving only a clumsy, smiling girl who had finally allowed herself to be loved for who she was and who was no longer afraid of being judged by those she loved.

While the girls happily reunited, all eating cookies while Yoohyeon didn't leave her sister and the girl who was practically her sister's sister for a second, Handong frowned, looking worried as she stared at the floor.

— You feel something's wrong too, don't you? - Yeojin said as she approached, finally managing to break free from Yoohyeon's protective grip — You feel like something's going to happen, but you're not sure what, right?

Handong looked at Yeojin with a mixture of surprise and strangeness, looking confused.

— H-how did you...? - she asked, the words seeming to refuse to come out of her mouth due to shock.

Yeojin gave a small, sympathetic smile toward Handong, noticing her surprise.

— I'm like you - she said simply, shrugging her shoulders — Oracles tend to bring not only communication from the divine or the dead, but also visions and premonitions that can be from the present, past, or future, and it is up to the bearer of the oracle to realize the meaning of the vision or premonition.

Handong nodded, looking bewildered as she remained silent for a few seconds.

— An oracle - she finally murmured — That's why I have so many premonitions that come true.

Siyeon and Gahyun looked at each other as they listened to the conversation between Handong and Yeojin, sighing with relief at what they heard.

— So that's why she always knew what was going to happen - Siyeon joined the two women's conversation, looking relieved to find out about Handong's classification — I was afraid it was something that was harming our Dong-dong.

Yeojin shook her head.

— We usually freeze while we have visions - she said, shrugging — We're practically defenseless, and if we're on the battlefield and go into a trance, we'll need some kind of protection. But that's basically it, no big deal.

Siyeon and Gahyun looked at each other again and nodded, looking confident.

— We can protect our Dong-dong whenever she needs it - Siyeon confirmed, smiling confidently — Nothing will stop us from helping each other.

— Ah - Yeojin suddenly seemed to remember something — You can talk to your oracle spirit too, they're usually very wise.

Handong looked at the girl in confusion.

— Spirit? - she asked, looking concerned — I have a spirit living inside me?

Yeojin gave a small smile, understanding why the woman sounded hesitant.

— Yes, but it's no big deal, they do nothing but give advice from time to time and speak prophecies when necessary - she said, and suddenly blue smoke began to come out of her mouth — This is Trophonius, he first appeared when I got lost in a cave and ended up sleeping from exhaustion. I've had visions in my dreams or trances ever since.

Handong watched in shock as the mist materialized into something that almost looked human.

— Hello, human - the blue mist's voice echoed — I see you carry Delphi with you.”

— Delphi? - Handong muttered, confused.

— Hello - another voice echoed beside Handong, and the woman jumped in fright — I haven't had a chance to introduce myself yet. I am Delphi, nice to meet you, Handong.

— W-what? - Handong couldn't form words properly due to the shock. — W-who are y-you?

The green mist that hovered around Handong seemed to come together and form a human shape, which stood in front of the woman.

— I am your prophetic spirit - the human mist replied — I live inside you and send you riddles that may help you in the future.

Handong nodded, still looking confused and stunned.

— S-so all those premonitions... - she murmured.

The misty form nodded.

— It was me - he said. — I've always been here with you, but I've only manifested myself in a material form now.

Handong could only nod, still too shocked to express any kind of reaction.

The oracle made a small sound and nodded, looking understanding.

— I will take my leave - he said simply — It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Handong. I hope to speak with you again soon, and not just in the form of prophecies.

The Chinese woman nodded slowly, and in the next moment, the smoke entered her mouth and disappeared.

— Wow - Siyeon murmured, surprised — I think the trances finally make sense.

Gahyun nodded, still shocked.

— Dong-dong is an oracle - she whispered in awe — An oracle...

— Handong? - Yubin called out — Are you okay?

One by one, all the women in the room looked toward the woman who remained frozen, her eyes still completely fixed on the spot where her prophetic spirit had been just seconds ago.

— Oracle... - she muttered from time to time, her gaze glazed over — I am an oracle...

Siyeon and Gahyun looked at each other, concerned. They finally understood the reason for all of Handong's strange behavior, but the woman's reaction upon discovering what it was worried them.

— Dong-dong? - Gahyun called cautiously, placing her hand gently on the Chinese woman's shoulder — Are you okay?

Handong slowly turned her neck toward Gahyun, blinking slowly.

— I-I'm an oracle, Gahyun-ie, - she said, her voice trembling — Finally, the visions and predictions make sense. I-I'm not crazy, after all.

Gahyun smiled softly, nodding as she looked into the woman's eyes.

— You were never crazy, Dong-dong - she said slowly — Siyeon-unnie and I have been trying to explain this to you for years, but you never listen to us. I'm glad you finally understand.

— We are - Siyeon added — Do you finally understand what I meant all these years, Dong-ah? You were never crazy, you're just special, more than any of the three of us could ever imagine.

From the corner of the red-haired woman's eyes, a small tear fell, and as soon as the first one came, it was as if a faucet that had been closed for years had finally burst, spilling water everywhere. Handong's tears were thick and only increased as the seconds passed, releasing all the anguish she had kept inside for years regarding her visions.

— I-I'm not crazy - Handong sobbed — A-all the other children were wrong. I'm not c-crazy.

Siyeon and Gahyun looked at each other again, concerned. Nodding to each other, they moved toward Handong and hugged the woman simultaneously, Gahyun practically sitting on the Chinese woman's lap while resting her chin on the woman's left shoulder, while Siyeon hugged Handong from behind, her face resting on the woman's right shoulder.

— You were never crazy, Dong-dong - Gahyun murmured, stroking the witch's head — We always knew that. We're glad you finally understand that.

A long time passed in silence as Handong cried in relief, her tears washing away all the fear and guilt she had carried for years because of her visions and predictions.

— I-I'm not crazy - she continued to murmur as she hid her face in Gahyun's neck, as if a weight of years and years was finally being lifted from her shoulders.

After a few minutes, when Handong was finally able to calm down, Siyeon turned toward the women who had welcomed her.

— Thank you for everything - she said, genuinely grateful — I wouldn't have survived without you, and on top of that, you made my sister finally understand that she's not crazy.

Haseul nodded, smiling.

— Good luck on your journey, Lee Siyeon - she said, lowering her exposed wolf ears — May the forces of nature always be with you.

Siyeon nodded, smiling.

— And may you never lack the comfort of a group - she replied, also lowering her ears.

Gahyun and Handong smiled as they nodded, standing behind Siyeon. Gahyun's wolf ears were visible, while Handong showed a pair of sparkling green ears that suddenly appeared on her head.

Haseul smiled one last time as she showed her wolf ears, lowering them. Siyeon, Handong, Gahyun, and Yoohyeon returned the gesture while Minji, Bora, and Yubin watched the situation, completely confused.

Chaewon, who was next to Haseul as soon as she heard about the farewell, ready to open the barrier more correctly, looked at Handong's shiny ears with curiosity.

— You do it like wolves - she said, looking confused. — Why?

The Chinese woman shrugged, looking at Siyeon and Gahyun as she smiled, as if remembering at that very moment everything she had been through with the two women.

— The first time I felt truly loved was among the wolves who raised me - she said. — Nothing is more fair than following the traditions they taught me over time. I adapt because I'm obviously not a wolf, but I get as close as I can to the traditions that were passed down to me. Siyeon practically raised me since we ran away, and everything she taught me was what she herself knew about her own raise. And since she is a werewolf, who was raised among werewolves, what she taught me was much of the raise system and teachings of wolves.

— Oh - Chaewon said, nodding — I understand. It makes more sense for you to follow the lupine traditions, since you were raised in them. Thank you for the explanation.

Handong just nodded, a small smile on her lips.

— Anyway - Siyeon said — I think unfortunately we have to go, I've spent too much time disrupting your lives. Thank you so much for having us, girls.

Haseul gave a small smile.

— Don't thank us or say you've been in the way, it was nothing - she said sincerely — You are Yoohyeon's family, who is Jiwoo's family. Jiwoo's family is our family too, and family helps family.

The seven women nodded, and as soon as Chaewon opened the gate, they left the women's residence after saying a brief but friendly goodbye. And so the seven walked through the gate, toward the outside world, which Siyeon hoped no longer had all those monsters chasing them.

Chapter Text

Leaving the house of the twelve women who had taken them in after Jiwoo insisted on treating Handong's injured foot, they looked around, completely relieved, when they realized that the monsters chasing them seemed, at least for the moment, to have magically disappeared. For at least a few minutes, it seemed that they would have some peace during their escape.

— What are we going to do? - Gahyun asked, still practically glued to her sister's body, as if afraid she would disappear for the third time.

Siyeon took a deep breath, her energy restored after being healed.

— What do you think? - She looked at Minji — I know you're the leader of your group, and I think we should make this kind of decision together, all seven of us, but I need to know if you agree.

Minji nodded, seeming pleased that Siyeon recognized the equality that existed in their roles as a group.

Sighing, the purple-haired woman looked around the area, worried as she tried to dismiss the possibility that the monsters were still after them, hiding among the trees.

— We need to move - she said, sighing — We can't stay here much longer, it's too close to the last place they found us.

Siyeon nodded.

— Besides - the werewolf added — we're putting Haseul's pack at risk if we stay here, because it's becoming increasingly clear that, whatever these beings are, they're after me.

The girls looked at the empty spot where they knew the residence of the twelve women who had taken them in had been and sighed, knowing they needed to leave soon.

The group then began to move, surrounding Siyeon as if forming a shield to prevent her from being seen: Handong and Gahyun walked on either side of the woman, alert to any movement among the trees. Minji and Yoohyeon positioned themselves in front, the first one's fangs fully visible while Yoohyeon let her wolf claws show. Behind them were Yubin and Bora, alert to any small detail or movement that occurred as they walked.

Siyeon sighed, wondering how things had come to this. Of course, she knew for sure that they were being pursued and that she was clearly the reason for the pursuit, but so much protection seemed excessive. She was used to having Handong and Gahyun alert at her side, of course, but the addition of the other women was new and only seemed to make everything bigger than it should be.

She looked at the women surrounding her and took a deep breath, relieved despite the overprotection, because she knew that after some time in the safe house of Haseul and her pack, the monsters chasing her had probably lost her.

Lee Siyeon couldn't have been more wrong.

They had probably been walking for ten minutes when she felt Handong stumble slightly beside her, tripping as she walked.

— Dong-ah? - she called, concerned — Are you okay?

Gahyun looked at Handong closely, noticing the woman's stiff posture.

— Dong-dong - the youngest called out — You have that worried look on your face again.

Handong looked at Gahyun, and all the other women stopped, watching the interaction with concern.

— They're close by again - she said stiffly.

Minji frowned, looking confused.

— B-but we left Haseul's house so recently - she pointed out — How did they find us so quickly?

Handong shrugged as she looked around cautiously, unable to give Minji a concrete answer to her question.

— We need to keep walking - the Chinese woman said worriedly — Or they'll catch up with us soon.

Minji nodded as she looked at the rest of the group.

— We need to go faster, - Siyeon muttered hurriedly, watching Handong's behavior — It looks like things aren't going to stay peaceful for long.

Handong nodded frantically, still looking around.

Exchanging glances, the other women nodded, quickening their pace through the forest as they wandered aimlessly toward somewhere that might bring them peace.

They walked among the trees as best they could, thorns scratching their skin and cutting through the fabric of their clothes, leaves and small branches snagging in their hair, the dirt and brush they walked on beginning to soak into their shoes as the seven women's walk through the woods dragged on longer and longer.

When Siyeon felt her arm being grabbed tightly and turned to find Handong's face expressing nothing but pure terror, she knew she was screwed.

— Dong-dong? - she called hesitantly, worried.

Handong's trembling hands pulled Siyeon closer, and the older woman felt Gahyun's back press against hers.

Looking back, she found nothing but her sister's worried gaze.

— Dong-ie - Gahyun called, distressed — What happened?

Realizing that Siyeon's back was now better protected, Handong turned to observe the forest, her eyes, sclera, iris, and pupil, glowing in a blood red that seemed to contain more power than Siyeon had seen Handong exude in a long time.

— More of them - she said simply, her voice faltering slightly due to the woman's apparent nervousness.

When the monsters arrived for what seemed like the thousandth time, Handong was ready. Red balls flew from her right hand while each finger of her left hand shot a small glowing projectile that pierced the enemies, having less effect than the large balls from her other hand, but slowing them down so that the larger projectiles had enough time to be created.

Gahyun sighed as she watched them, flames shooting nonstop from her mouth as she tried everything she could to keep them from getting too close to Siyeon, who had transformed into her gray wolf form and was trying to scare the monsters away with scratches and bites.

The other women took a few seconds to realize the attack, but joined the fight almost immediately when they realized what was happening. A large brown wolf took Yoohyeon's place and began to advance on as many monsters as possible, while Yubin's black wings appeared and the black projectiles coming out of her hands hit the monsters. Bora and Minji bared their fangs, jumping higher than any human could to bite as many monsters as possible, weakening them at least for a while.

— Shit! - Handong shouted as she attacked more and more monsters. — Gahyun, where's Siyeon?!

Gahyun destabilized in the air for a few seconds, looking desperately at Handong as she glided.

— What?! - she exclaimed, as if her soul had left her body — Handong, what do you mean?

Looking around, the dragon-werewolf despaired once again, realizing her sister's disappearance for what seemed like the hundredth time in such a short time.

— Shit! - Bora shouted as she found herself between Siyeon and what appeared to be thousands and thousands of monsters. — Where are the other girls when I need them?!

Siyeon quickly dodged a pair of claws that were trying to hit her, pulling Bora with her and rolling on the ground when a burst of black fire almost hit them, the heat still present on her skin even though she hadn't been directly hit.

— Holy shit... - she muttered, her fingers dug firmly into the vampire's shoulders. — We have to be careful.

Bora nodded, sighing deeply and touching Siyeon's shoulder, who quickly got up from on top of the woman.

Breathing deeply, the vampire almost collapsed when she realized the number of monsters that now surrounded her and Siyeon. There were too many, too many monsters for just two women to fight, but she had to try.

Quickly, she grabbed Siyeon by the waist and jumped, hoping that none of the monsters flying around would attack them. Luckily, she landed on the top of one of the trees in the forest and balanced herself on the branches, releasing Siyeon only when she was sure that her feet were stable on the branches.

— Holy shit... - Siyeon muttered, watching the monsters through the branches. — How the fuck are we going to escape this?

Bora sighed, her nails scratching the tree branches as she watched the fight still going on below on the ground.

— What do these guys want, anyway? - she muttered, frustrated as her nails dug deep into one of the leaves she had pulled from the branch. — Why the hell have they been chasing you for so long?

Siyeon sighed, looking tired.

— I have no idea - she replied honestly — I just remember that it started when I reached lupine maturity, but I never understood why.

Bora nodded, realizing that Siyeon knew almost as little about the situation as she did.

— Then we need to find out, because now you're probably not the only target - she said tensely as she watched the monsters that seemed to be slowly locating Siyeon again.

— Shit! - Siyeon shouted, almost losing her balance as she dodged a pair of hands that were trying to grab her.

— Sing-sing! - Siyeon's lupine ears picked up the sound of Handong's voice. — Are you okay?!

Siyeon grunted as she kicked the growing pairs of claws back to the ground and noticed Bora looking up, worried.

— There are more of them coming... - she muttered as she watched the four creatures flying over the tree.

Siyeon sighed, seeing no other option but to involve her girls in the fight again.

— Gahyun-ie! Dong-dong! - she shouted, hoping Gahyun's wolf ears would pick up the sound — Help!

In a matter of seconds, Siyeon could see the red-winged missile coming toward her at high speed, Handong clinging to Gahyun's back with one hand holding the base of the younger woman's wing, who was flying as if standing upright, walking quickly on the ground.

Siyeon shuddered as she saw the two pairs of angry eyes coming toward her, Handong releasing ball after ball of magic toward the monsters while Gahyun flew at absurd speed toward her.

She had seen this formation before, because Gahyun and Handong loved to train together when they thought Siyeon wasn't looking, but it had been a while since she had seen it in action. Handong's single hand stuck like glue to the base of Gahyun's wing, with such force that Siyeon knew it could only be magic, while the dragon girl flew with extreme speed toward her target.

Flames shot out of the younger girl's mouth, precisely attacking each enemy that came too close, while Handong continued to fire her projectiles at any enemy that dared to enter her field of vision, the two women working in cooperation with a single goal: to reach Siyeon as quickly as possible.

With some difficulty, they made their way to the older woman, watching the flood of monsters walking toward her.

— How the hell do they keep finding you?! - Handong practically growled, irritated, as a purple beam of light shot out of her hands — We've been moving for ages, and just when we think we've lost them, they come back like a bunch of parasites!

Siyeon sighed, defeated, as she watched the two women who were her family wear themselves out more and more just to protect her, feeling helpless.

— I can't understand it - she muttered as she watched Handong create a protective shield exclusively around her and Bora — We run, we run, and they keep finding us, no matter how far away we are.

She scratched her neck, a habit she had started after the different types of dirt that had impregnated her skin after the captivity, until she frowned, stopping her movements completely when she felt something different.

— What? - she muttered, running her fingernails over a specific spot behind her neck and feeling a small bump there — What the hell is this on my neck? It wasn't here before.

Bora, who was watching Handong's efforts to protect them helplessly, turned to the werewolf when she heard the worried and confused tone in Siyeon's voice.

— Siyeon? - she called, looking concerned — Are you okay? What happened?

Siyeon looked at Bora with a mixture of fear and confusion.

— There's something on my neck.