𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕟-𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕟 | ᴇɴ-

𝟏𝟐

I'm finally left alone after hours in the infirmary being interrogated by the Mistress, trying to convince her I'm not a lost case. She and the nurse had a lot of questions and I couldn't answer them truthfully without exposing my brothers too. So I lied a bit. But I don't think they were truly convinced.

They wanted to know what I am. I'm not even sure myself so I didn't need to lie about it. They wanted to know if the others were like this too. I told them they weren't. In the end I convinced them it was just an illness and that it could be cured. I want to believe that. They did. They said they would fix me but I had to be isolated from the others.

So here I am. In a room by myself. It's night now, which isn't helping my situation. Everything gets worse at night. My senses heightened, my craving screaming.

I need to drink.

It makes me sick, what I want. But I can't help wanting it. My body is different and it has different needs. Blood is one of them. I'd already tasted it back at the castle. But it was rat blood that time, not human. Today I almost drank that boy. But if I hadn't tried, Jake-hyung would've.

I saw him in the courtyard. He wasn't himself. His eyes were glowing and I could see his fangs too. The Mistress was behind him. She hadn't seen him yet but she would if I didn't do something. The others were closing in too because the smell was so strong. And I couldn't let them get hurt. Besides, I've already messed up plenty of times. What difference does it make?

So I pushed Jake-hyung away and the Mistress didn't see him. I got to the boy before the others could even try to. And the Mistress saw me. Everyone saw me. But the others are safe. For now.

I lie on the small bed I've been left with and close my eyes, hoping that things look better tomorrow. I want to believe it. After all, the maids agreed to leave me alone for a small while and I consider that favorable. Maybe they will take this better than I thought they would.

There's movement outside my door. Quiet and deliberate. I see someone try to turn my doorknob, but it's locked.

"Hyung," a small voice calls quietly from the other side.

I spring up and walk to the door, leaning against it to hear more clearly.

"Niki? Is that you? What are you doing here?"

We're whispering because it is after lights out, and if anyone knew about this we would certainly be punished. And I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed any visitors after today.

"I had to know you were okay," Niki says. "Are you okay?"

I smile. "Yes, I'm alright. What about you guys?"

"We're fine. They made us take pills again."

I sour at that. If they made them take pills it means they don't believe they're not involved in what happened to me. So they're being monitored.

"Did they do something to you?" he asks.

"No. They just examined me. They didn't hurt me."

They sat me down and restrained me until I calmed down enough to answer their questions. But they didn't hurt me. They were too scared to get close.

"Why did you do it hyung?"

"Do what?" I ask.

"Go to the blood," he says more quietly, as if scared of what it means.

"I couldn't help it."

He doesn't say anything for a while and I fear he has left, but I can still sense him there.

"I couldn't let you guys get hurt," I confess. "If I hadn't gotten to him first, Jake-hyung would've. And then it would've been him in this room instead of me, or another one of you guys. And I couldn't let that happen. My reputation was already stained with what happened in the living room the other day, so I figured it couldn't get any worse."

"Don't say that."

"It's true," I tell him bitterly.

"We do trust you, hyung."

I don't answer. I haven't been very present lately and it's my fault. Maybe if I were, I'd feel differently.

"I brought you something," Niki says, "but the door's locked."

"Yeah, the maids don't trust me that much."

"No shit."

I chuckle lightly and curse the locked door.

"I'll leave it out here," he says.

"Thank you."

"Will they let you out tomorrow?"

"I hope so."

"I hope so too."

We talk for a while, catching up, and then I tell him to go. The maids may find him and punish him too. So he leaves, although begrudgingly.

In the silence I examine the room more carefully. My sight is improved at night so I have no trouble finding my way around. That's how I spot a clip.

The door.

I race back to the door and work on the lock, trying to open it. After several attempts, it gives in. Niki is gone, and in his place is a teddy bear. His teddy bear. The one Sunghoon gave to him for his birthday. The one he used to keep close all the time when he was younger. I pick it up and find a note attached to it.

"To keep you company," it says.

I look around the hallway, hoping that he'll come back. But he doesn't. And it's right because the night is running thin. It won't be long before the Mistress comes back to check on me. With the plushie in my hands I feel slightly more at ease. Still, I can't help feeling like I won't be able to protect my brothers forever.