Dracula [✓]

ODYSSEY

Heavy gasps and beads of humid sweat trail down MinYoung's nape. She grinds her teeth, a bad habit which she tries to stop, her closed tear-stained eyes crease at the haunting hollow memories. Her tight grip creases the bedsheet material. It's not enough to wish for the incident to go away. 

The prickling sensation snaking around her body, still covered in bandages, are an incessant reminder. 

She jolts up awake. Heart pounding achingly that it hurts her frail chest. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to breathe in deeply. Her body aches when she cranes her head slightly as if the flesh in her nape resists the retraction.

It hurts to look back. Her muscles ache, the flesh still imperfect and damaged from the paroxysm. Beads of sweat stick her hair on her nape. Her limbs were becoming thin day and day. They tremble from not eating. They tremble because of her fears. 

"MinYoung?" a gentle voice catches her attention. 

It was an all-familiar voice that she's become accustomed to since the beginning. It is the voice that she begged to stay with, afraid that she'll be targeted again. 

The young lass slowly cranes her body to Mizu, of whom sat carefully on the edge of the bed. Regardless of MinYoung being the oldest of the two, sometimes, Mizu acts more mature than she does. She admits this to herself once in a while.

Mizu opens her arms wide, waiting for MinYoung to embrace the latter. Once enveloped in warmth, the trembling lessens, her tears stop streaming and she eases into Mizu's embrace. 

"I—I'm scared ..." her hoarse voice remarks. 

It has been a month and a half since the incident. In truth, the Elders were supposed to talk to MinYoung about their discussion. No matter how many times they tried to approach her, she remains cowered in the corner. 

Her slender fingers tenderly brush the lass' frizzy hair. 

"He is gone now. He won't come back for anyone. You can trust me in this." Mizu remarks. 

The wooden door creaks open, signaling the Elder's presence. MinYoung nuzzles closer against Mizu, afraid that the Elders would want her to step out of the chamber. 

Mizu glances up at them and bites her lower lip. She slowly retracts her arms away, yet MinYoung remains, her arms clutched tightly around Mizu. 

In her mind, she knew what MinYoung is going to beg. 

'Please, don't let them take me away.'

Mizu brushes her palm once more on her hair.

"You have to be brave, dear cousin," Mizu said, before detangling herself out of MinYoung's hold.

Mizu needed to go for her weekly check-up with SulHee and Cassian. 

With a silent apology, Mizu ambles out of the chamber, leaving the Elders and MinYoung alone. MinYoung leisurely grabs the blanket and covers it above her head. One of the Elders sighs as she kneels down on her knees. She did not want to see MinYoung suffer any longer than it already is.

"Child, why won't you speak to us?" 

Silence is met. She can see the blurred figure behind the white blanket, yet she can only see them as mere strangers. She hasn't talked to anyone at all, aside from Mizu. 

The Elder hovers her palm to MinYoung's head, to which she flinches right on the spot. The Elder stops, retracting her arm back. 

The other Elders surround the bed, merely on the same side that MinYoung is facing. They hang their head in shame.