a heavenly way to die (a time to be alive)

1st

Kim Hyunjung turned up her collar and stepped into the shadows.

The streets bustled with people, even this late at night, when the light of the street lamps hardly brushed the wet pavement. Through the darkness drifted the smell of rain and hot, fried food, as well as the musk specific just to Seoul. Hyunjung's eyes glinted sharply like the bright half moon, but she let the shadows cloak her as she hurried along the damp street towards the library.

Despite traveling often for work, Hyunjung knew this route by heart. By instinct, she pushed open the old oak door of the library, left open despite the late hour, and slipped inside.

The abandoned library was as dark as the night outside. The smell of ancient book pages and coffee was calming, almost homely. Hyunjung felt her way through the bookshelves with her hands, her slender fingers brushing the spines.

Despite the views of other vampire hunters, Hyunjung wasn't completely obsessed with the work. In fact, she would love nothing more than to curl up in a corner of the library right now like a cat and read a book. Reading was one of her favourite past times, and she slipped in chapters between train rides and bus journeys whenever she could.

The heavy bag on her shoulder ached, filled with stakes and bottles of holy water and guns. There were dark shadows under her eyes, and her skin had become as pale as death. But Hyunjung had a job to do, and she couldn't be weak now, no matter how much she wanted to be.

Her face was as hard as steel through the darkness as she continued to make her way through the library. There was a click as the small door at the back of the library opened. The secret archive of the Venator's library.

"Taeyeon," her voice murmured through the darkness, softer than its usual tone.

"Good evening, Hyunjung."

The lights flickered on, and Kim Taeyeon stood in the doorway. Her cream cardigan fell to her knees, and her silver hair was neatly tied in a low ponytail, as warm and light as the crinkles around her mouth. She gave a gentle smile. But Hyunjung knew better than to trust appearances. Taeyeon was feared by many, and for good reason.

She was one of the most skilled and experienced vampire hunters of all time, and Hyunjung had been her apprentice decades ago. Hyunjung had seen her small hands, which were now tucked into her cardigan pockets, covered in blood. She was seen with that kind face contorted with a viciousness Hyunjung had learned to imitate. It was one of the reasons Hyunjung respected her more than anyone she had ever known.

"I got your note," Hyunjung said. She put her bag on the library carpet, and rubbed the ache in her shoulder. "You needed me?"

Technology was a burden for vampire hunters, especially the more traditional like Hyunjung and Taeyeon. The old methods of paper notes and rendezvous like theirs were far more efficient, considering the difficulties of the job. In the modern age, it was hardly easy to move undetected, and when you were hunting a vampire, being hidden was the most important skill of all.

"Yes," Taeyeon confirmed, "I'm afraid I need your help again."

"It would be far easier if you'd just come out of retirement."

Taeyeon walked inside and sat in an armchair, her hands folded in her lap. She sighed.

Hyunjung raised an eyebrow. Her dark hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her face was lined with age. But she was sure that when Taeyeon looked at her, she would see Hyunjung as the fragile young woman who had sought her out all of those years ago.