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

4th

Hyunjung was collecting wounds from Jiyeon.

There was the cut on her forehead, still painful to touch. The memory of Jiyeon's hands pressing her head against the sharp metal rails stung prettily. Then there were the bruising and stark red nail marks on her shoulders, from where Jiyeon had held her against the bookshelf that day in the archive. And another injury, deeper, when she thought of Jiyeon's tragic past.

It was a curious set of wounds. When Hyunjung looked at the blooming colors on her forehead, she had the sense that the pain had brought them closer.

After all, pain was all that Hyunjung knew. The pain of her mother's death, the pain of her loneliness, the pain behind her eyes from lack of sleep. What was another scar? At least Jiyeon's hunt would be over soon enough.

Perhaps in the meantime, Jiyeon would gain her own wounds (or maybe she already has).

As she took a stroll through Han River Park, Hyunjung reflected on the last few weeks. Revelations that changed her perspective, and tense moments where her heart was in her throat had made this a refreshing hunt indeed.

The early morning air was clear, and Hyunjung breathed it in deeply as the breeze swayed her hair and tickled the back of her neck. The rising sun wasn't warm, but it brought enough light to the park that it sparkled on the edges of the yellowing leaves and made the water in the river glitter. The quiet of chirping birds and rustling trees helped her concentrate. She has a lot to think about— the hunt seemed to have come to a standstill after she learned of Jiyeon's past, and Hyunjung must decide the most effective way to proceed.

Hyunjung saw the world around her with old eyes, as if she had lived too many lives, and she wondered how Jiyeon saw the season, which was lovely and orange. Though she was certainly centuries older than Hyunjung, there was still something new and modern about Jiyeon—

It was when Hyunjung was crossing the bridge that she realized she was being followed. As she watched a boat pass, lost in her thoughts, she suddenly noticed that the hair on the back of her neck had stood up. Her instincts were never wrong, and surely enough, when she glanced behind her, out of the corner of her eye, she'd seen a dark shadow.

Of course, being followed wasn't enough to make Hyunjung feel uneasy. She had grown used to the danger after years of hunting. She walked along the edge of the river slowly, taking in her surroundings and noticing how the shadow stayed a few steps behind. They had light footsteps, delicate on the pathway. It was probably Jiyeon. Hyunjung thought.

She has to be careful, though. After all, vampires didn't forget easily. They held grudges for centuries, longer, and Hyunjung was used to being stalked or even attacked by vampires who had bad blood with her. Relatives, lovers, or friends of hunted vampires frequently seek revenge. Vampires seeking a thrill by finally defeating the most famous vampire hunter come after her sometimes, too. More rarely, a vampire would escape from the clutches of the vampire hunter council and come after her. Angry and usually powerful, those were definitely the most dangerous.

Seoul was a hot spot for vampires, too. It was only a matter of time before one caught on to her arrival here.

But there, out of the corner of her eye, did she just see a flash of white? Hyunjung furrowed her brow and continued to walk along the edge of the river. One hand in her pocket held a flask of holy water loosely, but she was hardly scared of being attacked. In fact, there was a thrill down her spine when the sound of footsteps behind her grew louder.