The serial kisser || ATEEZ OT8

7| Witch-hunting

𝟏𝟔𝟎𝟏 | 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞

9 years later

- ♦♦♦ -

Blood splattered across the gravel as the desperate screams subsided into the frosty night air. His fingers there had been digging into the skin loosened their hold again as he lifted his sharp eyes to glance around at his surroundings. There was nothing to be scared of; Seonghwa could easily kill whoever dared make a move towards him but the tiniest remnant of humanity that still lingered in his core, could maybe explain his precaution. He did not wish to be disturbed.

As Seonghwa crouched down across the lifeless body, his finger violently traced against the poor skin, pressing down onto blood vessels and tendons until he reached the body's throat and forced its head back, squeezing gobs of blood out of the wound. His eyes shone boldly in the dark, and he licked his lips, already tasting the blood on the tip of his tongue from how intensely he trailed the liquid oozing out into his palms. Seonghwa lifted his hand, letting his long tongue out before sliding it across his cupped hand and gathering the sweet savour in his mouth he could not wait to taste more of. Although his little depraved joy was soon disturbed by a call in the night.

Voices reached out through the skew walls of the buildings surrounding him and Seonghwa halted in his act. It seemed like annoyance came creeping up the ground, crooked fingers crawling up his legs and soon pulling him down into the earth. A rumble woke in his chest and in all silence, he decided on grabbing the dead body around the legs and an arm before pulling it away from the place. The vampire raked his eyes over his surroundings, landing on a tree nearby - seemingly the perfect place to hide. Quickly, he swung the heavy limbs over a thick branch, jumping up there himself after having situated the body in a safe place. Seonghwa's fingers flexed around the arm he held on to as he crouched in the tree with a possessive snarl around his lips. A curse left him when he realised the voices he had been hearing were more than just a couple of humans. A group of four was nearing his hiding place, their eyes crossing the darkness as they lifted pathetic lanterns around to light the area. "Hello? Miss?.. Is anyone here?"

The branches creaked when Seonghwa rustled a bunch of them in front of his face to hide his glowing eyes. For a moment he let his gaze glide over the group's appearance, soon facing the truth of the sharp weapons pulled out in their hands as they wandered the dark. There was no doubt, Seonghwa thought to himself as the sour taste of his found spread in his mouth. They had to be hunters.. hunting for witches and creatures of the night. Such as himself. Seonghwa had ever only encountered them one time before in his entire time of existence - and that had not been of his pleasure, per se. He had been caught in the midst of a meal; a dagger had been plunging deep into his neck before a handful of men had jumped him. Seonghwa had only miraculously escaped that night, he wouldn't have known what would have happened to him if he had not run away.

They must have heard rumours about the disappearing people from this village. Seonghwa did not feel guilty, despite he was the sole cause of murder.

The hunters had stepped closer to the tree, now standing right underneath the broad branches carrying Seonghwa and the dead woman. After a few seconds, one of the men sighed before sliding down to sit up against the trunk, "You must have heard nonsense for there is no one here," he said, placing his sword into its sheath again. Another one scoffed, "I am confident I heard someone scream." The man standing the furthest away from the tree pointed out the obvious, making Seonghwa roll his eyes, "Of course, they would be gone by now. It's not like we're invisible or silently sneaking around in the area."

"Why are you spitting on me?"

"I am not!"

"Then why do I feel something icky against my forehead, you moron.." the man sitting said, his hand swiping across his forehead. Clearly, the fluid was having him raise a brow in question at its odd texture and he suddenly moved his hand out into the light cast from the burning lantern. Seonghwa saw everything a second before the hunters' attention was caught by the fresh blood coating the hunter's hand with red. His night was ruined, but he did not dare throw an attack, even if they seemed easy to kill. They surely must have encountered vampires before.