A Tale of Vampires: RETURN

ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ 8

"Something came up! I'll make it up to you next time okay?" Karina said over the phone as she tries to pick up all the scattered papers on her table that she's been looking at all night.

"Fine. You're lucky I haven't mentioned you to Soobin yet. You know how he is if he expects something and doesn't get it." Kai replied and he sounded a tad bit sad because Karina wouldn't make it to his surprise birthday party for Soobin.

She was supposed to visit them on the last day of her vacation. But after they found out that the Hotel reappeared and that the vampires had returned. More importantly, those who are already dead.

She made sure to not be intruded by her job and might have even possibly threatened her superiors just so they'll allow her to have a vacation.

"And please do me a favor. Don't tell him yet about what we discovered at the hotel. I only told you because you wouldn't stop calling me even at 3am. So don't tell him!" Karina warned again.

She had to tell Kai that the hotel had reappeared because he wouldn't leave her alone after she suddenly called and said she can't make it on Soobin's birthday party.

"I promise. Just please give me an update too."

"I will. I'll hang up now." Karina said before finally ending the call.

She placed her phone on top of the piles of paper and let out a tired sigh. The papers contained all the information she had contained during their investigation two years ago. Few more were added because after they left the hotel, Karina decided to start looking for Winter again, hoping she'll be able to find her this time.

"Where are you..." Karina huffed as her eyes looked at all the work tiredly.

The more pictures she sees. The more she feels frustrated and restless. She thought that she did all she could to look for them but it felt like running in a circle. It was very tiring. And eventually, her eyes burned until tears began to slowly pour out.

She had not cried ever since the first day she finally decided to give up looking for them.

The vampires and the girls were the only family she had left after her first team in the CIA. But after Yeonjun retired and suddenly disappeared from everyone's radar. After Taehyun died in battle. Karina and Soobin stayed close but he also decided to resign from his job to live with his boyfriend.

So it was just her then.

She does her best to come meet them all whenever she has time. And even put her best effort when they were looking for the vampires.

So when they gave up, she felt like she had lost a big family she cherishes the most.

She covered her eyes with her palms and tried to suppress her tears but they kept coming. Her body slumped on the chair and she leaned back. Desperately needing comfort that nobody can give her anymore.

Unbeknownst of a pair of eyes that has been observing her since she entered her dim lit office.

Karina took only a minute before she stopped crying and kept a poker face.

She stood up and continued cleaning all the papers and returned them all back to its box. She was almost halfway finished until she noticed a single paper among those in her table.

It was a stolen picture of Heeseung. And Karina is more than certain that it is her first time seeing the picture. She quickly grabbed it and glared at it as if it held the biggest information she needed.

Heeseung looked completely mature in the picture. She remembers his face to be youthful and like a young master pulled out of a novel. He looks very lovely even when he tries to look intimidating or use a blank facade, he still looks cute.