Sacrifice

Chapter 4 : Shadow in the Dark

The room is dark and silent when you wake, pleasantly tranquil. For a moment, you ponder whether everything has been a dream. Given the seemingly one-in-a-billion chance any of the past few days could have actually happened to you, you're certain it was all imaginary. And for a split second, your brain deceives itself into thinking you are back at home, in the comforts of your quaint bedroom where everything had simply been, for a lack of better words, one hell of a dream.

But just as the universe would have it, delusions were never meant to last. Reality comes crashing back down onto you when you roll and turn onto your side. Your mattress in your parents' cottage is only large enough to accommodate you to roll onto your side without falling off the bed completely. Not to mention, the mattress was somewhat aged so its beaten-down material caused you to awake every now and then with a dull ache in your lower back. So now, when you're suddenly able to make a full 360-degree turn with adequate space left for more, and as the soft expansive material beneath you entices you to settle into its comfort deeper, you're reminded that everything was, in fact, not a dream. You are now bound to seven (dashingly handsome) vampire princes by an invisible red string of fate.

An uneven sigh tumbles past your lips as you lie on the bed, sorting your thoughts to process all that has happened within such a short time span. Yet, as the whirlwind of memories, both thrilling and encapsulating plays like a movie in your head, your breath catches in your throat. The mere thoughts of each prince are enough to send your heart into a frenzy - all from the intoxicating dances you shared with them, the kisses they stole, and even the faint ghost of their breaths fanning against your neck. You hate the way your cheeks flush with heat when your thoughts bring you to the last memory you captured right before falling asleep a few hours ago. Your skin burns where the second youngest prince has left a tender kiss. But as much as the fluttering feeling in your chest alarms you, you can't help but succumb to its blissful aftermath.

Now that you have rested a bit and the fog in your mind is starting to clear, you finally take notice of the time of day. The faintly iridescent moonlight is filtering in through the window, illuminating fractions of the room beautifully. It's also now when you vaguely recall that when you awoke for the first time after the bite, and when Jay and Jungwon shared a meal with you down in the kitchen, there had been warm rays of afternoon sunlight beaming through the windows. The curse has finally lifted.

Now, as you study the unexplored spaces of your room and listen to the whispers of sounds coming from the land surrounding the castle, you can only assume that it's sometime near the early hours of the morning just after midnight. The rest of the castle is quiet, not eerily so, but in a sense where you feel the need to dampen your own breathing in fear of waking the princes from their slumber. You contemplate if you should go back to sleep altogether and wait for one of them to come get you in the morning. But the itching sensation to move around is burning in the back of your mind, igniting a dull tingling sensation on the back of your neck that thrums with prospect. The more the tension builds in the pit of your gut, you find yourself growing far more restless by the second until you're finally peeling back the warm and safe covers and climbing off the mattress.

As your feet make contact with the cool surface of the ground, you keep a cautious hand on the foot of the mattress, ready to stabilize yourself if your knees decide to give out like before. But just as the princes had aforementioned, it seems as if some food and rest were all you needed because you find yourself feeling nearly recovered. With your newfound strength, your feet begin to draw you closer to the window at the back of the bedroom. Just like Jake's and Sunghoon's room, you're delighted to find that your window also overlooks the private garden in the back of the castle. You make a small mental note to explore the grounds later today, and perhaps one of the princes can show you around. The mere thought of spending some time with them leaves a faint smile curling on your lips.