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⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Sunghoon stood amidst an indistinct landscape, shapes, and colors merging into a hazy scene. The air crackled with an unsettling energy, and distant echoes of footsteps resonated like a distant thunderstorm. The atmosphere was charged with an inexplicable tension.
Suddenly, the silence shattered.
A voice pierced through the murkiness, a desperate cry for help that sent shivers down Sunghoon's spine. The sound reverberated, haunting and otherworldly, as if carried by unseen winds. Yet, he couldn't discern the source, the voice echoing through the dream like a phantom.
Another voice joined in, begging for the torment to stop. He strained to make sense of the blurred scenes, glimpses of a struggle flickering like distant shadows. Images flashed before him, a faceless figure reaching out in desperation, and a mix of colors that made no sense. The sight left him puzzled.
Then, he woke up suddenly, gasping for breath. The dream vanished like mist, but an uneasy feeling lingered.
Sunghoon blinked, disoriented, as he emerged from the room, his hand absentmindedly rubbing his temple. The unfamiliar surroundings of the cabin left him bewildered. He vaguely remembered being in the forest with Haewon, and then... nothing. It was as if the world had taken a brief pause.
"What happened? Why are we here?" Sunghoon's voice betrayed his confusion as he glanced around, trying to piece together the fragments of his memory.
Haewon, sitting at a table with her phone in her hand and a dimly lit oil lamp, looked up at him. Her hazel eyes met his gaze. "Welcome to Mount Onju. This cabin is our refuge for now."
Sunghoon arched an eyebrow. "Refuge? Did something happen?"
Haewon sighed, setting aside a worn-out tome. "You fainted, thanks to your little thirst surge. I couldn't risk you harming Minji, so I had to knock you out temporarily."
The room seemed to close in on him as the weight of the revelation settled in. He unfolded his arms, clenching his fists in an attempt to conceal the vulnerability that threatened to surface. A silent frustration simmered beneath the surface, mirrored in the subtle tenseness of his shoulders.
"So, what? You just decided to play the boss and whisk me away without a word?" Sunghoon's tone sliced through the air, a sharp blend of offense and defiance.
Haewon, undeterred by his growing discontent, maintained her steady gaze. Her hazel eyes bore into his, a mix of sympathy and unwavering determination evident in their depths. "Right now, Sunghoon, you're like a dumb newbie vampire who can't control his thirst in front of humans."
Sunghoon's jaw clenched, a mixture of frustration and disbelief etched across his features. "Are you seriously going to call me that?"
"It's the truth. You need training, and we can't afford any slip-ups. This is for your own good, and for the success of our mission." Haewon crossed her arms, unfazed by his growing irritation. "Sunghoon, we made a deal. A deal to defeat the Bloodmae and protect those we care about. To do that, you need to be trained, and this cabin in the forest is where we'll do it."
