LOVE BITES -Jeongcheol

23

Past~ Many Many Years ago ~

The forest felt endless, the trees stretching up like dark skeletons against the night sky. Seungcheol walked through the forest, his steps heavy, uneven. He wasn't going anywhere—just walking to stop his thoughts from swallowing him whole. His breath hitched as he wiped his face, unsure if the wetness on his cheeks was from sweat or tears. Probably both.

What was he even doing? His life had become a blur of hunts and failures, an endless cycle of killing and surviving. His relationship had crumbled, not with some dramatic explosion but a quiet, bitter end that left him feeling more hollow than anything. Hunting had taken everything else from him—his time, his sleep, his sense of self. There was nothing left in him but exhaustion, a hollow shell of the person he used to be. The thought struck him harder than he wanted to admit: Why am I even continuing? What's the point?

Tears pricked at his eyes, hot and stinging, but he refused to let them fall. His frustration boiled over as he clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He wanted to scream, to tear at his own hair, to find something—anything—that could make the crushing weight of his life feel lighter. But there was nothing. Just the suffocating silence of the woods and the relentless drum of his own thoughts.

He let out a shaky breath, his hands tugging at his hair. "Why do I even have to live?"

Branches snagged at his sleeves as he pushed forward, his legs moving without thought. His chest felt tight, like he couldn't get a full breath no matter how hard he tried. The tears pricking at his eyes burned now, and he clenched his fists, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Then, out of nowhere, the trees parted.

It was like stepping into another world. The trees parted to reveal a massive tower standing in the center, its silhouette stark against the full moon. His breath hitched. For a moment, the sheer size of it distracted him from the storm inside his head.

And then he saw him.

A figure stood on a small balcony near the top, bathed in silver light. The moon illuminated him like he belonged to it, his platinum blonde hair catching the soft breeze. He wore a white shirt, simple but pristine, and his features—sharp, serene—looked almost unreal. The man had an air of tranquility about him, like nothing in the world could touch him.

Seungcheol froze, blinking hard. Was he a statue? A ghost? A hallucination conjured by his exhausted mind? Whatever he was, Seungcheol couldn't take his eyes off him. His heart, which had been racing moments ago with frustration and despair, slowed. His chest loosened, the suffocating pressure easing. It was as if the man's very presence quieted the chaos in his soul.

Then, the man turned toward some woman who had joined him on the balcony. They exchanged a few quiet words, and the man smiled.

Seungcheol's heart stuttered. The moon's light seemed dull compared to that smile, warm and breathtaking. It was the kind of thing that could pull you in without you even realizing it.

But then, as if a switch had flipped, the man moved.

In one smooth motion, he grabbed the woman and bit into her neck.

Seungcheol froze, his blood running cold.

A vampire.

The victim struggled briefly, their movements jerky and desperate, before going limp. The man—no, the vampire—pulled back. He wiped his mouth with a casual grace, as if nothing had happened, and turned back to the moon. He looked almost bored, as though draining someone of their life was as ordinary as breathing.