Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Ninety-Two

The Crimson Castle was so eerily familiar it forced shivers down Minho's spine every time he walked along its halls. They were so barren, so cold, and nothing like the Sun packhouse – he wished he could say it was comfortable, because, really, he was with his own kind.

It was anything but comfortable. He may have been a vampire, but his people were the Sun Pack, prejudiced against him as most of them may be. He missed the loud, vibrant discussions and the brawls, where here there were only cold-faced, elegant people breezing along the halls, speaking in monotonous tones that threatened to bore him to a second death.

He was not made for a place as cold as this – but he had to smile, had to pretend that this was the best place he'd ever been, that the vampires' culture interested him to no end, to share their hatred against the werewolves, despite his heart being surrounded by a pack of them right at that moment.

It had only been a handful of days, and each day it grew harder and harder not to flinch away from Chan when he drew near, or say anything suspicious – do anything suspicious. However, that wasn't his only problem.

He had yet to find Jeongin.

He only had a couple of hours left before the wolves got there, he knew, and he had to get Jeongin out before Hyunsik was forced to come in. He would be a valuable asset out on the battlefield, and he could probably save many lives out there.

The situation was looking bleaker and bleaker with each passing moment, and he was no closer to finding him that he'd been the first day, despite the fact that Minho was allowed to roam the halls, though he was aware of invisible eyes that followed his every move, following him along the stone hallways of the ancient castle.

He pretended to be looking for nothing, simply admiring his surroundings, though he kept his ears peeled for anything that might give anything away. He definitely found it strange that he hadn't heard a single thing about Jeongin's whereabouts – or heard the boy himself in the days he'd resided here.

For all intents and purposes he should've been able to, with his keen hearing. Unless... unless the Vampire King had hidden him somewhere so far beyond the main halls that nobody would have been able to hear him.

His gut sank, because how would he be able to find a place like that without appearing like he was looking for anything at all? He chewed on his bottom lip as his eyes swept around the hall, but he was the only one there, yet the invisible pair of eyes still followed; he knew he wasn't making it up. They were always there.

It was probably some kind of spell meant to keep him under tight surveillance wherever he went. It would be tricky, wouldn't it? Freeing Jeongin without alerting Chan that he really wasn't on his side.

He closed his eyes for a moment before he continued to walk at his leisurely pace, though he was sure his movements looked the slightest bit more urgent, no matter how hard he tried to conceal it.

Time was running out.

He didn't know how long he'd been walking, but he was truly – genuinely – lost. It seemed that he'd wandered into some darker part of the castle, one even more devoid of anyone than anywhere else. Looking around, his eyebrows furrowed as panic settled in his chest.

Where was he? He didn't think he'd ever come down this way before, and he had to meet with Chan soon – he had to lure him into the throne room, where Jisung would eventually show up in... five hours.

He only had five hours left; the thought terrified him. In five hours, all of this would be over. In five hours, he and Jisung would be able to live happily together, go somewhere without fear of being followed or hunted, and he would be able to leave his pack without a single worry that they would all be massacred in his absence.