The Turning

(Thirty)

I.M walked in silence. He tried not to be swept up in the emotions of the moment. He didn't want his growing anxiety and fear to leak into the bond. There was so much chaos surrounding them. If he added negative emotions to their shared bond, it would only distract his clan members.

On his right, Jooheon held his friends' hands tightly as they walked. Jooheon whispered comforting words to his friends as they walked. He turned away from the scene, a lump forming in his throat. Jooheon hadn't had a moment of rest since his turning. Everyday had been a training day. On top of all that, his poor human friends had experienced so much pain and suffering.

"I'm looking forward to when all this is over," Narauram said.

I.M looked over his shoulder and then turned away. He hated how carefree the other vampire sounded. The other vampire talked as if Hangil had already won. I.M gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. He refused to believe they lost. There had to be a way to escape Narauram and Minhee.

"I'm looking forward to the perks," Minhee said.

Narauram chuckled.

"You are right. Once this is over there will be a lot of good coming our way."

I.M scoffed, tuning out their voices. He didn't want to hear about the future they envisioned. As they walked, he started to realize they were heading in a direction he didn't expect. He remembered this corridor. After they walked over the rotunda, realization settled in. His eyes widened. The other vampires were taking them straight to Hangil.

"Well, here we are," Narauram said. "Let's not keep our leader waiting."

I.M froze in the doorway. It was Hangil. The older vampire stood upon torn books and glass shards. He inspected his desk that had been split down the middle. I.M tore his gaze from the vampire leader to the other occupants in the room. It was his clan. Hangil captured his clan. A lump formed within his throat.

"Well, go in already," Minhee said.

He looked toward Jooheon who tightened his grip on his friends' hands. The new vampire gave him a firm nod. I.M sighed and then entered the room.

~~~

Hangil looked up from his careful inspection of his desk, a frown on his lips.

"It's just unfortunate. Look at the state of this office," he said. "The clean-up will be so bothersome. Oh well, I'll just add it to my long list of things to do."

I.M glared at Hangil, disgusted by the tiny grin on the other's lips. His eyes drifted away from the older vampire. He noticed there was a vampire standing behind each member of his clan. He made eye contact with Shownu's concerned eyes. He winced. Anxiety and fear washed over him. His clan was scared.

"I'm so glad we were all able to get together like this," Hangil said, glancing around. "I was worried I wouldn't be able to have this very important meeting with you all."

I.M ignored Hangil, eyes wandering around the room again. He focused on Kihyun, a frown on his face. The other vampire had a noticeable burn underneath his cheek possibly from holy water. If the holy water had gotten any closer to his eye, it would have blinded him. His other members had a few burns here and there. Although he knew they would heal eventually, he was still worried.

"Hangil, let go of my clan," I.M said. "They don't have to be involved."

"What is this? Negotiating?" Hangil asked. "Haven't you learned anything? Why would I ever negotiate with you? Why would I want to hear what you have to say when you went behind my back with members of my council. Did you fools actually think I didn't know your plans?"