The Turning

(Thirty-One)

I.M pushed his way through several large groups of vampires fighting in front of the council building. One thought preoccupied his mind. He needed to get to his clan and find Minhyuk. On his left, Hyungwon ran beside him. He was glad the younger vampire was staying nearby. The last thing he needed was to lose Hyungwon in the large crowds. Several feet ahead he spotted Shownu entering the thick forest surrounding the council building.

"I just spotted Shownu hyung!"

Hyungwon glanced at him.

I.M pointed ahead. "We need to hurry!"

Hyungwon nodded. I.M forced himself to move faster, pumping his arms and legs. Once they reached the start of the forest, Hyungwon disappeared from sight. I.M would have been impressed but instead concern settled in. Hyungwon seemed exhausted. It was evident by the unsteadiness of his movements. He wished he could keep Hyungwon away from the fights, but he couldn't.

I.M ran toward the scene unfolding before him. Deep within Seoul forest, he spotted Shownu, Kihyun, Wonho, and Minhyuk. A large group of vampires fought them on all sides. All of his clan members fought back. They formed a circle around the humans to protect them. His eyes widened, forgetting the humans were still around.

I.M ran faster and pushed his feet against the ground, propelling himself toward one of the vampires fighting against his clan. He landed on the vampire, trapping him under his weight. He got to his feet quickly, stomping on the others back to stop him from moving further.

"Ki!" he shouted.

Kihyun looked at him briefly and then focused on throwing a punch at a vampire. "I.M, oh my gosh I was so worried!"

I.M grinned, getting close enough to give Kihyun an encouraging slap on the back. He was glad he found his clan. He made eye contact with Minhyuk, relieved to see him. A hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from Kihyun's side. He gritted his teeth, catching himself before he could fall to the ground. He turned back around, trying to find the culprit. His eyes fell upon a vampire with bleach blonde hair. Before he could retaliate, a vampire woman stood in front of him.

"You know what I think?" the woman asked. "I personally think the MX clan is a parasite sucking all the resources from vampire society. Hangil has given your clan such a good life. You all live in the lap of luxury. Instead of appreciating Hangil, you all kiss the ground the humans walk on. How can you fight for humans? They are beneath us!"

I.M clenched his fists by his sides. "It doesn't matter what you think of my clan. You should know Hangil caused trouble for vampires as well. He isn't the great leader you all think he is."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Lies! Hangil is a great leader. He will bring vampire society the respect they deserve. Soon we will have everything the humans took away from us!"

I.M dodged a punch aimed at his face. He narrowed his eyes at the fire burning in the vampire woman's eyes. She hissed, sharp fangs on display. I.M threw a punch, missing her face by a few inches. She cackled, aiming her foot at his midsection. He caught her ankle, a tiny smirk on his lips. He pulled her ankle, causing her to lose balance for a second. She stumbled forward and I.M moved around her. He sped toward the vampires in the distance. Two vampires cornered Minhyuk against a tree. One of the vampires smiled, black blood- stained lips stretched into a disgusting smile.

A pale hand grabbed his wrist, flipping him over a shoulder and onto the ground. His chin smacked against the ground, but he felt no pain. He got back to his feet just as another vampire threw a punch. He caught the fist in his hand, shoving his foot into the other's midsection with as much force as he could. His action pushed the other vampire back a few inches which allowed him to run toward Minhyuk.