the lost king [ hongsang ]

001

❝ believe this, my love. i will find you. ❞

KAng yeosang was beyond frustrated. he thought he would be here by now. he thought he would hear his calls.

was he perhaps not strong enough? to get his message to the other world? impossible. he had fresh blood this morning. not from the vein, but it would sustain him until he could get here. not to mention kang yeosang was the oldest known living vampire, so to not be strong enough? that was not it.

so how could a mere human, a mere bloodbag, resist temptation? yeosang had never heard of that happening before. it was preposterous.

nevertheless, yeosang would figure it out.

KIm hongjoong wasn't exactly what you would call happy with his life. he always felt as if something was missing. as if he didn't belong.  though he never knew why.

but he never complained. there was no reason to. he had a job, a roof over his head, food to eat. though, he couldn't help but feel lonely. he hasn't any family nor friends.

the doctors were baffled when they found him on the front steps of the hospital. there was no sign of the child's parents anywhere.

when they finally got the small boy to tell them his name and age, they couldn't find record of him anywhere.

his name and  age seemed to be the only information hongjoong could provide for them. when questioned he failed to remember anything about his life, his parents, his family, anything really.

it were as if he just appeared from some alternate reality.

fast forward seven years later, the small boy, now twenty-four years old and still was no closer to any answers.

hongjoong puffed out an exasperated sigh. "who am i? why did you leave me," he muttered in disdain.

hongjoong left his thoughts behind as the bell chimed above the door, signaling customers.

he put on a cheerful smile, going to the table to get their drink orders. "hello! my name is hongjoong and i'll be taking care of you today. can i get you started with something to drink?"

the old couple grinned at their cute, young waiter. "ah yes! i'll have a—

the older gentlemen paused on the spot. hongjoong, confused questioned him. "sir are you—

he cut himself off with a yelp of surprise and backed away from the scene, horrified.

the restaurant he's worked in for most of his adult life now, seemed to melt away. it was replaced with a blood red sky, swarms of bats circling some kind of castle? hongjoong stumbled back, right into a hard chest—

wait what?

the hair on the nape of the human's neck stood on end at the eerie chuckle that sounded behind him.

❝ it seems i have finally found you, little one. ❞

HOngjoong gasped as he opened his eyes. relief flooded him, he was back in his place of work. everyone in the vicinity surrounded the boy, concerned faces staring back at him. they ranged from his colleagues, to customers, to his boss?

"oh wonderful," he thought himself. 

"hongjoong? hongjoong! can you hear me son?"

"mm," the aforementioned groaned, reaching for his head.

"you took quite a fall, why don't you get on home. your shift is done for the day," the shift lead helped hongjoong to his feet.

after a quick icing of his head and many "are you okay's" later, hongjoong was sent on his way.

walking down the bustling streets of seoul, hongjoong began his fifteen minute journey to his small, yet cozy apartment.

hongjoong found his thoughts drifting back to what had just happened to him. he was told by everyone he had fallen and bumped his head. but the thing was, he didn't remember falling at all.

the last thing he could remember was asking his table for their drink orders. then suddenly he was standing in front of this castle, under a red sky. there was this man, he had backed into him. he hadn't seen his face. but that voice alone was enough to send shivers down his spine.

it screamed authority. it instilled fear down to his very core.

but what was it he had said to him again? "i have finally found you." what on earth did that mean? and little one? he was a grown man, thank you very much.

hongjoong scowled at the thought.

lost in thought, the small human wasn't watching where he was going. bumping into another hard chest, he bowed as he apologized, looking up only to freeze in fear at that same voice.

"oh it's quite alright, hongjoong," the man grinned, showing off his fangs.

"w-who are you? how do you know my name? a-and why are you dressed like that? are those fangs," the mortal practically screamed. he felt as if he'd faint at any moment. and yet he couldn't stop staring at the nameless man's face, he was ethereal.

the man hissed, covering his ears at the boy's commotion. "pipe down will you," he seethed, covering the human's mouth and pulling him to the nearby alleyway in one swift motion. "and please calm yourself, your heart will explode. then who will provide me with the blood i so desire," the man grinned mockingly.

"b-blood," hongjoong's head was spinning. "what are you?"

"my apologies mortal. allow me to introduce myself. i am kang yeosang, the eldest known living vampire and king of vamporia," yeosang grinned with a bow. "and you, my dear hongjoong, are going to come to me, whether you like it or not."

hongjoong's breath quickened with the vampire's words. he must be hallucinating. or maybe he was having another fever dream and hit his head again, like at work. yes, that must be it. any moment now he'll awake and everything will be normal.

"there is no such thing as vampires, there is no such thing as vampires," hongjoong chanted like a mantra with his eyes squeezed shut tight.

he held his breath as he at last opened his eyes. he breathed in relief as the vampire was gone, as if he were never there in the first place.

HOngjoong at last made it back to his place with no more hiccups. he carefully bandaged his head and changed before crawling into bed.

he yawned, nestling comfortably into the blankets and shutting his eyes, ready to drift to dreamland. the day had been a lot for him and he was absolutely exhausted to say the least.

then the whisper came, like a ghost in the night, lingering. making hongjoong's eyes shoot open and stay that way the rest of the night. it said,

❝ come to me, my darling. ❞

✏️;

word count : 1188

i know it's not that long and i apologize, but i'm so so excited to officially be posting the first official chapter of the lost king!

i hope you enjoyed reading, i can't wait to the start the journey that is this book. i know it will be my favorite yet!

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i do not claim any rights to the art posted above this chapter!

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- asher adrian