|THE CURSED FOREST|

69

"Yeonjun..." Sohee's voice barely rose above a whisper as she stood up to meet his eyes.

"You really waited for me..." Yeonjun said, his voice soft, a gentle smile playing on his lips as he chuckled.

Sohee didn't waste a second. It was as if she was afraid it was all just a dream, and she clung to him tightly, throwing her arms around him with all the strength in her.

"You're back... How... Oh, god!" Her eyes squeezed shut as she tightened her grip around him, her heart overflowing with emotion.

Yeonjun's eyes closed instinctively as he returned her embrace, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her closer as if he never wanted to let her go again.

"I am sorry you had to wait for so long." Yeonjun murmured softly.

"It's okay--" Sohee began, but then she suddenly pulled away, her eyes widening as she looked down at Yeonjun's chest.

She could feel something, hear something there.

"Is your heart beati.. beating?" Her surprise was evident as she looked up at him, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"I made my choice, Sohee."

The second after Yeonjun disintegrated,

Yeonjun's eyes slowly opened as he found himself standing at the crisp between a light environment and a dark place. The latter was familiar, as he had already visited hell once.

"Welcome, Yeonjun!" Jin's voice echoed around him, drawing his attention.

Yeonjun turned to see Jin standing before him, his presence commanding and his aura unlike anything Yeonjun had ever encountered on Earth.

"Where am I?" Yeonjun asked, his confusion evident in his furrowed brows.

"You are in a realm between heaven and hell, where souls come to face their choices." Jin explained, his tone solemn.

"Not a day went by when I didn't regretted cursing... Be it your clan or the breed of vampires. Therefore I give a choice to vampires, a wish that I will complete for them. Just like I'll give to you now."

Yeonjun nodded slowly, taking in the gravity of the situation.
"What choice do I have to make?"

"Choi Yeonjun, Minosan Choi Clan, disintegrated as a soul vampire. Choose."

"You'll be given the immortality of a vampire, making you the only vampire to ever live in this world. Strongest like you are right now, everyone surrendering themselves to you, you won't be weak, healing ability, super strength, super speed, a life that you never had before."

Yeonjun could sense the allure of power in Jin's words, the temptation to embrace a life of eternal strength and dominance.

"Or..." Jin's voice trailed off, his gaze unwavering as he fixed it on Yeonjun.

"Your immortality will be taken away, making you a mere human again. No super powers, no healing ability, yes your psychic ability will be with you now but you will be back to the weak Choi Yeonjun. Sacrificing your immortality will bring back all the vampires that once disintegrated, will let the four new vampires to live more but you will be bound by the mortal life- not knowing the next time of death."

Yeonjun's heart clenched at the weight of Jin's words, the gravity of the choice before him sinking in.

"The hardest thing to ever do is being and surviving as a human."