XXXI

“The famous Rhodes Isles killings has been fully rekindled after twelve years. It hasn’t been up to two weeks since the body of one Mr. John Mikeelson had been found at the local shopping mall. And just yesterday, the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Mikher were found at the seaport, brutally murdered in cold blood. Sources say that the death had been caused by a cannibal who simply wanted their body parts, seeing as just their hearts and other internal organs had been taken. And—”

Dae-yang looked away from the television as it was suddenly switched off. She turned her head and her breath thinned at the sight of her father and mother.

“Abeoji! Eomeoni! When did you return?” She unwrapped her arms that were hugging her legs to her chest and dropped her legs to the tiles. She stood up from the sofa and rushed to her parents. “I missed you,” she chirped cheerily, wrapping her arms around them.

“Dae-yang. How are you my child?” her mother asked, stroking her shoulder length hair.

“Fine.” She moved back and stared from one face to another. “I miss you guys so much.”

“We miss you too.” Her father pulled her head to the crook of his neck for another hug. Then he held her at arm’s length. “How many times have we told you to lock up the kitchen door? It’s dangerous around here.”

“And stop taking the remote to the kitchen,” her mother said, waving the remote in her hand.

Dae-yang bowed in respect, her face warm in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I’m very forgetful.” She straightened her back and stiffly shrugged a shoulder. “Besides, the door has been spoilt for a while now.”

“And you hadn’t called to ask for money for its repair?” her father asked, watching her as she picked up their bags.

“And with all the killings going around”—her mother pointed at the television with the remote—“I wouldn’t want you getting caught up in its mess.”

Dae-yang nodded with a tight-lipped expression, turning to walk up the stairs. “Um... why are you guys here? I thought that the Hunter Council had sent you guys on a mission in Egypt? Why the sudden return?”

Her parents gazed at each other and spoke softly in Korean, their eyebrows lifted. She turned to stare at them, her brows pinched together. Because she knew little Korean, she could only understand words like “tell” and “danger.” She quirked a brow at them when they stopped talking, both of their eyes on her.

“Well?”

“Apparently the Pristines and Hunters had come together to discuss some critical matters,” her mother said quietly, folding her arms over her chest. The frown on her face deepened as she said, “and from what I’m hearing, Aurum von Caedis has awakened.”

Dae-yang nodded rapidly at that, her ponytail jumping up and down. “Yes. He had performed at his recent show in Ashville.”

“Oh yeah, that reminds me. How was your trip to Ashville?” her father asked as they continued their walk up the narrow stairs.

“It wasn’t... exactly... alright...” She dropped their bags in front of the door they stopped at. “Um... Well you see... We had a very big case of rabid Level Os.” She turned to them and reeled back at the sight of their ghastly expressions. They held onto her and started checking her body. “I’m fine. I’m fine. We—”

“It’s not fine. My poor child almost got killed,” her mother said as she palmed her face, searching for scratches and marks.

Her father’s face seemed old as he thoroughly checked her body. “Why had the school gone to a place full of ca—”

“Abeoji?” said a small voice form down the hallway.

Dae-yang stared over her shoulder and saw her brother holding onto the door, a tiny fist to his droopy eyes. “Oh! Dae-hyun! Look! Abeoji and Eomeoni are back!” she said, moving out of her parents’ way.

Dae-hyun blinked at them before he sluggishly ran to them, his eyes narrowed in tiredness. “Abeoji. Eomeoni,” he mumbled tiredly, wrapping his arms around their legs.

“My baby. How are you?” her mother said sweetly, squinting at Dae-yang who was creeping down the hallway.

“I’m just getting the keys to the bedroom,” she whispered as she tiptoed towards the staircase.

“We’ll talk later,” her mother mouthed, picking up the sleepy boy.

Dae-yang nodded, quickening her pace as she moved down the steps. She rubbed her clammy hands down her pyjama bottoms as she stepped to the kitchen. She turned on the switch that was beside the door and shuffled into the kitchen on her bare feet. Dae-yang hummed lowly as she walked to the cupboard and opened it.

“Bedroom number one,” she mumbled slowly as she pulled out a jar and opened it.

She turned it over on the kitchen table and spread the keys, searching for the one that had number one written on its head. When she found it, she put it aside and brought the jar to the edge of the table. She used her hand to sweep the keys into the jar and covered it. The keys tinkled in the glass jar as she turned to the cupboard and placed the jar into it.

Dae-yang took the key from the table and moved to the door. But a light creak made her stop. She peered over her shoulder and watched the door that led to the backyard shift open, letting the faint light from the bulbs in the backyard spill into the kitchen.

“I really should get them to work it now that they’re here.”

She ruffled her hair as she stepped closer to the door. She held onto it and drew it shut. As she placed her body against it to lock it in place, Dae-yang felt sand under her feet. She paused her action and squinted at the tiles.

“Who would wear shoes into the house?” Dae-yang mumbled as she used her toes to sweep the sand aside. Her expression was one of confusion as she scratched her head, eyeing the shoes that were by the kitchen door. “Abeoji and Eomeoni couldn’t have stepped into the house with their shoes. So...” She trailed her words in confusion as she stared at the door again.

“Abeoji!”

Dae-yang spun on her feet at the sound of her brother’s scares voice. “Dae-hyun!” she said in a frightened tone as she heard a loud bang. She rushed out of the kitchen, picking up a knife on her way out. Dae-yang huffed, her heart speeding up as she rushed up the stairs. “Abeoji!” she shrieked in fright, reeling back at the sight of a person dressed in black attire standing over her father.

Her mother—who was clutching at her throat—raised a hand at her daughter, tears gushing out of her wide eyes. “Dae... run... take...”

Dae-yang looked from her father to her mother, wondering who to help first. Then she screamed throatily and ran to help her father. “Get off of him!” she yelled, switching the knife at the person.

The person leaned back and shuffled away from her father. They crouched low, flicked a dagger out and raised it at Dae-yang. The two weapons made impact, clashing like an angry thunder. The blades of the weapons reflected a sharp glint in Dae-yang’s eyes. She leaned her weight onto them, causing the person to lower their hand a little.

“Who are you?!” she growled through her teeth, reaching out a hand to grip the person’s neck.

The person only cocked their head, their masked face conceiving their expression. Dae-yang didn’t see when they produced another dagger from their back pocket. They twirled it in their hand before they used it to tear Dae-yang’s wrist.

“Agh!” Dae-yang groaned in pain, loosening her stance with a harsh hiss. Her cut wrist bled, blood dropping onto the tiles.

The person raised themselves and steadied their legs. They leaned sideways, raised a knee and rammed it into Dae-yang’s stomach. Dae-yang shuffled back, clutching her stomach with a twisted face.

“Eomeoni,” Dae-hyun cried out, causing her to look at him. He was shaking his mother who was unconscious against the wall.

“Dae-hyun ru—”

Dae-yang swallowed her words as the knife that she had not spotted getting thrown flew into her stomach. She went on her knees, blood spritzing out of her mouth, her fading vision on the person as they walked to her father. Her eyes slowly darkened in pain, her hands reaching out for her father when the person straddled his heaving chest. Her eyes widened the moment the person raised a knife high above their head. All she could scream was her blood as the person dropped their hand with great force, the knife digging itself till its hilt into her father’s chest.

Dae-yang became lightheaded and fell on the floor. The last image she saw was the knife go up again and come down again. The last thing she heard was a sickening gush and and an ear-splitting crack. The last thing she perceived was blood.

Author’s Note: I derailed a little bit and the villians have made their move. :D Please vote and comment your thoughts. See you next update. And stay safe!