Clank. Clank. Clank.

The sound of stone making contact with metal echoed around the quiet house and even the surrounding areas as Junkyu continued hammering away at the lock.

It wasn't budging.

He groans in annoyance as the rock slips a little in his hold and scrapes the heel of his palm causing a stinging sensation. He curses under his breath and stands back to re-asses the situation. C'mon think, think. He stares at the glass casing then looks back at the rock in his hand.

He didn't want to resort to shattering the glass because it might do more harm than good but he didn't give himself time to think about it anymore. And so he lifts the rock and brings it down on the coffin as hard as he could.

It only cracks a little so he does it again and again until he bursts a hole in it. He continued breaking away at the glass until he could pull Wooyoung out with no problem. He hastily brushes the glass away from Wooyoung's body, some having left cuts on his face, neck and arms as well as hiding in his dark hair. Junkyu himself gets a couple cuts and peices of small glass in his hand as he brushes the glass shards off of Wooyoung's body.

He dropped the rock and ignored the pain and stinging in his hands then goes to pull out the dagger sticking out of Wooyoung's chest. But then he pauses. What if pulling it out kills him for good? He didn't even know what the dagger was and so he hesitates, his cut up right hand shaking around the hilt.

"Junkyu. Hurry it up!" Jongho's anxious voice from the doorway reminds him they weren't supposed to be there and he needed to be fast.

So he thought fast and decided 'fuck it'. He pulls out the dagger from Wooyoung's chest, half hoping he'd just snap his eyes open but the vampire remains still and unmoving. In a beautiful and serene yet chilling slumber.

Junkyu slips the dagger into the hilt of his belt and reaches in to carry him out bridal style. He cuts his arms along the jagged edge of the glass case he just smashed open. But he winces and keeps pushing. Once Wooyoung was safely in his arms he quickly runs out, forgetting the lantern on the floor and traversing in the dark but somehow he makes it out and on the small deck. He falls to the floor, his weak legs giving out.

Jongho immediately has a relieved look on his face which then quickly shifts to disbelief once he sees the body in the merman's arms. "Wooyo" He drops to the ground as well, pulling Wooyoung's head to his chest for a hug. His eyes stung with tears as he held his icy cold body. A few of the glass in Wooyoung's hair cutting his hand but he didn't even notice, he was too busy holding him tight like he'd disappear if he let go for a second.

He bit down on his lip hard and a tear finally falls as he looks down at his brother's restful face. His skin was pale and ice cold. His long lashes didn't move or flutter. His chapped dry lips, a pale lifeless pink. Jongho held him close and another tear drops onto Wooyoung's cheek.

Just then his eyes fly open and he takes a big oxygen deprived breath while sitting up abruptly. Junkyu's eyes widen and he flinches back. Jongho reacting similarly so.

Wooyoung breathes hard and fast like someone that had been underwater for a few minutes and only just resurfaced for air.

"Wooyoung?" Jongho's voice comes out small and Wooyoung snaps his head at the dumbstruck vampire who now had more tears falling freely from his eyes steadily.

"Jongho" Wooyoung croaks out weakly, a small smile forming in his cracked lips. Jongho immediately engulfs him in a bone crushing hug and he cried. He cried hard. Wooyoung holds him back, even though his arms felt heavy.

Junkyu just pulls himself to his feet, deciding to leave the two reunited siblings alone. He makes his way down the 3 stairs towards the trees and he let his mind wander. Who could have done this? Who faked the second prince's death and locked him away in some box? It was all too weird. And whoever did it obviously didn't want him found hence the spell locking vampires out. All in all, clearly that dagger had something to do with why he couldn't wake up.

Wait... the dagger. It was hidden under his shirt and in his belt. He turns to go back and tell Jongho about it when he spots two people making their way down the path from afar, their lantern inching closer. And it doesn't take long before he realizes they're both palace guards. He'd recognize that uniform even in his sleep.

Junkyu's eyes widens and he runs back to the pair still holding each other on the ground. "We need to go, now!" He whisper shouts.

Jongho looks up at him in confusion, he'd stopped crying but his cheeks were wet with tears. "What is it?"

"Guards, they're on their way here" He goes to help Wooyoung up who was still weak from having woke up from a 4 year long nap.

Jongho immediately springs to his feet. "I got him" He pulls Wooyoung up by placing his arm over his shoulder and holding him up around the torso.

"W-wait" Wooyoung whispers weakly. "M-my mom. She's still in there" He pleads, wanting to run back in himself and get her out. He obviously wasn't in any position to walk on his own forget carry some else.

"There's no time" Jongho immediately dismisses. He couldn't lose him again not when he'd just gotten him back. He too spots some lights as well as two men chatting down the path and he knew they had to leave. Now.

"I can't leave her" Wooyoung pleads as they drag him into the forest and past the looming trees.

"We'll come back for her later, I promise" Junkyu says beside him, a reassuring tone in his voice. And Wooyoung looks over at him, a calmness replacing his frantic state.

Luckily they narrowly escape the guards but with every step they took Wooyoung grew more and more exhausted. He was building up a cold sweat, his breath coming out more like a wheeze. It got to the point Jongho had to carry him on his back.

And Jongho didn't know what to do. Or even where to take him. It's not like a prince, his supposed dead brother and a merman could walk into some inn and ask for a room. Unless.. He quickly thinks up a plan.

"Hang in there, Woo" He reassures.

"Hungry... I'm so hungry" He rasps, his breathing coming out a pained wheeze. His voice scratchy and hoarse. Face pressed against Jongho's shoulder, eyes half lidded. His dark hair clung to his forehead in wispy chunks due to sweat. His skin was still pasty and lacked any color.

He looked pretty bad but felt worse. He'd never experienced this level of hunger before. And it made sense because he hadn't had any blood for over 4 years. He wasn't just hungry, he was ravenous.

And the fact that he could smell the sickly sweet scent of blood on Junkyu's cut up hands, made it so much worse.

As if having read his mind Junkyu stops in his tracks. "Wait"

Jongho turns back to him, brows furrowed. "What is it?" He asks the merman.

"He's hungry. And it'll be a while before we can get him some blood"

"That's why we need to keep going. I have a plan dont worry. He'll be ok"

"He's clearly in agony" Junkyu immediately begins pulling up the sleeve of his, now dirty, white long sleeved button up. "Let him drink" He holds up his wrist.

Jongho shakes his head without hesitation. "No way. Absolutely not-"

"I'm not asking" He says firmly and almost cringed. He'd never spoken to Jongho like that before. What am I saying? This is crazy.

Junkyu goes to pull Wooyoung off his brother's back and lay him on the ground. And Jongho just watches helplessly. "You don't have to do this"

Junkyu just shoots him a look before kneeling beside Wooyoung's head and slowly bringing his wrist up to his slightly parted lips. Wooyoung wastes no time in baring his fangs and biting down hard, breaking his skin and taking down gulps of blood. Dark veins grow around his eyes and down the sides of his face towards his ears and the whites of his eyes become a misty red.

His hand flies up, holding Junkyu's wrist in place as he drank. Junkyu winces in pain at how rough he was being and he slowly felt fatigue take over.

"Ok that's enough. Wooyoung" Jongho calls.

But he wasn't stopping. "Shit" Jongho forcefully pulls Junkyu away, causing him to fall back into the dirt. Wooyoung almost chases after him like a predator with their prey, had Jongho not being there to hold him back he probably would've caught him. He begins hissing, baring his teeth like an animal. A very hungry animal.

"God damn it snap out of it you dumbass" Jongho yells at him. He slams him against a tree and Wooyoung continues to fight against his hold, wanting to go after Junkyu who was still sitted in the dirt with his bloodied wrist held against his chest as he stared in shock. This Wooyoung wasn't the one he knew... this one looked at him like he was food. Like he was a kill.

When it was clear he wasn't going to get it together and absolutely could and would kill the merman if set free, Jongho snaps his neck, putting him out of commission at least for now. He catches his limp body, carrying him over his shoulder before turning to a rattled Junkyu.

"Are you ok?"

Junkyu nods, not trusting his voice.

"Can you walk? We need to keep moving and I need you for this plan I thought up"

Junkyu shakily pulls himself up to his feet, a little light-headed, but he was ok. Mostly. He looks down at his wrist and a bleeding bite mark stared back at him.

"You really shouldn't offer a hungry vampire your wrist and expect them to stop. You'll be ok. I know there's a small town close by, we can get you bandaged up there. C'mon" He begins walking away and Junkyu silently follows, head still foggy.

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Woo's back lets goooo. One chapter closer to woosan reunion.

Them holding hands 🥲 I know what you are 🐶