Ok so I noticed a few people were confused and I wanted to explain as much as I could without spoiling before continuing.

The first chapter "0. four" takes places 4 years after the night Wooyoung and San "died" in the last book. The second chapter "1. hell" is a flashback to the afternoon, a day after Wooyoung and San "died". San wakes up in a crematorium hours away from being burned. We don't know anything about Wooyoung's whereabouts yet.

San is half vampire now but we don't know how or what happened.. yet. This chapter is still part of the flashback to 4 years ago. When we flash forward to the present time where San has just finished a cage match I'll explicitly say so. I hope this clears things up. Please let me know if you need further explaining! I'll try my best to be more clear ^^

⌗Jongho⌗

Naex, The Royal Castle

Jongho sits expressionless as his stylist/maid did his hair. His eyes glazed over, watching himself in the mirror of his own dresser.

It's been 2 days since his birthday. 2 days since he lost his brother. And every second since then has been a nightmare.

He's never had to grieve for anyone so he never knew how painful it was. He's a vampire after all and not just any vampire, he's of royal blood. All his family are royalty. All his friends were wealthy or royalty. The concept of death just didn't exist in his world because he'd never had to go through it. And he didn't think he'd ever have to go through it.

Especially to his own brother. He felt his eyes sting again and he bit back the tears.

"Be strong" Nari, his hair stylist says in that soft spoken voice of hers that always calmed Jongho down. He swallows at her words.

She stops brushing his hair briefly and looks at him in the mirror watching his expression, her dark grey eyes warm and understanding. "Everything will be alright. Just keep your head up. Ok?" Jongho gives a small nod, shifting his gaze down to his hands as they lay on his thighs.

"The funeral is in two hours so if you end up crying again you're just gonna have to show up with racoon eyes" She says playfully, trying to get him to smile even a little.

It didn't work. She releases a small sigh of defeat and resumes her work on his hair. Jongho didn't want to have to show his face to the public. Not now and probably not ever again.

All he wanted to do was crawl into his room and cry like he'd done all day yesterday and this morning. Now he had to pretend to be ok in front of the whole country as they put Wooyoung in the ground. He wasn't sure he'd be able to hold himself together once he sees his coffin.

After he'd gotten dressed and walks out of his closet that's when his door is gently pushed open and in walks his one of his closest friends. Wooseok gives him a small sad smile.

Jongho felt his walls slowly crumble at the sight of his friend's comforting face. The older male rushes to the grieving prince and embraces him. Jongho held him tightly, burying his face in Wooseok's shoulder as fresh tears escapes his eyes. He knew Nari was probably shooting daggers from across the room at having messing up his hair and makeup but he didn't care. He just reveled in the soothing comfort of his friend's presence.

"I'm so sorry" Wooseok whispers in his hair while rubbing his hand up and down his back. Jongho doesn't anything, just clings to his hyung like a lost child.

Eventually he pulls back, rubbing at his cheek and probably smudging all the eyeliner Nari spent a bit of time putting on. Oh well.

"I would've been here sooner but you know how my mom is" Wooseok says with a small laugh, still holding Jongho close. The older male is the youngest to 2 sisters as well as is a prince in, Crystalmere, a much smaller vampire country hours away hence why they didn't see each other as often as Jongho would've wanted but they still talked as much as they could when they could.

"I'm just glad you're here" He sniffs. Wooseok's icy grey eyes watches him, a sad smile on his pink tinted lips. "You look like shit by the way"

This causes Jongho to crack a small smile. "Screw you" Wooseok smiles triumphantly at his attempt to lighten the mood.

Needless to say Nari wasn't pleased at having to wipe off his now smudged eye makeup. She decides that the boy would probably end up crying again during the ceremony even though the royal family aren't supposed to cry in public. Something about showing weakness. She didn't care for all the unnecessary rules they had to abide to.

She decides to go with a simple waterproof eyeliner and concealer under his eyes to hide the fact that he'd been crying.

Soon he found himself seated on a platform, Hongjoong beside him and his parents on the podium. There were more people gathered in the castle's already pretty large courtyard than Jongho had seen ever. The crowd filled with nothing but different shades of black.

Naturally since it is a funeral service the theme is black. The only colors being the lilies, orchids and other flowers neatly placed around a black coffin on the other side of the raised platform. His eyes shifts to the large portrait of Wooyoung's smiling face over the wooden casket.

Jongho felt his chest tighten and he digs his nails into his palm hard and bit down on his bottom lip, hard. He drags his gaze back down his thighs. Don't cry, don't cry, damn it.

Suddenly Hongjoong's hand reaches to the side and gently strokes Jongho's fist. Jongho blinks up at his hand in slight surprise not expecting the small contact of comfort. The truth of the matter was they hadn't particularly said much to each other since they found their father and now deceased brother in that hallway 2 days ago.

Jongho had noted Hongjoong was unusually quiet. The older male was already naturally very reserved but now even more so. Though he isn't exactly in any position to try and analyze anyone considering they both just lost their brother and he himself had locked himself up in his room since.

Jongho glances up at him and was met with Hongjoong's stoic hard set expression looking straightforward at the podium where their parents stood, speaking to the crowd.

He opens his palm, taking Hongjoong's hand in his and giving him a comforting squeeze in return. He then returns his gaze back to the podium just as Jaejoong begins speaking.

"Firstly, I would like to begin by thanking everyone that's here today. All your comforting words has been a great strength to our family during this time. 2 days ago we lost a son, a brother, a friend, our beloved prince. He was killed in his own home-"

Jongho clenches his jaw at that. He wasn't killed. He was murdered.. by you. He was sure of it. He knew their father murdered Wooyoung just as he'd done to the previous queen, Hongjoong and Wooyoung's mother. He felt a chill knowing the man standing several feet away and pretending to give a damn about his dead son was capable of such atrocities.

If he could kill his wife and son just like that what shred of humanity is left in him? Who's to say I won't be next if I so much as cross him? Or even Hongjoong... The thought made him nauseous. He couldn't lose another brother.

"-Standing before you today to say farewell to my second born son, Wooyoung, is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Words cannot describe the sorrow and loss that I am feeling, but I will try.."

Jongho tunes him out because he knew if he listened to that scripted eulogy, that most definitely wasn't even written by him, for a second longer he'd walk out of there.

It's a funeral and supposed to be a time of reflection and mourning but he couldn't help the burning raging anger and resentment he felt. And even if Hongjoong is technically the one that killed San he was only manipulated by their father.

Wooyoung, San, I'll avenge you both. I promise.

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Little bit of a shorter chapter. Been preparing for an exam and hardly had time to write but I really wanted to get this out today 🥲