1 year later

He hobbled away over the loose rocks by using two crutches. He couldn't walk properly, and may never ever be able to do that again. But despite that, he was keen on at least trying. He had cut his long dark hair so that it didn't hang in his eyes anymore, but maybe he could have used it right now. No, his eyes were still completely empty the longer he crossed the small paved stones and passed hedges and flowers. It was freezing cold and the sky was menacingly gray. He should have listened and put on a pair of gloves, but he did not.

Some distance behind him the girl followed, silent but with two shining eyes that said everything. The grief hung in the air above them.

Then the boy stopped in front of the square. Not much had been made of it and really too little than what he thought was deserved. In his hand, he held spasmodically on to a bunch of flowers. It was a year ago now. They shook, his hands and for a brief moment, he had to look away to gather himself again. It was all so unfair.

Then he took a shaking deep breath and let one crutch fall to the ground. Alicia stepped up to him and grabbed him by the arms, but he assured her that he was in control of it. His voice was hoarse and mushy, and the girl looked at him with a pitying look. It also hurt her.

Jungkook knelt down and although a mixture of numbness and pain sprang up from the jerk, he continued to sit down on his knees. His cold shaking hands still held on tightly to the bouquet of the white flowers after he had now let go of both crutches. The boy sniffed, and maybe it was because of the cold, but it could also have been due to the stuffy feelings. He had otherwise let go of an incredible amount of emotion lately, but it was just as if they kept coming back.

Then he carefully laid the flowers down on the grass in front of the tombstone. The whole movement cut him deep in the heart and he gulped. This was just so unreal. Jungkook still hadn't understood it. In the war against the dogs, Hoseok had saved Alicia from being stabbed to death with a sword, and in turn, he fell into his own death. Hoseok was gone.

Jungkook could now feel something hot rolling down his cold cheeks. He had not even noticed it until now. He cried. He wished he had at least told Hoseok about how much he was grateful for him and all that he had done for him. And that he really loved him. But Hoseok had died on the spot, and the opportunity had never been there. Fuck, Jungkook hated himself deeply for his childish behavior. Hoseok had even apologized, so why couldn't Jungkook just have forgiven him?!

Light snowflakes fell down and lay softly in the boy's hair so that it stood in stark contrast to his dark hair. The flowers at the tomb would die in no time.

Alicia felt bad, almost like she was about to vomit. Everything that had happened had been engraved so deep in her that it had made her ill. It hurt so unbelievably, and it did not help that Jungkook's presence infected her so violently. Just watching him sit here and cry made her stomach make a turn. This was her fault, and this time it was impossible to correct.

She let him sit here for as long as he needed even though his body was shaking uncontrollably from the cold.

Jungkook and Alicia had chosen to move in together after all that had happened. Now they lived together in Alicia's little house. He knew he would never be able to be completely thought-free in Hoseok's house, therefore Jungkook had said that the three underworlders could take it if they wanted. Surprisingly for him, everyone had said no, so he asked Jimin and Iris instead.

_____

Soobin was nowhere to be seen since, it was all more than a whole year ago, and Yeonjun had therefore taken it as if his cousin had run away. At least that was the case until he cleaned up his room and found a hastily written note. It had been said that he had moved because he needed to get away. It was probably just a slightly nicer phrase for 'running away'.

There had been many more deaths than Yeonjun had hoped for. It really bothered him a lot, and he repeatedly doubted his decision, which was not to be changed now. Geonhak had been crushed, and Yeonjun had no idea what to do. Although Geonhak had never really seemed like a person with a big soft heart, that was exactly what he was. Two from his pack had also passed away on the battlefield, and that was what had made him so depressed. Yes, the green luminous wolf, had become depressed to a greater degree. One was his pack leader, whom he had known since he was quite young, and the other was Keonhee. Youngjo's death was probably what had beaten him the hardest because they were the closest.

It was not only Geonhak who could see how the To Moon pack was slowly crumbling. Seoho had found his life companion and had therefore told them that he would detach from the pack and try to start a 'new' life. He had apologized to them all for what he had done, and then he was otherwise just gone. A pack of three without a pack leader, one would never be able to call a pack, and it was no secret that Dongju, the youngest in the pack, was hurt of the fact that his own life partner was dead. The green glowing wolf was sure that their relationship with each other would slowly disintegrate. It was Youngjo who had always been the one holding the whole pack together. And now, there was no one to do it anymore.

Hwanwoong had been on the bare bottom, he had no idea what to do with Dongju. They had quickly become the only ones left in the huge castle, which now seemed too big and empty. Hwanwoong had had such a hard time keeping an eye on the younger one after the countless attempts he had made to commit suicide. Dongju was really devastated and he suffered from so many mental illnesses that Hwanwoong could not count them on one hand. That was what happened when a werewolf lost his other half. It could kill them. And now a whole year had passed, and both wolves ended up moving in with the former Choi hunters, who now otherwise just lived a life away from the world they had previously been a focal point in. It went better and better with Dongju's mental health, Hwanwoong thought. But then came the inevitable, which Hwanwoong sincerely well knew would happen at some point. In all his life, he had never felt more guilty than when he found Dongju drowned in the bathtub. It was the only task the yellow luminous wolf had had; to keep an eye on Dongju, and that task had he failed deeply and cruelly. Hwanwoong had locked himself up and had stayed in his borrowed room week after week. Not only had he lost Keonhee, with whom he had known for many years and was best friends with, he had also lost his pack leader, Youngjo, and also made himself the world's worst brother. How could he have let that happen?! But something absolutely amazing turned out to want to happen.

_____

It was no lie that Beomgyu and Taehyun were the ones who seemed to do the best in the house of the former Choi hunters. Beomgyu had found himself a job where he could make money and slowly began to see an exciting future with Taehyun. In fact, Beomgyu was really excited, just in less than five months would he turn eighteen and therefore would officially be able to call himself a real adult and move out with his beloved vampire. They slowly began to plan it all, and Beomgyu could hardly wait. It was not because he was much for leaving his big brother, but the thought that he would soon be able to start a whole new chapter with Taehyun, which he had never thought would be possible, was just so captivating. And one of the first plans Beomgyu was making was for his parents to meet Taehyun. The next was that he might even have to turn into a vamp-. Okay, that was just a thought Beomgyu had had for a while, but he could clearly see where it all ended .. Although Beomgyu had never been particularly large in size, it was still clear to him that he was getting older to look at than Taehyun, who would always be trapped in his fifteen-year-old body. He would never leave Taehyun, so, therefore, he secretly planned when to ask him if he would turn him into a vampire. Beomgyu knew very well that it was not something you 'just did', but he was so desperate to always be able to stay with Taehyun that he would do whatever it took for him make it happen.

It knocked on the door and Beomgyu heard his big brother yelling at him, "Beomgyu will you open?"

The boy got up and walked towards the door, but he quickly felt a hand sneak around his waist. That was one thing Taehyun always did.

When he opened the door, Beomgyu got himself something of a shock, for those he saw were certainly not someone he had expected to see. It was two underworlders, and the black-haired one of them was in complete black clothes. At first, Beomgyu thought he must be a demon, as they typically always wore black clothes, but his eyes were not carbon black.

"Is this the Choi hunters' house?" the dressed-in-all-black man asked in his surprisingly deep voice.

Beomgyu couldn't do anything else but nod, where Taehyun stood on tiptoe with his senses. But the two strangers did not seem like a threat. Then the little brother called at his older brother, who quickly and confused himself came out to the door. After him, Geonhak followed him, and Beomgyu was about to lose it completely when he saw how the wolf had pulled his shirt with the side turned wrong. Some quick signs he sent him madeGeonhak realize it, and he corrected the mistake with a sheepish smile.

"Choi Yeonjun, right?" the black-haired stranger asked.

Yeonjun nodded affirmatively, "Yes."

"I .. I do not know if you can remember us, but a year ago, uh you and your group saved us from some hunters and I just want to .. Say thank you for it," the man's expression was cast in steel and you could not possibly hear a single emotion in his tone.

He sounded really toneless.

"He really means it, oh my name is, by the way, Kai Kamal Huening, you can call me-" but the dark-haired wolf stopped himself in the middle of the sentence when he spotted something further inside the house. More like a someone.

He shot his eyes wide open and, as a reflex, grabbed Taehyung's arm with one hand.

"Is it okay if I call you Kai?" Hwanwoong came closer and now reached out to Kai, "My name is Yeo Hwanwoong."

A little hesitantly, Kai took Hwanwoong's outstretched hand. That was what was needed. Palm delicate against the other palm and a jolt went through them both. It became impossible to see anything, too small sparkling particles that covered both their eyes. Taehyung smirked, and Geonhak looked on them with a pensive look. They were the only two who knew what was really going on.

Then it fell out of Kai's mouth, without him being able to stop it, "S-so you're my soulmate?"

It all suddenly brightened for Hwanwoong. His whole future. And he smiled big like he hadn't done in years.

"Yes I am."ㅡ

🔥