Zhan and Yibo were stuck in the tunnel for almost five days after the vampires found the hatch to the tunnel and tried to open it for days. During those days in the tunnel when they couldn't climb up and reach the other group, the two had been very worried.

They were running out of food, water and batteries for their lamps. They didn't know how the others were doing or when they would finally be able to contact the others. Again and again they heard voices, the melancholic melody and sometimes they thought they heard footsteps. But this did not frighten them.

They were more afraid that the melody would put them in a trance like the first time they were in the tunnel. Because if that happened, they probably wouldn't be as lucky as the first time and would surely get lost in these tunnels. But nothing happened. They just heard this melody.

On the morning of the fourth day, Zhan and Yibo woke up due to a vibration that could be felt in the tunnels. It had not been particularly strong. But strong enough to wake the two with a powerful shake. And then there had been voices again. Two voices that sounded like their own.

Startled, they glanced toward the three tunnels, but saw nothing. Instead, the voices told them to turn off the lights and trust the tunnel. Without knowing why, Zhan and Yibo trusted the voices and turned off their flashlights. It went dark around them for a brief moment.

But then the tunnel around them lit up in green and golden light. Golden little lights on the tunnel walls twinkled like the starry sky at night. While the green around them, settled like a soothing veil.

A bright light appeared at the end of the middle tunnel and two figures stepped out of the light and slowly towards them. They had on white robes with golden decorations and their hair was long and black. And when the two had gotten close enough to Zhan and Yibo to be able to make out their faces, Zhan and Yibo groaned out a startled, "Oh my God."

The two strangers who obviously seemed to be from another time and looked like them, like Zhan and Yibo, only much more noble, smiled as they approached Zhan and Yibo hand in hand.

The one who looked like Yibo put his arm around the one who looked like Zhan and said with a smile, "You don't have to fear us. We will not harm you. We are Lan Zhan and Wei Ying. Or actually we are you, Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan. Just from a different time or dimension."

"My husband is right. Unfortunately, we don't have much time to explain everything to you and you probably wouldn't believe us anyway. But like you, we are from the human world. We grew up without memories of our past in the human world. There were two others with us, Wang Hai Kuan and Jiang Cheng." Explained Wei Ying.

"That sounds pretty crazy. But after our last year, anything seems possible. So Cheng and Hai Kuan we know. Cheng is my cousin." Replied Zhan.

Wei Ying : "So is mine."

Yibo : "Hai Kuan is a fireman we met when we escaped."

Lan Zhan : "Escape?"

Zhan: "Yes. Almost a year ago, we experienced an attack of creatures and it plunged our world into an apocalypse. There are black creatures whose poison can turn people into vampires. And then there are the gray creatures. They are very caring, curious and kind. And, they carry the antidote inside them."

Wei Ying: "So your world is at an end?"

Yibo: "In a way, yes. We live in a hotel that gives us safety. We are here in the tunnel because we responded to an emergency call and left the hotel. In our escape from a large horde of vampires, we got separated from our group. We have been here in the tunnel before and we knew that we would find shelter here. From the creatures, the vampires and also the freezing weather."

Wei Ying: "Can you tell us who you were before the apocalypse came?"

Yibo: "We were just normal working men. Zhan is a surgeon and I am a police officer. We didn't know each other before and only got to know each other through the apocalypse."

Lan Zhan: "And you fell in love with each other?"

Zhan: "Yeah exactly. It just happened."

Wei Ying: "Lan Zhan and I knew each other when we were kids. We used to play together when we were kids."

Lan Zhan: "That's true. And we fell in love with each other later when we were in the human world."

Zhan: "Where are you originally from?"

Wei Ying: "From a mysterious world with many mysterious islands. You can imagine it like in a fantasy book or movie. Magical beings ruled by queens and kings, like Lan Zhan's parents. And they in turn are ruled by the Heavenly Emperor. So by my father."

Yibo: "Wow, it's a completely different world."

Lan Zhan: "That's true. It is so very different and it took us a long time to get used to this world. Because when you come from a modern world and suddenly you end up in this strange medieval world, it's a huge adjustment."

Zhan: "I'm sure it is. With us, it's practically off like that now. We have a biogas plant at the hotel that supplies us with electricity, which means we also have running hot water. Internet still works via satellite. But at some point the satellites will stop working. The cities are destroyed and abandoned. Many live hidden or underground. Soon we will have to grow our own food. Make our own clothes and make medicine from herbs."

Wei Ying: "Then you will live a life like us. Only without magic."

Zhan: "Magic?"

Lan Zhan: "Yes. Um, I hear scratching and knocking coming from the hatch all the time. Are those survivors trying to get in here?"

Yibo: "They're vampires. A lot of them. We can't get out of here because of them, and we'd have to radio our other group urgently. I'm sure they're already worried. Besides, we need to get back to the hotel."

Wei Ying: "Do you want us to help you?"

Zhan: "How are you going to help us? With magic?"

Wei Ying: "That's right. But if you want our help, we should hurry. We don't know how much longer we can keep the portal open. We have to go back soon."

Yibo: "It would be great if you could help us."

Lan Zhan: "Then we'll do that. But you have to promise us something."

Zhan/Yibo: "And what?"

Lan Zhan: "That you won't let anything or anyone break you apart."

Yibo: "That will never happen. Zhan and I are going to get married. And I would never let anyone take him away from me."

Wei Ying: "Hey Lan Zhan, he is like you. Once you open your heart and let someone in, you never let go of that person."

Lan Zhan: "You must know. Even though it took a long time with us."

Yibo: "I hate to interrupt your flirtation, but could you help us now?"

Zhan: "Yibo, don't be so rude."

Yibo: "I'm not. But you want to get out of here just as much as I do. And since they don't know how long they can keep the portal open, shouldn't we hurry?"

Lan Zhan: "It's okay, you're right. We really should hurry."

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying walked to the ladder and seemed fully focused. Zhan and Yibo didn't know what they were doing, they could only see balls of lights. Blue, Red and White balls of lights they pointed upwards towards the flap. Then they scrambled up the ladder and trapped Zhan and Yibo in the tunnel.

They were curious what was going on up there, but didn't dare climb up until they received a sign from Lan Zhan and Wei Ying.

Minutes passed in which Zhan and Yibo could only wait. And the more minutes passed, the greater was their fear that something had happened to Lan Zhan and Wei Ying.

But then, after almost ten minutes, the hatch opened again and Wei Ying called out to them that they could come up now. Immediately, Zhan and Yibo hurriedly packed their things into their backpacks and climbed up. The cold air that hit them gave them a short shock after spending the last four days in the pleasant warmth of the tunnel.

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying held one of the vampires and declared their intention to take him to their world and examine him. The other vampires lay scattered and definitely dead all around the hatch.

Zhan hastily checked a few of the vampires and said, "This one is still fresh. The wound on his neck hasn't healed yet. That means there could be many more survivors that we need to find and get to safety."

"ZhanZhan, we should contact the others first though and then go to the hotel." Replied Yibo, pulling Zhan away from the corpse, afraid that Zhan might hurt himself on the vampire's teeth.

"We would have liked to help you more, but it's time for us to go. I feel the portal is weakening and we should head back now." Explained Wei Ying.

"Be careful with the teeth if you take this vampire with you. A bite alone is probably not contagious. But the secretion they give off when they bite is." Explained Zhan.

"We will take it to heart. We will now take our leave of you and return to our world. Be careful. We may see each other again someday. We will leave the tunnel in place. Farewell." Said Lan Zhan.

Zhan and Yibo nodded. Wei Ying walked up to the two and hugged them goodbye. And he whispered in Zhan's ear, "Trust me when I tell you that you have the most loyal and honest partner by your side. Yibo will always love you with all his heart and even if things get tough, he will always stay by your side."

"Thank you. I trust Yibo and he trusts me." Whispered Zhan back.

Then Zhan and Yibo watched as Wei Ying and Lan Zhan climbed into the tunnel with the vampire. And before Lan Zhan closed the hatch, he said to Yibo, "Hold him tight, your Zhan."

"I will, don't worry." Replied Yibo with a smile.

Lan Zhan closed the hatch and Yibo hugged Zhan. The two of them still didn't know what to make of this special meeting. But they were kind of happy and grateful to the two. Because thanks to them, they are now back on the surface and can finally radio the others.

After the third attempt, Yibo had finally reached the other group. They had already passed the position of Zhan and Yibo and offered to wait for them. But since Zhan and Yibo have a car themselves, they told them to go on to the hotel and they themselves will follow soon.

They went to their car after contacting the others, put their backpacks in the trunk and were glad that the vampires didn't seem to have noticed their car at all.

As they sat in the car, Yibo leaned over to Zhan and gave him a tender kiss. "I love you Zhan. Let's go home and tell our families that we both want to get married."

"I love you too Yibo. Yes, let's go home. Oh yes, about our two friends from another world, however, we'd better not say anything. Who knows what will happen then."

"I was going to suggest that too. Let's keep it our secret."

Yibo started the engine and they could finally continue their journey. And this time they don't plan to stop anywhere. This time they plan to go straight to the hotel. Back home to safety and their families.