Chapter 74 - 73 : Vampire Aristocrate

The sting of the vampire’s bite still lingered on my shoulder, a dull burn that pulsed every time my heart beat. I tried not to show it, but Ye-Rin hadn’t stopped looking at me since we left the hospital grounds. "Brother..." Her voice cracked. "You were bitten. Tell me the truth—are you going to... turn?" Her words hung heavier than the ash in the air. I forced a chuckle, though it tasted bitter in my mouth. "If I start hissing, growing fangs, and asking for a blood smoothie, you can cut my head off. Deal?" "Ye-Jun!" She snapped. This wasn’t the time for jokes, and we both knew it. Her voice trembled between anger and fear. I looked towards Hyun-tae and gave him a nod that if I start to transform, Shoot my head off. Hyun-tae, under my intense gaze understood what I met and pointed his shotgun towards me. "Wh-what are you doing? Keep that thing down", Ye-Rin seeing Hyun-tae pointing his shotgun towards hai brother was shaken and agitated as she angrily started shouting. "Don’t regret This, Kid." Boom Boom said to me. I sighed and stepped forward into the broken street, where thin shafts of sunlight angled through collapsed buildings. The warmth kissed my skin. I waited. No burning. No smoke. No ash. The rays soaked into my face, into my arms. I stood there for a long breath before turning to her with a crooked smile. "Well," I smirked, raising my arms. "Still handsome. Still not a vampire. Disappointed?" Relief washed over them, though no one laughed. Even my jokes felt heavier now. Her shoulders relaxed a little, but only a little. She didn’t take her eyes off me for the rest of the walk. By the time we returned to the base, something felt... off. The noise of chatter, of Eun-ha and the kids running around, of survivors bickering—it was all gone. Silence weighed on the air like a heavy curtain.The kind of silence that prickles at the back of your neck. When we entered the room of the sickly child, the boy was propped up weakly on a cot. Bak-U immediately went to work, his hands moving with the steady rhythm of a man who had handled thousands of prescriptions. He slipped crushed pills into a cup, coaxing the child to drink. "Easy," Bak-U murmured, his voice steady, though his eyes betrayed his worry. "Drink this. It’ll help." The boy swallowed with effort. Minutes later, the boy’s breathing evened out. His color—though still pale—seemed better. Relief rippled through the room. Ye-Rin even let out a sigh she’d been holding. ’Good news. Right?",I said but my eyes weren’t on the boy. They were on his mother. She stood beside the cot, one hand clutching the blanket, smiling faintly as she watched her son breathe. But something about her posture... it wasn’t right. Too stiff. Too still. Then the sunlight shifted. A golden stripe slipped across the cracked floorboards, creeping toward her. It brushed the tips of her shoes— And she flinched. Instinctively. Like she’d touched fire. Her head snapped up. Our eyes met. And in that instant, she knew I had seen. I said nothing. Just stared. The silence between us said everything. I straightened. "Everyone. Outside. Now." "Ye-Rin! Call mother and everyone in our house to gather outside. Hyun-tae! Bring everything in this house out immediately." Confusion sparked, but they obeyed. Maybe they trusted me. Moments later, I had everyone gathered in the main street under the shadows of the building. The air was thick with tension, the survivors lined up in front of me. Fear flickered across their faces, but no one dared speak. "Everyone steps into the sunlight," I ordered. My voice was cold, sharper than I intended. "One by one. No excuses." There was a small patch where sunlight fell directly without any reflection. Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Someone cursed under their breath. Another whispered, "What’s going on?" I raised my voice. "Do it. Now." The line shifted. All eyes were on me. I stepped forward first, into the beam of sunlight that cut across the floor. It washed over me in warmth, harmless. Hyun-tae followed—no reaction. Ye-Rin—fine. Seo-yeon—fine. In-ji—fine. Eun-ha—fine. My mother, Mi-sun - fine. Jin-ha - Fine. Soo-min - Fine. Bak-U -Fine. Then came the boy’s mother. Her hands trembled as she shuffled forward. The light kissed her arm and instantly—she hissed, jerking back like a flame had burned her. Gasps rippled through the group. "Next," I barked. Kim Song-woo swallowed hard and stepped in. The moment the light touched his neck, he screamed, skin blistering. One by one, every member of Do-hwan’s group failed. The sun scorched them. Their eyes glowed faintly red in the half-light, fangs pressing against their lips as panic overtook them. Everyone—except the sickly boy. exploded in chaos. People screamed, shoved, and tried to retreat. Some raised weapons. Others shouted in denial. "They’ve been vampires this whole time!" "No, it can’t be—Song-woo’s human!" "They tricked us—!" The noise was deafening, panic spreading like wildfire. Everyone is blaming others. Then Seo-yeon’s voice cut through, cold and sharp. "Where’s Do-hwan?" The shouting stilled. Every head turned. Do-hwan was nowhere to be seen. The last rays of sunlight bled out. Shadows stretched long and deep across the hall. And then— He stepped out from them. Do-hwan emerged calmly, as if he’d been waiting for this moment. His clothes immaculate, his expression smooth, not a trace of strain or fear. His presence alone silenced the room. Behind him, the shadows shifted. Tall, monstrous shapes crawled forward. Behemoths, their hulking forms scraping against the ceiling, eyes burning crimson. Flanking them were blood vampires, their movements twitching, feral, hungry. The air grew cold. My heart pounded. Do-hwan’s lips curved into a smile, sharp and deliberate. "It seems you’ve discovered the truth. How... diligent of you." I gritted my teeth, weapon tightening in my hands. "You bastard." His eyes gleamed red like polished rubies. Not wild like the others we’d fought, but sharp. Intelligent. Aristocratic. "I am not like those beasts you cut down in the dark," he said smoothly, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "I am noble. Pure. Aristocratic." The behemoths snarled behind him, their roars vibrating through the floor. Do-hwan spread his arms as if welcoming us. His smile widened, cruel and regal. "And your mission... is to kill me." The last of the sun vanished, swallowed by night. And in that instant, the shadows belonged to him.