Author's POV

Jwan didn't remember his blood bubbling this intensely forever.

Alameth of Zraa, the last member of Custos, the one whom his Grandmother, Evangeline Mary, had to sentence to be taken down from power since the other 8 members of Custos were slaughtered by the Merciless Queen, Lolana Abigail.

" She's still alive...? "

" Yes. Alive and kicking. " Laura smiled at Jwan's eyes turning almost dazed. " And very annoying sometimes. "

" I...is she... I mean— Ala— " Jwan could find no words to talk about what was in his mind. He was stammering through his dates of painful memories.

" She's doing absolutely fine. One wouldn't believe she's going to hit 10,000 years or more next year. "

Even though Laura meant it only in a funny way, Jwan remembered his own years of life and never once he managed to make her a visit. What Jwan remembered before the last 7000 years was that Alameth, the old lady yet the youngest of the Custos, was cheerful and righteous.

Jwan knew she stood for the Ryunz Royal, Azalea Darwell, before the war but her actions were paid no attention by others and in the end, she had to pay for their actions which resulted in the outbreak of the Battle of Ombra.

The guilt consumed him alive. Alameth lost one of the important parts of her life because of his Grandmother.

Even though it was mainly the actions of the other Custos which caused the worst outbreak of the war and their conspiracy against the Royals of both Demon and Ryunz, then, Evangeline Mary had to sentence Alameth to a lifetime dismission from her post.

Conspiracy to slaughter the Royal mates one among them being their own Royal Highness, Azalea Darwell, didn't ease their hatred and fright over the powerful couple for the Custos.

After a long silence, Jwan breathed a choked sigh and earnestly looked at the young witch before him.

" I'll go with you to meet her, Laura. "

Laura beamed, energetically. " It's very easy to meet her compared to others, Your Majesty. "

" Yeah... Ryunz became secretive after the battle. " Jwan agreed, nodding. " We can hardly meet the Elders at times... "

" They don't trust any of us after what happened even though it was them who started everything in the first place. "

Jwan gave attention to Laura's distaste for Ryunz. " You are talking about the Battle of Ombra? "

Laura nodded before she clicked her tongue what Jwan assumed was to avoid laughing in vain. " You know a lot about the Battle than I could ever learn from the written down history. "

" No... Of course, I'm, certainly, not the person who knew about that battle. " his eyes returned to Amanda's resting body and stayed there. " I was neither a Prince nor a Wand-wielding sorcerer back then. "

Jwan couldn't be surprised at how the bloody images of the said battle could course through his eyes at no time as if they hadn't been buried deep deep deep down under the layers and layers of the silence that prolonged after it.

Gore...

Death...

Agony...

Besides these unforgettable scars on Jwan's memory, all he could remember about the crucial 7 years were the broken cries, screams, wails of pain and children crying for help.

" All I could do with a dagger and a wand in my hand was save children and myself... I had to run. I was forced to run with the responsibility of the entire Vampire Royalty fixed on my shoulders. " he spat the words, a nameless trance occupying his eyes as if he had stopped recognising anything before him. " I ran... I tried to protect my...family...but they... "

Laura sensed the King was slowly turning weak for certain reasons and it was when something clicked and the Witch truly felt sorry for the Ancient Omega.

Jwan took a heavy breath, blinking his eyes at the reality when Laura gently touched his arm, almost hesitant, trying to assure him. " It's okay... It happened centuries ago... It was just an unforgettable yet forgotten 7 years of my life... "

As Jwan breathed as if everything was okay, Laura knew it was the end to the memories and gave her best to drag the Luna away to anything else. " The History wasn't told as how it was supposed to be. What the Royal mates did and what went wrong? "

Jwan thought for a while and shook his head. " I'll say, they did none expect for the truth they decided to reveal... About them being mates. "

The Witch looked at the Luna for an explanation since she could see no harm in revealing the destined connection to the world for which the Luna only flashed her a weak smile.

" Sometimes...Royals are common humans too. We can't be honest all the time and lies let us survive the inevitable. "

For sure, Laura neither understood what he meant nor asked him why it was that way. But Jwan's eyes darkened once again when his nightmares haunted him.

#

Seated in the back bench like always, both Natasha and Ralph were busy trying to keep their eyes open in the Geology class as Rehan Khan walked around reading an article about the Forests of Ukiyo.

Since Hyu-Jun wasn't present in his Class, Rehan Khan looked unusually bright and energetic to read around the class but still had to be present with Hyu-Jun's cat's creepy blue eyes.

Scrazzy for some reason had stared at everyone and everything from the start of the day and had made Natasha apologise countless times even to some of the portraits today.

It was truly not like she had only gotten to see humans walking here and there like humans. She's just being herself... Natasha thought to herself around the end when she was going crazy.

" —are inhabited in here. In the last few years, there have been some rare cases of spotting them around the Frozen lakes of the forest. "

The note about the Nuncie Forest was interrupted by a curious student, Van, raising her hand in the air. " What are Epsilons, Mr Khan? "

For a blink, Natasha knew the name sounded familiar. The drowsiness which covered her eyes obstructed her sight for a while before she forcefully pushed it down to look at the Geology professor looking down at the student, frowning.

" Ms Naiker, I think you should be asking your Biology Professor. "

" Please, enlighten me, Mr Khan. We've no topics called Epsilons in the entire syllabus of Major Biology! " Van whined, loudly, earning the attention of many students, who chuckled and thanked the almighty for the small break from Rehan's article. " Trust me, I've checked it more than twice. " she added before Rehan could refuse again and showed him the best pair of puppy-eye she could ever muster.

Grunting at the student, Rehan snapped his head aside.

In the meantime, the whines and chatters from other students helped clear Natasha's mind.

" They are also a type of werewolves though most of them are just wolves. "

" Is there any difference? " Natasha was surprised to hear herself asking the Professor, who turned to her side almost as if he was surprised too.

But he masked it too quickly for Natasha to notice since he turned away again. " Yes. Wolves are just wolves, they don't turn into humans. Epsilons are a different case. They are not born, instead, they are made. Turned by Gamma werewolves, to be specific. "

Natasha listened to the topic, interestingly with Scrazzy's kitty-fun scratches and licks here and there followed by Cassia often silently sneering at the cat who was having fun with her mother.

One of the loud sneers had Ralph jolting up awake with a thud that turned Rehan to his side.

" Mr Khan, please, if they cannot turn into humans, then how are they controlled? " Van quickly jutted past the whines and sneers from behind, intentionally pulling Rehan to her side leaving him no options but to answer.

" It is the reason they are turned. To be uncontrollable. " Rehan let Ralph take a breath as he continued. " They are known as War machines. Bred for causing arson. Only person who could use them like a puppet is the Gammas, who turned them. Two Alphas together could be able to take one down. "

Students gasped and gulped, interest peaking high, as Rehan came to the centre of the class and concluded the topic before Van, once again, loudly raised a question.

" If they are truly this destructive, then why are they even being bred or turned, Mr Khan? "

Rehan, to be honest, would've asked why he'd know of all people if it wasn't for the determination for the answer he saw in both Van's and Natasha's eyes far behind from anyone.

Even though he knew Natasha would better keep a distance from him than ask for an explanation, he, still, had to face another fact-thirsty-puppy, also known as, Van.

" They were bred before and during the Battle of Ombra. "

Natasha's ears perked at the familiar name and her concentration increased further for the very first time in Enchanted Geology.

" Even since the Royal Majesties, Kim Seojwan and Kim Wonhae ascended the throne, they had prohibited the practice of breeding Epsilon wolves and to notice, the amount of Gamma wolves in and around Ukiyo are very much less in number compared to the ancient times, in present. "

#

Ji's POV

I have been caved in this room forever...I think.

What was wrong with me?

Why am I caged in here?

What did I ever do wrong?

What went wrong?

I heard a small whine and looked at my side to find my wolf cub cocooned to my side, sleeping soundly.

" Yeonie... " I mumbled, caressing his blue hair out of his face as I saw his lips stretch a bit, grabbing my fingers with his hands.

Only then, I recognised the scents around my bed and felt the hot breath of my mate fanning my neck.

He's here... I barely noticed.

But not for him. A slight change in my breathing had Jison's eyes open to the ceiling. Something tightened around my body —must be his arms— and soon enough, he hovered over my face.

" You're awake... "

I'm alive.

I wanted to tell him. But found no strength to open my lips when I took in the sight of his exhausted face. His eyes were barely blue...lost in the darkness for who knows how long.

" Sorry... "

Jison slipped a kiss on my cheek and gently pulled my lightheaded body to his chest. " How are you...? " he asked.

I breathed his scent, burying my head into the nook of his neck hoping he'd get the answer.

" I... I missed you... " Jison held me tight and pulled me closer if it was even possible as I let him do, listening to his quiet whimpers and lips trembling to form words.

The heat felt nice. Feeling close to him felt nice.

" It was like hell... " he bit his lips as I listened to his heart racing past a mile, running away. " ...with...without you. "

I chuckled.

I did. I loudly chuckled still tired and nuzzled my nose closer to his skin to grace it, slightly, with my teeth.

He, finally, opened his heart.

" I realised you meant everything to me. Not because you are my mate... " he choked a breathless chuckle off his lips. " But because I knew you were the one all the time... "

Feeling lightheaded ever, I lifted both my hands to wrap them around his neck before I looked at his eyes with a helpless smile.

" If this is what I'd receive every time I pass out... " I traced the tears away from his beautiful eyes to see the blue before I, teasingly, added: " I'd willingly do as many times as possible. "

" Don't. Don't scare me again. " he cracked a smile and pulled me closer, threatening my eyes even though the love and pain never faded from those blue eyes.

" I'll try... "

I couldn't promise him the opposite knowing I had many things to see in life hereafter. Listening to the racing heartbeat slowly coming to an even pace, I asked him what I'd been fantasising to do for a long time...

" Mark me, Jison. "

Jison opened his eyes to see mine drifting away from him. But, still, I couldn't help but tighten the hold on his shirt. He grabbed my hand and gently tilted my head to look at him, smiling.

" Are you sure? "

It wasn't what I was expecting.

" The emptiness in my head had been too much lately. " I told him.

He was calm and listened. I thought he'd be confused and hesitant.

Because it's a big deal in our life.

Who knows? Father Jwan would be waiting in the living room, waiting to spank us to death if he knew what I was asking him to do now.

But if not now, then when?

" I'm tired of being lonely for years, Jison-ah. " I whispered.

He stared down at me, his eyes softly turning a bright grey. Slipping a hand to the back of my head, he lifted my chin to meet him yet again. " Tell me what you want... "

" Mark me. " I whispered as both our faces were inches apart from each other, feeling his breath right on my cheeks. " Mark me before you lose me to the darkness of my mind. "

His eyes flickered before I felt his lips on mine, tenderly.

I didn't know how long had passed since I started moving my lips against his while I felt no ounce of discomfort when his hold tightened too much.

An unknown surge of energy slowly started consuming my mind as Jison slowly traced his lips from my lips to my neck.

When the trance completely captured my senses, I was only able to hear his heartbeat, his breath and his voice inside my mind.

" No darkness can get you away from me. "

To be continued

Word count: 2318

DhiraDhi_Writes