A Few Months Later...

"HAEUN !", Jungwon yelled excitedly as he hugged me tightly. I had been busy. Between dhampir training, spending time with my father, & trying to get answers about our bond I had been utterly exhausted.

I chuckled as I greeted everyone. I was exceptionally grateful we had a special place to hang out without worrying we're exposing our bond. We got to be ourselves here. Sunghoon sat by the window, alone. I know he still felt a bit out of place given the rumors of him turning strigoi was very much still happening.

I sat across from him asking playfully, "Mi scusi, signor Presidente. Ha visto un moroi ghiaccio da qualche parte?" (Excuse me, sir. Have you seen an icy moroi anywhere ?) This managed to get a laugh out of him. "I have not. Do I know him ?" I smack him playfully. He must have a lot on his mind at the moment.

"What is it then, Sunghoon ? You're more nervous than I am." He seemed more on edge. I feared he was putting too much pressure on himself. "You aren't a bit scared ? What you'll do today has never been done ever, Haeun." This very much was true. What I was about to do had never been done ever. Yet, the bond the eight of us share has never ben shared before. "I am a bit worried, but we are bonded. I trust the seven of you wholeheartedly."

Sunghoon moved his vision from the night sky to my face. Things were a bit intense with us since he asked me to be his dhampir. To be his guardian. We playfully flirted, but nothing else came from it. I assume we both wanted to be selfish, but there was the bond we had to take into account.

Things were silent a few moments. A comfortable silence between us as we took each other in with our eyes. Giving into our selfishness for a few short moments. Drinking each other in...

"E' ora!" (It's time !), we heard Jake yell from the other side of the room which brought us back to the reality of the situation. We joined the others as I took a deep breath. Sunoo handed me the knife as Heeseung sat a chalice on the table, the seven of them taking their seats around me. "Don't cut too deep, Haeun. There is no rush," I heard Jungwon say at the same time as Jay & Ni-Ki.

I let my mind go blank. I just breathed. I trusted them. I trusted myself. Trusted the Purificato d'oro bond. In one swift motion, I cut my hand. My blood spilled into the chalice as the seven around me watch in both horror & awe. Just as quickly as I cult my hand, I had wrapped it to stop the bleeding. "Beba." (Drink up.) I said this with full trust of everything that was happening.

I sat down as they each passed the chalice around. Heeseung, Jake, Jungwon, & Sunghoon' eyes shined a rose golden color as my blood now stained their teeth. Jay, Sunoo, & Ni-Ki eyes were now a pale red, teeth also covered in blood before the empty chalice was sat in front of me.

This was bliss. This was paradise. My blood calmed them & their eyes all stared at the empty bloody chalice, just as I was staring myself. The chalice seemed to emanate a rose-violet golden aura. I think this was brought on from my blood...

Mindlessly I said what I felt in that moment, "Questo è solo l'inizio..." (This is only the beginning...)

The END.

La fine.