14.00 pm Sunday

"Wait!" Baoshan Sanren quickly calls them back.

"What is it, grandmother?" Wei Ying trots back, a worried frown upon his youthful face.

"We asked him a question and he's yet to answer." She turns to Wen Zhuliu. In her most forceful voice, she asks him again. "Where is Wen Zhong?"

"Up there, top floor." Wen Zhuliu says in a monotonous voice, devoid of tone and inflection.

"Is Wen Ning with him?" Wen Qing demands, pushing past a few vampires to get closer.

Wen Zhuliu remains silent as if he hasn't heard her.

It's only when Baoshan Sanren repeats the same question that he says he doesn't know.

"That's to be expected though, right?" Wei Ying glances at Lan Zhan for confirmation. "He was with you from when you woke up, and ever since then. Wen Zhong has had a lot of time to change the situation, so even if A-Ning was with him at the beginning, that doesn't mean they're still together. We shouldn't take anything for granted."

"Mn. Wei Ying is correct. Before we had to return here, we checked all the floors up to and including the eighth one. All are secured."

"I love it when you use your professional voice," Wei Ying replies breathlessly, making heart eyes at him.

Imperceptible groans are heard, discreetly voiced as everyone tries to look elsewhere.

"Let's focus," Baoshan Sanren insists, glaring at the floor.

"Yeah, let's not get distracted," Wei Ying agrees, but ironically that's exactly what is happening to him.

Lan Zhan looks so good, so confident now, it's mouthwatering to him.

Shedding the cape of fear and uncertainty off from his broad shoulders, Lan Zhan is filling out the role of an avenging angel nicely, and Wei Ying is planning all sorts of ways he will be showing his appreciation, later.

Later, he promises himself again, when a knowing look gleams in the ingots of his boyfriend's eyes.

"So let's make a move," Baoshan Sanren says purposefully, heading towards the stairwell once more. "Let's also gather forces as we go, just on the off chance that Wen Zhong might have left a few surprises for us. We're so close to ending this, it's not even funny. Vigilance, people!" And with that, the centuries old vampire starts running up the stairs.

***********

They are careful.

At each floor, they reevaluate, checking to make sure there are no feral vampires left to cause them anymore trouble. They add to their little group on their ascent, only leaving a perfunctory force behind just to keep an eye on things.

Baoshan Sanren tells them to stay in touch if anything untoward occurs, because that's the only way they're going to win this, through communication.

Mo XuanYu has sent the layout of the upstairs floors, but he's working through some kind of encryption that is preventing him from getting a closer look inside, and the barrier is causing him to lose his patience, if it's anything to go by his messages, which are colourful to say the least.

Wen Qing and the only other human, Wen Zhuliu, lag behind as the vampires with their superior fitness and agility surpass them, running up the stairs with alarming precision.

The ninth floor is where things become strangely creepy.

All the labs are empty and there's not a soul to be seen. The lights are off and the whole place looks like a ghost town with the stifling air adding to the unsettled feeling that has increased with every footstep upwards.

Mo XuanYu quickly clears it for them, activating the cameras which have been switched off for a while.

Wei Ying shivers, reaching for Lan Zhan again.

"Cold?"

"More like creeped out," he explains. "This is like some bad horror film filled with bad decisions by the main characters." He giggles, in spite of himself.

"I do not like horror films," Lan Zhan says, quietly.

They are leaving to go up to the tenth floor.

"What did you do for entertainment? Back then?" Wei Ying asks him, thinking back to the time before his turning.

"Reading."

"Favourite genre?"

"Non fiction. Maths and its relationships with the world."

"Wow, riveting stuff," Wei Ying grins. "Never picked up a murder mystery? Crime? Fanfiction?"

"No." His tone says it all, vehement opposition. "What about Wei Ying?"

"Not much time to read, when I was working. But when I was travelling back and forth to school, I read voraciously. All on my phone, and really, it was a mix. Whatever caught my attention."

There's no more time to chat, because they've reached the next floor.

The tenth floor is a series of separated labs with even more complex state-of-the-art equipment, machines that looked like they belonged in the future with hi-tech buttons and blinking lights.

"Ever get the feeling you're in the wrong time zone?" Wei Ying lets out a low whistle, looking around.

The pristine white tiled walls and reflective surfaces suggest a no nonsense approach to work, or whatever they do here. But what is even more disturbing are the cages. They are large enough to contain at the very least, three decent sized adult humans at the same time. Worse, they are screwed into the floor.

"Whoever thought it was okay to experiment on living creatures like this, ought to be castrated." Baoshan Sanren murmurs, her silver eyes turning hard as she studies her surroundings.

"Next on our to-do list," Wei Ying agrees.

The mood turns sombre as they leave, all of them aware at how easily it could have been any one of them here, brought against their will and kept in a state worse than circus animals. Silently and a little slower, they climb up the stairs to the eleventh floor.

Wei Ying has been feeling hungry for a while now, but he hasn't said anything, not wanting to waste time for anyone. He's possibly the only one except Wen Qing and Wen Zhuliu, who needs to eat anything solid and he's feeling self conscious about it. He thinks he can hold on a while longer though, so he stays silent.

He's thinking about the last time he ate, which was last night at the dinner for the Awards ceremony, more than eighteen hours ago, and if he waits too long, his stomach might turn around and start eating itself. He's way past it just grumbling by now.

When they open the doors leading out onto the eleventh floor, he's distracted and doesn't see the sword coming straight for him.

The wind is knocked out of his solar plexus, even as Lan Zhan shouts and grabs him, pulling him out of the way. Dimly he's aware of the clatter of falling steel as he struggles to put much needed oxygen back into his lungs. It's a whoosh of air when it finally enters but he's dizzy and disorientated.

This fight is intense as they find out why the other floors were empty.

Every single vampire that can fight is here, lying in wait for them. All the air around them is charged, filled with savage screams and shrieks of bloodthirsty vampires hungry to kill, on both sides.

Rabid wails attack their ears as Lan Zhan slides Wei Ying out of harm's way, terrified that he's been hurt badly. Wei Ying can't even speak as he struggles to breathe normally. Lan Zhan's hands flutter helplessly around his torso, by Wei Ying's ribs, wanting to check his injury and being too scared to do it.

Wei Ying had discarded his wine coloured jacket a while back, and it's the cream coloured shirt that bore the full brunt of the sword attack. It's dirty with grime and sweat, and splatters of blood.

And then Lan Zhan gives him the brightest smile.

"Thank the Universe for your mother," he says cryptically, and Wei Ying raises his head to look down, seeing a long tear in his shirt, from which the tarnished silver of his armour shines through.

Relief has his head hitting the floor with a dull thud.

He's still winded, and as such, in no condition to play Chenqing, or even whistle to help his people out.

Wen Qing and Wen Zhuliu arrive, and Lan Zhan entrusts Wei Ying to their care, compelling Wen Zhuliu to guard Wei Ying with his life, before he goes in to join the fray.

"Will you be alright?" He asks Wei Ying, one last time before leaving him.

"Yes, yes! Now I want to see my super cool boyfriend whoop some vampire asses! Get going!" Wei Ying tells him, putting on a brave face, but he struggles with each word.

One concerned nod, and Lan Zhan jumps into the thick of it, canines out and his expression one of furious rage.

A-Qing has got her Chakras of Death out, spinning them like plates and making the attacking vampires give her a wide berth, unless they wanted to lose limbs. Sparks fly around her in jubilation as she ferociously fights back, ducking and diving and still maintaining the sharp teeths' rotations. She was taking out vampires like spilling open packets of biscuits on a plate.

Other vampires from the Network were going at it with claws and talons and teeth, blood dripping from their red mouths, ripping out throats and drinking their fill. Flesh was torn, limbs flung in all directions as chaos spilled out of the empty rooms. Hundreds of fighters spread the carnage, as movement became imperative to their individual survival.

Xiao XingChen and Song Lan fought back to back, turning into a wheel of destruction. Their bright swords glared and beheaded the reckless vampires too stupid not to stay clear. They spun around like a three dimensional Yin and Yang sign, swirling full of dynamic energy decapitating anyone who got too close.

Baoshan Sanren is a blazing torch of white, her swords, one in each of her hands, are rotating like helicopter blades, cutting down anyone who gets in her way. That dress is beyond saving though, another casualty of this war.

The battle rages on with victories and losses on both sides, as equally matched as they are.

And then suddenly, there's a loud audio boom and harsh metal music screeches through the speaker system. Someone switches off the lights and it's worse than just the chaos from before. This is an assault on as many senses they can target.

This disorder and mayhem is jarring and now it's impossible to know who's winning in this fight to the death.

Wei Ying is only glad that he's not bleeding out, but he's very sore where the sword had rammed into his body. It hurts less to use his right hand and he hunts for his phone, ringing Mo XuanYu quickly.

"A-Yu, is there any way you can turn the lights back on and stop them being switched off?" Wei Ying yells into the microphone of his device.

"I can't hear you, man!" Mo XuanYu yells back and there's nothing Wei Ying can do to make this better.

Just as he thinks about typing out his request, the sound cuts out after an out of tune higher pitched shriek.

"There! That's better," Mo XuanYu says with relief. "I couldn't hear a sound! Now, what can I do for you, Boss?"

Wei Ying doesn't waste a second. "Lights!"

A few moments later, the sharp white fluorescent lights flicker on, harsh and bright.

"Thanks so much!" Wei Ying tells him quickly.

"Welcome!" Mo XuanYu seems distracted.

"What's going on?" Wei Ying asks him, feeling as if he should offer. If he's stressed about something, maybe it's an issue that Wei Ying can help with, too.

"Ah, I just...I'm trying to get past the code stopping us from seeing what is on the top floor. I just checked and since you're nearly there, I have to get a move on." Mo XuanYu answers, and Wei Ying can picture him checking out multiple screens or tabs while he's trying to keep an eye on everyone and be in lots of places at once, figuratively speaking.

"Do you think they have some kind of electromagnetic pulse thing in place, to prevent anyone from hacking into their firewall?" Wei Ying asks.

There's a significant pause on the other side of his phone, and Wei Ying notices that his phone is hungry too. He's at thirty percent battery.

"I better conserve juice," he tells Mo XuanYu. "I might need my phone later, and it's not like we can waste time charging it here.

"How did you know about the electromagnetic pulse?" Mo XuanYu sounds shocked.

"It's how they got rid of the sentinels in the Matrix, by wiping out anything electronic. I just thought, if I didn't want anyone getting inside my technology, I'd have something similar in place to stop them, that's all. Like a constant pulse repelling attempts to breach security." Wei Ying checks his screen. "Anyway, I hope that helps and now I'm at twenty eight. I better go."

"Hey man, I really appreciate it. I'll pay you back." The younger one insists. "Double if this works and you're right."

"Oh, honestly, don't worry about it. All that's important is that it helps you." Wei Ying says sincerely, but he's shocked when Mo XuanYu replies, "uh uh, there's no such thing as a free dinner. I'll treat you, soon."

And with that, the kid hangs up.

Meanwhile, the fighting has intensified all around him, and after a wondrous look at his phone, Wei Ying puts it away and grabs Chenqing. He tests out his breath and is pleased that his lungs have recovered enough for him to be able to play for a while, if he has to.

What else he has just found out, doesn't need to be voiced.

There must be a reason for the secrecy, and Wei Ying thinks it's not his place to say anything just yet.

But it is very interesting.

He puts his lips to Chenqing and begins to play, the haunting music flowing from his lips and into the ears of those who wanted to conquer them.

Lan Zhan dispenses the last vampire to cross his path and turns around to watch Wei Ying.

Will he ever get tired of doing that?

Not in this lifetime.

At the moment, Wei Ying's eyes are closed, but he is the picture of beauty. His tall frame is proud and straight, arms bowed to carry Chenqing to his lips, brow furrowed in concentration. His suit has seen better days, but for Lan Zhan, he has never seen anyone so captivating before.

The HeartStone rests at the base of his throat, glowing with an ethereal red light that only seems to become darker, the more the notes are played, washing over it.

And then Wei Ying opens his gorgeous eyes.

No longer silver like liquid mercury, they shine redder than the brightest rubies, full of confidence and shimmering with the power of his conviction.

Everything stops.

All vampires are glued to the floor, unmovable and stationary, until Wei Ying begins to release their people from the spell.

When he finishes playing, the feral, animalistic creatures are docile and meek, staring back at their god obediently.

Wei Ying lowers Chenqing and looks for his grandmother, pleased when he sees her picking her way through the undead.

"What should we do with them?" She asks him. "We can either send them back to the dungeons, or because we're in a hurry, we could stick them in these cages? I think there's more in every lab. It'll save time, and make it easier to deal with them later."

It's obvious from her words, what Baoshan Sanren would prefer, so Wei Ying agrees.

They lead the compliant vampires that are unharmed into the cages and secure them.

Baoshan Sanren is just about to say something when Wei Ying's stomach interrupts her with the loudest gurgling protest.

For a second, no one says anything.

And then one person begins to laugh, and it's like opening a floodgate, starting out small and growing bigger. The chuckles turn into proper laughter, until everyone is chortling and guffawing, a release of tension that they all desperately needed.

Lan Zhan is glaring at the first one who dared to make merry at his Wei Ying's expense, gathering him up in a warm embrace. Wei Ying is both happy and embarrassed, his face hot against Lan Zhan's cool skin. More so when Wen Qing finds a stash of energy bars that she shares out among the humans, making them drink plenty of water too, so that they remain hydrated.

The atmosphere is so much more relaxed now, as they regroup while the ones that need to replenish their energy eat and drink.

"I guess it's safe to say that we've only got that last floor to tackle," Baoshan Sanren says, addressing everyone. "Thank you all for your efforts today, because when I say we couldn't have gotten this far without you, it's the absolute truth."

Wei Ying looks up at her, standing in their midst like a true leader, a general guiding her troops to certain victory. It suits her to look like this.

Lan Zhan is smiling in his usual way, as ever attuned to how Wei Ying is feeling, and he knows the exact moment that things change.

Wei Ying's blood sours, beginning to smell bad.

Like in the past, when he had been afraid of Lan Zhan that time.

Lan Zhan can smell panic and fear, in copious amounts as Wei Ying stands up, shakily.

Many vampires are innocently standing around Baoshan Sanren, listening to what she is saying to them.

Except one.

He looks up with an exceptionally cocky smile, at the same time that Wei Ying points a trembling finger at him, and says, "Xue Yang!"