They said the East Wing couldn't be cleansed.
That once it was stained by black magic, the shadows stayed forever.
But that night — after Yeonjun saved me — something shifted.
Not in the school.
In him.
1. Breakfast With Bruises and Blushes
The next morning was… weirdly normal. If you ignored the sliced mirror, the phantom migraines, and the fact that I technically kissed a monster using my face.
I found Yeonjun in the dining hall, pushing a bowl of red cereal around like it had insulted his lineage.
"Blood Flakes again?" I teased, sliding into the seat next to him.
"Worse," he said, lifting a spoon. "Deadberry chunks. It's like chewing regret."
I laughed. Then flinched. My throat was still sore from the possession.
Yeonjun noticed instantly.
"You okay?" he asked, voice low.
I nodded. "I mean, possession sucks. But hey — I got my body back and a hot vampire holding me while I cried, so…"
He blushed. Actually blushed.
A full-on, eyes-down, ears-red moment.
Yeonjun Choi, Blush Count: 1
(Let's keep tally, shall we?)
2. Secrets In The Hallways
After breakfast, he didn't go to class. Neither did I.
Instead, we wandered down into the North Basement — a place even ghost clubs avoid.
"Where are we going?" I whispered.
Yeonjun didn't answer right away. He just stopped in front of a dusty steel door that hummed with old magic.
"The Memory Room," he said finally. "It records every soul that ever passed through Nightshade. Sometimes... it reveals what should be forgotten."
He pushed the door open, and cold air rushed out like a sigh.
Inside, the walls shimmered like fogged mirrors, swirling with flashes of faces, places, emotions. Each memory floated like a bubble — waiting to burst.
"This is… creepy," I whispered. "Like Netflix's autoplay, but cursed."
He cracked a small smile. "It's where I come when I can't sleep. Or when I remember things I wish I didn't."
Then his voice turned quiet.
"Or when I want you to know the truth."
3. The Truth: Bloody, Beautiful, and Tragic
He touched one memory.
It flickered into light.
And suddenly, I saw her.
A girl with silver hair. Fangs. Eyes like frost.
She was laughing. Holding Yeonjun's hand. Dancing in a field of bleeding roses.
"She was…" I started.
"My first love," he said. "Before I transferred here. Before I knew the bond meant anything more than blood and fate."
"What happened?"
His jaw tightened. "I wasn't enough. Not to save her."
The scene shifted.
The girl lay in Yeonjun's arms, lifeless. Her throat torn. His hands soaked in her blood.
"She broke her bond to protect me," he whispered. "And it killed her."
I reached for his hand, and this time, he flinched.
Not from pain.
From fear.
"I'm scared I'll lose you the same way," he said.
And that — that broke something in me.
4. The Hug That Shattered Walls
I didn't say anything.
Didn't try to promise we'd be fine.
Instead, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close. Not because he needed fixing.
Because he needed holding.
He froze. Then buried his face in my neck.
"I hate this," he said against my skin. "I hate feeling this much."
"Too bad," I whispered. "You kissed me. Now you're stuck with me."
He let out a shaky laugh. "I kissed your evil twin, technically."
"Yeah, but you stayed for me."
We stood like that for a while, surrounded by other people's memories — but making a new one.
A better one.
5. Plot Twist Incoming
Just as we turned to leave, one last memory lit up without being touched.
Yeonjun stiffened.
It showed a younger version of him, standing in front of Headmaster Deathfang, holding something in his hands.
A vial. Silver. Glowing.
"That's…" he started.
But the memory cut out.
And I swear I heard a whisper in the air:
"The bond was never random."
Yeonjun paled.
"Okay," I said slowly. "What exactly did that mean?"
He didn't answer.
Because suddenly, the ground shook — and the walls started screaming.
No joke.
The Memory Room was locking us in.