| T R A I L S
Taehyung’s POV:
My knuckles were stark white against the dark brown podium from clutching it so hard. My nerves had already sky rocketed. Taking a deep breath, I looked up to see my parents waving at me. I shakily waved at them with a weak smile.
The smile didn’t stay long. This event is by far the most daunting one I have ever attended. My future depends on this, my career, my happiness depends on this. My love depends on this.
Squaring my shoulders, I assessed my fellow participants. These trials were everything. They would weigh my worth. Turning eighteen is a huge in our community. If I, NO! when I succeed, he who’s in my head won’t just hear my thoughts.
He’ll hear my voice.
I sent a silent prayer to him to talk to me as I fidgeted with my collar in the hot, sweaty room. The heat rolled in thick waves, further unsettling him. Just as they were going to give me the go ahead to announce my name in the mic, a voice spoke. Bless him. He always figured out if I was in need for him.
“Come on Vv, you can do it!”
The first part of the trials is very easy. Every vampire can easily pass it. Just rip off those logs and show how agile and fast one can be. As said, I easily cleared it but the next one is the most painful one as I have been told.
I clenched my fists as bottles of fresh blood were brought in. I could feel a tingling sensation in me as I yearned for the blood. The sensation continued to throb before it began to demand for release. I continued to sweat as they placed the bottles in front of us.
A growl sounded from behind and I turned to look at its source. Raising my eyebrows I gauged everyone’s reaction. A few were starting to show their fangs and everyone tried to keep it in and fight it.
For this was after all the ‘Hunger Trail’. Our resistance to hunger is what we will be graded on. Shutting my eyes tight, I tried to fight the waves of hunger through me. My long nails now out of hiding dug painfully int my clenched fists.
“Hey! Calm down. It’s alright. Think about how much it’ll be worth”. Ah! There he was when I needed him the most. He continued to soothe me when I saw with widened eyes a guy lose control and grab a bottle to drink straight from the bottle.
“It’s okay. Deep breathes”, he continued in an attempt to make me relax clearly sensing my agitation. The clock continued to tick and before I knew, it was over.
I fell to my knees as cheers rang through the room. He screamed in my head as though he had been right in front of me and witnessed my trial. I grinned. One more step, one more trial and nothing will stop me from taking him in my arms. I paused. Where are those thoughts coming from? Shaking my head, I waved at my parents happily.
The last trail awaits. I’ve been told that that its easy but I fear that I might fail. The sight of the elders pulling the guy out because he failed kept playing in my mind. “Don’t think of that Vv”. Ah! There it is, all I ever wanted.
We were taken to the arena. This is where we will have to fight and kill those vampires who have committed sin and not to mention, they are strong. If we lose, we aren’t killed but thrown out or to be precise, not accepted as a vampire.
“Vv, they have a weak spot, their throat. The spot where it stung you when you were thirsty, right there”
I prepared myself and revealed my true self ready to hit the weak spot as the vampire I have to fight walked in. I launched myself at him and deep rooted by now out long nails into his throat. Slowly digging it deeper, I twisted his neck and ripped it apart as soon as I took my nails out.
Little did I know that killing can give so much pleasure and joy. But here I am back clutching the dark brown podium in the sweaty room waiting for the results.
My palms began to sweat with the fear that I might be rejected, that I might not be able to speak back to my man.
Wait! Just what did I think?
“All of you here have cleared the trails. I now announce you all as capable vampires”. The elders revealed. I couldn’t believe what they just announce. I look up to my parents with a confused look and they cheer me for my success.
“You did it! I am proud of you”. The soothing voice makes me believe the truth that I did clear the trails.
“What will you call your vampire self Kim Taehyung?“, one of the elders asked me after he made a note of the other participants’ new names. My brain began to lose some cells as it processed a name for my vampire self. Coming up with a name should also have been a trail.
“V sir” I paused. “I shall call myself V” I announced and they made a note of it.
