"You're doing good."
"Endure just a little longer."
"You'll finally feel better."
Despite Tang Lian's vision being blurred and her senses dulled, she could still hear multiple voices saying words of encouragement. The only issue, unfortunately, was that they weren't saying these to her, but to someone else. Someone who was physically close to her, but able to move around unrestricted if they could; however, they couldn't.
The person next to her was a woman, who was completely unresponsive and inert. Even though Tang Lian was befuddled, she could still piece the voices to two men that she immediately recognized.
As the realization hit her, her heavy eyelids forced themselves open and her green eyes met with a pair of red ones. The red eyes shifted into astonishment. How strong was her will to resist their power of immobilizing?
"How is she conscious?" The silver-haired man asked, his red eyes—similar to his brother—flickering with annoyance. They needed her unconscious to stabilize her blood for the Silver Night, so their sister could finally be revived after hundreds of years. But if she was awake, like so, then it hindered their plans and possibly prevented their sister from waking up. This meant that they would go a couple more centuries before they found someone with the special bloodline to use on the Silver Night.
Tang Lian's throat was parched and her lips were chapped. She didn't have any strength to move around or to save herself. Plus, for extra security, they had strapped her down to the bed and the machines' beeps and other noises were like a hum in the background. The noises rung in her ears and gave her a headache. He pain of being betrayed gave her a headache. Being used like this gave her a headache.
All she had was the lingering pride and will from being treated like a substitute and manipulated by those whom she thought were good. Nonetheless, she gathered her entire energy to ask them merely one word: "Why?"
The brothers were stupefied.
How could they answer? Yes they were blood demons, but they were first and foremost human at dead heart. They felt guilty for betraying her after knowing her for four years. She was just ready to graduate and finally start a proper career, yet to them, she had served her purpose. They had wasted enough time on her and tonight was the Silver Night. If they missed this chance, then they would have to wait for another hundred years. Their beloved sister would continue to be comatose, so in exchange for one mortal life, a more relevant one would be saved.
The black haired one, Feng Weiyang, shook his head, his red eyes gleaming with a hint of danger. He bent down and softly murmured in her ear, "Just think of this as your fate. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten... Feng Xiuliang will live happy in your stead."
'But I want to live for my own stead...What wretched fate was this cruel?'
The silver haired one, Feng Lijun, scowled and waved his hand. "We're wasting too much time. Knock her unconscious again. By the time she wakes up, she'll be in the afterlife. We've already pampered her for four years, this is enough to repay us."
He waved his hand and Tang Lian felt her eyes grow heavy, feeling an urge to sleep. But no matter how much they tried to force her, she refused to yield. Until finally, they gave up and just continued the blood transfusion with her still conscious.
Since she had a special bloodline, taking blood out of her body felt like a thousand needles were piercing her skin. She wanted to open her mouth to scream in pain, but she didn't have the strength. Instead, she silently endured until her usual pale face began to look lifeless. Her dull green eyes shifted to her blood, which looked peculiar. It was like anything she had ever seen, glowing silver just like the silver moon outside.
Once they were sure they thoroughly emptied her, she could feel her final moments were nearby. But even then, Feng Lijun raised her wrist and his fangs pierced it, his red eyes glowing from the power that her blood supplied. She didn't have much left, but since she was dying, it was a shame to let the remainder be wasted. Hence his brother, Feng Weiyang, took the other wrist and bit her, finally and truly emptying her of any energy.
Tang Lian closed her eyes, a deep hatred brewing in her heart. They played with her then ended up killing her for their own selfish needs. She had never been more disappointed in her life. Even when her parents ruthlessly abandoned her for pursuing an art major, she wasn't as hurt as she was today.
No, she wasn't just hurt. She was traumatized. The they had meticulously broken her.
The resentment grew into a resolution. Tang Lian knew that even if she had to crawl her way back to the Earth from hell, then she would do it even if it took her years. The pain and humiliation she suffered today, she wanted to return tenfold. The vow that she conjured in her heart stirred something in her.
Moments later, she had finally left the world. The Feng brothers froze and looked at her, their feelings complicated. In the end, she was just an innocent human born with a curse. Had she not been the only way, they would've never wished upon her to be involved in the darker side of society.
Feng Lijun took the silver blood and poured it in the mouth of the comatose Feng Xiuliang. Her pale skin didn't change, but her frozen state began to loosen up. Her eyes that were closed for over three hundred years finally opened, no longer dark but a mixed hazel due to the new blood in her veins. The silver haired Feng Lijun hugged his sister fervently, relieved to see her moving and breathing again.
"How long have I been asleep for?" Her soft voice asked, confusion evident on her face.
"Over three hundred years." Feng Weiyang answered. He was the stoic brother, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel happy that his sister was alive again. He hugged her and then turned to the other girl who was lying on the bed. Feng Xiuliang lightly asked who she was, but when she noticed that her brothers didn't answer and the puncture wounds on her wrist and her complexion, she got the general idea. She felt that the girl was pitiful and wished that it didn't turn the way that it did, but she also was relieved. For her, it had been the blink of an eye since the incident. For the real world, it was more than three hundred years.
Anymore and she was sure that her brothers would go insane. They didn't have their parents, all they had was each other. So she closed her eyes and turned a blind eye, silently asking her forgiveness from the girl in her heart.
As she did that, Feng Weiyang unbuckled the straps holding her down and picked up her delicate and lifeless body in his arms in a princess carry. Outside, the roaring fire that had prepared beforehand using their abilities was ready to be used. With an absolute gaze, Feng Weiyang looked at the orange flames before tossing the body inside the fire, causing it to begin to incinerate. The other two hadn't dared to follow him, so he was left to watch her burn on his own.
This would've been the last option they would've done, but they couldn't risk it. With Tang Lian's bloodline, there was a possibly that someone could turn her into a vampire and she would be a danger to them...especially their sister.
Gradually, many hours past before he could move his feet. His red eyes had already turned to normal, which were his dark eyes.
Finally, he bid Tang Lian goodbye one last time and turned around to leave, not noticing a pair of golden eyes watching their interaction. The eyes had seen everything, including the way that the human girl resisted and was absolutely resolute. The eyes belonged to a man who was hidden in the shadows, so his features were not discernible.
The only thing visible was his amused smile.
And in the next moment, he decided to do something that would change his, hers, theirs...the fate of everyone forever. He snapped his fingers and disappeared.
For Tang Lian, she woke up drenched in sweat, her heart palpitating at a rapid speed. She looked around and realized that she was back in her college dorm, but her room wasn't decorated. Unopened and opened boxes were flung all over the room, very disorganized and it gave the sense that she had just moved it.
With trembling legs, Tang Lian stood up and looked at the date on her phone. Her hand shook and she dropped the phone, not noticing the screen crack from the impact.
The date read September 07, 20XX.
This was the year that she was finally accepted and moved into her college dorm.
She was nineteen again!?