The last time a war between the humans and mythical beings was recorded in the city of Yin, was within the year 1388.
It had been the witches who evaded Yin City - which had originally being the biggest city in the world filled with humans - with the plan to possess their land. The City of Yin had lost many lives. The witches placed a curse on their land by slowly turning the humans into dust. The humans' breathing would seize and they would suddenly freeze and dissolve into dust, mixing with the air in the atmosphere.
Their plants were poisoned as well and even the air they took in had been poisoned.
Since then, the City of Yin never recorded such loss again.
However, came the vampires in the year 1402.
The vampires were more brutal. More merciless.
At least, the humans had managed to defeat the witches by burning them alive but, the vampires were a million times powerful than the witches. They never got tired of fighting. They renewed their strength with each punch they threw. Every fang they dug into the humans' skins. Every claw they slayed the humans with. Every attack was a strength renewed.
And, the vampires weren't ready to back down until the humans let the vampires rule them. That was their demand.
One of them had said, "We want the vampires to take over the City of Yin. It is the demand of our General."
And, when the humans had refused, lives were lost. Their city was destroyed, leaving nothing aside from the other people that had managed to survive. The City of Yin, which had once been the largest city, had been slowly turned into a desert.
The General of the vampire army, General Lu Tan, hadn't made it easy for them. General Lu Tan, the head of the Vampire Army, led the rebellion against the City of Yin. As the vampires were distributed into the City of Yin in their huge numbers, General Lu Tan sat in a black coach, watching as the vampires created a massacre. At times, he would light a smoke while watching this.
He had once gotten off his carriage and participated in this massacre. And, he didn't suck blood like his fellow vampires did. He went straight for heads, cutting them off with the first strike of his hand.
General Lu Tan was a ruthless monster everyone feared. At the mere mention of his name, the people quake in fear.
One beautiful evening, it had been the usual - General Lu Tan with his army disrupting a glorious day.
Fifteen-year-old WuSan, beautiful and delicate, had paid a visit to her friend, Jiang Hama's place, intending to stay over.
They were resting gracefully in Golden Lotus Villa - a residence in the Jiang family house - when, Lord Jiang, Hama's father and a grand secretrait at the palace, suddenly dashed in with only his trousers on.
He banged anxiously on the entrance door of Golden Lotus Villa, screaming, "The vampires are here! The vampires are here! General Lu Tan has evaded the mansion!"
WuSan, who had drafted to sleep, flipped her eyes open, jerking up on the bed. He jumped out of the Queen-sized bed, darting over to Hama, who was still fast asleep, to inform her about the chaos.
"Evacuate the mansion! The vampires are here!"
More screams of chaos and chatter of fright emerged from the other residences in the Jiang family mansion.
Wu San shook Hama violently until she cracked one eye open, still nonchalant of the chaos around her.
"What? Why are you not asleep?"
"We have to escape. The vampires are here!"
"What?" Hama slowly sat up, gazing around her, her eyes still filled with drowsiness.
A loud scream of pain and grunts emerged from the entrance of the mansion.
They had arrived!
"We have to leave, Hama! Get up!"
Wu San hurled her up, pulling her out of the Golden Lotus Villa residence and towards the mansion's basement.
"Where is this place? Where are you taking us to?" Hama questioned in whisper hushes, following closely behind Wu San on tip toes.
"The basement. How have you not known about it even though you were born here?"
"Is it safe?"
"Yes. You, don't worry and just follow me."
The chaos proceeded violently in the background. Slashes against skin filled the air accompanied by vampires' growls and grunts of pains.
At a point, Wu San had seen blood spills on the route she took. Which meant they had evaded that place. She had to be fast before they followed their sent and found them before they find the basement.
She had recalled Lord Jiang saying the basement had numerous scented candles and the scent of the candles were strong enough to outscent human blood. Hence, it was the perfect hiding place.
However, Hama suddenly halted, pulling Wu San back for a quick stop.
"Why did you stop? We have to go, Hama!"
"Father." Hama called out, staring right ahead of Wu San, her eyes watering.
"What?" Wu San follows her gaze and her breathing stopped once she set her eyes on what had gotten Hama's attention.
A man, in a black cloak that hid his face, had his fingers wrapped around Lord Jiang's neck.
Lord Jiang was choking and fighting for his breath. They were close and if Lord Jiang should lift his gaze, he would catch a sight of them.
Wu San instantly pulled Hama to hide behind a stoned pavements that held lanterns. However, they continued to peep at the scene through the pavement.
"Pleas-s-se. S-spare me, G-general-l." Lord Jiang choked out.
General? He was General Lu Tan?
Wu San swallowed.
General Lu Tan leans into Lord Jiang to whisper a response which Wu San couldn't catch unfortunately. And, before she could blink again, Lu Tan twisted Lord Jiang's neck, watching him drop dead to the floor.
Hama, who had held onto a knife suddenly jerked forward, leaving Wu San to watch from her hiding place in horror.
Hama, with confidence stance, walked up to Lu Tan, gazing angrily at him.
"You monster, you deserve to die." Hama muttered then, dug the dagger into General Tan's neck.
Wu San, watching the scene carefully, held onto her night robe for her dear life, her hands trembling and sweaty.
General Lu Tan doesn't react to the dagger Hama had dug into his neck. At least, not the way Hama wanted.
He darted backwards and in a swift, simple strike, Hama's head was off, rolling onto the sandy ground.
Wu San stiffled a scream, muffling it into her palm as tears rolled down her face uncontrollably.
General Lu Tan doesn't go immediately so, she is tortured with staring directly at her friend's head.
Lu Tan accesses the area rightly, ensured no one was around and exit the Golden Lotus Villa residence.
Several minutes later, the chaos died down and traces of the vampires vanished, except the mark they had left behind.
Blood spills everywhere, heads rolled off - including Hama's - many injured people who would likely not make it even if a physician attended to them that minute.
Not one person had survived the attack except Wu San who had to see her friend's head being cut off to ensure her survival.
Since that day thereafter, she hadn't known a peaceful night rest. General Lu Tan had always managed to sneak his way into her dreams in the most horrific ways.
She had done everything to make the nightmares about him seize but, all-to-no avail.
But, just when she was slowly getting him off her mind for good,
"What?" Wu San couldn't hide the terror in her voice.
"I managed to get my hand on the list of visitors that we would be receiving and I saw General Lu Tan's name sitting majestically at the top front." YiSoo, Wu San's lady-in-waiting provided.
Wu San jerked to her feet, resulting to the quill's ink tumbling and staining her pink robe. It was her favorite wear because it had been gifted to her by her late friend Hama but, she didn't care that she got a permanent stain on it.
"That is not possible. He left for the south five years ago."
After the horrific massacre he executed in the Jiang Mansion, General Lu Tan had exited the city that same night to the south, to proceed with the massacres of the humans.
"Words from the South are that he has killed all the humans in the South and his vampires has taken over the South. And that, he has returned to finish his unfinished business from five years back."
"Where is father?"
"His Majesty is in the lounge with the other relatives. But, he is busy, Matron Mei, you must not—"
Lady YiSoo's protest dies in her throat when Wu San dashed out, jamming the door in her face.
The atmosphere was lively and accommodating. The lanterns had been decorated and the roof adorned with exquisite decorations of ribbons.
It was the Royal Family Banquet, one of the biggest event of the year. Hence, the highly-spirited atmosphere. It had always been a joyous event, not only for the Royal family but the other citizens because there was always plenty to eat and drink. But, King Mei, Wu San's father, just had to ruin it with his decision to invite General Lu Tan over.
Wu San had to stop it. If not, the day meant for celebration for the people would slowly turn into a day of horror, just like five years back.
Wu San barged into the lounge of the Great Hall of Jade (the palace), where relatives from the maternal side and the paternal side all gathered, discussing the event.
Everyone paused, their attention directed to the intruder.
"You must stop it, father!" Wu San protested, matching further into the lounge until she stops before her father.
"What is this nonsense? How dare you bage in while elders are talking?" Uncle Mei Tin, Wu San's paternal uncle, spat out angrily.
"And, what are the guards doing? Why would they watch this brat barge in on us like that?" Aunt Mei Dam supplied angrily.
"What are you still doing? Get out of here!" Uncle Mei Tin barked, jerking forward.
"Not until I've addressed this issue with father."
The room erupted in angry murmurs from the relatives, trigged by Princess Wu San's words.
"What is this, Your Majesty? Have you come here to ridicule us? Look at your bratty daughter speaking to us as she pleases and you are there sitting still." The other relatives agrees to Cousin Fui San's words in murmurs.
Uncle Dai Chan, Wu San's maternal uncle and the head of the Mei's House suddenly cleared his throat, getting the chaotic room under control with just that.
"Let's hear what she has to say first," He slowly turns to Wu San, stroking his beard gently. "Princess Wu San, what is so important that you barged in on your elders in such ill-mannered way? Spills away?"
"I discovered something terrifying few moments away. Father plans to invite General Lu Tan for the family banquet celebration today."
The room gasp, erupting in even bigger chaos this time. Murmurs fills the room, all furious and anxious.
"I-is this true, Your Majesty? Tell me she is bluffing?" Uncle Mei Tin asked in panic.
"This can't be! General Lu Tan of all people?! You know what he has done to this city! We can't possible have him back after everything!" Uncle Dai Yang added in panicked tone.
"They are right! We should try as much as we can to prevent him from stepping foot back into this city. We've managed to have him away, we shouldn't make any mistake of inviting him back." Cousin Fui San said, although in calm tones, a hint of anxiety shone.
"Listen to them, Your Majesty. We've lost too many lives. We can't afford to lose more." Aunt Mei Dam said, followed by the others in murmured agreement. Uncle Dia Chan cleared his throat, once again getting the chaos under control.
"His Majesty didn't make the decision, I did."