Nosferatu: Ruler of the Night [TAEKOOK]
The Kim Family
In a quiet night in the small village of Osnova, Ukraine, Taehyung, is telling a supernatural story to lull his little brother, Jimin, to sleep.
Taehyung
It was midnight! A bone-chilling cold wind was blowing all around. An unnatural silence loomed over the surroundings. Occasionally, the eerie hoot of an owl echoed from the distant forest.
Taehyung
A little boy lay deep in sleep in his bed. The soft moonlight streaming in through the open window bathed his room in a gentle glow.
Taehyung
Suddenly, a strange noise woke him up. With drowsy eyes, he looked around and saw a bizarre creature fluttering across the room, spreading its wide wings. Seeing such an odd being, the little boy let out a terrified scream!
Taehyung paused for a moment. His throat was dry; he needed water. He reached for the jug of water on the small table beside his bed. Since there was no glass, he lifted the jug and drank directly from it.
Lying half-covered next to him was his younger brother, Jimin. he clutched the soft velvet blanket tightly up to his neck. In the dim lantern light, the fear in his brown eyes was clearly visible. Taehyung placed the jug back in its place and shifted slightly. Jimin asked in a trembling voice,
Jimin
What happened next,?
Taehyung
Then, hearing the little boy's scream, the family members rushed to his room and started banging on the door.
Taehyung
But the sturdy oak door did not budge an inch. Meanwhile, the strange creature flying inside the room vanished into thin air within moments.
Taehyung
The boy, too, stopped screaming and sat frozen on his bed. People outside were desperately trying to break down the door. The boy was terrified
Taehyung
Just then, right in the middle of the room, he saw a thick mist swirling like a vortex. His eyes widened in horror as he stared at it. Slowly, emerging from the mist, came a human-like demon—a vampire!
Jimin shuddered instantly. Fear drained the color from hiz face. He stared at his brother with wide, terrified eyes, desperate to know what happened next. Taehyung did not stop. He continued his story, pausing only briefly every few seconds.
Taehyung
Those blood-red eyes were filled with sheer ferocity! The demon darted forward at lightning speed and grabbed the boy's throat. But the boy did not move at all! His eyelids felt heavy. He was feeling sleepy. Very, very sleepy. He couldn't tell whether he was awake or already dreaming. The demon was hypnotizing him
Taehyung paused briefly before continuing,
Taehyung
Smelling the intoxicating scent of warm blood, the demon’s jaws parted slightly. As soon as they did, two sharp fangs emerged on either side. Outside, people were about to break down the door. The demon wasted no time and sank its dagger-like fangs into the girl’s neck. Immediately, his artery ruptured, and blood gushed out! The demon, like a ravenous beast, licked and sucked every drop of it!"
Jimin
**swallowed hard and asked** Do vampires really exist, brother?
Taehyung
Yes, they do. They wander in the darkness of the night. And those who don’t go to sleep early—they break their necks and drink their blood!
Jimin
If a vampire drinks someone's blood, do they die?
Taehyung did not answer. Instead, she pulled the blanket snugly over his brother and said,
Taehyung
Now, be a good boy and sleep quickly. Otherwise, a vampire might come and drink all your blood. And you already know—they have enormous, razor-sharp teeth!
Jimin curled up under the blanket without another word. Taehyung kissed her forehead, got up from the bed, and dimmed the lantern light on the table. He checked all the windows to make sure they were securely shut before leaving Jimin's room
Taehyung walked down the corridor and entered his grandfather's study. On one side of the room, two large bookshelves stood side by side, packed with novels from local and foreign authors. Every time she stepped into this room, he felt as if he was drowning in an ocean of books.
He lit the large lamp on the carved mahogany desk. Pulling out a chair, he sat down and glanced at the wall clock—10:23 PM. It was quite late, yet he did not feel the slightest bit sleepy.
But this was nothing new. For the past two or three years, he had struggled to sleep at night. He would only get a little drowsy after midnight. he would lie down and doze off for a while, only to wake up again in the middle of the night. The ghosts of his past still haunted him, robbing his of sleep. he would toss and turn in bed before eventually sitting up. After that, sleep never came
To battle his restlessness, he would immerse herself in his grandfather’s ocean of books. Reading late into the night, he would eventually doze off at the table. Over time, he had grown accustomed to sleeping this way. Nowadays, he rarely bothered going to bed. He picked a book from the shelf and started reading, waiting for sleep to take over.
Tae's grandfather, Kim Namjoon, was a member of the Vampire Hunters. He had roamed the towering, dense forests of Romania, hunting down and exterminating vampires. Many times, he had faced terrifying encounters with them
In his youth, he was a sailor by profession. He owned three cargo ships. Around twelve or thirteen years ago, he entrusted all responsibilities to his only son, Ivan (Tae's father). Ivan was not only intelligent and hardworking but also a highly responsible man. He diligently managed the business his father had handed over to him. Seeing his son’s progress in trade and commerce, Namjoon felt immensely satisfied.
After his wife passed away, he spent most of his time writing and doting on Taehyung. He also adored Jimin. Taehyung, also known as Tae, had been attached to his grandfather since childhood. Wherever he went, he had to go with him.
He had traveled with him many times across the sea, sailing on massive ships over the raging waves of the Black Sea. By day, he saw one version of the ocean, and by night, an entirely different one. However, he had never witnessed a storm at sea. Sometimes, this made Tae a little sad.
For years, Namjoon had led a life revolving around business, trade, and the sea. But as time passed, he realized that he was suffocating in his routine of resting at home and chatting with his old friends at the market in the afternoons. This was not his life. He was a wanderer at heart. He had spent most of his life on the ocean’s vast expanse
So, he decided to spend the rest of his life in the mountains. At that time, a wave of vampire terror was sweeping across Europe. Many organizations dedicated to vampire hunting were being formed. Determined to embark on a life of adventure once more, George enlisted as a Vampire Hunter.
Sometimes, he hunted in groups; other times, he ventured alone into the remote forests of Slovakia. For hunting vampires and ensuring his safety, he also raised a pack of wolves
Three years ago, he set out on his final vampire hunt. But after returning, something about him changed drastically.
A few months later, their three cargo ships mysteriously disappeared into the depths of the Black Sea. Along with the ships, every crew member aboard vanished without a trace—including Tae's father, Ivan.
The Lost Man
As the soft sunlight filtered through the glass window and touched his face, Tae woke up. Slowly opening his eyes, he turned his head to look at the wall clock. It was 7:30 in the morning. Tae put the book back on the bookshelf and stepped out of the room.
From the large balcony on the upper floor, the duck and chicken farm on the ground floor was visible. Tae stood on the balcony and looked down.
An elderly man, over sixty, was feeding the ducks and chickens from a large bowl. He was Jhope, a close friend of Tae's grandfather. Tae had seen Jonas living in this house since he was a child. He had heard from his grandfather,
Namjoon
Once, I was traveling across the Mediterranean toward Bosnia. On our journey, near the Strait of Gibraltar, we spotted a boat floating on the water. It wasn’t moving forward or backward.
Namjoon
The turbulent waves of the sea tossed it up and down, yet it remained in place. At first, I thought it might be a fishing boat, but fishermen don’t usually venture into such deep waters. The sea changes its mood frequently, always ready to reveal its devastating side
Namjoon
I turned my binoculars toward the boat, and my suspicion was confirmed. It wasn’t a fishing boat. It was a lifeboat from a passenger ship, which meant someone was in danger! I ordered the crew to turn the ship toward it.
Namjoon
We stopped our ship near the boat. I, along with some crew members, climbed aboard. It was a fairly large lifeboat, but no matter how much we searched, we couldn’t find anyone.
Namjoon
Just as I was about to return to the ship, I heard one of the crew members call out.
???
‘Mr. George! There’s a body here.’
Namjoon
We all rushed toward the back of the boat. In a covered area, curled up in a fetal position, lay a middle-aged man. Looking at him, I felt as if he were simply sleeping. Even his head was resting on something like a pillow. I bent down and placed my hand near his nose. The man was alive, but unconscious. We brought him with us.
Namjoon
It took three days for him to regain consciousness. But he had no memory of who he was or where he had come from. From his language, we could tell he was Italian. But knowing his nationality wasn’t enough to find his identity or home. We tried our best, but to no avail.
Since then, Jhope has been living here. Namjoon himself had given him this name. Jhope's mannerisms, speech, and movements were all eerily similar to Namjoon's elder brother. That’s why he named him after his brother. Namjoon's elder brother was also named Jhope. At the young age of nineteen, he had succumbed to the plague.
His brother’s death had left Namjoon devastated. But when he found this stranger who looked exactly like Jhope, it felt as though he had gotten his brother back.
Before going downstairs, Tae peeked into his brother's room and saw that Jimin was still asleep. He was curled up under the blanket, sleeping soundly. Aria quietly pulled the door close and walked toward the stairs.
He descended the wide, spiral staircase and stepped into the lower hall. From the hall, there was a direct path to the kitchen, with the dining area in between. Tae entered the kitchen and began preparing breakfast.
The Unexpected Visitor
Tae prepared breakfast and placed the dishes on the dining table one by one. The sounds of ducks and chickens echoed from outside. Adjusting the scarf tied around his hair, he stepped outside. He had come to call Jhope for breakfast.
Jhope' was busy crushing sun-dried eggshells into powder. Tae called out—
Taehyung
Grandpa! Come and eat.
Jhope glanced at Tae and waved his hand, signaling that he was coming. After calling him, Tae went back upstairs.
Jimin had just woken up and was sitting up in bed. As Tae pulled back the curtains, he said—
Taehyung
Wash your face and come downstairs.
Taehyung
Yawning, Jimin got out of bed and walked toward the bathroom. After freshening up, he came straight downstairs. Jhope had just started eating. Seeing Jimin, he greeted him—
Jimin
Good morning grandpa
Tae served breakfast on everyone’s plates and pulled out a chair for himself. As they ate, a knock on the main door caught their attention.
Taehyung
I'll see who it is ** said, getting up from the table**
As he opened the door, he found his uncle, Lee Dong-wook standing there. Flashing a wide grin, Dong-wook revealed his yellowish teeth and said—
Lee Dong-wook
How have you been, Taehyung?
Lee Dong-wook
Aren’t you going to invite me in?
Reluctantly, Tae stepped aside out of politeness. Dong-wook was his step-uncle. He couldn’t stand him. When his grandfather and father were alive, Dong-wook used to visit frequently, spinning all sorts of absurd stories.
Ivan never paid him much attention, but Namjoon, being a man of humor, entertained his presence. However, after Tae's family was lost in the shipwreck, Dong-wook never once came to check on them. He had only appeared at his stepmother’s funeral.
And now, after all these years, he was here again. But why?
As soon as Tae stepped aside from the doorway, Dong-wook removed his boots and walked inside. Seeing his uncle, Jimin exclaimed excitedly—
Dong-wook pulled out a chair at the dining table and sat down, saying—
Lee Dong-wook
How could I be well without seeing you two?
Before Jimin could say anything, Jhope spoke in his deep, booming voice—
Jhope
So, what brings you here after all this time?
Lee Dong-wook
What else? Would I not come to see my girls?
Jhope let out a mocking laugh and continued eating. Tae placed a plate of breakfast in front of Dong-wook. Without wasting a moment, he pounced on the food, eating greedily, as if he had forgotten all about washing his hands and face.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Dong-wook reached into the pocket of his coat. It seemed like he was searching for something.
Jhope had finished eating. As he got up from his chair, he said—
Jhope
What are you looking for in your pocket, Dong-wook? Do you even have anything worth searching for?
Since Tae and Jimin were present, Dong-wook didn’t respond. Otherwise, he would have put the old man in his place right away. After all, this old man was the biggest obstacle in his way. If it weren’t for him, Dong-wook would have taken over the vast Datsiak estate long ago.
After rummaging for a while, Dong-wook finally pulled out a small glass jar from his pocket. Inside the sealed, transparent jar, a butterfly was fluttering. Its pale yellow wings were streaked with thin, random black lines.
Dong-wook handed the jar to Jimin and said—
Lee Dong-wook
Here, this is for you.
Jimin
It's so beautiful! How did you catch it?
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