His pupils were a deep, dark green, surrounded by an unmistakable aura of bloodlust.

  A voice in my head screamed: Run!

  I ignored the IV in my hand and tried to scramble out of bed.

  But after days of blood loss, I was weak as a kitten.

  I made it to the door and collapsed, completely spent.

  When I reached for the doorknob, I was thrown back.

  I knew it wasn't a fluke, so I tried again.

  This time, I hit an invisible wall.

  "Hiss..."

  The sound of a snake's tongue flicking echoed behind me.

  I started shaking like a leaf, frozen in place.

  I didn't dare turn around.

  As I tried to run, I accidentally yanked out the IV needle.

  Warm blood trickled down my fingers and onto the floor.

  Something cold and slimy touched my fingertips.

  It sent a shiver down my spine.

  I couldn't look away, even though I wanted to.

  I watched as the snake-tailed man slithered up beside me.

  He started licking the blood off my hand.

  I tried to scream, but the sound got stuck in my throat.

  I was screaming my lungs out, but no one in the busy hospital seemed to hear me.

  He coiled around me, his massive tail squeezing me tight.

  He touched my cheek with his forked tongue, covered in my blood.

  I stared into his dark green eyes and saw a mix of joy and hatred.

  "After running for centuries, you still end up in my grasp... Anna, it's time to accept your fate. That damn fox can't protect you forever!"

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  He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.

  His voice was full of venom.

  "You owe me, and you're going to pay!"

  With a flick of his finger, my hospital gown fell open.

  I screamed and tried to pull it back up, but I had no strength left.

  I could only watch as he started to strip me.

  I saw the excitement and hatred in his eyes grow more and more intense.

  I remembered reading in a book once that snakes are lustful by nature.

  I knew exactly what he wanted to do.

  No way!

  Sweat poured from my palms, but I couldn't move a muscle.

  The snake-tailed man lowered his head and kissed me.

  His sharp fangs grazed my tongue, and I tasted blood.

  The taste seemed to make him even more excited.

  He pinned me down.

  I could barely breathe.

  The pressure was overwhelming.

  My vision started to blur.

  Was this the end?

  A bitter smile crossed my face.

  I'd never even had a boyfriend, and now I was going to die like this.

  I closed my eyes and prepared to accept my fate.

  Just then, I felt something warm in the center of my palm.

  It felt like a sharp scalpel.

  A calm, elegant voice whispered in my ear,

  "Aim for his left eye."

  The voice gave me a glimmer of strength.

  I decided to fight with everything I had, no matter what.

  I gritted my teeth and stabbed at his left eye.

  The snake-tailed man was so caught up in his own pleasure that he wasn't even paying attention.

  Before, no matter how much I kicked, punched, or bit, I couldn't hurt him at all.

  But now, as soon as the scalpel got within an inch of his eye, I heard a faint cracking sound.

  The knife broke through some kind of invisible barrier.

  Cold snake blood splashed on my hands.

  He let out an agonized scream that shattered the windows.

  Another voice laughed and said,

  "I'll protect her life."

  "Dead fox! You again!"

  The snake-tailed man snarled, his hatred burning bright.

  As his figure faded away, my ears started to ring, and I almost passed out.

  Someone caught me.

  "Anna, what are you doing out of bed?!"

  It was my older brother, Anbay.

  When he saw me, I broke down and started crying.

  He quickly checked me for injuries.

  "No, I'm not hurt..."

  I lifted my hand and saw that the snake blood was gone.

  The broken glass was back to normal.

  I was so confused.

  I looked at my palm and found only a single black hair, wet with sweat.

  "Was I just hallucinating because I was about to die?"

  My brother's face darkened.

  "Stop talking nonsense! Get back in bed right now!"

  His words were harsh, but his hands were gentle as he helped me lie down.

  "This isn't the end, Anna," he said, puffing out his chest.

  "We'll keep giving you blood transfusions until you're a hundred. Our family has money, and I've got your back!"

  "Stop filling her head with nonsense,"

  Mom said as she walked in.

  She gave my brother that look that only moms can give.

  "Anna will be fine soon."

  My brother hung his head, looking guilty.

  I was about to ask Mom if she'd heard any noises when she turned to pick something up.

  The second she turned around, I froze.

  A chill ran through me like a knife.

  There was a face stuck to her back, grinning at me with its white teeth.

  The cold was like a punch in the gut when our eyes met.

  My hand started shaking, and I spilled water all over the bed.

  Goosebumps covered my skin.

  If I wasn't mistaken, it was a woman's face, pale as death.

  "Anna, did you burn yourself?!"

  Mom turned around quickly to check my hand.

  "I, I'm okay!"

  I watched as the ghost disappeared like smoke when Mom turned.

  I took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

  "M-mom? Could you... face the wall?"