Flashback

  Thousands of years ago,

  Ancient China.

  In the celestial realm of heaven, the Jade Palace shimmered with an ethereal glow, its intricate architecture a testament to divine craftsmanship. Within its hallowed halls, a vast library beckoned scholars and seekers of knowledge.

  Young Lady Wen Shi, accompanied by her loyal black handmaid, Mia, sat engrossed in a dusty tome, oblivious to the piercing gaze that settled upon her.

  Prince Dal, the icy vampire prince, stood hidden in the shadows, his gaze fixed intently on Wen Shi. His chiseled features, pale as alabaster, appeared to be carved from the very stone of the palace.

  For months, he had secretly watched her, his fascination growing with each passing day, and now his heart was heavy with longing.

  Just as Dal's thoughts threatened to overwhelm him, a gentle voice whispered in his ear. "Let go, Prince Dal. Your heart is ensnared by feelings that will only bring strife."

  "What?" he asked, turning to face Yue Lao.

  The god of Love, Yue Lao, materialized beside him, his wispy beard swaying gently in the otherworldly breeze.

  "The war between the mortal realm and the underworld raged on," Yue Lao said. "Your focus is needed to ensure our victory."

  "I know!" Dal snapped.

  "Then let go of your feelings, Prince Dal," Yue Lao whispered softly. "Your love for her will only lead to ruin."

  Dal's eyes narrowed, his gaze intensifying. "Why must I surrender?" he asked, his voice laced with defiance.

  Yue Lao's compassionate smile slowly softened Dal's resolve. "To win the war against the demons, you must focus on strategy rather than emotion. Furthermore, your father will never approve of your love for a mortal."

  Dal's grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles whitening. "I will not abandon my heart," he declared, his voice firm.

  Yue Lao placed a gentle hand on Dal's shoulder, his touch warm and reassuring. "Then abandon your pride. For the sake of heaven and your family, release Wen Shi from your affections."

  Dal's gaze lingered on the lady before him, his chest tightening. "But she...she is the radiance that illuminates my darkness."

  Yue Lao's expression softened. "I know, Prince. Yet, your father, the King of the Underworld, will never approve of your love for a mortal. To win his heart, you must release yours."

  Dal's jaw clenched, his fangs aching with restraint. With a heavy heart, he nodded, vanishing into the shadows as silently as he appeared.

  Wen Shi, oblivious to the exchange, continued reading, her brow furrowed in concentration. Mia, sensing a faint chill, wrapped her mistress's shoulders in a comforting embrace.

  As the sun dipped into the horizon, casting the Jade Palace in a warm, golden light, Wen Shi closed her book, her thoughts lingering on the ancient texts. Little did she know, the whispers of fate had just altered the course of her life, and the heart of the icy vampire prince.

  In the hidden chambers of the Jade Palace, Yue Lao smiled knowingly, his eyes twinkling with the secrets of the celestial realm. The threads of destiny were ever-shifting, weaving a tapestry of love, war, and redemption that would soon entwine Wen Shi, Prince Dal, and the very fabric of their worlds.

  ....

  On the way to the new church,

  Inside an SUV.

  Sunday, February 13,

  7:17 AM

  Ari

  "Grandpa, I don't wanna go to church!" Cousin Kai whined, with a cute pout.

  "You should have known that when you misused my money," he said, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

  "I said I was sorry... Dal back me up here..." he pouted.

  "No!" Hyun Damien said softly, when he looked up briefly from his project on his tablet.

  "It's been centuries since we last saw him smile at a lady, but as we vampires never age fast, he looked the same as always - a handsome 23-year-old whose heart can freeze hell." I thought my eyes only on hyun.

  Kai frowned as Jiro and I laughed before turning to Grandpa, hoping we would be scolded, but Grandfather just smiled as he folded his newspaper.

  "Dal..." he began nervously, clearing his throat a little. "...about what your father said yesterday..."

  "I'm still thinking about it, and I don't want to talk about it," he said, cutting Grandpa off.

  "Established, but I just want to add that I agree with him..."

  "Oh great!" he groaned.

  "It's high time you got married." Grandpa continued.

  "I agree with Grandpa,"

  "Shut up, Kai!"

  "Yeah, it's high time you got a Queen," Jiro chipped in.

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  "I don't need to get married to be Lord of Leerland, Great Father," Dal said, still not taking his eyes off his tab. Great Father is a title given to our grandpa by my granduncles, but only Brother Dal, Dad, and my other uncles and aunts use it.

  "True, but unfortunately, the King's men don't feel the same," Grandpa said. "They've insisted; their decision is final, and I agree with them."

  "Great Father!" Dal exclaimed.

  "Chill, cuz," Kai said. "There's no crime in not marrying someone you don't love."

  "I don't believe in love... I can't love, and I don't need to marry to be king," Dal said. "If they feel so upset about it, they can..."

  "You're the only heir to the throne as long as that mark is on your chest!" Grandpa roared, frustrated at his stubbornness.

  A grave hush washed over us as Grandpa and Brother Dal were locked in a glaring contest.

  "Yes, Great Father!" Dal said, subdued, breaking his gaze out of respect.

  "I know it's been hard since..." Grandpa sighed, trailing off "...but you've got to move and not let yourself be chained by the fears of the past."

  Hyun said nothing as he turned to look out of the window.

  I suppressed a sigh as I turned to face Jiro. He only does that to hide his tears, but he forgets that I could feel his pain.

  The drive during the rest of the journey was silent as the drivers wove through the crowded bad roads.

  "I'm thirsty!" Grandpa said, breaking the silence as the driver slowly halted by a store.

  "Let me send a guard to..."

  "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll get it!" Kai interrupted, hastening to open the door.

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yes, Grandpa!"

  "You don't even know your way around here!" Ben pointed out.

  "I'll just ask them." Kai smirked, pointing to some sassily dressed Nigerian ladies in front of the shop.

  "Don't wait for me!" he said, banging the door. With that, he just turned and walked off, still grinning foolishly.

  "He's never going to stop flirting, will he?" Grandpa chuckled as we continued our journey to church.

  "I've sent a shadow to tail him," Hyun said, eyes on his tablet. "So that he would not do anything stupid... again!"

  "What a beautiful church!" Grandpa murmured, in admiration, as the cars drove into the large compound.

  ....

  Back in the church,

  In front of the Main Hall.

  7:17 AM

  Angeline

  I stayed behind a little longer to usher the guest kids to their classes since I had two names remaining on the list.

  Just then, three gleaming black SUVs drove in. I was awestruck by the details of the dragon emblems on the doors.

  I stretched out my hand to touch it when it was swatted away by a mean burly bodyguard, looking slick in his crisp white uniform.

  I swallowed my anger as he opened the door to reveal two adorable little angels, in our children's church uniform, who amiably waved at me.

  "Hi, darlings!" I sang, turning on my sweetest non-toothy smile. "I'm Angeline. Welcome to our church. I'm here to show you to your class. What's your name, love?"

  "Benjiro...but you can call me Jiro or Ben," he said as I helped him unfasten his seat belt and carried him out of the car. He was a chubby dimpled Japanese cherub with his auburn hair smoothly combed down.

  "And I'm Cleo Ari Young!" the other dimpled darling said, her pale skin and long midnight blue eyes hair making me realize that she was Korean.

  "It's my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Ari," I said in a British accent, curtsying as I gave her my hand.

  When she gleefully hopped out, I felt frozen as my eyes met the cold gaze of the third person in the backseat. He looked like he stepped out of a vampire fairytale with his dark long stylish hair, pale skin and blue lips...and even darker eyes.

  It was like everything had just disappeared and the only thing in existence was just us in our own world. I felt like I was praying, my heart racing, as I shuffled back a bit, our eyes never breaking contact as he came down from the car.

  "I see you fancy my car!" an old Chinese man crooned, stepping out of the other SUV causing me to break my gaze. I was taken aback by his bleach white hair which was longer than the vampire prince's neatly bound in a long plait and his sky blue eyes which twinkled in the humid Nigerian morning rays.

  "Oh y-yes, Mr. Long... Am I right?" I stuttered.

  "Yes, indeed, child," he smiled kindly.

  "The dragons... they are so beautiful!" I blurted, mentally kicking myself.

  "Oh really?" he chuckled, glancing at his vampire prince.

  "Are you sure it's not something else...?" he teased, his eyes twinkling.

  "S-Sir?" I stammered, my blush deepening as I felt the handsome man's icy gaze on me again.

  "Nothing, child!" he laughed, noticing my discomfort. "I was just joking. I bet you are curious to know the difference between these three dragons?"

  "Yes sir!" I beamed, enthusiastically. "I am curious, but I already know them."

  "Really? tell me then," he prompted, infected by my excitement.

  "The dragon on the first car..." I began, pointing to the first car.

  "Sir, is this necessary?" asked a handsome, middle-aged Chinese man, coming to his side.

  "I want to hear her out!" he whined stubbornly.

  "But, sir, the service is about to start, and..."

  "Let me hear what the young lady has to say!" he snapped, his eyes suddenly glinting icily, even colder than those of the vampire prince, causing Mr. Interrupter to shrink back in fear.

  "Continue, dear!" he bade me, turning back to his amiable self. "Oh well... this is an Azure dragon." I gulped, pointing to the turquoise dragon on the first car.

  "It is mostly found in drawings of the Qing dynasty; the second car has a Celestial dragon on it, and your last car has the Jade dragon on it."

  "What do you know about the Jade dragon?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

  "Not much, except that it's the emblem of emperors and was first seen on artifacts dating back to the Zhou dynasty. In mythology, he is the dragon king of the East and deity of Spring," I replied, trying to sound confident.

  "Hmm! This is interesting!" he pondered, oblivious of our curious stares.

  "Sir, is everything alright?" I inquired, a bit scared that I had done something wrong.

  "Nothing, child!" he said, snapping back to reality. "I must say, I'm impressed by your knowledge of my culture."

  "I'm flattered, sir. I'm mostly fascinated by dragons and deities..." I said, trying to sound humble.

  "I wish I could stay and know more about you, child, but I have to enter. Can I entrust my grandchildren's safety into your hands?" he asked me, suddenly solemn.

  "Yes, sir!" I vowed, trying to sound confident.

  "Promise me you'll protect them with your life!" he urged, his eyes serious.

  "Yes sir, I promise!" I vowed, trying to sound determined.

  The two cherubs immediately bombarded me with questions, a good distraction from the weird look the vampire prince had been giving me.

  As we walked towards the main hall, I couldn't help but feel that something was off. The vampire prince's gaze still lingered on me, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that our encounter was more than just a coincidence.