A/N: I just wanted to clarify that this story takes place in a different time than the original game. Mostly because I wanted long dresses and an old-fashioned vampire story.

Also, Ara's personality won't be the stereotypical clumsy/dumb/innocent that people seem to use a lot. Because I don't think that's how the character should be interpreted. On the same note, I apologize beforehand if Add's personality seems a bit out of character (being a vampire's gotta change something, right?).

This story will probably have blood, violence, angst and lemon in the future (what's a vampire's story without some erotism?). I'll change the rating when that time comes.

Hope you enjoy!

Ara: Yama-raja (20)

Add: Mastermind (20

The letter arrived that morning along with a taxes payment citation and other formal issues of the sort. It wasn't rare for the group to receive personal letters since they started working autonomously long ago. But this one was special, and it immediately caught the attention of Ara, the black haired girl sent to pick up the mail from the post office. It had an elegant envelope, cream colored paper traced with a delicate damask motive and a wax seal closing it from the back. Where had she seen that design before?

Containing her urge of opening it up right there to discover its content, the young woman stuffed the cards inside her hand purse and left the office, greeting the attendant on her way out. That day, she made her way back home with a quicker pace than usual.

The fact that the gates now in front of her belonged to a mansion didn't have anything to do with fortune nor richness or status. It was the property of an important dignitary of the town and Chung, his son, welcomed all of them to make it too their home, once the group was formed. There were eight persons living in the mansion, alongside servants and maids under Chung's command. And all of them were gathered together for a reason.

Ever since they could recall, the world that existed around them was in chaos. Of course, the town management made an effort to leave every trace of danger and disorder under the carpet, but no one was ignorant of the fact that everything that needed to be kept separated was interlaced. The gates to the demonic world were opened long ago, and now the realm of the human life was no longer safe. Everyone knew, and yet the humans struggled to keep the façade of the better days, going about their lives as if nothing was threatening the balance of their world.

But not them. Growing up surrounded by danger, anguish and pain, all of them took upon themselves to protect and fight, their own way. Trained to be strong and to be brave, a variety of different circumstances eventually pulled them together almost as if by fate, sharing a common goal. Even if it meant working under the shadows of a negligent political power and a defenseless security force, they weren't going to back up in the face of the corruption that destroyed everything they once loved.

Ara stepped inside the mansion and to the sitting room where everyone used to spend the day together, for the most part. This time as well she found everyone there.

"Everyone, could I have your attention for a second?" she asked with a strong voice, for everyone to be able to hear. She looked at each of them for a few seconds as they turned to watch her too. "We received a special letter today. I haven't opened it up yet, but judging by this style of enveloping, you have to admit it's quite peculiar" she explained, taking the letter out of her purse and lifting it up for everyone to see.

Aisha, the high magician, who had been playing chess at a corner of the room with Eve until then stepped in and closed the distance between her and Ara. "May I take a look?" she asked, glancing at the envelope between the ebonette's hands. Ara complied and handed her the letter, watching her as she examined it carefully.

"I've seen this crest on the seal before. It belongs to the family that used to live in that old and creepy Castle uptown" she said with a tint of astonishment in her voice, gazing at everyone. "I thought the last member of the family had died" she added, frowning slightly.

"So? Let's open it up already and find out what's happening" a red haired boy, Elsword, pressed on impatiently, moving anxiously on the sofa.

Aisha opened the envelope, leaving it aside and holding the letter between her hands. She started to read out loud.

"Dear strangers

Should I start by presenting myself? I'm sure you don't remember who I am, with the busy lives you must have, but I can assure you that I will never forget any of your faces.

You saved my life that stormy night, in the alleyway between the hospital and the old pharmacy, two weeks ago. Do you remember now?

I never had the chance to show you how grateful I was, and am, of what you did for me back then. This is when.

I'm holding a ball this Friday night, around nine. There are going to be several dignitaries and other figures of the likes, and I couldn't bring myself to not invite you, as a way of thanking you for your bravery.

I hope, and urge, that you decide to attend. The address is at the back of the envelope. I'm sure you're going to find your way here easily.

I'll be waiting for you.

Sincerely

Add Kim".

The group looked at each other in confusion, letting the heavy silence fill the room for several minutes. But even for them, who held an agitated nocturnal life and had lived to witness multiple deaths and to rescue equally, could remember that day after pondering on what the letter stated.

It was Elesis, the redhead boy's older sister, who broke the silence. "It was odd, that day. He was being attacked by a human, not a demon" she said quietly, not lifting her eyes from the floor. "And there was a dead body by his side when we stepped in and fought the attacker. How come we didn't pay attention to any of that at the time?" she questioned, almost to herself. Everyone looked down.

"We can't possibly stop to pay attention to those details. If we stopped at every corpse we see every night, we would spend all day burying them" Raven, the tanned ex-mercenary retorted with a frown, darkening his expression with a slight trace of anguish.

"We just saw him being attacked and we saved him. There wasn't any place for us to do anything else" Ara added, crossing her arms and leaning her hip against the table.

Eve, once the queen of a now dead race of nasods, broke her silence. "Are we going?" she asked quietly. All of them glanced at each other with unsure expressions, full of doubt. Night was the time in which they went out on patrol. They hadn't skipped a day from their duties in years. But the peculiarity of this situation put everyone in doubt.

"We hadn't have a day off in years! Can't we have a normal night for a change?". This time was Rena speaking up, a woman as beautiful as an elf could be. She had been around ever since the different realms of the world intertwined.

The entire group turned their heads to stare at the owner of the mansion, as if to silently back up Rena's words with a quiet plea. It was evident on their faces that they were tired. No human, no nasod, no elf could carry the burden of death and despair over its shoulders as long as they did. And yet they attended to every responsibility that was put upon them. What could be so wrong about taking one night to themselves, to live on a day where they could be free of the pain they witnessed every night?

"We should go" Chung said, with a faint smile showing on his face. As much as he was the one to urge them to comply with their duties the most, he was tired too. And he didn't want his teammates, his friends, to hold such heavy lives endlessly, every single day.

Aisha reached to the envelope she had left on the table, checking its reverse for the address. "Just as I said" she started, taking her eyes off the letters and peering at everyone in front of her. "It's in the castle".

And so, the preparations for the big night began. The mansion was now filled with excitement and good humor. Nothing like a big event to lift everyone's spirit. Even if they didn't really know their host, it was a party, and they were going to have fun no matter what. They had each other and that was enough.

Ara looked at herself in the large mirror of her room. Combing her long, black hair with her hands she glared at her reflection with a serious face, then, she smiled faintly. How long had it been since she attended a social event like this one? She couldn't even remember. It wasn't normal for a commoner like her to be invited to a ball full of important people, aristocrats. And yet, a maid had been sent to her room to help her prepare for the night. She could hardly contain her excitement, even if she still felt slightly unsure about the way everything unfolded. But it was a dance night, hosted by a mysterious man in a castle, wasn't that what every little girl dreamed of? How she wished to recover that innocence.

There was a knock on the door and Ara let the maid inside. With the dress she had chosen for the occasion, she let the old woman help her with the ties of her corset. It was a wine red dress with a low cleavage and wide straps with red and black, subtle frills that made a curve from her shoulders and over her chest, cut under her breasts by a black corset and followed by a wide skirt, picked up by her hips to create a draped effect, with a black skirt underneath that reached her shoes of the same color. After she was done dressing, the maid left the room and she headed towards the mirror once again, examining herself. She smiled at her reflection. It felt like it was going to be an important night.

There was a carriage waiting for them outside when everything was prepared and they were ready to leave. Even though Chung would have been able to deliver such commodities, the host of the ball insisted, according to the chauffeur, that it was a service he was eager to provide to his honor guests. As excited as they were, not a single streak of doubtfulness was shown. Instead, they looked at eachother with astonished and cheerful expressions, climbing inside without delay.

That night was as beautiful as it could be. The sky was clear without a trace of clouds, the resting state of the town allowed them to easily spot the stars that were shinning above them with a white, faint aura. Ara noticed, the moon was full that night, bathing the houses and buildings with a magical light. None of the other days could they behold the true beauty of their working hours.

Inside the carriage, her friends were chatting spiritedly, smiles on their faces and shine in their eyes. She watched them quietly, with the nostalgia burning up inside her chest. The warm and welcoming atmosphere embraced her and she let herself be enchanted by that night full of magic, as if all the pain and suffering their world was going through was put to a stop, only for that night, only for them to enjoy.

The magnificent castle appeared at her sight through the window, emerging from the mountains as a glorious crown. Ara watched the world stopping in front of her eyes as the carriage reached the entrance to the castle and slowed its pace down. The expectation and anxiety was starting to build up inside of her, she could feel it in her stomach. She hadn't felt like that in years and yet there she was, getting down of their vehicle and walking towards the big gates as if she were floating over the ground swiftly. The presence of the building was strong and intimidating, but the subtle light the moon casted behind its tower made it look like taken out of a painting. She couldn't believe her eyes, not even Chung's mansion was as incredible as this castle was. It was as elegant and imposing, but this one had a strange beauty surrounding it. It looked as if it belonged to the realm of dreams.

The heavy gates opened in front of them, and a tall figure appeared from inside the castle. He was tall and slim, his skin was as pale as the moon over them, even his magenta eyes had a magical shine like that when he glared at them with a faint smile forming on his lips, his pure white hair falling gracefully by the sides of his face, framing it perfectly.

"Welcome, I was waiting for you" he said with a husky voice, placing his arm across his stomach, performing a curtsy before glaring back up at them.

Ara couldn't help but stare at him in awe, her heart racing rapidly inside her chest with a burning sensation spreading all over her upper body. She could almost feel her blood running through her veins. Because those bright eyes, all that time, were looking directly, intently at her, piercing her.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Feedback is always appreciated !