Tong, her eyes staring at the coffin, whispered,
'I will bring him back... someday.'
---MyGoldenBlood, chapter 43
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Tong's class today was over, and all hhe wanted to do was take a nap. His favourite spots around campus were already occupied, and his eyelids felt heavier with each step.
Walking aimlessly, he came across the engineering department's old warehouse. 'Perfect,' he muttered, pushing open the creaking door.
The warehouse was a treasure trove of forgotten projects and dusty equipment. Tong tiptoed through the maze of shelves, looking for the perfect spot.
As he turned, he misjudged his footing and collided with an unbalanced shelf.
The sound of impact echoed throughout the warehouse, and a door with a strange chain came into view as the dust began to settle.
'What the hell is this?' muttered Tong, his curiosity piqued. He approached the door, examining the intricate chain. 'Maybe I shouldn't do it, but... damn,' he said, unlocking the chain and opening the door.
Inside was a large, ornate chest. 'Nice,' he thought, imagining it would make the perfect makeshift bed.
He lay down on it, but the feeling of discomfort made him uneasy. 'This thing is so uncomfortable,' he grumbled, stirring.
As he rolled off the crate, his finger caught on a sharp carving on the lid. 'Ouch, you bastard-' he hissed, examining the wound. A drop of blood fell from his finger, landing on his chest.
The room fell silent. Tong's eyes widened as the chest began to glow faintly. 'What happened?' he whispered, backing away.
The lid creaked open, and a pale hand appeared. Tong's heart pounded in his chest as the figure slowly rose, blinking languidly.
The man-no, the vampire-stood up, stretching his body languidly.
'Who dared wake me up?' he called dramatically.
Tong blinked, then burst out laughing. 'Wow, great. A vampire with a flair for the dramatic. How annoying.'
The vampire, Mark, frowned. 'How dare you mock me, human? I am Mark, lord of the night, and-'
Tong cut him off with a wave of his hand. 'Yes, yes. You are a vampire. Great. Look, mate, I just want to take a nap. It's not a horror film.'
Mark's eyes narrowed. 'You've freed me from centuries of imprisonment. You will serve me now.'
Tong snorted. 'Serve you? Mate, I barely serve myself. And you can forget all that bloodsucking nonsense.'
Mark's expression changed from bewilderment to annoyance. 'Your arrogance is annoying.'
Tong shrugged. 'Welcome to the 21st century, mate. Now, do you have any useful skills, or are you just good at biting your neck and brooding?'
Mark sighed, rubbing his temples. 'It's not what I imagined when I got up.'
'Yes, life is full of disappointments,' Tong replied. 'Now, let's get out of here before someone finds us and I get blamed for this mess.'
As they left the warehouse, Mark marvelled at the modern world around him, while Tong tried to figure out what he would do with a centuries-old vampire.
'By the way, what's your name?' asked Mark.
'Tong.'
'Tong, you are either the bravest or the stupidest human I have ever met.'
'Probably both,' Tong admitted. 'Now, let's get out of here before anyone realises that I have awakened a vampire. It's going to be a long day.'
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Mark stared at Tong without looking away. He was still the stupid human who had made him reborn.
After putting him to sleep in that coffin, he brought death and that painful history with him.
Tong was still the same Tong he knew.
His face, his voice, even his sweet face.
Mark wanted to hug him but he held back, letting the human find him again.
and the cycle repeated itself...