It had been several weeks since Changjo had first arrived at the compound, and he was finally beginning to feel at home. There was only one thing that was bothering him; his hunger. Although he'd tried to ignore it, push it down, destroy it, whatever he could to pretend it wasn't there, the hunger never left. It began as an occasional throbbing pain in his throat and stomach, but had grown into a burning, searing agony that never left him alone. He'd begun to avoid Chunji, for whenever Changjo was near him the smell of his blood tortured him. He could just imagine sinking his teeth into the other boy's neck, feeling the rush of excitement and deliverance as the hot red liquid that pulsed through his veins poured over his tongue and down his throat. But it was sick. It was wrong, twisted, disgusting to feel that way. To want someone's blood? Minsoo had asked several times if Changjo needed to feed. Each time he said no, that he felt fine. Changjo couldn't lie much longer, and he knew that.

One Friday, it was too much. He didn't even attempt to get out of bed. Changjo just lay there, his head beneath his pillow. He could already smell Chunji's blood through the walls and every part of his body hurt. Ricky and Niel had gotten up hours earlier, and judging by the light outside his window Changjo guessed that it was already well into the afternoon. He tried to get his mind off of blood by thinking of anything he could; soccer, martial arts, school, exams, girls. Girls; that was a terrible idea. Instantly his hunger intensified as he imagined what their blood must smell like: sweet and pure and utterly satisfying. Changjo shot up in bed, ripped the covers off of his body, and threw the pillow across the room. He tried getting up, tried to pace around, but his whole body ached horribly and the smell of Chunji was making him dizzy. He dropped to his hands and knees and tried to focus on breathing, on thinking about things other than the pain and the blood.

"Oh, crap," said Niel, who had suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Changjo, look at me." His voice was high and panicky. He rushed over to Changjo and kneeled before him. Changjo looked up slowly. Niel gasped and scooted back a bit.

"! This is not good...I should've seen this coming," he was shaking his head, his face pale. "Ricky! Ricky! Go get Minsoo!" he yelled to the open door.

"What's the matter?" Changjo choked out, the pain getting worse when he tried to talk.

"A Virus attack. It's trying to take over your body. It happens sometimes when you go a really long time without feeding...it's not good. Not good at all..." Ricky and Minsoo stormed into the room at that moment. Minsoo knelt before Changjo, pushing Niel out of the way.

"Your eyes..." he whispered as Changjo looked up at him, "Ricky! In the fridge, bottom drawer on the left, there's a blood bag I keep around for emergencies. Go get it. Now!" Ricky stood staring in shock at Changjo for a moment longer before running out of the room. "Changjo, I'm going to need you to focus, okay? The pain you're feeling right now? That's the Virus trying to take over your body. Once it does, you won't have any control of your actions and you'll pretty much go crazy. Once you let the Virus fully take over, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to get yourself back. So focus on my voice, okay? Fight the pain, you need to!" Ricky came back in, blood bag in hand. Changjo lurched forward at the sight of it, but Minsoo pushed him back.

"Give it to me!" Changjo growled, baring his fangs at Ricky. His eyes were entirely black, with no sign of irises or pupils. He closed them, trying to fight the quickly oncoming Virus. When he opened them again, the blood bag was on the floor in front of him. With inhumanly fast reflexes, he snatched it and ripped it open. His whole body shook as he poured the blood into his mouth, some of it slipping down his cheeks and chin. He out every last drop, savoring it despite it's staleness. Drinking it felt like diving into a pool of water after spending months in a desert, and instantly the pain and confusion that had been consuming him the past few days was gone. After it was empty, he let the bag fall to the floor. Changjo quickly his lips and wiped the extra blood off his face with his palm, it up as well.

"How are you feeling?" Minsoo asked cautiously. Changjo paused for a moment, breathing heavily.

"Better. The pain's gone, at least," he replied, looking up at them. His eyes were still completely black, and blue veins rimmed his mouth.

"You're still hungry though, aren't you?" Minsoo continued, grabbing the bag and standing up. Changjo nodded.

"Yeah..."

"You'll have to wait a few more hours, then we'll take you out to feed for real. Niel and I probably should, anyway. We have to wait until night, though. Do you think you can make it?" Changjo nodded again, shakily getting off of his hands and resting back on his knees.

"Wait, you're taking him with you to the club?" Ricky asked, indignant.

"There's no way that I can get blood for him any other way tonight," Minsoo sighed, "Niel, go get Chunji out of here. I don't trust Changjo around him. Byunghun will probably go with him. Tell them to stay out until at least midnight before coming back." Niel nodded and left.

"You should still give him a choice! Not everyone enjoys doing it your way, Minsoo," Ricky snapped.

"Ricky, it's alright. I want to go with them. I'm sorry, but I can't wait any longer. I'm not strong enough. Please don't be mad at me..." Changjo pleaded. Ricky slowly nodded.

"Don't worry. I'll help you, okay?" he replied, moving to sit next to Changjo, who smiled weakly.

"Stay with him until it gets dark," Minsoo ordered Ricky before leaving the room as well. The two sat in silence for a while until Ricky noticed that Changjo's hands were shaking. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, timidly placing his hand on the other boy's shoulder.

"What's wrong with me, Ricky?"

"Nothing! Nothing's wrong with you! What are you talking about?"

"Why do I want blood so badly? I don't just want any blood, I want it from a person. I want to bite someone. How sick is that? It's so wrong!" Changjo said, his voice shaking as much as his hands, "Why am I like this?" He looked up at Ricky, who shook his head.

"It's not you. It's the Virus. Although it's not trying to control you, it's still influencing you. Look, no matter how much you want blood, no matter what you want to do to get it, you're still a good person, okay?" Ricky said. Changjo just looked down at his hands in his lap, clenching them into fists and releasing them again. Ricky quickly wrapped his arms around Changjo, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Changjo. I really am." Changjo paused for a moment before wrapping his arms around Ricky in return.

"It's not your fault."

xxxxx

"Now, make sure you stay up until Byunghun and Chunji come home. We have the keys, so you don't have to wait up for us. We'll be back by morning," Minsoo said to Ricky as he put on his leather jacket. Ricky just nodded and stared at his shoes.

"Bye, Ricky," Changjo murmured, patting him on the back. Ricky grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug.

"Be careful, okay?" he mumbled into Changjo's shoulder. Changjo nodded and smiled.

"Everything will be fine." He turned away from Ricky and went out the door with Niel and Minsoo.

The walk to the club was relatively short, just a few blocks away from the apartment. It was in a nondescript brick building, a neon sign ironically reading 'NEON' blinking above a single wooden doorway that was cordoned off by velvet ropes. A queue led from the door all the way around the corner. Two giant men with shaved heads and wearing wrap around sunglasses (despite the fact it was night) stood at the front of the line checking IDs and allowing entry into the club. The smell of blood was everywhere, and Changjo focused on the back of Niel's feet, who was walking in front of him. He kept his face downcast in order to hide his blackened eyes and fought off the impulse to jump on the nearest human and bite them. Minsoo led them straight to the front of the line.

"Back again so soon, Minsoo?" chuckled one of the bouncers as he lifted the rope for them to walk under. As soon as he did this, a wave of complaints rose up from the line.

"Shut up! They're VIPs. If you don't stop your whining, you won't get in at all," yelled the other in a voice as low as the bass reverberating from the building. The faint smells of alcohol and cigarette smoke were already tangible in the air. Minsoo turned to wink at Changjo as they went in. To his surprise, inside was a dark room with wooden floors and blank walls. On the opposite wall, there was a doorway leading to a staircase that only went down. The walls here were covered with graffiti and the sound of the music became louder.

"The club's in the basement. The owner of this place is a System too. He lets us in for free, because clubs serve as an ideal place for Systems to feed without getting caught. Too many people, too much noise, and too much drunkenness for anything to be noticed. All the staff know who we are, but not what we are. We can get anything we want, including alcohol, for free," Minsoo explained. Changjo's eyes widened at his last sentence.

"It's actually better if you drink when you're really hungry. It sort of dampens all of your senses, including the new one you have for blood. Makes it easier to focus and control yourself. It's also better to get a girl who's wasted, because she'll be more willing to go off somewhere with you and she probably won't remember anything that happens tonight in the morning," Niel added, "I'll be leading you through everything, so don't worry." As they reached the bottom of the staircase, the pounding of the bass and the strong smell of booze, sweat, and tobacco hit them like a wall. There were people everywhere, all dancing, most drinking, some smoking. Blinding multi-colored lights flashed on the crowd. Pillars that went from floor to ceiling were lined with staircases and platforms, filled with even more people. The bar glowed with blue lights and took up almost the entire right hand wall.

"Have fun! Meet me back here when you're ready to leave" Minsoo yelled before disappearing into the crowd. Niel tugged on Changjo's arm and led him through the masses of people. Changjo thought he was going to go crazy. He could feel the music vibrating through him, and the smell of blood was pressing on him from all sides. Niel halted as they reached the bar and shouted something at one of the bartenders. He and Changjo hopped up onto stools and waited a moment before two small glasses filled with clear liquid were placed in front of them. Niel grabbed his and drank it in one gulp.

"Now you do it," he called to Changjo, pointing to his glass. Changjo did, though not as smoothly as Niel. The alcohol burned its way down his throat, making his eyes water. As soon as it was down, though, a warmth spread through his head and body. The smell of blood was muted a bit, and everything took on a pleasant blurriness.

"That helps a lot," Changjo said, smiling. Niel ordered another round. Three drinks later and Changjo was feeling much better, if not a little unsteady. He looked out over the crowd and spotted Minsoo weaving his way across the dance floor, two girls stumbling behind him. "Is that--? Is that Minsoo? Woahh! Where are they going?" he shouted to Niel, his speech slurred. Minsoo and the girls snuck into what appeared to be a bathroom on the other side of the club. "Oh wait, I know what they're doing...or no...is it what I'm thinking? Or is it the other thing? No...it's...wait..."

"Looks like you're a bit of a lightweight," Niel said, laughing, "let's go."

"What? No. Shush. I am a wonderful drinker," Changjo said, hopping off his bar stool and stumbling a few steps.

"Clearly. Because all good drinkers get drunk after a few glasses. Now, follow me," said Niel, sliding gracefully off of his stool and slipping into the crowd.

"I am not durnk! I mean...dunk...no, I mean drunk!" Changjo stammered, following close behind. Despite the alcohol in his system still impeding all of his other senses, the smell of blood was beginning to grow strong once again. Everyone was crammed onto the dance floor, bodies touching and moving to the pounding beat. Niel stopped in the middle of the crowd and turned to Changjo, pulling him close and yelling into his ear. "Now, just blend into the crowd and dance. Try to find a girl who seems pretty drunk. Then, try to get her to come away with you, or vice versa. Essentially you just want to get somewhere alone with her." Changjo nodded and did as he was told. It was fairly easy, the floor was so packed and the music was so loud he just followed the movements of those around him. Soon, he found himself dancing next to a girl who didn't seem much older than 19 but was obviously more than a tad wasted. Her chin length black hair was sticking to her face and her dark mascara was smudged. Her sharp perfume sliced through the thick air and her strapless black mini dress tightly hugged her curves. Changjo didn't notice any of that. All he knew was that her blood smelled sweeter than anyone else's he had encountered that night and that he wanted it.

Badly.

His need for blood and the 'liquid courage' he'd just drank drove away any thought of being shy. He grabbed her wrist, gently, and pulled her closer to him, dancing with her and keeping his eyes locked on hers. She leaned forward and said something in his ear, probably her name, but he just s his arms around her waist and removed all distance between them. Before he could even think about it, they were kissing. He could taste the alcohol on her tongue and smell her blood and feel her body and hear the bass that was it. There was nothing else in his world then. Slowly, still dancing, he kissed down her jawline and neck. Changjo breathed in deeply, the scent of her blood making his eyes roll back with pleasure. He couldn't wait any longer; he needed it now. He left one last kiss on her collarbone and untangled her arms from his neck before grabbing her hand and pulling her through the crowd. Laughing and stumbling, she followed as Changjo made his way toward the bathroom he had seen Minsoo enter earlier. Niel followed quickly behind, but hung back as they reached the edge of the dance floor.

"I'll go in and see if it's empty," said the girl, giggling as she ran one finger down Changjo's chest and opened the door. As soon as she was gone, Niel rushed over to Changjo. 

"Wait until the very last second to bite her. Just when she thinks you guys are going to--uh--do something else, that's when you do it, because that's when she'll be most vulnerable. Otherwise she's more likely to fight it. And be sure to cover in case she screams. Not that anyone will hear it, but it's good practice. I'll stand guard outside the door. Knock on it when you're done," he explained. Changjo nodded and the girl reappeared.

"Looks like it's all ours," she said with a grin, and pulled Changjo in by the hand. As soon as the door closed behind him, they were on each other again. All he could smell was her blood, and it was nearly driving him crazy. However, he kept himself under control; for the most part. Changjo pushed her roughly up against the wall, never breaking their kiss, and pinned her there with his hips. She bit his lower lip, and before he could stop it a low growl escaped his throat. After that, there was no going back. As he raised his arms above his head she ripped off his shirt and threw it on the ground. Her hands roamed across his chest and toned stomach, his from her shoulders down to her thighs and back again. She grabbed his left hand and guided it to the top of her dress's zipper. Smirking through their kiss, he slowly pulled it down as she hooked her fingers into his belt loops. 

"Is this your first time?" she asked, breaking away for a moment, their faces still close enough to touch.

"I guess you could say that," he replied with a sly grin. As he pressed his lips against hers once more, and she quickly moved her hands from his belt loops to his belt, undoing it and the button to his jeans. Changjo knew that now was finally time. He gripped her wrists tightly and slammed them against the wall, letting the inhuman part of him take control. Every nerve in his body was jumping, practically lurching towards the blood he could almost hear rushing beneath her skin. Slowly, just to test his limits, he let his tongue trail over the soft skin of her neck. A sigh escaped her lips before he plunged his fangs into her neck.

He almost forgot to cover . At the last moment, he shifted both of her wrists into his left hand and used his right to stop her scream. She fought him, but only for a moment. He pressed every part of his body against hers, holding her tightly against the wall. It wasn't long before her body relaxed, her consciousness slowly fading. 

There was nothing Changjo had ever experienced that could even compare to the feeling of the fresh, hot blood slipping over his tongue and down his throat. Every particle of his being was alive, exhilarated, and felt so good. He harder, trying to drink as much as he could, trying to power the pleasure that was coursing through him. All of the guilt and disgust and terror was wiped away, forgotten. Nothing that made him feel this alive, this good, could be bad, right? Changjo kept drinking, savoring every drop, his eyes closed and his hands shaking from pure ecstasy. Then, the girl's body went completely limp. She had passed out. Changjo removed his fangs from her neck, holding her up just long enough to a stray trickle of blood off of her neck before letting her slump to the ground. He took several steps back, his lips, breathing heavily. As his back touched the cool tile wall behind him, he knew that things had really changed forever.

He was addicted.