Kai's countenance conveyed a sense of failure and impotency, "It means that I was once somebody, but would settle for any job now. I was a champion, but now I'm forced to leech off you. Not that I mind that though. It just bugs me a little." 

 "You know, if you're feeling like that, I feel worst," Kyungsoo answered with his eyes steering away from Kai.  "I think, I know the meaning of Solomon when he says 'Vanities of vanities. Everything is vanity' and of-"

Kai forced a grin, "You mean you feel empty inside. Why? You have everything you want! Your dream job, tons of cash! What about me..." Kai's tone became increasingly louder, but he calmed himself when looking at Kyungsoo's childlike expression, "I'm sorry, I guess I just feel that..."

 "No, I get it," Kyungsoo said with an almost listless tone, "You feel like you were betrayed by the hands of life," Kyungsoo got up and bowed in apology, "I'm sorry for being selfish. You're right! Why should I be feeling empty?"

 "No, I'm sorry. But you were saying? I know you had more to say..."

 "Yeah, I just. I was going to say that this, these recent events and the change I've gone through, fighting against my thirst for blood has actually given me like a purpose...although... "

 Kai was maybe disturbed by Kyungsoo's confession. "This battle gives him a purpose? That's a whole different kind of messed up... why does he say he feels empty? I feel empty and have legitimate reasons why." he pondered. But, it was Kyungsoo's last word that prompted Kai to ask, "Although what?"

 "You know how women have like a biological clock? do men have that? Because every now and then I go like, 'I want a child so I can teach him to paint and see him crawl in paint and leave his footprints all over the floor so I can see my lovely wife clean it up while I sit on the sofa and chuckle like a jovial old man.' When I stare outside my window and see parents walking their children back home from school, I think I feel envious. I want to do that again. I want to go back to when I painted without the thought of 'How much will this sell for', and I think having a kid would let me live through them. And I need a wife, because, you know... I get lonely too..."

Kai, at first awestruck, began to laugh. "You artist people are like crazy or something, man! You go from 'I feel empty' to 'I wanna marry and have children'" he sighed, and caught his breath from all that laughing, "I can introduce you to a couple of hot chicks who'd love you- the type that like your 'deep' kind, you know. If you ever go outside, I mean. And... can I be the kid's godfather for like baptism or something? Be his uncle? 'Cause I don't want kids, at least not for another decade or something..." Kai's vision drifted to stare at the dirty tips of his shoes, "I still want to wrestle..."

Kyungsoo felt uncomfortable by Kai's last words. He was totally aware of Kai being forced to retire from wrestling, and he also knew of the deep spiral of depression his friend had fallen into as a result. However, despite the urge to want to be there for Kai, he was just too timid to say or do anything. He was always a mild-mannered kid, doing his best to mind his own business and not meddle in anyone's problems for fear of getting hurt, even now in his late twenties. It was Kai who was the more outspoken of the two, the one you could always count on to have your back. If it were Kyungsoo in Kai's place, Kai would have done his best to cheer and uplift Kyungsoo. But the roles weren't reversed. The reality of things was that Kai was right when he said how Kyungsoo has everything he should want, and that he, Kai,  was the one in true need and the one who should (and is) feeling empty.

 "What do you think of me being this vampire?" he asked, wanting to change the topic so Kai wouldn't become too depressed.

Kai managed a small smile, thinking of something humorous to share in hopes of changing the atmosphere, "At least it's not drugs!" 

He continued with a look in his eyes that spoke of concern and relief as he continued, "When you asked for the anxiety pills...A week ago? Anyways, I had the feeling something was up and I wanted to check on you, but I was busy myself, so I didn't. I really thought you were on drugs though... never go there." Kai's concern was genuine. He was really worried that someone came and took his friend to one of those fancy art parties where he had bussed in before, and that they slipped something illegal into a cocktail for him.  Kai had witnessed the terrors drugs force upon their victims firsthand when an old coworker died because of an addiction.

Kyungsoo blinked several, several times, unsure of how to respond and taken aback by Kai's comment. "Yeah, it was like a month ago, I think, when I asked for something to relax my nerves. It was around the time all of this mess happened."

 Kai cut in, curious and wanting to know everything, "How'd it happened?"

 "Well, one day I got a knock on my door and was met by a strange, long-haired figure. I... wanted to paint her, but soon saw it was a man. Anyways, he asked to buy a painting I had just finished, of the cosmos- I painted it with these psychedelic colors, and" Kyungsoo saw himself drifting off, he coughed, "I fell asleep after making the deal, but I woke up at 3am to a thirst. My throat was dry and I felt I needed to taste blood. It was like a dream, and I thought it was when I woke up again around 9, but then I saw the blood on my hands. I thought I killed someone and legit pooped my pants."

He missed the last bit. "Did you see the man again?" Kai asked, his interest being piqued. 

 "Yeah, I saw him the night after when I was fully conscious and just before I leapt out my window to... drink blood. He told me to do it, to drink. He also appeared two nights ago and told me to do the same. Both times he said there was no going back. I think he made me a vampire. But I am not sure how to feel about him. He..." Kyungsoo paused to gather his thoughts. "He carries an aura, or something like along those lines that causes me to- I've cried on his shoulder twice already because I think he can also help me, and it feels like he wants to help me out some way too, as though he's like a guide for me. Does that make sense?"

 Kai felt thrown off as though everything said was just plain nonsense, but after absorbing last night's events, he knew Kyungsoo wasn't lying. "And have you tried to not drink blood?"

 "I can't help it. It's like a need. My heart and all my being screams out 'No!' but I can't not drink blood. I'm sorry."

 "I got an idea!" Kai eagerly exclaimed as a spontaneous, yet reasonable plan popped up in his head.

He shared his not so elaborate plan and Kyungsoo nodded in agreement. Every night, as soon as Kyungsoo wakes up at 3am, he would knock him out with his best punch and hope for the best- for him to stay asleep. They tried this plan out during the next week and it worked every single time, miraculously. Yet, after that week, Kai witnessed an unfortunate change: Kyungsoo had become more feeble, he had grown weak from not feeding on blood. This manifested in the form of Kyungsoo not being fully alarm, lethargic and overall, more clumsy than ever before.

On the next night, Kai fell asleep and by the time he woke up, the sun had risen. He saw Kyungsoo peacefully lying in bed, but with a tiny sliver of blood mingled with his drool that was sliding off his cheek. It was no use telling Kyungsoo about it because it would only cause him stress, Kai reasoned. Like that, another day passed and night descended with an unusual chill that was ominous of an impending event.

Kai sat by Kyungsoo's bed, ready to knock him out. The clock struck 3 am, Kyungsoo sat up and Kai launched his best left hook! But he was stopped!

 He saw a hand tightly grip his wrist. Alarmed, he stood up and demanded, "Who are you?!"

 Kyungsoo made his way out of bed, walking with a dazed look to the door of his room. There was no window in his room, so he instinctively headed for the living room window.

Kai pulled his wrist away and asked the person standing before him again, "WHO are you?!"

 The figure whisked his hair behind him and answered, "Call me Rx, but that doesn't matter. The two of you must come with me."

 Rx shoved Kai down. Kai struggled to move but a heavy forced pulled him downward. He was stuck, like a rat caught in a glue trap, totally helpless and forced to accept a slow, painful death.

 "It'll only be a minute," Rx said with a yawn.

 Kai closed his eyes and when he next opened them, he saw Kyungsoo sitting beside him. The pair had their hands chained to a craggy wall, wet with dew and inhabited by tiny ants and other insects that were climbing onto their arms. He figured the obvious, they were in a dark cave and held as prisoners. Kai kicked Kyungsoo who was fast asleep, trying to wake him up, but he wouldn't budge.

A snap of the fingers was heard and the surroundings were lit up by several torches that revealed the two were indeed chained inside a small cave, if not a dungeon. The torches were few, but were scattered with enough distance in between that they illuminated the room quite adequately. Next, a looming figure emerged from the shadows and snickered. "Are you afraid of the dark, friend?" It was Rx that took his time in walking to Kai who was shaking the chains as though he were a wild beast.

 "Where are we?!" Kai exclaimed.

 Rx shushed him and kneeled to whisper into Kai's ear, "You'll wake up your friend. And I have nails sharp enough to cut. You want him to feed on you?"

 Kai snarled and kicked at Rx. 

Rx was amused, "Calm down! It was just a small joke."

 "Let us go!" Kai shouted.

 Rx snapped his fingers again, causing Kai to flinch. Expecting a monster to appear, Kai was perplexed to hear the calming sound of music, a melody made up of gentle guitar strumming with a faint sound of the xylophone, and a delicate hum that sounded like a mother's voice.

 Rx presented a delighted smile on his face, one that felt strangely assuring, "You are safe here, the two of you." 

Kai breathed out slowly, "Who are you?" 

 "What matters most is your friend here. Dio, you call him, right? Although his name is Kyungsoo..."

 Kai shook his head and told himself not to trust Rx. His brows were tensed and nostrils were flared, "What about him?! You made him this?!"

 Rx rolled his eyes, discontent by Kai's anger, "Look, I have a proposition. He will die."

 Kai interjected with a demanding tone, "What?!"

 "Yes, if you let me continue! Now," Rx puffed his chest up and stood straight with his hands neatly folded behind his back, "Unless he feeds every night, he will die. You have to let him feed. If not, you'll be the one murdering him. "

Kai knew what he meant, so he decided to listen to Rx's request. Rx told Kai to let Kyungsoo feed on thugs and other criminals, since such people are more stains on society, trash, than actual people. Rx then suggested another plan if for some reason Kyungsoo would refuse even that. He offered a liquid medicine that could heal any flesh wound upon direct contact. All Kai would have to do is slit his hand every night and allow blood to drip into Kyungsoo's open mouth. He would then apply a drop of the clear blue liquid that was the medicine on his wound and he would be magically healed.

After the plans were discussed, Kai was unchained from the wall and the first thing he did was rub the reddened area where he had been shackeled. He hid the vial of magical liquid Rx had given him in his jacket and spat at the ground. "Let him go now."

 "Is that what you really want?" Rx asked with another smile.

 Kai grabbed Rx by the collar but then let him go. "Take the chains off him!"

 Rx clicked his tongue repeatedly, "He's strong enough to do it on his own. Just you watch." He approached Kyungsoo who was still sleeping and playfully slapped his cheek, "Awaken from the vortex of slumber, King of the Vampires! Break the chains!"

Kyungsoo opened his eyes and immediately stood up, breaking the fetters in the process without a drop of sweat. He then coughed before locking eyes with Kai. He looked around and asked, "Where are we?"

 Rx bowed, "You're in the castle, what's left of it anyways, that has been bequeathed onto you."

 "What?"

 Rx led the two through a narrow passageway and out to another room that resembled the "room" they were just in. The difference came to the size of the room, multiple times larger than the small dungeon they had come from. What caught the eye first was the sight of what seemed to be a large bed, easily over 5 meters in length and width. It was rusty, a definite thing of interest, but, what laid on it was more curious. It was a literal giant, filling up more than half of the bed frame with its back leaning against the cave wall. But he looked sickly, as there was a myriad of colorfur blankets, animal hides and tapestries shielding him from the cold of the damp place he called home. Every other second, you would hear a groan or cough.

Kai and Kyungsoo followed Rx with much caution. Rx moved ahead and lit up 3 torches that were above the giant's bed. The light allowed the eye to feast on the sight of the mass that made up the giant. He was like the titans heard of in Greek mythology. His body was covered with a litany of veins that spread like spiderwebs all over the bulging muscles that made up his exterior. The light caused his dark blue skin to glow in an eerie, hauntingly manner. An elaborate curass was strapped onto its enormous chest, tightly fitted on with a red jewel adorning its center. He was hooded, though, so his face could not be observed.

A voice emanated from the giant, "Come here, my son, my child of the moon."

Kai stepped forward, not knowing why, but Rx rolled his eyes and called out, "The other one, stupid! Kyungsoo!"

 Kyungsoo turned to look at Kai with a puzzled gaze, he seemed lost. "I don't think I'm adopted..."