The icy air flooded his lungs as he awakened, driving a shiver through his body. He coughed, his arms shaking as they stretched above his head, his wrists entangled by manacles bolted into the ceiling. His ears rang with sounds he’d never heard before, every breath bringing him scents both pleasant and unpleasant. He didn’t dare open his eyes.

As his choking fit subsided, Jaejoong let out a grimace, squeezing his eyes shut even tighter than they had been before. His hands were numb from the metal digging into his wrists and he felt terribly cold. Taking another breath of icy air, Jaejoong trembled, smelling scents both unfamiliar and all too familiar. Mould, decay and dirt were among the most dominant, and a faint hint of blood made his mouth water, much to his disgust. Something like that should never have smelled so pleasant...

Letting out a groan, he allowed his eyes to open, squinting them against the darkness. A small amount of light shone from sputtering torches, barely illuminating the room he was in. Even then, he could see everything in the room as he heaved shaky gasps, trying to recover from the shock of what had happened to him. Every speck of dirt and dust was lit up in sharp relief; the footprints in the dirt floor shallow, but obvious. There was moss growing over the stones that made up the walls, and cobwebs laced through the rafters in the ceiling, dancing eerily in the faint draft. There were bones tucked in the corners – human ones by the looks of them. He didn’t dare wonder where they had come from.

Supressing another shiver, Jaejoong closed his eyes again, tugging loosely on the chains he hung from. He heard a creak from the ceiling as he tugged, making him wonder if he could potentially yank them from the stone above him. He’d been about to try when the faint sound of footsteps met his ears. A chill of fear rushed through him. Was he coming back?

His mind rushed back to a face, so terrible and handsome, dark hair framing a strong jawline. But worst of all were his eyes; as red and beautiful as a glowing sunset, but as horrifying as an all consuming fire. He had been the one who took him here. He’d chained him up and...

Jaejoong grimaced at the memory, straining against the chains and struggling futilely. He felt his muscles, strong and more powerful than they were before, but this place was designed to hold him. He couldn’t break them, though the whining creak of the bolts told him he was making headway.

“YOOCHUN!” Jaejoong shouted, his voice unfamiliar, even to him. “JUNSU!” He tugged on the chains even harder, and instantly felt a sharp, agonizing pain in his wrists. He screamed, falling limp as the jagged edges of a cold metal dug into his skin, a faint hissing sound of burning flesh emanating from the manacles. A choked sob slipped from his lips, his eyes squeezed shut as he heard the footsteps draw ever closer. Fear clenched his still heart, making him tremble.

The door in front of him swung open with a noisy squeak, and a tall man with tidy red hair slid into the room. His sky blue eyes burned into his, causing a shudder to pass through him. He hadn’t seen this man before, but he already knew he was the same. He was the same as the one that had brought him here; the same sort of creature who had done this to him.

The man stood still for a moment before approaching, offering him the smallest of smiles. “Hello,” he said, his voice like sweet honey.

Jaejoong swallowed, refusing to respond. After all, how could he trust this man? He smelled faintly of lavender, and for some reason it reminded him of the dark haired man who had chained him here.

“You changed nice,” the man continued. “You can call me Changmin if you want,”

Jaejoong still didn’t respond, feeling his fingers trembling.

The man reached out, making him flinch back. With nowhere to go, he was forced to endure the blue eyed man’s contact as he brushed locks of hair around his head, as though trying to make him look more presentable.

“Hyung will definitely like you,” Changmin said, his smile widening just enough for Jaejoong to see his sharp, pointed fangs.

Jaejoong shook his head, brushing off Changmin’s hand and returning his hair to its natural, not so neat state. The blue eyed man pouted in a rather cute manner and lowered his hand, taking a step back. “Hyung will see you when he gets back. He’ll take good care of you, I’m sure. You’re probably very thirsty,”

At the mere mention of the word ‘thirsty’, Jaejoong knew exactly what he was talking about. There was a need, a lingering craving at the back of his mind he hadn’t noticed until now. He felt his mouth go dry, the feeling made worse by the scents floating off Changmin. He could faintly smell the life giving fluid wafting like a perfume from his skin. Oh, he wanted it...

A whimper slid from his lips as he hung his head in defeat, his breath coming in shallow gasps.

Changmin let out a slight laugh. “I know, the first few moments are always the most difficult. I remember them quite vividly myself. I was glad to have hyung there. He brought me what I needed and taught me how to get it when he felt I was ready,”

Jaejoong didn’t want to know who Changmin’s ‘hyung’ was, but he already knew. The faint image of the black haired male was swirling through his mind again.

The vampires had swept through the ranks of his clan and the countless others they’d allied themselves with, taking their lives so fast, Jaejoong could hardly breathe. He’d always been good at guessing the future, even as a human. When the battle began, he’d already known they weren’t going to fare well. They’d entered the battle anyway, determined to clean out the coven that had been plaguing the area, even if it cost most of them their lives. By the time one vampire remained – the red eyed horror whose lips were stained with the blood of their fallen brothers and sisters – only he, Junsu and Yoochun remained. He already knew they might not make it. He could never have guessed what had been about to happen.

When the three of them managed to corner the vampire, an icy hand had gripped his throat and suddenly, Jaejoong was flying. He crashed into the ground and as his head spun, he felt himself being lifted into the air. He heard his friends shout his name, but they faded away to nothing as the sound of the wind rushed through his ears. He let out a groan, realizing he was being carried, faster than he ever thought possible. Each movement made him bump into the back of whoever had a hold him, making him want to throw up. He might’ve actually done so if the trip hadn’t abruptly come to an end.

Dropped onto a cold, dirt floor, Jaejoong felt cold manacles bite into his wrists and a moment later, he was being picked up off the ground once more, dangling by the chains on his wrist as his arms stretched above his head. As his mind began to clear, he became aware of the fiery eyes of the one who’d kidnapped him; the vampire he’d been fighting minutes before.

“Your name is...Jaejoong?” the voice had been an unusual mix of dangerous and welcoming, like silk sheets draped over a bed of nails. Jaejoong couldn’t help but shiver, especially when those long fingers began to trace his jaw. He let out a grimace, feeling nails scraping down the side of his neck towards his shirt.

“I have hope for you, Jaejoong,” the voice, so cold and inviting had said. “This mortal flesh is unbecoming for one such as you,”

Jaejoong’s breath caught in his throat as the fabric of his shirt began to tear beneath the nail of his captor. He struggled against his bonds, lashing out futilely with his feet, trying to get the man away from him. The fingers that tore his shirt from his torso didn’t let up, him in ways that made his skin crawl with revulsion. He fought once more but was caught by those icy hands, his head yanked back by his hair. The fight left him the moment he felt those fangs pierce his neck. A groan slid from his throat, his head falling back into the cold hand of the terrible man.

“Good, Jaejoong,” the voice whispered. “You’ll know where you stand when you wake up,”

All he could do was whimper and tremble beneath the cold hands, feeling icy fire flooding through his veins. It crept down his neck until it reached his chest and in an instant, he felt his heart constrict. His mouth opened in a silent scream, feeling those fangs pierce him again and again, all over his body. The cold fire flooded to the tips of his toes, constricting his muscles and tearing choked sounds from his throat. The pain grew worse with every second; every bite added more cold fire to his veins, and suddenly, he was falling into a dark pit of nothingness.

Now, he was staring at the blue eyed man, ragged gasps tearing from his throat as the thirst slowly overwhelmed him, dominating his thoughts and making him feel very, very sick.

Changmin smiled slightly, folding his hands behind his back. “I’m afraid I can’t help you. You’ll have to wait for hyung to get back,”

“Like I’m gonna,” Jaejoong rasped, unsure of where the words had come from. Somehow, they felt...right. He already knew he wouldn’t be sticking around for Changmin’s ‘hyung’s idea of ‘dinner’.

Letting out the smallest of laughs, Changmin shrugged, his blue eyes sparkling. “I highly doubt you’re going anywhere. I’ll let hyung know you’ve woken up. He’ll be back soon,” and with those words, the blue eyed vampire turned and left the room. Jaejoong once again fought the chains holding him back, feeling that terribly cold metal bite into his wrists once more. He yelped and ceased his struggle, but somehow, despite the throbbing pain, he knew it wasn’t futile.

In his mind, he watched as the dark haired man emerged from the door in front of him. He watched the hand reach for him and felt his feet swing out, connecting with his chest. He yanked one final time on the chains and felt them snap in two, dropping him to the floor. He ran down the hallway, taking the seventh door on the left and up a staircase and out a window. After that, his hope lied to the east at an old church where he would find safety.

His thoughts rushed back to the present, making him shudder. His head pounded and ached, his vision blurring and forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut. He didn’t know what that had been, but it gave him hope. He knew with absolute certainty that what he’d seen was truth, even if it had only occurred in his mind.

Taking a breath as the whirlwind in his head stabilized, Jaejoong allowed his eyes to slide open once more. He tried to focus on something other than the thirst that was clouding his mind. He bit his lip, feeling one of his sharp fangs pierce the flesh. He grimaced in pain, then moaned in pleasure, the sweet blood spilling across his tongue. For a moment, it brought wonderful relief, but in the next moment, his want became far worse than it had been before. His blood wasn’t satisfying enough. He needed more. He needed the blood of something else.

It was at that moment Jaejoong fully understood what he’d become. Feeling a sob choking his throat, he admitted to himself what he’d been subconsciously fearing since he’d woken up. He’d become a vampire, one of the creatures he’d sworn to destroy when he’d taken up his stake for the first time as a teenager. He let his head fall to his chest, tears burning at the back of his eyes. Why? Why did this have to happen to him? Why did that red eyed vampire single him out above all the rest? Why had he been taken and turned?

He thought about Yoochun and Junsu, imagining their reactions to what he’d become. Would they pierce his chest with their stakes and set him ablaze? Or would they try to reason with him? Jaejoong shuddered at the thought of hurting his best friends, as he surely would. He was a monster now, even if he could still think and still smiled at the thoughts of his two best friends. He let out a slight laugh, thinking about all the training they’d gone through until they day they took up the stake to fight alongside their clan. The laugh faded as he realized those days were gone now. He wondered if Junsu and Yoochun were even still alive. That vampire had killed their entire clan. They may have shouted his name but...

No, a voice in his mind whispered. They’re alive. And they’re safe. The certainty in the thoughts put him at ease. Letting out a soft breath, Jaejoong allowed his eyes to close. Everything would be okay. He knew that with certainty now. His friends were alive, and heck, they were probably looking for him. But there was no real need for it. He would be okay. They would meet again in the future. He didn’t know when and he didn’t know how, he just...knew.

More distant footsteps met his ears, growing ever closer. He’s back, the voice in his mind whispered. His breath caught in his throat. He forced himself to stay calm. After all, he had nothing to fear. Today wasn’t the day he would be held prisoner by this demon man.

The approaching footsteps made him want nothing more than to fight. Not yet, his mind whispered. It wasn’t time. Now wasn’t the time.

The door creaked open once again, this time admitting the one Jaejoong dreaded to see. The red eyed vampire closed the door behind him, his soft lips curling upwards into a smile.

“Jaejoong,” the man said in his cold, silky tenor.

His lip trembled as he stared at the man, watching him approach like a lithe jungle cat stalking its prey. He swallowed, staring up at the man in front of him, his mind fading to a terrible blank he wasn’t sure he could think through. The aroma of lavender washed around him, assaulting his senses. His lips parted as he instinctively breathed deeply, relishing the scent. He shuddered, trying to fight off the blankness overtaking his mind.

“Do I smell nice, Jaejoong?” The vampire whispered in his ear, making him shiver. “What do I smell like to you?”

“L-Lavender,” Jaejoong replied without thinking.

The vampire hummed, leaning back just enough so Jaejoong could see the smile gracing his features. “Changmin says I smell like roses. Did you know that?”

Well the smell definitely wasn’t roses, Jaejoong already knew that. Perhaps Changmin was just guessing at the scent floating around this vampire.

“They say the more certain a newborn vampire is of the scent of their creator, the deeper the bond between them,” the vampire caressed Jaejoong’s jaw with his fingertips, making him shiver. “Jaejoong, I will gift you with my name,” his lips parted into a smile, revealing the gleaming fangs that had taken his mortality from him. “My name is Yunho,”

Now, the voice at the back of his mind flooded through his clouded thoughts, centering him and anchoring him to the present. Barely thinking about it, Jaejoong lashed out, lifting his feet and swiftly kicking the vampire across the chest, sending him sprawling onto the ground. In the next instant, he’d yanked his chains one final time, and though he felt the stinging bite of the metal in his wrists once more, he didn’t hold back. The chains snapped with a crack so loud, Jaejoong’s ears rang. He heard Yunho shout just as he smashed through the door, gathering the broken chains in his arms and running as fast as he could, feeling his way down the hallway on pure instinct. Seventh door to the left...up the stairs...out the window-

The smells of the outside world hit him like a punch to the face. Breathing the air, Jaejoong let out a laugh, allowing the scents to flood through him. He could smell the trees, each individual type having its own scent marker. Sweet maple, tart birch, bitter willow, spicy oak...

The chains jangled in his arms as he picked up the pace, flying through the woods faster than he ever thought possible. The wind whipped through his hair, sending it flying against the top of his head. The breath slid in and out of his lungs, and he never got tired, though the more he ran, the thirstier he became. It became near unbearable just as he saw the church appear before him. He let out a whimper just as he crashed through the door, staggering into the aisle and collapsing to the floor with a groan and clatter of chains.

“TAEKWOON!” A voice shouted.

The sound of hurried footsteps and the faint smell of fresh blood. Instantly his hunger peaked and he found himself reaching for the source of the scent. A moment later something pressed to his lips – a bottle of some sorts. Instantly, the sweet taste of blood flooded into his mouth. He drank deeply, relishing every drop as he felt a hand pressing to the back of his head.

“Who is he?” A voice questioned.

“I don’t know,” another one replied. “But he’s a newborn. He wouldn’t be this desperate if he wasn’t,”

The bottle was pulled from his long before he’d had enough. He shuddered and let out a needy whine, what remained off his lips.

“You can have more later,” a stiff voice said, making him look up.

The vampire had sharp features, his narrow eyes vaguely reminding Jaejoong of a cat. His golden eyes didn’t help with that idea either.

“My name is Taekwoon,” the vampire said. “Tell me yours,”

“J-Jaejoong,” he rasped. “My name is Jaejoong,”

“How did you find us, Jaejoong?”

“I d-didn’t...I just...knew I would be safe here,”

Taekwoon exchanged glances with the two other vampires with him. A moment later, the golden eyed vampire had turned back towards him, his expression impassive. Receiving the briefest of nods from him, Jaejoong let out a relieved sigh. The chains were ripped from his wrists, and the bottle of blood was pressed back into his hands. As he drank the last of what was in the container, Jaejoong knew without being told that though he was something he never thought he’d be, he was safe. For as long as it lasted, he would be safe with Taekwoon and the other two vampires. The vision wouldn’t have led him here if he wouldn’t be. Yunho wouldn’t find him, and with those thoughts, he found a peace he thought he’d never feel.

.

.

.

A/N: Welcome to the story, and thanks for giving it a go! 

I will try to upload at least once a week. The story is written already, I simply need to edit the chapters before posting them, so you WILL get consistant updates, just as long as I don't get distracted by real life things.

I hope you enjoy the story! Should you choose to subscribe and stay with me, thanks so much!

~starlitskies