25: IS IT WORTH IT?

What had Jin been expecting? He wasn’t really too sure anymore. As Yoongi unlocked and opened the small window at the top of a steel door, he was fearful all of a sudden.

Yoongi peered inside first, his expression not giving anything away as he said to Jin, “Sometimes, not knowing is better. Are you sure you want to see this?”

Jin hesitated for a moment but nodded quickly and Yoongi moved out of the way to let Jin take a look through the door. Jin had come so far already; he wasn’t about to stop now. He needed to know the secret of human blood and to see if it would help him with his goal.

The room was lined in steel from the walls, to the ground and ceiling. And there was a figure crouched in the corner of the room, grunting. It looked like a boy similar to him in age. The moment he accidentally nudged the door with the tip of his shoe, the figure bolted towards the door and if it weren’t for the bars, which lined the small window of the door, Jin was sure the boy would have bitten him. He was fast, a lot faster than Jin would have been if there were no walls between them.

His eyes were not red like Jin’s eyes when he was drinking animal’s blood. Instead, they were a deep purple and it was impossible to differentiate from the iris and sclera of his eyes. His face was strained with pulsing veins. It looked like he came out of a horror movie, as the vampire desperately tried to reach for Jin. His nails were elongated and the way he moved, felt like all bones in his body were all disjointed.

“This is the first stage. He’s a fresh one, only took human blood one day ago for the first time. It will probably take him a month to get used to it. Or if he can’t control it, it might take even longer. You have been near humans, I’m guessing at school, so you smell very appetising to him.”

Jin was in a daze. This was a vampire’s true form? He was expecting more elegant, more in control. None of his vampire friends knew that Jin wanted to go against the VPA although Jin had an inkling that Namjoon may know. He wanted revenge for them executing his parents. He thought that human blood would be his answer. After all, VPA always went on about how illegal it was so Jin had thought that there must be something about it that scared the agency.

“What happens once a vampire can control themselves?” Jin managed to ask, his throat feeling extremely dry.

“It’s a push and pull. You need a lot of strong will to control it. Every time a client drinks blood, I will lock them up and only bring them out once they can read the bottom line of the book I place inside the room. Once they can control it, all their senses are heightened, their speed, their sense of smell and their healing abilities improve tenfold. It’s a risk some vampires think is worth taking.”

Yoongi paused to observe Jin and he wasn’t at all surprised by the shock he was experiencing. He probably didn’t realise how gruesome the whole process was. And Yoongi thought it was better not to mention that some weaker vampires couldn’t control their new state and stayed savage instead. And then Yoongi had to take care of the mess they left behind.

Why are you involved in all of this? Isn’t this what makes humans hate us so much?” Jin was still in astonishment but he still didn’t understand Yoongi’s role.

“I’m just doing my job. This is how I earn my living and it’s not your business to in. I’m just doing you a favour by showing you what really happens. Now you know and its best if you leave and never come back here. It’s not a world for you to step into. It’s better to stay on the VPA’s good side and live by their rules by pretending to live like a good human.”

Jin clutched his fist at the mention of the VPA but he kept his mouth shut. Yoongi didn’t need to know how much Jin hated the organisation.

Yoongi wasn’t angry with Jin but he wanted him to know that reality wasn’t always a pretty picture. The thought of her popped into Yoongi’s mind again. No matter how much time had passed, every time he thought of her, even as a passing thought, it would sting his chest and he would need to swallow the thoughts down before he got any crazy ideas.

“What happens to the humans you use?” Jin asked quietly, his eyes still on the vampire in the cell. He felt defeated now, not knowing what he was going to do now.

“Some humans believe that they can turn into vampires if they are bitten, which is nothing but a wishful fantasy that humans created. Humans become addicted to it. When a vampire a human’s blood in moderation, it gives the bitten human a sense of being on a high or in ecstasy. It’s the whole reason why humans agree to doing it in the first place. It’s like taking a drug for them.”

Jin knew that vampires were born, not made. He didn’t know however that humans were affected by the bite in this way. Yoongi turned towards the door and led Jin out.

Before he exited, Jin said, “Sorry. And thanks for showing me.”

Yoongi smiled sadly and said, “Remember what you have seen and live better than the trash who thrive on human blood. It’s weird that I’m saying it but it’s better to stay away. I don’t believe it’s worth the sacrifice. Oh and one more thing, you’re friends with vampire girl Seulgi aren’t you?”

“How do you know that?”

“Just a feeling,” He said as he opened a drawer beside him and took out a faded photo. “Please give this to her. Tell her this is Yun. He’s dangerous so if she knows his face, she can keep the human away from him.”

“Why are you helping her?” J