They had urged him, forced him to drink. "Drink the blood, satisfy your desires."

And so he did, not knowing any better. He drank what they offered, choking on the blood. For years through gruelling training, they tainted, poisoned, his body.

He hated it, consuming the blood offered to him in gold goblets. From the shadows, he could hear the hiss of delighted vampires chorusing in the dark, gleeful and malicious. His throat became so sore that he gave up speaking, raw like his bleeding emotions.

But no blood ran through his veins. He was deprived of it, and only a monster such as him needed to drink another's blood to fill him with what he was not born with.

FUG served to remind him of his heritage, that he was a monster the king feared, that FUG was built and created by his forebears. The curse of his parents was given to the elders of FUG, who tainted the foolish minds that lived off of revenge and bloodlust. This was how FUG was built, from revenge, to poison and pierce through flesh and corrupt the blood of foolish soldiers. FUG was built by using monsters to create monsters.

And Bam was valued as the son of the first vampiric lord and lady, a pure blood, not created by FUG lords, but rather born from their leaders.

Sometimes, when he was led down the halls, he could hear the transitions of idealistic FUG members. When he did, he would stop and listen to their screams. Those who searched to join FUG for a portion of their power still retained their human essence that separated them from the blood-craving monsters. He could hear the screams as a vampire tore up their flesh, poison rushing the bloodstream of the victim. On a few occasions, Bam had been forced to watch a few of the transitions. He was encouraged to watch how it was done, how the skin was pierced, how the venom was injected, how the skin of the victim grew ashen pale, as they lapsed into a state of unconsciousness. And through it all, the vampire took pleasure in it.

Bam watched the tortuous transition, and he knew that it did not end there. The job of the vampire was done. The victim only needed to survive the changes. It took weeks as the mortal body warped and changed as the vampire poison took over their veins. Most did not survive.

Bam, no, Viole, did not partake in any of it. He never bared his fangs on anyone. He could not stomach the idea of towering over someone, powerful as he subdued the helpless, drinking their blood as he destroyed their humanity. To look his victim in the eye, to tear at their flesh; it sickened him to think he would play any part in condemning another to this hellish life.

Yet for each time he refused to tear into the throat of another, a golden goblet was presented to him, its rim overflowing with blood. The hunger became uncontrollable, and he gave in to his selfish desires if only to avoid succumbing to his baser instincts.

His master took pity on him when he was found, huddled on a corner, tears burning his eyes and pouring down his cheeks. A goblet, empty of blood, was spilled on the floor.

Jinsung Ha offered him a substitute. He held the bottled drink out to Viole.

"I hate the taste of blood too." At Viole's confused look, his master just shrugged. "Take it. It's a substitute for blood."

He eagerly took it and downed the entire bottle. For the first time, he felt clear as his desperate thirst was quenched for the time being. His throat was clear and his mind was at ease from this one little thing.

Gasping, he looked at the empty bottle. "What is it?"

Jinsung shrugged, already walking away. "Coconut water."

FUG was dissatisfied that their bloodthirsty monster had quenched his appetite, but he could not care. He would not bring himself to drink the blood of another ever again, no matter how tantalizing it was. The hunger he had felt all his life was now identified, and it horrified him, but at least there was one part of his monstrous life he could control, and that was his intake of blood.

He thought he had his vampire hunger under control. With Team Sweet and Sour, he never felt the urge to consume blood.

Until, in the darkness of the Hand of Arlene, he caught the scent of someone familiar. The blood of an old friend, a friend that he had longed for. A friend...he thought he'd never see.

He nearly went blind with desire at the sight of his precious friend, Khun.

It was an animalistic desire that spread through him, to run to Khun, to be near him. Even as the explosion of the Hand of Arlene deafened his ears, he could not bring himself to care about his safety.

He could smell the blood in the air, so much blood. The blood that Khun's delicate skin contained was now spilling on this earth.

He was relentless, digging at the rubble, ignoring FUG's prodding. To hell with the higher-ups. To hell with FUG. They could not threaten him with Khun's life because they had already taken a shot at him.

When FUG became forceful in their persistence that he leave his friend buried in the rubble, their weapons drawn, something within him snapped. He whirled on them with fangs bared. An unholy shriek tore at his throat. They were taking away precious time from him, precious time that should be devoted to finding his friend.

The hidden scent of blood now mingled in the air, and he could feel the hunger in the air as FUG's members caught the scent of Khun's tantalizing blood. Viole was quick to pull Khun from the rubble, holding him protectively against his chest.

The body within his arms was quickly growing cold. His pale skin was ashen and Viole could detect the faint heartbeat slowing down, frantic, but failing.

"No." Fear gripped his heart. He shook Khun, his friend's head limply falling against his shoulder. "Aguero, please, no!"

FUG would not help him. They'd rejoice that a son of Khun had fallen. Even now, with Viole's hands stained with Khun's crimson blood, he knew his friend was far gone.

Unless...he tasted the prick of his fangs against his tongue, and horrifying realization struck him. A selfish part of him urged him to take that final act, to save Aguero. To condemn him.

Viole's fangs were bared, and he pierced the tender flesh of Khun's neck without a moment's thought. The toxic poison on the tips of his fangs penetrated the warm flesh, and the blood tantalized his senses as it filled his mouth. Was this what it felt like to hold another's life, to warp and change their destiny? How could it be so tantalizing? For a moment, he nearly forgot that he was not here to feast, that the body in his arms was his friend and not an offering. He had never been given an offering from FUG to consume, only cups of spilled blood.

He was not here to kill. He only hoped he was not too late.

Khun's body jolted in his arms, and Viole pulled back, tearing at the flesh in his haste, blood dripping from his mouth. Khun choked, clawing at his neck, blue eyes wide with fright. His gaze fell on Viole, unseeing, no doubt the pain coursing through his body confusing him.

But he was alive, and Viole could only smile widely, his teeth stained with blood. Khun's blood. And he could not bring himself to care in that moment that he had condemned his friend to a life of hell.

But they would walk through this hell together.

"I'm sorry," Viole, the lost boy betrayed in the deep, sobbed, clinging to his friend, even as Khun whimpered as the poison penetrated his body. "Forgive me, I am so sorry."

xXx

When Khun awoke, it was with great hunger.

It was a painful desire, a thirst he could not quench, a hunger that tore at his stomach.

"Khun?"

He turned his gaze in the direction of the voice, his heart piercing with a hurt he thought he had buried long ago.

Please, don't be a dream.

"Bam?"

Arms wrapped around him, pulling him close. Bam shook as he clung to Khun. Khun brought his arms up, slowly, to wrap around Bam.

If this was a dream…

"I'm sorry." Bam's voice was muffled as he cried into Khun's shoulder.

Khun stroked Bam's hair, closing his eyes in relief. No, this could not be a dream. It was real. "Why are you sorry?"

Bam pulled back only to look at him, but his arms remained secure around Khun. His golden gaze searched Khun, looking for a way to explain.

Until Khun stiffened in his arms. His eyes widened with pain, and he fell into Bam. The once silent, peaceful room was filled with cries. Khun curled into himself, and Bam did not know what to do other than hold him.

He could smell the blood rushing through Khun's body with a speed that tore him apart. His body was breaking down, only to rebuild itself. His bloodline, the bloodline of his father, rebelled against the intrusion of the vampire venom. Bam could feel it, the resistance to the change, and it filled him with fear.

Soon, Khun could no longer scream, his mouth open in frozen terror, choking, trembling. Bam held him, the absence of Khun's screams worse. He did this to him, it was his venom that was flowing through Khun's veins. It was his fangs that had pierced through Khun's flesh.

And it would only get worse. Days would flash by and the pain would continue to grow.

Apologies died on his tongue. It would do him no good.

xXx

"So...I'm a vampire now."

Bam wiped at Khun's sweaty brow, the cold rag quickly growing warm. Khun's face was flushed, his white shirt unbuttoned, but the blankets pulled up. Bam knew that he would feel the complications of a cold and hot chill, but it was the least of Khun's worries.

Another spasm of pain flickered across Khun's face.

Bam quickly pulled back Khun's bangs and applied another wet rag. The fevers were just the start of the transition.

"It was the only way...to save you." Bam could not look at Khun, could not bear to see the judgement he no doubt held in his gaze.

But a weak chuckle met his ears, and he looked to see Khun wearily smiling. "Well, now I can no longer claim lineage to my bastard of a father."

Bam could not help it. He smiled. He looked down, readying another rag. "I will tell you everything you need to know about…" about your new life. But he could not bring himself to finish his sentence.

Khun sucked in a shuddering breath. His lips were dry and cracked, and Bam hurriedly reached for a salve. He could not have Khun tasting blood so soon, let alone his own.

"Just tell me the basics," Khun muttered. He glared at the salve in Bam's hands. "And don't give me that. It smells."

Despite himself, Bam grinned. "Well, first off, you will be bedridden for a few days." He opened the salve, his thoughts wandering. He knew FUG was watching the doors of this room, growing ever patient. But Bam refused to leave the room. He would not leave Khun.

He sat on the edge of the bed. "You will have to consume a sustenance of blood." He watched the small grimace flash across Khun's face. "But there is another way," he hurriedly explained. "My master showed me. Coconut water is a good substitute for blood."

Khun grinned. "So we are like...what? Vegan vampires?"

Bam blinked, then he laughed. It was small at first, no more than a giggle, but it felt good. He had not laughed in a long while.

"Oh!" Bam exclaimed. "We can't reproduce...so there's that." He blushed sheepishly. "Um, that's why we have to...turn people."

Khun blinked. "Well, good thing I was never planning on becoming a father."

Bam smiled, but he knew that the time for humor was over. Already, he could feel Khun's blood rebel in his body.

Khun lurched upward with a cry. Sweat sheened his face, blue eyes flashing with a panic. Bam held him, tears pricking at his vision when Khun's screams became sobs. His grip on Bam became loose as he slipped in and out of consciousness. Through it all, Bam could only blame himself.

He did this, he did this to his friend.

xXx

FUG broke down the door, the smell of Khun's blood enraging them. Viole stood over his vulnerable friend, fangs bared. The shrieks of the hungry vampires filled the room.

Those foolish to enter perished quickly. Bam stood atop a mountain of corpses. Only Khun's shuddering gasps made him move.

It had been days, and Bam had yet to see Khun's condition get any better. His cheeks were gaunt. He could no longer hold down food. Bam had spent sleepless nights awake, pulling Khun's hair back as his friend lost all contents of his stomach. His blood was on fire, his veins ice. His unseeing eyes flickered around, searching without sight.

The pain only grew worse.

He had been so selfish to keep him, to subject his friend to this hell.

Perhaps, it would have been better to have let him die.

He must have said that out-loud, because Khun's hand found his and gave a trembling squeeze. "Don't think that. I'd rather be here with you. I will get through this." Another shuddering breath. "I have to. I won't…" his voice began to fade, his head falling to rest on Bam's lap. "I won't leave you."

Yes, Khun would not leave him. This, Bam knew. He also knew that FUG would not accept this. They would fight to have him exterminated. But Bam, no, Viole, would fight just as hard. He would fight to keep Khun at his side. But he also knew that Khun would not be satisfied. He would plot and scheme to bring about FUG's destruction.

Viole grinned at the thought, a sadistic part of him eagerly waiting for what chaos his lightbearer would bring.

xXx

When the fever broke and the blood in his body was still, Bam had waited anxiously. Khun's breathing had evened out, his brow no longer tight with pain. Instead, he looked as if he were sleeping. Initially, Bam wanted to selfishly prode him awake, but if this was the first peaceful sleep Khun was having, then he would not disturb him.

When Aguero opened his silted eyes, Bam felt both anguish and joy. Joy that his friend had pulled through and was alive with him. But anguish because the suffering had only just begun as a new vampire was born.