STORYLINE: Jihoon didn’t know it yet, but this quiet night of introspection, investigation, and confrontation would change his life just as much as the dare that led him into Club Apophis.
His reflection was a stranger now, but Minjo still saw someone worth saving. Why else would she have come?
He stumbled into his bedroom, slamming the door shut with an awkward wobble in high-heeled boots. His heart hammered. Skin flushed. Mouth dry.
He pressed his forehead to the cold wall.
Just breathe.
From outside the door came a mechanical bark.
Frantically, he pulled on the soft, pale teal button-up to cover himself. Then he dropped to the floor, checking beneath the loose boards. The black snakeskin box was still there, the SPF 100 nano-sunscreen nestled inside. As he slid it carefully back into hiding, the box gave a faint, pulsing coo.
He steeled himself and opened the door. Scrappy 2 barked a greeting and padded in, chrome paws ticking softly on the floor. Its muzzle swept side to side, humming softly as it scanned the room. It looked like a dog, but Jihoon knew better. Minjo didn’t build toys, but this was first time he had seen Scrappy scan for surveillance tech. Jihoon had no idea what else the dog could do, and wasn't sure he wanted to find out.
In the living room, Minjo had already peeled the casing off the Smart Mirror. Her tool kit lay open like a field surgery kit. The mirror’s motherboard pulsed faintly, wired into her handheld. Tiny holographic schematics flickered between her palms and screen, casting dancing shadows up her cheekbones.
She didn’t look up. “You’re back. Good. It’s okay to talk now. All bugs are disabled. Does ‘Evil Queen’ mean anything to you? That's the mirror's login.”
Jihoon cleared his throat. “No.”
He hovered in the doorway, shirt fluttering around his hips, hands shoved awkwardly into the cuffs.
“You’re still wearing the heels,” she said, finally glancing up.
Jihoon looked down. “I… I couldn’t find my sneakers.”
“You mean the ones by the door?”
He flushed. “I didn’t feel like putting them on.”
Minjo blinked. Not mocking. Just observant.
She yanked a piece of motherboard loose and tossed it like a frisbee. Scrappy 2 barked and, with a delighted whir, caught and crunched it in his powerful jaws. Tail buzzing on its piston, the robot dog settled down to chew contentedly, like it was gnawing a bone.
Minjo then pointed to a faint symbol glowing on the motherboard, -- a logo with a snake swallowing the sun.
“What do you know about Monstrum?”
Jihoon crossed the room and sank beside her, drawn in by the glowing symbol. Whatever shame he felt blurred behind the pull of a new mystery.
“According to the AI,” she said, “your mirror was running a second OS, Built beneath the visual feedback layer. It used subliminal cues to rewrite your self-perception. Based on microreactions.”
She gestured up at the dorm’s flickering LEDs. “It even synced to the lighting—highlighting your features when you did something it ‘liked.’ Training you to pose. To chase the approval of the camera. Dopamine hits, basically.”
Jihoon raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious?”
She nodded grimly. “It was gamifying your reflection.”
"That's so messed up," Jihoon breathed.
"Indeed." Minjo set the tech down and rubbed her eyes. “I need to scan you next. Thoroughly. No gear. No shielding. Just skin. I need a clean signal to figure out what’s changing you.”
A deep flush rose in his cheeks. He’d fantasized about being naked with Minjo before—but not like this. Not stripped raw in the harsh light of clinical curiosity.
She tossed him a cotton sheet. “You can cover up. Just I need that suit off.”
Wrestling out of the haptic mesh and zipped tight tall boots was like peeling off a second skin, slow, awkward, and far too intimate.
He stood frozen for a beat, sheet clutched around him, brain still catching up to the moment.
Minjo nodded toward the couch. “Lie down. I need a full body scan.”
Wordlessly, he obeyed, collapsing onto the cushions like someone heading into surgery.
Minjo worked with brisk professionalism. Her scanner pulsed over him, flickering red and blue. She asked permission for each test, even to draw a tiny amount of blood. But her readouts stayed stubbornly blank.
At last, she sighed and flopped down. “Nothing conclusive.”
Jihoon pulled the sheet around him tighter and slid to the floor beside her. “Thanks for trying. It means a lot. You make me feel… safe.”
“What really happened at that club, Jihoon? Everything started after you took that dare from Kyle.”
He rubbed his temples. “I try to remember, but it’s like trying to hold onto smoke. There was a party. Lights. Glamour. And him, -- The King Cobra. Dr. Lucien Ginevra. He got close. I remember his scent. I remember his ...kiss.” He touched his neck.
“But the last thing I remember, vividly, was panic. Pure terror. Like I was drowning in my own skin. I didn’t care where I was, or who I passed. I just had to get out.”
Minjo tilted her head. “What do you think is happening to you?”
He ran a hand through his hair, then down his face, as if trying to erase a thought. His voice dropped to a near whisper. “...Vampire.”
Minjo laughed, until she saw his expression. Her smile faltered. “Wait. You’re serious? You think you're turning into a vampire?”
Jihoon didn’t speak, but his gaze met hers, unwavering, and again touched the side of his neck where the memory still lingered.
“Listen, Jihoon. There’s no such thing as vampires," she blushed. “This is black-market tech. Malware, biohacks, maybe a slow-burn DNA rewrite. And the clothes?” She waved toward the pile. “That designer jacket. Those cleats. The high tech gloves. Stuff you couldn’t afford. Stuff that doesn’t even look like your style. It’s alien. None of it belongs.”
“I don’t trust any of it,” she said, rising. “We need to burn every gift you’ve received since that night. The clothes. The gear. They’re all from Dr. Ginevra, right? Nothing’s free, Jihoon. Every thread comes with a hook.”
She grabbed a trash bag and began gathering items with practiced precision, like she’d already done a mental inventory.
Jihoon was quietly amazed by how well she knew what belonged to him and what didn’t.
“I’ve got some leftover scholarship money,” she said, sweeping the white bodysuit into the bag. “We’ll go shopping. Get you clothes that fit this new body. Stuff you choose. Not something someone else programmed into your closet.”
Jihoon watched, a little mournful. “Anything I want?”
“School wear first,” she deadpanned. "After that? Whatever makes you happy, and keeps you from accepting gifts from predators.”
Jihoon blinked. “Anything?”
Minjo blushed. “Did you think I’d judge you? You looked great. And for the record, half my stuff comes from the men’s section.”
“What?”
“Women’s clothes are marked up threefold," she huffed. "I'm not playing that game.”
Jihoon chuckled. "That’s so you. Hey, ...my old stuff’s too small now. If there’s anything you want, it’s yours. Consider it a thank you.”
She stopped, surprised, and smiled softly back.
They got back to work. Jihoon even surrendered his hidden stash, tossing it into the trash bag like a weight off his shoulders.
“I want to be there when Kyle sees you wearing my jacket,” he snickered.
“I’ll have Scrappy filming the whole thing,” Minjo winked. Then her tone softened. “I brought something else.”
She pulled a small white kit from her bag and pointed to his cheek. “Sorry about that.”
“You didn’t burn me,” Jihoon said gently. “The sun did.”
“No,” she said, unfolding the kit like a ritual. “I exposed you to it. I wasn’t thinking. You kept flinching when my glasses caught the light. I tested a hypothesis. I didn’t think it would actually hurt you. So… I, uh... brought this.”
Inside the kit: cooling paste and medical-grade concealer.
“Stuff I use on Scrappy when his shell overheats,” she added.
Jihoon blinked at the minty scent. “You use makeup on your dog?”
“He’s a robot, Jihoon. It’s thermal paste with micro-reflective shimmer. Not glitter.”
“...Oh.”
He closed his eyes. “Whatever helps. I trust you.”
He didn’t care what it was. Just that she was still here. Still helping.
He felt her presence, her warmth, but she didn’t move.
He opened his eyes. Minjo was just staring at the burn, her hand frozen mid-air.
“I don’t get it,” she murmured. “Why would the sun burn you? You’re obviously not a vampire. Even if they were real, sunlight destroying them is just Hollywood crap. So… what’s going on?”
She shook herself. “Anyway, we should get to the incinerator before the junkyard closes. Then we can shop and grab dinner.”
Jihoon nodded, still wrapped in the bedsheet. “Give me a moment to change. I’ve got a few things that still fit—
But then he froze, eyes wide, like he’d seen a ghost.
Minjo’s expression shifted. “Jihoon?”
His legs wobbled and he sank hard to the floor.
“Jihoon! What’s wrong?” She rushed over, scanning his face.
Wordlessly, he turned toward her. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Slowly, he slipped one hand out from beneath the sheet.
His fingers trembled. And in the blue overhead light, she saw it, -- a claw, black and glossy, pushing out from the tip of his finger like living obsidian.
"Indeed." Minjo set the tech down and rubbed her eyes. “I need to scan you next. Thoroughly. No gear. No shielding. Just skin. I need a clean signal to figure out what’s changing you.”
A deep flush rose in his cheeks. He’d fantasized about being naked with Minjo before—but not like this. Not stripped raw in the harsh light of clinical curiosity.
She tossed him a cotton sheet. “You can cover up. Just I need that suit off.”
Wrestling out of the haptic mesh and zipped tight tall boots was like peeling off a second skin, slow, awkward, and far too intimate.
He stood frozen for a beat, sheet clutched around him, brain still catching up to the moment.
Minjo nodded toward the couch. “Lie down. I need a full body scan.”
Wordlessly, he obeyed, collapsing onto the cushions like someone heading into surgery.
Minjo worked with brisk professionalism. Her scanner pulsed over him, flickering red and blue. She asked permission for each test, even to draw a tiny amount of blood. But her readouts stayed stubbornly blank.
At last, she sighed and flopped down. “Nothing conclusive.”
Jihoon pulled the sheet around him tighter and slid to the floor beside her. “Thanks for trying. It means a lot. You make me feel… safe.”
“What really happened at that club, Jihoon? Everything started after you took that dare from Kyle.”
He rubbed his temples. “I try to remember, but it’s like trying to hold onto smoke. There was a party. Lights. Glamour. And him, -- The King Cobra. Dr. Lucien Ginevra. He got close. I remember his scent. I remember his ...kiss.” He touched his neck.
“But the last thing I remember, vividly, was panic. Pure terror. Like I was drowning in my own skin. I didn’t care where I was, or who I passed. I just had to get out.”
Minjo tilted her head. “What do you think is happening to you?”
He ran a hand through his hair, then down his face, as if trying to erase a thought. His voice dropped to a near whisper. “...Vampire.”
Minjo laughed, until she saw his expression. Her smile faltered. “Wait. You’re serious? You think you're turning into a vampire?”
Jihoon didn’t speak, but his gaze met hers, unwavering, and again touched the side of his neck where the memory still lingered.
“Listen, Jihoon. There’s no such thing as vampires," she blushed. “This is black-market tech. Malware, biohacks, maybe a slow-burn DNA rewrite. And the clothes?” She waved toward the pile. “That designer jacket. Those cleats. The high tech gloves. Stuff you couldn’t afford. Stuff that doesn’t even look like your style. It’s alien. None of it belongs.”
“I don’t trust any of it,” she said, rising. “We need to burn every gift you’ve received since that night. The clothes. The gear. They’re all from Dr. Ginevra, right? Nothing’s free, Jihoon. Every thread comes with a hook.”
She grabbed a trash bag and began gathering items with practiced precision, like she’d already done a mental inventory.
Jihoon was quietly amazed by how well she knew what belonged to him and what didn’t.
“I’ve got some leftover scholarship money,” she said, sweeping the white bodysuit into the bag. “We’ll go shopping. Get you clothes that fit this new body. Stuff you choose. Not something someone else programmed into your closet.”
Jihoon watched, a little mournful. “Anything I want?”
“School wear first,” she deadpanned. "After that? Whatever makes you happy, and keeps you from accepting gifts from predators.”
Jihoon blinked. “Anything?”
Minjo blushed. “Did you think I’d judge you? You looked great. And for the record, half my stuff comes from the men’s section.”
“What?”
“Women’s clothes are marked up threefold," she huffed. "I'm not playing that game.”
Jihoon chuckled. "That’s so you. Hey, ...my old stuff’s too small now. If there’s anything you want, it’s yours. Consider it a thank you.”
She stopped, surprised, and smiled softly back.
They got back to work. Jihoon even surrendered his hidden stash, tossing it into the trash bag like a weight off his shoulders.
“I want to be there when Kyle sees you wearing my jacket,” he snickered.
“I’ll have Scrappy filming the whole thing,” Minjo winked. Then her tone softened. “I brought something else.”
She pulled a small white kit from her bag and pointed to his cheek. “Sorry about that.”
“You didn’t burn me,” Jihoon said gently. “The sun did.”
“No,” she said, unfolding the kit like a ritual. “I exposed you to it. I wasn’t thinking. You kept flinching when my glasses caught the light. I tested a hypothesis. I didn’t think it would actually hurt you. So… I, uh... brought this.”
Inside the kit: cooling paste and medical-grade concealer.
“Stuff I use on Scrappy when his shell overheats,” she added.
Jihoon blinked at the minty scent. “You use makeup on your dog?”
“He’s a robot, Jihoon. It’s thermal paste with micro-reflective shimmer. Not glitter.”
“...Oh.”
He closed his eyes. “Whatever helps. I trust you.”
He didn’t care what it was. Just that she was still here. Still helping.
He felt her presence, her warmth, but she didn’t move.
He opened his eyes. Minjo was just staring at the burn, her hand frozen mid-air.
“I don’t get it,” she murmured. “Why would the sun burn you? You’re obviously not a vampire. Even if they were real, sunlight destroying them is just Hollywood crap. So… what’s going on?”
She shook herself. “Anyway, we should get to the incinerator before the junkyard closes. Then we can shop and grab dinner.”
Jihoon nodded, still wrapped in the bedsheet. “Give me a moment to change. I’ve got a few things that still fit—
But then he froze, eyes wide, like he’d seen a ghost.
Minjo’s expression shifted. “Jihoon?”
His legs wobbled and he sank hard to the floor.
“Jihoon! What’s wrong?” She rushed over, scanning his face.
Wordlessly, he turned toward her. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Slowly, he slipped one hand out from beneath the sheet.
His fingers trembled. And in the blue overhead light, she saw it, -- a claw, black and glossy, pushing out from the tip of his finger like living obsidian.
“They didn’t used to grow like this,” he whispered. “At first, they’d just… be there. When I woke up. Then 3 a.m. Then midnight. And now...” He swallowed. “Now they start growing before dinner.”
Minjo stared, stunned.
“I clip them. File them. Every day,” He gave a weak laugh. “I keep thinking it’ll stop. That it’s just stress. Or some kind of gene mod, or cybernetic augment. Something explainable.”
“This is real,” she said, voice quiet but firm. “And if it’s real, there’s a rational reason for it. Your body’s mutating. That much is clear. Maybe a virus, a DNA hack. But it’s technology, Jihoon. It has to be. Not magic.”
Jihoon didn’t answer. He just stared at the claw.
“It’s not just this,” he whispered. “There’s more.”
She waited.
“I hear things. Whispers. Like… someone’s inside me. Watching. Waiting. And sometimes… the shadows move when they shouldn’t. And I hear things I shouldn’t. I can hear your heartbeat. Like when you scanned me, I heard it speeding up.”
She looked down, cheeks flushing pink.
“I thought you were afraid of me,” Jihoon said quietly.
She shook her head. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Her voice softened.
“I’m scared for you.”
She reached out slowly, letting him pull back if he needed to, but he didn’t. Her hand settled on his, warm and real and steady.
The claw twitched beneath her fingers.
“I don’t believe in vampires,” she whispered. “But I believe in you.”
Minjo stared, stunned.
“I clip them. File them. Every day,” He gave a weak laugh. “I keep thinking it’ll stop. That it’s just stress. Or some kind of gene mod, or cybernetic augment. Something explainable.”
“This is real,” she said, voice quiet but firm. “And if it’s real, there’s a rational reason for it. Your body’s mutating. That much is clear. Maybe a virus, a DNA hack. But it’s technology, Jihoon. It has to be. Not magic.”
Jihoon didn’t answer. He just stared at the claw.
“It’s not just this,” he whispered. “There’s more.”
She waited.
“I hear things. Whispers. Like… someone’s inside me. Watching. Waiting. And sometimes… the shadows move when they shouldn’t. And I hear things I shouldn’t. I can hear your heartbeat. Like when you scanned me, I heard it speeding up.”
She looked down, cheeks flushing pink.
“I thought you were afraid of me,” Jihoon said quietly.
She shook her head. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Her voice softened.
“I’m scared for you.”
She reached out slowly, letting him pull back if he needed to, but he didn’t. Her hand settled on his, warm and real and steady.
The claw twitched beneath her fingers.
“I don’t believe in vampires,” she whispered. “But I believe in you.”
Jihoon closed his eyes, drinking in the comfort.
Tomorrow, the world would cheer for Lathandro at his big baseball debut. But tonight, Jihoon showed one person the truth, and she didn't flinch.
And it's a wrap! Season Finale for Escape from Club Apophis. *throws confetti* I hope you all have enjoyed the journey. It's been intense. I have plans for season 2, but I might take a break from the main storyline for a bit.
Its summertime, and over at Androgyny Event is the perfect funwear, the Domus Day swimwear for boys and girls. It and there a free gift water shooter too to spray your friends with. It will turn our swimwear from dry to wet. You can also touch the outfit to change it manually. I love the sporty stripes on the top and bottom too. (It's perfect for the sporty theme Jihoon.). ...Over at the Sabbath Event, is the Bunnytauris Shirt by YUEBIN. This is another great interactive item with 3 stages of dress. I love the little detail of the bunny buttons! The flatpack comes with a large selection of colors. The shirt comes with fits for Belleza Jake, Ebody Reborn and V-tech Waifu mod, Legacy Female perky V-tech, and Legacy male Athletic. (NOTE: To fit the cyberpunk theme, I added a bit a latex like shine to the shirt in the edit menu) ...Also from Androgyny Event are the avant guard Pantheon Piercings. They come in one piece, or left and right versions, plus a center lip long piercing too. Textures are PBR and non PBR. ...In the picture below, you can see the Cult Dagny boots. it comes with fits for Kupra, Legacy Athletic male and female, Maitreya and Lara X. Includes a texture hud. ...Minjo is wearing Tri-Lens DUV goggles by S I G N A. The goggles come in 6 colors, and they are mod so you can resize and move them around. ...From KORPOV is the cute Exo Girl for Legacy, Lara X, reborn. It has fun cat head power pack in the back. The mecha boots are built in too, perfect for the girl gear heads. ...Over on Minjo, she is wearing the beautiful male skin Hajimu by MUDSKIN now available at The Arcade. It's gacha, so only 75L a pull! This color, PEACH, was prefect for her, and with darker lips, its like she dressed up pretty for Jihoon. How cute. The skin being male actually works for her because she is a bit a tomboy. The gahca includes bandaid and face scar drops. The Moon skintone will be perfect for Jihoon. The Arcade has returned to its original style. Just play the gacha, try to win, and you can trade your earnings with others because they are transfer once more again. I recommend you have a budget in mind before you go, so you don't overspend. Good luck and have fun!
On him, Jihoon:
Swimwear: Domus Dae Pantie {Legacy At} [mesh](Androgyny Event)()
Shirt: YUEBIN Bunnytauris Shirt (Legacy Athletic) [mesh](Sabbath Event)
Piercing: Nefekalum Pantheon Piercing PBR // Add [mesh](Androgyny Event)(199L)
Boots: CULT Dagny, Legacy Athletic Male [mesh](Androgyny Event)(369L)
Claws: Slay Plague Claws, Legacy Male/Athletic [mesh](Androgyny Event)(275L)
Shine: +ARANA+ Bios Suit&Face+Lines BOM 3D Materials Shines [BOM, Applier](499L)
Hair: Exile Rory [mesh](390L)
Stockings: ISON black leather thigh highs [BOM]
Bodysuit: CURELESS[+] Incubus&Succubus, Diabolus Bodysuit, white [BOM](249L)
Collar: Cruel Sulfur Gorget, Legacy M [mesh](100L)
Head skin: outernaked Soo skin, EvoX, pale, wb [BOM]
Eyes: Poetic Colors Jaded Eyes - Jade [mesh](150L)
Head, piercings: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)
Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)
Pose: Animosity M-210-7 (Mirror) (with Firestorm edits)
On her, Minjo:
Goggles: S I G N A Tri-Lens DUV [mesh](500L)
Skin: MUDSKIN Hajimu - A - Nobrow - PEACH (gacha)(The Arcade)(75L)
Outfit: KORPOV Exo Girl black [mesh](299L)
Hair: Wasabi Pills Cleo Mesh Hair [mesh]
Glasses: GRAAL STORE Elion Glasses [mesh](249L)
Bodysuit: +ARANA+ Bios Suit&Face+Lines BOM 3D Materials Shines [BOM, Applier](499L)
Head: LeLUTKA CAMILA [mesh](3990L)
Body mod: Maitreya Mesh Body - LaraX FlatChest Add-on [mesh](499L)
Body mod: Maitreya Mesh Body - LaraX FlatChest Add-on [mesh](499L)
Pose: (Firestorm edits)
Setting:
Skybox: EDERIGON Resident V Apartment [mesh]
BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky.
