Showing posts with label YUEBIN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YUEBIN. Show all posts

Saturday, July 25, 2026

Midnight Order: Maximilian Spyder (Escape from Club Apophis, 51)

(click to enlarge)


STORYLINE: "We are reporting live from the edge of the Forbidden Zone!"

The frantic voice crackled from a holographic tablet resting on the steel desk, its audio ragged with static and barely cutting through the deafening thrum vibrating from outside.

From the quiet dark of the Okinawa command bunker, Maximilian Spyder watched the glitching archive footage. His long, pale fingers danced over the tablet's controls while his other hand idly twirled a black king chess piece. He was an ancient Briton warlord surviving in a cybernetic age. In stark contrast to his jet-black hair, his skin was the color of bleached bone. But it was his eyes that truly betrayed his terrifying power: solid, pitch-black voids of a supreme apex predator. Where his eternal rival’s eyes burned with gold, Maximilian’s shone with a cold, merciless crimson.

Behind him, torrential rain battered the reinforced glass, each drop a tiny, violent percussion against the sweating steel walls. The storm was merely a backdrop to the mechanized empire mobilizing for war on the tarmac below. Matte-black stealth hover-copters whipped the heavy, ozone-scented air into a wall of sound. Beneath them, thousands of vampire soldiers marched with machine-like precision. They wore high-tech, interlocking tactical armor and carried silver-alloy rifles equipped with UV-laser sights that sliced through the deluge like thin, blood-red wires.

Stark white UN insignias gleamed on the sides of the massive transports. They were no longer monsters lurking in the shadows. They were a supernatural superpower: authorized, weaponized, and preparing to strike.

A heavy transport shuddered the ceiling overhead. Maximilian didn't blink. His focus remained locked on the tablet as the reporter's face, framed by the rusted, towering gates of the Forbidden Zone, filled the screen.

"It’s not radioactive! There are no biohazards!" Lisa Liemawr’s scream tore over the ambient roar of the engines. "That’s right, folks, it’s all a government lie! What’s really inside the Zone is monsters! The government has a pact with them! Our boy, Yoon Jihoon, he’s the first person to escape that place alive, and they set him on fire for it!"

The camera panned over a crowd of terrified students, eventually zooming in on a dossier image of Yoon Jihoon. A second later, the feed cut to the final, horrifying footage: a human-sized inferno blazing across a college baseball field.

Maximilian stopped twirling the chess piece.

"Excuse me, Sir," a high-ranking officer interrupted, his combat boots clicking sharply as he stepped into the dark bunker. "Incoming Deep-Net encrypted call. It appears to be from Mother Superior."

Maximilian’s red irises flared slightly, the title echoing like a ghost from another decade. "Are the credentials legitimate?"

"The security certificate is out of date, but yes. It's an authentic ping from the Neu Seoul network." The officer handed over a heavy, secure halophone and immediately stepped back, lowering his eyes.

Maximilian laid the device flat on the tactical table and pressed accept.

The air above the projector shimmered, smelling faintly of scorched copper. A classified, military-grade VR link established itself, weaving a flawless, table-top hologram into the dimly lit bunker. The figure that materialized was not the visionary engineer Maximilian expected. It was a blonde woman clad in the austere, symbol-laden habit of a nun. Her digital avatar blinked, adjusting to the simulated rain hammering the bunker and the sharp chemical scent of jet fuel drifting through the ventilation.

"Who are you?" Maximilian’s voice was a low, authoritative rumble that seemed to vibrate in the very floorboards. "And how did you get this line of communication?"

"I’m taking a massive risk contacting you," the woman replied. Her digital form stabilized, and she lowered her hood to reveal a cold, deeply exhausted face. "My name is Paine. Acting Mother Superior of the Children of Apophis."

Maximilian planted his knuckles on the heavy-duty tactical table and leaned forward. "And why is Lucien Ginerva’s most loyal disciple calling his archenemy?"

The hologram flickered as Paine bristled. "For two years, I believed my predecessor, Sophia, was merely in hiding. Tonight, I received confirmation her body has been found."

Paine’s digital avatar shuddered slightly, her rigid posture failing for a fraction of a second.

"She left a contingency packet with strict instructions to open it only if her death was confirmed. I broke the seal an hour ago." She swallowed. "Its contents included her secret contacts and far more than I ever wanted to know."

Maximilian murmured, the sound blending with the thunder outside. "Yes, I have not heard from her in some time. I assumed the worst."

"So it’s true, then. She was working for you. A traitor and a heretic," she sneered.

"Hmm," Maximilian offered a terrifyingly polite smile. "I imagine she contacted me for the exact same reason you are now."

Paine ground her teeth. "Make no mistake, I am not your ally. What I want, what we, the Children of Apophis, want, is to restore the Old Ways."

Maximilian let out a short, hollow chuckle. He picked up a crystal goblet of synthetic blood from the desk, swirling the thick, scarlet liquid slowly.

"I’m aware you run Lucien’s scam plastic surgery clinic," he said, his tone entirely unbothered. "Something extraordinary must have happened for you to turn on a master you've served for decades. But first, enlighten me. What exactly do you mean by the Old Ways?"

"The natural order," Paine said, her voice dropping into a fanatic's mesmerizing cadence. "All things must die."

Maximilian raised an eyebrow, his gaze dragging over the intricate embroidered symbols on her habit. "So you worship Apophis not as a God, but as the symbol of death?"

"Neither. Apophis is a force of nature," Paine corrected sharply. "Entropy. The physical direction of time itself. Order to disorder. There are too many undead walking the Earth, defying the arrow of time." She pointed a trembling digital finger at him. "How old, exactly, are you?"

Maximilian smiled, allowing a single, razor-sharp fang to peek over his lower lip. "An amusing irony, Sister. You worship decay, yet you serve the oldest, most vain creature of our kind, a man obsessed with erasing the very signs of decay you revere. You don't practice your religion very well."

"Apparently, neither did MasterGin," Paine fired back, stepping so close to the edge of her holographic boundary that the projection crackled at its edges. "He tricked us. Betrayed his own creed. He doesn't want to feed Apophis to honor the universe. Sophia warned me, but I didn't believe her."

She paused, her hands pressing flat against her habit.

"MasterGin wants to use Apophis, the only God capable of killing other Gods, to murder one for him. He wants to slay his creator."

Maximilian went entirely still. The scarlet liquid in his goblet stopped swirling. He set the crystal glass down with a slow, deliberate click that cut through the baseline hum of the bunker.

"Lucien wants to slay the Pharaoh?" Maximilian’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "A bold delusion, even for him. How does a fraud plastic surgeon intend to shackle a cosmic force?"

Paine took a sharp, jagged breath, her eyes darting to the tactical maps on his desk. "He spent centuries engineering the infrastructure." She stopped, her jaw working. "Apophis cannot be tamed by worship alone. So he changed the parameters. If the god will not obey him, he will trap it in something that will."

Maximilian glanced at the peripheral glow of his tablet, where the muted footage of the university students continued to loop. His eyes locked onto the frozen frame of Yoon Jihoon. He tapped the glass directly over the boy's face.

"The boy who escaped the Forbidden Zone,” Maximilian murmured, completing the equation. He looked at Paine. "He is building a vessel."

"Yes," Paine whispered, the confession leaving her sounding entirely hollow. "The Opening of the Mouth ceremony is tomorrow. If he succeeds, he controls the weapon that ends the Ruler. And that’s only the start. He intends to remake the world in his design, with power I doubt he can control. The consequences are too horrible to fathom."

"Indeed," Maximilian said softly. He leaned back, letting the silence stretch between them until the weight of it became a weapon.

A sheet of rain lashing across the reinforced window swallowed the tarmac armada in a blanket of grey. Paine looked past him, taking in the silhouettes of the stealth transports and the sheer scale of the mobilization.

"Can you stop them?" she asked, the desperation finally bleeding through her rigid exterior. "Can you take them out?"

Maximilian did not answer immediately. He reached beneath his heavy tactical collar and pulled out a thick silver chain. Hanging from the center was a single, yellowed human canine tooth. He laid it flat on the illuminated tactical map, the ancient bone stark against the glowing blue topography of Neu Seoul.

"With this tooth, I purchased sovereignty for the Vampire Nation."

For a heartbeat, the red in Maximilian's eyes disappeared, leaving only two endless black wells staring back at her. Lightning violently strobed outside, flashing his pale face in stark white relief.

"Berlin, 1945. The Allies were so desperate, they forged an alliance with creatures that eat them."

"Wait a minute." Paine’s holographic eyes grew wide as she stared at the relic. "Are you suggesting that tooth is...?"

"Yes." Maximilian tucked the necklace back beneath his armor, hiding history away. "We can make many things that should be dead, die, possibly even Lucien Ginerva. However, the Ruler is beyond our capabilities. He is too old and too powerful."

"So this conversation is pointless. I shouldn’t have called." Paine moved her hand toward her console to sever the connection.

"Not necessarily," Maximilian said, his voice smooth and absolute. "Unlike my opponent in Neu Seoul, I believe in evolving with humanity, instead of enslaving it. Our purpose is the Rule of Law. Capture, convict, and if found guilty, imprison. Surely that should make me worthy of a little more time to see this great work through to the end."

Paine held his crimson gaze for a long moment. Whatever calculation she was running showed in the tight line of her mouth. Finally, she reached into her pocket. She held out her hand, and a glowing, holographic data chip materialized in the air between them, instantly transferring its encrypted payload to Maximilian’s terminal.

"The barrier override codes," Paine said.

Maximilian smiled, a genuine expression of respect. "You’ve done the right thing. Thank you for this intel. My people will ensure you and your loyalists are protected in the fallout."

"The boy, Yoon Jihoon, and his university friends too," she quickly added, her voice tightening with newfound panic. "Or no deal."

Maximilian stood up. He pulled the image of Yoon Jihoon back to the center of the display, studying the boy's face with cold, clinical detachment.

Paine went rigid, her projection pixelating for a moment when the silence dragged on. She had already given him the access codes; the leverage was gone. "Did you hear me? I said the students must be safely extracted."

Maximilian ignored the demand entirely, keeping his back to her. Somewhere in the bunker, a cooling unit cycled on, pushing cold air across the room.

Behind him, the heavy steel door of the bunker hissed open. A communications officer stepped in, his face pale under his tactical visor, holding a secure datapad. "Excuse me, Sir. The President of the United States is on the line. The US abstaining vote is now a yes. The resolution has passed."

Paine blinked, her avatar glitching violently in shock. "The US President? No, that is impossible. He’s one of the clinic’s primary benefactors. Why is he talking to you?”

Maximilian’s smile widened into something truly wolfish as he finally turned around. He picked up his tablet and cycled the authorization screens with clinical precision.

"Lucien Ginerva is a theatrical idiot," Maximilian said softly. "He actually thought he could threaten to melt the face off a sitting US President during the State of the Union address and not expect consequences."

He turned the tablet so Paine could read the flashing red authorization codes.

"Washington just signed the resolution," Maximilian stated, his voice ringing with the cold clarity of a funeral bell. "The United Nations has officially authorized us to violate Neu Seoul’s airspace. Monstrum's sovereign immunity on the Korean peninsula is revoked."

"But the clinic," Paine whispered, her digital form trembling as the reality of her complete ruin set in. "The children. What happens to the rest of us when your troops breach the barrier?"

Maximilian stepped aside, granting her an unobstructed view of the massive military armada spooling up their engines through the glass. He reached down, his pale fingers closing around the black king on the chessboard, and casually flicked it off the table. It clattered loudly onto the metal floor.

"Thank you for your report, Mother Superior," Maximilian said. His tone carried no malice, only the absolute, chilling certainty of a general who had already won the war. "Have a good death... when your time comes."

Before Paine could utter another word, Maximilian severed the connection. The hologram collapsed into a shower of blue sparks. He turned his back on the empty space and walked out into the pouring rain without a coat or umbrella.

Outside, thousands of Night Troops snapped to attention. Every head turned to follow him. Every soldier stood perfectly still in the downpour. The hover-copters continued roaring above, their searchlights cutting through the dark. Cold rain sheeted off his shoulders. He raised one hand, and thousands moved simultaneously.


After a long hiatus from the blog, Maximilian Spyder returns in killer drip!   From Midnight Order is the Sovereign's Grace Rapier & Spite by FOE. Each sword comes with an unrigged scabbard and animations you can trigger by touching it. Draw, sheath, and various poses.  They both have texture huds to change the the different textures on each zone.   ...From Krova is the Devil Mask. It's unrigged and mod so you can adjust it for the perfect fit. It comes with a texture hud.   ...Matching the Oni style is the Kyouran pant set by Yuebin. The fatpack comes with texture hud with solid colors and Japanese fabric options. I used the Spider Lilly for Max.   ...For Military style, I used Yuebin's Echo of a Dream jacket and top. You can wear either, or both together. It comes with a texture hud.   ...From Oracle is the Sovereign Jacket and Cap. The cap is unrigged and mod so you can adjust it. The coat comes as an attachment or animesh attachment. Attachment has pose to keep the arms down. The animesh version has bonus arms down poses. It comes with a texture hud.  ...I couldn't resist using the XTX Arana tattoos when I spotted them recently. They are Bom with several opacity options.   ...And rounding out Max's look are the Sintiklia Axel hair, combined with the wet look for Argrace's Chizuru. Demon red and black eyes by Gloom. Coconut's intense Dong face texture. And Laura's black sheer bodystocking I use so much.   ...Stay tuned for more shocking reveals as Escape from Club Apophis races to the finale.

On him, Maximilian Spyder:
Mask: KROVA - DEVIL Mask [mesh](Midnight Order)(225L)
Swords: FOE - Sovereign's Grace Rapier & Spite [mesh](Midnight Order)(1299L)
Jacket, top: YUEBIN - Echo of a Dream, jacket, top,  LegacyA, megapack [mesh](1290L)
Pants: YUEBIN - Kyouran Set, LegacyA, fatpack [mesh](1290L)
Jacket, cap: Oracle - Sovereign Jacket, Sovereign Cap, male [mesh]( L)
Boots: L&B - Swear Havoc Ops Boots, LegacyM, Black [mesh](499L)
Claws: L'Emporio&PL - Oblio Vampire Claws male [mesh](350L)
Hair: Sintiklia - Hair Axel Rigged M [mesh]( L)
Hair: ARGRACE - CHIZURU_II / men [mesh]( L)
Bodysuit: Bas de Laura Store Laura's Black Sheer Bodystocking with Long Sleeves [BOM](150L)
Skin: coconut - Dong Skin / Winter Tone / EVO X [BOM]( L)
Tattoo: XTX - Arana Tattoo - 60% [BOM]( L)
Head: LeLUTKA - RUNE [mesh](3990L)
Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)
Pose: Diesel Works - Baasha2

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky :





Sunday, June 21, 2026

Cyber Fair / Salvage Station: Happy Birthday (Escape from Club Apophis, 46)

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE:

"I'm sorry, Jihoon." 

Kyle's voice drifted through the darkness. "I never thought..."

Static swallowed the rest.

Still imprisoned within his own flesh, Jihoon lay motionless on the opulent bed of MasterGin's private residence. Kyle sat beside him, whispering a stumbling stream of apologies.

The sound made Jihoon's fractured consciousness glitch.

Then another voice cut through the static.

Kyle. Younger. Meaner.

“Get in there, you wuss!”

This moment. It was the one that changed his life. The reason he was barely alive.

He was hovering at the rusted iron edge of the Forbidden Zone. 

Then came the brutal, bruising shove to his spine into the Zone.

The city sounds bled away first. Traffic. Sirens. The electric thrum of Neu Seoul. One step past the rusted warning signs and all of it vanished.

The silence beyond the boundary felt toxic. It was not empty. It was waiting, holding its breath in the dark.

Jihoon scrambled backward, but Kyle already blocked the path. He stood with arms crossed, his heavy boots firmly planted on the safe asphalt.

“No more running away. You get your sorry ass to the center of the Zone and spend the night. Be a man for once!”

Deep within the ruin, a shadow slithered through the neon-tinted smog. Somewhere ahead, an old neon sign swung in a gust of wind. Its broken support chain rattled rapidly against the pole.

Chk-chk-chk-chk.

The sound bounced between the empty buildings.

Jihoon couldn't shake the feeling that something was warning him away. A violent shiver rattled his teeth.

“Come on, man. Let me out! This place is dangerous!” He rubbed his arms.

Kyle shook his head. "If you don't stay until dawn, I send this straight to Minjo." Kyle raised his halophone, the screen glowing with a cruel picture snapped from inside the boy’s locker room.

Hot shame flooded Jihoon's chest, burning the back of his throat. “But this place is toxic. It's an irradiated dead zone.”

“Bullshit,” Kyle huffed. “Bring me a coaster from that ruined club at the center. Prove you didn't just hide in the bushes.”

Jihoon lunged for the exit. Kyle barely flinched, shoving him backward into the dirt with a single, effortless strike. Jihoon’s bookish frame was no match for a security guard.

“You’ve got no dad in your life. So I’m gonna do it. I’m tired of watching you want to talk to Minjo and chickening out. Every day. The same god damned thing. Do it, and I’ll sweeten the deal. I'll give you 100,000 Won to finally take Minjo out for dinner.”

Jihoon turned around to look once more. Was it so bad? No one was here. And that’s a lot of money. Money he didn’t have.

“I don’t like this.”

“I don’t care. Do it.”

Jihoon walked carefully forward, watching for signs of danger.

Unseen things scuttled in the dark. Glowing eyes blinked from the shadows.

Then static.

Chk-chk-chk-chk.

Night had fallen. He was deeper inside the Zone.

In the distance, he heard a faint, deep throbbing beat.

Were there people living inside The Zone? Was that the nightclub?

He picked up his speed and raced towards it.

If nothing else, it was a safe place to spend the night.

Glitch.

Club Apophis rose above him like an Ancient Egyptian temple, pristine, sleek. But instead of being made of sandstone, it was obsidian with decorative elements of gold and pulsing lights.

He pushed the heavy doors open.

Every conversation died at once. Glasses froze halfway to painted lips. Laughter evaporated. A thousand perfect faces turned toward him. Watching. Waiting. Hungry.

He blinked. It was dark inside, hard to see.

“Umm… Uh.. Hello?”

He saw it then for the first time, a gigantic shadowy serpent.

It should have been a projection. A decorative effect. Ancient Egypt meets the cybernetic world.

It was looking right at him.

Its jaws parted slightly. Well, …as much as a snake could smile.

Yet Jihoon could have sworn the serpent recognized him.

He was hypnotized by its gaze, undulating code shimmering down its mighty coils. He wasn’t sure how long he stood staring at it before a tall blonde woman shoved him outside.

"Run."

Jihoon shook off the gaze of the serpent and looked at her. “What?”

"Run." She glanced toward the serpent. Fear flashed across her face. "Before it notices."

“Nonsense.” The most beautiful woman he had ever seen slid between them with grace of a ballet dancer. She shone in the dark, like a disco ball in a sparkling mini dress of small platinum plates. “The guest of honor just arrived. Do make yourself useful, darling, and serve the guests drinks.”

The dazzling lady hooked her arm around Jihoon’s, and waved the angry blonde away. Her smile arrived slowly. Like a knife being drawn from velvet.

This woman, so beautiful, was paying attention to him? 
He looked around to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. 

She laughed a deep throaty chuckle. Her smile made him feel like his legs would give out from under him. “Welcome to Club Apophis,” she purred like liquid velvet, guiding him inside. ”I’m the proprietor of this deliciously wicked establishment. You may call me MasterGin," she added, punctuating the statement with a playful wink of her long flirty eyelashes. “Now then, dear boy. What's your name? And what delicious bad decision brought you to my door tonight?"

Jihoon stared at her like a deer in headlights. Had she just hit on him? Was this some kind of high end brothel? Was that what Kyle meant by, “become a man?”

“Don’t keep me waiting, Dear Boy. You wouldn’t like me when I get hungry.”

He looked back at her, a sting rising in his cheeks. 

Wait.

That voice was too deep for a lady.

“Oh! Uh… Yoon,” he stuttered. “Yoon Jihoon.”

The smile fell off MasterGin’s face. He quickly guided them to a dark corner and whispered. “Do not tell anyone inside that name.” He pressed his long black fingernail against Jihoon's lips. “Your name is… Lathandro.”

The name struck somewhere deep inside him. Not familiar. Strange. Yet not entirely new.

MasterGin pulled back, and snapped his fingers.

A waiter in a sharp suit ran out with a silver serving tray. He presented Jihoon with a green glowing drink in an elaborate crystal carved glass. The ice cubes inside it glowed cyan and rolling fog fell down its sides.

“Happy Birthday, Lathandro,” MasterGin purred.

“Wait, what? How did you know it’s my birthday?”

MasterGin laughed, waving his elegant hand. “Drink first, talk later.”

The liquid tasted like lime, mint, raw electricity, and something he couldn't name. It fizzed all the way to his fingertips, then reverberated through his body like a struck bell.

The room tilted.

He looked up.

The club appeared different. 

He blinked. And rubbed his eyes. 

“Have Another!”

Glitch.

He was stumbling on his own feet. His legs too long. He was seeing over the top of other people.

Static.

Laughter.

A skipped frame.

Someone placing a crown on his head.

Glitch.  

A waiter handed him another glowing green drink.

“Why do you keep bringing me these? Why am I the only one drinking?”

His clothes had changed. He had no idea how. He was wearing tight black latex, but that couldn’t be his body. He didn’t have muscles like that. But he could feel it against his skin. Hear the way it squeaked.

Visual tear.

The floor swayed beneath him like the deck of a ship.

“Gotta pee. Gotta pee.”

He stumbled down a hallway, steadying himself with hands on the walls. But the texture of the walls changed. It felt like scales, like a massive snake was wrapping its thick coils around him.

Static.

Two girls were pulling each other’s hair. Fighting. “No! I get to dance with Lathandro!”

Skipped frame.

Girls on either side of him. His lap occupied. The room spinning.

Glitch.

Silver hair.

Icy blue eyes above him.

A smile full of broken glass.

White noise. 

Kissing on his neck.

A sharp pain. Warmth spreading downward. Then nothing.

Static.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he appeared in the VIP room. It was bright and white, unlike the dark interior of the club. There were balloons, and a sign that read Happy Birthday.

Opened gifts were scattered everywhere. Robots and toys. Everything he wanted but he could never have. Even the ridable Mecha Shark he wanted as a kid was there. It was better than waking up Christmas morning and finding a gift under the halo-tree.

Nobody had ever thrown him a birthday party before. 
The date of his birth was something to hide. 

For a moment, he forgot to be afraid.

“Jihoon” a small whisper behind his ear.

The voice arrived like sunlight through deep water. Soft. Familiar. Impossible.

Every hair on his body stood up.

“Flee this place immediately. It’s not too late. Go into the daylight.”

Jihoon’s mind was fuzzy. But that voice. He knew that voice.

“Mom?”

He blinked and spun around. “Mom?”

There was no one else in the room. He raced outside.

“Mom!"

A man nearby laughed, “Birthday boy wants his mommy.”

“Shut up! I know my mother’s voice, asshole. Have you seen her? She looks like me, about this tall. Yoon Sophia. She’s a mechanical engineer. Have you seen her?”

“Yeah, I know Sophia. But she disappeared two years ago.”

The tall blonde pushed through the crowd. For the first time all evening, genuine fear crossed her face. “Did you just say Sophia?”

The memory shattered.  

Outside the void, Kyle was still apologizing.






On him, Jihoon / Lathandro:
Jacket: YUEBIN - Dead Romance, Jacket, LegacyA, fatpack [mesh](Salvage Station)(1290L)
Collar: YUEBIN - Dead Romance,  Collar, LegacyA, fatpack [mesh](Salvage Station)(890L)
Pants: Muho - Neon, Pants, 3, LegacyM [mesh](CyberFair)(189L)
Shoes: SEKA's - E-Drop Boot, Legacy M, fatpack [mesh](CyberFair)(999L)
Hair: Exile Rory [mesh](390L)
Shine: ABYSSAL - Justice Cybertech With 3d Shine [applier][BOM](499L)

Skin: outernaked - #evox - juhoon skin [NF: natural] - nb [BOM]

Head, bloody tattoos: LeLUTKA - Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)
Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Setting:
Lettering: NI.JU - 3D Text & Retail Signage Pack - Distressed (Salvage Station)(240L)
Furniture, Room: Erfe & Design - Arog Livingroom Set, PG [mesh](CyberFair)(2,790L)
Shark: Moon Rabbit - MR~CYBER SHARK, shards [mesh](CyberFair)(500L)
Robot: Bee Designs Byte Buddies 08, gacha [mesh](CyberFair)(59L)
Arcade Game: Gecko Games[GG] Whack a Gecko [mesh](CyberFair)(699L)
Robot: BONDI - MEOW BOT . Bubblegum [mesh](CyberFair)(245L)
Robot: HANII - Cyber Rich, CYBER CAT #RARE 2, gacha [mesh](CyberFair)(99L)
Planter: Cerridwen's Cauldron - [CC] SciFi Deluxe Planters [mesh](CyberFair)(649L)
Balloons: Apple Fall - Balloons - Pink & Gold [mesh]

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky:

 





Friday, June 19, 2026

Cyber Fair: A Voice in the Dark (Escape from Club Apophis, 45)


(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE:

Mission objective: Escape Club Apophis

Team: Jihoon / Lathandro
Location: The dreamscape in Jihoon’s mind


The void was a muffled, liquid grey. Gone were the familiar dreamscapes. It was like the void was constructing itself, trying to create an imposing building of obsidian but running out of instructions halfway through.

Outside, miles away, the real world hummed with frequencies he could barely grasp. The air of the real world tasted of clove smoke and static. He heard the rhythmic, heavy breathing of Kyle, standing guard. 

He focused on Kyle's breathing. Tried to reach toward it.

“Kyle,” his mind whispered. “I’m so cold.”

Kyle's breathing stopped. Just for a second.

The glass door swished open. He felt the bed give way as Kyle sat beside him. A blanket was pulled over him. It was warm and heavy. It smelled of earth and smoke, unmistakably Kyle.

Coincidence? Or had Kyle actually heard him?

He reached out with his mind again. “I’m hungry. So hungry.”

He heard something new. It sounded as if it were coming through a thick pane of soundproof glass. A mechanical hum, high-pitched and familiar. A reporter bot powering on.

Then Lisa Liemawr’s voice, sharp and suspicious: "Jihoon?"

A voice replied as “Jihoon.” But that wasn’t him, and that wasn’t his voice.

Jihoon went still in the void.

What’s happening out there?

He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt like lead slabs. He tried to scream, but his lungs were filled with nothing but static. He was a prisoner in his own skin.

"Little Bookworm," a voice purred from the darkness. "Still wanting someone to save you? Pathetic."

Jihoon turned in the void. Lathandro was there, flickering like a holographic projection, looking utterly bored. He leaned against a glitching street light, looking like a male model in sleek latex from Monstrum Magazine. He sneered at his other half as he spun a digital dagger between his fingers.

"Leave me alone," Jihoon thought, his voice echoing in the hollow silence.

"I'll save you," Lathandro chuckled, a sound like glass breaking on silk. His dagger launched at Jihoon's head with deadly accuracy.

Jihoon held up a hand.

The dagger slammed into an invisible barrier. Violet lightning forked around Jihoon, spreading out from the point of impact. The blade melted and dripped from the barrier, sizzling as it struck the ground.

“You think I’m impressed?" Lathandro spat. "You think the richest blood was a gift? It's a trap. You sold yourself for power. The Ruler owns you now. You cannot disobey your master.”

Jihoon laughed softly. “You’re no better than me. I know your secret. I remember it all now. You only exist because you submitted to MasterGin. While I am what escaped before he could finish.”

A beat of silence. Lathandro's holographic form glitched for a second.

“So what. You’re still terrified. Admit it. The Opening of the Mouth is tomorrow."

“Stupid name. Like something a quack dentist would call an appointment.”

Lathandro leaned against the street light. The corner of his mouth curled upward. “On that point we agree."

“Progress. I’ll take it.”

The darkness softened around him. The void became something briefly familiar, Jihoon’s apartment. Scrappy 2’s ears perked up and his tail began to wag, before it disappeared again.

Jihoon smiled lightly, and looked toward the faint light in the distance of the "outside." He thought of the lecture halls at Jae Won. He thought of Minjo, the way she looked when she laughed, a memory so mundane and warm it felt like a holy relic compared to this surreal neon-lit hell.

"I just wanted to graduate," Jihoon whispered to the void. "I want to be... me."

“You died, idiot.” Lathandro’s voice dripped with mockery. “How many times do I need to say it? You can’t go back to hiding in a library, especially now that your body holds the blood of the most powerful vampire who ever lived. Honestly, I don’t know how we are the same person. You’re so stupid.”

"Easy for you to say."

"Because I'm the part of us that admits what we wanted."

Jihoon felt a sudden, sharp ache in his chest.

The dreamscape cracked open.

For a moment, the grey void vanished.

Throbbing music. Pulsing cyan lights. Perfume. Smoke. Laughter.

Club Apophis.

A thousand beautiful strangers turned toward him at once, wishing him a happy birthday.

The Lost one. The Chosen One. Prince. The words echoed through his memory.

MasterGin's hand on his shoulder. Warm. Proud. Possessive. The faint scent of clove and expensive cologne.

"What do you want for your birthday, dear boy?"

The answer came from both of them at the same time.

“I don't want to be small anymore." 

And also, “I want to be like you."

Both boys looked at each other.

Jihoon blinked. "Which was it?"

"Both?” Lathandro shrugged.

The memory shattered.

Fragments rained between them like a broken mirror, clinking like tiny bells.

Jihoon saw his face in the fragments, one side was his old nerdy self and other side the photogenic Lathandro.

"I was drunk," Jihoon blurted. "Drunk out of my mind. God knows what was in those glowing green drinks they kept feeding me.”

Lathandro laughed softly. "Cosmic Snake piss probably.”

Jihoon cringed.

Lathandro looked at him. For once, he was the one who looked sad. "Why did you run? Why did you flee Club Apophis?”

Jihoon took a moment to collect his thoughts before he replied. “Beauty. Thrills. Power. They're fun for a while. But when everything falls apart, you don't remember the parties. You remember who stayed."

“You mean love?" Lathandro laughed bitterly. "That's rich coming from you. You think only human love counts? You’re a monster too. At least I haven’t forgotten who is dragging us back from the grave.”

The boys sat silently, pondering it all.

“I wonder…,” Jihoon said quietly. “What happens if the ceremony fails?”

"It won’t.” Lathandro folded his arms confidently. “We will awaken, and the Age of Apophis will begin."

Jihoon's head jerked up. "What? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t look at me with those sad, confused puppy dog eyes. Isn't it obvious?" Lathandro leaned in, his face inches from Jihoon’s, his eyes burning with a dark, predatory fervor. “I’m gonna kill the Ruler of the Night.”

The void cracked.

A hairline fracture spreading across the grey like glass under pressure.

Then it sealed itself.

Jihoon stared as his thoughts scattered, leaving something deep and unnameable to stir inside him.

Lathandro grinned, a smile that was beautiful and entirely wrong. “Don’t look so shocked. The old order is failing. Look around. Monstrum is the last dying breath of an ancient tyrant’s attempt to hold onto power. He can barely understand our technologic world. When we wake up, everything The Ruler built is going to collapse. Everything he owns is going to be ours. Don't get in the way, Bookworm.”

Jihoon tried to look away, but Lathandro gripped his chin, forcing him to witness the ambition burning in his own reflection. He watched his own pupils dilate with something he didn't want to name.

Jihoon closed his eyes.

Outside, Kyle's breathing was steady.

He held onto that.



Cyber Fair has two shopping days left. If you haven't visited yet, head over this weekend.    ....At long last, Lathandro makes his debut in the year long series. His look is inspired by items at Cyber Fair, snakes, and a fractured personality.   ....From Abyssal is the wonderful Protocol catsuit for men with fantastic textures in PBR and Legacy. The flatpack includes all texture choices, for adjusting the all the material zones on the suit. Matching gear include the Protocol gloves and boots with the same texture options.  And there is a version of this suit for women too.   ...From Excy is a fun cyber hairclip. Is its receiving signals from the net or jacking the wearer into the Hive? Who knows. There are several texture options to choose from. It's unrigged for easy placement.   ...From TRK are the epic Dawnbringer Canon and Halo. I love the cartoon outline on the canons. You can resize them by touching for a popup menu, and use the texture hud to change the textures. Note: the Cannons do not have weapon scripts in them.  ....From Yuebin is the Fallen Saint leather jacket, drapped seductively from one shoulder, available at Lewd Station. (Meanwhile the normal fit version is at the Salvage Station, Dead Romance.) Both versions of the jacket come with a hud to switch out the textures.   ...From Zeroichi is the Crimson Watch Backdrop. You get a copy or mod version of the set. I used the mod version for this image, since I like to control the lighting.


On him, Lathandro:

Outfit: ABYSSAL - PROTOCOL gloves, catsuit, boots, Legacy M, fatpack [mesh](CyberFair)(2777L)

Hair Clip: Excy - X Clip - X-Metric [mesh](CyberFair)(219L)

Canons: TRK - Dawnbringer Canons [v2] [mesh](CyberFair)(499L)

Halo: TRK - Dawnbringer Halo [mesh](CyberFair)(499L)

Jacket: YUEBIN - Fallen Saint Jacket - [Legacy (m) + Ath] [mesh]

Hair: Aii - Necromantic Hair, HAIR HELL [mesh]

Pet: AxisMundi - SerpentHagoromo-BShort-LARGE [animesh]

Body snakes: HEIKE - Viper's Embrace -Arms, Legs(Legacy M) [mesh]

Claws: Static - Hexxus Symbiote {Black} Legacy M [mesh]

Skin: outernaked - #evox - juhoon skin [NF: natural] - wb

Head, bloody tattoos: LeLUTKA - Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)
Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Setting:
Setting: ZEROICHI - Crimson Watch Backdrop, mod [mesh](CyberFair)(560L)

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky:

 




Thursday, September 18, 2025

CyberFair, Androgyny Event: Game Night (Escape from Club Apophis, 17)



STORYLINE: At Echo’s place, Game Night had always been holy. The walls sweated with posters from forgotten animes, cartridges stacked like reliquaries. A broken CRT flickered in the corner, its light gleaming against the glossy spines of VR headsets charging on the floor. Old consoles slept under tangles of neon wire. Past and future elbowed each other here, welded together into an altar of outcast survival.

But tonight, the altar felt desecrated. The ramen stink had gone sour, heat from the overworked circuits clinging like mildew on their skin. The hum of machinery buzzed thin as a mosquito trapped in a stasis pod. Every pixel of light seemed to stutter, as though the room itself wanted to look away.

The longtime friends sat among the relics, eyes downcast. Plastic dice rested like bones in the dust. Once, this room had roared with their laughter, their curses, their mock battles against faceless mobs. Now the silence gnawed the edges of everything.

No one said his name. The empty seat screamed it for them.

A holo-field flickered above the controller, pixel static drifting like dust motes. The interface resolved, retro-font glowing in sickly neon:

PLAYER 2: METEOR STRIKE
Status: Waiting to log in…

Beside the text hung Jihoon’s old profile image, frozen long before his face turned impossibly flawless. A crooked smile in braces, his lucky hat askew. The boy they remembered. The boy who wasn’t supposed to vanish.

“...So we’re just not gonna talk about it?” Echo finally muttered, shoving a stack of chip bags aside. “He was our guy. Friday raids. Pizza runs. Jihoon. And now—”

Her words bled into the voice that seeped from the battered speakers of the HEXA Herald, glitch-glossy and smug. Lisa Liemawr.

“—banned lithium augments. Combustion risk higher than your grandma’s vape pen, people. Campus golden boy? More like campus fraud. He went boom because he cheated. And let’s be honest, nobody turns that pretty without paying for it. But hey, don’t just take my word for it! Witness reports are in. Kyra, yes, the girlfriend, says Jihoon was desperate to be someone, at any cost. Fame, fortune, flames, baby!” Lisa’s laughter bubbled, synthetic and cruel. “Play stupid games, win spontaneous combustion.”

Plague’s fist slammed the table, rattling a graveyard of half-broken controllers. “She’s killing him twice,” he snarled. “This is so messed up. The guy wouldn't even update to a vision augment. Always said putting metal in your body was just one bad update away from the morgue.” His fist balled tighter, trembling. “I thought he DNA-hacked himself… thought he chose it. God, I thought he wanted to leave us behind.”

The others flinched. They had thought the same. They’d mocked him, shut him out, just like the popular ones always did to them. Jihoon had laughed it off, pretending everything was fine. Pretending—like them—that he wasn’t burning inside.

Echo turned away, her hair a curtain. But then came a shuddering breath, the sound of denial breaking. Her voice spilled into the stale air, soft as a scalpel, merciless as truth.

“I keep seeing him on fire,” she whispered. “In my dreams, he’s burning and screaming, and I try to drag him out… but my hands just pass right through.” Her tears traced clean tracks down her cheeks. “I always fail. And we failed him. We didn’t even ask if he was okay. We just… looked away.”

The confession landed heavier than silence.

Ghost said nothing. He picked up the twenty-sided die, the sacred artifact of their friendship, their last excuse for avoidance. He didn’t roll it. He hurled it into the darkest corner. The clatter echoed, final as a coffin lid.

In the ringing quiet, the group froze. For a heartbeat, it felt like the room itself recoiled. Then Ghost keyed his holo-pad. A map of the city sharpened into view, its glow bleaching their faces. Jae Won University Hospital. The map drilled down through glass and steel until it locked on Intensive Care, Room C, -- YOON JIHOON. 

Ghost’s hologram gloves flickered, projecting his urgent sign language into the dusty air, “Done pretending.”

The words hung like a verdict. Ghost turned, his shadow dragging long across the relics as he walked for the door.

For a stunned beat, no one moved. Then Plague’s fist uncurled. Echo scrubbed her eyes raw, standing straighter than she had in weeks. Echo pushed her chair back with a final scrape.

One by one, they followed. Haunted, ashamed, and no longer hiding, they left the mausoleum of play behind.

Jihoon was waiting. ...In the hospital, in their nightmares, in the fire they could never unsee. Whatever had consumed him, it hadn’t been augments, or hacks, or doping. It was something far worse. And they had let him face it alone.


...

Such a powerful and pivotal chapter. This was written months ago, and it was just pure luck that Cyber Fair just so happens to have a major cool game in it! I was just blow away by how neat it was and the quality of the work. I went to the GeckoGames main store to get more help on setting up the game. So here I will pass it along for you, so you can play your own games! 

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Androgyny Event: Order vs Chaos (Escape from Club Apophis, 14)

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: Deep in the Neu Seoul headquarters of Monstrum, MasterGin lounged with the poise of a cat who had clawed open a birdcage only to find the prize dull. The sanctum’s grand mirrors, polished obsidian reflecting a glitchy, fragmented reality, caught him in splintered fragments—silver skin, silky cuffs, a grin rehearsed for an audience not yet assembled. The air, heavy with the scent of synthetic of oriental spice and overclocked servers, held a faint electric hum. And a neon pink glow from the bioluminescent cave garden outside pulsed erratically, casting lurid shadows that danced like phantoms across the mirrored walls.

The Ruler’s presence announced itself long before he appeared. He did not enter; he descended. A vibration crawled through the chandelier’s crystal bones, a hum that made the very air hold its breath, a digital sigh. His form materialized from a swirling vortex of shadow and shimmering code, a storm with no need for thunder. Even in tailored modern attire, the ghost of a Pharaoh clung stubbornly to him: broad shoulders draped in shadow, long golden dreadlocks arranged across one side like a polished nemes. His eyes were molten ore, terrible in their patience, with a faint, low-res static flickering deep within them.

Gin, ever the performer, adjusted his hair in one sweep and arranged himself into his most provocative silhouette, defiant mischief lacquered onto every angle.

“You disappoint me, Lucien.”

He did not raise his voice, yet the velvet syllables dragged centuries of command behind them, a resonant echo that vibrated deep in Gin's bones.

“Your unauthorized indulgence risks exposing us. Scandal won’t lull human curiosity, -- it will sharpen it.”

Gin flicked invisible dust from his shoulder with a hand too languid, too deliberate. The pout that followed was operatic, designed for drama, but for a split second, the performance dropped. The muscles in his jaw tightened, a flash of something hard and bitter crossing his features before it vanished.

“You could have ordered him into obedience,” the Ruler said at last, his shadow lengthening until it coiled like a leash. “Instead, you left him raw. Exposed.”

“One doesn’t break a spirited horse, Darling. Let it choose the bridle of its own volition. I’m an artist, not a butcher.”

The Ruler’s silence stretched. It pressed against the room, against Gin’s skin, as if a blade hovered just above the vein. The air grew perceptibly colder, the electric hum from the walls dipping to a near-silent thrum.

Gin’s grin faltered, then reassembled itself in defiance. He met the Ruler’s gaze.

“You will apologize.” The Ruler’s words dropped like iron, and his breath, when it came, felt hot and arid as a desert wind.

Gin blinked, his lashes fluttering. “To Jihoon? He should apologize to me for refusing my devotion. I gave him—”

“No.” The Ruler’s lips curved, cruel and amused. “To the President of the United States.”

For one heartbeat, even Gin had no script. His perfect posture broke, his back arching slightly in shock. Then he let out a sound halfway between a laugh and a cough. “Oh. …ah… that little… misunderstanding.”

“You threatened to melt his face off. On live satellite stream.”

“Darling!” Gin gasped, spreading his hands like a martyr. “It was metaphor. Performance art. Americans are so literal.”

The Ruler did not blink. “You will apologize.”

Gin collapsed backward into the velvet couch with mock despair, the bio-fibers of the couch shifting to accommodate his weight. He draped an arm across his eyes. “What a ghastly punishment. To abase myself before that decrepit man. Very well—if I must. But I’ll do it on my terms. A gala. Lights, cameras, an audience worth my humiliation. My apology will be spectacular.”

The Ruler stepped closer, and the air chilled. His gold eyes burned like twin suns sinking into an eclipse. “Don’t mistake indulgence for mercy. Your leash is mine. Pull once more against it, and you will choke.”

Gin’s smile remained, but the set of his jaw revealed steel beneath the glamour. He rose slowly, sweeping his silver locks from his shoulders in a practiced cascade.

The Ruler’s voice followed, low and commanding, his voice a disembodied whisper as if from a thousand miles away: “Get your equipment. You are keeping your appointment and apologizing if I have to drag you by the hair myself.”

“As you command,” Gin murmured, bowing low.

The Ruler’s hand rested briefly on Gin’s shoulder. It felt cold and unyielding as stone, yet the weight of it was strangely familiar, a chilling point of contact that felt less like a touch and more like a brand. It was the same touch that had once pulled Gin from mortality and into a new life of eternal servitude and shared dominion. For a moment, a memory flickered between them—of a promise made in blood and a bond forged in centuries of shared secrets. The Ruler gestured toward the doors. Together, they left the sanctum, a storm of elegance and menace, bound for a world unready for their theatrics.



This image was inspired by the Lanneah dress, Marilyn Monroes's "Happy Birthday Mr President" and details from this week's chapter in the ongoing Apophis series. It was a very challenging chapter and image concept. The setting was built from scratch, even the Washington Monument! But enough about the behind the scenes, here are some details of the cool items shown....

Over at Sabbath is the another luxurious sexywear outfit by YUEBIN for men and women, with panty options. The deep scoop neckline is very cool, and there is scoop in the back too! Double the cool.   (BONUS Scoop: There is wonderful PBR limited edition gift version of this outfit in the Enchantment Nevermore Hunt. Hunt the YUEBIN store for the raven to find the gift.) ...Over at Androgyny Event ending soon, are Cult's must have pair for boots for fashionably daring men, the Lanneah boots. It includes fits for female avatars too of course.   ...From Trap is the adorable Doll Collectable. You just pick the hair style you want with the outfit you want, and buy it. You can buy additional eyes. And there is a free developer pack to make your own textures too. Its mod, so I added  to the little fellow a little shine effect and a Jihoon's trademark teal shirt. The doll comes with 6 doll poses, a hud to change the eye art, and they each trigger an avatar hold pose for the doll. Very fun!   ...From Yummy is great glam goth jewelry set for men! I used the Gianni fit for Legacy Male with no trouble. I love this exists, now I want a PBR version.   ...The stole I picked up on the last weekend sale at Dernier, perfect timing.   ...The  nylon bodysuit by Bas de Laura Store looks simple, but close up its very detailed with texture and well placed steams like nylons. Love it.  ... I am forever searching for the perfect Sakura. In this post are some of the best yet, the LOVE Cherry trees and the very detailed TC Wild Gnarly Sakura.  The detailed one has a large land impact, so use as a statement piece instead of landscape.   ...The Tame hair by BonBon has a bit of a modern update to the Marilyn style hair.   ...I looked for the perfect bar stool and found a nice one by Dogma that was also mod! So could change it up with PBR textures that suit the scene.   ....The sidewalks come from the Make a Mark Japanese Sakura River site model2, and I added the led lights to cyberpunk it up, and created the Washington Monument with simple prims.

On Him MasterGin:
Boots: CULT Lanneah, Legacy Male [mesh](Androgyny Event)(369L)
Dress: YUEBIN Luminara dress and panty, Legacy male, white [mesh](Sabbath)(350L)
Jihoon Doll: Trap Doll collectable [mesh](Androgyny Event)(199L)
Hair: bonbon tame hair, naturals[mesh][mesh](439L)
Fur: Dernier Endrit Fur Stole, White [mesh]
Bodysuit: Bas de Laura Store Laura's White Sheer Bodystocking with Long Sleeves [BOM](150L)
Makeup: DeeTaleZ Glitter Eyes, and cheeks, Silver, EvoX [BOM](gift)
Head: LeLUTKA CAMDEN 4.0 [mesh](3990L)
Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)
Pose: *{( konpeitou )}* mermaid  (slight pose edit)

Setting:
Sakura: Tsunami Creations Ultimate Japanese Wild Gnarly Sakura Tree w. animations [mesh](200L)
Sakura: LOVE Cherry Blossom Tree pack [mesh](499L)
Stool: Dogma Letona Bar Stool Black [mesh](90L)
Sidewalk: MAke a MArk Japanese Sakura River site (model 02) [mesh](249L)
Water: MBC Realistic PBR Water [mesh](250L)

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky 




 



Sunday, July 27, 2025

Androgyny Event: Escape from Club Apophis 9

 

(click to enlarge)


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.

“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.”

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 {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)
Pose: (Firestorm edits)

Setting:
Skybox: EDERIGON Resident V Apartment [mesh]

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky.