Elena ran.
Barefoot and breathless, she fled into the night, her body colder than the wind that swept through the quiet village streets. Her mind was spiraling — a storm of confusion, guilt, and terror.
She had died.
She remembered her funeral, the silence, the weight of her coffin, the crying. And now… she was awake. Breathing. Alive — but not human.
Moments earlier, she had crept through her backyard, heart heavy, drawn to the warm lights inside her house. Through the window, she saw her mother sitting in the dark, staring blankly at a photo of Elena on the shelf.
She hadn't moved in hours. Her eyes were red. Her hands trembled.
Her father and little brother were asleep in the other room, but her mother hadn't closed her eyes once since the funeral. She was still crying, whispering Elena's name, clinging to hope that would never return.
Until now.
Elena pressed a hand to the glass, wanting to go inside — to tell her mother she was back. That she was fine.
But the moment she stood, something inside her snapped.
A burning hunger.
Her ears tuned into her mother's heartbeat — slow, steady, warm. Her breath hitched. Her mouth went dry. Her hands shook with a strange ache.
She wanted to drink it.
She stumbled back in horror.
"No… no, not her…"
The craving was unbearable. It wasn't just thirst — it was need. Something deeper. Something that didn't belong to her.
So she ran.
Into the trees. Away from her home. Away from her family. Away from the monster she feared she was becoming.
By the time she reached the edge of the forest near the mountain, the first light of dawn broke over the horizon. The golden rays touched her skin — not enough to burn, but enough to make her stumble.
Weakness. Dizziness. Cold sweat.
She collapsed in the shade of a fallen tree, gasping for air she didn't need. The hunger hadn't left. But now, the sunlight dulled her senses — not deadly, but draining.
And still, she hadn't fed.
"I can't go back," she whispered, curling into herself.
Tears welled in her eyes, but they didn't fall.
In that moment, she felt truly alone.
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