"Kael, your eyes—"
"I know!" Kael spun away from Marcus, grabbing a hoodie from his closet and pulling the hood up. "Don't look at me right now."
"What the hell is going on? Why is there a chair sticking out of my wall? And is that... is that blood?"
Marcus stepped closer, and Kael could hear it again—that steady heartbeat, loud as a drum in his ears. Could smell the warmth radiating from his roommate's skin. His mouth started watering.
"Stay back." Kael's voice came out rougher than intended. "Just... stay the fuck back, Marcus."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I'm trying to protect you!"
WARNING: BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS DECLINING
RECOMMENDED ACTION: IMMEDIATE FEEDING
The system interface flickered back to life, visible only to Kael. The health bar that had been green was already showing yellow.
"How is that possible?" he whispered. "I just fed a minute ago."
INITIAL FEEDING WAS TUTORIAL RATION ONLY
NORMAL CONSUMPTION REQUIREMENTS ARE HIGHER
TIME UNTIL CRITICAL STATUS: 22 HOURS, 17 MINUTES
"Kael?" Marcus's voice was smaller now, worried. "Who are you talking to?"
"Nobody. I'm... I need to go out."
"Like hell you do. You're acting crazy, and you look like you haven't slept in a week. Sit down and tell me what's wrong."
But Kael was already grabbing his keys and wallet. Twenty-two hours. He needed blood, real blood, and the only place he could think of to get it without killing someone was—
"The blood bank," he muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing. I'll be back later."
"Kael—"
The door slammed behind him before Marcus could finish.
=
Metro City Blood Services was a nondescript building wedged between a dry cleaner and a Chinese restaurant.
Kael had donated there twice during his freshman year when he was desperate for the twenty-dollar payment they gave donors.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
He sat in his beat-up Honda for ten minutes, trying to work up the nerve to go inside. His hands were shaking—not from fear, but from hunger.
The gnawing emptiness in his gut had gotten worse during the drive over.
BLOOD GLUCOSE: YELLOW
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY WILL WORSEN
"Thanks for the update," he said sarcastically.
SARCASM DETECTION: ENABLED
RESPONSE: YOU'RE WELCOME
"Great. My vampire system has a sense of humor."
The building's front door chimed when he entered. The waiting room looked exactly the same—outdated magazines, uncomfortable chairs, and that weird antiseptic smell that all medical places had. A blonde receptionist looked up from her computer.
"Hi! Are you here to donate today?"
Kael approached the desk, pulling his hood down and hoping his eyes had returned to normal. "Yeah. First time in a while."
"No problem! Just need to see your ID and we'll get you set up."
She was cute—probably around his age, with a warm smile and paint-stained fingernails that suggested she was an art student working part-time.
Under normal circumstances, he might have asked for her number. Now, all he could think about was the blood flowing through her veins.
THREAT ASSESSMENT: ZERO
FEEDING OPPORTUNITY: HIGH
RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE ACTION
"No," he whispered.
"I'm sorry?" The receptionist—her name tag said 'Amy'—looked confused.
"Nothing. Just... where's the bathroom?"
"Down the hall, first door on your right."
Kael nodded and walked past her, but instead of turning toward the bathroom, he kept going straight.
The hallway led deeper into the building, past examination rooms and offices. He could hear voices coming from somewhere ahead—medical staff discussing schedules and inventory.
UNAUTHORIZED AREA DETECTED
SECURITY MEASURES LIKELY IN PLACE
"I know that," he hissed under his breath.
A door marked 'Storage - Authorized Personnel Only' caught his attention. He tried the handle. Locked, of course.
Kael looked around to make sure he was alone, then grabbed the handle and twisted. The metal lock shattered like glass, the door swinging open with barely any resistance.
"Holy shit," he breathed, staring at his hand.
He'd barely put any pressure on it.
STRENGTH COEFFICIENT CONTINUES TO INCREASE WITH FEEDING
CURRENT MULTIPLIER: 12.3X BASELINE HUMAN
The storage room was exactly what he'd hoped for—shelves lined with blood bags, organized by type and date.
O-negative, A-positive, B-negative... hundreds of them, each containing roughly a pint of blood.
His mouth was watering so badly he had to wipe it with his sleeve.
FEEDING OPPORTUNITY OPTIMAL
RECOMMEND CONSUMPTION OF TYPE O-NEGATIVE FOR MAXIMUM COMPATIBILITY
Kael grabbed three bags of O-negative, stuffing them into his hoodie pocket. They were cold from refrigeration, but he could smell the blood inside, could practically taste it already.
"Hey!"
He spun around. Amy the receptionist stood in the doorway, her face pale with shock.
"What are you doing back here? This area is off-limits!"
"I was looking for the bathroom," Kael said lamely.
"The bathroom is the other direction. And why is the door broken?" Her eyes widened as she noticed the twisted metal of the lock. "Oh my god. You're stealing blood bags!"
THREAT LEVEL UPGRADED TO MODERATE
WITNESS ELIMINATION RECOMMENDED
"No," Kael said firmly, both to Amy and to the system. "I'm not hurting her."
"I'm calling security," Amy said, backing away and reaching for something clipped to her belt—probably a radio or panic button.
Kael moved without thinking. One second he was across the room, the next he was right in front of her, his hand closing around her wrist.
"Please don't," he said. "I don't want to hurt you, but I can't let you call anyone."
Amy stared up at him, and he saw her pupils dilate with fear. "Your eyes," she whispered. "They're glowing."
COMPULSION PROTOCOLS AVAILABLE
MENTAL INFLUENCE: BASIC LEVEL
COMMAND PHRASE REQUIRED
Text scrolled across his vision: "Look at me and forget this happened."
"No," Kael said again. "I'm not mind-controlling people."
"What?" Amy looked confused.
"Nothing. Look, I just need you to not tell anyone about this for like... ten minutes. Can you do that?"
"You're stealing blood! That blood is for people who need transfusions, people who might die without it!"
The guilt hit him like a punch to the gut. She was right. He was literally stealing life-saving medical supplies to feed his fucked-up new condition.
"I know," he said quietly. "I know, and I'm sorry. But if I don't do this, I'll die too."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"Nothing about this makes sense."
He let go of her wrist and stepped back. Amy immediately reached for her radio, but then stopped, looking confused.
"I... why can't I move my arm?"
COMPULSION ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY
SUBJECT TEMPORARILY PARALYZED
DURATION: 5 MINUTES
"What did you do to her?" Kael demanded.
BASIC DEFENSIVE PROTOCOLS ENGAGED
SUBJECT IS UNHARMED
"You can't just paralyze people!"
ALTERNATIVE WAS WITNESS ELIMINATION
CURRENT SOLUTION IS MORE HUMANE
Amy was staring at her unresponsive arm with growing panic. "What's happening to me? What did you do?"
"You'll be fine in a few minutes," Kael said, hating himself. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry."
He ran.
=
Kael made it three blocks before he couldn't wait anymore. He ducked into an alley behind a pizza place and tore open the first blood bag.
This one was cold, straight from refrigeration, but it tasted just as incredible as the first. Better, even.
BLOOD GLUCOSE: GREEN
NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED
COMPULSION: LEVEL 1
ENHANCED SPEED: LEVEL 1
NIGHT VISION: LEVEL 1
REGENERATION: LEVEL 2
As if to demonstrate, a small cut on his knuckle from the broken door handle sealed itself instantly.
"Fuck," he breathed, looking at his hands. "This is really happening."
He drained the second bag, then the third. By the time he finished, he felt amazing—stronger, faster, more alert than he'd ever been in his life.
Colors seemed more vivid, his hearing was sharp enough to pick up conversations from inside the restaurant, and the growing darkness of evening looked as clear as daylight.
FEEDING COMPLETE
STATUS: OPTIMAL
NEXT FEEDING REQUIRED IN: 18 HOURS, 23 MINUTES
"Eighteen hours? I thought I had twenty-four."
SYSTEM METABOLISM INCREASES WITH LEVEL PROGRESSION
HIGHER LEVEL USERS REQUIRE MORE FREQUENT FEEDING
"Great. So it gets worse."
His phone rang. Marcus again.
"Kael, where the hell are you? Some guys came by looking for you."
"What guys?"
"I don't know, man. Weird looking dudes in expensive suits. They asked a lot of questions about where you work, where you go to school, who your friends are. They gave me the creeps."
A chill ran down Kael's spine. "What did you tell them?"
"Nothing! I told them you weren't here and I didn't know where you were. But Kael... they knew things. They knew about your schedule, about the convenience store, about the blood bank you used to donate at."
WARNING: HOSTILE ENTITIES DETECTED
BLOOD THEFT HAS TRIGGERED TRACKING PROTOCOLS
RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE RELOCATION
"Tracking protocols?" Kael whispered.
"What?"
"Nothing. Marcus, listen to me. Pack a bag and go stay with your girlfriend for a few days. Don't come back to the dorm."
"What? Why? Kael, you're scaring me."
"Good. Be scared. These guys... they're not normal."
"What do you mean not normal?"
Before Kael could answer, he heard it—footsteps at the mouth of the alley. Slow, deliberate, accompanied by the soft whisper of expensive fabric.
"Kael Vyrnheart," a voice called out. Smooth, cultured, with just a hint of an accent. "We need to talk."
THREAT LEVEL: CRITICAL
MULTIPLE HOSTILES DETECTED
POWER LEVEL: SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN USER
RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE FLIGHT
Three figures stepped into the alley. They looked human at first glance—well-dressed men in dark suits—but their eyes reflected the light like a cat's, and when they smiled, Kael saw fangs.
"You've been stealing from my blood bank," the one in the center said. He was tall, pale, with silver hair despite looking maybe thirty years old. "That's very rude."
"Your blood bank?" Kael backed toward the far end of the alley.
"Metro City Blood Services has been mine for over a century. I use it to... supplement my diet. And to keep track of the local blood supply." The man's smile widened. "Imagine my surprise when our security system detected an unauthorized withdrawal. And from someone who doesn't exist in our records."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, but you do. You're a new vampire, aren't you? Freshly turned, still figuring out the rules." The man tilted his head. "But there's something different about you. Your scent is... unusual."
WARNING: DO NOT REVEAL SYSTEM INFORMATION
KNOWLEDGE OF THE BLOOD SYSTEM MUST BE PROTECTED
"I'm not a vampire," Kael said.
"No?" The man gestured, and one of his companions moved faster than Kael could follow, appearing right next to him in a blur of motion. "Then explain this."
The vampire grabbed Kael's arm and squeezed. Bones should have snapped, but instead, Kael's enhanced strength kicked in automatically.
He grabbed the vampire's wrist and twisted, sending the creature stumbling backward with what sounded like a startled yelp.
All three vampires stared at him in shock.
"Impossible," the silver-haired one breathed. "A fledgling shouldn't be that strong."
COVER BLOWN
HOSTILE ENTITIES NOW AWARE OF ENHANCED CAPABILITIES
SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 12%
"Who turned you?" the leader demanded, his cultured demeanor cracking to reveal something ancient and predatory underneath. "Who gave you that kind of power?"
"Nobody turned me," Kael said honestly.
"Then how—"
EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ACTIVATED
INITIATING COMBAT MODE
PREPARE FOR ENGAGEMENT
The system interface changed, becoming something that looked like a video game HUD. Health bar, stamina meter, and a targeting system that highlighted all three vampires in red.
"Run," Kael whispered to himself.
Then he ran.
But as he reached the street, the silver-haired vampire's voice followed him, carrying impossible clearly through the night air:
"You can't hide from me, boy. I am Lord Castellan, and this is my city. I will find you, and when I do, you will tell me everything about what you really are."
=