Death was supposed to be the end. A silent, black, nothingness. Leo had felt it. The cold, the fading light, the finality of his heart stopping. He had been dead. He was sure of it.
So why could he feel again?
It started as a faint tingling, a pins-and-needles sensation spreading through the void. Then came the warmth. It was a gentle, pleasant heat that started in his chest, right where Kaelen's claws had pierced him, and spread outwards through his limbs like a sunrise. The cold of death was pushed back, replaced by a thrumming, vibrant energy he had never felt before.
[Body Reconstruction Complete. Vital Signs Stable.] [Host Consciousness Rebooted.]
[Initializing Starter Package...]
The synthetic voice echoed in his mind again, and with it, his senses came rushing back in a tidal wave. He could feel the hard, cold marble beneath his back. He could smell a hundred different scents at once—the sweet fragrance of some unknown flower, the damp earth of the floating islands, the ozone-like crackle of magic in the air.
And he could hear. Oh, he could hear. It was overwhelming. He could hear the whisper of the wind around the high towers, the rustle of leaves on a tree fifty yards away, and underneath it all, a rhythmic, pulsing beat. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. It was everywhere, dozens of them, hundreds of them, all beating at slightly different speeds. It took him a moment to realize what he was hearing. He was hearing heartbeats.
His eyes snapped open.
The world was sharper, the colors more vivid than he could have ever imagined. The purple of the sky was so deep he felt he could fall into it. The silver light of the second sun made the edges of everything glitter. He pushed himself up, his movements feeling strangely fluid and easy. He looked down at his chest, expecting to see a bloody, gaping wound.
There was nothing. Not a scratch. His cheap t-shirt was torn and stained with his own dried blood, but the skin underneath was perfect and unblemished. He was alive. He was more than alive; he felt… powerful.
[Starter Package Initialized. First Bloodline has been Awakened.]
A transparent blue screen, like something from a video game, flickered into existence in front of his eyes. Only he seemed to be able to see it.
[PROGENITOR SYSTEM]
Host:Leo Vance
Race:Human (?)
Bloodlines:
Vampire (Grade: Fledgling | Purity: 1%)
Skills:
None
He stared at the screen, his mind struggling to catch up. Progenitor System? Level 1? And Vampire? He was a vampire? The question mark next to 'Human' suddenly made a terrifying amount of sense. The system had rebuilt him, but it hadn't put him back together the same way.
His resurrection had not gone unnoticed. The crowd of students that had been watching his execution with cold indifference were now staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. A ripple of murmurs spread through the courtyard.
"Impossible…" "He was dead. Kaelen pierced his heart." "What is he? Is that some kind of human regeneration trick?"
Kaelen, who had turned his back and was about to walk away in triumph, froze when he heard the gasps. He turned around slowly, his crimson eyes widening in shock when he saw Leo standing there, perfectly fine. The arrogant smirk on his face vanished, replaced by a mask of pure fury.
"How?" Kaelen hissed, his voice trembling with rage. "You are a human! An insect! You cannot defy death. You cannot defy me!"
Leo didn't have an answer. He was just as confused as everyone else. But as he looked at Kaelen, something new mixed in with his fear. It was a cold, predatory instinct. He could hear Kaelen's heart beating faster than the others, a frantic rhythm fueled by anger. He could smell the rich, powerful blood flowing through the vampire's veins. A primal, dark part of his brain, a part that hadn't existed ten minutes ago, whispered a single word: food.
He shook his head, trying to clear the strange thought. "I don't know," Leo said, his own voice sounding different to his ears—calmer, steadier.
"Lies! You dare to mock me!" Kaelen snarled. The air around him grew colder. "It doesn't matter. If you are so eager to die, I will grant your wish a second time!"
He lunged. He was impossibly fast, a blur of silver hair and black cloth. The first time, Leo hadn't even been able to see him move. This time, it was different. To Leo's new eyes, Kaelen seemed to be moving in slow motion. He could see the sneer on his face, the tightening of his muscles, the exact trajectory of his claws as they aimed for Leo's throat.
Instinct, not thought, took over.
[Lethal Threat Detected. Unlocking Innate Racial Skill.]
[Blood Shield (Active)]: Manipulate your own blood to form a defensive barrier. Cost: Stamina.
Leo threw his hand up. He didn't know why, it was just a reflex. As he did, the dried blood on the front of his shirt suddenly liquefied. It lifted off the fabric in crimson streams, swirling in the air in front of his palm. In less than a second, it solidified into a small, round shield, about the size of a dinner plate. It was a deep, ruby red, and it shimmered with a faint, dark light.
Clang!
Kaelen's razor-sharp claws struck the blood shield with a sound like metal hitting metal. The impact sent a shockwave through the air. The shield cracked, but it held. Kaelen was thrown back a step, his eyes wide with utter disbelief, staring at the impossible barrier that had appeared from nowhere.
"What… what is that?" he stammered. "That magic… it's a art of the Blood Lords!"
Leo was just as shocked. He looked at his hand, then at the floating shield of hardened blood that had just saved his life. He had done that. The system had helped, but he had done it. A tiny spark of something fierce and exhilarating ignited within him. He wasn't helpless anymore.
Across the courtyard, watching from the shade of a grand archway, a young woman who had been observing the scene with detached interest suddenly stood up straight. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with long, flowing hair the color of midnight and eyes that were a mesmerizing shade of violet. Her skin was as pale and perfect as porcelain, and she carried herself with an aura of ancient nobility. Unlike the other students, she hadn't been surprised that Leo had been attacked. But seeing him survive, and seeing the technique he had just used, sent a jolt of shock through her.
[Soulmate Detected!]
[Name: Seraphina Midnight]
[Race: Vampire (Royal)]
[Status: Soul Bond Latent. Physical contact is required to strengthen the bond and unlock the full potential of the Vampire Bloodline.]
The new system window popped up in Leo's vision, making him blink. Soulmate? He glanced in the direction the system seemed to be pointing and saw her—the girl with the violet eyes. Their gazes met for a split second across the courtyard. He felt a strange pull, a sense of recognition, as if he knew her from a dream. She looked at him with an unreadable expression, a mixture of curiosity, suspicion, and something else he couldn't quite place.
Kaelen, however, had recovered from his shock, and it had been replaced by an even deeper rage. To be blocked, to be challenged, by a human? It was an unforgivable insult.
"You will pay for that, filth!" he screamed, his voice losing its sophisticated edge and becoming a raw, bestial roar. His body began to change. His muscles swelled, and his fangs elongated. "I will tear you apart molecule by molecule!"
He charged again, faster this time, a whirlwind of claws and fangs. Leo's heart pounded, but it was a rhythm of adrenaline now, not just fear. The blood shield was already crumbling. He needed something else.
[Host is under duress. Awakening Primary Bloodline Power.]
[New Ability Acquired: Blood Rampage] [Blood Rampage (Active)]: Allows the user to control the blood of others within a limited range. The effectiveness depends on the user's power level and the target's resistance.
The knowledge of the new ability flooded his mind. He knew, instinctively, what to do. As Kaelen closed in, Leo stretched out his hand, not in defense, but as if he were trying to grab something. He focused on Kaelen, on the powerful heart beating in his chest, on the rich blood pumping through his body. He pulled.
Kaelen stopped dead in his tracks, skidding to a halt just a few feet away. His face, which had been twisted in a mask of rage, was now a picture of confusion and pain. He clutched his chest, a strangled gasp escaping his lips.
"What are you doing?" he choked out, his eyes wide with panic. "My blood… it's… it's not obeying me!"
Leo could feel it. He could feel Kaelen's blood churning in his veins, fighting against his own body's commands, trying to answer Leo's silent call. He couldn't control it completely, but he could disrupt it, make it feel like sludge in Kaelen's arteries. Kaelen fell to one knee, gasping for breath, his charge completely broken.
The entire courtyard was silent. If Leo's resurrection was shocking, this was reality-shattering. A human, a weakling, had just brought a noble-born vampire to his knees without even touching him.
"Enough!"
A voice, deep and powerful, boomed across the courtyard, carrying an authority that demanded obedience. A tall, powerfully built man with the head of a lion and a magnificent, flowing golden mane strode into the center of the clearing. He was wearing the robes of a professor. His amber eyes scanned the scene, first landing on the kneeling Kaelen, then on Leo. His gaze lingered on Leo for a moment, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Kaelen of the Night Court," the professor said, his voice a low rumble. "Attacking another student in the Grand Courtyard is a serious violation of the Academy's code. You will report to the Headmaster's office for discipline. Now."
Kaelen glared at Leo with pure hatred but pushed himself to his feet. He knew better than to argue with this professor. He shot one last venomous look at Leo. "This is not over, human," he spat, before turning and stalking away.
The lion-headed professor then turned his full attention to Leo. The crowd of students began to disperse, still whispering amongst themselves, not wanting to be the focus of a teacher's attention.
"And you," the professor said, his voice a little softer but still firm. "You have a great deal of explaining to do. Come with me."
Leo simply nodded, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened. Dead, resurrected, given a magic system, turned into a part-vampire, fought another vampire, and discovered he has a soulmate who is a vampire princess. All in the span of about fifteen minutes.
As he followed the professor away from the courtyard, he took one last look back. The violet-eyed girl, Seraphina, was still standing there, watching him go. Their eyes met again, and this time, he saw the undeniable curiosity in her gaze. His new life had started with his own death. He had no idea what was going to happen next, but for the first time in his entire, grey existence, he felt a thrilling, dangerous, and wonderful sense of hope. He had a future. And he was going to fight for it.
Thanks for reading....
[A/N]: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy my very first work. If you do, please consider adding it to your collection and sharing your thoughts in the comments—it really helps a lot. I'll be posting 2 chapters per day, along with a few bonus chapters once certain power stone milestones are reached (details will be revealed in future chapters). Stay tuned and enjoy the journey!