"A vampire?" Riven asked, blinking. "What's that?"
Harkel didn't blame him.
A lot of things from fiction had been lost to time. Old shows, movies, stories—most of it never made it past the walls. Especially not to Wallborn families. Even Harkel himself had only ever seen a handful of vague depictions.
Five, maybe.
That was why he hadn't understood what Luka was at first.
"Like fairies," Harkel said slowly. "Vampires fall into the same category. Things people thought were fiction… until you realize everyone gets their ideas from somewhere."
He paused, thoughts spiraling.
If vampires existed, then that meant they once walked the Earth. Someone had known about them well enough to write stories. So where did they go? Why wasn't there a single trace across the solar system? Why didn't the Voss clan know? Or did they—and just never say anything?
The military.
The four great factions.
Someone had to know.
"Hey," Riven said, snapping his fingers. "You gonna explain, or are you gonna stay lost in your head?"
Harkel exhaled. "Right. Sorry."
He straightened, lowering his voice.
"Think of a vampire as a bloodsucker. Stronger than humans. Faster. More durable. Their most famous trait is their fangs—they bite the neck and drink blood. Blood is the only thing that actually sustains them. Food, water… doesn't do anything. In some depictions, it even makes them sick."
Riven listened intently.
"They drink blood to maintain their life," Harkel continued. "But here's the thing—nothing I've seen talks about hybrids. Which means Luka's case is different. He's not a full vampire."
"A quarter vampire," Riven said quietly.
"Exactly. A lesser blood. And the system didn't just label it—it awakened his bloodline."
Riven's eyes lit up. "So that means—"
"He'll probably evolve into a full vampire someday," Riven finished himself.
There was no fear on his face.
Only excitement.
"Isn't that insane?" Riven said, grinning. "Imagine how strong he'll get."
"No," Harkel said sharply. "This isn't cool."
Riven blinked.
Harkel thought back to Luka's voice earlier.
The word he'd used.
Hungry.
"We need to go back to the dorm. Now."
He turned and ran.
"What—?" Riven shouted, scrambling to scoop the books into his inventory before chasing after him. He caught up quickly, running side by side. "Harkel, talk to me. What's going on?"
"I forgot something important," Harkel said through clenched teeth. "Compare vampires to werewolves. Remember Leo?"
Riven's expression darkened.
"When Leo first awakened," Harkel continued, "he lost control. He attacked us. Didn't know friend from foe."
Riven swallowed.
"Now imagine that," Harkel said, lowering his voice as students passed them, "but with Luka. The difference is Leo had time to train that hunger. Luka didn't."
They burst into the dormitory hallway, shoving past anyone in their way. A few students turned angrily—then froze when they recognized Harkel.
No one wanted problems with a Voss clan member. Especially one who might soon become its head.
Riven understood now.
"…He'll go on an attack spree," Riven said. "Trying to drink anyone's blood. Even ours."
"Exactly."
They reached the door. Riven activated his wristwatch.
The door slid open.
Luka sat in the center of the room, legs crossed, eyes closed. He was meditating—but his face was tense, strained. A thin line of drool slipped from the corner of his mouth.
"Okay," Riven whispered. "How bad is it?"
"Bad," Harkel said.
Earlier, Riven had distributed items from his inventory to the others—things he didn't want traced back to him. One of those items was a simple metal cup.
Harkel grabbed it and pressed it into Riven's hand.
"I have a plan," Harkel said quietly. "You're not going to like it."
He drew his beast weapon, turning it so the blade hovered over his palm.
Riven reacted instantly, grabbing his wrist. "No."
He took the cup from Harkel and shoved it back into his hand.
"I'll do it," Riven said. "I can heal afterward. It's fine."
Before Harkel could argue, Riven took the blade and sliced his own palm.
Blood poured freely into the cup.
Luka didn't move.
Not at first.
He was so deep in focus he didn't even register them.
Then—
The scent hit him.
His eyes snapped open.
Bright red.
The glow was vivid, almost feral—matching the color of the blood sloshing inside the cup. Luka stood in an instant, movement sharp and predatory.
Harkel felt it in his bones.
Luka wasn't asking.
He was taking.
Harkel extended the cup.
The next second, it was gone.
Luka drained it in one motion, swallowing every drop like it was instinct. Like he'd done it before.
Too naturally.
Riven and Harkel backed away, tense, ready in case he lunged for the source next.
But Luka exhaled.
The red faded from his eyes, returning to black.
System prompts materialized.
⸻
[System: Blood consumed. Hunger satisfied—for now.]
[System: A Positive blood type detected. Lesser Blood racial trait activated.]
[Strength +3]
[System: Blood source identified—Fairy.]
[Health +10]
Riven was both shocked—and not shocked—at the same time.
He had always known Luka would awaken a race-based system effect, just like he had. What he hadn't expected was for that effect to revolve around blood consumption.
But now that it had happened, everything clicked.
Luka's race system effect is way stronger than mine, Riven thought. Mine only activates when I level up—letting one stat increase across all attributes by a single point.
His eyes lingered on Luka.
But Luka doesn't need to level at all. He just needs to consume blood to gain points. And the system specified my type of blood… which means different blood types probably have different effects.
That realization sent a quiet chill through him.
"Riven? Harkel? When did you guys get here?" Luka asked, rubbing his stomach. "Did I eat something? I feel full… like I just had a gourmet dinner."
Riven and Harkel exchanged a glance before explaining everything—what had happened, what the system revealed, and what Luka truly was now.
"A vampire, huh…" Luka muttered, sitting down on his bed, staring at his hands.
"Yes," Harkel replied. "Luckily, there are six of us. Each of us can take turns giving you blood once you reach a certain limit."
His tone sharpened.
"But we won't do it constantly. You could become addicted. Bloodlust isn't just physical—it messes with your head. If you ever feel hungry, you tell us. Don't try to push through it alone."
Luka nodded slowly.
"Hey…" he said after a moment. "I just thought of something. If this can happen to me… do you think it could happen to my sister too?"
Riven stiffened.
"My situation isn't that different from yours or Jordan's," Luka continued. "The only real difference is—I'm not the original owner of this system. And my sister isn't even attending the same academy."
"We're two sides of the same coin," Riven said quietly.
"Exactly."
Harkel shook his head. "No."
Both of them looked at him.
"Your sister's awakening wouldn't be the same," Harkel explained. "The system interfered. If Riven hadn't selected you, your vampire bloodline probably wouldn't have awakened at all."
He paused.
"You would've stayed human."
Luka leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Man… what a small universe."
"That's what I said," Riven chuckled.
Luka suddenly pushed himself upright. "I wonder… was it my mom or my dad? One of them had to be a vampire, right?"
"Probably neither," Riven said. "Did either of them ever avoid sunlight? Or get sick from it?"
Luka shook his head.
"Then it was likely an ancestor," Riven continued. "That's what happened with me and Jordan. One of our ancestors must've been a fairy. The bloodline probably thinned out generations ago—maybe around our grandparents."
There was a brief silence.
"Are you sure you still want me on your team?" Luka asked suddenly. "I could be dangerous. I don't know how to control my powers—or my bloodlust. And that's not even counting the sun."
Harkel stood and tapped Luka on the shoulder.
"There's no way I'm getting rid of you now," he said with a grin. "If I wanted to drop you, I would've done it before you even walked into this room."
Luka blinked—then realized Harkel was joking.
The black-and-quarter-red-haired boy stood and bowed deeply.
"Thank you," Luka said sincerely. "Harkel—thank you for giving me a chance to get my family out of the walls. Away from the gangs. Away from the heavy taxes."
Then he turned to Riven.
"And Riven… according to what Jordan said, I was supposed to die that day. You changed my destiny. You saved my life."
His fists clenched.
"I owe you anything—everything. If you ever need something… or if you need someone killed—"
Both Riven and Harkel froze.
Then they looked at each other.
And burst out laughing.
"No one owes anyone anything," Riven said, waving his hands. "We're all stuck in this together. Helping our friend become a leader. None of us are above the others—at least not right now."
He glanced at Harkel.
"We're friends. We look out for each other. We hold each other up when things are at their lowest."
Riven exhaled.
"Honestly… Jordan and I owe you. You helped us through our own crisis. We found out we weren't even human. And Luka—you handled this better than we ever could've."
A small smile formed.
"One day, I hope I can be like you."
"Thanks, man," Luka said quietly, clearly meaning it.
"And as for me," Harkel added, crossing his arms, "I owe all of you for sticking with me. You could've left after the beast hunt. We nearly died to a Level Four beast."
His smile sharpened.
"But you stayed. Now we're fifth in the Clinton Games. And we'll reach the top eventually."
His eyes met Luka's.
"So don't count yourself out. Even when you were human."
Tears welled in Luka's eyes.
"Thanks, guys."
He stepped toward the window, standing in the light as a newfound determination settled over him.
Behind him, Harkel's smile faded as his wrist device vibrated.
[Message: Your meeting has been accepted.
You and your group's meeting will be held tomorrow at 9:00 PM.
More information will be provided tomorrow.]
Good, Harkel thought. We need to talk, my dear family.