Lilian had always considered herself average. Not skinny, not overweight, just somewhere in the middle. She had tried going to the gym a few times, paid for memberships she rarely used, and eventually accepted that she would never have the body of those Instagram fitness models.
But now she did.
Her stomach was flat and toned, with faint muscle definition she had never possessed. Her waist curved in before widening into fuller hips that gave her a stronger and more feminine look. Her legs were lean and strong, even her arms showed a light shaping of muscle, hinting at strength beneath her smoother skin.
She looked like someone who trained religiously and never neglected her health, a definition of physical perfection wrapped in athletic wear.
The chance brought a mix of emotions to her. Part of her felt a rush of satisfaction. She was beautiful in a way she had never been before, the kind that would draw attention the moment she entered a room.
Yet another part of her felt strangely detached. This wasn't her body. She hadn't earned this body. It had simply been given to her by the transformation, like an unexpected gift she had never asked for.
She wondered if she was still the same person inside when everything on the outside was so different.
"Stop overthinking," she muttered to her reflection. "You're still alive. Focus to stay alive for the next day."
Lilian forced herself to turn away from the mirror before she could spiral herself into an identity crisis. There would be time later to mourn her old self. For now, she had to master her new one as she could feel the power buzzing under her skin like a live wire, and she needed to learn how to control it.
She left the bedroom and followed the hallway toward the stairs. Carpathia Estate was huge, much bigger than any house she had ever been in, and she was still struggling to memorize its layout. Each room seemed to be carefully designed and shaped by generations, spoke of richness and centuries of wealth.
As she walked, her enhanced senses took in every detail of the house. She could smell the aged leather of the furniture and the crisp scent of cleaning chemicals. Beneath it all lingered a faint scene of blood, coming from somewhere deeper in the house, probably the storage area where they kept bags for feeding.
But more than the house, three distinct scents that she was beginning to recognize instinctively to her as her own.
Dante's smell was cool, reminding her of libraries and laboratories. Adrian's was softer, a comforting blend of cool water and vanilla. Then there was Lucien's, rougher and grounded with earthy scent.
All three scents called to something deep inside her, something she didn't know existed was already marked them as hers, which was insane.
Logically, it made zero sense. She had known them for less than a week, and most of that time she had been half-dead or lost in fever. There was no rational reason or logical explanation for the absolute certainty that they were meant to be in her life.
And yet, no matter how much her human brain fought it, she did.
"Stupid hybrid hormones," she reminded herself as she descended the stairs.
But even as she said it, her heart wasn't buying the lie.
——
The training room was located in the basement, down another flight of stairs that led into a huge space resembling a professional gym combined with a dojo. The walls were reinforced with some kind of thick heavy-duty material, gray padded mats covered most of the floor, while one wall held rows of various weight machines and rack of equipment.
In the far corner, a full sparring ring dominated the area, complete with ropes and a raised platform.
It was the kind of expensive setup that clearly cost a fortune.
Adrian was standing in the middle of the room, stacking concrete blocks casually like they were made of foam. He had changed out of his casual look for black training pants and a tight athletic shirt that showed off his lean and muscular build.
When he heard her footsteps on the stairs, he turned and smile that made her inside flipped.
"Good morning," he said, his blue eyes warm as they took in her appearance. His gaze swept over her, lingering for a split second on the way her workout clothes hugged her new curves before he quickly looked back at her face. "How are you feeling?"
"Restless," Lilian admitted, bouncing lightly on her toes. The energy inside her demanding the release, as if staying still required more effort than moving. "I feel like I need to run or hit something. Is that normal?"
"Totally normal," Adrian assured her, walking closer. "Your body is finally running at full capacity now, and all that power needs somewhere to got. That's why we're starting first with the physical training as it will help you burn off the excess energy while teaching you control."
He stopped just a few feet away from her, maintaining a respectful distance. But even with that small gap between them, Lilian was hyper-aware of him.
She watched the way his muscles moved under his shirt and his graceful stride. Even the rhythm of the rise and fall of his breathing drew her eyes to his chest.
Everything about him felt like it was designed to appeal to her on a dangerous level.
"We'll keep it simple to start," Adrian continued, apparently oblivious to her internal struggle or just being a gentleman about it. "Before we move into anything advanced, I need to see what your baseline is. We test your strength, speed, reflexes, basically everything so we know exactly what you're capable of."
"What happens if I'm too strong?" Lilian asked, a little bit nervous. "Dante said I'm more powerful than a normal newborn."
"Then we just adjust the plan accordingly," Adrian replied simply. "There's no such thing as being too strong, Lilian. There's only being strong with control or being strong without it. Our goal is to make sure you're the first."
He pointed toward the stacks of concrete cinder blocks he had lined up. "Let's start with something basic. Pick one up and try to squeeze as hard as you can."
Lilian walked over to the blocks cautiously. She knew that these blocks were the kind used on construction site, and she remembered she even tried to lift one, and one of those was very heavy.
She reached down and lifted the top one and was surprised by how light it felt in her hands. It wasn't weightless, more like picking up a thick book than a piece of concrete block. That alone made her dumbfounded.
"Squeeze it whenever you're ready," Adrian encouraged, his eyes remained fixed on her hands.
Lilian took a deep breath, wrapping her fingers around the block and squeezed.