The rest of the day was tense, like squatting over hot rocks; there was no room for rest. I had to endure John's lecture about my behavior and how I needed to control my hunger if I wanted to live. Otherwise, he said, he would end my life himself. I agreed, at least for now. Until I grew stronger than him. For that, I needed a way to raise my level, both in combat and in class.
I settled into his house at Elira's request. John was reluctant, of course, but fathers are weak to their little girls. Mine had been the same. So he gave in. He offered me a room, just for a few weeks, or so he said. It wasn't much, an old storage room with a single door leading outside. That made me wonder… Could I open my clinic here?
The idea tempted me. I could treat people openly, while quietly feeding myself when the chance came. If I didn't drink blood often, I knew I would lose control. I didn't ever want to feel that madness again. It was… terrifying.
And so, after a day of convincing John, I managed to get his approval to run a small clinic out of the storage room, which opened onto the main street of the city. It was also the perfect disguise. Vampires were taboo among humans, and this gave me a mask to hide behind.
My own kind no longer welcomes me, huh? The thought weighed on me as I set up the small table and a few chairs, covering them with whatever clean rugs I could find. I used to be human, and now I am a monster. I didn't know if I should love or hate myself for it. But survival mattered more than anything else.
CREEK.
The old door creaked open behind me. John entered with little Arthur trailing after him.
"Settled in yet, Doctor Beatrice?" he grumbled, his tone far from pleased. I was still a threat to him, and his eyes never left me.
"Yes. I was just about to put up the sign I made over the door. Could you give me a hand?" I asked quickly, rushing to pick up the wooden board I had painted earlier.
"Ashvale Healing House...?" John read the sign aloud, making my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I knew the name wasn't well thought out, but it was the best I could come up with on the spot.
"You named it after our town?! So cool!" Arthur exclaimed, his little voice bursting with pride. His excitement tugged a smile out of me.
"Yes, I thought it would be the most welcoming for the townsfolk," I replied, following John as he hammered the sign in place.
The sun bathed me as I stepped outside, but it didn't burn. That was what made this character so feared in the original story. The ancient blood in her veins overpowered the sun's suppression. I couldn't help but wonder why the author had killed her off so early instead of letting her grow.
I felt a swell of pride. My own clinic… I never thought in my life I'd work for myself, yet here I was.
"What's that? A healing house? Is old man John coming back in action?"
"No way! The spiritual leader himself is going to treat us?"
Exclamations rose from the crowd gathering outside. They clearly hadn't noticed me at all, standing there in white robes. I guess doctors in this world didn't wear white, but it was what felt most natural to me.
It made me wonder. How much did I truly not know about this family? Other than little Arthur, both John and Elira carried powers that would have been terrifyingly strong in the original novel. Do side characters usually have such abilities?
"It's not me who will be treating you," John barked, his voice cutting through the noise and silencing the crowd. "It's my disciple, Beatrice. Treat her the same way you would treat me. She's no joke."
I froze, surprised. He called me his disciple? And even stepped up for me? Did I misjudge this old man? To name me his disciple, though… he hadn't actually taught me anything yet. That offer of the Grand Healing Technique of the Saint of Medicine... was it real, or was he just toying with me?
"That woman? She wouldn't be able to treat a cockroach even if it crawled to her willingly…" A whisper slithered into my ears. Mockery might have been silent to others, but it was loud as thunder to me. My hearing was too sharp to miss it. I picked out the ones talking shit behind my back easily enough. A man with a crooked nose and a woman with silver hair... Maybe I'll visit them at night… when I'm hungry.
The crowd soon fell silent. Cheers and celebration faded into the void. Only mocking stares and suspicious eyes remained glued on me. Outsider, that's all I was to them. Even if John had claimed me as his disciple.
"Your disciple, is she?" A cracked voice rose above the rest. "Then let her prove it. Let the girl inspect me, see if she can treat this leg of mine. It's kept me awake at night for years. If she can heal it, I'll accept this outsider. If not… she can pack her bags and leave, no matter whose protection she hides under."
The words belonged to an old woman, easily seventy or more. She leaned on a crooked stick that looked like it made her posture worse, not better.
"Old witch Diana," John barked, venom dripping from his tone. "What the hell are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to piss off and never show your face to me again?"
The crowd stirred, whispers swelling. What history do they share? This town is already thick with drama, deeper than I imagined.
"Lower your voice, junior. Where's your respect for your seniors? And I'm not here for you, am I?" Her brilliant crimson eyes locked on me, sharp and invasive. I felt a mysterious pull, like something was prying at my soul, trying to dissect me from the inside out.
[DANGER!]
The system screen flashed before my eyes, crimson drowning out the world.
[BLOCKING THE INTRUSION OF FOREIGN POWER]
[USER PROTECTION—SUCCESSFUL]
That old woman… if not for the system shielding me, what would she have done?If she learns I'm a vampire... My heart raced. She was strong and cunning.
Her expression shifted, her raised brows betraying surprise.
"Follow me," I said calmly, masking the storm inside me. I couldn't make a scene here. Not on my first day. Not when so many eyes were watching. I would treat her, for now. And next time… I would make sure she died a gruesome death for daring to plot against me.