The rushed steps sounded uneven, carrying the weight of two frail individuals. From the sound alone, it was hard to tell, but somehow I knew by instinct they were women. Was it my sense of smell? Their scent was sharp, laced with a faint flowery essence that clung to them like a veil.
I waited in ambush above the door. There was a narrow gap where I held myself tightly, fingernails digging into the marble. At the time, I didn't even understand what kind of strength I already possessed. Soon after, the two figures stepped inside, both wrapped in black robes. They froze at the entrance.
Come… a little more… I wailed in hunger from the shadows. I had no idea how animalistic I must have looked, my body trembling with drained strength as the sight of food walked willingly into my reach.
Stop… you're not a monster. You're human! Something inside me screamed as my canines lengthened, pressing sharply against my lips. Yet that voice was quickly drowned by the cruel truth. I was a monster. Just die… I whispered to my human side, knowing I had to suppress it if I wished to survive and grow strong.
"What happened here?! Who did this to our protector?" one voice exclaimed. It was young, the words filtered through a mask that concealed her identity, but something about her tone tugged at me; it felt familiar. I narrowed my eyes, focusing on her.
"A fresh kill… likely someone was here before us. But who would have the strength to slay the guardian of this town?" The second voice carried the same youth, but it was foreign to me, one I did not recognize.
My world slipped again into twisting black and red, though not on the same scale as when I had attacked Elira.
I waited, holding still until their backs were fully turned to me, their bodies squatting beside the skeleton as they examined its bones. My heart pounded against my ribs harder than ever before. I felt like a hunter, no, as if hunting had always been in my blood.
Then, gathering all my strength, I pushed silently away from the wall, my legs like coiled springs launching me toward the woman on the right. I chose her at random, without thought.
My fingers clamped over her face as I drove her down, pressing my weight into her. Before anyone could react… my fangs sank into the soft skin of her neck. Slightly sweaty, warm. Oh, so warm... so sweet, so tender. I lost myself in it.
As if it were natural, I drank the blood rushing from her artery, the flow flooding my mouth like rivers, sweet and heady, power streaming into me with every pull. The woman gasped, clawing at me, but her strength ebbed, slipping from her limbs.
I don't even know how to describe it. I was a doctor, someone who saved lives, yet here in my hunger, I was taking one away. And... it felt good. Terrifyingly good. Why couldn't I stop?
"Beatrice…?" A voice from the side cut through the haze. I recognized it instantly, yet I tried to deny the truth. It can't be her—she is supposed to be at home… My eyes flicked to the woman standing apart, her face almost nonchalant, unbothered by the sight before her, as if she had already accepted her friend's fate.
The dim light reflected in her golden eyes. Gold? My heart sank. I knew this person after all. She looked at me as though I were nothing more than a pitiful beast… or was that only my imagination? There was a glint there I could not explain, something that slipped beyond words.
So it is Elira… after all. Once more, I stand before her, fangs bared. Thank god I hadn't chosen her as my prey… but what if I had?
My heart lurched into chaos. I tore myself away from my prey, watching the body slump to the ground, cold already creeping into her skin.
"It's not… I mean… I—" The words stumbled out as I tried to explain, dragged back into the cruel reality of what I had become: a beast, a monster feeding on what I once was: human.
"It's alright, Beatrice, it's alright." Her voice was soft, unnervingly so, her eyes carrying that strange glint I still couldn't read.
She stepped closer, arms reaching out to me. My body trembled uncontrollably. I killed a human… The thought repeated on a loop, gnawing at me. Yet the warmth of an embrace I never expected wrapped around my waist and pulled me in.
"Elira—don't!" I tried to push her back, terrified she would be next. Her blood… it was rich, perfect. Just one more taste, one drop... I felt my body flare with heat at the thought.
"It's alright. Calm down." A gentle hand caressed my hair, her touch almost knowing, almost as if she could read me. How? Why this girl?
My face rested against her shoulder. She smells nice… like fresh flowers. My heart skipped a beat.
"Just a small bite will calm you down, won't it? You've suffered, Beatrice…" Elira's voice was steady as she slid her robe from her shoulder, revealing flawless skin. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
"Control yourself. Learn to feed in measure, and I promise, you will never go hungry again." Her hand pressed firmer against the back of my head, guiding me to her shoulder. No arteries there, no danger to her life, only a place to take a little. But would I be able to stop? I didn't even think of resisting. She was offering herself, and the thought of regret never even crossed my mind.
"Ngh…" A sound slipped from her lips as my fangs pierced her skin. The blood that followed was exquisite, like a feast prepared by heaven itself. I felt weightless, serene, intoxicated. My vision blurred, and soon after, I had no sense of how much I'd taken already.
[DANGER! ELIRA'S LIFE IS AT A CRITICAL POINT. ANY MORE CONSUMPTION WILL KILL HER!]
The mechanical voice tore through my mind. I ripped myself away at once, blood dripping down my lips. Elira slumped against me, her face damp with cold sweat.
And still... she smiled. Warmly, faintly. Until her eyes closed.
"Elira! ELIRA!"