Death, the only thing fair to all. After all, it is equally terrible to everyone. Young, old, good, bad, it doesn't matter. Death is fair. One's age, looks, behaviour, personality, wealth, beliefs, hopes, dreams; they matter only when they are alive. They lose all significance in the face of death. That's why I think death is beautiful. The phenomena that can make each and every one of us equal must be beautiful.

Yet, since the time I was deprived of that beauty, I have always wondered; is there a life after death? If yes, then what would that afterlife like be? The choirs of angels? Or the fiery pits of hell? Would I have to continue to live on even after death, never ceasing to think about the world I'd no longer belong to? Whatever it might be, I sure don't want any part of it- this one has been pretty purgatorial already.

However, during the long years of my life, I've come to realise that death, in fact, is not the true end. It is but a mere pathway to a new beginning. Hilarious, isn't it? Every living creature is designed to end, yet they are still stuck in an endless cycle of life and death. Their death, their final moment of glory, becomes the stepping stone for a new story.

Utterly hilarious, and…

Utterly ridiculous.

And so, as I sit and stare at the unchanging horizon, I wonder-

Would I ever get the chance to truly end my life?

I should have gotten that chance 847 years ago. My life should have been forfeit in the final battle for humanity. Yet here I am, alive, and craving for some sweet, sweet, blood-

Wait. Blood?

Have I become so mentally unstable that I'm now thirsting for blood? Perhaps I should seek professional help haha-

[You should.] A deep, heavy voice resounded in my conscious. [But not for the reason you think of.]

Eh?

[You have turned into a vampire.]

Yeah, right. Do I look like a fucking idiot to you?

[Yes.]

This fucker...

[Ahem, I mean, you look like a vampire right now. Why don't you check for yourself?]

I looked down at my body.

Two arms- check. Two legs- check. A bountiful chest- check.

Yup, a human right there.

[Haah...] Viben sighed. [Try revolving your mana.]

And how exactly am I supposed to use mana in a manaless world-

Huh?

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!

I can use mana?

What. The. Hell?