Natural: a note which is neither sharp nor flat.
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The bright round disc hanging on the black sky. The white-gold moon perfectly reflected the sunlight and appeared as the most dazzling object in the airspace. If the sun was the king of the daytime, then the moon was the queen of the nighttime.
The light of the full moon was so strong, overpowering the strength of the lights and lanterns that burned through the darkness. The power of the moon was even able to attract seawater to wave higher, and it immediately greeted the land even further.
Yang Liu could not even fight against the immense power possessed by the Earth's natural satellite. He had no choice other than to absent from his part-time job tonight.
Yang Liu's physical appearance changed when the full moon graced the sky. His irises, which were naturally brownish, had now turned red, matching the color of his hair that also turned crimson. His fangs, which had been hidden all this time, now lengthened irresistibly. His lips became the color of blood, thick and dangerous. His fingernails grew longer and sharper.
When the moon was in its perfect shape, Yang Liu was also at his strongest power. The young man was very strong when the full moon showed up beautifully, but that power always asked for sacrifice. The sacrifice was in the form of human blood.
Yes, Yang Liu must always drink human blood every full moon night. If he didn't meet the requirement, he would become a wild beast that no one could control. A wild beast that could devour all human beings.
The requirement was hard. It was not enough to drink the blood from the blood bag, and he had to drink the fresh blood by directly biting the humans
That was the only way to restrain himself at a night like this, but Yang Liu didn't want to kill people or turn humans into vampires. He was lucky that at such times, his best friend was willing to give his blood to him. His friend offered his wrist as a berth for the young vampire's sharp fangs.
Yang Liu remembered when the first time his friend became his 'donor.'
["Are you sure your bite will not turn me into a vampire, Yang Liu?" His friend asked him in a tone full of doubt.
It was the first time for Yang Liu as well, so he didn't quite sure. "She left me a mysterious book before she died. It was a guide for vampires," he answered.
"But, how come biting the wrist is different from biting the neck? You will surely turn me into a vampire if you bite me in the neck, right?" His friend asked again.
"Yes," Yang Liu answered. "I read in the guide book that the veins on the neck are the largest when compared to those at other places. If a vampire bit the neck, it could cause symptoms of a heart rate that was below normal or known as bradycardia. When the condition occurred, a vampire's infection would quickly attack the heart and become poisonous to the blood. As a result, humans would transform into vampires."
"That makes sense," his friend nodded as a response.
"The pulse on the wrist is smaller so that the vampire bite will not have an immediate effect on general heart rate. The percentage of being able to turn someone into a vampire by biting the wrist is also smaller. It can also be nil if I follow the guide in the book. And, I will bite the vein. If vampires bit the arteries, which were the basis of the circulatory system, all cells in the body would be infected," Yang Liu explained again. "But, if you are not sure, you don't need to sacrifice yourself for me."
His friend seemed nervous and uncertain, but then he smiled as he replied. "I trust you, Yang Liu. Let's do it together."]
That was the old memory. He had experienced more than a dozen full moons, but his friend didn't turn into a vampire until now. As long as Yang Liu didn't suck the blood from the neck and didn't bite the arteries, then his friend would be okay.Ā
A proper bite in a vein also caused red blood to pour out profusely like an open water tap. The red stream with a large discharge would be ready to be used as a thirst quencher for the bloodsucker.
Tonight, Yang Liu did what he routinely did every month, it became natural for him. It had been five minutes since his sharp fangs stuck into his friend's pale wrist. His friend grimaced in pain, but he didn't ask Yang Liu to stop. He knew that Yang Liu was still thirsty, so he didn't ask the latter to stop.
Another dozen seconds passed, and Yang Liu's Adam's apple finally stopped bobbing. The vampire plucked his fangs out of the hand that had drained the blood for him. He then wiped the fresh blood that had contaminated his mouth.
Yang Liu's physic still had not returned to normal even after he met the requirement. The appearance would still last until the early morning. But, at the very least, Yang Liu would return to normal afterward, not turning into a wild beast.
"Thank you for your help tonight," the young vampire sincerely thanked his kindhearted friend.
"No problem, Yang Liu," his friend responded. "I'm glad to be able to donate blood once a month."
Even though his best friend was joking, but Yang Liu didn't laugh. How could he laugh when he saw his friend's face pale due to lack of blood?
Yang Liu then went to the first aid kit which contained only a large plastic clip filled with blood-booster pills. The tall man took a blood-boosting pill and a glass of water, then handed them to his friend.
His friend accepted the offer and said, "Thank you."
Yang Liu just nodded silently as he continued to watch his best friend swallowed the pill. He silently hoped his friend would recover soon. He then glanced slightly at the wrist of the figure beside him, and the wound on that spot seemed to have closed by itself. That was the magic of vampire bites. Injuring, then healing. Yeah, the bites could also heal, but that would only happen if the vampire wanted to heal.
"I heard you are working part-time now, Yang Liu?" The human broke the silence.
Yang Liu frowned at the sudden question. "How did you know about that?" He asked back.
"You know that I always have spies watching you."
Yang Liu rolled his red eyes and snorted loudly after hearing the answer. "I'm an adult now, so you don't have to worry about me all the time," he coldly replied. "And, stop wasting your money on spies. They gave me a hard time when I wanted to teleport."
Hearing Yang Liu spoke at length, the youth in front of him smiled wryly. "I miss your voice, Yang Liu," he said with prominent sadness in his eyes. "You should talk more like how you usually did one year ago when you were still avid calling me and telling me all the things you have been through. I miss your smiles and laughter too. Iā"
"The old me had died. Why don't you understand?" Yang Liu quickly cut his friend's sentence.
There was silence after Yang Liu interrupted his best friend's sentence. It was clear that Yang Liu was not happy when his friend discussed his past.
After a long period of silence, Yang Liu's best friend let out a deep breath. "You have to move on with your life, Yang Liu. You still have hope. You have to study well, make friends, do your hobbies, and... don't be afraid to fall in love again."
Yang Liu still didn't want to open his mouth to speak again. 'Love is a poison for me,' he thought. He no longer believed in love.
"Believe me, Yang Liu. Love is medicine for you." It looked like his friend could read Yang Liu's mind as he stood up and tapped the latter's shoulder lightly. "I will go home first. Get some rest."
The friend finally walked towards the door and left Yang Liu in silence.
Yang Liu was still silent. The man, whose form still hadn't returned to normal, finally leaned his back against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes, hiding those red eyes that would surely scare anyone who saw them. Yes, anyone, except for his best friend who just came to visit. Although his best friend was shocked the first time he told the truth about himself, his best friend was never afraid to see his true form.
Huh, if only things were the same as one year ago...