What would you do if you had lived your entire life as a cripple? Helpless with daily chores, unable to bathe without someone else's help, unable to exercise like a regular person and… Entirely at the mercy of your ailment that could take away your mobility at any given time?
And what would you do if one day… the illness that had plagued you for a decade and a half… Had miraculously disappeared?
Would you sit still on the hospital bed as per usual?
Of course not!
Like a child who had been given the green light to roam free at the playground, I elatedly hopped out of my cabin and strayed to a secluded area surrounded by trees and boulders. The first thing I did was to check my physical state.
Even though I had long left puberty behind, my body had begun a new stage of rapid growth. I was a mere 1.7 metres tall before, but I had already reached 1.75 metres in just a few hours. The doctors hypothesised that my illness had stunted my childhood development, causing the crucial hormones that triggered growth to be paused.
And now that I had transformed into a Vampire, a well-renowned race for their regenerative capabilities, my body was reverting back to what it should have been.
Given how massive my father was, I was curious to see what my limits were if I continued growing at this pace, but I had better things to think about now.
"So the Sun doesn't really affect me that much, huh?"
I raised my arms up towards the dazzling sunlight that pierced through the grey clouds of Winter. It was still three in the afternoon, and there was plenty of sunlight to go around. Fortunately, unlike the myths of old, Vampires do not turn into ashes when in contact with the big fiery ball in the sky.
While I did feel a little discomfort, it was nothing life-threatening or problematic to the extent that I had to scurry to shelter. Which made it perfect for me to finally test this new body out.
Ever since I woke up, I had been thrust from one messy situation to the other. The fact that I had turned into a Vampire, the medical facility questioning me about what happened last night, my concerned parents constantly bugging me…
All of that noise had left me very little time for myself.
And now that I was all alone…
It was time to have some fun.
"Alright, let's take deep breaths…"
I've always heard stories about the elusive race that were the Vampires. Many call them the apex predators of society, and with good reason. They had superhuman strength that could contest with any Hunter. Enhanced senses that could only be described as magical. Transcendent regeneration which allowed them to heal whatever injury they might receive. And most importantly…
Their connection to magic was second to none.
I closed my eyes, and as if in concert, the whole world was being painted in my mind. Using my sense of hearing, I could hear every chirp of a bird, falling snowflake, and rustle of a leaf. Bit by bit, I pieced together the wintry forest. To my surprise, I found that using my other senses was just as effective as using my eyesight.
No, it might be just a tinge better.
I'd never 'seen' the world in such clarity before. The heartbeats of the squirrels that leapt from tree to tree, the footsteps of a colony of ants picking up fallen leaves… Even the simple movement of snow couldn't escape my senses.
It felt utterly surreal…
"Now, let's try this out."
People say that the average Vampire had the strength of an elite Hunter. Just using their raw muscle power, they could carry boulders and rip flesh in half. So, to test that theory out, I stood right in front of a small tree and went into a simple martial arts stance.
Before my accident, my father had drilled many fundamentals into my young body. Of course, I hadn't trained since I got injured, but my body remembers the many years of hard training. With my right fist tucked down at my waist and my left arm extended to give balance, I aimed my body at the tree.
And in one smooth movement…
"HAH!!!"
I yelled as my right fist exploded towards the brown trunk before me. There wasn't anything fancy about my punch. There weren't any hints of magic or any use of body strengthening. It was just a simple, straight punch using all of my strength.
And the result?
"Creeeeeakkkkk!!!" With smoke coming out from my fists, I watched as the tree broke down with most of its trunk falling onto the snowy ground.
"I actually punched it down…"
Even though I was the one who did it, I couldn't fathom my newfound power. Not just that, as I looked down at my fists, there wasn't even a single scratch. It was as if the tree was as soft as water, and my skin was made out of pure diamond.
"What about this then?"
Next up, I tested my regeneration. I've heard about how absurd a Vampire's healing ability was, but I'd never seen it in action before. Taking one of the split branches that fell from the tree, I chose the sharpest end I could find and directly made a cut on my left arm. It was shallow, but given the tool that I had, it was the best I could do.
The thick aroma of blood entered my nose, briefly intoxicating me for a moment. However, it took me a second to snap out of the odd sensation, and my relaxed demeanour quickly followed.
'Ah, this is interesting… I'm more interested in my own blood than the expired one the hospital gave… Is it because I'm a Vampire, or is it because the blood they gave me was expired? I'll need to experiment more.'
My curious mind quickly went into overdrive as I thought of the countless variables that might affect how my tastes were, but I chucked that aside for a moment. The more critical issue at hand was…
"Wow! It's really healing!"
I marvelled in awe as the wound I created gradually closed up. It wasn't instantaneous like in the movies, but it was definitely far faster than an average human. Within half a minute, my skin was as good as new, and there were barely any signs of me being injured. A wound that would take a regular human, days to recover was being healed in just seconds.
"Superhuman strength and a healing factor that could only be described as miraculous… I really became a Vampire…"
Once again, I was dumbfounded by my new reality. To think that the cripple was now capable of doing so much?
"That leaves one other test…"
Taking one deep breath in, I gingerly closed my eyes. For this last test, I had to have complete focus. I ignored the other senses that painted the world around me and focused on one main aspect. I looked… Inside.
I could 'see' my blood from the depths of my heart to the small vessels on my fingertips. I could 'see' the seamless flow of my inner body. And most importantly, I could feel a familiar force, one that I could have never experienced just hours ago. It was a force that I so desperately craved, and it was a power that I had ripped away from me at the age of ten.
Magic.
It was there. It was faint, but there was no doubt that it was there.
I've always watched my peers use spells as if they were second nature to them. While I scored the best points in the theoretical field, everything was for nought as I couldn't use the one thing I yearned for the most.
"HAHAHA!!! I'd actually have it! I actually can use magic again!!!"
My heart felt lighter. No, my entire being felt lighter. The weight that had been dragging me down ever since that incident was no longer there. All my life, I'd felt like half my soul was sealed. The one thing that I was the best at… I couldn't use.
I don't even know how many times I'd said: "If only I could use magic…"
I've learnt every theorem… I've studied so much… And yet, my body refused to learn the one thing I loved the most.
Well, that changes today.
"It's there… It's most definitely there… Alas, I don't know how different Vampire magic is from humans, though…"
I sighed deeply. Just because I was an expert at magic research, it doesn't mean that I would be able to use magic straight away. Especially since I'd turned into a Vampire. I didn't dig deep into the power of Vampires. Still, I did know that their magic system was completely different to what I was familiar with.
"Fortunately, if I didn't know something, all I need to do is ask someone who does, right?"
My voice was neither loud nor soft, but there was a certain firmness to my tone. I turned towards a gap between two trees that were about fifteen metres away from me and looked straight into the void. Visually speaking, there wasn't anyone around. Anyone who had a pair of eyes and a normal sense of logic could comprehend there. But deep down, I knew…
I knew that someone was watching me.
And true enough…
"Wow… I didn't expect this. To think that you could accurately identify where I was. I guess I should have expected nothing less from you."
An ethereal mist emerged from beyond the trees and slowly congregated together. The fog slowly got thicker and thicker until the outlines of a person could be seen. And from the thick fog, came a pleasing voice that seemed reminiscent of that of a Siren's chorus.
It didn't take long for me to identify the foreign visitor who had been spying on me all this time. A young woman, probably in her early twenties, walked out from the mist that enveloped her and brought herself to full view.
And wow… What a view it was.
The woman that came from the woods was nothing short of breathtaking. The most distinct part of her features was her uncommon white hair that flowed down her back like a waterfall. But that was just the start. She seemed to boast the perfect body, with curves so alluring that it would even make a gay man blush.
Her heart-shaped face greatly highlighted her distinct facial features. Mainly the elegant winter grey eyes that were built in perfect harmony. With a sweet, sharp nose and perfect cherry lips, it was no exaggeration to call this woman the most beautiful one I'd ever seen in person. And as if to complement all of those features, the woman's fair skin was almost as white as the snow surrounding her.
The only odd detail about the woman was her choice of clothes during the Winter. Even though the winds had been tame, it was still the middle of the snowy season, with subzero temperatures being the warmest it could go.
Yet, this young lady stood calmly in a noble white gothic dress with barely any warm clothes on her. If I were to examine her closely, she didn't even bother to cover her neckline, which was unheard of during the winter months.
Which could only mean one thing…
"Who are you?"
"It's been a while, Brother."
"Brother?"
There was a slight pause in my mental functions when the girl called me her brother. Did I ever have a sister? No, that can't be true. If I had a sister, there was no way my parents would ever hide her existence from me. So what gives?
And at that very moment… The memory of the night before flowed rose from the recesses of my mind. The first sight of the Blood Moon. The fact that my illness started acting up again. The moment I resigned to my fate and prepared to die with a smile, and…
The woman that came into my room.
"Yesterday… That was you?"
Yes… How could I forget? When I was on the verge of death, an angel appeared. Even though I had passed out soon after, there was no denying the fact that this young woman had entered my room. And given the circumstances… She was probably the one who turned me into a Vampire.
"Yes! I'm glad you remember me, brother!" A faint blush appeared on the beauty's face as her lips blossomed into a dazzling smile. Stepping closer to me in two steps, the woman placed both her hands on my chest and slowly slid them up my shoulders.
Since we were about the same height, the young lass's face was just inches away from mine. Now that we were up close, I could fully admire every inch of her poreless skin. The sweet fragrance of Winter emerged from her blooming body, and an intoxicating feeling struck the deepest parts of my brain.
Strange…
This woman was a stranger. No, she was probably a Vampire as well. And yet, I don't feel threatened in the slightest.
For some weird reason, I couldn't bring myself to reject her touch. Instead, it felt like every fibre of my being was welcoming her to touch me.
That youthful smile… This familiar fragrance… Her joyful voice…
Where have I felt it all before?
"Urgh!"
At that moment, my head began to throb. A faint vision flashed by my consciousness. It was blurry, but I could make out the image of a young girl running through the meadows with me. In that world, there was no one but her and me.
We were no more than ten-years-old, and we spent our days with nothing but joy and laughter. It was a vision that I'd never seen before, and yet… I felt as if it was a memory that had been sealed tightly away in the depths of my mind.
But no matter how much I tried, the pain which came from that memory didn't subside. No, in fact, it intensified with every passing second. Fortunately, before I pushed myself too hard and fainted, a melodious voice broke me free from my stupor.
"Brother! You don't have to force yourself!"
"..."
"Don't worry about a thing, my dear brother… You're still in the midst of recovering. There's no need to push yourself. All will be revealed to you in due time…"
When I woke up, I found myself wrapped around the woman's arms. She held my back with one hand and had her other stroke my black hair.
This is odd…
Why does being with her… feel so right?
This stranger she…
"Who are you?" Unconsciously, I asked.
The woman paused briefly and pushed her body away from mine. Though, her arms were still firmly grabbing onto my shoulders, as if she was afraid that I would run away the moment she let me go.
And with the most brilliant smile I'd seen yet, she declared:
"My name is Irina Everwinter… your little sister!"