In his dream, Zed found himself seating under a tower.
It was constructed of wood and red bricks, reminiscent of those described in fairy tales, standing tall surrounded by a flower field, enveloped by a lush garden.
He dreamt about a proper brunch laid out.
There were plates of red meat, succulent tomatoes, red beans, bright red fried eggs...and a glass of fresh, crimson blood orange juice. It felt like ages since he had eaten, and he couldn't control the hunger raging within him. He devoured everything, licking the plates till it clean.
He chugged the orange juice straight from the bottle, while admiring the statues nestled within the flowerbeds. They seemed a bit odd, but all shared a unifying red hue. There were peculiar birds, bears with expressions of terror, leopards covered in spots, and a group of monkeys.
Zed rose, a satisfied expression on his face, and walked over to the statues with his orange juice in hand. The sky turned a bit dark. Suddenly, the flowers swayed with the wind, making a rustling sound. The monkey's eyes seemed to shift ever so slightly.
Zed was almost certain that they had indeed moved.
He choked on his drink, coughing violently.
"Zed! Zed! I'm sorry, but you have to have some water now," Zed heard Lucy's voice as he opened his eyes.
"Uh... Lucy..."
The room gradually brightened as sunlight streamed through the window. Zed's nostrils were filled with a metallic smell, which grew stronger with each cough. He wanted water, but more importantly, he hoped Lucy would move him to a place where the sunlight couldn't reach.
"Could you help me move behind the table?" Zed asked with a smile.
She pointed at him, but she still start to help him. She would no longer questioned Zed's decision, as they had survived because of the words he provided.
Lucy trust him.
In this very special case, trust is the most important part.
However, what used to be a two-step journey to grab a sheet of paper now took nearly twenty minutes for them.
Throughout the process, Zed felt as if the marrow in his spine had frozen into smoothie,and someone was stirring it with a skewer, causing unbearable discomfort.
"Cheers!"
Zed said gratefully, his face still bearing a smile, once the ordeal was over.
Lucy looked Zed up and down, holding back her curiosity for a while before finally giving in to her unease.
"I feel like you've changed," she began.
"Oh? How so?" Zed raised an eyebrow in response.
Lucy pondered, then casually tore open a package of instant noodles.
"I'm not sure. It's just a feeling. It's not just that you knew so much beforehand, like some kind of prophet. It's like your whole being has changed. Your recovering so fast, I can't find your shadow in the sunlight, the window doesn't reflect your image, and... and..."
"And what?" Zed asked calmly.
"And... during the night, you keep calling out for... 'blood'..." Lucy's voice trembled slightly.
Zed tried to explain, but his words were interrupted by another bout of violent coughing.
Lucy, who had been hiding her hand, once again placed it on Zed's back to make him feel easier.
She looked at his sunken eyes, noticing that the wounds on his body were recovering at an observable rate. The initial injury had been severe—when Lucy found him, his shoulder was nearly gone, and she could practically see his bones.
After a brief struggle, Lucy looked at Zed's face closely. She noticed that her colleague now possessed a wickedly handsome looking, especially his slightly bloodshot eyes. His pupils dilated, becoming even more captivating, while his lips seemed to extend a silent invitation to her.
"Perhaps... perhaps you don't have to stand it..."
Lucy pursed her lips, gritted her teeth, and tied her hair back, revealing her neck as she leaned forward.
Zed was stunned by her.
Lucy, with her slightly tanned skin, proudly showed off her slender, toned neck. In this moment, she somehow be conveying an indescribablee obedience.
At first glance, Zed's eyes began to turn red, and his fangs instinctively started to elongate. He desperately wanted to bite down, not for
blood, but he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control his ravenous nnature.
As for the full extent of a vampire's abilities, Zed knew almost nothing except for the strange dreams he had since his resurrection.
He was unwilling to take the risk, especially with Lucy.
Zed let Lucy's hair down again, and as it cascaded past his nose, it almost lulled him back to sleep.
"What do you think this is? Bite you once and you'll become an ageless, eternal vampire like me? Will we rule the world together? Come on... I'm not having flag here, but we won't end like this! "
Zed joked, shaking his head before adding:
"I don't know my own situation, but blood probably won't help. Otherwise, I wouldn't have removed the IV in the hospital... I was anemic then..."
"Alright... but I've always been..." Lucy turned away and began eating raw instant noodles. It was clear she was eating sparingly, hoping to leave more for Zed.
"Hey, you don't have to do this. Now's not the time for dieting. You know, I'm a vampire; I can't eat stuff like this..." Zed straightened up, trying to appear more energetic.
"Oh! So now you're admitting you're a vampire?"
Lucy tossed him a packet of noodles and pointed to the water on the ground, urging him to eat quickly. She then headed into the office's private room.
Her expression before leaving was peculiar, as if she was angry or wronged—Zed couldn't tell.
But he was sure that her ears had turned red.
Days passed, and thankfully, winter had not yet arrived. The nights were not too cold, and the office had a restroom. They even found a bathroom in the boss's office.
Lucy could take care of herself on her own, while she helped Zed with his.
Zed was still unwilling to take Lucy's blood, so his recovery was very slow.
In the end, he didn't have the energy to speak even a single word for days.
Lucy made that phone call every day.
Three days.
Five days.
A week.
A month...
At last, even the remaining food was not enough for Lucy alone.
This somehow confirmed the fact that Zed was indeed a vampire.
No one could survive so long without food and on just a small amount of water.
Moreover, Zed's injuries hadn't healed, and Lucy could hear his muffled, pained gasps at ever night.
*****
"Today is the day..."
Lucy sighed, hanging up the unanswered phone as the battery died.
Her once-healthy, tanned skin had vanished, leaving her pale and gaunt. Her lips were devoid of color, her hair fell out in clumps, and she appeared to have aged a decade.
Yet she was still the better-off of the two. Zed hadn't make and sound for a long time, and Lucy often made decisions and spoke on his behalf.
She slowly crawled over to Zed and pulled him into her embrace, as if he might crumble like a damp cracker with the slightest pressure.
After a while, her voice came as a whisper in his ear: "It's time. If you don't take my blood now, you'll be praying for a blood moon tonight to turn me into a wolf..."
She maintained her sense of humor as always.
To be honest, Zed was feeling desperate at this point. He wished for some kind of miraculous dream to rescue him. If only his rebirth had granted him some sort of superpower instead of leaving him here with his loved one, waiting for their inevitable demise.
If it really came down to it, even if he was reluctant and the risk was great, he would bite. He knew there was a chance that it might save Lucy...
Caught in a haze between dreaming and waking, daylight came, signaling that it was time for him to sleep again...
*tocotocotoco*
The loud and cacophonous sound of a helicopter jolted Zed awake. Accompanied by a powerful gust of wind, he could hear the thrumming noise of the helicopter's blades.
He used all his strength to hold onto Lucy, knowing that in their weakened state, the chopper's downdraft could easily sweep them out of the building.
A man in combat gear leaped down from the helicopter, surprisingly without any ropes or safety measures, and landed firmly inside the room, shattering the window in the process.
He stood in front of Zed.
"OMG, WTF is this...what actually is this...hey, Captain, come check this out! Is this some new dish those brutes invented? Jerky? Human bacon?"
The man's voice was lively, a bit annoying, but brimming with energy.
The one called Captain approached. He wore a spotless suit, sported a white beard and hair, and carried a katana at his waist. His whole style seemed out of place in the surroundings.
He pressed down on the lively man's hand with the hilt of his sword, allowing Zed to feel the gravity and sit up.
"He's a person, a living person," he said.
The man crouched down, lifted Zed's eyelid, and asked:
"Kid, it was you who sent the signal, right? I don't know how you got our phone number just as our organization was established, but you're the first person we've saved."
He paused for a moment and handed Zed a bottle of water.
"You're safe now."
Zed was hoisted onto their helicopter, which roared into the sky, leaving behind the terrifying place where he had spent a month.
There were five people on the helicopter, all in special forces operatives suit.They were somewhat crowded around Zed, chatting animatedly, except for the sword-wielding man in the proper suit.
"Didn't expect our first mission would be to save an Awakened," said a man dressed as a doctor.
"Awakened? How can you be that sure?" the annoying man asked.
The doctor sighed, looking disappointed at his teammate.
"Who else could survive being trapped alone for a month after this fking disaster and still able to breathing like your grandfather?"
Suddenly, Zed's eyes widened as he struggled to say something.
The suited captain used his sword's scabbard to gently push him back down to rest.
"What did he say?" another male voice asked.
The doctor placed his finger under Zed's nose, feeling for his breath.
"I'm not sure, but I thought I heard him say something about 'alone'..."
"Alone?"