In the dimly lit, shabby house, Andrew was met with an unexpected sight. A little, skinny girl with torn and shabby clothes lay before him. Her stature was petite, standing at around 130 centimeters, and her shoulder-length white hair was dyed with streaks of red. At first, he thought she might be lifeless, given the bloodstains that marred her appearance. However, her delicate face was twisted in pain, and her faint, heavy breathing assured him otherwise.
Without hesitation, he rushed to her side, cradling the girl in his arms. "Little girl, can you hear me?" he gently asked. "Just hold on a little longer. I'll tend to your wounds."
From his backpack, Andrew retrieved bandages and carefully began the process of cleaning and treating her injuries. It was evident that she had suffered greatly, and her frail body bore the marks of her ordeal.
After attending to her wounds, Andrew attempted to offer her some food, but she rejected it, spitting it out as if it were repulsive. Understanding that she needed rest and that her condition was fragile, he decided to let her be for the time being.
Hours passed, and the clock struck 3 a.m. Andrew was roused from his light slumber by peculiar sounds. As he opened his eyes, he was met with a pair of otherworldly beautiful crimson-red eyes, filled with curiosity and... fear.
Startled at first, Andrew soon recognized that the girl before him was the same one he had rescued earlier. He smiled gently and sat down on the shabby bed. "Are you feeling better now?" he asked softly. "You must be hungry. Let me find something for you to eat."
As he moved to stand, the little girl's small hand shot out, clutching his sleeve. When Andrew turned to her, his eyes widened in astonishment as he saw two tiny canine teeth protruding from her lips.
Though Andrew was initially taken aback by the sight of Amelia's little fangs, he quickly recognized that there was no hostility in her demeanor. In the past few days, he had come to accept the existence of vampires, and he felt no fear in her presence.
Gently, he held her hand and pointed to her tiny canines. "So, this was the reason you couldn't eat the food," he remarked with understanding in his voice.
The little girl, initially confused, eventually blushed in embarrassment but continued to hold onto his hand. When Andrew asked her name, she hesitated before softly responding, "Amelia." Her voice, while bashful, had a charming quality to it.
Then, Andrew surprised her with an unexpected question, "Do you want some of my blood, Amelia?"
The little girl couldn't believe her ears and wondered if she had heard him correctly. When Andrew nodded to confirm his offer, she was at a loss for words.
Andrew continued with his inquiries, "Shouldn't vampires stay hidden and emerge after this chaos happened? Why were you here in that state? Did they send children to fight those creatures?"
Amelia looked at him with innocent eyes and responded, "My older sister, Saif, says that's a bad word, and anyone who says it is rude."
Andrew was momentarily taken aback by how skillfully she changed the subject, but he pressed on with concern for her well-being. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me, but you're so skinny. You must eat something. If you don't want my blood, can you tell me what vampires eat?"
Amelia hesitated, unsure of how to answer. She had never tasted human blood; her family had strictly forbidden it, warning her that it would turn her into a monster. While they had provided her with animal blood, she didn't want to burden Andrew by sending him out into the darkness to hunt. She doubted if he would even go to such lengths for a stranger like her.
After some contemplation, Amelia decided to be honest with the kind young man who had saved her life. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "I... I've never drunk human blood before. My family forbade it, and they said I would become a monster for a period of time if I did." Her eyes welled up with tears as she continued, "When my older sister went on a mission, there was no one to protect me. My paternal family schemed and made it look like I was attacked by demons. That's when those people appeared, and they seemed like they were sent by my sister to protect me. That's how I ended up here."
She paused, sniffing, before admitting, "But I don't want to become a monster or hurt you, older brother."
Amelia's revelation about her family left Andrew momentarily surprised. He wondered if she hailed from a well-known vampire family. Still, his primary concern was her well-being, and he came up with a plan to help her.
"How about this," Andrew suggested, "I'll give you some of my blood in a bottle, but I'll distance myself from you across the street. I'll give you a little at first to test if they lied to you or not. If everything is okay, then I'll give you as much as you want."
Amelia pondered for a moment, her thoughts filled with memories of her sister assuring her that she wasn't a monster and that she had been lied to. With newfound determination, she nodded her head, her expression filled with anticipation.
Andrew cut his palm, and at the sight of his blood, Amelia's crimson eyes shimmered with fascination. He carefully collected a few drops in an empty bottle, then exited the house to wait.
After a minute, the house began to shine brightly, radiating a brilliant white light through its openings. Simultaneously, Andrew experienced an excruciating headache, causing him to clutch his head and cry out, "Aaaaghhh..."
For several agonizing minutes, he endured the intense pain. Then, the headache subsided, and a mark of two crimson wings appeared on his forehead before disappearing.
When the pain finally ceased, he noticed that the bright light emanating from the house had vanished. Curious, he entered the house and found that the once-skinny girl, Amelia, now appeared healthy, with rosy cheeks. Her canines had grown, and her hair now reached her waist.
Amelia snapped out of her own thoughts and joyfully lunged at him, hugging his neck and thanking him repeatedly, "Big brother, thank you, thank you!"
Andrew couldn't explain it, but he felt a deep connection with her, as if he could sense her emotions. Her happiness was contagious, and he hugged her back warmly.
"Do you want some of my blood now, little sister?" he asked with a smile.
Amelia was taken aback by the term "little sister" and questioned him about it. blushing slightly in embarrassment. Andrew replied, "Why can you call me big brother, but I can't call you little sis, huh?"
He then continued, "Amelia, I lost my parents to the demons. Your family also doesn't treat you like family, so we're basically on our own. Do you want to come with me?"
Amelia cried tears of joy at his proposal, and she hugged him tightly, repeating, "Yes, yes, yes."
Afterward, Andrew filled a bottle with his blood and cautioned her not to drink it all at once. Exhausted from the events of the night, he soon fell asleep, with Amelia snuggling up to his side, a happy smile on her face.