Aiden was sitting on his bed, staring at the notification floating in front of his eyes. His mind was racing, trying to understand why his thirst for blood was manifesting now, with such intensity. It had been several weeks since he had drunk a drop of blood, and until now, he had managed to handle this lack without too much difficulty. But today was different. The thirst was more pressing, as if his body was screaming at him that it had reached its limits.
He thought back to yesterday's fight against Nate, how he had taken the blows, how his body had regenerated at a prodigious speed. His dhampir nature gave him extraordinary abilities, but he was beginning to realize that this came at a price. Every healed wound, every superhuman effort seemed to exacerbate his hunger, as if his body was drawing on its reserves to fuel his powers.
"If that's the case, it's a bad sign..."
A cold shiver ran down his spine at this thought. If his theory was right, it meant he was caught in a vicious circle. The more he used his abilities, the more he needed blood. But if he gave in to this thirst, wasn't he at risk of losing control? Of becoming the monster he feared so much? And especially in this school, where he would be constantly confronted with fights, and using his abilities to their maximum!
He shook his head, dismissing these dark thoughts. He couldn't afford to falter, not now. He had to find a solution, and fast. But first, he had to face this new day, starting with combat class.
When he entered the training room, he was greeted by a scene that had become familiar: students warming up in pairs.
Aiden immediately spotted Ethan, who waved at him from the other end of the room. He responded with a nod before heading towards Nate.
His sparring partner greeted him with a warm smile, clearly delighted to go again. Aiden tried to return his smile, but he could already feel the tension rising in him, the thirst for blood like a dull beat at his temples.
Professor Zane gave the start signal, and the two opponents took their stance. From the first exchanges, Aiden felt that something was wrong. His movements were slower, less precise than usual. He felt like he was fighting in molasses, each gesture costing him a superhuman effort.
"Come on, pull yourself together," Aiden told himself.
Nate, on the other hand, seemed to be in top form. His blows rained down with disconcerting speed and precision, exploiting every flaw in Aiden's guard. The latter took a particularly well-placed straight right, which knocked the wind out of him and made him retreat several steps.
"Keep your guard high, Aiden!" Professor Zane shouted from the edge of the mat. "And don't forget to move your feet!"
Aiden gritted his teeth, trying to apply his teacher's advice. But each blow he received seemed to fuel his frustration, his anger. He could feel the thirst for blood rising in him like an irrepressible wave, threatening to overwhelm him at any moment. He felt like he had pulled an all-nighter when he was fighting, all his blows were slower, he was less responsive, as the system had warned him.
He attempted a counterattack, chaining punches and kicks with what energy he had left. But Nate parried or dodged them with almost insulting ease, before retaliating with a series of fluid strikes that sent Aiden to the mat.
"Stop!" Professor Zane shouted, ending the fight. "Aiden, are you okay?"
The young dhampir got up painfully, short of breath and his body sore. He nodded, unable to speak, his throat tight with shame and rage.
Nate approached him, looking concerned.
"Hey, man, sorry if I went a little hard. You didn't seem to be on your game today, I thought it would motivate you to give it your all like yesterday, I didn't mean to hurt you."
Aiden forced a smile on his lips.
"Don't worry, it's okay. I just slept badly last night."
It was a lie, of course. But what else could he say? That he had less energy because he hadn't drunk blood in a long time? That every fiber of his being was screaming at him to sink his fangs into his opponent's throat to regain energy?
He suddenly felt Ethan's gaze on him, heavy with silent questions. His friend had noticed his unusual behavior, this tension emanating from him like a dark aura. Aiden looked away.
The rest of the class went by as if in a fog. Aiden chained fights, but he felt like a spectator of his own body. He saw his movements, heard Professor Zane's advice, but everything seemed distant, muffled, as if he were underwater, and it worsened with each blow and fight.
Finally, the end of the class arrived, and the students began to disperse. Aiden headed for the locker room with heavy steps, eager to get away from this room, from this feeling of failure that clung to his skin.
But that was without counting on Ethan. His friend caught up with him in the hallway, a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Aiden, wait. What's going on? You weren't yourself today."
Aiden gently disengaged, avoiding Ethan's inquisitive gaze.
"It's nothing, I assure you. Just a rough patch."
Ethan frowned, clearly unconvinced.
"Listen, I know we haven't known each other long, but I'm your friend. If something's wrong, you can talk to me about it."
Aiden hesitated, torn between the need to confide and the fear of revealing his secret.
"I just couldn't fall asleep last night," Aiden said, faking a smile, as if everything was better.
Ethan nodded, understanding that he didn't want to talk about it.
"No worries, this afternoon is free time, we'll go out and have some fun!"
Aiden gave him a grateful smile before heading off to the locker room.
He had to find a solution, and fast. Before his thirst took over, turning him into a bloodthirsty monster. But how, when every fight, every effort seemed to fuel this insatiable hunger?
As he changed, his movements made clumsy by fatigue and pain, Aiden vowed to find a way. For now, he had to deal with it. Maybe spending the afternoon with Ethan would do him good? Or... not ?