Everything about being who I am starts with the scent…

…you are no longer what you used to be.

 Your sudden lust for blood takes over you.

You feel your innards burning as the pain surges through you. Your vision blurs as the world around you transforms into a haze of colors and shapes. Each breath feels like shards of glass cutting through your lungs, and the taste of copper floods your mouth. Your muscles tense and convulse with every wave of agony that courses through your body, a relentless onslaught that leaves you gasping for air.

Yet, there's a strange clarity that washes over you. It's as if the pain itself becomes a catalyst, stripping away the layers of pretense and revealing the raw essence of your being. In that moment of vulnerability, you confront truths you've long buried, fears you've been too afraid to acknowledge. Your memories rush through in a flash.

As the flames of agony rage within you, you find a strange solace in the intensity of the experience. There's a perverse beauty in the way it consumes you, in the way it forces you to confront the depths of your existence. And though every fiber of your being screams for release, there's a part of you that relishes in the exquisite torture, knowing that from the ashes of pain, something new will emerge.

I feel myself awaken, the first thing I feel is the primal urge coursing through my veins, the insatiable hunger that drives me forward. Every sense heightened, every instinct razor-sharp, I embrace the darkness that now flows within me. My identity shifts, molded by this new reality, as I embrace the truth of what I've become.

Everything around me becomes sharper, the sound; I could hear things from miles away. I knew it was so because I could hear the distant fluttering of wings, the birds chirping, the faint rustle of leaves as they danced in the breeze, and the soft murmur of voices carried on the wind. It was as if the world had come alive in ways I had never before imagined.

Then I open my eyes, and everything comes in a rush, the thirst becomes more evident, my lungs are burning as if set on fire and right there I just wanted to feed, the blood…the metallic coppery scent. 

The air seems charged and amplified. Is it a tantalizing invitation or a warning? 

I beg to differ.

 My gaze darts around, seeking out the source of that intoxicating aroma that calls to me.

In the distance, somewhat like a room I am in, dark and musty, my vision is clear enough to spot a figure, their heartbeat echoing in my ears like a drumbeat, their scent a delicious cocktail of fear and desire. And without hesitation, I move towards them, my movements fluid and purposeful.

As I draw closer, I can see the fear flickering in their eyes, and hear the quickening of their breath. It only serves to heighten my hunger, to drive me forward with a single-minded focus.

With a predatory grace, I close the distance between us, my senses ablaze with anticipation. And then before I can sink my fangs, a hand grabs me by the throat and slams me hard to the ground. I growl.

The figure looming over me is shrouded in darkness, their features hidden from view. I struggle against their iron grip, but it's futile, like trying to push against a mountain. The size of their bare arms is massive enough to crush my skull.

"Who are you?" I croak. 

They lean in closer, their eyes boring into mine, searching for something beyond the insatiable hunger that consumes me. "You're different," they murmur, more to themselves than to me.

With a sudden release, they let go of my throat, allowing me to gulp in air, my body still trembling from the ordeal.

"What do you want?" I manage to rasp out, my voice hoarse. 

They pause, studying me with an unreadable expression. "I want to understand what you are," they finally respond. "And I want to know if you pose a threat. Or one of us."

I swiftly stand to my feet and think about grabbing him by the neck and ripping it off as he turns his back towards me, but a voice in my mind holds me back.

"Follow me," he said.

The figure gestures for me to follow, their movements confident and purposeful. I hesitate at first, then my curiosity wins over, and I trail behind them, my senses still aflame with the hunger for blood. 

So badly, did I want it?

Through the darkness, the figure guides me as we step outside of what seems like a tent. 

No, it was.

We step into the rain-muddled road, rain still drizzling hard as he leads me towards a decrepit building. 

Finally, we halt outside, its facade weathered and neglected. The figure's eyes glint in the dim light as they turn to me.

"The rest are waiting." He says, then he steps in.

Alone now, I stand before the ominous structure, uncertainty swirling within me like a tempest. 

With a deep breath, I push open the creaking door, moving into the darkness beyond, prepared to confront whatever awaits me within.

The atmosphere is stale and void of presence till a voice speaks.

"Kneel!"

I suddenly feel pressured and out of control. It The atmosphere is heavy, and oppressive in its silence, as I bend to a knee in the dimly lit chamber. Shadows danced around me. My body and every muscle in my body tense with resistance. But beneath the defiance, there lurked a primal instinct, a recognition of authority that I couldn't quite shake.

"Do you realize who you are? Or better still, what you are now?" The voice asks.

The air seems to thicken as figures materialize from the darkness, their forms barely discernible, but they are cloaked in black. At the forefront is a tall lanky man whose strides and movement impose fear. And then I see their eyes glow like mine from a mirror behind, only with a deeper hue.