Revenge didn't know why he was named Revenge; his name meant vengeance.
He had black hair and peculiar gray-blue pupils, always staring into others' eyes as if he could see through their hearts, though he was merely being polite. He was human, but he bore a striking resemblance to a vampire—cool and elegant.
He often dreamed of a place deep in the forest, where a half-naked, muscular man with a surprisingly gentle smile despite his fierce appearance ran towards a lady. Her skin was exceptionally pale in the forest, dressed in an elegant red gown, smiling radiantly back at the man. This scene felt eerie yet familiar.
In Revenge's era, ruled by vampires, the vampire clans had divided the world's resources, energy, political power, and economic structures among themselves. They even retained a council, allowing a few seats for humans. Revenge often wondered if these human councilors, sitting next to vampires who could devour them at any moment, trembled as they voted. Coincidentally, his father was one of these human councilors.
The world was divided into three regions, with travel between them prohibited. The main city area, home to the vampire families and the central council, possessed vast lands and resources. The secondary city area was crammed with humans, managed by smaller vampire clans, resembling lambs waiting for slaughter. They faced daily risks of being captured or sent to the main city area for execution. Revenge, like many humans, had grown accustomed to his fate, immersed in poetry, games, music, and God, without resistance.
Revenge L. Myers was his full name. The Myers family, known distillers and tobacco traders in the first district of the secondary city area, were said to have supplied rum to the human navy, which allegedly earned them a council seat, though it was a façade.
The Myers family was unique. His father, Mediocre, was a timid, skinny man who often pushed up his glasses when nervous, as if they might slide off his nose at any moment. His mother, Chara, must have been stunning in her youth, and his sister resembled her, both incredibly beautiful. In Revenge's eyes, the Myers were true gentlemen and gentlewomen—tolerant and loving toward their family.
Revenge himself was a student at the university in the first district of the secondary city area, majoring in law. Ironically, in a world where the real law was the survival of the fittest, it was unclear whom his studies were meant to restrain.
One afternoon, sunlight filtered through thick clouds, casting mottled shadows on the streets of the human city, once symbols of prosperity and vitality, now eerily quiet and desolate. In this dark era ruled by vampires, despite the city's clean streets and orderly buildings, few ventured out, each with a look of urgency and alertness, knowing they might never return home.
Although his parents had strictly forbidden him from going out, Revenge's curiosity and adventurous spirit made him restless. That day, he decided to venture out again. He tiptoed out of his bedroom, ignoring his parents' discussions about "votes" and politics as he descended the stairs—conversations he found hypocritical and meaningless.
Revenge hurried through the hall and pushed open the door, adorned with strings of garlic—a design to ward off vampires, common to every household. He leaped over the carefully placed holy water basins at the door, another layer of protection for residents. He pushed open the community gate, marked with a large cross, and stepped into the nearly forgotten outside world.
The streets were deserted, filled with an air of unease and fear. Shops were open, but dark and empty inside; merchants appeared only briefly to complete necessary transactions before disappearing back to safety. Revenge's heart raced with each step on the cold cobblestones, his footsteps echoing down the empty streets.
His destination was the subway station leading to the deep forest, considered one of the few relatively safe exits to the outside world. Even so, the deserted subway station felt chilling, as if danger lurked in every corner. Revenge was filled with a mix of desire for the unknown and inevitable fear.
He passed through several abandoned ticket barriers and boarded the train to the forest. The train car was empty, accompanied only by mechanical sounds and occasional shadows flickering past the windows. As the train slowly started, it headed towards the mysterious and perilous deep forest.
Soon, he reached the edge of the city area. The city walls soared into the clouds, built of thick stone blocks, each marked by the passage of time. Moss and vines growing on the walls seemed to whisper secrets unknown to man whenever the wind blew.
Walking under the shadow of the tall wall, Revenge felt the cold emanating from the stone, his gaze trying to pierce through the thick gaps to glimpse the real world outside. However, his attention was quickly drawn to a figure—a girl with flaxen hair, whose presence was strikingly noticeable in the sunlight.
Dressed in a thin white gown, the girl stood barefoot on the leaf-covered ground. Her hair fluttered lightly, and the sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting mottled light on her face, making her appear like a forest sprite. Revenge dared not look at her pale ankles but was captivated by her mysterious and teasing gaze, which made him blush.
Breaking the silence, Revenge asked, "What are you doing here? There's nothing good in this forest except wild beasts."
The girl turned, her clear eyes looking at him as she smiled and said, "I'm looking for something to eat."
Revenge chuckled, responding, "In this place, you'll only find mushrooms and bark."
The girl seemed uninterested in the topic and instead asked, "What's your name?"
"Revenge," he answered.
"That's a unique name," she giggled, then suddenly leaned in closer and whispered, "You look delicious."
Revenge felt an unprecedented ambiguity, and the girl's movements were unusually gentle. She softly grasped his hand, her fingertips gliding over his skin, leaving a trail of chilling sensation. His skin tingled under her touch, both cold and anticipatory. His heart raced, though he tried to appear mature and composed.
Was this a romantic encounter?
Revenge was a well-rounded individual—good at studies, attractive, and intelligent.
Restless, he turned to look at the girl.
Her expression gradually changed; the initial clarity and innocence disappeared, replaced by an inscrutable, greedy glow. Her face slowly approached Revenge, her breathing becoming rapid and heavy, each exhale carrying a cold mist. Revenge felt her breath stealing the warmth from his body, making him increasingly cold with each breath.
He turned to look at the girl again, only to see that her gentle demeanor had vanished, replaced by a craving for blood. Her teeth gradually sharpened, like the sharpest dagger in the night, glittering with a cold light. Her beautiful face contorted with extreme thirst, her allure turning into a terrifying temptation.
"I always like to know my food before I eat," her voice deep and hoarse, as if whispering from another world. Saying this, she suddenly pulled Revenge into a cold embrace, and he felt her sharp teeth touch his neck, gently, almost caressingly, scraping across.
As Revenge prepared to give in and accept his fate, the girl suddenly screamed in agony. Her body convulsed violently, black blood spilling from the corners of her mouth. Her eyes reflected deep fear and confusion, as if tormented by some invisible force. Seconds later, her body collapsed weakly to the ground, her life swiftly ebbing away.
The girl lay on the ground, her life quickly fading. Revenge was panic-stricken, overwhelmed by chaos, feeling a strong dizziness, then everything plunged into darkness...