Kimi's POV
"Why, Mom? How could you do this to me?" The words tore from my throat, a raw spill of betrayal. The fury burned, a searing fire stoked by sixteen years of a secret I hadn't known. My jaw throbbed, a sudden, sharp pain that contrasted grotesquely with the serene smile on her face. "Mom!" I screamed, but her laughter only poured salt on the wound. The pain intensified, a physical manifestation of my inner turmoil. "Please, help me! It hurts!" I cried, the desperation in my voice almost swallowed by the shocking calm on her face. "Don't worry, darling," she said, her voice like honeyed poison, "This is all perfectly normal." Normal? The word echoed in the hollow of my disbelief.
Earlier that day, anticipation had been my only companion. Class had crawled, each tick of the clock a step closer to freedom. Finally, the bell's shrill call released me, sending me scrambling for my belongings and bursting out of the classroom. My haste led to a collision with a girl—short brown hair, hidden behind sunglasses, and an arresting serpent tattoo coiled around her neck. "I'm... so sorry," I stammered, my breath caught. "It's fine," she replied, her voice slightly rough, and something about her sent my heart racing. As she passed, our hands brushed and a strange electric shock seized me. The moment broke, and I escaped the school, its familiar walls suddenly oppressive.
At home, an unfamiliar press of bodies clogged the entrance. I pushed past the crowd, my anxiety rising, and took refuge in my room. The evening's strained silence was broken at ten with a knock. "Come in," I called, irritation prickling my skin. My older sister, Audrey, entered, her smile bright. "What's got my little sis so down on her big day?" she teased. My birthday—it felt anything but special. She presented me with a shimmering purple gown, urging me to change and join the party downstairs. Reluctantly, I obeyed, joining the sea of faces. My mother offered me a glass of crimson liquid, which I gulped down without thought. The taste was vile.
As the hour approached midnight, my mother beckoned me. "Kimi, come here," she called, her voice a siren's lure. A golden necklace, with a serpentine clasp, appeared in her hands. She fastened it around my neck and then the serpent bit me. A cruel smile cracked her lips. "Today, Kimi becomes one of us—a Vampire!" she declared, her voice ringing with excitement. My heart plummeted and the world spun. I turned to flee, but stumbled. Strong arms caught me before I fell — the girl with the serpent tattoo. And then, darkness consumed me.
I awoke in my bed, beside my smiling, lying mother, the source of my burning pain and anger.