"What's goi—"
"What's going on?" I rasped, my voice hoarse.
A bright light loomed above me as I slowly pried my eyes open. I tried to turn my head, but the moment I moved, pain tore through me.
Agony erupted in every inch of my body. My veins felt like they were filled with something thick and unnatural, and my limbs throbbed as if they were threatening to tear away from me. My skin burned—fire licking at every nerve. A raw, piercing scream escaped my throat. That's when someone shined a light directly into my eyes. I flinched, jerking my head away, my vision still blurred by pain. But through the haze, I could make out a figure beside me.
A thought barely formed through the overwhelming agony: A paramedic?
The realization should have comforted me, but the pain was too consuming. My only option was to close my eyes and focus on keeping myself from going insane. I concentrated as hard as I could, but it did nothing. The burning in my skin gave way to an agonizing chill—a frostbitten sensation spreading through my body, stabbing into me like needles of ice.
Time became meaningless. Hours could have passed, or maybe days—I wouldn't have known. But after what felt like an eternity, the pain began to fade, little by little, until exhaustion finally pulled me under.
---
I stirred, my eyelids fluttering open.
Bright ceiling lights greeted me, harsh but bearable. The steady beeping of machines filled the air, accompanied by the low hum of distant conversations. I was in a hospital. That much was clear.
A needle pricked my arm, and I braced myself for the pain as I moved to sit up—except there was none. No soreness, no lingering ache from whatever had happened to me. I sat up effortlessly, my body feeling… fine. Too fine.
I took a moment to assess myself. Physically, I was intact. No pain, no bruises—nothing to suggest I had just endured something agonizing.
Then, my eyes caught the windows.
Something was wrong.
The city stretched beyond the glass, but it wasn't just a view—it was clear. Too clear. My vision honed in on tiny details I shouldn't have been able to see: the texture of bricks on a distant building, the way a car's headlights reflected off a puddle blocks away. My hearing followed suit—I could hear conversations happening well outside my room, words crisp and distinct despite the distance.
I was so absorbed in my newfound senses that I barely noticed when someone approached my door.
The man who stepped inside had dark skin, short, curly black hair, and a chiseled jawline. His presence commanded attention, but I wasn't prepared for how… striking he was. It took me a second to realize he was a doctor.
He studied me, his gaze sharp, almost calculating. Finally, he spoke in a monotone voice.
"Hello, Mr. Swan. I'm Dr. Fisher, and I'll be overseeing your recovery. How are you feeling?"
I swallowed, my voice still rough. "I feel… great."
He barely reacted, scribbling something onto his clipboard. "I suppose you would. After the change."
I frowned. "What do you mean, 'change'?"
Dr. Fisher sighed, clearly unimpressed. "Listen, kid. Do you believe in the supernatural?"
I gave him a look of pure disbelief.
He caught my expression and let out another sigh, this time more exasperated. "Mr. Swan, do you believe in vampires?"
I wanted to laugh—seriously?—but the question struck something deep inside me. It unearthed flashes of memory—the pain, the fire, the icy burn in my veins. The things I could see and hear now.
Something inside me knew.
A chill settled over me. "Hey… What happened to Bryan?" My voice wavered, my stomach twisting in dread.
Dr. Fisher straightened, his face hardening into something unreadable.
He exhaled softly. "Mr. Swan… I'm sorry, but your friend didn't make it."
The words hit like a freight train.
Everything inside me went still. My breathing stopped. My body froze, paralyzed by the weight of loss, fear, and something else—something unnatural.
Then, I noticed it.
It wasn't just me that had stopped. Everything had.
The piece of paper Dr. Fisher had been flipping through was frozen midair. The saline in my IV had halted, unmoving. The entire room had stilled in time.
Except for him.
Dr. Fisher moved—only slightly, slower than before—but he wasn't frozen like everything else. His eyes flicked toward me, scanning me with unnerving interest. Then, a slow grin spread across his face.
"Intriguing."
And just like that, time snapped back into motion.
The paper landed. The IV dripped. The machines beeped.
I sucked in a sharp breath, my mind reeling.
Dr. Fisher didn't seem the least bit surprised. "You need to get yourself together before we let your family in." His tone was almost lazy, like none of this was shocking to him.
"They're here? Wait—what did you mean by 'vampire'? And what the hell was that just now?" I demanded.
Dr. Fisher pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly growing tired of my questions. "Alright, alright, calm down, kid." He leveled me with a look. "Listen closely. The people who jumped you—the ones who killed your friend? They were vampires."
My hands clenched into fists. "Why do you keep saying that? How am I supposed to believe something like that?"
Dr. Fisher smirked. "That's easy."
I glared at him, waiting for an explanation.
Then, right before my eyes, his mouth opened—and his teeth lengthened. Fangs slid into place, gleaming under the hospital lights.
My breath hitched. My mind scrambled for any way to deny what I was seeing. But I couldn't. Not after everything else.
Reality had just shattered.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to accept the impossible. "So… what happens now, Doctor?"
Dr. Fisher with his fangs still out gave me an aggressive look and said "Now we see how bloodthirsty you are kid."