The night felt different.
The city still moved at its usual pace—people scurried home, cars rumbled down the streets, and neon signs flickered in the rain. But for Ethan, everything had shifted.
He wasn't alone anymore.
Standing beside him was his first disciple.
She was no longer the broken girl he had found in the alley. Her once frail body had strengthened, her presence exuding something primal. Her crimson eyes gleamed under the streetlights, and her breathing was steady—controlled.
Yet Ethan could sense it.
The hunger clawing at her insides.
The Call of Blood
[First Disciple Transformation: 80% Complete]
[Final Step: First Feeding Required]
Ethan exhaled. This was inevitable. He had experienced it himself—the burning thirst, the insatiable need that threatened to drive him mad.
And now, she was experiencing it too.
"You feel it, don't you?" Ethan asked.
She gritted her teeth, nodding.
"It's like I'm… burning," she whispered. "Like my body is collapsing in on itself."
Ethan placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It won't stop," Ethan said. "Not until you drink."
Her breath came in ragged gasps. She staggered, gripping the wall beside her. Her entire body trembled, muscles locking up as the thirst grew stronger.
Mira watched silently, arms crossed.
"She won't last long like this," Mira said.
Ethan already knew that.
He turned back to the girl.
"You need to hunt," Ethan said.
She clenched her fists.
"But… I…" She hesitated.
Ethan understood. He had felt it too—that moment of hesitation before giving in to the hunger.
"You have two choices," Ethan said. "You can fight it… and let it consume you. Or you embrace it and take what you need to survive."
She lifted her head, her glowing crimson eyes locking onto his.
"I don't want to be weak anymore," she whispered.
Ethan smiled.
"Then let's begin."
The First Hunt
The city was a predator's paradise.
Ethan led her through the dimly lit streets, past alleyways where shadows moved, past groups of people lost in their own worlds.
"How do I… know who to hunt?" she asked, voice strained.
Ethan scanned the streets.
"You'll know," Ethan said. "Your instincts will tell you."
She frowned, unconvinced. But then—she froze.
Ethan saw the change immediately. Her pupils dilated, her posture tensed, and her breathing slowed.
She had found her prey.
Across the street, a man walked alone. He was middle-aged, dressed in an expensive suit, his phone pressed to his ear. Unaware.
Ethan could hear the conversation from here.
"Yeah, I told you I'd pay you back," the man muttered, voice low. "No, don't pull that—listen, I'm good for it!"
The girl took a shaky step forward.
Ethan placed a hand on her arm.
"Control it," Ethan said. "Don't rush. Feel it."
She swallowed hard, nodding.
Slowly, she moved.
She crossed the street, her steps eerily silent. The man didn't even glance up. He was too focused on his call, too wrapped up in his own problems to notice the predator closing in.
Ethan and Mira watched from the shadows.
"She's adapting quickly," Mira noted.
Ethan said nothing.
The girl stopped just behind the man.
And then—she struck.
Her hand clamped over his mouth as she dragged him into the alley, her strength far beyond what her small frame should allow. The man let out a muffled scream, eyes wide with terror.
She hesitated only for a moment.
Then—her fangs sank into his neck.
The man shuddered, his body jerking in protest. His muffled cries grew weaker… until they stopped entirely.
The girl pulled back, her lips stained red.
She gasped.
The trembling in her hands ceased.
The pain—the unbearable thirst—was gone.
Ethan stepped forward, watching her closely.
"How do you feel?" Ethan asked.
She looked at him.
Her crimson eyes were filled with something new.
Power.
"Alive," she whispered.
The Birth of a Predator
They left the alley behind, the man's body drained and lifeless in the shadows.
The girl walked beside Ethan, her movements more controlled, her presence stronger.
Ethan could feel the change in her.
She wasn't the same girl he had found in the alley.
She had crossed the line.
There was no turning back.
"You've taken your first life," Ethan said. "There's no guilt. No regret. Only power."
She nodded slowly.
"I understand now," she murmured. "I was weak before… but now?" She clenched her fists. "Now, I feel unstoppable."
Mira chuckled.
"She's a natural," Mira said.
Ethan smirked.
"We've only just begun."
As they disappeared into the night, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that this was the first step toward something greater.
This wasn't just about survival.
This was about dominion.
And Ethan would ensure that his Crimson Dominion rose above all.