The night was colder than usual, an eerie stillness settling over the city. Damian stepped out of the library, stretching his tired limbs after hours of studying. The streets were nearly empty, save for the occasional passing car and the flickering glow of streetlights. He took a deep breath, savoring the crisp air before shoving his hands into his pockets and making his way home.
The shortcut through the park was usually quiet at this hour. Damian liked the silence; it gave him time to think. But tonight, something felt different. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, an instinctive warning he couldn't ignore. He quickened his pace, his heartbeat drumming in his ears.
A rustling noise came from the trees ahead. Damian halted, scanning the darkness for movement. "Who's there?" he called, his voice steady despite the unease creeping up his spine.
Silence.
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Get a grip, Damian. It's just your imagination."
But the moment he took another step, something lunged at him from the shadows.
Pain seared through his neck as something sharp pierced his skin. A cold, unnatural force spread through his veins, paralyzing him. His vision blurred, the world spinning as he struggled to fight back. The figure holding him was impossibly strong, pinning him against a tree with ease.
Then, suddenly, the grip loosened.
"Ancient blood... Impossible." The voice was smooth yet predatory, filled with disbelief.
A second later, the presence vanished, leaving Damian to crumple to the ground. Darkness edged his vision as he fought to stay conscious, but his body refused to move. A deep, unnatural exhaustion overtook him, dragging him into oblivion.
....
Damian awoke to the sensation of rain against his skin. He was lying on the cold, damp ground, his clothes soaked. Groaning, he pushed himself up, his head throbbing. Memories of the attack flooded his mind, making his heart race.
Had it been real? The bite, the attacker, it felt too vivid to be a nightmare.
Touching his neck, he expected to feel wounds, but there was nothing. No puncture marks, no blood, just smooth skin. Confusion warred with fear.
Then, he noticed something even stranger.
His body felt... different. Lighter, stronger. The exhaustion from hours of studying was gone, replaced by an odd energy humming beneath his skin. His senses were sharper, the colors of the night more vibrant than before. He could hear distant footsteps, the rustling of leaves carried by the wind, even the faint heartbeat of a squirrel nearby.
This wasn't normal.
Panic settled in. He needed answers.
The city looked the same, yet Damian felt like an outsider walking through it. He kept his hood up as he made his way home, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Something inside him had changed, and he had no idea what it was.
Reaching his apartment, he locked the door behind him, exhaling shakily. He went straight to the bathroom, flipping on the light. His reflection stared back at him, familiar yet foreign. His skin seemed paler, his eyes holding a depth they never had before.
Then, he saw them.
Faint, nearly invisible, two marks on his neck.
The reality crashed down on him all at once.
"What the hell happened to me?"
....
The next few days were a blur of confusion and unease. Damian found himself more aware of everything around him, sounds, smells, even people's emotions seemed to radiate off them. The changes were undeniable. He no longer felt tired, and his appetite had shifted in a way he couldn't explain. Food tasted bland, and an unfamiliar thirst gnawed at him, though water did nothing to quench it.
At night, he felt even more different. His vision was sharper, his body more agile. He could move faster, react quicker. It was both exhilarating and terrifying.
He couldn't ignore the possibility anymore.
"Could I have been... bitten by something?" he murmured to himself one evening, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He hesitated before adding, "A vampire?"
The thought seemed ridiculous. Vampires weren't real. They were myths, stories designed to entertain or scare people. But what other explanation was there?
Deciding he needed answers, Damian began researching everything he could about supernatural creatures. He spent nights digging through online forums, old legends, and anything remotely connected to blood-drinking beings. Most of what he found was fiction, garbage written by overzealous conspiracy theorists or horror enthusiasts.
But some things resonated with him. Enhanced senses. Strength. Night vision. It all lined up with what he was experiencing.
Still, there was no solid proof. And without that, he was just a guy who had a weird encounter and was going through some unexplainable changes.
Then, strange things started happening.
One evening, as he walked home from work, he noticed two people watching him from across the street. They were dressed in dark clothes, their faces partially obscured by shadows. When he turned a corner, they followed. Damian's pulse quickened. He picked up his pace, testing a theory. The figures matched his speed.
A chill ran down his spine. Were they following him?
Damian ducked into an alleyway, pressing himself against the wall. His heartbeat thundered in his ears as he peeked around the corner. The two figures stopped at the alley's entrance, scanning the area.
"Are you sure it's him?" one of them whispered.
"No doubt. His scent is unmistakable."
Damian's breath caught in his throat. Scent?
The taller figure stepped forward. "Come out, Damian. We know you're there."
His mind raced. Who were these people? What did they want from him? And how did they know his name?
He didn't wait to find out. Spinning on his heel, he bolted deeper into the alley, running faster than he ever thought possible. The wind howled past his ears, his movements fluid and effortless. He vaulted over a fence, landing silently on the other side.
The voices behind him cursed, but Damian didn't stop. He kept running, only slowing down when he was certain he had lost them.
Leaning against a wall, he tried to catch his breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"What the hell is happening to me?"
His world was changing, and he had no idea how deep the rabbit hole went. But one thing was certain, he was no longer just an ordinary human.
And someone out there knew exactly what he was becoming.
….
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the city streets as Damian made his way home. The events of the past few days had been unsettling, but he tried to push them to the back of his mind. His body had felt different ever since the night of the attack in the park, but he wasn't sure if it was just paranoia or something real.
At first, the changes were subtle. He felt more energetic than usual, as if he had tapped into a hidden reservoir of stamina. He had brushed it off, thinking it was just adrenaline from the shock of being attacked. But then other things started happening.
One evening, as he carried a grocery bag up the stairs to his apartment, he nearly crushed the plastic handle in his grip. The bag wasn't even heavy, but his fingers had closed around it too tightly, and the plastic stretched unnaturally before snapping. He frowned, looking down at his hand. His grip strength had never been this strong before.
A few days later, he helped an elderly woman lift a crate into the back of a truck. What should have been a struggle felt surprisingly effortless. The woman even remarked, "You must work out a lot, young man. That crate weighs a ton!"
Damian had only smiled, but inside, unease gnawed at him. He had never been particularly strong before. Where was this sudden strength coming from?
His eyesight was also different, sharper, more precise. At night, he noticed he could see details in the dark alleyways that used to be nothing but shadows. When he tested it, standing in his dimly lit apartment, he could read the fine print on a food package from across the room. His hearing followed the same pattern, one afternoon, he overheard a conversation happening across the street, picking up every word despite the background noise of the bustling city.
Damian tried to rationalize it. Maybe his senses had just become more attuned after the attack. Maybe he had been underestimating himself all this time. But the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became.
Then, another thought crept into his mind, one he dismissed at first but couldn't shake off entirely.
What if I'm turning into something… unnatural?
It was absurd. A ridiculous idea. And yet, the possibility latched onto his mind like a parasite. There were only so many explanations for his sudden increase in strength, speed, and heightened senses. What if I was bitten by something? What if I'm changing?
The thought made his stomach churn. He needed to test it, he needed to know.
That night, after locking his apartment door, he stood in his bathroom, staring at his reflection. He looked the same, perhaps a bit paler, but nothing alarming. Start simple, he thought. If the stories were true, vampires couldn't see their reflections.
He waved his hand. His reflection moved in sync with him.
"Okay, not a vampire… at least not yet."
Next, he turned on the faucet and cupped some water, hesitating before splashing it onto his face. No burning sensation, no pain. Holy water burns vampires, right? He had no way of getting any, but regular water had no effect.
Still, he had to be thorough.
He grabbed a small mirror and checked his teeth. No fangs. He ran his tongue over his canines, but they felt the same as always.
Then, he moved on to the next test.
Garlic.
He didn't particularly like garlic, but he had some in his fridge. Pulling it out, he peeled a clove and hesitated before biting into it. The taste was sharp, pungent, but nothing more than unpleasant.
"Okay… still not a vampire."
Yet, the uneasy feeling wouldn't leave him. Something inside him had changed. The way he moved, the way he reacted, it wasn't normal.
He turned to the final test. He knew that vampires were supposed to be weak to sunlight.
So the next morning, when the first rays of dawn streamed through his window, he stepped forward, letting the sunlight touch his bare skin. He winced instinctively, but nothing happened. No burning, no pain.
He exhaled in relief. "See? Just paranoia."
And yet, deep down, something told him that the changes were real. Even if he wasn't a vampire, something was different.
A sharp knock at the door made him jump. His head snapped toward the sound, and his heartbeat quickened. He wasn't expecting anyone.
Slowly, he stood up and approached the door, peeking through the peephole. It was Daniel, his closest friend. Damian hesitated, then opened the door.
"Daniel? What are you doing here?" he asked.
Daniel stepped inside quickly, looking around the apartment with wary eyes. "I should be asking you that. You've been acting strange lately."
Damian crossed his arms. "What do you mean?"
Daniel studied him carefully. "You don't seem like yourself. Your voice is different, your movements are… I don't know, sharper? It's hard to explain, but something's off."
Damian forced a chuckle. "You're imagining things."
"Am I?" Daniel frowned. "I saw you at the gym the other day. You lifted weights that should've been too heavy for you like they were nothing. And don't get me started on your reflexes. When I tossed you my keys earlier today, you caught them without even looking."
Damian stiffened. He hadn't even realized he had done that.
Daniel sighed. "Look, I don't know what's going on, but if something happened, you can talk to me. You don't have to deal with it alone."
For a moment, Damian considered telling him. But what would he even say? That he felt like his body was changing in ways he didn't understand? That his senses were sharper, his strength unnatural? He barely believed it himself.
So, he just nodded. "I appreciate it, but I'm fine. Really."
Daniel didn't look convinced, but he didn't push further. "Just be careful, okay?"
After Daniel left, Damian sat in silence, staring at the city lights through his window. His fingers unconsciously tightened into a fist. He couldn't ignore it anymore. Something was happening to him.
And if Daniel had noticed, then who else might have?
He exhaled slowly, trying to steady his thoughts. Whatever was going on, he needed to figure it out before someone else did. Because if these changes weren't natural… then what was he becoming?