A slow, rhythmic dripping echoed in the darkness.
Leon's mind floated between consciousness and the void, his body heavy, his thoughts fragmented. He could taste something metallic on his tongue—bitter and cold. His fingers twitched, feeling the hard steel beneath him.
His chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths. Something was wrong. His heart pounded erratically—too fast, then too slow, as if his body was struggling to calibrate itself. A dull ache spread through his muscles, the kind that felt unnatural, forced.
Then came the pain.
Like a switch had been flipped, white-hot agony surged through his veins. He gasped, his eyes snapping open.
Darkness.
No… not complete darkness. A dim red glow pulsed somewhere above him, casting eerie, shifting shadows against metallic walls.
His breathing was ragged as he tried to move. His limbs felt sluggish, as if something inside him had changed, something unfamiliar. Panic set in as he pushed himself upright, his fingers gripping the edge of a cold metal surface. A table.
"Where… am I?"
The words came out hoarse, almost alien to his own ears. His voice had changed.
The red light flickered, illuminating the chamber around him. Glass tubes lined the walls—some shattered, others still filled with a thick, dark liquid. Shapes floated inside them. Bodies. Some looked human, others… didn't. The scent of blood clung to the air like a warning.
Leon's breath quickened. What the hell is this place?
A sharp hiss broke through the silence.
Leon tensed. A speaker embedded in the ceiling crackled to life, followed by a cold, mechanical voice.
"Subject 047 has awakened. Initiating protocol check."
His blood ran cold. Subject 047?
A panel in the far wall slid open with a mechanical hum. From the darkness beyond, a tall figure stepped forward.
A man. Dressed in a pristine white lab coat, his piercing blue eyes gleaming with something between amusement and scientific curiosity. He looked completely at ease, as if he had been expecting this moment.
His ID badge reflected in the red light. Dr. Vance.
The scientist studied Leon for a long moment before a small smile formed on his lips.
"Fascinating," he mused, clasping his hands behind his back. "You survived the transformation."
Leon's muscles tensed instinctively. His breath was coming faster, the air suddenly feeling thicker. His mind raced, searching for some kind of memory—anything that could explain how he got here.
Nothing. Just fragmented images—voices talking about "enhancements," needles piercing his skin, the sensation of drowning in something far too thick to be water.
His fists clenched. His nails felt sharper than they should be.
"Who are you?" Leon demanded, his voice carrying an edge that hadn't been there before.
Dr. Vance tilted his head slightly. "Ah, good. You still have your sense of self. That will make this much more interesting."
Leon's eyes darted to the reflective surface of a broken glass panel nearby. He caught a glimpse of himself—just enough to see.
His own eyes stared back at him, but they weren't the same.
They glowed—red.
His skin looked paler, but beneath the surface, faint dark veins pulsed with something that wasn't blood. His breath hitched.
"What… did you do to me?"
Dr. Vance smiled. "You must be confused. Let me make it simple: you are no longer human."
Then, as if his words had triggered something deep inside Leon's mind, a notification flashed across his vision—clear, sharp, as if it had always been there.
---
[Vampire System Activated]
Name: Leon Kallus
Rank: F
Abilities: ???
Blood Hunger: 10%
---
Leon recoiled, his pulse hammering in his ears. He blinked, trying to shake the glowing text from his vision, but it remained there, hovering at the edge of his mind. He could feel it, like an instinct, something part of him now.
His hands trembled slightly. He forced himself to look back at the scientist.
"What the hell is this?"
Dr. Vance's smirk widened. "Your new reality."
Leon's breathing was uneven. He could feel something inside him now—something pulling at the edges of his control.
His fingers flexed. His instincts screamed at him to move, fight, do something! He didn't trust this man. He didn't trust this place.
But he needed to understand first.
He forced the chaos inside him to settle, just for a moment. "What exactly did you do to me?"
Dr. Vance let out a soft chuckle, as if pleased by Leon's restraint. "Ah. You want answers. Good."
He took a slow step forward, gesturing around the room. "You were chosen for an experiment unlike any before it. A fusion of science and evolution—the artificial creation of a superior being."
Leon narrowed his eyes. "A superior being?"
Dr. Vance nodded. "Vampires, Leon. True vampires, hidden among humanity for centuries. But natural-born vampires have limitations… weaknesses. I sought to surpass them. To create something greater. And you—you are the first truly successful result of my life's work."
Leon's jaw tightened.
"You turned me into a monster."
Dr. Vance sighed, shaking his head. "A monster? No, Leon. I turned you into a god."
Another notification flickered in his mind.
---
[Vampire System Update]
Name: Leon Kallus
Rank: F
Abilities: [Unawakened]
Blood Hunger: 30%
---
Leon's knees nearly buckled as a sharp pang twisted through his gut. Stronger than before.
A new hunger curled in his chest—something instinctive, something wrong. His hands tightened into fists as he struggled to push it down.
Dr. Vance watched him, his expression unreadable.
"Fascinating… your metabolism is adjusting faster than expected."
Leon gritted his teeth. "And what happens if I refuse to play your little experiment?"
Dr. Vance chuckled softly. "Oh, Leon. You still think you have a choice?"
A loud metallic clank echoed through the chamber.
Leon turned sharply—just in time to see metal restraints snapping out from the walls, lunging toward him like mechanical vipers.
His instincts roared.
"Move!"