Blood Lust: Vampire's Bite

All I ever wanted was his unforgettable kisses under the beautiful falling snow.

Falling snow, falling tears, and my tearing heart...

People believed that snow beautifies everything it covers. But I wonder how I look every time I see snow falling soundlessly in the middle of the night.

I hate that I am still hoping. I hate that I am still hurting. I hate that I am still crying endlessly. I just want to walk in the middle of the snowstorm, hoping that you'll be there waiting for me.

I love you so much, Zen, and it's killing me.

I wiped away the escaping tears from my eyes as I always do. I can always wipe my tears, but I can never wipe the pain in my heart.

Five years have passed since I returned to the world of humans. I tried to live like before, but whenever I am alone, only he runs through my heart and mind. The prince I love so much who disappeared right in front of me.

It's true that vampires do not know how to forget because even now everything remains fresh for me—the pain and anguish of the past. I continue to dream of being with him, smiling briefly when I think I hear his voice, enduring the cold, hoping there are arms that will embrace me again, and waiting for the hands that will touch my skin once more.

A lot has happened in the past five years. I finished my studies, got a job, and tried to live despite the pain that never left me.

I did everything. We moved away from the place that reminded me of the world I fled from. I left the mirror and let it stay alone in the mountains where it all began. My grandmother and I chose to live in another country just to lessen the pain I felt. But it was a grave mistake because every time snow falls from the sky, I feel like I'm losing my sanity.

I was currently standing in front of the glass window, waiting for the rain to stop. It was already evening, and I was sure my grandmother was worried about me.

While waiting for the rain to stop, I took out something that remains a mystery to me. A beautiful snow globe. Inside it is a small tree, similar to the tree that symbolizes my prince, and whenever I touch it, it lights up as if it recognizes my hands. I know it did not come from this world.

"Claret!" I snapped out of my daze when someone hugged me from behind. She's my classmate from college, and she owns this fitness gym.

"Escarnel, I told you. I hate being surprised..." She pouted at me before glancing at the snow globe on the window ledge.

"That snow globe again? Where did it really come from?" Even I don't know.

"The rain is taking a long time to stop..." I changed the subject. She squinted at what I said.

"You didn't answer my question..." She took out a key and handed it to me.

"You close the gym, Claret. My boyfriend is picking me up, do you want to come with us? We're passing by your house anyway..." I shook my head before taking the key.

"I am fine. Besides, I still need to shower..." I said softly. She kissed me on the cheek, and we said our goodbyes.

"Take care..."

"You too, Claret..." I nodded.

When she left, I put the snow globe back in my bag. I noticed she left her big jacket. I was about to run after her when I saw their car driving away. I shrugged and placed it on a chair.

I started walking towards the shower room. A place where I would only see mirrors and water.

I began to remove my clothes until I was completely naked, seeing my full reflection. I couldn't help but touch my long hair, which, no matter how many times I cut it, always grows back to its original length.

I turned on the shower, closing my eyes. The warm water slowly cascaded over every part of my body, and I let myself feel it for a very long time. Despite the silence and the only sound of running water, I couldn't understand why my heart suddenly started beating faster, as if something bad was going to happen.

As soon as I opened my eyes, the lights suddenly went out, and even the hot water stopped flowing.

"Claret..." I felt a chill as I heard a woman's voice.

"Who's there?" I asked nervously.

"Claret..." My knees trembled as I heard the voice again. I couldn't see anything; where was the voice coming from? Even with my vampire sight, I couldn't see anything.

I lost my balance and collapsed. As my body hit the floor, I felt a liquid continuing to flow.

"What's this..." I said, trembling. I tried to stand, but the enormous bathroom lit up not with electric light but with a series of blue flames igniting on every mirror I could see.

Here, my suspicion was confirmed: I was lying in a river of blood flowing from the mirrors. My body went numb at the sight; how did blue fire cross into the human world?

I was too weak to move. I was terrified of what I saw and of why it was here. But what shocked me the most was seeing the figure of a woman in the blue flames. Tears flowed freely as I saw a woman who looked just like me, staring intensely at me.

We had the same eyes—eyes full of sadness, grief, and pain. Was she the true form of the blue fire?

My skin crawled as the woman touched the mirror, never breaking eye contact with me. My whole body trembled as I saw the mirrors cracking, as if the woman would emerge from them at any moment. I forced myself to stand despite my fear, shock, confusion, and the intense disorientation from the events.

Who is she? Why does she look so much like me?

I almost crawled to escape the massive bathroom filled with blood, struggling to stand to run away. I wanted to get out of there!

In my haste, I slipped again and cried out as I fell hard. After all these years, my body was once again drenched in blood.

When I looked back at where I came from, fear fully enveloped me. The blue flames were consuming the bathroom and beginning to spread throughout the gym. My eyes flew to the jacket I left earlier, and I put it on.

I ran to the door and almost collapsed when I couldn't open it. I have vampire strength! I should be able to break it, but nothing was happening!

I was overtaken by a cough from the thick smoke I was inhaling. I tried again to break the door, but it wouldn't budge. My chest tightened, and I began to feel weak. My knees were shaking and about to give way at any moment.

"Claret..."

"Leave me alone!" I shouted loudly.

I leaned against the door, watching as the fire approached me. My tears were flowing.

"No, no... no. Not yet, not yet. Don't charge me yet..." I begged. My vision started to blur as I felt the heat of the fire that would consume me.

"Zen, Zen... Zen..." I repeated his name as the eyelids of my eyes slowly descended.

"Zen..."

"I got her..." I felt arms wrap around me. Who is he?

Despite my weakness, I forced myself to stay awake, especially since I was in the arms of a stranger.

"Oh holy cow, she's literally a goddess..." I heard a new voice from the man.

"She's already mated. Back off, Tres..." replied the first man firmly.

"Woah, I was just praising her, Dos..." Tres chuckled a little.

"So this is how it is in the human world..." said the new voice with curiosity.

"What do you mean, Nueve?" asked the earlier voice.

"Why do we need to dress up like this, anyway?" asked another new voice. Who are these vampires? I sensed a unique strength in their presence.

"This is human attire, Doce..." said one of them. I forced my eyes open just enough to see four men looking down at me.

What are these vampires doing in the human world? Who are these four? I wrapped myself tightly, relieved that I managed to zip up my jacket properly. I was lifted by one of them.

"Put me down..." I said weakly, which the man complied with. When he set me down, I stared blankly at the gym, now consumed by blue flames. Firefighters were trying to put it out.

"Can't they see? Can they?" I asked quietly.

"Yes. Only we can see the blue fire consuming this building..." the man who carried me answered.

"Who are you?" I asked the four of them. I furrowed my brows at their attire. What are those? Disguises as humans? Can’t they wear casual clothes? They'd be more suspicious in those outfits.

"Dos Viardellon..." answered the man in the white coat and stethoscope.

"Tres Viardellon..." said the man in military attire.

"Nueve Viardellon..." he was dressed as a firefighter.

"Doce Viardellon, Seth is waiting for you..." said the one dressed like a priest.

"Seth?" I asked.

"Seth is waiting for you outside the mirror. The three appointed princes are waiting to greet you. We are tasked with bringing you, goddess, from the mirror..." explained Dos.

"Viardellons..." I said weakly as I observed the four of them. Their eyes all glowed simultaneously, and they each lowered their heads in respect.

"I'm sorry, but I don't want to go back..." I replied softly. I was about to face the burning building again when I heard one of them say:

"This is something we cannot grant, goddess..." I suddenly felt weak for an unknown reason. At that moment, my eyelids and entire being fell into darkness.

I only regained consciousness when I felt four hands pushing against my back, and I knew this time, I was being taken back to the world I fled from.

Even though I didn't want to go back, I had no choice. On my trembling knees, I stepped out of my mirror. Two of the princes' hands welcomed and supported me.

"Welcome back, Claret..." Rosh said with a smile.

"How are you?" Seth also greeted me with a smile.

Instead of reaching for their hands, my eyes flew to the throne of the family I cherished most, which I had hoped would greet me. My heart felt squeezed as I saw several Gazellians trying to welcome me with smiles.

"A--what happened to Sartorias, my beloved?" I asked weakly.

I noticed my hot tears falling again when I looked and saw that not only was my prince’s throne vacant at this moment.

35 years ago – Vampire World / 5 years ago – Human World.

Zen's kiss was like a snowflake—beautiful, unique, and pure, yet slowly fading away.

I allowed myself to cry as the snow continued to fall on me. I had nothing else to do but to weep and feel the snow that reminded me of the man I loved most.

Amidst the falling snow, I could slowly discern tiny lights from the sky—stars.

I couldn't help but smile bitterly. Between the snow and the stars lay my broken pieces, and no matter how beautiful it was, it always screamed of my pain and loneliness.

I raised my right hand, trying to catch the falling snow.

"Zen, where are you, baby?"

Since I arrived in this world, even though I knew I was weak and powerless, I never tried to run away or turn my back on everything. But now, as they repeatedly slapped me with the reality that the man I loved was no longer by my side, my legs moved on their own, fleeing rapidly from everyone.

I couldn't bear to watch the severance and burning of the last symbol of my prince’s life. My heart would be completely shattered.

I tried to stand despite the weight of my feelings, feeling utterly defeated by the events. When I finally managed to get up, my knees gave way, causing me to fall once again onto the snow-covered ground.

I held the ground with my hands for support, tears flowing freely as I watched them soaking into the wet earth.

I sobbed uncontrollably as I started pounding my fists on the ground. I am so weak, I am damn worthless.

They say I might be the strongest babaylan in this world, but why did I let the man I loved slip away before my eyes?

My fists continued to hit the ground, ignoring the pain and the blood beginning to ooze from them.

"You did nothing! Nothing, nothing, nothing, Claret..." I continued to wail and hit the ground. If only all the pain in my chest could transfer to my fists, if only all my sadness could accompany my tears.

My bleeding hands were suspended in mid-air when someone stopped me.

"Enough." He gripped my arm tightly as I resisted.

"Please stop, you're hurting yourself." Through my blurred vision, I tried to make out the unfamiliar man.

"Who are you?" He lowered my hands before letting me go. He bowed slightly in respect before answering.

"I am Prince Blairrient Phoenix Thundilior, the fourth Prince from the prophecy. Sorry for being late, Claret." I wiped my tears away to get a better look at the fourth prince in the prophecy.

Finally, I had met them all—Zen, Rosh, Tobias, Seth, and now him. From the short-tempered, unreasonable Zen to the overconfident Rosh, the serious and good leader Tobias, the happy-go-lucky yet dual-personality Seth, and now the fourth. What is he like?

"I apologize, revered goddess from the mirror." I couldn't bring myself to respond.

He began to approach me and gently lifted me. He started walking slowly while I just stared at him. Like the presence of the other appointed princes, his aura was gentle and soothing.

"I will take you to your mirror. I cannot promise to be one of those who will greet you upon your return, but I promise that I will not disappear in your next battle." I continued to gaze at him, realizing that this was how the appointed princes were. Each had their own unique charm.

I began to search for his small mole, similar to those of the previous princes. I found his small mole on his right cheekbone.

"How many princes of Trafadore are there?" I asked curiously.

"I hold no position; I am a child born out of wedlock. And until now, I still wonder why I was chosen as the appointed prince of the blue fire. I am not of pure noble blood, and being a prince from the prophecy is one of the reasons why my siblings' anger towards me has intensified." He said seriously.

"Prince Blairrient..."

"Call me Blair." He said tersely.

"Even now, I still haven't accepted what the blue fire has given me." This was his final statement before he began running swiftly to take me to the Sartorias palace.

In an instant, I was in front of my mirror. I saw our reflection together. I faced him and tried to smile.

"Thank you." He nodded at me. I turned away and was about to step back into the mirror when I turned to face the fourth prince once more.

"Once your own goddess emerges from the mirror, I am sure that you, esteemed prince, will embrace the prophecy yourself, even if you are not of pure noble lineage. I am certain that the blue fire holds something more than just nobility." I quickly approached him and placed my hand on his chest.

"Thank you for bringing me here. Always remember, even if they do not consider you a prince, you can count on us five women from the mirror to be the first to bow to you and respect you as a higher prince." I smiled at him before stepping back.

I turned away from him and began to walk back toward the mirror. I thought I might finally make it, but he blocked my path, gently taking my right hand and bringing it to his lips.

"I am happy to meet the first goddess from the mirror. Take care of yourself." I nodded at him, and he let me go. He stood aside as I walked back to my world.

I emerged from the mirror, tears streaming down my face, and my knees once again gave way, causing me to scream in pain.

"Claret, my dear..." I heard my grandmother's voice. She quickly came to my side, and I hugged her tightly.

"Lola, Zen is gone. Zen is gone from right before my eyes. He was just kissing me, hugging me, saying he loved me. Why did he have to disappear? Why did I have to swear? Why did we have to swear? Lola, Zen is gone, the man I love so much is gone. Why is it so painful in the world of vampires, so painful, Lola?" I cried endlessly until I inhaled a particular scent that made my eyelids grow heavy and brought me into a deep sleep.

Hard as it may be to believe, I cried every night for a year. This is how painful and difficult it is to be apart from the man destined for you.

I currently gazed at the moon while trying to reach it with my hand. I thought the moon was a weakness for vampires, but it seemed to have a different effect in the human world.

My grandmother and I were behind our old house, where there was a beautiful bath area. From here, we could see the entire sky and feel the fragrant breeze of nature.

Not only was the milk but also the pure coconut milk enveloping my body. My body was immersed in it while my grandmother gently combed my long hair.

Here's the translation:

---

"Lola, to this day I still wonder, what was the point of bathing in milk? I'm no longer a virgin."

"I just want to care for you in the way I know, my grandchild."

While Lola was busy brushing my hair, I scooped up the milk soaking me with my right hand and slowly lifted it, aiming it at the moonlight. I waited for it to slowly trickle down from my palms.

"I also want to bathe in milk with Zen." I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

"Lola, I will search for the destined women and bring them to the world of vampires myself. They are my only hope." I got up from my slight reclining position and faced Lola. She just shook her head at me, disapproving of what I wanted.

"Lola, this is the only thing I can do."

"Claret, my dear, you will only fail." I couldn't respond to Lola's words and didn't argue with her further.

That night, I made up my mind. I waited until Lola fell asleep, leaving her a note and a kiss on her forehead before I finally left the mountains. I would search for the remaining destined women and bring them to the world of vampires.

First on my list was Astrid, the destined woman for Rosh. She was a very busy person, and I had to chase her secretary several times just to get an hour with her.

I was already sitting in a coffee shop waiting for her arrival. Since I had seen her using Danna’s power, I immediately recognized her when she suddenly entered. I quickly raised my hand to get her attention.

As I had seen when I was still in the vampire world, her beauty was striking. She didn’t know how obsessed the second prince of Deltora was with her.

"So let’s go? Can I see the site?" She seemed to be in a hurry.

"I am sorry, but I lied. Could I talk to you?" Her brow furrowed at me.

"What? Miss, I’m a busy person. If it’s not about work, I need to leave. I have many clients." I quickly grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Don’t you have any dreams? Visions? Or things you see in mirrors?" Her eyes widened at me, and she forcefully pulled her hand away.

"Don’t ever come near me again." Her voice trembled, and she bumped into several customers while trying to leave the coffee shop and distance herself from me.

I tried to talk to her in the following weeks and months, but it never happened again.

I had no idea how to find the remaining three destined women. But I didn’t want to return to the mountains without convincing any of them to join me.

I noticed an old woman begging by the side of the road. I approached her and dropped some coins into her cup. Alongside me, a couple smiled at the old woman after giving her money. I sensed something unusual about their presence, so I tried to follow them as they walked away. I ended up staring at what the man was holding.

I quickly chased after them and, breathlessly, blocked their way.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, but could you tell me where you got that object you’re holding?" The woman answered me.

"From an old museum. It’s given to visitors here. Just take a tricycle, and you’ll get there. Ask the tricycle drivers; they’ll show you where the museum is." I smiled at the woman.

"Thank you very much." They nodded at me. I adjusted my glasses to protect my eyes from the sun.

I had a tricycle take me to the museum. I was sure that the destined woman had held the same object as the man earlier. I could feel that I was getting close to her because I could sense her presence.

As soon as I got off the tricycle and my eyes met the exterior of the museum, I felt her presence. She's here, one of the women I was searching for.

I observed the exterior of the museum, which seemed like it might collapse any moment due to its age. But I noticed it was surrounded by vibrant plants.

Suddenly, my hairs stood on end as the door opened by itself. I was greeted by two elderly people, whom I presumed were a married couple. They both stopped in their tracks upon seeing me until they bowed, as if showing respect.

"What is the first destined woman doing in this place?" asked the old man.

"Do you recognize me?"

"Because one of my grandchildren is also a destined woman." A smile immediately spread across my lips upon hearing this. I had reached the right place.

"May I see and talk to her?" They both nodded at me. I followed them, and as we walked, I was impressed by the old artifacts scattered throughout the museum. Truly treasures.

We climbed an old staircase, and with each step I took, dust fell from it, as if it might collapse any moment due to its age.

We stopped at a large door, which the old man began to open. What greeted me was like a small forest, with living birds and small animals.

"It’s just a small space. We all know that destined women need to be familiar with nature." I nodded at what the old woman said. This is how Lola raised me.

The two elderly people bade me farewell and left me to find the destined woman. The first thing that caught my eye was five large wooden targets, each with a white circle in the center, and I almost clapped when five arrows from the same direction hit the center one by one.

I smiled again. This was from her.

I hurried through the tall grass to find the destined woman, and when I arrived, we only stared at each other.

A very beautiful young girl with a bow and arrow in her hands. Is she the destined one? Why? How?

I suddenly remembered what Lily had explained to me when I was still unfamiliar with the world of vampires.

I answered my own question. Each destined woman is born once every hundred years in the vampire world. Time is also my enemy in the human world.

I slowly approached her and knelt down so our eyes could meet better. Damn, she's a very beautiful girl.

"Who are you?" asked the little girl.

"I can be your sister."

"Really?" she said happily.

"How old are you?" I asked her.

"I am four years old. How about you?"

"I am eighteen. What is your name?" I gently wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Kezalli Lanoire Torres, but you can call me Kyla."

"Sweet name, sweet as you." Her smile widened at my words. I raised my hands and placed them on her shoulders.

"Hurry up and grow up. And please help me." I whispered to the innocent child who was unaware of the responsibilities awaiting her.

I couldn't hold myself back any longer. I pulled her close and hugged her tightly.

"I will wait for you, Kyla, and promise me that you won’t just be beautiful, cheerful, and brave." I released her from the hug.

"Promise me that you will strengthen this… this is where I was weak. This is where I am being targeted, it’s hard to defend, hard to protect, and I still struggle with it." I pointed to her chest.

"Strengthen your heart because once you pass through the mirror, this is the first thing that will experience hardship." I held her hands, which were full of calluses from handling the bow at such a young age. I brought them to my lips. Her eyes were curious.

"Until we meet again, Kyla." I stood up and turned away from her.

"Who are you?" she asked in wonder. I looked back at her and gave her my smile.

"I’ll introduce myself in fourteen years."