"You really don't have the slightest bit of the grace a noble should possess." He looked down at me from above, his tone filled with utter contempt, as if what I had done wrong wasn't killing a person, but failing to behave like a proper noble. I felt shame—shame toward myself, shame toward the King, and even greater shame toward the person I had killed. Even though I had already lost the emotion of fear, that remaining human part of me still dominated my thoughts and actions whenever my mind was clear. I pounded the ground in pain, again and again. I couldn't understand why, at that moment, I hadn't felt the slightest trace of human feeling—just lunged forward and tore into a living being, committing the most terrifying act: taking control of life and death, someone else's life and death. In that instant, I had never felt such intense contradiction. I never imagined that as a new existence, my survival would come at the cost of another person's life. I clung to his thigh and cried—cried for a very, very long time, until, overwhelmed and at a complete loss, I fell into a deep sleep. The longing and remorse for my old life, combined with the bewilderment of my new existence, plunged me into utter chaos. At that moment, it felt as though no one could pull me out from the midst of fire and water. Lost and helpless, I faced my new identity and the environment that had suddenly become completely alien to me, sinking into an inescapable stupor.
"The next night, we left the town where I had lived for decades under cover of darkness and moved to a new place… Unfortunately, I've already forgotten its name. That place was completely different from the old town I used to live in—full of extravagance and elegance. The prosperous city had wide, straight streets, magnificent theaters and entertainment districts. Rich merchants and nobles indulged themselves here freely, pursuing pleasure and enjoyment.
'You will observe these foolish humans here and learn what noble etiquette should look like,' he said to me arrogantly. 'Besides, their blood tastes far more delicious than that of commoners.'"
Edward sat in a massive armchair, leaning back, looking quite exhausted. "After that, he began to teach me how to kill."
"Kill?"
"Yes, exactly—killing. He told me it was best not to act during the day, because it would be too easy for humans to discover us, and disposing of the bodies would be troublesome. So we chose the night to go out on the streets looking for victims. The nighttime town took on an extra layer of mystery—the streets gradually emptied, with only the occasional hurried passerby moving beneath the dim yellow streetlights. The old lamps swayed gently in the night, casting faint, wavering light that barely illuminated the path ahead, creating a hazy and enigmatic atmosphere. On the high towers of palaces and churches, tiny stars twinkled, mingling with the town's lights, making the night sky dazzlingly beautiful. Sometimes the sound of bells would drift through the air, echoing in every corner of the city, as if narrating ancient tales and legends. Wearing black cloaks, we moved through the dark streets and alleys, searching for our prey.
We quickly found a target. A drunkard, staggering and reeking of alcohol, muttering curses no one could understand, lay sprawled at the end of a small alley—practically the perfect victim.
'Watch closely. I'll show you how it's done.' After the King said that, he slowly walked toward the man. Instinctively I wanted to grab him, to make him stop this act of harming others, but I also knew this was something that had to be done. So I could only watch helplessly as he stepped closer, lifted the limp body, then motioned for me to come over too. With every step I took, the urge to vomit and run away grew stronger. I simply couldn't face the fact that someone who, just a few days ago, had been the same species as me, had now become nothing more than prey in the food chain, completely at our mercy. This enormous sense of rupture overwhelmed my heart, leaving me unable to act. The King's mocking gaze swept over me, as if laughing at my weakness and hesitation. Then he sank his fangs into the side of the man's neck. Blood instantly gushed out. The man shuddered violently, let out a muffled groan, and then went still. Greedily, the King drank the flowing blood. I could feel the man's life rapidly draining away, only to be transformed into another form—pouring into the King's mouth, merging with his body, becoming one with him."