I vomited again. I simply couldn't stand this kind of behavior anymore. I turned and fled from the alley, behind me came his furious roar. I ran out onto the main street, looking at the bustling crowd, the bloodthirsty instinct inside me violently clashing with the humanity that hadn't yet completely disappeared within me. I felt dizzy, on the verge of collapse. He rushed out of the alley and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me hard.
"Are you insane?! Why are you running? You can't escape this — this is something you have to do."
"I don't want to do it! Is there any way to turn me back into a human?"
"There isn't! Once you've become a vampire, you have to obediently follow me and live this life! You have nowhere else to go!"
"I can live by myself! I don't want to follow you and learn these killing techniques!"
"You idiot! You'll dry up and die without blood!" He shook me violently again, as if trying to snap me out of my confusion, but I had already made up my mind.
"I will never take another human life… I've already killed one person. I don't want to do it again."
"You don't have a choice. Now come with me." He gripped my wrist tightly, making it impossible for me to break free. And just like that, he dragged me back into that blood-soaked alley. I stared at the two deep puncture wounds on the person's neck, blood still gushing out in pulses. I could sense he only had the tiniest sliver of life left, a faint, weak breath.
"There's still time to save him!" I shouted like a madman.
"Are you out of your mind? Are you really going to carry a blood-soaked, dying drunk out onto the street and scream 'Save him!'? You think that's realistic?" Wang glared at me. "Now finish him. Drink him dry."
I looked at the person in my arms and felt a surge of pity. He lay there so weakly, perhaps still hoping for rescue, perhaps simply waiting for death.
I could help him. At that moment, the thought that crossed my mind was that I could help him escape his suffering, grant him true release — what a deranged idea only a madman would have. In the world of vampires, there has never been any such thing as redemption. I bent down, aimed at the vein on the side of his neck, and bit.
In an instant, I was pulled in by an irresistible force. My body seemed to lose all control, leaving only the craving for blood and the greedy hunger for life. The arrogant Wang, the pitch-black alley, the bustling streets, the chirping insects of the night — everything faded away. This was the very first time I truly drank blood from a living human. I didn't even feel like I was drinking blood. I simply gazed quietly at the human before me. In my eyes, his form became tiny and fragile, like a frightened little bird. His breathing was shallow, his heartbeat faint and chaotic, as though playing the final notes of life's symphony — yet to me, it was the rhythm of death. His heartbeat seemed to connect with mine, merging us into one. I could feel everything about him — his dizziness, his fear, his despair. I greedily drew in the force of life, feeling the blood flow into my mouth, nourishing my body, making the power surging within me stronger, more resilient. I felt as though I had entered a transcendent state — dazed, floating, drifting through the universe.
Suddenly, a powerful force yanked me back.
"Enough. He's already dead. You've drained him completely." Wang coldly pulled me away from the body, but I stubbornly reached forward, still wanting one more taste of that sweet source. I broke free of his grip, driven by instinct, lunging toward the already lifeless body — only to be kicked hard. The kick snapped me out of my trance. Only then did I realize I was still in that dark alley, with one living vampire and one dead human beside me.
"So that's how you… tasted blood for the first time." I looked at the calm vampire in front of me, unable to imagine what kind of emotions were hidden beneath that tranquil surface when he spoke these words.
"Yes. I tasted living human blood for the first time. The sensation was something I couldn't pull myself away from. That was when I finally understood — the thirst for blood inside me had already become an uncontrollable, raging flame."
Edward let out a soft sigh, crossed his legs, and his deep eyes reflected quiet contemplation of the past.
"From that moment on, I truly realized I had become a being completely different from humans, forever unable to view the world through human patterns of behavior again. I had thoroughly become a vampire — whether I was ready to accept it or not."
By now the streets were completely empty, only a light breeze carrying a few fallen leaves across the pavement with a soft rustling sound. It was already deep into the night. The vampire glanced out the window, then reached over and drew the curtains closed.