Ezra woke up gasping, air tearing into his lungs as if he had been pulled out of deep water.
His chest felt hollow.
Not tight. Not painful. Just… empty. Each breath came thin and shallow, barely enough to keep him conscious. It felt as though something essential had been taken from him while he slept, leaving behind a fragile shell.
He tried to push himself up.
His arms shook violently, muscles screaming in protest as his body failed to respond the way it always had. Ezra stared at his hands, confused. They felt unfamiliar, lighter somehow, as if strength had quietly drained away overnight.
His hair brushed against his eyes.
It was longer.
His throat burned next—dry, raw, aching with a thirst that felt deeper than dehydration.
"W-What's happening to me…?" he whispered.
The words scraped painfully against his throat.
When he tried to stand, his legs folded beneath him. Ezra hit the floor hard, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. He stayed there for several seconds, forcing himself to breathe, before dragging his body forward with shaking arms.
Inch by inch, he reached the kitchen.
He grabbed the nearest bottle of water and emptied it in seconds.
Nothing changed.
Another bottle. Then another.
Still nothing.
The thirst remained—sharp, insistent, almost angry.
His stomach twisted violently.
Hungry.
Not normal hunger. Not the kind food solved.
Ezra opened the refrigerator.
And ate.
Cooked meals. Cold leftovers. Food meant to last days. Raw meat meant for later. He didn't care. He didn't taste anything. He swallowed desperately, hands shaking as he tore through everything he could find.
When it was all gone, the hunger remained.
He stumbled into the bathroom and froze.
The reflection staring back at him barely looked human.
His face was sunken, cheekbones sharp. His skin had turned pale, almost gray, stretched tight over his bones. His eyes looked dull and lifeless, like someone had drained the light out of them.
Ezra stepped closer to the mirror.
"…Is this really me?"
Fear crept in slowly, wrapping around his chest.
He pulled on oversized clothes, covering as much skin as possible, and slipped on a mask before stepping outside. As he locked his door, the apartment opposite his opened.
A woman stepped out, holding her child.
Ezra looked away.
Then he saw it.
A tiny cut on the child's hand—so small it should have been invisible. Barely a drop of blood surfaced, the child not even reacting to it.
Ezra's breath stopped.
His vision sharpened painfully. Heat rushed to his head, his throat tightening as a violent craving surged through him.
Blood.
The thought terrified him.
"No—" Ezra stumbled backward, slamming his door shut and locking it. His heart pounded wildly as he pressed his back against the wall.
"This isn't right," he whispered.
Something inside him was broken.
Shaking, Ezra tied himself to the bedframe, wrapping himself tightly in the sheets. Sweat soaked through the fabric, his body itching and burning as if something inside was trying to claw its way out.
Eventually, exhaustion dragged him under.
He woke again.
12:30 a.m.
The building was silent.
Everyone would be asleep now.
Ezra left his apartment slowly, carefully, his body still weak, each step deliberate. He felt fragile—like he might collapse if he rushed.
On the way to the grocery store, raised voices echoed down the street.
A woman was being surrounded by several men.
Ezra hesitated.
Then moved.
He didn't fight them. He shouted, distracted them, took a hit to the shoulder. Chaos and luck did the rest. Somehow, they ran.
Breathing hard, Ezra helped the woman escape down an alley.
"Thank you," she said shakily. "You saved me."
Ezra nodded, barely hearing her.
Then he saw her arm.
Blood.
The hunger hit instantly.
Stronger. Sharper. Overwhelming.
"Please," Ezra said hoarsely, stepping back. "Go. Get away from me."
She moved closer instead, concern written across her face. "You're shaking. Are you hurt—"
The scent drowned out everything else.
Ezra lost control.
When awareness returned, she lay motionless on the ground.
Blood coated his lips.
Horror crashed into him all at once.
"No… no, no—"
His body felt different. Warmer. Fuller. The emptiness inside him finally easing.
A system window appeared.
Race Requirement Fulfilled
Voices echoed nearby.
Lights flickered on.
Ezra ran.
Not fast. Not strong.
Just terrified.
He fled the city, stumbling into the forest where darkness swallowed him whole. His legs finally gave out, and he collapsed among the trees, consciousness slipping away.
The last thing he felt was strength slowly filling the void.
And the crushing weight of what it had cost him.
[Status Window]
Name: Ezra
Class: None
Race: Human
Level: 10
Strength: 6
Vitality: 7
Endurance: 6
Agility: 8
Intelligence: 14
Mana: 9
Race :???