The first thought that entered Marks head was that it was too damn bright.

Mark blinked a few times, trying to clear his focus as he took in his surroundings. He’s lying on his bed, the sun streaming through the window to the right of him and he has to cover his eyes due to the intensity. Why is it so bright? He wonders. He sits up, way too fast and is hit with a dizzy spell. He groans, bringing his hand to his head as he tries to shake it off and sits there. His throat is burning, but other than that, he feels strangely good, like he’s had the best sleep of his life. It’s quiet, save for the sounds of nature outside his window. He tries to recall the events that took place last night, but it’s somewhat foggy in his memory. He remembered his father returning home, having been in a brawl at the bar. He told them about what happened, then man he fought with, then they went to bed. Mark remembers getting into his bed, and drifting to sleep when..

He gasped, clutching his stomach, as the events rush back to him. The blood, his parents, that man, tearing into their throats, into his. His hand shoots up to his neck, expecting to find blood or a wound or anything but it simply meets smooth skin. He looks down at himself in panic, expecting blood covered clothes, but is greeted to different clothes than the ones he had been wearing previously. This doesn’t make sense, he thinks. Was it all a nightmare? Did it even happen? It felt so real. He feels fine though, he feels better than he has in a long time. This doesn’t make any sense. As he sits there he recalls his mother’s screams and his own pain he felt, and starts to feel nauseous. With a start he remembers the other man, the one that was fighting with his parent’s murderer. If this had actually happened, did the stranger clean him up and tend to him? But then how could the wound be gone so quickly? Mark didn’t know what to believe so he cautiously stood and made his way out of the room. He stopped by his parents’ bedroom, just outside the threshold. He was hesitant to walk in, scared as to what he might find, scared to confirm his fears. He let out the breath he had been holding and strode into the room, to find it empty. The room looked like it hadn’t been touched in hours. No blood, the sheets were clean and bed made, and no sign of his parents.

Mark was even more confused. Was it really just a dream? Were his parents already started with their day, like any other? But why hadn’t they woke him up? It was clearly almost noon and he should be out with his father on the farm. Mark turned and left the room, continuing to walk out to the front of the house. He looked around for any sign of evidence that his parents were fine and hard at work and was stopped as he met the eyes of a stranger.

No, not a stranger, the second man who he had seen the night before.

Mark stood there like a deer in head lights unsure what to do in this moment. The man was sitting in a chair at the table, his legs crossed and hands clasped as he stares at Mark, like he had been waiting for him. He’s dressed in black pants and a black shirt, with a brown jacket slung on his shoulder. He has fair skin that looks like it’s never seen a hard day’s work out in the sun in his life, and even from sitting Mark can see he is tall. Taller than he was for sure, though that’s not saying all that much. His eyes are a starting bright blue in contrast to the dull and dark clothing he adorns and he has short and cropped light brown hair atop his head. Mark continues to stare, his brain processing.

“So you’re finally awake. Was beginning to think you weren’t going to make it.”

The man spoke with a light German accent, but it seemed slightly off, almost with a tinge of another accent thrown in. Mark blinked at him. The man sighed and motioned to stand and Marked stepped back reflexively.

The man held his hands up in a surrendering position has he continued to rise to his feet and grabbed a glass of water, slowly holding it out to Mark. Mark hesitated for a minute before accepting the glass, remembering his burning throat. He slowly brought it to his lips and as he took a sip, the feeling intensified. He downed the entire glass in one swift motion. Though, it did nothing to quench the intense thirst he had. Ignoring that for now, as he had other more pertinent things to attend to, he addressed the man.

“Who are you?”

With a slight incline of his head, he introduced himself.

“My name is Lukas.” He replied.

“Lukas what?”

“Just, Lukas.”

Mark started at this peculiar man with no last name and continued on with his questions.

“Why are you here? What happened? Where are my parents?” The questions rushed out from his mouth before he could stop them. He wanted answers, he needed to know what the hell was going on.

Lukas stared at him before answering. “Do you not remember last night? I saved your life.”

The event played through quickly in his mind again, still a bit fuzzy.

“I don’t believe you. What I saw, what I dreamt, couldn’t have happened. That man, thing, that attacked us-”

“Vampire.” Lukas cut him off. Mark stopped abruptly

“Vampire.” He said bluntly after a pause. Lucas nodded. “Vampire?” He said again. A small smile twitched on Lukas face.

“Yes, a vampire.”

“A vampire, broke into our house, killed my parents, and then tried to kill me.” Mark said doubtfully.

“And then I saved you. No need to thank me or anything, just doing my job.” Lukas gave a mock bow before settling back down in the chair he has been sitting in, gaze still firmly on Mark. Mark stood there, his mind whirring trying to comprehend what was happening. Vampires weren’t real. They were legend, myth, scary stories to tell children so they wouldn’t wander off in the dark. Hell, Johan and he used to make up stories about them all the time. But even as he tried to tell himself this, the events from last night seemed to prove otherwise. He waged a silent war in his head, what he saw battling against what logic and sanity were telling him. That guy, vampire, or whatever, had sunk its teeth into Marks throat. He felt it, a pain that he never would have been able to conjure up. So if last night really happened, then that meant..

“My parents,” he whispered hoarsely. Lukas’s gaze softened to on with sympathy.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t get here in time to save them. I only had time to save you and even that had been a challenge.” He apologized.

Mark backed up against the wall and sank to the ground slowly as he finally grasped the situation. His parents were dead. His whole family, ripped away from him and for what?

‘This is what happens when people disrespect me.’

That’s what the man had said to him. Was he the man Mark’s father had fought with the night before? This was all over a seating disagreement? Mark let out a harsh laugh, though there was no humor in it. His throat still burning from this odd thirst he could not shake, he looked back at Lucas.

“If this all happened, where are the bodies, and the blood?”

Lukas looked out the window, looking at something Mark could not see. “I disposed of the bodies and cleaned the blood up while you were in the process. It will cause us less of a problem when we leave.” He stated matter-of-factly.

It took a second for Mark’s numb mind to register everything. Process? Leaving? What was he talking about?

“What are you talking about, process? And who says I’m going anywhere with you?”

He looked back at Mark. “The turning process. While you were sleeping and going through the changes, I made sure to have everything cleaned up, so once we took our leave, we won’t be followed. When people start to notice you and your family’s disappearance, finding a still in place empty house will yield far fewer questions than one that is a blood bath. Less of a hassle of us” Lukas started hard at Mark as he absorbed this information, gauging his reaction. Mark still doesn’t understand still.

“Can you stop talking in riddles? What do you mean turning process?” Mark demanded, coming to a standing position, his body tense. Mark was on the verge of losing it, and while he was handling the situation fairly well given the circumstances, he wanted some straight answers. Lukas sighed, like a parent would with an ignorant child.

“The turning process from human to vampire. In order to save your life, I had no choice but to turn you.” He stated.

Mark stared. And started some more. His mind at a standstill.

“No, you’re lying.” Mark denied. Lukas sighed despondently.

“It’s true, Mark." How did he know his name? "After fighting with Daniel, he managed to get away from me. I was going to chase after him but you were fading fast so I made a decision. The only way I could save you, was to change you. I saw it as a chance for you to help me hunt this fucker down and you so you can get your revenge.” Lukas finished with a determined voice. He walked over to Mark, standing right in front him. “By now you should be able to feel the differences. You feel stronger, better. You’ll be feeling the burning thirst in your throat that water won’t do anything to quench. You know it’s true-” He was cut off by Mark roughly shoving at him. Lukas flew across the room right through the window onto the ground outside the house. Mark looked at his hands, astonished at the strength he seemed to have at his fingertips, when Lukas was suddenly right in front of him with. He held Mark against the wall, with an iron grip. Mark struggled but it was clear that Lukas was much stronger than him. His blood rushing and heart pounding, Mark continued to fight him. He could hear yelling over the sound of his blood pumping and it took a minute before Mark realized that he was the one doing it.

“No! This isn’t happening! You had no right! You should have let me die with my family! Instead you made me into the same monster that killed them!” He screeched at the man and Lukas just took it, while holding him against the wall, strength never fading, gaze locked onto Mark. He didn’t know how long he went on for, eventually gone from making coherent words to just yelling in frustration and despair, thrashing with all his might against him. After a while though, Mark began to settle down. He stopped screaming, just breathing heavily, staring back at Lukas. He slowly released his grip once he felt Mark had calmed down enough, and backed away over to the table. He sat down, waiting.

Mark gave a heavy and somewhat watery sigh. He brought his hands to his face, not surprised to feel his cheeks wet from angry tears, and just stood there, processing.

Mark felt numb, his body’s reaction to the amount of shit that had been just dropped onto his plate. Part of him still thought, or rather wished that he was dreaming and he would wake up anytime now to his mother rousing him from sleep and the day would be like any other day. No monsters, no death, just normal. Those thoughts were futile. He could deny it and protest it as much as he wanted but it wouldn’t change the fact that he was never going to see his parents again. Mark would never be normal again. Markell Fischbach died last night, and a monster has taken his place.

Removing his hands from his face, his eyes met Lukas. Every fiber in his being wanted to kill him, rip him apart for what he has done, but while Mark hates what he has become, he did save his life. He owed him something. Seeing that Mark had come to some kind of conclusion, he motioned for him to take a seat in the chair across form him at the table. Mark dropped into the chair with a thunk, turning to face Lukas.

“Now,” he began, clasping his hands together, a small smile forming on his face. “It’s time to start your training.”