Flames are all I saw when I got out.

"Help."

Everyone's attention was elsewhere. No one seemed to care about me. When I did reel someone's attention, I found myself pinned down to the ground like a crook.

"She's human," I heard someone say.

"What's going on?"

No answer.

"Please, can someone answer me?"

Once my hands were wire tied, the corps officer sat me up, and I saw the whole scene.

Søren was on his knees, and so was the host.

What on earth happened here?

They took me to what seemed to be police headquarters and interrogated me.

"Do you know Mr. Arcadius?" The officer asked.

"Who is Mr. Arcadius?" I returned.

"Have you ever been associated with any activities affiliated to the Arcadius?"

"Hello, again, I ask who Arcadius is? Is this an interrogation? Because if it is, can I call my lawyer?"

The man ignored me and pursued, "were you contacted to participate in last night's events?"

"Listen, is this an interrogation or what?" I ask and cross my arms.

"We'll release you as soon as you answer Ms. Davis," a voice said in the speakers.

An unwarranted sigh escaped from me as I replied, "I registered online, and I got a confirmation email."

"Why did you wish to participate?" The voice in the speaker asked.

"It seemed fun," I said and smiled at my reflection in the mirror where I imagined the man stood.

"Do you personally know Magnus Arcadius?"

"Who is this God damn Arcadius guy? I don't know him. Did he say I did? Because I don't know him."

The questions went round in circles but always returned to my connection with this Magnus dude. They then took me to this immaculately white room and made me sit in a chair placed in its center.

I don't know whether it came from the ceiling or behind me, but something physically penetrated my mind. It felt as though thousand of needles entered at once.

In the end, all I heard was a female voice say in a very formal and automatic mode: "Fourth reincarnation. One total wipeout. Two partial rewrites and an Exo seal. Caution, a rewrite will be dangerous and might cause the Exo seal to leak the anterior soul."

I hoped they talked about a printer's ink cartridge.

They took me to another room, I know I should have panicked, but the adrenaline surge was too high. In fact, I was ecstatic. Inna would say it's a rich bitch thing, and it probably is.

When you have money, not many things arouse your interest. It's hard to get kicks, and I'm in for that. I don't know; I have that edgy pulse that pushes me to walk on the tight rope.

After that odd white room experience, they released me without further explanation.

Now I stand once more in front of the Colosseum, totally renovated within 24H. It's impossible, but everything I've lived since last night is. The screams of those caught by the wolves still echo in my mind, but I still enter this place where the bloodshed occurred. I find myself directly in the hall. The corridor is gone, and I'm in the arena.

"Bravo, bravo, and we have our winner. Madame, I didn't expect less from you."

"What's going on here?"

He steps down from the stand, "my name is Magnus Arcadius. I have no strength to play the mysterious and dark, so I'll just throw it to you straight if you don't mind: I'm a Strigoi, she's a vampire, and so are all those who work here, and oh he's a werewolf. Sorry, I had a shitty night where I had to face an asshole, grow back my limbs, and answer HAWKS."

His words take me aback but above all, what he says intrigues me.

"You said you're a vampire."

"Yes, and I use the Initio to recruit an army that you are now a part of, correction. You will be part of it if you drink my blood."

"You're recruiting?"

"Yes, yes, madame, our queen. The Initio's sole existence is to do so. Okay, I admit to also I enjoy the killings, and so do you if I'm not mistaken."

"What? I don't enjoy that," I reply and take a step back.

"The you of today doesn't, but the one they expelled does. I'd even add our great queen loves it."

"Queen, who are you talking about?"

"Your ancestor, the queen, my sister-in-lawㅡ gosh, I didn't even get to meet her this time."

"Meet her?"

"Yes, this reincarnation is a great success this time. You're very human."

I close my eyes. Talking to Magnus is exasperating, "listen, it was a hard night for me too. So can you simplify?"

"Okay, it's time for a little demo."

There, Magnus offers me an exclusive remake of Thriller as a few shift and transform into wolves while others show their growing fangs.

"What the fuck."

"Alright, the freaks show is over. I hope you got it."

"This is insane; vampires rode at night, and wolves can only transform at moonlight."

Magnus closes his eyes. "Wow, they really fucked you up. First, the correct word is Strigoi. A First can walk in daylight. Secondly, lycanthropy can occur when the lupus desires."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Magnus chuckles, "you asked," he replies while chucking his hands in the air, "now you know all our secrets. You can carry on with this tasteless existence or become who you are meant to be. What do you want to do? My brother doesn't have the power to restore your glory, but Iㅡ."

"Your brother?"

"He rolls eyes, "your husband is my brother," he rolls his hand in that do- you-catch-my-drift motion, "ㅡYou know the speechless guy with the slim pants who thinks he's the reincarnation of River Phoenix."

"Søren?"

"Yes, that shit."

"Søren is your brother?"

"He's unfortunately so. Shit happens."

"And I'm his wife?" I say and point at myself. Wow, me Søren's wife. I wonder if we were happy.

Magnus smirks as though he heard my reflection, "you were his in the eighteenth century."

"Pa-pa-pardon."

"We're Strigoi, remember? So what do you want to do? Do you want to transition or not?"

"You mean you can make me one of you?"

He turns to look at the vampire next to him, "is she serious? Just for that, I should bite you without your consent."

"What's this about consent?"

"It's simple; you've got to give me your authorization to drink your blood, and you have to be willing to drink mine. I have to tell you what you're abandoning or losing, as some dramatic fiends would say. So you'll lose your life, you won't be human, unlike me, you won't be able to risk yourself out in sunlight."

"You said I could."

"Correction, I said the First can. You'll be a Second."

"Why can't I be a first?"

He cocks a brow, "because you're not born a Strigoi, you'll transit."

I nod, "Oh, okay."

"You'll have to feed on blood. If you're anything like the other you, you'll have enough power to walk out in sunlight anyway."

"You said I couldn't."

Magnus sighs, "you can when you drink gallons and gallons of fresh succulent human blood," he replies while clinching his fist under his chin in enthusiasm. You'd think he's asking me to enrol in a cheerleading squad. "You have a fetish for young virgins and love to bathe in their blood. You can do that to walk in sunlight."

He speaks with the utmost indifference as though he gives instructions to make a sponge cake; it's befuddling.

He laughs, "No, you won't need to sleep in coffins or coves. You'll be able to call a few bats and read in minds with training. The package includes bed and board offered by yours truly," he claps in his hands,"that's it."

I blink in total dismay. Again everything seems surreal, but I know everything Magnus says is true.

"Okay."

"Good, you now have seventy-two hours to think about it."

"What?"

He smiles and places his hands on my shoulders, "calm down, it's law, and I don't want to be scattered because I didn't follow the rules."

"Do you do this with everyone?" I ask.

"No, but there's no refund policy, if you know what I mean. Also, not everyone is not our Bloody Queen. No pun intended."