--- Many Years Later ---

A nightmare took over Reika's mind as she slept. She tossed and turned, a pained look on her face as she dreamt about the horrid day that changed her life forever. The day she became a vampire.

Young Reika stood in front of the mirror, glaring at herself in hatred. She hated what she had become but what she hated more was herself for being so useless the day she lost her family. 

Monster! Monster!

That's all she heard. Her own mind was taunting her to suicide but she wouldn't give in. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of the taste of victory. Ferid watched her with a smile dancing on his lips. He loved watching her withering in despair and hatred, slowly diminishing her own sanity. 

Yes, he had turned her into a vampire out of boredom and infatuation. He wanted a play thing and he got one. Around here, Reika was known as Ferid's mistress since she was trapped in his room all day. People began to wonder what they did in there all day and that was the result. 

"You haven't fed in a few days, Reika," he stated, loving the reaction he got.

She turned to him and growled, hurling the comb towards him, "Shut up!"

He dodged the flying object easily before flashing behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Her crystal blue eyes glared at him. She has never drunken human blood so she was technically not a full vampire yet. But she did get these urges to drink constantly, her blood thirsty demon wanting to push its way through. 

Unbearable hunger struck Reika. She gasped and clutched her head in pain, trying to push these urges away. She could smell a human nearby but held herself back. She hated how the vampires had enslaved the children that had survived the virus but what could she do? She doesn't even trust herself enough to venture out from this room.  

"Come on, darling," his voice coated in fake sweetness, "Don't hold back."

Not being able to hold herself back, she spun around and snarled at Ferid with extracted fangs. She lunged towards him before burying her face into his neck, drinking his blood. This is why people called her his mistress. It's because they fed off of each other. 

Ferid placed his hand on the back of her head, pushing her closer into his embrace. He smirked before leaning towards her skin, already getting hungry from the smell of her blood. His fangs soon pierced the spot where her shoulder and neck met. Blood. That was what connected them. 

Her eyes snapped open, realizing that this was wrong. She shoved him away, placing her hand on the new wound she now had. Ferid let his blood trickle down his neck, disappearing into his shirt. He sent her a seductive smile before making his way out the door, leaving her all alone. 

Regret was all she could think of. She stared at the mirror once more, her fangs more visible this time. She glowered at the sight. Punching the mirror, it shattered to pieces. 

Reika fell to the ground, sobbing and crying at what had happened to her. She wanted nothing more than this to over. Cuts were all over her body from the glass from the mirror shattering. It hurt but she paid no attention. She didn't want to live anymore. 

Monster! You are a monster!

The taunting grew worse. It was the only thing she could hear. It was like someone was screaming at her and she couldn't make it stop. 

Die! Kill yourself!

Her sane self was slowly disappearing, leaving an unstable girl.

Monster! Die! 

Having enough of the taunting, Reika grabbed one of the shards of glass. She stared at it for a moment, knowing this wouldn't kill her but it would definitely leave her unconscious. With that, she plunged it into her chest, the last thing being heard was her cry of despair. 

Reika snapped her eyes open and gasped. It was one of many nightmares she had every night. She sighed, calming herself down before sitting up from the bed, recalling the dream she had just had. It was a while since she had dreamt of that scene. It happened so many years ago. 

The once frail girl is now fifteen. So much had changed that it felt like she had been here her whole life. She barely remembered the past but bits and pieces here and there. She gazed at the bracelet wrapped around her wrist, its emerald jewel staring back at her. A blurry image of a little boy appeared in her mind. She couldn't even remember what he had looked like since it was so long ago. All she knew was his name, Yuu. 

"Trouble sleeping?" 

Her eyes coldened at the voice. She turned around only to see a smiling Ferid, knowing exactly why she was having trouble sleeping. All her problems was all because of him. She felt nothing but anger when it came to him. She dreamed that one day, she would have the strength to kill him but until then, all she can do is depend on him since he is, her source of blood. 

She nodded, "Bad dream again."

Pushing herself off the bed, she made her way out of the room, not wanting to waste her time on that wretched vampire. It took her a while but now she had finally earned the freedom of leaving the room. She was dressed in fancy clothing, just like the nobles. It was like Ferid was marking his property, all vampires making sure to keep their distance from her. 

Reika found herself outside, the clouds were covering the sun so it was the perfect time to be there. Her eyes found itself observing the children, playing amongst themselves. She smiled, watching them play happily. Reika was different from the other vampires. She didn't think of humans as livestock or food unlike the others. She thought of them as their own person. 

A group of regular vampires walked by the children. One of the kids had gotten too close. The vampires grabbed him and lifted the poor boy off his feet. The boy struggled and cried but the merciless vampire just squeezed his throat even tighter. 

Reika's feet moved on their own record, running towards them at an inhuman pace. She barreled into the vampire, making him fall to the ground harshly from her strength. She caught the child before he made contact with the ground, holding him like a mother would hold her child. 

The vampire stood up and snarled angrily towards her. She glared back in return, her piercing blue eyes striking fear in him. As if finally realizing who she was, the vampire took a step back and apologized quickly. 

"I apologize. I didn't know it was you. Please don't tell Ferid."

She practically glowered at the name. Her tone was venomous as she spoke, "Just get out of my sight."

He nodded before quickly leaving, his vampire friends scampering away with him. She breathed out a sigh of relief, turning to the child in her arms. Her eyes widened as she noticed he was shaking in fear, staring up at her with tear stained cheeks. But he wasn't fearful of the event that just happened, he was terrified because a vampire was staring right back at him. 

Reika spoke gently, "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

The boy caught a glimpse of her fangs as she was speaking. Terrified of her, he struggled in her arms screaming at the top of his lungs, "Monster! Monster!"

Her grip on him tightened as she heard that word. The boy shouted that word over and over again until she finally released him. He ran away in fear, not even glancing back at her. 

Hurt was written all over her face. She hated that she was feared. She hated what she had become. She hated everything about her. 

Hiding the tear that had escaped her eye, she turned around and walked back into the castle. She clenched her fist as she remembered what the little boy had called her. Shaking her head, she tried to erase these thoughts. 

She soon collided into what felt like a wall, sending her crashing to the ground. She winced and rubbed her head, looking up only to see a vampire. 

But he was different. His eyes weren't red like all the others. They were a mesmerizing shade of blue. He wasn't like the other vampires she had seen. Their eyes were red because they had drunken human blood but this boy hasn't hence the blue eyes. Noticing her eye color as well, he stared at her in astonishment. 

He had blonde hair and blue eyes. His pointed ears were hidden under his hair. The only reason why Reika knew he was a vampire was because of his fangs. His looks weren't that bad either. 

She spoke first, "You..?"

"I..?" He copied. 

Both not knowing what to say, Reika giggled at his lost expression while he chuckled at their awkward encounter. 

"Why don't you be a gentleman and help me up?" She said teasingly. He nodded and held his hand out. She took his hand before he helped her up.

His eyes widened as he noticed her noble like clothing. He scowled and glared at her, hating the noble vampires and if she was one, he would just grow to hate her. 

Noticing this, Reika said quickly, "I'm not a noble, I swear! It's just that... um.."

How could she explain that she was known as the mistress of Ferid even though she wasn't? She trailed off, fumbling with her words, trying to explain the situation without looking bad. 

"The man that turned me into a vampire gave me these clothes," she said quietly. 

His expression softened. Recognition sparked in his eyes, realizing that this was the woman that everyone had been talking about. All the vampires were curious as to why Ferid would turn someone into their kind when all he did was kill. She was always the center of attention which just made her hate her life even more. 

"Oh, you're that girl," he muttered, hearing about her from Krul. 

She sighed but nodded meekly, "Yes, the 'mistress of Ferid', that's what they call me right?"

"I don't believe in that kind of superstition," he stated. 

"You don't?" Reika asked in surprise. Every vampire she had encountered believed that was what she was no matter how many times she protested. But this one was different. 

He nodded, "I don't believe in rumors unless the person admits the truth."

"-So, what are you to Ferid anyways?" He questioned. 

Unwanted memories resurfaced in her mind. Ferid had called her a pet and play-thing so many times that she had lost count. Now that someone was finally seeking the truth, Reika didn't know what to say. Should she tell him? Can he be trusted? Once he finds out the truth, will he hate her like she hates herself? 

A tear fell from her eye before she knew it. She quickly wiped it away and turned around, trying to hide her face. She thought of herself as weak and pathetic for crying over such a petty thing. To make matter worst, she had cried right in front of someone. 

"Are you okay?" He asked uneasily. Never in his life had he seen a vampire cry but he finally realized something that made him see her differently. If she was crying, she has emotions and if she can experience emotions, she's more on the human side than vampire. That somehow relieved him, knowing that even though most vampires were heartless, they were humans once and this girl wasn't afraid to show it. 

"I am not Ferid's mistress." Finally being able to say that felt like some pressure on herself was lifted. It felt good to say that and have someone actually believe it.  

She faced him with a fierce look on her eyes, speaking what was on her mind, "I hate him. He is a monster. He's the reason why I am like this but the only way to survive and not feed off of humans is to use him. But aside from that, I would kill him any chance I get."

The vampire in front of her stared at her for a few moments before laughing. She glared at him and asked sharply, "Why the hell are you laughing? Do you think this is funny?"

He stopped and shook his head no quickly. "No, it's not. It's just funny how much you and I are alike."

"Alike how?"

His expression changed as he gazed downward as he recalled the past with a dark look on his face, "Like you, I was turned against my will but by a high ranked vampire named Krul. I feed off of her, just like you. It's almost scary if you look at how similar our situations are."

Reika stared at him. It was nice to have someone in the same boat as her. It was nice to know someone was different like her. She smiled up at him happily, finally letting a genuine smile reach her eyes. 

"My name is Reika, even though you probably knew that. What is yours?" She questioned. 

His blue eyes bore into hers as he let a small smile claim his lips. She was special and he knew it. He knew that this girl was going to impact him immensely and he finally had someone he can call family. It was an odd word he welcomed. He still had to find Yuu but in the meantime, he wanted to know this woman personally and find out if she is worth protecting. 

"Mika, you can call me Mika."