Asher woke up in a dark room, sitting in a chair, his hands and legs strongly tied and without knowing where he was. He desperately wanted something. No. He needed something. His whole existence craved for it, but he couldn't name it.

Suddenly the door opened, and some light got inside, making him wince. A figure was standing there.

"I heard you wake up," said a familiar voice.

She closed the door and he felt better. His eyes could see her, but he didn't know-how. It was Laurel.

"Why am I tied up?" he demanded to know.

"It's for your protection. I promise I'll set you free, but first, we need to talk, and this is the only way."

"Why am I tied up?" he repeated as if he hadn't heard her words.

"I know you might feel queer, and confused, but I am here to help you and explain everything."

"What happened to me? Did you kill me?"

"No, technically, you were already dead. Most people are unaware that many creatures walk on this planet. Sometimes people find out about them and get mad, or they write about them, and they become millionaires. Humans like to think about the supernatural and existences far stronger than them. Most of the time, they fear them, and they create legends and stories they like to repeat as if it was a fairytale. I'm here to tell you that the truth is somewhere between these stories. Werewolves, vampires, witches, and so many more are all real. Different than what they are depicted by the humans, but real nevertheless."

She knew she had his attention and that he believed her. She saw it in his eyes and continued.

"All these creatures have weaknesses and abilities, just like humans. Some of them are good and live peacefully with each other. Some of them are following another way, a darker one, and people like me are here to stop them. You can trust me. All I want is to help you understand what you are now, for you, the real you, your heart, and your consciousness are still there, intact and, that is something you mustn't forget."

"I feel different."

"You are different, but this isn't a reason for you to get scared. Together we can get through it."

"What am I?"

"You are a vampire, and luckily for you, I know everything there is about them."

"Vampire?" he said with doubt.

"Yes. I know it sounds surreal, strange, terrifying, but you only need to adjust to this change. Think of yourself as an improved version of yourself: a stronger, faster, and more attractive one. The man that caught you was a vampire. He gave you his blood and made you drink it. Then he killed you, and after 24 hours, you were born as a vampire. I snapped your neck because it was the only way to take you down without actually hurting you."

"What is this feeling? I want something, but I don't know what."

"Vampires need only one thing to survive: blood."

His eyes immediately turned red, and his veins around his neck popped out more than usual.

"I'll bring you some."

She got up and opened a drawer that Asher hadn't noticed before. She took something and brought it in front of him. It was only a small plastic bag with a straw. Laurel put it in front of him and adjusted the straw in his mouth. He drank it all in seconds.

"More," he said, feeling better but still hungry.

"One more," she agreed and gave him another. "Do you feel better?"

He nodded "yes".

"Now, I'll cut your ties so you can adjust with your speed and strength."

She cut the ropes slowly and waited for some response, but she got nothing. Once released, Asher started running around the room, faster and faster. He picked up the chair as if it was a pencil, with no effort at all.

"It feels amazing!" he exclaimed and smiled.

At first, it was strange running like that. Even in that small space, he could understand that he could move differently. It was difficult to stop himself without hitting on the wall or falling on the ground, but after a couple of tries, he got better at it.

"You can also see in the dark if you haven't noticed already. Your eyesight is enhanced now," she said. "So far, so good," she thought.

He looked around, and it was true. He could see every little detail in that room. From the grains of sand in one corner till the tiny ant that tried to climb the chair, he could see it all.

"Can we get outside? It's a small room, and I can't test my new abilities."

"Not yet. Here," she said and gave his necklace.

It was a silver, vertical, rectangle pendant that he had bought after a game of truth or dare. It seemed silly at that time, but he turned out to like it and never took it off him.

In the midst of the confusion and the amplified senses, he hadn't realized it was gone.

"Why do you have it?" he asked and wore it.

"Vampires can't walk during the daylight without protection. Your skin gets burned, and then you die. Always wear it and never take it off. Do you understand?" she said seriously.

"I won't take it off, I promise. Why that?"

"What do you mean?"

''Does it work with any necklace, or is it the material that makes it special?''

"That's not something you need to worry about now. I'll explain some other time. Now, let's get outside this room."

She led him through a large hall, and then they entered a big living room. There were huge windows on both walls, but the curtains were down to seal away the sunlight. There were some reb couches and armchairs around a coffee table and on the other side of the room a huge, wooden table. On top of it lied a closed bag that seemed full of stuff. He wondered why would the bag be there, but he didn't mention it.

"Whose house is it?"

"A friend's. He is out of town for business, so we use it."

"Nice."

They spent the next two hours training, and Laurel tried to explain as much as possible in such a little time. She explained to him his weaknesses and the ways he could get hurt or die.

Going outside without his necklace would get him killed. A wooden stick or any other wooden object would kill him if someone pierced his heart with it. Snapping his neck would only make him fall unconscious for a few hours.

He had the ability to heal himself but a decapitation wasn't part of the list. He would no longer have dark circles, scratches, or skin irritation. His looks wouldn't change and his body and face would stay the same.

She tested him to see if he could pass as a human, and he was good enough. After a few tries, he was able to control his speed better, though not his strength. For that, more training was needed. Laurel tested his sense of sight, sound, and smell, and every time he would get more excited like a child in front of the Christmas tree.

The hard part was him understanding that he was technically dead. He wasn't really into any religion, but it was, indeed, a drastic change.

He couldn't talk to his family about that, and he had to accept the fact that he would have to see them die one day.

"Remember what I told you at the beginning?" she said finally. "No matter what you are, you have to listen to your heart. Your strength and your abilities give you no right to hurt people. What this vampire did is awful, and that is why I hunt him. You cannot kill people or drink from them. I'll always supply you with animal blood or blood from the hospital until you can get it yourself."

"What if I hurt someone without wanting to? What if I lose control of my bloodlust?"

"Firstly, this is why we train. Secondly, make sure you aren't hungry when you are around humans, and lastly,'' she said and got near a table and picked up something, ''this is something I want you to have."

"A watch? It's not my birthday," he tried to joke.

"It's not just a watch. If you need help, press this button right here", she said and showed him how it worked. "It will immediately send a signal to mine, and I'll track you and come where you are. I told you, you can rely on me, but always remember what I've taught you."

"Laurel. . . ."

"Yes?"

"Why are you doing this? You are not a vampire, right?"

"No, I am not."

"And you are not human either. Υou couldn't have brought me here from the campus on your own if you were."

"That's true."

"Then?"

"Are you ready to listen to a crazy but real story? It won't be nice or happy. I promise you that."

"Tell me. I want to know who saved me."

"Alright, then. My story starts thousands of years ago, at the beginnings of the world, when the first hunter was born."