"Hey, you fucking Vamp!" I yell.

It snaps its head towards me with its fangs bared and stands up. With an extra rush of adrenaline surging though my veins like a supercharge of electricity, I rush at the vampire and drive my stake through its chest, the location of its heart. It emits a howl of pain before pushing me with its hands, the force flinging me thirty feet away. The wind is knocked out of me as my back slams against the hard, scaly surface of a tree. In mere seconds, the figure is standing in front of me. I'm still disoriented as it grabs me by my hair and lifts me up. Pain sears through my scalp as my feet dangle a few inches above the ground. My blurry vision is beginning to clear up, but my body still feels weak as I blindly kick the air.

"You pathetic human," the figure sneers as it yanks the stake out from its chest, the end smeared in black blood, and throws it away. The vampire slams my back against the tree before removing its hood. A woman's ashen face, with eyes as silver as the blade of my knife, stares back at me with a smirk. Her perfectly proportional fangs glisten at me as she licks her lips.

A fucking Elite. The most powerful vampires that are immune to almost every single known vampire hunter weapon, including silver bullets, wooden stakes, and fire. The surest way to kill an Elite was to pierce their heart with a silver dagger lathered in a mix of their own blood and venom. Decapitating them doesn't work either, as they will sprout a new head within a few minutes. It was quite rare to meet an Elite, and nine out of ten chances are, that will be the last thing you'll ever see.

From the corner of my eye, Thana twitches on the ground. She lifts her head up, and her eyes fly open when she sees me pinned against the tree by a vampire no less than one foot taller than my normal height.

Before I can process what to do next, a sharp prick penetrates the side of my neck as the vampire sinks her teeth in my flesh. My body becomes paralyzed as the blood in my veins is drained ounce by ounce. My legs begin to tremble as my breathing quickens and becomes more labored. Weakness and drowsiness flow over me in waves as my life force is sucked out of me.

Panic and terror join the chaos inside of me as I struggle internally and try to resist, but to no avail as my outer body remains frozen like an ice block. I've spent all twenty-one years of my life fearing and despising vampires, and that hate grew exponentially after what happened to my brother. I had vowed to bring every vampire that crosses my path to its rightful death.

And I failed.

"No!" I faintly hear Thana shout. Is it her? I don't even know, I can't tell. My mind feels as if it's being sucked into a dark pit of pain when the stinging pressure on my neck mitigates. The vampire's face appears before mine, her mouth stained with my blood as she grins malevolently. She licks her lips in a satisfied way, her fangs glistening at me under the moonlight.

She brings her mouth to my ear and whispers, "I'll see you soon," before releasing her hold on me. I crumble to the ground as she disappears into thin air.

"Rayne!" Blade appears in my darkening line of vision as she kneels beside me. Her frantic voice reaches my ears as my life force is slowly fading away. My body is growing colder by the second, and it shivers as the chilly air nips at my exposed skin. The vampire's poisonous venom is flowing through my veins like an angry river as the pain in my neck begins to dull.

"You... know what you... have to do," I manage to whisper between gasps of breaths

"No. No freaking way am I killing you."

"Do this... for me, Blade. I know you... you hate me, but don't... let me... become one... of them. I can't... I won't turn into a monster." I cough out blood as my breathing becomes hollow and restricted.

"I'm not doing it. I can't," Blade cries out as she cradles my head in her hands. "Yeah, you're a pain in the ass but-"

"Of course you can," a gruff male voice appears from the side. A tall, muscular figure clad in military uniform steps into view.

Not that fucking asshole.

"Xander-"

"You're going to let her become one of those monsters, Thana? Huh?" Her mentor demands before he takes out a silver gun from his holster and points it at me. "She's a fucking goner. Step aside, Thana."

Thana gently lays my head on the soothing, cold ground before standing up and placing herself in front of me like a shield. I have no idea why Thana would try to protect me. Xander chuckles in surprise before the cocking of his gun resounds through the woods.

"Come on Thana. She's a threat to everyone now, plus she's your fucking competition. Remember what Mother said. Never show weakness towards your enemies and rivals."

Thana turns her head back to look at me before returning her gaze towards him.

"Then, you'll have to kill me first."

What... why would she say that?

"What?" Xander says, utter shock steaming from his voice.

"You heard what I said," she says. Even through my diminishing sight, I see her hand grasp the grip of her gun.

"Very well then."

Without warning, the sound of a gunshot rings out, echoing throughout the still, freezing air. By the time it does, darkness consumes my mind in waves as it swallows me within its treacherous dark waters. I dimly hear a groan and a thud, but I don't know who it was, or if Thana is still alive.

My body now feels as if it has been set on fire, with flames crawling though every vein. The burning pain is enough to cause my heart to function improperly. It should be a welcoming change from the previous chill, but it's only worse. The pressure in my chest grows each second, restricting my breathing as I gasp for air.

A familiar woman's voice is yelling for me to... what is she saying... "don't eat pie?" What does that even mean? Who is it? Is it Thana? Is she still alive--

Those thoughts spiral downwards into a black hole as a sudden icy chill consumes my burning body. It invades me with the fury of a snowstorm putting out a fire. I gasp, or at least try to, because I have no control over my own body anymore. It's as if I'm a separate entity, an outsider.

Except I'm also experiencing the excruciating pain which is tearing me apart from the inside.

Flashes of my life stream before my eyes like a motion picture. A reminder of what I'm leaving behind. My own personal live-action autobiography.

The day when my mother knocked me unconscious for mistaking the kinds of wooden stakes. The constant lectures, screaming, and beatings. The expectations from me to keep the family name on the top where it has been for centuries.

Thana Blade appears, that smirk on her face each time the teacher revealed the test results. Her score was always either one or half point higher than me. And she always made sure she boasted to the entire Vampire Academy that she had beaten the Rayne prodigy. And I continued to come second place to her no matter how hard I tried or studied.

My older brother comes into my vision, his stormy gray eyes filled with love and kindness when he would play-fight with me. He was fifteen years older than me, so he was out hunting vampires most of the time when I turned six years old. He brought in the most kills out of everyone. And each time, I would look up to him in awe.

Until one day, he didn't return from a mission. I remember crying, my tears torrenting down my face. I can practically feel them now as I lie on the ground, the icy chills agonizing my body and mind. From that day forth, I have been expected to fully carry my family's legacy instead of my brother.

My father's face; that disappointed expression when he found out he was having a daughter instead of a second son. That's the thing about being a Rayne. Our memories are retained from the day we are born and engrained in our mind no matter how old we become.

Without warning, the memories disappear and the pain returns tenfold. It is tearing my body apart, as if a demon is trying to crawl out of my chest.

"Shhh. Don't fight it. I told you we'll meet again," a husky, hypnotic woman's voice whispers in my mind.

"What... what is happening?" I manage to gasp out. Not out loud.

"It's quite simple, my darling. You are dying, and pretty soon, it will be too late."

"Too late for what?"

"To become one of us."

Shock overtakes me. "Y-you can't be serious? I will never be one of you! You people are f-fucking monsters!"

"Darling, I think your heart will tell you otherwise," the Elite says.

"W-why can't I see you?" I ask.

She sighs. "Because this stupid mortal beside you is becoming utterly insane, and I'd very much rather not be a witness to such a spectacle up close."

"I swear, if you hurt her--"

"Oh, don't you worry. I won't lay a finger on her pretty head. As long as you agree."

"A-agree--"

"To become us."

"I-I will n-never do that. And I'm n-not afraid of d-death."

"Then becoming us shouldn't be a problem for you. After all, that's what we vampires are. Death. And most mortals are terrified of us."

"A-again, I-I will n-not become y-you," I stutter. Talking to someone in my mind is still a chore, and my frustration escalates as I can't even argue without stuttering like a fool.

Yes, I am not afraid of death. In fact, death is just a door that opens you to another world. But vampires... That's a whole different thing. They are soulless monsters responsible for my brother's death. But if becoming them means protecting Thana...

What? Wait, would I really be willing to become the very thing I'm afraid of for... my rival?

"Darling, don't you want to feel powerful? Like you can crush anyone under you with just a single movement? To be immune to so many things?" She coaxes.

"All I want is for the pain to stop," I whisper. All this thinking has drained my energy to nothing. At this point, the agonizing pain is torturing me as if I'm being burned alive while bound together.

"Then all you have to do is say yes or no," the Elite says.

"T-to what?"

"To becoming one of us. Your whole life, you've been living in the illusion that we are the bad guys. I promise, we're not."

"That's bullshit."

"Would you like to find out for yourself?"

My brain is shutting down, unable to contemplate her words. All I can think about is finishing my suffering. That's all I want.

"And to do that, I need your consent. From deep within your heart," she adds. "See? We're not complete monsters after all."

My mind is numb as the light inside of me flickers, ready to be snuffed out at the slightest shift. I don't care about anything else at this point. I realize that I don't just want the pain to stop.

I don't want to die.

"Yes."

"You have to say it louder, darling. Let me know that your decision is genuine," she says. Her hypnotic voice flows to my brain like dopamine.

"Yes."

And just like that, the pain subsides at the speed of light as my eyes fly open. Blade stumbles backwards in shock when I jump to my feet in one clean move. I inhale the cold air, the stench of iron reaching my nostrils. I turn around, and the sight of Xander sprawled on the ground in his own pool of blood greets my eyes. A bullet wound decorates the middle of his forehead as his glazed eyes stare wide open to the night sky.

"Rayne..." Blade says, her voice trembling. I ignore her as I lunge towards the source of the bloody smell.

I am so fucking thirsty.

Without thinking twice, I crouch on top of Xander's body. I tear open his chest and claw out his warm heart. I sink my teeth in it, and just as quickly, spit out the vile liquid. The blood is still warm, but it no longer tastes good as it had stopped pumping through the veins a while ago. The blood is dead, lifeless, and useless to me.

With a shrill scream that shocks both me and Blade, I turn towards her. The tantalizing smell of her live blood pumping through her veins fills my senses in a pleasant rush.

I pounced on her, the force of my body flinging us several feet away. She lands on the ground with a loud grunt as she tries to hold my face away from her delicate, soft skin .

"Rayne. Please. Don't." She begs as one of her arms struggles to resist me. My throat is being choked by her grip on my esophagus, but I can still breathe just fine. I choke a little, but other than that, I find myself resistant to being strangled to death.

Nice.

She attempts to reach for her knife, but her grip on me slips. She is forced to use both her arms in order to keep me away.

Unfortunately for her, it's too late as I grab both her wrists and slam them into the ground behind her head. She struggles against me as I use my bodyweight and newfound strength to pin her down.

I'm thirsty. I need blood. Right now. Fresh, warm, human blood surging with life. My throat is parched. My stomach growls at the mere scent of the red nectar flowing through her veins. I can hear the thumping of her heart within her body. My mouth hovers an inch away from her neck, my thirst increasing every second.

"What are you waiting for?" The Elite's hypnotic voice enters my mind. "She's your rival. The girl who drives you crazy with hate and rage. She is your key to survival now."

The Elite is right. I can eliminate my enemy once and for all. Plus, she smells so fucking good. Like a delicious meal ready to be devoured. Fangs tear through my upper jaw as saliva drips from my mouth and onto her soft, penetrable skin.

I lick her skin, the salty and sweet taste pleasantly tickling my taste buds. I adjust myself on her as I press my body against hers.

She's my first, sweet meal ticket to eternal life. And just as I'm about to sink my teeth into her flesh, a memory of us at five years old appears in my mind. We were both laughing as we chased one another around a rectangular table. The days when we used to be best friends before our families tore us apart.

The red fog in my mind disappears as I realize what I was about to do a few seconds ago. I release my hold on her wrists and jump off her.

Even though I've become the very same monster that I've feared and hated my whole life, I won't do it.

I won't kill Thana Blade.

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