One month ter

  After their spur of the moment ht tryst, Katrina had started living with Sera. She was thrilled to have someone in her life again, someohat cared about her, and she swore to do everything in her power to avoid hurting her. Katrina was still terrified of her Vampiriature, and sadly having a girlfriend didn’t stop her cravings.

  Roughly once a week, Katrina would take a trip down south to hunt for a meal. She made sure to never visit the same pce twice, and she’d gotten quite good at c her tracks. As far as Sera knew, Katrina was simply traveling around to different farms, bleeding pigs dry to keep herself fed. She felt bad lying to Sera about this, but she had no idea how to share the actual truth about what was happening. How do you tell someohat you routinely hunt people down and drain them dry?

  Katrina was busy ing up the pce when Sera returned from her trip to the Guild Hall. She hadn’t taken any trips to the city retly, but was still her Inspiration services to various crafters in the area. Sera also helped with clothing, patg holes and doing her best to put together fortable clothes for people with unique body structures.

  “Kat! I’m home!” Sera said, yelling down the hallway.

  Without making a noise, Katrina floated dowairs and happily weled Sera home. After they kissed, she noticed Sera was carrying an unusual bag, ohat looked fairly different from her usual totes. “What’s that? Gift from another crafter? More clothes to mend?”

  “Actually… this is something for you!” Sera was blushing profusely, and grabbed Katrina’s hand to lead her to the kit. “I, um… don’t know if you’ve been keeping track, but… today is our one-month anniversary!”

  “Is it really?” Katrina’s face turned red with shame. “I… wasn’t really keeping track, I’m sorry. You really didn’t have to do this.”

  “No, it’s okay! I know people don’t really care about the one month, and I never expect them to. It’s just… this st month has been really nice, and I wao do something to show my appreciation. To make your life a little easier.”

  Katrina started opening the bag, w what oh Sera meant. Ihe bag, she found something that looked like a lunchbox, or possibly a small cooler. It was definitely desigo keep something cold, and Katrina slowly ope, taking care not to make a mess of whatever might be inside. When she flipped the top open, she found a rge, clear bag, filled to the brim with red liquid.

  “Sera, this is… what did you do?” Katrina asked.

  Sera held out her arm, revealing a rge bandage on the inside of her elbow. “I found a phlebotomist in the Guild Hall, and had them draw my blood. It’s not something I do too often, but… this mean you won’t o spend all night hunting down pigs this week, right? Plus, I know you’ve said human blood tastes way better, so… happy monthiversary!”

  Without saying anything , Katrina pulled Sera close and kissed her. “Sera, this is amazing. I don’t even know what to say!”

  “Don’t say anything! Just dig in! Apparently, they’ve got these new bags that are designed for races like you, so it’s just like crag open a juice box. See, you just turn this, and presto!”

  Katrina’s senses immediately filled with the smell of blood, the most delicious thing in all existence. Eager to steal a taste, she grabbed the poud took a long, slow sip. It was every bit as delicious as she’d expected, if not more so. This had easily been the kihing that anyone had ever done for her sihe ge, and she fought back a few tears that tried to fall as she drank.

  She mao hold off on finishing everything, instead closing up the poud moving it to their fridge. Sera crept up behind her, huggiight before turning her around and kissing her deep.

  “Is that what my blood tastes like? Iing… ’t say I love it.” Sera said, giggling.

  “Well, it’s an acquired taste I suppose. Oh! I got so distracted by yift, I was going to show you my project I started today!” Katrina grabbed Sera’s hand, leading her up the stairs.

  “Oh? What have you been up to?”

  “Nothing crazy, but I just wao show you the alterations I made for that Lizardfolk outfit you were w on.” Katrina had been learning to sew in an attempt to help Sera out, and she was rather proud of the skills she’d picked up. Surprisingly, her Bardiowledge Feature made learning everything easier, not just music.

  “That’s great! I’m actually supposed to have that out by the end of the week, so that’s holy a huge help.”

  Katrina picked up the outfit, showing everything she’d ged to Sera. “So, I figure adding the extra fabric here will make it chafe less on his tail, and then over here, I added— Ow!” In the middle of turning the garment around, Katrina had actally pricked a finger on one of the sewing needles.

  “Hey, watch yourself Kat. I know this isn’t delving, but you still have to be careful. Here, let me take a look.” Sera took Katrina’s hand in her own, turning it to look at the pin prick. A small droplet of blood had formed, and an idea seemed to form in Sera’s head. She moved Katrina’s hand closer, pulling her finger into her mouth, and slowly raongue over the Vampire’s finger. It felt hough it made Katrina wonder if Sera had pns t her into bed afterwards.

  “You sure that’s safe, Sera? It’s not like I’ve had my blood tested retly.”

  “Eh, I’ve heard that most Races have fairly Human standard blood anyways. Little tweaks here and there, and I think there’s a new blood type? But otherwise nothing crazy. Besides, you’ve had mine, right? Now we’re bound by blood!”

  The girls smiled at each other, and Sera began moving in for a kiss. Before their lips met, however, Sera winced in pain and pulled back. The pain seemed to grow worse and worse, and within seds she was writhing in pain on the ground. “Sera! What’s happening?!”

  “I don’t— AAGH!!”

  Katrina watched in horror as Sera’s body began to ge and tort. Her limbs groaned and stretched, aanned plexion began to grow pale. As she screamed out in pain, Katrina saw her cuspids elongate, growing to a horrifying, supernatural point that mirrored Katrina’s own. There was no mistaking what was happening, and when Sera’s eyes opened again, they were blood red.

  “Kat! What's happening?!” Sera screamed.

  Falling to the floor, memories of the night of the ge flooded Katrina’s mind. The horrifying pain, the overwhelming huhat had driveo bee a murderer. The worst thing that had ever happeo her, and it was now repeating itself with Sera.

  Sera’s vulsing began to slow, and a terrible growl left her throat. She tried to crawl closer, but it was clear she was still in horrible pain. “Kat… why?? Why did you do this to me?!”

  “No! I didn’t… I don’t know what’s happening!”

  Katrina moved closer, reag out to try and help, but her hand was knocked away. Sera's transformation was now slowing, likely almost finished, and Katrina could tell that Sera was already much stronger. Her pallid fingers now had sharpened nails, and she shed out at Katrina, who failed to rea time. Sera sshed at Katrina, her new nails drawing blood as they raked across her arm.

  With another horrible growl, Sera brought the blood to her mouth and tasted it. "Hungry... so... hungry!"

  "Sera, please, let me help you!"

  "No! Get away!" Sera said, jumping to her feet. She pushed Katrina down to the floor, jumping over her and running for the front door. When she grabbed the handle, she didn't just open the door, she pletely ripped it off its hihe moonlight hit her body, casting a shadow towards Katrina, who flew dowairs to try and stop Sera from turning into a killer.

  "I know what yoing through! Please!" Katrina again reached out for Sera, who spun and shoved Katrina against a wall.

  "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sera screamed. "JUST LEAVE!!"

  Sera's face was ed, distorted by anger, hunger, arayal. Tears g to her face, the st remnants of Sera's humanity, and Katri her heart shatter as she saw everything Sera had bee. With anuttural growl, Sera ran out the front door, leaving Katrina alone. In a panic, Katrina flew out the front door, trying to get as far away from Sera as she could. She flew for hours, g the whole way, barely able to see where she was going.

  Why does this keep happening to me?! Why did I think I could live a normal life? I was foolish enough to try, and now Sera is… now she’s a monster, just like me. Everywhere I go, everything I touch, I ruin. How many lives am I going to destroy?

  —

  Eight months ter. One year and six months Post-ge.

  Katrina flew out her window, the cool night air filling her sehere was no joy in flying like there used to be, and she had no idea how she mao get out of bed each day. She felt every bit as dead inside as the System had made her.

  Six months ago, on the anniversary of the ge, Katrina had once again tried to summorength to step into the daylight. Just like on that fateful night, however, she stopped herself at the st possible sed. This time, she’d gotten her HP down to 3%. She was still vihe world would be a better pce without her, but she had no idea how to tinue.

  The news, however, had begun promising a way out. A way for her to escape the eternal torture that was her owence. She tinued flyiually finding a small medical ic just a few blocks away from her house. The doors opened for her, and her nails dug into her arms as she squeezed herself tight. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, she was so sure something would g again. After all, she ruined everything she touched, right?

  She pushed aside thoughts of Sera, thoughts of all her victims, and approached the ter. Her body was shaking, and she was having trouble thinking straight, as she haden in far too long. She barely even noticed when someone approached the window from the other side.

  A solid pane of magically reinforced gss separated them, and Katrina was thankful for that. The man in front of her was Human, probably in his twenties, with short blonde hair and grayish-blue eyes. His look was full of pity, or possibly sorrow? Katrina was having trouble reading people, she was so hungry. She grabbed the ter, squeezing it tight as she fought to stay in trol.

  “I, um… I heard you have… blood?” she asked quietly.

  The man behind the gss nodded. A soft smile appeared on his face, and he spoke in calm, f tones. “We do. I help you set up a donor card, and we even have coolers for first-timers. What’s your name?”

  Katrina’s voice shook as she spoke, scared to believe him. “I’m… Katrina.”

  “It’s o meet you Katrina, my name’s Dennis. How about we get you set up, and you’ll have a fresh set of rations in just a few minutes.”

  —

  Hey everyohere's not going to be any music today. There was some pretty heavy stuff in this chapter. Katrina's life improved when she found easily accessible resources, and people that were traio help. While I'm sure none of you o drink blood to survive, our world has dozens of readily avaible mental health resources and professionals that are here to help share the burden. If you, or anyone you know, if struggling with their mental health, help is often only a few minutes away. Here in the US, we have a suicide hotlihat's avaible 24/7, and I'm fairly certain that tries all over the world have something simir.

  "...Thanks, Nyx."

  I appreciate you sharing everything, Katrina, I know it was tough.

  Nyx <3