Inside the Silverpine Forest, a small pheasant like creature stood on top of a brown boar with his light blue wings dropping on both sides, his cheek pressed against the top of the boar’s head with a tired expression on his face.

[I’m exhausted. This land is so poor, can’t breathe.]

He exhaled as if he was struggling to breathe, his wings flapped against the sides of the boar, dropping fragments of ice on the ground.

The boar stood petrified on the spot; fear growing on his face.

[What’s wrong? Why aren’t you moving? The heat is killing me.]

The boar stomped the ground with his hooves and began to run across the inner periphery of the forest.

[Ahh, wind…so good.]

The bird spoke with a lazy countenance. He had a pair of wings with a unique colour between light blue and emerald. Two short claws grew from his lower body, lying lifeless on the boar’s body. A tail of the same colour wiggled in the air behind him, leaving ice fragments in his wake.

[Father is too much, how can Mom ask me to reach his strength…I guess I’ll retire for a few years in the mortal world. When I’m 8, I’ll beg my way back home.]

The bird talked in a strange language, different from the one he had used to communicate with the boar before.

The two of them wandered inside the forest without being stopped by any other creature. It was as if the forest turned silent whenever the creatures sensed the bird’s aura.

[I want to play. Isn’t there something interesting to do here friend?]

The boar first shook his head, before nodding with a pitiful expression.

The two of them disappeared in the direction of the forest outer region.

***

Ocelio was standing in a vast expanse of darkness. Below him, a dark red ocean threatened to swallow him. His face was covered in pain and despair, the water had already reached his ankles.

His mouth opened as if he was trying to breath but no sound came out and no air went in.

There was nothing in this space, neither air nor hope. Only a dark abyss absorbing his body bit by bit.

All of a sudden, his eyes noticed a source of light within the ocean. A pure white light that appeared to be on the verge of disappearing.

Hesitation surfaced on his face; his finger touched the surface of the water followed by the emergence of a distressed expression on his face.

Before he had time to make a decision, the white light disappeared in the dark water. Leaving him suffocating, fighting to keep his life.

Minutes passed, his mouth had closed, he was no longer breathing. His eyes were shut and his body entered the ocean, swallowed by the currents within.

Life seemed to have left his being, his soul was about to leave his body, entering the next cycle of life, or eternal darkness.

Yet, just when his soul was leaving his body, it made one final attempt to grasp a fragment of light passing by. His hand moved even though no life existed in his body.

He was standing on the top of a valley, surrounded by children. The sun shone with all its splendour above him, his eyes stared at the green sky in a daze.

[Listen children, today is an important day. This marks the first year since your arrival in this specialised village. Everything you’ve been through will mean nothing if you can’t synchronise with the magic land. Stay put and focus on the land below your feet, think of it as if it was your mother and father, your most beloved item.]

A green-haired man with a thick beard passed by each of the children, a green crystal held in his hand. Sometimes it would shine, sometimes it wouldn’t.

When the man came in front of a little girl with curled brown hair, Ocelio widened his eyes.

Her eyes were closed, her eyebrows were creased as if she was trying her hardest to focus, she had a delicate face that showed a stubborn expression. She looked no older than 4 years old, but he seemed to have recognised her.

[Briseis…]

He looked around but he could not identify the other children. They were all around her age, with different hair colours, they stood still with their eyes shut.

The next moment, the scene changed as if it had been an illusion.

It was night time, the sky was covered in dark clouds, a lone green moon could be seen with a few blue stars shining through the gaps in the sky.

He looked above in a daze, his eyes looked captivated by the beauty of the scenery.

[Here, this is all I could save tonight.]

A childish voice entered his ears, carrying with it a familiarity that made him lower his head.

A young girl with green hair that looked a bit older was feeding a man chained to a pole the bits of food she carried in her pockets.

Not far from there could be seen a camp protected by wooden walls and watchtowers.

[Keep it, I’ll die tonight, I don’t need your food. Now go away.]

The man was trying to chase her but she refused to take the food back. She stared at the man with brown eyes brimming with tears, yet a determination unbefitting a girl her age was etched on her face.

The next moment, another scene took place. Briseis was reunited with her family, her head was buried in her father shoulder as she soaked his clothes.

A smile surfaced on Ocelio’s face as he watched a flood of emotions erupting out of her thin body after holding them back for the last few years.

A few more scenes that seemed to display the important moments in her life continued to surge in his consciousness. He had tried to interact with the characters in the scenes, but unlike what would experience during an illusion, they could not be touched or interacted with.

And each time he got too far away from Briseis, the scene would change and he would return by her side.

At one point, however, things took a different direction. Terrifying creatures would appear in the scenes and take Briseis away or cut her bodies into pieces. Her screams would resonate across the surroundings and her blood would soak the ground, pooling to his feet.

All the next scenes showed despair, fear and death.

Up until he found himself standing in a space inundated by light with a silver orb floating in the air.

He seemed to be attracted by the orb, his arm reaching to touch it. But right before his finger came into contact with it, he stopped.

[Briseis…is that you?]

His words could be heard loud and clear across the space but no one came to answer him.

Nothing changed, the silver orb was still floating in the air and the space was still dazzling.

[Those memories, it was your life. Back in the bloodsea, these light fragments…were they your blood? How could I enter your mind?]

At that moment, he made an expression of realisation. He took back his hand but continued to stare at the silver shape.

[No wonder…blood and spirit. You’ve saved me, you know that? I have no understanding or control over what happens inside me. I don’t know what that Rabbit did to my body, I cannot even feel the strength that should have belonged to me.]

His voice became louder and turned into a violent shout, letting out his frustration and anger in front of the silver orb.

[If you hadn’t come to me, if…I can feel it, I would have succumbed to the bloodline. I am still myself and that’s thanks to you. So, I won’t touch your soul. Now I will go out. You deserve to be happy.]

Ocelio looked in front of him with a peaceful expression. All the intense emotions that had appeared before were nowhere to be seen.

He took a step back and awoke inside the carriage. He removed his teeth from her neck in a slow motion before carrying her body to the bench.

He stared at her sleeping face with a gentle expression, stroking her pale face with his cold fingers.

[I am sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you.]

The next second, his body jumped outside of the carriage, before sprinting in the opposite direction.

He moved at such speed that people could not even perceive his shadow, a surprised expression showed on his face before turning into sadness.

[Ocelio…is that the kind of vampire you wish to become?]

***

A commotion was happening in the poorman’s district, at the city entrance.

A woman with soft red hair threw a silver coin at the guard closest to her.

[Give me a pass. Also, do you have a good hotel in this city?]

She spoke with an arrogant attitude, despise clearing showing on her small face, yet, the guards only lowered their heads, not daring to look at her.

[Yes milady, our best inn is the Water Fountain in the trading district. It would be an honour to accompany you there.]

She shook her head, her long twin ponytails swirling behind her.

[No need.]

After taking the city pass, she walked away, not showing any respect for the guards of the city.

When she reached the slum, her face distorted in disgust. She took a step forward, reappearing far ahead as if she had teleported.

The next moment her face shifted into astonishment, noticing a silver-haired woman holding the hand of a little girl with the same hair colour.

[Excuse me, how to get out of this place, I want to head to the trading district.]

Synthea appeared dumbstruck by the beautiful woman and her peculiar hair colour. Her head bowed, speaking with her usual submissive tone.

[If siress follow this road straight, then you would arrive in the hardman’s district. To reach the trading district, you would only need to continue until there’s a fork on the right. Taking the road on the left and continuing for a few minutes and siress will arrive there.]

She stumbled on her words, unsure of how to explain the direction.

She noticed her daughter stare and tried to hide her eyes from glancing at the woman’s face and hair.

[You’ve been possessed before haven’t you.]

Synthea’s body trembled, her eyes widened in panic. But when she raised her head, the woman was no longer there.