"Don't die on me, Lady Elara or I will make sure that you don't haunt me later!"

  Vanessa channeled all of her strength in the ritual while maintaining the barrier even when her body trembled from the strain. Seeing Elara's stubbornness, she also threw her caution out of the window.

  Elara smirked upon hearing those words, but her movements did not falter; instead, they became firmer.

  The blood from her hands landed on Alvin's lips, only for it to float back up in the air. From the magic circle, a gust of wind rose, enveloping Alvin and Elara, forming a sort of barrier.

  Woosh!

  The wind swallowed the blood coming out of Elara, turning it darker and more visible to the naked eye.

  Vanessa's dress whipped around her body from the strong gust of wind in the air. Her hair floated backward, giving her a magical appearance.

  The maid continued to stare forward, concentrating on the spell she was chanting as the scene before her eyes grew increasingly chaotic.

  A purple mass of energy pulsed inside the small red cyclone, originating from the center before spreading through the whole wind barrier.

  No doubt the energy originated from the unknown umbilical cord Elara had found.

  She could no longer see Elara or Alvin, but she did not panic anymore. There was no point in panicking. Elara had made her choice, and she, as her devoted maid, would follow through with her.

  Fortunately, the purple mass of energy soon started to calm down and became more stable. Even though the barrier seemed to be steady, she could feel the aggressiveness of the wind in the air.

  With a sense of relief, Vanessa raised her hands and began chanting a new set of incantations.

  She was speaking, but her words were unrecognizable.

  As if controlled by the power of her words, the moonlight and the sigils and ruins on the ground came to life.

  Earlier they were simply glowing, but now—they rose from the ground and floated towards the blood mist.

  One by one, these beautifully carved blood letters circled around the mist, appearing to be a bow wrapped around a gift.

  The panic and uncertainty in Vanessa's eyes had long faded.

  'Everything is stable, but that energy still feels both familiar and dangerous to me… What did you get yourself into, miss?' Now, she only held hope for what was to come.

  The ritual continued.

  As time passed, the blood mist thickened and started to solidify. The wind started to calm down as well; it became more stable and smooth when the runic symbols got closer to it.

  The moonlight started to scatter around, but the only thing that remained constant was the purple energy that kept radiating from the umbilical cord and the blood cocoon that now covered both Elara and Alvin in the form of a big crystalline sphere.

  Beads of sweat began to accumulate on Vanessa's face and neck as she continued the ritual with her power, trembling in vigilance whenever something happened.

  Even the slightest movements of wind or the energy around her made her think of the worst.

  Fortunately for her, the ritual showed no signs of failing or something worse happening.

  Until…

  Chip. Crack. Snap.

  The powerful sigils that were floating around the sphere of blood came to a stop. They moved to one side of the sphere at once, leaving the left side plane. Vanessa's eyes shook upon seeing cracks appearing over the exposed side.

  Before she could react, that side of the cocoon shattered. She could see nothing but darkness in the gaps, but then a foot in wooden sandals emerged from them.

  The cocoon broke away at the slightest touch from Elara's hands and clothes as she emerged from the sphere, looking no different than before.

  "So you really did not die." The first words that came out of Vanessa's mouth almost made the woman stumble on her feet, but she managed to gain her footing on the ground and shot a sharp look toward her maid.

  The ritual did not change many things for Elara; her appearance was almost the same, but once she shifted into her vampire form, she noticed the changes.

  Her eyes now pulsed with red energy; a faint, barely noticeable gray ring had formed around the pupils of her eyes.

  Vanessa could sense the raw power emanating from her body. She noticed that her mistress's form looked a bit different than before. Even her fangs were a bit thicker and longer.

  Her skin was paler than before, but it only became more defined in her current form.

  As Elara fully stepped out of the gap, the cocoon behind her started to make a crushing sound. Under Vanessa's shocked eyes, the crumbled portion started to mend itself.

  "What's happening?" Vanessa exclaimed when she felt her connection with the ritual severing.

  She no longer had control over it!

  Vanessa panicked, and even Elara showed a rare look of concern on her face.

  "The ritual is continuing when it was supposed to end at this point…" She uttered under her breath as if speaking to herself. 'Why is this happening? Is it because of that thing?'

  Recalling the umbilical cord, Elara could not help but wonder if her decision had been the correct one.

  She had placed all her hopes in Alvin; the thought of failing now was unbearable to her.

  Zheng!

  The ruins and glyphs moved once more; they returned to their original position. But instead of revolving around, they melted into the cocoon itself.

  The magic circle on the ground shifted by itself; new characters formed; these gyps took the place of the old ones and embedded themselves in the blood sphere.

  "Miss…?!" Vanessa looked at Elara with a helpless look on her face. She saw her mistress standing on the side, her elongated nails digging into her palm, drawing blood.

  "Vanessa, can you stop this ritual?" Elara's voice was calmer than she appeared to be.

  When she saw the look of helplessness in the eyes of her maid, she bit her lower lip and looked ahead. 'Was this really the right choice?'

  'So many unexpected things have happened one after another. And yet…' She looked at the cocoon with the gray ring in her eyes pulsing. 'Why do I feel everything will be alright?'

  Ba-dump!

  When a human is turned, their heart stops beating.

  …

  The blood in their body comes to a stop, turning it cold to the touch.

  But what about the soul?

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  What happens to the soul of that person?

  Alvin was finding that answer at this very moment. Ever since Elara suddenly snapped his neck with a sweet smile on her face, an act of treachery he must say, he felt nothing but darkness.

  It felt like time had stilled for him until he saw a faint purple light within reach. Feeling the warmth coming from that light, Alvin instinctively reached out for the light.

  The next second, an image of a woman whose facial features he could see flashed through his mind.

  The image lasted for a second before he felt an endless ray of anger, hatred, and regret washing over him.

  Even though Alvin knew this emotion did not belong to him, he felt them like his own; his heart ached for them as if they were his own.

  But these emotions vanished as soon as they came; the next moment, Alvin found himself suspended in a dark space.

  He lowered his head and saw his own faint visage as if he were nothing but a mirage.

  Before Alvin could grow anxious, he felt a sucking force enveloping him, pulling him straight ahead. By the time he raised his head, Alvin collided with something he could not see and groaned in pain.

  And then.

  Boom!

  An explosion sounded from the depth of his being.

  He felt it, the blood that had long stilled, move once more.

  The gears of his heart turned once more.

  Ba-dump… Ba-dump…

  A slow yet rhythmic beating of a heart reached his ears, prompting him to open his eyes.

  …

  Outside the cocoon,

  Elara and Vanessa could not sense any changes happening on the inside and appeared on the edge.

  "It's all my fault. I should not have opened that thing." Biting her bottom lip, Elara blamed herself for Alvin's current state.

  "You could not have known this might happen." Vanessa came closer to Elara and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Now we can only wait for this… ritual to end."

  Both the women turned to look at the cocoon at once. It was no coincidence, but because they had sensed a sudden change in energy fluctuations around the cocoon.

  "…What a power" Vanessa uttered in shock, she saw a wave of purple energy come out of the blood sphere. The cocoon started to change colors. From the blood-colored shell, it started to turn a mixture of crimson and purple, showing the influence of the external energy inside of it.

  "I have a feeling that it is about to end now!" Noticing the change, Elara's eyes grew expectant. The woman behind her also looked ahead with a serious expression.

  Creak!

  The runes pulsated with energy as their speed increased, sending sparks inside the cocoon and gradually cracking the shell like an egg when a chick is about to come out.

  The cracks glowed with energy as if the whole thing would explode the next moment.

  But it did not.

  Instead, the cocoon caved in, and with a strong pulse, everything was sucked into the center of the cocoon where a body floated a few inches above the ground.

  There he was.

  Elara looked at Alvin in shock, her grip on the blood-stained edge of her kimono. She, along with Vanessa, stared at the scene with astonished looks on their faces.

  Alvin was no longer what he used to be.

  His appearance went through a huge change. His hair had elongated, reaching his back; they were no longer brown; they were as black as the night. His youthful appearance had morphed into a slightly muscular one.

  His height went from being around the edge of six feet to 6'3".

  Covered in his old bloody uniform, Alvin no longer showed any signs of injuries; his body had fully healed, and even the stake lodged in his stomach had vanished.

  He did not just return to his peak health; he became better!

  Each cell of Alvin's body gave off a profound pressure that they lacked before. Before Elara could observe him more, the magical feeling in the air vanished without a trace, dispersing into the cold night.

  Both of them noticed the lingering purple energy on Alvin's body fading before he fell to the ground with a thud, snapping them out of their daze.

  Elara appeared beside him almost instantly and knelt beside his head. Vanessa, on the other hand, hesitated before staying in her spot; her eyes moved towards the spot where the umbilical cord was floating before.

  The traces of the ritual vanished as the last bit of ash-like dirt mixed with a purple tint and flew along with a gust of wind.

  …

  Elara showed no signs of happiness. She started moving her hands all over Alvin's body, searching for any signs of abnormalities besides him now possessing a vampire body. While observing his body, she paid more attention to his appearance.

  Unknowingly, her hand slithered down from her defined jawline to his sturdy chest.

  "He looks good to me… Why are you still ogling his body like that?" Vanessa broke the silence with her quirky remark.

  "Good? He is more than good; his body is brimming with power ten times someone in his situation should normally have." Elara hurriedly took her hand back and shot back "I can already sense a blood bead forming in his heart, something only talent can provide, and he barely just turned."

  But the next moment, she seemed to have realized something and looked down at Alvin with a grim look on her face, "His heart is not beating!"

  Vanessa stepped forward almost instantly and knelt beside Elara. She slid her right hand through Alvin's torn clothes and placed it above his bare chest. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the look of disdain on her mistress's face but acted as if she saw nothing and uttered under her breath, "Askera!"

  Buzz!

  The hands she placed on Alvin now shone with sparks of lightning that jolted Alvin awake while gasping for breath, "Huff!"

  Alvin sat up straight with a sudden jerk, almost hitting Elara and Vanessa in the face. He gasped for breath and coughed a mouthful of red mist shards that looked similar to the cocoon shell.

  Watching the red mist dispersing coming out of his mouth, Alvin looked down at his stomach. "Argh!"

  He felt like something was eating away at his stomach from the inside; an irresistible wave of hunger washed over him. Alvin pressed his hands against the ground, his nails slowly elongated, digging deep into the concrete floor.

  "Arghh." Alvin threw his head backward, groaning in pain. His mouth was wide open as a pair of canine teeth elongated, pushing his lips from the inside.

  He clenched his hands into a fist, crushing a huge chunk of concrete into sand; the pain became more unbearable with each passing second when he could practically feel teeth growing like someone was pulling them out forcefully.

  That was not the end of it all; Alvin sniffed a faint, alluring scent drifting in the air that kept calling out to him with its aroma, inviting him to partake in the grand feast prepared for him.

  "Calm down!" Alvin froze hearing a familiar voice from the side. His pain faded, but the throbbing pain in his mind did not disappear. "Take deep breaths. It will be a bit painful as it is your first time feeling hunger; all the pain you are feeling is illusionary. The ritual has already transformed your body into that of a vampire."

  As she continued to speak, Alvin felt his mind becoming clearer and clearer. He could feel a faint energy that was fading from his mind.

  Elara took Alvin's hand and gave it a firm squeeze; despite the lack of warmth in her body, Alvin felt himself calming down. Recalling the energy he felt, he could not help but look at her.

  "Did you use that power again?"

  Seeing the look of doubt in his eyes, Elara pursed her lips but shook her head.

  "No, my power wore off the moment you turned," Elara's words echoed in Alvin's heart.

  "That was our connection. I just sent my emotions through it to help you calm down."

  With a light smile, she patted his shoulder and added, "I won't be using that power on you since you don't like it, but now I can only help you like it, even though it is just for a while."

  Alvin felt a sense of warmth budding in his heart. 'So we are now bound for life— in death and life.'

  He placed a hand over his heart, a bit moved by her actions. He had thought that she was merely using him for her gain and had no need to consider his thoughts but these slight actions spoke volumes about her nature.

  He could feel through his connection how genuine she was; it was like there was no veil of secret between the two of them anymore.

  Before he could think any further, a wave of hunger washed over him once more making him growl.

  "There is no time to waste right now; your hunger will only grow stronger unless you feed on someone." Elara hurriedly pulled the young man to his feet and pulled him towards the unconscious boy lying a little far away from them. "Trust me, the hunger of a vampire is worse than being stabbed; with time, you even start to lose rationality."

  "Is it that serious?" her words alarmed Alvin. He realized where the pain was coming from—his whole body, with no particular starting point—which annoyed him a bit.

  And his annoyance came out in slow, deliberate growls from his mouth. He could not tell if the pain was illusionary or not.

  "Not if you can control your hunger or feed from time to time. I have prepared a meal for you; you can decide what to do with it by yourself." Alvin followed her gaze and looked at the young boy before him.

  Looking at the teenager, who was even younger than him by a few years, a wave of disgust washed over Alvin.

  "Do I really have to… drink blood from him?"

  Even though he had no problem with drinking blood, he did not feel good about harming an innocent kid.

  Even if he died of hunger, there was no way he would treat a child as his 'food.'.

  "I know that it is a bit challenging for you to get used to being a vampire all of a sudden. But you have to feed on him. He is not only the best meal you can find in China, but his blood is also crucial for your development."

  Vanessa realized what he was thinking and slowly said, "You don't have to kill him; don't worry. You just have to drink enough blood from his body to complete your evolution."

  "Isn't the evolution already complete?" Alvin looked at her with narrowed eyes wondering if she was lying to him.

  "Not without the first feast. The higher the amount of energy in the first blood you drink, the faster you will grow strong." Elara explained calmly, "If you do not feast, you will die, for real this time."

  Her words managed to convince Alvin; he did not want to die anytime soon, so he made his choice.

  "Fine… Tell me, how do I 'feast'?" Alvin hesitated a bit, but he agreed nonetheless. "Do I have to only drink a bit of his blood, or do I have to suck… drink until he is dead."

  "Come here; I will tell you how to feed on a human."

  Elara took the lead and walked towards the unconscious boy; when she stopped, her eyes pulsed with red energy.

  "Ummm~" Watching the boy showing signs of waking up, Alvin watched everything intently from the side.

  "The best way to drink blood so that you can get the most out of it is to make sure your target is at peace with it."

  Elara acted like a high-level chef as she explained the process of drinking blood to Alvin.

  "The more they resist, the lower the blood quality and the lesser the boost of power you will gain from it."

  "Wouldn't it be better to drink his blood while he stayed unconscious?" Alvin asked, "Or maybe using that enchanting power you used on me."

  "It would have, but external factors make the power in the blood dormant and less likely to pass on." Elara shook her head while her gaze remained fixed on the boy who was slowly opening his eyes. "You can also use this as a way to make sure you don't lose yourself in hunger and kill the boy, living in regret later."