The town of Montfort, where I grew up, is about two-thirds of the way between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. While I was still alive, we rode horses for a day to get here. Tonight, I only ran for two hours to get to the outskirts.

I should have died a long time ago. Even though my heart was barely clamped and most of my head was still on it, the severe trauma I had suffered should have been my end. Instead, I was fed a few mouthfuls of blood, so powerful, so incredible, it expanded my healing, and even now it is pushing me forward.

I've run before, and any effort can quickly lead to thirst. This time, I rode the wind of infinite energy, the never-ending fountain of vitality. Even now, I feel satisfied.

I don't understand what God has given me; All I know is that I've never heard anything like it. Whatever talent I have, it's rare and precious. One more debt.

I slowed down when I recognized the familiar house. At this time of night, the road was empty and the sky was covered with clouds, making it difficult to notice me even if someone was staring out the window. I still had to walk through fields and bushes to get to the back door of my house. I don't want to take any risks.

I came to my family's first sugar cane field. Winter is coming, so they lie empty. I kept walking. The damp earth and trees gave me a peculiar smell that reminded me of home, and I stopped.

I've done it. My main purpose, what I have been pursuing since I woke up under the fortress has been achieved. I hold on to this feeling, this idea of freedom, this thought of going home, to keep my sanity and determination in situations that might break me down and leave me helpless. I now realize that now that I've achieved these priorities, I don't know how to proceed. These are not plans that can be implemented, they are ideals without follow-up.

I was sitting on a tree stump.

What do I want?

I'm a monster. If I wanted to go back to my old life, my family would know sooner or later. Worse still, the news of my return will spread all over the world, so I might as well send a message to Lancaster and have Gabriel come to my house with a sharp blade and a silver spike.

I don't want to stay. I still want to know how my father and brother are doing. They need this as much as I do.

I don't want to die.

I don't want to be a slave.

All of these are negative desires. They are the absence of things. They are not something I can strive for.

Overwhelmed, I decided to read Ximena's letter. She may have some good advice. I took the heavy envelope out of my large backpack and opened it. I noticed in passing that it was coated with a layer of something, no doubt to protect it from liquids. They really took everything into account.

The first line is a series of strange runes, all wedge-shaped and sharp-edged. It looked like someone had stabbed the paper, the ink was black, and blood was oozing from the wound. I blinked, and the meaning was obvious.

Sister Blood, if you can read and write Akkadian, please use it in our correspondence from now on.

I wouldn't even question how this knowledge came into my head.

The rest of the text is written in English. Ximena's letters are the same, and evenly spaced. There wasn't a single stain on this piece of paper, which was the same thing I had expected from that straight woman.

"My dear Ariana,

The first thing you have to do after reading these words is to leave the city. Avoid the entire area around New Orleans like the plague and get away from Baton Rouge! You must not draw the attention of our peers, at least for the next ten years. Don't let our efforts go to waste, because I can't save you a second time.

The second thing I'm going to tell you is to be careful when you get home. I don't blame you, because we've all done it. May this experience hurt you more than it hurt me. For the same reason, be careful not to be noticed, and don't try to live your old life for the sake of all that you hold dear.

You can't fool humans for too long, and if the vampires don't even notice, Gabriel will. Don't be fooled by their defeat in the fortress. They are an efficient and ruthless group of people who have put an end to many fledgling people. Underestimate them at your own risk.

Now that I think you've left safely, I'd like to give you some thoughts. Your priority is to live another year and a half. As a fledgling, you need a lot of nutrients. You need to drink a lot of blood every night, and it is not easy to find it. You can eat lone travelers, outlaws, and fugitives with relative ease. Small villages may offer hunting grounds, but only for one night.

You have to keep that in mind. Wherever you go, you are an outsider. You will attract the attention of others, and attention is not your friend. As a vampire, you are more dangerous than most individuals in the world. You're also isolated, at least for now.

Don't let yourself be found out and cornered. Don't let anyone track you. Always one step ahead of others, and your life will never be in danger. But let the multitudes know what is in their midst, and you will die. A hundred people may fall in front of you, but you will still die in vain.

The only places where you can stay incognito are the many nameless cities. Even so, without the support of the masters, you will always be in danger. At least until you gather allies, you should keep moving.

For obvious reasons, you should avoid territories that belong to the locals, as a lonely white woman will always be too conspicuous at night.

You can go where you want, but I still recommend staying away from the other two vampire communities on the mainland. One in Charleston and the other in New York. Try to avoid using them.

On a more practical note, I wish someone would give me some advice on my first departure:

Create a fake identity and make it credible. Keep at it. The more familiar you are with it, the less people will think you're lying. Be consistent. Changing your name and character in each village won't protect you from the Order of the Phoenix, nor will it allow vampires to follow you. This only increases the likelihood of a decline.

Be sure to drink water before you need it, or the life-saving option will be taken away by thirst.

You must find a place to spend the day at least two hours before dawn. If the sun shines on you while you're asleep, you'll never wake up again.

Do not attempt to pet dogs, cats, or any other animals. They can tell what we are.

Always keep a clean set of clothes and socks clean if possible.

Don't forget to wash the blood stains behind your ears.

Don't burn the pig with fire to distract you; It never works as intended! The same goes for wild boars and bulls.

Well?

When people welcome you with a smile, it means that they think you are a fugitive and that a member of their family is already on their way to the police station.

Last but not least

Hide the body.

I end this letter with a sigh of regret. Shimena's words were instructions and warnings, not instructing me how I should live my life other than survival. I'm just procrastinating on the inevitable. As much as I hate it, I have to reflect on it.

What do I want?

I want to create something for myself and then nurture it. When I was younger, I wanted to build a stable and later a winery. Based on what I learned from Gimena's letter, this is most likely impossible. I might be able to do that later. After all, I'm never too old to start a new project.

If I can't build, at least I can travel. I could go to Florida or Texas, or even to the Anglo territories of the north. I can even go to Canada! Or, Paris! London!

No, that's a terrible idea. I need to sail across the ocean, even my master doesn't take risks without preparation. This will also expose me to other tribes. For this lonely vampire, there is no Paris, no Barcelona, no Berlin. I'm going to make the new world my own.

Yes. I can travel, I can discover new things, meet new people, and eat them! Wait until I'm done with this.

Suddenly, my mood plummeted. I've made it all the way here, and now I'm wasting my time making stupid plans that may never be done. I am......

I'm scared.

Well, I've got it said. I was terrified of what I was about to discover. What should I do if they want to kill me? What should I do if they die?

No, no. They couldn't have died. I won't take it.

I hurriedly got up and strode towards the building, and I was almost there.

Log cabin.

I slowly walked to the place of my childhood.

It was burned to ashes.

No!

Black smoke sticks to the stone foundations and the few surviving beams. The charcoal is black and shiny, and its surface has been smoothed by a season of rain. The small fireplace was half-collapsed, and nothing was left of the furniture. I stepped forward and knelt down. I grabbed a handful of black dust.

What happened? Why is it gone, why is it so small? My chalet is very high. Big, sturdy, and a canopy bed! This pale imitation, this excuse for this poor dump should not be the place of my childhood! I can't take it.

Is this a joke? Is this some kind of trick? Is there a hidden place further afield? Maybe I'm mistaken, this must be a shed, the real thing further away?

I'm crying.

I silently wiped away my tears with a clean tissue. It makes me very sad to lose this place. Why? Why am I so sad? I looked up at the silent watcher, and suddenly, my heart reached my refuge.

The sky was still dark and cloudless. Staring at it gives a sense of boundlessness. I looked down at the fortified walls that would dwarf the walls of Roman Opidan, and I walked in.

The door opened in front of me, uninvited. The interior is warm and clean. The bed occupies the center of the room, surrounded by furniture and strange trinkets, each of which symbolizes an important memory. The fire roared in the fireplace, and the wood hissed contentedly.

I walked out and ended up sitting in the damp ashes.

That's how I feel, innocent death. Six months have passed, and the world continues to move forward. It didn't wait for me.

I stood up. No. It's nothing. It's just a building. I'm not going to let something like this break me. I refuse.

I continued walking, and after a while, my childhood home came into view.

It is a two-story colonial house with wood painted white. An outside terrace leads to a magnificent entrance. I know every room, every nook and cranny inside, but there's still a big problem.

I couldn't get in, at least I wasn't invited to get in. I need Daddy to invite me.

I walked to the window of his bedroom, on the side of the second floor. I jumped. I easily grabbed the windowsill with both hands, pulled my paws in, and looked down.

Impressed, I have to remember to jump up and hide from my pursuers.

I turned my attention to the front and faced a shutter. Of course. My index finger slid forward, the wood cracked, and I opened the lock. The rusty hinges let out a scream, and the blinds opened. Inside, a dog began barking.

I stared out the window and closed the curtains. Daddy must have heard that, right? He should have stood up, brandishing a huge iron rod of fire, and roaring threats at anyone who dared to disturb his property and rest.

The door slammed open, and a woman with a puppy walked in. I bowed my head and let go.

"Roger, someone opened the shutter!"

"Damn woman, I told you to wait for me."

"Dad? What happened?"

I stood still. Curse, this is my aunt and her family. What are they doing here? Where is my father?

"You stay there, I'll take a look outside."

"Daddy?"

"I said, stay there."

Is he going to go out on his own initiative? How convenient.

Roger left the house with a lamp, a dog, and a loaded rifle. The little white thing barked until it smelled me.

Then it started shaking.

I jumped off the terrace and landed quietly behind him. I grabbed the man by the neck with my two paws. He froze and dropped everything to shake my hand. I let him struggle frantically for a few seconds, and then I ramped up the pressure.

"I have some questions," I whispered.

“A

i?!”

I stopped. I can't believe it. Did he recognize my voice? Roger and I have never been close, and we haven't spoken since last May. How is it? How could he?

"Ali, is that you?"

"No!"

"Ali, what's wrong with you?" We can help—"

"Silence! I don't- no! I ask questions. Yes. And then you answer. Now tell me, where is Daddy?"

"I'm sorry, we had to-"

"Where is he?"

"In dependency!"

I can't take it anymore. What the fuck is he doing in dependency? That's the servants' quarters! I turned Roger around and threw him against the wall.

"Why is he there?" Why not here? It's his house!"

"I can tell you!"

"Please don't hurt my dad!"

We both turned to a small child, my nephew. Roger's voice showed real panic for the first time.

"Please...... Lucien, don't. Went home. ”

"Aunt Ali?"

No, it's wrong, it's all wrong, it shouldn't have happened!

They don't belong here! It's the nest! Kill the invaders, drink them dry, and display their corpses as a warning to the vampires

No!

No.

This is my home. This parody of life has taken the life of human Ariana, and it will not take her family again. I refuse. I am not a slave, not a slave of the House of Lancaster, not a slave of God, and not a slave of my instincts. This cannot be tolerated.

I let go of the old man who had fallen to the ground. Lucien looked at me in amazement. Oh my God, he must have seen the teeth. Now they know. I should have killed them to be on the safe side, and I could easily dispose of the bodies.

What's wrong with me?

I have to go.

"Where?"

"Tom's old house. Wait!"

I stopped, but I didn't dare turn to face them.

"It's hard for him to accept your disappearance."

"Then why isn't he in his bedroom?"

"He drank so much that he burned down the hut where he was resting, and almost burned the house to the ground. He moved out. We're taking care of the slave and his investment, while he, well, is getting emaciated. ”

“…… I understand. ”

"Ali, what's wrong with you?"

"You didn't see me, uncle. You've never seen me here. I'm dead. Do you understand?"

"We love you, Ali, we are your family. - That's it."

"Nope! I can't. I really can't. I'll put Lucia and Sarah in danger. I will endanger us all. ”

"I see. Is that a farewell?"

"It is."

"Well, I wish you all the best, I'm sorry."

"Goodbye Roger."

"Goodbye, Ali."

"Goodbye, Aunt Ali, take care."

I rushed towards a group of small houses. It only took me a few seconds to find the right house and knocked on the door like a fury. It took him a long time to answer, in fact, long enough for the others to wake up. I don't care.

Finally, he opened the door, and we stared at each other dumbfounded.

It's him, it's really him.

"Let me in."

"Ali?"

"Let me in, damn it!"

To his surprise, he made the slightest movement, which was all I needed. I pushed him away, and he closed the door behind me. Only a small candle illuminates our surroundings.

The place where he lived was a dilapidated house full of wobbly furniture and empty bottles. It smells of alcohol, digested alcohol, and sweat.

We are silent. I didn't even look back to face him. I jumped up when there was a knock on the door.

"Mr. Renault, are you alright?"

"Yes. I am fine. Please don't bother me. ”

"Yes, sir."

We turned around at the same time. I wore a winter travel outfit and a cape, but my head was bare and my hair was free.

I was exactly the same as the woman who left his house in July, even the length of my hair. However, he is only a shadow of his past.

His sickly skin tightened against his skeleton. His blue eyes were sunken and devoid of their former sparkle. His shoulders were drooping, his back was hunched, and even his proud golden beard was a mess. I think that's kind of an irony. I am the one who is outcast, and he is the one who can't let go.

"Is this really you, or are you playing some cruel joke?"

His voice was cold, but his face showed a sea of pain, a constant sadness, not even the bottle could be diluted.

"I ......"

I hesitated, and then I decided to be honest.

"I'm sorry, I don't know."

I started crying like a child. God, I'm so pathetic. The arrogant vampire, once undefeated in the Great Gauntlet War, is now a mess. My father took me in his arms and hugged me. I leaned towards it.

We'll just stay like this for a while.

God, I wish it wasn't going to stop.

After a while, I pushed him away. He let me go.

"You're crying and splashing blood on my shirt, daughter."

"It's dirty anyway."

"Tell me what's going on."

As soon as I opened my mouth, I gushed endlessly. The story of what happened is a mess. I talked about being damned, dying, needing blood, running away, my friend Shimena, whom I met for the first time, fighting in the moat, running errands, big eyes in the sky. He said a lot of nonsense and never interrupted me.

After a pleasant hour of work, I was exhausted. He wiped his wet cheeks with a tissue, I was waiting for something, I guess it was a verdict.

"Do you believe my daughter died in the basement?"

"I think so," I said with some hesitation, "I don't think I'm human." ”

"Is she in pain?" Did she call me?"

I looked at him. His face is a mask. Should I tell the truth?

He would never believe a lie.

"Yes. I did. ”

He sat down and began to cry again. We've cried quite a bit in the last hour. I even stained the front of my skirt.

"I never thought you'd come," I said.

I sat down.

"You can't do anything. I know it's not fair, but I can tell you: even if you find me, you'll die. ”

"I've let you down."

"No, you don't. You make me happy. You have made me happy for the past nineteen years. Here's what you have to do, Dad. Killing monsters that are thousands of years old has never been part of the trade. ”

"If I had known—"

"But you can't."

We sat in silence.

"Are you really leaving?"

"Yes. I'm here to wrap things up. We all are. ”

"I guess."

"Where's Achilles?"

"Signed a contract in Houston. I believe he has accepted your death. ”

"I don't expect low from my practical brother. How's Constantza going?"

She recovered, but was left with a scar on her face. A good doctor from the city followed, and they will be married in April. ”

"Glad to hear that."

We remained in comfortable silence for a while. I'm sure I've never been so awake for so long after I died. I vaguely realized that I needed to find a place to hide for a day, but right now, I couldn't bring myself to care.

"I have to leave Daddy."

"yes, I think you do."

His eyes widened in shock and a smirk appeared on his face. I felt like I was mimicking that expression as well. It was great to see him regain a little bit of life.

"Hold on! Before you go, I have your birthday present!"

"What? What do you do?"

I finally realized that I would turn 20 in August this year. I was so focused on running errands and surviving that I never thought to celebrate.

Dad excitedly ran into the bedroom, rummaging through all sorts of things. I heard him muttering and cursing, and then smugly, "Aha!, he's back with a long leather holster."

"Daddy! Really?"

"Definitely! I'll let Talleyrand do it for you. Give it a try!"

I opened the lid and pulled out a brand new rifle.

"Oh my God, my God!" That's great!"

I jumped up excitedly and touched the smooth mahogany butt, the silver carved firing device, and the long barrel. Weapons are the crystallization of art and love. I took aim as if I had had it all my life. It's well-balanced and light, but I guess I should be thankful for my new strength.

"Unbelievable! It's like it was made for me!"

"It is. Talleyrand used your precise measurements. ”

"Oh, Dad, what a great gift!" Thank you, thank you!"

I jumped up and hugged him again, laughing all the time.

"Wait, I haven't told you the best part yet!" He replied with a smile.

For a while, my father went out of his way to explain to me how special this gun was. This is a newer design that uses paper bullets, loaded from the breech of the gun instead of the muzzle. The barrel is even rifled for greater accuracy. Indeed, the miracles of science are endless.

After that, it's time to say goodbye.

I silently picked up my backpack, covered it with a holster, and pocketed the bag with ammunition. My father took me by the shoulders and gave me one last hug.

It was the first time in six months that I had hugged someone I wouldn't want to eat.

He stepped back a bit, then stroked my cheek with his rugged thumb.

"I remember you telling me you weren't my Ariane, but you were wrong. You still keep the same spirit, the same ambitions, God forgive me, the same love for those unladylike things. ”

"Father!"

"Shhh, hahaha, let your dad finish. Do you think you're human and that's why you're my daughter? This is not the case. You are my daughter. You are always changing and growing, and this particular change is the latest and most terrifying. Don't despair, don't give up your past and the time you've spent with us, okay?"

"Don't make me cry anymore!"

"Haha, it's okay."

"The same goes for you!" I hiccuped twice and replied, "Sir, you'd better clean yourself." Don't shame me. ”

"Oh, trust me, I will."

I turned and walked to the door so as not to lose the last bit of self-control. I'm thrilled tonight, more than usual. The strange blood may be to blame, but I don't regret it. I think I need it.

"Take the key to the warehouse in St Landry. Where can you rest today, Ariana?"

"Really?"

"You have enemies. Give them some color and see. I don't want to lose you again, do you hear me? You can't die in front of me. ”

"I promise."

"Okay, let's go now, don't forget to write a letter!"

I flew away from Montfort, feeling as relaxed as a feather. I didn't expect everything to go so smoothly. I looked up and exchanged a look with the silent watcher. Its gaze softened tonight.

"I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."

The way forward is clear.