The air reeked of rust, smoke, and something far worse—blood.
Kael's breath came in short gasps as he ran, the echo of boots and screams chasing him through the ruined alleyways of Sector 9. Flames danced across rooftops, casting the ghetto in a flickering hellscape. Another raid. Another purge. Just like every month.
But this time, they weren't just rounding up the sick and weak.
They were hunting.
Kael gritted his teeth and clutched the bloodied iron shard in his hand tighter. He'd found it in the scrapyard—useless against guns, sure, but tonight it felt more like a lifeline than garbage.
Something moved behind him. Fast. Too fast.
He spun just in time to see a blur leap down from a rooftop. Pale skin. Red eyes. A smile full of fangs.
A vampire.
Kael slashed wildly. The iron shard grazed the creature's cheek—it snarled, more annoyed than hurt—and in the next breath, Kael was flying through the air, slammed into a wall like a ragdoll. Pain erupted in his ribs, white-hot.
"You're... not even worth draining," the vampire muttered, licking its wound.
But then, something shifted. Its eyes narrowed.
"...Wait. Your scent... It's wrong."
Kael coughed blood, eyes widening. "What the hell... are you talking about?"
The vampire stepped closer, expression confused. Then came the bite.
Fire surged through Kael's veins—burning, twisting, screaming. The world went dark. He should've died. Everyone who was bitten did. Especially humans.
But Kael didn't die.
Instead… a voice echoed in the void.
> [Bloodbound Codex initializing…]
User detected: Unknown Hybrid Signature.
System unlocked: Adaptive Evolution Protocols active.
Welcome, anomaly.
---
Kael woke three days later in a chamber lit by blue runes. He wasn't in Sector 9 anymore. His wound had healed. His heart still beat, but slower. Colder. His eyes had changed—they glowed faintly crimson in the mirror.
And carved into his mind, a system screen flickered:
> [Bloodbound Codex]
Status: Tier 0
Traits Absorbed:
— Blood Vitality (Vampire - Minor)
— Shadow Leap (Vampire - Basic)
Warnings: Instability detected. Evolution required.
Kael didn't know where he was, or why he was still alive.
But he knew one thing:
He wasn't human anymore.
And someone had brought him to the Academy of the Eclipse.