In the forest that had become his unwilling home, Kodaki sat slouched against the trunk of an old cedar tree, its rough bark pressing uncomfortably against his back. The air was cold enough to nip at his fingers, but he didn't bother pulling his haori tighter.

All he wanted was to vanish into the ground, to be forgotten by the world entirely. Or, if fate were kinder, just to feel his mom's warm arms wrap around him again.

But he couldn't. Not anymore.

He remembered the tears streaming down her face as she begged him to stay away, the fear in her eyes when she saw what he had become. He was no longer the son she knew. He was a vampire, a monster, a sin in the eyes of his family and the world.

If only he hadn't gone out that night. If only he'd listened when she told him to stay inside. He replayed that thought like a cursed mantra, as if it could undo the damage if repeated enough times. But the truth stayed the same: his choice had ruined his life.

Even among his own kind, Kodaki found no place. He had watched them from a distance—how they stalked their prey, how their restraint shattered into chaos as they descended on victims, ripping and tearing in a frenzy of bloodlust. They fought one another too, feral and cruel, battles waged over dominance and territory. And Kodaki was easy prey.

Weeks had passed since his transformation, and he still hadn't tasted blood. The hunger was always there, but the thought of taking it from someone made bile rise in his throat. He was a good person, wasn't he? Or at least, he used to be. Now, he wasn't even sure if he could call himself a person.

As if seeking comfort in his own embrace, he curled into a ball with his knees drawn up to his chest. But a thud of something hitting his head snapped him out of his self-loathing. "Ow..." he muttered, rubbing the sore spot with a frown.

His gaze fell to the ground, where an apple rolled lazily to a stop in the grass. He stared at it blankly for a few seconds, no hunger stirring in him—not for this, at least. But he reached for it anyway. Even if it wouldn't satisfy him, maybe it could trick his body into feeling full, if only for a while.

He bit down, or tried to. His small, chipped fangs scraped uselessly at the skin. After an awkward moment of chewing and forcing a piece down, his stomach lurched violently in protest. "Bleh! Ew!" he gagged, spitting the mush onto the forest floor and clutching his mouth as his face twisted in disgust. His throat burned faintly, the same way it always did after trying to eat human food.

Hopeless. He was hopeless, utterly incapable of even feeding himself.

It was then that he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, the rustle of leaves underfoot.

A vampire?

He scrambled to his feet, scanning wildly for any gap in the trees, any dark hollow to hide in. But before he could make a move, the bushes ahead shifted. And from them stepped a human. But Kodaki recognized you for what you were—a vampire hunter, sworn to eradicate his kind.

Instinctively, he stumbled back and raised both hands in a feeble gesture of surrender. "Wait, wait, wait!" His mind was racing to come up with excuses even before you said anything. The mere sight of you was enough to make him feel like he was going to die. He felt like a helpless cornered animal.

"I didn't hurt anyone—I mean, I don't hurt anyone!" he blurted out, wanting to slap himself for sounding so pathetic. He couldn't even think straight. "I-I don't drink blood!" he added quickly, his tone so rushed it almost cracked. He knew that his words sounded crazy, insincere.

After all, who would ever believe a vampire?