Sai stood on the high balcony of the castle, the towers and dark windows flickering behind him. A light mist lay upon the ground, and every sound, every rustling movement of the trees seemed amplified. He no longer felt fatigue—sleep was no longer necessary, food—unneeded. Each time his body demanded its habitual rest or nourishment, he felt only a slight irritation, quickly replaced by cold resolve.
What is happening to me? he thought. The body that had once been his fragile human vessel was now completely different. Every movement came easily, yet his consciousness remained sharply human. He felt no hunger, thirst, or weariness. His thoughts were clear, his attention focused on every rustle in the forest below, every movement of the branches, every shadow.
He descended to the castle's main hall, where the woman—the clan's leader—met him. She observed him with interest, but without the previous distrust.
"You behave strangely," she said, crossing her arms. "You no longer sleep, you don't eat... it seems you don't need anything that makes a human human."
Sai gave a slight bow. "Perhaps. I am not as I was before. My organism... has changed."
Her gaze grew attentive. "You are not human. That is clear. But not a demon either. Who are you, if you can exist like this?"
He slowly surveyed the castle, the walls, the corridors, the ancestral sigils. "I am the one who remained. The one who must move forward. I am no longer bound by a body that required sleep or food. All I need is a purpose."
The woman gave a slight nod. "Your purpose? And what is that purpose?"
Sai, unhurriedly, walked to the window, looking out at the forest. "To survive. To become stronger. To understand who and what I am now. And to use that to fix what was broken."
There was no pride or malice in his words—only cold determination. He no longer experienced the familiar anxiety, fear, or emotions that had once restrained his actions. He had become an almost autonomous force, ready for any challenge.
In the evening, he walked through the castle, studying every room. Each chamber, every corridor, every pattern on the walls—all were a source of information for him. His eyes glowed through the slits of his mask, registering the minutest details.
He noted old armories, libraries with ancient texts, and alchemical laboratories where the vampires had recently conducted experiments. He touched nothing, but absorbed all the information: weapon designs, types of magic, the structure of the clan's bloodline.
Passing one of the halls, he stopped before a mirror. In the reflection, he saw his new face, hidden by the mask, and behind it—eyes that no longer slept. He touched the glass with his hand, and in the reflection, his weapons flashed—two revolvers, utterly new and fully integrated with his essence.
"Nox," he said quietly in his thoughts. "We are one now. Nothing else matters."
The reply was instantaneous.
"Master, you are ready. We are no longer bound by ordinary limitations. The power you possess is a new era. They do not know who they are dealing with."
Sai nodded, not uttering a word aloud. Internally, he felt a strange relief—as if invisible shackles that had held his mind within the confines of the old human form had been removed.
Several hours passed, but he did not feel the time. Eternity stretched before him, and every step, every glance was filled with attention to detail. Below, beyond the castle, the forest stirred with mist, as if hiding its secrets from him.
He approached the door leading to the castle's inner chambers and stopped. New challenges, new creatures, new possibilities lay before him. He understood that the familiar world he had known was gone forever.
Sai stepped onto the hill behind the castle and sat on a rock, wrapping his arms around his knees. His eyes pierced the misty gloom of the forest below, but he felt no fatigue. Sleep and food were no longer necessary. He felt no hunger, thirst, or weariness—his body functioned like an autonomous machine. Only his thoughts, sharp as blades, allowed him to navigate the new world.
He took out his phone—the only object remaining from his former life. The screen was cracked, there was no signal, and his attempts to call the academy and his friends had failed. Everything is destroyed, he thought, but without panic. Panic could no longer touch him.
Sai closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. His consciousness automatically turned to the System, to the interface that remained functional. A holographic interface lit up on the screen, showing his current location: "Current Territory: Primary Monster Zone, former Switzerland."
He touched the map with his finger. A three-dimensional topography unfolded before his eyes: forests, lakes, city ruins, scattered creature outposts. To the east, a new human settlement was marked—his destination. The System suggested the nearest route: "To reach the target point—Caucasus Region, current urban formation 'Virteground'. Distance: approximately 1,200 km. Potential threats: high monster density. Recommended to avoid major population centers."
Sai clenched his jaw. Ahead lay hundreds of kilometers of unknown, dangerous land, inhabited by creatures that knew no mercy. He stood up, shook the mist from his coat, and rose to his feet. His gaze swept over the castle, the forests, and the misty hills around—this place offered a strategic advantage for observation, but was not safe for travel.
He decided to move at night. He could use the System to plot routes and track potential threats, but control of the territory was up to him. He activated the map, and a path line appeared before his eyes, winding through mountain passes, dense forests, and fog-shrouded valleys.
"Monster density above normal," the System noted. "Maintain high ground, avoid open plains."
Sai stepped off the hill, his feet finding solid ground, feeling every movement beneath him. The earth was uneven, rocky in places, soft with damp mist in others. The forest stirred around him—eyes and silhouettes flickered in the darkness, distant growls echoed. But he felt no fear.
His body was no longer human in the conventional sense. His heart required no rest, his lungs no air, his brain no sleep. He moved silently, almost like a shadow, blending with his surroundings. Every sound, every footstep of monsters was registered by his internal perception—a strange mix of hearing, sight, and supersensory touch that replaced his habitual senses.
After several hours, he reached a narrow mountain path leading into a valley. Below, a man-made bridge spanned a turbulent stream; to the left was a dense forest, to the right—cliffs with outcrops. The route line on the map led through the forest.
Sai froze for a moment. Need to check the surrounding darkness, he thought, activating an internal concentration that allowed him to sense magical auras and the presence of creatures. Several shadows passed through the forest, but he detected them in advance and circumvented them.
The night slowly faded. A faint dawn appeared on the horizon, a reddish-yellow light breaking through the mist. Sai looked up—ahead, on a small hill, stood a structure resembling an old castle.
Moving closer and surveying the area, he understood—it was an ancient fortress, inhabited not by humans, but by creatures using it as a base. The walls were partially destroyed but retained massive gates and crenellated towers. Movement flickered within.
Sai stopped at a safe distance. He drew his new revolvers—dark, perfectly balanced, gleaming in the first rays of light. They were an extension of his will, the instrument of his new essence.
His eyes, hidden behind the mask, glowed with a barely perceptible light, fixing every movement within the fortress. He understood that any direct assault could cost him his life, but the path through the forest and cliffs was too long and dangerous.
He took a deep breath, though breathing was more a formality than a necessity. Sai crouched on a rock by the road, observing the fortress. In his mind, he built a strategy, calculating every step: which passages to use, which points to scout, how to utilize the surrounding nature.
The phone remained useless; communications were completely destroyed. Any attempt to contact anyone from the academy was impossible. Only the System, the maps, and his intuition remained—the rest depended on him alone.
Several hours passed. The mist began to dissipate, the sun slowly rose higher, and Sai continued to sit, analyzing the terrain. He noticed a path leading from the forest to the castle's rear courtyard, hidden among dense vegetation.
If I take this path, I can approach unnoticed, he thought. His body was in a state of complete readiness; his new skills and physical form allowed him to act without fatigue or doubt.
Sai rose and stepped onto the path. Each step was careful, calculated, almost ritualistic. He felt the magic of the area, the energies of the creatures around him, but remained invisible, almost like a shadow.
And then, as he took the final step before the path led him to the edge of the forest, he saw the castle in the distance. A huge, grim fortress with towers and battlements, surrounded by the remnants of ruined walls and sagging gates.
In that moment, Sai realized: everything that had been before—weakness, the past, the remnants of humanity—was left behind. He was now entirely on his own, and his survival in this new world depended solely on him.
He stepped forward.Sai stood on the high balcony of the castle, the towers and dark windows flickering behind him. A light mist lay upon the ground, and every sound, every rustling movement of the trees seemed amplified. He no longer felt fatigue—sleep was no longer necessary, food—unneeded. Each time his body demanded its habitual rest or nourishment, he felt only a slight irritation, quickly replaced by cold resolve.
What is happening to me? he thought. The body that had once been his fragile human vessel was now completely different. Every movement came easily, yet his consciousness remained sharply human. He felt no hunger, thirst, or weariness. His thoughts were clear, his attention focused on every rustle in the forest below, every movement of the branches, every shadow.
He descended to the castle's main hall, where the woman—the clan's leader—met him. She observed him with interest, but without the previous distrust.
"You behave strangely," she said, crossing her arms. "You no longer sleep, you don't eat... it seems you don't need anything that makes a human human."
Sai gave a slight bow. "Perhaps. I am not as I was before. My organism... has changed."
Her gaze grew attentive. "You are not human. That is clear. But not a demon either. Who are you, if you can exist like this?"
He slowly surveyed the castle, the walls, the corridors, the ancestral sigils. "I am the one who remained. The one who must move forward. I am no longer bound by a body that required sleep or food. All I need is a purpose."
The woman gave a slight nod. "Your purpose? And what is that purpose?"
Sai, unhurriedly, walked to the window, looking out at the forest. "To survive. To become stronger. To understand who and what I am now. And to use that to fix what was broken."
There was no pride or malice in his words—only cold determination. He no longer experienced the familiar anxiety, fear, or emotions that had once restrained his actions. He had become an almost autonomous force, ready for any challenge.
In the evening, he walked through the castle, studying every room. Each chamber, every corridor, every pattern on the walls—all were a source of information for him. His eyes glowed through the slits of his mask, registering the minutest details.
He noted old armories, libraries with ancient texts, and alchemical laboratories where the vampires had recently conducted experiments. He touched nothing, but absorbed all the information: weapon designs, types of magic, the structure of the clan's bloodline.
Passing one of the halls, he stopped before a mirror. In the reflection, he saw his new face, hidden by the mask, and behind it—eyes that no longer slept. He touched the glass with his hand, and in the reflection, his weapons flashed—two revolvers, utterly new and fully integrated with his essence.
"Nox," he said quietly in his thoughts. "We are one now. Nothing else matters."
The reply was instantaneous.
"Master, you are ready. We are no longer bound by ordinary limitations. The power you possess is a new era. They do not know who they are dealing with."
Sai nodded, not uttering a word aloud. Internally, he felt a strange relief—as if invisible shackles that had held his mind within the confines of the old human form had been removed.
Several hours passed, but he did not feel the time. Eternity stretched before him, and every step, every glance was filled with attention to detail. Below, beyond the castle, the forest stirred with mist, as if hiding its secrets from him.
He approached the door leading to the castle's inner chambers and stopped. New challenges, new creatures, new possibilities lay before him. He understood that the familiar world he had known was gone forever.
Sai stepped onto the hill behind the castle and sat on a rock, wrapping his arms around his knees. His eyes pierced the misty gloom of the forest below, but he felt no fatigue. Sleep and food were no longer necessary. He felt no hunger, thirst, or weariness—his body functioned like an autonomous machine. Only his thoughts, sharp as blades, allowed him to navigate the new world.
He took out his phone—the only object remaining from his former life. The screen was cracked, there was no signal, and his attempts to call the academy and his friends had failed. Everything is destroyed, he thought, but without panic. Panic could no longer touch him.
Sai closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. His consciousness automatically turned to the System, to the interface that remained functional. A holographic interface lit up on the screen, showing his current location: "Current Territory: Primary Monster Zone, former Switzerland."
He touched the map with his finger. A three-dimensional topography unfolded before his eyes: forests, lakes, city ruins, scattered creature outposts. To the east, a new human settlement was marked—his destination. The System suggested the nearest route: "To reach the target point—Caucasus Region, current urban formation 'Virteground'. Distance: approximately 1,200 km. Potential threats: high monster density. Recommended to avoid major population centers."
Sai clenched his jaw. Ahead lay hundreds of kilometers of unknown, dangerous land, inhabited by creatures that knew no mercy. He stood up, shook the mist from his coat, and rose to his feet. His gaze swept over the castle, the forests, and the misty hills around—this place offered a strategic advantage for observation, but was not safe for travel.
He decided to move at night. He could use the System to plot routes and track potential threats, but control of the territory was up to him. He activated the map, and a path line appeared before his eyes, winding through mountain passes, dense forests, and fog-shrouded valleys.
"Monster density above normal," the System noted. "Maintain high ground, avoid open plains."
Sai stepped off the hill, his feet finding solid ground, feeling every movement beneath him. The earth was uneven, rocky in places, soft with damp mist in others. The forest stirred around him—eyes and silhouettes flickered in the darkness, distant growls echoed. But he felt no fear.
His body was no longer human in the conventional sense. His heart required no rest, his lungs no air, his brain no sleep. He moved silently, almost like a shadow, blending with his surroundings. Every sound, every footstep of monsters was registered by his internal perception—a strange mix of hearing, sight, and supersensory touch that replaced his habitual senses.
After several hours, he reached a narrow mountain path leading into a valley. Below, a man-made bridge spanned a turbulent stream; to the left was a dense forest, to the right—cliffs with outcrops. The route line on the map led through the forest.
Sai froze for a moment. Need to check the surrounding darkness, he thought, activating an internal concentration that allowed him to sense magical auras and the presence of creatures. Several shadows passed through the forest, but he detected them in advance and circumvented them.
The night slowly faded. A faint dawn appeared on the horizon, a reddish-yellow light breaking through the mist. Sai looked up—ahead, on a small hill, stood a structure resembling an old castle.
Moving closer and surveying the area, he understood—it was an ancient fortress, inhabited not by humans, but by creatures using it as a base. The walls were partially destroyed but retained massive gates and crenellated towers. Movement flickered within.
Sai stopped at a safe distance. He drew his new revolvers—dark, perfectly balanced, gleaming in the first rays of light. They were an extension of his will, the instrument of his new essence.
His eyes, hidden behind the mask, glowed with a barely perceptible light, fixing every movement within the fortress. He understood that any direct assault could cost him his life, but the path through the forest and cliffs was too long and dangerous.
He took a deep breath, though breathing was more a formality than a necessity. Sai crouched on a rock by the road, observing the fortress. In his mind, he built a strategy, calculating every step: which passages to use, which points to scout, how to utilize the surrounding nature.
The phone remained useless; communications were completely destroyed. Any attempt to contact anyone from the academy was impossible. Only the System, the maps, and his intuition remained—the rest depended on him alone.
Several hours passed. The mist began to dissipate, the sun slowly rose higher, and Sai continued to sit, analyzing the terrain. He noticed a path leading from the forest to the castle's rear courtyard, hidden among dense vegetation.
If I take this path, I can approach unnoticed, he thought. His body was in a state of complete readiness; his new skills and physical form allowed him to act without fatigue or doubt.
Sai rose and stepped onto the path. Each step was careful, calculated, almost ritualistic. He felt the magic of the area, the energies of the creatures around him, but remained invisible, almost like a shadow.
And then, as he took the final step before the path led him to the edge of the forest, he saw the castle in the distance. A huge, grim fortress with towers and battlements, surrounded by the remnants of ruined walls and sagging gates.
In that moment, Sai realized: everything that had been before—weakness, the past, the remnants of humanity—was left behind. He was now entirely on his own, and his survival in this new world depended solely on him.
He stepped forward.