Chapter 1: The Girl in the Gilded Cage
The sunlight filtering through the high windows of the Emerald Villa felt heavy. It wasn't burning, exactly, but it felt like walking through water while wearing a coat of lead.
Seraphina sighed and pulled the velvet curtains shut. The moment the room plunged into semi-darkness, the weight lifted. Her strength returned, rushing through her veins like a river breaking a dam.
She walked to the ornate full-length mirror. A girl of eighteen stared back, though her soul was much older—a remnant of the "Blue Planet." She had been a medical student there, obsessed with logic and science. Now, she was... something else.
Her hair was a cascading waterfall of liquid silver, shimmering even in the dim light. Her eyes were a piercing, unnatural shade of violet.
"No System window," she muttered, waving her hand in the air. "No 'Ding!' sound. Just me and this weird body."
She walked over to her heavy oak desk. On it lay a leather-bound book. To the servants of this world, the symbols inside were ancient, indecipherable runes. To Seraphina, it was just English.
She dipped her quill in ink and opened the diary to a fresh page.
> Subject: Self-Analysis - Day 42 of Reincarnation
> Hypothesis: My physiology is fundamentally different from humans, elves, or beast-kin recorded in this world's history books. I suspect I am what Earth mythology called a "Vampire." However, the word does not exist here.
Experiment 14: Regeneration.
Method: Incision made on left forearm with a silver letter opener. Depth: 2cm.
Result: Wound closed within 3 seconds. No scarring.
Experiment 15: Sunlight Sensitivity.
Observation: Direct exposure results in roughly a 10% decrease in physical speed and cognitive sharpness. Not fatal, just annoying. I feel significantly stronger (approx. 20%) once the moon rises.
Experiment 16: Dietary Restrictions.
Observation: Regular food tastes like ash. However, the smell of the gardener's wound yesterday triggered extreme hunger.
Note: Need to investigate the "Garlic" reaction further. It smells like sulfur to me.
A knock at the door interrupted her writing. Seraphina quickly closed the book.
"Enter," she commanded. Her voice had a strange, harmonic quality to it recently.
A maid, trembling slightly, entered carrying a silver tray. "My Lady Seraphina. His Majesty sent this rare stew for you. It is seasoned with the finest crushed garlic from the South."
Seraphina's nose wrinkled. The smell hit her like a physical punch. It was nauseating.
"Take it away," Seraphina said, her hand covering her nose.
"B-But, My Lady," the maid stammered, looking terrified. "It is a gift from the King. If I return it..."
Seraphina felt a pulse of irritation. She looked the maid directly in the eyes. Her violet irises seemed to glow.
"I said, throw it out. Now."
She didn't mean to put power behind the words, but she felt a strange tug in her chest. The maid's eyes went unfocused. Her trembling stopped instantly.
"I will throw it out. Now," the maid repeated in a monotone voice, turning robotically and marching out the door.
Seraphina blinked. She rushed to her diary, reopening it.
New Ability Discovered: Hypnosis / Verbal Command.
Trigger: Eye contact + Intent.
Target: Lower-ranking being (Maid has zero mana).
Effect: Absolute obedience.
She tapped the quill against her chin. "So, I can regenerate, I get stronger at night, I hate garlic, and I can mind-control the weak. I really am the classic monster."
She stood up and walked to the balcony doors. It was evening now. The sun had set, and the twin moons were rising.
This Villa was beautiful, but it was a prison. Her father, King Varic, kept her here. To the world, King Varic had no children. She was his shameful secret—a daughter born with "cursed" features. He didn't know what she was, only that she was different.
Seraphina stepped out onto the balcony. The night air fueled her. She felt lighter than air.
Let's test the anatomy, she thought.
She focused on her shoulder blades. It was a sensation she had practiced for a week. A tearing sound ripped through the back of her silk nightgown, but there was no pain, only relief.
Two large, leathery wings exploded from her back. They weren't feathery like an angel's; they were dark, membraneous, and powerful.
She hovered a few feet off the stone floor.
"If I'm going to survive in a world that doesn't know what I am," she whispered to the night, "I need to become the apex predator before they figure it out."
She looked down at the garden. A guard was patrolling. He looked strong—perhaps a Knight rank.
Current Goal: Test the theory of "Ranking Up."
Hypothesis: Consuming the blood of higher-ranking beings increases my own power.
Seraphina licked her lips, her canines extending slightly. The diary needed a new entry.
Character Sheet (Internal - Not Visible to MC)
* Name: Seraphina (formerly from Earth)
* Race: True Vampire (Progenitor)
* Status: The King's Secret Daughter
* Location: The Hidden Villa, Kingdom of Aethelgard
Abilities Confirmed:
* Immortal Body: High-speed regeneration. Immune to all conventional poisons.
* Hemokinesis: Can manipulate blood outside the body (currently low level).
* Solar Penalty: -10% All Stats in direct sunlight.
* Lunar Buff: +20% All Stats at night.
* Weakness: Garlic (Causes nausea/weakness).
* Blood Slave: Can turn others into loyal servants via blood exchange (Untested).
* Hypnosis: Voice command works on those with weaker wills/mana.
* Evolution: Consuming high-rank blood triggers biological evolution.