Part 1 <-- Prologue -->
The sunlight streaming through the curtains opened the sleeping eyes of Sinya, who lay reclined below the sofa opposite the window. Her brown hair was matted and tangled in places, stained with a reddish tint from the blood that had splattered during her all-night struggle against those who had tried to force her to drink. Sinya smelled the odor wafting from her hair, which could not be run through her fingers. A fishy scent emanated from the strands.
'How many days has it been now...'
Sinya gave up counting. She didn't know exactly how much time had passed, but it felt as though quite a while had gone by since anything had last passed her lips. Her mind grew hazy. The faint light entering through the window hidden by the curtains made her dizzy.
'I'm hungry...'
Within her fading consciousness, a single desire alone was stark and clear. She was hungry. She wanted to drink.
'What?'
Before she could define what it was she wanted to drink, Sinya clutched her hair with faintly trembling hands. Then, like a beast that had lost its reason, she licked her hair. A lapping sound echoed quietly through the room.
"Oh dear, Sinya—."
A thick, low voice that was still difficult to get used to. A voice perplexed, as if dealing with a child who wouldn't listen. Sinya, her face nearly buried in her hair, didn't raise her head; she focused on the smell of blood from her hair and the sound of the man's footsteps approaching her.
"See, I told you not to be so stubborn."
A smooth, gentle voice, as if coaxing her. Sinya sat collapsed on the floor, leaning her back against the sofa behind her, and looked up at the man. Perched on the table, the man smiled faintly at Sinya gazing up at him with empty eyes like a starved beast lost to reason. His platinum blond hair reflected the sunlight shining from behind him, dazzlingly bright. His gleaming hair, fair skin, and jewel-like purple eyes were beautiful, like an angel.
Sinya looked at the man's face as if entranced, then a question occurred to her. What was that man's name again...?
She felt as if she had once known, but she could not remember now.
"You don't need to force yourself to remember anything."
"......."
The man spoke as if he could see straight through Sinya's thoughts.
"More importantly, shouldn't we fill your empty stomach first?"
Sinya nodded and grabbed the man's pant leg. Pleased by something, the man let out a soft laugh and slowly unbuttoned his neatly fastened jacket, removing it and setting it beside the table. Then he unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and rolled them up to reveal firm forearms. Beneath the thin shirt, his body looked firm, a contrast to his fair skin.
When the man brought his wrist to his mouth, bared his fangs, and bit down hard enough to pierce the skin, blood quickly flowed from the torn flesh, carrying a sweet scent.
"Here—."
Just as Sinya had once done for him, he too willingly offered his own blood to her. At that, Sinya, who had been suppressing her thirst for blood, was finally consumed by instinct. Grasping his wrist with both hands, she lapped and sucked at his blood without hesitation. Just as he had once done for her.
---------= Afterword ---------=
Brought this over from the neighborhood next door~