I had been in a bad mood for days.
Perhaps weeks.
At this point, I had stopped keeping track.
After centuries of living, very little surprised me anymore. Power, money, beautiful women, endless parties…
I'd seen it all.
Experienced it all.
Nothing truly excited me.
That was the curse of immortality.
Eventually, everything became predictable.
So tonight, I decided to visit The Circle.
The moment I stepped through the doors, Manager Zhi greeted me with a smile that was almost too eager.
"Master Ezra. It's an honor to have you tonight."
I gave him a brief nod.
"VIP."
"Of course."
He immediately led me toward the private section.
The Circle was always busy at night. Music filled the air while vampires surrounded themselves with their chosen entertainment. Blood servants moved between tables, carrying crystal glasses filled with the one thing their masters truly desired.
Blood.
I barely paid attention.
Zhi handed me a list.
"Tonight's service models, Master Ezra."
I glanced down.
Most of the names meant nothing to me.
Then one caught my attention.
Rita Rain.
I looked at her photograph.
Beautiful.
But beauty wasn't unusual here.
I'd seen thousands of beautiful women throughout my life.
Still…
I studied the photograph longer than I should have.
She was wearing a short green wig styled into a sharp bob. Her brown eyes looked confident, almost challenging. She wore black leather, a ridiculously short skirt, neon-green stockings, and combat boots instead of heels.
Interesting.
She didn't look delicate.
She looked dangerous.
My eyes lingered on her face.
There was something familiar about her.
I couldn't place it.
That bothered me.
"I want her."
Zhi hesitated.
I slowly looked up.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, Master Ezra."
He cleared his throat.
"She's new."
"How new?"
"Tonight is her first night."
That caught my attention.
"My first-night girl?"
Zhi gave a nervous laugh.
"Quite the eye, Master Ezra."
I said nothing.
He hurried away to retrieve her.
I looked back at the photograph.
Why her?
Why did I feel as though I had seen those eyes before?
A strange sensation settled in my chest.
Anxiety.
I frowned.
I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt anxious.
The feeling was unfamiliar enough to irritate me.
I stood.
Perhaps I simply needed a moment alone.
I walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet.
Cold water ran over my hands.
I splashed some onto my face and stared at my reflection.
My eyes stared back at me.
I looked exactly as I always had.
Calm.
Controlled.
Untouchable.
So why did I feel like something was wrong?
I closed my eyes.
For a moment, I could hear nothing but the steady sound of the water.
Then—
Something changed.
A scent.
Faint.
Sweet.
Warm.
My eyes opened.
I froze.
Blood.
But not just any blood.
I couldn't explain it.
My instincts reacted before my mind could.
I turned toward the bathroom door.
At that exact moment, it opened.
She stepped inside.
Rita Rain.
The woman from the photograph.
The woman I had been unable to stop thinking about for reasons I couldn't understand.
She looked different in person.
Much more dangerous.
Her green hair framed her face perfectly. Her brown eyes met mine.
And the moment they did…
Something inside me went completely still.
For the first time in a very long time—
I was interested.