I. Am. Starving.
She stared at me as though trying to figure out what I was thinking. As my vision slowly deepened into crimson, I saw her eyes widen at the sight of my own changing.
Before I could even think, my body moved on instinct.
Still gripping her hand, I suddenly pulled her toward me. She gasped at the abrupt motion as I wrapped an arm around her waist, the other moving behind her head.
In one swift movement, I tilted her neck aside and sank my fangs into her soft skin.
"Ah—!"
A breathy moan escaped her lips.
The moment her warm blood touched my tongue, my entire body ignited.
Heat spread through every inch of me, making me tremble uncontrollably. It felt euphoric—far beyond anything I had ever imagined possible.
I tightened my hold on her, pressing our bodies flush together while desperately drinking from her neck.
Gulp.
Gulp.
"Ahh… mmm—!"
Her moans only grew louder the longer I fed.
It was then I realized she had wrapped both arms tightly around me as well, trembling violently in my embrace. Her legs rubbed together while her hips shifted unconsciously against mine.
The sight nearly made me lose myself completely.
Panicking at the realization, I forced myself to stop after one final swallow and quickly pulled away from her neck.
To my relief, the bite marks healed almost instantly.
Her cheeks were deeply flushed, and her breathing came in ragged gasps. Even after I pulled away, she still clung tightly to me.
Slowly, she lifted her head and looked at me through hazy, unfocused eyes.
"T-That was…" she whispered weakly—
Then her body suddenly went limp.
"Wait—!"
I barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground.
Panic immediately consumed me.
"Oh god… no, no, no!" I shouted frantically while checking her over. "I lost control! Did I kill her?!"
My chest tightened painfully.
I never wanted to kill anyone.
Sure, I had killed the orc—but he was about to do something unforgivable. He deserved it.
But her?
She was innocent.
[ Lucy, calm down. She is not dead. ]
[ She has merely fallen unconscious from blood loss. As a Progenitor Vampire, you will instinctively stop feeding before causing fatal harm unless you intentionally desire to kill the target. ]
I shakily rubbed my face, trying to calm my breathing.
Looking back down at the unconscious girl in my arms, I gently brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face.
"She really is beautiful…" I murmured softly. "I wish I'd gotten her name."
[ Her name is Syllia. ]
I blinked in surprise, staring at the floating message.
"…How do you know that?"
[ I obtained the information from her blood. ]
[ If you focus, you may do the same. Vampires are capable of viewing fragments of the memories of those they feed upon. ]
"…Seriously?!" I nearly yelled.
If that was true, maybe I could figure out where she came from.
At some point while talking, I had sat down on the ground with Syllia resting against my lap, my fingers absentmindedly stroking her hair.
There was no way I could just leave her here.
Closing my eyes, I focused on her blood like the System instructed.
At first, nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
Memories flooded into my mind.
But they weren't mine.
I saw Syllia leaving what appeared to be a small village. The image was blurry, making it hard to distinguish details, but I could make out simple houses and dirt roads.
She walked along a forest path carrying a small basket while carefully scanning the trees around her.
Was she searching for something?
A moment later, she suddenly froze.
Hidden among the grass was a strange plant with deep crimson leaves streaked with faint orange markings.
Excitement instantly spread across her face.
She rushed toward it and began quickly gathering the leaves into her basket.
She was so focused on the herbs that she never noticed the approaching footsteps behind her.
Just as she reached for another leaf, a large hand suddenly covered her mouth from behind.
Her eyes widened in terror.
Muffled screams echoed through the forest as she was dragged backward against her will.
The memory shifted violently as she was pulled deeper into the woods—
Until eventually arriving at the camp.
My eyes snapped open.
Warm tears rolled down my cheeks.
"…I'm crying?"
I touched my face in confusion.
I had only just met this girl.
So why did her fear feel so painfully real?
As though answering my thoughts, the System spoke again.
[ When viewing memories without proper control, your emotions become intertwined with the target's. ]
[ You experienced her fear as though it were your own. ]
"…That explains it."
Honestly, it had felt real.
Too real.
Looking around the camp again, disgust twisted in my stomach.
I didn't want to stay here any longer.
The thought of more orcs returning made my skin crawl.
Carefully lifting Syllia into a bridal carry, I carried her outside the tent.
The sun was already beginning to set.
Looking toward the direction she had traveled in her memories, I bent my knees slightly before launching forward.
The forest blurred around me as I sped through the trees with Syllia held securely against my chest.
As I ran, my thoughts drifted back to the feeling of drinking her blood.
My cheeks immediately flushed red.
"…Who knew drinking blood would feel so good… and weirdly… sexual?"
Violently shaking my head, I pushed the thought aside and focused back on the path ahead.
"Next stop…" I muttered with a grin.
"My first village."