Chapter 3: A Narrow Escape

The instant weightlessness caused Emily's heart to tighten abruptly. Her screams were drowned out by the howling wind rushing past her ears. Descending rapidly, she desperately struggled, reaching out for something to hold onto, but all she grasped was the icy air. Despair surged through her as she gave up struggling, allowing her body to freefall in mid-air. In her mind, flashes of many important moments in her life played out like a fast-paced movie, trying to fit in every last second of her existence. The final frame froze on James' face, always filled with sadness and melancholy.

I haven't had a chance to unravel the secrets of your sorrow and worries. How can I just die like this?

Her reluctance to leave her mother behind filled Emily's heart, and suddenly, she felt a surge of that mysterious power within her breaking through all constraints, rushing out like a severed artery. It was unstoppable, making her instantly feel filled with strength throughout her body, even her thoughts were no longer muddled.

Just as her body was about to make intimate contact with the ground, Emily extended her arm and with a forceful push, managed to land steadily on the ground. With a thud, Benjamin's feet appeared within her field of vision.

Emily stood up, a surge of anger welling up inside her. The raging fire in her eyes seemed to devour everything around her. She forcefully pushed Benjamin, and in an instant, it felt as if her hands were possessed, brimming with strength. She sent him flying, crashing into a lamppost, which crumbled like paper and fell to the ground.

Emily looked at her own hands in disbelief, then surveyed the wreckage before her. The anger was replaced by a cloud of confusion, leaving her stunned and unable to collect her thoughts.

Benjamin managed to rise to his feet with the support of one hand, but he found it somewhat difficult. Even when fighting hunters in the past, he never felt this strain from a single impact. However, what surprised him the most was not the physical exertion; it was what he saw just moments ago, wondering if it was his imagination. He had caught a glimpse of Emily in her fury, her dark eyes flashing with a touch of blood-red, a fleeting reflection of red in her eyes.

Red-eyed vampires, a level that surpassed all others, were merely a legend in the vampire world. No one had ever seen one. It was said to be exclusive to the first generation of vampires, the ancestors known as the "Blood Father" Cain and his descendants. Even the fourth-generation vampires were only green or some other color. Moreover, the girl before him couldn't even be considered a vampire! Benjamin chuckled at his self-ridicule. He must have been mistaken. Although Emily possessed abilities similar to those of a vampire, she was definitely not a vampire herself. She could walk in sunlight, consume human food, her body emitted a warmth he envied, and her blood was toxic! If a vampire were to try to feed on her blood to enhance their own abilities, it would undoubtedly lead to their own demise. The pain it caused... Benjamin still shuddered at the thought.

Emily stared at her hands in a daze, sensing a power gradually welling up from the depths of her being. It started from her hands and spread throughout her entire body. Her ankles began to itch, and she squatted down, scratching them a few times, only to feel the itch intensify. As she prepared to apply more force, a white light suddenly appeared around her ankle, a faint halo that enveloped the area. Within the halo, a slender white beam of light, resembling the antenna of some creature, slowly moved, as if outlining a totem.

Overwhelmed by the unbearable itchiness in her ankle, Emily fell to the ground, unable to explore the strange phenomenon. She only wanted to alleviate the discomfort caused by the itching. But before her hand could reach the halo, another beam of white light shot out from within, knocking her hand away and disappearing. Meanwhile, the beam of light, resembling a paintbrush stroke, continued its meticulous outline.

Benjamin approached in astonishment, his eyes fixed on her ankle, afraid of missing any details. It was truly magnificent. Having lived for over two hundred years, he had never witnessed such a peculiar sight. It surpassed the understanding of both humans and vampires.

Suddenly, the shimmering white beam of light vanished, and the white halo surrounding it gradually dissipated. In its place, a dazzling red flower appeared at her ankle. It spread its tendrils, exuding a seductive aura with its vivid red color and unfurling petals. It possessed an enchanting power that captivated the senses.

"Wha-what is this?" Emily exclaimed in shock, rubbing her hand over the flower. However, the vibrant red blossom seemed embedded in her skin, as if it had grown out from within her body.

Benjamin, even more astonished, crouched beside Emily, closely examining the flower. It was the sacred flower of the vampires, known as the Manjushaka. He sniffed it and indeed detected a faint fragrance emanating from Emily's body—a scent that carried a strong sense of death and deep fear, causing him to involuntarily tremble. There was also an aura of sacred inviolability. This scent was unlike anything he had ever smelled on any vampire, even the Elders who only exuded the fragrance of blood roses.

"Manjushaka," Benjamin murmured, his hand keeping a safe distance as if afraid that the flower would consume him if he approached. Before he could get a proper look, a blinding white light flashed from Emily's ankle. When the light faded, the area returned to its smooth, fair complexion, and the Manjushaka was gone, along with its eerie fragrance.

"Gone...," Emily stared with wide black eyes, astonished at her ankle. With the disappearance of the flower, she felt considerably relieved. When the flower appeared, Emily distinctly sensed a dark force eroding her inner self. It was as if a black shadow suddenly appeared in her heart, gradually growing larger, causing her consciousness to blur. Just as she felt she could no longer resist the shadow, the flower vanished, and the shadow disappeared along with it, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

"What did you say it was? Something Man, something Shaka?" Emily asked Benjamin.

"Manjushaka," Benjamin replied, adding, "the sacred flower of the vampires."

"Vam... vampires?" A thunderclap exploded in Emily's mind, and her thoughts seemed like a glitching camcorder. Fragmented memories flashed through her mind—Benjamin's blood bags, jumping from the 69th floor rooftop with Benjamin, Benjamin landing safely beside her, Benjamin being pushed away by her and colliding with the lamppost without any harm...

Emily lifted her head and looked at Benjamin, suddenly recalling the unusual pain in her neck after the car accident and his ominous words on the rooftop, "Actually, you are my chosen dinner." Fear had initially consumed her, but now it transformed into anger. "You turned me into a vampire, didn't you? Tell me!"

It must be true. It would explain everything. Her astonishing self-healing abilities, her ability to discern blood types, her ability to survive a fall from great heights, her superhuman strength... If Benjamin had turned her into a vampire, it would provide a reasonable explanation for all the incredulous things she had experienced.

She had always believed that vampires were mere legends, but now she stood face-to-face with one who had turned her into a vampire as well, instilling a deep sense of fear within her. It was the fear of the unknown future.

Benjamin shook his head helplessly and pinched Emily's nose. "Do you think you can become a vampire just by being bitten? You're too naive!"

"Then how did it happen?" Emily asked, her voice filled with frustration.

Benjamin also appeared doubtful. "I don't know either. It seems like you were born with a certain ability. Although it resembles that of vampires, it's not exactly the same. Vampires cannot walk in sunlight and don't consume human food. Our food is humans. Clearly, you don't possess these characteristics. I have no idea why you were born with the abilities of our kind, but that's how it was on the night of the car accident."

On the night of the car accident, Benjamin swiftly carried the severely injured Emily away from the scene, intending to savor his meal. However, he noticed that Emily's wounds were slowly healing, albeit not as rapidly as his own regeneration. Yet, they were still visibly healing at a remarkable speed. He saw Emily's eyes light up with excitement, thinking that he had stumbled upon a human with extraordinary abilities. By drinking her blood, he believed he could partially or somewhat inherit her abilities. If he was lucky, he might even acquire them entirely, considering how rare abilities had become.

During the millennium-long Holy War and the eradication of heretics, vampires hunted humans with special abilities in order to enhance their own powers. As a result, human abilities were nearly extinct in this world. He swiftly bit into Emily's throat while her wound hadn't fully healed. However, as Emily's blood flowed into his mouth, he instantly felt his entire body freeze. Excruciating pain tore through him, from his mouth to his very core, causing unbearable agony.

Benjamin quickly returned to the scene of the accident, hypnotizing all the people who had arrived later, and handed Emily over to them. He then rushed back to the villa arranged for him by the Les Enfants du Sang and locked himself in the pitch-dark basement. The pain lasted for several days and nights. As soon as it subsided even slightly, he couldn't wait any longer and came to find Emily, hoping to find answers. However, he discovered that the person involved was even more bewildered than himself.

Emily recalled her never-mentioned father, James. James never talked about her father in front of her, but whenever she saw his distant gaze, she couldn't help but wonder if he missed her father.

"Is it possible? Is my father also a vampire?" Emily cautiously asked Benjamin, as the topic of her father was sensitive to her.

Benjamin shook his head. "There is absolutely no possibility of that. Only pure-blood vampires can reproduce among themselves. Vampires and humans cannot reproduce. The only way to turn a human into a vampire is through the First Embrace. It's impossible for someone like you, a 'monster,' to be born."

"Monster?" Emily stood up abruptly, looking down on Benjamin. "Who are you calling a monster?" For her, Benjamin's identity was the epitome of a monster, and now he was turning the tables and calling her a monster.

Benjamin chuckled lightly, also standing up and observing Emily's pouting expression. He compromised, "Alright, alright, I am the monster."

"Monster! How old are you anyway?" Emily suddenly remembered his highly incongruous maturity.

Benjamin smiled faintly. "I am older than you can imagine."

Benjamin, deep in thought, raised his blue eyes to the sky. After contemplating for a while, he slowly turned to the impatient Emily and said, "I can't remember."

Emily kicked Benjamin's leg, forgetting her newfound strength, and sent him flying a distance away. Wide-eyed, she ran over, wearing a face of apology, but with no sincerity in her apology.

Furrowing his brow, Benjamin stood up, suddenly on guard. Every time this girl attacked him, it caused him pain. Could she be a natural enemy of vampires?