Chapter 5: The Truth in Blood

The air inside the lab was thick with the scent of scorched metal and something darker—something that made the hunger inside Leon stir. The droids lay motionless, their bodies ruined, but he barely spared them another glance.

His crimson eyes locked onto Dr. Vance.

The scientist stood behind the observation glass, hands clasped behind his back, watching Leon with the same unsettling amusement he had shown since the beginning.

Leon's fingers twitched, his claws retracting as his breathing steadied. But the hunger hadn't left. If anything, it had deepened, digging into his chest like an unrelenting pulse.

He stepped forward, his voice calm—but carrying an edge of something dangerous.

"No more tests."

Dr. Vance's smile remained, but his fingers tapped against the console. "That wasn't a test, Leon. That was a demonstration. You needed to see it for yourself—to feel it."

Leon's hands curled into fists. "See what?"

The scientist tilted his head, as if deciding how much he wanted to reveal.

Then, he sighed. "Fine. I suppose you've earned some answers."

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[Vampire System Alert]

Blood Hunger: 62%

Cognitive State: Enhanced Focus

New Milestone Reached: Demanding the Truth

---

The glass wall between them hissed, sliding open as Vance gestured toward the door at the back of the chamber.

"Come with me."

Leon hesitated. Was this another trick? Another experiment? But something in him—it wasn't trust, but curiosity—made him follow.

He stepped through the door, following Vance down a long corridor lined with reinforced metal walls. Dim red lights flickered overhead, casting their shadows in strange, distorted shapes.

The deeper they walked, the colder the air became.

Finally, Vance stopped in front of a heavy steel door with a biometric scanner. He pressed his hand against it, and with a soft beep, the door unlocked.

The room beyond was vast—lined with floor-to-ceiling stasis pods.

Leon's breath hitched as he stepped inside.

Each pod contained a person.

Men. Women. Some looked human. Others had features like his own—glowing eyes, elongated fangs, unnatural musculature. Some were pale and lifeless, others barely moving. Tubes fed into their veins, and monitors beeped softly above their heads.

This wasn't just a lab. This was a storage facility.

Leon turned to Vance, his voice sharp. "What the hell is this?"

The scientist gestured to the pods. "They're failed subjects."

Leon's jaw tightened. "Failed…? You mean you did to them what you did to me?"

Vance nodded, unbothered.

"Most couldn't handle the transformation. Their bodies rejected the system. But you..." His eyes flickered with something almost reverent. "You survived. You adapted."

Leon's pulse quickened. "You experimented on people?"

Vance shrugged. "Not people. Candidates. Volunteers. Prisoners. Some were dying already. Others were chosen. It's all part of the project."

Leon's fists clenched, his claws threatening to emerge again.

"Project? What project?"

Vance sighed, as if disappointed by Leon's lack of understanding.

Then, he turned to a central pod—one larger than the others. He pressed a button, and the glass de-fogged, revealing a figure inside.

Leon's breath caught.

Inside the pod was a vampire.

But not like Leon. Not like the others in the failed pods.

This one was different.

The being inside had ashen-white skin, and long silver hair that floated in the fluid surrounding them. Their eyes were open, but clouded, locked in some kind of deep hibernation. Their chest rose and fell unnaturally slow, and their fangs were twice as long as Leon's.

Leon stepped closer, pressing a hand against the glass. He could feel something coming from the being inside. A pulse, a presence.

Vance's voice was soft.

"The first of its kind."

Leon turned sharply. "What do you mean?"

Vance studied him carefully. "You think vampires have always existed, Leon?" He chuckled. "No. They were made."

Leon's eyes widened slightly.

Vance tapped the glass. "This one was the original. The prototype. The first attempt at creating a perfect being—stronger, faster, immune to disease, immune to death itself. A fusion of science and evolution."

Leon's mind reeled. Vampires were created?

Vance smiled at his expression. "Surprised? You should be. The truth is, Leon—you're not just a vampire."

Leon's fingers curled against the glass. "Then what am I?"

Vance turned to him fully, and for the first time, his voice carried true excitement.

"You're the next step."

Leon felt a cold weight settle in his stomach.

"You mean another experiment."

Vance's lips quirked up. "Yes. But a successful one."

Leon's claws extended before he could stop them. "You turned me into this without my choice."

Vance shrugged. "Would you have agreed if I asked?"

Leon's rage spiked. His instincts screamed at him to tear Vance apart, to make him pay—

Then, a sudden shift.

A pulse rippled through the room.

Leon's entire body froze. His chest tightened, and the figure in the pod… moved.

A single finger twitched.

Then, their eyes snapped open.

Pure black. No whites. Just endless void.

Leon staggered back.

The air grew heavy, thick with a power Leon had never felt before. His vampire instincts screamed, but it wasn't just fear—it was recognition.

This being… was stronger than him. More complete. More…

"More evolved."

A sharp beeping sound filled the air.

Vance's eyes widened in shock.

"Impossible. It's waking up—"

The pod's glass cracked.

Leon had no time to think.

A single voice—not spoken aloud, but deep inside his skull—whispered:

"You… are not ready."

Then—

The glass shattered.

A wave of pure force blasted through the room, sending Leon flying back. He crashed against the far wall, his vision blurring.

Alarms blared.

The last thing he saw was the figure stepping out of the pod, silver hair swaying, those black eyes locking onto him.

And then—darkness.

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[Vampire System Critical Alert!]

Unknown Entity Awakened

Threat Level: Unmeasurable

System Recalibrating…