She woke up gasping.
Not from a dream.
From death.
Her eyes flew open into total darkness. The air was tight and stale. Her fingers touched wood above her. The smell of earth and roses filled her nose. Confusion hit her like lightning, then realization—
A coffin.
She wasn't breathing properly, but she was breathing. Her heart thumped faintly — like a broken clock ticking just enough to say it wasn't over.
Elena was alive again.
No… she wasn't alive.
She remembered everything:
The sickness.
The weakness.
The crystal from Greenland.
The unbearable fever.
The silence.
Her mother crying beside her bed.
And then… nothing.
Until now.
With a surge of strength that didn't feel human, she pushed the wooden lid open — nails splitting, wood cracking — and dug through the soil like a reborn creature crawling through the womb of the earth.
She emerged under the silver moon, covered in dirt, cold as stone. Her own gravestone stood behind her:
"Elena – Beloved Daughter – 2009 – 2025"
It was… real.
But so was the hunger.
Not for food. Not for air.
For blood.
Trembling, barefoot, and frightened, Elena stumbled through the night in disbelief. Her head spun with fear and memories.
Soon, she reached the edge of the village, and instinctively walked the familiar path to her house. Everything felt so quiet. It was nearly 3 a.m.
She crept silently to the backyard and looked through the window.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her mother was sitting on the floor in front of her photo, still crying — holding Elena's favorite blanket, rocking back and forth.
Her little brother was asleep in his bed.
Her father was lying on the couch, worn out from tears and grief.
But her mother… hadn't slept.
She just sat there, whispering her daughter's name like a prayer that would never be answered.
Elena's heart shattered.
Tears formed in her eyes.
She wanted to go in. Hug her. Tell her it's okay.
She reached out…
But the moment she stepped forward, an overwhelming instinct hit her — like fire in her throat, her stomach, her mind.
Blood.
She could hear her mother's heartbeat.
And something dark inside her wanted it.
She covered her mouth, her body shaking.
No! I would never! That's my mom!
She turned away and ran.
Ran into the night, faster and faster, her bare feet pounding against the cold dirt roads. Past the church, past the school, past the edge of the village — straight toward the mountain forest.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her chest hurt more than when she died.
I'm a monster...
She collapsed at the base of a tree, heart barely beating, body weak. She thought about going back to her coffin. To hide. To sleep forever.
Then the sun rise.
It wasn't fire, but her skin tingled and burned faintly. Her eyes blurred. Her legs lost strength. Her body, weakened by hunger, became dizzy under the light.
She hadn't drunk any blood.
And now the sun was taking what little strength she had left.
Elena curled into herself, hiding in the shadow of the trees, whispering through cracked lips:
"I don't want to hurt anyone… please…"
And then—
Darkness again.
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