Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I sat at the edge of the cliff, my legs dangling over the jagged rock as I gazed out at the endless expanse of ocean stretching before me. The wind whipped through my hair, and I could smell the scent of salt, seaweed, and something briny. Everything was sharper and clearer, almost overwhelming in its detail.
I could see for miles, far beyond what any human eye could ever hope to capture. The surface of the water shimmered like molten glass beneath the fading sun, and beneath that surface, I could make out the subtle glints of fish darting through the waves. I saw their scales reflect the dying light, and could track the shift of their movement with uncanny precision.
The sound of the waves crashing against the cliffs echoed like thunder in my ears, but I could also hear more subtle things: the call of distant gulls, the creak of trees bending in the wind behind me, the faint heartbeat of some small creature burrowed nearby.
Even the sensation of the ground beneath me was intense. The coarse texture of the rock scratched against my skin, the cold seeping through my jeans and into my bones, but I truly didn't feel any discomfort.
I lifted my right hand and drove it into the earth beside me with a sharp, explosive motion. The ground didn't stand a chance. Cracks split outward from the impact like lightning bolts across the surface, and the rock beneath me shattered into fragments, crumbling under the sheer force of my strike. The vibrations echoed up my arm, but I barely felt them—only the lingering heat of frustration burning in my chest. The scent of pulverised stone filled the air, sharp and mineral-rich, stirring something wild just beneath my skin.
I reached down and grabbed one of the jagged fragments of rock, letting it rest in my palm for a moment. It was rough and cool against my skin, dusting my fingers with grit. Then, without thinking, I drew my arm back like I was preparing to hurl a baseball. In a burst of speed and strength only a vampire could wield, I launched it into the air. The rock tore through the wind with a sharp whistle, cutting across the open sky like a bullet. My eyes tracked it easily, never losing sight as it soared over the ocean—until it finally met the water with a splash, vanishing beneath the surface.
I could hear the splash of the water as clearly as if I were standing right at the edge—sharp and crisp, echoing through the air despite the distance.
But there was also that familiar burn beginning to creep up my throat—a dry, grating sensation like sandpaper dragging along the inside of my windpipe. It wasn't overwhelming yet, but it was growing stronger. A deep, hollow ache that pulsed through my chest, reminding me with each second that I hadn't fed. The scent of the forest—the animals moving in the distance, the faint trace of warm blood hidden beneath layers of fur and muscle—called to me like a whisper. I could ignore it for now, but not for much longer. The thirst was rising, and soon it would be impossible to push aside.
"Did my Grams send you?" I asked, my voice low as I heard the distinct sound of footsteps approaching from a mile off, but unmistakable to my sharpened senses. They stopped just a few inches behind me.
