4 Chapter 04: A Voice

"Calm down, Damien."

Just as I was biting my lips to keep from lunging at Sophie, a females's voice rang clear in my head.

Those simple words had the power to completely quench my insatiable thirst. It was like all the wild impulses had vanished into thin air. My body suddenly weakened, and I collapsed into a chair, gasping for air.

"Damien!" Sophie exclaimed, rushing to my side. "Are you okay? You look so pale."

She reached out her hand, her cool fingers gently stroking my cheek in concern.

I tried to speak, but all that came out was a gasp as I struggled to catch my breath. Countless thoughts raced through my confused mind, but one stood out above all: sheer terror... I was about to rip the heart out of the person I cared about the most...

No matter how I looked at it, I had become an absolute monster.

"Water... wa-wa-water."

"Right away!"

She quickly filled a glass and brought it to my lips. I drank greedily, feeling the coolness of the water soothe my foggy mind. Slowly, my strength started to return.

"Sophie... something... something's wrong..."

I didn't even know where to begin explaining my sudden transformation.

She stared at me with her big blue eyes. I wanted to tell her the truth, but I was afraid of scaring her or, even worse, dragging her into my new reality.

I pressed my lips together and forced a weak smile.

"Ah, forget it. I'm just a little tired."

"Mmm, all right." She flashed a weak smile and held my hands in hers. "Just take it easy today, Damien. Remember not to put too much pressure on yourself regarding your heart."

Sophie rarely let her emotions show, but she had always cared deeply about my well-being. Ever since we were kids, she had been there to look after me, especially with my heart condition.

I flopped onto the couch, feeling overwhelmed. She sat next to me, watching me from the side.

"If only our mom were here..." Sophie's voice trailed off, and she clenched her fists, her gaze dropping.

"Forget it." I murmured softly, shaking my head. There was no point in dwelling on the past.

Based on the limited information our mom had given us, our dad had died before we were even born. So, we grew up with her as our only mother figure.

She worked as a doctor at a nearby hospital and did her best to take care of us amidst her busy schedule. She always promised that one day she would find a cure for my illness and bring more happiness to Sophie and me.

But then, one day, she simply left us a short note on the bed: "See you soon."

It's been nearly 12 years since then, when Sophie was barely 5 years old and I was 7.

I never really knew what to make of her. How could she abandon her own kids...? As a result, Sophie became very withdrawn from an early age. The only time she truly smiled was when she was with me or watching her favorite cartoons.

She also put a lot of effort into her studies. I think deep down she always wanted to be someone I could rely on. After all, she was always so worried about me with my heart condition.

I was all she had left, you know. Now, with what's happened, I'm terrified that my new situation will push her away forever.

As I gazed at Sophie's serene, angelic face, a faint smile cracked across my lips. I'll find a way to stay by her side without harming her.

Even though I've become this formidable and terrifying monster of the night, it won't change my determination to take care of Sophie.

But I gotta admit, I'm sick and tired of those typical mysterious, "edgy-minded" protagonists from those series or light novels who abandon their families at the slightest hint in order to "protect" them, only to end up tearing them apart even more.

Well, maybe now that I'm one of them, I understand their perspective a bit better. Being a monster can be overwhelming. But I refuse to fall into that cliché. I'm going to find a way to control myself.

I have to cling onto that tiny glimmer of hope for salvation.

"Hey Soph, shouldn't you be at school? It's kinda weird seeing you hanging around the house during school hours."

It was strange that Sophie decided to skip school today. She had always been a model student, dedicated and responsible. Ever since she was little, she worked hard to get top grades.

That reminded me of how lonely she had felt since our mom left. I was the only one who stood by her side and annoyed her to distract her from thinking about our mom's departure. That's why studying became her escape and a way to feel useful.

Part of it was because she wanted to be a good sister to me. Sophie believed that by studying hard, she could become a doctor one day and take care of me, as a way to make up for our mom's actions.

So seeing her here instead of at school triggered my overprotective instincts.

"We have the day off today."

"A day off? Did they cancel classes because of too much homework? Damn, the education system is going to hell..." I joked.

"Not exactly. Yesterday, there was... a little... incident at school."

"Incident?"

"... There was a shooting," she whispered and looked down.

"WHAT?!" I immediately panicked, grabbing her shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Are you okay?!"

"Damien, chill," she said calmly and slowly. "It didn't even happen in my class. And remember your blood pressure! We don't want another cardiac incident."

I let out a deep sigh, trying to calm myself down. With my fragile heart, these scares could literally be the death of me.

However, to my surprise, this time I didn't feel the usual sharp pain in my chest. My breathing was calm and steady too. Could it be that... my recent transformation cured my illness?

Yet, there was a discomfort in my chest now. I thought about that horrifying, vein-filled tumor.

"Sorry. You know, I can't help but be extremely protective of you, my sweet Sophie," I said with a smile, hoping it didn't come across as too creepy.

"Always so dramatic," she nodded fondly. "Maybe you should worry less about me and more about controlling your temper. Or have you already forgotten the multiple suspensions for fighting at your old school?"

Then she sarcastically added. "I wouldn't be surprised if one day you decided to carry an AK-47."

I couldn't help but laugh at her comment. She was right, but the reasons behind it were more complicated than they seemed.

In high school, my frail appearance made me an easy target for bullies. At first, I tried to endure their bullying in silence, but there comes a point when even the most pacifist person explodes.

I was never one to give up easily.

While it's true that I took most of the hits early on due to my less developed physique, I can't deny that I made those bullies suffer as well.

After all, I fought dirty while they fought fair! They used their fists and I... well, let's just say a baseball bat can be quite persuasive.

And then there were the teachers. Those hypocritical jerks would act like crabs when they witnessed bullying, but the moment you stood up for yourself, their eyes would light up like code red lamps, and they'd swoop in like vultures!

"Zero tolerance for violence," they'd preach.

But let me tell you, it was priceless to see their faces when those bullies begged for mercy. "Please, stop! I can't take it anymore!"

"Damien, that wicked smile again? Are you having dark thoughts anew?" Sophie looked at me suspiciously, instinctively turning away.

"Me? Not at all," I replied with my most innocent grin. "By the way, I see you brought breakfast. Let me take that." I grabbed the bag of chocolate chip cookies.

"Uh... Are you sure? You never set the table."

True, she had always been the one taking care of those tasks. I only knew how to make coffee, which, as she liked to say, was unbelievably delicious.

"Yeah, you handle making the drink you used to make for me," I said, getting up from the couch and smiling in her direction. "It's been years since I've tasted those concoctions you used to whip up."

She seemed offended. "My coffees weren't that bad."

"So you say."

I quickly spread out the tablecloth to hide the marks my hands had made earlier while Sophie went to the kitchen.

'My broken cell phone...' I let out a heavy sigh, recalling the memory. And now, how was I supposed to afford a new one when we were barely scraping by?

We've always lived on the edge ever since we were kids. When our mother suddenly left, we were left alone and penniless. This house was the only thing she left us; everything else, like the money and wealth she acquired as a doctor, vanished with her.

In the beginning, we were hungry and freezing. Since Sophie was very young and I was only 7 years old, I couldn't find a job, so I had to go from house to house begging for food. No one helped us... I only encountered slammed doors in my face.

But one day, driven by desperation, I resorted to my first act of robbery to feed her. I endured beatings that left scars, but fortunately, those scars have faded away with my transformation.

Even now, despite studying and working hard, life is still a daily struggle. That's why finding myself in this situation makes me sigh...

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee snapped me out of my daydream.