Lia woke with a gasp and fought against the tightly tucked bedsheets to sit upright.

Where am I?

With one hand, she drew up the white blanket covering her.

The room was huge. Twice the size of a standard bedroom and tall enough to house a giant. It was a room fit for an empress, furnished with items that belonged in a museum. Even the bed she lay in seemed ancient somehow.

Is this... Some sort of hospital?

Cobwebs swayed on the exposed rafters high above her, held strong by four walls of red brick.

If this is a hospital, then doesn't that mean- Lia paused, reached for the back of her neck and froze like a statue. There was a small wound where her hand settled, outlined by some light bruising—veins filled the patch like a spiderweb.

Itylias burning red eyes and inhuman teeth flashed vividly through her memory. S-she really bit me! It wasn't just some crazy dream!

The last she remembered was being at Slaran Park, the same as she had every night for the past year—a routine that helped her calm down at the end of each day. Now, only God knew where she was....

The blanket flew into the air, and by the time it floated back down, Lia stood panting in the centre of the room. At some point during the night, she had been stripped of her clothes. The cold stung like a needle. She held herself tight. Upon looking down, she made the horrifying discovery that her right arm was no longer just a stump, ending shy of her elbow.

Its not possible. Lia stared at it. Things like this don't just grow back overnight!

A wave of dizziness struck, and she stumbled a few steps.

Hospital... I need to find out if I'm in the hospital.

“Nan! Pa!”

Lia looked to the doorway. Finding it despite the lack of light and hoped to see a familiar face rush through. Nobody came.

"Nurse. Docter! ... Anybody."

Still, there was nothing. She scanned the room, looking for anything that might explain where she was. But there was nothing familiar to her at all.

“Vampire,” Lia whispered the word aloud. It sent a shiver down her spine, powerful enough for her whole body to twitch. “I made a deal with a real vampire.”

She lifted her arms. Her skin was pale, almost sickly. It was like her body had never seen the sun.

Beyond her hand, she spotted an old desk by the doorway. Among the various items that crowded its stained surface was a small mirror staring back at her.

It's not possible.

The emotions reflected were hers—fright, confusion, concern. But the features were those of the young girl she met last night beneath the full moon.

...

Lia knelt over the mirror. Her white hair sprawled on the floor around the frame, cradling the mirror like a scene from a fairy tale.

“How long have I been staring at you for?” She asked, running her finger along the outline of her reflection. “She turned me into a spitting image of herself.”

Her skin took on a pale colour like starlight, it looked frail and soft. Her eyes glistened like pink jewellery and her complexion was without blemish. Even her hair, had taken Itylias snow-white quality and waist length.

It would be a lie to say she hadn’t had dreams similar to this as a little girl. To wake up beautiful and with her arm intact. A part of her relished and rejoiced. But her heart felt something was terribly wrong.

The reflection smiled, relaying a beauty Lia never thought she would see inside of a mirror.

“Ughh! What the hell? How can I feel happy at a time like this?”

Bang!

The door on the northern side was suddenly thrown open, sending a gust of wind twirling throughout the room.

Lia shielded her eyes. Strands of white hair lashed about. The large black curtain concealing the entire eastern wall, rippled and bellowed, permitting small streaks of moonlight to breach.

When the wind settled, leaving behind the scent of turned-up dust, Lia noticed the young boy standing in the now-open doorway. His shadow grew until it teased against the mirror frame.

“What are you doing on the floor?” He asked, expression cold as ice, eyes travelling downward, searching for an answer.

Lia raised her arms to cover her chest and drew her legs together tight. Turning to a stone beneath his gaze.

“Staring at yourself in the mirror seems a touch bit egotistical, doesn't it, Itylia?”

A million thoughts raced through her mind.

Itylia.... He really thinks I'm her. Lia observed the boy. He was only young, around her age. He stood with a strange stoicism one might expect from a prince. His pitch-black eyes scanned the room before returning to her. He seemed on edge for some reason.

“Why aren't you saying anything? Are you unwell? Or perhaps just sick in the head.”

What exactly am I supposed to say in this situation...?

Lia pondered her options. But everything felt far too dangerous.

If he knew Itylia, then doesn't that mean- the cold prickled against her skin. Couldn’t he be a vampire too?

Lia shivered at the thought of being face-to-face with a monster. The wound on her neck flared as if it were on fire.

He knew Itylia. So I have to act how she would have in this situation.

Lia drew in a breath, sat upright, still covering her delicates and gave the boy a sharp look.

“What are you doing in my room?”

“Mother sent me.” The boy took a step forward. “She wants to know what's taking you so long to get ready.”

“I-I see.”

Siblings?

“You still haven't answered me, Itylia. What are you doing on the floor?” It appeared that the boy was in no rush to leave.

“I noticed something strange in the mirror. I wanted to investigate but-”

“Was it by any chance your face?”

Lia frowned. Right... siblings.

“No, it wasn't.” She retorted.

“Are you sure? What else could possibly have distracted you so much?”

Lia remained silent.

“Do you have any idea how important this day is?” Irritation seeped into his voice.

She stared blankly at him. Oh great. An important day, just what I wanted to hear. I was worried my arrival wouldn’t be a major issue for everyone!

Following Lia's prolonged silence, Itylias brother sighed. “Never mind,” He said. “I don't think I will ever understand your strange behaviours, Itylia.”

Strange doesn't even begin to describe it, pal.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“Here.” He threw something. Moonlight caught its edges as it travelled through the air.

Lia fumbled to catch it. Her fingers split to reveal a small glass jar, inside which a crimson-red liquid sloshed.

Is this... blood?

“Mother said you should eat something before you leave. To sate the hunger for as long as possible. Once you're done with that, finish getting ready and meet her outside.”

The boy turned to leave, slamming the door closed behind him, leaving Lia alone once more.

Red liquid dribbled out from the glass vial where a slight crack had formed in the seal.

Holy shit...

Lia shrieked and rolled the vial along the wooden floorboards until it disappeared beneath an antique self-standing dress robe in the corner of the room.

“Holy shit! Oh my god. I touched it.”

She stood and took a frantic step back. Her heart thumped, matching her footsteps along the wooden floorboards.

“Did that come out of a person!?” Lia covered her mouth with both hands. “I have to get out of here... If they figure out I'm a human, they’re going to kill me!”

All at once, the implications of her situation crashed into her like a wave.

... Can I even call myself human anymore? Lia looked down to her arm. Vividly, she remembered it being only a stump, ending just shy of her elbow; now, it was much more than that. It was perfect... As if that car crash had never happened.

Bump!

Lia jumped back, startled. Unknowingly, she’d been pacing around the room, distancing herself from the blood vial all the way to the eastern side.

After having bumped into it, the black curtain’s edge appeared to be caught, folding in on itself like a wrinkled cloth. Through the newly formed gap, moonlight poured inside, highlighting every corner of the room.

In this new light, Lia could see the room for what it was. Itylia's bedroom.

Like a moth drawn to the light, Lia found herself walking towards it, and before long, she held a clump of the curtain fabric in her right hand.

“Where the hell did you send me?”

Lia pulled the curtain aside. Veins, the likes of which she had never seen before, surfaced all over her arm, and the dense fabric of the curtain tore from one end to the other.

Eh?

She stumbled back and crouched, covering her head as the curtain fell over her. Beneath the curtain, Lia observed the veins in her arms wriggling as if they were alive.

Feeling overwhelmed and frantic after discovering her newly found strength, Lia screamed, escaped the curtain and stood. A moment later, she was blinded by the moonlight pouring in through the now exposed window.

Hedges taller than the average human outlined a massive perimeter, decorating and detailing a picturesque stone courtyard. Beyond the courtyard, an ominous black fence spaced by brick pillars from which gargoyle heads protruded sealed everything from the outside world. Beside a water feature depicting a group of mermaids crowding a lonely sailor in a small fishing vessel, a carriage waited patiently.

A woman dressed in black with pale skin, stood by the carriage. She stared up at the window on the top floor of the castle, the window Lia stared out of. For what felt like an eternity, they locked eyes.

She must be...

A hoard of bats screeched and took flight from the rooftops and lookout towers, turning the already cloudy night pitch black.

“Mother is waiting for you, Itylia.” The boy's words replayed in her mind.

Fighting against every survival instinct she had, Lia walked back to her bed and dressed herself in clothes found inside the antique dress robe at the far end of the room.

I have no choice anymore, do I? Lia looked down at her arm where the veins had since settled. If I stay here, or if I act strangely, they might start suspecting me. And if that happens...

A vision of red caused Lia’s heart to thump.

“I'll be down soon, Mother.”

...

Lia made her way through unfamiliar corridors, past maids and butlers who watched her with a keen eye. There was something about their glances and mannerisms that didn't sit right with her. It wasn't out of respect they were bowing. Fear, perhaps? Finally, she made her way down a grand staircase and out into the courtyard before being ushered into the carriage, where she now sat nervously and was joined by Itylia's mother.

“Tell me, Itylia. Why exactly did you tear down the curtain.” The woman sitting adjacent Lia asked as the carriage rumbled down the rocky road. Pale hands rested in her lap. Hands that could lash out and snap Lia like a twig at any moment.

Every muscle in her body convulsed on instinct. She hardly had the courage to speak, but there was hardly any choice.

“I was angry.” Each word felt forced. She moved her tongue and lips in unfamiliar ways, trying her best to imitate Itylia.

“Care to explain why?”

Outside the carriage window, trees passed by in a blur. Lia took a deep breath. The smell of moss was almost headache-inducing.

“Is it because I sent Eather to check up on you?”

Eather... That must be the siblings' name.

“I was indecent.”

“Well, that is your own fault for not being prepared. The carriage was waiting for quite some time. If I hadn't sent him to get you moving, we would likely still be at the castle.”

How was I supposed to know that?

“He barged in and stared at me... It was disgusting.”

“Disgusting?” Her slight shift in tone made Lia quiver. “Are you claiming that he was looking at you with interest?”

Lia remained silent.

Laughter filled the carriage. “My dear, Eather would sooner eat you than he would court you. Remove that thought from your head immediately.”

“...Yes, mother.” Lia forced out, though the thought wasn't any more pleasant.

“Although, now that you mention it, he did say something that I found rather strange.”

Lia looked up to meet her gaze. The woman's eyes were a brilliant pink, just like Itylias. It was a stark contrast to her deep black hair and snow-white skin.

“He said you were different somehow. And I have to agree with him. You seem to have matured slightly since we last spoke.”

Lia shrunk into her chair a little. “I've always been a little bit different. Haven't I, Mother.”

“Different doesn't even begin to describe it, dear.” The woman scoffed. “But sometimes, change is a good thing.”

Oh, how forward-thinking of you...

“If it weren't for your peculiarity, I wouldn't have felt comfortable sending you to that-” The woman flicked her hand through the air, “Academy, or whatever it is those creatures call it.”

Academy?

“But this is a good opportunity for us. And god knows that your brother couldn't handle it. The second one of those beasts laid eyes on him, Eather would declare war on the entire campus. That boy was cursed with vampiric pride.”

The woman leant forward and traced Lia’s jawline with her black nails. “That's where you come in, dear.”

It took every ounce of Lia's bravery not to scream or move.

“With you playing spy, we no longer have to worry about what schemes those vile little gremlins might be plotting against us. The war is beginning to turn in our favour. Isn't it exciting, Itylia?”

The woman pulled back, and Lia could breathe again.

War? Schemes? Gremlins!? W- Which part of that is supposed to be exciting exactly? Lia tightened her grip on the hem of her black dress. A dress she had stolen from Itylia. It barely fit her new body, ending uncomfortably high around her upper thighs and squeezing against her chest. If her nan were to see it, she would probably call it flattering.

So, is there some sort of war going on here? Is that why Itylia was in such a rush to run away?

Wait a second... Now that I think about it, wasn't she just trying to brush her responsibilities off onto someone else?

An ember of rage came to life inside Lia’s heart.

That little coward. She was probably just wandering the streets looking for anybody to switch places with her, and I just happened to be the first person she saw.

Lia sighed.

Was Itylia really that kind of person? Wasn't I the one who agreed to switch lives with her?

Lia was too absorbed in her thoughts to notice the woman reach for something hidden behind the seat.

“Here. Take this with you.”

Lia turned to accept a small suitcase as it was shoved into her arms.

“What's in here?”

“What do you think?” The woman lazily rolled her eyes. “Clothes, dear. For school. I knew you were too foolish to pack your own. So, I made preparations in advance.”

Right. How foolish of me... I should have made preparations in the one hour I had since waking up and meeting you.

“You will also find a few blood vials hidden down the bottom. There's enough in there to last you a week, maybe two if you can be sparring. After that, you're going to have to sort out your own food.”

Lia stared down at the case. A slight tremble entered her fingers.

There are more of those blood vials in here. Lia swallowed, remembering how she reacted the first time seeing one.

“If it were up to me, I would have sent you in without any provisions and forced you to get over your foolish squeamishness. Your father, however, is a little more soft-hearted than I am.”

Squeamishness? Ityilia did say she was a bit of an outcast among her family... Where exactly was that squeamishness when she threw herself at me?

The carriage came to a sudden stop. Lia took hold of the suitcase as it threatened to slip out of her lap.

“We're here.” The woman turned to see Lia holding tightly onto the suitcase and panting with heavy breaths. “You seem nervous, deary.”

No, no, not at all. I feel just dandy!

“I... Suppose I am.”

“Well, don't be. All you have to do is play the role of student and relay back any suspicious or relevant information to the family. This was your idea, remember?”

This was Itylia’s Idea? Why would she want to do that? Was she really that desperate just to get away from you?

Lia nodded. “Of course, mother.”

“Good. Now wipe that pitiful look off of your face. There is still a two-hour walk ahead of you.”

“Two hours!?” Lia exclaimed, then quickly sealed her mouth. Itylia’s mother seemed rather shocked by the outburst. For just a moment, she forgot she was talking to a real vampire.

“Correct...It would be foolish to put myself in the land of the enemy willingly.”

The woman clicked her fingers, and the door to the carriage flew open. Following a second click, a gust of wind blew through the opposite window, forcing Lia to leap out.

Lia landed with a thud on her bare feet, losing grip on the suitcase. She stumbled forward a few steps as she tried to regain her composure, only to tip over onto the dry earth.

W-what just happened to me!?

“If you start walking now, you should make it there just before dawn. Try to get out of the sun as soon as possible.”

The sun!?

“And remember, dear, no one must know that you are a vampire.”

Lia stared back like a stunned owl.

Itylia's mother clicked her finger again, and the carriage door slammed shut.

“Wipe that foolish look off your face and stand.” Lia watched as the woman’s eyes changed from brilliant pink to a sinister red. Even her teeth took on animalistic sharpness. “You don't seem to be taking this seriously enough.”

The stars above shone down brightly. A chill wind rustled the surrounding trees.

“You are Itylia Bloodfallen—the princess of all vampires. If the academy, or even its students, were to learn of your heritage, they would try and kill you. A single slip-up could be the downfall of our entire species. Do I make myself clear?”

Lia nodded, feeling there was nothing else she could do.

“Then go, and be discrete.”

With those final comforting words, the horses trotted off, leading the carriage out of sight.

Lia stood in silence, wearing nothing but a skimpy black dress and holding a small suitcase full of blood vials to her chest.

“Wha-wha-whaaaaat!?” She screamed, heartbeat racing. “What the hell is going on? What kind of joke is this!?”

A group of screeching birds erupted from a nearby tree and flew towards the sunrise, teetering in the distance.

Lia looked down at her bare feet. After everything that happened this morning, shoes were apparently not one of them.

“I'm going to die out here, aren't I?”