Chapter 1
“Hahaha ... I’m going to get a taste of fresh blood from you.” He grips the man’s chin and sniffs. The man shivers.
“So sweet, sweat...” He bites his neck like an animal to quench his hunger. Then he turns, blood on his face, and laughs wildly through the screen.
Vicky turns off the TV and looks at his mum.
“Why do they always portray us as monsters?”
He sets the remote aside and relaxes on the sofa. His mum picks up a can of soda from the table, looking at him.
“They might not know that the coolest vampires are alive too.”
She laughs, proud of what she said.
“Honestly though, aren’t they tired of making such violent series about us?”
Vicky gets up from the couch as his sister runs downstairs.
“Mom! I made it! I got it!”
“Nora, not again. You’re just 7 ; you can’t do that.”
The mother isn’t letting her daughter fool her this time.
“I really did it! Look, I lifted this cup!”
Nora reaches for the mug and shuts her eyes. She focuses on lifting it with her new powers, but it won’t budge. Her brother and mum watch.
Then Vicky laughs.
“Open your eyes, Nora; you have no powers.”
When she opens her eyes, the cup is still in place.
“I know she’s lying.”
Saying this, their mum moves to the kitchen while Vicky laughs at his sister.
“No, it worked in my room, I swear.”
Nora stomps in frustration, unable to prove herself. Vicky just taps her head.
“Come on, Nora, Mum is right. You’re just 7, so there’s no need to worry about your powers. They’ll show up when the time is right. For now, focus on your studies, alright?”
“Vicky, please, I really lifted it in my room. I’m not lying.”
“Anyways, I’m heading out. Tell your stories to Mum. Bye.”
“You guys will never understand me.”
She enters her room, stunned. Meanwhile, Vicky leaves the house, walking to the bus stop. He’s in his hoodie and cap, inhaling the fresh evening air.
Getting on the bus, he visits Valmon Café. As Vicky enters the café’s manager room, the workers greet him. He spots his friend Fred already waiting.
Vicky takes a seat at the table.
“What are you doing here?”
Fred gives him a frustrated look.
“You really don’t know what it is today?”
“…….”
“Come on, Vicky! I’ve been calling you since morning!”
“Ahh... my phone. Yeah, I forgot it on the charger. What’s about today?”
Fred lowers his voice.
“Man, I told you that there’s a league today.”
“Yeah, I know. Let’s go.”
A smirk forms on Vicky’s face as they both leave for the league. The venue is in a very restricted area.
They stand in front of an old building. Fred presses his palm against the gate. It glows and swings open. As they step into the league, they see many vampires. Some breathe fire, while others fight. Blood is served in glasses. Fred grins at Vicky.
“I hope we don’t regret coming here.”
Vicky scoffs and heads to the battlefield, where the announcement is taking place.
“Everyone, the most awaited battle is starting right now!”
Applause erupts as the crowd turns toward the battle, everyone screaming in excitement.
“The rules are simple! Participants must rely on their supernatural abilities, not physical strength. Anyone who dares to fight, step into the ring!”
Vicky walks into the ring, making the crowd go wild. Fred watches excitedly.
“Who’s first?”
A giant figure steps into the ring to challenge Vicky. The crowd gasps at the man’s presence.
“Okay! The battle is going to be really fun! It’s VICKY VS BRITTEN!”
The crowd buzzes with cheer and excitement. In the ring, the air feels hot as the fighters lock eyes. Fred senses the tension; he knows this fight means more than just winning.
But he can do nothing as the round starts.
Fred walks to the corner of the ring, trying to convince the host to stop the fight, but the rules don’t allow it. Once they enter the ring, it’s either win or lose.
The battle kicks off with Britten drawing his sword for the first move. Vicky, quick as a flash, dodges him and slips behind. He lands a punch on Britten’s arm, but Britten blocks it and sends Vicky crashing into the ring’s corner. The crowd gasps.
“God! Britten is strong!”
Vicky stands up and pulls a powerful fire fist, throwing a punch at Britten. Even as he tries to escape, he gets hit. Britten is taken aback by Vicky’s punch but pushes himself back.
“Okay, you’re stronger than you look.”
In a flash, Britten uses his sword, which cuts through the air. The blade grazes Vicky’s arm. Despite bleeding, he stands. In an instant, the wound heals, and he strikes back with a flame kick, sending Britten flying away from the ring.
“Still want to fight?”
Vicky exclaims as the crowd gasps at this furious fight, but Britten stands up and smirks.
“I’m not done yet.”
Britten groans and soars into the night sky under the glowing moon. Vicky follows him, flying into the darkness.
The host notices the tension and tells them to stop. However, neither fighter listens. They continue battling across the sky, their movements flashing like a light show.
Vicky gets thrown into an empty alley by a powerful move. He tries to get up and fight but can’t fly back. Confused, he makes another attempt, but nothing happens. He looks around; there’s no one there. He tries to run fast as the wind but can’t move. Then, he glances at his arms in surprise.
“What’s going on?”
He tries to use his powers, but nothing works.
“No! No! No! No!!”
Then Britten hovers above him.
“What, have your powers left you? Hahahaha!”
Britten mocks Vicky, not expecting him to give up easily.
Not until someone loses.
Britten throws one last punch. Vicky collapses on the floor, his vision blurring and ears ringing.
That was the first time ever “VICKY VALMON” lost a battle, and he’s the first vampire to lose his powers.
The next day, Vicky wakes up in his room. A flashback strikes him, and he sits up quickly. He realises he’s in bed. He gets out and feels a strange pain in his bandaged back. His eyes widen in shock.
He rushes downstairs, where his family is at the dining table for breakfast.
“How did I get home?”
Vicky asks, unable to remember anything after the fight.
His mum places a bowl of salad on the table.
“Of course, your friend Fred brought you.”
Then Nora adds, “He said you lost the battle! Pfft! Why do you fight when you know you’re going to lose?”
His sister makes fun of him.
“Nora, you shouldn’t talk while eating,” their mum assures her, then looks at Vicky.
“Since when did you start getting into battle fights? And getting hurt?”
Vicky shrugs. “Mum, it was just one fight yesterday, that’s it.”
His mum asks again. “And since when aren’t your injuries healing?”
