SCARLETT (Kiss From The Darkness)
Chapter 1

"I'm going to die." I closed my eyes and was unable to move my limbs.

I listen to the sounds of night animals roaming this forest in search of prey. There was also the sound of crickets in the distance hiding among the bushes. I faintly heard the sound of an owl on the branch above me. All of the animal sounds were mixed with the drizzling glimmers that slowly fell on my body. I'll be wet and buried in a mudhole in this forest. How ironic.

I, who have traveled for thousands of years, have seen many civilizations collapse and participate in the formation of the modern world, which I will strangely leave soon. All the memories appeared like pieces of film in my mind.

I am the Goddess of eternity. Although I was tired of wandering around lonely for thousands of years, I never thought that the end of my life was so sad and sad like this. This is not the death I want. I am the strongest of all the immortal beings on the face of this earth.

I was the first female vampire to survive for thousands of years. I was able to kill the enemy with just a little flick of a hand. But now I lay helplessly on the muddy ground in the forest illuminated by the full moon.

I should be downtown now to see my client. I can't believe I'm lying weak and helpless. How shameful is the end of my life. I saw the history of the world lying almost dead. Would I die in such a terrible solitude? Why didn't the world give me the chance to feel love and be loved once? I spent my eternity in solitude. But in the depths of my heart I crave the feeling of being loved.

If I am given another chance to live, I want to love and be loved. Ah, but it seems like it is an impossible hope. I again felt a drizzle run down my face and my body. My feet have begun to sink into the mud. I felt something creeping along my feet. I heard the snake hiss. Even this time I was unable to repel animals let alone fight them. How sad. The Goddess of Darkness has lost.

I waited for death to come and get me. Maybe after that I'll be thrown straight to hell because I'm a damned creature. But after I remembered back, this was not a fate I chose myself.

I did not ask for eternal life like this. These are all mistakes. But I have to face the consequences of what I did not choose. This is the world at once. I've seen thousands of times, even millions of human deaths, on this earth. But I never imagined that my own death would be the saddest thing. I lived in solitude and died without anyone accompanying my death. No one will remember my story. No one was crying for my departure. I am an immortal being that will soon disappear and be forgotten in this world.

I felt my blood flow more and more profusely from the silver knife puncture scar on my side. That wound paralyzed me. I will run out of the essence of my life. For a vampire as old as me, my strength far exceeds that of any other vampire whose age is far below mine but my body's response to pain would also be much increased. It means I feel much more pain when I'm injured than a young vampire. With strength comes weakness.

How did the vampire hunter find out where I was in town? Though all this time I hid my identity so perfectly even I mingled very well with humans. I never attacked humans directly. I drank blood from the blood bank. I had a loyal client prepare the blood intake I bought from the blood bank. For me human life is as precious as their soul.

Since the war era has stopped, I have stopped sucking human blood directly. I used to suck the blood of a dying war victim soldier and yearn for death to end the pain. I did it to end their suffering. They will welcome death with a smile. But the world has changed.  Since then I have survived the blood bank supply. Although it was not as satisfying as when sucking directly from the veins that were on the neck of a human, but it was enough for me. I don't want to be a monster. Even I will fight vampires who harm humans. But now my journey will end here. By ourselves. Unforgettably. I felt my consciousness begin to diminish. I allowed myself to be embraced by the slow-moving gusts of the night wind. Yeah, I'm gonna die.

...

The pain ran along the scar next to my body. I cringed withstanding the stinging burning feeling. This pain is death. Why my death lasted so long and was painful. Why this pain does not end soon. I tried to open my eyes. Weight. I tried to slowly open my eyelids. My gaze is so faint. I tried to move my finger. Ah I can move.

I was in a bright white room. It looks like this is a room. Are there rooms in the afterlife with very bright lighting? I felt a soft bed under my body. I finally broke free from the wet soil I hated.

I looked to the side and my eyes widened in shock when I saw a man standing by the side of my bed. That guy has a very handsome face. His body is tall and strong. Chest field. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and I saw his muscles were so strong. Why in the afterlife there are such handsome creatures. He was looking right at me.

"Who are you?" My voice sounded hoarse in my ears.

"I'm Roland, I saved you in that forest." His voice is a bit heavy. Compatible with his strong body.

I blinked my eyes a few times. I tried to get out of my bed but my efforts were in vain as I groaned in pain. He grabbed my shoulder and told me to lie down.

"Rest. You're hurt really badly and you're losing a lot of blood. For me to come before it's too late. I brought you to my house. " Obviously while justifying the blanket over my body that was slightly exposed due to my movements just now.

"Home?" I asked with my eyebrows linked.

"Yes, this is my home. Relax, I won't hurt you. I just want to help you." It was like convincing myself that he was harmless.

"So I'm not dead yet?" I glared at him.

"You are still in this world." He answered with a slanted smile.

"What?" I can't believe it.

I'm not dead yet. Yeah, I'm alive.