Has there ever been a time when you felt like you didn't know who you were or where you were? Losing your memory is a bit like that... You can't remember where you've come from or who you are, it's a very strange feeling. In any case, you'll be alone to see it...
In a night strewn with thick fog, a person was running inside, thinking that it would hide his identity. At a frantic pace through the dark night, the young man silver hair like high mountain snow ran through the gloom, his blood-red eyes signalling his position to those tracking him. Far from being a brave knight, he took off at full speed, his slender body allowing him to run much faster. When he turned round, the black shadows were still there, more menacing than ever. After hiding under a bridge, the exhausted silver-haired young man tried to catch his breath. Three shots rang out in the distance, as the stress and adrenaline made him collapse. He closed his eyes and sank into a deep sleep.
When he woke up, the first thing he saw was the silhouette of a woman sitting in a chair at the end of the room, silhouetted against the soft glow of the fireplace. This woman with hair like autumn foliage was reading a book, her eyes reflecting an azure sea. He tried to stand up, but his muscles were aching.
The noise he made caught the young woman's attention and she immediately rose from her chair.
- Wow! Take it easy, you might hurt yourself, just lie there and we'll talk like this.
The young man looked around him as he lay back down. He met his own gaze in a mirror close to the young woman, his black eyes and half-length hair comparable to charcoal, which camouflaged him perfectly thanks to the dark atmosphere of the room.
- Excuse me, but where are we and what time is it?" asked the boy, who had a complex about this incongruous situation.
- I'm the one who should be asking the questions... but come on! You're in my house, or at least my father's, and he must be there right now, so let's see...
The young woman looked at the clock above the door frame, where family portraits hang. The dim light prevented her from seeing clearly, so she stood up and walked past the young man. The sweet smell of orange wafted up her nostrils. She stopped in front of the frame and looked towards the clock, which read 10.34pm.
- 10.34 pm it is!
The young man nodded his approval, still a little confused, and looked around a little puzzled, his memory still failing him.
- I've got a few questions to ask you, but as you're tired we'll keep them to a minimum. First of all, who are you and what's your name?
A seemingly banal question, but one that can reveal a great deal, a question that even a child can answer... Unfortunately, for this young man who looked lost, even bewildered, this question turned out to be more complicated than he thought.
- I can't remember anything...
The astonished girl took a step backwards, dropping her book to the floor, which surprised the young man. She didn't know how to react. At first, she thought it was a joke in very bad taste, but when she saw the boy's face, marked by ignorance and even fear, she realised he was telling the truth. Hands shaking on his head as he tried to remember his past, the young man searched his empty memory. She sighed and moved towards the boy, holding out her hand.
- My name is Nova, you can at least tell me your name, can't you?
Nova's question rang in her ears like a distant echo. In his head, the information was racing. A multitude of flashes came to him, showing different images, one of which was that of a couple slumped on the ground, a pool of blood spreading around them, leaving the young man confused and unable to make sense of what he was seeing. He got to his feet, looking left and right. The people around him were laughing, crying, all saying one name: Io Andromeda! Then everything came to an abrupt halt. Nova's voice brought him back to his senses.
- Hey, what's wrong?
- The young girl's tone became more serious.
- Sorry... what did you say you wanted?Can you remember your name or not at all?
- I am... I am Io Andromeda.
The girl's face lit up: you remember your past! she said, clasping her hands playfully. But the young man immediately broke her joy. He nodded and said that only his first name had come back to him. So the girl asked him another question: what was he doing under the bridge?
- Which bridge are you talking about?
- I found you under the Freedom Bridge.
Io replied, putting his hand over his face, that all he remembered was waking up in a house and when he turned round he saw a pool of blood with a man and a woman in the centre. At the end of the room, three men dressed in black started shouting at him, so he ran away. Nova chuckled at what Io had just told her, but preferred to pretend nothing had happened, which didn't escape the young man's notice, perhaps because she didn't dare continue the discussion for fear of stirring up trauma. She got up from her chair and asked him in a warm tone of voice:
- Where did this magnificent ring come from?
Perplexed, Io looked at his left hand and noticed a ring split in two, with a triangle at the bottom pointing to numbers from X to I. On examining it, he noticed that it could turn, but he preferred not to touch it. He told Nova that it was a simple gold ring, and she approached him to observe the ring that had been attracting his attention for some time. The young man gasped. For him, her presence was a little awkward: Too close... he thought to himself as he watched the girl's body. As she straightened up, she exclaimed loud and clear:
- You're really shy, haha!
- Sorry about that...
Two complete opposites, which didn't seem to bother Io, who blushed easily. His hair flew past his eyes, forcing Nova to put it back in place, which surprised him.
- Wait!" she said as she left the room.
She returned two minutes later with a triangle-shaped hair clip. She went over to him and put it in his hair, and he was amazed. Nova suddenly noticed that Io had black eyes.
- Oh, you look like a girl! Tell me, you wouldn't happen to be a girl, would you?
- No !
He raised his voice a little, which brought a mischievous smile to the young girl's face.
- So we're just raising our voices?
Io let out a low moan of terror at the sadistic face. Having finished teasing him, she let go.
- Don't worry! My father works for the Vatican. My father works for the Vatican, and as long as you're in my house, no one will harm you. When he returns, we'll discuss your case.
Io didn't know what the Vatican was, so he asked shyly. Nova asked him to repeat himself, as the young man was mumbling under his breath.
- What's the Vatican?" he repeated, tilting his head to the left.
The young girl's eyes widened in shock at his question.
- Do you live in a cave?No,
- I just lost my memory...
- ...
It was then that she rubbed the back of his head, in an instant she had already forgotten this information. He looked at her like a hopeless case, that murderer's look hurt her more than a thousand insults, he who is by nature shy, that look was the worst punishment. She turned, putting her hand on his chest.
- Don't look at me like that!
But his insistent gaze put so much pressure on her that she stammered while looking left and right as if looking for a new subject to discuss.
- What is the Vatican after all?
- Yes! The Vatican, that's right, it's a place where the 9 best vampire hunters come together.
As he listened to her words, the young man's throat tightened, his face turned pale, almost corpse-like, and his head ached terribly.
- You don't look well, you really should go back to bed.
Cold sweat ran down his neck, making him shiver. He looked at his hand and noticed that it had started to tremble.
Breuk!
The sound of someone imitating vomiting was heard in Io's head, but his attention was quickly diverted by Nova, who placed her gentle hand on his. He raised his head, his left eye hidden by his hair, his face showing a sign of terror.
- Are you all right?
He couldn't answer her question, because even he wasn't sure. He couldn't remember anything, but hearing the word Vatican in his ears terrified him. After a few seconds, he managed to regain his composure, but was soon cut off by the sound of a door. He put himself on alert in case he had to flee. At the same time, a man dressed in black entered the living room, his build proving that he had just come through rigorous training. His thick beard and the sparse hair on his head only increased the pressure in the room. Io's blood ran cold: this man was dressed exactly like those famous men in black.
- Hi sweetie, I'm home!
- Father?
The man took off his shoes and approached the living room; once inside, he stopped immediately to contemplate the young man trembling with fear on his sofa. He gritted his teeth and muttered something under his breath.
- What's he doing there?
Io had heard what he said, but he was too terrified to move. He wondered why a man like him was there. He finally remembered that Nova's father worked for the Vatican, so he put two and two together about the men who had attacked him: they were Vatican men. Nova looked at Io and then at her father, who lowered his head for a moment and took on a stern tone. Nova stepped between the two men and shouted at her father, which surprised Io, who finally managed to move. He stood up and backed up to a window.
- Don't you move! Don't you dare walk away!
- I don't know you, so leave me alone...Father, please stop!
- What is that boy doing on my sofa?!
Nova was taken by surprise, at first she tried to calm her father down by explaining that there was nothing going on between them, but these words ended up calming him down, which reassured Nova.
- Listen to me, Father! This boy needs help, I found him passed out under the Freedom Bridge and he doesn't remember who he is.
- What are you saying?
Nova's father's gaze narrowed. He stared at Io who, for his part, was really uncomfortable. He looked at the man with a single eye, but no matter how many times he looked left and right, he always ended up on Nova's father's eye.
Shit! Shit! Shit! I feel sick, I've got to get away!
Nova's father huffed, grabbed a chair to his right and sat down opposite Io. The young boy had no way out, he was stuck. He went and sat down on the sofa. The man introduced himself as Jupiter and then asked him his name: Io Andromeda, he replied suspiciously.
- On the other hand! We've had a bit of trouble with a vampire earlier today, so you'll have to take a test to find out if you're a vampire before you can live with us.
- And what does this test involve?
Io frowned as the man told her he had nothing to fear. A smile began to form on Jupiter's face, making Io uncomfortable as she stared at him.
- There's no danger of that unless you're a nobody.
- A nobody?" repeated the intrigued young man.
Nova banged her father on the head to show him that he was not to be trusted.
- Stupid father! Are you trying to scare him or something?
The man huffed and began to explain that there are several types of vampire.
[ Les sans-dents ] "First of all, there are the sans-dents. They have no powers and cannot turn a human into a vampire, but they must feed on blood to survive."
[ The Nobles ] "They're a real nuisance! They're beings that have been in direct contact with the blood of the Original, they have a unique power, given by the Original and passed down from generation to generation, that can transform a human into a less powerful vampire."
[ Original ] "And finally, the Original, he's the very first vampire to have existed on this planet, he can turn any living thing into a vampire, he's the most powerful being of all. No one knows who he is or what he looks like. There are rumours that he is dead."
- Nobody knows who he is?
- No, time has erased his face and back then we didn't have cameras or telephones. There are plenty of books describing him, but all vampires look alike from noble rank upwards.
Nova's father reached into his bag and grabbed a small box, moving the chair in front of Io, who was just getting to her feet. He explained to her what the test was all about: it was simply human blood. The toothless can't resist its attraction, but the nobles can. After taking the test, a warmth invaded Io's body, his body temperature rising, when suddenly something woke up inside him and he closed his eyes, stunned by the temperature. Once plunged into the dark, he found himself alone in the immense void that is his memory: where am I? he said in fear.
Aaaaaaaah
He turned round in surprise at the noise coming from nowhere and saw a young man with his back to him, whose pressure discouraged Io from approaching him.
Why did I think I could run away for eternity from that monster...
The young man turned round, the darkness of the place darkening his face.
- Who are you?!
I don't know why... but at first I was convinced that his eyes were open, but in fact he'd had them closed all along.
A red ball appeared in the darkness, stress rising in no time as his smile grew.
- Aaaaaaaaah!
Fear startled him awake and he looked around the room, not knowing where he was. He sighed, reassured that it was just a bad dream. The young man got up and saw that he was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, an open grey hooded jacket with a T-shirt on which a little cat was winking, and black jogging bottoms. Opening the door, he stumbled into a room with three doors. He looked everywhere for Nova and saw a sign on one of the doors that read: "Nova's room". When he opened the door, he couldn't see her anywhere. He went down the stairs and into the living room, where on the table were a plate, a note and a letter. He began to read the letter:
"Nova is at school and I'm at work, I won't be back for a while so go to the school and give this letter to the headmaster, here are the contact details. xxx xxxxx xxxxx
P.S. If you can't find what you're looking for, ask people on the street.
Io turned his gaze to the note: Breakfast for Io, Nova. After he'd eaten, he wondered what high school was like, but this question didn't stay in his head for very long. When he met his gaze with the photos, he became pensive.
I must be the same age as Nova, as I'm a bit taller than her. Pfff, look at her smile... Well, I think it's time.
He prepared to retrieve the letter and opened the door, his eyes glistening, not because of the sun but because of the vast world awaiting him... or just a wall. Io had gone out the back door. He sighed and said to himself that it was because he had lost his memory, "The good excuse". He went back to the right door and set off in the direction of the school, completely lost and asking a few people he came across where the school was.
- Ex... Excuse me!
- What's the matter, young lady? Wow, young man!
- Pou...Pou...Can you tell me where this address is?
- Are you new in town? I know where it is, just go that way and you should be fine.
- Thank you Madame!
Since he wasn't used to humans any more, it took him an hour to get there, even though the school wasn't far away, so he hid behind every electricity pole to avoid any human contact. He entered the school already tired, wiping his sweaty chin as if he'd run a marathon.
At last! he said to himself, linking his hands and praying to some god.
Suddenly, a fairly young person's voice called out to him. Afraid to turn round, he switched to automatic mode and turned round, stoic as a robot.
- Aren't you from around here?
He turned round and saw a small girl: a child? he thought aloud reflexively, the little girl began to squint.
- Shall we fight ?
- laughed the frightened young man.
- Come on, get over here!
- Sorry about that!
2 minutes later...
He apologised, touching her swollen cheek with his finger. He told her he was looking for the headmaster's office, but the girl turned her head away and told him to follow her. He complied without saying a word and followed her, walking through the corridors and asking her why she wasn't in class with everyone else.
- You're living in a cave or something!
- Haha, I've been told the same thing before..." he said, rubbing his head.
- We're at a school that trains vampire hunters, and some of them are on a mission...
His throat tightened and, to lighten the mood, he asked her how old she was. He replied without stopping walking.
- I'm 17.
- You're lying!" said the boy quickly.
- Do you want to die?" she said, glaring at him.
- Sorry about that!
Easy
Io was surprised that she could answer him so easily. Looking up, he noticed that they had arrived in front of the headmaster's office, highlighted by a sign pointing to it.
- We've arrived!" said the young girl, pointing to the desk.
- If one day we meet again, we'll introduce ourselves and this time we'll become friends?
The girl turned and began to speak softly. Io asked her to repeat herself, noticing that her cheeks were red. She turned round suddenly and, stammering, said to her: never again! The girl left, grumbling. Io her watched go, a sad look on his face.
Pffff haha.
He turned round after hearing someone sniggering, but saw no one around him. He thought he must have been hallucinating and entered the office. The room was plunged into a morbid darkness. There was only a huge window behind the headmaster's desk, but at this time of day, the sun doesn't shine very brightly into the room, which hid the face of the only man in the room. Io introduced himself, and the headmaster barely squeezed his eyes shut before he felt as if he was in mortal danger. He stepped forward as best he could and handed the letter to the headmaster. As he read it, the imposing man frowned. Io started to leave, but the headmaster called out to him.
- So you want to go to secondary school?
- P- Excuse me?!
Io looked at the letter and said to himself: Jupiter you bastard, you've betrayed me! Not being brave enough to refuse, he instinctively said yes.
Perfect! says the director
Clapping his hands and changing his expression, he explained the rules of the school and the missions he would have to carry out during the year if a vampire was discovered.
[ The units ] "These are groups of 3 to 5 people, they go into the semi-human quarters to kill a vampire as soon as one is spotted!"
Io was at a loss, even if he had only understood the broad outlines.
The headmaster gave him a piece of paper telling him when his lessons would start and where he had to go to collect his uniform. He left the headmaster's office, sighed with relief and began to read the paper the headmaster had given him. It said that he had to go to various shops near the school to pick up what he needed and that the school would pay for it.
13 o'clock, that's when he starts lessons. He looked up to see a clock: it was already 10 o'clock. So he left the school to go and find what he needed. It was a tough ordeal, on his own, making his way through a town he knew absolutely nothing about. When he finally reached the school, it was already 12 o'clock: I'm hungry! he thought, looking at the clock with envy.
When he reached the infirmary, he knocked on the door and signalled his a timid voice entrance in. As he entered, he looked at a nurse with black hair with violet highlights long , part of her fringes spilling over her eyes, which were violet. She smiled, and he noticed the mole at the edge of her mouth. She crossed her legs, her elegance almost giving her the mature appearance of an older sister. Sitting in front of his desk, her large breasts immediately caught Io's eye, and he wondered how nature could create such monsters... He stared at her with a blank stare, his cheeks puffed out, he was obviously holding back a thought. After three seconds of waiting, he pulled a livid face, his brain having obviously digested this creation of Mother Nature. But a part of him wasn't convinced, so he turned, squatted in his chair and wondered why such a cliché was in front of him.
- Oh!" she said, squinting. I presume you're Io?
- Yes, nice to meet you, I'm Io Andromeda! he said, red as a tomato.
The young man stood up stiff as a board, unable to look her in the eye. He counted the number of tiles on the ceiling. She got up and stood behind him, then in front of him, a scent of lavender vaguely reminding him of something. When the young man came back to reality, she began to touch his arms to observe his musculature.
- Mi...Mi...Miss !
- Calm down! Calm down! You're all tense. Take your uniform, you can go behind the curtain to change.
Io grabbed his uniform and headed for his famous curtains. He started to undress, but the nurse pushed back the curtain. Luckily he had his trousers on, but not his top.
- Interesting!