Mikael was lying down, relaxing, when he realized it was already night. But then he heard the sounds of clashing swords and battles erupting outside, and soon came the confirmation:
A body fell right on top of his door, cracking it. Seeing that, he decided it was the perfect chance to escape.
Activating his vampiric transformation and bursting through the door—causing a massive explosion—he used the chaos to mask his exit.
Once outside, he found himself face-to-face with humanoid beasts, or as they were called: "Orcs."
The kingdom's knights and soldiers were fighting the orcs, who were spread throughout the prison and most of the kingdom.
Everything seemed thrilling to Mikael, but he couldn't join the fight; if his escape were to be completely successful, he needed to stay unnoticed.
Moving quietly and trying to blend in, Mikael managed to slip out of the prison, but—whether by luck or misfortune—the chaos outside was even worse:
civilians screaming, houses burning, bodies scattered across the streets.
He wasn't bothered by the bloody scene; it felt strangely normal. In fact, he found it exciting to see the ground soaked in blood, and deep down, he felt an inexplicable desire for it.
Mikael realized that as the memories of the body's previous owner and his own began to merge, his mindset had shifted slightly.
Not knowing how to feel about it, he pushed the thought aside and focused on escaping.
He crossed several streets and alleys until reaching the kingdom's outer wall, but as he got closer, he noticed thousands of orcs and soldiers in the area. He didn't want to be discovered so soon.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to wait for a better opportunity. He headed toward the slums. Once there, he noticed he was wearing nothing but a ragged cloth, and, embarrassed, he broke into a clothing shop.
Entering quietly, Mikael grabbed a white shirt, black pants, and a coat. After looking at himself in the mirror and smiling in satisfaction, he headed out again in search of a hideout.
He came upon an old abandoned mud-brick house, went inside, and found a small worn-out bed and, underneath it, a little pouch of coins. Lying down, he relaxed and waited for daylight to continue his escape plan.
With sunrise, the kingdom's capital became a little more stable; however, many orcs remained hidden in the shadows, eagerly waiting for nightfall to attack again. After waking up and stretching, Mikael decided to walk around and get a better sense of the place he'd chosen to hide.
In the slums, there were many homeless people, pickpockets, and sick residents. Seeing this, he sighed and muttered:
— Even in this world, humanity stays the same when it comes to slums.
As he reached a busier street, a boy dressed in rags, with dark red hair, brown eyes, and a malnourished look, crept up quietly from behind.
Noticing him, I smiled. The boy slipped his hand into my pocket; watching him fumble around for money, I grabbed him by the arm and stared him straight in the eyes.
Terrified, he tried to run, but it was pointless. After all, what could a child do against a vampire's strength? Realizing he couldn't escape, the boy looked up at me, expecting to be attacked.
I was surprised—there was determination, fear, and anger in his eyes. I gave him a small smile, which only confused him more, and said:
— You know, trying to steal from someone who can see you before you even get close is pretty dangerous — I said sarcastically.
Hearing that, the boy froze, utterly shocked, and his expression was priceless. I watched the amusing way he reacted. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but… he gave up.
I took the coins I had found in that house and handed them to him. He hesitated at first, suspicious, but then I saw a spark of gratitude and happiness in his eyes. I let him go, and he ran off.
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