I leaned back against the cheap motel bed and let out a slow breath.
First things first. I needed to think about what just happened.
Dying, meeting a god, spinning cosmic wheels, and waking up in another world wasn't exactly something you processed on instinct alone. I closed my eyes and sorted through my thoughts one by one, grounding myself.
Rob had said I'd understand my powers naturally.
And he wasn't lying.
The moment my consciousness fully settled into this body, something clicked. Not knowledge in the traditional sense, more like instincts awakening or bloodline activating. Whatever I was now, it had always been waiting for awareness to catch up.
That said, there was a catch.
This body had lived seventeen years as a normal human. Solid background, clean history, believable records. That was good. Even necessary.
But it also meant I didn't fully grasp the limits of my abilities yet. I knew what I could do, just not how far I could push it.
I glanced at the clock beside the bed.
1 pm, June 27th.
Beginning of school summer holidays.
Perfect.
No school. No obligations. I have time and even more.
I stood up and immediately noticed something.
My body felt light. Too light.
I took a single step, then another, and realised my muscles were coiled with far more strength than they should've had. In my human form alone, I was already comparable to a regular vampire from this world. Strength, speed and even durability. Someone may ask me, how do you know all of it from a single step. The answer is my instincts, embedded knowledge in my head. From movies, I had some idea of vampire abilities then, as thinking of my own ones, I could already tell the answer.
Then, curiosity got the better of me.
I focused and activated my senses.
The world exploded.
Sound rushed in first. Too much of it. The buzz of electricity in the walls, distant car miles away, the breathing of someone in a neighbouring room. Scents layered over each other: cleaner, fabric, old wood, damp air, food from somewhere down the street.
My vision sharpened violently, details snapping into place until the room looked almost unreal.
"Shit-"
I staggered and sat back down, gripping the edge of the bed as my brain scrambled to adapt.
It took seconds, not even minutes or hours.
Instant Mastery.
I felt it working, smoothing the overload, teaching my mind how to process everything efficiently. Not just adapting - perfecting. Information stuck instantly. My memory expanded, reorganised itself, sharpened.
By the time I stood again, the sensory chaos was gone - replaced by clarity.
That was when I realised something else.
These senses rivalled a vampire's. No, if I focused, they surpassed them.
And that was just my human form.
I grabbed my jacket, checked the cash Rob mentioned, ten thousand dollars, exactly, and left the motel. A short distance away, there was a dense forest. Such a quiet place was ideal.
Once inside, I stopped and expanded my senses outward, carefully this time.
No one, except some bugs which my mind filtered out and a couple of birds.
Satisfied, I moved.
The ground blurred beneath my feet as I sprinted deeper into the forest, speed bordering on ridiculous. Trees whipped past, air roaring in my ears, yet I controlled every step perfectly.
But I couldn't test my speed at full extent in such a dense forest.
Then, after stopping in five miles, I proceeded
First test, strength.
I braced myself against a massive tree and applied pressure.
It cracked.
Not splintered, cracked, trunk groaning before snapping cleanly and crashing down. I stared at it for a moment, then nodded to myself.
After, I found a massive boulder and hit it hard. It crushed. Some debris flew off at high speed, hitting everithyng at ten meter radius.
Some of them hit me. I jumped slightly, afraid of being injured.
Checked, but ... nothing. No sign of them even landing on me, apart of damaged shirt.
I sighed relieved,
Then remembered that I am quite durable now and slapped my forehead.
"Fuck, I have to get used to it", I said
I saw a large rock and decided to test a theory I formed when I hit that boulder. I came closer to the rock, positioned myself and landed the hit, then another one, then another. First hit was awkward, but each consecutive one was more precise and refind then the previous. Yet, it wasn't the point I paid attention to.
"So, that's how it works," I said smiling slightly
Each hit gave me the understading of my overall power limit. The more and the stronger I punch, the more accurate it is gonna be.
I paused, thinking to myself. That feeling cannot translate my power number-wise.
But I had a similar experience in my previous life. It is like when you know how much pressure you need to apply to turn a door handle and how much more to start breaking it. It is good to understand how not to break something, but I can't tell how powerful I am.
"That is a good start"
I continued testing my limits, jumping, lifting.
Every movement was becoming more instinctive, efficient, and refined by Instant Mastery as I went. At the end, I could see the overall picture in my head.
Then came the big one - transformation.
"Lest undress first, we don't want to show my ass to anyone right..."
I wasn't like the Quileute shifters. I knew that instinctively. What I was… didn't fit neatly into categories. Human? Lion? Something in between?
I focused inward, concentrating on the unfamiliar sensation deep in my chest.
The transformation wasn't smooth.
Bones shifted slowly, muscles expanding, skin stretching as my form grew. It didn't hurt - but it demanded focus. Control.
And then-
I stood there, not a human anymore, but a lion, a winged lion.
Nearly four meters tall. Majestic, lean but muscular. A thick mane framed my head, its colour a blend between classic lion gold and pale white shades. Two massive wings extended from my back, feathered and powerful, each movement stirring the air around me.
I lowered my head, staring at my reflection in a shallow stream.
"…Damn," a very low and rough voice came out from my snout
The eagle side of me showed itself not just in the wings, but in my eyes too. My vision sharpened further, absurdly so. When I focused, I could see details miles away with terrifying clarity.
Then, I flexed my claws.
Razor-sharp, massive.
I tested my jaws next, biting down on a fallen steel hiking sign someone had left behind. It folded like paper.
If humanity had built it, I could crush it.
I didn't try flying, though. As tempting as it was, I wasn't stupid. Cameras, satellites. One bad move and secrecy was gone forever.
Instead, I ran.
The forest became my domain.
In this form, my senses expanded even further - I could hear, smell, and feel everything within a fifteen-mile radius. Every animal, every shift of wind. The ground itself felt alive beneath my paws.
I also felt, in this form, I am stronger, faster.
At least four times stronger and three times as fast as my human form.
"Overwhelming power"
But I also felt free. I am not the one who caged a beast inside, no.
I am the beast and the cager at the same time. So the feeling after the transformation was like I myself was chained and finally got free.
Unfortunately, I had to shift back. There are things left to do.
The return was easier and smoother.
"The Instant Mastery is a real cheat code", I said laughing
And that's when I discovered something, there was more.
Partial transformation
I focused - and wings burst from my back. Perfect for quick escapes. Combined with my build and name, it almost felt… angelic. Fitting.
Next, claws and fangs - summoned without changing the rest of my body.
Then something else entirely.
A warelion form.
I shifted in three meters tall humanoid lion. More compact, yet powerful. I could summon wings here too. In this form, I am twice as strong and fast as my human self, not as much as the full winged lion, but far more practical and versatile.
Satisfied, after shifting back and getting dressed, I returned to the motel as the sun began to set.
That's when hunger hit me like a truck.
"Oh yeah," I muttered. "That's new."
My appetite became monstrous - at least twice what it used to be. I walked to the nearest café, ordered enough food to earn a few looks, ate everything, paid, and left.
Back in my room, I collapsed onto the bed.
First day in a new world.
Not bad.