The Guide To Being A Vampire [BL]

America is strangely different from where I came from. The people, the infrastructure, and even their magic academies here are so different—it's not something I'm used to. I remember my mother always reminding me that a High-Class Mage must be prepared for changes and challenges on missions.

I know I should be prepared, but this is my very first mission. Thankfully, I've got help—well, technically, she's an assistant given to me. My Personal Assistant (or PA for short) is Fumiko Shira, another High-Class Mage. My mother insisted I bring her along.

She doesn't trust me to be on my own just yet, and honestly, I understand. Truthfully, I was nervous about doing this alone. I may be the youngest High-Class Mage, but being good at something doesn't mean you can apply all your talents perfectly under pressure. I'm still a teenager, after all.

"It could be that Minerva truly is no longer here," Shira said, standing beside my desk as I rifled through the reports in my hand. On the other side of my desk lay my untouched school assignments, mocking me with their presence.

The sight of them gave me a headache. I rubbed my forehead, trying to alleviate the dull throb. "Maybe. But it doesn't hurt to make sure there aren't other magical beings around who know of her," I replied. Shira nodded in agreement.

"What about the runt vampire we found? Were you able to talk to him?" Shira asked, her voice tinged with concern. She didn't know I'd already met him—or that I was now, technically, bothering him regularly.

"Ah, that? Still… in the process," I muttered, lying through my teeth. I hadn't yet told Shira what I'd discovered about Sebastian Gray. He was a runt vampire—different from the others.

Most runt vampires are humans turned by purebloods accidentally during feeding. They're usually uncontrollable, with a high chance of going berserk. Missions to deal with them are typically assigned to Middle-Class Mages.

Recently, however, the six remaining purebloods have been turning far too many humans into runts. The higher-ups are worried this might be connected to the disappearance of the seventh pureblood: Minerva Marlowe.

Minerva Marlowe is perhaps the most powerful pureblood ever known.

She's one of the last originals created by Dracula himself. The other purebloods often killed one another for power, and Dracula replaced them as needed. Minerva, however, was different—she managed to wipe out and absorb the powers of the original purebloods, becoming their sole successor. That made her nearly equal to Dracula in strength.

If you're unfamiliar with pureblood vampires, let me explain. They're the only vampires, aside from Dracula, capable of using magic. Unlike mages—who are either Light or Dark Mages—pureblood magic is something closer to demonic in nature.

I'm a Light Mage, drawing power from the sun, while Shira is a Dark Mage, fueled by the moon. That's the basic idea, though it's a little more complex. Pureblood vampire magic, however, stands in a league of its own.

Demons exist, by the way. They're born from the darkest pits of hell beneath the soil we stand on. Vampires—well, Dracula—was a demon before ascending to his current form. He turned human mages into vampires, creating the first purebloods. When mages are turned, their magic becomes corrupted—demonic, in essence.

Why did Dracula choose to turn mages? No one knows for certain. Some say it was a power play. Vampires and mages have always been at odds—magical beings in general tend to despise vampires. Their hunger, their bloodlust, their inherent otherness… it's hard to like them.

Minerva Marlowe, as a pureblood, had the ability to steal the powers of other purebloods. She absorbed the abilities of the original six, becoming Dracula's equal in many ways. Some say they were lovers, even husband and wife. I don't know—or care, really. I'm not about to dig through ancient texts about their love life.

—

"Why are you following me?" Sebastian asked, shooting me a suspicious look. I only grinned. So, he had noticed me trailing him. I was testing him—to see just how aware he was of his surroundings.

He really is a vampire. Using his heightened senses must have drained a lot of energy from him. Then again, he didn't look any different. "Hey," I said casually, finally walking up beside him.

"Hey to you too. You missed first and second class," Sebastian replied as we both entered the library. I hummed and shrugged. This morning had been... complicated. Some werewolves decided to mess with us, and naturally, Shira and I had to deal with them. We sent most of them back to the academy to face trial for attacking High-Class Mages.

Well, most of them. One wolf slipped through our fingers, but it wouldn't matter. Shira and I would deal with her eventually—one way or another.

"Something came up," I said simply, pulling a juice box out of my pocket. It wasn't exactly juice, but it looked like one. The disguise was to mask the true contents: blood.

"Here, for you," I said, waving the juice box in front of Sebastian. He had already settled on an empty couch tucked into a shadowy corner of the library, hidden behind rows of massive shelves. It was so dark I could barely see him.

So this is where he usually naps? Interesting.

"What's that?" Sebastian blinked at me, his expression groggy. He yawned before taking the juice box from my hand, even before I could answer.

"Taste it," I said, sitting down beside him. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he stabbed the straw into the box and took a sip. Almost immediately, he pulled back, coughing.

"Is that—" He paused, his voice rising slightly in alarm. "Is that blood?"

I smiled. "It is. You should drink it."

His expression flickered between panic and disbelief. Still, I motioned for him to keep drinking. It wasn't hard to see that he needed it. His skin had taken on an almost grayish hue, and he looked utterly drained. Sleep alone wouldn't fix that.

But instead of drinking, Sebastian placed the juice box back in my hand. His breathing grew heavier, and his fangs elongated as his tongue darted out to lick his upper lip. "Why? Where did you even get that—ugh, never mind. You—" Sebastian groaned, burying his face in his hands. I could hear him muttering to himself, trying to ground his thoughts.

Then I heard it: the low rumble of his stomach.

So, in the end, he really is still a vampire. I bit my lip, watching as he rocked his leg and gritted his teeth. His pupils were now slitted, his irises glowing a deep, blood-red hue. For a moment, I felt bad. He was struggling so much, trying to hold on to his humanity, and I was the one pushing him.

"You still need to drink blood," I said bluntly. "Being a vampire means you don't have any blood in your body anymore. That's why you look so sick. Honestly, it's amazing no one's noticed. Or maybe they have. Maybe that's why people avoid you."

Sebastian turned his head away, covering his mouth with one hand. He was practically drooling at the scent of the blood. "I can't—" he choked out.

How sad. He doesn't even remember how he was turned. Yet he clung to his humanity, refusing to take blood from people or animals alike. I couldn't help but admire him for that.

"Sebastian," I said softly. "Drinking a little blood won't make you lose control. Don't worry—it's from a willing donor. So drink."

He hesitated, glancing between the juice box and me before slowly taking it again. This time, he drank greedily, keeping his face hidden beneath his hood. I leaned forward, curious, and peeked under the edge of the fabric.

His eyes were tightly shut, his fangs glinting in the dim light. As he drank, I noticed the color starting to return to his skin. The sickly gray faded, replaced by a pale, human-like tone that suited him much better. A faint blush even appeared on his cheeks when he finally finished.

"Good?" I asked with a grin.

Sebastian raised his head to meet my eyes, but quickly looked away again, crumpling the empty juice box in his hands. "It was... the best thing I've had in a while. In a year, actually," he admitted, licking his lips.

I watched as he retracted his fangs and sighed, shaking his head. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "If you want, I can give you more of those—if you work for me."

Sebastian's eyes widened as he raised an eyebrow at me.

Oh, crap. I was supposed to explain first. Then ask if he wanted to join me.

Aw man...

—

"So, you really need my help to find Minerva?" Sebastian asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before lowering his head. I nodded, watching as he winced and shrugged. "That's… well… Look, I don't even know if you're really a mage."

I couldn't help but laugh softly, though I quickly lowered my voice, remembering we were in the library. "Do you want me to show you a spell?" I asked, amused by the wide-eyed look he shot me. Clearly, he hadn't expected that.

"You would?" Sebastian asked, his surprise evident. I chuckled and shrugged casually.

"Why not? Something simple, maybe," I replied with a grin.

Sebastian studied my face for a moment, his gaze lingering on mine before he nodded. "Anything is fine," he said, shifting a little closer to me.

"Alright, let's see," I began, leaning back slightly as I thought. "I haven't explained it to you yet, but there are two types of mages—Light and Dark mages."

"I assume you're a Light Mage, then? With all your…" Sebastian trailed off, gesturing vaguely in my direction. His assumption made me crack a smile.

Typical. It's such a stereotype to judge someone's magic based on their looks. Plenty of Light Mages are mistaken for Dark Mages because of how they dress or carry themselves. That's why most academies introduced badges to differentiate us. It's a new generation—everyone has their own style, after all.

"Sure," I said with a shrug, "but even if I were a Dark Mage, it wouldn't change how I look."

Sebastian let out a small snort, hiding it behind his fist. "I didn't mean your looks exactly. You just… you know…" He gestured vaguely again, leaving me more confused than before.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Right. Never mind," Sebastian muttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. I turned away, thinking of a simple spell to show him—something impressive enough to amaze him, but easy enough to perform here.

I glanced around at our spot. It was surprisingly dark for a library nook, despite the cozy couch that seemed perfect for reading or relaxing.

"How about a light spell?" I suggested, turning back to Sebastian. He was already leaning back, half-dozing, but my voice snapped him awake. He blinked at me blearily before giving me a lazy thumbs-up.

"Sounds good. Impress me," Sebastian smirked.

"Alright, prepare to be amazed. Oh, and wear these—you might get blinded or something close to it." I pulled a pair of shades from my pocket and handed them to him.

"Who carries sunglasses around?" Sebastian grumbled, slipping them on before leaning back again.

"Me," I said simply, rubbing my hands together in preparation. "Ready?"

Sebastian nodded, watching me expectantly.

"Sit lux," I whispered, and a warm, glowing orb of yellow light appeared, hovering gently above my head. The soft radiance illuminated the dark corner of the library. I turned to Sebastian, who was staring at the light in awe, his mouth slightly open. With a snap of my fingers, the orb slowly dimmed and disappeared.

"That was…" Sebastian started, still gawking.

"Magic," I finished with a small smile. It had been a while since I'd seen someone so purely amazed by something as simple as a light spell. It was refreshing.

"What do you think?" I asked, grinning with pride.

"Cool," Sebastian admitted, handing my shades back with a small smile of his own. He looked relieved, as though his lingering doubts about me had finally been put to rest.

Even after being turned into a vampire, he still didn't seem to believe in things like mages. How ironic.

"So?" I asked, leaning closer to him as he stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"I'm still thinking. Don't rush me—I just met you a few days ago," Sebastian shot back, giving me an annoyed look. But I could see the curiosity in his eyes. He was intrigued, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"Free blood," I teased, waving my hands excitedly. "And you'll get to learn more about the magical side of this world!"

Having someone close to my age to work with sounded exciting. Though… I hadn't exactly told Shira or my mother about this yet.

If Sebastian agreed, I'd have to introduce him to Shira first. Winning her over would be the tricky part, especially since he was the vampire Minerva had turned. If we could get her on our side, then I could break the news to my mother—and eventually my father.

Hopefully, the academy would let Sebastian live his life peacefully as a pacifist vampire. Though, let's be honest, "pacifist" and "vampire" don't exactly go hand in hand. At least I knew they existed.

"You're the one deep in thought now," Sebastian said, flicking my forehead and snapping me out of my reverie. I let out a surprised gasp, hearing him snort quietly beside me.