The morning mist curled around Kaito's feet as he stood at the edge of the forest clearing, eyes fixed on Rael, who held a sword outstretched in his hand.
"This isn't about winning," Rael said. "It's about control. Until you learn to channel what's inside you, power means nothing."
Kaito nodded, tightening his grip on the wooden practice staff. His muscles still ached from the day before, but something inside him was changing — a hunger, a fire, a drive he didn't know he had.
Rael came at him swiftly, steel flashing in the pale light. Kaito moved on instinct, parrying the blow, his body responding faster than his mind. The clash of wood and metal echoed through the trees.
Each strike from Rael pushed Kaito harder, but today, he didn't stumble.
Today, he fought back.
Sweat dripped down his brow as he ducked low, sweeping his staff at Rael's legs. The older man leapt back, eyes narrowing with a flicker of approval.
"Good. You're adapting."
Kaito didn't let up. He lunged forward, staff aiming for Rael's side, but the man sidestepped with ease, catching the staff and twisting it from Kaito's hands.
In a heartbeat, the blade was at Kaito's throat.
"Still too eager," Rael said, lowering the sword. "Your power isn't just brute force. It's awareness. Feel the world around you. Let your senses guide you."
Kaito panted, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "It's not enough. I need more."
Rael studied him for a moment. "Then it's time you learned where you came from."
They sat by the fire that night, Rael's face lit by flickering flames.
"You're not the first of your kind," Rael began. "Vampire and Dragon blood — it's rare, but not unheard of. The ancients called it The Bloodfire Curse."
Kaito frowned. "Curse?"
Rael nodded. "Your powers aren't natural. They're born of a union long forbidden — a dragon lord and a vampire queen, whose child nearly destroyed this world centuries ago."
Kaito's heart pounded. "What happened to them?"
"They were hunted, by both their kind. Dragons feared the corruption of blood, vampires feared the wrath of fire. The child was never found, but legends say the bloodline survived, hidden, dormant."
"And now it's in me?" Kaito asked.
Rael's eyes met his. "Yes. But blood is only part of the story. What you become depends on what you choose."
Kaito stared into the fire, thoughts swirling. He had never been special. In his old world, he had been weak, invisible. But here, in this strange and dangerous land, he was something more — something powerful, something feared.
But fear could be a weapon, or a chain.
Later that night, Kaito stood alone under the twin moons, the cold wind brushing against his skin.
He closed his eyes, trying to feel it — the blood, the flame, the power inside.
A flicker.
A heartbeat.
He focused, breath steady, mind clear.
Suddenly, the air around him shifted. His senses sharpened, every sound magnified, every scent vivid. He could hear the rustle of leaves a mile away, feel the pulse of a bird's wings in flight.
And then, heat.
A flame ignited in his chest, spreading through his veins like molten fire.
His eyes snapped open, glowing faintly red.
He raised his hand, and the air shimmered. A small spark danced on his palm, flickering like a living thing.
Kaito stared in awe.
But then — pain.
A searing burn surged through him, and the flame vanished. He dropped to his knees, gasping.
"You're pushing too hard."
Rael's voice came from the shadows.
Kaito gritted his teeth. "I can feel it, Rael. I just don't know how to hold it."
Rael approached, kneeling beside him. "That's why you train. Control isn't won in a day, Kaito. It's earned."
Days passed, turning into weeks.
Kaito trained relentlessly, sparring with Rael, meditating, learning to channel the power within without letting it consume him. Each battle sharpened his mind, each failure taught him more.
And slowly, he grew stronger.
He could now summon the flame in short bursts, his strength amplified, his senses attuned. The hunger, though — the thirst for blood — lingered, just beneath the surface, waiting.
Rael taught him to resist it.
"Feed only when necessary," he warned. "Your bloodlust will grow, but giving in too easily will make you a monster, not a warrior."
Kaito listened. But deep down, he wondered — could he ever fully control it?
One evening, as they rested, Rael grew quiet, gaze distant.
"There's something you need to know," he said. "Others are looking for you."
Kaito's heart tightened. "The hunters?"
"More than them," Rael said. "The Crimson Order. An ancient sect of vampires who believe in purifying their bloodlines. They see you as an abomination."
"And they'll come for me?" Kaito asked.
Rael nodded. "Yes. And soon."
Kaito clenched his fists. "Then I'll be ready."
Rael stood, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We leave at dawn. There's someone you need to meet — someone who knows more about your past than I do."
Kaito looked up. "Who?"
Rael's eyes darkened. "A dragon. One of the last."