Editor’s Note
The following is a summarized and lightly edited version of Dreymi’s personal diary.
The original text was… let’s just say, not the most eloquent. Poor grammar, repeated words, run-on sentences, and at least three instances of forgetting what she was writing mid-sentence.
For readability, we’ve cleaned it up while preserving her original voice and intent. Nothing major has been altered—just some structure adjustments, a few clarifications, and the removal of one particularly long-winded rant about how much she hates the color red.
Before reading, here are a few details that may help in understanding her world.
Vampires
Vampires are not undead creatures or monsters of legend. They are a distinct species born from an attempt at coexistence between humans and demons. As a result, they retain traits from both sides—a long lifespan, heightened physical abilities, and a connection to mana stronger than that of ordinary humans.
A typical vampire can live 200 to 400 years, their bodies aging slowly. Unlike humans, they do not suffer from most diseases, and they possess natural regeneration, making them difficult to kill by conventional means. However, they are not immortal. They can be wounded, weakened, and ultimately die, just at a much slower rate.
While these traits make them formidable, a vampire’s true strength lies in something else:
Red Eyes
A vampire’s red eyes do not normally appear naturally. Most vampire need to unlock them, and while active, they grant:
Increased strength, speed, and reflexes Heightened vision and reaction time A greater connection to their own mana The method of awakening varies. Some require pain, others respond to pleasure, and some need an intense emotional stimulus such as fear, love, or rage. Because of this, many vampires use trigger accessories—items designed to force a reaction from the body and awaken their dormant power.
The most common of these include:
Spiked Rings – Worn on the fingers, these rings press sharp points into the skin when the hands clench, using pain as a trigger. Corsets – Tightly laced, these apply physical restriction to the body, forcing deeper breaths and controlled movement, stimulating a sense of restraint. Family Heirlooms – Emotional triggers can be just as effective as physical ones. Some vampires wear jewelry or keepsakes from lost loved ones, calling upon deep-seated memories to force their red eyes to awaken. To lack red eyes is to remain incomplete. It is viewed as a failure to fully become a vampire, a defect that makes one an outcast.
Dreymi is one of them.
Blood and Compatibility
Unlike popular myths, vampires do not drink blood for sustenance. They do not require it to live. Instead, blood holds a deeper, more personal significance.
Drinking blood is an intimate act, one rarely performed casually. More than simply tasting another’s essence, a vampire’s body reacts to the blood they consume. This reaction determines compatibility—a biological response that can lead to permanent emotional imprinting.
The effects are as follows:
If a vampire drinks blood that is incompatible, they will experience nothing more than an unpleasant taste. The connection fades immediately. If a vampire drinks blood that is compatible, their body will recognize it, triggering a powerful neurological response. Feelings toward the individual may intensify drastically, often leading to an irreversible bond. Because of this, most vampires do not drink blood from those they do not wish to form attachments to. The risk of becoming emotionally bound to someone unintentionally is too high.
Dreymi
Vampire society is built on strength, awakening, and connection. Dreymi has none of these things.
By the time she began writing this diary, she had already surpassed the typical age for red eye awakening, around 6-10 years old. The whispers had already begun. The quiet avoidance. The unspoken knowledge that she was falling further and further behind her peers.
Her mother tried to help her. The village tried to be patient. But there are only so many years one can remain defective before they are seen as something lesser.
Dreymi did not begin this diary to document something grand. She did not intend for it to be read by others. She wrote because she had no one else to talk to.
Some entries are repetitive. Some are unfiltered. Some are painfully honest.
But all of them belong to her.
Final Notes
This text has been lightly edited for readability, with occasional clarifications where necessary. Otherwise, it remains as Dreymi originally wrote it—a record of loneliness, longing, and something she never expected to find.
And now, for whatever reason, you’re reading it.
So go on.
