Weisspire prequel: First Blood

Weisspire: First Blood

Weiss did not know how the never-ending nightmare had begun. One day, she had been walking by herself in the city in the middle of the night, when a pair of strong arms had suddenly grabbed onto her and pulled her into an alley. Before she even had a chance to scream or pull out her weapon, she felt something pierce her neck. She had blacked out after. She had then awakened at a hospital, surrounded by concerned friends and family members. Except for a small bite mark on her neck, and having lost a small amount of blood, Weiss was in good health. She had been allowed to leave the hospital and return to the academy the same day, provided that would relax and recover.

A few days passed, and her bite mark slowly healed. Over time, however, she began to feel a strange sensation that she was missing something within her, but she could not pinpoint what exactly. It felt like she was becoming sick. Even more, she became thirsty more frequently, needing to drink more water and tea than before.

The frustration within her rose as she continued drinking more and more, but her thirst would still not be quenched. It took a toll on her mind. Teammates, friends, and teachers around the young Schnee noticed how her aristocratic personality became more impatient and irritable, more than usual. The thirst grew even worse, agonizing, her mouth feeling dry as a desert. Her thoughts grew scattered and cloudy. The only thing she could think of was her thirst.

A newly awakened instinct whispered sinister words to her, telling her exactly how to quench her thirst: she needed to drink blood, and not just any blood. It needed to be fresh, clean and come from a healthy and young person. She was not sure how to acquire the blood, but she began to grow desperate. She needed to hunt, not Grimm, but human beings. If she did not get any blood soon, then she would surely die. She just knew it. Survival instincts drove her to sneak out of her dorm in the middle of the night while the rest of her team was soundly asleep. Under the cover of darkness, Weiss set out on her hunt.

Weiss’ light and quick footsteps barely made any sounds as she prowled through the shadows, moving from cover to cover, sometimes even walking on the rooftops to get a better view of the surrounding areas. The gaze from her light-blue eyes jumped back and forth, searching desperately for any living human being that could sate her need. Need, that's what it was. It was not a question of what she wanted, but what she needed. She was met with frustration and disappointment as she only saw groups of patrolling night guards, part of Ironwood’s military. She could not take them all on at once. Weiss needed to find someone who was alone, and soon, for she felt her mind, her thoughts fading, turning into something more ravenous and primal.

Suddenly, she stopped as she sensed something. She sniffed the air, and felt the odor of tobacco. It was close. Like a bloodhound, she followed the scent to its source, feeling her thirst within her swell to an excruciating level. She needed blood, just a few drops for her parched throat and restore her sanity. Maybe she could make the smoking person understand that, and give it to her willingly.

As she peeked around the corner, she saw who was smoking; a fashionably clad brunette girl in her late teens, wearing expensive leather boots and jacket, together with a beret and a pair of sunglasses. Weiss recognized her as Coco Adel, team leader of CFVY. Everyone knew her as a fashion freak. Coco was walking by herself amidst the gardens, probably being out on a night walk, occasionally taking a puff from her cigarette. Weiss tried to lick her lips, but her tongue was a dry and rough like a sponge having been away from water for days.

Weiss stalked Coco, keeping her distance, moving slowly and quietly, knowing that a single misstep would reveal her presence. Once Coco reached a grove, where the trees and brushes were the most lush, and where she was the most isolated, Weiss hastened her pace.

"Coco...," Weiss whispered, breaking the calm silence that lingered in the air. She approached the brown-haired girl, her steps becoming a bit wobbly. Weiss had clearly seen better days. She was paler than usual, her skin glistening beneath the moonlight. Her pupils were dilated and shaky. The snobby and well-known Schnee was acting like a junkie suffering from withdrawal.

Hearing the other girl behind her, Coco turned around and looked at her. She Silently gazed at Weiss with a raised eyebrow, casually taking another puff from her cigarette. “Lovely night, huh? No offense, miss Schnee, but you look like shit,” she teased, her lips curling upward ever so slightly.

Weiss grimaced in response to feeling the tobacco smoke entering her nostrils. Her sense of smell had grown more acute and sensitive. Nevertheless, she could still clearly smell the delicious blood within Coco. It would have made her mouth water, if it was not so dry. With each step, Weiss felt her heart beat stronger and faster, as if it was ready to burst through her ribs. She placed a weak grip onto Coco's shoulder before pushing Coco up against a nearby tree with strength that belied her slender limbs.

Her actions and words could be misinterpreted as something more lewd, particularly the way Weiss pressed her chest against Coco's, pinning her against the tree, one hand resting and holding one of her thighs, and the other resting on her shoulder. "Coco...," she whispered again, panting, her hot breath caressing Coco's skin. "I want you... I need you!" she stated, chewing on her pale, lower lip.

Coco Adel was left quite confused, eyes blinking a couple of times behind the sunglasses. Pale cheeks turned red as blood just rushed through her body that bit more as Coco bit her own lip. "Need me? Like, sexually? Because I don't know what weird power play shit you're into, Weiss, but I'm more than happy to play along." She cooed ever so quietly, almost lustfully.

Weiss felt her excitement and hunger rise even more as Coco blushed. She stared at Coco's neck. Her lower lip began to tremble, a sob escaping the back of her throat. The remnants of her sanity, her compassion, whispered to her and told her to stop, to walk away, to let Coco live. Her whispers were drowned by the painful howls of hunger. Coco was nothing but meat and blood, sustenance for the taking. She was a Schnee, and was accustomed to have whatever she wanted.

"I'm... I'm so sorry!" she said with tears running down her cheeks. She parted her jaws, and felt something shift inside, moving through her gums. Cracking noises were heard as her canines grew longer and sharper, turning into fangs. Weiss' sobbing turned into snarling, as more of the unholy instincts took over more of her mind, knowing it was feeding time.

Coco’s playful face vanished instantly, and began to squirm violently. "Alright, let me go! Get off, Weiss!" Coco yelled in a demanding voice. She thrust her knee up against Weiss’ gut. It was already too late for Coco. She was in Weiss' grasp, trapped against the tree. Coco resisted, but Weiss did not allow her meal, her savior, the walking blood bag that would restore her to get away so easily. The slender Schnee girl kept Coco in check, seemingly ignoring the knee strike into her gut.

As she recovered, she let out a monstrous snarl, baring her teeth to the fullest. She thrust her open mouth forward and down, sinking her fangs into Coco's neck, piercing her jugular vein that was throbbing with so much blood. The very second the first blood drops made contact with Weiss' dry lips and tongue, she was pushed into a feeding frenzy.

The fangs acted like two straws that quickly and steadily pumped that delicious and coppery liquid into Weiss' mouth and into her starving belly. The taste was unlike anything she had tasted before! She wanted to drink and savor it for as long as she could, but knew her time might be low. Gulp after and gulp was heard as she drank and devoured Coco's liquid life force. Coco moaned in pain, struggling in vain to break free. With each mouthful, Weiss felt her life and strength returning, restoring her powers, while Coco's were weakening.

As Coco's skin began turning pale, her struggling becoming weaker, and her moans of pain becoming almost silent, Weiss unceremoniously dropped her to the ground. Weiss loomed over her, panting. Her lips, and teeth were stained with blood, dripping down on the ground. Her fangs returned back to normal.

Weiss' sanity began to return. She looked at her handiwork. Coco was still alive, writhing weakly, trying to suppress the bleeding wound on her neck with her hand. However, with a punctured jugular vein, and having lost a great amount of blood, it would not be possible to save her even if Weiss tried. To her chagrin, Weiss realized it was best that way. Coco needed to die so that she could take the secret of Weiss with her. "I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I had to!" said a tearful Weiss before she turned around and ran away, leaving Coco to her fate, to die alone. Weiss' footsteps quickly faded as she vanished into the darkness.

With the utmost care, Weiss sneaked her way back into the dorm. Thankfully, her teammates were still sound asleep, especially Yang who was snoring quietly in her sleep. She made her way into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Her eyes that were accustomed to darkness, squinted uncomfortably for a few seconds as the lights in the ceiling came on. Weiss looked into the bathroom mirror and was met by self-disgust over how sweaty and pale her face looked. The fresh blood smeared over her lips and cheeks stood out in stark contrast to her near white skin. She wished it was her own blood. It was the blood of an innocent girl who she had brutally murdered to sate her unholy thirst.

She considered telling her friends, and Ozpin. Let them help her become cured, to be rid of the thirst once and for all. However, she knew it was too late for that. She had already taken someone’s life. Ruby, Blake, Yang, they would surely shun her like the monster and murderer she had turned into. She could not seek help from her father either. He would without any doubt do anything in his power to keep her hidden forever in order to protect the family business. The heiress of the Schnee company having turned into… whatever she was would forever blemish the company, and possibly lead to the its  downfall, ending the Schnee dynasty. What would happen if she were to be arrested? Put in jail, or examined by scientists like some strange creature?

While burdened by sadness and regret, Weiss began to wash her mouth thoroughly, making sure that not a single blood drop remained that could raise suspicions from her teammates in the morning. She disposed of the bloody tissues and papers down the toilet.

Weiss felt her heart jump in response to someone knocking gently on the door behind her. “Weiss? You in there? Are you feeling okay?” asked Ruby from the other side of the door with apparent concern in her voice.

“Uh…y-yeah! I… I think I must have eaten something bad earlier. I’ll be out soon,” said Weiss, forcing herself to sound calm. She noticed how her entire body was shaking. It was tempting to ask Ruby to come in, and explain to her. Surely she would understand. That was how Ruby always was. She always saw the good in everyone. Could she see the good in Weiss, who had murdered a female student and drank her blood?

“Oh, alright!. Take care, and good night, Weiss!” said Ruby with a merry voice, before she left the door.

Weiss breathed out in relief. Hearing Ruby’s voice, her sweet concern for her was like having a dagger twisted in her belly. Weiss’ stupid pride and fear forbid her from telling her.

She was on her own. The curse was her own to carry. She had no idea what had happened to her, why she had turned into a blood sucker, but she intended to find a cure for it, somehow. She knew deep within that as long as the thirst existed, the killing would continue. When would the thirst return, and who would she have to feed on next time?

The End