The blinding light made it impossible to see. I had to close my eyes until it died down. When I could finally open them to see what had just happened, Cade was already staring.

"S...Silas..." Cade tried to get the words out. "Your... Your restraints...!"

I looked down. My arms were held together out of habit. Yet nothing was holding them together. I slowly tried to tear them apart. There was no restraint as I did so. I could only stare at my bare, free arms.

"How...?" I was so dumbfounded. The restraints that had plagued me for so long... are now gone. What caused it? How'd they disappear? Why am I free? This isn't a dream, is it?

"...your pinky..." Cade said.

I looked at my left hand. My pinky was cut cleanly off, there is no nub. It looks like I only have four fingers on one hand. Although it wasn't that clean when the crazed vampire did it, I cut the rest off because it bothered me.

Cade fell to his knees. "I can't believe it... I can't believe your restraints are gone... How'd that even happen...? What was that light...?"

I could barely look away from my arms and hands. "...I'm not sure."

"But this is great!! Now you're free!! How do you feel!?"

"I'm just... shocked."

"Come on, be more excited!! Now you can do whatever you want! Open doors, clean yourself, or whatever else that requires hands."

I put my arms down. "Now that I can do all that... Do you want me to leave?"

"Huh...?" Cade had to think about it. "Well... Although we had that talk about my past... I won't feel better about myself immediately. I still feel like I'm a bad person... And I wouldn't want you to be stuck with me if you can leave. It's your decision."

"Will you always hate yourself if I stay?"

Cade looked unsure. He didn't know what to say. Even if he says nothing... I feel like he'll always hate himself, whether I stay or not. But I want to be selfish. I don't want to leave. I also don't want him to always think he's a bad person. Maybe if I stay, I can be a reminder that he isn't.

I reached out with my free hands. It felt good to finally be able to use them. I took his face between them. His eyes met mine as I leaned down.

"You're not a bad person. I will continue to remind you of that every day. If you want me to leave, you'll have to prove that you believe that yourself before I go."

Cade only stared back into my eyes. Then they began to well up with tears. He sniffed and put his hand on mine. "Okay... And I'll remind you that you're not a bad vampire. You'll never be a monster in my eyes."

"...I love how I look in your eyes."

Cade looked startled. "Now I really need to know... Do you like me, Mr King of Vampires?"

Right... I began to figure it out... The feeling in my chest... It was a strange feeling that I didn't know I was capable of. But when I figured out just how much I cared for this human, how I almost turned him because I didn't want him to disappear, I realized what the feeling was.

"I like you," I say.

Cade was even more surprised. Then he suddenly wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. I looked at my free arms. Then I gently wrapped them around him too.

"Silas, I... I like you too, but... I'm afraid..."

"Afraid that you'll go crazy again?"

"Yes..."

"A weak human like you can't hurt me. Have you forgotten? I'm the almighty king of vampires. I'm the one who might accidentally hurt you."

Cade sniffed and pulled back to look at me. He was smiling. "I can take it. I seem to be a bit stronger than others for some reason."

"Then there's nothing to be afraid of. We can keep each other in check." I wiped away a tear with my thumb. His skin is soft. I'm so glad I can feel it with my fingertips.

"Okay... I'll put myself under your care. Silas... Can I kiss you...?"

I hesitated. A kiss... I'm not used to romantic gestures. I'm not sure if I'd be good at giving them or receiving them. But I want nothing more than for him to be in my arms.

"Yes, you can."

He wrapped his arms around my neck as he pressed our lips together. I held him and sunk deeper into the kiss. My heart was beating faster, thumping out of my chest. It all felt so good.

When we parted, we stared into each other's eyes. We both felt that this was the person we wanted to be with. I'm so glad we can be together.

We eventually came back to our senses. We were naked and in the middle of a bath. We finished up, scrubbing my arms that were trapped in sweaty restraints for thousands of years. Cade gave me a proper shirt that I could pull over my head and put my arms through. It felt good. It felt so good now that my arms were free from each other.

Cade laid on his bed as I sat next to him. "So..." He said, a bit awkwardly. "What now...?"

"We can continue our usual life. I don't want anything to change," I replied.

"Yeah, well... Now that you can use your arms, some things might change. Is there anything you want to do? Anywhere you want to go?"

"Well... I would like to explore outside. The world has changed a lot. I want to discover everything that's new."

"Alright! We can go together! I can show you around!" Cade sat up, looking excited.

"I want to see the places that you frequent."

"Oh... Like where I work?"

"Yes. And wherever else."

"I'd love to show you everything. Can I... call you my boyfriend...?"

"...If that's what you want to do."

He beamed. "Then I want to show my boyfriend everything about my life. Because I want you to be a part of it all."

Over the next few weeks, Cade showed me around outside. I admired all of the scenery and was mesmerized by all the cars and other transportation going by. I was a bit wary of all the humans since they had been my enemies for so long. Cade would take my hand when he sensed my discomfort. His hand in mine felt nice. I never thought I'd enjoy such a simple display of affection.

We met a few animals like dogs and squirrels in the park. They were all afraid of me and fled as soon as I got too close. Some of the dogs barked at me but would run away all the same. Cade felt sad, saying he loved animals but they hated his boyfriend. I don't care much for them. It'd be a nuisance to take care of one.

I'm usually able to blend in with human society. I don't look much different except my pale skin and fangs. If I wanted to make my presence as a vampire known, I could. But if I don't care to do that, then others may see me as human as well. I don't want to cause a stir or it would get annoying. Cade wouldn't be pleased either.

Yet along with animals, children seem to be able to see past my facade more easily. The orphanage, one of the places Cade works at, of course had many children. They stared at me from behind their caretakers. One of them decided to point at me and speak.

"He looks like a vampire!" The boy said. He figured it out too easily.

"A vampire? Oh my, please forgive me on his behalf. You know how children can be..." The caretaker said.

"It's alright, ma'am." Cade looked like he was sweating.

I don't really care. What he said was the truth anyway.

Cade showed me around and explained what he did for work. He seemed to be good with kids. It wasn't unpleasant to see.

Then he took me to a police station and explained how he helps them track down evil organizations and shut them down. It might be a bit dangerous since he enters the building to make sure that evil dealings are happening. He knows how to stay safe and can quickly inform the police if something goes wrong.

"Your friend is really pale... Does he ever go out?" An officer asked Cade. He was trying to be quiet as he asked, but I could hear him even without my superior hearing. This is why I hate humans.

Cade could only laugh awkwardly. After that, he showed me how he raises money for charity. The flower shop he works at is small but has an option to donate to charity. He works with many other organizations to spread awareness of specific issues and get people caring about them. He even makes public appearances, cleaning up garbage around the city and feeding the homeless.

"It's a lot of work sometimes!" Cade says. "But it's worth it. I feel good doing something for this world, for these people. It may sound selfish... But I truly feel better when I see that I've accomplished my goal to help as many people as I can."

"I don't think you're selfish at all," I say.

"Thanks." He rests his head on my shoulder.

I watch the trees in the park as their leaves rustle in the light wind. I lean against the bench and enjoy the fresh air. I guess the world doesn't have to be hell all of the time... In the past, it was a disaster. I was always fighting someone, whether it be humans or vampires. I never stopped seeing blood. But the color of green and blue is a nice change. The world has become much more peaceful. It seems like there's no need for a king of vampires anymore...

Can I really live like a human and have a peaceful life? With Cade by my side? I lean my head over and meet Cade's. His fingers intertwine with mine. I close my eyes and relax. This moment fills me with the hope that I can.

Life did change. But for the better. Now that I could use my hands and arms, I wanted to learn how to cook. I wanted to work with Cade as he completed his good deeds. He was overjoyed that I wanted to help him however I could.

When I got the hang of it, I cooked Cade a meal. He said it was good as he pushed all of it in his mouth. I wasn't sure if he was forcing it down because it was bad, or that it was so good he had to eat it all. I hoped it wasn't the former, but his unreadable smile didn't help. I kept practicing so that I could be confident that he liked it the next time.

Although I could bathe by myself, Cade wanted to join me every time. He just smiled at me, saying he could at least help me wash my back. I wonder if he misses when he had to do everything for me. But I'm glad that I don't have to rely on him for everything anymore. I'm also glad that I can wash his back in return.

"The carnival is in town!" Cade exclaimed.

"...carnival?" I asked.

"Yeah! A place with fun games and trinkets to buy. There's also some rides to go on!"

I couldn't quite understand from his explanation, so he took me to the carnival to show me. There were a lot of humans. More than usual it seemed. Large groups of humans make me a bit nervous... But Cade held my hand to put me at ease.

He dragged me around and made me go on some of the rides. It was a strange experience. But it wasn't bad... Then he made me eat all kinds of different foods. It was all weird, especially the cotton candy. After a long day of "fun", we ended up at a lone tent.

Cade peeked at the sign. "Oh! A fortune teller! We have to go in!!"

I wasn't sure about this "fortune teller"... But Cade took my hand and pulled me inside the tent with him. It was dim with a few lamps in the corners and a glowing ball on the table in the middle.

"Welcome, welcome, please have a seat." A woman sat behind the table with a dark cloth covering her nose and mouth and hanging down.

Cade sat down, looking excited. I sat down next to him, a bit uneasy.