The boy was alone in that place. That forest, which had seemed strange at first, now felt familiar. He had grown used to its atmosphere. In fact, he thought, it’s beautiful, even with this mist, maybe I could build a house here, although if what the god said was true, he might not even get to spend time in it.

First things first: he needed to find a place to rest. Even though he thought he didn’t need it, he was tired. Maybe my mind is still adjusting to this body, he thought as he walked through the forest, trying to find a way out using what he had—his vampire-enhanced sense of smell. When he activated it, he realized the world really did feel like a copy of that story. He remembered all the times he had complained about that power.

—Vampires aren’t dogs or werewolves…

And how he had criticized the author for running out of ideas. But now, he could only thank her. If it weren’t for that, he’d be sleeping in the forest… or trying to learn vampire hyper-speed, and that terrified him. He was scared of speeds over 45 km/h. Even though he was now a vampire, he didn’t want to run into any mentally unstable people—the kind who love to show up in beautiful places that, according to some, are actually eerie. Every horror story confirmed it: Scream, Mama, Friday the 13th…

And even though he was almost sure that a knife, machete, or even a malicious spirit couldn’t hurt him, he didn’t want to take that risk. He was still too green, as he had described himself. First, he needed to know how much he could access Kaius’s memories and powers. That’s how I’ll know how to move through this world, he thought. Besides, he wasn’t hungry for danger anymore—he just wanted human food. Meat, pasta… he also wanted to know if they sold sweet bread in this place. In his original world, it was Day of the Dead season, and he was dying for pan de muerto with sugar or melted chocolate… and a café de olla or fruit punch.

What felt like minutes passed until he reached a fairly large town. He saw some shops, but everything was in English. He figured he was in the UK, Canada, Europe… or the United States. He could’ve gone into a store to listen to accents or ask questions, but he didn’t want to waste time. He just wanted to rest… and find a bakery.

He walked through the streets thinking he might go unnoticed. But as he passed a group of girls, many whispered among themselves. Some blushed and stared at him. That’s when he remembered a quote from the book, one that also appeared in the series, though it wasn’t emphasized as much:

Kaius’s beauty was something many people noticed. From his shiny black hair to his almost-red brown eyes, and his muscles that, though not large, were visible beneath his shirt. Along with his skin… a strange mix of pale and caramel.

Now he understood. The almost blinding beauty of Kaius… or rather, of a vampire. He tried to hurry and cover himself as much as he could. Although Kaius was known for his confidence and bold attitude, Daniela had always gone unnoticed. People rarely looked at her. That made her feel embarrassed. It was why she almost never left the house.

Before he could get lost in his thoughts again, a delicious smell of fresh bread… and coffee reached him. He looked up and found himself in front of a bakery. He went in. He listened to the conversations around him. They were about their day and about Presidents’ Day, which was in three days. That confirmed he was in the United States. He was grateful to be able to speak and understand the language as if it were his own. I was never good at English, I always had to take extra classes, he thought.

While waiting in line, he kept thinking. When it was his turn, he asked:

—What’s the most popular sweet bread this time of year?

The woman who helped him was very kind. Large, a bit round, with what people call sun-darkened skin. She reminds me of myself… when I was a woman, he thought. He was 80% sure she was Mexican.

—It’s cinnamon roll season —she replied in excellent English.

—Then I’ll take one… and a hot coffee.

At the end, he pulled out his card. Please don’t ask for a PIN, he begged. He swiped it… and luckily, it went through.

He took his order and left. Not without overhearing several people complaining about the woman.

—That woman should go back to her country. Even if the bread’s good, she doesn’t belong here. She should leave. She’s just an immigrant.

He stared at them… as if his gaze could burn them. It was sad. But he knew that, unfortunately, the world had always had discrimination based on race or ethnicity. Maybe not everyone… but even that quarter of the population managed to gain power and pull strings. And it was migrants who suffered the most. Funny how so many countries were built by immigrants. How is this still happening?

That’s when images formed in his mind. They weren’t entirely his memories. They didn’t come from his mind. They came from the body. As if the flesh remembered what the soul hadn’t yet understood. He remembered how, in his youth, Kaius—when he was still human—witnessed his father, Elias Lindverg, dragging people out of their homes for not following his ideology. Or simply because he didn’t like their skin color, their traditions… He labeled them thieves. Both people of color and those who weren’t from that place.

It made him boil with rage. But he knew he couldn’t kill him… at least not yet. Today, he had to stay in control. He was too weak. And if he had to hunt… it wouldn’t be today.

—Hope he burns his tongue with that coffee…

He said it so quietly you wouldn’t hear it unless you were right next to him. That’s when he heard a man scream and curse. He turned around. It was the xenophobic man. Their eyes locked. He had burned himself with the coffee.

—What the hell is going on? That couldn’t have been a coincidence…

He didn’t stop to think about it. He was already tired. He headed to the hotel he could see from there. He just wanted to eat… and rest.

He walked in and checked in. Luckily, the woman didn’t ask questions. She gave him the key. He went up to his room. It was spacious. Had a bathtub. Enough for him. He settled in and ate his bread. Though he knew he’d soon need blood. Maybe he could get a fridge with blood bags, like in the story. That way he wouldn’t have to go out when he didn’t want to.

He got ready to bathe. Slipped into the tub. Stayed there, relaxing… letting go of all the anger that scene had stirred up. After a few minutes, it had all melted away with the hot water… and the scent of rose oils.

Even now, he felt embarrassed seeing his male body naked. Having something between his legs didn’t feel right. But he’d get used to it. He had no other choice. Luckily, the body knew how to handle basic needs. So he wouldn’t worry about that.

But… that’s when he started remembering the story he knew.

According to it, Kaius had had many intimate lovers. And if he had to follow the first part of the story… he’d have to have them. Just thinking about it… made him feel depressed.

He got out of the tub, washed up, put on the bathrobe, and climbed into bed. He turned on the TV and watched the news. That’s when he saw the date: February 19, 2007. It was one year before he’d have to return to the town where he grew up—and where the story began: Crimsonwood, a large town in Michigan that had existed since the early colonial years, when it was still part of Indiana.

I have one year. One year to figure out which parts of the story I can change without consequences… and which ones I can break with my own hands.

It was late. Past 11 p.m. He settled in to sleep. Closed his eyes… and drifted off. Exhausted. And warm.