The bedroom feels familiar, the scent in the air is of the same cologne he smelled on himself previously. It's not a big room one would expect of such a big mansion, but it's cozy, the walls are painted beige and are filled with drawings and pictures, he takes his time observing the room, trying to figure out who Eryx Algeo is.

And after a while what he gathered was that he was lonely, there were a bunch of awards for piano, violin and mathematics, but they were all smeared with tear stains, and all the pictures are of the family, none with friends. Most of the pictures were with two specific brothers, one Eryx recognizes as Levi, but the other he hasn't met yet, but if what Mael said earlier has any truth, it must be Nicolas. The smile Eryx has in all of the pictures is one that doesn't reach his dull eyes, that seemed to be green previously, a common color for human eyes.

There are also a couple journals and books scattered around, most were music partitions while others were math problems he seemed to be in the middle of solving. And at last under Eryx's pillow he finds a bag of pills, with a small note.

Consume only three per day to avoid overdose.

He wonders what the drug was for, but it was probably the same as what his family was saying: to become a vampire. Well, it seemed to work. If the reason was the pills or something else, he doesn't really want to know. I should throw it away. With this thought the boy decides to take a shower, not only was he wearing clothes from a dead body but also he was smelling like trash. After picking up a new change of clothes from his wardrobe and grabbing the pill bag he walks next door to the bathroom, contrary to what he thought, it was small, with only a few toiletries, a bathtub, a shower besides the sink and toilet. He puts his things on a hook behind the door and proceeds to toss the pills on the toilet, flushing them down.

Maybe I should've kept them to find what they are, but if anyone in the family found them I would probably be in trouble, Eryx thinks, taking off his clothes and entering the shower.

As he washes up he decides to verify the contents of the other missions he didn't check before.

Defeat the Heroine!

(Mission In Progress)

This world has a set heroine, but isn't that unfair? Beat the heroine in her game and conquer not only the heart of a target but also the vampire community!

Sub-quests:

1. Introduce yourself to all of the targets (In Progress)

2. Choose your target - your target cannot be the same as the heroine (In Progress)

3. Get your target’s phone number (In Progress)

More sub-quests will be assigned as you progress in the Mission!

Observation: Failure in this quest will result in the end of the Algeo bloodline.

So basically I need to progress in the game faster than the Heroine? And failure will make me and my whole family die? Eryx stares at the holographic screen, dumbfounded, his eyes starting to sting because of the shampoo he didn't rinse yet. If I knew this I would have played the game on all routes. Right now he wants to punch his past self in the face for only playing one route and quitting after he found the ending lackluster. His sister insisted that he played more because he got a normal ending instead of the perfect one, but romancing men wasn't exactly his favorite pastime and there were other games more enticing.

Luckily for him the memories of the route he played and the background story he read are still fresh in his mind, and he also recalls some information he heard from his sister about the other targets. Nowhere near enough for him to be able to breeze through everything, but perhaps if he chooses the same target he did while playing and gets the normal ending it won't be that bad.

The normal ending was lackluster but wasn't an unhappy one, he thinks closing his eyes as he rinses his hair. And the target I chose was by far the most normal one.

He remembers that his sister used a lot of popular troupes in all of the targets, so that she could appeal to a broader public. And some of those troupes are definitely scary. Eryx sighs, his hand gripping tightly on the sponge. Let's think about this tomorrow at the Academy, it'll probably be where the first scenes from the game will take place. 

Attend the entrance ceremony of the Link Academy 

(Mission In Progress)

Not only is the entrance ceremony the perfect place to meet all of the targets before choosing, but also where you'll meet your nemesis! The Heroine! Attend the whole ceremony without getting sidetracked and show the heroine that her nemesis isn't someone to be taken lightly! 

Observation: Failure in this mission will make the heroine think you're a joke and all the targets will think you're nepo trash.

Ha. Nepo trash? What could make… Oh true, his brothers are not only in the Academy but one of them is a teacher there. Milo may call me during the ceremony… To prevent that I should meet him before or after.

He turns off the shower, grabbing the towel to dry himself up. I probably have his number on my phone… Wait, phone? And that's just when he realizes that he didn't have a phone on him when he woke up. What if I dropped around there? It is a crime scene! He panics, dressing himself quickly and running to his room, his hair still dripping wet. Eryx starts searching his whole room until he finds his phone inside a school bag, why would I hide it here? 

It doesn't take much for him to find out why, once he turns on the device hundreds of notifications hit him, he sits on his bed, putting the towel on his hair so that it doesn't drip much on the blankets as he checks out.

A lot of the notifications were from his brothers, all of them were from that day, asking if he ate and where he was. He tries checking how he normally responds but he can't see any messages from days prior. Do I constantly delete my messages log? After responding with ‘yes’ and ‘I’m home' he turns to the other texts, from six different people, the numbers were random and the contents made his blood run cold.

XXXX-X6: If you don't reply I'll send the video to your family.

The first text is as cryptic as it can be, what video and why would it be such a threat?

XXXX-X8: You're a little whore Ery, aren't you? If you want more pills remember to suck me off well.

Eryx's face runs cold and his hands tremble slightly. The game had 19+ bonus paid content, but that doesn't mean it had explicit sexual content or innuendos during the story, at least not by what he knew. Well, this isn't a game, and I am 19, but exchanging sexual acts for drugs? It doesn't make sense, if his drug problems were that bad his family would have noticed.

XXXX-X2: Eryx, Dony told me that you exchange bjs for drugs, I got some.

It seems at least that all he did were blowjobs, still it doesn't sound exactly true, if he were being coerced or threatened, or maybe he was high?

XXXX-X4: Pay up if you don't want to lose a finger, you have 24h.

This sounds more like someone ordering him to pay for drugs, it seems that not always was something related to sexual favors. He decides to answer this text first.

Eryx Algeo: Send me the account and how much. 

XXXX-X4: BloodBank Account XXXXXXXXX - 430 vexes.

Eryx Algeo sent a picture.

XXXX-X4: I have new awakening pills if you're interested.

Eryx Algeo: I don't need them anymore.

XXXX-X4: Delete this chat log.

Eryx Algeo: Ok.

He stares at his phone, the conversation was short, it seems that the other numbers were humans and this one was a vampire selling drugs to him to turn, fascinating. He deletes the chat log as requested, proceeding to read the other texts.

XXXX-X9: Bastard, you're the shame of your family, who would've thought that the youngest from the great Algeo family was a human? But if you pay me I can keep my mouth shut.

XXXX-X9 sent a picture.

Things are getting complicated, he thinks as he stares at the picture. It was completely disgusting, he recognized himself and an urge of throwing up washes over him. The picture is him covered in semen, his eyes are dulled and his pupils are dilated, he's clearly out of it. I don't think I would've… but again what does he know? He has no memory, his mother told him he was using drugs, he even found drugs in his pillow! And not only that but the other texts were also implying he exchanged that type of thing for drugs, the pictures in his room after he turned 18 are also proof that he was constantly out, his eyes dulled and with an expression of misery.

The next texts make everything worse.

XXXX-X5: Eryx, the guys are pretty pissed because you ditched midway, did you regret it? I know you come from a family of vampires, but there's no shame in being human.

XXXX-X5: You were the one that said you wanted to try out that drug, the guys were nice enough to buy for you, but you never paid them.

XXXX-X5: Dony said he was going to leak that video of yours to the press.

XXXX-X5: Yuri went missing, so everyone is on edge.

XXXX-X5: Eryx, Yuri is dead.

XXXX-X5: Call me.

XXXX-X5: Fuck, I was nice to you and you think you can just ignore my texts? You're nothing but a whore Eryx, you deserve what's coming for you.

XXXX-X5 sent a video.

Eryx runs to the bathroom, emptying the contents of his stomach in the toilet, his face more pale than normal, his hands trembling and his throat burning. Too much, that was too much, he thinks. Not only does he have amnesia, since he didn't feed enough, but he just emptied all he ate from watching that video.

The video is muted, but he doesn't need the sound to understand what was happening, it's a video of him sucking four men off, they shove their dicks down his throat yet he barely reacts, his pupils dilated and his actions are consistent to a drug high. Isn't this abuse? Wasn't I abused? This… He starts crying, the door of the bathroom is open wide and he's laying next to the toilet. The rest of the texts only make him sicker.

XXXX-X5: Guess who just received this?

XXXX-X5 sent a picture.

Did they just send that to his brother? He doesn't recognize who it is from the picture since he hasn't met all of his brothers, but the red hair and eyes are enough clues for him to know that those bastards sent that video to one of them. By the time in the texts the video was sent half an hour ago, soon everyone in his family will know.

I'm the victim though.

But it isn't that simple, even if he's the victim, he was high on drugs he apparently chose to take himself.

How can I fix this before going to the Academy tomorrow?

Once he enters the Academy he'll need to focus on beating the heroine and if this is still lingering around he won't be able to focus. He throws up again, his whole body trembling as he feels weak, his eyes burning from hunger. I need to feed again but I don't have the stomach or strength.

This night doesn't seem to end, not only he woke up and fed from a dead body, but he also had a huge amount of information dumped on him at once.

XXXX-X5: I hope you know what you're doing, I can help you if you just call me.

XXXX-X5: They're saying you killed Yuri.

XXXX-X5: But they found vampire marks on his body, ha, Ery, did you run to your brothers?

XXXX-X5: Fucking bro-con, did you suck their dicks too?

What a fucking mess. It seems that someone appeared dead, maybe it's the body I fed from? If it is, this is becoming even more complicated.

His phone rings, the caller ID showing Brother Ezekiel. He doesn't pick up, not only he doesn't have the strength but he doesn't think he can speak right now.

It only takes four minutes though, the door from the house slams open, the sound loud like a thunder, and soon a figure appears at the bathroom door, staring down at a sick Eryx, the red eyes showing anger and disbelief, the man is the tallest of all the brothers he met. His red hair was buzz cut and he was wearing a black leather jacket, shirt and pants, the boy makes a mental observation that his brother looks like a grim reaper, and the scar going from his right eye to the left part of his chin gives the man a more intimidating aura.

“Brother, what are you doing here?” Eryx hears Mael’s voice from the corridor.

The man raises his cellphone, showing the brother in the corridor why he was there. Eryx doesn't need to see Mael to know his reaction, he can hear his brother's shock. And surely, Mael’s face appears behind the scary looking brother, his face pale, but his eyes are showing nothing but worry. For someone cursing me a while ago he sure loves me. Eryx thinks, feeling sicker.

“Care to explain?” Not only was his face scary but also his voice, strong like a thunder, making Eryx shiver.

“I don't remember”, Eryx says, closing his eyes and leaning on the toilet, he tosses his phone to the two brothers. “I don't know what I did or why”, tears flow down his face, he's scared. He opens his eyes, his orange irises shining with the tears. “Help me”.

He refuses to look at them as they go through his messages log, he feels like insects are walking all over his skin, he feels disgusting. The video replayed non stop inside his brain. And by cue, he turns to throw up again. 

Mael goes through who Eryx assumes is Ezekiel - since the video was sent to him -, reaching the sick boy, helping him to get up. He's carried all the way to the kitchen, being forced to sit at the counter while Mael grabs a few blood bags from the fridge and tosses them in front of Eryx.

“Eat while I talk with Ezekiel”, his tone is softer than before, Eryx nods, without the strength to speak. Mael leaves, but even if they're far, the boy can still hear his brothers discussing. “Just kill them”, Mael says.

“It's not that simple, they're humans”, Ezekiel answers. Eryx slowly swallows the sweet blood, it helps him feel better but the urge to throw up again doesn't go away. “As a detective yourself you know what could go wrong Mael”.

“Exactly because I'm a detective!” Mael raises his voice before lowering again. “We all knew Eryx was using something but we assumed it was just vampire drugs, if he was using human drugs along with that we should've helped him!”

“He’s already an adult, aren't you the one who constantly lectures Nicolas for babying him?” Ezekiel snorts, Eryx nods along, remembering how just moments ago Mael was arguing with Levi about him.

“That was because he was spoiled! But the situation is different now”, Mael sighs, Eryx can't see them, but he can see the man scratching his head and pulling his long hair back just by the sounds they're making. “He's a newborn now, and he doesn't even have his memories, this must be a shock”.

“You're scared he'll be traumatized?” Ezekiel asks, he continues speaking so Eryx assumes Mael must've nodded. “I can use my ability if he wants, we can change his number and do an investigation ourselves”.

“Do you think he'll want to have his memories erased?” Mael's voice is filled with worry. “When he's already amnesiac?”

Eryx finishes the fourth blood bag, a notification from the system pops up.

Congratulations for reaching 0% thirst, remember to constantly feed so that you don't suffer side effects! The penalties are turned off.