Daciana clutched the red passport, running her fingers through her blonde wig. There were advantages to having a twin sister. Although they were not identical, they shared enough similarities. Daciana pinned her hopes on the busy passport check-in so they would let her pass. She forgot the introduction of the facial and passport recognition scanners. It flagged her, setting the light flashing on her cubicle. As an unregulated, untrained vampire, the Ministry confined Daciana to the mainland. She clenched her butt, fists tightened, and the red hue of panic flushed her cheeks. Eyes turned to glare as the attendants gathered around. They led her to the main passport desk, where the man scrutinised her physical image. He held the passport up, eyes flicking between her and it. He could see the resemblance. The girl in the picture was larger with brilliant blue eyes. Daciana fidgeted. There were too many people for her hypnosis to take effect. Her weak illusion power was no match for the surroundings either. Casimir had stressed the importance of his teaching for a situation like this. Yet, through her stubbornness, everything was about to fall apart. The man stamped the passport, handing it back. He gave a thin smile. While her weight loss was impressive, she may want to update the image. In the future, this would save him and her potential trouble.
A small cluster of sandy islands, overshadowed by an active volcano, sat in the southern seas. Pristine, endless beaches with golden grains met the crystal clear waters and a shoal of fish. Sulani prided itself on sustainable fishing and conversation. The debris washed up on the shores reflected the negative mainland influences. Health officials declared certain areas unsuitable for swimming upon discovering pollutants. This included turtles with plastic attachments and a rapid decline in fish stocks. None of this deterred the tourists, with rumours of merfolk and vengeful spirits. The mysteries of this quaint island were awaiting discovery.
Daciana longed to see the sunset over the calm sea. She settled at the bar, ordering a Mai Tai. She looked out across the water as the sky drifted into night. It gave Daciana a surge of life she was growing accustomed to. Casimir explained how humans born like her would feel the change, the shift in their power. The closer to her death, Daciana came, the more intensive she would feel the rise in her power. It enabled her hypnotic gift to take a stronger hold on those who fell for her charm. The bartender succumbed to Daciana, convinced they did not need to see their ID card.
The bar was slow to fill, human happy meals tempting Daciana with their flavours. She read in books how other occults held a unique experience. The ministry forbade the devouring of other occults. Daciana was not any vampire, she held the gift of enhanced taste. She salivated at the thought of encountering these sensations. Merfolk tasted of the sea, salted and best combined with cumin, coriander and fresh orange. It was the reason she chose a Mai Tai. The rich caramel flavour of the dark rum sat upon the fruit’s light rum-infused base. Almond notes and that squeeze of lime tickled and sparked her taste buds. Finding the elusive and rare sea creature would be the perfect way to complete her journey.
By the Grace of Sim Gods 