Eternal desire

Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Embracing the Darkness**

The following days passed in a blur, but not like the frantic haze Amara had feared. Instead, they became a strange rhythm of discovery. The hunger was ever-present, but the fire that had once threatened to consume her was now a flickering ember, manageable with Lucien’s guidance.

Each night, Lucien patiently walked her through the basics of her new reality, showing her the limits—and the limitless possibilities—of being a vampire. In the beginning, she felt clumsy, stumbling through these lessons with a mix of reluctance and fear. But as the days passed, Amara realized that she was stronger than she’d ever imagined.

“Close your eyes,” Lucien instructed one evening, standing in the mansion’s large garden under the moon’s pale glow. “Listen. Feel everything around you.”

Amara stood perfectly still, letting the night wrap around her like a thick blanket. She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, focusing on the sounds. At first, there was the usual—rustling leaves, distant birds, the hum of the night air. But then she heard more. She heard the faintest scrape of a beetle’s legs moving across the soil. The whisper of wind as it brushed through the branches. The heartbeats of animals hidden deep in the forest.

And then, she heard something new—Lucien’s heartbeat, slow and steady.

Her eyes snapped open. “I can hear your heartbeat.”

Lucien smiled, a hint of pride in his eyes. “You’re more aware now. Vampires experience the world in ways mortals can’t even imagine. Your senses will sharpen as you grow more accustomed to this life. You’ll hear things, smell things, even feel the presence of others before they get close.”

Amara nodded slowly, still processing the world she was now a part of. She had spent so long being afraid of what she had become, but there was a power in it too—a power that both frightened and intrigued her.

Lucien moved closer, his eyes never leaving hers. “You can also move faster. Faster than you ever thought possible. Try it.”

“Move faster?” Amara asked, a skeptical smile tugging at her lips.

“Run,” Lucien said simply. “Don’t think. Just let go.”

Amara hesitated, looking out across the vast garden that stretched into the forest. She took a deep breath, then broke into a run. At first, her legs moved like they always had—quick but human. Then, something shifted. Her muscles seemed to surge, her body responding to the rush of energy coursing through her. The wind whipped through her hair, and suddenly, she was flying across the grass, faster than she thought possible.

She stopped at the edge of the trees, breathless, but not from exhaustion. Her eyes widened, heart racing with exhilaration. She turned back to where Lucien still stood, far in the distance, watching her with a pleased expression.

“Faster than you expected?” he called, his voice carrying effortlessly through the night.

Amara couldn’t help but smile. The speed, the rush—it was intoxicating. She had never felt so alive, so free. In this new form, her body felt limitless, as if she could run forever, leap higher than the trees, break through walls if she wanted.

Lucien appeared beside her in an instant, his movements a blur, as though time itself bent to his will. “You’ll get used to it. The power. The control.”

“It’s… it’s amazing,” Amara admitted, still catching her breath. “I feel like I could do anything.”

Lucien’s smile softened, and his tone turned more serious. “That’s what makes it dangerous, Amara. You can do almost anything. But you have to learn how to control it. Otherwise, the power will control you.”

His words sobered her quickly. She had already seen glimpses of how easily things could spiral out of control—the thirst, the hunger, the raw power that threatened to take over if she wasn’t careful.

“Show me more,” she said, her voice steadier now, more determined. “I need to know everything.”

Lucien nodded, his gaze meeting hers. “There’s a lot to learn, and it won’t happen overnight. But I’ll teach you.”

And so, the lessons continued.

Lucien taught her how to sharpen her senses even further, how to pick up the faintest traces of scent from miles away. She learned to move with a speed and grace she hadn’t thought possible, to leap from the ground to the top of trees with ease. But more than the physical abilities, Lucien began to show her the mental discipline she needed to control her instincts—the hunger, the rage, the overwhelming emotions that could come with the power.

Each day, Amara practiced, her confidence growing. She no longer feared losing control in every moment, though the hunger still flared up when she least expected it. Lucien was always there, his steady hand guiding her, reminding her that she had more power over herself than she realized.

One evening, as they stood together in the quiet of the mansion’s large library, Amara looked over at Lucien. “You’ve been alive for so long… how do you manage it? The hunger. The power. Doesn’t it ever get too much?”

Lucien’s gaze darkened slightly, and for a moment, he looked as though he were lost in a memory. “It does, sometimes. There are moments when the hunger is overwhelming, or when the weight of the centuries feels like too much to bear. But it’s the control, the discipline that keeps us grounded. It’s what makes us more than just monsters.”

Amara nodded, understanding more than ever before. “I don’t want to become a monster, Lucien.”

“You won’t,” he said quietly. “Because you care. And that’s what will keep you human, no matter what.”

She stared at him for a moment, feeling the truth in his words. Despite everything, despite the darkness inside her, she knew she wasn’t alone. And with Lucien beside her, she believed she could learn to live with what she had become.

As they stood there, the quiet of the night enveloping them, Amara felt a sense of peace she hadn’t felt since her transformation. There was still so much to learn, so many challenges ahead. But for the first time, she wasn’t afraid of what lay ahead. She was ready to face it—whatever it might be.