The Hunger

The hunger is worse than before.

I clench my fists, nails biting into my palms as I pace the dimly lit training chamber. My wound from the last fight has long since closed, but the memory of the pain remains, feeding the monster inside me.

I should feel proud. I won against Lucian. But my victory is hollow.

The hunger taints it.

My throat is dry, burning. Every breath I take carries the scent of Lucian's blood. Even though it's gone, my body remembers. My stomach knots, the hunger twisting inside me, sharp and relentless.

No. Not now. Not again.

I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing myself to focus. I can't afford to slip. If I do, I might never come back.

A soft tap, tap, tap of boots against stone reaches my ears. I turn, finding Lucian standing at the entrance, arms crossed. His golden eyes are unreadable as they lock onto mine.

"You felt it, didn't you?" he asks.

I swallow hard. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lucian steps forward, slow and deliberate. "Don't lie. I saw it in your eyes during our fight. That moment when you almost lost yourself."

I stiffen, fingers twitching at my sides. "I was in control."

He exhales sharply, shaking his head. "No, you weren't. If I hadn't stopped you, you wouldn't have stopped yourself."

The truth stings more than any blade.

Lucian watches me, his gaze sharp. "You need to get ahead of this before it consumes you. If you don't master the hunger, it will master you."

I stay silent. What can I even say?

Lucian steps closer. "You're stronger than this, Aria. But strength means nothing if you can't control it."

I let out a shaky breath. He's right. I know he's right.

Finally, I nod. "What do I have to do?"

A smirk tugs at the corner of his lips, but his eyes remain serious. "We train again. But this time, we push you past your limits."

...

The next night, we return to the chamber.

I grip my sword tightly as Lucian circles me. The air is thick, heavier than before.

This is different.

This is controlled.

Lucian moves first.

SWOOSH!

His blade cuts through the air, coming at me with speed and precision. I block, steel meeting steel in a deafening CLANG!. The force rattles up my arms, but I hold my ground.

The fight begins.

Lucian is relentless, his strikes quick and sharp. I meet him blow for blow. But with each clash of our swords, my pulse quickens. I can hear his heartbeat. I can smell his blood. The hunger stirs, wanting to lash out.

I grit my teeth, shoving it down. Focus, Aria. Fight, don't feed.

Lucian smirks. "Come on, show me you can fight without losing yourself."

I growl, pushing forward. My sword arcs through the air, forcing him back. He dodges, barely avoiding my next strike. My movements become sharper, faster. The hunger fuels me, making me stronger.

Then it happens.

Lucian missteps. Just for a second. The scent of his sweat, the sound of his pulse—it's too much.

Something snaps.

I lunge.

WHOOSH! I knock his sword from his grasp, slamming him against the stone wall. My breath is ragged, my grip tight around his throat. My fangs ache, the hunger roaring in my veins.

Lucian doesn't fight back. He just looks at me.

"Aria," he says quietly. "Don't."

My body trembles. The hunger howls at me to give in. To taste. To take.

No!

I let out a strangled cry, wrenching myself away. I stumble back, pressing a shaking hand to my mouth, horror flooding through me.

Lucian rubs his throat.

"That's what I meant," he says. "You're close, Aria. Too close."

I don't speak. I can't. The shame is suffocating.

Lucian picks up his sword, sliding it back into its sheath. "We'll keep training until you can fight without this happening."

He turns to leave but stops at the doorway. "You're not weak. But if you don't get this under control, someone else will."

I know what he means. If I can't control myself, the clan will do it for me.

As Lucian disappears down the corridor, I sink to the floor, gripping my arms. The hunger is still there, lurking beneath the surface, waiting for me to slip.

I won today.

But how long before I lose?

...

I can't sleep.

The hunger won't let me.

I lie in my chambers, staring at the ceiling, listening to the distant echoes of the fortress. My body is exhausted, but my mind refuses to rest. The taste of near failure in my mouth. I almost lost control. Again.

I push the sheets aside and sit up. My skin is cold, my throat dry. I need air. Maybe then, I'll feel normal again.

Slipping on my cloak, I step out of my room, moving through the fortress halls. The air is thick with the scent of stone and old blood. The others are resting, but vampires don't sleep deeply. If someone senses me, they'll ask questions.

Questions I can't answer.

And that could get me killed.

I reach the outer gates. The guards stand at their posts, their glowing red eyes scanning the darkness. I press against the stone wall, my fangs biting into my lower lip. Just a little farther, and I'll be free.

I take a step—

A loose stone shifts under my foot.

The sharp crack echoes.

One of the guards stiffens. His head snaps in my direction. His nostrils flare. His eyes glow brighter as he focuses.

I freeze. He's listening. Scenting the air.

Vampires are hunters. If he catches even the slightest trace of me, I'm done.

Panic coils in my gut. Then—it happens.

A strange coldness spreads through my chest, like shadows seeping into my veins. The torches dim as if the night itself is swallowing them.

Then—I vanish.

Not completely. I can still feel my body, my limbs, but the shadows wrap around me, pulling me into the darkness. My form melts, blending with the night like a whisper of smoke.

The guard steps forward. His eyes scan the area, his fangs peeking out as he listens. He can sense something—but he can't see me.

I don't move.

I don't even breathe.

Seconds stretch like eternity. Then—he exhales sharply, mutters something under his breath, and turns away.

I don't wait. I slip past him, my movements silent, effortless. The night clings to me, shielding me, until I'm past the gates and into the forest beyond.

Only when I'm far enough do I let go of the power. The shadows fade, and my body becomes solid again.

I clutch my chest. My pulse is steady, but my body feels different.

I don't know what just happened.

I don't know how I did it.

But I do know one thing.

I have a new power.

And I might need it to survive.

The night air is crisp as I step outside. The stars burn bright above, light shining over the dense forest beyond the fortress walls. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs. 

Damp earth and pine.

Then I hear it.

A heartbeat.

Slow. Steady. Human.

My body locks up. My instincts sharpen. The hunger awakens.

I shouldn't go toward it. I should turn back. Return to my chambers before I do something I regret.

But my feet move forward.

I slip into the forest, the shadows wrapping around me like a second skin. The heartbeat grows louder, drawing me in. The hunger stirs again, whispering in the back of my mind.

Then, I see him.

A young man stands by the edge of the river, his back to me. The moonlight glows against his skin, illuminating the sharp angles of his face. He looks… different. Unlike anyone I've ever seen before.

I take a step closer, but a twig snaps beneath my boot. He turns, and for the first time, our eyes meet.

His breath catches. My hunger surges.

And in that moment, everything changes.