Darius's heart, or what remained of it, thundered in his chest as the mysterious figure led him through the thick forest. The man's grip on his arm was unyielding, yet Darius didn't struggle. Something about him felt… different. Dangerous, yet strangely comforting. He had no explanation for it, but the eerie sense that the man knew something he didn't was undeniable.
They moved in silence, the rustling of leaves beneath their feet the only sound in the night air. The moon hung high above, casting a pale glow on the path ahead, but it barely touched the thick canopy above them. The deeper they went into the woods, the heavier the air became. It felt as though the forest itself was watching, waiting.
Finally, the man came to a stop, turning to face Darius. The shadows around him seemed to cling to his cloak like dark tendrils, and for a moment, Darius couldn't tell where the man ended and the night began.
"We're here," the man said, his voice low and steady. "This is where you'll learn to control the beast inside you."
Darius frowned, glancing around. All he could see were towering trees, their trunks gnarled and twisted, and the cold, dark expanse of the forest stretching endlessly in every direction. The only thing that stood out was a stone altar in the center of a clearing, surrounded by strange symbols carved into the earth. The markings were ancient, like something from a time long forgotten, and Darius could feel their power emanating from them.
"What is this place?" Darius asked, his voice rough. His mind was still clouded with the overwhelming hunger, but he could feel the edge of something else, something that both repelled and drew him in. The symbols seemed to pulse with an energy that resonated deep within him.
"This is where the true training begins," the man said, his eyes glowing faintly in the dark. "But before you learn to control your thirst, you must understand what you've become."
The stranger's hand shot out, grabbing Darius's chin with surprising force and lifting his face to the moonlight. Darius tried to jerk away, but the man's grip was like iron.
"Look at yourself," the man murmured. "Do you see the monster staring back at you? Do you feel it? That thing inside of you that wants to tear apart everything in its path?"
Darius's breath hitched. His reflection was barely visible in the stranger's eyes, but the reality of what he was struck him all over again. His pale skin, blood-red eyes, and sharp fangs—all of it screamed other, screamed unnatural.
"You're not human anymore," the man continued, his voice colder now. "And until you come to terms with that, until you learn to master what you've become, you'll never be able to control the beast. It will control you."
Darius clenched his jaw, fighting the overwhelming urge to lash out. "I know what I am," he spat. "And I don't need you to tell me."
The man smiled, a knowing smirk that sent a chill down Darius's spine. "No? Then why are you so afraid of yourself?"
Darius didn't answer. He couldn't. The truth was that he didn't understand it. The hunger, the power coursing through his veins—it was as if his very nature had been rewritten. He had no idea what the hell was happening or why, and the more he tried to deny it, the more real it became.
"You're a Blood Sovereign," the man said, his voice now eerily calm. "A rare breed of vampire, one with power that most can't even fathom. You can either let that power consume you, or you can learn to wield it. But the path you choose will determine everything. Including your fate."
The words hit Darius hard. Blood Sovereign. The term had been flashing in his mind since he woke up in this body, but hearing it spoken aloud by the stranger made it feel far more real, far more terrifying.
"What do you want from me?" Darius asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you helping me?"
The stranger's eyes gleamed with a predatory light. "I'm not here to help you, Darius. I'm here to give you a choice. But you must learn to walk the path of the vampire. You must embrace the darkness within, or it will destroy you."
Darius took a step back, his hand instinctively brushing against his throat where the thirst still burned, gnawing at him. The weight of the decision loomed over him, but he wasn't sure he was ready to face it. Not yet. He needed to know more.
"What do you mean, embrace the darkness?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice steady. "How do I do that?"
The stranger's lips curled into a smile that was both cruel and knowing. "You start by feeding."
Before Darius could react, the man turned, his cloak swirling around him like a living thing, and he walked to the stone altar. The symbols on the ground flared briefly with light as he reached it, as if they were responding to his presence.
"Come," the man said, his voice carrying an unnatural authority. "Feed. And prove you have the will to survive."
Darius hesitated. He knew what the man meant. It wasn't just a simple feed—it was a choice. A choice to accept the darkness within him, to allow the beast to rise and take control.
But as the man's words echoed in his mind, something shifted in Darius. The hunger surged again, sharper now, more intense. The thirst clawed at him, gnawing deeper, demanding to be sated. His fangs ached, and his vision blurred with the overwhelming need.
Without thinking, Darius took a step forward.
The man's lips curled upward, as if he knew this was coming. "Good," he whispered. "You've made your first step."
Mission Update:
• Feed on a living creature to quench your thirst.
• New Task: Embrace the darkness within you.