Kaidën's words hung in the air like a challenge. Lyra felt like she was standing at the edge of a precipice, staring into the abyss of the unknown.
"Save you?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "What do you mean?"
Kaidën's eyes seemed to cloud over, as if a storm was brewing inside him. "I've lived for centuries, Lyra," he said, his voice low and husky. "Centuries of darkness, of loneliness. I've seen the worst of humanity, and I've experienced the worst of myself."
Lyra felt a shiver run down her spine as Kaidën's eyes seemed to bore into her soul.
"But there's something about you," he continued, his voice filled with longing. "Something that makes me feel like I can be human again. Like I can feel the sunlight on my skin, and the warmth of a lover's embrace."
Lyra's heart raced with anticipation. She felt like she was being drawn into a world of darkness, a world of secrets and lies. But she also felt a spark of hope, a spark that seemed to ignite a fire within her.
"What do you need from me?" she asked finally, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kaidën's smile was enigmatic. "I need your blood, Lyra. Your blood, and your love."
Lyra felt like she had been punched in the gut. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. All she could do was stare into Kaidën's eyes, searching for the truth.