The crimson moon hovered above the sky like a watchful eye, casting eerie red light over the forest where the trees whispered secrets older than time. Lucian stood at the edge of the clearing, his shirt half-buttoned, the breeze toying with the hem as if nature itself wanted to tempt him back into the night's embrace.
Behind him, Elira moved quietly. Her bare feet made no sound on the moss-laden earth, and her presence carried the subtle scent of wild roses and midnight rain. Lucian didn't turn to look; he knew it was her. He always knew.
"The moon feels heavy tonight," she murmured, her voice low, tinged with both awe and unease. Her hand brushed lightly against his arm, her fingers trailing his skin as if grounding herself to his presence.
Lucian exhaled slowly. "It's not the moon. It's the omen that rides with it. Something stirs beyond the veil."
They had been hunting—no, escaping. After the events in the Crimson Vale, where blood had been spilled in ancient rites and alliances shattered, the pair had chosen seclusion. But solitude offered little safety when destiny had already marked their path.
A flicker of silver danced through the underbrush, fast and deliberate. Lucian stepped in front of Elira instinctively, his muscles tensing. "Show yourself," he commanded.
From the shadows emerged a woman cloaked in grey silk, eyes gleaming like mercury. She carried no weapon, but the air around her vibrated with raw energy.
"Lucian Vire," she spoke as though reading from an ancient text. "The bond has been forged. The Circle calls. You cannot run from fate."
Elira moved beside Lucian, chin tilted defiantly. "He chooses his fate, not your prophecies."
The cloaked woman smiled, eerie and calm. "So does the flame until the wind decides otherwise."
A silence followed, thick and unnatural. Then the messenger turned and vanished as swiftly as she had come.
Lucian's jaw tightened. "We don't have much time. They've found us."
"Then let them come," Elira whispered, and this time, her voice carried a promise. One not of surrender, but of fire.
Lucian's senses were sharper than ever as he walked beside Selene through the moonlit corridor that led deeper into the castle's east wing. This part of the fortress remained unused for years, its silence holding more than just dust and forgotten echoes—it held secrets, and tonight, perhaps temptation.
The torches lining the hallway flickered, casting long shadows across the walls. Selene moved ahead of him, her silver dress trailing behind like a wave of starlight, barely brushing the cold floor. The slit on the side revealed her smooth legs with each step. The low neckline exposed her collarbones and the soft swell of her chest, the moonlight seeming to caress her skin more lovingly than Lucian dared.
She turned toward him suddenly. "You said you wanted to see something forbidden, didn't you?" Her voice was soft, teasing.
Lucian's throat tightened. "I didn't say I'd refuse it."
Selene chuckled, walking through an arched door into a hidden chamber. Candles lit the corners of the room, illuminating a bed draped in crimson sheets, shelves filled with ancient scrolls, and chains dangling from the walls—not iron ones for punishment, but silver, ceremonial, lined with runes.
"This room belonged to a queen who was rumored to have tamed demons not with violence, but with desire," Selene said, walking around the bed. "She believed true control came not from fear, but seduction."
Lucian took a slow step inside, closing the door behind him. "And you brought me here… why?"
Selene sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs, letting her robe part slightly higher. "Because you need to learn to control your inner beast," she whispered, "and this room… it breaks every rule. You want power, Lucian? You'll need to taste the madness that comes with it."
He was already breathing heavier. The tension was thick, electric. Selene raised her hand slowly and curled her finger, inviting him forward.
He walked toward her, a half-step from her knees, trying to maintain composure as the scent of lavender and firelight danced off her skin. Her fingers slid up the inside of his coat, opening it slowly. "Tell me to stop," she murmured.
Lucian didn't.
Her hand slid over his chest, and in a slow, intimate motion, she pushed him onto the bed. He didn't resist. She straddled him gently, the weight of her body making his breath hitch.
"I'll teach you," she whispered near his ear, her lips barely brushing it. "How to use desire. How to command it, bend it, survive it…"
Her fingers traced down his stomach as her hips began to move. The room filled with slow gasps, whispers, and heat. It wasn't violent or rushed. It was a slow burn—like a fire that didn't consume instantly, but promised to devour everything in time.
Lucian lost sense of how long they lay tangled together—how many moments slipped between words and movements. She guided him, challenged him, taught him control even in surrender. She showed him that pleasure wasn't weakness; it was power misunderstood.
Hours passed. When silence finally settled, Selene rested against his chest. "You're learning," she murmured.
Lucian, sweat on his brow and breath still uneven, nodded. "What happens now?"
She looked up at him with a mischievous smile. "Now you learn what it means to crave more."
The next morning, the castle stirred awake, unaware of the forbidden lesson that had unfolded within its ancient heart. Lucian sat alone on the stone balcony outside his chamber, shirtless, a light breeze brushing against his skin. The sky blushed with orange and pink as dawn painted over the darkness of the night.
His thoughts were a storm.
Selene had left without a word, vanishing like a dream just before waking. But the mark she left wasn't on his body—it was deeper. It was in the way his power surged when he remembered her whispers. In how his hunger had sharpened not only for her touch, but for the strength she offered. She had become a part of him now.
"Your aura is unstable."
Lucian turned. Standing in the doorway was Aramis, his half-brother and the current heir to the throne. Where Lucian was chaos and fire, Aramis was logic and ice.
"What do you want?" Lucian asked, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I felt your surge last night. The entire eastern wing was pulsing with mana. What were you doing?"
Lucian smirked, not answering. He leaned against the railing. "You wouldn't understand."
Aramis walked closer, his gaze sharp. "Selene was seen leaving your chamber."
Lucian's smile faded. "Are you spying now?"
"No," Aramis said coolly, "I'm warning you. She's not just some wandering noble. She's from the House of Dusk. They don't play games. They bind souls."
Lucian's pulse skipped. "What do you mean?"
"They seduce to enslave. If she's taught you something, she's expecting a debt. And you will pay."
Lucian clenched his jaw. His fists trembled with heat—not just from anger, but confusion. Why would Selene…
He stood suddenly. "I'll find her myself."
"You should stay away," Aramis warned. "You're on the edge, Lucian. One more step and your darkness will consume everything."
Lucian turned, eyes glowing faintly. "Maybe it's time."
Later That Night
Lucian stalked the castle halls, tracing Selene's scent through the deeper levels. It led to a forgotten sanctuary behind the old chapel, where moonlight poured through a glass dome overhead.
Selene stood in the center, eyes closed, dressed in ceremonial robes of black and violet. Runes glowed around her. She was meditating.
"I need answers," Lucian said firmly.
Selene didn't flinch. "Then ask them."
"Did you use me? Was last night some… ritual?"
Her eyes opened slowly. "Yes," she said. "But not the way you think."
He stepped closer, anger flaring. "Then explain it."
"You've awakened a core inside you. Something ancient. I didn't force it—I just unlocked what was already burning." She walked toward him. "You're not like the others, Lucian. You're more than human now. And last night wasn't about pleasure… it was about survival. Yours."
Lucian stared at her, heartbeat loud in his ears. "What am I becoming?"
Selene lifted her hand, resting it over his heart. "Something feared. Something powerful. But it's not enough to have power. You must master it—or be devoured."
The air crackled between them again. He wanted to trust her. Needed to. But the truth remained: nothing would ever be the same.
And the hunger inside him was just getting started.
The moonlight faded, replaced by thunderclouds roiling in the sky. In the hidden sanctuary, Lucian stood motionless, staring at Selene. She held his heartbeat in her palm, not metaphorically, but literally—his essence throbbed in a glowing sphere of mana floating above her hand.
"You extracted it," he muttered. "What the hell are you doing?"
Selene's expression softened, but her grip didn't waver. "I had to. Your core was unstable. If left unchecked, it could've ruptured."
"You took it without asking," he growled, stepping forward.
"I saved your life."
Lucian's voice dropped to a low hiss. "Then give it back."
Selene nodded. With a whisper in a forgotten tongue, the sphere of glowing energy floated forward and sank into Lucian's chest. His breath caught. A rush of power filled his veins, smoother than before—less wild, more... sharpened.
He staggered. "What did you do to me?"
"I bound the loose strands and strengthened your control," she said. "You'll feel hunger again, but it won't dominate you unless you allow it."
Lucian stood silent. His chest burned with heat—but no longer pain. His aura no longer fluctuated wildly. It hummed like a weapon waiting to be wielded.
"You made me into a weapon," he said.
"No," she whispered. "I revealed the blade hidden inside you."
He turned, but before he could speak again, a sudden crash echoed outside the sanctuary. Doors exploded. A figure in silver armor stepped through, his face hidden by a mirrored helm.
"Lucian Graves," the man barked. "By order of the High Court, you are to be detained and examined. Your sudden magical awakening violates the accords."
Lucian's body shifted instantly. Fire licked along his arms. Selene stepped beside him, her voice like ice. "He's under my protection. You'll take him over my corpse."
The armored knight didn't blink. "That can be arranged."
Lucian growled. "You want me tested? Fine. I'll show you what I've become."
Ten Minutes Later
Ash blanketed the floor. The sanctuary was half-collapsed, walls scorched, runes smoldering. The knight lay on the ground, armor shattered. Lucian stood over him, panting but victorious.
Selene approached, brushing his shoulder. "You handled that better than expected."
Lucian looked down at his hands. "I didn't lose control."
"No," she said. "You embraced it."
They left the sanctuary behind, walking into a night that now feared Lucian's steps.
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