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“Why should I trust you?” Danny asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Because I want to help you,” Alexander replied simply. “I was like you once. Confused, scared of what I was becoming. But with the right guidance, I learned to control it. You can too.” Danny remained silent, the weight of the decision pressing on him. He didn’t want to become a monster, but if Alexander could teach him how to control it—how to feed without hurting anyone—maybe there was a way to live with this curse. “Alright,” Danny finally said, his voice steady but reluctant. “Teach me.” Alexander’s voice purred in his mind, satisfied. “Good. We’ll start tomorrow.” As the night deepened, Danny sat quietly, mulling over his decision. He still had so many questions about what he'd become, about Alexander and the life he had now. A thought crossed his mind, one that had been bothering him since their first meeting. “How old are you, Alexander?” Danny asked, his voice hesitant. There was a brief pause before Alexander answered, his tone casual. “I’m 219 years old.” Danny’s eyes widened. He knew Alexander was old, but hearing the exact number made it feel all the more real. “219…” Danny repeated, his mind racing. “How old were you when you…you know…” “I was 16 when I was turned,” Alexander said, his voice steady, as if it was just another fact. “I’ve been this way ever since.” Danny let the weight of that sink in. “So…you’ve been a teenager for over two centuries?” “In a way, yes. Physically, I’m frozen at 16, but time changes you. You learn, adapt. You see people come and go. Things…fade.” There was a strange melancholy in Alexander’s voice, a hint of weariness that came with living through so many lifetimes. “Do you regret it?” Danny asked softly. Alexander didn’t answer right away. “Sometimes. But we are what we are now. Regret won’t change it. You’ll learn that soon enough.” Danny swallowed, the weight of eternity pressing down on him. The next night, Danny found himself standing in the shadowed woods just outside of Amity Park, his breath visible in the cool air. The faint sound of rustling leaves and distant night animals filled the otherwise quiet night. He was nervous, his newly heightened senses on edge, picking up every small movement and noise around him. Alexander stood nearby, his posture relaxed as always, but his sharp eyes were locked on Danny. "Ready to begin?" he asked, his voice calm, yet there was an undertone of authority that Danny couldn’t ignore. Danny took a deep breath, his hands clenched at his sides. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” he muttered, still unsure about everything that was happening. He didn’t like the idea of luring someone in just to feed off them, but Alexander had insisted it was the best way to keep the hunger in check without losing control. Alexander’s expression softened slightly. “This is necessary, Danny. You’ll learn to control it, but you have to trust me.” He motioned for Danny to step closer. “Now, I’m going to teach you how to use your abilities without overwhelming yourself or your prey.” Danny nodded stiffly, moving to stand beside Alexander. The older vampire began to explain, “It starts with the mind. You have to focus on the person you want to influence. Calm them. Speak to their subconscious. Once they’re relaxed, you can feed without causing panic.” “Relax them? Like, hypnosis?” Danny asked, skeptical. Alexander smirked. “Sort of. But it’s not as obvious. It’s subtle. You’ve already used this ability before, even if you didn’t realize it.” Danny thought back to the times when he’d accidentally influenced people—how they’d suddenly listened to him without question. It hadn’t been intentional, but it had happened. Now, he was supposed to do it on purpose. “Let’s start small,” Alexander said, motioning toward the edge of the woods where a lone jogger was making their way down the trail. “Focus on them. Reach out with your mind.” Danny’s heart raced as he concentrated on the jogger. He could hear their heartbeat, steady and strong, the rhythmic pulse of their blood flowing through their veins. He swallowed, trying to block out the sound, instead focusing on what Alexander had said—calming the jogger’s mind. “Relax,” Danny whispered under his breath, willing the jogger to slow down. To his surprise, the person’s pace faltered, and they stopped, standing still as if waiting for something. Alexander nodded approvingly. “Good. Now approach them. Don’t be afraid.” Taking a deep breath, Danny slowly walked toward the jogger, his instincts screaming at him to move faster, to take what he needed. But he pushed those urges down, instead focusing on the jogger’s calm state. The jogger didn’t even flinch as Danny approached, their eyes glazed over, completely under his influence. Danny hesitated, his fangs itching to extend. “What now?” “Now, you feed,” Alexander said simply, watching Danny closely. With a trembling hand, Danny gently tilted the jogger’s head to the side, exposing their neck. His fangs elongated, and without thinking, he leaned in, sinking them into the soft skin. Warm blood filled his mouth, and for a moment, all his thoughts vanished. The hunger roared to life, and he drank, savoring the taste. But just as quickly, Alexander’s voice cut through the haze. “Stop.” Danny pulled back immediately, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He stared at the jogger, who blinked a few times, dazed but otherwise unharmed. They looked around in confusion before continuing their run, none the wiser. “You did well,” Alexander said, his voice calm and measured. “You didn’t take too much. And most importantly, you didn’t lose control.” Danny wiped his mouth, feeling both relieved and horrified by what he’d just done. “I…I can’t believe that worked.” Alexander clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll get better with practice. Soon, you won’t even have to think about it.” Danny nodded, but deep down, he knew he’d never get used to this—this life of feeding on others. But at least now, he had some control. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. As they left the woods, Danny glanced at Alexander. “What happens now? The council…” “They’ll want to see progress,” Alexander said. “But don’t worry. You’ll be ready when the time comes.” As they walked through the woods, Danny's mind raced. The night had been overwhelming, but there was one question gnawing at him that he couldn’t ignore anymore. He abruptly reached out and grabbed Alexander’s arm, stopping them both in their tracks. "Can I tell Sam and Tucker?" Danny asked, his voice barely above a whisper, but filled with urgency. Alexander turned to face him, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then he sighed, his sharp gaze softening slightly as he considered the question. “Danny, that’s a dangerous decision. Are you sure you want to involve them in this? They already know about your ghost half, but this… this is different.” Danny tightened his grip on Alexander's arm, his fangs still aching slightly from the recent feed. "I can’t keep hiding it from them. They’re my best friends, Alex. They deserve to know what’s going on—especially if this hunger keeps growing. I don’t want to accidentally hurt them." Alexander's face remained calm, though his eyes darkened with a hint of concern. "If you tell them, you risk putting them in danger. The vampire council won’t like humans knowing about your new nature. They’re protective of our kind’s secrecy." Danny clenched his fists, feeling the conflict gnawing at him. "But they’ve been with me through everything. They’ll find out eventually, and I’d rather it come from me than when it’s too late.”