A Long and Lasting Love

Eternity is something that has an endless appeal to many, a desire for a life beyond the bounds of time itself. But what if you had the gift of eternity and yet, there was this hole inside you that nothing seemed to fill? And then, one day, comes someone into your life, filling that hollow with a warmth that defies the imagination. But just as fast as they come, they are gone, leaving you to deal with the pain of their absence. How does one get over such pain, knowing that it would have been prevented? This is the story of a life marred by perpetual longing, a journey through unrequited love and haunting regrets.

Who am I? The question lingers in the depths of my being, an enigma awaiting resolution. I am not a being, for I do not exist among the humans. When my eyes open, they reveal me in different worlds with a different era and generation with whom I have lived beside, innumerable amounts of people, experiencing life by each other's side. Through the ages and many civilizations, if you would ask me, the burdens of this life weigh heavily in my soul. No end, no reprieve, just constant repetition. Such is the nature of our lives, my brothers and me, creatures born from the darkness, born from a land of shadows—the Dark World.

We live in this unwanted world, our existence one of perpetual darkness, a life without light. One time we lived like the rest of the world. We lost everything within an instant of tragedy that blemished the Dark Ages. So since then we have been left to suffer the life with no cure- a disease that took our destiny in our hands away from us. We are jailed and cannot run out from the prison for eternity. Wherever our kind treads, my kind is met with hatred and rejection. I bear witness to the cycles that unfold in the lives of humans, birth, youth, adulthood, and then the tender frailty of old age. And I bear witness to their final journey as well, the inevitable final embrace of death, that resting place of their mortal forms.

Love—a familiar yet enigmatic emotion, an emotion that permeates my essence. But there is that foreign feeling that cannot be put into words. Whom are family and friends? What are they made of? Where are they today? Do I belong among them? Every time I come out of the world of dreams, a lingering sense continues to push me toward seeking answers. Are they memories? Pieces of my past? What do they mean? Why can't I get them out of my head? Why have I suffered from confusion? Does a part of me come short from my earlier years, a part to be retrieved? If it were, why cannot I even remember something? Why remain stuck to this world with uncertainties and puzzles? Why must these walls of the dungeon not crack? How can I stay here so long?

Isn't it ironic that our needs are just like theirs? We, like them, survive on blood-the life force flowing through their veins. Their own essence is what fuels the existence of humans; we, the dark creatures, survive on the blood of humans, drawing our power and energy from their life force. It is a grim reality we face, consuming the lives of humans to stave off our own demise. In desperate acts of self-preservation, we seize the lives of humans, the weakest among us, in a bid to survive. It is a despicable act born of necessity, a grotesque dance of survival at the expense of another.

The longing to escape this torment haunts me, an unsatiated flame that thirsts for salvation. I wish to escape this hell of wretched life that I have lived, a thousand years now. But what is the question that stares back at me-first: how? Until she crossed my path-a flicker of hope amidst the darkness. This is the story of our meeting, a story to be told, into the depths of my desperation and the flicker of purpose ignited by her presence.

This is my story, a chronicle of eternal longing, a search for redemption, and a quest to break free from the chains of my immortal existence.

Once upon a time, far, far away in a land shrouded in mystique, lived a vampire prince named Salvatore, paragon of power and wisdom, whose name was whispered in fear and awe. Yet, among all the grandeur of his royal existence, Salvatore longed for a love that would transcend the very bounds of time.

In the misty forests surrounding his kingdom, fate put together the destinies of Salvatore and a beautiful young woman named Ayaka. Full of care and compassion, Ayaka, gifted with the ability to cure human ailments, attracted the attention of Salvatore at their first glance. He is fascinated by her every move, having seen the goodwilled gestures without changing opinions.

With weeks passing, interest in Ayaka was expanding exponentially in Salvatore. He was so drenched in her presence that, many times, he had to watch her unseen as she healed ailments among the villagers. That is the day he learned how hard Ayaka tries for her patients, how each wrinkle on her face is determined. Being driven by an instinct he could not suppress, Salvatore emerged from his hiding place, offering his assistance, which momentarily caught Ayaka off guard.

But when their hands touched each other with a common motive, the spark of trust began to glow within Ayaka's heart. Each passing minute brought them closer to one another, and they discovered a deep affinity with each other. In vulnerable moments, they would open up their hearts unguardedly to reveal their dreams, hopes, and fears. The loneliness of Salvatore without eternal love found an anchor in Ayaka's arms.

Ayaka also fell into the mystery that Salvatore presented to her. Every wound she tended, every conversation she shared with him, increased her love for the prince. All the boundaries that separated them and their worlds disappeared, and the unrelenting love between the vampire prince and the mortal healer began to blossom.

However, an unmistakable reality hung like a sword of Damocles over their relationship, menaced their fairy-tale romance. For while Salvatore was immortal, Ayaka was mortal-her life fleeting. It is one major difference that separated their two existences-something that made their love such an incredible test.

He was faced with an insurmountable predicament in life, and Salvatore brought forth a solution born out of a heart full of adoration. He suggested that he give Ayaka the gift of eternal life by inviting her to join him into the realm of immortality. But Ayaka rejected his offer, knowing what life was all about--beauty in its transience--and she cherished the transient moments they spent together by vowing to embrace the inevitability of time's passing.

United in an indestructible bond, Salvatore and Ayaka vowed to hold their love in high regard, no matter what it would cost. They promised to spend each day as if it were their last, cherishing every whispered breath and tender touch. They walked across the tapestry of life together, creating memories and leaving their love etched upon the annals of time.

When their mortal lives were closing, their love never wavered. The legend of these two went on to fill hallowed halls and become a tale repeated generation after generation. Indeed, true devotion knows no bounds. Salvatore and Ayaka's love went beyond time and the power of immortality. Amongst history, their love symbolized indomitable will against fate, proving that love transcends mortality.