LUNA took a deep breath before the pair of big oak doors swung open in front of her. A crowd all wearing black sophisticated suits and gowns greeted her, lined to the left and right, creating an aisle for her. At the end of the line stood her father, Lord Aleister, and to his right was his butler, Seifi, who was whispering something to his ear. She didn’t know why, but at that very moment, her body felt cold. All of the guests’ gazes were on her, and they were all looking at her as though she was their prey. Luna was suddenly reminded of her dreams about those pale-cold creatures who wanted to devour her. She shook her head hard afterward. Those thoughts were nothing but a dream. It wasn’t the right time to be reminded about that dream when she was about to celebrate an important occasion with her father. Lord Aleister held out his hand and beckoned her to walk the aisle. And so, she did. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest when she reached the front. Seifi held her hand
LUNA’s vision was hazy, and the overwhelming heat enveloping her body was starting to make her feel crazy. She never felt such kind of feeling before. Was it the feeling people feel before death? If yes, maybe she was dying in the hands of Lord Aleister and the rest of his clan. Ah, it was such a bitter ending for Luna. She didn’t even get to know who her real parents were. She didn’t get to live her life to the fullest. “Do it, Aleister!” one woman from the crowd screamed. “Kill her now before she kills us all!” The crowd agreed in unison, cheering for the lord to kill her fast. Luna closed her eyes as she felt the pain and heat that continued to consume her. There was no way she could escape her tragic fate now. She was too weak to even move an inch. The only thing she could do was to accept her fate. What a lonely fate, she thought. She didn’t even get to know who her real parents were. If only Luna could turn back time, she wouldn’t make that mistake of trusting Lord Aleister.
LUNA opened her eyes and found herself in a place she had never expected. All those times, she thought she’d end up in hell once she was dead, but the place seemed almost like heaven. She slowly sat up and looked around. She was literally in the middle of nowhere—a place where the waves meet. There was no one there but her. And then suddenly, she heard a voice… speaking to her. Luna… Her eyes wandered, trying to find where the voice was coming from. But there was no sign of anyone. “Who are you?” she asked, puzzled. “Where am I?” Was she dead, or was she dreaming? Luna had many dreams about things she couldn’t explain. Most of the time, she’d forget about it once she woke up. Moments passed, and she didn’t get any response from the voice for a while. She plopped down on the sand and bit her lower lip as she tried to suppress her cries. However, she failed to stop her tears from falling. “Maybe I’m dead… for real.” The vampires from the ball must’ve sucked all her blood, killing
LUNA opened her eyes and found herself inside a cave. Her body still felt too weak, and for some reason… she couldn’t remember what happened. She didn’t even know how she got there. Did she get into an accident and hit her head, causing her to lose her memories? She hoped not. Her eyes wandered afterward. A bonfire was lit from afar, near the cave’s entrance, and from her spot she saw a few silhouettes of humans. Given their distance, their voices seemed to be muffled, so she couldn’t comprehend a single word they spoke. Luna tried to move and sat up slowly, propping her hands on the ground for support. But just when she was about to stand up, something caught her attention. Something jaw-dropping that Luna almost forgot how to breathe. For a second, she saw humans… but they suddenly turned into wolves and ran away. Only one of them was left behind, the man who entered the cave. Panic immediately ran through her veins. What if he was a wolf as well? What if he suddenly f
I WALKED… I ran… occasionally, I looked behind me. There was this voice inside my head that told me to run and never stop. It said those pale-white creatures shouldn’t get a taste of my blood. I must save myself… The voice echoed everywhere I went, and it wouldn’t stop telling me to run. I had no idea where that voice was coming from. All I knew was that… my body followed the voice’s command. But how could I ever save myself? I’m just a child, and I’m not aware of what the world outside the woods would be. Would it be sweet? Would it be cruel? I really didn’t know. I just ran as fast as I could. I huffed and puffed as I passed the trail of tall trees, looking straight at the horizon in front of me… LUNA halted from reading when she heard footsteps approaching. She immediately blew off the candles and rushed to bed. The other orphans did the same and tucked themselves under the duvet. They all pretended to be asleep. It was already past eight in the evening. The nuns running the orpha
IRMA rushed to the door when she heard consecutive knocks. She opened it, and her mother came in. “Look what you’ve done!” her mother Lucinda said through gritted teeth. “Mother, I’m—” She couldn’t finish her sentence when her mother’s palm landed on her cheek. And as if not contented, she also slapped the other one. Tears rolled forth Irma’s cheeks afterward. However, she was not crying because of the physical pain her mother’s slaps had given her. Irma was crying, for she knew she had done something against their law and must pay for it. “We’ve been ex-communicated to the coven!” her mother snarled and poked her on the chest. “And that’s because of your stupid—” “Loving someone isn’t stupid, Mother!” Irma countered. “It is!” Lucinda sneered. “If love doesn’t make you stupid, then tell me why you performed necromancy even though you know that the coven forbids its use?!” She buried her face in her palms and cried. “I did it because I love Sebastian, and I couldn’t bear to live
IRMA banged on the front door of her mother’s house. After fleeing from their home, she took Luna there. She and her daughter would be safe if they were with the coven. Vampires were somehow afraid of witches. “Who’s that? My goodness, it’s the middle of the night.” The door swung open, and her mother emerged with wide eyes looking at them. “I-Irma?” “M-Mother… please let us in,” she pleaded. Her mother’s gaze reverted to the sleeping child she was carrying in her arms. “Who’s with you?” her mother asked as she peeked outside. “It’s just my daughter and me.” “Come in.” Her mother ushered them inside. “Take her inside the room. I’ll make you something to drink.” Irma took her daughter to the bedroom and carefully laid her down on the bed. She caressed Luna’s cheek and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Then there was a knock on the door. She left the bed and headed outside. Her mother, Lucinda, was making tea in the kitchen when she arrived there. “Tell me what happened,” h
THE footman swung the heavy wooden door open, revealing the dimly lit study room. Stepping inside, the butler followed closely behind, his footsteps muffled by the plush carpeting that covered the floor. “My Lord,” the butler greeted respectfully and bowed. “Seifi.” Aleister’s piercing gaze fixed upon his servant. He was a favorite, a thirty-year-old soldier that died in a hospital ward that he’d resurrected just recently. The butler then approached his master, who sat behind an intricately carved mahogany desk. “I hope you come bearing good news today, Seifi,” Aleister said, his voice filled with a mix of anticipation and impatience. “Yes, my Lord,” the butler replied with a measured and composed voice. He gracefully handed Aleister a sealed brown envelope. Its edges were already worn from its journey. Aleister brought the envelope to his nose and sniffed the scent attached to it. A growl rumbled in his throat as he recognized the familiar aroma. “Human…” His senses became heig