After Lowell left, Ms. Anastasia sat and cried by Emily's body for a while. Her crying face looked like a ghost in the white light of the room. She was in her nightgown, hair wild, and clothes rumpled from the crying fit that had followed his abrupt departure. The tears she had shed only minutes ago felt fresh on her cheeks. She had been through so much already – loss, death, pain… all for nothing.Why now? What good had come of it all after twenty years of trying to build a life where she could be happy with her and where her granddaughter would never know the pain she was experiencing now?The tears came again, as if some invisible force were squeezing her heart and making her lungs burn. Her whole body shook from the effort of keeping them down, but there was no escaping the pain. She then got up and took out the cake from the fridge. "Look at these red mooncakes, you liked them a lot. Today, I have brought a special one for you. Happy birthday, Emily, my darling. Eat this.""You d
That evening, she came out of Emily's house alone, with a storm of thoughts in her mind. She did not know when she reached Nagosia forest. The same trees, the same wind, and the same moon were in the sky. Nothing had changed here except for the weather.The air smelled fresh, the rain washed clean by the gentle wind. She walked past it as if it were a dream and kept walking until she was close to the water. She could see the reflection of the moon on the surface of the water, a little island where no one dared to tread for fear of drowning.She sat on the ground and leaned against the trunk, looking at the moon reflected on the ripples. The water smelled good, and she took off her shoes. She put one foot in the water and kept the other on the bank. She felt herself sinking into meditation, reflecting on her emotions and calming her mind.Despite the peace, she did not feel completely at ease. Instead, there was a sense of unease in her stomach that made her uncomfortable. Tears fell f
Pawns are decorating the coven house with red curtains and flowers. They're getting ready for a wedding. There will be cake and wine, and they will sing. Everyone will have fun, and everyone will remember this wedding in their memories. However, it is not the kind of fun that people enjoy on a regular basis anymore. They are preparing to celebrate something very special. Something that no one has celebrated in hundreds of years. A celebration that has only come once every millennium in history."Why have they all started working early this morning? The wedding is in the evening," Rook Theia asked, seeing all the pawns working."There is something more important in this coven than your marriage, Theia," said Bishop Eloise. "And why do you make such a noise when you wake up in the morning?""Rook Theia," she said, repeating her name."Your whole life is to be spent reminding others of your name," said Bishop Eloise with a sarcastic laugh."Whatever, bitch. I don't want to argue with yo
Altan was wiping Esen's tears, who was crying badly, into his shoulder when Zeta Eli came up to him and whispered into his ear, "Alpha Altan, tonight is our meeting with Ace Christ of Strigoi Grave Risen Coven. Don't forget that."Zeta Eli's words ran through his mind in a jumble, and he remembered his meeting tonight with the Ace of Strigoi Grave Risen Coven. The meeting was going to help Alpha Altan get an edge on his rivalry with the Vanara Pack, a chance for the Alpha to gain a stronger foothold over the other pack leaders."No, I mean, I remember this meeting," he said while looking at Esen's face. He can't leave her in this situation.At the question of Zeta Eli, Esen looked up at Altan, still crying a little. She was looking straight into his eyes with determination. He could see the fire burning in them, even though her eyes were still puffy from crying. She needed support in times like these. She was too strong to cry all alone. But he knew better than anyone else about how i
Coven House was dark and cold inside, with only red lights burning everywhere as if fires were lit in the middle of every room. The air was thick, hot, and stank of blood, clinging to everything like a mist. It wasn't something that could be wiped away by water – the scent remained even though someone bathed after. It was so strong one could almost taste it when they breathed. This coven was the stronghold of the Dark Shadow Coven, which, like the Gravefur Pack, was based on the East Coast.The Dark Shadow Coven has several ranks within specific positions, among Moroi vampires, that they earn through respect and deeds within vampire society. The Ace vampire is the Alpha of the vampire society, the Pawn vampire keeps the coven clean and tidy, the Knight vampire is the assassin of the coven because they usually turn to dust, the Rook vampire is the leading warrior of the coven, and the Bishop vampire is the healer of the coven as their blood increase healing in other vampires. Dhampir v
In the darkness of the night, Emily's grandmother, Ms. Anastasia, slowly takes her steps and enters the confines of Saintmau without caring for her life. She knows that the way back from here is very difficult and may be impossible, but to protect her granddaughter, she could step into Saintmau a thousand times. She could have risked her life a thousand times to save her from the werewolf.She was treading carefully through the streets of Saintmau in the moonlight, lest she step on the grave of a Vargulf werewolf who haunted the town at night.The stories of the Vargulf had been passed down for generations, and while some dismissed them as mere superstition, others believed in their existence. She had heard in the stories that the witches of Saintmau had died and the Vargulf werewolves had been trapped beneath the soil. Their bodies twisted and contorted into grotesque forms.They had been cursed by True Alpha Alparic, who sought to punish them for their wicked deeds. As she continued
Ms. Anastasia started to look at the thread tied on her left foot, which was tied after doing the witch rituals. "Just a few more hours," she thought while running her fingers on the thread and looked up back in the mirror, carefully. Very carefully, she was sitting each image in her mind, as if it might be the last time to see herself like this.And for the first time in her life, she wasn't looking good. She didn't have anything to hide anymore. She was free from hiding. Her long hair was loose again, not pinned in a tight bun, showing off the natural color. Her pale, soft skin was exposed without any kind of makeup."Don't be afraid. You have to fight for Emily, for your children, for your village," Ms. Anastasia said to her reflection. She tried not to sound sad because she wanted to give strength to her words and make them sound believable. She had to do everything to convince herself that this wasn't all fake."You are a mother. You can do that without any fear," the words were
Zeta Eli was going to Saintmau without Alpha Altan. At night, he was running in his werewolf form through the Nagosia forest. His bluish silver fur was flying with air in different directions, and his golden eyes were fixed on the path ahead. His nose picked up the scent of blood as he ran over fallen trees and broken twigs.His ears flicked back, hearing his own breathing in his head. He could taste it too: metallic and bitter, like old metal from a car engine. It filled his mouth with saliva and made him want to vomit, but it also filled his throat and chest with a sense of pride. His teeth were sharp, as in he could rip any animal that came his way.Upon reaching Saintmau, he transformed back into his human form. The smell of death was so strong now that it almost choked Zeta's tongue, lingering in the air. The moon had been high up in the sky for hours. The Saintmau village was silent, not even the wind blowing through the tree leaves rustled. Zeta Eli took deep breaths to ease hi