Chapter 1: The Darken King

Hard footsteps of shining armors roar within the dark forest. As the coldness of the night envelopes the creep of the darkness, capturing the beauty of the moon, a mother and a child is running within the dim lights, chasing for their lives...

"Aria, you stay here okay? I'll be back in a minute!"

"M-momm...I'm scared...Wh-y are they chasing us? Did we did something wrong?"

"Hussshhh!!!... Listen, Aria. You are a very special child. Just stay here and only...Only go out when the first ray of the dawn comes out. Promise me!"

"But Mom! I--"

"Hide, Aria!"

The mother ran to the dim lights of the moon, luring the Lightens out of her daughter's life...

"BOOOGSSHH!", a loud bang of the door has woken up the sleeping beauty of the underworld, followed by the loud footsteps of the chasers...

"A dream, huh? I need to get out of here before anyone can smell my trace", Aria immediately jumps off the walls of the trees looking out for manticores and other darkens lurking around the area as she eradicates each of her trace. 

In a distance, she notices something ominous in the center of the nether world. It is creepier than anything else in the place. Surrounded by total darkness where other beasts resides, one thing captivates the eyes of the shining moon -its thorn like, sharp alexandrite stones glow bloody colors of ruby, some parts are like raspberries with the dim lights of the moon casting upon it.

"Oh, I'm guessing that is the perfect place to hide into. It must be a forbidden area!", Aria confidently stated to herself, looking astonish to the charming view on top of a tree in the beast forest.

Neitheria is the home for bloodlust demons, werewolves, and other supernatural beasts that wields the power of darkness. This realm is an outlaw land where the people live seeking for the strongest individual power. And, the one who will stand atop the summit of the strongest is proclaimed by all beasts as their liege, the Darken King...

"Woopsiiee! This place is hell...", Aria seems confused of the tunnels in front her. She has entered the tower of the king. The tunnels appear damp, scary, and echoic. Different voices are heard from inside but, the tunnel at the right end is silent. Still dark and damp, but there's a peaceful ambiance in the inside.

"Commander, the crossbreed might have flew far from now. They couldn't find any trace of it in the villages."

"We should not let our guards down. The King is flustered at the moment, we should not cause something that will kill us at instant."

Aria heard the muttering voices in one of the tunnels. She moves her feet to the right end tunnel straight away in dispatch...

"Hear my voice, and let the darkness glow", Aria casts a shadow spell to light the path as she enters the dark tunnel. The air is wrapped with the coldness and evil smell coming from the ends. As the light from the spell envelops the place, the path also glows along the covered crystal ices with frozen blue roses beneath.

"Should we inform the Liege of the problem?"---

Accompanied by the thundering footsteps outside the tunnel, Aria rushes to the ends full of confusion. "Wh-what is this? Why are there people here?" She is starting to cower in fear at the situation. Knowing how risky it is to be in the enemy's den, Aria is being wary of her dear life.

As she passes the end of the tunnel, she was welcomed with the tallest twin dragon door she has ever seen. It is made of olive wood with a white gold mixture in it. The twin dragons are made of alexandrite stones and receive dim lights of the moon reflected in the open windows on the sides.

Aria was stunned and amazed by the beauty in it. But footsteps inside the tunnel are banging that made Aria more panic and immediately open the doors. It was heavy at first, but the adrenaline has made the maiden stronger in an instant.

"Did our Liege has went outside?"

"The door is slightly open...Should we check it out?"

"But, no one is allowed in the King's lair!"

"Anyone who tries to get in were never been seen again."--

Aria can totally feel her heart's beat after hearing the words. She initially entered thinking the tower is safe and no one would dare enter it because of its eerie vibes but an unbelievable thought has been circling above her head.

"Did I...just enter the lion's den?", she looks around the room for escape. The cresset in each corner of the room is the only source of light. There's apparently no windows at all but, a balcony opposite to her gave light to her fading rays of hope.

Her eyes roam around for more. She notices the devilish style of a bed and a rack of books beside it.

"I guess there's no one in here...", she started moving a step but a sudden knock on the door was heard. "My Liege... are you in here?"--

Her heart beats faster every second of the moment. She can feel the death hugging her from behind. And, things become more complicated and difficult for her now. "I should hurry my escape now...My shadows, carry the wind and cover the place with darkness", she immediately rushes to the balcony with despair in every step of her feet. Her breath is getting heavier as the seconds pass by and the nervousness has come over her.

"Dear life, this is a castle!" She gasped as she took a look at the front view of the tower. Manticores are gathering on the ground and other beasts are all around the forest. Aria is cornered...

"Am I..." She knows the fate of a crossbreed. She thinks of fighting back but the doubt of escaping is eating her out...

A while later of battling with her mind, a grunting howl has made her shiver through her entity that has entered from the twin doors.

"Who are you?", A loud and doleful voice growls gets closer to the balcony. Aria's voice is cracking as she move a step behind the railings, "A-aa..w-olf?"--

"What is a crossbreed doing in my lair?"

Aria is shivering in fear while looking at the hungry beasts below them. She then wields a shadow sword as she corners herself at the end of the balcony...

"You might have fooled my gofers from finding you but a King's smell is the strongest...What are you doing in my den?"

"Do--don't move a single...s-step from there..", Aria trembles in fear as she pointed her shadow sword to the being in front of her.

"What can a mere young crossbreed do with her little toy?..."The wolf laugh at her. He moves toward her grinning from ear to ear as he sniff her scent in the corner...

"W-what are-- what are you d-oing?"

The wolf growls and howls as it get closer and closer to her. Aria is in dreadful fear and feels like she's losing her hope to live. Her tears are starting to fall from her eyes and her hands are shaking tremendously. The wolf has come in to her face with its fangs drooling...

"Please..."Aria cries in awe for her fate. She kneels down, succumbs the energy of fighting..."Spare me..."

She raises her head and see the tantalizing eyes of a half-naked man staring at her face intently. As the salty waters in her eyes fall, the man slowly lends his face into her and says the three words that made her crawl in hope and in despair...

"Then..."

"Become my wife!"