PROLOGUE: UNDER THE BLOODY MOONLIGHT

"FOC MODO! INVIENET eam!” [

I ran as fast and quiet as I could when I heard their voices approaching the bush I am hiding in. Biting my paled lips to stifle my cries, I felt the immense pain of the wounds coming from the different parts of my body. I clutched the hem of my bloody dress to be able to walk faster, swallowing the urge to scream and whimper.

“You can’t die here, Luna. Run.” Even the voice in my head can only whisper.

No. I won’t die here.

The forest is unbelievably at its darkest tonight. Every wave of the harsh wind screams danger, with only the moonlight to guide me. I can feel my insides slowly dying but my fast pace is unwavering.

While running, my eyeballs reddened when I tried to use my clairvoyance. There are fifteen, no, twenty vampires, chasing after me. I clutched tightly to the amulet, my senses are at their weakest but I can still feel and hear their footsteps slowly fading. A bit relieved, I lowered my pace and catch my breath for a second.  Just when I was about to feel calmer and safe…

Without even glancing, I felt a very fast-moving towards me. My eyes widened and my heart starts beating erratically in my chest again. How did these two find me? I can’t be wrong, that scent belongs to Arturo and Dominic.

“My, Luna! I can see you’re already tired!”

“Ludo est supra, mi princeps! [Game is over, my princess!] Let’s go home and rest for a while!”

Arturo, at my far left side, and Dominic at my right, running in the same direction. I ignored their ear-shattering laughter and continued running faster. I’ve always known these twins for being pesky but I don’t expect them to make tease me right at this very crucial moment. However, I can’t underestimate their capabilities despite this naughty facade.

They are fast, much faster even stronger than me. Everyone in the Valentin clan is. I know they are just playing around as they try to follow along with my weak pacing.

Like flashes of lightning through the dark skies, the three of us slashed through the wild winds of the night. I felt my eyes heating the moment I saw a tall tree ahead of us, I can climb it and then jump to the nearest cliff. But then Arturo seems to read my mind.

Before I even got the chance to lift my feet, he ran at a very high speed and jumped to the tall oak tree in front, cornering me.

I glared at him with fire in my eyes, opposite to the mischievous smirk he had on his lips. “Aren’t you tired with all the running?” Despite the playful words his mouth is spitting, his crimson eyes full of dread say otherwise. I slowly move my feet backward, the terror slowly sinking in. Arturo is my cousin, I have known him since time immemorial… or so I thought? Was the Arturo and Dominic I’ve known was just an illusion too?

Just like the others?

“You have nowhere to go to, Luna. Why are you still running?”  

The baritone voice of Dominic sent shivers down my spine. I can feel his heavy presence just standing right behind me. I am cornered. I am helpless. He’s right. I have nowhere to go, I have no one left.

Why am I still running? Where do I really wanna go?

“Ah!” My eyes widened with shock as I felt the sudden pain of the cold metal slashing through my stomach. Still recovering from the shock of being stabbed from the back, I felt another one, and another one, after another one. Totally wrecked, my frail body touched the ground, facing the sky full of bloody hues.

“Why…” my lips quivered with tears as I felt my soul shattered with the physical pain, agony, and betrayal.

My sight is turning blurry but I still can clearly see the devious faces of Arturo and Dominic gazing upon me. “Why…” with my last breath, I still want them to tell me the truth.

“Hush now, Luna…” I slowly closed my eyes as Arturo finally released his sharp fangs, wanting to do the last blow.

But just as I felt his hoarse breath in my neck, something inside me has woke up. I can feel my blood flowing as if it’s being chased by something, my sight is now vivid. So vivid that I can even see everything from miles away. I groaned as I stretched my neck. I feel hot. I feel heavy and powerful.  What is happening to me?

“Tu stultus es, Arturo!” [You’re a fool, Arturo!]

The panic in their eyes are evident when they saw me slowly me standing up with all my might. “Kill her, now!” Arturo tried to attack me again but the next thing that happened made the two of them unable to move.

Under the bloody moon of Aerith, the whole forest was disturbed by a loud, rough, and thunderous growl of a werewolf. But I’m sure that it came from me. From Luna Valentin of Valentin Sanguine, a prominent family of vampires. Vampire. But why did I just growl like a werewolf?

The sound I made echoed from all the corners, but this time, it did not come from me.

A huge animal-like creature with sharp nails and eyes of an ocean suddenly appeared in front of us. My eyes watered in recognition. “Nero…” I whispered with a faint sound of hope in my voice.

What took you so long… I have so much to tell him. I don’t even know where to start.

I was about to go towards him when a sharp pain attacked my temple, making me dizzy and weak. I didn’t know how Nero managed to scoop me and I ended up hugging his back. Using the tiny power I have left, I held onto him as he ran to the forest at his fullest speed. The twins tried to chase us, but they just disappeared with the wind in the middle for some reason.

My arms tightened around Nero’s body as we meet the harsh cold wind with our bare bodies. I don’t know if it’s his warm body… or the unbearable pain, both emotional and physical, or the faint hope of survival his presence gave me. I just found myself weeping and wetting his furs with hot, fresh tears.

“Nero…” My voice is as cold as the winter, as the wind whispering. “They killed father. He’s dead… He’s gone.”

He stayed silent. And running still. But It’s funny how I can still feel comfort through hugging his warm and furry body.

“I’ll kill them.”

He stopped.

But I didn’t.

“I will kill them all,” I promise, with the bloody moonlight above and Infinitum’s Alpha as my witness, to kill those who killed my father and killed my soul, and to make it known that the greatest sin they have committed their whole life is to let Luna Valentin live.

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IMPORTANT NOTE:

The Characters and Events mentioned in this book are purely fictional and are not to be construed as even remotely inspired by persons and events known and unknown to the author.