[JOSHUA]
They did it together. Raven began muttering the spell as her hand came in contact with the talisman. The witches at the door didn’t even see it coming and before they knew it, the power of the
[JOSH]Even ten days after the massacre at the Black Hall, not a single soul involved that day could stop thinking about how all of it could've been prevented if only a few trustful, true words had been exchanged. The effect was seen on each one. Many lost their lives and many others people who they cared about. The signs of recovery however were blooming all around. People were forgiven for their bad deeds out of the kindness of the hearts of those who had been at the suffering end. Surprising to Josh, Eira had been strangely calm about having Raven in the mansion. The latter refused to return to the Black Hall and although she denied it, the warlock knew, deep inside she was mourning for Alexander. Nate—another surprise to him—had been chosen to represent the vampires in the supernatural coucil. The bloodsuckers had been oddly agreeable and united about peace—again another surprise for the warlock."Are you giving up already?" Josh asked when he saw Eira lazily throw the herbs in
The only certainty in life is death, or so everyone believes. But what happens when you die, and death doesn’t claim you?***Orilon was quiet, too quiet for a town that thrived on gossip. The cobblestone streets glistened under the dim glow of the antique lamp posts as a storm brewed on the horizon. The townsfolk hurried home, anxious whispers echoing about the two bodies found in the Centaurus Forest earlier that evening. Malcolm’s Shack, the lone diner at the heart of town, was unusually packed, its neon sign flickering erratically like a dying breath.Inside, Sheriff Holland sat with her boots kicked up on the table, swirling the ice in her cold brew. Her face was as impassive as ever, even as Detective Williams paced the floor, his brows knit in frustration."Two bodies, completely drained of blood. What kind of animal does that?" Williams' voice wavered slightly, betraying his unease.Sheriff Holland took a slow sip before answering, her voice dry. "The blood-sucking kind."Willi
*TWO DAYS AGO* The woods of Centaurus Forest stretched out like a haunting maze of twisted trees and shadowy paths. Damien had roamed these woods countless times, always under the cover of night—the only time he felt any solace. But tonight, even the familiar darkness offered no comfort. His gaze flicked back over his shoulder every few moments, an instinctual reaction, though his undead heart lay still within his chest. Sometimes he wished he could feel its rhythmic beating once more. Tonight, however, he was grateful for his silence, for the stealth his condition provided. A single slip-up could mean death—this time, for real. The pack of wolves that hunted these woods would have him in seconds, or worse yet, another of his own kind might be lurking. Just a moment's distraction, and he could end up with a wooden stake piercing his chest. The thought sent a chill through him, colder than the forest's wind. Damien had never been one for regrets, but now they clawed at him, like
As the TV flickered off and the ambient quiet settled back into the room, Damien's mocking laughter lingered in the air. The absurdity of the town’s explanation for the 'blood shower' was too much for him to take seriously, yet it gnawed at him. He couldn’t deny there was something unnerving about it. His taunt echoed through the elegant yet mismatched room, a strange blend of timeless aristocracy and modern convenience.“Come on,” he scoffed, “a scientific phenomenon? Really? The council’s got a lot of nerve, trying to pass this off as some kind of atmospheric oddity. No one with half a brain is going to buy that.”Nate, still sprawled lazily on the couch, didn’t bother responding, though a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Josh, on the other hand, sighed, carefully marking his place in the ancient grimoire before responding in his usual, steady manner.“You give people too much credit,” Josh remarked, his voice carrying a quiet authority. “They'll believe anything with the rig
The first thing Eira discovered when she regained consciousness was the suffocating pitch blackness enveloping her. Her eyelids fluttered open, but the overwhelming scent of rancid blood and rusted iron assaulted her senses, and she instinctively squeezed them shut again. Fear spiked through her like a knife to the gut. Darkness had always been her greatest terror. It clung to her skin like a thousand crawling insects, sending shivers down her spine. Even with her eyes closed, she could sense the darkness around her, the shadowy figures her mind conjured lurking just out of sight, waiting to close in on her. A cold sweat broke out across her skin, though she could feel the chilly air pressing in from all sides. Her pulse quickened, and her fingers searched frantically for the familiar bedside lamp she always kept on. Naomi, her roommate, usually tolerated Eira’s need for the soft glow of the lamp throughout the night, though she herself preferred total darkness. But now, no switch me
Eira sat in complete silence on the metal bed, resting her palms on the edges on either side. She threw away the fear and panic and drew a blank expression across her tanned face, intending to keep it that way for the whole time until was asked to say something. Her heart however raced erratically, threatening to jump out of the ribcage. As her supposed kidnappers approached the cell she was locked in, the temperature around dropped several degrees. Her fingers began to shiver irrevocably but she couldn't be sure if it was them or the fact that she was horribly and absolutely afraid. Their faces were concealed in the darkness. She could only see faint outlines of their figures. Sounds of more footsteps hit her ears. "Did you place the candles as I asked?" One of the figures questioned authoritatively. He wasn't the one who had attacked her. "Yes." This one was. For a moment, silence lingered in the air along with the smell of three different male perfumes. Eira resisted the urge t
Josh crossed his arms slowly and leaned against the brick wall layered with moss, allowing Eira to absorb the information he had just passed. His back pressed completely against the cool, solid, age-old bricks but didn't mind the mud or the green patches on his freshly ironed, beige shirt. In fact, they only made him feel more attached to the source of his power—nature.Eira responded with a sigh and then followed cold silence, one that sent a chill down his spine. No words escaped her plump lips but her blue eyes shot a thousand questions at him. He wanted to answer them but fear kept him at bay. It was an unspoken and ofttimes a spoken rule by the vampire council to keep the secret to them.Josh rubbed the nape of his neck lightly while managing to maintain his calm facade, perceiving well that such a reaction was not completely normal for someone had been kept in the dark for too long. But he wasn't too experienced in the matters of giving satisfying, non-surprising revelations."Lo
Eira felt as though someone had pulled the floor from beneath her feet and she was falling—faster with each second into the depths of insanity. Her senses went numb for a while. A part of her still wished this was a joke or a dream and she would wake up soon but the other acted like a rebel, enjoying the thoughts of being in danger and facing death. But she was certain the latter was a result of her best friend's influence. The saner part regretted the decision of getting wasted and ending up at the cemetery. When Dakota was alive, she had only brought trouble into her life. Even when dead, she was doing a good job.The sound of a sigh greeted her ears as she saw Josh fold his arms yet again, "That is why I have this offer for you. You can choose to accept it or not. Remember, there's danger of death."Unfortunately, I can't reveal to you more about the supernatural activity in our town unless I know for certain you're on our side. If you don't accept the deal, I make you forget all
[JOSH]Even ten days after the massacre at the Black Hall, not a single soul involved that day could stop thinking about how all of it could've been prevented if only a few trustful, true words had been exchanged. The effect was seen on each one. Many lost their lives and many others people who they cared about. The signs of recovery however were blooming all around. People were forgiven for their bad deeds out of the kindness of the hearts of those who had been at the suffering end. Surprising to Josh, Eira had been strangely calm about having Raven in the mansion. The latter refused to return to the Black Hall and although she denied it, the warlock knew, deep inside she was mourning for Alexander. Nate—another surprise to him—had been chosen to represent the vampires in the supernatural coucil. The bloodsuckers had been oddly agreeable and united about peace—again another surprise for the warlock."Are you giving up already?" Josh asked when he saw Eira lazily throw the herbs in
[JOSHUA]They did it together. Raven began muttering the spell as her hand came in contact with the talisman. The witches at the door didn’t even see it coming and before they knew it, the power of the
[EIRA]Somewhere along her way, Hela found her and did not miss the chance to pounce over the witch, pinning her to the cold, hard floor underneath. As the claws on her fingers dug into the skin of her shoulder, Eira screamed but also, the very next moment, she snapped her fingers, twisting Hela&rsq
[JOSHUA]The only way was to escape. They could neither not stop the hoard of vampires nor the werewolves. There were too many of them. And the witches had his mind in a knot. How could he somehow get rid of them? They were only astral projecting. No spell could throw them off.
[EIRA]The moment she felt her feet touch the solid ground, Eira was pushed off balance. A stake she had stuffed in her pocket fell to the floor. She opened her eyes and gasped loudly.
[EIRA]Josh held her arm as she inched closer to Damien. The vampire suddenly dropped to his knees and covered his face. He was crying.Trish's corpse lay in front of them, her eyes wid
[RAVEN]"We need to leave today, Alex. Have you packed yet? Or you need any help?" She said swaying her arms around, pretending to ignore the lines on his forehead."How dare you?" Alexander barked at her before she could draw in a single breath.Raven stared into his eyes, her brows raised in confusion. "Is everything okay?"His jaws clenched together tighthly, making her frown. What had made him this angry in the morning?"How dare you betray me?" He shouted at her with a voice that made her flinch. "I raised you like my own daughter, took you in when the people who you shared blood with cursed and kicked you out and this is how you repay me?""I don't know what you mean?" She raised her head but even she could not miss the uncertainty in her own voice."Claudia, Nigel, Ben, Will. Is that enough or do I need to elaborate?" The vein of his temple seemed ready to burst any second. But all she really cared about at that moment was how
[RAVEN]When Raven woke up that morning, she could not help but notice the unusual quiet surrounding her. The ruins of the Black Castle, now known as the Black Hall, housed a hundred town vampires, most of which were labelled with the Mark of Aurora. As soon as the sun rose, they would bustle around
[EIRA]