"How does she recover?" I asked, even more curious now."She uses some kind of spell. She never tells me the details of how she replenishes her blood, but all I know is that she gets better afterward!" he answered."Wow, this is unbelievable! How did this fairytale become my reality?" My eyes widened."Can I say something?" He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Please talk to Victoria. She's worried about you. I know what she did was wrong, but she genuinely cares about you." Then, he glanced at the time on his phone screen."It's getting dark! Let's get you home!" he said, leading me back home.My mom was waiting for us; it was almost evening. "Thank you so much!" She kissed Dominic on the cheek, and then my mom and I spent some quality time together.I told her about my day, carefully avoiding any mention of Dominic and Victoria's secrets."Oh, I nearly forgot! Muse & Mugs contacted you, they mentioned that they will reach out again in the morning," she informed."Really?" I f
After a moment of hesitation, I answered, "Hello?"A cheerful and professional voice greeted me. "Hello, may I speak with Julia, please?"My brows furrowed slightly. "Yes, this is Julia. Who's calling?""Hi Julia, this is Claire from Muse & Mugs. How are you today?" she asked cheerfully.Curiosity and a hint of confusion flickered in my eyes. "Oh, hi Claire. I'm... doing alright. How can I help you?"Claire's voice brightened. "I'm calling with some exciting news! You've been selected as our featured artist of the month! Congratulations!"My eyes widened even more in surprise, my hand trembling slightly. I sat up straighter, my heart pounding. “I… I have? Really?”Dominic raises an eyebrow, intrigued, while Victoria leans in closer, sensing the shift in my mood.“Yes, really! Your confidence and personality stood out to us, and we also listened to your records. You were awesome!" Her words made me even more confused."Oh, you did?" I responded."We can’t wait to showcase your work. We
One day, she caught him watching her in the lake. Startled, she panicked and hid in the water. 'I apologize, I didn’t mean to...' he stammered, turning around in embarrassment and fleeing the scene.Later that evening, she stumbled upon him again, this time sketching with a charcoal stick by the lakeside.Drawn to him, she approached. His white-blond hair shimmered in the fading light, and as she got closer to him, his hand began to tremble.Seeing his nervousness, she gently placed her hand over his, offering reassurance. 'I love it!' she whispered, admiring the sketch—it was of her. 'I have more!' he admitted, his voice trembling with excitement.Encouraged by her interest, he led her to his collection. As she marveled at the array of drawings, she spun around, her laughter like a melody, then her eyes fell on a portrait, where she was in the lake.'So this wasn't the first time you watched me in the lake?' She blushed with her curled eyelashes bouncing just for a moment.'Do you dr
"You must lure in a desperate woman," she began. "Offer her something she desires, and in return, ask her to take your wife's remains.Have her mix them with tears of sorrow and grind them using a goat's bone. She must then promise to offer her baby to you. Once this is done, add a bloom of birth to the mixture and wait for it to burn. Then, drink it. She will conceive a baby that is a reincarnation of Josephine.""When the child grows up, it will be your task to make her fall in love with you. Once she does, she will remember all the good memories you had with your wife," the woman instructed him, her voice filled with darkness, echoing strangely, you could hear the sound of a flipping paper as she spoke.As per the plan, he strategically planted numerous witches under his control, granting them only one percent of his power.These witches became his loyal servants. Among them, one witch developed feelings for the Darklord.Exploiting her vulnerability, he manipulated her into believ
The stage was a small corner of the cafe, adorned with fairy lights and a single microphone stand. It felt small, almost like the universe was giving me a gentle word of encouragement to step out of my comfort zone.I found a spot near the back to tune my guitar one last time. My fingers trembled slightly as I adjusted the strings, but the familiar feel of the instrument stabilized me. The host called my name, and I felt a strange shiver crawling up and down my spine as I made my way to the stage.I could see familiar faces in the crowd—a few class fellows, but especially Victoria and Dominic, who had come to support me, their smiles giving me a boost of courage.Taking a deep breath, I stepped up to the microphone and introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Julia, and this is my first time performing here. Thanks for having me." My voice shook just a bit, but I pressed on, positioning the guitar and strumming the first chords. The melody flowed through me, and as I played the opening lines of my
Then, I felt a strong pat on my cheek, and with that, I startled awake."You're having a nightmare again!" Mom said, rubbing my cheek."Oh, no! Not again, it felt so real, I could taste the blood in my mouth!" I sat up, wiping my sweat."Because it did happen!" She held my shoulder and gently rubbed it."What? But you said it was a nightmare!" I squinted in confusion."No! I didn't say it was a nightmare, I said you're having a nightmare again!" She left me even more puzzled."How much of it was real?" I asked."Everything, except for your clothes being soaked in blood!" She got up from the bed and pulled open the curtains."We were near granny's bathroom, there was blood on the floor, I felt suffocated, my vision blurred, and then what happened?" I asked, still confused, hanging my feet down from the bed."That was confusing for me, too. At first, you were panicking, then suddenly you seemed intoxicated, walking up the stairs like a zombie, and finally crawling into bed to sleep. I t
"What?" My eyes widened. "But I just..." I started to say, but she interrupted me."You faced a problem and escaped it. How many times will you keep escaping?" she asked, staring at me."I thought this test was about defense!" I exclaimed, getting back on my feet."Escaping is not defense! In a war, those who die defending their country or survive defending their country are the ones called heroes! Have you ever heard a story of a hero who fled in the midst of a battle?" she questioned.Realizing the importance of this lesson, I nodded in understanding and once again submerged myself in the water.As she reached out her hand, an invisible barrier surrounded me, preventing any chance of escape.The water began to boil, causing panic to travel through me. I cried out in pain as my skin started to burn."Save your tears for another time, for they will not save you!" she taunted me."Close your eyes and search for a solution. Discover your hidden self and bring it forth!" she instructed.
"Correction, you have one addition to the list of your enemies! These two are not the only ones!" She clarified."Well, that was truly helpful!" I smirked, leaving her house and putting my tracksuit back on.I suddenly realized that my pendant was missing. I searched under the sofa and around it, checking my pockets."Did you see my pendant?" I called out to Jade."No, what pendant?" She asked from another room."It was a small orb kind of thing! Leave it, I'll search for it at home, maybe I didn't wear it this morning," I said, pursing my lips before leaving.That evening in the cafe, I spotted Sheriff Scott with the girl I had seen in front of Mr. Redwood's front door that day. Judging by their expressions, it seemed like they were having an argument.Then, she suddenly stood up from her chair and almost yelled at him before storming out."If I turn out to be right when it's too late, I swear you will regret it!" She pointed her finger at him and left the cafe.I had no choice but to
“Yeah,” I nodded, curious.“I’m Luna Redwood.” She extended her hand. I set my guitar on my lap and shook hands with her.“Are you related to Mr. Redwood?” I asked, squinting in confusion.“Yes, I’m his cousin. I need to tell you something,” she began, a strange fear clutching my heart.“Listen, I’m not interested in hearing about your relationship with him,” I interrupted, afraid that she might reveal some romantic details.“What? God, no!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide. “I’m not talking about a relationship. He’s too young and I’m way older than him.” She paused, a serious expression crossing her face. Just then, Claire called my name, breaking the moment."Listen, when you’re ready to talk, call me on this number,” Luna said, scribbling her number on a napkin and handing it to me.I took it, nodded, and said, “Okay.”Picking up my guitar, I strummed a few chords. The crowd’s chants urged me to sing, so I started. As the café door swung open, Victoria walked in, her eyes lighting up
We drove in silence, the tension thick between us. Our attempts at smiles felt forced and nervous, failing to break the unease. As we reached the town, flashing blue lights and the presence of police officers everywhere heightened our anxiety."What happened here?" I asked, my voice shaky with confusion and fear."Shh, let me hear," Dominic whispered, his focus intensifying as he tried to listen in on the nearby conversations.As he concentrated, he overheard a police officer speaking on the phone. "He’s a 16-year-old male student. Mentally disturbed, it seems. Yes, Theo Adams. He disappeared yesterday. We found a strange symbol burned into his chest. Looks like he was tortured."Dominic’s face turned serious as he looked at me. "We need to get to your house. I’ll explain everything there." He held my hand, and we headed to my home.Upon entering, we found the place in a complete mess, as if a storm had gone back and forth. Panic filled me as Dominic closed the door behind us. "Mom?"
"Don't worry about it," I reassured him, settling down on the soft grass beside him.As we lay side by side, our eyes locked in a silent exchange of awkwardness.Breaking the silence, I mustered the courage to know more about him. "I can't imagine the hardships you've endured as a vampire, the painful transformation you've gone through," I pursed my mouth.A painful smile played upon his lips as he lay straight on his back, his eyes tracing the constellations above."You have no idea of what I've faced," he chuckled softly, his voice filled with a hint of sorrow."Tell me," I demanded, making him feel that I wouldn't judge no matter what he had done.“You wouldn’t wanna know!” He smirked.“I do!” I answered him confidently, my gaze fixed on him.He glanced at me briefly before returning his gaze to the sky. "You truly believe you can handle the darkness that lives within me?" he questioned, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.With true intentions, I placed my hand on his forearm. "I promi
She had brought large chunks of raw meat for him, using them to lure him out of the circle.He was hungry and had a preference the raw meat, so it wasn't too difficult for her to get hold of him.Finally eating the last chunk, he satisfied his hunger before she made her demand in exchange for his freedom."What do you want?" he asked, licking his fingers."I want your child!" she demanded.He agreed, but he also had a condition. "Give me anything my brother desires. I want to possess everything he wants, but before him!" He had grown to despise his brother.This was always the purpose of the ritual - to free him and offer something his brother desired, in exchange for granting any wish. Afterward, the havoc he unleashed upon the earth was unlike anything they had ever witnessed.Blood flowed through every alley, houses burned to the ground, and he preyed upon innocent children.He took their women, violated them, and then killed them, forcing their husbands to watch.By this time, th
There was once a woman who suffered from infertility. Despite being told by everyone that it was impossible for her to conceive, she refused to give up hope.Determined to find a solution, she convinced her husband to take her to a healer as a last resort.Unfortunately, even the healer turned her away, leaving her feeling completely hopeless. Faced with the reality that adoption was not an option at the time, she decided to take her own life.Later that night, while her husband slept soundly, she quietly slipped out of bed and made her way to a nearby lake.Under the moonlight, she removed her cape and waded into the water, fully intending to drown herself.Just as she began to sink, a hand reached out and grabbed hold of her. It was a woman, described as the ugliest creature anyone had ever seen.This woman was often seen around the village, wearing a gray cape and carrying a basket of fruits to sell door-to-door. Her face was disfigured, with half of it burned, with wide nostrils,
My heart raced as Dominic gently lifted my chin, his touch sending a wave of emotions through me."I shouldn't go there," I told myself, feeling a battle raging within me.I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to escape the memories of my past, of him.Evan, with his beautiful face, his eyes, his smile."Oh, Evan, what did you do to me?" No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't replace him. I would never be able to replace him.My eyebrows furrowed as Dominic's grip on my wrist loosened. "I will never ask who he was," he murmured, his words barely audible. "But I must say, he was the unluckiest man who lost a gem like you." His eyes met mine again, filled with a strange mix of sadness and pain.In an attempt to lighten my mood, he chuckled and said, "Got you!" But I could see through his act.He wasn't good at hiding his true feelings. He turned his face away, allowing two tear drops to escape his eyes."I just love rain!" he exclaimed, closing his eyes and tilting his head toward the sky.It
Regaining my senses, I realized that I was sitting in a small pool of blood. Panic surged within me as I mumbled, "No, no, no, no! Not again!" Quickly, I rose to my feet, brushing off the stains from my clothes.Driven by a mix of anger and fear, I rushed toward the storage room, where the haunting whispers began to echo once again.They called out my name, filled with anguish. Scanning the room, I noticed some tools left behind by the laborers.Without a second thought, I grabbed a pickaxe and began to break the wall where the haunting hole was."Julia!" my mother called out, her voice filled with concern. However, consumed by my emotions, I couldn't contain my frustration any longer. "What do you want from me?" I screamed against the whispers, striking the walls until numerous bricks crumbled down.What we uncovered were more bricks behind the ones I broke. Apparently, they were ordinary clay bricks, yet engraved with strange markings.These markings seemed incomplete, leaving me wi
As I made my way past these doors, I heard whispers, so muffled that it was impossible to crack what they were about.The atmosphere was thick with otherworldly tension, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched.“What is this place?” I whispered to myself, trying to make sense of my surroundings.The doors, some ajar and others closed tight, seemed to emit dark energy.One door in particular caught my eye. It was larger than the others, its surface engraved with beautiful carvings that seemed to shrink just like what happens when you look at something for too long.I felt a strange urge to open it, a pull I couldn’t resist.As my hand touched the door, a sudden jolt of energy traveled through me, and the door creaked open.Inside was a dimly lit chamber, and at its center stood a figure cloaked in shadows.“Welcome, Julia,” the figure whispered, its voice echoing with horror. “I’ve been expecting you.”The figure in the dimly lit chamber began to move, stepping closer
However, a smile eventually broke through his angry expression, and he exclaimed, "That was a blast!" "Why didn't you mention that you are a singer?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning on the table."Because I'm not a singer," I replied nervously. "It's a shame no one informed you sooner, Julia! You possess a remarkable voice and great command over the guitar strings!" the woman behind me spoke, placing her hands on my shoulders."You almost gave me a heart attack there!" I joked, staring at Mr. Thompson, who chuckled in response."Honestly, I did intend to startle you, but my smile always gives me away!" he admitted with a grin.As I was led out of the cafe by this woman, my eyes caught sight of Victoria and Dominic engaged in a conversation."I am glad that we chose you!" the woman exclaimed, showering me with compliments.Grateful for her kind words, "Thank you so much... uh..." I squinted, trying to recall her name.Confusion clouded my mind as I wondered what to call her.