A lot of things have changed since Lia’s failed (and near fatal) awakening. From the moment she regained consciousness, long before she gained enough strength to flutter her eyelids, she knew something was wrong. Horribly wrong.
Every member of the supernatural world has the orifice of life essence, known in jezik besmrtnika, the generic language of the supernatural world, it is referred to as būtības atverei.
It is a metaphysical aperture that exists in the innards of the mortal body of a supernatural being. Created by forces beyond the confines of logical reasoning, the orifice is what actually determines if you are a member of the supernatural race or not.
From conception, up till the end of adolescence i.e the Awakening, the orifice of life essence remains dormant, allowing them live partially magic-free lives. Partially, because magic can never truly be confined. Thus, all applications of magic that require the use of life essen
Lia is filled with questions, but she knows she will not get an answer. Not anytime soon, at least.Sandara Harrison rarely ever expresses her feelings, most especially when it comes to filial piety. However, when she does, it’s overly effusive, like a deluge that overwhelms and nearly suffocates you, because your poor brain cannot make a connection between mushiness overload and the severe, heavy-handed image she normally portrays. They’re just too different to juxtapose, like two colors at opposite ends of the spectrum.After satisfying her curiosity, allaying her otherwise frayed nerves, and ensuring that her convalescent niece will not be returning to the depths of a dreamless slumber anytime soon, Sandara makes to deposit herself on her signature chair, only to realize halfway into the action that the wooden seat has been reduced to a jumble of woodpiles. This puts her in an awkward position, and she is caught in between the motions of standing and sit
“Gloves? Check. Lead smears? Check. Formaldehyde? Check. Books? Check. Solenoid? Check. Solomon’s gold bars? Check. Defibrillator? Check. Recorders? Check. Barbed wires? Check. Mutated daffodils? Check…”At this point, the rest of Brandon’s words are like white noise in Llearth’s ears. The messenger demon wonders, for the life of him, why he still puts up with the younger demon after all this time.Because he’s not just a worthy scion of your highly revered ancestor, but also your ticket to unprecedented glory, fame like no other, and most likely your saving grace, just in case you piss off someone you’re not supposed to, which is something you always do, his subconscious replies him.After reassuring himself- something he’s had to do from time to time to remain the clearheaded, bigger person amongst the two of them- he does a mental scan of the room to be sure that they haven’t missed out on an
Empires implode from within due to their excesses.Llearth has heard these words repeatedly from the council of elite ghouls; his role as a Supreme Messenger grants him access to several places- risky, but worth it in the end. Although it hurts to admit it, the absolute reality is as glaring as the flames of Hell.Demons, the so-called chosen ones, who have been at the forefront of the forces of Hell have now become lax, complacent, and languorous. The legacy of the infamous Vládci světa of old stands the risk of falling into utter destruction and the irony is that no one seems to care. Everyone has become too invested in the present to see the bleakness of the future. Blinded by the cacophonies of the moment, they have failed to pay attention to the originally untainted melodies of the future that have now begun to warp into discordant sounds.A war is coming. And the demons will be a
Paying no heed to the conflicted look on the face of the lesser demon, Brandon pulls the bag towards himself, intending to resume his preparation. But Llearth does not let go of the bag, and the duo soon start to struggle for the bag, neither refusing to let go.I never realised that his eyes could be so beautiful. I know its just the human disguise he chose for himself, but I cannot help how I feel; it’s just too beautiful.Unknowingly, Brandon’s grip on the bag loosens. The force Llearth is exerting to hold on to the bag causes the half-demon to move towards him, crashing into the bag along the way. Unprepared for this, Llearth’s stance falters and the demonic duo tumbles to the floor quite clumsily.Brandon finds himself on top of Llearth, but one look at his eyes weakens his resolve to get off. Oddly enough, the lesser demon is looking at him with the same intensity and a bit of incredulity, as if he cannot imagine that this is act
Brandon Läwst is not the son of Lust in name alone. A century of self-reliance and being accountable to no one has given him more than enough time to discover himself, in and out. However, the arrival of Llearth makes him reconsider. Do I really know who I am?The life of a successful scientist cum business mogul entails utmost discipline and clear-headedness, as one must be able to separate business from pleasure. Yet Brandon suddenly feels a bit averse to this idea, and he finds himself wanting to experience both worlds at once. What would it feel like to enjoy absolute pleasure on one hand, whilst holding on tightly to true purpose at the same time?Brandon adds this question to his ever-growing list of questions. From the corner of his eye, he sees the lesser demon packing the supplies into the boot of the car. He notices the natural charisma that surrounds the latter, making it seems as if he is always glowing. And perhaps he is. He’s a dem
Twenty.The number of days it took Lia to regain complete control of her limbs and walk around the house, unaided and unsupervised. It was stressful, utterly draining and everything but pleasant. Lia never imagined that learning to walk again could be so hard. Several times, she thought of quitting, but her aunt was always by her side to cheer her up.Twenty.The number of times she has asked her beloved aunt questions about the void in her chest that hasn’t gone away. She feels so hollow, like an empty shell, a musk without substance. She feels like she is no longer whole anymore. And the fact that her aunt has done nothing but avoid the subject matter only worsens things. At first, she felt it was because she didn’t want to hamper her recovery process, but now, she does not know what to think anymore.Twenty.The number of days left before school starts. Her ‘sudden’ illness would have affected her education a lot, but she
In the days of old, when the ancient witches were still present in the flesh, when being a witch-born was not such a rare phenomenon, and pure magic was as common as the sands on the seashore, there existed a happy family of four, comprising a wizard, a witch and their two children, a boy and a girl. They were the Vischer family of the Vischer-Andalusian bloodline, one of the many ancient families with a pure magical bloodline.The Vischer-Andalusian bloodline was, as the name denoted, a fusion of the Vischer and the Andalusian bloodlines through the Syretian Curse.Wizards were fewer compared to the witches, but they weren’t as scarce as they are today. Since wizards are beings of pure magic, they can only survive where there is an abundance of pure magic. It was (and still is) an honour to be married to a wizard. Even if he had no iota of common sense, or couldn’t even perform any magic at all, it was better to be married to a wizard than to mate with oth
Evanora still remembers that day like it was yesterday. Her mother had sent for her, and despite everyone’s misgivings, she was allowed to see her mother. The stench of death had slowly pervaded the air for weeks prior to that day, and anyone with as much as an ounce of magic in them could tell that someone had either died or was in the process of dying.“Princess Evanora, how nice of you to finally grace me with your presence. Did the stench of death make you have a change of heart?”Evanora remained silent, knowing better then to talk. She wished she could tell her that it wasn’t her fault, that she was banned from ever stepping foot in the room where her dying mother lay. Evanora did not dare visit, not because she did not want to, but because she could not.Her brother and sister had set up guards in the room Klara lay to protect her. Under this guise, they were able to spell the room to inhibit her entry. If she so much as set a foot
The slaughter formation is triggered, and it reaps the lives of the opposition without delay.As the formation drains the blood from the witches, screams of varying pitches and intensities rend the air. The High Witch makes sure to seal the entire room within a bubble that prevents sound from escaping to the surroundings. Even though the office of the High Witch is in a secluded place, it is better to take no chances with something like this.The screams are a queer melody to Estelle’s ears, as she revels in their suffering. Finally, she can be at ease, knowing that there is one less hidden knife capable of stabbing her in the back. The opposition has overstayed their welcome; they have become a parasite that needs to be flushed out as quickly as possible.The redhead witch dies with her eyes opened, full of hate and loathing. Such venomous eyes would scare most people, but it only adds to the beauty of the pictures formed in her mind, the mental images sh
One became the High Witch, and the other is widely known as the Jade Witch. Two sisters with the ancient bloodline running in their veins.”At this revelation, everyone is shocked, and the sight of their eyes bulging like they are about to be ejected from their sockets gives the High Witch a twisted sense of joy. Now you know how it feels to be ‘shocked senseless’. You haven’t heard anything yet. By the time I am done with you, you will have to pick up those eyeballs, along with your jaws, from the floor before I end you.“Now, tell me,” Estelle cocked her head to the side, like a doctor trying to explain something simple to a mentally challenged individual, “why I would fear the likes of you. If not for her intervention, would you still be alive to spout nonsense?”Estelle does not need to categorically mention the ‘her’ in this context. Everyone knows that the only witch who wields power over
Once upon a time, there lived a powerful witch, with magic as powerful as time itself and a beauty that was beyond this world. Unable to completely break free of the psychological shackles that had bound her as a witchling, she chose to dwell in a cave, isolated from the rest of her kind. Perhaps, it was a good decision, for everyone else feared her as much as she feared herself, or even more. As they say, out of sight is out of mind. And thus, she was gradually forgotten.She had a rather queer relationship with her sister, for they were not friends, but they could not be said to be enemies either. They were as different as lard and cheese, yet they could trust each other a pinch.The horns of war beckoned once more, and her sister, alongside many other powerful witches and wizards, joined in the battle for supremacy against the spawns of Hell. This time, however, she was left with the last child of her sister, a witchling that had barely lived up to half a century.
“Stop beating about the bush and tell us what you have discovered, Heidi.” One of the older witches berates her, and she apologises with a pout. Her sullen expression makes he look all the more adorable.Heidi. A beautiful name for an equally beautiful woman.Estelle Vane is not so self-absorbed to think that she is the only beautiful witch in the world. And she does not mince words when it comes to admiring something that is deservedly worthy of the label ‘beautiful’.This does not affect her stance though. Heidi and the rest of her acquaintances will be reduced to corpses today, and the High Witch will make sure of that. nothing can threaten the safety of her daughter. Not at this time.She can only blame herself for being with the wrong people.“Awakening is a matter of joy and a cause for celebration, because at last, the children are becoming adults. More importantly, the Awakening of the so-call
Were Sandara here, she would notice the tell-tale signs of nervousness- a ticked jaw, slightly narrowed eyes and the twitching of the left little finger- on the High Witch’s face. But, she isn’t, and the ones who are here are none the wiser.“I do not recall making a formal announcement of an Awakening, so I would like to know the basis of this declaration.”“So you admit it, then.”“Admit what?”“Admit that you neglected to announce your daughter’s Awakening.”“I admit to nothing. I have no knowledge of the matters you speak of.”Estelle chooses to play dumb, and everyone in this room knows it. Since she refuses to admit to anything, there is no evidence against her. All they have are just allegations. Mere words that do not hold water before the council or any other regulatory body they can report her to.It's annoying when you know the truth but cannot pr
Natalia’s failed awakening has far-reaching consequences than she can ever imagine.When a child fails, he or she does not fail alone.Failure spreads out to its surroundings, like the butterfly effect. Everyone around you is as affected by your failure as they are by your success.And when your identity is special, the pressure you face is tougher than you can imagine. There is a lot at stake. Perfection is required of you, and this slowly but inevitably becomes the norm. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, true. But for the scion of the crown-wearer, things are worse.You cannot fail.You dare not fail.Estelle Vane is one of the most powerful witches to ever walk the Earth, but even she is not exempt from this convention.One of the motives behind the witches’ acceptance of a hybrid as their supreme ruler is due to the potential she possesses. Who cares if her blood is diluted? The power inherent in it is already
Realizing that his nonchalant words may have upset and somehow irked a certain highly-ranked demon, Maestro Baghül rephrases his sentence in a less detached manner. We want to poke the dear, but let’s not overdo it.“Prior to completing his first task, he wasn’t my student. But that is beside the point. Your scion decided to enter with a bang, and my beloved gate has to face the consequences of his flamboyant actions. As if that was not enough, his guard vomited all over my rug. My rug!For Lucifer’s sake! That rug is…”“a rare, exotic gift from the mortal realm. I know. I doubt you will let me hear the end of it though.” Pride does not let his former colleague finish. But can these words be enough to stop a disgruntled ghoul from airing his grievances? Highly unlikely.There is a reason ghouls are unforgiving, grudge-keeping creatures.“I am not particularly concerned with what y
Travis hangs limply in the air, blood continuously streaming from his orifices like water from a tap.At this rate, he’d be dead.Oh no! what have I done!The panic worsens Klade’s condition, and he struggles to breathe. He begins to choke on his vomit, and the chief ghoul knows that he has to intervene before things get out of hand. Grumbling to himself about being cheated by Pride, he drops Travis on a mattress he conjured out of air in an unceremonious fashion.Upon reaching Klade, he realizes that the whites of the guard’s eyes have begun showing.This is bad. Just what did Pride do to him to trigger this?Hitting Klade’s chest does little to quell the rising panic reflected in the guard’s eyes. Were this situation not so dire, Maestro Bahgül would’ve tried to capture this on a canvas. The lack of technology like the digital camera necessitated the use of painting or drawi
A loud crash rouses Klade from the depths of a restless, worry-filled slumber.It is said that when a body at a state of rest or in uniform motion is interrupted by a moving force, dissonance and chaos, the not-so-distant siblings of confusion, ensue.Klade springs up like a provoked python rearing to unleash a fatal strike, but the restraints around him remind him of the reality of his situation. Most binds would’ve loosened by now, if he didn’t manage to shred them apart. But this is not ‘most binds’.This are binds set in place by a chief ghoul in his prime. And if he doesn’t want you to move, you have no other choice. You must stay as you are.With his senses strengthened by his ancestor’s blessing, Klade can sense that his sudden, violent movement placed a great strain on his restraints. But he also senses that they are nowhere close to snapping.He would have broken into a flurry of colourful swear words, h