LUNA toured inside the mansion and strolled around the estate to kill time as she waited for the evening to come. She tried helping in any way she could, but the servants wouldn’t let her do anything. They even barely speak to her. Only Seifi and Celes would engage in a conversation with her, and mostly, they were short. It made Luna feel as though she was unwanted, an outcast. It suddenly reminded her of her first few weeks in the orphanage before her friends came. No one wanted to be close to her. In the end, she went to the library and busied herself with books. And as soon as she buried her head in the books, she suddenly forgot about the world. “My Lady.” She raised her head and saw her servant standing in front of the couch where she was lying down as she read. Luna was a bit surprised to see her there. She didn’t even notice her coming. Maybe she was too enthralled by the story she was reading. “Yes?” She sat up and closed the book. “The lord has arrived, my Lady,” Celes inf
THE pink and purple sky greeted Luna when her eyes opened. She found herself lying on the cold ground in the middle of the woods. Her eyes wandered around the place, but there was no sign of anyone. What was she doing there? Wasn’t she comfortably sleeping in her bed at her father’s mansion? Luna got up and brushed the dust off her dress. Could this be a dream…? It could be. There was no way she would leave that mansion just to go to a place like the woods. She turned her head around and tried to figure out where to head to get out of that place. But no matter where she looked, all she could see was an alley of never-ending trees and woods. It looked like she was trapped inside a mage. Luna’s hands clenched the hem of her dress and tried to calm herself. Now she was certain it was a dream. It was the same reoccurring dream she had been dreaming of since she was a child. The only difference was that now, the scenes seemed to have changed a little. But in the end, it would only lead
LUNA took a deep breath before the pair of big oak doors swung open in front of her. A crowd all wearing black sophisticated suits and gowns greeted her, lined to the left and right, creating an aisle for her. At the end of the line stood her father, Lord Aleister, and to his right was his butler, Seifi, who was whispering something to his ear. She didn’t know why, but at that very moment, her body felt cold. All of the guests’ gazes were on her, and they were all looking at her as though she was their prey. Luna was suddenly reminded of her dreams about those pale-cold creatures who wanted to devour her. She shook her head hard afterward. Those thoughts were nothing but a dream. It wasn’t the right time to be reminded about that dream when she was about to celebrate an important occasion with her father. Lord Aleister held out his hand and beckoned her to walk the aisle. And so, she did. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest when she reached the front. Seifi held her hand
LUNA’s vision was hazy, and the overwhelming heat enveloping her body was starting to make her feel crazy. She never felt such kind of feeling before. Was it the feeling people feel before death? If yes, maybe she was dying in the hands of Lord Aleister and the rest of his clan. Ah, it was such a bitter ending for Luna. She didn’t even get to know who her real parents were. She didn’t get to live her life to the fullest. “Do it, Aleister!” one woman from the crowd screamed. “Kill her now before she kills us all!” The crowd agreed in unison, cheering for the lord to kill her fast. Luna closed her eyes as she felt the pain and heat that continued to consume her. There was no way she could escape her tragic fate now. She was too weak to even move an inch. The only thing she could do was to accept her fate. What a lonely fate, she thought. She didn’t even get to know who her real parents were. If only Luna could turn back time, she wouldn’t make that mistake of trusting Lord Aleister.
LUNA opened her eyes and found herself in a place she had never expected. All those times, she thought she’d end up in hell once she was dead, but the place seemed almost like heaven. She slowly sat up and looked around. She was literally in the middle of nowhere—a place where the waves meet. There was no one there but her. And then suddenly, she heard a voice… speaking to her. Luna… Her eyes wandered, trying to find where the voice was coming from. But there was no sign of anyone. “Who are you?” she asked, puzzled. “Where am I?” Was she dead, or was she dreaming? Luna had many dreams about things she couldn’t explain. Most of the time, she’d forget about it once she woke up. Moments passed, and she didn’t get any response from the voice for a while. She plopped down on the sand and bit her lower lip as she tried to suppress her cries. However, she failed to stop her tears from falling. “Maybe I’m dead… for real.” The vampires from the ball must’ve sucked all her blood, killing
LUNA opened her eyes and found herself inside a cave. Her body still felt too weak, and for some reason… she couldn’t remember what happened. She didn’t even know how she got there. Did she get into an accident and hit her head, causing her to lose her memories? She hoped not. Her eyes wandered afterward. A bonfire was lit from afar, near the cave’s entrance, and from her spot she saw a few silhouettes of humans. Given their distance, their voices seemed to be muffled, so she couldn’t comprehend a single word they spoke. Luna tried to move and sat up slowly, propping her hands on the ground for support. But just when she was about to stand up, something caught her attention. Something jaw-dropping that Luna almost forgot how to breathe. For a second, she saw humans… but they suddenly turned into wolves and ran away. Only one of them was left behind, the man who entered the cave. Panic immediately ran through her veins. What if he was a wolf as well? What if he suddenly f
I WALKED… I ran… occasionally, I looked behind me. There was this voice inside my head that told me to run and never stop. It said those pale-white creatures shouldn’t get a taste of my blood. I must save myself… The voice echoed everywhere I went, and it wouldn’t stop telling me to run. I had no idea where that voice was coming from. All I knew was that… my body followed the voice’s command. But how could I ever save myself? I’m just a child, and I’m not aware of what the world outside the woods would be. Would it be sweet? Would it be cruel? I really didn’t know. I just ran as fast as I could. I huffed and puffed as I passed the trail of tall trees, looking straight at the horizon in front of me… LUNA halted from reading when she heard footsteps approaching. She immediately blew off the candles and rushed to bed. The other orphans did the same and tucked themselves under the duvet. They all pretended to be asleep. It was already past eight in the evening. The nuns running the orpha
IRMA rushed to the door when she heard consecutive knocks. She opened it, and her mother came in. “Look what you’ve done!” her mother Lucinda said through gritted teeth. “Mother, I’m—” She couldn’t finish her sentence when her mother’s palm landed on her cheek. And as if not contented, she also slapped the other one. Tears rolled forth Irma’s cheeks afterward. However, she was not crying because of the physical pain her mother’s slaps had given her. Irma was crying, for she knew she had done something against their law and must pay for it. “We’ve been ex-communicated to the coven!” her mother snarled and poked her on the chest. “And that’s because of your stupid—” “Loving someone isn’t stupid, Mother!” Irma countered. “It is!” Lucinda sneered. “If love doesn’t make you stupid, then tell me why you performed necromancy even though you know that the coven forbids its use?!” She buried her face in her palms and cried. “I did it because I love Sebastian, and I couldn’t bear to live
LUNA opened her eyes and found herself inside a cave. Her body still felt too weak, and for some reason… she couldn’t remember what happened. She didn’t even know how she got there. Did she get into an accident and hit her head, causing her to lose her memories? She hoped not. Her eyes wandered afterward. A bonfire was lit from afar, near the cave’s entrance, and from her spot she saw a few silhouettes of humans. Given their distance, their voices seemed to be muffled, so she couldn’t comprehend a single word they spoke. Luna tried to move and sat up slowly, propping her hands on the ground for support. But just when she was about to stand up, something caught her attention. Something jaw-dropping that Luna almost forgot how to breathe. For a second, she saw humans… but they suddenly turned into wolves and ran away. Only one of them was left behind, the man who entered the cave. Panic immediately ran through her veins. What if he was a wolf as well? What if he suddenly f
LUNA opened her eyes and found herself in a place she had never expected. All those times, she thought she’d end up in hell once she was dead, but the place seemed almost like heaven. She slowly sat up and looked around. She was literally in the middle of nowhere—a place where the waves meet. There was no one there but her. And then suddenly, she heard a voice… speaking to her. Luna… Her eyes wandered, trying to find where the voice was coming from. But there was no sign of anyone. “Who are you?” she asked, puzzled. “Where am I?” Was she dead, or was she dreaming? Luna had many dreams about things she couldn’t explain. Most of the time, she’d forget about it once she woke up. Moments passed, and she didn’t get any response from the voice for a while. She plopped down on the sand and bit her lower lip as she tried to suppress her cries. However, she failed to stop her tears from falling. “Maybe I’m dead… for real.” The vampires from the ball must’ve sucked all her blood, killing
LUNA’s vision was hazy, and the overwhelming heat enveloping her body was starting to make her feel crazy. She never felt such kind of feeling before. Was it the feeling people feel before death? If yes, maybe she was dying in the hands of Lord Aleister and the rest of his clan. Ah, it was such a bitter ending for Luna. She didn’t even get to know who her real parents were. She didn’t get to live her life to the fullest. “Do it, Aleister!” one woman from the crowd screamed. “Kill her now before she kills us all!” The crowd agreed in unison, cheering for the lord to kill her fast. Luna closed her eyes as she felt the pain and heat that continued to consume her. There was no way she could escape her tragic fate now. She was too weak to even move an inch. The only thing she could do was to accept her fate. What a lonely fate, she thought. She didn’t even get to know who her real parents were. If only Luna could turn back time, she wouldn’t make that mistake of trusting Lord Aleister.
LUNA took a deep breath before the pair of big oak doors swung open in front of her. A crowd all wearing black sophisticated suits and gowns greeted her, lined to the left and right, creating an aisle for her. At the end of the line stood her father, Lord Aleister, and to his right was his butler, Seifi, who was whispering something to his ear. She didn’t know why, but at that very moment, her body felt cold. All of the guests’ gazes were on her, and they were all looking at her as though she was their prey. Luna was suddenly reminded of her dreams about those pale-cold creatures who wanted to devour her. She shook her head hard afterward. Those thoughts were nothing but a dream. It wasn’t the right time to be reminded about that dream when she was about to celebrate an important occasion with her father. Lord Aleister held out his hand and beckoned her to walk the aisle. And so, she did. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest when she reached the front. Seifi held her hand
THE pink and purple sky greeted Luna when her eyes opened. She found herself lying on the cold ground in the middle of the woods. Her eyes wandered around the place, but there was no sign of anyone. What was she doing there? Wasn’t she comfortably sleeping in her bed at her father’s mansion? Luna got up and brushed the dust off her dress. Could this be a dream…? It could be. There was no way she would leave that mansion just to go to a place like the woods. She turned her head around and tried to figure out where to head to get out of that place. But no matter where she looked, all she could see was an alley of never-ending trees and woods. It looked like she was trapped inside a mage. Luna’s hands clenched the hem of her dress and tried to calm herself. Now she was certain it was a dream. It was the same reoccurring dream she had been dreaming of since she was a child. The only difference was that now, the scenes seemed to have changed a little. But in the end, it would only lead
LUNA toured inside the mansion and strolled around the estate to kill time as she waited for the evening to come. She tried helping in any way she could, but the servants wouldn’t let her do anything. They even barely speak to her. Only Seifi and Celes would engage in a conversation with her, and mostly, they were short. It made Luna feel as though she was unwanted, an outcast. It suddenly reminded her of her first few weeks in the orphanage before her friends came. No one wanted to be close to her. In the end, she went to the library and busied herself with books. And as soon as she buried her head in the books, she suddenly forgot about the world. “My Lady.” She raised her head and saw her servant standing in front of the couch where she was lying down as she read. Luna was a bit surprised to see her there. She didn’t even notice her coming. Maybe she was too enthralled by the story she was reading. “Yes?” She sat up and closed the book. “The lord has arrived, my Lady,” Celes inf
LUNA’s mouth dropped open when the car pulled inside Lord Aleister’s estate. It was so huge it could fit ten Happy Village inside. She thought she had traveled back in time. Just by looking at the mansion from the outside, it already exuded grandeur. Its beautiful façade was something she could only see from the books. “Seifi, take Luna to her room,” her father ordered the moment they got out of the car. She followed Lord Aleister with her gaze and saw him enter one of the rooms downstairs. “Lord Aleister is quite a busy person. He has been running the family business alone, and he also has his personal business to manage. So, please bear with him if he’d to leave you under my care right at your very first night here, my Lady.” Seifi bowed and gestured in the direction of the grand staircase. “Come, follow me, and I’ll take you to your room.” The butler carried her suitcase up the staircase. Luna followed as her eyes wandered around the mansion. She wondered how her father could l
LUNA barely touched her food during dinner. She just kept playing with her spoon and fork and stared blankly into space. “Luna…” She turned in Hana’s direction when she called her name. “Eh?” “Are you going to eat your food or not? If not, then I’m—” “Here, take it.” She pulled her plate toward her friend. “Thank you.” Hana scooped a spoonful and popped it into her mouth. “Be honest with us, Luna. Are you nervous?” “How can I not be nervous?” She leaned against her seat and heaved a sigh. “What if my father decided not to come back? It’s been hours since Sister Sola told me he’d return and get me…” Her words trailed off. But if truth be told, she was somewhat disappointed than nervous. He could’ve ordered his butler to pick her up from the orphanage and take her home. Her father was a wealthy man with a lot of men to work for him, though. “Maybe he’s still busy. Relax.” Dita shoved a glass of refreshment in her direction. “Drink. You need to calm down, or else you’ll faint agai
THE news that her father came for her made Luna ecstatic. But then, as she walked through the hallway going to Mother Superior’s office, a lot of questions started to pop up inside her head. Why did he only come for me now? Did he ever look for me before? Was he the one who left me here? Why is it just him? Where is my mother? He halted and called Sister Sola. “Sister…” The nun stopped and turned in her direction. “What is it, dear?” “What does he look like?” she asked as her fingers kept fidgeting on the hem of her dress. “Does he look like me? Does he have a gentle voice?” Sister Sola strode toward her and cupped her cheeks. “Luna… I know you’re curious about your father, but you’re about to see him now, and you’ll have the answer to all your questions.” She took a deep breath and nodded her head. Sister Sola was right. The only way to answer those questions was to see her father now and ask them herself. “Right.” The nun smiled at her and gestured to the door at the e