The once angelic face of Esmeralda now morphed into a grotesque-looking lady.All of it was a show. To lure her into believing that she is an angel, someone who will come and save her, but really, something sinister is hiding behind her angelic, perfect facade.Hearing those words coming out of Esmeralda's mouth, Elinor felt as though her whole world collapsed in one snap.But like any other being, the very first thing we try to do in an attempt to protect ourselves from the damaging truth is to be in denial.And just like that, Elinor refused to believe what Esmeralda said. She unconsciously starts to shake her head at her, her lips quivering with extreme anxiety.She felt as though her body would give up if Colin was really gone. And in an effort to keep herself together, Elinor strongly denied it. "No, that's... not true. You're lying." Esmeralda sneered. "Now that I come to think of it, you are right about that somehow."Her heartbeat intensifies every single second that passed.
Werewolves and WitchesLong ago, there was no bad blood between werewolves and witches.No lines were drawn between them, no werewolves were burned and cursed, and not a single witch was ripped and feasted by a pack of wolves.Werewolves and witches have each other’s backs, and for so many years, they conspired to defeat their mutual enemy-the vampires. Needless to say, they were allies.Witches were a great help to werewolves. They are powerful and magical creatures, and it has somewhat become common knowledge to all werewolves to never underestimate the abilities of a witch, or better, never get under their skin, ever. You either choose to be on their good side, or you’ll keep watching your back for the rest of your life, it’s all up to you. And werewolves, being extremely intellectual and practical creatures, chose to maintain their alliance with witches.For hundreds of years, witches served as the healers of werewolves. They concoct potions, worked on their spells that can restor
The DealThe floors of the old Victorian manor creaked at his every step. Moonlight streaks penetrate the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the dark room that he’s in.He stopped at its center where a round wooden table is set and took one of the seats.He turned his head toward the huge window and stared right outside, waiting for the full moon to appear behind the thick clouds. And when it finally shows itself, Ernest slowly places both his hands on the table and took a very long, deep breath.Ernest then shut his red, bloodied eyes, and in his mind, he fearlessly summons one of the powerful creatures—The Spirits.He understands how great danger he’s getting himself into by summoning the presence of The Spirits but he also knows that this is the only way to keep his remaining relative alive.No matter what, he must make a deal even if it means putting his own life on the line.A strong wind, almost like a hurricane stirs the room. Ernest can hear the violent flapping of th
Recurring DreamsElinor stirred awake, face slumped against a pillow, as she blindly reaches for her bedroom windows handle. When her hand felt the glass, she gave it a little push just enough for the fresh air to enter and replace the humid air of her room. She laid on her back, eyes still shut, feeling the night breeze cooling her damp skin.She woke up bathing with her own sweat as she forgot to leave her window ajar again for the nth time.She lay there still as a rock, trying so hard to maintain her drowsiness and go back to sleep again. It is too early, she thought. She could even hear Glinda’s snores downstairs.The gentle air that rustles the leaves of tall trees that surrounds their house lulled her back to sleep. But about a couple of minutes in, she realized she is about to have another one of those vivid dreams. Those dreams where everything seems surreal but she is fully aware that what she sees is not real.Elinor could not count the times she’s had a dream like this one
When Soulmates Eyes MeetElinor stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her gaze trailed down the emerald dress she was wearing that went past below her knees. A black cloak was dangling on her right arm. She held a book in her hand, which for her, is a must-have when venturing outside.She looked very neat regardless of her red hair being let down, with some strands freely cascading down her shoulders. For a moment, she almost wanted to tie her hair up into a bun but decided to just leave it as is. Her hair was just way past her shoulders, totally manageable.Glinda had told her it is quite windy outside. And so, she tucked her hair in the back of her ears and secured it with a hair clip made of pearls.Earlier, Glinda had just arrived from outside of the town. After having some breakfast together, Glinda went to her chamber, while Elinor went upstairs to change into her outdoor clothing.She gave her reflection a final look before she picked up her empty basket and headed downstairs
The Scarred AdmirerColin never really cared to go to such lengths in order to let someone know of his feelings. Yes, he had liked someone before Elinor came to view.Some of the ladies he liked were friends with his cousins. They used to bring their friends with them to their estate, and Colin, who always roamed around like a ghost, would set his eyes on a lady that stirs something inside him. A crush, as one would describe it.However, Colin was not blind nor deaf to the rumors that go around the entire land of Ashmore. While his siblings and cousins do their best at shutting down rumors that put him in a bad light, they can still hear the echoes of it even now. It is almost felt by him that he is even slowly accepting it. Not because it is true. God, no.He is not a beast, like what few people would describe him. No, he is not a cursed child. And above all, he is capable of love.It is funny when you try to think of it. How two-faced a creature is. And even funny when some of them
Her FamilyAs the two of them were standing behind the pub, eyes locked, Colin was the first one to look away. She could hear his heavy breathing as if he had been holding his breath the entire time. And to her surprise, Elinor found out that she has been doing the same.She lowered her gaze onto his broad shoulder, realizing she had to breathe or else she might faint.A strong wind blew past them, her cloak danced and her hair exploded. Her hair clip has now become loose, so she gathered her hair in her fist, and while doing so, she caught him looking at her, again.For some reason, the way he looks at her makes her feel like she’s the most beautiful person to ever exist. Or maybe, she was just imagining things, maybe she’s insane for thinking that. Maybe not.She never thinks of herself as beautiful. But Colin apparently changed that.Another wind stirs the place, this time, a violent one. Elinor turned her head to see Bonnie at the far side of the open area, walking towards them.“
Portrait and FlowerTo say that Colin’s world stopped at that moment was an understatement. If Colin was able to voice out one word just a second ago, now he couldn’t seem to find his voice. He was shocked to the bone.“I have told you all this time about how you got a scar on your face. And I was not lying when I told you that he,” His father motioned his head to the corner of the room where a skull pierced by a sword was displayed. “…attacked our estate and avenged his left eye that I gouged out of him.”“Well, I guessed we did lie,” his father corrected.“That rascal did not only leave your face forever scarred, but he also killed you when you were only one. And that’s all because I gouged his eye out. But I admit though, I went so far. I shouldn’t have messed with him. If only I can turn back the time, Colin, I wouldn’t have done it.” His father regretful voice echoed.“So we did just what every desperate parent would do at such a desperate moment. I crossed the line. I was the on
The once angelic face of Esmeralda now morphed into a grotesque-looking lady.All of it was a show. To lure her into believing that she is an angel, someone who will come and save her, but really, something sinister is hiding behind her angelic, perfect facade.Hearing those words coming out of Esmeralda's mouth, Elinor felt as though her whole world collapsed in one snap.But like any other being, the very first thing we try to do in an attempt to protect ourselves from the damaging truth is to be in denial.And just like that, Elinor refused to believe what Esmeralda said. She unconsciously starts to shake her head at her, her lips quivering with extreme anxiety.She felt as though her body would give up if Colin was really gone. And in an effort to keep herself together, Elinor strongly denied it. "No, that's... not true. You're lying." Esmeralda sneered. "Now that I come to think of it, you are right about that somehow."Her heartbeat intensifies every single second that passed.
One Against Many"Who is she?" Elinor recalled her dreams where she dreamed of the mysterious woman she thought was so divine and godly because of her captivating beauty."She was the very one who killed Judas.""And someone brought her back to life? Do I have something to do with it?"Ernest shakes his head. "I am not certain of that. But she showed up in your dream, did she ask you something?""She told me once that she needs me. But I didn't dream of her again after that. The next time she appeared in my dream was a few years part," she said. Elinor was waiting for Ernest to say something back. But when he was just sitting quietly beside her, she tilt her head to look at him and found that he was deep in thought.There was a crease forming in between his eyebrows, and his eyes were perplexed."If she is, you know, brought back to life. What will happen?"Ernest heard Elinor's question, but it was like an echo bouncing around his head, haunting him by just the idea of the possibili
Stolen LifeShe was taken by one of them, though she was not certain about that one yet, because she felt like she was being rescued for some reason. And those that took her first, the corpse-looking lady is far from rescuing her. One thing is clear for Elinor, they want her to be killed.He is dressed like the rest of the four: In a black hooded cloak. She could not see his eyes because he was covered with his long hair, not to mention his hood. She wanted to see if he had the same hollow eyes as them. In that way, she'll know if he's one of them.He came out of nowhere, wrapped his hands around her waist, and pulled her down to the dark forest. But they didn't land on the ground. He remained flying under the wide trees. To give those up there a hard time finding her.He recalled the moment they saw Elinor being captured by Aurora. They were too late. They found her too late.But despite having a deal with them on who will get Elinor shall win, Ernest has long abandoned that. It was
The FightThey were still in fast motion. Colin never even took a break for a while. He kept on running. It's like a never-ending chase. And Elinor was too afraid to even look behind them.But she keeps her eyes wide open. Both of them look ahead of the vast forest, never knowing when they could be out of the woods or if will they ever make it to safety. Until how long will this chase end? She doesn't know. And Colin doesn't know either.Above the trees was Aurora together with the two other members of The Spirit. Riding in their magical broom, they soared through the sky, heads looking below the forest, eyes frantically searching for the were-witch."They could run away, but they could never run so far," Aurora said with confidence in her voice.It is a good thing for them that Elinor didn't learn about her true identity from the moment she gained consciousness of the world. Her ignorance of her potential works to their advantage. One of the reasons why they were not as afraid as t
The SaviorIn a split second, Elinor was thrown high up in the air and then landed on Colin's back. He is in his werewolf form, and he's scathing at the two pale-looking men with hollowed eyes."No! You can't take her away from us!" The cloaked one, which goes by the name Fergus, shouted. "Give her up to us!" said the other one.Elinor chose not to look. She buried her face in Colin's fur and muttered a solemn, desperate prayer. Her life is on the line. She can feel it.Colin roared, making her grip his fur even more. "You don't understand!" a voice roared, but Elinor tried to just shut her eyes. Her heartbeat is fast like the rhythm of a drum being beaten so eagerly.She was in a great deal of stress. She does not know who and what they are. And why are they coming after her?Was it because she's a were-witch?Is she really a were-witch?All this time, ever since she had dreamed about Esmeralda, the one who told her about her being a were-witch, not once did Elinor choose to believ
Rescued Elinor's eyes stared at the empty seat in the center. Everyone was craning their necks, eyes refusing to settle in one place as they roamed around the hall, in search of Colin, who is supposed to be crowned as the next Alpha in this ceremony.The bloody full moon can be seen peaking outside the huge window made of glass. It is getting bigger and its fiery glow becomes brighter every time she takes a look at it. "Why is he not here?" Yves who was seated beside her whispered impatiently. She was itching to transform into her wolf form and find Colin herself.Where the hell was her brother on such a special night for the entire Ashmore, he cannot be seen around when he should be standing in the spotlight."Yves, where was he?" Tatiana glowered down and mouthed it for Yves to hear.Yves turned to look at Elinor. "Have you seen him?"She shook her head. "No," then looked down disappointedly.If she had known Colin would act up like this, she shouldn't have had that conversation w
Dreaded DayThe bloody full moon peaks over all of the creatures below. Humans stopped in their tracks to tilt their heads back and gaze over at the moon, their fingers pointing it as if not everyone could see the only brightest light in the dark sky above. For them, it is not likely to see a full bloody red moon. The news on each television flashed a headline that says the next time the next full bloody moon could be seen again. According to some widely known space research organizations, the next time this phenomenon occurs, a century has already passed.It means that only once in a century can a bloody full moon peak in the night sky.It was unusual, and rare, of course. Humans take their time. Make meaning out of it. They say it brings bad luck, some speculated that it is a sign of the start of another hundred years, a new era, as they said.A lot of people blamed this occurrence for their bad luck, but there are also those who wait for a hundred years to pass by just for the fu
The Pining"Don't you give me that look, Colin? I am your mother, in case you forgot." Tatiana glared at him from across the room. Her face still looked angelic and calm, but there is rage in her tone. He fixed his look on the outside instead. His shadowed face looked gloomy. "Should we at least try?" he asked, hoping it would convince his mother into taking Elinor as his Luna. Colin knew that if he would choose to listen to what his mother is telling him to do, sit back, and watch Elinor being taken away, he knew he would regret it for the rest of his life. He would regret not even fighting for her. "Try what, Colin?" his mother snapped back."I'll try to save her," he replied, voice filled with determination.His mother looked at him as if he is a lost cause. She looks at him worried at just how madly in love he is with her, that he would try and go against the most powerful forces known to them. It's like Tatiana heard something very impossible out of him."Oh, my poor son. It'
Truth and Lies"Do you trust my love?"The question really struck Elinor. It is how he said those words with heavy emotions in his eyes and tone. Not once did Colin's eyes left her green ones as they stood face-to-face inside her chamber. Of all places, they are having this conversation again where there is a bed nearby.But what struck Elinor the most was not because of how he said those words, but the way her mind and heart whispered the answer that only she could hear."Yes, yes, I do." However, she kept that to herself.Despite what she witnessed last night. Despite crying herself to sleep because of it. She still finds in herself the love and trust she has for him. It never truly, fully went away, she realized that now. Even if there are countless times already when she felt like her love for him died in some ways. And even if she had tried to convince herself that she had long buried it deep in the ground, and nothing he can do or say will make it come to the surface again.I w