‘Those who encountered the beast, come to me.’ Hearing the beautiful lustrous voice, the soul of the young man drifted out from its earthly macabre looking body. Eyes pecked out by crows, intestines laying on the ground, soiled and eaten by foxes, wild animals. ‘Come to me, come to me.’ The beautiful voice sang. The light blue soul turned dark. The sins, the transgressions and the wickedness the soul had endured overruled its purity. Turning it into a ghoul. ‘Come!’ It followed the whispers. The alluring sound. A promise of sanctuary, and the voice of the songstress was seemingly laced with beautiful promises. A promise to be saved, and rescued. The soul saw a woman, standing tall and proud with a smirk. She was wearing a green and black gown. Beautiful, intricate design. The woman was similar to the stories being told to them when he was still a young and innocent child. A witch. A sorceress, a seductress. The black soul yearning to be saved should’ve gone back to its body. Wa
Calleb had no plans for stopping over, but the sun was still at its peak, and with two angry — sticky and overly irritated women, he had no choice. So he sits on a rock. Brooding and grumbling on his own. His arms crossed against his chest, pissed off why those two just wash after they’ve reached their destination. “Don’t you dare peek!” Was Luntian’s teasing. She and Accashia leisurely removed their clothes, and thanked their fortunes because there’s a river not so far away from where they had stopped. Calleb rolled his eyes and puffed his cheeks. “Who wants to peek at an old wrinkled prune like you?!” He yelled then turned towards Luntian’s direction. He made sure to keep his eyes closed, because the last time he peeked accidentally, Luntian threw a rock straight to his face. Luntian laughed then looked at Accashia who was enjoying herself. Swimming leisurely at full nudity, feeling the chilly water on her skin. “I’m not talking about me though.” She teased. When Calleb realized
With the strength of his arms and his god-like speed, Calleb managed to get away from there. Get away from her. Feeling the wind against his skin, the disoriented man climbed up a tree and sat on its strong branch. He stared at the moon, and wondered why it had to change phases every night. And he wondered why along with the moon’s nightly changes, so did his emotions and temperament. He remembered the feeling of absolute desolation that had possessed him then, the utter hopelessness that had prompted Luntian to almost break a strong spell just to contain him. He was only 18 years old back then when he experienced the full moon. He let out a sigh, the moon reflecting on his glistening eyes. “Why did you have to leave me so suddenly?” He muttered… his heart aching at the remorseful feeling. It’s not everyday he could voice out his frustration to his parents. For it is not their fault, that they had gone too soon, right? Yet a part of Calleb wished they did not. “I marked someone, f
"Don't you dare touch her!" Calleb warned aloud as he ran towards the horrendous scene. With Accashia on his back, he jumped and latched onto the creature that was attacking Luntian. Calleb’s long and talon-like claws shined against the moonlight. With one full swing, the strong beast severed the arm of the shadow that was holding onto Luntian’s hair. He kicked and fought off the others that surrounded the old woman. He only withdrew for a second. To safely hoist Accashia up to the tallest tree. “I’ll be back. Don’t you move a muscle, got it?” Calleb warned. He looked at Accashia with a piercing stare and watched as the young lady nodded her head, agreeing instantly. “Yes, yes…” Accashia answered, looking back at Calleb’s bluish gray eyes with the same intensity. "Okay..." Luntian groaned and hissed through gritted teeth as she fought for her life. The shadows did not feel fear for it only intended to kill her, Calleb and Accashia. One Shadow pulled a rib from its own body and swu
Accashia knows that this sort of thing isn’t planned, this kind of awkward position she’s in with Calleb. Last night gave her such a rush. Fighting off Skeleton-like monsters called Shadows and actually defeating them. The thought materializes in the young lady’s head in the morning as she wakes up next to Calleb who was still sound asleep. She watched him quietly, carefully as she bites onto her lower lip. She watched how the soft but humid noon breeze brushed against his face, his long silver hair carried by the wind. She stared down on his long lashes and beautiful skin — lips and his strong neck. The young lady bent down to get a closer look, pass through Calleb’s skin, bones and flesh and into his soul. Why is she seeing this now when she never noticed this before? A kaleidoscope of colors mixed on Calleb’s strong soul. A swirl of red, a hint of gold. A touch of purple and blue and green — swirling together but not crashing and combining to an ugly mesh. It was beautiful. And
The cat and mouse chase — rather — the hide and run game between Calleb and the Accashia went on and on that day. Wherever Calleb may be, Accashia will make sure she’s at a far distance away from him. During supper, even while Luntian made new clothes for them. As well as when the two of them were asked to pick berries, Accashia maintained her distance from Calleb. She simply trailed behind him as he led the way. ‘Stupid Accashia being stupid.’ Calleb rolled his eyes when he saw Accashia flinching again when their eyes met. He let out a low snarl and realized he plucked the berries too hard. It turned to a pulp on his palm. Calleb could only grumble and mumble his protest, asking himself what he did wrong for Accashia to act that way. For a second there, he thought the two of them as a good team as they fought off the Monster last night. Maybe it was all just a fluke and Accashia will remain like a flea on his back. A bug that gives him itchy feelings that he couldn’t wait to get r
“What?!” Right after Accashia heard Calleb’s irritated answer, she didn’t think twice and rushed towards him. She snapped to the direction and followed the trails and remnants of the shifting soul, feeling a different sense of urgency when the soul of Calleb kept on changing — kept on shifting. “Calleb?!” She called again when the cave became silent. It was so quiet that she could her the sound of her heartbeat and could hear her loud breathing. Her will to go and find Calleb unfathomable. A sense of urgency surrounded her. And she could feel how weak Calleb was. “Answer me, Calleb! Where are you?!” Accashia found herself screaming as she looked for him. She ran everywhere, minding where she was by placing her hands before her — to make sure that she wouldn't bump face first against the walls of the cave. And yet, there was still no answer. So she continued to run and jog around. Accashia only stopped when she finally spotted Calleb sitting at the end of the cave. A shape of a ma
It’s nonsensical, surreal and terrifying… It’s unbelievably powerful and Luntian could see how this is possibly inevitable. The strongest sense of panic and terror begins to assail the old woman as the monstrous creature moves closer and closer. It moves faster — until the old Shaman could smell the rotting flesh hanging on the creature’s bones. The closer the creature is, the more Luntian feels sick to the bones. She forced herself not to hurl. It was one of the most disgusting putrid thing she sensed. A soul so stained. A soul bearing a grudge. Anger. A creature of offensive and vile that Luntian had to blink constantly just to not let herself be wavered by its darkness. Crimson red soul — almost like blood. And the soul only screams and snarls the same name repeatedly, continuously. ‘Accashia, Accashia, Accashia!’ It screams in a rhythm like a song. Like a curse. Luntian could feel her breath getting heavier with every step the monster takes. For her power bestowed on her by th
Accashia must have fallen asleep while the two Alpha’s were interrogating the old Shaman. She sits up straight and there's a blanket across her body until her chest. She pulled the covers up, bringing it up to her face. The young woman inhaled, smiling wide right after. It smells like her mate, warm wood and a hint of musk. Calleb’s scent reminded her of sunrise. It smells a little like her too. Accashia was not the type of person who always wakes up on the right side of the bed. Before, she’ll wake up with Luther’s face right in front of hers. Her older brother would always taunt her. Tease her, borderline torment her. Somehow she wishes he could erase it. The memories. "Why the long face?" Calleb appeared out of nowhere, shocking Accashia. Her soul almost left her body, and became a bit grumpy because of it. “Calleb!” She whined, screaming his name as she did. “You know that I startle easily! Don’t sneak up on me like an animal!” The Alpha grinned. “I am an animal though.” He wa
"Ive heard Galathea saying she heard the song of songs, whisper of whisps. But not a cry of a child." The King stared at Accashia’s ghostly pale face. The Luna was still in shock. She was only wearing a thin bathrobe, contrasting the dark thick cotton robe that enveloped Calleb’s body. "A shrill cry. A woman singing an eerie lullaby. I’ve heard of that before. But not from a newborn child —” He looked at his son, then smiled. “None, except from you, son. The day you were born.” "Maybe we should have the Castle blessed?" Calleb had asked. "Before being rebuilt, this place was heavily guarded by Shadows. Dangerous skeleton-like creatures who are brought back to life by Ursula’s power. They carry an ember of soul in their chest. Lost souls." Bathal shuddered in the memory. "I remember. Maybe the Castle needs to be blessed." "It’s not a soul." Accashia opposed. A frown on her face, disliking how the two Alpha’s are dismissing what she heard. "I know a soul when I feel one, see one. When
"I’m not hallucinating, Calleb! I heard a loud cry of a child!" Accashia paced back and forth after pushing Calleb away from her. The cry of the newborn sounded terrible against her ears. “I must find the baby — it could be lost, or worse — it might’ve been abandoned by its parents!” The Alpha sighed as he pinched the area between his brows. It feels like he’s wiggling out of a tightrope and he’s bound from his wrist down to his ankles. “Maybe it’s just your imagination, Accashia. You’re carrying my child after all. It may be the cause of your hallucinations.” Accashia was heading towards the door when Calleb’s spoke. She spun and marched towards her mate. By the looks of it, the young lady was deeply offended. “I know the sound of a crying child when I hear one, Calleb. I’m the one who took care of Jill when she was a newborn. I’m familiar with the cry of a wailing child looking for his mother — Calleb.” “And I’m not dismissing your judgments, Accashia.” Was Calleb’s calm reply. T
What it all boils down to is a simple thing. Human beings, creatures and beasts alike are all sentimental beings. Filled with empathy. Love and affection. And in turn, are always seeking for it. The first time Luntian laid eyes on her sister was after Amihan had just given birth to her. The little one had a head full of black hair, and had this blank stare. Ursula would cry from dusk till dawn. It was thousands of years ago, but her sister’s shrill cry would still resound in her nightmare. The idea of having a sibling was one of the things she wished for in life, though at times she wished her mother would shove the thing back to where it came from. Luntian loved Ursula, but there was something about her that she didn't like. She doesn’t like the crooked smile on her lips. The oddly long nails. The dark, dark cowl on her head. And the odd paint on her face. She was a yellow Shaman, but did not act like one. Not even a little. Had it been the way she talked or the things she said? O
Bathal remembers his father with his head back, soaking up the heat like a plant. At dusk, his wide gray eyes go half-mast, and he yawns and stretches and puts his arms around people who he thinks will lead him back to the right home. Banaua is solar-powered, a self-sufficient sun. And his mother Hiraya was like the moon — the Luna catches the excess light of the King until she could light up on her own. He wonders if Accashia and Calleb would be the same. For his son and his mate reminds him so much of his late parents. And now there they were, going up in front of thousands of people. He thinks this is a must, for this will be Calleb’s future once he passes on the power. His son is the next King and an Alpha. Calleb will be the next ruler of this Kingdom, and the people will follow him. They will love him and be loyal to him whether they want to or not. Once, when his father was still alive he'd asked Bathal a question. He'd asked, 'What do you feel after seeing the humans, the B
Bathal comes back after a long meeting with the Shaman of the nameless Village. It was time for the Betas and Omegas to live within the Castle. For them to go back to the way it was before the ‘Great Downfall’. The King was wearing thick black longsleeves made of cotton. A white cowl covered his head, partially covering his beautiful long hair of black and white. Usually he wouldn’t be riding a horse if he was to go alone. But because he needed Luntian’s wisdom to negotiate with the Shaman — he opted that it was for the best. Bathal preferred to transform into his beast. He’s not the type of ruler who radiates glitz and glamour, crowns and jewelry. As a matter of fact, the King had always liked to be with the Betas and the Omegas. The soldiers, as the late King Banaua calls them. They liked him for his smile and his strong sense of leadership. Everyone called him awe inspiring and charming. While his son Calleb… Luntian often wonders where the Prince, the son of Bathal, Calleb, get
Ursula shut her eyes shut, not wanting any more of this inhumane torture. She was deemed to be facing sudden death, more like she begged for it. Impregnated and treated like an animal. This was beyond humiliating. What she hated the most was how her body betrayed her at times. How the demons take her and fuck her until she cries and begs for mercy. She hated herself from feeling good. It almost felt good. Almost. Until she realized that the birth of the demon child would mean the coming of a bloodshed. Death in amounts no one could fathom. The woman laid her head on the makeshift pillow Kieran had made for her. Kieran was laying down beside her, the demon was caressing the bulge on her stomach. “Just leave already.” Ursula whined, lifting her head up upon the request. “I want to be alone.” Kieran laughed, then held up a thick leather strap in his other hand. It was studded with spikes, like everything else. A spike that would slam against Ursula’s thighs or arm, whichever part it w
The Kingdom of Shaldan has changed, and with a few more refurbishments, the Kingdom will be standing in all its glory once again. Almost two months had passed since they banished the evil Witch from their land. Bathal and Luntian sported a wide smile on both of their faces while greeting the Hunter’s village and the Betas and Omegas. The news of Accashia’s pregnancy gave them a new kind of hope for their Kingdom’s survival. She was four months pregnant, and in a few months their bundle of joy will see the world. Days have turned into weeks and weeks turned into a month. But instead of being happy after receiving the news of her pregnancy, the young lady became jarded. She became quiet and barely spoke to anyone. Anyone except her mate. Everyday Accashia would go to Calleb’s room and she’ll tell her mate what is going on in her everyday life. Whether it’s exciting news or just a mundane day. She does it as a routine, hoping that her mate would wake up. Even if it's about the changes
Luntian leads Bathal and Accashia towards the room where the sleeping Prince was kept safe. A few Beta’s and Omega’s lurked around the Castle, fixing the interiors and fixtures. All needed to be done to bring the ruined Castle back to its glory. The sound of nails and hammer hitting and banging against the wall resounded as Luntian closed the door of Calleb and Accashia’s chamber. Bathal, who was standing next to Accashia, told the Shaman to lock the door, to make sure that no one sees them. Even though his influence is scattered throughout the Castle and its borders, it does not mean that everyone is on their side. A King can never be too complacent, Bathal learned that the hard way. “It’s locked.” The Shaman announced with satisfaction in her eyes. Once they were free to move, the old woman foisted something from her pocket. A mixture of minerals, and once she’s satisfied with the ingredients on her hand, the old Shaman crushed them with their bare hands. She turned them into powe