Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesBy the time nightfall came, April Rose and Marceline had retreated to bed. It has been a long day for both of them, and a snoring Marceline proved things right. April Rose, while feeling exhausted mentally and physically, couldn’t bring herself to sleep. Her mind has been thinking about a lot of things and she can’t blame anybody but her thoughts. She promised she would never think about home again, but having had the conversation with Nessie earlier, she couldn’t stop thinking about her mother and her little brother. But that’s not the only thing she’s thinking; there’s also this whole Sun and Moon games thing, the whole Spellflower curse, and even Cordelia Foxglove basically telling her she’s nothing but the personification of disappointment. Her thoughts were convoluted but the one thing that stood out above all was the thought of Conall Augustus.Who is Conall Augustus?She’s been thinking about why Conall accused her of following her when she clearly
Chapter 6 – Smoke and MirrorsAPRIL ROSEApril Rose tried to struggle for freedom, but when someone turned the lights on illuminating the entire place, she was convinced to stay calm and quiet. April Rose and Conall, furtively peeking from the crevice by the bookshelf, witnessed a figure clad in a red robe emerge from the door. In her attempt to see who was under the robe, April Rose looked closer and was instantly disappointed to see the person was wearing an intricately sculpted white mask resembling the shape of a face. Clearly, the person underneath the robe is strict about keeping their identity a secret.Both April and Conall watched stealthily as the figure sauntered towards the center table where April had left a mess of books. The figure paused seemingly trying to figure out the mess on the table before quickly ignoring them and eventually climbing the spiral stairs going up tow
00: PROLOGUEAs the full moon rose towards the center of the black-veiled horizon, her eyes took shape at last. They were once an emerald green, but now they are a glowing ruby red. The look on her face wasn’t anything feral at all; it was more of a painting of tentative distress.Ferociously growling right in front of her was the Lycan prince, who’s now gone full rogue; his eyes became tattooed with total blackness. In them, you can’t even see the reflection of the bright moonlight. The young she wolf locked her gaze straight into the Lycan prince’s feral eyes, highly hoping that she’d find something behind them that would alter the course of this unfavorable ordeal. But all she found was nothing but an empty void of blackness, with certainly no trace of his soul left.“Please, Conall! This isn’t you.” The she wolf begged, but the young Lycan prince was long gone, fully clad in total darkness. Under the powerful influence of the full moon above the night sky, he could possibly have r
Chapter 1: RUNAWAY WOLFA FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE GREAT BATTLE BETWEEN THE SHE WOLF AND THE ROGUE LYCAN PRINCE.APRIL ROSE DARLINGTONIt was the saddest moment in April Rose Darlington’s seventeen years of existence, having settled down to a decision to leave home for good. It wasn’t because of the series of horrific nightmares, the random waking up in the depths of the woods in the middle of the night, or the rampant bullying from her high school peers, saying she smelled like a wet dog. The difficult decision came full circle when she almost took her seven-year-old brother’s life under the shining moonlight two weeks ago.April Rose couldn’t believe the fact that she’s a werewolf out of all the hideous creatures of the night when she could easily be anything other than the hairy monster. In the depths of her mind, she could be a cunning trickster of a witch or a vicious bloodsucking vampire. Perhaps she could also be a simple mortal human being, just like her crush, Jesse. Jesse was th
Chapter 2: The Sun & Moon AcademyAPRIL ROSEThe ornate gate of the Sun and Moon Academy was a towering fifty or so feet of wrought iron with the usual spiky features up top. It had a slightly different motif, featuring an intricate work of stars other than the usual floral. Just like every other Victorian gate, it had statues protruding on either side. Instead of the usual gargoyles, it had a sculpture of an angel holding a trumpet on the right and a horned demon on the left side. It’s seemingly very fitting for a boarding school that accepts creatures with both angelic and demonic blood. The visible dents and the missing parts, along with the presence of moss from both sculptures, meant it had witnessed many different eras. Surely, it might have survived many battles in its wake.April Rose paused instantly just as she recognized two policemen right in front of the towering gate of the school. One of them was having a conversation with a suspiciously large woman, whom April believed
Chapter 3: The She Wolf and the LambAPRIL ROSE“Welcome to your new abode,” the teenage vampire enounced, gritting with pure excitement as she opened the door to the room.April Rose stood frozen for a moment, quietly letting Marceline’s words sink inside her head. This will become her new home for God knows how long, and although she’s secretly feeling homesick, she knew it was the right decision to leave.“What are you waiting for, sister? Go ahead,” urged Marceline.As April Rose brought herself inside, she had already made the painful decision to never think of home again, to never speak of home, and to never miss home.“Why is it so dark in here?” April Rose wondered.“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Marceline stepped inside quickly, turning the lights on. “I hope you don’t mind if we keep the curtains shut most of the time. Direct sunlight really does make my eyes burn.”“Oh?! So, is it true then?” April Rose gazed upon Marceline.“True, what?” Marceline looked initially confused, but she qu
Chapter 3: The She Wolf and the LambIn the night, as soon as she let the soft blanket and mattress envelope her, April Rose had fallen quickly into deep slumber. It was indeed a long and exhausting day, and even though her head’s still caught up about having a nightmare on her first night at the academy, a small part of her consciousness managed to convince herself that she wouldn’t be having one; however, it would only take a few hours before she experienced another episode.In her dream, April Rose woke up inside a cabin in the middle of the woods. It was the exact same cabin she’s been finding herself in ever since she began having these dreams. The cabin had no doors except for a single window, which served as the only means of escape. She propped herself up to discover a round table right before her. At first, it was just an empty table, but as soon as she blinked her eyes, something popped up on top of it. April Rose moved to take a closer look and was swiftly mortified to see
Chapter 3: The She Wolf and the LambApril Rose sauntered through the hallway light, quiet as the wind. Still covered in sticky sweat, she's in mild discomfort, but nothing compares to the sweet relief of not waking up in the middle of the woods or the feeling of the cold, hard earth on her bare feet. It had been the longest since the last time she woke up on the same bed, right after having a nightmare.On her toes, she traveled from the sixth floor all the way towards the second floor, where she found the veranda and a perfect view of the center of the entire square building. In the middle rose a magnificent three hundred-foot redwood tree resplendently piercing through the sky. From what April Rose could recall, the tree is around a thousand years old or more, and sure enough, it has seen eras after eras. She couldn't imagine how many seasons in the millennia the tree has witnessed, from the scorching wave of summer heat to the frigid breath of the cold winter.The ever-luminous fu
Chapter 6 – Smoke and MirrorsAPRIL ROSEApril Rose tried to struggle for freedom, but when someone turned the lights on illuminating the entire place, she was convinced to stay calm and quiet. April Rose and Conall, furtively peeking from the crevice by the bookshelf, witnessed a figure clad in a red robe emerge from the door. In her attempt to see who was under the robe, April Rose looked closer and was instantly disappointed to see the person was wearing an intricately sculpted white mask resembling the shape of a face. Clearly, the person underneath the robe is strict about keeping their identity a secret.Both April and Conall watched stealthily as the figure sauntered towards the center table where April had left a mess of books. The figure paused seemingly trying to figure out the mess on the table before quickly ignoring them and eventually climbing the spiral stairs going up tow
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesBy the time nightfall came, April Rose and Marceline had retreated to bed. It has been a long day for both of them, and a snoring Marceline proved things right. April Rose, while feeling exhausted mentally and physically, couldn’t bring herself to sleep. Her mind has been thinking about a lot of things and she can’t blame anybody but her thoughts. She promised she would never think about home again, but having had the conversation with Nessie earlier, she couldn’t stop thinking about her mother and her little brother. But that’s not the only thing she’s thinking; there’s also this whole Sun and Moon games thing, the whole Spellflower curse, and even Cordelia Foxglove basically telling her she’s nothing but the personification of disappointment. Her thoughts were convoluted but the one thing that stood out above all was the thought of Conall Augustus.Who is Conall Augustus?She’s been thinking about why Conall accused her of following her when she clearly
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesApril Rose, Marceline and Sabina were all huddled up at Maxence Square several hours after the team draw.“I can’t believe we weren’t on the same team.” Leaning towards April Rose, Marceline blurted out clearly, riddled with frustration. “This is so fucking stupid.”“Why are you mad, Marcy?” Sabina asked. “You’re a Moonbane and that’s literally the best team out of all the teams. Moonbane wins the games literally like all the time.”“I know, and I’m happy to be on the team, but April here—” Marceline held April’s hand and looked at her piteously. “She’s a Spellflower. The team’s cursed and you know that’s like a death sentence. Team Spellflower is the worst team in all of the games’ history. They have only won twice.”“W-what do you mean?” April Rose asked, looking exponentially confused. She’s been confused and anxious ever since the lighting ceremony began. She woke up early in the morning beaming with bright energy. For the first time in a long while, s
Chapter 5 - Secrets and Lies“But I thought you were a witch?” April Rose inquired. She must have misjudged Sabina for her gothic aesthetic and creepy demeanor. Sabina’s such a loner and infrequently hangs out with them that April Rose never really had the chance to ask.“I’m not,” Sabina said, shaking her head in response. “I never was. I’m only wearing dark make-up not because I like it but because I needed to fit in with the rest. No one really liked mundanes around here.”“Sabina was also once a vampire like me,” Marceline interjected. “She acquired the illness when she was young. I never knew her then but my dad knew her family.”Looking at Marceline, Sabina let out half a smile, signifying her gratitude. “The Bloodlock family helped me, and I’m forever grateful for that. Speaking of your family, why aren’t you the one bearing the torch for Bloodlock? That guy’s clearly a phony,” Sabina asked Marceline.“You mean Drason? He’s not a phony,” Marceline replied, consciously defending
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesAs Conall Augustus and the other torchbearers reached the dais, the Sun and Moon Academy hymn came to a close. Each torchbearer stood proudly in front of the flag of the team they were representing. The teacher who led the school hymn quietly stepped down from the podium, and the headmistress took her place.“Welcome to the annual Sun and Moon Academy games,” Miss Foxglove began. “I’m Cordelia Foxglove, and I’m highly honored to celebrate this greatness with all of you. At the height of the great hunt in the sixteenth century, when our race was being sought and killed, four extraordinary beings banded together to construct the enormous fort of Helios and Selene, which saved many lives and provided shelter for our kind. The fort developed into a stronghold and a haven for people like us. When the great hunt ended, the fort was reformed, which became the Sun and Moon Academy, the same building we are standing in today. They continued housing refuges, but slo
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesAPRIL ROSEApril Rose woke up early on a Monday morning filled with good energy and such enthusiasm to start the day. It’s been a full week since she arrived at the Sun and Moon Academy, and so far, with the great exception of her first night, she has not experienced a single episode of a nightmare. Perhaps she must have truly convinced herself that moving to a different place would help solve it, though she did not expect the nightmares would go away faster than the whirlwind of a week she had, but either way, she was more than grateful.It’s been just a week, but in that short amount of time, she has already begun to notice a few changes in her life. Her week started slow and unbearable. Her official first day was everything she had already experienced and envisioned. The most unendurable part of it was standing in the middle of every single period and awkwardly introducing herself to the whole class. Everyone gawked at her; some were judging her from hea
Chapter 4 - Conall AugustusApril Rose instantly felt a shooting pain at the base of her nape when Conall Augustus showed up at the doorway. It was the same throbbing sensation she felt when she first locked eyes with him in the dining hall. She tried her best to cover up the painful feeling, even though her head was about to explode.Conall gave her the same stern and menacing glare that Mr. Soloman had just given her earlier. Now that she’s looking at Conall from a closer distance, she just realized he shared some striking similarities with Mr. Soloman. The silver hair, the piercing eyes, and most of all, the posture. However, instead of feeling horrified by Conall’s presence, she felt much more bewildered. Conall appeared fit as a fiddle, and it’s as if he never sustained any sort of damage. From what she had witnessed, Conall’s face received the most damage from the fight, and yet now, his face doesn’t look like it’s been punched multiple times. He looked perfectly fine and dashin
Chapter 4 - Conall Augustus“April Rose, come in! Come in! Mr. Soloman was just leaving.” Miss Foxglove’s deep, recognizable voice resonated throughout the office, yet certainly, it wasn’t enough to break the young she wolf’s horror.The tall man with a striking silver hair glared down at April Rose; the look on his face was stern and forbidding. Behind the glasses, his piercing eyes were so menacing that she quickly turned her head down in fear. She stepped aside, making way for the man to walk out of the room.For a second, she questioned the state of her sanity. She was entirely sure she saw the bickering that eventually led to Conall slitting Mr. Soloman’s throat. She saw what occurred with both of her eyes, and they were real. They appeared real. They felt real. However, the sudden appearance of the man she thought was already dead changed what she perceived as reality. It has become apparent that what happened last night was a part of her nightmare.Still trembling, April Rose w
Chapter 4 - Conall AugustusAPRIL ROSEWhen April Rose opened her eyes in the morning, the room was still dim, which was something she’s more than used to. Most times, when she’s not experiencing an episode and waking up in the middle of the woods, she often wakes up early to welcome daybreak. The early bird gets the early worm; that's what hardworking people always say to convince themselves that they’re doing everything, and that phrase applies in Wolverhampton, or at least in the case of April Rose’s family status.Yawning immensely, she rubbed her eyes just as hard. She can barely remember the last time she felt such itchiness in her eyes or yawning, like she got a full night of sleep, but sure enough, it felt good. It took a few moments for her to realize this is not Wolverhampton anymore. She doesn’t have to be an early bird anymore. She felt a dose of relief at the fact that she doesn’t have to work early at the first crack of light before attending school.April Rose quickly no