"1330: The night of the marriage.
The sky looked beautiful that night. The sky was clear and the full moon was shining bright. Yet, it was completely dark inside my heart. I sat in my room wearing a gorgeous green dress, paired with jewels like earrings, bangles, necklaces and a tiara. Even though my mom didn't leave any stones unturned to make sure I was looking my best, my cold face was ruining her efforts. However, I couldn't care less. I was already giving up all I had, for this. I didn't even know if I was doing the right thing or not, but all I knew was that this was the only way to keep Vic safe.
"Dione… you'll look like a puppet if you don't smile."
I turned to look at my mom with tears in my eyes, as I forced a smile.
"Am I not a puppet now, mom, smiling here like a fool just because you told me to when I know my life is literally falling apart and I don't want to smile?"
"Dione… This IS what's best for you."
"And who decided that, mom? Eternia?"
"I- Why would Eternia decide that? I did. And your father did."
"Yeah." I snickered, "Eternia would never do anything like this."
Mom sighed and sat next to me. She touched my hand, but I abruptly got up.
"Dione…"
"It's time, mom. Come on. The whole town has gathered to watch the freak show that you both arranged. They're waiting for us, let's go." I said, storming out of the room. Mom followed me out shortly after.
As expected, the Lotus Dome was being swarmed by a mob. They were all against this marriage, and looking at it, made me happy and sad simultaneously. It made me happy because there were people who really understood me and stood up for me, and sad because all the chaos could've been avoided if my own family members were kind and understanding. Multiple guards held the crowd back, but as soon as they saw me, they moved towards me, stopping only a few feet away. The guards were about to come at them, but it only took one stern look from me to make them stop. The crowd seemed restless. Some were crying, and some were begging, while some only chanted how they could start a whole war to prevent this marriage if I ordered them to. But that wasn't an option anymore. I could not risk the lives of my people no matter what, and as far as Vic was concerned, this would be the best for him too. If Mal really needed me to harm Vic, then it would at least be better for me to die, if not kill Mal. It was hard for me to see my people get so desperate. They've seen Vic and I since we were young. They know what we've been through, and they know how much we love each other, hence, this decision of mine moved a lot of people. But who would even understand what storm I was facing on the inside?
"Move." I said. For a moment, the crowd got silent, but then started humming even louder with protests.
"I SAID, MOVE!!"
The crowd fell silent. As if they could sense the storm from here, slowly parted to make way for me. I gulped, while trying to keep a stern face, but my heart ached with every step I took. My vision turned blurry because of my tears, but I still walked towards the dome, as if walking towards the gallows for a death that I chose for myself.
I could see the remorse on the faces of my people, but maybe this was just how it was meant to be. This was how it was meant to end.
I entered the dome. It was decorated lavishly on the inside. Clearly, Mal wanted his marriage to look grand. He had arranged everything by himself and was sitting on a throne, waiting for me. In the middle of the dome, a katana was kept. Once the union was done, the bride was supposed to hold the katana and give it to her groom as a sign of loyalty. The priest stood next to Mal, looking equally as smug as him.
"Ahh, there you are, my love. Come here! I've waited so long for you… it's really hard to… tame the beast within me." Mal broke into a laugh, and everybody else on his side chimed in as well. I didn't look at Mal. I had a purpose for arranging this marriage and I couldn't stray away from it no matter what. Even though I could feel him getting on my nerves, I calmed myself down and looked at him coldly.
Mal was quick to take action. He knew he didn't have much time. Though I was firm on my decision, my actions still told him that I could leave if I wanted to. Mal got up from the sofa and raised a hand as everyone fell silent. He then smirked at me and proceeded towards the ceremony area. I walked towards him as well, not breaking eye contact. His red eyes reminded me of his blood-thirsty nature and it reminded me that I wanted to see his torture end even if it was in exchange for my own blood.
"Start the ceremony," Mal said. The priest came forward and smiled at him, as he began chanting the vows. I remained silent. Not a single word from the priest crossed my mind, as I only kept remembering Vic's face. What was he doing? How was he? Did Elena keep him safe like I asked her to?
Fear is the lowest vibrational frequency. It manifests faster than anything else. Darkness exists everywhere and if you only focus on the darkness, you will find your light receding.
My fear for the worst manifested into reality as soon as I heard screams from outside. It took me only a few seconds to realize what was happening.
Breaking the door to the dome open, a vicious wild-looking animal rushed inside. The animal's blue-green eyes gave away its identity, as it thrashed everything that came in its way and advanced on Mal. Mal didn't care. He was smirking at me, as he whispered,
"You are a sly little girl, huh? But I promise you'll regret this real soon."
Vic pounced on Mal, but Mal grabbed him by his throat and threw him aside like he was a toy that he was done playing with.
"VIC!!" I ran towards him as he crashed violently against a wall. The wall came crumbling down. With an animalistic roar, Vic got buried under the bricks, but it took him only a minute to shake everything off and come at Mal with renewed vigor. This time, Mal staggered a bit, but it didn't take him much time to block Vic's attacks. Soon enough, their fight turned even more violent, making every onlooker run away for their lives. It was just me, Vic, and Mal in the dome. Their fight got faster, and it made me feel guilty. What did I get Vic into? How could I save him?
The full moon was exactly overhead the dome. Its rays shone brightly through the opening at the top, lighting up the interiors of the dome. As I had expected, the worst happened, as Mal convulsed. His body grew in size, tearing all his clothes until he was a werewolf, just like Vic. Mal's red eyes were glowing through his black overgrown fur, and he was drooling through his wide-open mouth. Vic and Mal attacked each other again, as everything shook around us. Tables and Sofas were thrown around, and I was barely able to save myself.
"RUUUUNNNN!!!" Vic's voice sounded, as he received a deadly punch on his face. Blood oozed from his mouth, as Mal hit him in the chest again.
"VIC!!" I screamed in horror and froze in place. I was completely clueless. My plan didn't involve all this. I simply wanted to take the katana during the ceremony and sacrifice myself willingly. Mal could just rot in hell, but at least he would not be able to hurt me or Vic. But what was happening now was even more terrifying.
All Mal needed was just one moment of weakness, and now that he had it, he was easily able to dominate Vic. Vic kept staggering back and thrashing on the floor now and then with each one of Mal's blows. Since Vic was on the ground and Mal was the one still standing, it was hard for Vic to block his attacks and fight back. In no time, Vic was struggling to breathe. His entire body was covered in scars from Mal's attacks and he was bleeding heavily. His breathing was slow and shallow, but Mal kept on attacking.
"YOU DID A GRAVE MISTAKE, YOUNG MAN. A GRAVE MISTAKE!!!" Mal said, as he grabbed Vic by the throat and pulled him up, holding him in the air.
Vic gasped for air and tried hard to escape, but he couldn't. I could see how his chest rose and fell slowly, showing he didn't have much power left in him, and I couldn't bear to see Vic like that.
"MAL, LEAVE VIC RIGHT NOW!!!" My voice rang in the dome, as I grabbed the katana from the holder, and swung the sword at Mal. Mal was quick and decisive, and with one swift move, he threw Vic aside and grabbed the sword.
"You will NOT hurt Vic anymore."
"Yeah? And why is that?"
"If another drop of blood falls off his body, know that this would be the last night you get to breathe."I said, pulling the sword out of his hand, as the sharp end cut right through his palm. Though he only winced for a second, he then opened his palm and took a good look at it, smirking.
"If bloodshed is what you want, you shall have it." He said.
"YOU started the bloodshed, Mal. And I will end it."
"Did I, now, huh? You truly have got the guts of your mother for saying that." He said. I only remained silent. Not a drop of tear fell from my eyes because I knew this was the moment my life had been leading up to. This was the moment when I had to fulfill the purpose of my life. Mal snickered and slowly walked over to Vic. He was lying on the floor unable to move, as Mal slowly held his chin and lifted his face, making Vic look at him.
"You've had your time, young man. But now it's MY time."
"Dione… is mine." Even though Vic was struggling to speak, he said it firmly. Mal's grip grew stronger on his chin, but Vic's voice didn't falter.
"She… is MINE."
Though part of me wanted to slap Vic silent, the other part of me was proud to have someone like Vic in my life who wasn't afraid to love me despite all the ups and downs. But the real question was, was there any recovery from the fight that was about to go down?
"I will only warn you once… TAKE BACK WHAT YOU SAID, OR ELSE-"
"SHE IS MINE!!" Vic said, as he powered through his pain and stood up, forcing Mal to back away. He then stood face to face with Mal as he spoke.
"Stop yourself, Mal. Stop yourself before I have to commit the sin of killing my own blood. Control yourself, for the one you seek, is mine. You are trying too hard to get the one who is everything that I have, everything that I live for. She lives in my heart, I can hear her voice with every beat of it. She is the passion that runs through every vein of my body. She is the prayer that came true at dawn when I had no hope of seeing light. She's nature's gift to me, the gift from God to me, and every creature in this wretched land knows of the love story that we hold in us… every scar that runs through my body, every drop of blood that drips from my skin, tells the same story of love that's etched in her heart. She is mine, Mal. She always will be. No matter what you do to me, I KNOW she will still be with me. And even if I have to burn in hell for the crime of loving someone with all my heart, then I know my love won't let me die but will bring me right to God and let him answer for me, for Dione, and for our love."
"You talk a great deal, Vic. A great deal of CRAP!!!" Mal's hands moved in the air, as a sword flashed in the sky. He leapt and caught it, as he took a stance, almost piercing the weapon through Vic when I stepped in. Our swords clashed with a loud clanging noise, as a few sparks flew.
"NOT. On my watch, Mal. Not on my watch."
I pushed his sword back with mine roughly as I took another step forward and my sword brushed right past his stomach. Mal responded quickly as he turned and attacked me and I merely dodged it by a few inches as I ducked. My hands didn't stop, as I swung my sword at his feet, but Mal jumped up, avoiding the blow. He landed with an equally powerful blow, but his sword missed me and dug into the ground as I rolled over.
"You sly fox-" He smirked. Every moment of distraction for Mal, was a chance to win, for me, but I was wrong to think he was distracted. I sprinted towards his sword that was still dug into the ground and jumped to put my foot on the base of the sword to prevent Mal from pulling it out, but Mal had already pulled out the sword by the time I landed, and with one rolling movement, his sword ran through my back. A pulsating pain ran through my body as Vic screamed. He almost jumped in, but I shouted back, "STAY AWAY VIC!!"
I had no time for weakness. I could feel the warmth of the blood gushing down my back, wetting my dress, but I didn't stop. I ran towards Mal and took him by surprise as I ran past him and turned back to slice my sword through his arm. He groaned and held his wound for a split second, as he ran at me with his sword held high. I blocked his attack with a swift move, but having the advantage of height, he kept pushing me down with force. My calves strained and I could feel my back throbbing in pain as more blood gushed out of the wound.
"AHHHHHH!!" I screamed in pain, as a rush of power ran through me and I kicked Mal right in his groin.
"GRAHHHH!!" Mal shouted as his body trembled and he fell back to the ground. He was breathing slowly and deeply, trying to reduce the pain he felt. This was the moment I ran forward to strike him, but even in his pain, Mal somehow powered through and held his sword over his head, blocking my sword, but I kept trying harder to attack him. My body trembled as I tried to force his hand down and Mal's body shook as well as he tried to resist it. But soon enough, his hand began lowering, till the point where it was an inch away from his throat.
"THIS IS IT, MAL!! THIS IS THE END-"
The words only escaped my mouth, as Mal tackled me onto the ground with his feet, forcing his sword on my throat, while he held my hand down with the other. I felt a sharp pain as the tip of his sword pierced the skin on my throat, as I jerked my hand out, slicing the side of his stomach. He immediately moved away from me as I managed to get up. I ran towards him again with decisive steps, as I raised the katana in both hands. I screamed the name of Eternia as I kicked Mal in the chest, and pointed the sword at him, but within the blink of an eye, I gasped in pain and horror. I looked down. Time almost froze as I looked at myself. I was soaking in blood. The end of a sword was visible as it pierced right through my stomach, and I screamed in racking pain as the sword was drawn out of me. I almost turned around on cue as the sword was taken out, and I saw...
"Mish- ARGH!!" Another sharp pain almost blurred my vision as Mal held me by the back of my neck, stabbing me with his sword.
"You did good, my love, but I get what I want. Nobody takes anything away from me, do you understand?" Mal said, slowly pulling the sword out of me, making me writhe in pain as the sword moved in my body. I fell to the ground as blood gushed out of my mouth. It felt like I was almost drowning in a pool of my own blood.
"DIONE!!!" Vic's voice felt distant, as my vision got blurry. This wasn't how I had thought the end would be…
Tears uncontrollably rolled down my cheeks as I lay on the ground, as if feeling the very last moments in front of my eyes. Every time I breathed, it felt like an instant death would've been easier. The dark red blood that flew out of my body, covered the floor as my face rested on it.
"Oh hell no, you little RAT!" Mal's voice sounded as he grabbed Vic by his throat again, as Vic tried to run towards me. But alas, I could only watch. Even the whispers that left my lips were unable to make a sound loud enough for Vic to hear, but I kept trying through my pain, to tell him to run. What could they possibly do to Vic if I wasn't even alive? So either way, I was the one to win.
"AHHH, MAL!! STUPIDO RAGAZZO! I told you not to harm the girl, and see now she's barely breathing-" Misha said, as she crouched down next to me and held me by my cheeks and shook my head a couple of times. I could barely make out what they were saying, as my body kept going all numb, but all I thought of at the moment was, "Did mom and dad know about this side of Misha?"
"Ahh, mamma rilassato. I will be quick, it won't even take long, I promise."
Mal was still holding Vic by his throat, while Vic only cried looking at me. Our gaze never parted, but my subconscious tried its best to be attentive.
"Be gentle, Mal. Your work with him isn't finished yet, remember that."
"I know. But this won't be too long." Mal leaned down towards Vic, almost hissing at him, and then turned towards Misha smirking. Their almost inhuman laughter rang throughout the dome shaking the peace of the night. Their laughter told me that the end was near, but I couldn't let them harm Vic at any cost.
The throbbing pain made me wince and groan, but what really was killing me was the fact that I was lying on the ground without being able to do anything to save Vic. Where were my powers now? What did Eternia teach me after all, for ten whole years if I could make use of nothing when it's needed the most?
My emerald necklace lay in the pool of blood, drowning my soul right in thick, red blood. Just like the light in me was receding, the light in the necklace was reducing too.
"Oh, Eternia… So this IS the end…"
Even the voice in my own head seemed to die out, as my breathing got heavier.
"Get me the stone before she dies, quick!"
Mal's voice rang in my ears. Was he talking about…
"My soul light…"
I strained my eyes to look through the blood dripping down my lashes. They were trying to get my soul light. That was it! That was the answer! They needed my soul light, and only my death could drown my soul light, but to my surprise, something else happened. The emerald necklace that I had been wearing since I was a child began glowing brighter than ever. All the green aura that was once in me, was being soaked up by the emerald stone.
"Mal…" I looked up at Misha who was staring at the stone. "It's… It's glowing again."
"Ma, stop blabbering and get it!" He roared while dragging Vic out of the dome. Vic was barely resisting, as if he was already drained of his powers.
"Stupido- how can I touch it if it's glowing so much?-"
"MA, I DON'T CARE, SHE'S DYING ANYWAY, GO GET IT!"
Their banter gave me hope. It was a hope that I had never thought I would receive. It was a hope that gave me strength to stand again. It was a hope that made me realize that if these were to be my last moments, I wanted these to be as painful as possible, so that I could die with the pain and reincarnate with the same pain. I wanted me to remember every drop of the blood that I spilled in this dome, so that when I would come back as someone else, I would remember to end Mal once and for all if he escaped. I knew I couldn't kill Mal completely. As Eternia had said, killing him off would only lead to more dire consequences as he would surely become a dark entity that could harm everyone. But I had to do something. I knew I had to stop him NOW. I knew what had to be done, and I knew I had to do it myself. I clutched the stone in my hand and tore the necklace off my neck. I closed my eyes and envisioned the end of the calamity. I envisioned a bloodbath that would purify the town and would put an end to the torment of my people forever. Even if it meant that I had to leave as well, I was ready to do it because I knew I would come back someday for my love.
Mal dragged Vic towards the exit, followed by Misha when my roar stopped them dead in their tracks. I was up on my feet, swaying, but still ready to attack. The pain that I felt in my body only fuelled me up as I ran towards Mal. Misha came at me, but with one swift movement of the Katana, she dissipated into the darkness as if she was never here. My feet didn't stop. I sprinted towards Mal and leapt. Mal's eyes widened as if he was seeing death himself and he was. Mal let go of Vic to try and move away, but he was too late. I raised my katana over my head and clutched my necklace against it, as the green hue almost covered up the whole dome. The moonlight reflected on the stone right when I landed on Mal's chest, forcing him to fall on the ground as my katana pierced through his skull, cracking the ground underneath him. Blood spurting out from his skull covered me as the moonlight ran down his body, immediately driving his dark, sooty aura towards the crack. His dark and inhuman scream shook the entire dome, as everything began to fall. The darkness that he held in him for so long, shook the Earth as the dome began to sway. The walls began crumbling down and cracks appeared on the floor. My katana pierced the ground and held Mal's skull in place until the light from the moon had ridden all his darkness into the cracks of non-existence as my soul stone sealed the energy.
He was screaming, and so was Misha. Their screams, along with the writhing movements of Mal's body shook me. But just as it all began, all the movements, all the noises, all the screaming stopped all at once, covering the dome in darkness. That was the end. That was MY end. I fell to the floor lifeless, knowing I did not let a dark soul escape into the world and harm anybody else and I knew that my soul light would keep him trapped forever."
"Current Time:
"No… Not forever… Not forever, Dione." I mumbled as I regained my consciousness.
My body ached. I threw away the bricks that were on top of me and somehow managed to crawl out of the mess. I could barely feel my body anymore, but my head was hurting. I touched my forehead, only to notice the stream of blood on my face that had dried up by now.
"How much time did I waste? How long was I unconscious for? Oh, Eternia!!"
I ran out of the Türbeh and stopped dead in my tracks as I came out. Was it night already?! The night seemed way redder than it was before, and it reminded me of the bloodshed that I just witnessed in the vision. The missing puzzle that I was looking for, was finally in my hands, but where was I going to start the investigation? Who was the woman that took my soul stone away? And how? It was there for centuries and no one could ever touch it… then how could someone remove it after so many years and release Mal?
The only relevant answer that crossed my mind was Misha. She was the only one who went against Dione to save Mal. But… was it really Misaii? Or was I just imagining things? Would Misaii really do all this even after being so nice since the beginning? But then, what was her motive? Freeing Mal?
"UGHHHHH GOD!!"
The questions blocked my thought process completely. My brain froze, but I shook my head hard. I had no time. It was as if I could hear Mal again. I could hear his threats, I could hear his heavy breathing on me, as if he was right next to me. I screamed as terror afflicted my soul, and I ran towards home, not turning around. As soon as I reached home, I bumped into Mom. She looked even more worried than I was, as she grabbed me by my hands and pulled me to the Veranda.
"It's disastrous, Moon. I- I don't know what can save us now, I-"
"What happened?!"
"LOOK!" She shouted as she pointed towards the sky. My heart sank as I saw the clouds move slightly, as the moon peeked through. It was blood red.
"Blood moon…?"
"No. It isn't that simple, Moon. Blood moons occur thrice every year. But… the super wolf blood moon only occurs once every three centuries! This… This is the end, Moon! THIS IS THE END!"
My feet swayed as the realization sunk in. If Mal gained power every full moon, then… would he… gain more power in a blood moon?!
"AHAHAHAHAHAH MY SWEET LITTLE ANGEL!!" Mal's voice thundered over me. "ARE YOU READY FOR OUR SPECIAL NIGHT YET? HM? HUH?! I"M WAITING!!!"
He cackled loud, as the walls began shaking. I held on to my mom desperately, as I cried, "NO, IT IS NOT THE END, MAL! I WON'T LET IT END LIKE THIS! I WON'T!!"