"Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell."

~Joan Crawford

—

Pale moonlight cast long shadows along the alternating spaces of the walkway leading to the banquet hall. A lone figure walked idly through it, leaving a taint of crimson with the torn and tattered hem of her long white dress. Her footprint could be traced all the way back to the gate where she had discarded the pair of glass slippers that did nothing but hurt her feet.

Festive music and vibrant laughter rang in her ears, bringing a smile to her lips that caused her to feel an inhumane excitement for what was to come. With her bloody hand, she pushed the door open. The elegant chatter of the evening died abruptly, replaced by shocked gasps and horrified whispers. At the center of the room, the crowd parted as the eldest of her siblings stepped forward.

"S-Solana?" He asked, uncertainly, his eyes traveling from her head down to her foot. "Why are you here? W-what have you done?"

The latter didn't respond, instead she smiled triumphantly, lunging forward with a speed that caught her brother off guard. She collided with him, cutting his scream short as her fangs sank into his neck, blood gushing into her mouth.

In an instant, chaos erupted in the hall. The festive notes disappeared and were replaced by loud shrieks with everyone trying to escape Solana's grasp. A few guards tried to slice her with their sharp swords but she moved faster than they could blink, easily evading their attacks.

The carnage went on until the only living person left in the room was a bald, crippled man who had nowhere to run nor any means of escape. "Mi-miss Solana, you are not yourself," the man started, hoping to dissuade the young miss whose eyes blazed red with fury and something else.

Sensing his fear and the pulse pounding under his skin, she wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand and chuckled.

"Funny how you told me the same thing ten years ago," she answered, her voice clear and sharp. "And look what I have become, Aurelius."

"But this isn't what we wanted you to become," Aurelius remarked, straining to move his body using his hands. "You're a monster."

Responding with a squeal, she approached him earnestly, watching his entire body tremble with her close proximity. "Yes," the lady merrily replied. "I am a monster—a monster you created."

—

*Present Day

She slowly opened her eyes, the quiet hum of the plane's engine brought out a lopsided grin to form on her lips. Squinting at the sun's rays from her window, she watched the clouds dance in her line of vision, promising a great day ahead.

"Hey there, beautiful," a gentle manly voice whispered in her ears, tickling her with his hot breath touching her skin. She turned lazily toward him, smiling.

"Hey," she leaned closer, planting a soft sweet kiss on her husband's lips. "Did you miss me?"

He kissed her back, grinning against her mouth. "I always do, Solana." He slowly deepened the kiss, his lips trailing down, finding that tender spot on her neck. The sound of her breathless sigh filled the space between them, her body instinctively arching toward him.

But before he could go further, Solana pulled back, her breath slightly uneven. She managed to plaster a mischievous grin, masking her agitation. Her husband looked at her with adoration, affectionately tracing the outline of her face.

"I can't wait for it to be just you and me," he whispered, his tone deceptively smooth and seductive. "Just us... Away from everything and everyone."

She let his words hang, amused by his sincerity and unthwarted determination. And before she could dwell on it further, he kissed her again intimately, instigating the game—one where only the bold and most treacherous would survive.