prologue
Prologue : Dream too bright to last
“In shadows deep where moonlight fades to black,
A princess flees from dark knights on her trail,
Their crimson eyes aglow with hunger’s lack,
And spirits’ whispers weaving dread so frail.
Through ancient woods where fear and darkness cling,
Her heart beats fast as branches snag her dress,
She dreams of dawn, but finds no hopeful spring,
Only the night, where evil’s shadows press.”
‘The moon song.’ By Mitchell Hartride
It was many a year since the mansion in the village next to Lirece had broken down. It had once been the home of five Achillians. But now only the thronged vines haunted its blackened gate and broken cobblestone walls.
Four years ago, a boy went for an errand for his mother, who told him to bring some glass bottles from Miss Shirane, who lived at the manor. But when he arrived at the mansion, he saw destruction. The gates thrown down on the grounds and covered with blood. The house was burning. The flower gardens turning to ash. Black figures strode through the fire, too blurred to see. And lying on the ground in front of the gates was a severed hand. And the boy felt horrifying pain. Something black erupted out of his chest.
Hours later the mutilated parts of two bodies were found in the nearby river , after the fire had stopped . the body parts had a bluish tint , showing that there was poison .
No one knew what happened to the three children who had lived in the manor . Most villagers thought of them as dead .
But the truth was far from that .
A man walked down the broken road to the house , holding a metal object in one hand . He was looking at another object with moving pictures . Music started playing from it and stopped as he pressed on it . A voice seemed to call out from inside the object .
“ Hello , is this phone working ?” The voice asked .
The man grinned , his teeth with what seemed to be iron wires fixed to it . He pulled out the metal object and with a loud crack , it shot a notice board of a stand .
“ This gun works fine , here as well as in New York , Algernon . Don’t want to leave here for anything . But the boss says we have to . The Shirane house is down this block . You got the Milton kid?” He waited as the other voice answered .
“ Tracking her down road after road . Seems to have no idea Abou’ it’s powers . She got the ring .You open the portal back home and I’ll get her straight there mi amigo . Tried talking to her . Don’t know much Spanish . Don’t talk like us in the fluent Mexican . I’ll have to bid my time . Hermana .”
The first man sighed . “ Get her ready . The Claren boy beat boss’s plans . But he’ll pay . The Caenai is rising . We’ll get power . I’ll get the Shirane kiddy and the other lot back there in Lirece . You wait .” He pulled out a small bowl and loaded the gun . “ I’m going back to Lirece tomorrow night . Meet you at the land of the ever dying .”
…
