Blue Crescent (The Birth of the First Immortal)

Meeting with the Devil

Present day

It was dark and cold. I was running for my life one stormy night, holding the necklace I have sworn to protect. Fearing it might slip from my hand, I wore it around my neck and kissed its stone with tears in my eyes. People closed their doors and windows as I passed by. Even the stray cats and dogs on the streets shattered in terror like I was the worst being alive—or shall I say, creature.

I flew into the air and landed on roofs, lamp posts, buildings—anything to keep them away from me.

You must not let the stone touch evil at all costs, my wolf said gently.

I exhausted every ounce of my strength to escape from the blood-thirsty vampires chasing me.  Sometimes I wondered why I was being born if I was only to live in this world alone and despised.

I have been walking on this earth for countless centuries, and I’ve grown tired and sick of it. That feeling when you’d finally face your eternal rest with a smile, but you end up opening your eyes again; grasping for air, screaming at the top of your lungs, and begging for anyone to come and save you from the eternal cycle of life and death. Immortality was once a gift for me; a gift that have been wasted for hundreds of years by claiming blood for power, pride, and honor.

All creatures don’t mix in our world—werewolves, vampires, witches, and the least of all—humans. You see? Any creature without power is called human. That’s how cruel the world is. Everything that matters is power, power, power. How sickening!

For some reason, these creatures hated and killed each other. The urge to surpass each other’s competence for glory among the supernatural beings was like a huge arena of conquest with the humans made as spectators; spectators who could do nothing but praise or criticize.

One may kill anything alive but not humans. Killing a human—regardless of any reason—is a heinous crime. Ah, this world is so complicated—more complicated than the will to live or die. It was only under the rule of a lycan that the world was shaped accordingly.

Yet, if there’s a creature that is feared the most, that’s me. I am a crossbreed—the combination of them all, and the only one of my kind. My mother was human, and my father was a werewolf—supposedly—an exiled werewolf. How I became dangerously powerful is unknown, but one thing’s for sure: They wanted me dead. They desperately wanted my blood.

I could still remember the day the tables turned as if my yearnings were answered. I was ready to give up immortality when I suddenly found myself revoking my deal with the darkness to save someone not my own kind—a human—a hopeless and pathetic human. How ironic, isn’t it? Should I leave that human rot in hell, or should I sacrifice my immortality and do something holy and heroic for the first time? I didn’t know which to choose. It was like fate made something stupid to demolish my peace. My mind was in a turbulent chaos: part of me was clinging to this power that any creature would die for, but half of me just wanted to let go and die. Did you know what makes humans weak? Their heart.

To make matters worse, a certain human messed me up. I was close to becoming weak. I was too close to becoming human, but I managed to despise it—thankfully. I never wanted to be weak, and I did the worst thing that I wasn’t supposed to do: I ripped my heart out of my chest.

The last thing I would do is follow my mother’s doom by turning to evil to save the humans—to save me. Her heart had killed her. The humans killed her. Since that day on, I used and abused the power she gave me. I became a ruthless beast.

My thoughts were disrupted when I reached the dead end. I looked above and realized that the wall was too high for me to climb.

“Damn!” I exclaimed.

I turned around to see the red-eyed vampires drooling like dogs. Realizing there was no other means of escape, I held the pendant with all my might and closed my eyes.

“Expedire,” I said softly as its stone emitted a purplish-white light.

Lightning began to strike as thunders roared into the air. The wind blustered and howled, making my long tangerine red curls fly elsewhere. My eyes changed to white as the forces of nature strengthened.

Suddenly, Orpheus appeared in the midst of us and stepped forward towards me while the sloppy vampires struggled to control their lust for my blood. He cleared his throat and smiled devilishly before fixing his Fedora hat

“Hello Amara.”

I scoffed. “I see that you’ve changed your taste in accessories, Orpheus. From ancient top hats to . . . that?” I pointed at his hat with my mouth. “I must admit your obsession with fashion is . . . extraordinary.”

“Thank you, my dear.”

I nodded with a smirk.

“You must be a fan of Tom and Jerry for your love of this chasing game, aren’t you? You’re that mouse, and I am the cat. Meow!” He laughed

“Oh, now you know Tom and Jerry too?”

“Must be the TV, I guess. Anyway, it’s a pity that your life has to end at this very moment. Your mother—may she rest in peace—must be cursing you right now for being such a miserable being who wasted her soul to nothing.”

I smirked.

“Could it be you who’s miserable, Orpheus? Striving to be the best among all of the creatures but still ends up unnoticed and unappreciated. Ahhh, no wonder you’ve been dying to steal my power for your sake, you piece of jerk. How pathetic.” I scoffed.

“Is that so?”

“Try harder.”

“Hmmm . . . really? Let’s see who the real pathetic jerk is once I have your power, Amara? You see? I have always known your deepest . . . darkest secret, my dear. Well, everybody knows you’re the daughter of the most powerful witch who used to be a nobody, but . . .” He closed his eyes and sighed before a smirk tugged at his lips. “Does the world know who you really are? Do they know what you really are, Amara?” he said, emphasizing my name.

I laughed, clapping my hands slowly. “Brilliant! What wonderful speech you have for a greeting, Orpheus.”

“Thank you, my dear,” he said as he took off his hat from his head and bowed before putting it back on.

“Oh, you’re welcome. We used to be good friends after all, don’t we?”

"Of course. Shall we begin?”

“More than ready,” I said before transforming into my wolf form.

Come and get me, Orpheus.

This is going to be fun, my dear.

I ran in a lightspeed with Orpheus and the vampires chasing me.

Werewolves and vampires are born humans having the same velocity and strength. They too have gray eyes at birth just like other creatures. The only difference is that each werewolf has an inner wolf of its own that serves as the counterpart of itself. Werewolves experience the first transition to their wolf forms on their sixteenth birthday, revealing their inner wolves’ true identity and power. Their eye color changes to green. Without an inner wolf, a werewolf is “incomplete” and ends up being killed, exiled, and sometimes offered as a sacrifice to the darkness in exchange for a deal. The saddest truth is, I’m one of them. Just like my father, I was born wolf less. Well, I used to be wolf less.

Vampires, on the other hand, remain in their human forms to their death. Upon reaching puberty, their human eyes change to red, their senses and intelligence heighten to an immeasurable extent, and their speed becomes full-blown. Their skills with weaponry become exceptional having trained at a young age. Unlike werewolves whose age is determined through their deteriorating skin, body, and strength, vampires keep their youth to their last breath. Their powers diminish, but they would still look like saints six feet under—and I envy them to the core!

Ugh! How could life be so unfair. Why are vampires blessed with doll-like porcelain skin glittering in the sun like gold, “shining shimmering splendid,” even when they’re burned in hell while werewolves die with ugly elongated muzzles and crouched skeletons? I wonder what I would look like when I die.

 “Ahhh!” I cried in pain and stumbled on the ground as a dagger stabbed me in the hind leg. “Commutatio,” I chanted.

I changed into my vampire form and immediately pull the blade out of my bleeding flesh. The wound instantly healed as soon as the weapon was removed. Unwilling to watch my life end in an inglorious way, I took off into the sky and landed on the tallest building of the city in a speed of light with Orpheus and his “slaves” following me. I bet they were so close to giving up.

“I admire your determination, Orpheus. But sorry. You can’t beat m—”

In a blink of an eye, Orpheus stood in front me. Truth be told, nothing could ever describe how I felt. It was as if my power had been stripped off from me, and I felt weak for the first time. I have never been vulnerable like this in my entire life. Everything was just strange. The feeling of immortality being gone was unexplainable that I couldn’t contain my fears.

“Looks like someone wants to say goodbye. Or shall I say . . . something wants to say goodbye,” he said, showing me the necklace in his hand.

My eyes widened in disbelief. My body was shaking, and my heartbeat was racing. It was as if my whole being was struck with terror, trying to figure out how he got the instrument of my immortality and power. He must have caught it or whatsoever when I was clueless, or I might have been too dumb to believe that it was still with me—Oh! Why was I ever so damn foolish!

Ugh! How I hate him to the core.

 “How ridiculous,” I said. “Return it, Orpheus.”

 “Since when does immortality belong to you, Amara? As far as I know, returning something can only be done if it’s yours. Does this even belong to you to begin with, my dear?”

“Give it to me, or die,” I said through clenched teeth.

“Ha ha ha! Really? We both know you are powerless without the stone, don’t we? Have you forgotten that without me, you are nothing? Just one spell, my dear, and you shall vanish into nothingness where you are supposed to be. Does invisible ring a bell, Amara?

Slowly, I fell on my knees and my body froze. I felt my head throbbing in pain and heard a high-pitched ringing in my ears. The pain was immensely torturous that all I could think of was smashing my head against a wall. I raised my head and saw Orpheus and his vampires . . . smiling.

 “Stop,” I pleaded, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he continued to watch me agonizing in pain. “Stop! Please stop!” I screamed, earning a scornful smile from him. I could tell he was feasting at my suffering.

“Why?” The thumping pain disappeared as he spoke. What a relief! “The game hasn’t started yet. I would have been subtle on you if you haven’t betrayed me. You wouldn’t be begging for your life like a dying puppy,” he said as he walked closer towards me.

He bent forward and looked at me closely. “Ah, what beautiful eyes you have, Amara. Your eyes resembled the clearest waters of the earth that it pierces your soul and reveals your innermost being. They aren’t yours, are they? How surprising to see your soul untouched by its magic,” he said before straightening his body and walked around me.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Oh, I already have what I wanted, my dear.”

“Cut the f*****g chase, just tell me what you want!”

“Ah . . . Déjà vu is the word. History repeats itself indeed. Remember the first time you asked the same question? Well, well my dear, you got the same answer. It always have been—Michael.”

‘What?” I was astonished to realize who the real creature in front of me was. “A-Adriel?” I gasped.

“Ah, finally. Hearing my gorgeous name slipping from your tongue is like wine made into perfection. I apologize for using Orpheus’s body.” His face and body suddenly changed into Adriel’s form before my terrorized eyes. “He was a such a kind soul for setting me free. You see? You should have not stolen the spell book in the first place and let someone catch you red-handed.”

It seemed like the rain poured heavier with Adriel’s revelation. His power radiated through my soul, freezing my spirit that I couldn’t speak as he pleased.

“No! Ask anything, everything. Please I beg you, not him . . . please . . .” I kneeled, almost kissing the ground.

“You should have kept your side of the bargain when I granted your wish, my dear. Do you really think you could outsmart me? I am Adriel. I am the king of darkness. I have existed longer than your mother, longer than your father, longer that all creatures have existed, and definitely longer than your mortal enemy. Ah, I could still recall the look on your father’s face when he was begging for mercy. Although, there’s something amusing in you . . . your eyes. I seemed to be looking at him through you. It makes me feel like killing you is killing him again and again.” He flashed a malicious grin.

“I-I’m sorry, please have mercy on me. Just give me the necklace please, I’ll give you Michael . . . when I’m ready. Please . . .”

An evil smile tugged on his lips as he looked at me.

“When you’re ready? Hmmm . . . When would that be, my dear? It’s been 300 years since our deal was made, but you’ve been hiding from me when you got what you wanted. How treacherous you have been, haven’t you?” He paused for a moment before proceeding. “Well, to show you my gratitude of bringing me back to life, I shall give you the best present. How does eternal death sounds like? Huh? After all, I know you’re tired of this ‘dying and living again’ stuff. If you’re anxious about the welfare of your beloved Michael . . . no, no, no, don’t fret about him. I will let him live as you wish. I will let him live as a special slave, so to speak.”

“No. Adriel, I beg you. Please . . . don’t,” I cried with tears flowing heavily from my eyes.

His eyes widened in surprise.

“Ah, you must have had a change of heart then. That human must really be something, huh? For changing the monster that you are into the softest loser that you’ve become, he must be ridiculously interesting.”

“Please don’t touch him.”

“Just one spell, Amara, and the world will see your true form. The world will see the beast you really are. And the boy you loved so dearly shall turn against you. He shall loathe you and curse you. I wonder if he would still love you when he discovers the truth—the truth that you used dark magic on him. How spectacular!” He clapped his hands.

“Adriel, plea—”

“Retardo!”

The pendant released a blinding swirl of light and surrounded Adriel. However, this time, its pure light immediately turned into a whirlwind of dark cloud of smoke as a violent fire surged under his feet, and his eyes turned black.

Just then I felt my body rising into the air, and I was choking in my own hands. I tried to look into his evil eyes and begged for mercy but failed. The vampires dragged me and held me into the air as I looked down.

“Excessus!” he uttered, extending his hand towards my bewildered face.

“Nooo!"

Before I knew it, I was thrown by a powerful blow, and the last thing I saw was my body falling like a feather—a candle blowing off in the darkness, looking at my mother’s most precious gift stolen by the hands of the devil.

My bones crushed as it hit the ground, and suddenly, I felt nothing. My wolf’s gentle and enchanting voice was gone. My existence was gone. My hopes were gone. My immortality was gone. Tears flowed from my eyes and for a split second, I found myself in a flashback of my life. Could death be real this time?

Mom? Michael?

Adriel appeared, standing at my feet in his human form. He smiled with delight as he moved my body with his foot. He probably wanted to make sure that I was dead. My eyes were open, but my soul was gone.

Unexpectedly, the necklace was snatched from his hand by an invisible entity. It emerged as a mighty rushing wind and was so fast he didn’t even feel it taken away from his hold. He looked around but found no one. Seething with anger, he looked at his vampires as they landed on the ground.

He grinned. “Showtime.”

TWO

A long, long time ago when the world was younger, werewolves, vampires, witches, and humans once lived together in their own territories. The world was somehow a peaceful place to live in under the leadership of Alpha Lucian—the strongest lycan ruler born under the power of the blue moon known as the Blue Crescent.

The blue crescent only happens once every fifty years. When another boy of any supernatural kind is born as the blue moon ascends, the predecessor steps down on the successor’s sixteenth birthday. All mothers in labor would gather at the ceremony in the hopes of giving birth to a male child and take the pride of royalty. Unfortunately, the children of the blue crescent moon only come from the bloodline of werewolves and vampires. Witches don’t even bother dreaming of having a sovereign from their lineage since they are humans too made powerful by magic.

On the most awaited night, two boys were born. One was Lucian’s child, and the other was Markus’s, a vampire. However, it was the first time that two future leaders were born, and there can only be one to rule.

Lucian and Markus agreed to train the young boys as warriors. On the boys’ sixteenth birthday when their powers are awakened and unleashed, the two fought a duel. Markus’s son came out victorious, but Lucian’s son was losing blood and grasping for breath. His body was covered with bite marks.

Lucian froze as he watched his son being slaughtered by Markus’s son who transformed into a black-eyed vampire with a speed faster than light. His wife pleaded to stop the duel, but he cannot meddle in the fight between the two who were fighting for dominion. As if the gods favored Markus’s son, the young boy sped off around Lucian’s son forming a whirlwind of fire and turned Lucian’s hopeless son into ashes.

“If I were you, Lucian, I wouldn’t have agreed my human son to fight against a powerful vampire like my son. Please accept my sincere sympathy.” Markus snapped his finger, making a white rose come out in between his fingers and threw it on the ashes of Lucian’s son. He then ordered Lucian to proclaim the new ruler of the tribe.

The werewolves were struck with grief, looking at the heartbreaking scene while the vampires rejoiced to finally rule the earth after centuries of waiting. Standing in the middle ground, the new ruler demanded everyone to bow their heads before him. Lucian stepped forward and uttered his refusal. In his fury, the new ruler commanded the vampires to kill and behead him.

After witnessing Lucian’s horrible death, an outburst of anger emerged from the werewolves. The new ruler ordered death to anyone who opposed him, and the runaways were marked as rebels. Lucian’s wife was buried alive and died broken over her family’s heart-wrenching fate.

 When the next blue crescent