The Creatures Series

Twentieth Night

Twentieth NightCreatures of the Night

© All Rights Reserved

##### Twentieth Night #####

--------------------------------

An evil shadow is hiding behind the moonlight, carving its way out unnoticed by a single soul.

"Did you see her today?" A tenor voice asks.

Shrade.

"Yeah. And I must say, she looks quiet... weird,” a female response.

Crease.

"Not just that, something familiar is blaring here. She seems... old,” a deeper male voice says.

Nono.

"Old? The girl is practically seventeen,” Crease barks.

"Not that way! I mean she looks like her old self,” the male try to explain.

Banri.

"You mean her self-centered old self?!"

There’s a mixture of disgust and fear in her tone.

"Yeah. She keeps hugging herself and checking out her reflection in the mirror every five minutes. That's really creeping me out and let that too familiar déjà vu feeling overwhelmed me. And by the way, just if you're curious why I know this, is because I peeked through her door, which she didn't even bother to shut, when I passed by,” explain Banri.

I break my friends' little 'conference' by entering the dinner room, clicking my heels on the floor loudly in the process. I can feel their eyes traveling through my body, mentally and directly. Is it because of my overexposing new outfit? After all, I’ve decided to not zipping my jacket and wear something less closed underneath. Or is it because of my new hairstyle—or should I say, my old one? I used to have the same half elegant curls at the bottom and straight hair roots at the top.

Well, either way is fine by me.

"Hi, guys. What a delightful morning to start a day. While so, let's do a mission, shall we?” I ask brightly, a cheerful smile appear on my cherry lips with a hint of playfulness.

We are on our way back to Sorcier, when we spot the commotion in front of the building. Many people are standing outside, circling the main door. And from the looks of them, are wizards.

“What’s going on?” I hear Banri ask from behind.

We approach the outermost layer of the crowd and ask one of them.

A blond girl turns her attention to us, notice that we’re also wizards, and explain to us, “The wizards’ police said that there’s an ambush at the Blancorts’ East Residence last night. They are discussing things about what had happened as we speak. To avoid any further leaking information, the heads ask us that are near the conference room to avoid the level along with wizards from several other levels around. That’s why we’re outside.” Then she turns back to whatever she’s trying to watch in the inside.

Oh, that incident. I remember Garret Blancort's guards who looked freaked out when they noticed what had happened to their master. So the words have reached the authority. Yet, no one even noticed that she's gone when I killed the blue feathered cat monster. Garret must had chosen monsters who will draw the least attention the most in case if something happen to them.

Though, I'm curious of what's going on inside.

"Arsene?" I can hear Shara call me when she notices that I'm walking out from them and head to the doors. "Wait, where do you think you're going?" She asks the obvious question, even though she knew what I'm doing exactly.

I wave a hand at her without turning back, signaling my goodbye.

I will be busted if they know I'm listening. No, I won't even able to pass the security. But I have my own way. When I reach a lonely, dark corner, I turn myself in and have my back on one side of the wall. No one even sees me when my body starts to turn into fog. Start from the tips of my fingers, my hands and legs, my stomach, my chest, and then my head for the last. I feel really... light and windy once I'm completely become fog.

When I move, I don't need to move my feet at all. I just need to form the will, and I'm already moving. It feels like swimming in the air, without even using my hands and legs. Flying with invisible wings. I can even pass through the wall easily. Just like a ghost.

I fly past through a wall that belongs to the conference room, spotting the obvious arguing between my parents and the wizard authorities.

"Whoever did this shall be stop immediately. As the society of wizard's peace protectors, I think we should form a force as one,” say one of the men with uniform.

"Sorcier and Wizthority never really get along since the beginning of time. I don't think this will last long and will only end up as a waste of time. Although I'm agreeing to catch the culprit, I think we should just do the searching separately,” my father exclaims.

"No, I think we should just work together as a team,” the man says.

"Why waste time with a useless attempt?" My father asks with a tone that can be considered rude to those who aren't used to the way he speak. That's his bored tone.

This trigger the Wizthority's anger. One of them spat back two times ruder, making my parents lose their patience. Soon, the use of crude words and cursing are the only vocabularies they have in mind.

Finally, after 5 minutes of nonstop yelling, I decide to break the heat.

"Wizards, calm down, will you? Why waste time in arguing, while you can do something much better?" I appear from out of thin air by vision, gaining some surprisde and angry looks from them. My bodiless smoke mode is transparent under the brightness of this place, after all. So nobody can actually detect me by just eyes.

"What are you doing here?" My mother asks when the time that the leader group of Wizthority say, "Who let her in?"

"Hey, don't you dare talk to my daughter like that,” my father say angrily.

"With what kind of tone I use to talk to this rude girl is my concern,” he spat.

Thus, the heat starts getting hotter than ever. This irritates me the most—which is the emotion that I rarely have.

"I did it", I finally say the word.

All heads turn me almost at the perfect coordination.

"Pardon?" A Wizthority arch his eyebrow.

"I said I did it.”

"You what?!" My father sounds angrier than ever.

"He's the mastermind of the attack at the hotel where I used to stay with Minny. He ordered a number of monsters to kill me, but ended up killing her. So I killed him as an exchange. A life for a life.”

They all just look at me with pure, intense shocks. Especially my parents.

"H-how c-coul-d you...?" My mother barely whispers.

"He deserve to die,” I answer expressionlessly.

They all just froze like status when I answer that.

What? Is revenge such a new thing in town? Such weak—

An electrifying pain runs through my back to the middle of my breasts. It's so painful that I can't even move an inch. I'm just like the rest of them now, but because of different cause. My head falls because I can't hold it up anymore. And because I want to know what's going on. My neck feels like it's breaking apart when my head tries to get lower.

I look down eventually and let out a gasp.

A sharp looking big knife is cut through my chest. But it's not entirely straight at all. In fact, it's a little bit bent. The metal surface of the silver reflects the surprise and horror in my eyes in a perfect angle.

Is it... a scythe?

I can feel my breath losing by second. My lungs must have been full with blood by now, if that even haven't run out from me. My head gets dizzy and my sight becomes darker. I almost blind and fall into dying state if it isn't my powers that keep me alive.

Who... stabbed me?

"How could you, Arsene.” I hear a male deep voice on my ear. Something wet fall to my back and sink into the fabric of my clothes. I feel another hand cupped my stomach, supporting me as my body goes limp. "I don't have a choice but to make you snap out of it now.”

It feels ten times worse when he pull the scythe out of my chest. I can barely see anything right now, besides the glimpses of a pink lips, pale hand and dark long hair. Then a figure of someone familiar. It's Artro, I finally recognized. He holds a sad look on his face. But he stands so far away. How come he's the one who stab me? I don't even think he's able to do such a thing to me, either.

“...Link...." I mutter before I lost my consciousness.

It's a sound of dripping that makes me wake first. Then, echoes of footsteps. When I open my eyes, the sight is not so different when I close them. I feel around me and can't seem to identify anything. Not the cold and hard surface I'm lying on. Or the humid air hanging around me. Where exactly... am I?

A sound of clanging snaps my head to the source. I might not be able to see anything, but I'm not deaf just yet.

"Who's there?" I ask firmly, trying to stand on a position that's ready to fight. But the pain from my chest forbids me to do it. I fall on my knees and let a huge opening to be attack. My darkness can't even help at this state. My powers do not move in this kind of situation.

"Arsene? Arsene? Is that you? Oh, I'm so glad that you're alright.” The light from the other side of the door is not much dim from here, so I can't see much. But I can hear the high pitch child voice very clearly. In fact, it's echoing everywhere. Can it be....

“...Valline?" I ask.

"Yes! It's me. Oh, my love, I can finally see you again. I'm so happy. I thought I’ve lost you for good.” A small hand caresses one side of my cheek and the other's on my palm. His touch feels warm on my cold skin, a feeling that somehow I don't come to hate. So I let him be.

"What are you doing in here? In fact, where is here?" I ask him.

"You're inside an underwater prison, Arsene,” he announces sadly. "But don't worry. I'll get you out of here,” he says quickly.

"What?! Prison?" So they just decided to throw me in jail? Just because to put a penalty to a criminal and help them solve a murder case? Anger is now boiling inside my heart, in a form of black fire. Underwater prison is for those who most likely to be the most dangerous criminals of monsters. Except those who practically belong in the water.

"Why do you still here, then? How come they let you in?"

"I told them that I will tear this place apart if they don't let me see you,” Valline answer seriously.

I can't help but smile a little. He comes, even after I left him in the Blancort's resident. Such a nice kid.

"Do you know where my parents are? My friends?" I skip the part of asking about my cousins. The last time I look at Artro, he didn't seem to want to help me. As for the other one's case, it's just too unquestionable. "Have they tried to get me out?"

"From what I've heard, none of them seemed to care. Your friends ditched you at the minute they heard about what you did. As for your parents, they are the most to cooperate with your catching. And your cousin, the one with long hair, even agreed to your immediate death sentence,” he says the last part with anger.

Death sentence? So they're going to kill me?! And my friends. My parents. Those cousins of mine. How dare they! Going against me all at once, when they have the chance? Where has all the love gone into? Stuck in a deep, dark black hole that suddenly just come out of nowhere? Do they truly hate me so much? Am I such a huge threat to them? Am I on their way? Am I just a stain that they want to wash off from the world, just like that? Is my death that desirable?

"It's okay, Arsene. I will protect you. I'll get your out of here unharmed,” Valline repeats his promises.

But how can a small child help me through death? He's no God.

No. My friends must have just been pretending. My parents must be. Yet, I can't say the same about my parents. But I'm sure that they are plotting something now, trying to help me get out of here and save me from the dirty hands of these Wizthorities. Yes. They must be.

"Valline, I need you to help me contact my parents and friends. They must know how to help me. I don't want to die. I'm not wrong,” I plead to him.

"It's no use, Arsene. They want you dead,” he says with a bitter tone when he mentions my only saviors.

"No. You must help me. Please,” I beg.

"I'm sorry. I can't,” he shakes his head.

I bit my lips in irritation. "Oh, so you're just like them then. You want to die in here.” Valline flinches when I put him in the same category as my so-called cousins.

"No, I'm not. If you want to do it so bad, then I have no other choice but to help you then.” He gently pulls my hands up the air and joins them with his. By combining our powers together, we can reach distances farther. Yet, I feel so... weak. Weaker than ever. Have they... sealed my powers away? Again? For now, looking at the condition, it's the only possible present.

In fact, I think they intentionally left only a little part of my power just so that I won't die way too soon. They must have been afraid if I ever try to kill someone else or break free from this prison. This is why it is important for me to clear my name, so that I won’t end up dead and out of powers.

"Father. Mother,” I call them once I'm in their lines. "Please, get me out of here.”

They both gasp in surprise as they hear my voice. "Arsene? What are you doing? How come you still have powers to connect to us?" They sound more upset than happy to hear from their only child. And there goes the answer to my previous question.

"I need your help,” I repeat. "Plea—"

The line connection gets cut from the other side just like that.

I can't believe it.

My parents.

They just abandoned me.

But I can't give up just like that.

"Let's try to connect to my friends instead,” I ask Valline. He sighs but helps me anyway. The energy we need to call them is much more than the previous one we just used, because the lines are for wizards who doesn't have any blood connection with neither of us.

"Banri. Nono. Crease. Shrade. Arch. Shara." I voice sounds depressed when we finally connect to them. "Please, you guys have to help me.”

"You mean a murderer?" Crease spat sharply. "I don't think so.” The others hum the same thing to me.

"But.... We're friends. We're the Alphas. How could you—"

The same goes through my last hope.

Just how... could they?

"Arsene,” Valline start, but a sound of a creaking metal door interrupt him.

"Time to go, kid. Fifteen minutes, just like what we'd promised,” says a really deep voice.

"No. I'm staying. You can take me as prisoner here with Arsene. I don't care. But I'm not leaving without her,” Valline replies firmly.

"No. A deal is a deal. So get out of there before I drag y—"

A fire appears, surrounding us. But instead of a usual orange or black, it has the color of pure white. This is the first time I see a Blancort's fire. It says that only the most pure breed of the core family member have this type of fire. It's so pure. So beautiful. So... warm.

In a snap of a finger, it's gone.

I blink. And for the first time, finally notice that the deep-voiced guard has gone, too.

I look at Valline.

His white hair looks softer than the last time I saw him. Has he been using conditioner? Not only that, but his skin almost looks fairer. Like milk. With silvery lines in this darkness. Funny how I can notice this from the lack of lighting. And his eyes... The blue spirals of sea are radiating beautifully like gemstones. Two previous rocks, hidden under the thick white eyelashes.

When he notices me staring at him, he blushes. And instead of looking away shyly, he gives me the cutest smile ever.

How come I only notice this just now? Is it one of the side effects of losing so much of my power? That a kid is so beautiful?

"You need to rest your wound, Arsene. Come. There's a blanket that I brought for you here. And the haystacks will eat the hardness of the floor. You can lie on my too as a pillow, if you want,” Valline say.

I only nod and obey.

"Hey, wake up. The death penalty is up. It's your turn now,” the same super deep voice bring me up to consciousness.

Beside me, Valline is just as half-asleep as I am. "No! Arsene is staying with me! She's not going anywhere.”

"Look, kid. I know that you don't want to lose your sister—"

"She's not my sister,” Valline cuts him off. Seriously. What do I and Valline have in common to make him think that we're siblings?

"Whatever she is to you, but I'm only here to perform my duty,” he say. The light from behind him shows us how big and fully muscular he is. He's a big as a king gorilla can be. And has a face as one, too, apparently. There's no way we can take him down. He looks really fireproof.

It is then that I realize that my time is up.

The guard is ready to take me. But I dodge his hand and move back.

I look at Valline and the sad face I've caused. The same one that I have now. Tears stain my cheeks then my neck and clothes. I'm really going to die now. But I can't leave just like that. He's been helping me more than my family and friends can ever do.

I lean in and press my lips to his. I can feel Valline's body tense and his eyes widen in surprise. The kiss taste like our tears that are combined together. There is no tongue yet I devour more than a kiss can do.

Finally, when the hands of the guard pull me back, we break the kiss. I'm helpless in the arms of the gorilla monster. He pulls me out of the prison, making me leave the broken Valline inside. My body slides back even when I try to crawl back to him. Valline extends his hand as well, but something is stopping him. It must be the gorilla. His kind is known to their hypnotic abilities.

The jail's metal door close loudly on my face, breaking the eye contact I've been holding with him.

- END OF BOOK ONE -

Book 2CREATURES OF THE DARK

Being a part of a big family is a hard thing. Being a part of the outcast group is harder. But being a part of something dark is.... terrifying.

Although her everyday life is considered peaceful and happy, Centry knows that she is different from the rest of her family. She feared that this discovery will lead to bad things. That’s why she always tries to hide it. But how long can she keep holding it until the darkness inside her finally reveals itself?

In this tale, happy smiles can hold dark secrets within.