Game of Destiny [English]

Chapter 1: Butterfly

I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the faint image of dry leaves and twigs. I was lying on the ground. And in front of me was the arid and cracked mud. I lay down quickly, along with a weak and dry cough. The whole area became clear to me.

"I'm thirsty," I whisper in the air; my voice is cracked and empty.

My thirst is not the thirst that everyone knew, not in the water but the fresh drops of blood of some living creature.

The vast forest is filled with the smell of dry leaves, freshwater, dry soil, wet branches, and the scent of the fresh yet cold breeze of the wind. This forest is familiar to me, but it seems not.

I heard the low flow of water in the stream. The chirping of birds on the branches. The weak fluttering sounds of leaves. My eyes dwell in the blue sky as I looked up and closed my eyes a few times. They were dazzled by the painful sunlight. The leaves and branches of the trees continue to dance in the gentle breeze.

I slowly got up and sat down. The dry leaves that I accidentally sat on made a crisp sound. I immediately examined my whole body. The color of my black clothes, which was covered by my long cloak, was fading. I remember the sharp arrows hitting my left shoulder and both legs. But now, I can no longer see them.

"How long is it?" I asked as I roam my eyes around.

To my right was the long stream and to my left is the small cave. And in front of me was a vast and dark forest. I am in the middle of the woods.

I hold what I was wearing. When I was one hundred years old, my mother gave it to me as a present. It is made of thick glass; the sticky liquid inside is like fresh blood. At its side, there was a small and golden fang.

"Now you are free to roam anywhere you want even though the sun is scorching Prince Asa." mother said as she put it on me, "It will protect you from getting burned because of the ray light of the sun."

I smiled happily at her as I stroked the pendant around my neck. Happiness is evident in my eyes.

Finally! I can get out of our Kingdom even it's not night.

"Thank you so much, Mother."

"It's nothing, Prince Asa," she smiled and gave me a tight hug, "That necklace will also tell you how many years you slept when you woke up. Just don't take it off from your body. Is that clear, Prince Asa?"

I nodded at her repeatedly.

"Yes, mother, I will never do that."

"And Prince Asa, don't abuse it either," she joked with one of her fingers pointing at me. "Do not run away from our kingdom every day, alright?"

I laughed at her before nodding again.

"Two hundred ninety-eight years?" I asked as I read the number written on it. It was mixing with the red liquid. "I slept for almost three hundred years. Here? Inside this dark forest?" I asked myself.

I examined my entire body again. There is no trace of the blood that was wrapped and flowed here before. It was wiped away by the tears of the sky as I slept in the darkness. It dried by the gentle breeze and the intense kiss of the sun for nearly three hundred years. My wounds from what we did during the quick escape have also healed.

I quickly got to my knees when I sighted a wild boar. It is on the other side of the stream. She was slowly walking towards my side. I felt the rapid change of the color of my glaring eyes. Then immediately, I display my two sharp fangs. My thirst intensified even more.

I sprinted and caught the poor creature that was starting to cry for help. I immediately buried my two fangs around his neck. Gradually his weeping subsided. I started drinking his hot, fresh, and delicious blood. It quenched my thirst. I licked the side of my lip where there were remaining drops of blood.

"I'm sorry... I'm just really thirsty." I said to him when he was entirely out of breath, and I quickly dug with my sharp nails on the other side of the stream. "I will give you a proper burial."

I buried him in the ground and a painful memory passed by through my mind. Memories that I will never be able to forget forever.

It was a gloomy one. The sky was crying just like me while watching the villagers slow-walking towards their graveyard. I can hear their wailing from the hill I was standing. They continued to cry, asking for the justice of her unjust death. I took a deep breath while sobbing. I badly wanted to hug her body for the last time, but I can't. I've run out of courage and energy.

And I continued to weep day and night for almost four hundred years, and no one knows about it.

The wind continued to blow, which made me sadder. The sad song that kept on playing added even more weight. My not-beating heart ached a lot. Because of her death, I felt a mixture of emotions. Combined with anger, hatred, resentment, and regrets.

"Gee..." I whispered her name, "I'm sorry. I was not able to defend and fight for you. Please forgive me, my love."

She is only twenty-five years old. In their race, she is too young to die immediately. She still has many dreams in life that she wants to fulfill. And one of them is that she wants to be with me for a long time in this lifetime. We secretly dated even though we knew it is forbidden in the eyes of both sides.

I quickly ran into the cave. My tears began to fall. Everything that happened between the two of us is still fresh in my mind. I slumped down in the middle of the wet floor. The bats that I disturbed flew away even though they were in a deep sleep. I cried in longing; I could no longer control the pain that enveloped my constricted chest.

I don't have a heartbeat, but why can I feel this saddest pain?

"Gee, you know how much I love you..." I said over and over again.

I could still remember the first time I've to meet her. It was mid-day in the middle of the rice and cornfield. It was my one-hundredth birthday, and I will badly want to try if the necklace my mother gave me will work. Brave enough, I went to the plains unknowingly. To the place where the homes of mortals are.

"Removed your cloak," Ulysses whispered while slowly walking beside me. "Don't be afraid, Prince Asa, it will work, believe me."

I looked at him in disbelief.

"What if it didn't work?"

He laughed softly.

Ulysses is the only son of my father's right hand. His father brought him into our Kingdom when his wife died in sickness. He is still ten years old at that time, the same as my age. Slowly, he becomes my playmate, my buddy, my friends, and my brother. He respects every decision I've made. Ulysses was also wearing a necklace. Its pendants are made of woods and dry leaves.

"Believe me; Queen Selma will die first before you disappeared."

I twist my lips. I laughed so hard while thinking of my overprotected mother.

We continued walking on the asphalt road. The place is crowded; even the sun in the sky is scorching. Humans can always walk under the sun. Something that we vampires cannot do at all times. It was our weakness and greatest downfall.

I turned to Ulysses.

He was smiling wide as he enjoyed watching the mortals. Many of them are slowly walking, buying everything they need for a couple of days or weeks. They were holding bags of groceries, the plastic of fruits and vegetables. This place is one of the central market areas of all humans.

"Do you always come here, buddy?"

He turned to me.

"Yes. Every time King Heavier asked me to pick up those alive animals."

I smiled widely. Ulysses always told me how beautiful the mortal community is. And he did not know about that. Mortals community will be one of my most visited places aside from our Kingdom, and the vast forest starts from this moment.

Our Kingdom is located on the foot of a vast forest. Every family in our Kingdom lives in an easy life and simple house called nipa hut. The vast forest provides our daily food. The blood of wild animals led us. And my parents will always order alive animals raised by humans.

The community of mortals is located on the plains. Their home is often made of hardwoods and galvanized roofs. Rice, corns, wheat, and various crops are their source of living. Mortals are also known for being accommodating and friendly. Things that my parents loved about them. And it also the root for making a valid agreement between them.

"When are you going to remove your cloak?" he asked me again.

I stopped walking and slowly turned to him.

"Do not be noisy." I growled at him, "Don't call me Prince either. I don't want to give fear to the mortals we've met."

He laughed as he looked at me, shaking his head left and right. His eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry, mortals are also our friends." he said with his serious tone, "They'll still be happy to see you for the first time."

"Are you sure about that?"

We continue to walk.

"Yes, Prince Asamael," he replied, saying my full name. "As long as we do not violate their basic request to the king and queen."

"What kind of request?"

In my whole life, I'm not interested in their agreement, but right now, I want to know them all.

"We cannot kill one of them nor taste their sweet and fresh blood." he said as if he knows every detail of it, "And the punishment will also die."

I stopped walking when my cloak suddenly fell into my feet. I was stunned. The ray of the sun-kissed my white and pale skin. It was warm compared to the dim beam of the moon at night.

"I've told you, Prince Asa; it will work!"

I smiled proudly.

"I loved this, Ulysses!" excitedly, I whispered. "I can't wait to tell this story to my parents. They will be proud of their son!"

I start to run as fast as I could. I went around the plains running.

"Prince Asamael, watch out!" Ulysses shouted when I passed by in front of him for the ninth time. "You might bump into mortals."

"They know that vampires like us do exist here," I replied, laughing.

He shook his head. He looks so proud while watching me running around.

I went running to the rice field, to the cornfield, and the wheat field. I even run to the area and stop for a moment. Mortals looked at me curiously. When I waved both hands at them, they waved back at me.

"It feels good. It smells freedom," I murmured while kept on running.

"Prince Asa, we need to go!"

"Two more rounds Ulysses!" I replied.

He smiled as he shook his head to the left and right.

"Do you want me to leave you here?"

I stopped running when I heard his question.

"That's a good idea, buddy."

"But make sure you will just stay here."

"I promised Ulysses."

"Alright, remember you made a promise Prince Asa."

Ulysses turned his back to walk away. After his few more steps, I went back to the rice and cornfield, running.

"Ouch, what is that?" a woman exclaimed loudly. She looked around in amazement.

I stopped running and turned to her. She was already sitting on the ground, picking up those vegetables that fell into the bed.

"I am sorry, Miss."

I am known in our Kingdom as a spoiled vampire prince. In my whole life, I have never apologized for the mistakes I've made. And I was the one who gets mad and blames them. This is the first time, and it's for the mortal.

She turned to me when she heard my voice.

"Is that your fault?" she asked innocently and shrugged her shoulder. "I don't think so."

A small voice kept on whispering something in my ears while I was looking at her. It kept saying that it was her. She is the woman who I will love the most for the rest of my life.

She turned to me for the second time.

I stared at her two pairs of beautiful eyes. Its shape is almond, and its color is like chocolate. Her two cheeks are red, and her little wrinkled nose is cute. She is wearing a blue-sky dress—a pair of white rubber shoes. There is a handkerchief tied around her head, and it looks like a headband. Her two eyebrows curved into cute sizes were thin. Up to her shoulder is her straight black shiny hair. Her lips were red like ripe strawberries.

"Don't look at me like that." her voice was sweet; she waved her hand shyly. "I might melt here anytime like cube ice." I looked away, "Would you loved that?"

"Uh, I'm sorry again."

"I'm just kidding." she laughed.

There is something on her scent. She smelled like wildflowers in the forest mixed with a few slices of ripe apples that still on the trees. The smell that wanders into the nook and cranny of my nose is smell good.

When she is slowly standing, I hurriedly walk to get near her. Without a word, I stretched my one arm nervously.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Asamael." a small smile crept on my lips when she accepts it with her two warm palms. "But you can call me Asa, for short."

"Is that your nickname?"

"Yes."

"Gee hurry up!" someone's called her, "Aren't you hungry?"

She let go of my hand while turning to a woman in front of us.

"Coming, Mom!" she replied and turned to me while smiling. "I have to go. We haven't eaten lunch yet." I nod, "I'm leaving. My mother looks at me is a bit terrifying." she laughed.

I've watched her walk away slowly. After a few steps, she turned to me and waved her hand.

"Nice to meet you too. My name is Gee." her eyes twinkle from a distance, "Until we've met again, Asa!"

It feels weird, but it sounds good. She is the first human who called me my nickname.

"Butterfly, butterfly flutter around. Butterfly, butterfly touch the ground."

I quickly stood up and stopped crying when I heard the sound of a small voice of a child singing. It comes from outside the cave. I wiped my tears and started to walk into the cave door. On the far side of the forest was a little child standing. She is holding a small stick and wearing red shorts and a yellow t-shirt. She kept on chasing the colorful butterflies that far from her side.

"Butterfly, butterfly fly so free. Butterfly, butterfly land on me."

She stretches out one hand for the butterflies. I smiled when she smiled wide as she watched them fly. She let go of the stick, turned around as raised both of her hands to her head. Her cheeks were red like the first time we've met. She has cute bangs cut up into her thin eyebrow. Her long black shiny hair was tied up into two pigtails.

A gentle breeze repeatedly accompanied her cute and small voice. I felt a massive pain in my chest. I was stunned. And remembered someone. Someone that so precious. My woman who I loved the most.

"Butterfly, butterfly, reach the sky." her voice weakened, she took a deep breath. "Butterfly, butterfly, say goodbye." she sat down to watch the wildflowers on the side of the narrow road. "Hi flowers, how are you? Are you also lost inside this vast forest?"

The familiar smell of my woman in the past quickly penetrated my nose. Her familiar fragrance and scent made me jump to my feet. The tempting aroma of my woman, Geselle Jezeru!

"She is here!" I exclaimed happily, "My woman been reborn again, after less than seven hundred years!"

Slowly, I started to walk towards her. I want to cross the distance between the two of us. I am sure she is my woman in the past even though she looks very young. Her curious eyes immediately looked at me. The familiar gaze of my woman! The reaction of her eyes today is very similar to the response of our first meeting in the middle of the field.

"W-Who are you?"

Her lips curved into a thin line.

I stretched my one arm in front of her. A genuine smile crept on my lips when she accepts it with her two small hands. I wanted to cry! I missed her a billion times.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Asamael." I replied. I want to hug her tight right now! As I squeeze her tiny hands, she smiles shyly. "But you can call me Asa for short."

"Gee? Where are you?"

"Mom?" she replied. "I am here, and there is someone--" she looks so shocked to see that I wasn't in front of her. "Where is he?" she looked around terrified, "Why did he suddenly disappear?"

"Let's go home!"

"Alright," she answered after a few glances.

I looked up at the blue sky as my tears welled up.

"Thank you, Azrael, the Goddess of Rebirth."

The vampire is an outsider. Someone who looks human and sounds like a human, but we are not human. We are on the outside of humanity.