Luna Amoris

CHAPTER 3:The Arrival of Vlach

Maria awoke to a body that felt as if it had been pummeled by a mob, gasping for breath, each inhalation heavy and labored. She could feel the bite on her shoulder, blood still trickling down, which she desperately covered with a piece of cloth torn from her dress to stem the flow. Bruises marred her shoulders, arms, and entire body, a testament to the beating she endured from Blu after their wedding. Beyond that, a fever raged through her, scorching every inch of her being. Her complexion was pallid, lips cracked from the lack of food and water, feeling her strength ebbing away as if her very essence was withering. Yet, she clutched at her skirt, a symbol of her will to cling to life. Because of this, she continued to look at the iron bars of her cage, seeking a secret escape, only to be violently yanked back by her hair. Tandang Palcia dragged her and slammed her head against the wall, forcing Maria to close her eyes against the pain.

"You still think you can escape!" the old woman taunted.

"But don't worry, it won't be long now until you breathe your last and won't have to suffer anymore. Hahaha!" the mad reply of the elder, her laughter echoing ominously.

Outside, the storm raged, thunder cracking like a whip in the sky, lightning illuminating her cell in brief, stark flashes. It mirrored the turmoil within Maria, a tempest of fear and hope battling for dominion. In a moment of eerie silence between the thunderclaps, Maria heard a distant melody, a song of freedom that seemed to call to her soul, urging her not to give up.

As the night wore on, her actions became a pace of survival, a dance with destiny. And just when her energy seemed spent, the final barrier gave way. Freedom, though fraught with peril, beckoned.

But freedom was not without its cost. Old Palcia, ever watchful, launched herself at Maria in a final bid to quash her spirit. The confrontation was violent, a clash of wills where every strike, every block, spoke of Maria's refusal to be broken.

Suddenly, Old Palcia drew a knife and, without warning, sliced across Maria's left wrist. She tightened her grip on Maria's wrist until blood flowed freely, collecting the scarlet stream into a small bowl.

The old woman whispered in an unknown tongue as she stood beside Blu, who had his arm wrapped around a stunning woman with emerald eyes and black, curly hair, treating her as if she were his beloved. He kissed the woman on the cheek while admiring a moon-shaped mark drawn on her forehead with Maria's blood.

In an instant, the light and the lunar mark on Maria's forehead vanished, transferring the glow and the shape of the moon to the forehead of the woman beside Blu.

"Jane, at last, you will become my mate," Blu declared.

"That woman, I want you to kill her," Jane said, pointing at Maria with a look of annoyance on her face.

The young man merely kissed Jane and smiled at her, as if promising to fulfill his lover's dark wish. Suddenly, he choked Maria, lifting her body into the air as if she were weightless.

"Is this my end?" Maria wondered silently, her mind racing with fear and disbelief.

Maria's body floated, suspended by invisible forces, her life hanging by a thread. The pain in her wrist was a stark reminder of her grim reality, but it was the betrayal that cut deeper, a wound no medicine could heal.

The whispers of the old language filled the air, a chilling melody that seemed to fuel the dark ritual. Jane's eyes sparkled with malevolence, her victory almost palpable as she watched Maria struggle for each breath.

Just as Maria was on the brink of losing her breath, a young man appeared, his skin pale and his hair long, reaching down to his waist.

"Why has the clan from the Alphas of Alphas come here?" Blu demanded.

"I've heard that your mate comes from a family of hunters and that she's responsible for the demise of nearly your entire clan," Vlach, from the clan of the Alphas of Alphas, replied.

"You're right, this is the woman you speak of," Blu said with a look of disgust, pointing at Maria.

Vlach gazed intently at Maria, finding her in a pitiable state, soaked in her own blood. He couldn't fathom the pain he felt upon seeing her. In that dimly lit room, a tense silence fell. Vlach's arrival had shifted the dynamics, his presence alone enough to halt the dire proceedings. Maria, lying in a pool of her own blood, seemed to be at the end of her journey, yet there was a twist of fate no one anticipated.

"Our clan has decided to include your group in one of the werewolf packs in exchange for that woman," Vlach stated.

Without hesitation, Blu agreed, eager to have Maria out of his sight. He couldn't bear to look at her, as her face reminded him of a dark past.

As Blu left, Vlach gently touched Maria's forehead and let out a soft chuckle.

"You are indeed deceptive, Maria. Your moon symbol isn't painted on your forehead," Vlach said, observing Maria's eyes, which shone as brightly as the moon.

A strange and potent energy filled the room. It was a moment of revelation, an unveiling of true power that lay dormant. Maria's eyes, reflecting the moon's brilliance, held secrets far beyond the comprehension of those who sought to harm her.

Vlach, with his enigmatic demeanor, had come up with a proposal that would change the course of events. Blu, blinded by his disdain for Maria, failed to see the underlying truth Vlach subtly pointed out. Maria was not just any ordinary woman; she was a beacon of mystique, her real power hidden, not upon her forehead but within the depth of her luminous eyes.

The air vibrated with a newfound tension, a sense of anticipation for what was to come. Vlach, with a knowing smile, had recognized Maria's true worth and the deception that had protected her until now. His actions hinted at a deeper alliance, a possible salvation for Maria from the clutches of her oppressors.