VELLUNA - Moon of oblivion

Night-time. A deathly silence had spread over everything, so deep it felt like a warning a warning of the storm that was coming. A storm that was perhaps about to change the world. A forsaken, ancient fortress, where no human shadow had fallen in many years, stirred tonight with a strange commotion. From one of its rooms, a dim light flickered. Inside, a couple was present. Deep lines of fear and panic were etched across the man's face. Before him, his pregnant wife writhed in pain, her body drenched in sweat. A cloth had been carefully placed inside her mouth, so that her voice could not escape. The man moved closer to her and said in a low voice, "Just... just hold on, she'll be here any moment. I won't let anything happen to you. Just a little longer, and once our child comes into this world, we'll go far away from here. Somewhere the eyes of this world's monsters can never reach." His wife's eyes welled up with countless tears at his words. Just then, the door burst open, and a woman rushed in hastily, her face hidden beneath a black cloak. Her long black nails made it clear that this was no ordinary woman. "You... you've come, Morvena..." the man said, instantly growing alert. "I hope you haven't broken our trust." Morvena's lips curved into a murderous smile. "Morvena is not merely a name. Morvena herself is darkness, and from darkness, you can only expect darkness in return. Anyway, I haven't come here for you. I'm here only for my Yavira." She stepped toward Yavira, who looked at her with hopeful eyes. Glaring at the man, Morvena removed the cloth from Yavira's mouth and stroked her head. "I won't let anything happen to you, Yavira. Just a little longer." "Just save my child. Please, Morvena, save it," Yavira sobbed in pain. Morvena nodded, closed her eyes, and began chanting: "Vorax! Vorax! Sel Karath Veyn! Moon of ruin, hear my name! By fang and bone, by ash and flame, Awaken what was sealed away!" A light began to form in her hands as she turned her power toward Yavira's womb. Yavira clamped her mouth shut against the pain. Suddenly, a brilliant white light emerged from her womb. Astonishment flickered across Morvena's face. She glanced sharply at the man standing nearby; he turned his eyes away the moment he felt her gaze. Morvena pressed on, chanting the verse again, her voice rising. Never before had Morvena felt her powers falter like this in front of anyone. She poured every last drop of her strength into Yavira's womb, and the light flooding from it engulfed the entire room — so intense that even Morvena was forced to shut her eyes. A sharp scream tore from Yavira's throat, echoing through the fortress. Only moments passed before the cry of a baby pierced the silence. Morvena collapsed to the ground, exhausted. The white light filling the room slowly began to fade. Then, abruptly, the baby's cry stopped. Morvena lifted her eyes , and found that the man had covered the child's mouth so no one could hear her. "Theron, did you know about this?" Morvena asked in shock. "Are you also" She stopped short, her eyes widening. "You should have told me about this." "Told you? You may have won Yavira's trust, but I know exactly what you are. I only called you here because she asked me to. Now you can leave. I cannot trust you any more than this," Theron said, lifting his daughter into his arms. Fear flooded Morvena's eyes. "You need to run. Right now, this very instant." She rushed to the window and looked up at the sky. "No, no, no... the moon has turned red. Theron, run!" Ignoring her, Theron moved toward Yavira. "Don't worry about her. No one will find us here." "They're coming. You need to leave, now," Morvena said, panic rising in her voice. Theron's eyes narrowed. "That's not possible—" Just then, the distant howl of a werewolf echoed through the night. He froze. Realization dawned, and his eyes burned red with rage. "You betrayed us. How could you? I should never have trusted you." "I didn't know the truth! Please, run before they arrive , everyone must know by now. Run, run!" Morvena urged. "How could you do this, Morvena? I trusted you," Yavira said, looking at her with wounded eyes. "Yavira, let's go, now! We'll go far from here," Theron said, reaching for her , but Morvena stepped between them. "I'll save her. You take the baby and run." "Trust you? Again? Never. Come, Yavira," Theron snapped, shoving her aside. "I'm telling you the truth. I won't let harm come to her. Go. I won't betray you this time." "I don't want to hear another word. Get out, before I kill you with my own hands," Theron said, grabbing Yavira's hand. But she stopped him. "You save her, Theron. I'll go with Morvena. Saving our child matters more than anything right now. She is the future of our world, and the monsters of this world will do everything they can to destroy that future. Take her, run from here." She looked once at her child and stroked her head. A mark appeared on the baby's forehead. "Never let her fall into their hands, no matter the cost. You know what you must do." Theron looked at her with pain-filled eyes, wiping her tears. "I won't let anything happen to our child. I promise." "Come back soon. I'll wait," Yavira said, her voice choked. "Wait? For how long?" "For as long as I breathe. Just return before my last breath leaves me." She pulled away and pushed him toward the door. "Go!" Theron looked at her one last time, eyes brimming with tears, and left. The moment he stepped outside the fortress, a fierce storm shattered the night's silence. Frightened, he glanced down at his daughter's face and ran toward the dense forest behind the fortress. Overhead, the moon had turned so red it seemed to weep tears of blood , until black clouds, thick as dark shadows, swallowed it whole. He quickened his pace. "I won't let them reach you, my child. Never. Even if I have to make one world out of two." SFX: a pack of wolves howling... The sound rose up behind him. He turned in terror and saw an army of werewolves closing in. Theron ran with everything he had — only to realize, after covering some distance, that he'd been surrounded from the other side as well. His footsteps froze. Before him stood vampires, the greatest enemies of werewolves. "No, no, no..." He clutched his daughter to his chest and bolted toward the forest's far edge. She cried without pause. Helplessness gripped him, but he refused to give up. His eyes flashed red; his body shifted into a half-wolf form, his speed surging. Then a vampire closed the distance and struck his back. He spun to retaliate, but the vampire's companions swarmed him. Tonight was the full moon , the night werewolves were at their weakest. His strength began to fade. Seizing the moment, the vampires reached for the baby — and the instant they touched her, they burned to ash. Wounded, Theron stared in astonishment at his daughter, a child who had taken her first breaths only moments ago. He forced himself up to run again, but by then the werewolves and vampires had closed in from every side. "Let her go! My child has nothing to do with this fight. I'll take her far from here, please, let her go," Theron screamed. A beta werewolf stepped forward. "Hand her over, and your life will be spared." Theron's eyes burned. "I would rather die than hand my daughter to monsters like you. If you have the courage, come and try to touch her. And if you can't, even after killing me, then curse yourselves for calling yourselves werewolves." A growl of fury rippled through the pack, and they attacked as one. Theron's scream tore through the forest as he shielded his daughter with his own body, blow after blow landing on his back. Just then, the mark on the baby's forehead began to glow. Theron touched it with trembling fingers and screamed with the last of his strength: "Beaston!" His voice fell silent. The werewolves and vampires had already struck him down countless times. But before they could finish him, a piercing roar thundered through the forest — so powerful that everyone stepped back in fear. "Impossible... this can't be true," the beta werewolf said. A vampire spoke up: "Weren't they wiped out thousands of years ago?" Theron lifted his tired, half-open eyes toward the giant white lion approaching him, its dangerous red eyes fixed on the werewolves and vampires. "Attack together. It must not get away," the beta ordered. They lunged as one — but the lion was far too powerful, killing more than half of them in a single strike. None dared step forward again. The lion lowered itself beside Theron, who gathered his strength and climbed onto its back. Before anyone could stop them, the white lion vanished like the wind. Some time later, the lion stopped outside a golden forest. Theron slid off its back and collapsed to the ground. "Beaston," he said, "I am about to entrust you with a great responsibility. My daughter — you must protect her, until she is ready to fight for herself. She is the one you have waited for all these years. I cannot cross this golden forest, but she can. Take her far away from here." Beaston brought his face close to the baby. She looked at him with innocent eyes, reached out, and touched the sunflower mark on his head. The moment she did, the mark began to glow. Theron looked at his daughter's face one last time and kissed her forehead. "My child, your mother and father have fought their part of this battle. Now you must fight yours. You must return to this world , to change it. You are the most special one of all. I'm sorry that your father must leave you alone, but special people are always alone, because they are made to conquer the world. One day, you too must conquer it. Take care of yourself, my child." His eyes closed. Beaston pressed his face to Theron's, tears filling his eyes. Footsteps drew near. He looked at Theron one last time, lifted the baby, and walked into the golden forest. The moment he stepped inside, the forest vanished , as if it had never been anything but an illusion. Moments later, the pack of werewolves arrived. They looked down at Theron's body. A beta werewolf stepped forward. "He's dead. Find that child. She must be somewhere within this forest. She must not survive. Remember — every breath she takes in this world is one breath less for all of us. That child must die."