MATCH MADE FROM HELL

Ahhhhhh!" The scream tore through the silent forest, echoing against the dark canopy of twisted trees. “I curse you to roam the earth without free will. Your true nature shall be bound in chains. With every full moon, pain shall devour you, for you have broken the sacred law of the Moonstone. Ayana, the moon witch, stood solemnly, her eyes glinting like ancient silver, as Luca writhed on the forest floor helpless, condemned. In a realm suspended between reality and the supernatural , where the ordinary brushed shoulders with the supernatural, lived a young woman named Sophia, an embodiment of grace, light, and unyielding faith in love. She moved like poetry in motion, her long golden hair cascading down her back, framing her soft, delicate features. Her large brown eyes held galaxies of dreams, most of which circled around one man, Thomas. Sophia believed she had found her forever in him. For three years, she clung to the hope of marriage, of children, of building a home wrapped in laughter. But love, as cruel as it is beautiful, had played her false. Thomas, tall and broad, charming and arrogant, had never truly belonged to her heart. She loved him with a devotion that burned, while he offered only shadows in return. Subtle changes began to whisper into their relationship less time, fewer words, more distance. And yet, Sophia, ever the optimist, soothed her breaking heart with excuses. “He’s just busy,” she’d say to her reflection, clinging to illusions like petals in the wind. Always giving him the benefit of doubt. But fate has a brutal way of unveiling truths. One fateful afternoon, while returning from a mundane grocery run, Sophia spotted a familiar car parked outside a bar. Thomas’s car. Her heart skipped hesitation, then curiosity. Approaching slowly, she peeked in, saw a shocking scene and time froze.There he was.The man she had planned her life around… holding another woman like she had never existed. Then it dawned on her. Thomas had never been interested in her. Whenever she brings up talks about marriage and their future together, he’ll always shrug it off or sometimes lead to an argument.Pain ignited in her chest. Everything inside her crumbled. Driving home in a haze of heartbreak and disbelief, tears blinded her. She didn’t see the truck until it was too late. She awoke to whispers. “Hi, my name is Luca,” came a gentle, unfamiliar voice. Pain throbbed in her head. Where was she? Who was Luca? “The man who brought you back,” her maid answered softly. Confusion enveloped her. She rushed to the mirror expecting blood, bruises, and brokenness. But there was nothing. Not a single scar. She looked untouched, yet she remembered the crash vividly. “What kind of medicine did you give me?” she demanded. “None,” her maid replied nervously. “When the strange looking man brought you here… you were already healed. I just changed your clothes and put you in bed ma’am.” “Did he say anything?” “Only his name, Luca.” Tormented by betrayal and haunted by mystery, Sophia marched to confront Thomas. He wore denial like armor. The argument was so intense and lasted for hours but as she pressed on, he cracked. “I’m no longer in love with you. Maybe I was in the beginning… but not anymore.” These words pierced Sophia.The words shattered her. She was short of words. Trying to process what she had just heard. A lifetime of dreams died in that moment. She left without another word holding back her tears. It was just all in her head. After everything she had done for him. It was too much for her. She couldn’t accept it. The man she loved didn’t love her back. Her heart was a cathedral in ruins. Sophia went home and hurriedly went into her room not saying anything to her maid. Your lunch is rea….” Sophia slammed the door behind her and immediately burst into tears. Her maid sensed something was wrong. She tried to open the door to comfort her but it was locked. She could only stand and hear Sophia cry helplessly. Back at home, she shut herself in. Days passed. Tears soaked her pillow. Her maid, ever faithful, would bring tea and soft encouragement, but Sophia's silence was impenetrable. The maid left the tea at the doorstep hoping Sophia would at least drink it since she had eaten for days. The maid would pace around, think of ways to bring the old vibrant Sophia. Her new state was bad and she was slowly detaching from the world. Then came the dreams. Dark woods. A pair of glowing blue eyes. Fangs sinking into her neck. Pain vivid and red where no wound appeared. She woke each night gasping. Who was Luca? Was he just a savior or something else? One day,while Sophia was in deep thought, thinking of what went wrong between her and Thomas. She realized he had been lying to her all along. “I thought I was perfect, I thought our relationship was perfect” she muttered bursting into tears again as her maid slipped another cup of untouched tea by the door, she gently asked, “Aren’t you going to find out who Luca is?” That name 'Luca' sparked something. Who was Luca? She had never seen the mysterious guy who saved her life. She also remembered that she has been having these weird dreams. Blue eyes, dark hair. A dark scary creature sinking its fangs into her neck and she would always wake up with these intense pain in her neck. Usually sore and red. Finally, Sophia emerged. Her face was pale, eyes puffy with sorrow. “You do not look good,” her maid uttered. Something in her shifted. A spark. A burning question. “What did he look like?” she asked. “I couldn’t see,” her maid confessed. “He wore a mask. But his eyes are blue like a winter moon. And dark hair.” Blue eyes. Just like in her dreams. She stared into the void of uncertainty, her heart beating between pain and wonder. “I don’t know how to find him,” she whispered. After so much thought, she decided to rest and not think too much about it. “But maybe… maybe the universe will bring him to me again.” Outside, the moon rose slowly, bathing the world in silver. And somewhere, watching silently from the shadows, Luca waited.