The Book of Monsters.

The Ritual.

Imagine...

He was monstrous.

An ancient creature born from the very depths of darkness, in the days that were now long forgotten. He was a creature spoken of in only the softest of whispers, around campfires in the dark night or among children trying to scare one another.

His very name was said to be a deadly curse.

His many stories were nightmares for all who listened, dark and twisted tales.

Some said that just the whisper of his voice or a glimpse of his true form would cause one to go insane or to die right where they stood.

The people in this realm still feared him, even though most no longer believed in his legends...except for her.

She believed.

Even as a young child, Y/N had been enchanted by the monster. His stories were exciting and beautiful, not scary at all. Well, maybe a little scary...but she'd been so amazed by this creature that she barely felt fear. For so long, she had dreamed of him. She would whisper his name slowly at night, tasting each letter on her tongue. She wondered what he might look like...

Were his teeth as long and sharp as they said, gleaming like the silver moon?

Did he have the longest of claws, strong enough to tear one to ribbons?

Was he truly made of blackness, of nightmares twisted together to form a beast?

Now she was older...but she hadn't stopped believing in his stories. She hadn't stopped what some saw as rather "strange behavior". Instead, she had become bolder. Braver. And now...she had approached his shrine, bearing gifts.

Each stepped she took thrilled Y/N to her very core. How many times had she read about this ritual, studying every last detail? How long had she dreamed of completing it?

Now she was kneeling at the stone shrine, admiring the roughness and blackness of it. Heart thumping in her chest, Y/N took out her gifts.

A lock of her own hair.

A drop of her own blood.

And a gift that no one else can have.

Her voice carried in the night as she recited the ancient words. Each word made the world a little darker, a little colder, a little more wild. Wind began to whip and howl around her, mimicking tortured screams. Thunder clapped and shook the very ground and, as the lightning flashed, she saw it.

She saw him.

He was tall, towering over her with gleaming teeth and terrible claws. He was as black as a starless night, red eyes glowing as he looked down upon her.

"What is the final gift?" He growled.

Oh! What a terrible, beautiful voice!

Y/N smiled happily, looking up at the ancient beast with the sweetest of smiles.

"My first kiss. No one but you will ever have it."

It was a first even for him. But he happily accepted her gifts, taking them each carefully. The lock of her hair was braided neatly around a clawed finger, her blood flowed into his heart. And he picked the tiny creature up with his mighty arms, allowing him to kiss her.

It was not the first time a human had pledged themselves to him. Normally they had to be forced or they did so for evil reasons. But Y/N had come willingly and she had come for love...

He was monstrous. Terrifying. Dark and deadly. But to her...he was beautiful.