Celeste Alder: Heiress of the Fallen

Prologue

According to my mother, in the old days, only two races lived in the world we live in today. That is vampires and wolves. The vampires and the wolves had an arbitration to become friends by marrying one of the highest kinds of Vampire and one of the highest kinds of Wolf. The Queen and the Alpha. But the deal is breached when the wolves mislead the vampires.

Their real goal is not harmony but to take the power and dominance of vampires. They killed the elders of the vampires but unbeknownst to them, the queen of the vampires had two sons. Wolves failed in eliminating the two heirs to the throne because of their strength.

That being the case, the heirs lived for over a thousand years. Until the time came, the wolves defeated them. There was a bloody battle between the two clans which the only survivor was my father, one of the queen's two sons.

My father recommenced to lead our race until they all realized that they were not the only ones living on earth. There was another race besides vampires and wolves, that was the humans. 

The vampires realized that human blood gave them more strength, speed and power than the blood of animals they were accustomed to drink. Soon, the vampires mingled with the humans, and it was there that my father met my mother.

My mother had fallen in love with my father but concealed in her knowledge, the man she loved turned out to be a vampire. It was not long before the two married but, vampire law strictly forbade one of them to marry a human. 

My mother did nothing and agreed to become a vampire through a ritual. And when that ritual succeeded, my father married her. 

Our origin has never been clear to me. What became clear to me was that I was the heir to the throne to lead our race. 

But all that altered when my mother came home weeping, carrying my father's head in her right hand and a peculiar necklace in her left hand.

"You have to flee, Celeste. They're here." My mother said. Pilit na isinusuot sa akin ang kwentas na hawak niya. 

I couldn't move my feet because of shock. My mother is holding my father's head. Bakit ulo na lang ng Ama ko ang nakikita ko ngayon? Bakit?

Hindi ko napigilan ang sariling kong umiyak sa harapan ng aking Ina. Pilit niya akong pinapatahan kahit siya ay sobra ring nasasaktan. Hindi ito katanggap-tanggap. Hinding-hingi ko ito matatanggap.

I knelt in front of my mother to touch my father's face. 

Who? Who did this to you, Papa? I will never forgive them. I will avenge you no matter what happens. Whatever else comes in return, I will avenge you. 

I said in the back of my  mind.

I am aware that our people are watching us right now. Alam nila ang nangyayari at lahat sila ay naghahanda na sa mangyayaring labanan. Pilit akong itinayo ng aking ina. Ipinakita niya sa harapan ko ang kwentas na hawak hawak niya.

"Kung sino man ang may ari ng kwentas na ito, sila ang may gawa at ang dahilan ng pagkamatay ng iyong Ama, Celeste." Umiiyak niyang sabi sa akin. 

Kitang-kita ko ang galit sa kaniyang mukha dahil sa pamumula ng kaniyang mga mata at mga ugat na lumalabas roon.

"Itinago ng kwentas na ito ang amoy ng iyong Ama, dahilan kung bakit hindi namin siya natagpuan. Natagpuan namin siya ngunit huli na ang lahat." Pagpapatuloy niya bago muling sinubukang isuot sa akin ang hawak niyang kwentas.

"Bakit? Bakit kailangan ko 'yang suotin, Ma? Hindi ako aalis dito. My father is dead! I am the queen now and I will never ever abandon my people! I will fight with you all!" Umiiyak kong sigaw sa kanila. Ngunit ang sinabi kong iyon ay ang naging dahilan ng simulang pag-ingay ng aming mga nasasakupan.

"You are only 18, Celeste! You are going to flee together with Max! You will continue to live on!" Sigaw din sa akin ng aking Ina ngunit hindi ako pumayag. 

Nagpumilit akong manatili ngunit sa huli ay pinagkaisahan nila ako. Ipinagtabuyan nila ako upang umalis sa aking tahanan.

Lahat sila ay determinadong lumaban at iligtas ako. Sa huli, wala akong nagawa kundi isuot ang kwentas na kanina pa pilit na isinusuot sa akin ng aking ina. Wala akong magawa kundi ang umiyak sa harapan ng aking nasasakupan.

"From now on, hindi ka na si Celeste Alder. Ikaw ay mabubuhay bilang Celestine Madrigal. Isang ordinaryong tao." Umiiyak na sabi ng aking Ina. 

"Ingatan mo ang iyong sarili, lalong lalo na ang tattoo na sumisimblo ng iyong kapangyarihan at ranggo sa pamilyang ito." She continued.

Mayroon akong tatto sa aking shoulder blade. It is a phoenix whose tail is shaped like a dagger. 

Alam na alam ng aming mga kalaban ang tattoo na sumisimbolo sa aming pamilya kaya kailangan kong magdoble ingat.

Matapos magpaalam ng lahat sa akin, nanatili lamang silang nakayuko hanggang sa makalabas ako sa aming kaharian. Napakasakit isipin na kailangan kong iwan ang mundo ko para mabuhay dahil iyon ang gusto nilang gawin ko.

Hinawakan ko nang mahigpit ang kwentas na isinuot sa akin ng aking Ina. Kung kaninong angkan man ito nabibilang, hahanapin ko sila. Ipaghihiganti ko ang aking ama, ang aking ina at higit sa lahat, ang aking mga nasasakupan. Lahat sila ay isasakripisyo ang kanilang buhay para lamang mailigtas at maprotektahan ako. Hinding-hindi ko iyon hahayaang masayang at mapunta lamang sa wala.

I'm leaving with Max. Unlike us, Max is a human. He pledged his loyalty to us because my father saved him from the hands of those shameless wolves. His family was slaughtered in front of him when he was twelve. 

He taught me how to fight and live like an ordinary person. In all my life, I have never drunk human blood. Animal blood is what I used to drink since I was young until I got used to it. And even so, I can fight. I got my father's speed and talent when it comes to fighting, and I believe I will be even faster and stronger when I drink human blood.

"Celeste!" Bago pa man kami makalayo ni Max mula sa aming territory, Art chased us. May hawak siyang isang itim na cloak at itim na mask. Ipinasuot niya iyon sa akin bago ako hinalikan sa aking noo.

"I will come and find you. So, wait for me." He said and in an instant, he vanished in front of me. 

Si Art ay isa sa anak ng kanang kamay ng aking Ama. Siya ang palagi kong kasama kapag tinuturuan ako ni Max ng mga strategies sa pakikipaglaban. Kasama ko siyang nagpapraktis sa paggamit ng iba't-ibang uri ng sandata. He is my bestfriend. At ngayong gabi, isa siya sa lalaban.

Ang lahat ng iyon ay nangyari three months ago at hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin siya nagpapakita sa akin. Wala akong balita sa kung ano ang nangyari. 

Ilang beses kong sinubukan bumalik sa aming kaharian ngunit pilit din akong pinipigilan ni Max. Tumira kami sa lugar na kinagisnan niya for the whole three months.

"We're here." Sabi sa akin ni Max nang makarating kami sa tapat ng bahay na titirhan namin magmula ngayon. 

It was like a mansion in the woods. Not just a cabin but a mansion kung saan napapalibutan ng glass wall ang buong second floor.

Ngayong araw, lumipat kami sa isang lugar na kahit kailan ay hindi ko pa napupuntahan o naririnig.

St. Amaris.