The Ancient

Prologue

Prologue: Baby Bella

Shanghai,China
1987

The sound of the DJ's electro playlist was pulsating throughout the club. Bodies were provocatively dancing on the center floor. While Yuèhai was sipping her glass of bourbon. The bodies were all meshed together throughout the room to the point where no one could tell where the exits were, or even if there was free space at the bar.

Watching a kissing couple head upstairs towards a private room, Yuèhai rolled her eyes in disgust and took a long sip of her liquor. Her red lips set in a bright smile at the bar tender from across the counter, with her empty glass held up as an indication of a request for more liquor.

The bartender hooked Yuèhai up and have her a bottle of bourbon instead of refiling her small glass. With a nod of thanks Yue filled her glass and brushed back her long black hair. She closed her doe eyed chocolate brown orbs as she relished the burn of the liquor as it traveled down her throat.

After spending an hour inside the club, Yue smacked a couple of hundred dollar bills on the bar counter, grabbed the half empty bottle of bourbon in one hand while saluting the bartender with the other. Making her way out of the club, and passing the sea of bodies, Yue took sips from the bottle while beginning her trek to her apartment complex.

The vibrant night life of China was as lively as ever. The street vendors were selling exotic foods and knit-knacks. Little bars, restaurants, and stores had music blaring from inside and colorful displays of lights.

Out of all the countries she ever visited, out of all the cities she has ever lived in, Shanghai-China to be more specific would always be among the few places that held a special place within her heart. The people were kind;the culture was beautiful;the food was delicious;and the history was rich.

China was such a magical place for Yue. Afterall, it was the birthplace of her first child and it was one of the first nations that began praying to her-it still was in fact; a nation that was steadfast in worship of her. Unlike other gods, whom were all slowly but surely fading away,due to the lack of worship in modern times, Yuèhai was still thriving on the reverence of many countries.

Not that she needed it to survive. Yuèhai was different from the other gods. She was a primordial goddess. The last one in fact.

But that's a story for an other time.

As Yue was heading towards her district, the loud Shanghai night life was little by little drowning out in the background-leaving Yue to the serenely  peaceful silence of the night.

With the moon-Yuèhai's namesake shining down on her figure, a sharp generic ringtone echoed throughout the silence. Yue grabbed her cellphone from the pocket of her jeans and answered with a soft tone,"Zhè shì shuí?"

"Uhhh Yue? " Yuèhai blinked in surprise at the Washington accent within the clearly English words. Then a smile erupted on her face as she realizes who the owner of said gruff voice was. "Oh my goodness!! Charlie? Charlie Swan? How are you my dear? How's the married life treating you? And Renee? How is she?"

Charlie chuckled on the other end of the line," Married life is as swell as it can be and Renee's fine. We're fine. Sorry for calling you so late Gran, I know it's really late your time. I just wanted to let you know of the news firsthand before we tell the folks."

Yue blinked in confusion as she made it to the lobby of her apartment complex, the security guard on duty snoring away. It was 3 in the morning after all."Oh it's alright Charlie. You know I hardly sleep when I visit Shanghai, in fact I was just on my way home from a night club. Anyways, what kind of news? Is everything alright other there?" Yue was very concerned. Charlie's dad had just died a few years ago and Yue had attended the funeral, as was her duty not only as a protector but a family head. Charlie and Helena were devastated, and Yue stayed with them for a while to help get them out of their funk. Yue only left a couple of months ago, after Charlie and his wife Renee's wedding; Renee was almost a decade younger than Charlie and though Yue didn't discriminate with love, she couldn't find it in her to like Renee;the girl was too immature, too self centered, and had no self respect-but she made Charlie happy. Yue couldn't take away Charlie's newfound happiness, even if he was in love with a little girl in a 22 year old's body.