1 MOON AND ROSES

Moon, stars, roses, and blood. If there's an end, there will always be a beginning, and if there's a beginning, there has to be an ending that will lead to either a happy or a painful farewell.

"Eleanor…" his eyes are in vain, I see how its bright crimson color slowly fades as it turns to complete darkness. But the smile on his face seeing me one last time never dwindle from his lips.

"Yes, my love?" the agony in my chest is throbbing. I swallowed the big lump in my chest but my eyes sting like it has their own life, tears flowing like a river of grief.

I caress his pale white cheeks, I can feel his body slowly fading away from my arms like a grain of sand, falling slowly and every second feels like torture. I want to stop time, I want to get stuck in this moment. I want to live in a lifetime where werewolves and vampires aren't forbidden from each other.

"Let's meet again, on another cold full moon, just like this..." His breaths are becoming dense with every second that passes by. "… but in another life and in another time. Where we could be both happy forever…" his delicate hand holds mine, it used to have strong grips. It pains me to feel how weak and helpless it is right now.

"… Let's both see the roses when they bloom again in spring…" all the tears I'd been holding on flowed like a river in the middle of the stormy night. Reality is slowly consuming me, and sooner or later, he will vanish from my arms. "… please, wait for me. My Luna, my Eleanor." And when our time stops ticking, he's gone.

I knelt trying to gather his remnants again in my arms, while tears pour like the rain on stormy nights. But in the end, I felt hopeless. Vampires don't leave their bodies when they die, they vanish into dust.

The grain of sand is slowly turning into clouds of dust, moving with the cold wind of the night. The silent moon feels like it's looking at me, sympathizing with the tragedy in front of it. A few moments passed staring at oblivion. I felt numb. I screamed at the top of my lungs but it didn't cease the pain. The anger and misery are battling inside me.

She wolves and warriors of our tribe gathered and surrounded me. Disgusted and disgraced of how they were supposed to be Luna had dishonored them.

They growled and snarled at the blood stains on my white dress that they forced me to wear. They knew that those blood aren't mine, it was from Ben-Zion, the man I held dearest, the vampire that I love the most, and the man they'd killed because it was against their law. They are worse than monsters themselves. They call themselves the superior being but they are eviler than any other creatures I know.

The beautiful white dress was supposed to be worn at an engagement party they fixed for me to honor our ancestors. They thought they can chain me by forcing me to marry an Alpha from another tribe – a barter to grow our clan, but secretly, both are planning to revolt and crash another tribe of our kind. I accidentally heard them. They want to overthrow King Alpha and soon build an army to obstruct the existence of Vampires. They want to destroy the balance of this world and enslave Humans.

"You took away everything from me." with dried lips and tears, I tried to stand up. "You just killed my soul! You killed Ben Zion!" My she-wolf inside me is trying to overpower me, she's more untamable than I am.

She's ready to tear some flesh at any moment now but I still have a little bit of sanity to hold her in. But with one wrong word from the wolves around me, they will surely meet their ends. They did not choose me as the strongest Luna for no reason. Too bad they will not benefit the special strength that was bestowed upon me by the Moon Goddess, and too bad I don't feel like I belong to this tribe and their rotten system. Low-ranked wolves are deprived and the rich become richer.

"You sided with a nemesis…" One of our female ancestors came out of the crowd. My eyes directly went to the dark blade she was holding. Everyone knows what's the purpose of that rapier, it's a symbol of disgrace and dishonorable death. "… you had a secret affair with an enemy Eleanor, for a very long time. You've been fooling us! You are now a traitor from our kind!" everyone responded with a deeper growl and random snarls, a sign of their unified agreement.

I did not speak nor argue. I found no point in talking. No matter what happens, my ending has been decided. And I have no plans on stopping it.

I saw my mother among the crowd. I could not determine the expression on her face. She cannot see me directly in the eye. My father pulls her away, they cannot grasp the reality of their firstborn in her current state. Surrounded by grief, they both walk away.

They couldn't do anything, they might be overthrown and no clan nor tribe will ever accept them. I still have siblings, and for me, they are doing the right thing. I will not let them be part of the sentence that I made myself pay.

Yes, this time, I decided to be selfish, and I deserve everything. I deserve this pain, but with no regrets. Because for the first time in my life, I felt freedom and happiness that no one could ever replace. We both felt the love that no one had ever made us feel.

With Ben Zion, I did not feel any loneliness, mockery, belittling, and betrayal that our tribe had me feel. Our mouth is always sealed, and our actions are always determined.

Sometimes, I question the Goddess for choosing me as the Luna if I could not be happy for choosing someone I love. These gifts have nothing to do with what I truly want, freedom.

One of our ancestors came forward, she stood in front of me, and her face is stoned-cold. She raises the knife with pride and disgrace all over her expression. They made a reversal ritual to transpose the strength and power given to me to the young and right ones. They are hoping my gift won't go to waste.

But before closing my eyes, ready to accept my final fate, I stared at the moon one last time and tried to speak to her. I made a bargain.

If you're true, mighty, and powerful,

Give our tribe the true peace they deserve,

End their suffering as I am ending mine,

These are no gifts, it's a curse and chaos,

Prove to me that love isn't cruel.

That love isn't about colors and race,

That love truly knows no boundaries,

That love is not pain and suffering.

I'll give up all the strength and gifts you've given to me,

In exchange for the man I truly love.

In another time, in another lifeline.

I plead to you, Goddess of the moon,

Let me see him again,

One more time.

The cold breeze of the wind whispered to me as the cold metal wounded me, it pierced through my heart, ending my suffering and giving up my last breath. I felt no pain, I felt no emotional struggle at all. I felt at peace. My sinister soul smiled at the Goddess of the moon.

"I witnessed true love, misery, and misfortune. You made your bargain dear child, you have good intentions. Your sacrifice won't go to waste. You shall wait after a thousand years."

Said the beautiful voice of a lady that had echoed in my forever dreams.