by Gloria Dark
The Vampire Wonderland
The Vampire Wonderland series: Book 1
by Gloria Dark
Copyright © 2019 by Gloria Dark
Cover Design Copyright © 2019 by Ren Somnium
Ebook ISBN: 978 1 78972 596 4
Paperback ISBN: 978 1 78972 597 1
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and the copyright owner, with the exception of brief quotes used in reviews.
All characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental and are the products of the author’s imagination.
Contents
Title Page
Intro: Darkness before the light
Prologue: The Dark Princess
Chapter 1: Purebloods
Chapter 2: Cursed Twins
Chapter 3: The Broken Butterfly
Chapter 4: Twin Hunters
Chapter 5: Awakening of Abyss
Chapter 6: Fon Vorigans
Chapter 7: The Gift
Chapter 8: The Awakening
Chapter 9: The Guilt
Chapter 10: The Sacred Garden
Intro: Darkness before the light
Darkness before the light
It was an early morning, born in flaming shades of blood. So terrifying, even the sun wouldn’t dare to caress the world with its golden light. Pure Darkness surrounded the dying land. Only the flames of burning buildings and trees were able to dagger through the black shadows that cradled the chaos. Destruction had become the only reality there was. The living creatures had forgotten the meaning of pure Love and peace, and the hope died when he arrived.
Nobody truly knew who he was.
Giant wings appeared in the dark sky, embracing it in black feathers. Pale skin glimmered through the mess of the pitch-black hair that flowed down to his heels and billowed in the wind, denying the world to see his true face. His pants were covered in blood, forbidding to recognise the colour. His bare feet were stabbed by tiny pieces of broken glass, but his face showed no pain. His dark-filled eyes showed no mercy and could destroy a soul with just a glance.
He held destruction in his open hands as deadly fears were born wherever this creature landed. He - the angel of the Abyss.
The world that used to be a wonderful home for all creatures was slowly crumbling. Where the most incredible magical beings used to live in harmony with the humankind and their advanced technologies, the unstoppable wars had turned the beauty into a home for the Darkness. Only bloodstained ruins replaced the graceful buildings, the machines served as poorly as pillars of trash. The enchanted forests had turned into dust, and lively cities were nothing more than a land of corpses.
Abyss spread his wings wider in the sky as he opened his graceful hands, forming more darkness between his fingertips.
“The poor world is filled with filth and sinful beings,” he said, glancing downwards with disdainful eyes, “None of you, mortals, deserve to live! All you ever do is pollute your own homeland with your rotten souls! I will free this world from your worthless lives and feed the land with your blood!”
Suddenly, the air filled with an incredibly soft and pleasant scent. It was so sweet and full of peace that even the wind stopped. For a moment, the chaos laid off, dispersing the dark into a second of serenity. A thick ray of light pierced through the sinister shadows that covered the sky, allowing the world to remember how the daylight once looked like.
A bright red silhouette, followed by dust-like fire, started to slide down the golden light, landing right in front of Abyss. As the silhouette came closer, it took the form of a feminine body. It was the goddess of Love and Light - Demetra.
The goddess was pure perfection, the incarnation of beauty. Her skin was softer than the air, covered in a white satin gown. Her crimson hair was smoother than the petals of spring flowers, but her rainbow eyes illuminated the undying Love. Each her movement was a dance of a graceful butterfly, but her voice… Quieter than silence.
Demetra had never spoken before because Love could not be spoken. The Light could not be put into words. Her only language was the language of her soft gaze. However, to walk on the mortal land, she had to abandon her home, the Heavenly Kingdom, by paying the price of her divine immortality. Therefore, she could no longer speak the language of silence.
Making her first steps on the dying land, the goddess radiated pure kindness and care. Her soft gaze landed on Abyss as she slowly moved closer towards him. The darkness backed off where Demetra’s holy feet touched the ground. Land that met her skin became alive again, blooming beautifully under her.
Seeing the goddess walk on the mortal land, Abyss froze in disbelief. His black wings settled, allowing him to come down to the hopeless ground.
“Abyss,” Demetra whispered for the first time in her eternal life.
The hypnotic tone of her voice sent shivers down the angel’s spine. When Demetra was close enough, her gentle hand caressed his cheek. Her eyes filled with silver tears.
“Child of the Darkness, where has your happiness gone? Why is your laughter buried deep underground?” Demetra spoke softly as if afraid to break the world with her voice. Her tears kept sliding down her skin as she continued, “Why? Why, my friend, are you so full of hate?”
“This world is tainted by fools and blinded by stupidity and narrow minds!” said Abyss, his voice full of disgust, “Sinful… Shallow… Ugly! The citizens of this mortal land have destroyed their own world long before me. All I want is to free the air of these filthy souls, I want to make the world beautiful. I wish to set it free!”
“No, Abyss! Darkness has made you blind as your hands hold only sorrow. Your heart has gone cold and lonely,” Demetra cried, “Dear child, I will not allow you to destroy the life on the mortal land! There’s still so much Love and beauty down here, many kind souls that deserve no harm. If all of us could come together and join our forces, we could make this world pure! Together, we can recreate harmony! We can educate the mortals and show them the right path!”
“Love no longer exists in this world!” Abyss shouted out, breaking free from Demetra’s gentle caress.
His words pierced her heart like a poisonous arrow, leaving the goddess breathless for a while. The pain burned her chest.
“Love is everywhere!” Demetra glanced into the dark eyes, “Even inside you, Abyss. Love is the greatest force, the energy that cannot be escaped by any living creature. When you feel like you lack Love, it only proves it’s rooted deep within you, and you’re reaching out for it!”
Suddenly, many more bright lights pierced the black sky. Thousands of gods sacrificed their immortalities to leave the Heavenly Kingdom and step onto the dying land. Their powers caressed the air with unseen beauty, radiating divine magic everywhere. All of them landed, surrounding Demetra and Abyss.
The goddess of Love and Light glanced at the other gods, smiling lovingly as she placed her hands on her chest. She exhaled warmth as a golden ray of light left her mouth, forming a ball in her open palms.
“May the end become the new beginning,” Demetra whispered into her hands, turning the golden ball of energy into a glimmering gemstone. The goddess spoke louder than before as she threw the gem so high into the dark sky that it seemed to disappear, “May the end become the new beginning, may the Light resign the Night!”
Breaths full of surprise filled the air as the other gods froze, already knowing what was about to happen next. It was sorrowful, but nobody dared to say a word. Nobody, apart from Abyss.
“Demetra, do
n’t stand in my way!” the angel shouted out, creating dark shadows in his hands, forcing them to twirl around the goddess, like an army of snakes.
“Your Darkness has no power over me!” Demetra smiled tenderly, letting her tears to dissolve the black snakes, “You see, my friend, the room can be as pitch black as you want, but it will be enough with just a single lit candle to disperse the darkness! It’s enough with just a flame to break through the dark and give beautiful light.”
A devious smile appeared on the angel’s lips. Without touching the ground with his bleeding feet, he flew closer to Demetra, wrapping his giant wings around her.
“My Darkness may not be able to stop your Light, but I can!” Abyss whispered, leaning closer to the goddess, “You are the only being in the Universe that deserves to live, but even you will not stand in my way!”
“Poor child, you will never be able to break the Love and Light, no matter how hard you try!” Demetra smiled.
“I can see it in your eyes, you know? Even you have lost your faith in this dead world.” Abyss replied.
Demetra glanced away for a second, before returning her gaze to Abyss. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her warm body to his.
“I know…” she whispered into his ear quietly, “Which is why I want to do this… I want to give the world a second chance.”
Angel’s eyes widened. His grip loosened up as his heart could not believe Demetra’s words. His wings released the goddess without him knowing it.
Demetra pressed closer to Abyss, glancing at the gods and mortals for the last time. Her rainbow eyes turned to golden shades of a flaming sunrise. Her white satin dress became red like blood.
“Listen closely, dear Abyss,” she whispered into his ears, “Remember my words as they will follow you for eternity. I bless a lost child like you with the power of Love no other being could ever comprehend. My divine power will follow you through time and world, and you will learn to love truly and purely in your next life. When the entire world stands against you, the Love will open your eyes, it will feed your heart with hope. When the Darkness falls again, you will awaken to become the world’s cure.”
Demetra let go of Abyss and stepped backwards, staring at the frozen angel. Their eyes locked for a second before the goddess faced the sky.
“The Heavenly Kingdom, please hear my prayers and forgive me for leaving you,” Demetra released more tears to drip down her cheeks, “I release my divinity to free this world from sorrow, may my power of Love lead the way to a better world!”
“No, Demetra!” Abyss shouted out, his chest tightening with guilt, “Mortals don’t deserve it! Don’t sacrifice yourself for them!”
His words were too late.
“Love, I release you. Caress the world as you no longer have a god to control you. Hide well so that no living being can ever tame you, hide well, so you always remain free!” Demetra whispered into the air, “May the end become the new beginning, may the Light resign the Night!”
The goddess lifted slightly above the ground as her powers started to break free from her body. Her eyes lit up brightly with gold and silver light escaping into the air. Her skin ripped open, releasing bright colours instead of blood. The black shadows that hid the world from sunshine started to shatter like glass, dissolving slowly as Demetra’s powers took over the sky and the ground.
“Why?” Abyss fell on his knees in disbelief and confusion as he couldn’t understand why the goddess would sacrifice herself to recreate the mortal world.
The rest of the gods knelt too, their eyes pinned to the ground to avoid getting blind from the divine brightness. They wrapped their hands together, joining into a prayer foreign to the mortals, each word spoken in the language of the gods.
Only Abyss lifted his gaze up to the goddess, watching her body glow in stunning white. Unable to look away, he watched Demetra’s body fade in dust-like glitter, starting from her toes, moving upwards and burning brightly. Her shimmer dissolved into the air, shooting to all sides of the space around her.
The angel’s eyes filled with tears as he watched the goddess die. His chest became heavy, full of suffocating guilt. As if a loop of sharp needles tying around his heart, the pain bled within the angel’s soul.
Demetra’s, burning with fading flames, exploded across the world, filling every corner, every inch of space with intense sunlight. Everything became pure white, blinding anyone whose eyes were still open. The land that laid in ruins started to recreate. Nature, born of Love and Light, bloomed again. The woods became green, waters crystal clear, and the sky bathed in daylight.
Divine energy made all of the pollutions disappear, replacing everything by powerful enchantment. Mysterious beauty embraced the whole new world. Love that Demetra had released made everything bloom with vitality. It made plants alive, it protected seas under spells.
The world had arisen from the ash, resembling the fragrance and grace of the goddess of Love and Light.
The gods who had abandoned the Heavenly Kingdom and their immortality to follow Demetra became a part of the new world to descend on the mortal land. Living among other creatures, they built beautiful cities and schools to endow the mortals with knowledge. They created new rules to maintain harmony. Some of them reigned to continue Demetra’s legacy of peace, while others lived simple lives without interfering with any leadership.
The angel of the Abyss was announced to be the worldly enemy. As a form of godlike creatures, he couldn’t be executed; therefore, other gods created a specially designed prison for beings like him - the Punishment Circle. To prevent the history from repeating itself, gods trapped Abyss inside an enchanted bullet named Life Capsule where the angel would spend an eternity of restless dreams.
Prologue: The Dark Princess
Ermelinda’s point of view
The Dark Princess
Ermelinda’s point of view
More than anything else in the world, I wanted to wake up from being dead, but my body was frozen to the cold soil. Surrounded by poisonous flowers, it had lost the ability to feel anything. I was numb. Forever paralysed in my private hell, I had lost the count of times I had died and awoken from death. It was an endless cycle of torture, a birthday present from my best friend. A demon named Zaaralih.
Each time I woke from the cold embrace of death, I feared its touch. Every time it caught me and pulled me back into its hands, I wished I would never inhale again. I could no longer tell if my worst enemy was the death, life or the solitude with my own thoughts.
A few centuries ago, I used to believe that immortality was my greatest gift; that’s how foolish I was. Immortality was nothing more than a curse, a dark dream for the broken souls. And yet… I was stupid enough to make it my only wish when I signed a deal with one of the lords of the Underworld.
During the centuries spent in the poisonous garden of violent flowers, my heart had turned into an empty maze. Nothing mattered to me as I spent my time wandering through the nightmares of my own thoughts. Freedom became the only treasure my void heart craved. It was the only type of oxygen that could satisfy my dead lungs while I dreamed of the day I’d walk out of the Sacred Garden to find my dear Zaaralih.
Thoughts of revenge kept my insanity well-fed. They allowed me to remember the only creature I ever trusted, the only creature responsible for me being trapped between the living and the dead. Zaaralih’s betrayal broke my heart and burned my soul. He turned my eyes into waterfalls ages ago, but as the years passed by the betrayal had become my only comfort because it gave me hope.
The idea of revenge had become my obsession. Millions of times, I had imagined how I would pull Zaaralih’s heart out of his chest just as he ripped mine. I pictured how I would force him to eat and choke on his sharp tongue. I fantasised how I would break his horns with my bare hands, how I’d dagger his eyeballs with my nails. I wanted to tear him in pieces, and I wished I could to cling to him to ask why he betrayed me.
I hated myself for still
loving Zaaralih, and I longed for his voice that was always full of joy. I missed his mad smile, his scary face and fiery eyes. I longed for his brutal hands that had saved me from danger countless times, his hands that stole souls of the sinners. I missed his embrace that could burn me with the love of a true friend. Demonic love.
I wanted to destroy him, but my wishes meant nothing while I was still trapped in the Sacred Garden with no way for anyone to step in and no way for anyone to get out alive. My eyes were dry, each cell in my body motionless. My skin was as cold as ice, too numb to recognise the pain. I was unable to distinguish the pain from pleasure, nor light from dark. To me, they were absolutely the same until it was time for me to wake from embraces of death again.
Suddenly, I felt my soul connect to my dead body, filling it with exhausted energy as a faint electric feeling ran through my limbs. My eyelids were too heavy when my still heart made a weak beat. I hadn’t inhaled for a long while, which made my first breath agonising when my heart started its restless drumming.
I gasped for oxygen, pain torturing my body. I inhaled and exhaled, counting each breath before poisonous flowers could pollute my broken lungs. I no longer wasted my voice on screaming, nor my tears on crying. I had forgotten how I used to sound. I simply glanced around to see the flowers that once were pure white, but they had lost their purity as they fed on my eternal blood.
Painted scarlet, petals drenched in my blood fumed with glorious might. I hated those cursed flowers, but they fed my desire of staying awake, they made me fight for my life no matter how many times I had to die. They rooted so much hate in me that I became patient to wait for the right time before my awakening.
I watched the red flowers bloom as they devoured my energy until there was none left. I watched them grow as my eyelids became heavy, and my heartbeats muted. I drowned into the darkness and smiled.
