Lunar Lunacy
~Prologue~
Silence was an echo: a repetition of a hollow void welcoming you with a greeting that could only be felt deep in your bones. It slithered and slunk down your spine, seizing your lungs and taking your breath captive. The only way to plead for its release was with the sudden trembling beat of your heart. It was this eerie silence that greeted her upon her arrival at the forgotten crypt. Its claws raked upon the hollowed halls and vaulted ceilings, thudding noiselessly against the travertine stones that imprisoned it. Its eyes were a black sea of marble that reflected the endless stone columns and arches that ran like a maze through the underground mausoleum. The heel of her boot knocked against its surface as she stepped into its embrace surefootedly.
Iron scones wrestled into elegant displays ran along the walls, in their palms a flame burning with excitement. It flickered, swayed, reaching fingers towards its neighbor to whisper words of eager gossip at the appearance of an intruder. They watched her progress steadily, eyes silently encouraging her misstep and urging her down one of the many paths that lead to nowhere. She moved without hesitation, this intruder, indifferent to the abysmal will of a place that had long been left to its own echoes.
Here, however, standing before a large double door, she hesitated. The silence stilled, whether in respect or anticipation, she did not know; nor did she care. Lifting pale fingers, she lowered the hood from around her face to allow the faded violet of her eyes to look upon the crest carved into the limestone. The sight of the royal symbol brought on a sudden pang of loss she couldn't help but sink in for a moment.
With a strength unbefitting her appearance, she stepped forward and pushed open the door. There was a heavy groan that seemed to rattle through the open chamber as the greedy glow from the flames in the hall attempted to eat up the darkness inside. Through the low lighting, she saw the circular room; wide and empty. At the center was a high altar, it cradled a single coffin embedded with the proud crest of the white orchid in its palms. Atop, sat a lone shadow, its ragged hair long and spread about him like a spider's trap.
The figure did not move, but a sudden rush of death surrounded her, bringing to life a fear she had long since forgotten. It thickened the air with a palpable hunger and an overwhelming shroud of darkness that inspired cowardice. Nevertheless, she stepped forward and immediately fell to a knee, her hand trembling as she laid it over the heart that sped in her chest.
"Welcome back, Kaname-sama."
There was no answer, save for the bloodcurdling red-eyes that pierced the darkness.
You'll never understand the amount of torture I went through to write this tiny prologue, but it involves a fallen picture frame, pizza sauce, bottles of water, and lots of accidents. Let it never be said that I am not a clumsy person.
…and I know I have other stuff to update…But this has just been sitting quietly, waiting for the Halloween month to show up and for me to actually write it on time…so, sorry. Dx
