Monster Vol.1

Chapter 1: Strange dream

The distressed child wailed out "Mommy" in sheer terror as the determined villagers forcefully separated her from her anguished mother. In an act of desperation, tears streamed down her face as she pleaded for mercy, urging them to release her innocent daughter. Her vocal cords strained and ached with every cry, yet she persevered, driven by a fierce determination to protect her beloved child. Driven to desperate measures by the heartbreaking situation unfolding before her eyes, she offered up a false confession that reverberated through the air so all could hear. With words laden with deceit and sorrow, she admitted guilt for consorting with dark forces—an admission intended solely to divert attention away from her blameless daughter's plight. Desperate hope clung fiercely within each syllable uttered. Upon hearing this declaration, the enraged villagers bellowed accusations of witchcraft—a cacophony of voices fueling their collective outrage. Some members even stooped so low as to hurl stones toward the accused woman amidst their vehement cries

"I have already confessed, so do as you please with me, but spare the innocent girl," she pleaded. As soon as those words left her mouth, two villagers forcefully grabbed her and dragged her towards a stake.

"Kali Hallows, you stand accused of witchcraft and consorting with the devil. You shall face execution by burning at the stake," Joseph the priest declared coldly.

"But first, you will witness your own child's demise." 

The crowd erupted in a frenzied chant: "Burn her! Burn the witches!" They then seized the helpless little girl and bound her tightly to another nearby stake. Ellinor, the priest's wife took up a torch and callously hurled it towards the young girl's feet igniting combustible straw below.

As Ellinor retreated into the midst of onlookers she said softly under her breath, "May God find forgiveness for what I have done." 

The anguished cries from Kali's daughter pierced through Ellinor's heart as flames engulfed their tiny figure uncontrollably—a horrifying sight that struck deep remorse within Ellinor's soul realization that this tragedy was never warranted; an unjust punishment for something beyond their control. 

The villagers watched in morbid fascination as the young girl's flesh turned to ash, their cheers echoing through the air. Tears streamed down her face while agonizing screams escaped from her parched throat. Amidst her suffering, she desperately called out for her mother, but the deafening silence that followed revealed a heartbreaking truth - her beloved daughter was gone forever. Overwhelmed by despair and anguish, she ceased screaming and weeping; instead, resigned to fate, she became eerily silent as anticipation filled the air. A chilling hush fell upon the crowd as they eagerly awaited this horrific spectacle of carnage. The individuals who once reveled now beheld a terrifying scene before them: an innocent life mercilessly sacrificed for mere entertainment. As Joseph approached with a torch clutched tightly in his hand--a symbol of religious righteousness--he attempted one last plea for salvation amidst this dark tableau.

"Repent your sins and turn to God," he implored with fervor tinged with trepidation. 

Yet an unexpected response echoed through the stillness -- laughter erupted from within her being like twisted music descending into madness itself. As if possessed by some unseen force fueling both defiance and derision simultaneously, she fixed each gaze upon every villager present

"The disbelief in your god does not warrant my repentance towards someone whom I perceive to be devoid of worth and consumed by greed," she declared, her expression carrying an air of satisfaction.

The words seemed to strike a chord within Joseph, leading him to forcefully hurl the torch downwards onto the straw beneath her. Initially, the searing pain from the burns engulfed her body, yet she refused to grant them the gratification of hearing her screams despite enduring such excruciating agony when enveloped by flames. Shortly thereafter, as the fire subsided, she remained alive but with her attire reduced entirely to ashes. A shroud of ash now adorned every inch of her being as onlookers began dispersing; however, several paused upon capturing a piercing scream resonating through their ears - Ellinor's distinct cry rippling through their midst revealing that they were now facing an unforeseen assault perpetrated by the very witch they had believed themselves victorious over after burning at stake. The witch's actions were horrific, as she attacked her victims with great brutality and inflicted gruesome injuries on them. Her speed and strength were unmatched, and she used her long, razor-sharp nails to cut through anyone in her path. In the midst of the chaos, Joseph sought refuge in the church, terrified by the cries of those being mercilessly slain by this demonic creature. Suddenly, without warning, the church doors flew open as if torn from their hinges by an invisible force.

"Joseph," a chilling voice called out mockingly. The witch had found him hiding and taunted him about his fear evident through his racing heartbeat. Helpless and desperate for salvation, Joseph turned to prayer.

"You think your false god can save you now?" sneered the witch cruelly before driving her hand into his chest with incredible force and extracting his heart. As the life drained from his eyes Kali found it to be exhilarating, she callously consumed it in front of him.

With a sinister purpose burning within her eyes still fixed upon Joseph's lifeless form lying motionless on the ground, the witch carefully removed her daughter from atop the stake where she was condemned to burn. Holding her child lovingly against her chest, she whispered something softly and faded back into darkness. The witch clutched her daughter's lifeless form, tears streaming down her face as five cloaked figures stood before her. One of them extended a pale hand toward her, and at that moment, she felt an overwhelming mixture of sorrow and rage consuming every inch of her being. Her once-pure body was now covered in ash and blood, symbolizing the depth of loss she had endured. 

As she gazed into the eyes of these mysterious figures, something within her shifted. She could feel the darkness taking hold - vibrant red replacing the color once found in her irises while blackness consumed the whites. The moon overhead seemed to amplify this transformation. With trembling hesitation, Kali reached out for his cold hand. In that instant, another figure stepped forward with grave tenderness and cradled her daughter's form delicately against their chest; a gesture both comforting yet hauntingly surreal. It became clear to Kali what they truly were: Vampires – creatures known for their immortality and insatiable thirst for power. These beings knew all too well the depths of suffering that permeated through each individual's existence.

The man who offered his hand introduced himself "My name is Aro, you've suffered greatly my child. Join me and I could give you power, no one would ever think to hurt you ever again" 

The witch, Kali nodded and accepted her fate. Aro bit her arm injecting her with vampire venom, transforming her into a strange creature as she wasn't just a witch or a vampire but she was now a tahalian, a monster.

Word Count: 1175