Forbidden Longings | Seulrene AU

Prologue (✓)

Centuries ago, nestled between towering mountains and lush forests, there lay a town called Daegu. It was not an ordinary town, for it was a place where humans and vampires coexisted in harmony.

This serene harmony lasted for generations, as both species learned to respect and appreciate each other's differences. Mutual trust was bestowed and friendships formed, as the vampires and humans shared their lives, dreams, and blood in peace.

Daegu became renowned for its unique culture, where humans and vampires celebrated each other's existence rather than fearing it. The townsfolk welcomed the night with open arms, reveling in the mysterious allure of their vampire neighbors. As moonlight bathed the streets, laughter and music filled the air, mingling with the whispers of eternal beings who called the shadows home.

However, fate can be fickle and darkness can encroach upon even the brightest of days. One ill-fated night, a dreadful incident shook the very foundation of this extraordinary town. The son of the mayor had been found dead and dismembered near a forest with no perpetrator in sight, besides the vampires who are well known to be strong and undercover killing machines.

With no one to suspect besides them, they were unlawfully blamed.

Now the tranquility that had dominated the town for centuries was shattered by one singular incident that held no proof to point fingers at the vampires. But fear gripped the hearts of the townsfolk as this single accident became a catalyst for the erosion of trust. The once unbreakable bond between humans and vampires fractured irreparably.

The council, compromised of influential leaders from both species, convened in despair their once shared vision now clouded by suspicion, anger, and protection of their own kind.

Within the council chambers, heated debates fueled by fear gave birth to a fateful decision. Unanimously, it was decided that vampires would be banished from Daegu and every other nearby town, their presence deemed too great at risk. So much so that witch-hunts were initiated, and a dark cloud of intolerance descended upon the once harmonious town.

The hunters, driven by misguided justice and pent-up rage, embarked on a relentless pursuit of every vampire within their midst. Making sure to stack up on wood stakes, wood arrowheads, and worst of all, vervain. The vampire's biggest weakness to existence.

Many innocent vampires, who had nurtured their friendships with humans for centuries, were hunted down, captured, and executed mercilessly. Each life lost cast a shadow not only upon the guilty but also upon the souls of those who had condemned their friends to such a tragic fate. As the witch-hunts intensified, hope dwindled, and the light that once bathed Daegue began to fade.

But as the last embers of hope threatened to extinguish, something extraordinary happened. Just as the humans thought that they had eradicated the vampires, the creatures of the night mysteriously vanished. It was as if they had dissolved into the very shadows that had sheltered them for centuries. The air grew colder, and the silence grew louder as the town mourned the loss of what could have happened.

In the years that followed, Daegu became a mere shadow of its former self. The town slowly built itself up from the absence of the vampires but continued to strive thanks to the willpower of the people to push forward.

Yet, the hatred for vampires continued to be passed down from generation to generation, keeping the memory of the first event that sparked the hatred, alive. So the mistake of trusting a vampire, let alone a supernatural creature would never be repeated, again.

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(604 word count)