Under The Eclipse: The Blood Moon

Chapter 2: Azen

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Azen already appeared in my dreams. It was like tripping into a deja vu where I seemed to recognize the place and how the circumstance would unfold, but somehow everything was too foreign. Like I was plunged into a scene without a script––a sense of alienation creeping in. I had always felt the constant tug-of-war in both supernatural and mortal worlds, but nowhere did I feel like I belonged enough. Too weak to be considered a werewolf but too odd to live as one with humans. Without Harvey and my mother, I wouldn't have trodden this tightrope between both worlds. Maybe Azen would resolve this confusion in exchange for the life I once had.

Once you enter, you can never go back. It echoed in my head, warning me of the leap we ought to take. I glanced back at the forest and imagined Mom standing there, hands clasped in front of her, and a smile plastered on her face. Her hair danced with the wind––a vision so vivid it almost felt real. I would give up Azen for her. I would've stayed if she asked me to. Does she want me to stay? Or does she want to get rid of the remainder of my father?

"This is not going to be easy for you," Harvey said as if he just read my mind. "So wherever you go, I'll go with you."

I stared back at the gate and forced a smile. "There's nowhere else to go but here."

The ground rumbled and the clank of metals filled the silence. Fog emerged from the other side of the gate when it parted, clouding the entire ground that looked like it was swallowing the earth. Tears almost blurred my vision when Harvey inched closer to me, his warmth diminishing the cold, eerie atmosphere that cloaked the forest. And for the first time again, I felt safe. The loud thud in my chest subsided. I was home.

"So, where's the chaperone?" I asked, barely seeing anything through the fog.

"Here." A bulb of light, as small as a butterfly, flew around our heads. Its wings had a tinge of fluorescent green, and its tail lit up like a torch.

As more of them appeared, the voice said, "They're the angels of Azen––the guardians gifted by the moon goddess. They will help you on your way to the kingdom."

A swarm of them swirled around us, creating a tornado-like shape until the light consumed our vision. Harvey held my hand when we stepped to the other side of the gate, afraid we might lose contact when we got transported to Azen. But just like that the butterflies dispersed. A jaw-dropping sight stood in front of us.

This didn't look like it belonged to the same world as the one we were used to; it painted a thousand glimpses of my dreams. Could this be real?

A waft of damp wind blew past my face, emitting the same scent as the forest soil. Cobbled pavements and narrow streets adorned the surroundings, alongside the towering castle-like buildings and dark stones. It looked like a theater play, us standing in the stadium but without the audience's gaze.

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming," I said in disbelief.

"This is pretty much real." Harvey sounded in awe. "I've never seen something so beautiful yet so menacing at the same time."

It was, in fact, eerie. Like there was an underlying darkness clawing the city. But maybe because it looked aged; or maybe the cracked stones seemed like they could fall apart, or maybe it was the fact that no mortal beings lived here. Everyone and everything could be powerful enough to devour us.

~*~

A car was assigned to drop us off at the Sebastians' house and drifted off as soon as we arrived. Despite the kingdom looking ancient and theatrical, the mix of modernization fascinated me. We weren't allowed to bring our mobile phones, instead, they replaced them with something that could only be used inside Azen––a keypad phone as small as a matchbox. It couldn't be used for anything else other than mere communication.