Venator : Devil's Moon

XVI : G U D R U K

Dedicated to TotomiRalte, the wonderful reader who waited eagerly for this chapter. Sorry to keep you waiting, Totomi and other awesome readers. I hope you guys have a wonderful time reading.

And I promise I'll release the chapters more regularly since the tiresome editing has been done finally and I can get back to writing the more interesting part ( yeah! )

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[ Sebastian ]

"You sure Laura's asleep?" Uncle Rob asked as he busied himself searching for some book in his large collection of dusty fragile scriptures spreaded over a circular wooden table which used to adorn the centre of the hexagonal marble room. But today, it was lying along the wall.

"Yup, But why did you call me here? At Gabrielle's?" We could've talked at home itself." I asked curiously while wondering why all the furniture which once adorned the hall was now lined along the walls, leaving the central area vacant. But the new set up didn't surprise me as much as Uncle Rob did. He flinched at the name of Gabrielle, one of the brave warriors of Deathstars he was proud of.

Her grave, actually, didn't exist. It was believed she visited my uncle's great great great grandfather or something before fading into oblivion. Yes, she didn't die. She faded. That's what happens to those who use too much of their Deathstar. Since it's soul from where all the energy a person can summon originates, it weakens with the use of every spell. And then, after a critical limit, the person doesn't die, he fades as his soul vanishes into oblivion. For him, there's no death nor any future birth. His dissipated soul merges with the infinite universe.

That's precisely why I've been avoiding my Deathstar. I've been used as an assassin not less than a hundred times. It not just meant the end of my humanity before it would even start, but also the end of my soul. My soul was dying both literally and figuratively. One more Deathstar move and I wonder where I'd end up.

This tomb was built by my great great great grandfather in her memory. But since no one knew what'd happened to Gabrielle III, except the Guildbergers, who perished in the catastrophic war of Deathstars waged against the Birthstones, sixty years ago, the knowledge of Melissa's statue and the grave of Gabrielle III remained limited to us.

Then, when my uncle was named as the Lord of Guildberg, he expanded the tomb to what it is now - a secret hideout. "It won't be long before another war is waged on, Sebastian. At that time, always free feel to use Lady Gabrielle's abode." He'd once told me. He still believed that the war shall happen and I, regardless of how my dad had used me would participate in the war. If anything, I might participate against the Deathstars.

They ruined me, I will ruin them.

"Because it's not just talking we need to do, Seb. I think I've finally figured out everything. Everything!" He said covering his face with a proud smile to hide his flinched face.

Seb? I thought. Maybe my uncle wasn't feeling well today; he actually hated shortening names. 'Sebastian' what a beautiful name my brother had decided. He used to say.

He then found the book, rather a weakly bound collection of pages, he'd been searching and gently moved his hand over it as if the withered texture of the leather covered book pleased him. It might not be wrong if I said that just a mere touch of an old book would soothe his soul. He loved books more than he loved anything - even more than my aunt. He was such a bookworm that once, he'd said with a pleasant face,

"Sebastian, when I'm dead, bury me within my library, my casket stuffed with books."

The memory made me smile.