Prologue: Anew

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(England 1800s)

A man ran as fast as he could along a deserted dirt trail that came through a dense forest. He had been running for almost an hour now, and yet, he did not know from whom of what he is exactly running from. All he knew was that he needed to get away.

The farther he reached into the heart of the lush, green forest though, the more he felt as if he has being drawn into the spiders web –he couldnt escape, no matter what he did.

And yet, he continued running. His vision grew darker as the growth of plants and trees grew denser. Protruding branches scratched his exposed pale skin and pulled at his otherwise pristine clothing. He had always preferred to look noble and dignified; now he looked like a downright mess, but he could not care at all. Not when he was fleeing for dear life, he thought. The man continued running, not knowing when and where to stop.

Celestine, I will avenge you,

That moment of vulnerability that crossed his reveries caused the man to lose his concentration. He did not see a tree root rising out of the ground in his path. The man tripped and fell on the ground face down.

It did not hurt –not that he can feel the impact. His lip was cut, hitting a sharp rock –not that it bled.

But he was in pain. Deep, terrible, ugly pain.

He cried, the only human thing that was left in him. Tears fell from his hazel brown eyes.

Celestine, I will find you, and when I do, I will never let you go.

The man then closed his eyes as he remembered his lost love: her angelic smile, her deep blonde hair that fell to her waist, her eyes that were like the ocean on a clear summers day, her voice that made his non-existent heart skip a beat every time she laughed or sang or simply said his name.

"I love you, Blaine…"

She had loved him, even if he was not meant to be loved. HE loved her back, with all that he had. But that love cost her, her very life.

The man clenched his fists tightly as those horrible images crossed his thoughts once more.

"Blaine, please…"

She had begged for her life, but there was noting that he could do. They made him watch her lode every last bit of her breath.

"I love you, Blaine, always…"

Those were her last words. Up until the very end, she had loved him –he who was the cause of her demise.

A fresh spring of tears welled up in the mans eyes as he stood up.

I love you too Celestine, forever…

The man started to run once more, his resolve, anew. And as he did so, with every step, he whispered the name of his lost love. It was almost dusk when he began running into the heart of the woods; by the time had had reached the other end, it was already sunrise.

The man took a moment to admire the spectacle that unfolded right before his eyes.

Brilliant rays of yellow light fought with the deep blue that the last night left –until the darkness was subdued, and then consumed by the emerging ball of flames.

The man thought that he had never seen anything so beautiful – come to think of it, he had never witnessed sunrise before today. But, witness it, he did. He stole a glance at the darkness he came from. He belonged there –it was his nature, his refuge, his being. Then he glanced at the rising sun –the light, the warmth, everything he was not, everything that Celestine was. Hell, it was a no-brainer. He knew there will come a time that he would regret this very day; that his past would come back and haunt him. But now, nothing mattered more than finding her. He knew it would take him several lifetimes –but what was a thousand years to him who knew no life nor death?

 I will find you Celestine, I will wait for you…

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