COMPLETE SUMMARY:

Alexandra Vause, a being doomed to govern the Shadow Lands and impose punishment on those people who have committed the worst crimes does not fear anything, as she herself is the most fearful thing for the human kind. In a world increasingly beset by darkness, her power will be subdued unexpectedly by the arrival of a young woman who will arise in her feelings never felt before, as well as a boundless dread. When realizing that the end of darkness is imminent, she will have to make the decision of her existence: to quench the cause of her weakness or to surrender to the unavoidable advance of light, both at the highest price.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hello! First of all, if you are reading this, I want to say thank you! It means a lot to me that you have taken the time to give me a chance. Second of all…I think it's important to clarify that English is not my first language, so surely, you will find some misspellings along the way (I hope not LOTS XD well…who am I lying? Maybe you will find lots of them) which brings me to the third point…I want you to feel free to correct me, because mainly, I decided to write this story to practice my English he he he. Now, talking a little more about the story, I want to make it clear that this is purely for fun…I've been thinking about this idea for a while, one day I started to write about it and this is the result. The idea, I must say, it might not be very original; you will find a lot of references to other stories (movies, tv series, books, whatever) but like I said, I'm just doing this for fun, not for a profit (yeah! I wish) so I do not see crime with using other things for inspiration…

Needless to say, this is 100% Vauseman because…well, I really don't think I need to explain the reason why, they're just too awesome, period. The reading dynamics will be always the same: one chapter from Alex's POV and the next one from Piper's POV…and so on, although there could be some exceptions throughout the story, I still don't know ;). Also, I appreciate feedback, so you are free to comment, criticize, suggest, come up with an idea, hate or love the story, I don't care; I will take it ALL constructively.

P.S: We are talking about Vauseman so, rated M scenes are coming, just be patient…

Also, if you have read the synopsis, you will have realized that this is completely fantasy, with magic and in an alternate world etc etc…so if you do not like this genre, think about it twice before reading ;)

Without further delay…Here is the first chapter, from Alex's POV. Have fun and don't forget to comment ;)

CHAPTER I (Alex POV)

I would always remember the time I went into the deepest part of the forest searching for answers. In my hands laid the most powerful and dangerous magic ever known by humankind, still, the power of prophecy was beyond my grasp. The memory would remained engraved in my mind forever, in spite of having already happened decades ago, though at this point I could not say with certainty how much time had passed because, some time ago, I had stopped following the trail of time as the concept of time itself becomes obsolete at some point for one who attains immortality.

That part of the world remained in a perennial darkness that sheltered the most dreaded and horrifying creatures, the most repulsive humans that had been expelled from their own kingdoms as punishment for their deplorable acts and condemned to wander in this world of shadows, that, if they could stay alive of course, or if I decided that they deserved the chance to keep breathing. Few brave men, or stupid men in my opinion, had dared into the darkness, in search of gallant adventures to tell, although none lived to do so, or at least they did not find the way out. But I had nothing to fear, as I was the owner of darkness, nor the most terrible monster would dare to face me, but even so, every time I wandered through the woods, I could not help but feel overwhelmed by the stillness of the place, so devoid of life; the basic instinct of survival from my previous self was still rooted in my interior, making me look over my shoulder from time to time.

It did not take me long to find the place, helped a little by my magic that guided me to places where I had never been. In the dim light I observed a cavernous structure on the eastern slope of the mountain known as The dwelling of the Dragon, it was the place chosen by the dragons to lay their eggs according to the legend, but dragons were then extinct for thousands of years. I approached towards the opening of the main cave, where a wooden door tried to cover the entrance poorly. I entered without permission; I did not need it after all, everything and everyone within the confines of the shadows belonged to me. The atmosphere inside the cave was cold and wet with a heavy stale odor that made me wrinkle my nose. I was guided by the light of the torch I carried, but I did not have to walk much…a nearby voice stopped me a few meters away startling me…

"Are you afraid of darkness?" Someone said mockingly. I turned to the source of the sound slightly irritated for such a statement I was not afraid of anything. The torchlight did not seem to be enough to visualize the owner of the voice, which was a mixture between an old woman and a little girl, so I got closer to it…

"It's not my fault that nobody can see anything in this deplorable pigsty" I said with great contempt while scrutinizing the place, getting closer to the voice

"I beg your pardon my lady…my intention was not to offend you; as you will understand, the dark is not a problem for me" giving me no time to reply the voice continued "Your visit is a great honor for me; we had not yet had a chance to meet, but I knew that this day would come; sooner or later even the lords of darkness end up needing my services" I was already close enough as to identify the small figure, sitting in a rocking chair… "What is it that you want?" The voice inquired

"I thought you'd already know" A loud laugh filled the room

"HAHAHAHA" the strong laughter turned into a hoarse coughing "Of course I know…" It finally said after the coughs were over "I was just looking for some conversation, I receive few visits and sometimes I feel lonely around here"

"Let's just cut to the chase before I cut your throat wide open" I was not in the mood for jokes and this creature was known to have great liking to tease people; but not me, she would not dare to tease me if she wanted to stay alive, if that could be called life…

"No need for that my lady; besides I know that such a thing will never happen, I have certain knowledge about my own death" the creature released another round of laughter intermingled with a cough that took its breath away "…but as you wish…" It continued saying "I will not waste your precious time…you'll need to get closer to me" the creature said settling into the chair in a more comfortable way; I did as asked and stood just a step away from that strange thing, watching it carefully from above "you are too tall, you're going to have to bend down" I knelt reluctantly; my face was at the height of a countenance covered by a hood. The figure leaned forward to me, the stale smell intensified at this, to the point that I had to hold my breath; I did not need it anyway. The thing retired its hood uncovering its face…it had the aspect of a human little girl though the eye sockets were black holes, with nothing inside…I had to suppress a gasp of surprise, the image was creepy, but I had seen worse things

"You are nothing but a human girl" I said trying not to sound too impress…the girl let out a slight chuckle…

"And what were you expecting?"

"I don't know" I honestly said "But definitely not this"

"Do not let yourself be guided by what you see, I'm not a girl…I'm older than I look hahaha…shall we?" The girl raised her hands to put them in front of my sight, a silent request…I had some knowledge about how it worked; I clenched my jaw determined to continue with this, regardless of the outcome

"Do it!" I commanded and the girl obeyed, putting her little hands on my cheeks.

I had barely felt the cold palms wrapping my face for less than a second, when suddenly my senses faded. No smell, no sound, no touch, no taste, and no sight…total emptiness. A complete sense of vulnerability filled me and something that I could only define as uncertainty. After a moment that seemed like hours, little by little the senses returned to me. I found myself holding tightly to the girl's thin forearms, so as not to lose balance…I felt exhausted…not able to speak, I even had the strange need to catch my breath…

"What the hell was that?" I demanded to know grasping the girl's arms more tightly; I was not used to feeling so weak, what had she done to me? I wondered with suspicion

"I'm sorry for that, I know it's not a very nice experience…but I had to do it to see through you, to understand your true concerns and be able to glimpse your future" it was difficult to read the face of that creature that lacked eyes…I could read people easily just by look at them in the eyes, still, I sensed some air of concern in her eyeless features, which gave me goose bumps

"What did you see?" I tried not to sound anxious

"The dawn" the girl said after a few seconds under her breath, as if she was afraid to say that simple word out loud

"The dawn?" I echoed as a question, without understanding the intensity of my interlocutor

"The end of…darkness…starts with you" the girl fixed her hollow eyes on my face and though it was physically impossible I could feel the intensity of her non-existence gaze over my face

- The end of darkness?" I asked incredulously, how could that be possible? "Ha! That's just nonsense!" I got up abruptly, releasing my grip on the girl's arms

"It is not! I saw it…the light bathing even the darkest corners of this kingdom…" she expressed with her hands in the air

"It's impossible!" I was not going to tolerate those words, much less believe in them "Darkness encompasses everything around us! You can climb to the top of this mountain and wherever you look, darkness is all there is…but of course you could not see it with your own eyes!" I said with disdain; this unpleasant creature had wasted my time

"And tell me…what is darkness but the absence of light?" She asked me with a tone impregnated with wisdom "Look around you! Not even this dark and cold hole under tons of stones that is my home can resist the feeble light of your torch…" I looked around trying to understand her words "and then they say I'm the blind one! HA!" she laughed bitterly

"I am the darkness" I said stubbornly "even with the light of a thousand torches around me!" My voice became grave, full of authority

"Believe what you want then!" The creature said angrily "But the day will come; the light will come to you in the most unsuspected way, and for when you know it you will not be able to stop her!" she shouted, taking a deep breath at the end of the sentence to sum up saying with a resigned voice "You are doomed to let her in and it will be the end of darkness as we know it" a deathly silence filled the space, only the soft sizzle of fire coming from the torch that was beginning to die out…I took the silence to think about what I had been told, could she be right? Could the darkness be extinguished? And most importantly… What kind of force could be fierce enough as to fight the darkness and win? I had a thousand questions to ask, but my lips formed only one…

"When?" I dared to ask after a moment. I had come for this, I needed to know when my torturous existence would end; life had lost all meaning and nothing ever seemed to satisfy me. Still, I was afraid to hear the answer

"That I could not tell" the voice of the girl sounded tired "the only thing that my predictions do not allow is to know when things are going to happen; it could be tomorrow, in five moons or a century who knows. But I know for sure that they will occur"

Without getting a satisfying answer to the only question I had asked, there was no point in continuing in that place. I felt exhausted and wanted to go home as soon as possible, leaving this horrible hole behind. I looked around again; taking in the surroundings with more attention…How could anyone or anything live in this place?

"How can you live in these conditions?" I said without thinking, motivated by a genuine curiosity

"I do what I can to survive…" the girl said with a sad smile that stirred something close to sympathy in the depths of my being. Very rarely did these feelings appear in me

"I could send someone to clean this place and make it more…welcoming, send you enough food regularly and some company if you need it" I offered out of pity. A smile emanated from the girl´s thin lips

"Thank you my Lady, nobody had ever done anything for me, you are very generous, nothing like your predecessors" I said nothing in return wondering the meaning of those last words "Will you come to visit me again?" the girl finished

"You probably know that better than I do…" I said with a bored tone

"Ohhh yes…! We will definitely meet again your ladyship…thank you for your visit…have a safe ride home" she laughed at her joke and with that I disappeared shrouded in shadows, leaving behind that creepy place, that creepy girl, and those words that would creep in my mind forever…Even then, after so many years…

I was resting in my usual place, in a burgundy velvet armchair in front of the large fireplace in the big library. The hypnotic dance of the flames always made me calm down somehow. Without wanting to, I evoked every detail of that distant night in the cave…How much time has passed? I wondered…since then, I had remained expectant, even paranoid, waiting for the prophecy to be fulfilled; but the moons passed, the years passed, decades…and nothing happened. Sometimes I cursed myself for going to that cave; I was tormented by the answers without response. There used to be a time when I even envied the power to see the future, but now, with this little piece of information about my own future, I understood the weight of such power. As far as I knew, or at least what rumors said, the creature had torn her eyes out with her own hands in an act of madness, convinced that this way she would be unable to see the future…of course, it did not work, as her power did not emanate from her sight but from her mind…

"No wonder she pulled her eyes out" I murmured sarcastically under my breath before taking a sip of wine

"Did my lady say anything?" A familiar voice said taking me by surprise. I did not expect anyone's company tonight

"I was talking to myself…I think I remember ordering to be alone" I said slightly irritated by her presence

"I know what my lady said" I could sense the woman approaching behind me "but I thought maybe I could help you feel better" the woman posed her hands suggestively on my shoulders

"I did not ask such thing Sylvie" although sometimes it was nice to play with the woman, as she helped me to satisfy my primal instincts in the most willingly manner, I was not in the mood tonight

"Ohhh come on…" the woman said with seductive voice as she walked around the chair to stop right in front of me; she untied her robe allowing me to see her naked torso "you have not paid me attention in days" she ended up saying while straddling me in the big chair, intruding my hair with her fingers "let me cheer you up" she leaned toward me and I let her kiss me…desperate to feel something, but it was an empty kiss; I had tried, with Sylvie and countless other girls who had served me over so many years, but at some point, the feelings that those girls provided me became monotonous, sometimes even tedious, like now

"Sylvie" I broke the kiss…"I'm not in the mood" I stated with a tone that the woman knew well, because she stopped immediately and got up from the chair in an offended manner, her face burning by rejection

"Of course my lady" she bowed frigidly "as always, your wishes are orders" she spat those words with venom and left…

Again alone I began to question my situation with Sylvie…of course, she meant nothing for me, after all, Sylvie was just another servant, more than disposed to comply with all my demands, as I could not expect less from a servant, but it was obvious that Sylvie had taken the whole situation too personally, she was infatuated with me and this began to bother me …I had to find a solution and soon, and it had to be a subtle one because she was not an easy going person. I mulled about it taking the last sips of my wine glass when I heard the call…a man's voice from a distant place intertwined with the hoot of the wind

"Aaarrrgghhh! And now what!?" I snarled…"Can't I have a moment of peace?" No, of course not I answered to myself

I wanted to ignore the call, I could do it, but the habits were really hard to break; I could never resist the temptation to make a deal with a desperate person and always ended up giving up, besides, the curiosity to know who was miserable enough to require my services always prevailed over anything else. After my little internal debate and as always, I ended up embracing my nature

"Damn it!" I sighed defeated at my lack of willpower…I faded instantly in search of the petitioner, he better not waste my precious time…

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much for reading. If the reception is positive, I will upload the second chapter very very soon, in less than a day...This first chapter is a little short...but tha's how it turned out. Next chapters will last longer as the story goes...Well, now tell me...What do you think of it? ;)