ACT 10: Maxius

A Broken Lord's Treasure

Nation: Lionshire Castle

Sex: Male

Birthday: Unknown

“Look into my eyes, and I’ll hypnotize you.”

“What a beautiful night to go outside!”

“I-I need blood….”

“Don’t leave me! I-I can’t live without you.”

Maxius is the owner of the Lionshire Castle, home to many vampires that serve and worship his name. The vampire blood in his veins holds prime responsibility for leading the whole clan, which will also be the reason for his downfall. The arrogance and pride that exudes from his demeanor made enemies that tarnish his name. However, when the day comes, a heart beats for love; the power it holds could not be contained in such a fiend; losing both himself and the girl will be his final comeuppance.

Maxius allowed himself to be surrounded by his castle walls and never left the place ever again. The impact of his loss led him to his sanity. No matter how long he stared from the windows, hoping that she would come back, her life in this world had already ended. Even with his plea to the gods, they still didn't grant his wishes. Being consumed by his thoughts of sorrow and despair, there was no point in continuing living this lonely life without his beloved. Vampires cannot die; it is a curse for being gifted with powers and immortal life. He once tried to go outside and bathe in the sunlight; however, such pain was not enough to mend the broken pieces of his heart.

A FATEFUL ENCOUNTER

One cold evening, Maxius just woke up from his slumber. His body was already sweaty and feeling anxious about the upcoming blood moon, a vampire's time of awakening. A time in which the monster inside comes out and stirs chaos to everything or everyone it encounters. A curse that will forever haunt their immortal life. He finally had the strength to go outside and drifted into the wind. Whenever he feels down, he goes outside to soar into the sky; adoring the beauty of the world around him. As the moon rises and is surrounded by the night sky, a time where the world is in peace, asleep and silent. That night was different; he saw a beautiful figure in the shadow that struck his vampire's heart. He observed her from the distance until their eyes intertwined; the Hellcat immediately went away. Her eyes shone in the light of the moon, making him breathless.

Ever since that encounter, Maxius couldn't help but wait for her patiently in the same spot. As hours flew by, she was nowhere to be seen. He began losing hope, thinking what he saw that night was only a product of his imagination. He was about to leave when someone grabbed his arm and pointed a sword at his neck. Before he could even attack the person, a familiar smell hit him; it was the Hellcat. The Hellcat held him tightly by the neck, but just the mere thought of her beside him was already enough to make him yield. The moment Maxius said his name, the Hellcat released him immediately. A vampire against a Hellcat; anyone could guess who would win such a fight. As they exchanged their names, the Hellcat, Rik'ka, was still cautious around him. Despite her frightening appearance, she still looks enthralling. Rik'ka unsheathed her sword and was about to behead him when her fellow Hellcats were flying towards near them suddenly. Against her will, she spared his life. Shocked at her decision, Maxius couldn't help but be in awe of her presence; his heart had been captivated.

THE ABANDONED DUTIES

Maxius' servants knew that their master was going outside every night. They warned him about the risks of the moonlight; the moon reflected the sun's light and would jeopardize his life soon. Blinded by emotions, Maxius didn't listen to his servants; instead, he always attended to her calling. The two became close in a short period since they understood each other's struggle with their races. One night, when the two of them were on the top of the mountain, both had finally dared to confess their affections. However, a vampire and a Hellcat can't be together. Vampire cats wander in the night and are asleep during the day. They craved even a tiny drop of blood, ferocious monsters when the Blood moon strikes. On the other hand, Hellcats are feral, killing anyone who intervenes in their way. They were souls that were meant to meet but never to last.

Rik'ka never regretted her betrayal to the three gods; her life turned out to be better than she had imagined. If she didn't, she would have never met Maxius, the love of her life. She abandoned her duties once again and left her comrades scouting the areas of the vampire cats' territories. Maxius was in deep thought about their situation and remembered that vampire cats could turn any cat into one of their kind by doing the forbidden ritual; biting the cats in the neck and performing during the blood moon. He told her what he had in mind despite the risky process and uncertainty, Rik'ka agreed. To be with her better half, she was willing to do anything, not knowing that it cost her life.

THE BLOOD MOON

The clock had finally rung its last bell, a sign that of someone's ending to begin. The moon once again bathed in blood as the sky's spine-chilling state causes shivers in anyone to come witness. The prestigious vampire cats are more resistant and can control their minds and bodies during the blood moon. Unlike the ones who served them, lower to mid-levels became more powerful but unstable. They go on a wild rampage, killing anyone in their sight. Maxius saw this as an opportunity to sneak inside the castle and perform the forbidden rite with Rik'ka. Both went into the underground chamber of the palace, hidden from others as this contains classified information that only high-ranking vampire cats know. Maxius searched his books and potions; however, his breaths started getting heavier, tension piling up his chest due to a small amount of time.

It took them not long to find what he was looking for. Maxius immediately drew the symbol on the ground and let Rik'ka lay on it while her eyes were closed. He chanted a powerful spell, making everything in the chamber thrown out of place. The enchantment triggered a thunder, his cue to bite Rik'ka on her neck. The blood moon was at its peak; Rik'ka screamed in pain. Her skin color started to change from red to purple, a sign the ritual was successful. She continued screaming and kept struggling under his hold, not until the room went in complete silence. He softly caressed her face; she had finally turned into a vampire cat but at the cost of her life. Tears slowly dripped down from his eyes as he can not accept that the cat he is embracing right now is lifeless. The ritual failed; it killed Rik'ka, the love of his life, and it's all his fault.