Blood weeps from the field, the trees in the distance withering. The sky is a shadow of darkness, not cloudy, but tainted with smog. Despite the unfamiliar eeriness, I somehow know that this was once the Land of Moonlight.

“Why is there so much blood everywhere?” I whisper as I make a path across the land, my bare feet sinking into the blood.

The ground feels lumpy and uneven and the stench of the air is foul, even more potent than the rusty scent of blood kissing the air. Normally, this place would be a vampire’s dream—so much blood to feast on. But the air feels rotten and tainted.

What happened here? What happened to the once sparkling world? Is this from the war that’s supposedly going on?

I’m not sure. I’m not even sure why I’m here or how I got here. All I can do is keep moving forward until I find a creature who may be able to answer that for me. But so far, I haven’t seen another creature anywhere.

The clouds in the sky begin to rain down, raindrop splattering against the ground and washing away some of the blood. That’s when I see them—the bodies. They’re everywhere, covering almost every speck of the field. I open my mouth to scream, but no sound leaves my lips. I want to run, but there’s a body in every direction I turn in.

“Help me,” I whisper. “I don’t want to see this…” My gaze falls to the bodies below my feet and tears drip from my eyes.

The pain they must of felt before they died has been frozen onto their faces.

So much pain. I can feel it. Feel myself bleeding.

I don’t want to see this anymore.

I open and shut my eyes, trying to make the images fade, but instead they become more prominent.

“Look closer.” The wind picks up, carrying a whisper with it.

“Who’s there?” I whisper, goose bumps sprouting across my flesh.

“Look closer, my child,” the wind whispers to me again. “You need to see it. See the Fate of the world.”

I stare up at the sky, refusing to look at the bodies again. “I don’t want to see it—I can’t look at it.”

“You must. It’s what you are. It’s part of you.”

“I did this?” I whisper in horror.

“No, you misunderstand me.” The wind blows my hair out of my face. “These images, this place, they're part of you. The gift of seeing this—it’s what you are.”

Icy tears roll down my cheeks. “You’re not making any sense.”

“In time, I will.” Then just as quickly as the wind picked up, it fades, the rotten air returning.

Swallowing hard, I force my gaze down to look for… Well, I’m unsure.

As my gaze collides with the ground, the blood begins to drain from the land, giving me a good view of the faces of the bodies. And what I see makes me vomit all over the ground. Because amongst the bodies, are my parents, Rhyland’s and Kingsley’s parents, and Rhyland and Kingsley.

“No!” A scream tears from my lips, tears pouring from my eyes. “This can’t be happening. They’re not dead! Tell me they’re not dead!”

My only response is the echoing of my own voice. Panicking, I turn in a circle and scan the field, searching for an answer to why I’m here. That’s when I spot a figure standing near a cluster of trees in the distance. It’s far enough away that I can’t tell who it is, but every part of me shouts to go to it. I obey, moving forward and carefully stepping over the bodies. I try not to look at their faces, but every so often my gaze lowers. And each time, the pain in my chest increases. But I keep going, keep moving toward the figure who seems to be waiting for me near the trees.

It feels like I walk for hours, pass hundreds of bodies, the stench of death biting at my senses. Finally, when I think I can’t take it anymore, the bodies covering the ground begin to thin out until all I can feel underneath my feet is grass. By then, I’ve arrived at the trees and the figure is there.

Now that I’m closer, I can see it better, see that it has no face or skin, just light.

“What are you?” I whisper as I dare another step closer.

“Patience, my child.” The figure’s voice encompasses me. “Answers will come in time.” It offers me its hand and with reluctance, I take it.

Its fingers are surprisingly warm and solid and calmness sweeps over me.

“See, no need to be afraid.” the figure says as it guides me into the trees.

“I’m not afraid anymore. Why is that? Because it seems like I’m always afraid.”

“Those that are cursed with the gift usually are.” It steers us further into the forest.

“Why is it always about the curse?” I ask, glancing up as light flickers through the tree branches.

“Again, you misunderstand me.” It comes to a stop near a massive oak tree, the branches spun of leafy vines and black and silver-tipped roses. “I’m not talking about the curse of the fey queen. I’m talking about the curse of your existence.”

“Gee thanks.” I eye the tree, feeling drawn to it.

“It’s nothing to be upset about,” it calmly explains to me. “All of our kind have to go through it.”

“Our kind.” An abomination. “Do you know what I am?”

Before it can answer, I’m jerked back.

Then everything goes black.