Bloodlune

Prologue

In the Northern part of the Philippines lies an undiscovered island, Lunacia. Existing for almost two centuries, the island serves as a home for two different races: the vampires and the humans.

Napapalibutan ng malalakas at malalaking alon ang isla ng Lunacia. Madilim at mapanglaw ang buong isla sapagkat hindi ito nasisilayan ng araw. Kahit kailan ay hindi rin nawawala ang makakapal na kaulapan sa kalangitan na mas nakakadagdag sa kadiliman ng lugar.

Tanging ang buwan lamang sa itaas at ang mga lamp post sa bawat kalsada ang nagbibigay-liwanag sa kapaligiran. It was something that made this island spooky. It seemed like it had its own weather.

Nearly centuries ago, a chaos between the two races existed. Vampires became uncontrollable and remorseless, killing innocent and defenceless humans for blood—the main reason why some humans have tried to leave the island.

They've witnessed how merciless vampires were to them. The cold and empty streets of Lunacia were sometimes being filled with the bloodless bodies of humans who were just trying to survive, and that terrified them.

However, no one had made it out of the island successfully. Gamit ang mga maliliit na bangkang sasakyang pandagat, hindi sila nagtagumpay. Masyadong malakas ang mga alon kung kaya't nasira ang kanilang mga bangka.

Before humans were being wiped out on the island, someone spoke up. It was a fearless action that resulted in the establishment of the human and vampire treaty.

Napagkasunduan na dalawang beses sa isang linggo ay mag-aalay nang sapat na dugo ang mga tao para sa mga bampira nang sa ganoon ay hindi na nila kailangan pang pumatay ng mga tao.

Those vampires who try to defy the treaty... will be beheaded. Ever since, no vampire dared to touch humans again.

Still, life continues.

But not for Riyo and her family. For them, living on an island with bloodsuckers was a curse. The feeling of being hunted all the time gave them constant fear and terror.

Her father, Rufus, planned on how they could escape the island. Together with the people who also wanted to leave the island just like them, they constructed a ship. It took them three months to build it. The ship was huge, sturdy, and fearless, and they were confident that it could take them out of the island.

Kumpara sa gabi, hindi masyadong malakas ang mga alon sa umaga kaya mas magandang oras iyon para sa paglalayag. At nang dumating ang araw na pinaghahandaan nila, lahat ay nabigla. The sky and the waves were raging, the heavy clouds above were as dark as night and the loud roars of thunder filled the whole island.

Planado na ang lahat kaya kahit gano'n ang sitwasyon ay hindi sila umatras. That day was the perfect time to leave and they won't let their hardworks turn into dust.

Hawak-hawak ang kamay ng dalawang anak, sabay na sumakay ang tatlo sa barko, ngunit sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon, nabitawan ni Riyo ang kamay ng ama dahil sa kumpulan ng mga taong nagmamadali ring pumasok sa loob. Masikip ang espasyo ng daanan papasok kaya hinintay ni Riyo na humupa ang pila. Ramdam na ramdam niya ang namumutawing kaba sa kaniyang dibdib.

Nang hahakbang na sana siya sa paanan ng barko, bigla itong umalog. Tumigil siya at kinabahan kaya napaatras. Sa kaniyang gulat ay hindi niya namalayang unti-unti na pa lang lumalayo ang barko mula sa kinatatayuan niya dahil natanggal ang tali nito dulot ng malakas na hampas ng alon.

She wanted to shout because no one noticed that she was being left out, but she did not. She can't. And she don't know why.

Mag-isa niyang pinapanood sa gilid ng dagat ang papaalis na barko sakay ang dalawa niyang mahal sa buhay.

Nawalan ng lakas ang kaniyang mga tuhod kaya napaupo siya sa buhangin habang mabagal na rumerehistro sa isip na nakaalis na nang tuluyan ang barkong magdadala sana sa kaniya palabas ng isla.

Sumikip ang dibdib niya at sa hindi maipaliwanag na damdamin, napaiyak siya. Yakap-yakap ang malamig na binti, hinayaan niyang tumulo mula sa mga mata ang nagbabadyang mga luha.

What broke her heart most was the thing that happened next.

Binalot ng nakabibinging pagkulog ng kalangitan ang buong paligid at kasabay ng malakas na pagbugso ng hangin at ulan ay ang hindi inaasahang pagkawala ng balanse ng barko na hindi pa gaanong nakakalayo.

Nag-uunahang tumulo ang mga luha pababa sa kaniyang mukha. Sumasabay ang malakas niyang paghikbi sa ihip ng hangin at hampas ng alon sa karagatan.

For a second, she hoped that she was dreaming.

Can somebody wake her up?

As if on cue, the rain started pouring. The waves went wilder and the wind blew drastically.

Hinayaan ni Riyo na mabasa siya ng ulan. Umiyak lang siya nang umiyak, at sa bawat pagtangis niya ay ang mas pagbigat ng pakiramdam niya.

Pinanood niya ang mabagal na paglubog ng barko sa ilalim ng dagat. Ayaw na niyang masaksihan iyon kaya ipinikit na lamang niya ang mapupungay na mga mata at tinakpan ito gamit ang mga palad.

It was heartless to see the people she loved die in front of her own eyes.

All the people who were inside the ship that was supposed to leave the island.

It was hard. But she has to survive. She needs to be alive. And no matter what happened on that day, she promised herself that she would still find a way... even if it's impossible.