The world is dyed. #1

Alec Crowley stares at his mother back, his eyes following her long red hair with bronze highlights cascading down to her lower back. The 8 years old boy gray eyes flecked with amber dots looks everywhere around him, filled with fear but also excitement.

Burning torches are disposed in a circle, they illuminates the immense swampy clearing and draws the shadows of the members of the coven gathered all around Alec on the ground.

The members gathered stare at him fervently, their gaze filled with a disturbing admiration, a devotion bordering on fanatical worship.

Alaina, walks towards her son dressed in her traditional outfit, the one he saw her wear at every ceremony of the coven. Wooden horns rises from her head in patterns much more complex than those present on the animals produced by nature, a long shimmering black tunic embroidered with runes and symbols in green threads covers her from shoulders to toes.

The others members are wearing similar but less grandiose outfits signifying their lower hierarchical position in the coven.

" My sisters, my brothers. It was revealed to us a long time ago, our ancestor Fergus Crowley prophesied it a hundred years ago, two decade before his death, a death he also foresight. And then it was our turn to be blessed by visions, glimpses of what is pre-designed, of what is to come. We knew, we all knew that this day would come, we have known it for years, since that sacred day. The birth of my son, our son, but most importantly our birthed miracle. " Alaina's powerful voice silences the many chattering and whispering, her undying faith bleeds through her speech and invigorate the spirits of every members of the coven, they're cheerful, happy but festering with impatience. They have waited for 8 long years for this day, now this is it, the moment of truth.

Their communion, they're shared beliefs in this child almost resonates in the isolated clearing, like a background noise, it echoes, vibrations charged with esoteric energy travels freely through the bodies and hearts of every individual standing on the clearing.

" So here we are tonight, an April 19, a night without moon. Assembled to fulfill our duty, as our ancestor before did. Our offerings, our sacrifices are not dedicated to the world or to us, but for you. The son whom is the father. " Alaina continues while crouching down and gently taking the hesitant hand of Alec in her own.

" Are you ready ? " She whispers closely to his ear, her breath and the ambient energy giving him goosebumps.

Alec grey eyes plunges into the dark and somber eyes of his mother. Thousands of thoughts runs through him, the ideas of running away, of shouting, of crying.

" Yes mother. I am. " he says with a trembling voice, not really sure what to do next.

Fortunately Alaina guides him towards a wooden platform, the old wood have been carved precisely for his measurements he notices it when he lays on it.

" So it is time. Under this dark moonless night, at the hour when the spirits and energies converge to the highest point, we accomplish our part in history. " Alec's mother exclaims loudly while 3 women at the sides dressed in long brown tunic and wearing a tiara of blue flowers starts to beat a rythme on musical instrument made of materials exclusively found in the forest that encompasses the entire clearing. Bones, flowers, leather, trees...

" Bring our offerings ! " Alaina shouts enthusiastically, a wild glint in her eyes.

As the tempo accelerates, 10 children are brought to her, these 10 boys, aged between 8 to 18 have all been groomed for this peticular night.

Their minds poisoned from their birth to believe in the rightness of their self-sacrifice for an other, conditioned to think their lifes are less important than the object of their coven devotion, a boy who's even more lost than the naive sheeps led to their demise.

Laying on the uncomfortable wooden altar, Alec lean his head back to try to see them, he barely have the time to recognize Giltbert, an 11 years old red haired boy with whom he spent afternoons playing at levitating objects with their magic before his mother roughly shoves his head back. Then she lovingly caresses his brown hair before proceeding with the ceremony.

[ Seattle ]

[ 8 years later ]

[ February 26, 2028 ]

Alec is in a 5 star hotel room obtained with the help on an unstoppable force, magic. All he had to do was apply a spell on the receptionist's to accept suggestions and it was done. The spacious bedroom, equipped with a marble bath, a king size bed and a view of the needle tower of Seattle was put at his disposal.

" Sed semper verus est malitiosis, in testimonium dissolutam animarum harenae tempus, voca me audire ! " Alec's voice, still slightly frail, echoes in the room plunged into the dark except from the light of candles.

The blackout curtain are pulled to block the moonlight and all the lights are off. Alec is seated in front of a circle drawn with chalk, a pentagram is also drawn inside of the circle and black wasp wax candles are arranged at each ends of the pentagram star.

" Sed semper verus est malitiosis, in testimonium dissolutam animarum harenae tempus, voca me audire. " He recites the invocation again and places the carcass of a dead viper he prepared in the center along with a hundred and two centipedes legs.

Suddenly, a disturbing heat invades the room making sweat trickle down Alec's forehead. His heart quickens when 8 red eyes haphazardly placed on a warped snake face appears in the circle, it's upper body is sleak and thin, it have no appendages like arms or claws, the upper body is eerily similar to a reptile. The lower body is just as sickening, 6 legs covered with sharp scales dripping a viscous green liquid and ending in razor sharp stingers. A putrid smell fills the room, an odor of rotten, of decay.

The summoned creature stares at him for a long minute. Then its anthropomorphic head lowers and it let escapes a shrill hiss from the hole that must served as a mouth when it sees the circle surrounded by candles which traps it, confine it.

" Assk your question and I'll anssswer. Then it will be time to pay my due. " The thing's voice is cold and threatening as it speaks.

" I-What happened to me the April 19, 2020 at midnight ? " Alec asks hesitantly, unsure on how to formulate his inquiry.

The seemingly reptilian entity stays silent, it seems to look backwards for a second then its 8 eyes close and twitches as if in constant movements.

" Wasshed by blood, strengthened by bonesss, nourisshed by organsss, enlightened by soulss. Thisss iss what happened to you. " It answers with the same bone chilling hiss it used in every of the phrases' it pronounced.

Alec nods before leaving the room, leaving the impatient creature inside, famished and angry.

He advances toward the elevator then enter, the catchy melody accompanies him to the ground floor where the metal doors open onto a large hall, furnished with wooden tables, red burgundy carpets and crystals chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling decorated with moldings.

Behind the counter engraved with motifs by cabinetmakers, the receptionist is standing. His posture is upright, in his elegant uniform he almost blends in with the luxurious hotel wall behind him.

Alec walks over to him, his grey eyes meeting the employee's brown eyes. " Go up to my room, blow on the candles, then... Pray if it brings you comfort. " He says while his fingers recreate the melody of the elavator on the old wood of the post.

" Of course sir. " The receptionist answers in a monotonous voice, his eyes and face placid.

" Right away- Adam. " Alec adds while he lean forward to read the name tag on his black and red uniform.

Adam immediately sets off for the room, his walk is slow. He got his foot injured last weekend while playing with his daughter. He disappears in the elevator under the guilty gaze of Alec who goes out of the hotel once the doors close on Adam.

[ Mystic Falls ]

Not far from the town, inside a coniferous forest that extends over several dozen of hectares, a wolf with snow-white fur wields all her bestial power with uncharacteristic joy. Her paws stealthily crashes on the ground paved with dead thorns and leaves, when her senses detect a potential prey her swift strides sends pines cones waltzing.

A curious squirrel eager to stock up food nimbly descends from a century-old tree that streches to about 6 meters in height.

As soon as it puts a paw on the ground, an imposing jaw with sharp teeth pierced his neck.

Blood stains the previously pristine white of her fur as the white wolf fiercely tears the already dead animal.

" Hope !! " A masculin shout disturbs the environment, some birds fly away while the wolf let go of the squirrel and turns her head in direction of the voice.

The wolf as massive as an ox soars, its speed is such that the pines and undergrowth merge into a blur, a colored mix of woody green and sky blue from her perspective. She arrives at the foot of a tree where a pile of clothes covered with a towel is waiting for her.

The dry sound of bones breaking is followed by a groan of contained pain, the paws transform into attractive woman legs as the wolf's torso also changes. The fur recedes to reveal a clear, umblemished and soft skin softly shining under the rays of the morning sun.

Curved hips that frame a round and muscular buttock and long strawberry blonde hair paints a new form that is no longer bestial, but enchanting.

Her eyes usually blue are still glowing yellow, blood not quite dry trickles from the corner of her mouth onto her neck and in the hollow between her generous breasts, giving her a sauvage apparence despite shedding her wolf skin.

" Hope !? " The man's voice travels to her once more.

" Two minutes Ric ! I'm coming. " She exclaims while she wipes the blood with the orange microfiber towel.

Once she's relatively clean, she grabs her navy blue jeans which put her to her advantage and pulls it. She then puts on her white blouse and finally the black jacket with red lining.

After arranging her hair as best as she can, she walks towards Alaric.

She finds him at the beginnings of the forest, near the school entrance fence. The roots of his hair are gray, his full beard is also dotted with gray tufts which betrays the fact that he is now in his fifties. The black flanelle shirt and the pants in the same dark tone draw a muscular but somewhat coated physique.

" It's a bit early to let off steam in the woods, isn't it ? " Alaric asks with hidden tenderness.

" I think I deserved it after what happened with Landon. " She answers in an angry and cold tone.

" We'll find him Hope, I promise. " He says more softly. " In the meantime, do you want to take your mind off the Landon incident ? " He adds with more enthusiasm.

" I don't think- " She starts to answer but is interrupted.

" It's important. And it's in Seattle... It might do you good to see a little bit of country. " Alaric argues to convince her.

" Fine ! Let's go. " Hope responds, seemingly annoyed but a smile briefly appears on her face.

The two of them cross the gravel driveway which leads to a magnificent 18th century guesthouse. A fountain separates the driveway into 2 bifurcations that meet back in front of the large solid wood entrance sweep.

As the storefront on the gate at the entrance indicates, this is the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted.

" Anyone else coming with us ? " Hope asks as Alaric opens the door for them.

" I was thinking maybe... Lizzie. " He answers as they pass through the hallway.

The decoration is anachronic, the armchairs, the sofas and other furnitures are modern.

But the rest, the rest is historical, in the common room, swords and axes rests en display stands, relics protected by glass walls are free to be admired.

In the library, hundreds of books and parchment fill large shelves, the greatest concentration of magical knowledge is present here, in this school.

Classrooms are rather classic, just like the bedrooms. The hundred or so students allow the headmaster, Alaric, to offer confort of individual or shared rooms at the request of his residents.

[ Seattle ]

[ February 27 ]

Seated on a bench in Kerry Park, Alec stares at the peoples while he eats a burger he bought earlier. He watches them lines up behind the binoculars usable for a few cents.

Sometimes he envies them, their ignorance. As soon as he was able to learn, his mother instilled the numerous dangers of the world to him. The dark side, the consequences of magic, but also what kinds of monsters could hide beneath his bed.

Looking at them he can't help but see them as lambs, a vampire, a werewolf or something else would make a mouthful of these helpless little squirrels. It slightly erases the bitter jealousy he maintain for their carelessness, being in the dark is much more dangerous in his opinion.

He thinks back to the answer he's got, which leads him to think to the poor man he sent to an horrifying death. It was necessary, at least according to Alec, but it does not take away the guilt that he feels, however as small it is.

Kilometers higher, flying over the clouds and amorcing its descent. Hope, Alaric and his daughter Lizzie are sitting side by side on the plane.

" Dear dad, are you finally going to tell us what's so interesting in Seattle ? " Lizzie asks while tucking a strand of her flaxen blond hair behind her ear. She is dressed in a black elasticated skirt with tights colored as her skin underneath with light turquoise top embellished with jewelry around her neck and wrist.

" Do you remember the globe that allowed us to detect supernatural creatures ? " Alaric answers with a question and gets nods as response. " Well it detected something... " He adds while deliberately prolonging the mystery.

" So ? Come on, stop beating around the bush. " Hope says while she tries to ignore the sensation flying has on her superior senses.

" Ah.. To be honest I don't- I don't really know okay... Dorian is trying to find more information but the only thing we know for sure is that a huge amount of magic suddenly appeared. " Alaric explains while gripping the armrests when the plane slow down and loses altitude.

" I thought the globe was useless, that it didn't work ? " Lizzie asks perplexedly while internally chuckling at her father physical reaction, he never liked plane.

" It works very well. Only it has to be something huge, really huge for it to be detected. " He clarifies and throws a look heavy of meaning at the unique being sitting next to his daughter.

[ An hour later ]

Leaving the airport under a tick layer of menacing clouds. The trio calls a taxi and climbs in it.

" Hotel Plaisance please. " Alaric announces to the driver who enter it in his phone and starts to drive.

The journey takes place in a tense atmosphere. Hope admires the buildings passing past them and Alaric devours a book on the Persian empire as rock music can be heard form the radio.

" So Hope, any news from Landon ? " Lizzie asks mischievously, she is bored, silence is not her default state.

" No. " Hope responds without disclosing anything.

" No ; I don't know a thing or no : I'm still hurting to much to think or talk about him ? " Lizzie insists and try to dig deeper.

" I really don't want to talk about it. Especially not with you. " Hope says dryly, her blue eyes leaving the landscape to stare at the beautiful blonde girl seated at the right of Alaric who's regretting sitting in the middle.

" Why not ? As your nemesis I'm the perfect person to talk too. I'll be objective and furthermore I'm not afraid to be honest with you. " Lizzie answers, using a term her friend M.G frequently use.

" Of course, I'll share my intimate feelings with someone who doesn't like me. What an impressive logic, I can't find a flaw in it. " Hope says sarcastically while crossing her arms and slightly spreading her legs.

" You always have to reject everyone. Don't you tell yourself that maybe Landon betrayed you for a stupid knife because you're like this ? " Lizzie retorts, knowing exactly where to sting for it to work.

" Excuse me ? " Hope says, outraged. " Can you remind me who has serious problems with self-management in this car ? " She adds, she also knows what buttons to press when it comes to Lizzie.

" Enough girls. We're here. " Alaric cuts the conversation short before it escalates any further. Their arrival conveniently helping him.

He pays the driver and urge the girls to get out of the car.

They stands in front of a building, the hotel Plaisance, the architecture is modern, brutal angles and large windows reflecting the neighboring buildings. The location is also a good point for it, just a few blocks from the famous Seattle tower.

" You feel somethin' ? " Alaric asks as he make sure his gun is loaded with wooden bullet then is easily accessible and well concealed.

" Nah. " " No. " Hope and Lizzie answers simultaneously, both looking at the building with curiosity.