In a time where Kings ruled the land, existed a place closest to the sky. These mountains soared through the clouds and raindrops became their seas. On the day, the village was called Erana, for it was closer to the rays of the sun.

An on the night, the village was called the Goblet of the Night Hallows, where every part of the village was bathed in moonlight, hence the awakening of the creatures in the dark.

These creatures crept slowly into the darkness... watching, looking, grinning cunningly into the villager's frail bodies. In each of their homes, a creature watched from their windows.

This was an unusual time.

Kings were treated less than Counts.

The Kings were coronated as mortals. They lead, they judge, they make the decisions.

The Counts were awakened as immortals. They watch. They devour. They live for entertainment. And one can destroy a nation.

The King of Chesterfawn was the ruler of the continent. He conquered cities and his opponent with the hilt of his mighty sword, forged by the best of blacksmiths. He was young and unstoppable.

The people thought he feared nothing.

But there was something... no someone that he felt intimidated of. Somebody unknown. Somebody who only lurks in the middle of the night, or so they thought.

The faceless Count of Erana.

The King of Chesterfawn had not once seen this beast. Though the palace had received reports of a strange creature with blue eyes lingering in the dark, smiling against the darkness when they slept.

After an investigation, the wardens assigned have come back with a piece of twisted information.

Above the mountain of Erana, which divided Erana from the cities, they could catch a glimpse of a crumbled castle from the distance. But no matter which path they took, they could never reach the castle.

Thus, they gave the creature name the Count of Erana. A creature thought to be immortal like the rest of the Counts of the continent.

The King of Chesterfawn did not believe the existence of the Count. Until one day, he managed to hold a ball in the palace.

He invited the Counts, Countesses, Nobles, and even the Royalties of the other lands.

The young king hoped to see the Count that he had been fearing. To speak. To confide. But no matter where he looked, he only saw creatures with crimson eyes and none with blue.

Crimson eyes that bleed when seeing the sunlight, but could see even the slightest pixel of the moonlight. These were the identities of the Counts.

Disgraced by the creature's absence, the young king canceled the ball. He was disappointed that the rumored Count of Erana did not dare make its presence known.

As the guests prepare to leave, they heard faint footsteps that resembled glass, making their way to the middle of the ballroom.

Their eyes fixated on the creature. A Night Hallow. To the king's bewilderment, the creature knelt down before him. And even if a mask covered his mysterious face, the king could feel the smirk on his lips. The bloodlust. The hunger for entertainment.

The creature then spoke with its rich, dark, and masculine voice. A voice which charmed even the married queens invited to the ball. A voice so intriguing that no one could take their eyes off the male.

"I suppose you are 'him'. The rumored Count of the Sun Village." spoke the young king, who looked exactly the same as the creature's physique.

A creature in the shape of a man. A true Count's ability, to shapeshift.

The other counts and countesses whispered to each other. They have never heard of a Count that lived closest to the Sun, considering the Sun was their enemy.

The creature's grin spread from ear to ear.

"Indeed I am the rumored Count," he replied.

The young king placed his palms on the hilt of his sword. "I had been enduring to meet you, Count."

"You flatter me too much, My Lord."

"The ball is over. I supposed you have been watching over the darkness as the celebration commenced, weren't you?"

"Indeed I was."

The audience could only look at the creature with silence.

"Then what are you here for, Count?"

The male lowered his mask, only to reveal his bright, blue eyes. It retracted like a cat's as he stared with amusement over the agitated royalty. His sharp look cunningly challenges the young king.

"I'd like to speak with you in private, if that is possible."

"Resume the ball." the King declared.

The guests were then drowned to the sound of the soft melody, and the couples ran into the dancefloor, holding themselves while the mysterious Count slowly walked into the staircase to meet with the King.

The King looked at him.

"Take off your mask."

"I cannot, My Lord."

"Then I will not allow you to speak with me."

"I am already speaking with you, My Lord."

The King's brows furrowed deeper. "What is it that you want?"

The Count's eyes lowered into the ballroom. He leaned his chest against the rails and looked into the sea of nobles and royalties.

In a few moments, the King noticed that his eyes were no longer looking elsewhere. It was fixated on the ballroom. The King peered over to find what caught his attention.

Down on the dancefloor, stood a lost girl with bright orange hair, her eyes resembled of the stars as she looked into the chandeliers with delight. She was not dancing, nor with a partner. She wore a simple, beige dress and her hair was adorned with little chrysanthemums. She was unlike any of the people on the dance floor. She was calm, innocent, and curious, just standing on the side, and watching the waterfall of chandeliers was enough for her.

The King glanced at the creature. And he spoke. Leaving the king speechless as he finished his request.

"I want you to sell that woman to me."

"Asthenosthene!"

A young girl opened her eyes as the voices of her name drew louder. She slowly listened to the moans of cows and rubbed her tired eyes from the sunlight peering over her window.

"Asthenosthene! Wake up!"

The young girl sloppily gets up, and sighed. "I'm waking now, Mother."

"Asthenosthene!"

"I'm awake!" she yelled back and chuckled. "I'm coming down now!"

"Okay, hurry up darling!"

The young woman called Asthenosthene stands up and made her way down to the first floor of their cabin. The floor creaked as her small feet make contact with the wooden floorboards.

"Mother?"

"Lady Rosellia's doctor, Mr. Curtis and I bumped each other at the market today. Turned out that Lady Rosellia is ill today and would like you to come and see her."

The young girl's eyes widened. "That's unfortunate. Lady Rosellia had told me that she was looking forward to the Ball today at the city."

"Lady Rosellia was invited to the King's ball?"

"Indeed she was, Mother!" the young girl then assisted her mother with the cooking. "She had told me that she wanted to talk with the Duke of Illum."

"She must be interested in him."

"Lady Rosellia is a noble. She would get invited even if it was a celebratory banquet."

"Asty, darling. I will finish these. Lady Rosellia needs you in her premises now. Go and clean up."

Asty sighed as she dropped the last of the vegetables in the pot. "Alright, Mother."

Her mother kissed her forehead and smiled. "Lady Rosellia helped us a lot during our hard times. We were fortunate to receive such graces from a noble. So make sure you would be there for her like how she was there for us before."

Asty nodded. "Yes, Mother."

The beautiful elderly woman smiled at her only daughter. Asty smiled gleefully at her mother and walked upstairs to get a piece of towel and a new set of clothes.

She walked back downstairs and then waved at her mother goodbye. She was to bathe at the nearby river. They had no pumps of water in the mountains. If there were, they could only be seen on the nobles' houses. Their cabin was rickety and damaged.

Asty walked slowly into the nearest river she used to bathe. Before taking off her clothes, she looked at her surroundings to see if anybody was there.

There was not a single person.

She took off her clothing and submerged herself into the cold streaming waters. She felt the heat of her body wash away as the chill soaked into her skin. She closed her eyes as she feels the cold breeze tickle her soft, pale skin.

When she was done, she slowly opened her eyes and covered herself with a cotton towel. Suddenly, out from the corner of her eyes, she sees a slight movement somewhere in the woods behind her. Thinking it was only an animal, she continued drying herself.

She glanced again in the same direction where the sound came from. She saw two gleaming eyes from the trees, staring at her. She looked away and grabbed her clothes and wore them.

She grabbed her boots and slipped her feet in them, and then made her way towards the woods to look for those gleaming eyes.

She was not scared, but she was worried.

"It could be an animal." she mumbled softly and then made her way to leave.

She glanced back, and saw nothing. She continued walking away.

Little did she know that something was watching her from above the trees.

There was not a single person in there.

Asty made her way to Lady Rosellia's mansion. Her eyes straightforwardly looking as she averted her gaze from the other women in the proximity.

Asty did not want to hear their childish rants.

"Look! It's the woodcutter's daughter!"

"She has bright orange hair, yet everyone in the village has dark hair."

"Is she a countess?"

"A secret count's love child, maybe."

Asty clenched her small fists on her skirt and closed her eyes.

"If she is a half-countess then why can she walk on sunlight?"

Asty's eyes slowly widened when she heard a familiar man's voice who came into her defense. She looked straight at the male and a smile spread from her small lips.

"Hello, Asty."

Asty chuckled as the male shooed the gossiping women. He looked at her with tender eyes and smiled sweetly at the young girl.

"Long time no see," he started. "You've grown a lot, Asty."

She chuckled. "Noelle," she called out the boy's name.

Noelle was Asty's childhood best friend. He used to be a woodcutter just like herself. He was a fine young man, a few inches taller than her with dark tousled hair and bright green eyes. He was very charming in his own ways.

He left the town a few months before and this was the very first-time Asty had seen him after he left.

"Where are you headed to?" he asked her.

"I am going to Lady Rosellia. She is ill and she needs me."

"I will come with you then," he smiled. "I adore Lady Rosellia. It would be nice to greet her."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Asty elbowed the male who's cheeks have become beetroot when Lady Rosellia's name was mentioned. They both proceeded to walk.

_

When they arrived at Lady Rosellia's mansion, the guards let them in with no questions. Asty was worried because their behaviour was different as usual. It would seem that they were in a hurry making her go inside.

"There is something wrong," Noelle murmured.

Asty heard him and agreed. "Mhmm."

They both walked at a fast pace to Lady Rosellia's bed-chamber. When they arrived, the maids immediately opened the doors.

Lady Rosellia was in the bed, weak and frail. Noelle averted his gaze away from the woman.

"Lady Rosellia," Asty called out to her, and held her hands. They were cold as ice. "Lady Rosellia?"

"Asty..." she called to her weakly.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Asty, you're here..."

"I am..." Asty gently responded, while caressing her head.

Lady Rosellia was Asty's inspiration. A noble in her thirties who gave significant changes to the Village of Erana even if she weren't their chieftain. She was generous and kind, even to the poor peasants like Asty herself.

She was Asty's ray of sunshine.

"Lady Rosellia, the last I saw you, you were..."

She beautiful woman chuckled. "I was..?"

"You were extremely lively." Asty's bright eyes frowned. "What has become of you..?"

Rosellia smiled. "Every night, a creature visits me to watch me sleep."

Asty's eyes widened a bit. "Lady Rosellia?"

"It would stare at me with those huge, poisonous hues right at that window." she weakly pointed to a huge curtained glass. "It would not leave me alone. But last night, it did not come."

Asty did not understand Lady Rosellia's words. But she continued to listen.

"Maybe he grew tired of watching me."

"Don't say such things like that, Lady Rosellia."

Asty could not believe her eyes. Two days ago, this beautiful woman was with her picking daisies and blowing dandelions from the mountain meadows. And now, she is here, bedridden to the point that she cannot stand.

"Lady Rosellia, I will ask the doctor to bring you medicine immediately. Or should I run to the palace and seek the King for help?"

Lady Rosellia placed her palms on Asty's pale cheeks. "The king will not help me. The doctor did not know my illness."

"But Lady Rosellia..."

"I wanted to see you because you remind me of the sun..."

Asty gripped her hand tightly, and controlling herself from tearing up. "T-Then look at me to your heart's content, Lady Rosellia."

Rosellia smiled weakly. "Asthenosthene."

"Yes..?"

"Would you do me a favor?"

She frantically nodded, tears streaming from her eyes. "Yes, of course!"

..."Would you go to the Ball on my behalf?"...