A message to you, dear reader...
To those who have lived in the bliss of ignorance, never tasting the sting of worry...
To those whose eyes have gazed upon this world a thousand times, never once noticing what lurks beneath its surface...
To those who believe history is a closed book, concealing within its lines a darkness deeper than any ink with which it was written...
It never occurred to you that there are others who share this planet with you. Creatures unmentioned in newspapers, untaught in schools. Those who know them call them "children of the night."
I will give you one last chance before you continue. Close this page now, and forget you ever saw it.
Because if you continue, you will never see the world the same way again.
You will begin to doubt everyone around you. Your neighbor who smiles at you every morning. The stranger who sits beside you on the bus without blinking. The darkness that lingers a little longer behind your door when you turn off the lights.
Doubt will seep into your thoughts first, then into your sleep, then into every quiet corner you once considered safe. And fear… fear doesn't come all at once. It creeps in slowly, like the cold seeping through a crack in a window, until it settles in your bones, devouring what remains of the innocence that once shielded you from the truth.
The Night That Never Ended
In this world, beneath the gleaming rooftops and illuminated cities, dwell beings older than any stone upon which they are built. Beings once known for their brutal strength and merciless cruelty. They viewed humankind as a hunter views prey: a fragile body, warm blood, and a short life not even worth considering before ending it.
Some chose isolation, distancing themselves even from their own kind. But all of them, despite their differing forms and strengths, share one inescapable vulnerability: some melt away at the first ray of sunlight, while others possess their power only in certain seasons, or under a particular moon, on a particular night.
For centuries, these beings ruled unchallenged from the shadows. But time, that invincible enemy, began to erode their throne, little by little. Their numbers dwindled; some races annihilated themselves in brutal internal wars, while others fell to the blows of humankind, who refused to remain prey forever.
Yes, that creature they once despised rose from the dust, built empires, and learned to fight with what beasts lacked: intellect. As generations passed, the names of those creatures became whispers told to children before bedtime, not to be believed, but simply to frighten them.
Then came science. Weapons, technology, and medicine arrived, and those creatures retreated further and further into the darkness from which they had emerged. Those who survived hid, watching from afar a world that was once theirs, now ablaze with light and power. The scales were tipped completely; those who once instilled terror in the hearts of humankind were now the ones who feared being discovered at any moment.
These creatures witnessed it all from afar; The two world wars, the Cold War, all the blood spilled by human hands, without their intervention, without anyone seeing them. To maintain this fragile veil of secrecy, they finally convened and established what is now known as "The Council."
The Council comprises representatives from each major race of these beings, usually from the most powerful families and the most ancient bloodlines. Sometimes, when a new being emerges with sufficient power and cunning, they are granted a seat among them, even though no one knows their origin.
The Three Laws
The Council does not rule by chaos, but by three strict laws that cannot be broken:
The First Law (Sovereignty of the Land):
Each race has its own territory, governed by its families and lineages. No being has the right to interfere in the affairs of another race or its internal conflicts. Internal wars remain internal, and any request for outside assistance requires the Council's approval first.
The Second Law (Absolute Secrecy):
Interaction with humans is permitted; trade, friendship, and even marriage. In rare cases, a being is permitted to reveal its true nature to a trusted human, but that human alone bears the consequences of this decision. However, interference in human politics, wars, or any human affairs is strictly forbidden. The human world must remain untouched by any supernatural influence.
The Third Law (Unity in Danger):
Should any race violate the Second Law, seriously interfere in the human world, or a genuine existential threat arise, all members of the Council, regardless of their long-standing differences, must set aside their animosities, unite, and fight together for their collective survival.
The Council was founded in 1810. Since then, the Earth has never ceased to give birth; new, unknown races appear from time to time, asserting their presence through raw power, noble lineage, or unbelievable cunning, and seizing a place among the ancients.
( The Vampires) :
They are the most numerous of all races. They possess superhuman strength, the ability to fly, and the capacity for rapid recovery from any injury. Some rare strains possess special powers that are difficult to explain, even to their own kind.
Their territory stretches from Eastern Europe, particularly Transylvania in Romania, to the Balkans, Ukraine, and Russia. In the Americas, they can be found in Louisiana, especially New Orleans, as well as California, Oregon, and Texas.
Their weaknesses are well-known: sunlight, sacred symbols, garlic, and fire. They feed on blood and flesh, especially humans, and their strength is at its peak in autumn and winter, while it diminishes in summer.
( Werewolves) :
Fewer in number than vampires, but they possess unimaginable physical strength and agility, which are amplified when the moon is full and they transform into their true form.
They inhabit Scandinavia, Scotland, Ireland, the frozen forests of Canada, and some scattered pockets in North America. They eat raw meat in their wolf form and human food in their human form.
Silver is their only deadly weapon, and losing control during transformation is a real danger to them, so they undergo rigorous training from a young age to control themselves. They have a centuries-old enmity with vampires, a fragile truce that could shatter at the slightest spark.
( The Jinn) :
A mysterious, isolated race inhabiting a parallel world about which no one knows for certain. Among them are the tribes of Ifrits, Ghouls, and other forms that remain unexplained. Their strength, their weaknesses, even their diet, are all closely guarded secrets. It is said that they have connections to other worlds and to an ancient, dark magic spoken only in whispers.
Their lands are spread across Africa and the Middle East, or so it is said, and they are masters of forbidden arts that no one else dares approach.
( The Snow Tribes) :
Fierce creatures, resembling the ancient legends of the Iceman. Skilled hunters, powerfully built, they are adept at every weapon, even modern human ones. They live for more than two hundred years.
They eat just like humans, and even consider those who prey on humans to be primitive beasts unworthy of respect. They inhabit Siberia, Greenland, and the frozen polar regions. But despite all their strength, they die like humans, without the ability to recover.
(Witches):
They are difficult to distinguish from humans, and most are women. They possess astonishing magical abilities and mysterious connections to entities from the underworld.
Witch hunts in Europe between the 14th and 18th centuries decimated their numbers, and these massacres were one of the primary reasons for the Council's founding. They have no fixed territory; they move about, offering their magical services for a price.
They eat like humans, although some major rituals require blood or flesh. They die like humans, too, without recovery, and with limited resources for any significant magic. Despite their small numbers, even the most brutal and savage races turn to them when they need protection or wealth they cannot obtain on their own.
( Unknown Beasts) :
Creatures that defy classification, whose origin and nature are unknown. Some are powerful enough to qualify for a seat on the Council itself, while others have no purpose other than killing and destruction, forcing the Council to hunt them down and eliminate them.
This is the hidden world. A world of monsters and shadows, steeped in blood and death, where there is no mercy and no easy escape.
Yet, amidst this endless darkness, a small, faint spark flickers, but it has not yet been extinguished.
This is not a tale of a hero who saves the world, nor one who rewrites its laws.
This is simply a tale of survival... and of a fragile hope that refuses to die, even in the heart of the abyss.