L'Antre de Bloodwitch

"Fiat Tenebra (Let Darkness be)", by Bloodwitch Luz Oscuria

This is the first excerpt from my novel, "Fiat Tenebra Let Darkness be)", in its version translated by Saleem Rustom.

Pandemonia, year 1500 after Ivy. The air was dense, as though saturated with the opaque sulfur of an erupting volcano. Pandemonia was the vampiric city of the United Divine Spheres, a universe created by the Goddess Ivy. The Divyne, in Her infinite goodness, had made it possible for all kinds of creatures to have a place to protect and develop themselves, Vampires included. No one was present when Pandemonia was created. But her existence commanded vampires and other creatures of the night, to respect Ivy. For it was thanks to Her that they had this refuge.

Most of the land surrounding the city consisted of a large piece of land made up of mountains, forests and water. Various small villages had grown up over the centuries in building lands such as Askarath. A town in the far northeast of the sphere at the foot of Ezmül River. Among the must-see places in the area, we could mention the mountains of Ezkülla, Lake De La Luna where once resided a band of Lycans led by a certain Ryder who was slain by a brave Vampire, the Valley of the Dead, the Strigoï plain. As well as the Abymes forest, which surrounded Pandemonia. The stronghold par excellence of Vampires. The only place in the sphere where the sun never shone.

The city, whose geographical shape recalled a pentacle due to the presence of five distinct districts ending in a spike, had everything its residents could need. A walkway surrounded the entirety of the place, used by guards who carry out endless patrols. Armed with bows and arrows ready for use as soon as a threat approaches. Others also filtered the entrances and exits around the access gates to the city, to ensure optimal security.

At the heart of Pandemonia stood a Divyn Temple, erected by the Vampires themselves in honor of the Unique One. Although they were the most nefarious of all, these creatures did not forget that they owed the existence of this place to Her. And it was with honor and respect that they built this monument for Her. The pride of the entire city. The visit of which was a must for anyone passing nearby.

The temple was surrounded by large gardens bordered by beech, oak and ash trees. Huge flower beds surrounded the path which led to its entrance. Although tortuous, this route was easily practicable for any Ivyan wishing to meditate. The temple itself cast an aura noticeable to the naked eye. It was indeed surrounded by a strong supernatural white glow. At the back of the building, the Ivyans' credo was proudly engraved. "Credo Potestae Divyna" read there. And below, was added that of the city's Vampires, which was "Fiat Tenebra". "Let there be Darkness". An excellent choice for a place which did not see the light of day. On the sides of the temple, pillars adorned with the name of Divyne stood proudly near the stained glass windows depicting the One in different parts of Her history. And up front, two large ebony doors whose cuffs depicted the vampiric logo, the famous circle with a pair of fangs, were just waiting for someone to push them in order to gaze inside.

When opened, these doors revealed rows of wooden benches separated in the middle by a passage covered with a long carpet, as red as blood, which led to the nave lit by black candles. On the surrounding walls, one could see tapestries depicting the first Vampires in history.

The five branches making up the city were the commercial district, the first that one crossed while passing its imposing gates and the guards which protected them. Then the residential district, the district of the Inquisition, the district of the Government and finally, the military district. While the first two seemed welcoming, the other three seemed very austere. Especially the government quarters, due to its proximity to the cemetery. It should be noted that the Vampires took the various threats which hovered over them very seriously, and always buried the ashes of their fellows with dignity. The military quarters, although just as dark, concealed an priceless treasure that was the Library. It contained all the knowledge that the Vampires acquired over centuries. It also included a very complete bestiary, designed by Kereska Luz Oscuria, of all possible and imaginable creatures. A wealth of information for anyone wishing to learn as much as possible about the local wildlife.

Find the full list of Antre's articles HERE ! I am also a writer, find all my books HERE !

"Night on Pandemonia", by Bloodwitch Luz Oscuria

This is the third excerpt from my novel, "Night on Pandemonia", in its version translated by Saleem Rustom.

Anomaly and Bloodwitch spent their entire night hunting mortals together. Bloodwitch was not at all hungry when she set out to return home from her night at the Phoenix. But the blood of her own guard on her dagger had aroused her appetite. She had retained a rancid taste in her mouth from cleaning her blade.

Indeed, Troll’s blood wasn’t the one she craved the most. And the guard was precisely one. Either way, she would have preferred it had been an Elf guard who made the mistake of hitting his host. Their blood was much more appetizing than that of Trolls.

She gave herself the privilege of being the first to eat that night. It was a young woman which Anomaly had grabbed before graciously giving it to the one who gave him back his freedom. When Bloodwitch’s fangs left the victim’s neck, the inert body no longer contained a single drop of blood. Bloodwitch had completely drained it. Especially appreciating the moment when the young woman expired for the last time. The two Vampires felt invincible. They hunted their prey in all possible and imaginable ways, multiplying originalities.

The funniest moment for Bloodwitch was when this very old man thought he finally had the chance to put a wench in his bed. Something which had not happened to him for at least twenty years. He was quickly disillusioned when Bloodwitch started scratching his chest so deeply that blood flowed profusely from each of his wounds.

The man had pushed back his assailant with all the strength he had at his disposal. Rather sketchy however, in view of its advanced age. Bloodwitch had fallen out of bed anyway, but got up just as quickly before pouncing on him again. Anomaly remained outside. He watched with great interest the way what Bloodwitch was doing through the bedroom window. He would not have liked to be in the place of the old man, who died after a slow agony. There were dozens of scratches and bites on his body. Bloodwitch clearly didn’t go dead handed.

When she joined her host outside, all her clothes were covered with blood. She was wearing a beautiful light blue corset that evening. It had turned purple. Her cloak was shining. It had soaked so much in the pool of hemoglobin in which the old man’s body drowned. And even her eternal pendant, representing a naked woman with a pair of wings on her back, was unrecognizable so much it had dragged into the bowels of her victim.

Anomaly admired the Governor of Pandemonia. Stregoïka and Kurushimi had never spoken to him about her. So he discovered what she was through the adventures he had with her. A true lawless vampire. Without pity or feeling.

Find the full list of the Antre's articles HERE ! I am also a writer, find all my books HERE !

"Night on Pandemonia", by Bloodwitch Luz Oscuria

This is the second excerpt from my novel, "Night on Pandemonia", in its version translated by Saleem Rustom.

It was not until Noxen 1206 after Ivy that Nightwitch gave birth to her child. The pains she felt that morning were abominable. Valek wondered if she would manage to survive after enduring such pain. The work lasted several hours, a whole day, which Valek spent with his partner, taking care of her as best as possible, bringing her whatever she wanted, worrying about her.

He was literally consumed with anxiety. He wanted this coming child, but he refused to lose Nightwitch in return. He didn’t know anything about motherhood at all. And he couldn’t ask anyone for help. No villager would have agreed to assist two Vampires in giving birth to their child. Moreover, the situation was so absurd that no one would have believed his story if he had been tricked into telling it to someone. Nightwitch therefore had to fend for herself, at the risk of her "life".

It was when the sun began to decline that the child finally agreed to show up. It was a little girl whom Valek and Nightwitch mutually named Persephone, after the chthonic goddess of the underworld.

—The first of the new generation of Aphrosia," said Valek. I never would have believed that possible. She is the symbol that Aphrosias are not dead forever.

Nightwitch, though very weak the moment little Persephone was born, managed to smile a little. She knew Valek wanted his family to live again, even though they had learned some of them still existed thanks to the clan’s matriarch. The little newborn Vampire meant a lot to him, and Nightwitch knew that.

Valek took the child in his arms and looked at her closely. She had no teeth except for two tiny white tips that showed through her upper gums, traces that suggested vampiric canines. He swore then that he would never take risks again, for he now had a real family, and he needed to stay with them.

He leaned over to kiss Nightwitch before handing the toddler over to her, whom she hugged tightly. They looked like a classic couple who had just given birth to a perfectly normal child.

However, the Vampires should not learn that the two lovers had given birth to a child. Otherwise the baby might not keep her "life" for very long. Persephone was definitely not to be seen outside, at least not until she was old enough to be able to defend herself on her own, which meant a few years.

Find the full list of the Antre's articles HERE ! I am also a writer, find all my books HERE !

"Night on Pandemonia", by Bloodwitch Luz Oscuria

This is the first excerpt from my novel, "Night on Pandemonia", in its version translated by Saleem Rustom.

It was a day of Depaïr 1085 after Ivy which saw the birth of Kate-Lynn, in the village of Dorelys, at the very center of the Vampire sphere. Dorelys was a tiny and very poor village, made up of people who had nowhere else to go, and who ultimately stayed there by default. Despite the existence of dangerous creatures in the vicinity, no vampiric presence was to be deplored within this village. They were mortals amongst mortals, but always watched over by creatures of the night which did not live so far from the walls.

Kate-Lynn’s immediate entourage consisted of a coachman father and a baker mother, a rather mundane life. Life in the family home was not the best, as the three members of the household could not always have enough to eat. They were penniless, and Kate-Lynn had to grow up in this world of poverty and misery.

Until the age of 5, she did not realize the nature of this world she was growing in. But when she began to understand what surrounded her, she realized she could not spend all her life in such a place. She would one day have to leave this cocoon which seemed so secure to her but which in reality was not. She had tried to build a little life that was as quiet as possible, yet she could only make one friend, whose name was Elonia.

She spent a lot of time with this friend, and grew up with her. They learned everything there was to learn together, reading, writing, singing. They were like two sisters, had the same tastes, always thought the same way. The whole village was aware of this so close bond that reigned between the two little girls. And they were known to everyone. Everybody greeted them when they walked the streets, always arm in arm.

Elonia was a very lively little girl. She did not really know discretion, and therefore stood out wherever she went. She had made a bad habit of speaking very loudly, always speaking her mind. Kate-Lynn, on the other hand, was a calm little girl, very calm. She didn’t like to be spotted in the street. However, she loved Elonia so much that she decided to come to terms with her friend’s odd behavior. And then again, Elonia was her only accomplice, her only confidante, the only one she could spend time with after all.

Kate-Lynn’s parents didn’t like Elonia so much because of her overly exuberant demeanor, a million miles from theirs. They were worried that their daughter would become the same, and that would get her in trouble. So they tried to prevent the two sidekicks from seeing each other too often. But the two had found a way to see each other regularly anyway, because Elonia’s parents liked Kate-Lynn very much, and always welcomed her with open arms.

Find the full list of the Antre's articles HERE ! I am also a writer, find all my books HERE !

Giuseppe Belvedere

Hier matin, je recevais un livre dont je connaissais l'existence depuis 2017, mais que j'hésitais énormément à commander car j'en savais déjà tellement sur son sujet que je pensais ne rien en apprendre de plus. Je l'ai finalement commandé il y a quelques jours, reçu hier matin, et en fin d'après-midi j'en avais déjà lu la moitié. Ce livre, c'est "Les Ailes du Paradis" de Marie-Simone Poublon. Elle l'a écrit avec le concours de son sujet qu'elle a laissé s'exprimer sur sa situation. Ce sujet, c'est Giuseppe Belvedere, un monsieur que je surnomme "le Monsieur des Pigeons" depuis une petite dizaine d'années que je connais son existence. Né le 13 février 1945 à Calabre en Italie, installé à Paris depuis plus de 40 ans et trader à la retraite, il avait un petit appartement dans le quartier Beaubourg dans le 4ème arrondissement. Le 7 septembre 2010, Giuseppe Belvedere a été obligé de quitter ce petit appartement, et s'est retrouvé à la rue avec pour seul abri sa vieille Mercedes bleue. Depuis ce jour, il n'a plus jamais quitté ce quartier, il refusait même de s'en éloigner, disant que ce serait donner raison à ceux qui l'ont expulsé. Et c'est dans ce quartier que son corps a été retrouvé le 12 janvier 2022 au soir, tandis que cela faisait 3 jours que plus personne ne le voyait plus.