“This mess has to be cleaned up. Have you done a count of the casualties?” There are bck vans strewn around the premises. “What the fuck were these fools doing?”

  “I don’t know, Carlos. Whatever it is – it was bad. Wait, I see them, survivors!”

  Vukosava shields her eyes as a fshlight washes over them. On the front of their uniforms is four letters, USPO. They seem to be a professional unit, as for what she’s got no idea. Carlos, whoever the hell he is, walks up to them. “You broke a seal, one that was intended to keep the monsters in their realm. This idiocy cost your friends their lives.”

  His partner directs them towards the vans. “Easy. They look like they’re one step from the grave.”

  “I don’t care if they’re falling into it. I’d help them.” Carlos sneers harshly. “We need to reestablish the seal – bolster its strength and ensure that those things return to their reality before they cause even greater harm. That barrier, that shield was broken by this fool.”

  John looks down. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

  “Who has been set free, girl?” He directs this next sharp question to Vukosava. “Leave nothing out.”

  “The Eternal Prince. His dogmen, and then I called upon the Red Queen.”

  “All three of them?” His partner starts. “This is bad.”

  “Worse than I could’ve predicted, what are they doing now?”

  “She destroyed the dogmen, and I think she’s still tearing the prince apart.”

  As they stop at one of the vans. Carlos moves away from the group, pointing at Vukosava. “You. Come with me.”

  “What?”

  “I need someone who is knowledgeable. You fit it.”

  As she stumbles alongside Carlos, she can feel animosity emanating from the man. She didn’t know who he was aiming for. “Your medium, what did she try to do?”

  “Seal him back into a canvas, bind him to an item.” Vukosava snaps off.

  “Not bad. We’re doing that on a rger scale. I need you to hold her attention.”

  “She helped us – if it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t be alive.”

  Carlos growls. “If you did good from the start, this wouldn’t have happened.”

  As they run into the room, Carlos jumps away, clearing the room in two strides. The Red Queen is staring at a husk of the prince, who’s being kept alive by her own power. She turns to face them, a faint smile pying upon her lips. “And so, it shall be.”

  “Thank you.” Vukosava says. “For saving us.”

  The good luck charm starts to hurt Vukosava, and she looks down at her horseshoe neckce in confusion. Never once did it feel this way.

  She looks up to the Red Queen who merely nods. “All is well.”

  The seal returns, and a yawning hole opens up beneath them. A realm of blood and power - of twilight. They catch only a glimpse before it closes.

  “I have questions for the lot of you to answer.” Carlos snaps.

  Folklore Files:

  The Red Queen and the Eternal Prince

  “I knew the moment I id eyes on you that you were meant to be mine.” These are the words uttered by a young and passionate Prince, who is searching for a soul that completes his. He has been brought up with stories of adventure and glory. He wants to find love eversting. His interests also lie in creating a marvel that honors his family. He was raised believing in the glory of his house, that he was destined to succeed, to be a great noble that rules over all without peer, that whatever lies in the kingdom is his if he has the will and drive to cim it.

  His lord father wanted an honorable warrior and dutiful commander capable of running affairs both in and out of war. His son is educated in matters of diplomacy, logic, horsemanship, nguages, mathematics, geography and science. His greatest talent is capturing a moment of bliss and joy, a painter and creator that takes after the entertainers and jugglers that the commoners seem so taken by. He relishes in the appuse of the crowd, deciding to create spectacles of wonder and magic. He finds a woman amongst the masses, a beautiful object of passion and obsession that he must have.

  He wants to earn her affections, to have what is precious and invigorating.

  There are many that take a liking to her, suitors that want her hand in marriage. There are many that ugh alongside her. It’s on one lively afternoon that she meets the best of the entertainers that is close to stealing her heart in the spotlight. This entertainer is Fodor Dresk, a commoner, a Prussian pywright, poet and actor that believes in a different form of immortality. Fodor cherishes something that sts, whilst the prince believes in moments. It’s not long before the two men become entranced by each other’s differing talents. Their rivalry is inspired by differing views on art and the love that they have for Catherine Mallory. It’s over the next few weeks that their battle for her affection truly begins.

  The prince competes showcasing the depths of his talents, creating an explosive spectacle that lingers for blissful moments, the pollen he uses is supposed to attract butterflies. They do – but they’re bck and brown like moths. He has spent ages gathering knowledge and directing all of his time and effort into this endeavor. The prince suspects trickery and deception from his rival, Fodor, but can’t prove it. In local legend, bck butterflies are a sign of a twisted fate – simir to cats and other creatures that are fully bck.

  Fodor directs a fantastic py that shows sting wit and elegance, showing skill that surpasses that of the prince, according to the crowd and Catherine. He wins a rose from her, and it’s decided that the better artist won. The prince accepts the decision but is seething. For a passing moment, the butterflies gather around the young lord, almost as if they were whispering in his ear before departing.

  At this point he is driven by anger and defeat. The prince makes a fatal decision motivated by his father’s words regarding enemies and potential rivals. There can be no mercy or quarter until the threat is dealt with. These words were meant to protect the prince, but they’ve been twisted to justify what he’s going to do.

  The now lover and partner to Catherine is spending time celebrating their union together. Eventually their friends, family and admirers head home drunk on wine, food and weary from the festivities. The prince decides to hire loyal dogs, mercenaries that are happy to be paid and don’t mind where the coin comes from.

  They arrest and secure the people that the lord wants to meet – he’s well prepared and ready with his tools. By the time guests at the party are sober it’s too te – they beg and plead with the young lord. But lunacy and jealousy are overtaking him – there’s no going back.

  He decides to go ahead with the process, and his name becomes etched into history. He uses the blood of his enemies to paint an image of bliss and beauty. Fodor is the st to go, watching as the piece shines with the anguish of his friends and family. Catherine is invited to a secondary celebration; the prince wants her to see the gift he has made. She realizes that this isn’t a painting of love or compassion, it’s infatuation and obsession. It’s not paint that the brush strokes contain, she realized that everyone she cherished was used for this piece.

  It sickens her and she cannot stand the idea of being bound by this loathsome creature. Her lost love, Fodor, and her friends and family bring the pain to the surface. The prince promises to give her comfort. He promises that she’ll be his bride, worthy of praise and admiration. She tries to escape, screaming for help, in defiance of his infatuation and his disgusting soul. The image he painted starts to move and reach out to her, the cursed and twisted loss of life and love creating a horrific spectacle. The prince and Catherine start to fight and both of them fall beneath the painting. The blood of the innocent is trying to save her from the prince, but he won’t let it happen.

  It's then that the Red Queen is born.

  The two are bound in death, she returns as the image of his infatuation. He returns as a pale creature with the ability to create scenes of love with blood.

  Additional Info:

  The Red Queen is a combination of red colours, the love that she has is dark and cruel. Her face is serene and elegant, with scarlet wings spreading wide. She’s one of the most powerful pixies; she can manipute emotions and motivates people to act on impulses and darker motives. To pursue those desires to completion.

  Pixies and other mythological creatures belong to two prominent courts / realms, one is the Seelie Court or the “Blessed Court”, houses the benevolent fae in Scottish, Irish, and broader Celtic folklore, representing the goodly and light-hearted side of the fae realm. They are guardians of nature, enforcers of fae w, and occasional protectors of mortals, embodying the ideals of harmony with nature, justice, and beauty within the Otherworld.

  The Seelie Court is directly contrasted with the darker Unseelie Court. The Seelie Court is characterized by its fair dealings, beauty, and more merciful approach toward mortals, often rewarding kindness and punishing injustice with measured responses rather than malice.

  The Unseelie Court houses malevolent fae who have been banished from the Seelie Court. They are hostile towards humans and will intentionally seek to harm them, even unprovoked. To stay well aware of, these shadowy fae are not driven to be guardians of nature but rather conquers of it, they are exploiters of fae w, and seek to feed on the fear and negative emotions that are generated by the living (being predominantly mortals), embodying the ideals of disharmony of nature, injustice, and the advance of an uncaring Otherworld.

  To simplify:

  Seelie Court - Summertime in Bloom, Incredible Beauty, Good Deeds, Friendly with Humans.

  Unseelie Court - Endless Winter, Harsh and Brutal Beauty, Vicious Deeds, Cruelty, Despises Humanity.

  Hurried Observations by Vukosava:

  The Court of Blood and Power, of Twilight, could be a bridge between the two.