Maria hated Abbot Emmanuel, her so-called father who had tried to sacrifice her to the vampires. She hated Richter, her adoptive brother, because he failed to save her mother from the vampires.

Most of all, Maria was hated herself. She had gone behind everyone’s backs to warn her father, even knowing he was making Night Creatures for the vampires and in doing so got herself captured, causing the others to need to save her.

While she had accused Richter of fleeing, she knew he was no coward. He fought to rescue her, and then carried her unconscious body out of the Church. But the pain of having her mother turned into a vampire and no one being able to do anything about it was too much, it overrode her rational mind.

Now she found herself in a field far outside of Machecoul, training.

“You are doing good, Maria,” said Tera as she watched Maria from the shade. Ever since she had been turned, Tera seemed… uncanny, less emotive, even unsettling. Now she was even teaching Maria how to harness a darker aspect of her power. Despite this, Maria could not help but heed her beloved mother.

“Mum… I’m scared… is this right? Making… monsters?” asked Maria as she drew a circle of magic in the air.

While the circles Maria usually used to summon creatures of light were bright and golden, this new circle was dark and pulsed with all her hatred, fear, despair and anger.

“Your fear holds you back,” said Tera as she glanced towards the rising sun. “I must go. But I will return. Remember my new lessons, they will guide you to your true potential. Nothing will ever be able to hurt you again.”

As her mother disappeared to find shelter from the light, Maria steadied herself and focused on her magic. A massive demonic wolf, made of shadow with glowing red veins, leapt out with an infernal growl.

“Obey….” commanded Maria with shaky breath to the approaching beast. She recalled her mother’s teachings, that she could not show fear to these monsters. “I said… OBEY.”

The wolf paused, and knelt. Maria felt… powerful.