Burned at the Stake

Centuries ago, young Lustina watches her mother, accused of witchcraft, burned alive by the religious zealots of the Pentacrux. The trauma brands Lustina—literally and figuratively—with a mark that will echo through her life and beyond. The event is not just a personal tragedy but the catalyst for a cycle of persecution, love, and vengeance that will ripple across generations. The Pentacrux, a militant religious order, see themselves as holy warriors, but their cruelty and fear of the supernatural set the stage for a war between faith, power, and the forbidden. Lustina's survival, marked by pain and the memory of her mother's last words, becomes the seed of a curse and a prophecy that will haunt her and her reincarnations.

Symbols and Nightmares

Farryn Ravenshaw, a young academic in Chicago, is drawn into a web of ancient symbols and disturbing dreams after her father's mysterious disappearance and her aunt's death. A detective investigating ritualistic murders seeks her expertise, but Farryn's connection to the case is deeper than she admits: she bears a birthmark identical to the Pentacrux symbol, and her dreams are filled with blood, wings, and burning. As she sorts through her father's journals, she uncovers references to Nightshade—a shadow realm between life and death—and the Pentacrux, whose violence seems to transcend time. Farryn's skepticism is eroded by the mounting evidence that her nightmares are more than dreams—they are memories.

The Watcher in Shadows

Throughout her childhood, Farryn was watched by a dark, enigmatic figure—sometimes glimpsed, never approached. Her father's journals describe a similar presence: a black-winged guardian, neither angel nor demon, who haunts the borderlands of Nightshade. This figure, Jericho Van Croix, is both feared and revered in the afterlife realm, known as the Reaper of Nightshade. His reputation as Death is both a shield and a curse, keeping others at bay while he is tormented by his own past and the memory of a lost love. The connection between Farryn and Jericho is deeper than either realizes, bound by fate, prophecy, and a love that refuses to die.

Inheritance of Secrets

Farryn inherits not only her aunt's estate but also her father's obsession with the supernatural. As she delves into his research, she discovers the existence of Nightshade, the Pentacrux, and the possibility of traversing realms. Her own birthmark, the symbol of the Pentacrux, becomes a key—both to her identity and to the dangers that pursue her. The journals hint at reincarnation, curses, and a prophecy tied to the blood moon. Farryn's rational world unravels as she realizes she is at the center of a centuries-old conflict, and that her father's madness may have been a desperate attempt to protect her from forces beyond comprehension.

The Feather and the Mark

A black feather, inscribed with forbidden symbols, appears in Farryn's room after a prophetic dream. The feather's markings match those in her father's notes, and its presence is a message from the other side—a warning and a summons. Farryn's investigation leads her to Xhiphias, a cambion who can traverse realms, and to the realization that her own body is marked for sacrifice. The feather, the mark, and the dreams converge, awakening latent memories and powers within her. The boundaries between life and death, past and present, begin to blur, and Farryn is compelled to seek answers in Nightshade itself.

Nightshade Beckons

Guided by Xhiphias and driven by desperation, Farryn drinks a hallucinogenic tea and leaps from a rooftop, traversing the veil into Nightshade. She awakens in a world both familiar and alien, where the dead linger, the lost are trapped, and the rules of reality are mutable. Here, the Pentacrux's influence is strong, and Jericho Van Croix rules as a feared outcast. Farryn's memories begin to fade, as is the fate of all who linger in Nightshade, but her connection to Jericho and the prophecy keeps her anchored. The dangers of this realm are immediate and visceral, and Farryn must navigate its perils while searching for her father and the truth of her own identity.

The Reaper's Reputation

Jericho Van Croix, the so-called Reaper of Nightshade, is both protector and pariah. His reputation for violence and his supernatural abilities—commanding lightning, ravens, and the dead—make him a target for fear and worship. Yet, beneath his cold exterior, Jericho is tormented by loss and the curse that binds him to Lustina, the woman he loved and lost centuries ago. His encounters with Farryn stir memories and desires he thought long buried. As threats from the Pentacrux and other supernatural forces close in, Jericho must decide whether to risk everything for a love that defies death and destiny.

Crossing the Veil

Farryn and Jericho's paths converge in Nightshade, their connection undeniable and electric. As they grow closer, Farryn's memories of her past life as Lustina resurface, and the truth of the curse becomes clear: she is doomed to die on the night of the blood moon, a sacrifice to break the cycle of vengeance and power. Their love is both a weapon and a vulnerability, and the only hope for breaking the curse lies in trust, sacrifice, and the willingness to defy fate. The lines between past and present, self and other, blur as they fight to reclaim their story from the hands of those who would use them as pawns.

The Baron's Torment

Jericho's past is one of suffering and rebellion. Tortured by the Pentacrux for his supernatural heritage, he is both victim and avenger. His relationship with Lustina is fraught with danger, passion, and the ever-present threat of discovery. Their love is forbidden, their union a challenge to the order that seeks to control and destroy them. As the blood moon approaches, the stakes rise: betrayal, violence, and the promise of redemption or damnation hang in the balance. Jericho's choices will determine not only his own fate but the fate of all who are bound by the curse.

The Book of Echoes

A mysterious book, The Baron and Witch's Daughter, appears in Farryn's possession, its pages chronicling the story of Lustina and Jericho. The book is both a record and a prophecy, its narrative shifting as Farryn reads, revealing secrets and guiding her actions. The echoes of past lives, the repetition of trauma and love, become a map for breaking the cycle. Farryn's understanding of herself, her lineage, and her purpose deepens as she confronts the reality that she is both the author and the subject of her own story.

The Curse of Blood Moon

The prophecy of the blood moon is the engine of the curse: Lustina, and now Farryn, must die to break the cycle of vengeance and power that the Pentacrux perpetuate. The night of the blood moon is both a climax and a crucible, where love, sacrifice, and violence collide. The Pentacrux, desperate to maintain their power, conspire to use Farryn as a vessel for their own ends, while Jericho and his allies fight to save her. The curse is both personal and cosmic, a test of will, faith, and the possibility of redemption.

Lovers Across Lifetimes

Farryn and Jericho's love is revealed to be an eternal bond, forged in suffering and defiance. Their passion is both a source of strength and a vulnerability, as enemies seek to exploit their connection. The revelation that Farryn is Lustina reborn, and that Jericho has waited centuries for her return, reframes their story as one of cosmic significance. Their union is the key to breaking the curse, but it comes at a terrible price: to save one, the other must be willing to sacrifice everything.

The Pentacrux Conspiracy

The Pentacrux, both in the past and present, are revealed as the true antagonists: zealots who use faith as a weapon, manipulating prophecy and power for their own ends. Their reach extends across realms and generations, and their cruelty is matched only by their fear of the supernatural. Detective Hines, revealed as Drystan, is a modern incarnation of their evil, seeking to use Farryn and Jericho for his own vengeance. The conspiracy is both personal and systemic, a battle for the soul of humanity and the right to love freely.

Betrayal and Sacrifice

Betrayal comes from within and without: allies turn, secrets are revealed, and the cost of love is made clear. Jericho sacrifices his wings—his immortality—to save Farryn, dying in the process. Farryn, in turn, damns her own soul to bring him back from Ex Nihilo, the void beyond death. Their willingness to suffer for each other is both their greatest strength and the source of their greatest pain. The cycle of sacrifice and resurrection is the only way to break the curse, but it leaves them both changed, marked by loss and the knowledge that love is never without cost.

The Return and the Price

Jericho's return from Ex Nihilo is a miracle and a curse: he is mortal, his wings lost, and both he and Farryn are hunted by the Sentinels and the remnants of the Pentacrux. Farryn, now pregnant with Jericho's child, faces the reality that her soul is forfeit, and that their family will be pursued by forces both divine and infernal. Yet, in their union, there is hope: the possibility of redemption, the breaking of the curse, and the chance to forge a new destiny. Their love, tested by fire and death, is the foundation for a new story—one that defies the old order and claims the right to choose.

The Final Eclipse

As the blood moon passes and the curse is broken, Farryn and Jericho must confront the consequences of their choices. The Sentinels, the Pentacrux, and the forces of Nightshade are not easily defeated, and the threat of vengeance and retribution looms. Yet, in the face of cosmic opposition, they choose each other—again and again. Their story is one of resistance, resilience, and the refusal to be defined by the past. The final eclipse is not an end, but a beginning: the promise of a new era, born from the ashes of the old.

Redemption and Damnation

In the aftermath, Farryn and Jericho find peace, however fleeting, in each other's arms. Their love, forged in suffering and defiance, is both their salvation and their damnation. The world is changed by their choices, and the future is uncertain, but they face it together. The story ends with the promise of new life—their child—and the knowledge that, whatever comes, they will meet it as one. The cycle of pain and loss is broken, not by violence or power, but by the willingness to love without reservation, to sacrifice without regret, and to claim the right to write their own story.

Characters

Farryn Ravenshaw / Lustina

Farryn is a modern academic haunted by dreams, symbols, and a birthmark that ties her to a centuries-old tragedy. As the reincarnation of Lustina, she is both victim and heroine, marked for sacrifice by the Pentacrux and bound by a prophecy that demands her death on the blood moon. Farryn's journey is one of self-discovery, as she uncovers her past lives, her connection to Jericho, and the true nature of her curse. Her psychological arc is defined by trauma, resilience, and the struggle to claim agency in a world that seeks to use her as a pawn. Her love for Jericho is both her greatest strength and her greatest vulnerability, and her willingness to sacrifice herself for him is the key to breaking the cycle of violence and loss.

Jericho Van Croix

Jericho is a half-angel, half-demon sentinel, cursed with power and isolation. Feared as the Reaper of Nightshade, he is both protector and destroyer, haunted by the loss of Lustina and the violence of his own past. His psychological complexity lies in his struggle between vengeance and mercy, love and rage. Jericho's obsession with Lustina/Farryn is both redemptive and destructive, driving him to defy fate, sacrifice his immortality, and risk damnation for a chance at love. His development is a journey from cold detachment to passionate devotion, and his willingness to suffer for Farryn is the ultimate act of redemption.

Drystan / Detective Hines

Drystan is Jericho's half-brother and a cambion (half-demon), whose envy and resentment drive much of the conflict. In the present, he appears as Detective Hines, manipulating events to serve his own ends. Drystan's psychological profile is defined by inferiority, bitterness, and a desperate need for validation. His relationship to Farryn is one of obsession and exploitation, and his rivalry with Jericho is both personal and cosmic. Drystan's actions are motivated by a desire to break the curse and claim power, but his ultimate fate is one of self-destruction.

Bishop Venable / Mister Barchiel

Bishop Venable is the architect of Lustina's original suffering, the leader of the Pentacrux, and the embodiment of religious hypocrisy. In the afterlife, he becomes Mister Barchiel, a Dojra (slave) in the Infernal Lands, but his influence persists. Venable's psychology is defined by fanaticism, cruelty, and a pathological need to control and punish. His relationship to Lustina/Farryn is one of persecution, and his rivalry with Jericho is rooted in fear of the supernatural. Venable's actions are driven by a belief in his own righteousness, but his legacy is one of pain and destruction.

Xhiphias

Xhiphias is a half-demon, half-human who serves as a guide and gatekeeper for Farryn, helping her traverse the veil into Nightshade. His motivations are ambiguous, and his allegiance is to himself, but he provides crucial knowledge and assistance. Psychologically, Xhiphias is a survivor, pragmatic and self-interested, but not without a sense of humor or empathy. His role

Last updated: May 16, 2025