1608. Amsterville forest.

"Hey, Maya, gather the shrubs and go feed the horses." A fair-skinned woman with red lips and a rather large straw hat called from a small room opposite the big space meant to be a pub. 

A tall, lanky girl showed up from the crowds standing in the room, some drunk and some still sober. It was still early night but she was full of chores already. Holding a tray of cups and punch wraps, her curly brown hair swayed behind her. Sleek eyebrows, full red lips, purple eyes, and beautiful curls for hair. The exact definition of a Spanish beauty. A Sansa band at the corner of the room was playing and men and women danced together, full of excitement but deep within them, they feared the coming tragedy.

The tragedy told of the destruction of their kinds. A rare phenomenon more dangerous than they have ever seen but could they survive? Absolutely not. They will be wiped out and not one of them would remain underground. If it happened that way, maybe her pain will be wiped away as well and it will bear again a dream that she has always had. A dream of a new universe born underneath the fertile soil and new beings born out of love and care. New beings that would be stronger than they have ever been. But where will their fate lie? The fate of the underground Vampires.

"Can you clean the washroom for me, Maya?" A dark-skinned lady dropped a bunch of keys on the tray and swayed her hips past her. 

She nodded timidly and walked to the back of the room, dropping the tray on the counter near a teenage dark-haired boy with the cutest face ever. His eyes were as dark as the pit of hell. He always was smiley and she never missed his one-sided dimple. 

"More chores for you, Roderigo," Maya called, picking the keys out of the tray and smiling at him.

"As long as I have my favorite friend with me, no stress."

"Is that?"

"I am afraid 'tis so, my friend." He replied, also flashing his friendly smile at her. After a long moment of silence, he cleaned his hands with a dirty brown napkin on the counter and faced Maya.

"So, how is it going with your sword training, Maya?" 

She glanced at him and her lips parted as she thought about what their leaders had told them days after the volcano eruption had been predicted. 

"I'm afraid training will no longer hold as we will have no use for weaponry against this natural phenomenon. We can all just live our life the way we haven't before and the way we have always dreamed to live it. What matters most is that we did the things that we ought to do. Roderigo." 

They both stood there at the back of the room, behind the counter, facing each other and talking about life as Vampires or as soon-to-be wiped-out vampires. 

"You want to know what I have always wanted?" Roderigo asked taking Maya's right hand in both of his and placing a kiss on her hand.

"What is it? You tell me then." She replied, smiling sweetly at him.

" To Marry you."

She gasped and pulled her hand away.

"Nonsense, Roderigo. We are only but teenagers..."

"We're nineteen and eighteen respectively. There's no such bad thing about getting married at this age. Do you know how old Lopez was when he got married to Olivia?"

She shook her head and he leaned closer, whispering into her ears.

"Seventeen. They were both Seventeen."

She clasped her hands around her mouth.

"So you see, it's not a new thing getting married at this age."

"The thing is...I still have a lot to do."

"Yes." He called behind her. "Like eating worms and crop seeds. Making winery from underground grapes and herbs or...spending all of our time in each other's arms and professing our love."

"I don't know." She hesitated and he grabbed her face in his hands. 

"Maya, look at me. Do you not love me?" 

The band was still playing but this time a slow waltz. Everywhere was serene and the people moved slowly. They stared into each other's eyes, unspoken messages passing between them. Maya's breath was held as she looked into those dark eyes and his grim lips. Only one thing came to mind. Jumping into his arms and reliving the moments here and then. But then, she would have to answer to her mother for kissing her childhood best friend. Grabbing him by the shirt, she pulled him to the back of the building where she dropped a kiss on his lips.

Roderigo smiled down at her, flashing his dimple, and also returned the kiss but this time with the hunger and passion of two people in love. Nothing else mattered around them, save the feel of their bodies rubbed against each other. Maya ran her hands under his shirt, running them up and down his smooth chest.

Moments later, they were in each other's arms under the full moon, on the surface. Maya could hear Roderigo's heartbeat which was as soothing as medicine for back pain. She could stay there all day but first, she needed to conceal his mark of ownership from her parents. She placed her index finger on the teeth bite that was on her neck. It burned hard but it gave her pleasure and it reminded her of an intimate night with the one she loves. 

"Lest I forget, Maya, I have something to show you." He was rising already and grabbing her hand, he pulled her to a tree nearby. It looked huge and more like a fig tree but that was not the only shocking thing that occurred to Maya. 

"The Onyx. It's gone." Roderigo's hands trembled with this realization and she wondered why. 

"Onyx? What's an Onyx?"

"It's something I worked years and eons digging up from the crust of the earth. A very valuable object that no living being on the surface of the earth has ever come across. It is as beautiful as paradise but I assure you, Maya, with this treasure, all our dreams will come true. And trust me, we may even survive this coming disaster." 

Maya could only stare at his mouth wide open. 

"How is that even possible?"

"Well, after finding the Onyx, I looked it up myself and studied it. I discovered it had been formed from static lava that was made solid due to its inability to flow. And what do you say about destroying diamonds?"

"It can only be destroyed by its own kind."

"Correct. The volcano can as well be stopped by the lava gem. The Onyx is what I call it."

"But the gem was made from melted heat stuff. It's different from a diamond."

"What makes them similar is that I had the mother of earth breathe into it."

"Goodness me!" Maya screamed. "You have done all of these without anyone knowing? How?"

"I am just grateful that every time I die and reincarnate, I always remember my mission. To dig the earth. But now," he looked at Maya, his eyes looking like he was about to break apart. "It's gone."