The Cursed Moon

Alt Tag Natsuki

There are six realms of rebirth; Gods, Demigods, Humans, Animals, Hell Beings, and Hungry Ghosts. Dead ones have to go through this cycle for rebirth, determined by own karma from their previous life.

Kiku Hangai, born during Edo period in 1705, was the oldest daughter from an aristocrat clan. Despite the view of patriarchy across Japan, she was said to be the successor for Hangai family as she was favored and terribly loved. Thus, she trained wielding sword, day and night. For the sake of becoming the suitable person to become the next head of her family. However, the wheel of fate began to turn when a man named Eikichi stormed into her life.

Eikichi was a charming commoner. He sold accessories for women, and the day they met, Eikichi gave a hairpin in the shape of the crescent moon for Kiku. Eventually, the oldest daughter of Hangai was charmed. They frequently met at their secret rendezvous, a huge pine tree by a river, shadowed by the moon. They fell in love with each other, unknowing of what fate had for them.

When the fateful day arrived, Kiku was going to meet Eikichi just like usual. However, her father, the current head of Hangai, found out about their affair. He was extremely furious that he decided to ground Kiku from going outside. Eikichi was truly worried for his beloved, and so, he came searching for her in the Hangai household. When the head of Hangai heard about his arrival, he beheaded Eikichi.

Kiku was more than devastated that day. She was ... mad. She was ... furious. As insanity took over her mind, she wondered, how could her father murder the man she genuinely loves? Hence, under the moon, blood was spilled in Hangai household. Driven by madness, using her sword, Kiku killed every single one of her family residing there.

And in the pool of guilt, she committed suicide by striking her own neck with the sword she used to kill her family.

You must have loved blood so dearly, Kiku Hangai. The world shall give what you wish for.

Thus, the cycle of rebirth began. Determined by the karma from her previous life, for killing her family for the short-lived love, for the greed of being loved by everyone, for the suicide, for her love for blood under the moon, she was reborn as an insatiable cursed being. A vampire, thirsty for blood, insatiable. After the guilt of letting her past lover died, of killing her family, ate her alive, she was destined to kill for more blood. That was her karma.

Unable to reborn into better realms, she would be stuck forever in the human world as a cursed vampire. There would hardly be any good deeds which could be done to restore her karma. She also considered this; her atonement.

She named herself Natsuki, to remind herself of the bloody moon, to remind herself of the night she went down the path of insanity. For she was unable to seek forgiveness from those she wronged, for she was unable to forget the vivid details of the fateful day. How could she? All her loved ones died by her hands that day.

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Pub: 19 Jul 2025 20:02 UTC

Edit: 29 Jul 2025 03:04 UTC

Views: 62