Chapter 1: Possession

I feel pain... pain!

Yet I did not know why. A part of my body was hurting. Which one? I struggled in my sleep. It seemed endless.. like a void.. dark and misty. I struggled. I felt pain..

Time passed me by within a second as I opened my eyes, gasped and got up.

I clutched my left arm and gasped once more.. two deep red scars on my wrist! "How comes? Where did I get this from?" I traced it softly with my fingers.. wondering. Wondering who did this. If anyone did it at all..
The contrast of pale skin and redness hurt my eyes. I stopped looking at it but it kept on hurting and stinging my skin. It was a stab of mystery.
I yawned, stretched myself and slid off the bedside to face the mirror.

"O' mirror, mirror on the wall...
I had a dream I danced at a ball.
Then I heard someone's call..
I searched and found myself in a hall.
Then woke up as I felt myself fall."

No response. Nothing. All I saw was my exhausted, sleepy reflection:
white silky nightgown, long golden hair, icy-blue eyes, blushy cheeks, red full lips contradicting the tone of my skin, dark thick eyebrows.
My hand travelled up my belly to my chest.. to adjust one of the open buttons for my breasts were slightly visible.

I sighed.

Two deep red scars on my wrist.. long scars. Strange..

And shook my head because it didn't make any sense. I wrapped a white cloth around my arm. Finally, I headed downstairs.

I was convinced it was morning.. but I was wrong. Looking at the clock on the wall I realized it was still night. It started making ringing noises, screaming that it's 3 o'clock, and almost frightened me. I bit my lower lip and gulped. I shivered for it was cold. One of the windows was open.

I must've forgot to close it..

This was an old gothic house. But so was every house in Nosgoth. I walked on the floor, and it too, made noises. So I tip-toed. But that didn't help.. I held my breathe and looked out of the window. The starry night sky of Nosgoth was the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen.. for it was dark, eerie and mysterious. Each star twinkled at me and I smiled. Grey clouds moved over the Moon.. creating passing shadows on my face. I inhaled the windy breeze that kissed my cheeks and softly caressed my hair.. and slowly.. closed my eyes. But then I felt something.
A movement in the living room. I heard something, too. A yawn. And then.. the light rain outside.

My heart pumped blood faster than before. I did not dare to speak, not even whisper for I felt such fear in my limbs as I moved them towards from where I thought I had heard the noise.

There.. was a friend of mine. "Why are you here?" I asked him.

"Because.. remember, I came over to your house? And you agreed on letting me stay for the night? Remember?" He explained.

"Oh.. yes. Yes. Indeed. That is right. I must've forgot.. again. Oh well." I sighed.

He frowned at me. I knew why. The scars.

"What has happened to your.. arm? Cordealia?"

I walked closer to him and exposed my arm. He tenderly put his hand on it and examined with a concerned expression.

"I do not know.. I felt pain during my sleep.. and woke up, and saw these scars."

He frowned even more.

"Must have been a vampire.." He thought.

Perhaps he was right. I did not know. Nosgoth did have vampires though. That I knew..

"But if it had been a vampire.. shouldn't I be dead by now? They never leave their victims alive, they always leave them as corpses."

I was so confused.

"True. But I still believe it was a vampire. He must've only scratched your arm with two claws.. and then left for some reason.. leaving you alive. Be careful, Cordealia." He said with a worried voice.

I nodded.

Suddenly, he fell back and started trembling all over. His body was shaking immensely, his eye balls made strange movements. His pupils widened, and he shook his head and then remained still.

With my hand on my chest I gulped. I stood there.. in utter silence. Fear.. beating in me again. Finally, I whispered: "Ga.. Gawane?"

I frowned, bit my lower lip and did not move. Then, I witnessed his eyelids opening.. slowly. I frowned even more, afraid to see what was going to happen, and sat down onto the couch he was on.
At last, his eyes were completely open.. but the colour had changed. It was yellowish. I turned my face away and looked at the floor and breathed hard. My heart was pounding in my chest. I clutched the buttons of my nightgown and slowly turned my head to face him again.

"...Gawane?"

Hard, deep breathes escaped my lips, my shocked face overwhelmed by that sight. Those eyes. They were staring into mine.. intensely. So intensely.. in a dark, morbid, merciless way. He glared at me. Those eyes.. had a strange, eerie gloom under his eyebrows like two shadowed caves. One side of his mouth slowly formed a slight smirk with his lips.
I gulped and touched my lower lip with my fingers.. biting my lip again, frowning. My chest moved faster as I breathed in with fear, trembling but brave enough to remain still.. as I realised he might've been possessed by a vampire.
And even though I did not dare to move my head but only my eyes.. down, or to the sides, he still stared at me. Piercing my soul. He was tactless. He sensed my fear, smelled it like blood and still, knowing I was scared, did not stop looking at my fragile frame.
I caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and did not see the body of my friend.. but a vampire. A vampire everyone knew in Nosgoth.. Kain! It was Kain! It was no longer my friend, companion, protector.. it was Kain! His red garments.. and white hair..

Oh my god, it's him! And he's looking at me!

I gasped and looked at him.

"KAIN?!"

In this tense moment he still remained silent. He did not answer me. He smirked and looked into my eyes. I looked back with all my courage.
I was unprotected, I felt helpless. Hopeless. Completely.. alone. The only noise that penetrated our awkward yet tense silence was the light rain. The raindrops that fell down the rooftops, hitting the ground. The noises of moving liquid..

It almost sounded heavy to my ears.

His gaze froze me.. inside and out. Numb. Numb all over. I felt so numb. But there was something about his eyes.. and they had so much passion in them. I felt.. unexplainable passion from him hitting me like waves of energy, going through my flesh and spirit.
I started breathing harder..

This must be a dream..

Even I felt passion. But that must've been my dark side.. for I know very well the deeds of Lord Kain. The monstrous vampire. No normal person with common sense could fall in love with such a creature… or so I thought.

Then.. finally, he moved! He lifted up his arm a bit.. and as I stared at his every move.. I almost thought he was going to pull me into his grip and choke me when his hand ought for me to move closer to him. It was a wiping movement.. and I swear, I could've almost seen long nails but then didn't because it was merely a vision, and he was in my friend's body.. after all.

"Corde.. aahlia... ... come... here."

I stopped breathing and gulped. Then, inhaled heavily and faced him. I wanted to resist but it was so hard to let any words out. It was hard to move myself in any way. I felt strangely paralysed and frozen by his stare. Finally.. I gathered my only courage:

"No..! It doesn't work on me, Kain! I'm stronger than that!"

His facial expression did not change. He still looked the same. His passion grew stronger.. yet I felt disappointment from him.. he hid it.

"Gawane.. please, come back!"

My voice echoed in the void. I hoped it would reach him and bring him back. I hoped he would aid my call.

"Come... here..." he said again in a cultured Nosgothic language. He was a noble after all. A vampire. A killer. A Scion of Balance who refused the sacrifice.

I did not obey him. No matter how much I wanted to go there and see what would've happened, I still did not obey him. I could be curious.. but I wouldn't let it kill me. My light side was fighting inside of me. It was fighting against my dark side, the temptation, the lustful feeling that arouse in my body. I needed to be strong. I needed to keep my human pride. And so, I adjusted my position for I felt I was in a bad position before and sat up, looking all proud suddenly with my chin high. I could shine my light upon him any second and it would dissolve his skin since he is a vampire. But I doubted I had any chances against him. Even though I knew vampires couldn't stand daylight.. or perhaps any kind of light. So, I supposed I could've harmed him.. but I didn't. My heart and guts wouldn't let me.

And he probably could've killed me too.. but he did not.

"Why.. are you... moving?" He asked me after a long awkward moment.

He looked slightly confused yet his facial expression still reminded me of an evil person just smirking or something..

I took a deep breathe again.

"Kain. Stop. It doesn't work on me. I'm telling you.. I'm stronger than that! ...Gawane COME BACK!"

Suddenly he started shaking again. He closed his eyes.

I was relieved.. I knew my friend would be back. And he was. He opened his eyes and had no idea what had happened so I explained.

"But he's still in my head. I can hear his voice. He wants to make love to you. He says he wants to just rip off that gown of yours and go for your neck and lips—"

Really….

"He knows you are fragile.. he says he knows exactly the right softness of your skin to kiss you so it wouldn't hurt you—"

"But how? How does he know?"

Now.. I AM starting to get curious.

"Cordealia... he loves you—"

"WHAT?"

He loves me!?

"He says so…. Cordy, are you alright?"

I was breathing heavily again, clutching my chest and looking down. I gulped a lot. I could not believe my ears. Actually, I could not believe any of it.. at all.

"….Are you alright?"

"Yes…. Just.. shocked.. I mean, it was ages ago since I last met a vampire in person."

"Oh."

I felt pain in my shoulders.

Must've been my uncomfortable bed.

"Ahh!" I clutched my shoulders with a painful expression on my face.

"I'll massage your shoulders.. if you don't mind, Cordy. It'll help."

"Okay…" I replied.

I sighed as I felt him massaging my shoulders, relaxing me.. trying to calm me down.

"You do know that if I continue this he might come back, right? He is telling me that now he wants to come to you.. especially now."

"..Y.. yes…I'm.. quite aware.. don't stop though. Please.. it's so soothing."

I closed my eyes and I knew his energy was there. Somehwere. It was red.. and close. I felt that passion again.

"Is there any way of avoiding him taking you over again or something?" I wondered while he kept on massaging me.

"Hmm.. I don't know.."

"Well, think!"

I was known for having a short temper.. I was quite easily angered sometimes. And sometimes, I was amazingly serene too.

At that command he stopped. His hands fell down. I turned my head and gave him a questioning look while frowning.

"… How can I think?"

His eyes were strangely starry, looking into mine.. with same intensity. I felt myself freezing again and gulped.

"Well.. uh.. um.. use your.. brain."

Silence.

And then.. I felt something stroking my right leg.. I looked at his hand.

"Um.. Gawane.. why are you doing that?"

He looked into my eyes passionately.. I felt something very strange when his hand stroke my leg. It felt so.. hot. I felt my face burning.

I sat an inch away from him, looked in front of me with a determined expression and said: "Kain. Go away!"

"Sorry…"

"Huh? Sorry? About.. what?"

Gawane moved.

"What?"

"What?" I asked back.

We were both silent.. frowning at each other.

"Why did you stroke me like.. that, Gawane?"

"I didn't stroke you." He said in a defensive way.

"Yes you did. Or.. was it Kain?"

"I don't know. Could've been." He shrugged.

Oh well…

I got up because I was getting rather hungry and headed to the kitchen to cook myself a meal or something quick and easy. All this time I felt his eyes following my movements, even my stillness.

"Gawane, why are you giving me that creepy long look?"

"Because Kain is telling me to." He replied mechanically.

"Why?" I shook my head and frowned as I prepared my meal.

"'Cause he wants to look at you…" He said in a passionate voice.

"Um…" I felt uncomfortable. That stare.. that intense stare. I did not like it. I felt such uneasiness.

"Perhaps.. it's best if you go home now, Gawane. This way we can end this.. weird situation, right."

"Home? Are you insane? It's night! Do you really think I'd go out there, walk alone on those haunted streets during NIGHT?! You know there are vampires and dark creatures lurking out there, right? You know, right?!" He was freaking out.

"Yes! Yes.. calm down. Yes, I know. Alright. Fine. Stay.. but promise you'll try your hardest to fight off him trying to control you.. okay? Because.. it's creepy. I mean, he is. He's scary.." I said and gulped.

"I'll try. But you know.. it's hard. He's powerful you know, he's strong."

"I know… I wish there was any way I could help." I sighed.

"There is not.. unfortunately. Even if your element is light.. I'm afraid you cannot do much about this. The best thing to do in your case is just go away and stay away from me as much as possible." He said in a serious voice.

"Oh. So you're suggesting that I go out there instead? Huh?" I folded my arms and giggled.

He smiled back and shook his head.

"No, no.. What I'm suggesting is.. just go upstairs and stay there. Go to sleep."

"Sleep? But what if he takes over you and comes upstairs after me? That is not safe either!" I was beginning to feel hopeless.

"Oh.. yeah. I guess you're right. Um.. well, we can always try. Just lock your door. I don't think he'll be able to come in using my body." He sounded proud now.

"Oh.. yes. Sounds good. Alright then. I'm going back to sleep, I suppose. Well.. I'll see you… later.. and hopefully, you'll be fine." I said in a worried voice.

"Yes. Goodnight, Cordealia." He smiled.

I felt uneasy again and moved my feet as quickly as possible as I walked up the stairs. My heart jumped in my chest as I heard him getting up from the couch and walking to the door of the living room. He stood there.. and watched me with a smirk. It was scary.

Maybe he was controlled by Kain again? Okay.. seems like… I should run!

Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam.

Running up made a lot of noise but it seemed like it helped.. although when I looked over my shoulder once I noticed that strange movement of his again.. that shaking, the eyes and all.

Finally, I was in my room with the door locked and felt extremely threatened. Even with the door locked.. I did not feel safe. I still went to bed.. but it was hard to fall asleep.

But since I was so tired eventually I fell asleep anyway.. regardless of my fear.

And as I slipped away.. I felt an arm pulling my soul out of my body. The face of Kain looking at me in my dream.. smirking and standing on the astral plane waiting for me.

"If you are not willing to meet me in person using your friend's body… I shall meet you in your dream." He said in a deep, haunting voice.

And that was the last thing I heard.. last thing I could remember besides the darkness of the void.