A lone mouse walked out of the old library and headed across campus to his dorm. Dominique Flagrantia was the top medical student in his class at Oxford and a favorite among his professors. Graduation was only a few months away, and because of his achievements he'd already been offered several positions at some of the best clinics in London. The only thing left in his way was his final exams, which is why recently he'd been spending most of his days in the library studying.

Dominique was a quiet mouse with few friends and kept mostly to himself. Sure he didn't mind the occasional distraction here and there, but he rarely socialized and instead remained focused on his studies. He had white fur with dark hair that seemed to have an almost bluish tint to it in a certain light. His eyes were a rich golden brown, but they were mostly hidden by long bangs that partially covered his face. Unlike most of his peers he liked to keep his hair long; it just felt more comfortable that way. That and the fact that he had two piercings in his left ear set him apart in appearance from most of the male students on campus, but he didn't mind.

Once he reached his apartment building Dominique took the stairs up to his dorm room, skipping the last step. Despite his genius he had always been a tad superstitious, although that was mostly due to the influence of his grandmother. He had grown up hearing tales of legends and things of the supernatural, although he regarded it all mostly as fairytales. Skipping the thirteenth step was just one of the little habits he had developed as a result of his grandmother's influence.

Another habit Dominique had was that he always wore a certain necklace that she had given him as a boy. She told him it was a good luck charm and that it would warn him whenever an evil spirit was nearby. She made him swear to always wear it, and he had faithfully kept that promise through the years. Now that he was older he usually wore it under his shirt, but somehow having it near made him feel closer to her even now after she was gone.

Dominique let out a tired sigh as he unlocked the door and stepped inside his flat. He would be glad when finals were over so that he could look forward to a little bit of rest before starting his apprenticeship at the clinic. However, a few moments after he shut the door behind him and put his bag down, Dominique froze .

Something felt wrong. He couldn't place his finger on it, but something just did not feel right in the room. He reached up and touched the pendant around his neck, something he did unconsciously when he was stressed or uneasy, and as soon as he did the bad feeling intensified. The fur on the back of his neck stood on end as he had the terrifying sensation that he was being watched.

"W-Who's there?" Dominique called out nervously, his eyes darting all around the room. Feeling a small tingling sensation in his fingertips that seemed to radiate from the red stone, Dominique's heart pounded frantically in fear as a sudden image of a terrible creature flashed in his mind. A vampire…?!

No sooner had the thought entered his mind than he heard something drop down from the ceiling behind him. Dominique whirled around to see a figure crouching on the floor, but a moment later the shadow sprang at him before he could react. He grunted as his back hit the wall, feeling the breath whoosh out of him. Still trying to regain his breath, Dominique stared up as the figure slowly stalked toward him. It was a gray mouse with a light colored stripe down his muzzle, with black hair slicked back neatly. However the most distinctive feature about the mouse was a long jagged scar extending down from his brow across his left eye and cheek.

"S-Stay back!" he yelled, backing as far away from the vampire as he could. The other seemed to notice as Dominique clutched his necklace tightly in one hand, but the vampire only smiled darkly.

"Your little trinket won't help you," the gray mouse chuckled. Feeling panic building up in his chest Dominique made a mad lunge for the door, but the other mouse grabbed him and pinned him against the wall.

"Look, I-I don't want any trouble," Dominique stammered. "If you want my money, take it-"

"Silence," the mouse growled threateningly. Dominique obeyed, remaining froze in place as the mouse's scar began to glow with a bluish hue, feeling trapped by his dark gaze. "You, Dominique Flagrantia, have spent your entire life trying to escape a destiny that has been passed down through centuries of generations of your family; the life of a witch."

Dominique stared wide eyed at the mouse feeling more chills go down his spine. "H-How could you possibly know that?" the frightened mouse whispered.

"I've done my research, and I'm very good at reading people," the vampire grinned menacingly. Dominique stared as a bluish liquid seemed to drip from the mouse's scar, almost like blood. Whatever power he had used to tell Dominique's secrets must have drained him somehow; maybe the vampire was vulnerable…

Twisting in the vampire's grip, Dominique suddenly grabbed a heavy textbook that sat on a small side table next to them and swung it at his captor's head, but the other mouse knocked his hand away like an annoying fly buzzing around his head, which caused the book to fly across the room and crash into something. "Now, now," the vampire tutted, "be a good boy and don't make a fuss. I am a busy mouse and I'm not in the mood to play games." Dominique trembled as the vampire's fangs gleamed while he bared them in a feral snarl. He opened his mouth to let out a panicked scream but his world went black before any sound could tear out of his throat.

…...

Dominique let out a quiet moan as he came to. He sat up and rubbed his aching head, his mind seeming fuzzy. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he was startled to find that he was no longer in his dorm; this seemed more like the dungeon of a medieval castle. Feeling disoriented and with his heart pounding wildly in his chest Dominique tried to crawl to the door, but he only became more distraught when he discovered that his leg was shackled to the wall. He tugged on the short chain frantically, feeling panic closing in as his thoughts began to catch up with him. He had been kidnapped.

Realizing that he was close to hyperventilating Dominique had to force himself to calm down. Holding his head down Dominique inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to regulate his breathing. He drew his legs up to his chin and rested with his elbows on his knees. Why anyone would kidnap him was a mystery. He had no enemies that he knew of, he barely had any friends. Dominique trembled at the memory of the scarred mouse who had taken him. From what he had said he knew exactly who Dominique was, but what did he want from him?

Dominique looked up as he heard the barred door open and saw a mouse enter the room carrying something. He glanced at the open door with a feeling a hope of escape rising inside, but with his foot chained to the wall there was nothing he could do at the moment. To his surprise the mouse came forward and set down a plate of food and a cup of water on the floor in front of him, and for the first time Dominique realized just how hungry he was. Moldy bread and stale water, a fitting meal for a prisoner, he thought bleakly. Still, it was better than nothing at all and he slowly began to eat. At least the fact that they were feeding him meant that they wanted him alive, for now.

"Thank you," Dominique said politely, still grateful for the meal, if it could even be called that. The other mouse didn't reply and only flattened his ears when he heard Dominique speak. As Dominique ate, he studied the other more carefully, who sat quietly nearby waiting to take the plate and cup back. The mouse had brown fur and dark brown hair, which looked dirty and unkempt. He appeared to be young, and Dominique estimated that he might be in his early twenties, around the same age as himself. Dominique's ears lowered when he saw both recent and fading bruises along with old scars on the young mouse's body. To Dominique's trained medical eye some of the injuries seemed to have even been as bad as broken bones that hadn't been set properly in order to heal.

A thought suddenly hit Dominique. If this cell was indeed part of a castle, then was this mouse a servant? He almost had to be based on the threadbare tattered clothes he was wearing and his submissive actions, the way he kept his eyes lowered. Dominique repressed a shudder as he remembered how merciless the mouse who had attacked him in his dorm room had been and wondered if he was the same one who had abused the mouse before him. Whoever he was, he must be a powerful and rich mouse to even own servants. Unless the vampire was working on behalf of someone else…

"Can you tell me where I am?" Dominique asked the servant hopefully. The other mouse looked up briefly with fear in his eyes and trembled as he spoke.

"Îmi pare rău, domnule. Nu înțeleg."

He doesn't speak English, Dominique thought dejectedly. He ate in silence from then on and finished some minutes later. The servant looked at him nervously again as if to ask if he could remove them, but a moment later both mice looked up as someone else entered the room. He was impressive looking character, dressed in fine clothing that was perfectly tailored for him, and his dark gray fur and raven black hair pulled into a ponytail by a silk ribbon gave him an elegant but dark appearance. Dominique felt another chill run down his spine as he sensed that it was another vampire. His heart sank even further when the one who had taken him from his home followed close behind. As soon as the pair entered the room, the slave seemed to tense even more and it was clear that he was trembling. He glanced at the first mouse, and with just a look the servant fled out the door as fast as his legs could carry him, taking the plate and cup with him.

Dominique felt his heart rate quicken as he was now left alone with the two vampires. The first watched him for a moment before turning to the other. "You're certain this is the right one?" he asked. Dominique heard the slight foreign accent, though he didn't recognize where it was from.

The mouse with the scar rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm certain. You've never doubted my abilities before."

"This was a very important task, Lars, which is why I entrusted it to you in the first place. I don't want any mistakes on this one." Dominique stared up at the mouse in fear, feeling frozen in place as those crimson eyes studied him carefully. "I can't say I've ever had the opportunity to meet a male witch before," the mouse smiled, revealing his own set of fangs.

"I-I'm afraid you have me mistaken for someone else, s-sir," Dominique stammered nervously, unable to keep his voice from shaking.

Dominique flinched when the vampire rolled his eyes and glared at him in annoyance. "Are you not Dominique Flagrantia?"

"Y-Yes sir," Dominique replied again as politely as he could.

Again the mouse seemed to be annoyed by Dominique's response, and Lars suddenly chuckled in amusement. The other vampire glared at Lars, who laughed in amusement "Don't throw a tantrum, Sir Stefan," Lars teased. "He's being polite after all."

"Don't call me that," the other mouse growled at Lars before turning his stern gaze back to Dominique. "I am Count Fane cel Rau," he said, placing emphasis on his title, "and you will address me as such."

"I-I'm sorry, Count," Dominique apologized quickly, hoping to avoid offending his captor further. "I'm not familiar with the customs... here," he ended weakly, still having no idea where he actually was. "But I'm not a-"

"Don't try to deny your heritage," Fane snapped. "I know more about you than even you do, so I will know if you try to hide anything from me." Before Dominique could respond Fane turned to leave the room. "Bring him," he instructed to Lars, who crossed his arms and leaned against the wall seeming bored.

"Bring him yourself," Lars retorted. "I've done all the work so far, I'm not your dog to fetch everything for you." He chuckled at Fane's irritated reaction. "Besides, I'm sure he knows better than to try to run."

"He'd better," Fane growled as he swiftly unlocked the shackle around Dominique's ankle before jerking him off the floor roughly. "Move," Fane ordered, shoving him forward. Dominique obeyed, just glad to get out of that cell.

Fane led the way and walked a few paces in front of Dominique with Lars following behind them. Dominique stared at his surroundings impressed as they walked through the castle, his eyes taking in the huge ceilings and ornate decorations and furniture. His steps gradually slowed as he looked around until he began to fall behind.

"Stop daydreaming, boy," Lars said, giving Dominique a shove forward which caused him to bump into Fane. Dominique trembled in fear as Fane turned and glared. Lars snickered and Fane glared at him in annoyance before grabbing Dominique's arm and dragging him the rest of the way. When they came to one of the doors Fane opened it and tossed Dominique inside, causing him to trip and fall. As he looked up Dominique saw that they were in what looked to be a large library or office, with tall bookshelves reaching all the way to the ceiling.

"Have a seat," Fane instructed. Again Dominique did as he was told, hoping that cooperating would keep him alive. After taking a seat at the huge mahogany desk, Dominique watched as Fane removed a certain book from one of the shelves and placed it down in front of him, causing a small cloud of dust to rise from the impact. Not sure of what to do, Dominique glanced up at Fane confusedly, but when he looked back down at the book again something seemed to click in his mind. He remembered a tale his grandmother once told him of an ancient tome written nearly a millennia ago that had been passed down through generations of their family. Only the book had been missing for centuries...

"It can't be," Dominique breathed. "Is this…?"

"Azu Vithel," Fane finished for him, noting how Dominique seemed to recognize it.

Dominique stared at the book, gently running his fingers along the worn cover. "I thought it was lost… how do you have it?"

"How I got it is of no importance," Fane replied with a careless wave of his hand. "What is of any significance is how you can use it."

Dominique slowly opened the book and flipped through it, his eyes widening more and more as he scanned the pages. He had never seen such powerful spells before.

Fane noticed how closely Dominique examined the pages. "Can you read it?" Dominique glanced up at Fane and swallowed nervously before turning back to the book. The text was written in a language he had never seen before, but somehow the symbols and foreign letters made sense to him. "Well?" Fane said impatiently.

"I-I don't know what language this is, but somehow I can feel what is written," Dominique tried to explain. "It's as if the symbols and words turn into English in front of my eyes… Like this," Dominique pointed to one passage on the page. "Some of this is in Latin, but these letters are some other language."

"But you can understand it?" Fane asked.

"Yes," Dominique nodded. "It's instructions for a spell to heal someone who is sick."

Fane stepped over and flipped to a certain page and pointed at it. "And that…?" Dominique looked where Fane was pointing and read the paragraph intently. From the worn edges and looser binding it seemed that this passage had been consulted more often than the others. "This one is a little simpler to understand since it's written mostly in Latin," Dominique remarked half to himself. He studied the text for a moment and suddenly his eyes grew wide. "The curse of the doppelganger," he gasped. He looked up at Fane, who was smiling at his reaction. "You mean you want me to perform this ritual-?"

"Already done," Fane dismissed.

Dominique looked confused. "Then what do you need me for-?"

"I'm getting to that," Fane interrupted with a warning glare. It had the desired affect as Dominique fell silent, dropping his eyes down to the floor. "As I was saying, I performed this spell myself. The Latin was easy enough to translate, and once I acquired the doppelganger it was a simple enough task. However, there was a slight… mishap, and the spell was broken. Now I'm in need of a much more permanent solution."

"Solution for what?" Dominique asked confused. "What are you trying to accomplish?" Dominique trailed off as the answer came to him. "Y-You're trying to bring someone back from the dead."

"Precisely," Fane replied with a dark smile. "This is the book that was used to preserve the soul, so I assume that it contains other solutions to revive the spirit. The problem, as you can imagine, is the difficulty of translating the rest of the text. That's where you come in."

"But why me?" Dominique asked. "There are plenty other witches in the world."

"But none that could read it. One of the previous owners of this book was a witch who performed the ritual for preserving the the soul I'm looking to revive. Her name was Selena, and according to my research," Fane smirked, "she was one of your ancestors."

Dominique stared. "You traced my family's history?! But why?"

"Because your ancestors wrote this book," Fane said, tapping his finger on the page. "You come from a long line of powerful witches, which is why I spent the time doing the research in the first place; to find you."

"But I'm not a witch!" Dominique burst out. "Why do you need me, why not some other witch-"

"You think I haven't tried that?!" Fane snapped, slamming his hands on the desk and startling Dominique. "I've spent countless decades interrogating the strongest witches in the world, yet none of them could make sense of this book. None except you. Which proves that only someone in your bloodline can read it."

"But I'm not even a practicing witch," Dominique insisted. "I learned a little from my grandmother, and I used to sneak and read her books at night, but I never took the art up myself."

"Really?" Fane smirked. Dominique gasped as Fane reached inside his vest pocket and held up Dominique's necklace dangling from its silver chain.

"T-That was a gift from my grandmother…" Dominique said quietly, reaching out for it but Fane kept it just out of his grasp.

"A grandmother who wanted to protect her only grandson against evil forces," Fane chuckled, startling Dominique as he guessed the trinket's purpose. "Didn't do much good did it, since that was supposed to keep vampires like Lars and me away from you."

Dominique's ears lowered. "So I'm a little superstitious. It doesn't make me a witch."

"This proves differently," Fane said, pointing at the book. "Deny it all you want, but witchcraft is in your blood. Somewhere in this book must be another spell that tells how to bring someone back from the dead, and you are going to find it for me."

Dominique put on a brave face trying to hide his fear. "A-And if I refuse?" he dared to ask.

Fane smirked as he held up the necklace again, as if admiring the way the red stone sparkled in the light from the fireplace. Then just as calmly, Fane clutched the stone in his fist and slowly ground it to dust before dropping the pieces in front of Damien on the desk. "Don't disappoint me as your ancestor Selena did, or I can promise you that history will repeat itself."

Dominique stared wide eyed at the destroyed necklace and felt his heart pounding in fear at Fane's threat. As Fane turned to go, he paused at one of the bookshelves and seemed to study it for a few seconds before growling irately. Dominique watched him storm out, and a few moments later he could hear Fane's angry shouts on the other side of the door along with what sounded like blows landing, and Dominique trembled when he heard a servant's pleading voice in between the sounds. What was happening out there? The answer to the question was pretty obvious, but still Dominique wasn't sure he wanted to believe it. That out there could be him, especially if he refused to cooperate with his captor. He had to have an answer ready before Fane came back, but he wanted nothing to do with this kind of magic. But if he said no, then he would end up like whoever was getting beaten on the other side of that door. It seemed like Fane was the one in charge, and part of Dominique wondered if a mouse as powerful as Lars would work for him, then just what was Fane himself capable of? He wanted to get out of that chair and see for himself, but the rational part of his brain screamed at him to stay put. Now that he had seen a real vampire for himself Dominique reluctantly realized that he was a little curious about them. No, his mind told him. There was nothing logical in it for him to walk straight over to danger. Besides, the door was sure to be locked anyway. But then again he could try to look through the keyhole... He needed to learn as much about his captors as he could, including their strengths and weaknesses. However he couldn't be sure until he checked.

While Dominique sat trying to decide what actions, if any, he should take, his ears perked up as he caught something familiar. It sounded like the servant was begging in different languages, but Dominique recognized one of them. It was a language he knew well and had been taught since he was young. The servant was speaking French. Dominique recognized the word that were mixed between the other languages. He heard the servant plead 'Please', 'I'm sorry' and 'Master', all in clear French. That was it. His curiosity got the better of him. After finally making up his mind Dominique quietly got out of his chair and tiptoed across the room and knelt by the door, putting his eye to the keyhole. What he saw only confirmed his fears as he witnessed Fane's brutality lash out onto this servant. No matter how badly he wanted to look away Dominique couldn't help staring at the scene in front of him with growing horror, and it took several moments for him to snap out of it and realize that he needed to get back in the chair before Fane came back in the room and noticed his actions.

With his heart beating frantically Dominique went back to the chair as fast and as quietly as he possibly could. Just as he was about to lower himself into the chair the door opened, causing Dominique to jump and practically fall the rest of the way into the chair. Shaking nervously, he turned around expecting to see Fane glaring over his shoulder. However relief flooded him as he saw that it was only the beaten servant who entered. Dominique watched silently as the mouse went to the area of the shelves that Fane had looked at before he left, and began to take books down and rearranged them in a different order. He could see the servant carefully rethink where he placed each book and saw his hands trembling violently as he was unsure and nervous. Some of the books were put aside as it seemed they didn't belong there, but somewhere else entirely. The servant carefully picked up the books and walked towards another shelf, closer to Dominique. Now that Dominique realized he might have a chance to communicate with someone his mind filled with questions to ask.

"Excusez-moi," Dominique said, feeling hopeful when the servant turned to him. "Parlez-vous français?"

"O-oui, Monsieur," the servant answered, seeming surprised. Dominique's heart leapt, finally he might get some answers!

"Where am I?" he asked still speaking in French, keeping his voice low in case Fane might be nearby to hear.

"The castle of Master Fane cel Rau, Monsieur," the other answered.

"I mean what country?" Dominique asked earnestly, causing the other to cast his eyes down again.

"I'm sorry, Monsieur, please forgive me," he quickly apologized. "R-Romania, Monsieur."

Dominique's ears lowered. "It's ok…" he trailed off as the reality hit him. Romania… he was so far away from home… "Why would they bring me all the way here?" Dominque asked desperately, feeling himself beginning to break down. "I'm just a student who minds his own business and stays out of trouble! I told him I'm not a witch, I can't do what he's expecting me to do! Why won't he believe me?!"

As Dominique became more frantic his words came faster and faster until the servant fell facedown at his feet, cringing and trembling uncontrollably. "Please, Monsieur! I'm sorry, I-I do not know! Please, forgive me, Monsieur, I-I don't know…"

Dominique stared in shock at the distraught mouse, who was clinging to the hem of his pants and actually kissing his feet as he begged for forgiveness.

"I-It's ok," Dominique said once he finally found his voice. The servant still remained bowed at his feet so Dominique reached down and carefully removed his hands. The other mouse flinched at the touch and Dominique hated himself for making him afraid of him. "I'm not angry, I promise. I'm just… well, scared."

The other mouse did as he thought Dominique wanted and sat back up, but still remained on his knees with his head bowed reverently. Dominique felt chills as he stared at the servant trembling in front of him. If the mice who had taken him had done something to terrify this mouse this much, then what would they do to him?

"What's your name?" Dominique asked gently.

"D-Damien, Monsieur," the servant answered.

"Damien," Dominique repeated, causing the other to glance up nervously through the bangs partially covering his face as he still kept his head bowed. "A French name like mine," Dominique smiled. However, his smile faded as Dominique noticed the bruises forming on Damien's body. "Why were you beaten?" Dominique asked, although as soon as the words left his mouth he wished he hadn't asked.

"For not returning the Master's books where they belong, Monsieur," Damien answered matter-of-factly. Dominique could barely believe his ears that Fane would beat his servant over something as trivial as his books not being kept in a certain order.

"How can he beat you like that for something as unimportant as books?" Dominique asked incredibly.

"M-Master does as he pleases, Monsieur."

That statement gave Dominique chills. If Fane became upset over something small like that then how much worse would it be if he were to become really angry? Dominique gulped nervously before continuing his questioning.

"I overheard you speaking in French earlier. But what were the other languages?"

"Français, Italien, et Roumain, Monsieur," Damien answered.

"Really? That's impressive," Dominique smiled, trying to make Damien feel more comfortable, but it didn't seem to be helping. A thought crossed Dominique's mind and he glanced at the door in case Lars or Fane walked back in. "Damien, can you tell me how close the nearest town is?"

Damien hesitated briefly before replying. "About five miles, Monsieur."

Dominique's heart sank. So even if he did manage to escape it would be a long trek through mountainous wilderness before he even reached civilization. "Are there any phones here?" Damien looked at him confused. Surely someone who lived in a castle could afford a phone! "You know, a telephone?" Dominique asked a little more urgently. "To call the police?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Fane walked through the door. Seeing his Master enter the room Damien immediately went back to replacing the books in their proper place.

"Je peux parler français aussi," Fane said with a devious smirk, causing chills to run down Dominique's spine. "And no, there isn't a telephone within a hundred miles of here. So… have you come to a decision yet?"

Dominique took a deep breath before answering. "What you're asking of me is far beyond the very laws of physics and power. You're talking about reversing the process of life and death-"

"But it can be done," Fane stated more than asked. He smiled at Dominique's hesitation.

"No, you don't understand," Dominique insisted. "You're tampering with supernatural powers far beyond your comprehension. The kind of black magic required to accomplish such a feat is extremely dangerous, it's not something that you can just play around with-!"

"Do I look like I'm 'playing'?" Fane hissed threateningly, causing Dominique's ears to fold back.

"Even if it was possible, I'm not capable of doing it myself," Dominique insisted. "Just because my ancestors were powerful witches doesn't mean that I am. Our family has been plagued by witchcraft for centuries, and it always comes with a price. A price I will not pay!"

"Am I to understand your answer is-"

"No," Dominique interrupted firmly.

"No?" Fane repeated. Dominique trembled as the vampire glared at him dangerously, but he still refused and stood his ground.

"N-No. I can't… I won't get involved with this kind of sorcery."

A long silence followed Dominique's declaration before Fane gave any sign of response. "Wrong answer."

Author's Notes: OMG this fic has been all that I think about lately XD

Dominique is my newest OC. He'll be a sort of important character in Echoes of the Past, but I also really wanted to tell his story firsthand. So this pretty much takes place between Echoes in my Mind and Echoes of the Past (which is in progress). A between-the-sequel thing I guess? So far I plan for it to be in 3 parts, but that may change. As may the title (seriously, I suck at titles).

But anyway, this is basically the story of how Dominique came to be at Fane's castle. That's all I can really say without spoiling Echoes of the Past... But yeah, from here on out, things get pretty bad for Dominique...

Also I owe a HUGE huge huge huge thank you to mimmime who is co-writing this with me. Seriously I couldn't get it done without her help 3 And also thank you to NightMagican for the parts with Lars... I've never written him before so she's helping me keep him in character XD

Damien (c)mimmime
Lars Maurus (c)NightMagican
Dominique, Fane (c)Me