Prologue

The sound of battle could be heard ringing all through the castle walls. A young Serenity Graves dodges enemy soldiers as she runs through the main hallway of Castlevania, Castle Dracula. She is certain one of the soldiers or, more probably, one of Dracula's servants will stop her escape and drag her back into the Hell erupting from the castle. It is only when she crosses the castle bridge, and breathes in the cold night air that her thoughts turn from the battle in the castle to the fragments of horrors she remembers from when she was younger.

The images of blood and death from the castle bring up the nightmare she fears when she tries to remember her family. Soldiers being torn apart by the monsters commanded by Lord Dracula merge with the memory of Serenity standing with her mother's blood on her hands howling out in rage and fury. She can see her mother lying dead at her feet with her eyes full of tears, and her mouth and chest oozing blood.

Serenity forces the memory from her mind and thinks of her older brother Nathan. As she charges into the frozen forest she thinks of him the day he choose to run away from the castle. Surprisingly Lord Dracula was not angry about his decision, but instead let him go free without even a protest. Serenity desperately wanted her brother to stay with her at Dracula's Castle, but he refused to remain any longer. He asked Serenity to come away with him, but she had refused him in anger.

As she advances through the forest, wiping tears from her eyes, Serenity's thoughts turn to her first night in Castle Dracula. She woke up in a dimly lit room with Nathan sitting beside her. She was scared, and she could not remember anything besides her name, and Nathan's relationship to her. When asked Nathan too could not recall how or why they were in the castle. They discovered Lord Dracula, his wife Lisa, and his son Adrian soon after, however none would tell them any information. The Graves' siblings would spend several years with Dracula and his family. In that time they were trained to fight alongside Dracula and Adrian should the castle be invaded.

Serenity could just make out the candlelight from the near by village. Her legs and chest ached, but she dare not stop. The thoughts of her past leaving her now, she felt a greater sadness in her heart. She could not understand why she did not remember anything prior to her life in the castle, besides the image she had of her mother. She could also not understand why Lord Dracula would not answer her question about where she came from, or why Nathan had left so suddenly.

She hoped the villagers would help her in finding safety until the morning. She had made the decision hours ago that she would not be returning to the castle. In her heart Lord Dracula was like a father to her, maybe even more, and the thought of not seeing Adrian again plagued her heart with sorrow. Serenity had to find her brother, and ask him herself why he left several months ago, and why soldiers were raiding the castle. There should not have been a reason why they would attack the castle, unless the Belmont man had ordered it.

Serenity slowed to a walk, pausing only briefly to catch her breath. She walked with her head down into the village, and made her way to the church. Once inside, with her story told, she was given a hot meal and bed to sleep in. When she arose from her dreamless sleep her brother greeted her, much as it had been all those years ago.