"I don't think you needed to tell her that in such a harsh of a tone." Nathan stated as the hunters advanced through the castle.
Eric glanced briefly to the side and replied, "If I don't use a firm tone with her she tends not to listen."
"How do we know she listened anyway?" Simon asked, "For all we know she turned around and came in when we left her."
Eric shook his head, "I got through to her. Besides I don't sense her."
Continuing on proved little challenge, as the few monsters that were in the castle were very weak. Simon took out most of the monsters they encountered, and Trevor dealt with the rest. There was no conversation among the men. Nothing was said of Serenity or the strange voice that teased them before they entered. Eric took the first notice of how strange Simon and Trevor were acting while resting in a deserted hallway on the fourth floor.
They had been in the castle a little over an hour, and were taking a much needed rest. The silence was holding strong, but the looks on the two Belmonts' faces needed investigation.
"Simon," Eric began, "is something bothering you?"
Simon brought his eyes up to the eldest Graves brother and nodded, "I should have said something before, but the voice that greeted us sounded so familiar."
"You thought so too?" Richter inquired.
Nodding Simon continued, "And it's not the first time something like this has happened. The last time we went against Chaos, when Dracula returned and Serenity used the white fire, earlier that night I thought I sensed another member of our clan in the castle, but at the same time I could sense parts of Dracula in the same being. I thought it was just Dracula's power, but after seeing him I knew that it couldn't possibly be."
"I felt that as well." Trevor confirmed, "It's hard to explain, but it was almost like sensing Dracula with Belmont blood running through his veins."
"Or a Belmont with access to Dracula's power." Simon stated darkly.
The Graves brothers looked at each other in disbelief. If Simon and Trevor had sensed that, then there was no doubt that Adrian and Serenity had sensed it too.
"Why didn't you tell us after we got out of the castle? I can understand why Serenity didn't say anything, but even Trevor?" Eric questioned.
Shaking his head Trevor remained silent, as did Simon. They did not understand what it meant to sense a Belmont with the evil powers of Dracula. To the best of their knowledge all of the surviving Belmonts, as well as the ones brought through time by Zead were under the service of the Vampire Hunters. Zead was foolish enough to bring Trevor, Simon, and Richter through to the present, however even he would not dare try to hide one from them.
As if to spark the question Hugh pondered, "Maybe Zead went back to get another member of your clan. Or Saint Germane brought someone with him."
"No," Alucard began, "Zead is forbidden to bring anyone else through time unless he is taking the Belmonts back, and Saint Germane can only move himself through time. Remember when Serenity went with him, she could only move with him through her mind. That's why she didn't have her powers when she went back."
Hugh nodded in reply, and once more the silence took hold of the hunters. Each of the men's thoughts circled around the possibility of a Belmont coming under the influence of Dracula, or even Lucifer. Richter had been taken control of before, but he did not have total control over the powers of Dracula.
"Let's get moving," Nathan started suddenly, "we won't get anywhere sitting here thinking."
In agreement they all rose, and began their journey again. They had only walked a few feet when they noticed a red and black door stood in their path.
"Strange." Hugh said simply, and walked up to the door.
This was the first time in years that a door like this had been in their wake. Usually the only things waiting for them in castles were lesser monsters. Pushing the door open Hugh walked into the room followed shortly by the others. The door slammed closed behind them, but they could see through to the other rooms further ahead. In every room, one by one, a door closed off the six rooms in front of them. Within seconds they were trapped inside the first room.
"So good of you to come all the way here." cooed the voice from earlier.
"You again." Trevor stated in spite.
The voice was silent for a time, but when it talked again it sounded harsher, "You are to play here with my toys until you get through all of them, or you die. Either way I care not, just so you stay out of the way for a little while."
"Tell us who you are before we start this little game!" Hugh demanded.
The voice laughed deeply, but did not answer Hugh's question. The hunters waited, and just when they thought they were alone again the voice sounded.
"Beat my demons, and come to the throne room if you want to know so badly. I might even have a friend for all of you to see. Now, a good game always needs a few good rules."
Nathan folded his arms and questioned, "Why should we follow your rules when we don't even know if they will be more of an aid to you?"
Once more the voice laughed and answered, "Because if you don't follow the rules the doors will remain closed. Even if you get out of this room I will be long gone, and you will be none the wiser."
Gritting his teeth Nathan remained still as Eric complied, "Okay fine. Tell us your rules and let's get on with this."
"There are six rooms, ergo there are six demons you need to defeat. Only one hunter may fight one demon. If that hunter dies the next one takes his place. If the demon is killed everyone gets to move on to the next area." explained the voice, "You cannot leave or back out at any time, as I've said. Take your time gentlemen, I assure you I am not going anywhere."
As the voice faded their first opponent appeared in front of them. It was a woman of great beauty, with long blond hair, and crimson wings unfolding from behind her.
"A Succubus." Eric said simply, "Who will face it?"
"I will," Hugh said, "I'll make it fast."
The succubus smiled at him and laughed, "I was hoping for someone a little cuter, but you'll do just fine."
Serenity opened the door to the main entrance of the castle, and took several steps in. She found it odd that she could not sense any of the hunters, especially Simon or Trevor, but counted it lucky so they would not sense her either.
"Okay I'm here," she shouted, "now where are you?"
Silence was her only answer, and after another failed attempt of trying to contact the voice she continued on her way. Serenity's plan was to venture up to the throne room, as that was the most likely place the origin of the voice was, but as she was reaching the first stairway a blocked off room caught her attention. It was red with a skull in the center.
"What?" Serenity questioned to herself in a whisper.
The last time she entered a room like that she had almost lost control of herself fighting Chaos. Unable to continue without entering the room Serenity pushed the door open. Much to her relief the only thing that inhabited the room was a huge rock golem.
Serenity drew her sword, and once the blade left the sheath it started on fire. Holding the Hell Sword in front of her she braced for the first attack. The golem did not make her wait long, and it launched its left arm straight at her. Jumping out the path of the arm Serenity brought her sword over her head, and struck at the metal links connecting its arm to its body.
She brought it down as hard as she could, but the sword rebounded off of the steel, and sent her stumbling back several paces. With confusion in her face Serenity jumped back as the golem swiped at her.
"Why did that happen?" she questioned herself, "Is something wrong with my sword?"
As if in answer the golem launched its arm at her again. This time Serenity jumped over it and landed directly on the arm. She brought the sword against the metal again, and again the sword rebounded. Gritting her teeth Serenity back flipped off of the golem's arm, and ran to the far wall. Closing her eyes she chanted a spell, and directed it towards the golem.
"I see," she stated when she opened her eyes, "it's not the sword that's the problem."
As the energy field around the golem dissipated Serenity saw just how massive the golem's power was. Bracing herself for the next attack Serenity concentrated on the Hell Sword, and poured more power into the fire. The next time the golem shot its arm at her Serenity ran directly at the golem, and began slashing away at the stones making up its body. Things continued like this for roughly three minutes before the golem fell to one knee.
"This time will be the end for you!" Serenity shouted as she summoned a magic circle around the golem, "Seal!"
Serenity was blinding fast with her hand as she completed the sealing circle, and sealed the golem away. Breathing hard she heard the door open behind her, and saw the one open in front of her.
"That was no ordinary golem." Serenity stated to herself as she sheathed her sword, and continued on her way.
Before she left the room the now familiar voice agreed, "I strengthened its power. If I made things easy for you this wouldn't be as fun."
"I thought as much," she answered back, "before you leave again can I ask you something?"
"I don't see why you can't. But then again I might not answer you." it replied.
Serenity began walking out of the room and questioned, "I know you're the one in my dream, so can you tell me why I keep having it?"
Serenity continued to walk, but the voice did not answer her. She walked slowly up the stairway to the second floor, and had just begun walking through the halls when the voice questioned her instead.
"You are having dreams about me?"
"You didn't know?" Serenity asked in surprised and stopped, "I thought you were the one sending them to me, or at least you were connected with them."
The voice remained silent. Serenity debated about her next approach to the strange voice. She wanted to talk to it more, no; she wanted to talk to its owner face to face. She wanted to know why she felt the way she did when she thought about it or when she talked to it. Cursing herself she started walking again.
"I know this is your castle, and you're here somewhere," Serenity began, "but if you don't show yourself I can't guarantee that we'll meet. I'm bound to run into the others sooner or later, and once they see that I'm here they'll leave with me."
She was certain that would get the owner's attention, but it left her be through her entire journey through the second floor, and up to the third floor. Serenity grew uneasy as she continued on, as she met no monsters along her way. In fact the only monster she had seen since entering the castle was the golem. Turning a corner Serenity saw another red door at the end of the hallway.
"Something tells me you can hear me," Serenity said as she walked slowly towards the door, "so if you are in league with Chaos or Lucifer…even if it is Dracula…"
"Stop!" the voice shouted, "Do not say such outlandish things!"
The apparent distress in the voice's tone made Serenity stop in her tracks. For the first time since she started talking to the voice it actually sounded angry. Movement caught Serenity's attention from the corner of her eye, and she whipped around to face it. Floating a few feet away was a black mass with what appeared to be a metal mask over its face.
"Are you the owner of the voice?" Serenity asked.
The being did not answer her. All she got in reply was a shake of the phantom's head. Upon further observance Serenity noticed a break in the metal by its mouth. The being floated over to her, and pointed a long shadowy arm to the tower on the other side of the main part of the castle.
"Is that where he is?" Serenity asked directly.
This time the being nodded, and began to fade away. Serenity tried to stop it by grabbing for it, but her hand passed through its body. She looked back to the tower once more before entering the next room.