Dante slipped his hand into Jackson's and pulled him closer. His voice was hushed as spoke, "Jackson, stay close and do not, " he looked Jackson sternly in the eyes, "absolutely do not touch anything."

As impossible as it seemed Jackson's eyes grew even wider and he nodded quickly not trusting himself to speak lest his sound waves would shatter the walls. The two traveled down a seemingly endless twist of a hallway going deeper and deeper into the earth. Jackson looked wonder-filled with curiosity and fear at each passing stone set to make the walls and floor. He wanted badly to stop and wonder about the strange symbols and pictures carved into the stone, but was too afraid to ask. Instead he kept following Dante being a good boy (which was rare) only gazing at his surroundings as the pale light hit the stones. He tried looking up for the ceiling, but the walls just kept going up disappearing into the darkness. This also perplexed Jackson as he thought there should be a ceiling given that they were underground.

Finally Dante stopped. In front of him stood two large double doors made of iron-wood aged to a grainy silver color. Instinctively Jackson reached out to touch the door, being caught by Dante just in time.
"Jackson, you cannot touch that door."
This time Jackson was curious as to why. "But it's just a door."
Dante sighed, "Because Jackson, this door hasn't been touched by human hands since it was built. I guess you could call it taboo for a human, of any kin, to touch the door. In fact the door hasn't been touched by anyone for hundreds of years."
Jackson looked skeptical, "So then how do you even open the door?"
Instead of answering Dante reached into his coat and pulled out a small orb. The orb pulsed with blue light that grew brighter the closer it was to the door. Dante murmured words and lifted his hand. Much to Jackson's surprise, the orb began to float from his master's hand and nestled itself in a carved out hole in the center of the door. It began to pulse faster and brighter and when Jackson looked back at Dante, his master's face was knitted in concentration. Again the small bag of herbs was dangling from his hands and Jackson could swear he could smell the herbs almost as if they were burning. The door in front of them glowed with blue light spelling out an ancient language. The spelling was in sync with Dante's murmurs and at last the light split down the middle of the door. The doors swung slowly inside not making a sound. Somehow Jackson had imagined that they would open with a creaking sound like in the movies.

At first there was just more darkness, but then one by one (just like in movies) flames lit yet another hallway. The only difference was that in movies you'd usually see an old cobble stone hallway with torches lining the wall and maybe some old statues. This hallway, however, had a pathway made of brick with flowers, trees, and other plants growing around and up the walls. This too had no end to how far up the walls extended. A blue glow lit up the pathway emitting from floating orbs similar to the one Dante had, but were much smaller. The orbs moved leisurely about their home almost as if they were living creatures themselves. Jackson was yet again surprised and awed by this new world his master had brought him to. Even the plants, which appeared normal at first, were beautifully mutated. As the two entered the pathway the great doors sealed themselves behind the pair. The whole place gave a mystical feeling; it felt, quite appropriately, magical. Dante's face held a sort of nostalgic smile, "It's unlike anything, isn't it?"
Jackson nodded.
"If hold very still and hold out your hands, you can catch one." Dante had pulled to a stopped and whispered to Jackson. Jackson stopped with him and followed what he older man had told him. They waited quietly until an orb floated around and landed right into Jackson's hand. He could barely feel it, only a sort of electric tingling sensation. The blonde cupped his hands so the orb wouldn't float away and brought it close to his face.
"Whoa, it's really pretty. How does this, like, exist?"
Dante thought for a bit, "Well, it's just part of the magic world. To be honest I don't remember how they came to be, just that these little things have always been here. Here." Dante took the orb and pulled a small vine from a tree. The dark green vine began to entwine itself around the orb. Jackson watched as the vine weaved into a necklace.
"Here." Dante again repeated himself as he held the necklace out to Jackson.
"Woa! Thank you!" Jackson reached eagerly towards his new gift and shadowed Dante's hands as he put the necklace over Jackson's head. The necklace tightened to make it fit Jackson's rather thin neck. It didn't sit like a regular necklace, as expected, but hovered grazing his skin with that electrical tingling that Jackson was growing to like.

Dante seemed to be taking his time, rather basking in the nostalgia of his forgotten home. He had wanted to show this world to Jackson many times before but had never really found vacation time. Now that he could, Dante wanted the young boy to really enjoy the beauty just as he had his first time in -.
"Did you know that there are places where time doesn't exist?"
Dante's sudden break of the silence had surprised Jackson, "Uhm, there is? Wait, really?!"
"Yeah, place that you can go and spend even years in, but if come out of the same door you came in time would have not passed. You could make a whole life if you choose to and even choose to not go back to the world you came from. There are people who do that; they are the great witches and wizards of our world among many others." For a moment, only a single moment, the thought passed through Dante's mind. To do that, to just not go back. He could take his place as a wizard and live with Jackson anywhere they wanted to go, even to other worlds. Whatever Jackson wanted, Dante thought, he could give him anything he wanted. The thought was soon extinguished
"But what about their friends?"
Dante was shaken from his thought, "What?"
Jackson looked thoughtful, like he was really searching for an important answer, "Their friends in their world, wouldn't they miss them? What about making new friends? Can they do that if they just stay in the same place forever?"
"Well, they can move if they want to, to different worlds and such. Most settle in their claimed area though." Dante almost regretted his earlier thoughts. Of course Jackson would never want to leave his friends behind. He almost forgot that Jackson could never be selfish like that, even if was just Henry to leave. He'd cry about helping Henry and being there for him when Vladimir gives him a tough time. Dante sighed; they were now at the end of the path. The familiar smells and sounds came all at once and the darkness ended. The two stood in the warm golden light of another world entirely.

Henry stood in the middle of his room. He wasn't quite sure why he was there, but the fact of there matter was that he was there. In the middle of his room. Just standing there. Earlier he had went to see if Jackson wanted to do something, but when he went to his room Jackson was gone. He figured Dante must've taken him somewhere. The problem was that Henry was bored. He had nothing to do and after Vladimir's bizarre act Henry hadn't seen him either. Now standing in the middle of his room Henry had no choice but to think about the weird dream he had. The yellow eyes, what did they mean? Whose were they first of all?

Henry began to pace. What Joss had said, it still bothered him. The massacring of all those people, did it really not bother him? Did he really think they deserved whatever Vlad did to them? And mostly did Henry have the right to even consider that? Did he have the right to not be loyal? Henry stopped at the window. The sun was setting now and soon Vlad would call him for more blood. The feeling he felt, was it excitement? Was it something Henry looked forward to? The sick truth was that Henry didn't mind the abuse, as long as he could see Vlad and be near him. It was almost as if he was demoted to stray puppy that followed around its new master. But that's how things happened. For whatever reason Vlad lost his memories and that's what bothered Henry the most. The only light of hope came from Vlad's strange behavior lately. Maybe something was triggering memories, but Henry couldn't be for sure. It was decided. With all his thoughts, Henry couldn't take it anymore and was moving based solely on the fact of Vladimir's strange behavior. Maybe this could work and he wouldn't get the crap beat out of him.

The room was dimmed and also a complete mess. His master was just lying on the bed with his eyes wide-open wearing only jeans and surrounded by various objects. As Henry came closer he noticed the objects to be more trivial things like pieces of paper, watches, his phone, snacks, and even the bracelet Henry had given him. He brought a hand up to his wrist where the one Vlad had given to him was. As soon as he did Vladimir shot out of the bed flinging objects everywhere in the process. He landed on top of Henry clutching his arm in front of his face.
"This. This bracelet thingie. You have. Also have one."
Henry, after regaining his breath and finally taking in what had just happened, tried his best to figure out what the Pravus's broken English meant. "Master? Uh… my bracelet? I, yeah, I have one…..?" Henry shifted under Vlad's weight.
"Where, where did you get it?" Vladimir's purple eyes stared intently serious at his drudge. Henry became nervous answering the question and his master sensed it. "Do you know something about me? About my past?"
This time Henry shot up straight, almost knocking Vlad over in the process (as Henry is still larger than Vlad, it just doesn't seem like it), and immediately resetting him hoping he wouldn't notice, "Yeah! I do!"
Henry saw his master's eyes grow darker and he seemed distant for a moment, but he then shook his head and said, "No, no I want to know. I need to know."
For a few moments Henry was confused of his actions , but overlooked it. There was bubbling excitement in him, Vlad had finally tried to connect with him! He didn't know why Vlad had lost his memories, but now he wanted them back! So it didn't mater how he lost them! Henry helped Vlad up and guided him to the bed where he cleared a space for them.

"Master Pravus, what's the last thing you remember?"
Vladimir looked at his drudge and thought, "It would be the beginning of, I actually keep forgetting. Everything is just the now, but this all seems very familiar."
Henry winced inwardly. He had hoped Vladimir wouldn't recall back to what happened last time, but he could only be honest with his master. "Yes this, this happened before. I, I'm sorry, I in a past life wronged you, but I'm here now and I'm doing my best to make it up to you."
"But you knew me in this past life? What were we? I think I know you. I know that bracelet." Vladimir's voice became soft and he leaned against Henry, " It torments me not knowing, and sometimes you seem so familiar."
Henry tentatively put his hand on the Pravus's shoulder. The Pravus who, with every minute, was becoming Vlad. "You, we were friends. You and I. It was always the two of us since we were little; we've always been together and always will be. I've been your drudge since we were 8 all the way until right now. When we were 6, your aunt taught us how to make friendship bracelets and we made one for each other. That's why you have one exactly like this one." Henry held his wrist out for Vlad and he took it in his hands. Vlad played at the strings before bringing Henry's arm closer and closer until it was right in from of his mouth. Then he bit Henry's arm. Henry jumped not expecting the sudden bite, although he should have. Blood trickled down his arm; Vlad was eating sloppy again. Henry wondered if he was still in a childish mood, especially considering his room. Vladimir was just completely unpredictable. The moment Henry thought he knew his mood, it would change.

Luckily Vlad had bitten below the bracelet so there wasn't much blood getting on. The vampire came up for a break, another unusual thing to do, and saw the blood that had escaped. He then proceeded to lick up the blood as to not waste any drop. Henry sat silently not sure of what to think as his master became a child trying to catch all of his ice cream before it melted. He would have liked to say that he was being to see a pattern in Vladimir's behavior, but that was the furthest thing from the truth.
"Master…?"
Vladimir stopped and looked up at Henry, blood still on the corners of his mouth. "Hmm?"
"Uh well, do you wanna finish talking? You um…" Henry didn't know exactly what to say, but gestured with his other arm to the one in Vladimir's clutches.
"Hey drudge," Vladimir stared out in front of him, "Were we really? Were we really friends? The voice told me I didn't have any friends."
Henry raised an eyebrow. The voice? "Vlad, you are hearing a voice?"
The Pravus shook his head up and down, "It tells me a lot of things."
Suddenly the memory of yellow eyes flashed before Henry. He wondered if the voice and the yellow eyes were connected. If that was true, then somehow Joss was connected to it too. His coming back to life wasn't random.
"Vladimir," Henry turned the vampire so that he was facing towards him, "Do you know what this voice is? Where it comes from or who is speaking?"
Vlad's eyes seemed to waver, "I….don't." The purple looked as if it were static going in and out on a television. Underneath the purple, bright yellow showed. The Pravus raised his eyes to meet Henry's, now the yellow was clearer. When Vladimir spoke his voice seemed as though it were static going in and out to a different mutated gravely voice.
"You shouldn't pry, dear Henry. Be careful what you find, for the consequences are grave. In fact do us all a favor and atone for your sins already." Vladimir not Vladimir lunged onto Henry knocking him to the ground. The vampire raised his arm and slashed down, meaning to rip out the drudge's heart. Henry's saving grace came in the form of one of Vlad's many useless things strung out all over the place. His quick reflexes resulted in a shower of Cheerios and a mutilated family size box. Henry knocked Vlad off of him and sprinted towards the door only to be jerked back and slung into a desk. A string of curses left his mouth and he clutched his side. Vladimir not Vladimir laughed, "You fool." And strutted across the room towards Henry. Literally strutted. Like on a runway strut.

Now Henry figured he was in some deep shit and would probably die very soon. He thought it would be nice if Dante or Jackson would burst into the room and save him, but that didn't happen. The thing that was not the Pravus or Vladimir or maybe not even a vampire, stood above his body and smirked. Henry was being looked down upon in the most literal way and he did not like it. Maybe, Henry thought, if he could just hide or something. He scooted his way underneath the desk and was thankful that his predator liked to play with his food. A scoff was heard and seconds later the desk was wrenched upwards. Henry figured he was completely insane because in that moment he took the opportunity to actually tackle a vampire holding up a desk. Amazingly it worked out better than expected. At least for a few seconds.

Not Vlad, caught off guard, was knocked down by Henry. He certainly didn't think that a mere human much less human slave would do such an act. The two went down hard just barely missing being crushed by the desk. Henry now sat on top of Vladimir's body holding down his hands. His victory was short lived as not Vlad just smiled and casually threw him across the room. Henry hit the closet door with blunt thump. Blackness edged his vision and he struggled to get up his arms wobbly.
"Who.. .the…hell…are you?" Henry spoke his voice rough between breaths. A sharp pain ached in his side. Henry tried his best to ignore the pain, it certainly was different in the movies where the hero, hell even the bad guys, just got back up and continued fighting. Not Vlad's foot came down on Henry's back and he cried out. The pain intensified like a burning iron rod was stuck under his ribs. The thing laughed in its sick gravely voice.
"Oh..my…god your voice….is gross." Henry said and then coughed spattering blood on the carpet. The thing stopped laughing and twisted Vlad's face to look displeased.
"What an incredibly rude and untrained puppy. Perhaps it will take more than this to break you." It said calmly. He took a step back. "I have a plan and you are ruining it, Henry. You won't get Vlad back and you can't stop this. I will create my own heaven and you, boy, don't play a part. I have no use of you and frankly you're better off dead." It brought its foot back and swung forward catching the side of Henry's head. Henry brought his hand up too late to block and was snapped into blackness like the flip of a light switch.