Epilogue
The castle looked so lonely during the daytime; its once monster-filled rooms and corridors were deserted and forgotten. Leon walked through the long, sundrenched hallways of the castle's cathedral wing. Beams of sunlight flooded through the numerous stained glass windowpanes, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the floor. The night had given its vast hallways an illusion of mysticism. During the day, sunlight transformed the castle's grandeur and terror into tranquility. The beauty of the area stunned Leon. Though the stillness surrounding him brought peace, it was also strange to walk without encountering a single monster. When he passed by the windows, warm light greeted him instead of the starry night sky.
The castle's sunlit corridors and rooms made him wonder where the vampire was hiding. After searching the pagoda for nearly two hours, he considered trying the garden, but remembered its glass domed ceilings were an obvious hazard to the night dweller. He then attempted to search the laboratory, but the wing's warmth and humidity inclined him to reconsider his plan. The knight knew of only three places that were somewhat devoid of light and heat: the waterways, the theatre, and the mortuary. Undoubtedly, the vampire would not return to his former prison, which left him only two other viable options. The theatre seemed more befitting of the vampire's haughty temperament but contained no coffins or tombs. Thus, Leon traversed the castle's sacred cathedral wing, knowing the demon would easily find refuge among its ancient recesses.
The mortuary was deep within the cathedral, though getting there was far easier than he anticipated because there were no monsters to deter him. Only the sound of the wind whistling through the windows accompanied him as he walked down its immense hallways. Even though no monsters roamed the wing's arcane hallways and rooms, Leon kept the whip coiled in his hand. The sunlight assured him the castle was at peace. When darkness fell, peace would give way to nightmarish fiends once more. The last thing he wanted was to be caught off guard.
After arriving in the mortuary, Leon gazed around one of its vast rooms, and was taken aback by the faint beams of light streaming across its roughly tiled floors. Daylight had not graced the mortuary's antiquated interior during his previous venture through it, and his ability to see his surroundings gave the knight an uneasy feeling. He realized the area looked more dilapidated and forlorn during the daytime. Its dusty statues, crumbling floor, and worn interior dispelled the mysticism it once held at night. As he wandered through the musty rooms, clouds of dust floated in the stagnant air. Years of neglect had taken its toll on the mortuary, leaving nothing but a decaying crypt devoid of its former magnificence. The sight of it made the knight feel somewhat regretful; he wondered what it had looked like centuries ago, during an age when people may have prayed in its passageways and chapels.
At last, Leon found one of the largest rooms in the mortuary. No light entered the space. Rags covered the small arched windows lining the walls. The knight walked past five large blue statues in the middle of the room. Carved on one side of the statues was the head of a jackal, while the other displayed a detailed rendition of the virgin's face. Initially, he thought the room was empty, for he could not decipher where the pale nobleman was hiding. He walked around the space and noticed that several old tombs lined at the back had been disturbed; their lids left open, unveiling the decomposing human remains cradled within them. Leon approached one of the white stone crypts. The knight's bright blue eyes surveyed the skeleton for a moment. The worn, crumbling bones had been moved, and lay in pieces without clothing or a shroud. He turned and glanced at the windows once again, noticing the rotting robes and shrouds hung over the glass. The only grave that remained shut was the lone one on the altar at the front of the room.
Leon walked up the altar's small steps and approached the tomb. For a moment, he paused to scan the heavy rectangular structure, noticing that some of the thick dust caked on top of the lid was brushed off in places. The knight drew a breath, and gasped the edges of the lid. The stone covering was so heavy that he wondered if, despite his strength, he would be able to move it. With great effort, he managed to lift it up long enough to be able to slide it off before it could crush his fingers. As he pushed the lid off the tomb, he caught sight of the vampire's slender form lying inside it. The lid landed beside the tomb with a resounding thump. A swirl of dust lifted into the air, clouding his view of the creature for a few seconds. After it settled, Leon gaze fell upon the sleeping vampire before him.
Joachim lay lying on his back; his arms crossed over his chest. Waves of ivory hair cascaded around his ashen face. The nobleman's indigo robes emphasized the abnormality of his skin and hair. The vampire's strange appearance was so unlike anything the knight had seen before that he could not resist the temptation to study him. Joachim looked peaceful in sleep. If Leon had not known otherwise, he would have assumed the young man was human. His elaborate silver lined chest armor and boots were finely crafted, which only the wealthiest aristocrats could have afforded. The white-haired youth's robes, carefully sewn and made with expensive fabric, boasted detailed black embroidery along the bottom hem, sleeves, and front. The garment's clasps and high collar design were unusual and most likely inspired by clothing from Asiatic lands. Indeed, the undead youth had been possibly wealthier than even himself. Leon was repulsed by the fact that the creature's refined clothing and visage captivated him, even though the sight of his white skin made him shudder. He wondered on the vampire's ambiguous history. Uncharacteristic frailness haunted the young nobleman's appearance. Joachim's slender frame and smooth features made him seem more vulnerable than frightening. Not even vampirism could conceal the sadness encompassing the former human. Rest seemed to be a blessing for the creature; a temporary escape from a tormented and lonely existence.
Leon gasped when an ice cold hand seized him by the throat. Alarm rushed through him like a hurricane, but before he could even reach for the whip, one of the vampire's deceptively frail arms dragged him forward, and almost caused him to fall head first into the tomb. The knight's eyes widened. Instinctively, he fought to free himself from the nobleman's vice-like grip but it was no use, for the vampire's deadly power restrained him with ease. He could feel the vampire's thoughts immobilizing him and demanding surrender but he refused to give in. Leon looked into Joachim's pale, icy eyes. The white-haired nobleman's fine lips curled into a sardonic grin, deliberately revealing the needle-sharp points of his fangs. The knight tried to push away, for he would not let his life end as another victim of the creature's cruel hunger. However, he felt the creature's claw-like fingernails dig into his throat and nearly suffocate him.
Joachim wore a mask of indifference. The calmness in his voice defied the voracious hunger in his gaze. "Did you come to kill me in my sleep, Belmont? You are more pathetic than I thought. Stare at me like that again, and I assure you, I will be the last thing you ever see!"
"I didn't come here to kill you!" Leon snapped, barely restraining the urge to draw the whip. The vampire's hold upon him was so tight, that he knew if he did, his life would end before he could finish a sentence. He tried to remain composed, and stared at the vampire in the eyes whilst he continued. "I came here because there is something important I must ask you. Don't make me reconsider."
Joachim's cold laughter echoed through the room. Leon was too stunned by the creature's perverse amusement to move. He felt the undead nobleman's eyes search him carefully. "My reaction was instinctive. Most humans try to kill vampires in their sleep – foolish cowards." With a huff, the pale nobleman's grip upon the knight's throat released.
Leon staggered back. He would have fallen down the altar steps had he not managed to regain his balance. One of his gloved hands flew to his throat, nursing the light indents in his skin from the creature's sharp fingernails.
Despite demonstrating his superior strength moments ago, the night dweller struggled to sit up and climb out of the tomb. Instead of levitating, his feet touched the floor. However, his stance was unsteady, and his movements were languid.
"Damn sunlight!" Joachim hissed under his breath. He took a small step forward and tried to steady himself, whilst his amusement dissolved into irritation. "Now, I know why Walter was so infatuated with that stupid black pebble…" With an exasperated sigh, one of his hands grasped the edge of the tomb for support.
Leon gazed silently at the vampire, surprised by Joachim's helplessness. Despite the unbelievable power attributed to vampires, during the daytime, it mattered little. "So…it is true that vampires must sleep during the daytime…"
As if unable to hear him, the vampire turned away and covered his forehead with his hand. Bitterness filled his voice. "Of course, whereas Walter sat upon his throne ruling whether it was day or night, I must rule in fear of the sun! I should have told him this castle has too many windows…"
Leon shook his head. The vampire was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he reached for his whip, swung his arm, and swiftly cracked it against the floor. The loud noise made Joachim whirl to face him, his eyes wide with surprise and fury. Leon folded his arms across his chest, returning the creature's scathing look with a disapproving glare.
"I will not listen to this anymore. Unless you regain control over yourself, the only thing I will learn from you is that you are beyond my help."
Joachim's pale eyes widened. It satisfied Leon to see the vampire's inability to respond with an insulting comment. Nevertheless, after pausing to regain his composure, the white-haired nobleman huffed.
"So, you returned. You are either incredibly foolish or far too trusting."
"I am neither." Leon retorted. With a heavy sigh, he looked the young nobleman in the eye. "I have a proposition for you. If you don't want to listen, I will leave you as you were and never trouble you again."
Nearly trembling, Joachim leaned against the side of the tomb, panting, whilst agony resonated across his face. After considering the former knight's words for a long moment, he whispered softly.
"You have my attention."
The former knight wanted to approach the vampire but knew better, for the creature's volatile mood made him dangerous. But he wondered if his assumption was correct as he gazed at the nobleman's exhausted countenance. The vampire was truly vulnerable in his current state. Desperation surged through Joachim's eyes whilst he fought to remain standing. Even though the windows were covered, the sun's presence still caused him great discomfort.
After withdrawing a breath, Leon began. "There may be a way I can help you, yet. I do not wish to kill you, and I regret how greatly you have suffered because of me. I know, years ago, you saved my life when you killed that werewolf." Leon noticed the vampire's disdainful expression soften somewhat. When Joachim said nothing, the crusader continued calmly. "Rinaldo and I could cast you into an eternal sleep. You would not be able to harm others, nor would you die. This is the only compromise I know of, and I wish there was another option. You, more than anyone, deserve peace."
"And how would you go about doing that?"
The white-haired demon challenged, his pale spheres locking upon the knight unrelentingly. The creature's fine lips curved into a frown before he placed a hand upon his face, feeling his cold dead flesh as he turned around in consideration of the offer. For a moment, he suspected the human was attempting to lure him to his own death. It would be nearly effortless for the former knight to slay him while he was sleeping. However, he soon realized Leon could have killed him moments ago instead. With a tired sigh, he looked over his shoulder, forcing his lips into a sad grin.
"Do you truly think you can save me? I am surprised…you returned."
"Do not be, for I know within your heart, you do not want to harm others. Sara…would not have believed in you otherwise."
Leon shifted uncomfortably. The recognition that appeared in the demon's eyes when he spoke her name made his heart ache. He withdrew a breath, wanting to avoid further discussion of the topic. He refocused his thoughts, hoping the night dweller would consider his suggestion.
"The blood of my family – my blood – is needed to seal you within your resting place. Should you accept, you will never awaken again."
The vampire turned around. Leon realized that, to his absolute astonishment, the creature was seriously considering the offer. Joachim's his eyes gleamed with a resolve that startled the former knight. Pain flickered through the white-haired youth as he studied Leon's gentle countenance, picturing the blood-filled veins and arteries running through the young man's circulatory system. The mere mention of the word blood sent his mind into turmoil. He had not fully realized how long he had starved himself of the tantalizing liquid until a searing, ravenous hunger filled his mouth. His desire to abstain from feeding was waning. Even though his guilt over the death of the young village girl filtered through his thoughts, willpower alone was not enough. For a long time, he had known the hunger would once again take control of his mind, just as it had years ago in the waterways. He tried to avoid remembering the hot, thick touch of blood upon his lips, the way it slinked down his throat and rejuvenated the bestial urges he suppressed. He looked away, tormented by vague recollections of his flesh gliding against another, two naked forms cloaked in darkness, the sounds of his sinful ecstasy reverberating off the prison's hollow walls as he pillaged his victim. Everything remotely human about him vanished in that place.
Lost within his thoughts, Joachim approached the high windows lining the wall behind him, wishing for the strength to rip the rags away and let his wretched body burn in the sunlight. He underestimated the strength it took to live. Walter, above all, wanted to know death. Even though the former lord of Eternal Night sat contentedly upon his throne, his games were not simply to prove his immortal power, but rather, a means to an end. No matter how the game concluded, Walter would have won – for death itself was a victory over eternity. The irony of Mathias enslaving Walter's soul forever to his will made Joachim want to laugh. However, it was the former knight standing before him who defeated his crimson-haired tormentor. The idea of winning by default sobered the pale vampire's amusement instantly.
He could not bear the thought of harming another human being, for he was already burdened by countless other crimes. His debauchery knew no bounds; his mind was unpredictable and capable of betraying him to the vicious, cruel hunger that once dominated him entirely. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as his gaze fell upon Leon once again, absorbed by the sight of the young man's brilliant blue eyes and exquisite countenance. He leaned against the tomb, feeling his strength begin to leave him even though he was shielded from the sun. The thirst began to pound against him, demanding gratification, trying to wear away the fragile humanity he fought to maintain.
With a bitter groan, Joachim breathed heavily, his voice trembling while he fought against the brutal instincts of his nature. He could see in the young man's expression a sentiment of understanding and sorrow. The knight's empathetic gaze entranced the vampire completely. In spite of his waning strength, the white-haired demon whispered resolutely.
"It must be done."
The only response Leon could give in that moment was a silent nod. There was nothing he could do or say that would change the vampire's fate. With a sigh, he placed left hand upon his hip and ran his other hand through his golden hair. He could tell the vampire's ability to compose himself was fading.
"I wish this were not so." Leon replied, giving the creature a pitying look. "Is there anything I can do? I don't want to watch you suffer, for it brings me no pleasure."
For a long time, the white-haired nobleman refrained from speaking. Shuddering gasps fled the vampire's lips as he huddled in the corner beside the tomb, his piercing eyes locked up the knight. His pale eyes glinted.
"Are you certain you mean anything?" The pale nobleman whispered.
Leon did not know how to respond to the question and regretted asking. The knight's innocent gaze prompted the white-haired creature to continue reluctantly.
"There is one thing. I am so…very thirsty. You could…"
"I can't; I won't!" Leon turned away, and his mind began to whirl. What was he thinking when he agreed to the vampire's terms? Horror filtered across his face as he thought about the terrible deed. His voice, once bold, sounded oddly faint when he forced himself to respond. "The very idea of letting you-"
"If you don't," The vampire hissed, his pale eyes shooting daggers at the troubled young man. "The moment darkness falls, I cannot guarantee I will be able to control my thirst any longer. I am dying…for I have endured too long without human blood to sustain myself. The blood of werewolves has long since lost its ability to alleviate my thirst. Perhaps, consider this...the sealing of our contract, Belmont."
Leon pressed a hand over his forehead in an attempt to calm himself. However, the creature's penetrating stare made him shudder. The cold, unforgiving malice in Joachim's icy eyes sent waves of apprehension through the knight. Without realizing it, his face paled, and he took several steps backward. If he did not help the vampire, night would eventually come, and he would be too exhausted to intervene.
"Trying to coerce me will not get you what you want."
The young man replied coolly, trying to delay giving into the demon as long as possible. Rinaldo had warned him not to allow the vampire to drink from him under any circumstances. However, the moment he rebuked the creature's request, guilt welled within his heart and he regretted his brusqueness. Leon could not bear the thought of having to harm the pale nobleman.
"I-I apologize, but I cannot risk the possibility of you succumbing to bloodlust. Were you to attack me, I would have no choice except to…"
Joachim's smirk abruptly faded. Though the vampire's tone was far from pleading, something akin to desperation appeared in his eyes. It was the kind of desperation that came when the thing one wanted most was just out of reach. Leon suspected that, though the vampire would not kill him, he would not relinquish control, either. The mere suggestion of appeasing a human was probably the last thing the creature would tolerate.
After hesitating, the white-haired nobleman's voice adopted a more subdued tone.
"I am asking you. Is the brave Leon Belmont truly frightened of me? I, who have no powers to speak of right now, am defenseless. Stop being so dramatic about it, you have probably endured far worse pain."
Leon could not deny that the vampire had a point. His lips pursed, and he silently cursed his own ignorance. Although Joachim's threats disturbed him, he was determined to honour his word.
"I...have a question first," he began, pausing when the vampire rolled his eyes like an impatient child. "If I let you...why will I not be tainted?"
Joachim flicked his hand and gave the knight a nonchalant shrug. The vampire's casualness about the matter incensed Leon. The creature left the protection of the shadows and approached him; his steps methodical and slow. The soles of his ironclad boots lightly clicked across the floor when he walked. Leon could tell the creature had not walked in quite some time. Joachim's posture was unsteady. Curtains of soft, white hair splayed around his face and shoulders. The elaborate silver design on his chest armor and boots gleamed; his elegance contrasted only by the severity of his expression. The intensity of the nobleman's gaze drew Leon's eyes to his.
Briefly, the creature's anger faded. "The curse is only spread if I bite your neck. That is the way it has always worked, and always will. Not everyone who is bitten in the neck will become a vampire. If I drain too much blood, break the neck, or tear out the throat, the victim will not become a vampire. The blood in the neck is warm and close to an artery, so controlling oneself while feeding can be very difficult." Joachim's voice trailed into silence. After a moment, he licked his lips, eyeing the knight with wolf-like hunger.
Leon did not find the vampire's explanation reassuring, but it was all he could rely on. Still, the thought repulsed him so much that he could not help grimacing. With a quiet sigh, he stepped forward, narrowing the gap between them. He looked Joachim in the eye, determined to prove he was unafraid – despite his reservations.
"Very well. I hope you will not require this of me again. "
"Believe me, Belmont, I agree completely. I swear this will be more painful for me than you."
The vampire gave him a repugnant look, his pale eyes staring at Leon in a manner similar to a spoilt child having to dine upon peasant food. Leon suspected Joachim's dependency upon him embarrassed the white-haired nobleman more than he wished to admit. Whereas his frame was strong, agile, and full of the vibrancy of youth; Joachim's slender frame was pale, sickly, and frail – at least, during the daytime. Within a few hours, the vampire would be able to glide about the castle with the freedom of an emancipated prisoner. Leon suddenly dreaded the thought.
Taking careful steps, the vampire slowly circled him. Joachim's head lowered, though his eyes remained upon the knight. A smirk creased the corner of his lips. Leon startled when he felt the vampire's slender form slink so close that he could feel the immortal's cold breath upon his cheek.
Joachim was first to break their silence. "Take off your glove." He whispered.
Leon stared at the vampire, uncertain of whether to comply until the creature huffed impatiently. He could not delay any longer, for the intensity in the nobleman's eyes was unrelenting. The knight heaved a sigh before peeling off the thick black glove on his right hand, exposing the long sleeve of his black undershirt and fair white hand. It was difficult for the knight to discern whether the vampire was impressed or indifferent, for the graceful features of his face yielded nothing. Leon slowly rolled up his sleeve to his elbow, feeling his throat tighten when the immortal's gaze fell upon his smooth, exposed wrist. Suddenly, he remembered Joachim's dreadful words when the vampire explained his inability to control his thirst. The knight began to see images of the creature draining the life out of him despite his efforts to escape. Without realizing it, he began to pull his arm away.
Joachim's pastel hand seized him firmly by the wrist. Leon winced in pain, for the creature's hold was so strong that, should the vampire have been inclined, he could have shattered the fragile bones instantly.
Joachim only looked at him coldly, his voice still retaining a sullen air of disgust. "Are you reconsidering?" The words dripped from his lips.
Unwilling to show weakness, the knight shook his head, even though his stance stiffened. "No." He whispered. His voice sounded fainter than he would have liked.
For a moment, the vampire seemed to understand his reluctance. With a sigh, he replied softly. "I suppose you have little reason to trust me. Nevertheless, blood binds our agreement. If I do not drink soon, my disposition will become unpredictable…I will become…the creature who greeted you in the waterways. That clawing, rasping, murderous fiend…will devour me completely."
"Is that what happens when vampires do not drink blood?" Leon asked.
"I would rather not speak of it again."
Leon was not sure whether to believe him. The sincerity in the vampire's eyes seemed so convincing. Yet, he could not rid himself of the possibility that his unlikely ally still harbored ulterior motives. He fell silent, feeling the creature's cold fingertips caress his wrist. Then, without warning, the sharp tips of Joachim's fingernails pierced his flesh. Leon winced as needles of pain shot up his arm. He tried to pull away, but the vampire's grip upon him strengthened, and he could not move. A stream of blood flowed from a small wound in his wrist, slinking down his hand and dripping onto the floor. Very slowly, Joachim raised the knight's wrist to his lips. Leon felt the color drain from his face when the creature's lips pressed against the wound.
Joachim's pale eyes remained locked upon the former knight indifferently, as though unaware of the pain he caused. The feel of Leon's soft, silky skin against his cold lips sent tremors of delight through him. Although his ravenous hunger demanded more than a mere sample of the human's essence, the luscious taste of warm, thick blood soothed the dull ache in his throat. Despite the cruelty in his gaze, he tried to be gentle. Walter had never told him, but there was an art to consuming blood – a kind of etiquette, that only improved with sufficient practice.
Leon's stance stiffened, his eyes widening as he watched his own blood flow from his wrist. He had expected the vampire's bite to cause unbearable agony, but felt only a small, sharp pain when the demon embedded its fangs into his skin. A strange feeling overcame him, and his heart began to pound against his ribcage. His lips parted and he closed his eyes, trying to ignore the arousal and terror that filled him that moment. The feel of the vampire's cold skin against his flesh sent tremors of excitement through him. Within moments, his eyes slowly opened, and his dark blue spheres clashed against the demon's pale blue. The former knight felt his breathing grow shallow as light-headedness overcame his senses. He could not describe it, but the intimacy of the act was like nothing he had ever experienced before.
After taking his fill, the vampire politely cleaned the remnants of blood from the knight's wrist. His smooth, delicate lips glided across the supple flesh, licking and cleaning the blood away. Then, satisfied, the night dweller slowly rose to his feet and turned away. His voice, once harsh, fell eerily quiet.
"It is done. Return to the throne room at sunrise two days from hence. I will move my tomb there, for it is less accessible than the mortuary."
"Are you…certain you wish to go through with this? Somehow, I feel I have become no better than Walter-"
"This was my choice."
"What will you do until that time?"
"I do not know." The vampire paused. His pale eyes surveyed the knight. After hesitating a moment, he began, his voice possessing an unexpected hint of cordiality. "I must return to sleep. Sunlight is my enemy, and I cannot leave this room until nightfall. I have spent a great deal of time in solitude; a few more evenings will make little difference."
Leon had not realized how isolated Joachim was until he saw his pensive expression. Sadness overwhelmed the former knight. He had always tried to believe that vampires were nothing more than cold, heartless creatures. Yet, when he met the young nobleman of the water prison, his assumptions were unfounded. He did not want to think that the white-haired immortal would spend his last few evenings completely alone.
With a half-hearted smile, the former knight replied. "You could…join me when you awaken. Although we have been far from comrades, there is still much I can learn from you."
"Are you serious?" Joachim raised an eyebrow, his lips parting in surprise, revealing the tips of his razor-sharp fangs. When he felt the knight's gaze trail to the deadly protrusions, he clamped his mouth shut and looked away. "Impossible. Don't mock me with your pity, human."
"I am not trying to mock you!" Leon insisted, irritated by the vampire's chronic melancholy. "I thought you might be in want of company."
Joachim stared at the young man in disbelief. For a moment, his countenance became so severe that Leon almost backed away. The immortal's fine lips curled into a scowl as he surveyed the knight suspiciously. The candidness of Leon's offer surprised him utterly, for he could not imagine why anyone would willingly desire his company. His lips parted, and the fiery rage he felt quickly dissipated. A part of him was delighted by the young man's offer. However, he had not entirely overcome his aversion to human company. When his appreciation of Leon nearly caused him to smile, he regained himself and folded his arms across his chest, huffing under his breath.
"Very well."
The stillness of the castle made Leon miss the vampire's company somewhat. He had agreed to watch over Joachim's domain. Throughout the day, he spent time practicing with the whip, reading, and strolling about the garden. He missed the days when he and Sonia ventured into the forest to hunt. More than anything, he longed to feel her next to him; his thoughts picturing her warm smile and beautiful, soft face. He hoped she was well, but could not bring himself to leave the castle. Even though the sun was still in the sky, he held a strange attachment to Eternal Night – as well as its new master. A tiny smile appeared upon his lips in mockery of his own nostalgia. Sonia was undoubtedly anticipating his return, and he wanted nothing more than to feel her embrace and taste the sweetness of her kiss. Duty had always kept him from that which he cared about most; he would not leave her waiting as he had Sara.
Bored, Leon broke his gaze at the window to explore the exquisite hallways of Eternal Night's cathedral wing. The rays of the setting sun shone through the castle's ancient windowpanes, casting a kaleidoscope of colors upon the floor. The gentle glow from candles lining the hallway created a calming ambiance that seemed uncharacteristic of a place that, at night, was shrouded in darkness and moonlight. The fact that monsters did not walk the hallways during the day allowed him to remain at ease. As he walked along the hallway's ornate marble floor, his footsteps echoed across the deserted space. After a time, he entered one of the many large rooms he had explored years ago during his venture through the sanctuary. Besides numerous bookshelves lining the walls, its vast emptiness initially failed to capture the former knight's interest.
He was about to depart, when his gaze caught sight of scratch marks marring the floor's intricate design near a bookshelf on its adjacent wall. With a curious frown, he approached the bookshelf, noting that something heavy had caused the scratch marks in the marble. Since the room was bereft of furniture, he diverted his gaze to the bookshelf near the markings. The scratches formed a half-circle in the floor, attesting that the bookshelf nearest it contained an area he had overlooked during his first venture through.
Overcome by curiosity, the former knight pushed against the dusty shelf. A loud, scraping noise shattered the sanctuary's calm silence when he threw his entire body against the unwilling object and forced it to move. To his amazement, there was no wall behind the shelf, and after much difficulty, he was able to push it into a vertical position – revealing a hallway beyond. The hallway looked unremarkably similar to those he had passed through in order to enter the large room. Leon stepped into the hall; feeling his hand instinctively brush across the whip coiled beside his thigh. No monsters lumbered within the empty space, but he could tell it had not been visited for a long time, since a thick film of dust caked the window ledges and created a light haze in the air. The hallway curved slightly. Leon doggedly followed it, but to his disappointment, it led to nothing but a small empty room on the opposite side.
As Leon made his trek back to the hallway's hidden entrance, he abruptly stopped upon noticing something adorning the wall half-way through the hall. A large, red velvet curtain was drawn over a section of the wall. The curtain was caked in so much dust from years of neglect that he missed seeing it entirely. What else had he failed to notice when he first visited the castle? Leon shook his head, remembering that, at the time, his mind had been consumed by his desire to find and rescue Sara. He stepped toward the heavy curtain and grasped one side of it, coughing when a swirl of dust flew into the air the moment it was touched. In a single, swift motion, he pulled the curtain aside.
Leon found himself staring at an old oil painting depicting a young woman with a ghostly pale countenance. The lady was seated upon a red velvet throne with a small child no older than four perched upon her knee. Her long, heavily embroidered copper colored dress flowed across the floor around her feet in thick waves. The lady's deep, crimson hair was styled into an elegant bun held in place by strings of tiny pearls. Her striking features, in addition to her flawless white skin, beckoned Leon's attention. At any moment, the woman appeared capable of reaching through the portrait and touching him, for her unusually dark, calm gaze held a strange power and realism. Her smooth, refined face possessed an unsettlingly proud and dignified air. Although she was remarkably beautiful, her abnormally pale complexion made Leon want to avert his eyes. There was something indescribably sinister about her. Her thin, red lips curved into a small smile, which appeared to carefully and tactfully veil her thoughts from the viewer. She seemed to regard the child upon her knee with cold indifference, for the subtle tension in her snow-white hands betrayed her illusion of maternal affection.
Leon drew a breath, focusing his attention upon the pale-skinned boy, whose features held a distinctive – though not total – resemblance to the lady. The boy seemed to gaze back at him, his lingering gaze so poignant that Leon held his breath. Lush coils of thick, shimmering scarlet hair framed the child's unsmiling face. The boy was adorned in a finely embroidered ebony-colored robe. Together, the woman and child conveyed an image of archaic nobility that had long since vanished into the dark depths of history.
Leon searched the portrait for the artist's signature, but all he could find was a faintly scrawled message in the bottom right corner. The handwriting was so faded that he initially could barely read it, and discerned only:
'For my…Bianca….yours,…'
Unwilling to look at the haunting rendition of the woman and child any longer, Leon turned and continued down the hall, knowing some things were best left forgotten.
Night had just settled over the forest and castle. The moment the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, the light-headedness Joachim felt during the daytime vanished completely. Although a familiar hunger ached in his throat, he resisted the urge to disturb his guest. Humans and vampires shared a similar need for rest.
Joachim glided into the empty throne room, eager to seek refuge from the stormy wind. With a sigh, he sunk into the velvet throne and rested his hands upon its gold arms. Even though he would have turned twenty-four if he was human, he felt strangely old and tired.
The robe he now wore was not the same one he had worn in the waterways. His armor, once beautiful, was dented, rusted, and covered in blood. He had washed the blood out of his hair and skin away before he left waterways. His eyes had silently watched the steady red stream disappear down the vast, shadowed channels, vainly wishing the water could erase all memory of what had happened from his mind.
The blood on his clothes could never be washed away, and the tears in the fabric were too numerous to mend. When he cast his old clothes away, he tried to cast the monster he had been out with them. He commissioned a master armor smith to craft a new breastplate in the same design, color, and quality as his old one. He commissioned new robes to be made by one of Europe's finest tailors which resembled his old robe in every detail - down to the fabric, color, and design. Months passed before the tailor could find all of the fabrics required to re-create it. During that time, the new identity he adopted – the green robed human lord of a small, nameless hamlet – hid his true nature. Once, he happened upon a festival in the village's town square. The villagers had dressed themselves in elaborate masks and costumes; all in an attempt to assume an identity other than their own. When he passed through the square he had smiled to himself, for like them he, too, wore a disguise to hide his true self.
~*Flashback*~
The destruction of Eternal Night inevitably destroyed his only sanctuary. He had no choice except to seek a new life elsewhere or else burn in the sunlight. He avoided the villagers as much as possible but was forced to make an occasional appearance in the town square after dusk as to not arouse suspicion. The villagers, unsettled by his pale skin and hair, either tolerated or avoided his company entirely. Since he was accustomed to isolation, he was relieved that he was not required to engage in much conversation during his infrequent appearances.
In the daytime, before his arrival in the tiny village, he had often sought shelter from the sun in caves or abandoned houses. Like a vagabond, he had wandered the countryside and avoided the roads – knowing it would only feed his appetite to kill humans he came across. He had never seen a werewolf until he left the ruins of Eternal Night when, by happenstance, he encountered one in a glade during his nightly travels. The blood covering the beast had lured him to it, for the scent of human suffering was unmistakable, and his increasingly voracious hunger compelled him to follow it. The moment he sighted the creature's hulking black, furry shape, he froze. Initially, the beast terrified him, for its strength and prowess seemed to rival his own. It was much larger and bulkier than a normal wolf, and its distinctively human-like limbs, coupled with its glowing red eyes and gnashing teeth, made him recoil at the perversion of nature that had so suddenly thrust itself before his very eyes.
However, his disgust quickly faded into excitement. Although he suspected the beast possessed a superior sense of smell, it was so preoccupied with gorging upon its human prey that it took no notice of his presence. For a moment, he felt a kinship with the beast, who shared his own lust for blood. The sanguine essence coated the entirety of the creature's chest in a sea of red. Thick red droplets splashed across the canine's muzzle as it tore into its victim's chest, ripping out the dead man's innards and gnawing upon them like a dog with a bone. He waited until the beast finished its meal and silently followed it through the forest, keeping a far enough distance to avoid detection as it sprinted ahead of him on all fours. The creature's speed surprised him, for he had difficulty maintaining it in his line of sight.
Just before dawn, the werewolf tired, and laid down to rest beneath a canopy of trees. It took only moments for the creature to return to its human form. The inky black shape was soon replaced by that of a young man, whose smaller, naked form emanated a strange vulnerability in comparison to the monster he had followed moments earlier. It was then that he saw his opportunity. Without hesitating, he crept toward the sleeping man, reached down, and grasped the human round the neck. The moment the he touched the young man, the boy's eyes sprang open, and he attempted to wrench himself away.
Joachim had underestimated the power werewolves possessed in their human form. He cried out when the young man's hand squeezed his wrist, nearly breaking it in half. A swell of pain shot up his arm, causing him to release the human, who then sought to flee. He had momentarily stared after the young man, his surprise subsiding into rage. He tore after the creature, his eyes blazing as he lunged upon the young man and knocked him down. They hit the grass with a low thump, the sounds of their struggles muffled by the soft earth beneath them. Since the werewolf was in human form, he managed to pin the man against the ground with his superior strength. Had the young man been in his bestial form, he doubted his prize would have been won so easily. With a triumphant laugh, he opened his jaws and bit into the young man's throat, tearing out the jugular before the human could even utter a cry. Thick, warm blood gushed down his throat as the young man's struggling arms became limp.
The act of feeding still unsettled him despite the satisfaction he felt when he tasted blood. He tried to convince himself that he had ended the former human's suffering. His desire to kill was not malicious but rather, necessary for his own survival. The frequency in which he encountered werewolves across the countryside convinced him that, without his efforts, more innocents would succumb to the curse. Since his only alternative was to hunt humans, he reluctantly decided upon hunting their hunters instead.
Until one fateful evening...
~*Flashback*~ (cont.)
He had left the safety of the abandoned manor for a midnight stroll. The scent of werewolves had grown strong, and he was eager to satiate his thirst for blood. It had been nearly a month since he last fed and the aching hunger in his mouth tormented him. The night was relatively peaceful, and the full moon, like the centerpiece of an exquisite tapestry, softly glowed in the star dotted sky. To avoid drawing attention to himself, he walked close to the village's surrounding forest, which provided ample cover from passersby. The werewolf was close – he could hear it rustling somewhere in the thicket of tress, waiting to take its next victim.
As he walked along the edge of the woods, the sounds of rapid footsteps broke the silence of the night. He was about to dart into the trees, when the sight of a young girl staggering up the path caught his attention. The girl looked no older than fifteen. Her hair was tied back into a long blonde ponytail secured by a navy colored bow. Her matching navy blue dress was spattered with blood. One of the girl's trembling hands was clamped over her left shoulder. Torrents of blood seeped between her fingers and trickled down her arm in thin red lines. Panting and gasping, she stumbled toward him, her light blue eyes wide and fearful.
Before he could flee, she looked at him in the eye, and cried. "Please….help me!"
Stunned, he stood before her, his pale eyes widening as she struggled to make her way toward him. He took a step back, drawing a sharp breath when the scent of her blood wafted through the air. She was bleeding profusely, and the possibility of causing her even greater harm alarmed him. With the swiftness of a rabbit, he broke eye contact and turned to disappear into the trees.
The sound of her pleas made him hesitate. "Don't leave! An animal attacked me; I barely got away..."
The desperation in her voice cried out to him like none ever had before. He wanted nothing to do with her but she had already seen him. If he left her there and she survived, his presence in the village was potentially compromised. Besides despising him for leaving a young girl to die, the villagers could believe he was responsible for harming her.
When the girl saw him hesitate, she began again. "My sister…Sonia…is waiting for me at home. I promised her I wouldn't be out late…and it's my fault."
He turned around to look at her. When she drew close enough for him to touch her, he caught her in his arms and held her. The scent of blood was intoxicating. His mind began to race when his gaze fell upon the thick, crimson liquid streaming from her shoulder. What startled him most was not her wound, but her suffering. The fear reflecting in her eyes stunned him. He thought he had grown so accustomed to fear and death that one more human dying would seem insignificant. However, the longer he looked at her, the more he doubted himself. He examined the wound on her shoulder for a moment, almost recoiling when a cold chill ran down his spine. The wound was unmistakably caused by a werewolf. The serrated gash, in addition to the scratch marks on her arms and chest, attested that she had made a narrow escape. The girl had been powerless to stop the beast from tainting her. Most werewolves killed their victims and consumed them; it was rare for a human to live long enough to be turned. He despised how similar vampires and werewolves were, for both shared the ability to curse those unfortunate enough to cross their path.
With a sigh, he shook his head, his voice softening. "It's not your fault. You are bleeding quite badly…and although I want to take you to your sister, I cannot."
"Why?" The girl croaked, "Why won't you take me to her? I…need to go home…she is waiting for me…!" Tears began to fall from her eyes and trickle down her smooth cheeks. Anger briefly flickered in her eyes.
Almost at a loss for words, he looked her in the eye. Sadness overcame him then, and without realizing it, his voice trembled. "Do you know what I am?" He asked.
"Cold." She answered, flinching when he brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. Although she said nothing, he could see her eyes steadily tracing his face – noting his unnaturally pale skin and ashen hair. A thousand questions must have run through her mind as she lay in his arms, looking at him, wondering what kind of God would cause her to encounter such a frightening and strange being. Then, after gathering her thoughts, she continued in a low whisper. "You're…dead…!"
"Yes, I am." He replied, both impressed and taken aback by her perceptiveness. Even though she was extremely frightened, she composed herself enough to see through his human disguise. "I was hunting until you saw me-"
"You're a vampire!" Terror once again filled the girl's eyes, and for a moment, she attempted to struggle free from his hold. "Let me go! You're a monst-"
"I was not hunting humans." He interjected, knowing her assumption was logical and justified. To her, he was no less a monster than the beast that attacked her. "The bite in your shoulder was not caused by an ordinary animal - but by a werewolf. Eventually, you will turn into one yourself. I regret…those whom you love will never be safe in your presence now that you are tainted."
"What?" The girl gasped, her eyes widening until she began to weep. Tears flooded down her face but the exertion of crying only seemed to cause her greater agony. As she wept, she once again covered her wound with her hand as if her will to staunch the bleeding would somehow liberate her from her fate. "I-I don't believe you!"
"Why would I lie?" Even though the anger and fear in her eyes stabbed him like daggers, he maintained his calm. His once piercing gaze softened somewhat as his fine, ashen lips curved into a frown. Strands of white hair framed his deathly pale countenance when he lowered his head, immediately regretting his insensitivity. "I wish it were not so. I was too late…forgive me."
"Please, take me to my sister! She's waiting for me-"
"If you return to her, you risk tainting her as well! You may not realize the consequences of your actions until it is too late. Until everyone you loved…"
He said no more. The fear in her eyes spoke plainly enough that elaborating was unnecessary. He lamented the fact that, had he hunted merely an hour earlier, the girl would have unconcernedly gone home to her family. Silence fell between them for a long moment. The girl looked away and continued weeping, the sound of her pain and sorrow lost in the surrounding darkness. Had a full moon been absent that evening, she may never have guessed the stranger's true nature. However, the moon's milky light clearly illuminated his lean, graceful form and regal visage. Although boasting a refined elegance, his appearance was also unsettling, for his hair and skin were the telltale color of death. While he held her, she stared at his face, her fear growing each passing moment. The girl's blue eyes mirrored her thoughts. Anger and fear eventually gave way to grim acceptance.
The girl withdrew a deep breath, her trembling ceasing when she consigned herself to speak. "I…I should have listened to my sister. I told her I would be back…she made me promise to return before nightfall…but I thought there was no harm in staying a little while longer. I will not turn into one of those…those…beasts! I can't, I won't-"
The pale youth sighed. There was nothing he could say that would undo what was done. When he retained his silence, her voice grew more determined.
"I was just picking some flowers to take home when I heard something in the trees, and before I could run, it was upon me! I tried to get away but it was too strong! Too strong…" Her voice trailed off. Then, catching herself, she continued. "There was so much blood…I just kept running…and it didn't take me long before I realized the blood was my own. I could hear it following me for a while but it suddenly disappeared." She gasped, attempting to catch her breath. After pausing a moment, she looked him in the eye. "If you are in actuality, a vampire, you were looking for blood, were you not? Are werewolves not still human? Even in some small way, there must be humanity within them-"
"Usually, what was human is consumed by the beast. It is rare for a werewolf to maintain their human consciousness."
"How do you know that? Even though you're a vampire, you seem…human."
A tiny, wistful smile creased the corners of the young man's lips, though it held no emotion. "Not everything is as it seems." He whispered. With a soft huff, he drew his lips back, unveiling the gleaming tips of his fangs.
The girl recoiled and cried out, her voice once again regaining its former panic. "I don't want to be turned into one of those creatures! I would never hurt my sister and mother, for I would rather die!"
"Regretfully, you are beyond my help now."
When he attempted to release her, he felt her hand firmly secure his. The girl held onto him as if, at any moment, their parting would cause her to disintegrate. He despised the callous way in which he sought to take his leave, however, their conversation was about to take a darker turn. He had been foolish to prolong his interaction with the girl, for he could see the desperation in her eyes – the pleading, agonizing cry of a soul for mercy.
Without hesitating, the girl cried out. "I don't want my family to see me this way! That is why I must ask – no beg – you to-"
"I cannot." He tried to look away, but her hand flew to his face and cupped his cheek. Her warm touch made him flinch.
"If you hunt werewolves, than you will eventually have to hunt me as well. If you leave me alive, I will only ruin the lives of others. I am offering my blood – and my life – to you. Take it."
"Do you think me a fool?" He sneered, his once calm gaze suddenly alit by fury. It took all his willpower to avoid throwing her on the ground and leaving her where she lay. His hand clenched into a fist as he glared at her, hating her for asking so much of someone – and something – she did not know nor understand. "I will not drink your filthy blood! My conscience is already stained by countless sins, yet you thoughtlessly ask me to commit another! You, a lowly peasant, dare ask me to do you a service? As if I would adhere to the request of a pathetic, worthless human-"
"Are you truly so cruel?" She shouted, her voice shattering the silent night like glass. "You would gladly go about killing werewolves but allow me to become one? What are humans to you, merely cattle to be slaughtered on a whim? If you kill me, you would commit no crime. Rather, you would liberate me from a truly horrible fate. If you leave me, I will have no choice but to…end myself…and suffer eternal damnation for my sin."
After hearing her plea he hesitated. Memories resurfaced in his mind, and all at once, he pictured a lady's smiling face. Soft, dark brown hair framed her graceful features. Her azure blue eyes looked at him kindly. Then, without warning, he pictures himself running. His feet carried him across the ground while a dark, crimson figure pursued. Like a haze, a fog encompassed the two figures until neither were distinguishable. A chill ran through his body and immobilized him. It took a few moments before he understood that his inability to move was caused by fear. Despite his effort to escape his fate, it had all been for naught. Despite his effort to save the lady in his dreams, her life had been taken unwillingly from her.
It occurred to him that he did not even know the young girl's name. It had not even crossed his mind to ask. Sorrow filled him as he reflected upon how far he had fallen. He could barely remember who he was. Only traces of his former life existed in his mind.
With a sigh, he at last gave his answer. "If you are certain this is your desire, I will do as you ask."
"It is not my desire," she sobbed. "But it must be done nevertheless."
"What is your name?" It seemed odd to ask, knowing what he was about to do, but he could not relegate her to being another nameless victim. In time, he was certain her name would bear no significance, but he desired to know it without compromise.
"Beatrice." Her voice fell quiet.
He tried to smile but his face remained expressionless. He felt her curl up in his arms, her large, blue eyes looking up at his face. He barely realized he was trembling until he felt her hand squeeze his.
"It's all right." She whispered, her lips lifting into a tiny, sad smile. "My sister – as dear to my heart as she is – would think she could save me somehow. Although she cannot, you can. I am…grateful."
He could not understand why, in her final moments, she sought to comfort him. Nevertheless, her resolve somewhat consoled him. It was possible that, when she was found, the villagers would discover his true nature. But when he looked at her face – sensing she had somehow found peace amidst so much pain – he could not deny her wish. Although her fate was tragically sealed, she accepted it bravely. Indeed, he knew she was far braver a soul than he, for she chose death. Vaguely, he remembered when the choice had been offered to him, he had chosen differently…
His eyes trailed from her face and gazed at the smooth, sloping curve of her neck. He held her tighter against his chest and lowered his face until his lips skimmed the smooth, warm flesh of her throat. He could feel her pulse thumping rapidly against the thin layer of skin. Her body tensed in grim anticipation while her breathing quickened. The pale nobleman could see her looking at him from the corner of her eye as his lips parted. Silence consumed them both when their eyes finally met. He stared at her for a long time, lost in the intensity of her gaze, until the scent of her blood made the ache in his mouth sear like fire. Almost instantaneously, the intoxicating aroma of her crimson essence overwhelmed him.
When his placid stare dissolved into ravenous hunger, he felt her hand tighten around his…
After that night, he resolved to leave the village. His encounter with Leon merely solidified the fact that his past was inescapable. He could feel a strange power calling him to return to the darkness in which he dwelled. He could not bear to live among mortals knowing what he had done. To him, death was never merciful. While humans lived and died, freed from the burdens of the sins they carried in life, he would continue to exist. The word 'exist' was a more fitting description than live, for he had not felt the exuberance of life within his soul until his fateful reunion with Baron Belmont...
None had been more astonished than he when he discovered that the castle had resurrected itself. Yet, astonishment soon gave way to monotony, and he remained there – shackled to past once again like a prisoner.
The pale youth gazed at the large windowpanes lining the throne room. Thousands of stars twinkled faintly in the sky's dark abyss. Soft moonlight spilled across the floor and cast a white shroud around his pallid form. For a moment, the night's beauty mesmerized him. He remembered looking at the moon as a child on the many nights when he had been unable to sleep. The moon had been his sole companion then; he could not resist smiling upon realizing his perception was still unchanged.
Just as a feeling of peace began to settle over him, he abruptly tensed when a low, familiar voice resounded through the room. The moment he heard it, his eyes widened and his fingernails dug into the arms of the throne.
"So…it seems you have reclaimed your freedom, Joachim."
The pale youth froze when his gaze met the red-haired demon's dark, penetrating eyes. His mouth nearly fell agape when he found himself staring at his former master's tall, armored form. The vampire lord was learning against a wall at the back of the room. When their eyes met, Walter slowly straightened and walked toward him. The sound of his footsteps reverberated through the hollow space. Coils of shimmering crimson locks cascaded around the vampire's majestic visage and shoulders in thick wavelets. In the candlelight, Walter's armor acquired a blood-like sheen that made the youth cringe.
When the remark was met with silence, a slow, deliberate smile appeared upon the red-haired lord's smooth lips. As he walked, his long black cape flicked behind him like the tail of a cat. As if meeting a long lost friend, the vampire chuckled, his dark eyes scanning the pale youth's immobile form as he continued.
"I see you are still resentful. Ah, but you have everything you have ever wanted and more, child. Enjoy it…while you still can."
Joachim returned the vampire's comment with a knowing smirk. "Back so soon? I was just about to redecorate. Your taste is far too garish for my liking." He surveyed the demon for a moment, noticing the absence of a once prominent object. He could tell Walter was well aware of his discriminating eye, for the moment his gaze trailed to the vampire's neck, anger rose within the vampire lord's gaze. "It looks like your friend Mathias pilfered your precious little stone. All that time, he used you like a harlot, and you truly had no idea…"
"Mathias shall pay dearly for his crimes." Walter whispered, his voice falling eerily quiet. Joachim noticed the vampire's hand ball into a fist. Yet, the smile upon the red-haired lord's face remained intact. "Do not underestimate my power. There is nothing I treasure more than the Ebony Stone."
"Say whatever you want." Joachim replied, flicking his hand at the vampire as if swatting away a fly. He could not resist reminding his former master of his own follies. "You are all talk, Walter. How does it feel to be Mathias' puppet?"
"It will not last. Nothing ever does. Once I am free, this castle will again be mine. Regretfully, there will not be a place for you here when that time comes."
"If that time comes." Joachim corrected, calmly shaking his head.
"You are in no position to boast." Walter snapped, his smirk abruptly vanishing. "Do not forget you acquired Eternal Night by happenstance. Had it not been for that accursed knight, you would still dwell within the waterways among the rats…where you belong."
"But that did not come to pass, and everything you once had is now lost to you. It is a small price to pay for what you did."
A low chuckle vibrated from the demon's throat. Walter tossed his head, surveying the youth with growing interest. The candlelight cast an eerie glow across the flawless features of his face. The former lord took moved forward, his predatory-like steps making not a sound. With a proud huff, he answered enigmatically.
"A mere inconvenience. Nothing that shall not be remedied eventually. Nevertheless, I am certain you will slip into your old ways once again. Your hunger grows more uncontrollable each night."
Joachim scowled at the other vampire, unwilling to be baited so easily. He rested his chin in his hand, already growing bored of their endless quibbles. "I will not succumb to my darkness if I slumber. It is a fate I have chosen for myself. As long as I rest, this castle will never be yours."
The red-haired vampire slowly shook his head. "It will take much more than that to quell my power. Your dreams shall one day turn into nightmares, and sleep will no longer sustain you. Mathias does not yet know that tremendous power is bound to you; power that you inherited when Eternal Night was passed unto you during my absence. However, in time, Mathias will realize Eternal Night rose again."
Joachim gave the other vampire a thoughtful look. Once he slumbered, he would no longer be in control of his fate. His protection hinged solely on Leon's vow to hunt the night. As long as the Belmont name survived, and Leon's future heirs left him undisturbed, Mathias could not destroy him and gain full control over Eternal Night. However, Walter was no fool, and he feared his former master would find a way to free himself from Mathias' control prematurely.
Joachim crossed his legs, feeling the tension in his hands release. His voice held its calm. "Perhaps, but I will not be awakened so easily. Do you truly think I would want to be like you – sitting on a dust-caked throne, my only visitors nothing more than mere playthings? Without those games, your existence was meaningless…a life of solitude is no life at all."
"Tis' a pity you do not realize the irony within your own words." Walter whispered, his dark optics flickering when the youth's eyes widened slightly in response. "You only witnessed a fraction of what I accomplished during my existence. Eternal Night is, and always shall be, mine. Your desire for flesh and blood would have overcome you again, in time. You would have lured innocents into this domain and consumed them as I once did. Even now, you are tempted to drain that young man of his life-"
"Leon is, regrettably, my only salvation from this fate – and from you."
Joachim deliberately rested his hands upon the arms of the chair once again, prepared to affirm that the castle's ownership was entitled to him alone. The mere suggestion that he would harm the crusader enraged him. He would have sooner destroyed himself than willingly take Leon's life. But Walter knew his demeanor was unpredictable, for the fear and desperation in his eyes betrayed his attempt to dismiss his former paramour entirely. He could not deny that Leon's presence was as wanted as it was necessary.
As if capable of seeing into his thoughts, the red-haired demon's lips formed a coy grin. "I see. It seems you and that knight have become rather…close. Your disdain for humans has not kept you from keeping him in your company. Interesting…"
Joachim knew that look all too well. "Don't mock me, Walter. Leon and I share the same interests – for the time being."
"I am certain you do." The red-haired lord's dark spheres glinted.
Unwilling to discuss the topic further, the white-haired vampire scowled disapprovingly. Even if he did not explain his intentions fully, the vampire lord had a way of decoding him.
"How were you able to return here? I thought your soul was trapped within the Crimson Stone…"
A low, barely audible chuckle escaped the demon's lips. Joachim's stance stiffened when Walter's opaque eyes clashed against his pale blue. With a coy grin, the former lord tossed his head, his right eye partially veiled behind the luscious coils of his crimson hair.
"Even now, you fail to realize that my power over you is far greater than you can ever imagine."
"I-I do not understand-"
"It seems you have become quite forgetful. You have only confirmed the inevitable truth."
The youth's eyes widened. "I will not allow you to deceive me again!"
"Deceive you?"
The other vampire echoed. Without warning, the red-haired demon's voice rose into a loud, menacing laugh. With careful, slow steps, Walter's tall, armored form ascended the steps to the throne. Before the pale youth could even begin to absorb what was happening, a cold hand seized his chin and lifted his head. As if to swallow him, Walter's ebony colored eyes bore into his. In that moment, Joachim felt strangely vulnerable – for not even his thoughts seemed to belong to him alone when Walter looked at him. He felt the other vampire's velvety lips graze his own, while his former lord's rich, sonorous voice whispered in his ear.
"You deceive yourself, Joachim…"
Unable to bear the sight of his tormentor any longer, the young man recoiled in horror. He cast his eyes to the floor, his mind reeling as he tried to recollect the broken memories inside his mind. After some time had passed, the memory of Walter's final words to him intruded into his thoughts:
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe that they will be free…
Soft stands of ashen hair fell around his colorless face. A strange calm settled over him as his eyes scanned the empty room.
He was alone.
His lips curved into an amused grin. Suddenly, a loud, boisterous chuckle vibrated in his throat, as if something terribly amusing had just entered his mind. Slowly, he lifted his head, while his chuckles escalated into a loud, crying laugh. He threw his head back and felt his entire body tremble. The sound of his voice reverberated through the throne room's vast emptiness.
In the sky, like a lone spectator, the moon silently looked on.
The sun was just beginning to rise; the sky was painted brilliant colors of red, blue and gold. The knight could just see the sun's fiery sphere hovering over the horizon. When he grew tired of trying to keep his mind occupied, Leon spent the night resting upon a window ledge in the cathedral wing. He missed days when he and Sara used to walk together on the grounds of her father's estate. More than anything, he longed to feel her next to him.
As light began to ascend over the castle, Leon scrambled to his feet when the sound of faint, anguished screams drifted through the lonely hallways of the castle. He grabbed the vampire killer whip, clutching the object in his fist whilst he raced toward the source of the sound. The golden strands of his hair waved recklessly around his face; his serene blue eyes widening in alarm. A thin outline of his shadow bolted alongside him on the corridor's wall. The long red-trimmed tails of his surcoat flagged behind him as he went. He wondered if someone had wandered into the castle and thought it deserted, only to encounter one of the many perilous traps within. He could not recall the existence of any traps in the area.
Leon hurried through the dusty rooms of the mortuary, searching in vain for the frightened person. The knight sprinted as fast as he could into the mortuary's burial rooms; knowing it was a place Joachim frequented, fearing the possibility a man was about to meet his end at the vampire's brutal hunger. However, the moment he entered the large open room, the voice he heard was unmistakably familiar. Leon skidded to a halt in the middle of the room, listening to the anguished screams reverberate through the deserted space. There were only two other adjoining rooms – one on the opposite end that led to a hallway, and the other…
The knight bolted past the rows of tombs toward a door at the back of the room. Joachim's voice sounded from within, his cries of anger and sorrow filling his ears when he stopped in front of the door. Large, red bars prevented him from entering the room.
"Joachim, it is I, Leon!"
To his dismay, the vampire continued screaming and howling within the room as if unaware of the knight's presence on the other side of the door.
"Are you trapped?" He called once again, but louder, in hopes the nobleman would at last hear him and cease yelling. "I'm going to get you out of there, but you must calm down! The mechanism controlling the lock must have triggered when you entered."
Despite his attempts, the vampire's panic seemed to increase with his arrival. He tried to decipher what Joachim was saying, but his ranting and raving made his words unintelligible. With lightning speed, Leon dashed toward the statues in the room and struck one with the whip. The statues had somehow reset themselves; locking the door to one of the castle's many hidden rooms. Fortunately, he had memorized the pattern well during his first venture through the castle. After striking each statue into their proper order with the whip, the red bars securing the door abruptly retracted.
"I have unlocked the door now," the knight called, walking toward the unbarred door. "You are free, Joachim. The door will open without any trouble."
Leon froze upon hearing the vampire's screaming continue. He could not understand what the problem was, for the door was unlocked, and the creature could leave by his own will. Yet, the anguished cries of fear and terror refused to acknowledge his efforts. Thinking perhaps that the vampire did not hear him, the knight stopped in front of the door and called once again.
"The door is unlocked and you can leave! Everything is fine; you aren't trapped in there, so there is no need to worry."
He waited outside the door for a few minutes, shuddering from the sound of Joachim's anguished screaming, until realizing the vampire was not going to leave on his own. Leon placed a hand against the door and pushed it open. The door swung back without protest, admitting him into the small room beyond. The knight's mouth almost fell agape the moment he entered.
Joachim was pacing rapidly back and forth across the room; his hands grasping his hair as if to tear it out. Terror appeared in his pale blue eyes, whilst he walked about the room, his screams giving way to cries of fear and pain. Upon stepping inside, Leon quickly noticed deep claw marks covering the back of the door. Joachim's once long fingernails were broken into jagged stubs, and the skin on the tips of his fingers were raw and bloody. When the vampire grasped his hair, red streaks stained its pearly white strands. The knight was so taken aback by the sight that, initially, he was too stunned to move. After thinking a moment, he took a few cautious steps toward the hysterical nobleman, lifting a hand in a hopeless attempt to reach through his terror.
"Joachim, what is wrong? Why are you behaving like this? If you follow me, you can leave-"
To his dismay, Joachim whirled to look at him, his face a mask of dread and sorrow. His voice, once cold and indifferent, resonated with confused apprehension. The vampire's pale blue eyes focused upon the knight with an intensity Leon had never seen before.
"No! I can't be left in here, alone, to die! What did I do to deserve this? I would rather die than be locked away again! Has Walter returned to claim this castle as his?"
"Joachim, stop! You aren't imprisoned anymore, the door is open, and you can leave! I will show you-"
Joachim gnashed his teeth, bearing his fangs like a wild animal, his eyes burning with fury and hatred. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Leon did not know vampires were capable of crying until the crystal droplets dripped off the young nobleman's chin. Joachim's pale visage was such a ghostly shade of white that he looked indescribably less human than Leon remembered. With a bitter snarl, the white-haired youth screeched, unable or unwilling to hear him.
"Please, don't leave me here again, don't leave me, please, don't…don't leave me…"
Leon sighed and stepped forward. Desperate to calm him, his voice softened, whilst his cerulean spheres gazed upon him pleadingly. "You are not in that place anymore. You are here, with me, and free to go wherever you please. You are not Walter's prisoner; you are his successor. I swear to you, no one will make you go back to that place ever again."
He did not know why, but he wished for nothing more than to console him. Joachim's sorrow ridden face expressed such hopeless misery that, despite seeing countless prisoners during his company's campaigns in the east, the creature's suffering was unlike that of a normal man. Indeed, the brokenness within Joachim's eyes was so profound; Leon could feel the vampire's suffering as if were his own.
Joachim shook his head, backing away, his wild eyes focusing upon the knight in growing antipathy. Rage seemed to fill every fiber of the creature's being; a desperate, mad desire to escape from the prison of his own mind. His voice became faint, whilst his hands began to tremble, professing unimaginable torments Leon did not understand, but still felt in his heart. Grief filled the knight as he listened to the young nobleman's lament.
"These walls are closing in all around me; I can't get out, I can't leave, I tried everything…the door won't open! In this place, this dark, sodden, rat-infested dungeon, I am forgotten by all who knew me. Sometimes, I remember little things, but I know I am different, now…"
"What are you talking about?" Leon whispered, his head lowering. "Please listen to me, you are not in that place! I'll show you, if you would just-"
"No!" Joachim interrupted, throwing up a hand. "You probably think I wanted to be a…a…bloodsucking freak! What do you know about me, human, except what I choose to tell you? You can enjoy all the pleasures of this world without care! I…can't…live among people like a man. No, I can't-"
"I thought Eternal Night was what you-"
"No!" The creature hissed, his hands balling into fists. "I want Walter. I want his goddamn heart ripped out of his chest! I want him to suffer as he made me suffer! Killing me would have been merciful, but oh, he would not grant me that privilege. Dying would have taken away his power over me, so he cast me into the depths of hell, to live forever in the waterways beneath him, yet also, so that I would never forget my defeat. I know, that bastard wanted to break my spirit so I could not challenge him again because if I did -"
Leon could not think of how to respond, except that it was essential to bring the vampire's thoughts back to the present. Not even he could dismiss the importance of the past or forget its sorrows; Sara's death always reminded him of the pledge he made the night he defeated death. It seemed hypocritical to tell Joachim not to focus on that, which he, could not yet leave behind.
Leon's voice softened. "If you fall into despair and bloodlust, you will fulfill Walter's desire to ruin you-"
The vampire covered his face with his hands, hunching over whilst his voice rang through the room. "You came here to kill me, didn't you?"
"I don't understand what you-"
"Of course you do!" Joachim chided, casting the knight a reproachful glare while his hands fell away from his face. His pale form straightened, and he lifted his head, drawing back his lips to reveal his incisors. "You, like all other humans, despise me!"
Leon shook his head, sighing under his breath. "That isn't true. I believe there is good in you, if only you would see it as I do. I did not come here to hurt you-"
"Allow me to give you a reason to, then!"
Leon's stance tensed. Instinctively, he thought to defend himself with the vampire killer whip, but doing so could have lethal consequences. The whip was designed to slay vampires, not stun them. Unlike their last battle, before his whip was complete, if he used the vampire killer there was no telling if Joachim would survive. Even a single blow from the weapon was capable of fatally wounding the weakened vampire. He remembered, daytime was when vampires were most vulnerable. Fortunately, Joachim did not have the telekinetic strength during the day to command his swords to accompany him – for now. The knight cinched the coiled whip to his waist belt. Within seconds of putting the weapon away, Joachim was upon him. Pain blinded Leon's vision when Joachim struck him across the face with the back of his hand. Despite the vampire's daylight frailty, he was still strong enough to knock him to the ground. Leon landed on his side, feeling his head collide against the stone floor before needles of pain ripped through his skull. Leon was far stronger than the vampire during the daytime, but the thread of dusk approaching gave him little time to overpower Joachim before his powers returned.
Leon covered his face with his enchanted gauntlet just in time to block the vampire's jagged claws from slashing his face apart. The vampire plunged toward him, gnashing his incisors, while trying to clamp his strong jaws around the knight's throat. Thinking quickly, Leon rolled out of the way and scrambled to his feet. He did not want to use the whip and begged that he would not have to. Joachim, though fast, was tired when the sun was out. He considered using some of his relics or holy weapons against the frenzied immortal, but feared even his sub weapons were capable of fatally injuring the nobleman. Leon darted out of the way when Joachim lunged at him again.
After narrowly avoiding the vampire's slashing claws, he remembered the vampire killer was not his only weapon. He backed away toward the wall, whilst Joachim closed in on him, trying to trap the young man in a corner barred on one side by wrought iron gates. The vampire plunged on top of the knight, knocked him back, and pinned him against the wall. However, Leon had the advantage of physical strength, and shoved the creature back with all his might. Joachim staggered back, retaining his balance and hissing furiously. Trapped against the wall, Leon reached for another whip secured beside the vampire killer and withdrew it. The moment the creature sighted the weapon, a vicious roar vibrated from his throat as he charged forth to knock him down again. Leon drew his arm back and struck Joachim across the chest with the whip, the weapon hitting the vampire's chest armor with an earsplitting crack. Currents of electricity shot from the weapon and hit the pale nobleman. Within seconds, the vampire crumbled onto the floor.
The knight grimaced. "I didn't want to do that but you gave me no choice! Forgive me."
Leon kneeled beside the fallen nobleman, checking to assure himself that his wounds were not fatal. Since Joachim was weaker during the day, one hit was enough to immobilize him. Whilst the knight sat down on the floor beside him, he felt the nobleman's hand grasp his wrist. He nearly pulled away, but the vampire's touch was not forceful.
"Please," The white-haired nobleman breathed, his pale eyes met the knight's deep blue. "Don't…lock me away. The shadows...the cold, damp…loneliness…"
"I would never do such a thing," Leon whispered, feeling something inside his heart ache with sorrow as he looked into the fallen youth's eyes. "After dusk, you should be able to move again. You said you would sleep during the day. Why were you wandering about?"
All of a sudden, anger returned to the night dweller's eyes, and he snarling bitterly. "I don't have to answer to anyone. Let alone a human-"
Leon regretted asking, but the vampire's ingratitude astonished him. When Joachim looked away, deliberately ignoring him, he replied calmly. "Forgive my intrusion."
After pausing to regain his composure, he stumbled to his feet and looked the young man in the eye. Curtains of lush white hair fell around his smooth, flawless cheeks. Although weakened, he held a strange power over the former knight. Leon found himself unable to look away, and withdrew a breath when Joachim's lithe form moved slightly closer to him. Briefly, the harshness in the vampire's icy gaze relented.
"I am not always…myself." He whispered. As if suddenly aware of his own unpredictability, Joachim lowered his head, casting his eyes to the floor. "I thought if I could stay awake during the day, I might feel…human again. The sunlight made me disoriented…for it is unnatural for vampires to remain awake during the daytime. When the door would not open, I…I…don't remember…"
"You need not say another word," Leon eased, giving the pale youth a sympathetic look. "You have endured more than I could ever understand."
"So have you." Joachim replied, daring to look up at the young man's surprised expression.
When their eyes met, a momentary silence fell between them. Memories filtered into his mind – images of Sara's smiling face. Sorrow filled him whenever he thought about her. Yet, he was glad she had not become a creature of the night. A part of him wanted to hate Leon for ending her life, even though he knew it was what she wanted.
A tiny smile crossed the creature's lips. "It seems you have rescued me yet again from imprisonment, Leon. I do not think I shall ever be able to repay my debt."
For the first time since their meeting, Leon laughed. He did not know why he found Joachim's comment so amusing, but the casual way in which the white-haired nobleman spoke seemed uncharacteristic of a creature that, minutes earlier, nearly killed him. He could tell the vampire was considerably weaker in the daytime, for Joachim's stance was unsteady, and his languid movements betrayed his assured guise.
Concerned that his strange companion might collapse, Leon took the pale youth by the arm. "You should rest."
Joachim did not object to the knight's insistence. The moment Leon touched him, he felt oddly at ease. Though he did not admit it, Leon's presence comforted him greatly. "I-I do not know why I entered this room." He stammered and rubbed his brow, his pale eyes narrowing. "Nevertheless, you bested me yet again, Belmont. You have become quite an effective slayer of my kind…"
Leon swallowed hard, wishing his unlikely ally had never broached the topic. He attempted to help the creature back to his tomb, but the white-haired demon tore his arm away.
With a reproachful look, the pale nobleman hissed under his breath. "I have endured far worse than this." he spat with a deliberate, yet somewhat unnerving, grin. "Don't flatter yourself by thinking your help would make any difference."
Leon shook his head and turned away, desperate to avoid the sight of the creature's piercing gaze. With a sigh, he walked toward the wall beside the door and pressed his back against it, sliding down it until he sat upon the floor. The tails of his surcoat fanned across the ground around him like the folded wings of a bird. His head lowered when he reflected upon his initial meeting with the young nobleman of the water prison.
"I suppose you are right," He admitted. "What good am I? I can't do anything to change your fate, just as I was unable to change Sara's. Even though I searched half of Europe, I still don't know where Mathias is. I am beginning to doubt I shall ever see him again." He wanted to stop there, but he no longer cared what the demon thought about him. One of his hands clenched into a fist. "I didn't even have the chance to tell Mathias how much I lamented his decision. I thought I could make him reconsider, but as always, I was too late. After everything he did, I want to believe…there is still good in him. I loved him like a brother, and in return, he left me at the mercy of death. Perhaps, when Elisabetha died, the Mathias I knew died with her."
To this, Joachim could not think of a worthy response. He slowly turned around. Stunned, he had not expected to see vulnerability in the young man's eyes. It shamed him to know he had selfishly thought he was the only one who still suffered.
"There was nothing you could have done to change his decision." He murmured.
Indeed, he wished he could have told the man otherwise, but his own encounters with the tactician confirmed that nothing would have changed his decision. He remembered the enigmatic and disconcerting manner in which the fallen knight had asked Walter for immortality. There was no question in his mind that Lord Cronqvist had not regretted it for an instant.
"Do not despair, for you have done more good than you realize, Leon. Had you and I met under different circumstances, I believe we could have been friends. I did not have many friends when I was human, however. I am not the same man I was long ago."
"Do you truly think so?" Leon looked up, unable to suppress a smile when he noticed the vampire's expression soften momentarily. "Perhaps, you haven't changed as much as you think."
"Time changes all things."
"You are still just as surly now as you were when we first met, so I am doubtful. Have you always been that way?"
Joachim huffed, amused and slightly annoyed by the young man's innate curiosity. "And you are just as curious as ever. Be careful, it nearly got you killed once."
"Thrice actually." Leon replied, chuckling under his breath.
The pale nobleman looked away, unwilling to reward the young man's humor with a response.
Leon rose to his feet and headed toward the door, ushering for his companion to follow. "Come, friend. You should not be awake during the daytime."
"I didn't say we were-"
"What?" Leon replied, trying not laugh when the vampire gave him a scathing look. "Forgive me then, for thinking the contrary."
Joachim smiled.
After much difficulty, Leon moved a sofa down the steps of one of the theatre's majestic rooms. Intersecting three grand staircases was a large platform with a hearth. Although the hearth had not been used in a long time, he was desperate to escape the chilling night air. The theatre's large rooms, though elegant and inviting, were extremely cold during the night. Old chairs stacked up against the walls served as ample firewood. Leon smashed apart several chairs with the vampire killer whip before drawing the whip of fire from his waist belt. Desperate for warmth, he cracked the tails of the whip against the makeshift wood inside the hearth; creating a small fire within it. The embers of the fire crackled, their soft light casting a warm glow across the knight's smooth visage. Exhausted, Leon collapsed onto the sofa; comforted by the firelight. He was so cold; all he wanted was to rest by the hearth. The sofa's soft, embroidered gold cushions helped ease his aching muscles. He removed his gloves and tossed them on the floor beside the sofa.
Within moments of sitting down, Leon glanced over his shoulder, sighting the pale vampire gliding down the carpeted steps like a prince. The creature's elegant robes floated behind him when he moved. The moment their eyes met, Joachim's calm voice broke the silence.
"Good evening." Before the former knight could reply, the young nobleman swept beside the sofa and offered him a glass. "Forgive me; I am not accustomed to eating and drinking, though I understand you must be in want of food. One of my servants shall be along in a moment."
Leon hesitated before taking the glass. He looked at the claret colored liquid, noting its sweet aroma before he placed it to his lips and took a sip. The wine was one of the finest he had ever had, for it was aged to the perfect degree, and its rich taste invigorated his senses.
"Thank you," he answered, unable to hide his gratitude. "I did not know you had servants, though I suspected you descended from nobility."
"Indeed, I did." Joachim seated himself on the other side of the sofa, ensuring a space remained between them. With a haughty scowl, he added. "Before you discovered me in that rat-infested cell, I ruled over my own lands and subjects."
"I see." Leon looked away, knowing all too well the vampire's implication. "Were you…ill as a human? I have always wondered that, for I have never met anyone with white hair."
"I inherited my father's condition." Joachim rested his other hand upon the arm of the sofa. His eyes gazed at the blazing hearth as a small, sad smile crossed his lips. "I envy you, Leon. You have accomplished a great deal that, when I was human, I could only dream of."
"War and death is hardly an accomplishment." Leon muttered, remembering the days spent in the cruel desert sun.
He had seen many good men fall on the battlefield; men with families, children, and wives. There were days when all he saw was blood and suffering. Always, the Church glorified its cause. Yet, the red-robed cardinals and stately bishops knew only the safe, beautiful confines of cathedrals and monasteries. Most did not consider the cost of war.
"War kept me from more important things. I did not realize that until it was too late."
Joachim continued to gaze into the fire. A short silence passed before he took a slow sip of wine and returned his attention to the human beside him.
"I was surprised when you asked to stay. Perhaps, sparing your life was not a waste after all."
Leon nearly dropped his wine glass. A flush of irritation swept across his face. "What do you mean? It was I who spared your life-"
"Think what you wish," The vampire interrupted. As if the man's anger was insignificant, he took another sip of wine, smiling in spite of himself. "Forgive me for wounding your pride, Leon."
Leon's irritation dissipated upon realizing that the vampire enjoyed baiting him. However, he could not overlook the possibility that resentment still surged beneath Joachim's calm exterior. The young man was about to speak, when a slight movement caught his eye, causing his hand to instinctively reach for the whip. He lifted his arm, about to swing the weapon at whatever approached, until Joachim suddenly held up a hand. Leon hesitated, his bright eyes widening when a skeleton carrying a silver tray lumbered toward the sofa on which they sat. The former knight blinked several times in disbelief when the monster offered him the tray. The sight of the corpse's glowing red eyes abruptly stifled his appetite.
Joachim silently nodded in approval; prompting Leon to take the tray. The skeleton made a clumsy bow, its bones clicking mechanically when it moved. The white-haired vampire waved the corpse away, his fine lips curling into a loathing scowl until it departed.
Leon examined the contents of the tray, which consisted of bread, cheese, and a piece of chicken. Although the food appeared normal, he dare not ask where it came from, fearing that if he knew, the prospect of eating it would suddenly seem less than appealing.
The white-haired nobleman, catching his hesitation, gave the crusader a wry smirk. "You needn't worry. I am certain it is mostly edible and probably of higher quality than anything you are accustomed to eating."
"You have my gratitude." Leon eyed the vampire sharply and bowed his head, unable to hide the hint of sarcasm in his voice when he added. "At least I know what I am eating when I cook for my wife."
"You are married?" The vampire raised an eyebrow.
"Her name is Sonia." Leon replied, his voice softening when he spoke her name. "We were married less than a year ago."
The vampire huffed, returning the young man's tenderness with an icy glare. His voice, once calm, trembled slightly when he spoke.
"After suffering so great a loss, I am surprised…"
Joachim's hands shook, while the pale blue spheres of his eyes shone in the firelight. He focused upon the whip cinched above the crusader's thigh, his throat tightening when its dim purple aura flickered in response. He then returned his attention back to the hearth, barely composing himself when his mind pictured her beautiful, smiling face. Resentment shadowed his visage.
Sensing that anger brewed beneath the creature's somber façade, Leon looked away. "I will always love Sara. No one can replace her in my heart. However, I will not compare my feelings for her with Sonia, for I would dishonor both by doing so."
Joachim's gaze returned to Leon. The crusader's words stirred within him an enduring adoration for the man who had sacrificed so much for so little in return. He could see the sorrow in the young man's eyes when he spoke Sara's name. Grief would follow Leon for the remainder of his life, yet the knight seemed stronger because of it.
With a sad smile, Leon returned his gaze to the young nobleman. "My wife is expecting our first child in three months. Were it not for Sonia…I would have never known happiness again."
Joachim nodded silently. He could not think of a worthy response, for he did not wish to put asunder the young man's happiness. He could see joy appear in Leon's eyes the moment he mentioned his wife. Slowly, the pale vampire rose from the sofa and walked toward the fireplace. He lowered his head and rested his hand against the mantle while rubbing his brow with the other. Curtains of lush white hair fell around his face, veiling his expression from his companion's gaze.
"I…am happy for you." The nobleman replied. Even though his voice was monotone, he felt content to share Leon's delight. For too long, he had dwelled in his own misery.
"Do you have a family?"
Joachim hesitated. He had not expected the young man to ask. Without looking at the former knight, he slowly lifted his head. "A long time ago." He murmured.
Leon regretted asking. He could tell by the vampire's silence that the memories of his former life still haunted him. "I did not mean to-"
"Do not worry," the pale nobleman assured, feeling a weak smile play upon his lips. He lifted his head and turned around, his sleek form partially silhouetted by the firelight. Calm settled over him for the first time since their meeting. "Have you thought of a name for your child?"
The vampire's question stunned Leon, for he did not expect the creature to take an interest in his affairs. With a gentle smile, Leon pictured Sonia's smiling face – remembering the many conversations they had together before they went to bed about what to name their child. The excitement he felt during those times was immeasurable. Although many infants tragically passed away before their first birthday, Leon banished all possibility of losing his child. Giving the child a name seemed to confirm the permanence of its existence in the world.
"If the child is a boy, his name will be Michael." Leon replied. The name 'Michael' held no personal significance in his or Sonia's family. They were simply fond of the name.
"If the child is a girl?" The vampire asked. A strange tension hung in the air after he spoke.
Leon hesitated. Uncertainty filled him when he considered how the night dweller would react to his answer. He looked the creature in the eye, immobilized by the gentleness in the vampire's gaze. "If I am blessed with a daughter, her name will be Sara."
The vampire nodded and said nothing.
After much deliberation, the decision to name the child after Sara was something both Leon and Sonia had agreed upon. In a way, naming a daughter after his beloved kept her memory alive. Even though he carried the vampire killer whip – and her soul – with him, he wanted to remember the joy she brought into his life.
Years had passed since their last meeting, and he knew little about the vampire's life in Eternal Night. Leon found himself not wanting to simply know Joachim, but to understand him. He had seen the barest trace of a smile appear upon the pale nobleman's face when he gave his answer. Even though the temptation burned within him, he would never ask what transpired between the vampire and Sara before his arrival. The vampire's confession was visible the moment he heard Sara's name, for his detachment was briefly replaced by inexplicable longing. However, questions still surfaced in his mind whenever he thought about the white-haired vampire's presence in Eternal Night.
After hesitating a moment, Leon resolved to voice his concerns. "Why did Walter turn you? Surely, he had everything he could have wanted – this castle, immortality, and his endless games."
Joachim's hand tightened around the wine glass until it cracked. Although he did not shatter it, his trembling hand managed to set the glass on a nearby table. The vampire's pallid complexion seemed to lose all the color it possessed. His eyes narrowed, their crystal spheres flashing a brilliant shade of red. His voice fell to a whisper.
"Once, even Walter knew love. Perhaps, he desired to create a companion whom death could not take…but failed to realize that there is beauty in death. Death is necessary because it compels the living to treasure their time in this world."
Leon gave the white-haired demon an apologetic look and bowed his head. He began to wonder if Rinaldo's assertion about his tendency to ask too many questions was all too accurate. But he was not adept at hiding his inherently curious nature. He could not blame Joachim for his reluctance to speak of the red-haired devil that had claimed his humanity, freedom, and possibly much more. However, the white-haired vampire's illusiveness frustrated him.
As delicately as he could, the crusader remarked. "I often fail to understand you. There is much you have not explained to me."
"Such as?" The vampire returned the knight's observation with a skeptical look. He paused, wondering where the young man was taking their conversation, and secretly dreading it. In an effort to resist berating his confidant for his inquisitiveness, he took a sip of wine and chuckled dryly. "I have told you all you need to know. Just when I was beginning to tolerate – and I daresay enjoy – your company, you bore me with more questions. I should have expected as much-"
"Did you truly want to kill me when I met you last?"
Unwilling to allow the nobleman to evade answering him, Leon's eyes locked against his host's. The seriousness in his expression succeeded in startling the vampire into unexpected silence. When he was certain that he had the night dweller's attention, Leon shook his head, knowing he could no longer avoid asking the one question he most desired an answer to.
Joachim eyed Leon whilst a low, humorless chuckle vibrated from his throat. "Perhaps." He answered enigmatically.
Leon's question perplexed the pale nobleman, for not even he completely understood why he had refrained from attacking. The knight's unwavering honor both intrigued and disgusted him. Yet, he could not deny that the human's presence in the castle was a welcome one, despite his initial reservations. Though he hid it well, whenever his eyes fell upon Leon's smooth countenance, he remembered their first meeting in the waterways. At that time, his feelings were purely instinctive and bestial. The human had simply been flesh and blood – a means of obtaining gratification and nothing more. Now, in the firelight, Leon's gentle expression stirred within him an indescribable longing. Despite the pain of losing everything, Leon maintained his belief in the goodness of others. When Joachim fed from his former adversary, sealing the contract between them, he felt no resignation about binding himself to the Belmont name. Leon was the only person who would remember him and – quite possibly – lament him. Indeed, the former knight shared the vampire's pain and grief. Though they never spoke of it, he sensed in Leon a desire for companionship. In each other's presence, their grief and loneliness melted away.
Aware of the vampire's growing uncertainty, Leon shook his head. He did not understand why Joachim's opinion of him mattered so much. The vampire had tried to kill him several times, which should have inclined the crusader to destroy him outright. The arousal he felt when he allowed the demon to drink from him proved that impure thoughts had clouded his judgment. Leon grimaced, condemning the possibility that his feeling for the pale nobleman verged on something other than camaraderie.
Leon could not withhold his anger when Joachim refused to answer his question. For too long, the young nobleman of the water prison had dominated his thoughts.
"I don't believe you." He whispered, feeling his hands clench into fists as he slowly rose from the sofa. "You wanted me to return; that is why you followed me all those years. You knew I would come back. Why?"
Joachim gave the young man a scathing look, despising the fact that, no matter how much he wanted to hate him, his companion's concern and kindness made it impossible. The longer he looked at the former knight, the more he realized his growing attachment. More than anything he did not want to be alone.
"I could ask you the same question." The vampire retorted, his pale eyes focused steadily upon the former knight. "You did not have to return – yet here you stand. I asked you to kill me and you refused. Perhaps, it is you who has much to tell, Leon."
Leon stepped back, his lips parting when his host's eyes met his. The former knight found himself at a loss the longer they stood, staring at each other, waiting for the other to break the silence that followed. He watched Joachim's delicate lips curl, whilst his icy eyes flickered, reflecting the dying embers of the fire in their gleaming spheres. The pale nobleman padded toward him, his sleek, graceful frame making not a sound when he moved. There was a sad dignity in Joachim's expression that fascinated him utterly. When the white-haired creature came within a few inches of Leon, he found himself unable to move. Very slowly, the vampire lifted his hand and cupped the knight's face.
A tiny, sad smile appeared upon Joachim's snow-white lips when he spoke.
"I…understand now, why Sara loved you so dearly. How I wish…you would see me as she did."
The vampire sighed, loathing how his ashen hand visibly contrasted Leon's warm flesh. He lowered his head, feeling a faintness overcome him. The feel of the young man's soft, supple skin beneath his fingertips provoked an aching hunger in his throat. Disgust ripped through him at the thought that he was capable of harming the man who had saved his life. He looked away, despising himself for being tempted so easily. With a heavy sigh, he continued darkly.
"I am growing weak again. Always, that accursed hunger returns to remind me of my inhumanity. I cannot remain in your company any longer, for I do not wish to cause you harm."
Seeing the pain in Joachim's eyes, Leon wished for nothing more than to comfort him. When the vampire attempted to lift his hand away, the young man gently seized him by the wrist. Tension ran through his body as he stood before him, aware of his own vulnerability, yet unwilling to let go. A cold chill ran through him the moment he touched his host's icy flesh. There was beauty in his white-haired companion's pale, porcelain-like skin. They had endured too much together to part so quickly. With a trembling sigh, he confessed.
"Years after our meeting, I still thought of you often. I trust you, even though you do not trust yourself."
Joachim's eyes widened and he gazed at the former knight for a long moment. Sensing the Leon's resolve was genuine, he initially wanted to scoff at his former adversary's naivety. "What do you mean?" He asked, eyeing the former knight as a growing uneasiness churned inside him.
"I know you are starving. What little blood I have given is not enough to sustain you."
"It will not make a difference a few hours from now." The vampire eyed him warily, his shining spheres focusing upon Leon's face with renewed sadness. A small smile played across his lips, and he chuckled under his breath. "Soon, I will sleep eternally."
Leon sighed. It pained him to hear the truth in the vampire's words. By dawn, his meeting with the pale nobleman would seem like a strange dream. "Yes, I know." He replied, feeling his throat tighten. "You will never see me again but I will remember you always."
"Why do you wish to remember a monster?" Unable to understand his companion's logic, the white-haired nobleman shook his head.
Leon swallowed hard, aware that whatever he said next could be his own undoing. He feared what would transpire if he confessed the painful truth. "It was you who saved me, Joachim."
"What do you mean?" Joachim raised an eyebrow, his icy eyes gleaming in the firelight. As if the young man had suddenly lost his mind, he nearly recoiled until the human stepped forward, narrowing the space between them.
"When I left Eternal Night nearly three years ago, I was determined to destroy all vampires. I believed the only way to stop others from suffering Sara's fate was to hunt the night. In my anger and sorrow, I didn't realize…nothing is ever that simple."
"Some things are." The white-haired nobleman sneered, his eyes glinting in the firelight with an eerie, predatory delight. "You saw my true nature when I was imprisoned. I am far from a saint. Very far indeed…"
"When you were human, I doubt you would have killed anyone." Leon replied, unwilling to concede to the vampire's self-loathing disposition.
His companions' frail, deathly pale appearance gave the impression that he never could have been capable of harming anyone. Joachim himself had confessed to being bedridden most of his life. However, when the night dweller's expression did not waver, the crusader fell into a stunned silence.
Joachim's eyes narrowed while his fine lips curved into a sardonic grin, revealing the needle-like tips of his fangs. His voice, once audible, died to a low whisper.
"You don't know what I was capable of – and still am. Try again, Belmont."
Leon hesitated when he realized that the look in his host's eyes was as serious and sincere as his own. A lump formed in his throat and he looked away, unable to accept the nobleman's view as final. It was true – he did not know Joachim when he was human. He remembered a time when he had underestimated the young nobleman of the waterways. Joachim's seemingly frail appearance veiled great power. Sorrow filled him when he thought about the pain and suffering his companion had endured during his confinement. After drawing a breath, Leon ran a hand through the locks of his sun-kissed hair. Tears welled in his eyes but he withheld them, for he had no right to cry before a man who carried heavier burdens than his own.
The former knight's voice shook when he forced himself to speak, the softness of his voice shattering the theater's unnerving silence.
"Had we not met, I may have followed Mathias' dark path. When Rinaldo told me that you…tried to save Sara, I mourned your passing and thought myself a murderer. A monster would never place the life of another above its own, but a human would. I am truly grateful."
The white-haired vampire abruptly pulled away and stepped back, his light blue eyes widening as he turned away. Even though he never told anyone, his grief was still raw. At the time, his decision to help Sara was not to unite her with her betrothed. He wanted to believe that she might not have left Eternal Night. But he had known that, despite her initial doubt, she loved the baron deeply.
With great effort, Joachim managed to force his lips into a weak smile and bowed his head. "I do not deserve your gratitude."
"Then take my blood." The crusader extended his hand. When he saw the vampire cast a wary glance over his shoulder, he continued boldly. "After all you have done, there is nothing I would not give for your sake."
"The church would never condone this." The pale nobleman remarked under his breath.
Even though his companion seemed more world-weary than the curious, honor-driven man he met in the waterways, time had not entirely eroded his faith and morality. The fact Leon was at ease in his presence seemed uncharacteristic of a man that, years ago, might have thought him a monster. They had grown much closer than either of them expected. However, the white-haired nobleman was determined not to tarnish his comrade's goodness. He studied the young man's features, silently admiring the crusader's modest beauty. Leon's eyes were as lucid as the clearest stream, and reflected only sincerity within them. Secretly, he wanted to reach out and feel the blonde's smooth, warm skin beneath his fingers. Tension swept through him when he realized that his ability to resist his companion's offer was quickly waning. He wanted Leon's blood as much as the crusader wanted him to take it.
"You are right."
Leon admitted, unable to ignore the legitimacy of his companion's concern. He had not expected the vampire to care about his faith, and wondered if Joachim had once been as naïve as he was. He would never forget the day he beseeched the cardinals for their permission to sortie with the demon who had abducted Sara. The image of their cold, indifferent faces was forever stained into his memory. Their blood-red robes, to him, symbolized the blood of innocents they cruelly condemned and left to die in the name of God. He had spilled the blood of countless people for their cause. The thought nearly made him cringe.
"Although my faith in God is unchanged, I am no longer associated with the church. God will judge me for my sins just the same."
The white-haired nobleman smiled weakly. "I suppose that is true. However, I wonder…" His voice trailed off. A brief silence overcame him as he stood before the young man, looking at him, his icy eyes shining in the dim light. The longer he stared at Leon's graceful features, the less he wanted to pull away. "Do you…care about me?" He asked, immediately despising his bluntness.
Leon's eyes widened and his mouth nearly fell agape in astonishment. After hesitating a moment, he withdrew a breath, knowing it was impossible for him to hide anything. The vampire's penetrating gaze seemed capable of seeing through him as if his thoughts were transparent. With a nervous chuckle, he answered.
"You are my friend and I care for your wellbeing."
"Is that all?" Joachim whispered, the intensity in his gaze never relenting for a moment when he added. "I shall not accepted your offer if it was made out of pity. I am not an abused animal in need of affection, Leon."
"That was not my intention-"
"Then what was your intention?"
Leon hesitated once again, unable to think of a proper response. Not even he knew why he felt drawn to a creature he should have loathed and destroyed. Even after losing his beloved, he could not bring himself to hate Joachim for being what he was. Hating him would have been too easy, for caring for him tested the very foundations of his morality. He could not define his feelings for the vampire even if he tried. Thus, with a small gesture of futility, the former knight shook his head.
"I don't know. Somehow, your presence…comforts me."
"Why?"
The vampire raised an eyebrow as a look of disbelief swept across his face. He could not fathom why the young man found him comforting, especially considering he had tried to kill him on more than one occasion.
Leon's voice fell quiet when a feeling of shame overcame him. What he felt was not right. Even though he left the church, he could not overlook the fact that what he said was inappropriate. His feelings for the vampire were platonic and nothing more. Although relations between men were not unheard of, such behavior was often punishable by death – and worse – damnation.
Leon remembered the excitement he felt when the vampire's cold lips touched his flesh and tried to block it from his mind. "This should not be. Please, think no more on what I said."
Joachim's lips curved into a slight frown. He knew what the knight was trying to say but honor – and the salvation of his soul – denied it. Although the crusader's unyielding sense of duty irritated him, he would not blame him for it. His own soul was damned and ruining Leon's chance for redemption was too great a burden to bear. A twinge of injury appeared in his eyes the longer he contemplated the precarious situation he had placed the young man in. Nevertheless, some part of him detected that the former knight was still indecisive.
Unable to endure his companion's regret, Leon felt some obligation to explain himself. Perhaps, in doing so, he hoped the logic in his words would convince himself that it was necessary. A trembling sigh escaped his lips before he forced himself to speak.
"I did not mean to mislead you, Joachim. However, you must understand…"
"Indeed, I do." Joachim tried to smile but it was a wasted effort. "Your loyalty to God is understandable."
"Not God," Leon whispered. "My wife and unborn child."
To this, Joachim could not think of a worthy response. Although he felt inexplicably drawn to the crusader, the thought of compromising everything the man cared for was against even his own principles. Secretly, the pale nobleman envied the woman who had captured his companion's heart so completely. Even the mere mention of his wife made Leon's voice acquire a gentleness that characterized his devotion. He watched the blonde bowed his head, the strands of his layered locks falling gracefully around his smooth face. Joachim observed the young man's humble gesture, his pale eyes never leaving his guest for an instant.
With a silent nod, the white-haired vampire conceded. "You are man of honor, Leon. Forgive my…transgression…"
Sadness consumed his gaze, even though he was unsurprised by the young man's answer. He did not fully comprehend why Leon's rejection hurt him so much. Years ago, he would have killed the human without batting an eyelid. Ironically, he found himself unable to relinquish his need for Leon's presence. Although he did not reveal it, he was growing ever more frightened by the fact that dawn was drawing nearer. He longed for Leon to be by his side; to be held and comforted by him during his final hours. Even if the former knight did not reciprocate, he was content to remain with him until fate compelled them to part ways.
The look of dejection on his pale companion's face made Leon's heart ache with guilt. He wondered if he had been cruel the vampire, for Joachim had willingly sacrificed a life of immortality for his sake. He tried to speak but the words refused to leave his lips. Within moments, he began to wonder if he had asked too much of the night dweller. Even though Joachim respected his wishes, Leon knew the vampire desperately longed for more.
"You are…important to me, Joachim."
Leon said at last, despising how simple he sounded. Words alone could not adequately describe human emotion. In an effort to comfort his crestfallen companion, he then added quietly.
"I do not regret returning to Eternal Night – to you. I thought the past would only remind me of my regrets but our reunion has proven the contrary. Yet, I feel I have again committed an injustice upon you. If circumstances in my life were different, perhaps…I would…"
He swallowed hard and looked away, unable to continue even though his heart compelled him to. He could feel the vampire studying him carefully but did not want to look into his host's sharp, pale blue eyes. He feared if he did, his resoluteness would wane all too quickly. Despite his reservations, he stepped closer to the young nobleman. He did not want the night dweller to feel betrayed by his restraint. Betraying Joachim pained him as much as betraying his beloved, even though the sanctity of marriage should have been enough to make him abstain. He wanted the vampire to know that a part of him truly desired to return his companion's devotion.
"Will you stay with me until sunrise?" The vampire asked tentatively, noticing the human was avoiding eye contact. He was aware that his intense nature often caused others discomfort and sought to remedy the situation. With a dry chuckle, he added. "Even though I descend from nobility, my manners have always been a bit lacking. If you feel the need to retire, I shall make no quarrel of it."
"No, I am quite all right. Thank you."
Leon waited until the creature nodded in acknowledgement. It was very late, and even though he was tired, he would keep himself awake. Tension filled him when he remembered the offer he had made the immortal. The creature's ambiguous answer inclined him to believe that the vampire was not as satiated as he appeared. He wondered if God would punish him for what he was about to do. With as much courage as he could muster, Leon lifted his head and looked at the vampire's regal countenance. Even though he tried to deny it, there was still a part of himself that he wanted to give Joachim, and remembered Rinaldo's words: There is no bond more powerful than blood. He would never forget the feel of the vampire's cold lips upon his flesh, or the unadulterated pleasure his companion was able to extract from his mortal flesh. No matter how valiantly he tried to convince himself that the exhilaration he felt during the act was sinful, he could no longer deny it. Amidst the overwhelming shame it wrought within him, the passion he experienced temporarily subdued his fear of moral debauchery.
After reflecting upon the implications of his decision, Leon's voice fell to a whisper.
"I stand by my offer, Joachim. Do as you will."
The vampire's eyes widened at the suddenness of the crusader's proposal. When Leon did not move away, he realized the human meant every word. He was uncertain of what he would do to the young man if he agreed. Although he yearned to touch the stunning beauty before him, he feared disrespecting him if he succumbed to the temptation to take far more than the knight allotted. The pale nobleman grimaced at the thought and remembered a time when someone he cared for had made a similar offer…
"Are you certain?" The night dweller asked once again, suddenly feeling helpless to resist even though his conscience tried to pull him away.
"I have never been more." The crusader answered unfalteringly. The young man's lips lifted into a gentle smile. His eyes glinted like sapphires in the firelight, which half-shadowed his face.
Very slowly, he pulled Leon closer to him while one of his hands grasped the collar of his shirt. His index finger brushed across the sloping curve of the knight's neck, gently tearing away the silky black fabric encasing it to expose the smooth, sloping curve of his shoulder. His other hand slipped around the small of Leon's back, pulling him into an embrace. He pressed his lips upon the base of his neck, kissing the supple flesh, while silently admiring the young man's beauty. Ravenous hunger filled him when his lips trailed across the tender flesh of Leon's shoulder - still dangerously close to his neck. He could feel the crusader's gentle pulse thumping beneath the thin layer of skin covering his throat. Unwilling to give in to the urge, his lips settled upon the space of flesh between the young man's neck and shoulder.
He heard Leon gasp in surprise, his bright blue eyes widening at the intimacy of the vampire's touch. Joachim hesitated, wondering if the crusader would resist him. When Leon fell still once again, his cold lips tenderly kissed the flesh, admiring the smooth, fair skin. He drew his lips back, revealing his deadly needle-like fangs. If he lost control for even a moment, he was capable of killing the young man almost instantly. He kept his eyes averted from Leon's neck, focusing his attention upon the supple skin before him, knowing if he was careful, he would cause his companion minimal pain.
When the vampire's fangs slowly pierced the flesh of his shoulder, Leon's stance stiffened. A gasp fled the young man's lips when a sharp pain shot through his body. He clenched his teeth, trying to resist the pain as the pale creature fed. Streams of blood flowed from the open wound, trickling across the red-trimmed lapels of his surcoat. The night dweller pulled the young man closer, securing him in his arms almost possessively. When he felt the mortal's legs begin to give away, he gently lowered his frail companion upon the embroidered sofa.
Leon's breathing quickened when he felt the vampire's lithesome figure press against him. His hands grasped the sofa's satin cushions as he fought against the instinct to free himself from the vampire's hold. Everything inside him screamed that his passiveness was enough to damn him in the eyes of God. Never had he been so physically close to another man, yet it did not repulse him as much as he initially expected. When Joachim's left hand cupped his face, the creature's startlingly cold, sallow sent shudders of delight through him. In that moment, all rational thought seemed to give way to unadulterated pleasure. Even though pain surged from the wound in his shoulder, his white-haired companion's gentleness made it bearable.
As the crusader's sweet, crimson essence slid down Joachim's throat, his fingers lightly caressed the man's cheek. He was so close to Leon that he could hear the human's heart pounding in his ear. When he inhaled, his nostrils captured the young man's musky scent. He could feel the former knight beginning to weaken. Leon's eyes slowly flutter closed and the tension in his muscles released. With a low, breathless moan, the blonde attempted to sit up on the sofa; desperate to regain his fleeting strength.
In an effort to calm him, the white-haired nobleman wrapped his arms around his limp companion, securing him in a gentle embrace. Knowing the young man was reaching his limit, Joachim slowly withdrew his fangs; his blood-drenched lips skimming the surface of the wound. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth as his pale eyes focused upon Leon's face. He could not deny that the blond fascinated him utterly. The longer he gazed at the young man's smooth, flawless contours, the greater his heart ached for the crusader's affection. Not even the ravenous hunger inside him could match his yearning for Leon's touch. The vulnerability he felt in the human's presence was unlike anything he had felt in years. Unable to resist the temptation, his lips covered the young man with tender kisses.
The sudden gesture prompted the crusader's eyes to open. Even though his mind screamed for him to get up, his body was too weak to move. A stream of blood seeped from the open wound in his shoulder. His vision blurred as a feeling of dizziness overcame his senses. The total loss of control he experienced in the vampire's presence made his entire body tremble. He could feel the nobleman's kisses become more fervent and desirous, the mere touch of his lips resembling the light, cold touch of snow upon his flesh. Another moan fled his lips when he felt the white-haired nobleman's hand softly caress his cheek. He felt the vampire's other hand slip down his chest to the inside of his thigh. Leon looked away, his throat tightening when his eyes traced the subtle protrusion between his legs, ashamed of how easily his own body betrayed him. What ashamed him even more was the fact that he had not fought harder against the creature's advances. Explosions of pleasure ripped through him when he felt Joachim's hand gently massage his swollen organ. The thin veil of his britches failed to dissuade his white-haired companion's arousing touch.
Leon fell back, resting his head against the sofa's silk armrest. His will to remain conscious was slowly dissolving into delirious exhaustion. He felt his eyelids grow heavy as the urge to sleep raged against his restless thoughts. His euphoria faded into contentment as he felt himself relax, comforted by Joachim's embrace. It did not occur to him how much blood he had lost until he realized his effort to stay awake was in vain. With a sigh, he reached up and brushed his hand across the vampire's smooth cheek, his cerulean eyes reflecting the fire's dancing embers. The crusader's lips lifted into a small, sad smile. Although he longed for Joachim to stay by his side, the pain resonating beneath the white-haired vampire's calm expression almost broke his calm.
Joachim held the human, wishing for a time when he would never have to let go, and tortured by the impossibility of his desire. He did not know what to say, for words seemed useless and incapable of expressing his intentions clearly. With a sigh, he tried to smile, and whispered in the young man's ear.
"For a moment, you made me remember what it felt like to be human. Why must it always be so fleeting?" He chuckled, fearing the morbidity of his comment would distress the crusader's resolve. However, his own feelings were quite the contrary. Nostalgia replaced his characteristically austere disposition. "For years I have felt detached from the world; pretending to be someone I am not. In your company, I can be myself…the deadness inside me disappears, and I feel alive once again."
Leon only smiled in return, unable to veil the sadness behind it. He realized the loss of control he felt in the vampire's presence had affected him profoundly. Joachim's intensity renewed his determination to not only to hunt the night but also to live. Even if he never saw Mathias again, he was content with the path he had chosen. He would carry Joachim's memory with him, knowing that as long as the Belmont clan remained, the vampire would rest in peace. Leon listened as Joachim hummed a soft, sad song under his breath.
With the image of the vampire's face still etched in his mind, he drifted to sleep.
With a small, sad smile, Joachim forced his weakened body to sit up and swung his legs over the side of the tomb. Taking slow steps, he walked toward the door of the throne room, his once swift and agile form rapidly deteriorating alongside the night's retreat. Every step he took sent sharp jolts of pain through his body, though he ignored it – remembering a time when, as a human, he had been accustomed to it. In that moment, he welcomed the pain, and chuckled in spite of himself. He placed his palms against the door's solid stone surface and withdrew a breath. Were he alive, his heart would have begun to race when he pushed the heavy door open and allowed his eyes to look upon the sun. Very faintly in the distance, the sun's rays bathed the clouds in a sea of gold. His lips parted, and he stood just beyond the threshold of the door, mesmerized by the startling beauty of the dawn. A soft, sad smile crossed his lips as he silently memorized the dreamlike image of the sun's golden sphere rising into the sky.
An intense burning sensation prickled through his body. He could feel his skin beginning to sear and peel but did not flinch. He extended his hand, reaching out to the sun as if to take it, while seeing his fingers slowly begin to burn. Every passing moment, his once flawless cheeks began to flake away into ash.
With a bittersweet sigh, he slunk into the safety of the shadows and retreated to the cold, stone tomb waiting in the middle of the empty throne room. Light streamed across the dark marble floor through the numerous windows lining the room. With the last of his strength, he climbed into the tomb and lifted its heavy lid off the floor. As he moved the lid back into place, and felt darkness enclosing around him once again, his eyes fluttered shut.
He pictured a woman's beautiful, smiling face. Bright emerald eyes filtered through his thoughts. Her warm hand took his; leading him out of the darkness.
In his dreams, he would he see her again.
"Good night, my love…"
End
End notes:
Why Sonia?
It's clear the Belmont line had to continue somehow, which means Leon most likely married someone else after Sara's death. I didn't want to introduce a new character in the final chapter but wanted to resolve the sub-plot with Leon and explain what might have possibly happened to him after the events of LoI. Since Sonia was originally intended to be the 'first' Belmont, I thought it would be interesting if I could bring her back into the Castlevania universe. I don't think Konami needed to completely erase Sonia's story from the Belmont timeline. Sonia's storyline could have easily been re-written so that Leon eventually met and married her (nixing the sorely underdeveloped and problematic "Alucard relationship" completely), thus giving Sonia the last name of 'Belmont' while continuing the family line. Although other authors have had Leon marry an original character out of desperation to continue the Belmont line, I think he's much too honorable to enter into an unloving relationship solely for that reason. I hope Sonia's addition to the story and relationship with Leon did not seem rushed and tried to develop Sonia's character so it would seem plausible.
Joachim's ending:
I wasn't sure how to end the story, and after a lot of thought, I felt the ending I finally came up with was the most believable, given the direction the story was going. I tried to write as much detail as possible but if you feel something needs to be added or changed, feel free to PM me.
Side note: the scene I wrote (Joachim laughing in the throne room) was meant to tie in with Joachim's ending in LoI (in which he sits on Walter's throne and starts laughing before the clip ends). This story attempts to interconnect Leon AND Joachim's endings in LoI. I haven't read a fic portraying what could have happened if Joachim actually ruled Eternal Night in Walter's place. I thought both Leon's and Joachim's endings were possible, and since you can choose to play as Joachim after beating the game as Leon, it seemed fitting to tie them together.
Why doesn't Mathias make an appearance?
I am trying to follow LoI canon and at the end of LoI, it's pretty clear that Leon and Mathias never meet again. Below is a quote from LoI (what is stated at the end of the game):
"However, Mathias and the Belmonts will not meet again for hundreds of years. Mathias goes into hiding in foreign lands and continues to curse God for eternity."
Final comments:
It's been a long process but I promised I'd finish this story and I hope it was worth the wait. I would like to thank those who read and reviewed my work. Some of you don't have an account so I can't respond to your reviews, but I have read all of them and I always appreciate feedback! This took a lot longer than I originally intended to finish but I didn't want to post it until I was satisfied with what I wrote. In the future, I may go through previous chapters and try to fix spelling/grammatical errors. If you see any glaring errors that need to be changed in any of the chapters, send me a PM and I will try to get those fixed as soon as possible since it can be hard to go through every single chapter and find what needs to be fixed.
Special thanks go to long time readers and beta readers:
Lateniteslacker – I haven't heard from you in a long time but I hope you are doing well and enjoy this last chapter, should you have the chance to read it. If you think something needs to be changed/edited be sure to let me know Thank you for beta reading this story as well, since your comments helped me improve the quality of my work!
Artimus Lan – I apologize for the long delay between updates but I hope it was worth the wait! Your feedback is appreciated and helped motivate me to finally publish the last chapter. I had been working on this chapter for months and it ended up being over 70 pages!
Thomas - wow, you reviewed every single chapter! I'm very honored you took the time to do that and thank you very much for your comments!
AzariyaBernhard (heh, hope you like the Walter cameo I added just for you, even though Joachim was probably hallucinating lol)
TheGhostisReal
SirenaLoreley – I am honored you came back to review chapter 35, even though it had been a long, long time since I updated the story. Thank you for patiently following my work and reviewing after all this time!
danceofgold – I haven't heard from you in a long time but I hope you are doing well and thank you for all the reviews you left over the years. You are a talented writer and I hope to read more from you in the future, should you decide to write more CV fics.
haruharu – Although I don't have time to create an entirely separate LeonxJoachim fic, I hope you found this last addition satisfying and believable (lol it ended up being super long…over 70 pages to be exact). Thank you for taking the time to review my fic since it's taken years for me to finish it and I always look forward to reading your comments!
yaoixthundeh - thank you for reading and reviewing my work! Your comments were encouraging and I'm happy to know that you enjoyed reading my work.
Rahar Moonfire