Chapter 12 – THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE

She glanced round warily. There was nothing around her, only an eerie darkness. She knew it was a nightmare but realization did not making the whole thing less disconcerting.

Ignoring her nervousness, she tried to wave her arms in front of her, desperate to feel if there was anything around her but discovered to her horror that she could not feel her arms. Almost cursing in panic, she tried to move her feet to run. A terrible cold seized her heart as she realized that she too could not feel her feet, or for that matter, any other part of her body below her neck.

'No, this is just a nightmare,' she thought as she tried to figure a way to calm herself down. 'Get a grip on yourself. This is only a dream.'

Just then, a second voice in her head remarked, 'But if it is merely an illusion of the mind, then why, Integra, are you so terrified?'

Gnashing her teeth in defiance at her circumstances, Integra looked around for something that she perhaps could use to her advantage. This was when she spotted a mirror in front of her. Integra watched cautiously as she realized that the mirror was suddenly flying towards her. Despite her confusion and distress, she could not help but notice that the mirror was very old and beautiful. The frame of the mirror was made of bronze and intricate carvings adorned the frame - had she been in different circumstances, she would have admired it with amazement rather than trepidation. Moreover, she soon forgot her admiration as to its beauty for she found herself terror stricken, unable to tear her eyes from the reflection in the mirror. For staring back at her from the mirror was the reflection of her head - and only her head. Her cheeks and her neck, or what was left of latter, were smeared with blood, blood she supposed was hers. Where her body should have stood, there was only a stool. Her hair was soaked in blood from below her ears and it draped the stool stiffly as if a shroud.

Despite her ability to remain relatively calm in most situations, Integra found herself petrified beyond her imagination. Her heartbeat (despite the apparent absence of her heart) pounded loudly in her ears.

"No, no ... please let me wake up from this nightmare. This cannot be real," she muttered, as if a spell to make everything alright. "Please, no, not again. Please let me wake up."

A hatefully familiar voice mocked her from the quiet. "Do you not like this, little brother? I thought you would appreciate me waking you now that I too slumber no more."

Integra bit her lip angrily as she tried desperately to seek out Verdoben in this nightmarish world of his. She would not cry in front of him nor show any signs of the fear she was feeling. She would not allow her tormentor the pleasure of seeing how horribly helpless and afraid he was making her feel in this series of unending nightmares – nightmares from which she could not awake and which now threatened to push her over the brink of sanity. She had been nervous and disturbed since her return to England. Walter had been found barely alive and there had been questions about her absence from the Round Table meetings. The last she remembered of the waking world was that she had gone to bed the night after Alucard's painting had arrived (this was barely a week since her return to England). Her inability to awake since coupled with the assault of each nightmare was whittling away at her already battered mental defence. She could not tell how much more she could bear to hear Verdoben's voice mocking at her although there was no telling how much time had passed in the waking world.

Aware of the effect the ghastly image was having on her, she tried to close her eyelids or to look away but both her eyelids and eyes refused to obey, forcing her to continue to gaze upon her own reflection.

"Damn you, Verdoben but this is but a nightmare. This is not real. Any time now, I will wake up," she said, even as she repeated the phrase which provided the last shred of hope she was clinging desperately on to. "Wake up Integra, wake up."

"What makes you think this is only an illusion."

"This is a dream and no more. I will not let you take my mind."

"Is that so, a mere dream we are in, you say," taunted the voice of Verdorben but he finally seemed content to leave her.

After what seemed hours of being forced to look into the mirror, her torture unmitigated by her attempts to convince herself that this was but a nightmare from which she would wake up, Integra realized that the image in the mirror had changed. She could not tell you how it had changed, merely that the face now looking back at her was slightly different. It was a face that looked both strangely like hers and yet quite different at the same time. For one, it looked like it belonged to a young man instead of to a young woman. She supposed that if she ever had a brother or perhaps even a son, this would probably be what he would look like.

It was then Integra noticed that the face in the mirror was gazing back at her sadly. The look in his eyes was not unkind and his sympathetic demeanor did in fact, somewhat alleviate her terror. However, the pained look that then appeared in his expression unnerved her. It was almost as if he was consoling her and reprimanding her at the same time. Feeling extremely foolish, but determined to gain some control of the situation, she spoke as bravely as she could.

"Who are you? Are you another of Verdoben's mind tricks?"

"Before you proceed, I must warn you that you may only ask three questions; for in his perverse humor, my brother only allows us only three exchanges."

Integra replied determinedly. "I thank you for your warning but I must know who you are. For if you do not state who you are, I cannot tell if you are friend or foe."

"Very well," the young man answered. "My name is Magnus. I am you and you are I. I am who you were and you are who I have become. We are the one and the same, Integra, and yet different people."

"But," she spluttered, flabbergasted at the reply. "That doesn't make sense. Tell me, what's this all about? I am not to be mocked," she cried – she felt ridiculous. How could she have taken this to be any more than the sick joke it was meant to be?

"This is just a nightmare isn't it?"

A wicked laughter broke out in the air.

Magnus frowned. "That question was ill posed, Integra. This is a warning. I come with the intent to warn you of the horror that you must face. Ask your final question carefully for I wish I could but thwart his curse that prevents me from answering you more than three times."

The steeliness in Magnus's voice jolted her back into reality – or at least this warped form in which she was trapped. Despite her confusion, she knew that this was no ordinary nightmare. Despite her initial disbelief, she knew that Magnus was perhaps, her only chance at figuring out her entanglement with Verdoben.

She breathed in deeply, willing herself to calm down. "Magnus, tell me, who is Verdoben? What does he want with me? How is he related to all this?"

"Two questions too many," chided Magnus but she could tell from his expression that he would not deny her the answers. "But wisely put for I can answer them as one."

Just then, the air around them turned painfully cold as the mirror began to shake.

"This never-ending nightmare is his revenge for a long time ago, I sealed his body and soul beneath the ground."

Magnus paused briefly before continuing. "To prevent our tragedy from spilling over the earth, I separated our conscious from reality, never to be released until the day the earth would exist no more. Because of what I had done, my soul, like his, would never enter the gates of heaven, nor find rest or peace. We could have slept until the Day of Judgment, Integra, but alas, you have unwished all I have done."

"I?"

Magnus ignored her interruption, speaking more quickly as the cracks spread rapidly over the surface of the mirror. "Painful as it was, was the loss of your men and the sorrow of a vampire justification for unleashing this ancient horror on the world?"

"I don't understand," muttered Integra. "Are you saying that I am responsible for Verdoben's existence?"

"Not for his existence. That is my transgression to bear. However, you have brought him back and all is too late for your time. The wheels are in motion. He will soon return in full strength and he will destroy this world, this world that he hates so much because of us," said Magnus, his voice growing fainter by the moment. Integra panicked as she strained to catch sight of his rapidly fading image.

"You must warn Alucard. He is innocent. I must not let her soul be caught up in all of this again. Speak to his child for she suspects despite everything."

"No, wait, don't go," cried Integra. "What do you mean? What does Seras know?"

Her pleas were however to no avail, for the mirror finally shattered violently. Although she strained to peer into its broken shards, she saw no more of him. The strange world about her started to swirl and she knew that the dreams had finally come to an end. However, even as her mind coaxed her back into the waking world, she thought she caught sight of an image of Seras crying in the broken pieces of the mirror. The young vampire was missing an arm and cradling the lifeless body of Pip.

'What happened,' thought Integra. 'Is this a premonition of what is to come or that which has happened?' This was when she felt a sharp pain in her chest – she was gasping for air. Although she struggled to open her eyes or to at least cry out, Integra found that she was unable to. She was awake but unable to muster enough strength to move either her eyelids or her lips. It was almost as if she had lost control of her body.

Her confusion and turmoil was undetected by Pip and Seras who were peering above her sleeping form, in concern.

"Sir Integra" said Seras, propping up the pillows behind her to ease her breathing. "You'll be alright, please hang on. I will go get ..."

Integra tried once more to open her mouth to answer but any reply - even had she been able to produce one, was drowned out by a series of uncontrollable and violent coughs. Pain wrecked through her body and tears sprang from her eyes as she felt as if her lungs would burst.

"Quick," said Pip to Seras as he lifted Integra up and began rubbing her back in an effort to alleviate her coughing. "Get the doctor, the phone's by the dresser."

Quick as lightning, Seras ran to the dresser at the end of the bed. However, as she was about to dial Dr Trevor's number, she heard a shout from Pip.

"Oh shit, no, what the hell is this?"

Seras turned, the phone falling from her hand as she witnessed a pale Pip attempting to pull Integra away from the bed. He was staring at a spot on the sheets that now lay in front of Integra. A pool of blood had formed and with each cough, Integra was throwing up more and more blood – that in itself was worrying enough but the blood was a dark red color and as it flowed towards the spot on which the first drops had landed, it seemed to pulsate as if it had a life of its own. The young vampire stared, petrified in horror as Integra's cough grew worse and as she began heaving up more of that strange blood.

Forcing herself to concentrate, Seras screamed. "Pip, get out of here with Sir Integra immediately!"

Even then, Seras was not prepared for the sight of a dozen hands that looked like they were made of blood too, emerging from the blood that Integra had coughed up. The mercenary was unfortunately, more shocked than she was and he merely stared, transfixed in fear at the horror in front of him. Instinctively, Seras dived towards Pip and Integra, not knowing what she should do save that she had to get them out of the way: scooping up Integra's limp body and knocking a terrified Pip off the bed, the young vampire barely averted the reach of the bloodied hands before throwing her body protectively in front of Integra's and Pip's.

The hands, each appearing to have a life of their own, hissed in fury. "She is ours. She is ours," they snarled angrily.

Seras glanced desperately at the bedroom door but realized that three of the hands had already thrown themselves against it, holding it shut.

'How am I going to get us out now?' she wondered. From the corner of her eye, she noted that Pip was slowly rising to stand behind her. Carefully, he lifted Integra with one hand, reaching into his pockets with the other.

'What are you doing,' Seras screamed to Pip telepathically. 'Even if you are armed, you don't have enough silver against this demon.' At the same time, she cursed herself angrily, wishing she had paid more attention to Alucard's nagging about her lack of sorcery abilities.

'What makes you think I'm trying to reach for a gun?'

'Well, don't do anything foolish,' she retorted even as she kept a wary eye on the bloody hands. For some reason, the hands or whoever was controlling them, appeared not to have expected Seras' presence. The hands had stopped their advance towards Integra and were (or appeared to be) now instead, studying her cautiously.

'Look, the windows are just a little to your right. It's a little dangerous but it's our only shot. When I say so, you run like hell and jump through it!'

'I don't think so, Vicky, we are rather high up ... for another, what's going to happen to you?'

'That's what you're here for. Now, I'm going to try to distract them. Run like hell at my signal and whatever you do, make sure Sir Integra stays in one piece.'

Seras ignored Pip's mental retorts. Taking a step forward, she gingerly faced the approaching hands. She nervously eyed the three hands on the door and the other nine hissing sinisterly. Could she really fight or distract the hands long enough for Pip to escape with Integra through the window?

"Tell me, who the hell is your master?"

"It doesn't matter," screeched the remaining hands. As if suddenly aware of her ploy, they sped towards her and Pip, each hand taking the form of a sharpened claw. "Nothing matters. Die the two of you and give us the woman. The curse is starting. There is no escape."

'Now,' screamed Seras even as she cowered in terror. She raised her arms instinctively in a feeble attempt to meet the attack of the hands. Surely this was the end but it would be worth it if Pip and Integra could get away. To her surprise, instead of experiencing gut wrenching pain or being torn apart, she felt nothing but her own hand rested against her chest. A great hissing sound could be heard from the hands. Seras watched dumbfounded as the hands sank back into the pool from which they had emerged. Two broken bottles lay near the blood pool that was now boiling furiously. The chain around her neck was broken, a chain from which she had worn the vial of holy water Walter had given her. The butler had given a bottle each to her and Pip to prevent Alucard from reading their thoughts during their attempts to hunt down Alucard's and Sir Integra's whereabouts. Although convinced in the end that Alucard had not meant Integra any harm, Seras had kept the bottle around as a good luck charm. Pip appeared to have done something similar and in their panic, both of them must have flung their respective vials of holy water at their assailants. Seras shuddered as the most terrible wails could now be heard from the writhing hands.

"We have failed the master. We will be punished," they howled as the pool from which they had emerged swallowed them up greedily. "Oh master Agi, please forgive us."

Seras and Pip stared at the now dried up blood stain on the bedsheets. Convinced that the hands were no more a threat, and thus relieved that they had somehow miraculously survived an incredible attempt on Sir Integra's life, the pair sank to the floor in utter exhaustion.

"What the hell was that thing?" whispered Pip weakly when he could find his tongue again.

"I don't know," Seras replied, panting in spite of the fact that she did not need to breathe. A part of her remarked dryly that it was yet another sign that she had yet to master the fine art of being an undead.

Pip lifted Integra slowly, unaware that she had been awake through the whole ordeal. "Any news from Alucard yet? I am quite sure he would be one of the rare few beings on this earth who would know what this all means. Considering the bad news we have been having so far, please tell me you know where he is."

"I'm afraid not," replied Seras as she rose shakily from the floor. "I have not heard anything from Master since that day he saved us. Pip, let me carry her downstairs. You go get Walter. I think we should get them both to the doctor's before anything else happens."

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In what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse, three men turned away from an upturned copper basin. The first man was tall and handsome. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He was fashionably dressed and his short crop of raven hair was a contrast to the robes and long white tresses of his companion. The third man was much older and about a head shorter, about sixty and was dressed like a soldier.

"So my lord Agi," whispered the tallest man, looking at the blood on the floor with distaste. "We did not expect him to have left a young one to protect her. What will our next step be?"

"We wait," said Agi – he had the appearance of a boy no more than thirteen years of age despite his long white hair.. "It was indeed most unexpected. My mother has left him with a child, albeit one who has yet to fully develop her powers. Yet fret not, we will have more opportunities to deal with Magnus. For now, we do nothing but wait till the full moon for it is then we will be able restore my father to his body."

"That will be seven days from now my lord?" asked the soldier.

Agi nodded. "Josef, prepare yourself as I had instructed earlier. It is time for you to repay your debts to the master."

Josef bowed, turning to leave the room. The tall young man watched him warily, turning to speak to Agi only after the older man had left the room.

"Is it safe to trust him?"

"He is a kept dog of my father's, just as you are, Edward."

The tall young man's face went pale. "Forgive me, Lord Agi, I do not mean to question you. I will not forget all that you and your father have done for me."

"Obey me and you will have the crown. I have given you your dukedom of Ellington over your brothers and you will be the King if you do as I command."

Edward nodded. "And I will obtain Integra for my master, even unto the pain of death."

The young boy laughed. "There is no need for laying your life down at this point. All I ask is that you marry her and remove her from her foolish protectors. She is integral to bringing my father back. The world will re-discover the greatest horror that it should have known. Lord Magnus, how delight ful that you have, by your own hands, broken the seal you have placed on your brother."