Another dawn. Another day to live.

Sunflowers peeks from his closed windows, hindering another sun's shine that should have hit him. A pleasant smell of toasts, preferably with smoked beef and cheese, ready to be served at the dining room of this rundown inn. He is already awake. He's not really sleep well last night, evident by dark bags under eyes.

Rawa, a small fishermen's town near Lake Lenning, at the outskirt of Moniyan Empire was attacked six nights ago. An unfinished distress signal, already too late to be rescued. No survivor. No corpse. Only fire on a ghost town, said the scouting team that first responded to the distress signal. The mystery didn't linger long enough for it to be made into a ballad from the neighbouring town's musicians, because said town was burnt down like Rawa. From there, every night, the undying army of Lord of the Abyss, attacked the next village, all the way to the east. One after another. The King already sent troops to tighten the guards for the town around there and to solve the mysteries behind the genocides. Something about that keeps nagging on his mind, so Alucard makes sure to stay in touch of that news.

Yesterday, Alucard arrived here, a small town full of bars and brothels called Ockur. Pleasure town, they dubbed, yet many people suffered here. Bar fights every night, robberies, starved orphaned children, family abuses, corrupted soldiers, just to name a few. Alucard was here for business. A bartender said that demonic possessions happened every day lately. He was called to solve that problem. He thought that they should have called a priest instead, to confess their sins. Or a psychiatry, because they were insane. No such thing as demonic possession here, so he would go.

He steps out his feet from Ockur today. He walks through the lush forest for faster route to the general direction of Moniyan Empire. Now that he thinks of it, why should he rushes things? There's nothing that needs his immediate attention. No summons from Demon Hunter Association. With that in mind, he slows his walk and starts to admire the forest.

In the evening, he crosses a big river with silent water in it. He always remembers the lesson from his mentor about silent waters. Nothing good comes from it. He learns the hard way. But, far away in front of him, like lanterns in the dark, is burning trees, far enough from him that he only saw it if he squints. Hastily, he crosses the river, runs along the low bridge that connects to the other side.

His feet keeps running. He didn't even know what's on the other side. Is there a village in that forest? Is there life? And he keeps running. There is a heavy feeling inside his chest.

Suddenly, Alucard is structed with a realization that he is there. In the burning forest.

A month ago, he was left to die by the demon. A month ago, early spring, he arrived in this time again. Alucard is scared that he would change the world.

The last time he was here, he was too late. The forest was burnt down long before he arrived. No living traces. He didn't know that the forest was Dark Forest, where the rare race, Leonins rumored to live there. Had he knew back then that one of them had survived and lived, the outcome would not become a nightmare that haunt. He doesn't really remember the exact moments in his life from years before. But he tries not to repeat the same things. He tries not to make the same mistakes again.

Now, all he want is to change the world. He had accepted this reality. He will right his mistakes. He had made promise to end this. To finish what he didn't the last time.

With a steel heart, he speeds up. Through the old trees and dark bushes, he run into the wild forest. He feels a magical power deep inside, lashes out to everything in its reach. When he arrives at the edge of the burning forest, a shadow walks slowly from his right. Alucard tenses. Two feline ears and a tail. Found him.

This is it. To right the wrongs.

He grabs his sword. Armored hand swings it down. And he stopps.

"Moniya …."

Don't let him run. He promised. A shaky breath, a racing heart. An image of wasteland full of corpses. Smell of sulphur.

"Mo …."

Why is he hesitate?

Don't let him live.

He faints. The demon in his little shell faints.

Kill him now. Just a strike to the chest, or to his head. Behead him.

Why is he hesitate?

Give him a chance. Some voices says.

Who was that? Why?

He is a demon hunter. He hunts demons, he kills demons. Why is he hesitate?

He is not a demon. Look at him.

There, lays near his feet, is a kid. Two feline ears slumps on his white hair. An equally feline tail, unmoving. Some scratches on his face and hands. Even when unconcious, he looks pained. The demon from in his nightmare never felt pain. The demon in his nightmare never had scratches on his skin. The demon in his nightmare always had dark magic protecting him, lashing out of him. The demon in his nightmare was not a kid.

Give him a chance. He hears some voices again. Like we gave you another one.

He kneels. Broad sword loose on his grip. Unprotected hand punches the ground repeatedly while he screams.

Why is it so hard?

The last time their eyes met, Alucard was an old man, a heavy sword on his grip. It was raining, a constant hiss surrounding them, between grey sky and broken land. Across the wasteland stood a man in his ragged cloak, the once legendary key now just a rusted piece of metal hang in his hip, forever stained by corrosive dark magic that encased him. The wind blowed away ambers from the fallen empire againts the rain, air thick with overwhelming scent of sulphur. He couldn't breath.

Now their eyes meets again and Alucard is a young man, and he is not quite a teen, just a small kid with unwavering eyes.

"Um," the kid says, hiding an apple between his hands. "Did you saved me?

No answer.

"Thank you." The kid quitely says again. Hopefully, he adds. "May I know who you are, Sir?"

"No one." He says, another bite to the apple in his bandaged hand. "Where do you want to go?"

"What? I- Moniyan Empire?" He stutters. A little bit unsure if he should tell the man or not. But he saved him.

"Why?"

He is confused and still in shock. "My Grandpa said that they will help me find the villagers."

"Why would they help you?"

"I …."

A sigh. Alucard finished his apple and throws the core. He motions for the Leonins to finish his own. He packs his belongings, just a backpack and a water canteen. He fastens his sword to his back, ready to go.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

"Moniyan Empire."

"Can I come with you?"

"Well," obviously there is something really wrong about this."Why not?"

His eyes lits up. He pulls himself to a stand, straighten his back and puffs up his chest to give himself more height. Even though with that, he looks small compares to Alucard. They starts to head east, walks along the silent river, in the general direction that will leads them to the Moniyan Empire. He stares at Alucard's attires and his broad sword fastened on his back.

"Hey, are you one of the heroes from Moniyan Empire?"

Alucard turns his head to his side to hide the frown and hated look to the kid. He is already interested in heroes, it seems. He would looked for them, then, getting to know them, and studying their strenghts and weaknesses. From there, he killed them, at first without everyone knowing. A quick assasination here and there. Gradually, he announced them. A grand public execution in his name. Then his face was in the bingo books, a criminal worthy as kid's horror story. A nightmare for heroes of the empire.

Then, grey sky and broken land, embers among the rain.

A Leonins, the one that could either free or seal forbidden dark magic, stood along side Lord of the Abyss.

Alucard can't face him, so he looks at the grey sky. A sliver of blue despite the smoke that rose from behind them. "I'm not from Moniyan Empire. I'm a demon hunter."

The kid suddenly stopps in front of him and Alucard's armored hand go for the sword on his back, finally looks at him. The kid gasps with a surprised energy, brown eyes fills with wonders. "I can't believed it. I met a hero!"

Armored hand scratchs the back of his head instead, standing straight beside stilled water. "I just said I'm a demon hunter."

"Still a hero. You must know a lot of magic then. Can you teach me some? I'm a mage too."

Alucard glares at him. "I'm not a mage."

"Oh, suck." He slumps, but he is persistent. "Then, can you teach me everything that you know while we travel together? I'm a fast learner."

The last thing he wants was for this kid to be stronger than ever. He is just a kid now, but he will grow. Such power didn't come out of the blue. "Whatever you say, little guy."

"My name's Harith." He puts his hands on his hips, a determined look on his face. No longer threatening. "And I'm going to rescue the Leonins and end this war."

End this war.

Like a sick joke. He already ended the war last time. When they stood opposite of each other, with him laid on the dirt, dying, while he madly smile like there was no tormorrow.

There was no tomorrow.

"You can help me fight Lord Abyss if you want."

Alucard stills. He said that like it was such an easy things to do. With that power that he had before, maybe he could.

Early spring, the first month he was here, Alucard was scared that he would change the world. The knowledge of everything that have yet to happen pulled him back under the wave. An intruder of time. Last night, while the trees burnt and lighten up the dark sky, he swang his sword to kill him. To finish what he didn't finish befroe. To end the nightmare before it even began. Now, all he wants to do is to change the world. He will right his mistakes. One last chance for them. For himself and the kid that is different from the afterimage of his memory.

Today, Alucard is a young man, he stood straight with a broad sword on his back, not burdened with the weight of it. Today, he wants to change the world. So he put his armored hand on the head of a boy with two feline ears, ruffled the white hair, and smiles.

"I'd like to fight beside you."