This chapter was inspired by the great anime movie Vampire hunter D: Bloodlust.

When the huge doors closed behind them darkness immediately took over. Well, castle wasn't really pitch-black but it took some effort to see properly in there. Princess Anna, last of the noble house of Valerious, was the one who made torches to everyone seemingly out of nowhere.

"We Romanian's have our tricks" she just said to the two bewilder men.

In the dim torch light Anna and her two companions, Gabriel Van Helsing and Carl, continued to the darkness.

"Uhm, does anyone have any clue what we might be against here?" Carl asked.

"Vampires".

"Werewolves".

"Demons".

"Ghosts".

"Zombies".

"Evil spirits".

"Mummies".

"Mummies?"

"Just a suggestion".

"I hate mummies".

Carl shook his head and wondered why he had even asked. "So is there a plaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Carl's voice suddenly disappeared.

Van Helsing turned around just in time to see both Carl's and Anna's heads before they fell through the trapdoor. "Anna! Carl!" Van Helsing shouted and tried to open the trapdoor but it was already closed. "Hell!"

He turned around, ready to fight against any demon or monster that would try to attack him. To his surprise none appeared.

"DRACULA!" Van Helsing yelled. "Cut fucking around and come on! I know you're the one doing this!"

A sound came from the dark. As the sound came closer Van Helsing pulled his sword ready to strike. The sound was definitely near him now.

Suddenly there was a shocking white light coming from front. For a moment Van Helsing had to cover his eyes before he could look again. When he did look he saw Dracula with a cruel smile on his face.

"Once again, Gabriel, you are too late" Dracula said and opened his huge black cape. To his horror, Van Helsing saw Isabella Mortte tightly embracing Dracula. When she turned Van Helsing saw she had red eyes and blood on her lips. She smiled wickedly to Van Helsing and then asked from Dracula in a childlike manner "Can I have a bite?"

This…this can not be! I can not have lost her too!!!

Suddenly Van Helsing felt an evil presence behind him. He turned just in time to see a huge sword flying through the air to his direction. He managed to dodge it just in time. Van Helsing pulled himself up as fast as he could only to see that light was gone and so were Dracula and Isabella. The realization kicked him hard.

That's why I didn't feel their presence. Just illusions!

Van Helsing sensed he was not alone. The demons and monsters of this castle were around him, wanting his flesh. Van Helsing looked at the nightmarish creatures with fangs and claws. He held his sword.

"Heh, come and get some".

Elsewhere:

Carl couldn't understand what had happened. For a moment he had been wandering in the darkness of Castle Dracula with Van Helsing and Princess Anna. Now he was outside in the snowy cemetery alone.

And why the hell – sorry Lord – am I here? I don't remember seeing cemeteries near Castle.

Carl suddenly heard a sound. It was like a child's crying. He moved towards it and saw a young blonde haired boy on his kneel in front of a grave, crying.

"Uh…I'm sorry to disturb you but could you tell me where I am?" Carl asked softly.

The boy turned his head towards the young friar and Carl felt his job dropping to ground. That boy…he is me when I was a child!

"Go away!" the boy shouted. "I don't want anyone near me!"

Carl took a step back trying to understand the situation. He looked around him to the cemetery and saw no-one else. If I am a child here and I'm crying in front of a grave, then it must mean… His eyes suddenly winded. Oh God…no, not here! Please, anywhere but here!

He looked over the boy's shoulder to read the text in tombstone. Carl now felt tears in his own eyes as well.

My sister's grave. God, I had almost forgotten. My little sister, who was all I had left when our parents died. We tried to take care of each others, didn't we? But she got sick, and I tried to save her…I really tried but she just got weaker…I tried…

Carl approached again his childself and bent down to his knees behind the boy. He took hold of the boy's shoulders and spoke softly. "It's okay, really it is. I know how you feel. You think it was your fault she died. But you couldn't do anything. Believe me, I know what it feels like. But the pain will ease…"

Suddenly Carl felt his youngerself's hands on his chest. They pushed him away with such a strength Carl had never felt before. He looked up to see his childself crying blood tears. "Your fault! It's all your fault!" the child Carl shouted and ran closer.

Carl took hold of the only thing he found from his robes: a crucifix. He held it in front of the child and saw how the crucifix was surrounded by a bluish light. The light spread ahead and Carl found himself again in the cold, dark corridors of Castle Dracula. No sign of cemetery or his childself.

An illusion? Demons used my own memories against me?

"No, I didn't mean to!" Carl suddenly heard someone shout. He looked ahead and saw Princess Anna talking to an empty corridor.

"I'm sorry, father! I'm sorry, Velkan! I won't fail you, I swear! I will end this!" she said.

She is having an illusion about her family, eh? Carl wondered.

Suddenly Carl saw a huge axe in the air, ready to strike Anna Valerious. Acting purely by instinct Carl launched himself forward and held his crucifix in front of him. The blue light appeared again it literally shattered the axe. It also seemed to weak up Anna.

"Princess! Are you alright?" Carl asked, running to her side.

Anna seemed to clear her thoughts. "Eh, yes, I'm alright. It was an illusion after all" she mumbled to herself. It was then she noticed the fading blue light in Carl's crucifix. "Carl! Is that…is that a holy light?" she asked.

Carl looked at his crucifix and then just smiled. "Well, in a place like this it's good at least one of us is in God's favour".

Yeah, not much but it took me almost two days to do this. My schedule is really full so few reviews could ease my mind.