Sometimes my life really sucks and it starts to come out in my writing with lots of angst and drama - because a lot of the time, this world I've created with these characters is the only aspect of my life I feel I have any kind of control over.
My apologies for the exposition - and, more importantly, for any errors you may find within this chapter.
Chapter 11: Unleashed
Ever since the arrival of Elizabeth Nouveau, Afina hadn't seen much of the Count. They had the briefest of moments alone together, but before they could bring an end to the awkward civilities and actually talk, Elizabeth would enter the room, spoiling the moment.
Afina had no reason to dislike the woman. Elizabeth was incredibly charming, beautiful, talented, and extremely funny – she loved to tease the Count and watching Vlad squirm always made Afina smile. But something nagged in the corner of Afina's mind. She had heard the story of Elizabeth's arrival from the Count, and although Afina never said anything on the subject, she wasn't entirely sure that Miss Nouveau could be trusted.
Although they had been in a casual correspondence with one another for almost a month now, Afina was genuinely surprised when a servant announced that Lucian had arrived at Vilkova. He had arrived a day or two prior to the All Hallows Eve ball, and Afina couldn't have been more grateful to have him present. It not only provided her with an opportunity to not be the third-wheel at dinner, or in any other situation, but it also gave the Count a good deal of time alone with Elizabeth, which is what the woman appeared to want in the first place. Although Afina could not discern the Count's opinion as to whether or not he wanted to be around Elizabeth so much and so often, Afina did her very best to not let their open displays of deviancy bother her.
There were moments in the day when she could hear the two of them in his bedchambers. That still small and secret part of her ached at the sound of Vlad with another woman, but she handled her disappointment with as much grace as she could muster. She knew she had no one to blame but herself, and she accepted the consequences of her decision with equanimity, which left the Count to wonder if she truly felt anything at all.
The longer Elizabeth stayed at Vilkova, the harder it was for Afina to maintain that sense of stoic indifference. She was constantly surrounded, with no real escape. When Elizabeth wasn't with the Count, she took the role of Afina's shadow, following her everywhere she went. At first, it was nice to have a friend or companion who wasn't the Count, but after several evenings, Afina had grown weary of the woman's company. She refused to admit to herself that what she was feeling was of a jealous nature, but she also couldn't seem to shake the uneasiness she felt in the back of her head whenever Elizabeth was near. Miss Nouveau wasn't telling them the whole truth – Afina could sense it. But she couldn't approach Vlad with her suspicions without appearing jealous or insecure, so she kept them to herself.
This made Lucian's arrival all the sweeter, for he provided Afina with exactly what she needed, what she seemed to be lacking from the Count: not just positive attention and wholesome, informal conversation – but a friend. A true friend that she felt she could trust.
Lucian was the best of men – at least in Afina's experience. Yes, he was charming, good-looking, well-bred, with impeccable social skills, but he was also genuine, honest, and affectionate without creating a sense of awkwardness. Within the first evening of his stay, he had become Afina's new confidant. At first, they had discussed the details of the Áki bloodline, of her uncle Dragoş, and his close companions – Dragoş' wife Raynora, Mikael, his wife Anneke, and Zane. Lucian delivered Dragoş' compliments, and expressed his eagerness to meet his niece, who by all accounts was a credit to her late father. It was strange to Afina, knowing that she had family, a family that was so eager to know her better – a good kind of strange.
The evening before the All Hallows Eve ball found Afina with Lucian in the gardens of Vilkova. The palace itself was ornate, standing tall on a hill that overlooked the city, with the mountains and forest behind it. That particular evening was cool and clear, the stars perfectly visible, even with the bright moon above them. They were walking rather aimlessly through the various paths, deep in conversation.
"I don't understand him," Afina confided. "That year we spent together before he brought me into society, he was so different then – even if he was using me. He listened to me, trusted my judgment, respected me, even. But ever since we arrived in Budapest, it's like he's a different man."
"Maybe it's the city that brings out the old him," Lucian offered. "The man you describe is a very different Vladislaus from the one most of us have known. Perhaps when you were his only influence, you brought out the best in him. And now that he has had a taste of his old life, he's struggling to balance the two."
"What was he like? Before Van Helsing arrived all those years ago?"
"The most powerful man in Europe," he stated simply. "He had everything. Wealth, prestige, authority, and so much promise. Everyone had been rather skeptical when he took Verona, Marishka, and Aleera as his brides. A member of each bloodline – it was unheard of. And when we learned of his experiments, that he had plans to bring their deceased children to life – the Count may appear cold and without feeling at times, but nothing was more important to him than family. And in many ways, all of the bloodlines were his family. He wanted the best for us, wanted us to be united. We flourished a great deal under him. Even if some of his methods to unite us were controversial."
"What do you mean?"
"He had found a way to connect all the vampires of a single line to one solitary being. He managed to do it to his own bloodline and when the others had heard of his success, they feared he had gone too far."
"But I thought each vampire was already connected to the head of their bloodline?"
"No – that's a myth. If that were true, I would have perished when your father had been destroyed by the Order. No soul is bound to another, unless by some kind of outside force. He had found a way to bind all those in his bloodline to himself, hoping their unity could be more than just symbolic. By this point in his life, he was very sure of himself, certain that no man – living or otherwise – could destroy him. I don't think he ever imagined the kind of devastation that would follow if he was indeed destroyed."
"I understand that Lucas Craven leads a band of vampires that is in league with the Holy Order, that they were the ones responsible for the Order's presence in Transylvania. Why would they risk the destruction of an entire line if they knew so many were bound to Vlad?"
"Perhaps to prove a point – that no man, or woman, should ever be the master of the destinies of an entire race. Combining the bloodlines, binding them to a single person, although idyllic in theory is never wise when the destruction of that single person could be the means of genocide. It was originally proposed that Alrik or Dragoş be that single person – as they are immune to the traditional methods that destroy our kind. Dracula, at the time anyway, was still subject to werewolf venom."
"And now? If he were to try to do so again?"
"If Alrik, the oldest of our kind, can be destroyed, then even Dracula himself is not safe."
"I've tried to warn him," Afina insisted. "But he won't take Craven or the Order seriously. He's more concerned with this stupid ball."
"I take it you're not one for parties," he laughed.
"It's not that. Dressing up and dancing the night away is always a great pleasure. But when the situation is as it is – with the Order, and even some of our own kind, at our door, threatening our very existence. I honestly don't understand how he can just ignore that."
"This ball could prove very important, my dear," he reminded her. "It will be the first time in almost ten years when the heads of all the bloodlines will be in the same place at the same time."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," she confided. "I can't shake the feeling that something dreadful is about to happen. That Craven or the Order have something up their sleeve. I haven't even had the chance to meet my uncle, my family, my people… and already, someone is threatening to take them away from me."
"Have you told him your concerns?" Lucian inquired taking a seat on the edge of a fountain as Afina paced in front of him.
"Of course I have, but he won't listen."
"And why is that?"
"Probably to punish me for rejecting his advances," she answered spitefully. "That's another thing. There was always that tension between us before, but he always respected me before we came to Budapest. Now I feel like some kind of conquest of his. It's like he's denying me the relationship we had before because I refuse to submit to him."
"That's very possible. Dracula has never taken rejection from a woman he esteems very well."
"I just don't understand why he feels the need to treat me like that – like I'm any other woman. I'm not any other woman!"
"Do you think it may be because of his past reputation?" Lucian offered. "He was very notorious for his conquests, and here you are, the first woman in all of history – his history, that is – who has managed to not only reject any advances made, but before arriving, your relationship was, by all accounts, very neutral and platonic. That is most unlike him. Perhaps when his peers began to point that out, it started to change the way he looked at you. Perhaps before, he only viewed you as a companion, or – perhaps – as a necessary pawn in a greater scheme?"
The suggestion did not sit well with Afina, but it also made the most sense.
"Forgive me, my dear, but I must be frank with you. Count Dracula is not the kind of man that treats a woman, or anyone else for that matter, as true equal. His entire life, he has been superior to most and on par with a select few. You're the first woman whom he has ever treated with that kind of equality. And I honestly don't think he had anticipated that. I've heard the way he speaks of you – always in the highest regard, and for things he has never noted in any woman. To be perfectly blunt, I don't believe he knows what to do with himself in regards to you."
"Why can't we just carry on as we did before, though? Why does it have to change?"
"Because he not only views you as a person and as an equal anymore, Afina. I think he sees you as a woman now, and his instincts are telling him that because you're a woman, you need to be claimed, conquered, whatever word you prefer. You're new territory to him and he's probably not sure how to proceed."
"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me, Lucian, but no doubt you've heard the way he and Elizabeth carry on during the day. I sincerely doubt he thinks so highly of me as you appear to."
"Don't misunderstand me, my dear. Although your situation and relationship with him may be unique, you are not perfect. I've met many other women in my lifetime that could outshine you in looks, intelligence, temperament, and breeding. But even with your imperfections, you are an extraordinary woman, and an even more extraordinary vampire, my dear. He obviously feels some connection to you that he cannot explain away – try as he might."
"But instead of explaining it away, he's trying to screw it away? Is that what you're suggesting?" she inquired archly.
"Maybe?" he teased as she sat down beside him. "We are all creatures of habit, my dear, and he and Elizabeth have a long and sordid history."
"Why did he never make Elizabeth one of his brides?" Afina suddenly inquired. "The two are compatible enough."
"There was a time when she wanted to be his bride – badly. She did whatever she could to prove herself to him, but he would not have her – not like that."
"Any idea why?"
"He and I never discussed his relationships personally, but I remember your father mentioning it to me once. Apparently, as fond as he was of Elizabeth, the Count felt she could not be trusted."
"But I thought he never trusted anyone in the first place?"
"He doesn't – never explicitly, anyway. I don't wish to speak ill of the woman – I hardly know her – but Elizabeth is notorious for doing things that only benefit her. She'll never subject herself to anything or anyone unless she has something to gain."
Lucian's words left Afina feeling very unsettled suddenly.
"Tell me, what is her relationship with Craven like?"
"Craven is her favorite plaything," he said with a laugh.
"Why do you say that?"
"Even with his disagreements with the Count, Craven had been an honorable man once upon a time, until he met Elizabeth. They met in Versailles, some time under the reign of Louis XV. That's all I really recall. They moved from court to court, competing with one another to see who could seduce the most courtiers at any given time. A fairly scandalous tradition they carried on in for many years – I suppose until recently."
"Has Craven ever cared for Elizabeth?"
"You mean has he ever loved her? Not in the way he loved Marishka, no. But he has always been very protective of Elizabeth, has cared for her a great deal, especially whenever she runs into any kind of trouble. And she for him."
"Do you think Elizabeth would ever leave Craven? Permanently?"
"I doubt it. Why do you ask?"
Afina turned to look behind her at the great palace that shadowed the gardens, a hint of concern in her eyes.
"No reason," she lied, offering him a smile.
"If you're worried about her stealing the Count away, allow me to reassure you. Count Dracula and Miss Nouveau's paths always seem to cross now and again through the years, but she always finds her way back to Lord Craven," Lucian explained. "I doubt she'll be around for much longer."
She understood his implications, and appreciated his kindness, but Afina wasn't really concerned with how long Elizabeth would be sleeping with the Count. What she feared was that the woman's presence was putting Dracula in some horrible, untold danger.
Afina kept her concerns to herself, however, for the present, as she and Lucian made their way back into the house. They entered by way of the ballroom, which had been lavishly decorated, the parquet floors with their intricate details cleaned and polished to such a degree, that had she been human, she could have seen her reflection in the floor. The walls were covered with tapestries and gilded moldings in the shape of crowns. The entire room screamed of decadence and unbelievable wealth, everything hinted with gold and scarlet.
For the briefest of moments, Afina forgot her concerns, so in awe with the room, she soon found herself spinning around with a delighted smile on her face.
"It's so beautiful," she exclaimed, her head craned back so she could look at the mural on the ceiling with the enormous unlit chandelier reflecting the light of the moon outside.
"The servants did an excellent job," Lucian agreed. As Afina allowed herself to soak in the magical beauty of the room, Lucian made his way over to the orchestra seats where he began to play a waltz on the piano.
"You play?" she asked him.
"Of course I do! Being around for as long as I have – what else am I supposed to do with my time?" he teased. Afina began to waltz with herself, grinning from ear to ear.
"I don't know. Travel the world?"
"Done."
"Write a book?"
"I've written several."
"Invent something."
"Who do you think invented the harpsichord?" he asked as one of the orchestra members appeared, offering to play for him, which Lucian graciously agreed to, making his way over to Afina who was still dancing by herself.
"You didn't!" she laughed.
"I am the world's best kept secret," he teased, offering his hand to her, which she accepted, and he pulled her into a fast-paced waltz which contrasted nicely with the song the pianist was now playing. It was deceptively languorous, especially when a cellist joined in.
"Have you fallen in love?" she asked him with a smile. "No one has truly lived until they have loved."
"I have had three great loves," Lucian explained.
"Any of them vampires?"
"No, all of them were humans. My first was my wife when I was still mortal - Ástriđr. Such a fiery, passionate woman, with hair as gold as a field of wheat. The second was a Chinese princess – Lanying; gentle, mysterious, and a true empath. She felt everything so deeply, never by halves."
"Who was the third?"
"A native American girl that I met during my travels in the western part of that continent in a land that what was recently made a state – Washington I think is what the Americans call it now?"
"What was her name?"
"Aponi," he said with a reminiscent sigh. "The most beautiful woman I ever saw – with raven hair, flawless bronze skin, and eyes that pierced the soul. She was the greatest love of my cursed existence."
"What happened to her?"
"She died – like all of them did," Lucian explained with deep remorse. "If life has taught me anything it is that love, even real love, doesn't last forever. Death claims us all in the end. When you live as long as I have, Afina, it becomes easy to lose purpose, to have nothing to live for. Those women, my greatest loves, gave me something to live for. But in order to love, we have to open ourselves up to the inevitable hurt and pain that always comes. That's why so many wander through their lives alone, because they feel unworthy of such a love, they're too afraid to risk their hearts. Love isn't just bliss or elation or happiness… love is also pain, but an exquisite pain, nonetheless."
"Do you ever regret it? Opening yourself up like that, not just once, but three times?"
"Never," he answered passionately, spinning her once before pulling her close again. "That elation and that pain are the only things that make me forget that I'm undead. It makes me feel like I'm alive again. And I would gladly go through it all over again to feel that way once more."
"A true romantic, then?" she asked with a gentle smile.
"Until the bitter end," he assured her, his face close to hers. As he moved her with expertise throughout the room, his cheek softly pressed against hers, she allowed herself to relish in his tenderness, the gentleness of his touch, closing her eyes as he led her across the dance floor. It felt so good, being in his arms, and for the briefest of moments, Afina almost lost herself to the music and his touch, until she noticed the Count out of the corner of her eye.
He was standing alone in the shadows of the upper level of the ballroom, watching them closely with an expression she couldn't read, but his eyes never left her as Lucian continued to spin and turn her about the room, oblivious to the eyes that were observing them.
As much as Afina adored Lucian's company, in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to be dancing with Vlad, with his hand in hers, his other hand resting comfortably in the middle of her back, between her shoulder blades.
The thought of his skin touching hers sent a blush to her cheek as she imagined that very same hand moving down her naked spine; the hand in hers moving over the flesh of her arm in a slow, tantalizing sweep, over her shoulder, down her collarbone, the tips of his fingers caressing their way down to the valley between her breasts; his lips brushing against her temple, over her hear, down her neck… she could almost feel the tips of his fangs against her neck.
The fantasy sent a jolt of electricity through her and she accidentally stepped on Lucian's foot mid-step, shattering the moment between them.
"I'm so sorry," she apologized, releasing his hand and stepping out of his arms.
"No harm done," Lucian assured her with a smile. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to return to his arms so they could continue to dance, but her eyes had moved to the spot where she had noticed Dracula earlier. He was gone, but even with his absence, she couldn't bring herself to dance with Lucian any more. All she could think of was Vlad, how much danger he was in, how much she wanted to keep him safe… how much a part of her wanted him, even though reason told her she shouldn't.
She quickly thanked Lucian for the dance and excused herself before he could make an effort to get her to stay. Afina made her way out of the ballroom with controlled haste, shutting the door behind her, her eyes quickly scanning about the hall. She located the stairs and moved up to the second floor with unnatural speed, struggling to locate Vlad. She heard the low murmur of his voice in the library, accompanied by Elizabeth's giggling and she opened the double doors to find them seated on a sofa rather intimately, both surprised by her sudden intrusion.
"Afina!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I was wondering when Lucian would decide to share you with the rest of us."
"I need to talk to you," Afina said to Dracula, getting straight to the point. "Alone, if you wouldn't mind?" she then explained to Elizabeth as kindly as she could.
"Of course," the woman replied graciously, beginning to stand, but the Count held her in her place at his side.
"No, stay," he insisted, his eyes never leaving Afina's. "Whatever she has to say to me, she can say in front of you."
"I'd prefer to do this in private, Vlad."
"I really don't mind," Elizabeth contended, but Dracula was adamant. There was a dark anger in his eyes that Afina did not like, a stubbornness and a jealousy that she immediately noted.
Was he trying to punish her now for her dance with Lucian? She could have smacked him. This was getting ridiculous!
"I must insist," Afina maintained, but the Count would not budge. "Fine," she snapped. "I have reason to believe that you're in danger," she began.
Her proclamation was met with a chuckle from the Count and giggling from Elizabeth, but Afina continued.
"You will have all of the elders present at your ball tomorrow evening. It would be the perfect opportunity for Craven or the Order to make their move."
Elizabeth's giggling became more incessant.
"Afina, don't be ridiculous," Dracula groaned.
"I also have reason to believe that Elizabeth is here on false pretenses."
That put an end to the laughter. Elizabeth looked affronted and the Count looked furious.
"My gut tells me that she is working for Craven. She didn't come here to seek your protection; she came here to secure you. To make sure you wouldn't be a problem when Craven and his…"
"That is quite enough!" Vlad interrupted, standing suddenly and positively furious. "How dare you insult one of my guests!"
"I told you that I wanted to speak to you in private," she reminded him, but he would have none of it.
"That is no excuse!"
"Have you not heard a word I've said? This ball you care so much about, these guests you're so eager to schmooze, to wine and dine with – all of them, all of you are in danger! You cannot trust this woman!"
"I said that is enough," he said in dangerous tones, taking a step toward her.
"If you don't take the trouble to check her story, you could be responsible for another slaughter!"
"ENOUGH!"
His shout was more of a roar, and though the fury in his face frightened her, she continued to hold her ground.
"Do you trust me?" she asked him in hushed tones.
"Afina…" His voice was almost a groan of frustration.
"Do. You. Trust me?" she repeated.
They looked at one another for some time, holding the gaze of the other until Dracula's eyes diverted and he looked away.
"No," was his answer.
That single syllable crushed her in ways she had not anticipated. It was like being stabbed in the heart or kicked in the stomach. It quite literally knocked the wind out of her. After everything she had done for him, everything she had sacrificed – this was how he repaid her?
After several seconds of awkward silence, Dracula continued.
"Afina, I release you from our blood pact," he said, his words twisting that invisible blade so it tore at her heart. "Your uncle will arrive for the ball tomorrow evening and when the time comes, you will leave with him and you will never return to this place again. Is that understood?"
"Vlad, don't be ridiculous…." Elizabeth interjected, but she was silenced with a single look. When his gaze moved back to Afina's, he repeated his question.
"Is that understood?"
She was all ice, her blue eyes frozen over in a stoic expression of indifference.
"Perfectly… master," she replied evenly. The title at the end was venomous and it stung. He looked away from her, unable to stand under her impenetrable gaze.
"You are excused."
Afina exited with unnatural grace, appearing unaffected by his dismissal of her. She kept that façade as she exited the palace, taking off into the sky. She was a whirlpool of emotions in that moment – primarily fury and hatred. With every passing moment, her blood seemed to boil more and more until she couldn't stand the maddening frustration any longer. Locating a small band of nomads in the forest, she swooped down into the center of the encampment, her eyes black as pitch. Her nails had grown into sharp talons and she bared her fangs in provocation, daring anyone to attack her.
The moment one of the men raised a dagger to defend himself, she lunged forward, tearing off his head with a clean swipe of her hand. His blood splattered all over her face as the artery burst and she let her bloodlust consume every fiber of her being until it saturated her brain and all she could see was red. She massacred every last soul in the encampment, every man, woman, and child – even the horses that were tied helplessly to the tree. She tore out hearts and spines, eviscerated, even strangled a man with his own intestines.
She drank their blood until she couldn't feel anything anymore, and when every heart had ceased to beat, soaked in the blood of the innocent, Afina let out an unearthly cry as she stared up at the night sky before collapsing in the mud.
The guilt of what she had just done hit her like a boulder to the face, but it was overshadowed by the pain she felt as her heart ached.
She had been so afraid to let herself feel it before, but she couldn't deny it any longer – her admiration and affection for Count Dracula ran much deeper than she had ever intended, even with his bad temper and his insufferable conceit. God forgive her, she cared, and her heart ached at the thought that he didn't trust her the way she still continued to trust him, despite the way he had used her.
She hated this side of him with a passion, hated that she cared so much and against her better judgment. She loathed her conscience and her inherent sense of morality that had caused this rift between them in the first place, she loathed her existence as a vampire even more. She wished she had died in the snow that night Nicolæ had attacked her. Even more, she wished her mother had never conceived her, that she had never gone to work for the Order, that these two sides of her would stop tearing her apart. She longed for relief, and even more, she longed the man that she knew was inside of the Count, a man she could not have. She tried to suppress that hopelessly romantic side of her, but she couldn't shut it up, it was so loud. She didn't want to hurt anymore. She didn't want to feel anything. No more guilt, no more pain, no more conflict – if only there was a way to turn it all off. The argument that the undead feel nothing she quickly realized was the biggest lie ever told. She felt everything and it was destroying her.
How easily he had dismissed her! As if it were not struggle for him in the slightest! He clearly trusted Elizabeth more than he trusted Afina and this knowledge only wounded her. After everything they had been through together – their adventures, their trials, all of it. In the end, it appeared to mean nothing to him.
Afina laid there, alone in the forest for several hours until she noticed the sun beginning to rise. She gathered the mutilated bodies of those she had murdered in her rage, piling them on top of their belongings before lighting it all on fire just as the sun peaked over the horizon, continuing to rise into the sky.
When she arrived back at the palace, she felt numb, moving like a ghost through the slumbering house and slipping into her bedchambers. She bathed herself in silence, washing the blood and the filth from her skin with the blankest of expressions, her eyes void of light or life.
Having cleaned herself of the filth, she shortly thereafter climbed into bed, staring up at the ceiling, wracking her brain for some idea, some plan she could execute. She was not the kind of woman that would stand by and be so easily dismissed.
She could hear the Count and Elizabeth in a distant room on the other side of the house, lost once more in the throes of passion. She could almost feel his every moan, every grunt and sigh, as if he were lying beside her, and her skin ached to be touched. But then her ears caught the sound of Elizabeth's voice as she continued to wrap the Count around her finger. Afina's gut instinct told her that Elizabeth was in league with Craven, and she didn't care what it took, she was going to prove it tomorrow night – one way or the other.
She would save Vlad, even though he didn't deserve it. And she'd leave with her uncle as soon as the deed was done.
Notes for YOU! -
Item 1: So, remember that thing I said last week about updating this story every week and how the story was technically all done (writing wise) and that I was pretty much in the process of revisions? Well... that was true, for several days, actually. Until Friday/Saturday rolled around and I was assaulted with inspiration, not for the new story I'm planning, but for this one. We'll see if any of it pans out - part of me wants to write the additional scenes and chapters for the sake of character development, but I lack the motivation to change what I've already created, even though I know what I currently have could definitely be improved. We'll see how it goes, but if I do end up writing more, it could cause some bumps in my otherwise fabulous publishing schedule - which could mean a week or two without updates.
Item 2: I had published a one-shot about mid-week last week and after about six hours of it being live on the site, I decided to remove it (for personal reasons - mainly because the piece was really dark and had taken a life of its own when I had been writing it and what it told me about myself unnerved me) - so for those of you who asked, no the site didn't take it down, I did. Sorry for the confusion!
Item 3: There is a link in my profile that will take you to my YouTube channel where the playlist for this story is located. It has been updated with the songs from this chapter. Also, I managed to create a visual companion to this story via Tumblr - that is also linked in my profile. Obviously, I don't take credit for any of the images in that blog.
Musical Influences:
The Hunter and the Game, by Clint Mansell, "Stoker" OST
My Skin, by Natalie Merchant, "Ophelia"
The Undertaker (Renholder Mix), Puscifer, "Underworld: Evolution" OST
Angels in the Snow, by Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil, "Blood & Chocolate" score
Unleashed, by Epica, "Design Your Universe"