Thanks for the reviews! But...YIKES! This is seriously a treading-on-thin-ice chapter. There are more tragedies, and beans are spilled. Here are the WARNINGS.
It is Caelum-centric and is a continuation of the events from Caelum's flashback of Chapter 19. If you don't remember what the flashback was about, don't be afraid to go to chapter 19, skip to the end and read Caelum's short memories, before returning here so you have a better idea of what is happening.
I think some insight into the bad guy of this story is mandatory. The only bad thing is that Caelum is an OC, and it is generally hard to visualise OCs. Therefore, I'm not sure this chapter will get a lot of love. There is implied rape but i really really didn't want to write it XO
This isn't really a warning, but: BAD GUY SPEECHES GALORE!
Caelum
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Genesis 3: 18-19.
1950
She pulled a coin from behind his ear.
His eyes widened. "What sorcery is this?" He demanded, before he took the coin and turned it around and around, "First, you made it disappear from the palm of your right hand to your left, and then you made it disappear and reappear in my head."
She snorted with laughter at his clueless, blank look, "It's magic, silly."
"…Magic?"
"A travelling magician came to our village and he performed a few tricks at the village square. It's just entertainment."
"And…this is not…the work of alchemy or witchcraft?"
She rolled her eyes, "No, of course not. It's a trick. See, I hid the coin in my sleeve…" As she explained to him, explained how she had did her stunt, he found himself nodding along before grinning widely. "Get it?"
"I like it." He exclaimed with amazement, "It's ingenious."
She stifled a giggle in response. "Aww. Look at you; you're so amused by such little things. If only everyone was like you."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I think they'd be very happy…instead of always wanting this, or…wanting that…It'd be a very simple life, right? A very…simple existence…"
Emilia Rosenthal was the first human to have spoken to him for centuries.
But no-one else knew that he has a human friend.
She was a girl, too.
Not only was she a girl, but she was attractive, with brown hair and blue eyes. She was bright and witty. She was slender and pretty. And best of all, she was brave.
She spoke to him first.
He thought she was mad, to have asked to know his name before telling him hers. But since that day, he admired her.
Since he met her, he hadn't really been able to get her out of his head. At first, he harboured an incredible loathing towards her. Oh, how much he despised her, for he would dream of her every night. He wanted to kill her because he could not stop thinking about her. It hindered his life, hindered his hunting, his sleeping and his eating. He could not even talk to fellow vampires properly in case of fear that he would somehow expose himself and his encounter with a human. Day by day, he resisted the urge to blurt out everything to Gideon…he longed to tell the Elder about what had happened and the feelings he were feeling now…but he knew he could not, because he was afraid.
The torture continued.
When he could no longer help himself, he ended up looking for excuses to go to the shrine, just to see if she would be there, to see if that curious, bubbly creature called Emilia would be lurking around. One expedition along with a seven hour wait disconfirmed his suspicions. Soon, his loathing for the human dulled into a puddle when he assured himself it was a one-off encounter. No longer did he feel like he wanted to smash her head in with a rock or push her over a cliffside should he get the chance, but now…he had wanted to merely see her.
He thought about what he would say and what she would say. He would often practise in his head when chopping firewood, or when he was fishing, or when he was simply in his room, carving at rocks.
The opportunity came when he was chopping firewood in the forest. He was wearing his most tarnished shirt, the white shirt with the ripped hem and his dark pants and hiking boots. To keep a sturdy grip on the axe, he'd even employed his grip-gloves to get the job done quickly and smoothly. He remembered he was miserable and lonely that day, tired and almost on the verge of exploding in frustration, but then -
"Hello! It's me again!"
He dropped the fire axe that he had raised mid-air and it dropped out of his hands and onto his foot. He was too stunned to feel pain. He looked around; the voice…where had that voice come from?
From out of nowhere, that same annoying monkey crept out from one of the bushes and he stared, hard. "You dropped your axe." She pointed out. She was tormenting him, with her elusive, hiding abilities and the capacity to render him a fool. He did not even pick up her scent!
"Yes, I know."
"Are you okay?"
"…I am fine."
"Really? …You look shocked to see me. You didn't know I was here?"
"O-Of course. I knew you were there, watching me." He had lied. Then he just realised he was trying to impress her. He began to loathe her again - of course he hated her - He hadn't seen her for months! But when she smiled and giggled, those feelings went away like sand in the wind and he felt proud of himself for having lied to her.
"Well, I'm picking berries today." She showed him her empty basket cheerfully.
"Yes, so?"
"I could do with a bodyguard."
He jumped at the chance immediately, "Me." He said, gesturing to himself.
Damn.
He had no idea why he just said that.
Rubbing at the back of his head, he stuttered, "Uh, I-I mean…"
She seemed oblivious by how awkward and flustered he appeared, "Okay, great! Come on, we're going this way."
Thus, after that fateful encounter of firewood chopping and berry picking, they'd somehow become…friends.
He began using every Sunday to talk to her when he was meant to go hunting or firewood chopping. She snuck out too, in the hour after church just before her violin lessons. They would meet at that deserted lake with the big rocks and trees so they wouldn't be seen, and every time they would meet up, they would talk for hours, hiding in the tall grass. She would tell him things and he would tell her things. They would laugh and joke and chat and gossip even though he was afraid he wouldn't be capable of doing that.
Emilia was easy to talk to because she was open and she knew vampires existed. Most people do not. The majority don't. The truth is, every human will have at least encountered a vampire once in their life but will never know it, whether it be they were sitting on the same bus, eating in the same restaurant, or watching the same movie on cinema in that dark room…
This is because, he explained to her once, vampires were humans. Vampires look like humans. Vampires can go out in daylight after a few months. Vampires can live without blood for a long time.
Emilia then asked, "Want me to teach you a trick or so? That magician was kind enough to teach us."
"Yes, when we have more time. For now, I have something for you."
She put away the coin and rubbed her hands together as he fished for something he had hidden behind his back, "A gift? I love gifts."
To see her smile was a godsend. It made him feel all warm and fluttery inside, and he hadn't felt those feelings for…centuries. He said, "Close your eyes."
"Okay."
He waved a hand in front of her face, to make sure they were really closed. When she did not respond, he took her hands and held them out, then lifted the gift from behind his back and placed it into her hands. "Open them."
She did as she was told, and gasped. "…Wow, Caelum." She looked up at him her jaw hanging in mid-air, "…You didn't have to..."
"You make me feel alive." He found himself mumbling awkwardly, for he had never said such things to anyone, particularly to a girl before, "And it's…uh…it's been in my cave for a long time and I thought you would like it. If you don't, then th-that's okay, I'll just take it back and - "
"Like it? I love it!" She reached behind the box and wound the key up, then opened it and the box began tinkling a sweet and soft melody, the little glass ballerina inside twirling in a slow clockwise circle. "It says it was made in Sainte-Croix…?"
His courage began to build, now that he knew she was pleased with the gift. "Yes, I saved it during the second world war. I was in France when it was occupied by Nazis."
"Oh, I see. What song is this? I don't think I've heard this song before."
"I tampered around with the inside. It wasn't difficult. I call it 'Emilia's song'."
She turned to him in surprise, then smiled. "Hey, what's that over there – " She suddenly pointed behind him and he turned around, his eyes narrowing acutely.
"What? I don't see – " He stopped when she quickly reached up and kissed his cheek. He blinked numbly and wide-eyed, then slowly turned to her.
"Made you look." She teased, grinning at him while he blushed furiously.
"…What was that for?"
"I felt like it." She told him smugly, and he responded with a grin.
"So you like taking people off guard, do you?" He said, before he pounced on her and they went rolling down the hill, laughing and giggling. When they stopped at the base, hidden between the tall reeds and flowers, they were a mass of tangled limbs, and she was lying on top of him.
"Hey, let go." She mumbled shyly.
"No." He smirked, as he tightened his arms which were around her waist, "…Did you know that vampires make passionate lovers?"
"Hmmm…Oh really?"
"Yes."
She giggled again before he captured her lips with his.
….
"Correct me if I'm wrong," Emilia said one Sunday afternoon, "But… is everything you just told me true?"
"It's true."
His sister going missing.
His fall from the tallest tower.
His fateful meeting with Gideon.
"It's true," He repeated himself, "And I've never really told anyone all this except from Gideon."
"So, let me get this right…" She began, "Your name was Caelius and you were born in the 15 or 16th century, at least 100 years after the King of Vampires himself."
"We call him the No-Life King. His name was Dracula but now he is known as 'Alucard'."
"And you were the son of an apothecary owner, you had an older sister, and the village you lived in was one of the thirteen villages at the foot of the Count's castle. And every year, he demanded for young women and men to come to his castle to become servants, right?"
"So, one year," She added, "Your sister signed up to work at the Count's castle to earn some more money. Your mother was against it because of the rumours she'd heard but she let her go because your family was poor and your father was ill. Your sister went away for six months and you never heard of her again so you went to go find her along with the other villagers whose daughters and sons didn't come back."
"When you got to the castle, you ended up inside but found no-one, not even the Count. The castle was also ruined and in despair. You decided to split up to cover more ground and you ended up in a weird room at the tallest tower where you meet these strange women. They tried to seduce you but you didn't give in and they bit you." She reiterated, while he nodded, "In your terror and fear, you tried to escape and you flung yourself out of the window. You fell down but the fall didn't kill you. You had become a vampire. Then you tried to kill yourself by standing in front of the sunrise but Gideon saved you in the nick of time. And now you're here."
"So…what have you been doing all this time up until now?"
He paused to think. He tried to remember. It was hard, for his memory is fuzzy because many centuries have passed and so many important events have passed. But, his most vivid memory so far, he told her, was participating in World War I and World War II.
He said, "I dislike war, but I wanted to help."
"What kinds of things did you see?"
"Terrible things. I am just glad the war is over."
He told her, he liked this life. He finds it very peaceful. He likes living with his clan, and the leader, Gideon. Sure, they live in caves, but when you're a vampire, you never feel too cold or too hot and generally, nothing bothers you anymore. Living with the clan, is like living with tonnes of brothers and sisters. A big group of brothers and sisters who all look out for each other. Some of them have even found their soul mates.
"Before I was turned, I had a wife." He admitted, "But I was never interested in her. She was un-kind and she was vile and spread rumours in the village about my family because she did think we were good enough for her. We were poor and she only married into our family because she had no home."
"Oh…that's awful."
"I am saying this because I have never touched a woman before and I do not know how treat them and I do not dare to look at a woman in a way that would demean them or-or…" He left his sentence trailing. He didn't know why he was saying such things, as he believed those things were inappropriate to tell a woman, but his mouth was moving on its own accord.
She stared at him. "Uh…why are you telling me this?"
Embarrassed, he turned away, "I…I don't know." He mumbled sheepishly, "Forgive me, I have offended you."
However, she smiled and then to his utter horror and delight, she took her hand in his. "You're so hard on yourself, Caelum. You got to loosen up. It's probably Gideon, right? Does he work you guys hard like slaves? Are you like the worker bees and he's Queen bee?"
"I don't understand."
She sighed. "It's just a saying, silly."
"Oh. Erm…well, I never thought about it that way…but yes, I suppose Gideon is our 'queen bee'; it is how we work. It is how we sustain ourselves. Everyone in our community has a role and we…must fulfil it."
"Or?"
"Or what?"
"Or die."
"That's tough."
"Yes." He replied in agreement, "Anyone breaking the rules will be banished, exiled, staked into oblivion and decapitated."
"All those?"
"Any one of those, depending on the severity."
"So, which one is this? You know…talking to a human? Talking to me…?"
"…This is enough to get me decapitated."
She blinked wide-eyed at him, but when he grinned, she giggled and clutched his hand tighter. "Well, we wouldn't want that now, would we?" She glanced to the side, then quickly reached over and pecked him on the lips. "But I'm glad I met you. You're different, Caelum. You're different than all the guys I know in the village, and it's nice. I'm really glad I met you..."
…..
"You are not to see this girl again, do you hear me?"
Caelum was kneeling down in front Gideon. He didn't know how or why or for what possible reason Gideon could have found out about him and Emilia. But now, he was scared. He was trembling. Gideon was seated in front of him and he didn't know what the Leader would do. Maybe he would be banished. Maybe he would get staked and doused with holy water. Maybe he would get beheaded.
"I thought you would know better, Caelum!" The elder barked at him, and he winced in response, "A human girl! What were you thinking? There are plenty of females in our Order. Why couldn't you just pick either of them and be happy? Why settle for a mortal? They're weak and stupid! That is why we protect them!"
"Emilia's not stupid!" Caelum found himself jumping to her defence immediately, "And she's not like the others! I don't want a female from our Order; they're boring and dull and – "
"Nonsense! So this human girl is more fascinating to you? You think she understands you? My poor delusional boy, she is a human, and human emotions never last long." The elder exclaimed, "Listen to me. Humans will never understand us. They will fear us and if they are strong enough, they will dissenter and demolish us, they will attempt to eradicate our species! They've already started; they have already demonized us as monsters in their texts and legends, forcing us into hiding. We are feared and despised worldwide!"
Caelum frowned, "We're not hiding and we're not being prosecuted! This is...this is the sort of life we chose, it was our own decision. How could you say that?"
"Fine, if you want to see for yourself, then why don't you live in the city for a couple of years? And when you cease to age, see how they will begin to ostracise you and isolate you. What other form of companionship and sanctuary do you have left, but us?" Gideon replied, "We have already struggled to live beside humans, and now that we have finally settled into a place we can call home, don't sabotage our hard work by engaging with a human."
"…But…"
"I will let you off with a verbal warning, because you are young and naïve and I admit I have sheltered you. While I have spoken to humans since my turning, I have kept many of you away. I have protected you from the outside world for your own safety."
"Why?"
"I was once like you, but when I was in the outside world, I found it a terrible and harsh place. You are one of the first I have scoured, and I can see a lot of potential in you, Caelum." Gideon said, "I don't want you tainted, and my other subjects are hardworking and loyal, but you have been the most loyal, and I appreciate what you have done for me and the Order. I don't want you to forget all this just because of a human girl and the feelings she stirs within you. Don't let go of what we have established here. Don't let go of what we have."
"Never forget, my dear boy. We are gifted with immortality, and we have the power to bestow it if we should wish. Humans, on the other hand, do not, and so…this is the biggest difference between us, and them. They are jealous of us, and afraid! We cannot overstep this boundary, and as I waste away, I wanted to pass the leadership of the clan to you…"
"What? …Me? Why me?"
"Because you are capable of many things…many great things."
"Have you told anyone yet?"
"No. This is between you and me."
"But I'm…I'm not ready, Gideon; I can't take that much responsibility, and there are so many other vampires who are stronger than me and capable than I am – " Caelum stopped as the elder patted his shoulder affectionately.
Gideon smiled at him. "…I can see something in you, which I do not see in others, and I know you will do a good job…which is why I implore you, Caelum, to give up on this girl before it is too late." He said, "She is not worthy of you."
…..
The next Sunday after that, Caelum decided to talk to Emilia. He had been sleepless and he simply could not wait any longer. Emilia would still be at church but it did not stop him from venturing from the caves to the village.
He didn't think either of the village folk would recognise him, not that they knew about what kinds and how many vampires lived in the mountains. He borrowed one of his friend's suit that they had owned for at least a decade ago and cleaned it three days before, then snatched some aftershave and a non-working, fake silver watch from the human hurdle collection of the clan's eccentric hoarder. Next, he combed his hair neatly, brushed his fangs, polished his shoes and adjusted his tie.
He felt awkward, having never had a penchant for suits and accessories such as these. He just wanted to pass off as being more human. Usually he'd just be adorned in a black t-shirt and slacks and thick boots, nothing fancy, nothing expensive, nothing out of the ordinary.
Outside the church, he waited patiently. He adjusted his cuff links. He dusted at his suit. He stared at the handpicked bundle of flowers in his hand. He tapped at the broken watch on his wrist.
When the doors opened, he rose from the beam he had been leaning against and tried to locate her.
The humans came out in large groups. There was the village baker. The barber. The locksmith. The blacksmith. The grocer. Some village girls walked past him, whispering and giggling, muttering to themselves if either of them had never seen him before and if he was from the city. He ignored them.
And then…
His face lit up.
Emilia!
There she was.
She was in her Sunday wear, and she looked beautiful as always, but –
She was carrying an extravagant basket of bright, multicoloured flowers looped around the bend of her arm, and he glanced down at his own handpicked bouquet. Somehow his own handpicked group of foxglove, meadowsweet, celandine and bluebells seemed unsightly and poorly and…
…who is that man with her?
"Emilia?"
She froze. She stared at him for a long time, her eyes wide.
The man beside her… Caelum recognised him to be the village doctor, and he was holding her hand. Caelum stared at the duo before glancing at their intertwined hands.
Immediately, Emilia jerked away from her companion. "W-what are you doing here?"
"Who is this man?" Caelum asked obligingly.
Dr Rosenthal turned to the girl then expectantly, "…Emilia?"
She strode forwards, grabbing Caelum by the arm. "Come with me." She hissed, before she proceeded to drag him out from the church ground, "Anthony, don't wait for me." Without another word, Emilia led him away from the village square and behind one of the houses which appeared to be empty although the doctor was calling for her.
They waited until the last member of those attending church service had left, and when they were finally alone, she turned to him and let go of his arm.
"These are for you." He awkwardly thrust the bouquet of flowers to her. She accepted them, but she stuffed them into her basket of exotic flowers as though she did not care for them at all, and he felt a little disheartened. For once, she was not even smiling. No, in fact, she did not look pleased with his surprised arrival at all.
Instead, she asked bluntly, "What are you doing here?"
He was stunned. He made such an effort to make himself look good and better than usual but she didn't seem to notice his hardwork and effort. "I came to see you. I need to talk. It's important."
"I thought we agreed to meet every Sunday at – "
"I know. I couldn't wait." He explained, noticing how agitated she appeared, "…Who was that man?"
"He's just a friend."
"Friend?" Caelum was confused, "What kind of male friend holds hands with a female friend?"
"Caelum, stop it. He's just a friend, okay? We're just…really close, that's all."
"I thought we were close. We hold hands because we are intimate."
"Stop it, please. Now what do you want to talk to me about?"
"I have decided to leave my clan."
"Huh?"
"I'm going to leave the Order. I am going to leave the mountains, and the village. I am going to head into the mainland. I want to move south… I want to go to England, visit London…then maybe I'll go to the United States…I don't know, but I don't want to stay here anymore and I…I wish to start my own family and I want you to come with me. Please."
To his dismay, she gave him an incredulous look in response, "What are you saying? Where is all this coming from?"
"Gideon has forbidden me from seeing you." Caelum replied glumly.
"What? How did this happen?"
"I do not know." He grabbed her hand in his, "But I will not let Gideon stop me from seeing you, or being with you. He does not understand my feelings for you."
"But…"
"Emilia, I am going to leave this horrible place, and I want to take you with me. This village is too small and I know there are more things out there in the world. You told me once that you wanted to leave the village, too. So, let's go. I will take you."
"W-well, yes, I have said that, but…"
"You are…in doubt?" He asked, "I thought you loved me."
"I do, but..."
"Then let me turn you, and we can be together. You will not have anything to fear and we will always be together forever – "
"What? Are you crazy? Let go – " She began tugging her hand out of his but he was holding her hand too tightly, "Let go of me! Caelum! Stop it!" After a few seconds of a brief struggle and she finally managed to push him off her.
He blinked at her numbly. "…I don't understand."
She sighed, breathing heavily. He could hear her heart pounding viciously against her ribs, and her face was white, drained of colour. She was panicking. "Just stop it, okay? I'm not going to go with you. I live here. I'm only 20 years old! I'm trying to study and I still have a father and mother and siblings and I can't abandon them just to be with you. You should listen to Gideon."
Her words stung him. Was she rejecting him? No, she could not be! How could she? They had been together for months and they spoke to each other and they were so comfortable with each other…he loved her and she loved him too. He had such strong feelings for her and so did she! Immediately, he began spluttering, "…What? Why? I would gladly leave my Order to be with you; why can you not do the same for me?"
"They're my family, Caelum!"
"…So?"
"What do you mean 'So'?" She exclaimed in disbelief, "I won't leave my family behind! And I don't want to be a vampire! I don't want to be immortal! It never crossed my mind!"
"What?" He barked, then he stepped closer to her and grabbed her hand again. "But I love you."
"Caelum!"
"I LOVE YOU!"
"Caelum, please!"
"I will do anything for you! I am willing to give up everything for you! I would die a thousand deaths for you! …What you are saying hurts me… I don't understand…why are you being like this? I thought I was the only one who was special to you! Why do you not feel the same, I-I…of course…That man. That doctor. I…I knew it."
"C-Caelum, please…you're scaring me – "
"You are seeing him, aren't you?" He demanded angrily, "How long?"
"…Caelum…"
"HOW LONG?"
She shook her head.
"What kind of fool do you take me for? You've been seeing that man behind my back, haven't you?" He snapped, "Are you choosing him over me? You would choose a mortal over me?"
"N-No, I've always been engaged to – " She stopped immediately with a gasp when she realised her mistake.
"…Engaged?"
"I…No, Caelum, please – "
"You are ENGAGED?" He barked, "You are…engaged to that man? Even when you were…even when you met me? Why did you speak to me? Why did you…why did you lurk around and ask me my name and then…ask to meet me? Why did you do all these things?"
Emilia was at a loss of words. "I…I was…you were…I was curious…I-I liked you – "
A disgusting taste rose up in the back of his mouth.
This woman was adulterous!
…A conniving, sneaky whore.
Not only did she have a partner, a fiancé, but she had been seeing him the entire time behind his back, too. He remembered everything he said to Gideon, how he defended Emilia when he attacked humans verbally. He defied his leader and even spoke back to him… oh, the shame… Gideon was right…
If she had said, that doctor beat her up occasionally, maybe he wouldn't have felt so bad.
But this wasn't what he wanted.
He liked this girl, and she…
She cheated on him?
Humiliation.
Complete and utter
Humiliation.
"You whore." He spat at her, and this only caused her to shed a few tears, her eyes becoming red and blotchy. But he did not care. He had never been swayed by tears and he would not be now, either. With his raised hand, he slapped her across the face harshly. It felt good. "You're nothing but a goddamned whore! Gideon was right; you are not worthy of me! You are nothing and I don't need you! I don't need a whore like you!"
He let go of her and she went stumbling, having to hold onto the wall for support, still sobbing and weeping and now with a throbbing, reddening cheek. At the moment, she looked nothing like the Emilia he knew before, but rather she resembled those terrible women he came across so many centuries ago, on that day when he went to the Count's castle to look for his sister. They were the Count's women… but still they flocked to him and tried to seduce him. Oh, how he despised those dreadful women! They struck fear and disgust within him! They were vile and repulsive creatures. And now… Emilia was…ah, the more and more he looked at her the more she became their grisly image.
"Caelum, stop…" She was pleading, over and over again.
The more he heard it, the more in control he felt. That day, he was not in control. The Count's women had him at their mercy, but today -
"Since you are already engaged to another but you seek the companionship from other men, I'll treat you like the rightful whore you are!" He snarled, before he began to unbuckle his belt, "I will deny you the gift of immortality! You have no right to possess it!"
…
Emilia pushed him off her, sobbing and wailing.
He came to his senses after a few seconds, and he stood limply, half naked in the dark and lonely alleyway, amongst ripped clothes, his shirt hanging and his trousers snagged around his ankles.
Caelum blinked, realising what he had just done.
He stumbled backwards, in shock.
He had just done the unthinkable.
Then he began screaming.
…
I have brought shame to our Order.
He had no courage to face his clan, or his leader. He had betrayed and disappointed Gideon in the worst way possible. He would not be forgiven. He would live his life as a fugitive from now on. He had packed up the day before, placing all his valuables and his clothes into a briefcase before hiding it under his bed. He would leave the caves and his family, but he knew he could not stay here any longer.
On the day he left, he wrote a letter and left it on his desk. It was addressed to Gideon.
Gideon would read it and find out everything what had happened.
He admitted he had been living for so long he feared death. He admitted gladly that he was weak, and he was a coward and he did not want to face the consequences of being staked or decapitated. He had lived too long he feared death. He did not know where he would go but he was also not confident in himself to travel alone and he did not know how he would sustain himself. He'd always been sheltered by the clan.
But now he had no choice.
Caelum left his room silently and went by unnoticed, using a pathway in disuse. It was a lengthy trek to the village from the mountains. He deliberately took the long way. By the time he arrived at the foot of the mountain, the sky was darkening. He entered the village but did not know which house belonged to Emilia, yet he walked past all the streets with the rows of all the houses, looking at the windows.
Maybe Emilia was gone…
He was about to give up, when…There! He saw her…She was at the top-right window of a small house at the corner. Afraid, and ashamed, he quickly hid behind a wall of an adjacent house. She was staring outside dejectedly, and he knew the last thing she would want to see was him. But he had wanted to apologise, not that he was sure it would make things any better, but if she knew he was leaving and would never return ever again, maybe it would help.
Caelum stepped out of his hiding place. He saw her eyes land on him as he stood in the street in his suit and briefcase and that non-working watch, and he merely gazed at her. She threw her glance down, and he followed the direction of her gaze to realise she had left something on her front door.
The music box.
He looked up, but he could see no expression on her face. The girl was empty and hollow now. Before he could take another step forwards, a man had entered, standing behind Emilia in the house and planted his hand on her shoulder. It was Anthony Rosenthal. Caelum collected the music box from the front door, but then looked up; he had sensed something amiss, and he whipped his head to the direction of the mountains. He sniffed gently. He smelled blood in the air. A lot of blood. With his sharp eyesight, he saw smoke in the horizon.
Fire.
There was a fire.
Turning back to Emilia in her house, who was ushered away from the window by Anthony, Caelum knew. With the music box and his suitcase in hand, he dashed towards the direction of the mountains.
But he was too late.
The music box stopped playing the melody, the broken ballerina coming to a sluggish halt, and Caelum turned to Ruby and Samuel, who had been staring at him the entire time during his brief blackout.
"…When I arrived, Gideon was already dead." He murmured, "They were all dead. I only saw fire and smoke. Everything that had been the Black Flame had perished. Our home, our lives, our identity! Destroyed! And who was responsible for the massacre? It was Arthur Hellsing, that bastard! When I took over Oracle, I focused my attention on personal business with Hellsing and Emilia, after I re-established the Order. She looked so shocked to see me when I found her new home, and she was carrying a baby in her arms. At first, I wondered if it could have been my child, but I had been confined in Oracle for years, so it could not be. Regardless, I took her newborn. I wanted to see her miserable."
"But you didn't kill the baby."
"…I looked into the infant's eyes and I saw innocence."
"Then…"
"Do not misunderstand, Leanne. I swore to myself that Mary will be the only human I can ever love, will love," Caelum continued, "…From Dr Kessler's research, I discovered a generous report outlining the demise of Dracula at the hands of Abraham Van Helsing and the specialised weapons; then I found out Oracle had discovered a descendant of Dracula's brides - the Van der Linde's - and had tracked their location. And I took you, for you would assist me in defeating Alucard. You will help me end Hellsing."
Caelum then glanced down to the music box in his hand and placed it down on the desk.
"…Emilia had used me because she was 'curious'… she betrayed me and cheated on me with that mortal man… and chose him over me…and when I came back and saw that my people had been killed…and when I was captured and saw what you humans were doing to vampires in Oracle, I decided I would hate all humans! I fought in World War I and World War II, fighting alongside you… I never once harmed any of your kind and neither did we…no, not the Guardians…"
As Caelum began to slowly rise to stand up straight, Samuel and Ruby began to back away carefully, watching him warily. She could sense it. A murderous aura was surrounding the vampire…it was suffocating…she swallowed down the lump in her throat and as Samuel held onto her tightly…
"I began to loathe and despise every single one of you! You are all the same! All of you… Lying, deceitful… disgusting…despicable…ungrateful…Humans are destructive and deserve to all be eradicated! Not vampires!" Caelum screamed before he pointed at himself, "And humans have the nerve to call us 'Monsters' and 'freaks'? Then what does that make humans? Perhaps you are the monsters, not us! And so, I will create a new order, a new world, a new hierarchy…where humans are finally in their place, and vampires will reign as the supreme!"
Everyone's gaze then swerved to the gun; Samuel dived for the discarded gun first in hopes of turning the situation in their favour. It was only unfortunate he attempted to reach for the gun at the same time Caelum did - Ruby was helpless with her one leg - Samuel was unluckily and inevitably slower than Caelum and as the president reared back up with the gun poised at Ruby, Samuel did the first thing that came to mind.
He threw himself in front of her.
The gunshot was loud enough to make Ruby wince, and she gasped as Samuel's body was sent backwards from the impact like a flimsy ragdoll, and he crashed into the desk, knocking some of the ornaments off the surface. Caelum watched as the cases of bullets went toppling over, clattering over the ground in a mess, then he frowned. "Now look what you've done!" He roared, before he pulled the trigger, firing angrily at him incessantly.
Ruby screamed helplessly as a barrage of bullets slammed effortlessly into Samuel's body without fail, "Stop it! Stop it - Dad!" She attempted to shield him but Samuel shoved her away from him.
"I can't…let him…hurt you…" He managed to grunt out; Caelum only stopped when he was out of bullets, and Samuel coughed, blood bubbling from his lips. He opened his eyes faintly and turned to Ruby, and his trembling hand reached to her; she grabbed it and held on, "…Leanne… I'm…I'm sorry…I couldn't protect you…forgive me…forgive your mother…" His eyes gently slid to a close and his head lowered, his body going limp.
"...Dad?"
There was no response.
"Dad?" She tried again and shook him, hard. Her voice was beginning to break, and she wailed. "DAD!"
As soon as she heard the sound of a gun cocking, Ruby looked up and found herself staring at the nozzle of Caelum's gun in her face. He had reloaded his gun. She stared, but she did not feel fear, not even when his finger was threatening to curl over the trigger, aiming at her in between the eyes, "Why are you so upset, Leanne? The man despised you and you despised him too. He got what he deserved."
But a man she called father had just been killed right in front of her eyes. Blood tears began streaming from the corner of her eyes. She felt the cool circular tip of the gun pressing against her head and glanced up at Caelum...however, she did not scream or cry with fear. No, fear was the least thing which she was feeling at the precise moment; instead, she felt an extreme abhorrence for the vampire who had her at the mercy of his gun and the so-called special bullets. Her fist clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white. An intense rage boiled within her; she wanted to kill him. She wanted to tear him apart. She wanted to dice and skin him, she wanted to -
Caelum's eyes widened momentarily when his hand that was holding the gun abruptly went 'crack' and his hand bent backwards in an awkward, disturbing angle; the bone was snapped. He turned to Ruby in acute surprise, but she was only glaring at him intensely as she sat slumped on the floor - her eyes were no longer blue but a demonic red hue, ablaze with hatred.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Stop that." He snarled at her, having somewhat difficulty in trying to get his hand to listen to him. No matter he did, he couldn't seem to move his hand at all, no, it appeared as though some force was controlling it... "Whatever it is you are doing, stop that right – "
Suddenly, his hand completely ripped off and dropped to the ground; he blinked at his severed wrist and the thin, slash of blood over the white marble of his floor.
"You – "
But then Caelum's chest abruptly burst in a radiant display of blood. This time, it was not her doing. Ruby broke out of her trance immediately and gasped, holding at her head. What had just happened? A darkness had seized her as soon as those particular murderous tendencies overwhelmed her and she blacked out for those few moments. She looked up to see Caelum with a gloved hand sticking out of his chest. "Gahhh!" The president grunted out through mouthfuls of blood, before he threw a glare over his shoulder to see... "Alucard!"
Alucard smirked wickedly at him, before he began to pull his arm out, hearing his flesh and bone grind together; he snarled, "…I deliberately missed your heart because I assure you, Caelum…your demise will be slow and painful…"
Chapter summary: (Caelum's story/background)
The year is 1950, Caelum and Emilia are together although when he first met her in Chapter 19 (in flashback), he hated her because he could not stop thinking about her and did not understand why. He later meets her again and she asks him to be her bodyguard. He accepts.
They become really close and decide to meet up secretly every Sunday noon. As they grow closer, Caelum gives Emilia a music box where she then discusses about his past. Turns out Caelum was once called Caelius and he was the son of a poor apothecary owner born in the 15th or 16th century. They lived in one of the thirteen villages at the foot of the Count's castle and every year the Count would 'hire people to become servants'. His sister goes to the castle for work and is never heard from again for months. He decides to investigates and join a small team of villagers. At the Count's castle, they split up and he stumbles upon Dracula's brides in their parlour and one of them bites him. He throws himself out of the window to escape but does not die despite the fall. His sister is also most likely to have been fed on. Knowing what he has become, he attempts to kill himself by meeting the sun but is saved by Gideon.
Having been adopted by Gideon and his Order, his name is changed to 'Caelum' and he begins to live a new life where he lives by the rules of the Order who have formed a 'pact' with the humans of the village - they live alongside them to protect them from violent vampires in exchange for blood.
A few centuries later and Caelum is now a rather naïve individual. He has also fought in World War I and II and he has not had proper human contact, especially with a woman, and when he meets Emilia, he is fascinated. Later, Gideon finds out about their relationship and tells him to never see her again. Caelum defies Gideon and decides to leave the village and his clan in hope to start a family and go travelling. He wants to ask Emilia to go with him so decides to go to the village to meet her. To his dismay, she is seen with another man and when confronted, he finds out Emilia has been engaged and will not leave the village with him nor does she want to become his bride. Feeling cheated, humiliated, betrayed, angry, confused (almost everything, really), he denotes that she is not worthy of becoming his bride, denies her the 'gift of immortality' and proceeds to rape her out of rage.
When he realises what he is doing, the deed is done and Emilia flees from him in tears. A few weeks later, Caelum decides to leave the order by himself without telling anyone because he is so ashamed. When he leaves, he takes a different path down and inadvertently misses Arthur Hellsing, who has been contacted by Anthony. Basically, while Caelum is making his way to the village, and when he is in the village wanting to apologise to Emilia/see her one last time, Hellsing is killing his clan.
He then sees smoke in the distance where his mountain is but is too late.
Again, some things I have omitted, in which, after he returned to the mountains and found out that Hellsing had wiped out his clan, Caelum snapped. In his mourning and loss and utter devastation, he lost the will to live and completely surrendered when Oracle arrived, and let them capture him. However, he began to regain his will and started to despise humans. After assembling all the other captive vampires at least 5-10 yrs after confinement, Caelum took over Oracle and did the following in this order:
1. He tracked Emilia's new location and stole her newborn, Mary, as revenge
2. He discovered Oracle's notes on how to defeat Dracula by gathering the weapons
3. He discovered the Van der Linde's location, killed them and took Ruby
Notes:
1. The biblical passage at the start of the chapter about Adam was to illustrate the somewhat-parallel thing that happened to Caelum, for instance: "Man (Caelum), tempted by the serpent (Emilia), let his trust in his Creator (though I do not mean Gideon in the literal sense) die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's (Gideon's – again not in a literal sense) command."