Henry opened one eye cautiously and somewhat irritated. He hates to get caught in some trap, although there was really no way he could have seen it coming. Groaning, Henry pushed himself off the ground.

"The ground," he thought to himself, "what the hell?"

He opened both eyes and looked down at a very moist earth. The soil was covered in little spurts of grass. His mind took awhile just to take it all in. He looked up at a pale moon, clouds moving in from the east. Its moonlight was strong, bathing the ground in its haunting touch. However, it wasn't the only light cast around Henry for he saw a bright fiery glow as well. Standing up, he clenched his fist in anger at the sight he saw.

On top a hill stood a broad and tall village, engulfed in flames. The highest building held a great clock at its peak, flames spurting from it like a mouth from hell. Each building seemed almost as grand as a temple, causing great pain to witness its destruction. The night seemed to stay in silence all around the burning visage. Wisps of flame seem to scatter from the great fire and float in his direction.

Even though the flames engulfed nearly all the town, a wide circular courtyard, in the middle of onlooking buildings, seemed untouched. There was also a broad fountain in the middle of the courtyard as well. He could not explain it but- it called to him. Walking forward, he noticed a figure facing the fountain. It was a slender shape of a woman, but she had a hat that was pulled down enough to obscure her face. She bent over, dipping her fingers into the water. She noticed him coming and drifted to him, unaware of the blaze. She looked up at him and removed her hat. Henry gasped.

She looked as fair as when he departed from her. Carolina, haunting in her beauty, stared at him with blessed and golden eyes. He smiled greatly at seeing her- although his smile disappeared as quickly as it came. She still smiled, but with how beautiful it looked she seemed to be devoid of emotion. It may have been her eyes, for they looked blind and ill focused.

Her hands reached up slowly towards his face, her soft fingertips arched like she was going to dive them into his skin. Henry backed away from her steadily, suddenly getting a grip on himself. His mind drifted from her and revolved around where he was, a burning village with his love standing next a untouched water fountain. The idea was absurd, unthinkable. The fact that it did not make total sense was enough to snap him out of his delirium.

"No," Henry said as he stepped away from Carolina, "you are not her."

Carolina seemed to almost collapse as she took one giant step towards him, that seemed unnatural as well. She nearly seemed to be a doll, her limbs barely moving except at the joints. Her hands still stretched out towards him with a untouched smile. As she came closer, the air around them stiffened and it became harder for Henry to move. He tried to step back again but the atmosphere forbade it, he became strained.

"I…Love…," echoed from her porcelain mouth.

"No!" shouted Henry as he all of a sudden tore himself from her presence and turned away from her. As he did, the atmosphere felt violently up heaved. He felt like he shattered a cloud around him, as he opened his eyes and saw not but the burning village, but another sight.

Shocked, and truly agape, Henry Belmont now stood in a dark hallway. Lined with black stone and torches, the long corridor looked anything but the manor he was at with Frederick. However, this place was pale and seemed stained with a whispering cloud that hung around his eyes. It felt like Henry was in a haze. He could not understand but this looked fake, and real at the same time. Bringing himself back from his disillusion, Henry took a few steps forward, but these steps took him great distances. Almost against his will, he was sped forth amongst the corridor at great lengths, abruptly stopped at a stairway that was not bound by any walls. It went high into the sky, which were clear of any clouds, and seemed to go on forever. These stairs were large, some were even broken down and misused. Henry could not see how high they went, which made him unnerved. However, he was compelled to go on further. Taking another few steps, he was launched up the stairs in a matter of seconds. The cloudy haze around his eyes seemed to grow stronger as he got closer to what appeared to be a large and tall tower. The towers entrance was blocked by two wide and ominous stone doors. Etched upon its smooth surface was a emblem that Henry simply could not recognize. Hung above this doorway was a haunting state, curving around the doorway in a serpentine manner. However it sported a grinning skull at the top, its arms stretched unnaturally around the doorway like it beckoned those to come in.

Henry reached forth, putting his fingertips lightly on the stone. He felt how smooth it was, how flawlessly it was created. Then he pushed it open and-

Was violently thrust back to the burning village. The haze was now gone, but this place was not real. However, Henry thought, the castle may not have been real either. Reality seemed to be toying with him , and it angered and terrified him all at the same time. Then he saw his beloved, Carolina, standing next to the water fountain again. Her back was turned to him, bending over to sip the water. Henry was being pulled in again by her beauty, for memories flooded more and more as he got closer to her. Carolina then turned and blood was floating down her mouth, not water. Henry shouted, as hard as he could, a desperate attempt to shatter this trick, yet it only admitted his weakness. Henry collapsed to his knees, fearful of what little he could do. The haunting doll that appeared as Carolina made her lifeless step towards him.