Epilogue
Alucard's eyes fluttered open, consciousness seeping back into his being like water trickling into parched land. Blinking away the haze of confusion, he found himself in a vast office, the air heavy with the scent of old books and memories.
His heart pounded as he took in his surroundings. The room was familiar, achingly so. It was his father's study, the same one he remembered from his childhood, filled with shelves of ancient tomes and artefacts that whispered tales of bygone eras.
A wave of disbelief washed over him. How could this be? Wasn't he supposed to be dead? Questions swirled in his mind like restless spirits seeking solace.
Alucard rose from the plush armchair, his footsteps muffled by the rich carpet underfoot. He traced his fingers along the polished oak of his father's desk, memories flooding back like a torrential rain. But something was amiss. Outside the grand windows that once framed the lush gardens of his childhood home, there was nothing but an expanse of blinding white, stretching into infinity.
Lost in his thoughts, Alucard failed to notice the man standing in the corner of the room, looking at the collection of books. The man spoke with a soft voice, his words warm and inviting.
“Your father had an excellent collection. He was a man of many talents and had a keen eye for good literature.”
Alucard's attention snapped to the figure in the corner. He felt at ease, as if seeing an old friend, yet he had never met anyone like this before. Alucard looked around the room, seeing how it was a perfect recreation of his father's office. “Is this place real?” he asked, curious if the stranger would answer.
“It depends on your point of view," the man replied, a hint of a smile in his voice. "This place is real to some, but to you, it is nothing but a past memory. Perhaps what you believe to be real is only the memory of someone else, and you're just a small ember in a much larger scene.”
Alucard absorbed the stranger's words, each syllable resonating with a profound truth that seemed to elude the boundaries of comprehension. He pondered the notion of reality, of memories intertwined with the fabric of existence, like wisps of smoke fading into the ether.
A sense of wonder washed over him as he considered the implications of his surroundings. Could it be that this place, this sanctuary of memories, existed beyond the confines of his own perception? Was he merely a player in a grand tapestry woven by unseen hands?
“You speak in riddles, ones I do not understand.”
“I am sorry about that, I have been like this for... well I guess since the beginning of time. Tell me, Alucard, what do you think this place is?” the stranger asked.
"This place," Alucard began, his voice tinged with a mixture of reverence and doubt, "is a reflection of the past, a sanctuary of forgotten dreams, or at least a time I wish to return to... in short, a memory where I felt safe.”
The stranger smiled and walked softly towards Alucard. “You are correct, this is a memory, one where you felt happy. I find these types of memories the easiest to use when talking to people.”
Alucard's brows furrowed in puzzlement. "Who are you?" he ventured, his voice tinged with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity.
“I am the one who is always at your side. I have been with you since the beginning and the end. You have been running from me for a very long time, Alucard... I am the one whom people fear, the one people plead with, beg, cry to, but in the end, I always come to all.”
“Your Death... aren't you?”
The stranger's smile widened, and he inclined his head in acknowledgment. Alucard felt a warm heat pulsing off him.
“I am... you see, Alucard, people think of death as this dark grim reaper, dressed in all black, coming to rip their souls and take them away to the realms of the damned. But in truth, death is what you make of it. I am but a humble servant, just helping people along their journey... but I am also all those things when the time calls for it.”
"And what of me, Death? I accepted my end... I did not fight. What role did I play in the grand tapestry of existence?"
“I have spoken to countless souls, all asking me all sorts of questions, but I must admit, this conversation with you, I am enjoying quite a lot. It is refreshing... to talk with a member of House Morgraine... I have not spoken with one for a very long time.”
Alucard's mind screamed at him to ask about his family, to know what happened to them after their passing, but he knew he could not ask. He grit his teeth and remained silent.
Death noted this and began to pace around the room. “I must say, I was expecting you to ask me how your family is, but perhaps I was wrong. People always ask me about their loved ones after they are gone.”
“I would like to, but I have no right to. I ran away after their deaths for a very long time.”
"Your honesty is a rare gift, Alucard," Death remarked, his voice a whisper carried upon the winds of time. "To confront the shadows of the past, to face the demons that haunt our souls, takes courage beyond measure... but don't worry, they are doing well."
Alucard felt at ease hearing Death's words. It helped put not only his mind at ease but his soul as well. He finally felt like he could let go.
“I am ready... you can have my soul.”
“What makes you think I want your soul?” replied Death.
"I... I thought that was the natural order of things," Alucard stammered, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "That souls are claimed by Death when their time has come."
A soft chuckle escaped Death's lips, a sound like distant thunder rolling across the horizon. "The natural order of things, perhaps," he conceded, his voice a gentle breeze stirring the depths of Alucard's soul. "But what if I were to tell you, Alucard, that your soul is yours to keep?"
Alucard's eyes widened in astonishment, his mind racing to comprehend the implications of Death's words. "But... but why?" he questioned, his voice trembling with disbelief. "Why would you offer me such a gift?"
Death regarded him with a gaze as ancient as time itself, his eyes alight with the wisdom of countless ages. "Because, Alucard, your journey is far from over," he replied, his words a soothing melody that danced upon the winds of eternity. “Plus, I have been told we kinda owe you one for dealing with our past problems.”
"I... I don't understand," Alucard murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do you mean, 'we owe you one'?"
Death's eyes glinted with a mysterious light. "You dealt with Ardaloth for us, a past mistake we overlooked. Because of your actions, you did not just save everyone within that small town but all the realms. Yours, ours, and the ones far beyond. For this, we thank you.”
"Ardaloth..." Alucard whispered, the name a ghost upon his lips. "I remember now, the darkness that threatened to consume us all."
Death nodded, his expression grave yet tinged with a flicker of admiration. "Indeed, Alucard," he affirmed, his voice a solemn echo in the stillness of the room. "I am afraid to say this, but it looks like time is up, Alucard. Time for you to go back to the land of the living.”
“But wait, how am I meant to go back? I died, didn't I?”
“Don’t worry, everything's been taken care of. But don’t worry, Alucard, we will see each other again, someday.”
“But wait...” Alucard reached out his hand, gesturing for Death to stop, but it was too late. As Death's hand rested upon Alucard's chest, a surge of energy coursed through his veins like lightning igniting the sky. In that moment, time seemed to stand still, the world around them fading into oblivion as Alucard's consciousness slipped away.
He felt himself being pulled, drawn inexorably towards a distant light that shimmered like a beacon in the darkness. Images flickered in his mind's eye, memories both old and new swirling in a kaleidoscope of colours and emotions. Suddenly he went dark. Alucard could not see nor hear anything around him, only silence.
As Alucard's consciousness flickered back into being, he found himself engulfed in a haze of disorientation. The world around him seemed shrouded in shadows, his senses dulled by the lingering echoes of the unknown.
Blinking away the fog that clouded his vision, he found himself lying in a bed—a bed he was very familiar with. He could hear voices more clearly within the room. As he opened his eyes, he saw he was in a small room, the same room he had rested in before after he was almost killed that night by the Fade. And just like last time, a dwarf sat in a chair by the fire, waiting for him to wake once more. It was Brok, but he was not alone. He was talking to a woman with long scarlet hair.
“He’s awake!” Brok yelled, cutting into the conversation he was having with the unknown woman.
As Alucard's senses sharpened, the familiarity of his surroundings washed over him like a tide of recognition. The soft crackle of flames in the hearth, the comforting warmth of the fire against his skin—it was all too familiar, like a scene from a half-remembered dream.
“Well, this is a familiar sight.” Alucard let out a chuckle. Brok shared the laughter but also gave Alucard an angry look.
“You bloody fool!” Brok growled, rising from his chair. “Do you have any idea how close you came to dying? Again? What do you think you're playing at, lad? You had us all worried sick... I cannot leave you alone for five minutes without you getting yourself in some kind of death fight now can I? What are you like, lad?” Brok's rant went on for quite some time, he was not very happy with Alucard to say the least.
Alucard chuckled as Brok's words cut through the air like a sharpened blade. The dwarf's anger was palpable, his words a torrential downpour of frustration and concern.
“What’s so funny, lad? Why are you smiling? Did you hit your head or something? Well, of course you hit your head, because that would have to explain why we found you at the brink of death the same day you said you were leaving.”
“Sorry about that, Brok. Did not mean to worry you.”
“I was not worried, I just did not want you to go dying on me.” Brok started to mutter under his breath.
“How did you find me?” asked Alucard.
“You have Lady Lyla to thank for that,” replied Brok as he pointed to the tall woman standing in the room.
Alucard's smile widened at Brok's gruff response, though he could sense the underlying concern beneath the dwarf's rough exterior.
"I owe Lady Lyla my gratitude then," Alucard acknowledged, turning his attention to Lady Lyla. "How did you find me?”
“I can't really explain it, Alucard, but late that night, I could feel a pull, like something was drawing me towards you. I could hear a voice inside my head, telling me where to go. Without thinking, I followed it. The voice felt warm to me, safe. Let's just say me suddenly rushing out of the house so late at night did not go unnoticed. I had Davos and many of the city watch running after me, but I knew I could not stop. And then I found you, just laying there on the ground, still alive. I used my magic and
helped stop the bleeding. We moved you here and I have been looking after you since.”
"Thank you, Lady Lyla," Alucard said sincerely, his voice filled with gratitude. "For your kindness.”
“Alucard, it is the least I can do for everything you have done for me, and for what you gave back to me. Because of you, I can finally move on once more,” Lady Lyla said, her voice soft and filled with emotion.
As Lady Lyla finished speaking, Davos entered the room, his expression one of relief and concern.
"It’s good to see you alive and well, my boy," Davos said, his voice a mixture of relief and concern. "But we have many questions for you. We're in the dark as to why you were seconds away from death outside of town, in the middle of the woods.”
“Best to take a seat, my Lord. I have a story to tell you,” Alucard replied, pulling himself up from the bedcovers.
As Alucard recounted the events with Alaric and the fierce battle that ensued, everyone in the room listened in stunned silence. The weight of his words hung heavy, lacking tangible proof, yet no one questioned Alucard's account—they knew him to be a man of honour.
“Alucard, it seems we're in your debt once again. You've done more for this town than anyone ever has,” Davos acknowledged sincerely. “Words can't express my gratitude, and I doubt I could ever repay you for what you've done. But is there anything I can give you as a reward?”
Alucard smiled warmly. “Don’t worry, Davos. This one was on the house. But I must ask, when you found me, did you follow the path I came from? Did you find Alaric's body?”
Davos hesitated, glancing around the room, unsure of how to answer. Alucard could sense the response was not what he hoped for. “Alucard, Markus and a few soldiers ventured down that path," Davos began cautiously. "But all they found was blood—nobody. It was empty. They did discover this strange item,” Davos added, pulling a compass from his pocket. Brok visibly startled at the sight.
“That was the compass Alaric had me make for him,” Brok explained. “I asked Alucard if he could deliver it.”
Alucard's smile faltered at Davos's response. He had hoped for closure, confirmation that the threat of Alaric had been vanquished for good. Faced with the uncertainty, he realised the danger still lurked, ready to strike unexpectedly.
"Empty..." Alucard murmured softly, the word lingering in the air.
Brok interjected, concern etched on his face. “Alucard... What does this all mean?”
Alucard's expression darkened, a storm of emotions and unanswered questions swirling in his mind. The news of Alaric's disappearance ignited a fire of anger within him.
“Don’t worry,” Davos reassured sternly, his anger palpable. “We'll have guards searching day and night. He won't escape after all that's happened.”
“Rest assured, Davos,” Alucard replied evenly. “He's likely long gone now. His identity stripped, his defences shattered. If I didn’t kill him during our fight, then he’ll need time to heal. It will be some time before he’s at full strength again.”
Brok's expression hardened, resolve etched on his features. “Then we must prepare for whatever comes next,” he declared firmly. “We won’t rest until this threat is ended once and for all.”
“Don’t worry, Brok,” Alucard said, his voice steady. “You won’t have to.”
Brok's brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean, lad? What are you planning?”
“I am going on a hunt...”
What a story! We really hope you enjoyed it. Luke is busy publishing his book for real and we will bring you news about this very soon right here on the Bayside website. To start again from the very first part please click here.
