Final Part
Alucard held his blade tightly, his grip firm against the handle. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared into the yellow-glowing eyes of the man he had known for the past several weeks as Alaric. The facade had fallen away, revealing the true man before him, the same yellow eyes he had seen all those years ago.
His entire body trembled with fear, his mind screaming at him to run away, to flee from the unearthly presence looming before him. Every instinct urged him to turn and escape, to leave behind the horrors of his past and seek refuge in the safety of the unknown.
His heart pounded like a relentless drumbeat, each thud echoing the terror that consumed him. It felt as though the very air had turned to lead, weighing down his limbs and suffocating his resolve. Every fibre of his being begged him to retreat, to abandon the confrontation that awaited him.
But deep within the recesses of his soul, Alucard knew that running would only delay the inevitable. The spectre of his past would continue to haunt him, relentlessly pursuing him until he confronted it head-on. He couldn't escape from the shadows lurking within his own history, no matter how fast or far he ran.
With a trembling hand, Alucard tightened his grip on his blade, drawing strength from the flickering ember of courage still burning within him. Despite the fear that threatened to consume him, he knew he had to face his demons, to confront the darkness that had plagued him for so long.
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Alucard squared his shoulders and met the gaze of the being before him. "I don’t know who or what the fuck you are, but you are going to die right here, right now."
"Is that any way to speak to a close friend, Alucard?" the creature taunted. "That's such a shame. I was enjoying our talks. You opened up so much to me. Aren't we friends anymore?"
As Alucard closed the gap between them, he went for the strike. But Alaric moved with inhuman speed, grabbing Alucard's arm and slamming him into the ground. With the shock and force of Alaric's attack, the unstable ground gave way, and they both fell into darkness.
Alucard hit the ground hard. It was pitch black. He scrambled to his feet, taking in the darkness around him. He wasn't sure where he had fallen or how far, but he could see that he was in a circular room with six columns holding up the ceiling. After a few moments, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he could make out a few objects in the room.
It was only then that he noticed the foul stench in the air. The smell of death was overwhelming, and bones were scattered at his feet, looking as though they had been there for a very long time. Alucard picked up one of the bones and a tattered piece of cloth from the remains nearby. As he held the bone and cloth, he set the cloth on fire, the flickering flames revealing more of the room.
The dim light cast eerie shadows across the ancient stone walls, and Alucard could see the remnants of long-forgotten lives scattered about. The flickering light illuminated grotesque carvings on the columns, depicting scenes of torment and suffering.
He knew he had to stay alert. Somewhere in this forsaken place, Alaric waited, ready to strike again. Alucard steadied himself, the blade in his hand feeling like the only anchor in this world of darkness and death.
Suddenly, the air went cold, still and silent. Alucard knew he was not alone. It was down here with him. There was just still silence and then a voice, a cold and desolate voice, piercing the darkness as if it was all around him, surrounding him from all sides. Alucard's heart pounded in his chest as he strained to see through the darkness, his senses on high alert. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as the voice spoke again, closer this time, and more menacing than before.
“Far from home, Hunter,” said the voice. Alucard looked around, swinging the fire trying to catch a glimpse of it. The air grew colder, every breath Alucard took made his lungs burn with icy cold. There was a low, eerie sound of laughter.
“Poor little Alucard. Famous Monster Hunter, of the great house Morgraine, left all alone, nowhere to go... nowhere to hide... You're going to die down here.”
Alucard stayed calm. He did not lower his guard, not even for a second. He knew if he left an opening, even for a second, it meant his end.
“You were the monster that was killing everyone in the town, weren't you?”
“Clever little Morgraine... you are right. I am the monster, the shadow in the dark, the one that goes bump in the night... I came to this town many years ago. You see, I was hungry. I needed to feed, so I killed and fed. But what I did not know was that the man I killed was the town's mortician. It was perfect—they had no one to examine the body... so I stepped up, I took the job. I could kill with ease, hiding my attacks... never running low. But unfortunately, my killings started to get noticed.”
“So, you were the one responsible for the killings in the town,” Alucard said, his voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and resignation. “You hid in plain sight, feeding on the unsuspecting townsfolk while masquerading as one of them.”
The voice chuckled, a hollow sound that reverberated through the darkness. “Indeed, little Morgraine. I fed on their fear and their suffering, all the while hiding in the shadows, biding my time until the next hunt.”
“You may have hidden in plain sight,” Alucard said, his voice steady despite the turmoil raging within him, “but it did not last forever.”
“Indeed, you are correct. Over time, many came to the town seeking me out, trying to be the hero, saying they had come to save the poor innocent people. But they did not last long... though I must admit, some were entertaining. Davos started to look like a fool, trusting anyone who offered help. It even cost him quite a bit... but then they showed up—Maxwell and his followers. I must admit, I did not see anything to worry about. But not long after they arrived, Maxwell sent his little lackey after me... Gabriel. I must admit, he caught me off guard. I was mid-feed when I was attacked. It was a good fight, but I needed to let him think he killed me, so I disappeared.”
Alucard listened intently, every word from the creature adding pieces to the puzzle. His resolve hardened. This was not just a hunt; it was a battle of wits and wills. The monster had played a long game, but Alucard was ready to end it.
“Maxwell and Gabriel,” Alucard muttered, “they made themselves right at home, right in your feeding ground.”
“Yes... and in doing so, I had to hide within the shadows. As they plotted their little scheme, I had to keep a low profile. That damn book of theirs could have given me away, so I couldn’t just kill them. No, I needed to be smart. I knew they had plans to remove people who were in their way, but without leading it back to them... so I did some killing of my own. My targets made it a lot easier to point the blame at them.”
Alucard listened intently, his mind racing as he pieced together the intricate web of deceit and manipulation that had shrouded the town in darkness. The revelation that the voice had orchestrated its own killings to divert suspicion sent a chill down his spine, a grim reminder of the depths of its cunning.
“So you used their own schemes against them,” Alucard said, his voice tinged with a mixture of awe and revulsion. “You played the role of puppet master, pulling the strings from the shadows while they danced to your tune.”
The voice chuckled darkly, a sound that sent shivers down Alucard's spine. “Indeed, little Morgraine. I saw they were having problems with Brok’s brother Sigfree, so I killed him, leading a path towards them. The seeds of deception were starting to take root, but I needed to push harder... The killings led to that of a monster. I needed it to lead to the man himself.”
Alucard's eyes narrowed as he listened to the voice's sinister confession, his mind reeling at the extent of its machinations. “You killed the Lord’s son and his girlfriend.”
“Correct. I needed a much larger push, and I knew there was no love between Davos and Maxwell. So, I poisoned the girl in a way only a human could. And you walked right into it. I knew you would be able to find that type of poison. It’s true it has been lost for hundreds of years, but we both are so very old. Knowing where Maxwell came from, I knew it would lead back to him. And as for his own son, well, that was really for me. I needed to feed, and in doing so, I left evidence. I had the ghouls rip into his body—they were more than happy to do my bidding. They were terrified of me.”
Alucard's fists clenched at his sides, his anger simmering beneath the surface as the full extent of the voice's malevolence became clear. The deaths of the Lord's son and his girlfriend were not mere casualties of circumstance; they were calculated moves.
“You were there that night, Alaric, so talk...” Alucard's voice rang out in the darkness, his tone steady despite the fear that gnawed at the edges of his resolve. He held the flaming cloth aloft, casting flickering shadows that danced across the ancient stone walls.
The voice, dripping with malice, seemed to emanate from the very shadows themselves, its words twisting and echoing in the still air. Alucard's heart raced, but he refused to succumb to the suffocating grip of terror that threatened to consume him.
“Talk, you say?” The voice chuckled, a cold, hollow sound that sent shivers down Alucard's spine. “What would you like to talk about, Hunter? Your past? Your failures? The lives you've taken in the name of righteousness? Or perhaps the people your family took from me?”
Alucard's breath caught in his throat at the mention of his family's deeds. The voice's words hung heavy in the air, each syllable dripping with bitterness and ancient resentment. It was as if the darkness itself held a grudge against his bloodline, a grudge that spanned centuries.
“My family's actions?” Alucard echoed.
“Or should I be more precise... your father’s actions,” the voice whispered, its tone laced with mocking disdain.
Alucard did not answer. He couldn't. He didn't fully understand what was going on, how any of this related to what happened all those years ago.
“Got nothing to say, dear boy? No... you don't understand what is happening, do you? It's quite simple—the sins of the father, my dear boy...”
“What does my father have to do with this, Alaric? You're talking in riddles.”
“It is quite simple, little Morgraine... your father, Darius Morgraine, hunted me down for over two hundred years, chased me all over, never giving up the chase, never stopping. I could not rest, I could not live. Anywhere I went, he found me... always aiming for my head...”
The voice words hung heavy in the air, each syllable laden with centuries-old bitterness and resentment. Alucard's mind raced as he struggled to comprehend the gravity of the revelation. His father, Darius Morgraine, a name he had heard countless times in tales of heroism and sacrifice, now cast in a different light.
“You speak of my father as if he were a monster,” Alucard retorted, his voice tinged with defiance. “But he fought to protect our world from the darkness that threatens to consume it. He fought to protect us all.”
The voice laughed, a cruel sound that echoed through the darkness. “Protect? Is that what you call it? Your father was a hunter, a predator, just like me. He revelled in the hunt, relishing the bloodshed. And now, you bear the weight of his sins, little Morgraine.”
“Hunters have been killing monsters for years. What makes my father's actions any different from any of the great houses of old? There were hundreds of houses; they hunted your kind for as long as time itself.”
The voice responded with chilling calmness, its words cutting through the shadows like a knife. “Ah, but your father was different, little Morgraine. He wasn't content with merely hunting monsters. He sought to eradicate us, to wipe us from existence without mercy or remorse. He saw us not as beings with lives and families but as nothing more than prey to be exterminated.”
“You said he hunted you, never stopping, always on the chase, but yet here you are?”
“Yes, little Morgraine... Here I am. You see, there was a time when I found peace. A place I could call home, a nice, quiet, small village in the middle of nowhere. I kept a low profile, not to attract any unwanted attention, and then I met a man, a young man who lived within the village.”
Alucard listened intently, his mind racing as the voice spoke of its past. He realised that the photo on Alaric's desk was not of his great-grandfather, but of himself, and the man he spoke of was the one present also in the photo.
The voice continued, its tone now tinged with an almost nostalgic sadness. “This young man, he was different from the others. He was kind, always trying to get me to open up about my life. Over time, a friendship grew, and I became fond of him. One night, as the moon was high, I disappeared into the woods to feed. It had been so long—I was so hungry. Little did I know he was following me. He saw me feed; he saw who I truly was. But he did not run, nor was he afraid. I was terrified, but all he did was embrace me. I felt whole for the first time in a long time... we became lovers, Alucard. I wished to spend the rest of my life with him.”
Alucard's heart sank as he listened to the voice's tale unfold, his mind struggling to process the revelation. The pieces of the puzzle seemed to slot into place, revealing a picture that was both tragic and beautiful in its complexity.
“So the man in the photo... it was you,” Alucard whispered, his voice barely audible in the darkness. “And Alaric... he was the one who showed you kindness, who saw beyond the monster to the person beneath.”
The voice let out a sigh, its tone heavy with sorrow. “Yes, little Morgraine. Alaric was the one who showed me that there could be more to life than endless darkness and despair. He saw the good in me, even when I could not see it myself. In doing so, I felt complete. He even asked me to turn him into a vampire like me, but I did not want him to be like me. I wanted him to live his life as a man, so he could go through life not hiding, not running, but as a man who lives a simple life,” the voice said.
“We spent many years together, and without him, I felt empty. I did not want to lose him, so I did what I said I would never do: I finally agreed to turn him. But not long after, your father picked up my trail. I was away that night when your father came to my home and found my beloved Alaric...”
“I came back that night to find my home destroyed. Your father took from me someone very special. The hatred I felt that day was beyond comprehension. In doing so, I took Alaric's name as my own and planned not just your father's undoing but your entire bloodline's. You know the good thing about immortal hunters, Alucard? Your family has many, many enemies. It was not hard to find them; in truth, they found me. And together, we plotted and planned for years. Once we found your little hidden spot, we built a plan to bring down your defences.”
Alucard's grip on his blade tightened, his knuckles white with tension.
“It took many years, I must admit. They were very troubling, but all defences fall in the end. When they did, we stormed in like an unstoppable force. We killed and slaughtered everyone, bathed in the blood of the great house, and set it alight. The screams filled the air—it was like music to my ears.”
As the voice recounted the horrors of the past, its words dripping with malice and vindictiveness, Alucard chill now turned into a cold sweat. The sheer brutality of the tale sent shivers through him, and he struggled to comprehend the depth of the darkness that dwelled within this creature.
The voice revealed in its recounting, relishing the memories of destruction and chaos with twisted glee. Each word carried the weight of untold suffering, a reminder of the atrocities committed in the name of vengeance.
Alucard's heart grew heavy as he listened, his mind filled with sorrow and regret. He felt the weight of the bloodshed that stained his family's legacy. Anger built up inside him; he ground his teeth and swung the torch rapidly around him, trying to hit Alaric, but to no avail.
Laughter filled the pitch-black room. Alaric's cold yellow eyes appeared from the darkness, then disappeared again, only to reappear behind Alucard and vanish once more. He was mocking Alucard, playing with him before the kill.
Alucard's heart raced as the mocking laughter echoed through the pitch-black room. With incredible speed, Alaric attacked, moving like the wind. Alucard barely had time to react. Sharp claws sliced his arm, not too deep, more of a warning. Then came another strike, and another, each time faster than the last. Alucard was getting cut all over, each attack deeper than the previous one. The laughter grew louder.
“I have enjoyed our time together, Alucard. In truth, I was going to let you leave, never revealing myself, and wait until you were far away from this small town. Then I would have destroyed it. I would have killed everyone; there would have been no survivors. The streets would have run red. I would have displayed their bodies as a warning all over the town, and then everyone would have known you failed once again to save those you care so much for, Alucard.” Alaric began to whistle a haunting tune once more.
Without warning, Alaric attacked. Alucard staggered under the onslaught of Alaric's relentless strikes, his body a canvas of pain as sharp claws tore through his flesh.
Each hit brought searing agony, a grim reminder of the peril he faced in the darkness. But he couldn't let himself be defeated—not by this creature, not after all the pain and suffering his family had endured.
As Alaric's mocking laughter filled the air, Alucard gritted his teeth against the pain, his mind racing. The town, his friends, innocent lives hanging in the balance—he couldn't let Alaric's twisted plans come to fruition.
“Don’t worry, Alucard. It is almost over now. After I kill you, I will still destroy this whole town. You will have plenty of company in hell.” Alaric went for the killing blow, but right before the attack, something unexpected happened. The compass Alucard was holding, the one Brok gave him, emitted a blinding light, filling the room and chasing away the shadows. At that moment, it blinded Alaric. Alucard slammed the torch into his face, causing him to yell in pain as they both tumbled to the ground.
For a brief moment, the balance of power shifted, the advantage now in Alucard's favour. He saw his sword lying on the ground and quickly retrieved it. The compass lay nearby, still glowing with a powerful light. Alaric stood in the far corner of the room.
“This game has gone on long enough, little Morgraine." As Alaric spoke, his body transformed, revealing his true form. A chilling darkness enveloped him, his features contorting into a grotesque semblance of a vampire. His once-human face twisted and elongated, his limbs stretching into sinewy appendages that reached hungrily towards Alucard.
The vampire-like being loomed over Alucard, casting a long shadow across the chamber. Its eyes glowed with malevolent intensity, filled with a hunger that sent shivers down Alucard's spine. “I see Brok made the compass I asked for. I will have to thank him, right before I kill him. Now, if you don't mind, Alucard, I have enjoyed our little game, but now it is time for you to die.”
With a primal roar, Alaric launched himself at Alucard, his elongated claws slashing through the air with deadly precision. Alucard danced nimbly out of reach, his sword held at the ready, the light from the compass casting flickering shadows across his determined face..
The chamber echoed with the clash of steel and claws as Alucard and the creature engaged in a deadly dance of blades. Each blow was met with a fierce counterattack, the sound of metal ringing out like a macabre symphony in the darkness.
Alucard fought with every ounce of strength he possessed, his movements fluid and precise despite the weight of his disadvantage. The creature's attacks came fast and furious, its sinewy limbs moving with unnatural speed and agility.
With each exchange, Alucard felt the sting of the creature's claws, his flesh torn and battered by its relentless assault. Blood flowed freely from his wounds, mingling with the shadows that danced around them in the dim light of the chamber.
But Alucard refused to falter, his determination unwavering in the face of overwhelming odds. With a defiant cry, he pressed forward, his sword flashing like lightning as he sought to find a weakness in his opponent's defences.
The battle raged on, each combatant pushing themselves to the brink of exhaustion in their quest for victory. Alucard's muscles screamed in protest with each movement, but still, he fought on, driven by a fierce resolve to protect those he held dear.
As the minutes stretched into eternity, the chamber became a battleground, a swirling vortex of violence and chaos. Alucard's every instinct screamed at him to flee, to escape the clutches of his monstrous foe, but still, he stood his ground, his courage unwavering in the face of certain death.
Summoning his strength, Alucard pulled his bullwhip from his belt. The whip cracked through the air like thunder, its leather tendrils slicing through the darkness with deadly precision. With a deft flick of his wrist, Alucard lashed out at the monstrous form of Alaric, the whip tearing through the air with savage intensity.
The leather tendrils coiled around Alaric's grotesque flesh, biting deep into his sinewy limbs with relentless ferocity. With each strike, the whip tore through Alaric's defences, shredding his grey skin and exposing the raw, pulsating flesh beneath.
Alaric roared in pain as the bullwhip tore into his being, his unearthly cries echoing through the chamber like a symphony of agony. But still, he fought on, his yellow eyes burning with primal fury as he sought to crush his adversary beneath the weight of his monstrous strength.
Alucard pressed his advantage, his movements fluid and precise as he danced around the chamber. His bullwhip cracked like lightning with each strike, driving Alaric back and forcing him to retreat beneath the relentless assault.
But Alaric was not easily defeated. His monstrous form writhed and contorted as he sought to break free from the grasp of Alucard's whip. With a guttural snarl, he lunged forward, his elongated claws slashing through the air with deadly intent.
Alucard dodged and weaved, his reflexes honed to a razor's edge as he evaded Alaric's savage onslaught. With a swift motion, he leaped into the air, his sword flashing in the dim light of the chamber as he drove it deep into Alaric's chest.
A guttural roar filled the air as Alaric staggered back, his monstrous form convulsing in agony. Alucard's blade tore through his flesh, and with a final, desperate effort, Alaric lashed out, his claws raking across Alucard's face with savage ferocity. Alucard leaped back, pulling the blade free. Blood dripped from Alaric's wound.
Both knew this was the end—the next attack would decide the outcome. As they leaped toward each other, the compass went dark, plunging the room into darkness once more. But it was too late to stop their attacks. Alucard believed in his blade and struck, and so did Alaric.
In the heart of the darkness, Alucard's blade met Alaric's flesh with a resounding clash, delivering the final blow. The steel sang as it sliced through the air, seeking its mark with unwavering resolve. In that crucial moment, as the world held its breath, Alucard poured every ounce of his strength into the strike, his muscles straining against his adversary's resistance.
But even as his sword found its mark, driving deep into Alaric's heart, the vampire-like being lashed out with savage ferocity. Alucard felt the searing pain as Alaric's claws tore into his side, ripping through flesh and bone with merciless precision. A torrent of agony washed over him, threatening to consume him in its unrelenting grip.
With a guttural cry, Alucard staggered back, his body wracked with pain as he struggled to maintain his footing. Blood flowed freely from his wound, staining the ground beneath him. The fight was over.
Alucard staggered to his feet, his hand clamped tightly over the gaping wound in his side. His clothing was damp, dripping with blood. The cold, dark cave had taken its toll on him, and he could feel himself fading fast. He knew that if he stopped moving, he would die alone in the frigid darkness. But he had to keep going.
Gripping his wound tightly, Alucard started walking out of the cold, dark cave. He had no sense of how long he'd been moving. All he knew was if he stopped, he would die. Guided only by the icy wind blowing in from outside, he stumbled forward, leaving a trail of blood along the rough cave wall. Digging into his pouch, he fumbled for a small bottle of purple liquid, his hand shaking with weakness. Finally, he managed to pry off the cork with his teeth and drank the contents in one gulp.
He writhed in agony as his body attempted to heal itself, the wound on his side throbbing with pain. Gritting his teeth, he let out a guttural scream, feeling as if he was being torn apart from the inside. Despite the excruciating pain, the wound only partially healed—a reminder of the elder vampire's lethal blow. He needed a healer if he had any hope of surviving.
Alucard knew he was fighting a losing battle. His body was strong, but even he couldn't heal from such a devastating wound. The elixir eased some of the pain, but it couldn't stop the blood loss or the creeping cold threatening to swallow him whole. He forced himself to keep moving, hoping there was a way out.
He knew if he stopped moving, he would die. The cold worked in his favour, slowing his heart rate and reducing the blood loss. Climbing upward, driven by sheer willpower, he finally saw a glimpse of starlight. Smiling, he muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. Using all the strength he had left, he climbed higher, his body aching with every movement. He couldn't stop now. Not when he was so close to freedom.
With a burst of strength, Alucard stumbled out of the cave and collapsed on the ground outside. The frigid air burned his lungs as he gasped for breath, tasting blood on his lips. He knew he was dying, but he couldn't help but look up at the stars shining in the night sky. They seemed so far away, so unreachable.
He couldn't move, and the loss of blood numbed his body. He stared into the night sky, finding it peaceful. The stars shone brightly, beautiful and distant. Alucard couldn't remember the last time he had stopped to look up at the stars. He felt himself slowly slipping away, falling asleep. He knew if he closed his eyes, he wouldn't open them again. He didn't mind. He had lived a long life, a good life. This would be a good death.
His mind rushed to memories of his past—his family, friends, people he knew were no longer in this world. He saw his sister, her smile that always filled him with joy when he returned home. It was getting harder to breathe; blood filled his mouth. It was time. Alucard didn't fight it; he embraced it. He closed his eyes and drifted into the long good night.
To read the Epilogue of this fantastic digital book by Luke Franklin please click here.
