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The sounds of destruction raged on above Alucard as he frantically carved runes into the distance mirror. The group’s situation had erupted into chaos as Dracula’s demons discovered them in the Belmont Hold. The demons had somehow broken in, despite the magic door that sealed the only entrance. Trevor was keeping the monsters busy for now, but Alucard didn’t know how much longer the Belmont could hold them off. Sypha was researching information on how to harness Dracula’s Castle, but in order to actually gain control of the structure, Alucard had to fix the distance mirror so he could locate it.
Alucard tried to stay calm as debris fell from the higher levels as a result of Trevor’s battles. He couldn’t let himself panic, or he would lose concentration and carve the runes incorrectly. His father had taught him how to activate distance mirrors, and he tried his best to remember the little details needed to get this one working.
After a few minutes, the distance mirror finally shimmered to life, revealing the dark landscape outside. There it was—Dracula’s Castle. Alucard put his gloves back on and studied his old home. It was just as he remembered it: a massive, dark monstrosity with towers that cut into the black, clouded sky.
“There you are,” he muttered to himself, exhaling a breath that he didn’t realize he had been holding.
Suddenly, the image in the mirror flickered, and Alucard watched as the castle flashed a brilliant blue and disappeared. The mirror’s magic followed the structure to its new location—a city that Alucard recognized as Braila. As the castle touched the ground, the city streets erupted into a shockwave of cobblestones, dirt, and dust. Buildings were crushed, and people ran away screaming. Alucard took a deep breath, knowing what he would have to face once inside the castle.
Alucard glanced away from the mirror and saw Trevor battling a demon that had feathers like a raven. It had no face—only a skull with a long beak made of bone. The dhampir watched as Trevor swung his Morningstar Whip wildly, the demon only dodging a few of the blows. Alucard returned his attention back to the mirror. He needed to stay focused.
Alucard suddenly froze and inhaled sharply. There was a tremendous pain in his chest, and his hands instinctively went to the site. He slowly looked down to see a sharp spear protruding from his sternum. Blood soaked his white shirt and dripped onto the ground below him. He turned his head and saw a demon holding the other end of the spear. The demon was scrawny, with bandages covering the top half of its face, its eye sockets visible through the cloth. It also had two big black horns on the sides of its head.
Alucard was in a state of shock, and panic filled his chest. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He was afraid to move, fearing that moving would only make the situation worse. Before he could further process what was happening, the demon lifted the spear and twisted it. Alucard cried out in terrible pain as he was lifted a few inches off of the floor. The spear was now firmly lodged in Alucard’s chest. His vision started to go blurry, and it took everything he had to keep his eyes open. The demon dropped him back to the ground, and plunged the spear deeper into Alucard’s back, pushing him forward. Alucard let out another cry of agony. He couldn’t believe what was happening, yet he stared down at the nearly two feet of wood sticking out of his chest.
“Alucard!” Sypha screamed from the opposite end of the hold.
A fireball shot past Alucard’s head and incinerated the demon that held the spear. Alucard collapsed to his knees, his hands gripped weakly around the spear. Sypha sprinted towards him.
“Oh my God...” she gasped, staring with wide eyes at her companion. “You-You’re going to be okay, Alucard. Don’t worry, you’re going to be fine.”
Alucard could barely muster a response as he found that it was becoming quite difficult to breathe.
“Trevor!” Sypha yelled. “Trevor, I need your help!”
The Belmont dropped down from over the railing a few moments later.
“I dealt with all of the demons, we should be clear for transporting the castle,” he said. “What is it that you need help wi—?”
Trevor stopped abruptly upon seeing Alucard. The dhampir had a spear plunged through his back and coming out of his chest. The tip was covered in Alucard’s blood, and it dripped slowly into a puddle on the floor of the Belmont Hold. Alucard remained on his knees, the effort using every ounce of energy that he had left.
“Shit...” Trevor muttered.
Sypha rushed to Alucard’s side and held his shoulder.
“Trevor, what do we do?” she asked, her voice trying to stay calm.
“We need to remove the spear,” Trevor replied in a calmer tone, knowing that panicking would make the situation worse. “The spear has a smooth tip, so we should be able to just pull it out from behind without causing further damage to his chest.”
“We should be able to?” Sypha asked. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
“Honestly, no, because I’ve never had to pull a spear out of somebody before,” Trevor responded. “But, it’s our best bet, and we need to take action immediately.”
With that, Trevor joined Sypha at Alucard’s side.
Alucard’s eyelids were becoming heavy, and his consciousness was slipping away. The pain was unbearable. He couldn’t clearly understand what Trevor and Sypha were saying. The only thing that he could process was the pain.
“Hey, stay with us, Alucard,” Sypha said as she noticed Alucard’s eyes closing. “You need to stay awake.”
“I’m going to remove the spear,” Trevor said. “I’m not gonna lie, it’s going to hurt like hell, but it has to be done.”
Alucard made no response.
“All right, here we go...” Trevor said.
In one swift movement, the hunter yanked the spear from Alucard’s body. Alucard cried out once again, now fully awake and alert. Searing pain erupted in his chest, and his vision blurred. Alucard looked down and saw his hands dripping with his blood. He felt sick. His alertness was disappearing as quickly as it had come, and he felt himself fall sideways, before Sypha caught him in her arms. Then Alucard blacked out.
***
“Alucard?” Sypha asked, as she brushed Alucard’s long pale-blonde hair out of his face. “Oh, this isn’t good...”
“It’s fine, it’ll be fine...” Trevor said quickly, fidgeting as he tried to think of a solution.
“What do we do?” Sypha asked.
“First of all, we need to stop the bleeding,” Trevor replied. “The thing is, there are two wounds—an entrance wound and an exit wound. We need to put pressure on them, and we could do with some of the cloth from your robes, if you don’t mind.”
“On it,” Sypha said.
Sypha gently placed Alucard on the floor and ripped a large piece of cloth from her blue Speaker robes.
“Like he’s mentioned before, his wounds heal depending on the injury,” Trevor said. “I’m guessing this is a pretty severe one—even for a vampire like him—so we’re going to have to take care of the wounds until he’s able to heal himself.”
Sypha nodded as she started to press down on Alucard’s chest where the wound was. Alucard groaned and stirred slightly.
“Trevor, I think he’s waking up,” Sypha said. Then she looked at the dhampir. “Alucard?”
Alucard coughed. “S-Sypha?”
“Oh, thank God,” Sypha said. “How bad does it hurt?”
“It...it is terrible...” Alucard muttered as his head lulled to the side.
“Ah—Don’t worry, Alucard. You’re going to be okay,” Sypha reassured.
Alucard’s eyes closed once again.
“Wait a second...” Trevor started. “Move the cloth for a moment. I need to take a look at the wound.”
Sypha obeyed, and Trevor knelt down next to Alucard. He moved the fabric of the dhampir’s clothing out of the way so he could get a better look at the stab wound.
“That’s not good...” Trevor said under his breath.
“What?” Sypha asked. “What is it?”
Trevor rested his palm on Alucard’s rib cage, just right of the wound—where his heart was. The hunter’s face was tight with concentration, and a hint of worry.
“The spear managed to nick his heart,” Trevor said grimly. The hunter picked the spear up from the ground and examined it. “And the spear is made of wood...”
Sypha’s eyes went wide.
“Is he going to be okay?” she asked slowly. “It will still heal, right?”
Trevor dropped the spear and returned his attention to Alucard. “Honestly, I don’t know. I would think that since he’s half-human, the effect of a wooden stake to the heart won’t affect him as terribly...then again, a wooden stake to the heart would kill just about anybody.”
“But, it only scraped his heart slightly,” Sypha said.
Trevor sighed. “That’s the thing. It’s a wound, so it should heal quickly considering his vampiric nature...though it may take some time, since this is a severe wound. I guess the best thing we can do now is just stop the bleeding, and treat the wound as if Alucard were a human.”
Sypha nodded, and she and Trevor worked on keeping Alucard alive. Sypha pressed down on Alucard’s chest to stop the bleeding. There was too much blood loss for any human to survive, but she believed that Alucard would make it.
“I was down here with him. I should have looked out for him,” Sypha said suddenly. “Instead I was messing around with books and spells. He had to stay focused on the mirror in order to operate it, and I let him down. I failed him, and now he’s suffering because of it.”
“No, Sypha,” Trevor said sternly. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. If anything, this is my fault. I was supposed to hold the demons off and protect you—both of you. But I let one get away.”
Alucard suddenly shifted, startling both Trevor and Sypha as he regained some of his consciousness.
“Neither of you are to blame for this,” the dhampir uttered, without opening his eyes. “It is m-my own fault...”
Alucard coughed violently, squeezing his eyes tighter as the reflex hurt him more.
“Okay, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is,” Trevor said. “What matters is that you need to get better. I mean, you’re awake now, so I assume that your body is trying to fix itself. Any normal human would still be unconscious due to blood loss—which, in your case, is a lot by the way.”
Alucard nodded weakly, and Sypha grabbed his hand. The dhampir looked up at Sypha, and she gave him a small smile.
“You’re going to be all right, Alucard,” she said. “Don’t worry.”
“Are you able to tell us anything about an injury to the heart?” Trevor asked.
“It...it will heal in time,” Alucard said laboriously. “It must heal first before the other injuries—”
Alucard coughed once again.
“Okay, Alucard,” Sypha said as she gripped the dhampir’s hand tighter. “We’ll take care of you. We’ll fix this.”
“It is b-becoming quite difficult to breathe...” Alucard gasped.
His eyes began to close as he started to lose consciousness once again. Trevor and Sypha exchanged a worried look before returning their gaze to Alucard, where he lay unconscious in a pool of his own blood.
***
“Alucard’s heartbeat is getting weaker,” Sypha said as she continued to press down on Alucard’s chest.
“He’ll be fine,” Trevor said unconvincingly. “At least the bleeding is slowing down. I’m not too worried about the entry wound on his back, but the chest wound should be our main concern.”
“The best thing we can do right now is to just stay by his side until he recovers,” Sypha said.
“I suppose so. Besides, I hate to admit it, but we need him to help us defeat Dracula.” Trevor paused and looked at Alucard. “And...I don’t think we’ll be getting much help out of him considering his current condition.”
Sypha nodded, then turned her attention back to Alucard.
“Alucard,” she said gently. “Alucard, can you hear me?”
The dhampir stirred slightly and opened his eyes. Sypha noticed that his hands were shaking, and she placed her hand over his.
“Are you feeling any better?” the Speaker asked.
“N-Not entirely,” Alucard replied.
Alucard looked around the Belmont Hold. There was blood all over the floor—his blood. Sypha’s robes were ripped, and the dhampir noticed that Sypha was using the cloth pieces to stop the bleeding from his chest. Sypha and Trevor also had blood all over them. The distance mirror was nearby, and Alucard was suddenly overcome with a wave of guilt as he realized that he and his companions had failed in their mission to trap Dracula’s Castle...and it was all because of him. He should have paid more attention. He should have known that there was a demon behind him. Now he was bleeding out on the cold stone floor. They had made it so far, but now they may not be able to capture the castle. They would have to locate it again. All of the progress that they had made had been for nothing, because of Alucard.
Alucard’s heart started to beat faster as he began to panic. Sypha noticed this, as she still had her hand on his chest.
“Alucard, what’s the matter?” she asked as she looked down at Alucard with a worried expression.
Alucard tried to take a deep breath, but it got caught in his throat and he made a strangled noise. He couldn’t breathe. This was all his fault. He was going to die.
“Y-You two should continue the work on the castle,” Alucard said shakily. “Leave me, I will be all right.”
“What are you talking about?” Sypha asked, confused.
“W-We could have had the castle by now. We are wasting time,” Alucard managed to say. “G-Go on. Sypha, you can capture the castle. Belmont, make sure she is well-protected—“
“Hold on,” Trevor interrupted. “What’s this about? We’re not leaving you here.”
“This is my fault, all right?” Alucard exclaimed. “Dracula is a more important matter right now. This...” Alucard gestured at himself. “This is pathetic. Leave me be. I will heal. We need to go after Dracula.”
Alucard started to sit up, but Sypha pushed him back down.
“No, Alucard,” she said firmly. “You are the most important matter right now. You didn’t delay anything. We’re going to capture the castle, just...not yet. Not until you are okay.”
“Do not do this, Sypha,” Alucard pleaded. “My father needs to be stopped—”
Alucard suddenly fell into a coughing fit, and he moaned in agony as his muscles shifted. Trevor suddenly stood and bolted across the hold, turning a corner around some bookshelves.
“Trevor—!” Sypha called, but stopped and sighed. “Alucard, listen to me. Yes, your father needs to be stopped, but the only way that that is going to happen is if you are there to stop him. Without you on our side, I seriously doubt that Trevor and I will be able to defeat him.”
“S-Sypha...” Alucard said quietly. “You will do just fine—”
“No!” Sypha screamed. “Stop, Alucard! Stop talking like you’re going to die! You are going to be okay, do you understand?”
A sob escaped the dhampir and he looked at Sypha with desperate eyes. “I c-can’t breathe, Sypha...”
Alucard tried to take in air, but he could only cough and cry out in pain.
“What...?” Sypha whispered, shocked at what she was witnessing. “No. No, Alucard, this isn’t supposed to happen! Stay with me! Come on, Alucard, please!”
“I-I am deeply sorry. I have failed in our quest. Please do not make the same mistake. Promise me you will defeat my father. I never w-wished to put the burden on you, I am s-so sorry!”
“Don’t apologize, Alucard. You didn’t fail, you’re going to make it! You will be with us when we defeat Dracula—together. Just focus on my voice. Stay with me.”
The dhampir’s breathing quickened and he winced as he couldn’t fill his lungs. Blood poured from his chest as his wounded heart beat heavily against his rib cage. He wasn’t healing. He was dying. Sypha held back tears as she gripped Alucard’s hand. It was limp and cold, even through his gloves, and Sypha wondered if he could even feel it. The dhampir’s eyes closed again, and Sypha put her hand on his chest. His heart was barely beating now. Alucard was fighting a losing battle.
Trevor suddenly ran up to them with three glass bottles in his hand. The bottles were small and full of blue liquid. Before Sypha could say anything, the Belmont landed on his knees beside Alucard and opened a bottle. He gave the other two to Sypha.
“Quick, we need to give these to him now,” he said. “He doesn’t have much time left. I’m not completely sure if this will work, but the only thing that we can do now is try.”
“Potions...” Sypha muttered. “Where did you get them?”
“I saw a few bottles on the shelves when we first entered the hold. I’m assuming they’re pretty old, and these are just normal potions, so they probably won’t do much, but...” Trevor sighed. “We can’t lose him.”
Trevor held the dhampir’s head up and carefully poured the liquid into Alucard’s mouth. The dhampir didn’t move, so Sypha gave him the second potion. Alucard’s hand began to shake in Sypha’s grip. He opened his eyes and saw Trevor’s face looming over him.
“Wh-What did you do?” the dhampir asked.
“We gave you some potions. Are they helping?”
Alucard nodded and put his hand on his chest. He felt the wound begin to close under his fingers, and his heart felt stronger.
“D-Do you have more?” he asked.
“This is the last one,” Sypha said, holding up the remaining bottle.
The Speaker held it to Alucard’s lips and he drained it quickly. He brought his hand to his head and lay there for a moment. He could feel the holes in his chest and back close, and the blood stopped spilling from his body. Alucard slowly breathed in, and to his relief, he didn’t cough. He could breathe again.
“He’s healing,” Trevor said.
The hunter moved the fabric of Alucard’s shirt away from his chest and watched as the dhampir’s flesh slowly mended, leaving no trace of a wound. Alucard lay there for a while, letting his eyes close as he tried to catch his breath and calm his uneven heartbeat. Sypha rubbed his arm and ran her fingers through his hair as he recovered.
“Alucard,” the Speaker said.
The dhampir opened his eyes and looked at her. “I feel better, Sypha. Thank you.” He looked at Trevor on his other side. “Thank you too, Belmont. I...probably would not be alive if it were not for you two. I do not know how to repay you—”
“Oh, hush now,” Sypha interrupted. “Do not worry about a thing. We told you that you would make it. We simply kept our promise to you.”
Alucard slowly sat up with his companions’ help, and he looked around the hold.
“I have made quite a mess of your home...” he said to the Belmont.
Trevor smirked. “It’s fine. Look around—I basically flooded the stairwell with demon blood already. What harm will a little puddle of vampire blood do?”
“That is surely one way of putting it...”
Trevor laughed. “So, how are you feeling? I mean, you don’t have a hole through your chest anymore, so I suppose that’s an improvement.”
Alucard hummed. “Yes. I believe that my heart has healed, thanks to you and my healing abilities. We should get back to work on the castle.”
“Are you sure you’ll be able to?” Sypha asked. “You can rest a while longer if you need to. Trevor and I can get the spell started again.”
“No—” Alucard winced as he moved to stand. “I am all right. I can help—”
“Alucard,” Sypha gripped the dhampir’s bicep as he got to his feet. “Please, I want you to take it easy. I will start the locking spell on the castle. Trevor can scout for more demons. You stand back—just watch. You know more about the castle than I do. You can still assist me.”
Alucard hesitated. “Are you certain?”
“Positive. This way, you’ll have your energy back by the time we enter the castle. Then we can defeat your father once and for all.”
“Listen to Sypha,” Trevor said. “She’ll probably put a locking spell on you if you don’t.”
Alucard exhaled sharply, as if he was trying to hold back a laugh. He covered his mouth and turned his head away.
“Oh, you think that’s funny?” Trevor smiled. “Well, keep trying to push yourself and we’ll see just how funny it is, right Sypha?”
“Definitely,” Sypha laughed.
Alucard looked at the ground, hiding a small smile beyond the shadows of his face.
“If you insist,” the dhampir said finally, looking up.
Sypha smiled. “Then let us begin.”