The Immortalized Soul (Book 3 Original version)

“The Association is no longer necessary.”

That declaration was and was not surprising to hear from the vampire. Marcus had entertained her long enough and sought to end it quickly. The clouds hung in the sky occasionally covering the haze of the moon. Thinking back, it was a night just like this when he received the scar on his body. He would have very much liked to kill her, but Kira had robbed him of that pleasure.

The queen was out of the way now, she came a lot easier than he expect and was slightly disappointed. He hoped for more of a fight, but the moment they reached her room she had given herself up without one. Alucard took her away and many of his men pulled out, but a few remained. The Reaper would be coming for Eona, but she would be too late--the Pureblood Vale was left with a handful of soldiers who would hunt the remaining Nation fighters and deal with the Reaper when she came.

Marcus didn’t understand then why the Reaper would come, he was informed that she was with the Syndicate. They must of had a falling out--a double-agent perhaps? Looking at her now, knowing who she is made all the scattered knowledge come together. He sent his Investigators; they fired, threw, slashed and bashed Kira repeatedly, but she did not die. You. The Reaper grabbed one weapon and held it steady, catching a glimpse of Sierra. Stay out of my way. Flames burst from around her, throwing and burning those within ten feet.

Killing humans was less painful than she thought. No. Killing overall was not as painful as she thought--if they is an enemy kill them; an enemy is anyone who kills innocents; innocents are those who have done no evil; evil is the act of killing another without good reason. Kira killed evil, those who killed vampires without reason; simply for existing!

“If you make it out of here what next? Your queen has abandoned you; your comrades are dead; you have nothing left.” Marcus tapped the tip of his blade on the ground.

****...left willingly. Kira looked to the man’s body having the understanding that everyone’s death was in vain.

Who was he?

It was all for nothing. **** had to have known Kira would come, if so then why--why didn’t she believe in her!? The white-haired immortal grabbed her head, her fire dimmed when fathoming the idea that perhaps **** had no faith in her. Why would she go with him, why didn’t she wait? Kira promised she would come back and yet her lover was nowhere to be found.

Who was she wanting to protect?

The one time. Kira has refused to ask for help since ***** died, but this time is different! She doesn’t want to be alone, she can’t take it! Someone--someone please save her, its too much to take this all alone!

More hunters attacked and Kira couldn’t concentrate enough to evade. It was all a lie. Every time she was wounded her injuries would heal instantly and that pain eventually dulled. You broke your promise. They promised: they would be together after this was over, forever and yet...Eona so easily believed such a tale.

Kira slipped and hit the ground. I did everything you asked and yet...you...have no right... Marcus ordered her execution. No right...TO BETRAY ME LIKE THIS! Fire kicked up like a wave, burning vehicles, weapons, people, nature--She cried out. There was no one to comfort her, no one to help her when she needed it most; no one noticed--that was fine before, but after this...Marcus leaped from behind an overturned vehicle and swung. The Reaper grabbed the blade, allowing its razor-ed edge to rapidly cut her palm. Sierra electrocuted her. All of you--should disappear! The weapon’s heart bared her fangs, knowing now the worst possible outcome has occurred. The Association is the only means humans have of protecting themselves and this sage would not be the one to cause their fall!

Marcus reached behind his coat--another blade went to cut, but Kira leaped back in time. They fought, their movements having them move to inside the mansion. The President’s sword hit a candle stand, knocking it to the window and catching the drapes ablaze. The house burned.

“I often wondered--why did you kill Catherine De Sandres? Weren’t you two comrades?”

Kira clenched her teeth and for a moment Marcus believed the flames took the form of a skeletal hand and reached at him. He jumped back.

“We weren’t, not ever--she killed my *****, tortured me, but in the end reaped what she sowed.”

She erased every fiber of that woman’s being. Marcus understood that much, but something else bothered him--at the Senate meeting she took an odd interest in Kira, when she was human, which means there was usefulness or Catherine knew something else.

“What’s worse was she was the one who gave birth to me--is that justification enough for you?”

Marcus grew wide-eyed. She was your mother? The ceiling caved in, Marcus moved from its path though Kira simply blasted it away. That’s impossible. The Reaper brought down her hand and snapped the sword in half. Then you’d have to be-- Her hand drove thru his chest, past his ribs, his lung, and out the other side. You’re--

“Don’t die--” Kira said softly, “I’m not finished with you yet.”

In his eyes were reflected the form of a demonic skeleton. He could not see it in great detail, but enough to know that was surely the Grim Reaper. How could he not be angry? His betraying ex-wife lied about their child and yet she was been in front of him the entire time and he didn’t notice--no. She died a long time ago, the only thing in front of him now is a vampire.

“Y-you...sh-should--ave never...been--b-born!”

What would killing him achieve? What could she hope to do against the entire Association? One vampire, one vampire could not fight against an army of Investigators! Marcus hacked blood into the pool at their feet, his chest was going numb and his consciousness was fading. Kira yanked her hand free, she wrapped her fingers around his throat and suspended him in air.

She tilted her head in annoyance at his burst, “Its not like I asked to be.”

Kira broke his trachea, allowing him to suffocate and choke on his blood at the same time. It was agony--her eyes fixed on him with a satisfied grin, she finally broke.

“****abandoned me; Alucard betrayed and manipulated me; Sierra planned to use me and Catherine tried to kill me.”

The building continued to collapse around them, burning away the evidence of this house’s history. Beams fell, crushing cabinets of dishes; the stairs caved in, filling the basement with ash and ruble; Marcus’s heart stopped--what a disappointment.

Kira left his body to burn with the rest of the house. She walked the familiar steps, finding the fire’s ash had been carried all the way to a man’s body and a fresh layer covered him. Her hands curled under his back, lifting him into her arms she walked again. I’m...in Hell.

Kira stood over the corpses of hundreds of departed souls. She had stood for a quite a bit of time, an amount she did not care to notice because it would go on and on while she would be apart from it. Eternity was not thought of as curse, not at first. Eternity ‘alone’ became an endless nightmare.

The occasional pop of fire broke her concentration, but then again there was hardly anything to concentrate on. They were small-bursts of distraction, something to think about other than her next target. That was all that crossed her mind now: kill. When in this state, when alone to fight she lost her sanity, her memories; the reason she had to kill, all of it was forgotten. Kira wore no expression, she stared blankly at the fields of battle she created; just another in a never-ending cycle.

She finally found her will to walk again: onto the next battle, the next carnage--the Association must be destroyed, never again to plant the seeds of hatred within humanity. Once they are gone, then Syndicate was next--a betrayal for a betrayal; none would exist to cause conflict; the world would know peace. What would come after for her she wasn’t sure, nor did she care.

Kira didn’t know why she wanted the world to know peace, what had it done for her expect cause pain? No. That wasn’t it, peace was a side-effect, she wanted assurance--no one would go thru what she did ever again. This world is a never-ending nightmare; betrayed over and over, left alone to take on the burden of what has happened. She could not think straight--everything was distorted and the noise of crying souls made it all the more difficult to grasp a clear thought.

She stopped when seeing Syndicate, debating whether she wanted to kill them or not.

“There she is!”

They attacked her, she felt their intent to kill and gave the same. So Alucard has decided to end her after all? Why? She has done what has been agreed and yet he means to tie up loose end ‘now’? Quite frankly she is actually doing him a service--annihilating the Association is better than simply keeping them out of the way. If he is going to kill her, he better do it himself! Its insulting to send lower servants to make an ‘attempt’.

Kira grabbed one, incinerating him, but that action didn’t slow the others. They were assassins. One slashed at her back, another at her leg; they were fast. It was then she discovered that her flames could cloak her and protect her. The moment they touched her their own bodies caught ablaze vertically allowing them to kill themselves. More arrived. Leave me alone. She was no one’s puppet and would not be erased as if she was! You’re annoying. The second wave lasted less than the first, with the wave of Kira’s hand flames erased them at once.

Her cloak extinguished and again Kira walked; falling shortly after losing the sight of sun when her eyes shut.

However long she slept it was the best had in quite some time. A gentle hand caressed her head, pushing her hair to one side, an action that was enough to wake her. Kira contemplated her view and realized she was laying on this stranger’s lap, though had no hurry to get up from said position--it was comfortable.

“Did you sleep well?” Her hand covered Kira’s eyes, blocking the ability to see the stranger’s face.

“I don’t sleep.”

The was the most peaceful she had ever felt and wondered if she was indeed awake. Its too good to be three, therefore this must be a dream, an illusion, created by the woman who strokes her head so calmly and with a warm touch. Kira listened and only heart the sound of her own heartbeat, odd considering if this was a dream she should be able to hear another’s.

The voice was a woman’s, it sounded youthful, however holding a ting of age making no older than late-twenties. Kira searched her memory for anyone matching that description, however only Triss came, but it was dismissed knowing that neither sounded alike. The woman’s hand moved, allowed for Kira to see her face--Sierra?

“Who are you?”

The face may be hers, but Kira knows that is an illusion.

“Don’t you recognize me?” The woman asked curiously.

“You’re not Sierra.”

The woman smiled, having yet to cease caressing Kira’s head.

“What makes you think that?” She watched Kira’s single eye blink crimson.

“Because...” Kira signed “She’d try to kill me.”

Kira thought it odd that she laughed at that. There was no reason to think it odd--everyone is trying to kill her--and yet with this person in particular the fact she was surprised to hear that seemed unnatural. Who isn’t trying to kill her now? No one can be trusted, can be believed; they all seek is to accomplish their own goals. Use what you can. Use who you can.

She grew annoyed and recited the limit of her questions: this woman, whoever she is gets no more than that.

“You get three questions, I have no time for anything else.”

“Very well.” The familiar face, and unfamiliar person smiled in agreement, “Why would she want to kill you?”

Kira had something behind the woman, a shadow with crimson eyes; its hand reached out to her, passing thru the woman’s hand and resting on Kira’s head.

“She believes the Association is necessary--she’s wrong, they’re all wrong.”

“Is that why you wish to kill them all?” The shadow’s face, if it had one looked at Kira with the same curiosity the woman had.

“I don’t want to kill them...” The young woman said quietly, “I have to.”

Now she could not fathom what started her resoning for this act.

Kira looked at her hand, in one moment it was clean and in the next it was soaked in their blood. They have to be erased, if not the cycle will continue and many more innocents will die:

Kill a man, one is a murder; kill a million, a conqueror; kill them all, a god--Jean Rostand

“It doesn’t matter, regardless if you eliminate the Association and the Syndicate their sins will continue by the system they created long before you were born.”

The blood was gone from her hand and it was rested on her chest. Kira let out a heavy sigh--what was she to do? She did not know the answer, what lies beyond her enemies; revenge against those who created what she is. The final question was asked:

“What is your wish?”

Kira shut her eyes, unable to remember a time when she was happy. Those memories are distant now, overwhelmed by pain and sorrow and those memories were what kept her going before. She wanted to make a world for someone, but that person’s name and face have long since faded in oblivion. That dream is no longer possible--it became a living hell the moment Kira realized how twisted the world is and that the dream that person wanted could not be achieved by mutual means. In order for her dream to come true, Kira’s became a nightmare.

“My wish?”

Kira opened her eyes to the explaination, “Yes, I want to help grant your wish.”

“Why?”

“I thought I was the one asking questions?”

Kira ignored the statement and the silence prompted the woman to answer the question regardless.

“You are the only person in this world who can truly understand me and I am the only one who can understand you.”

Someone who can understand her? ‘That’ sounds like a dream. Kira looked at the shadow harder.

“Someone who understands me...”

She has always known Kira--the first time she picked her up they were connected. Kira thought she held Sierra, but there was another; a powerless mind who watched like a fly on the wall thru that woman’s eyes. When Kira touched their surface their hearts crossed, when she wielded them against the immortal they fought together and when she was wounded by them her blood was tasted. She knows Kira better than anyone and is the closest being to seeing the One-Eyed Reaper’s true face.

Kira has only met her once, the one time she could muster the strength to venture undetected, but she had frightened Kira away. Sweet sweet child, if there was only one person she could trust and believe in it would be her. There were no lies, no manipulations, she only ever sought someone to understand her and at last one has appeared--Kira Nightraven, the only and first half-human, half-vampire.

The woman leaned forward and kissed Kira on the forehead, passing all knowledge necessary to prove the truth--only this woman can understand her.

By the time Kira awoke again she possessed all knowledge the Goddess did. She knew the origins; the root of suffering was attachment. Bonds. The bonds created by the God of the Sun who choose humanity over his own daughter and lover. He died. She lost. Their daughter continued alone. Her wish was her father’s wish: vampires were a danger to humans.

Kira sat up, puking at horrific carnage that was worse than the fall of the First Reign. This woman is an origin--the last origin of the cycle who created this situation! No...Kira gripped her eye, what is to blame is the curse! The Curse of the Nightraven, Alucard continued that curse on his own when he choose to carry out his father’s will with his mother’s mission. Its always one to dominate the other, they never try to understand another and create falseness and illusions of who they are to fool the other.

“My wish...” Kira whipped her mouth and stood. Closer and closer she walked, now knowing what the Goddess sought and understanding what she herself wanted she can make a clear choice--life with purpose.

Outside this plain Kira stood, seeing the crystal coffin who imprisoned the one who would grant her wish. Hei was motionless beside the crystal, he could tell what her choice was without even asking; humans can understand each other like that.

“We’ve met before...haven’t we?” The youngest asked touching her chest, “That’s why I feel so at ease with you.”

The Reaper walked with purpose, with focus and for the moment a clear mind; placing her hand on the crystal she invited the soul in.