The Immortalized Soul (Book 3 Original version)

Night was possessing more light than day. No that could not be right...the moon was large, hanging over the eastern horizon as the sun died at last. It was so beautiful, so bright and so far away. That was a familiar feeling on its own.

For a time she could not tell if she was awake of asleep, her eyes were either open or shut. There was darkness all around, she was sure of that. A rustle of bush came from her right and it was then she knew her eyes to be shut because now she saw the source.

“I was wondering where you went.” Her smile, perfect, without lies--it was unreal.

Kira’s hair light, it was difficult to see however, the red of the moon over-shadows most colors during this time. It was white. Eona remembered that, but why it had become that way eluded her. Actually she could not remember anything, when she tried any images became fuzzy and distorted. Something else, Kira looked older, more adult and was actually the same height as Eona.

“You shouldn’t wonder off on your own, things are not as they were when you were last awake.”

Kira walked ahead, pushing clear a path when slinging the sack over her shoulder.

“Awake?” Eona followed looking around to determine where they actually were.

“How long have I...been asleep?”

Kira did not stop, but took a moment to answer, “A very long time.” Her eyes shifted to the ground, “But you’re awake now and that’s all that matters, there is nothing you have to worry about any longer.”

Strange. Kira’s mannerism is strange, her speech pattern is more mature, older--how long was she asleep for? Could it be that long? Kira does not look like she has aged that much--human or vampire? Eona watches the woman before her as they walk through the forest, but progressively Eona slows until they both stop.

“How long have you been waiting for me?” She clenched her fists, how long has Kira wasted away waiting for her to wake up?

The wind picked up, lifting Eona’s hair and pushing it into her face, blocking the sight of tears. Kira’s hair was bound in the back and only the bangs on either side of her temple was able to move freely. It was chilly, to humans that is what they would feel and Kira retained that feeling to this day.

The woman with an single gleaming red eye smiled when reaching her hand over Eona’s fist and eventually being allowed to weave her finger between them.

“Do you remember what I told you back then?” She pulled Eona forward and continued on.

“No matter what, my heart will always be yours and I will fight until the day I see you again. Those words have not wavered and no matter how long I have to wait they will continue to be true.”

They arrived at the tree line, something that had lost and gained much since that great battle so long ago. Many of Kira’s memories have faded during this long endless journey, but the ones that she clung to, that she held onto primarily to hold onto herself long enough, were all of Eona. This place was left scarred after that battle and still today these lands are healing, though they will never be whole--nothing can fill the gap.

Eona thought about Kira’s hand; steady, strong, protecting. She would not let Eona go ever again, she would never lose her ever again and now there is the decision of whether to tell her or not. Could she? Would Eona place blame on herself for something she was not aware of? No. Keep it hidden, she would not know of what was done--not fully. Eona would not accept something like that if it was done for her sake. Kira lives with that choice she made, a choice...she regrets.

They walked thru patches of woods, some large, some small and occasionally would come across ruins. Well...buildings she once knew were hardly recognized by the sheer amount of damage and overgrowth. Had she slept thru all of this? This is not just years, this is ‘centuries’ of decay. What happened here this town--this is where they lived, where Kira went to school! Half the town was nothing more than a single layer of rumble and the rest was overgrown, but within the overgrown streets were massive craters.

“Here will do.” Kira went into a building where half the building was overtaken by a large tree, providing the necessary cover the man-made structure lacked.

“What are we doing here?”

Kira opened her sack and laid out wood and handled a couple matches. A single flick of her wrist and the fire was lite. Matches? Eona stared in shock--Kira had control over flames so then why...? The white-haired woman leaned back and pulled out a blanket from the same pack and thru it over herself. Eona took it upon herself to sit on the opposite side until she for an explanation.

Kira chuckled knowing Eona would not be satisfied until she received an answer, “What do you remember?”

Eona pushed herself to break the static in her own memories. Why...why does she remember Kira dying? That can’t be right--Kira is here--why is she remember something else? Another life?

“When Alucard threw me against the wall back at the Senate everyone thought I died.”

For a time she thought she was, but it was the pain in fact that reminded her she was not. Eona did not know that, Alucard did not either and by the shock of seeing Kira ‘die’ Eona lost consciousness and never awoke. Alucard took her away, leaving a half-dead Kira to remain unknown in the hospital for months.

She failed to save Eona; her relationship with Emily took a turn for the worse and the Association had cut ties with the Nation. Kira fell into despair.

“Everything is your fault.” Wolfgang left her to drown in knowing that loss in this world is due to the lack of ability.

She had to get Eona back. No matter what she would get her back and she would kill Alucard in the process. That wish took a lot longer than she thought and required a lot more than than she ever hoped to endure. Unlikely alliances were made and lines were crossed--people died.

Catherine had shown Kira the documents, blood work, all of it to show what she would become if left alone. Not soon enough, that process had no timeline, no defiant results therefore they would speed up the process. True the experimental procedure to accelerate the cellular mutation had less than a fifty percent success rate, but the results would be unfathomable.

The procedure was unable to be completed--Alucard and Emily had found the two and set out to stop Catherine’s experiment. There were not soon enough, over half of Kira’s cells had already been mutated, but the sudden halt of the procedure caused an unpredictable reaction: likely due to the stigma breaking. The vampire cells went out of control, Kira’s body transformed: her flesh became black with cracks of red throughout, her eyes dyed blood entirely and her hair became snow white.

'A Ghoul?!' Alucard tried to act quickly, but his arm was seized and ripped off, the rest was kicked into a nearby wall.

“Give--her--back!” The voice cracked as the body stood from the table. Evil eyes stared the Pureblood King down as their possessor crossed her arms inward.

“GIVE EONA BACK!” Kira threw her arms out causing a shockwave that leveled the entire building and anything near it.

Alucard withdrew, leaving Emily to fight the newly-awaken immortal and Catherine alone.

'What do you think of my daughter? The fruits of our work has finally paid off and now the next generation of vampire has been born!'

Kira destroyed everything surrounding them, killing ‘Syndicate’ vampires and Association Hunters without discrimination.

“Have you lost your mind?! This was suppose to ‘gradually’ and ‘safely’ turn her, acceleration the process--!”

Emily blocked an attack by Catherine.

'Well if you two had not interrupted then she would be a complete vampire by now.'

Kira turned her attention to the two women and began attacking them. As long as she could subdue her daughter the small setback of her loss of reason was of no concern. Kira roared into the sky, clenching her fists when trying to restrict her own movement. Stop it. Catherine called to her daughter, telling her if she did not kill then she would lose everything all over again and she would never be able to save Eona.

Emily went after Catherine, silencing her venomous words with a slice to her throat. The doctor knew Kira’s heart had no room for her left, but her own would not be swayed. Her hand slipped into her pocket, feeling the syringe and Kira’s only hope.

‘What are you up to?’ Catherine grabbed Emily by the jugular and threw her to the ground, reaching into her pocket and removing the vial.

The vampiress giggled, 'A cure?' She smashed it in her palms, 'No matter, even if it was I doubt you would have even reached her. You could say that I saved you.' Catherine closes her finger tighter on her throat.

“You never--did respect your elders--!”

The shadow came from behind, it snatched the mother’s shirt and torn her from Emily bringing her around with a shout. Kira retained some sanity--no she erased Emily’s presence from the insanity to protect her, even if it was just this once.

Kira stood without walking for a time, she stared at the place she took Catherine from and in her eyes was nothing. Emptiness; unfeeling; aware. The shadow stepped towards Emily, reaching her hand to take ahold of another prey. Emily cringed and Kira reached past--grabbing her arm she lifted the British doctor to her feet and again ceased moving for a time.

“Just this once...” The voice cracked as did a portion of Kira’s face, under the right eye revealing the sky blue underneath.

“If you stand with him again...I’ll kill you.”

Catherine was proud of this raw power, but not with the rebellion against her and not Emily.

'If you do not kill her now she will only try to stop you from saving Eona!'

Kira glanced at her mother then back to Emily. Progressively her body cracked and broke away, like clay it revealed her original self more and more. In her heart she hoped that Emily would adhere to this warning, this one chance to save herself because without a doubt if they were to meet again it would be to kill one another. Please.

“Kira...listen to me...Alucard--you cannot win against him--let Eona go--”

A hand ripped thru her chest, crushing her heart before it reached the outside. More and more of the black broke away until Kira was once again herself. There were no words, no final goodbye only the last breath of a thought.

“Wh-” Emily fell into dust, caught by Kira whose own gaze was in shock at Catherine’s action.

'Emily?'

Her heart froze, dropping to her knees Kira found she could not gather the air to scream.

'She killed her.'

Everything went blank.

'She killed Emily--for no reason!'

‘She would have strayed you from your path. I have liberated another obstacle my child, do not dwell on the death of the weak.’

Kira flashes her hand around Catherine’s throat. The mother watches as the child’s body is engulfed by black masses, converting the normally flesh to jet black.

“‘You are weak. Without hatred you will lose everything all over again’. You told me that.” The mass works up her neck, finally clamping around her head.

Catherine panics, trying to break free to no avail.

“Let me show you how deep my hatred is!”

The fire cracked as it continued to die down. Kira fed it more wood, ceasing her story for the time being. Eona wanted to know more, but Kira refused until next night. She motioned though for Eona to move to her side. The Pureblood did so and curled under the blanket, leaning on Kira’s shoulder. This must be real. This is how she remembered her precious person right? Someone who would always fight for her sake, who would do anything and now they are together at last.

“It must have hurt.”

“Hm?” Kira had shut her eyes and nearly fallen asleep.

“You’ve been waiting for me all this time--you never found anyone else?”

“I didn’t want anyone except for you. No matter how long I would have to wait I would do so.”

Eona moved closer, feeling Kira’s warmth was all she needed. The fire continued to die and the night would soon become day and sleepiness crept closer. The elder weaved her fingers between the younger’s until they were completely intwined. She could hold back no longer, Eona moved one hand to Kira’s side and used the woven one to help push her to her back.

“I thought I lost you again...” Kira wiped her thumb along Eona’s cheek pushing away the tear.

“Don’t leave me ever again and you won’t.”

Kira was awake first. The sun died and by the time Eona had done the same everything was packed. She could have woken her, but Kira’s reason was having the sight beautiful woman naked under a blanket in the wilderness was too good to ruin. Eona laughed, pecking Kira on the cheek with the remark that this wouldn’t be the only time.

Once dressed the two waited until the sun set entirely and made way up the hill towards the Main House. On the way more overgrown craters were seen though they were larger the further up they went.

“This place was a war-zone...”

Kira corrected, “No...this place was Hell.”

Kira remembered that day above any other. Many battles were fought before then, too many to recollect. The Nation against Syndicate and any Hunters who stood in their way. Wolfgang, Jake, Nightcore, Purebloods, anyone who would stand to save the queen fought and in the end most of them died. Kira did not care about any of them, her only concern was saving Eona and killing Alucard. Anyone who died in the process was because of their own lack of ability.

Over and over and over, one after the next the fighting did not cease. Every time Kira though she was getting closer, the King would slip thru her fingers and take Eona with him. She killed. She massacred and anyone who challenged her way of life would meet the end of her blade. The immortal was infamous: known as the ‘White-Haired Demon’ her presence made the eldest and strongest of vampires crumble to their knees, begging for mercy.

Kira was insane, she could feel it in her bones; coursing thru her veins, but when had she become so cold? What did it matter? Nothing is wrong and everything is permitted so long as it means getting Eona back!

Jake died--cornered by Syndicate leaders he fought to his last breath. They had driven the Syndicate further over the edge, driving them to retreat to the overtaken Main House that once belonged to the Nation. Ian died--protecting Kira, he took a devastating blow by Vale in place of his sister.

They continued fighting without rest--humans were now engaged in the war against Syndicate, but there were occupied on other fronts. Marcus was publicly executed by Syndicate, but he was replaced quickly with a man much more agreeable than he. Their attacked destroyed land and buildings for miles around; meteors created from earth leveled entire platoons, but none could land their mark against the Demon. Wolfgang was killed during Kira and his tag-team against Alucard.

Eona was tucked safety inside the mansion, guarded by Vale and Elisabeth Sanders. If they engaged in battle then it was sure things had turned for the worst. Kira pushed her Ghoul-self to its limits and fearing any weakness she ate the flesh and blood of any she ensnared. She was reaching the end of her strength and life, but none of it mattered--she would save Eona, even if it meant losing herself to insanity. Alucard died...at a price. He wounded Kira severely enough that in order for her to survive she had to convert all her immortal cells into healing. She lost all her powers, all her invincibility save for an un-aging body.

The Demon retained many traits of her immortal prowess nonetheless, her eye could change at will, her hair remained white and her fangs were kept. In every-other essence she was human once again.

Kira was actually relieved of this. Eona had never known the ‘White-Haired Demon’. That side would never disappear, but she would hide it no matter what.

Not everyone they knew died during the war. Many members of Nightcore survived, maids, anyone who has possessed the will to live on this long--that’s fewer than the initial survivors.

“Is that why you wanted to wait until nightfall to continue?” Eona questioned.

“Old habits die hard.” She admitted, feeling some shame in being unable to rid her dislike of the sun.

Eona could have easily lifted Kira into her arms and made it up the hill in a matter of moments, but there was a liking in prolonging their destination. Maybe this was meant to slowly transition Eona into the new world. The Pureblood soaked in her surroundings, noticing that there were many more trees than what she remembered, but less than she expected.

They took a longer, scenic route that landed the near where the Old Man would have been...where he still is. Eona was grateful and surprised he remained, its not natural for a tree to live such a long time, then again he was already four hundred years old when Kira first came to the house.

Kira knew this tree--it protected her as a child from the sun, as an adult from Alucard, and now they protect Eona from this broken world she has yet to know. Of all things, that’s the one that has never changed. The immortal watched patiently as Eona ran around the massive tree searching for her mark. After a time she found it placing her palm and tracing its outline, reciting the same prayer when it was carved.

“Do you remember the day I carved this into the tree?”

Kira swung around the tree and peered at the carving, having no recollection of such a small thing. Was this when she was a child? If that is so then she would not recall, another cost of killing Alucard was also losing a portion of her memories, primarily those surrounding her childhood.

“I remember making a promise.”

Kira’s hand dropped to her side. She went walked forward and stood over Eona, looking directly into her eyes.

“But I cannot remember what that promise was--would you enlighten me?”

Kira wore a mischievous smile, placing her arm above Eona’s head when she corners the vampire against the tree. The vampire in turn grabbed Kira by the back of her head and pressed their lips together.

“You promised when you became an adult that you would be my bride.”

“Are you sure?” Kira smirked, “I was sure it was when I became taller than you.”

“What’s the difference?” They kissed again.

“I would have married you sooner.”

They locked hands all the way down the hill to the Main House. This was not the same as when she felt it--that one was destroyed by the shockwave caused by Kira and Alucard. It took many decades for these lands to begin healing and even longer to locate those who survived and propose rebuilding the original mansion together

Even if Kira had done it alone this place would not be Eona’s home. A home is one shared by memories and people who care about you. The human knew she alone could not do this and stretched her hands to ask others for help. Time had given her that wisdom: you can’t do everything on your own.

The mansion was just as she had left it, at least on the outside. Technologies have changed, but the members of the household have done their best to keep it the same as they remember. While their approach caused the house to grow bigger, the scale of the scars left by the war was clearly seen throughout the valley. Most were caused by Alucard’s meteors, but Kira admitted her part in creating the larger craters and the massive lake nearby was also her doing.

“Even though many things have changed, there is much that has not.” Kira opened the door into the mansion and as met in the great hall by maids, servants, and loyalists who have not strayed.

Children had grown into adulthood, having their own children and even them doing the same. Many generations stood among her company and welcomed her warmly. Those who knew her personally were the first to approach--hugging, laughing, crying. They have waited so long for this night.

Kira stepped back, allowing Eona to do as she wished while the human left the group and kept to the back. Eona was happy to see everyone again, to see their families, their futures--their lives. I’m so glad... Her tears of joy were seen and all rejoiced--their Queen had come home. She played with children, rediscovered old friends and realized just how long she had been asleep. A thousand years...? Eona looked beyond to see Kira who waved in turn. You’ve waited a thousand years for me to wake up. All this time.

Everyone talked about returning to this area, rebuilding, restarting new and old lives. When news of the Queen’s return reaches the lands beyond there will be uneasiness no doubt. Many believed her to be a myth after all, a relic--a historic figure from a departed Era. Most of this generation were peaceful, they did not know of war; suffering; hatred. The world of today knew no pain.

For Eona who sought after such a world she belonged here. Her light, her joy, the kind woman who took in a girl who clawed at her own flesh. This is where she should be, where she always wanted to be, and where she would remain; Kira would see to it.

Hm? Kira looked outside, to the forest beyond the mansion. Her eye shaded, glowing brighter as her vision narrowed in annoyance. Intruders were not allowed. They would not interfere, they would not come any closer, and they would not escape alive.