The Immortalized Soul (Book 3 Original version)

-Six months later-

With the completion of the Hunter’s Association’s annihilation one year ago it seemed any combat between human and vampires ceased imminently. Do not be mistaken, humans went missing or died as they always had for the sake of thirst however for the sake of making a point no Syndicate vampire engaged in an open conflict with all humanity. Despite the infamous slaughter of thousands of humans connected to the publicized Association in reality, though none would admit it, their demise brought about the end of the human/vampire war. There was only one war now, between the Syndicate and what remains of the Nation. There were few vampires, especially Purebloods who placed their loyalty with Queen Eona, who lies captured by the Syndicate’s Pureblood King. The mansion had long since been burned to the ground, nothing remained of the place they once called home--less than ten Nightcorian Knights remained, but without the Commander of the Guard, they only bickered among themselves.

The Nation’s acting leader was Noblemen Jake Burgati, a genius vampire who was gifted with controlling and creating ice. This powers was rare among vampires, close in relation to the five elemental powers, combined with his intellect very few saw reason why he should not be in charge. Jake spoke for the release of the queen and an end to conflict among vampires. Though his words meant little to Syndicate his fighting did earn him respect among his elders. He did not forget the sacrifice his best friend made, despite their absence from one another’s for two years before her fall he still felt she had not changed.

Regardless how dark and unforgiving her actions were, one thing Jake was certain of: Kira would never betray Lady Eona. Though he could not justify his friend’s course of actions they were not wrong, but they were not right either. Maybe she had grown tired of this world’s sense of right and wrong and did away with both--none would ever know now. Jake had gone to the mansion once, but only to flames as Kira burned it down; walking out of its foundation with a human in her arms. Jake did not know who the human was at the time, to his dismay he didn’t even recognize Kira until she had passed him with the last words spoken before initiating her carnage.

“This world is wrong.”

Jake leaned back in his chair setting down the day’s report from the frontline. They were on offense, but the war itself was in a standoff at the enemy’s front door. Their location was difficult to get to to begin with, within remote mountains the castle had been protected by a natural defenses for millennia. The Nation’s list of allies grew thinner by the day, only two Purebloods remain true to Lady Eona and the rest have turned their fangs in favor of Lord Alucard. There was a small sliver of light, many members of Syndicate, in truth they were friends of Kira, had turn-coated and joined the Nation.

Their strength was a large turning point in the war and significantly increased victories. If one could call them victories. Jake was sure this was not what Kira wanted, she would likely have figured out a different means to stop kin from killing one another. But Kira was dead so he did not dwell much on ‘what-ifs’. Preserving what she had done was enough. It seemed many traditions and powers of the old were going away or being surpassed by the next in line. Perhaps this was the new generation, fighting back in a way, wanting to create a new world where bonds of hatred and sorrow were no longer held. A free world.

This is what the Nation stood for, to forgive and move on so the mistakes of the past would teach and never be repeated--the cycle would not continue; sacrifices were necessary for this change, but how many? If there were too many then in the end there would be no one to protect, no one to continue on with. Jake pondered what the correct course of action he should take next--their end goal was to rescue the queen and put an end to Lord Alucard’s tyranny, but who could defeat him? Would he be defeated; killed; imprisoned? How could anyone stand against a supposed god? There were no heroes; the kind-hearted people died long ago now only villains and tyrants remain. The problem when fighting the king is that he is not insane and his ideals are not whole-heart-edly evil, therefore asking him to change a path he has walked for ten thousand years is not within reason. To Jake even it is too much to ask that of anyone so convicted to their dream--if only they had met by other means the noble would have enjoyed having a conversation with him. Captain Evergale, formerly of Syndicate, entered with Adam who greeted Jake with a satisfied smirk. The High Commander was not fond of the spy, but he believed in Kira’s judgement of him and therefore trusted his intentions of helping the queen.

“The king has no intention of entertaining our rabble.” Adam began when pouring a glass of whiskey.

“He doesn’t see us as a threat and quiet frankly I don’t either. With the Association gone and the queen in his hands he believes he has already achieved victory.”

Jake shot him a dirty look, but nonetheless he was not wrong. The Nation was in chaos, its true leaders were dead or captured and many had lost their will to fight when the Reaper fell. They needed to rally the vampires behind a solid cause, not just to rescue the queen, but something as ever-lasting as their lives--they needed hope. Adam sat in a chair and opened up the book entrusted to him by the only person he had placed his own hope in. He had read it time and time again memorizing each word and phrase; arriving at no common answer Kira had before and from that day she truly became the Reaper: the Association was the start of the human/vampire war and it ended with them.

For he who had seen all of history’s greatest heroes and villains, the Reaper was a villain who played the hero. She was a chaotic justice, accepting the reality that words would do no good she took the evil actions that led to good. The bard admits that the immortal had been a marvelous character in his tales: Requiem of the Reaper, but to his dismay the One-Eyed Reaper’s story had come to an end and it was not a glorious one. The Reaper chose the road less traveled, the path no others would walk; bathed in darkness she was humanity’s protector as the book had said, she was its savior. Rather than allow humans to destroy themselves as the Association would have guided them towards she eliminated the few to save the many. The Reaper saved humanity over the vampires, now the vampires were alone they would destroy themselves if things stayed the same. Adam with his better judgement knew...the Reaper was not wrong.

“I, on the other hand, do not think he has won. We can have something he does not.”

Jake tilted his head quizzically and flustered, “What does he not have that we do?!”

“Unity.” Adam jesters his finger, “We lack the conviction to arm ourselves against our own kind--a courtesy the Reaper took on herself I trust--”

“Her name was Kira Nightraven!”

Jake hated the name given to her, making her to be the enemy of the entire world! Adam grew quiet, he would ignore the insult to the name he had bestowed onto her for ignorance. He was a vampire whose’s titles and names were an honor to receive, but the boy knew no better; his reasoning would be explained when the time came. The bard continued, “The Nation wants to save the Lady Eona, but then what? They have no sense of vision, what will come about by saving her--they lack a bigger picture and for those of us who live for eternity we must have conviction.”

“What are you suggesting then? What conviction other than saving our queen who have given us a place to call home can we have?”

Hatred is more lasting than love. History has proven this fact, many times it is the reason a person can become stronger than any. For vampires the will to kill is far greater than to protect, it was bred into them by the war against humans. The war has not even been over for a year therefore the hatred will not fade for many years, but it can be redirected. The Reaper was a testament to this--she hated humanity, but after seeing it was her vampire mother who caused her suffering she changed. No one knows what she thought, or what led to her thinking that genocide was the answer, but it was ‘something’. Adam often thought about it, but after watching how Kira’s strength grew more ‘after’ she discovered the truth of the doctor’s death. Did she obtain power out of hatred for Catherine or out of love for Eona?

“Redirect the hatred for humans and the Reaper, to the one who has caused the circumstance we stand before today.” Adam clenched his teeth, “The Arrogant Pureblood and Ancestor named Alcuard.”