**Author's note: I was going to add this section to "Feel the beat of my soul" … but I might re-write this scene for that story (when I eventually stop being lazy and update it. Hehe)**

Castlevania: Precious Memories Castlevania © Konami

Shoving the heavy door to gain entry and forcing my way inside, I found myself stood within a small unfurnished chamber. It was almost in complete darkness, the only light emitting from a mysterious floating entity- a purple orb radiating above the crimson carpet in the middle of the room. Pulsating faintly, I listened intently as it called me forth with soft whispers, almost like that of a heart's gentle beat as I curiously advanced to inspect. Its shape became distorted as my hand drew closer, changing gradually, morphing into a what resembled an open casket… a place for me to rest?

Exhaustion overcame my better judgement. My body was weary from battle. I just needed a few moments to collect my thoughts, to allow my uncertainties to settle. I couldn't resist the temptation of comfort, or the yearning for momentary relaxation at the sight of this sombre solace. I lay my head against the silken lining of the sarcophagus, permitting my eyelids to slowly drift close. Ignoring my minds apprehension, my tired body urged me to surrender as the coffin's walls enclosed around me, sealing me in a secluded state of...sweet...slumber.

I awoke suddenly, eyes widening; panting in confusion as my gloved fingers traced the scuffed cobbled surface of the stone floor I was knelt upon, stained by dry droplets of blood. Was that mine? I questioned, touching my face as I heaved myself up from the ground, struggling to successfully stand. I looked towards the night sky, overcast by angry clouds. The stars were obscured by a memorable shade of gray, blocking out their shimmering brilliance. The leaves of the surrounding trees' were withered and dead, dwindling from their broken branches in the stale stagnant breeze. I turned my head to the sound of angered jeers, anguished cries growing louder in the distance. The strong smell of fear stung at my nostrils as I felt an intense tightness swell in my chest and a feeling of haunting nausea in the back of my throat.

I know this place. I thought fretfully, remembering each individual building as I walked down the paved pathway, detecting the distinctive scent of fire as I caught sight of a gathering of towns people in the centre of the square.

No! It can't be… It's happening again!

I ran, sprinting towards the congregated crowd wielding their sharp spears and blazing torches, knowing already what I would be faced with, that it would already be too late. Forcing my way through the horde of spectators, shoving them hastily aside. I stopped suddenly, reeling with heartache as I noticed her bare foot and bleeding, hanging by her bounded arms on a crucifix of wood.

"Mother!" I yelled hysterically, sickened by the sight of her body so callously restrained, so helpless and alone. She lifted her head weakly, her eyes glistening with defeated tears which coursed uncontrollably down her colourless cheeks.

"That voice. Alucard…it's you."

"I'm coming, mother. I'll save you!" I frantically assured her, weaving through the scene of injustice havoc to release her from the containing chains and protect her from the blame. She was only trying to help them, they were ill. She didn't deserve to die!

"No, Alucard. Don't come here!" She pleaded, her eyes begging for me to escape the corrupt insanity plaguing the towns people before they turned on me as well.

"But mother!" I protested, remembering back so long ago and aching with despair. It was exactly the same as it was back then. I allowed her to sacrifice herself. I stood back and watched. I wouldn't allow it to happen again. I could stop it this time!

"It's alright…" She soothed, looking down to me with such bravery, such admiration in her words. " If my death can save others, I'd gladly surrender my life."

"Mother! No!" I begged, finally exceeding the mass of angered bystanders restricting my rescue and halting in horror in front of her shackled stand. I reached out to her, desperate to cut her down, to ignore her selfless act. "Please, NO!"

"Yes, Alucard. Watch me die and remember always my…last words…to you."

I stopped reluctantly, watching with an unblinking gaze as I once again agreed to follow my mother's final request. She'll ask me now to forgive them, to show them no harm. However much I appalled their inhumane treatment of her and loathed their lack of understanding. I shall always honour and respect her wishes.

"Yes, mother…" I replied with unwilling agreement, waiting tensely for her concluding desires. She looked down to me, parting her trembling lips. I listened mournfully for the soothing tone of her gentle voice, for the wavering words she'd soon softly speak to settle my growing anxiety- the part I hated visualizing the most.

She suddenly spoke…

"You must…despise the humans. They are to be your prey!"

"What?" I spluttered in shock, looking up to her in disbelief. But, you always said…

"Better for them to die than to let them compound their sins?" She smiled sinisterly, excitement present in her elated features as she nodded down towards a child in the crowd. "Begin by slaying that one over there."

"No! It, it wasn't like this!" I stuttered, backing away from her, baffled by her spiteful scorn.

"What's wrong, Alucard?" She asked with curiosity, a shadow forming over her malicious eyes as she began to grin with enjoyment at my evident uncertainty.

"My mother never said such a thing!" I snarled, staring up to her twisted smile, not understanding how she could be so cruel!

"What do you mean?" She asked tenderly, returning to her gentle manner, her cold words relayed with sympathy. "Kill them, and bring them happiness."

"No!" I growled through gritted teeth, glaring down to the floor; unable to properly think with this new unfeeling image of her now in my head. This is not how I remember it. There was never hatred in her eyes, nor malice in her voice. As I scowled back to her tear stained cheeks, to her eyes now flickering with revulsion towards her own kind, I recalled her last dying moments- the same last moments that have forever played over and over in my mind. They were nothing like this. She had courage in those eyes, compassion in her phrase. She would never condemn a fellow human being to death, nor appeal for me to kill!

"You're not my mother!" I snarled angrily, staring at her smirking face in disgust and feeling nothing but internal numbness. "What kind of demon are you?"

I gasped, covering my eyes, hissing with discomfort as a dazzling light temporarily blinded me; blurring my limited vision with a forceful flash. An intense fire had erupted beneath the crucifix, rapidly rising and consuming the wood. Her body became overwhelmed by the flames, causing her to painfully scream as she fell from her restraining chains. Her fair hair covered her misshapen expression as her seared remains landed heavily against the cobbled street, burning in a heap by my feet. I stood defiantly, bleary eyes darting to the sight of her lying there smouldering, trying to convince myself that it wasn't really her.

Her head slowly began to rise from the ashes, but it was not my mother's face smiling smugly back at me, nor my mother's voice as she began to mockingly laugh. She rose gracefully from the floor, leaving the charred material of my mother's dress behind as thick black wings spread out from her back. Her once blonde tresses were now a fiery red, thorned roses tightly woven within the strands. She studied me standing there in confusion, obviously amused by my bewildered reaction. Exposed cleavage hung over a velvet corset, black lace weaved up her arms and neck. The heels of her thigh-high boots echoed loudly against the street's cobbled stones as she strutted closer with each sensual step, pleased as I observed with unease.

"You broke free from my spell." She sniggered, licking her lustrous lips as she slowly advanced, exhaling a lust fuelled groan. "I like that!"

I backed away slightly, watching with caution and swiftly withdrawing my sword. Her eyelids were hooded seductively, searching my soul for more signs of weakness as she hungrily assessed my form. Wretched monster, showing to me my deepest regret and twisting it to cause me pain. Your very existence sickens me, feeding from my grief.

"Demon, death is too good for you!"

She laughed, gesturing me forth with a wave of her finger, teasing me to attack. "Come here little boy. Show me what you've got!"

I charged at her, impulsively swinging my heavy sword, missing her by inches as she agilely evaded each furious hate filled swipe. Expanding her wings, she kicked off from the ground, soaring highly above out of range. I pursued, using the leap-stone to gain extra height and taking the battle up into the sky. She was fast, having the aerial advantage, swooping down when I could no longer stay airborne and easily assuming the assault.

She was outmanoeuvring me, catching me off guard while my back was turned, benefiting from my grounded position. I was too vulnerable on the street below. I needed to knock her down!

Dominating the air, her wings opened out fully; their skeletal structure beginning to stretch, the jagged bones shooting out. I brought forth my tattered shield, protecting myself from the strike, but it was knocked from my hand on impact, skidding across the ground out of reach. I yelped as my face was sliced by the sharp extending spikes, my feet unwillingly stumbling back as the bones began to retract. My hand instinctively grasped at the gaping gash, preventing the discharging blood from escaping through my fingers.

She prepared the attack again, maintaining an offensive stance. Searching for my shield, I dived for it, rolling out of the way just before the lance-like cartilage plunged back into the ground, impaling the floor where I'd stood. Scrambling to my feet, I swept back my cape, summoning destructive magic forth from the fibres and directing raging balls of Hellfire up into the sky. They struck her, scorching her skin, knocking her momentarily off balance. Grasping hold of the Faerie card from my belt, I threw it up into the air, beckoning for the minion's aid. A small sprite transpired from the text, springing to life from the textured surface, fluttering to my side to assist. She began healing my abrasions and granting me additional strength while the demon regained her declining elevation from my surprise attack.

The conflict continued.

I sent more projectiles up into the air, trying to force the demon to fight down on the ground. She suddenly vanished, fading from sight, only to re-appear on the opposite side of the sky. I ran towards her, halting in alarm as another apparition of her appeared before me, throwing off my senses as I looked uncertainly between the two. Which one was she? The sky soon became immersed by her presence, each vision flawlessly resembling the first. She was cloning herself- making exact duplicates of her appearance to confuse me so that I couldn't distinguish them from her real form. There would be no way of dodging if all of them attacked in unison. I needed to take as many down as I could before they instigated their devastating strike, before I was fatally aerially ambushed.

"Over there!" My familiar squealed suddenly, tugging on my hair and pointing to the centre of the sky. There was no way of knowing for sure, but I trusted my minion's judgement, setting my sights on the central Succubus who acknowledged my newfound awareness with a shriek.

I struck her, leaping, gouging my weighted blade across her torso and slicing through her barely covered flesh. She screamed with excruciating anguish, her blood splattering down to the ground; pouring from the substantial wound which she tried to cover with her arms as she struggled to stay in the air. She attempted to clone herself again in a bid to confuse me, to buy herself a little more time to recover. She was now too badly injured to trick me again. I could see the sheer agony oozing from her eyes as she merged herself in concentration, more mirages beginning to appear.

The same technique would be her downfall, there was no chance of her deception prevailing now. Focusing my mind, I narrowed my eyes. My arms had lifted, my fingers outstretched, smiling with satisfaction as I held her in sight. Each of her pathetic spectral illusions began to violently convulse, leaking their accursed essence as they futilely wailed, reluctantly bestowing to me their inner core. Her repulsive soul was mine to steal, and I took every drop I could get, removed every sordid scrap she possessed. Her worthless life-force flowed from her, spiralling towards me, favourably sustaining my own and my body lifted with the glow of freshly revived rejuvenation.

She tumbled from the sky, unable to handle the immense damage I'd inflicted. Plummeting instantly, she collided forcefully with the floor, blood seeping from beneath her defeated mass once contact was made with the street. I surveyed with utter hatred as she attempted to lift her head, unwilling to surrender. Cradling her mutilated stomach with one hand, she struggled senselessly to her knees.

"Darkling, I smell your blood." She wheezed heavily, staring up to me briefly before looking away in shame. "Y-you're a vampire…"

I remained silent, bringing my gloved thumb to my face and wiping away the flakes of dry blood from the corner of my mouth while my faerie familiar took residence on my shoulder.

"Could it be?…" She gasped in astonishment, turning back and crawling distraughtly towards my feet. "That strength, that beauty… you're the son of Lord Dracula!"

I glared angrily down to her as she rubbed her face apologetically against my legs, clutching at my trousers for forgiveness. I shook my head in disgust.

"Death in the dream world will set your soul wandering for all eternity, Demon." I snarled, kicking her down forcefully with the heel of my boot. I turned my back on her, walking away as she stooped over bleeding, coughing up excess crimson in a pool of her own tainted blood.

"Wait, I beg of you!" She screamed, attempting to reach out to me, for me to excuse her solemn mistake. Her last dying cries lingered in the distance as I left her to agonizing suffer, for her to endure a slow and painful demise.

You can't take those precious memories of my mother away from me…

They are all I have left of her.