Everyone held their breath as they watched the fog give way, revealing a man that they knew to be Soma yet didn't exactly look like him. It would seem that the transformation hadn't only taken place on the inside but on the outside as well. One of the first things they noticed was that he looked awfully pale.

His hair, while still white, had grown so long that it reached his waist. It was a different texture as well. It was no longer straight but wavy. Then there was his face. He looked older… more mature… more regal… like Arikado…

"Is he…" Mina asked timidly.

Julius nodded. "There's no doubt about it. The whip is enraged by his presence. He's a vampire."

That statement was like a stake to the heart to Maria. Up until then, she had clung to the hope that somehow he would keep his humanity. To actually hear that it was so… It affected her deeply. A part of her felt as though she had lost her cousin, even though that much was still uncertain.

As if he could sense her grief, Arikado reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him. He held her tightly to his side, sword grasped in the other and ready to defend them should anything happen. Somehow, seeing how protective he was of her brought her comfort. Even if her fears proved true and she had lost Soma, she would still have her dhampir prince.

Soma's body was lowered to the ground, setting him down on his feet. A few moments later, his eyes snapped open.

Two eerie blood red orbs stared back at them…

"Welcome back, Lord Mathias," Death greeted his master, bowing to him out of respect.

The name was not one that Maria had heard before, but none of the others showed any signs of surprise. She knew that he had many names, much like his son. Perhaps this was his true name, the one that he rarely ever used?

Soma didn't speak at first, his eyes examining those before him one by one. In the end, his eyes landed on Arikado, where they lingered for an extended amount of time.

It was very brief, lasting no more than the blink of an eye, but Maria swore she saw his eyes soften in that second. Unfortunately, she couldn't tell for sure as his gaze lifted up to the ceiling, an intensity washing over his features as he stared up at something in particular.

"You can come out of hiding now, Shaft," It was still Soma's voice, and yet at the same time it wasn't the same. He had a bit more of European accent now… Like Dracula…

At his master's command, the creepy old priest appeared before them. All along, he had been following them … watching from the shadows as they wasted time hunting him down… It would seem that he had fooled them all.

"I am pleased to see you awake again, master," he said with a bow. "I have remained your devoted servant over the years and paved the way for your return."

"Indeed you have, and you will be rewarded for your efforts."

Shaft beamed with pride.

This statement put everyone on edge. It was becoming clear that it was exactly as they feared. Dracula remained ever the same… still clinging to his grudge against humanity...

Stepping forward, they were about to attack but stopped short when they heard Soma's next words.

"Death, give him his reward."

The pride vanished in an instant, replaced by fear and panic.

"With pleasure, my lord."

Shaft cowardly backed away as Death advanced towards him, his body shaking.

"No! W-Why would you kill me, my master? I only had your best interest in mind?"

"You kidnapped those closest to me, using them and my friends to lure me here all for the sake of fulfilling your plan, and yet you still expect to be honoured?"

At that, Soma hung his head as if in shame.

"You are just as foolish as I was when I abandoned my humanity … I see now … We are both wretched fools … Just as Leon said."

Maria felt Arikado's body go stiff. She didn't understand the significance of what Soma had just said, but he certainly did.

Turning, Soma went and took his seat on the throne, motioning for Death to continue. "For your crimes, I hereby sentence you to death, never to revive and walk this earth again."

Shaft screamed and cried for his master to have mercy on him, but his cries fell on deaf ears. Death reaped his soul and his body faded into nothing before their eyes. He would not be missed. No sooner was he gone, then a sense of calmness fell over the room.

It was over … It was finally over…

Everyone was silent as their brains tried to process everything that had just happened. They weren't quite sure what to make of it all. Soma had just ordered the death of one of his servants. Although it could be considered a good thing, it didn't help the apprehension they felt towards the newly awakened vampire. They had to wonder… What would he do next?

Mina was the first one to find the courage to approach him.

"Don't come any closer," Soma warned.

Mina stopped dead in her tracks.

To say that they were surprised by this was an understatement. Something had to be seriously wrong for Soma to be pushing her away still.

Soma closed his eyes, gripping the armrests tightly with his new claws. It was clear to see that he was tense.

"It's not safe for you to be near me right now," he explained. "I don't mean to push you away, but I couldn't live with myself if I devoured you."

"Soma…"

Mina tried to approach again, but was stopped as Death intervened on his master's behalf, putting himself in between the two of them.

"Forgive me, my lady, but the master is right. He needs time and space to recover from the ordeal he's been through."

Maria understood as much. She imagined it couldn't have been easy to relive nine-hundred-years worth of memories. Then there were the physical transformations he had undergone. It all sounded terribly draining.

"You are all free to do as you wish. You can stay or go, doesn't matter to me. I give you my word that the inhabitants of this castle will no longer bother you."

To think that they were actually being given the choice… Clearly Soma had broken through after all.

"I'm staying," Mina stated.

Maria weighed her options. Either way, she knew that she was free. Soma wouldn't hold her here against her will. Despite the bad memories that came with the place, she felt as though Soma needed his friends and family around more than ever. Isolation had only ever served to harm him.

"I'm staying as well."

Arikado glanced over at her with reluctance in his eyes, silently questioning her if she was sure.

She nodded her head to assure him.

"Very well…"

"I think I'll leave," answered Julius, putting his whip away. "It would be weird for me to stay here as a guest."

"And I need to get back to the church," Yoko agreed.

And with that, they parted ways. Julius and Yoko couldn't help but glance back in bewilderment, no doubt shocked by the fact that they were able to leave without killing the vampire lord for the first time in their lives. Before they left, they made Arikado promise to keep an eye on him and call them if things headed south. She hoped that such precautions would not be necessary, but she understood the feelings behind it. This was completely new territory after all.

She remained in the throne room for a while after the hunter and witch had left, watching Soma from a distance. He looked exhausted… Tormented even… She felt sorry for him. He didn't deserve this. He deserved to be human, living a normal carefree life with Mina.

"Death, show my guests to their rooms," Soma instructed.

"As you wish, my lord."

With a final bow, the grim reaper began to usher the remaining group out of the room, leaving Soma alone with his thoughts for the first time since he awoke...

No sooner had the doors closed and the appropriate time had passed to ensure nobody would hear him, he broke down and let everything out.

In his anger, he had hurt so many, even those he cared for most… Adrian… his own son… The greatest gift Lisa had ever given to him… The damage had been done to the relationship, and he feared that it was beyond repair. What could he possibly do to make it up to him? Though he would gladly go to the other end of the world for him, it did not matter. The trust was gone, as was the love.

He didn't blame Adrian for hating him. After all that he had done, he was undeserving to even consider himself as Adrian's father.

Images of his adorable little boy running about the castle came back to mind.

"Papa, come and play with me!" he could still hear his boy's voice.

How he wished that he could just rewind time. There were so many things that he wished he could redo. He wanted to go back and stop himself from betraying Leon… He wanted to go back and stop himself from pushing his own son away in favor of revenge… Alas, he didn't possess that particular ability.

It was just as well that he didn't. He knew himself well enough to know that he would end up abusing the power in the end, using it for his own selfish purposes. He knew that in the end, he would use it to stop his beloved wife from dying.

As much as he missed her, he had to let go and accept that it was in the past. He wasn't alone. Though he couldn't understand why anyone would wish to stay with him, the fact remained that Mina and Maria insisted on staying. Adrian … No, Arikado… Arikado had stayed only to protect his beloved and to keep an eye on him.

He wouldn't push them away from him, at least not completely. If Mina could find it in her heart to still care about him, then he would gladly accept her company. However, in order for him to even attempt to get close to her, he had to be sure that he wouldn't be tempted to drink from her.

Her blood sang to him much like Lisa's had, leading him to believe that there was a connection between the two. Perhaps Mina was her reincarnation after all. Either way, it didn't really matter. He was hungry and needed to feed.

Drying his eyes on his sleeve, he quickly pulled himself together.

"Servant!" he called out.

He waited a while, but eventually a skeleton butler came staggering up to him, his bones clanking as he moved. "What may I do for you, master?"

"Fetch me a goblet of blood, preferably from our stock in the cellar."

Nodding his skull, he staggered back out of the room.

The thought of drinking blood seemed a bit repulsive to the part of him that was still Soma, but he realized that he had little else choice. He was not like his son, who was able to resist the urge with relative ease. Unlike his son, he was a full vampire. His body needed it in order to survive.

Still, he would try to cut down a bit. As he recalled, he had a bit of a drinking problem before his death. He had enough in stock to last him a while, and when that was empty… Perhaps he would try acquiring it through legal means… A blood bank or something… For the sake of his loved ones, he would try to become a better man… If it was still possible for him to do so...