Chapter Text
With a heavy sigh, Alfred pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders, curling up into as tight a ball as possible. He listened to the wind howling outside the large windows, rustling the leaves of the trees and making the century-old castle groan. It was warm inside. There was a fire burning in the fireplace in front of the bed and the windows, for all their age, were windproof, but still, Alfred felt the chill in his bones and it made him wary.
He had no idea how late it was but it felt like he had been lying awake for the better part of an eternity. Which was ironic considering his location.
Two days ago, he had entered the notorious Castle von Krolock along with Professor Abronsius. With its gothic architectural style, it was both frightening and imposing at the same time. At night, it was definitely more the former than the latter.
For the umpteenth time, Alfred wondered how the professor was able to sleep so soundly. Turning around to face the old man, Alfred watched a dribble of saliva sliver through the professor’s white beard before slowly making its way down his cheek and softly seeping into the pillow.
"Peaceful old fool," Alfred whispered, "It’s no wonder your mind works so well when you’re able to get such a good night’s rest."
With a last smile at the old man, Alfred nestled back into the blanket and closed his eyes in yet another effort to let sleep overcome him.
He was anxious. Lord, was he anxious.
The idea of chasing after Sarah, to prevent her from a fate worse than death had partially been his own idea. And here they were. The victims of their own decision-making.
They had known fully well that Sarah had been lured to the castle by no other than Count von Krolock himself. There had been whispers in the villages. Whispers of a mighty vampire. A vampire who had the power of mind-control and who could tell the future. Alfred had had trouble believing in vampires when he first had taken on the job of Professor Abronsius‘ assisstant but the scholar had quickly proven to him that vampires existed and, slowly but surely, Alfred had immersed himself in the studies of vampire lore. Their goal was to understand the process of the transformation and the professor had high hopes of ridding the region of Wallachia of the evil Count. That he was evil was a given. He was no human, possessed no soul. He was an undead being. A creature. Cursed to walk the earth for all eternity under the cloak of darkness. And the darkness, Alfred knew that from his upbringing, was were the devil resided.
And now Alfred himself was inside the epicentre of said darkness. Inside Castle von Krolock. He didn’t know by how many vampires it was inhabited and he was scared. Scared of not knowing, scared of being defenseless, scared of being on the meal plan. It wasn’t the first time Alfred wondered if what he was most scared of was death. Of dying a painful death at the hands of the Count? He wondered what it would feel like to have the spirits leave your body? Was there heaven after life? Or would he be engulfed in a never-ending darkness? Had he been a good enough person to deserve heaven?
Alfred shuddered violently at the thought.
Yes, he had tried to be a good person all his life. He had been a good person all his life. Growing up the youngest of five children, he had done as his parents told him. He had helped with the chores, he had stayed out of trouble, he had said his prayers before every meal, he had helped his father with the feeding of the livestock, he had birthed the calves in the early hours of the morning. He had taught himself the very basics of reading and writing once he had been old enough to hold a pencil. He had sat at the kitchen table well past midnight every single day, despite being bone-crushingly tired, and had studied with a keen interest what his oldest brother had learned at school. He couldn’t remember when his dream of being a scholar had taken root. He couldn’t remember the first time his father had laughed in his face once he had uttered said dream. But he very well remembered the last time. It had been when he had returned home from his visit to the nearby town of Königsberg. It had been the last time he had seen his parents and his four brothers. When he told them that he had found work as a professor’s assistant, the plate had slipped from his mother’s hand. Had he really expected them to be proud of him? Of their fifth-born son Alfred, who was little more than another mouth to feed? No, he had not expected them to be proud. He had also not expected his mother to wish him luck when he embarked on his journey to Romania with the professor. But she had. She had wished him all the best in the world and he had seen the sadness in her eyes. And he knew. Knew that his parents did love him, somewhere deep down, but that the circumstances of growing up with very limited means in the late 19th century in a small village near Königsberg had not permitted them to succumb to the luxury of emotions. Not when poverty and the harshness of everyday life took their entire focus.
The professor treated him kindly. Granted, he was an acquired taste and a tad bit eccentric at times but he saw to it that Alfred was equipped with a proper wardrobe, that he had all the books he needed for his studies and he even instructed him in chemistry, biology and physics whenever the time permitted. On their long journey from Germany to Romania, they shared many a lecture on these topics and the professor had found Alfred to be his most eager assistant to date. The young man was inquisitive, smart and, most of all, loyal and kind- mannered.
Yes, Alfred found himself to be very lucky to have gotten a job with the renowned Professor Abronsius.
It was through him that he had met the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Sarah was the daughter of the local inn keeper. Alfred wasn’t sure if she had taken an interest to him as well. He had been captivated by her youth and temperament the moment he had laid eyes on her. She was like a bird in a cage. A bird that hated captivity and that had desperately been searching for a way out. When Count von Krolock came to her and invited her to the yearly ball, there had been no holding her back. Alfred knew from conversations with her that it wasn’t only the ball she was interested in attending. No, she was interested in the freedom he offered. He had told her that he possessed the power to set her free. To free her from her restraints. To Sarah, that meant everything. Alfred couldn’t blame her for not being able to refuse the Count’s offer but he was worried about her soul. Following the call of darkness, treading on the path of evil, that was a sure way for her soul to burn in hell. He had to save her from that fate even if it was the last thing he did.