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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 4, 2024 18:13:14 GMT
All that is left now is the Epilogue, coming soon.
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Post by lawrenceliberty on Apr 5, 2024 17:30:19 GMT
You know, I'd like to see what you'd do with something like the really obscure 70's title Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 5, 2024 20:33:05 GMT
You know, I'd like to see what you'd do with something like the really obscure 70's title Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion. I might just try that someday. |
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 5, 2024 20:33:28 GMT
Epilogue:
As Simon Belmont led his beloved Julia Renard away from the clutches of Count Dracula, the tension in the air was palpable. The horse-drawn wagon rattled along the trail, the sound of hooves echoing through the night. Julia sat beside Belmont, her usually lively demeanor replaced by an eerie silence that sent a chill down his spine.
Belmont stole glances at her from time to time, his heart heavy with concern for the woman he loved. He knew she had endured unspeakable horrors at the hands of Dracula, and he vowed to protect her at all costs.
Julia's troubled thoughts were interrupted when Belmont pulled out a mysterious timepiece from his pocket. The clock face bore Roman numerals but no hands, a strange and enigmatic object that piqued her curiosity.
"What is that, Simon?" Julia asked softly, her voice filled with tenderness. "Did you get yourself a new pocket watch?"
Belmont's steely gaze met hers as he replied, "You might say that."
Julia nodded, sensing Belmont's reluctance to elaborate. He was a man of few words, preferring action over idle chatter. She returned to her troubled thoughts, steeling herself for what she knew she must tell him.
Meanwhile, Belmont's mind was consumed by the mission entrusted to him by Gareth Gallowglass, the Master of the Impossible and Lord of Grimoire Island. His task was twofold: to save Julia and prevent Dracula from ever rising to power again by stealing Castle Dracula itself.
The timepiece in Belmont's possession held the key to Dracula's downfall. It was imbued with the power of the castle at its height, a relic that could cripple Dracula's ability to ever again regain his former strength. With this one act, Belmont could ensure that Dracula remained as weakened and vulnerable as any other vampire for years to come.
But there was more to Belmont's plan than just thwarting Dracula's resurrection. The stolen occult power from Castle Dracula would soon be used to build the Clock Tower on Grimoire Island, repurposed as a beacon of hope and protection against evil forces.
As Belmont pondered the weight of his mission, he couldn't shake the feeling that Julia harbored a secret that threatened their future together. Little did he know that her dark secret would test their love in ways he never imagined.
With danger lurking around every corner and secrets waiting to be revealed, Belmont and Julia's journey was far from over. As they rode into the night, their fates intertwined in a web of mystery and intrigue that would shape their destinies forever.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 5, 2024 20:35:49 GMT
In the shadow of a looming castle perched above a small village elsewhere in Transylvania, Anton Arcane brooded over his plans, his Un-Men standing at attention, awaiting his next command. Once Count Dracula's loyal necromancer, Arcane had always been a survivor, putting his own interests above all else.
Having foreseen the downfall of Dracula's reign, Arcane had ensured his escape with his Un-Men before the castle's destruction, losing only a few in the process. He knew that the Van Helsings and Belmonts would eventually come for Dracula, their age-old vendetta destined to end the vampire lord once and for all.
As his Un-Men regarded him with silent accusation, Arcane silenced them with a wave of his hand. With a sly grin, he explained his cunning strategy of hedging his bets on both sides of the conflict to ensure his survival and prosperity. For it was indeed Arcane who had been the insider that had fed young Marie Van Helsing all of her information on Dracula's fortifications.
"It's just good business, my Un-Men," Arcane declared to his creations. "I knew that whichever way the battle swung, I would emerge unscathed and ready to thrive."
His eyes gleamed with ambition as he detailed his plan. If Dracula had emerged victorious, Arcane would remain by his side as a trusted lieutenant, basking in the power and riches that came with serving the vampire lord. But in the event that Dracula fell, Arcane would retreat to his own ancient castle stronghold, where he had amassed wealth beyond measure to fund his dark experiments as well as to bribe any government officials who sought to interfere.
With a maniacal laugh, the old necromancer led his Un-Men into a dank dungeon hidden within the walls of Castle Arcane. There, he revealed rows of human subjects awaiting his twisted experiments in immortality.
While the Un-Men were products of his early trials, grotesque yet fiercely loyal creations, Arcane sought something greater. His wrinkled form betrayed the passage of time, driving him to seek a new vessel for his soul through an intricate process of transmigration involving a soul jar and a willing subject.
Immortality beckoned to him like a siren's call, but Arcane had refused to accept it in his current aged state, even though Count Dracula had offered to make him one of the Undead. The aged wizard craved power and vitality beyond what mere years could offer him.
With a mind as sharp as a blade and a heart as black as night, Anton Arcane plotted his ascent to immortality through forbidden means. In this dark fortress of secrets and shadows, he would stop at nothing to achieve godlike power and eternal life.
For Anton Arcane was not just a necromancer; he was a master of death itself, wielding forces beyond mortal comprehension in pursuit of ultimate dominion over life and death. And in the depths of that ancient castle, where darkness reigned supreme, he would unleash horrors that defied imagination in his quest for immortality without equal.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 5, 2024 20:51:25 GMT
Simon Belmont and Julia Renard's journey back to London was fraught with tension and uncertainty. As they traveled through the back roads, evading the communist regime that could tear them apart, Belmont couldn't help but feel the weight of their shared past with Count Dracula hanging over them.
Julia remained silent throughout the long journey, her emotions a turbulent storm that Belmont dared not disturb. He knew she needed time to process her ordeal as Dracula's prisoner, and he respected her need for space.
The scenic route through Istanbul, Egypt, France, and finally England was meant to lift Julia's spirits, but even the breathtaking landscapes couldn't chase away the shadows that haunted her. Belmont watched her closely, his heart heavy with worry for the woman he loved.
Sleeping in separate quarters during the trip and back at home, Julia insisted on waiting until their wedding night to reunite fully with Belmont. Despite his longing for her touch, he respected her wishes, knowing that their bond would only grow stronger with time.
As Belmont reached his home in England to marry Julia, he sensed something amiss. Julia's health had deteriorated rapidly, causing her to need a doctor's constant care. While Belmont was full of questions, the attending doctor left her one fateful day to tell him the devastating truth.
"Simon, I have a terrible secret to tell you," began Julia, looking pale and sickly, "something I've been holding back for weeks now."
"What is it, my dear?" asked Belmont from the chair at her bedside, little suspecting what she might say.
Julia's face went white as she confessed, "I... I am carrying Dracula's child."
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 5, 2024 20:54:48 GMT
In the present, more than three decades later, an older Simon Belmont stood in the Clock Tower, haunted by memories of his lost love and the unholy dhampir child they raised together. Sorting through relics of the past in his cluttered desk drawers, he came across a photograph of himself and Julia on their wedding day.
The revelation had shattered Belmont's world, but his love for Julia remained unwavering. Despite the darkness that threatened to consume them both, he had vowed to stand by her side no matter what. Tears welled in his eyes as he remembered the pain and sacrifice they had endured together. Despite the secrets and betrayals that tore them apart and caused him to live most of the year on Grimoire Island, separated from his family, Belmont knew that their love would endure beyond death itself.
In the years since then, Belmont eventually sought out the other members of his party of monster hunters. He eventually did return to France to seek out Marie Van Helsing, hoping to learn more about her condition after being injured in the battle at Castle Dracula. But to his dismay, he found that she had disappeared without a trace, leaving him with more questions than answers.
Then, during a brief visit to Gotham City, Belmont would meet demonologist Jason Blood once more. Asking him about Marie's whereabouts, Belmont hit another dead end, for Blood recalled neither their shared adventure, nor ever meeting Belmont or the others at all. His memories of that fateful night had vanished as had so many other memories in his long life. And if Etrigan himself knew what happened to Marie, the demon remained tight-lipped about her current location.
As for Andrew Bennett, though Belmont met him again, the vampire apparently knew no more about Marie's fate than he did. It was a question that would haunt Belmont for a few years before he finally discovered the answers. But that was another story.
With a heavy heart and a renewed sense of purpose, the old man returned to his work as keeper of the Clock Tower at Grimoire Academy. The memory of his beloved Julia would always linger in his soul, a beacon of light in a world consumed by darkness.
The End
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Post by lawrenceliberty on Apr 6, 2024 15:25:25 GMT
Nice way to wrap things up. I'm not usually a fan of horror but you did a good job at making it compelling.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 6, 2024 19:14:09 GMT
Thanks! It was fun writing this story.
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