'All I want is to reverse the effects of... this curse. Is that too much to ask?'

Rain hammered a crescendo against the walls of the mansion as the young vampire, almost invisible except for his red eyes and pale blond hair, dropped to his knees on the dusty green carpet. In front of him stood another figure, tall in the darkness and silhouetted against the candlelight that glowed faintly behind him.

'I am sorry,' the figure said, his voice slow and deep and oddly thoughtful. 'The changes are irreversible. But you ought to be pleased, shouldn't you? I granted you powers no human could even dream of. You are akin to a god.'

'I do not want it,' whimpered the young vampire, raising his head. 'I want to be with my family. My wife, my children... they all think I've gone insane. They think I need to go to a hospital. I can't make things right as long as I'm a monster.'

'Your wife? Your children? Why should they matter? Compared to the power you now possess, they are nothing. Flies on a wall. Leave your mortal life behind, young Arminus, and walk into the dark... take a step towards me, now. Embrace the gift you have been given.'

(Continued...)

Rage flashed through the kneeling vampire's face, and in a heartbeat he swung to his feet and stepped forwards until the two of them were nearly touching. Without conscious thought, his lip curled back to reveal two gleaming white canine teeth, each as long as one of his thumbs. They tapered to a needle-like point, and their edges were slightly translucent. The other figure did not flinch or otherwise react in any way.

'You're a monster, too,' Arminus whispered. 'And a worse one than me, I'll wager.' His fists clenched at his sides. 'Tell me how to change myself back to normal - let me be a normal person again, instead of the deranged freak I am now!'

He lashed out, his arm moving so fast even his own eyes couldn't follow it, and his fingers latched onto the wide collar of the other figure's shirt.

'FIX THIS! NOW!'

(Continued...)

'Arminus, that's impossible.' The man tilted his head slightly, his voice sounding aggravated for the first time. 'And you need to stop chasing hopeless dreams. Forget your /family.../ Forget everything you once wanted. You have a new life now, and as much as you may despise it, there is nothing either of us can do to change it. You are a vampire, Arminus.'

A cold shiver ran up Arminus' spine, visibly shaking his form. 'No...' he said, almost too softly to hear. 'You're lying to me, Count Sargon.'

The Count said nothing, just stood in silence and waited for the younger man to continue.

'My life has been ruined because of you. You turned me into this /thing!/ Neither human nor monster. I should be killed for letting myself fall into this situation. Or I should admit myself to the hospital, just as my darling wife told me I should.'

'You are a fool, Arminus,' murmured Sargon, shifting slightly and adjusting the position of his long silver cape over his shoulders. He looked uncomfortable, but not in a way that suggested he felt guilty. 'And you are becoming an annoyance. Leave me. I have duties to attend to, and unless you came for something other than pleading at my feet, I think you ought to leave my house at once.'

(Continued...)

Even Arminus himself, who was developing an understanding of his new abilities, was startled by how quickly his hand struck out to lock around the Count's pale throat. He viciously shoved the older vampire backwards, slamming him against a closed door. Despite his enhanced night vision, Arminus could see little besides the faint catlike glow of his enemy's eyes, shining scarlet through the darkness.

He didn't get the chance to find out if his attack had done any damage to the still-impassive Count. In a move even faster than his own, the older vampire grabbed the hand that was tightening like a noose around his neck and wrenched it sideways at an angle, instantly breaking the wrist. In the same heartbeat, he swung his leg fowards and swept Arminus' feet out from underneath him, sending him crashing to the floor with a noise sure to be audible throughout the entire mansion. But nobody came to investigate.

More slowly, Sargon bent down and whispered in a tone that could have almost been gentle.

'You are more stupid than I realised.'

(Continued...)

On the last syllable, he released his grip, straightened to his full height and withdrew something from his belt. It was invisible until the candlelight caught it, throwing into sharp relief a gleaming knife with a serrated edge. Arminus, who had just started to regain the strength to lift his head off the floor, froze in shock.

'For daring to attack me, you will pay the price,' said the Count. His voice held no menace or reproach. It was calm, expressionless - dead.

He knelt down on the dusty carpet and wrapped his fingers around Arminus' wrist, holding it in place. The younger vampire, realising at last what he intended to do, immediately lashed out with his other arm and struggled violently, trying to pull away. It was a wasted effort; Count Sargon was a vampire who had been alive for over three hundred years, and no-one came close to matching his power.. He bore Arminus' furious blows without flinching, and his face showed no emotion at all.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he lowered the knife until the barest edge of the blade was pressed against Arminus' right index finger, drawing a tiny bead of blood.

And then he slashed downwards.

The screams reverberated off the walls of the mansion, shaking the thin window panes, and even the storm outside seemed to falter in the face of such a horrifying sound. And when they finally died away more than five minutes later, there was nothing to be heard save for the faint pattering of rain on the rooftop.

(Done.)

OH HECC-
Sargon is rutheless-
He don't care none-

I WANNA READ THIS BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME RN

Re: haha thank you!! I always wanted to see one of my characters in your Style x3 thank you so much for doing this with me!