Greetings! Welcome to the last chapter of Castlevania: It's Never Late for Forgiveness.

I want to thank all of you who accompanied this project during these three months of posting, all people who viewed, followed, favorited and commented on this story. I appreciate the comments; thank you for sharing with me your opinion about my work, for me its important and as a writer it certainly helps me to improve my writing and my texts even more.

About Castlevania I hope to have contributed with a work worthy of this fantastic series of games, it is my favorite series and I will always have with me a special fondness for each one of these characters that have been portrayed here. I loved write this fanfiction, surelly it was one of the best works I've ever written, in my opinion. It was a pleasure to share with you, I sincerely hope you've enjoyed it. I also hope that this last chapter, for you, may be of a pleasant reading and make worth the long time of waiting you had until the completion of this work.

This last chapter is my favorite of all. I dedicate it to my wife, who always supports me in my projects, and I also dedicate it to each one of you, who have come this far to the end.

Sincerely,

Lyon Heitor ~ Altheryon

...

Chapter 15 – Adrian

Darkness was the only thing that existed around him.

In that place that seemed so distant from the reality where he lived, he was completely aware of himself, of his past and of his present that had merged itselves into one. Lying on a bed of shadows, he felt that darkness linger around him, approaching him and embracing him like an old acquaintance he had not seen for a long time.

There was no hatred or pain... Anger or sadness... Uncertainties or worries...

He was not afraid.

Several moments he felt himself walking on the thin line between the two worlds, bordering the portals of life and death. The ghosts of his past weren't there... He was alone at the mercy of his own thoughts.

That strange world seemed to await a decision... It offered him the chance to make a choice, and he knew what that meant.

For many times, as he reflected on everything that had happened, he felt very inclined to take a step forward and enter the portal... Allow himself to completely surrender to that darkness and thus let his vital essence be completely extinguished from that world, erasing with him all the marks that he had left in the history of mankind.

But... Whenever he intended to go ahead he felt something hold his hand and prevent him from proceeding. It was a warm, comfortable energy that enveloped him and seemed to know exactly what was happening to him at that moment. It then seemed to engage his subconscious mind, trying to convince him to give up his purposes, and when he did, he was completely still again with the chance of the choice that was presented to him.

It seemed like an eternity passed... Or was it just a few hours...? He couldn't tell for sure...

That strange and annoying energy gradually seemed to grow stronger and insistent, trying to pull him away from that place at all costs, and it was with some resignation that he succumbed to that silent plea, and as he moved away from the portal, it started becoming less and less present, guiding him through the darkness in the opposite direction, accompanying him to some extent of that tortuous path, where he then continued to walk alone until the whole scene around him changed.

He began to feel his body more present, just as the feeling of being in an unknown place became stronger as the numbness subsided, and the vampire finally awoke from his slumber.

Soma found himself in a place that was totally foreign to him; he was lying down, his body full of bandages, on a bed in the center of the room which had blue walls and carpet in a dark brown color, little furniture that consisted of two nightstands and a chair by the bed, a small shelf with some books on the opposite side, close to a wardrobe. There were two windows, one next to him hidden by heavy layers of curtains, and a second one more distant, half open, allowing a regular breeze and the pale daylight to pass in a way that was not offensive to him.

"You're finally awake." The vampire looked to his side and saw Yoko standing next to the door.

"Where am I? How long have I been unconscious?" He muttered in a lower voice.

"As the Belmont mansion was almost completely destroyed in Walter's attack, we are now in my home, in the Belnades mansion. It's not that far from where we were before." The witch informed, approaching the bed and sitting on the chair next to it. "Now about you, you've been out for two weeks."

"Two weeks?!" Soma inquired incredulously.

"Yes... Even being a vampire now you were very injured and lost a lot of blood. Walter's sword also had some kind of poison, it was difficult to extract it to allow your body to recover."

The woman paused for a moment staring at the floor of the room, then looking straight at the silver-haired man she said almost in a timid whisper.

"By the way... Thanks... For saving us."

"You wouldn't be there at first if it were not because of me." He replied in the same tone.

"You had no obligation after you remembered what I, Julius and Alucard did..."

She remembered him gently and Soma noticed the nervousness the woman was trying to hide at all costs, failing miserably.

"I... I care..." He decided to say. "As I was recovering my memories, in time I've learned to accept... I don't hold any grudges, Yoko, what you've done... It was necessary... I hope you don't hold anything on me also..."

The witch denied, shaking her head and showing a small smile, clearly relieved and more at ease.

"The others will be glad to know that you finally woke. They were worried."

It made him turn his face away to look to another spot of the room.

"How did they..." He didn't finish the question, feeling a lump in his throat, but she understood and answered him promptly.

"Julius and Mina, as they already knew, weren't as surprised to the reason about why the Belmont mansion was attacked that night after you left. Hammer, when he discovered it, was a little astonished, but soon accepted. His only concern is you now being aware that he was selling your things he had taken in Castlevania over the last few years and that you would suck all his blood out for it, as he had said, but I was able to convince him that you would not mind it that much."

The vampire shook his head, amused.

"I already imagined that one day it might end up happening and I'm really relieved to know that you will not go crazy again and kill me in retaliation for having invoked the spell that disintegrated your other body and sealed your castle inside the Eclipse..."

The witch spoke the last part acquiring new nervousness in her voice while confessing what she had done, Soma just laughed lightly as he watched her.

"Yoko stay calm... it's in the past."

She smiled sheepishly.

His face then took on a more serious expression and her gaze softened in understanding.

"Alucard..." She started slowly. "He was quite surprised, but he didn't have a negative reaction, you know? If this is your concern, you can rest assured... It was he who held you there just in time on the castle and didn't let you fall on the abyss."

"Is he here now?" Soma inquired in a low voice.

"No..." The woman answered and he turned away again.

"I understand..."

Seeing a shadow filling the countenance of her friend, she immediately spoke.

"He came here several times to visit you during these weeks... He usually stayed here for a while, sitting in this chair watching you or holding your hand... You were so still and not breathing that there were times it seemed that you had really died, although he insisted on telling us the opposite... For those who looked at you it seemed that you were almost there, you know... Even removing the poison and having your body completely recovered in a few days you never woke up, on the contrary, you seemed to weaken with each passing day, as if you had no desire to return or the will to continue living among us..."

The vampire turned away, remaining silent, and Yoko stared at him with understanding and sympathy, she said softly.

"I talked to him several times, advising him, trying to persuade him to talk to you before something bad happened and it would be too late to do anything... Julius and I always knew he was your son... I don't know what you both talked during these weeks while you were together in the Belmont mansion, but I realized that you two had approached one another... I am grateful... Because it was not too late..."

He stared at her with genuine surprise flickering in his golden eyes; she smiled slightly and took his hand, telling him.

"I really appreciate the friendship I have with you."

The vampire nodded slowly, affected by strong emotion, and gently stroked the witch's hand back in a gesture of acceptance.

After a few minutes of silence, he then inquired in a low voice.

"Did he say when he would come back...?"

"No..." she replied timidly. "I'm sorry, Soma..."

The man plunged into silence, immersed in his own thoughts and Yoko, deciding to give him a moment, stood up.

"I'll be back in a minute."

The witch left the room and returned a few minutes later with Mina, whose face lit up when she saw him awakened by the first time after the mortal duel. The young priestess immediately approached her friend and sat on the chair where Yoko had been, embracing him as he gently returned the gesture.

"I'm glad to see you're fine..." She spoke in a choked voice.

"Yes..." he said, pulling away a little and forcing a small smile on his lips.

"Also I brought something that could improve your mood!" Yoko said cheerfully and placed a goblet on the nightstand beside the bed.

Soma looked at it incredulous.

"What is it?" The witch asked. "Will not you take it?"

He stared at her blankly.

"But Yoko... That's blood!"

"And...? Do not tell me you're going to make a big fuss of it now?!" Yoko said impatiently, putting her hands on her waist and looking at her friend from above.

He kept staring at her in disbelief without moving; it wasn't like you could easily take blood out of nowhere.

The woman rolled her eyes.

"You've spent centuries drinking it and we have put a good amount down your throat while you were unconscious to try to replace what you had lost. We didn't kill anyone to get it, we just had a bit of work to blackmail a nearby hospital with a management shrouded in corruption schemes and bribe one and another employee to get a little from time to time, but nothing too much, so it's a completely legal blood!"

"Legal?!" Soma shook his head slowly.

"Yes, legal." She emphasized. "Then stop making that nauseous face and drink it at once!"

The vampire obeyed after a moment, he took the goblet and drank all its contents, only then realizing the great thirst he was feeling and after consuming completely the crimson liquid until it made him finally sated, the witch nodded satisfied.

Yoko started talking nonstop about the rebuilding of the Belmont mansion while Mina held both Soma's hands and smiled at him. The silver-haired man leaned back on the bed and silently listened patiently to what his friend was saying.

...

The next few days were quiet and the vampire fully recovered from his confrontation with Walter. Even now with his secret blown to the four winds and all his friends fully aware of his current situation, none of them had changed the way they treated him, standing by his side and worrying about his well-being and recovery.

He spent a major part of his time in the company of Mina, Yoko and Julius. Hammer stayed for a few more days and then returned to Japan to continue tending the store with the promise of returning to Europe soon. As for the dhampir, he has not seen him since that night.

Soma didn't know what to think about it... Even with Yoko's words telling him that his son had been there several times in the mansion while he had been unconscious, after he had awakened he hadn't heard any news from the other man, and the silence seemed to torture his soul deeply, though his torment the vampire decided to keep only for himself.

He had no right to demand Adrian's presence there... Not after all... And as the days went on he felt as if he were wearing a cold, bitter mantle that internally plunged his spirit into a state of numbness entwined with a deep sensation of emptiness.

That night the vampire was on the second floor of the Belnades mansion, inside the library that was partially illuminated by the flames of a small fireplace. The golden light touched his pale, aristocratic face, and standing by the window the vampire tasted a goblet of blood as he stared up at the dark sky and the forest surrounding the building, wrapped in a vast mantle of shadows.

He was alone at that moment, one of the rare occasions when he allowed himself to move completely away from others to give his attention entirely to his own thoughts. His friends, when they perceived his desire to be alone, respected his silent request and no one disturbed the quietness that had settled in the room.

It passed some time before his thoughts were suddenly broken as the vampire noticed a different sound cutting through the night. His golden eyes glimpsed perfectly in the dark a vehicle pass the property gates and down through the dirt road towards the mansion, disappearing into the bend of the building and he heard the engine sound off when it parked in front of the entrance door.

Soma took another sip of the goblet, feeling his throat tighten and his mouth dry. He would recognize his son's car anywhere.

He had returned.

Suddenly nervous the silver-haired man stood motionless staring at the window. A few minutes later he heard the sound of footsteps echoing in the second floor until they stopped completely outside his door, and without any knock, it opened and closed again. Although the silence returned to the environment, he felt clearly that he was no longer alone in the room and the familiar presence just a few steps away made him completely uneasy.

Without turning around, the vampire drank again from the goblet and was the first to break the silence.

"I thought you would not come."

"I would not fail to come..." The other replied, watching the silver-haired man. "We have a lot to talk... Father."

Soma nodded slowly in agreement, but remained silent, observing the night.

After a brief moment it was the dhampir who began to speak.

"Sometimes during these last few years I wanted to talk to you... But without your memories it was impossible. I have also often distanced myself believing it would be the best, for the new life given to you is a gift, an opportunity for a second chance that should not be tainted by dark and distant memories... But now... This is no longer a barrier between us."

Soma frowned, after a new moment of silence he began to say slowly.

"I know... you did not want me to awaken... I understand, since I brought you a lot of trouble every time I returned." Closing his eyes, the vampire breathed deeply more of nervousness than out of necessity, and forced himself to continue. "I wish I could have been stronger to prevent this, but I wasn't... Not now... not in the past..."

Soma stared at the goblet in his hand, saying in bitter words.

"I could not fight the evil rising within me, on the contrary... My hatred was so intense that I fed these feelings and I threw myself into the abyss in which I survived during the centuries that passed after your mother's death and after you've run away from home."

The dhampir made a move to speak, but the other man didn't give him the chance.

"I understand and I do not blame you for this... I've pushed you away from myself. Your attempts to speak to me to reconsider my attitudes, Lisa's last words... They reached deaf ears and the darkness in my soul was so dense that nothing was able to pierce it so that I could see the light again... I didn't even allow myself to leave my own hatred; it was the only thing that I had left."

The vampire closed his eyes and also added slowly, visibly struggling to say his next words in a neutral tone.

"I'll understand if you decide to leave completely, I will not force you to anything... I just want you to be sure that I will not lay my hands on humanity again. I will not bring any more trouble to you and Julius on this matter."

"I know you will keep your word... I've heard about the agreement you made with Julius. He only told me after that night... He has respected your request for silence."

Soma didn't do or say anything about that statement, and in the face of the new silence that had settled in the room, the dhampir decided to approach, his footsteps echoing lightly on the library's floor. He had already noticed the nervousness the vampire tried to conceal, and with his approach he realized that the silver-haired man was also trembling, subtly, almost imperceptibly.

The damphir stopped closer, and then asked softly.

"Father... Look at me... Won't you let me see your face as we speak?"

Soma took a deep breath.

That request, though simple, for him at that moment was something hard to concede. Now that they were both alone, his rational mind being able to analyze everything through the eyes of reason, the silver-haired man felt himself heavily weighed down by the burden of guilt from his past actions. The truth was that he was ashamed to look at his son, for he remembered each time that he had mistreated him by letting himself be carried away by the hatred, rancor, and contempt he had cultivated in his heart for all those centuries. And even then, recently while 'asleep' he had been at his side trying to help him in the shadows. And even after fully awake, the dhampir was still there, standing in that room, waiting for his reaction.

Nodding slowly, the vampire turned to face the other man and could not contain the shock that filled his expression. With wide-eyed eyes mixed in perplexity and deep emotion, he saw his son for the first time in centuries in his true appearance.

Adrian was close, only three paces away. He was elegantly dressed that night, but instead of his dark suit he wore only a white shirt unbuttoned on the first two buttons. His long golden hair fluttered to his waist, his pale, aristocratic face still showing the same youth as it had when he'd last seen him. His eyes, as golden as his own, glimmered also with strong emotion.

The dhampir looked at Soma's face for a long time, allowing himself to see completely in the silver-haired man the figure of the father he had long been reluctant to see, to accept that even in that new life given to the vampire before him, though different in appearance, remained the same soul with all the memories of that distant and remote time.

A heavy silence fell on the room. They both stared at one another for a while, as if they had not truly seen each other before and now sought to discover every detail on the other's face.

For Soma it was as if life brought to the present something that once remained only as a distant reminder of his past. Even though he knew that 'Genya Arikado' was his son and had long ago overcome the surprise of rediscovery, he couldn't explain the force of the feeling that filled his being at that very moment when he saw the other man's true appearance.

The dhampir, in turn, could now clearly see in the other the same familiar imposing in the way he carried himself, the same familiar weight of his gaze, still as strong and piercing as it were before, now filled with great surprise. Eyes that showed no madness or cruelty or coldness, but instead revealed the same mild and gentle look he had not seem in many centuries past…

It was his father.

Adrian inhaled deeply, struck by a sudden strong feeling that left him internally shaken. And as he watched Soma, he also realized how much his decision to completely break the illusion that had been acting on his body for many years had profoundly affected the vampire, who reduced to absolute silence, could not do anything but stare at the golden-haired man.

The dhampir, after what seemed almost an eternity, was the one who broke the silence, beginning to speak softly.

"There is something I longed to explain to you, but I never had the opportunity to do it... You were blinded by darkness..."

Soma then answered, his voice on the edge of a whisper.

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Adrian..." The vampire's golden eyes filled with sadness. "Your choices and decisions have brought you the best... What you believed was right and you became the man your mother would have taken great pride in having as her son..."

"I want to, because I need to speak..." Adrian cut him off gently, watching him, his eyes pleaded for the other to hear him this time and Soma accepted, remaining silent. "...and even if you deny it, you also need to listen."

In the face of the stillness that settled serenely in the room, the dhampir then began to tell him quietly, slowly, to allow the other man to assimilate the information as he spoke.

"That night after you saved me and Death brought me back to Castlevania, I could not sleep, tormented by what had happened to mother... Deep down I knew she had died... I went to the Throne Room where we used to spend the night together. I wanted to feel her presence, to seek comfort in some way, even if it was through my own memories..."

Adrian paused for a brief moment, and looking straight at Soma, told him slowly.

"I saw you... when you returned to the castle, carrying her body wrapped in your cloak... Your clothes were destroyed and you were completely covered with blood... Your face was transformed into a mask of indifference... Your eyes were so cold and full of hatred that I did not recognize you... I hid myself, and Death came to you. I listened to all the conversation..."

The creature stopped in front of his master, watching him as if trying to understand the scene before him. Confusion that gradually transformed into cruel understanding emanated from the most faithful servant of the vampire, and in a low voice, mixed in acceptance and a lament, Death inquired submissively.

"What have you done... My lord?"

Mathias barely glanced at him; his aristocratic face was soaked in blood, as well as all his noble clothes, which at several points were ripped apart. In his arms he carried the body of the only woman he had ever loved in human life as well in the immortal life, carefully wrapped in the black-red cloak he had used earlier that afternoon to go to the village.

With his face turned into a mask of contempt and indifference, golden eyes glimmering with voracious hatred, his voice echoed icily through the Throne Room, bringing chills even to the creature that silent waited his master's response.

"I killed them all."

Adrian observed Soma in silence with his countenance showing compassion, even as the other man closed his eyes and turned his face away, breathing deeply, no doubt reliving that exact instant of the past. The dhampir waited patiently for the right moment to proceed, watching the vampire lean against the window ledge for support and only minutes later he opened his eyes again, dark with deep emotion, staring at the floor of the library unable to look at his son's face.

"Although I have heard stories about your deeds before," Adrian continued softly. "Synthesized and censored, about the wars in the name of the church, I couldn't believe you were capable of such an atrocity..."

The golden-haired man sighed.

"Days later when I had the chance I fled Castlevania and went back to the village... I found only devastation, blood and death... I saw what you did and I weakened... I feared for me... I feared for the humans that Mother beseeched as her last wish that no evil should fall upon them ... And I wasn't able to return... Because I feared the night and all that it harbored under your power..."

Breathing heavily and trembling, Soma suddenly left the window and walked to the desk on the opposite side of the room to stand as far as he could from the other man on the pretext of pouring himself another glass of blood. He took a bottle in his hands and filled the goblet with the red liquid again and talked to his son without looking at him.

"I told you that I didn't blame you for leaving, but knowing now that you went to the village and saw that... You were just a child, Adrian... You should never have seen something like that... It was extremely wrong of me to accuse you of treason later, when I was the one responsible for making you take this decision."

Soma felt suffocated; he wanted to get away from that conversation, but he couldn't. He was no coward to turn his back on his past and not bear the consequences of the acts he had done, and also, it was something he owed to the dhampir. The next words came out harsh and completely bitter from his mouth.

"The deaths of these people fall completely upon me, and I will carry them for all eternity."

Seeing that the other was unconsciously drifting away from him, Adrian suddenly cut the distance between them, surprising the vampire, who let the goblet fall to the floor, breaking into pieces and tainting the carpet at their feet with blood, but none gave it any importance and the golden-haired man held the other by the shoulders.

"Father..."

With effort Soma forced himself to look again at the other man's face, his golden eyes wearing an impassive mask. The dhampir watched him, and his gaze seemed to reach deep into the vampire's soul.

"Even after all these years... I still feel that I shouldn't have left you..." Adrian's voice was just a whisper audible only to the silver-haired man. "Mother believed in your love and the goodness that existed in your heart and I should have done the same... Stood by your side to help you overcome the darkness of chaos..."

The mask on Soma's face broke.

"What I did that night can't be erased, Adrian..."

"You were wrong... The villagers too... There's no way to forget something like that."

The dhampir nodded his head in agreement.

"But you can compensate by seeking to use all your knowledge and your powers now to do the good for the people who needs it."

Keeping both hands on the vampire's shoulders, Adrian continued to observe him with golden eyes glimmering with strong emotion.

"What happened after her death… A great deal could have been avoided if I had stayed at Castlevania... I also have a part on the blame of what you've become..." His voice then broke as he whispered. "Forgive me... father..."

Tears streamed down on Soma's face.

"It's I..." He shook his head slowly, telling him in a ragged whisper. "Who needs to ask your forgiveness..."

The silver-haired man inhaled sharply as if trying to fill his lungs with the air he lacked. Stricken by a deep emotion that was clearly present in his countenance, he didn't turn his gaze away from the dhampir's face as he spoke weakly.

"I have failed you... I wasn't the father you deserved to have had; I was not by your side when you needed it most... I was blind to the little you asked of me and I have no part in what made you the good man that you are today... This is my worst punishment after losing Lisa... I also lost you..."

Soma closed his eyes to try to contain the tears that insisted on coming strongly, his voice sounded extremely tired.

"The years have passed... and I continue to wander, suffocating on bitter memories... wishing I could live again the seven years I've spent with you and Lisa..."

Adrian, listening to those words, could not contain the tears that also slid down his face, and he let himself finally succumb to his heart's desire and embraced the other man tightly, surprising him. Soma widened his eyes, stunned in awe.

"You didn't lost me..." The dhampir told him. "We may have followed different paths, but I've always been here, waiting for the day when you'd finally see and hear me. I deeply lamented the last few centuries because I have never forgotten the devoted father that you have been to me during those seven years..."

"Adrian..." Soma began to say, but the other shook his head.

"You are still my father... I do not care what name you have or what life you live today... I am still your son... We cannot change what happened in the past, but I want to start over again, our future, if you also wish for it..."

The golden-haired man backed away subtly and watched him with a small smile on his face.

"I know that starting over again is never easy... But I'll help you give the first steps. I think that mother must always be watching us wherever she is now; we are still a family and like her..." Adrian looked into his eyes and ended softly. "...I believe in you."

Fresh new tears streamed down Soma's face, and filled with deep emotion he let himself be carried away by his son's embrace, returning the gesture with tenderness.

"I want this too..." he whispered back. "My son..."

Adrian tightened his arms around the other men, those two simply words touching his heart deeply, and he let the tears fall freely on his face, washing away all the bitterness and sadness from all those years. Soma closed his eyes, feeling for the first time in long centuries a deep peace over his soul, and thought, then, that he was finally able to find the redemption he sought.

...

Some days later, under the glare of the full moon, Yoko performed a new ritual and with the help of Julius she was able to free Castlevania from within the Eclipse and the castle turned to resurface in the earth, invoked on a distant and forgotten part of Romania, surrounded by a vast forest that extended for long miles without any sign of civilization.

Together the six friends entered the imposing and ancient building.

Soma led the group, being accompanied by Mina who walked at his right side and had her arm intertwined with his. While the priestess looked at the scenery with great admiration, marveled for the last time she had been there she hadn't entered into the castle, the vampire observed his home with a distant expression, filled with great sense of nostalgia.

Such a sentiment laid in Adrian's heart who walked at his father's left side in his real appearance, staring at the castle with golden eyes filled with longing, for it had been a long time since he had entered Castlevania without having to fight against the creatures he had known since childhood and feeling truly welcome there, and, looking at Soma, feeling as if after a long journey he was finally coming back home.

A little further behind Yoko, Hammer, and Julius followed, the witch chatted animatedly with both men and the ex-military laughed loudly as he answered the woman. The hunter stared at the creatures that lived in the castle and that came in hundreds into the corridors of the Entrance Hall to greet them, bowing in respect to the Lord of the Eternal Night, to the prince and his guests, feeling rather queer.

With the fire that destroyed a major part of the Belmont Mansion, the rebuilding would take about four months to restore all affected areas and Julius accepted the vampire's invitation to stay in Castlevania during that period of time.

Then, as he walked down the corridors feeling a bit out of place, watching as an skeleton approached to offer them something to drink, he was sure that his ancestors should be rolling inside their graves at that very moment, but the Belmont heir stayed quiet, watching his friends with a small smile on his face feeling at peace and pleased to know that some things that were important to him Soma had managed to save from the manor before the fire consumed it completely, like the frame of Leon that now hung in the room assigned to him there in the castle.

The group advanced slowly across several areas as they climbed up the imposing building to reach the Throne Room, and in the middle of the path Death appeared and accompanied them as he spoke with his master. When they finally reached their destination, the group stopped in the middle of the room while talking about light subjects and Soma moved away from them for a moment.

The vampire walked slowly forward, observing the throne of the Eternal Night with a grave and thoughtful expression. He climbed the small staircase and touched the armband of the seat, feeling the familiar velvety surface beneath the palm of his hand.

When he realized, Adrian had also stopped at his side.

"So... will you just keep staring at it or will you finally sit down?" He asked with amusement.

"I don't know..." Soma replied with a small smile. "I think I'm too old for this; after so many crazy ghosts from the past chasing me and the lunatic cults still trying to resurrect me even after I reincarnated, I was thinking of retiring and pass it down to my heir."

Adrian turned abruptly to stare at him with great surprise in his golden eyes, and then suddenly shaking his head he began to laugh, placing a hand on the vampire's shoulder.

"Sorry, Father, but I'll let it go. I am still very young, with many centuries to live ahead to stress my head with this kind of thing. I'm afraid to inform you that you're still stuck with it."

"The nerve of it..." The vampire muttered in disbelief, amused, also shaking his head. Adrian winked, gave two slaps on his shoulder and walked back to the main group still laughing slightly.

Soma sat down on the throne, the Ebony and Crimson stones, united again, were hanging around his neck and shone brightly as if to hail the return of the Lord of the Eternal Night, together with a small silver chain that gleamed the numbers of Route 66.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and suddenly he felt a soft kiss being placed on his lips and stunned he opened his eyes again, but saw nothing different. Then a soft breeze wandered the hall, touching his face in a gentle caress, and the man clearly felt the scent of roses his wife used to wear.

Lisa... He thought, affected by deep emotion. For the first time in many centuries he clearly felt her presence at his side, and he could not help but agree with what Adrian had told him early. He was right...

And in his heart he felt rising the small hope that one day he might be able to find her again in this world.

The vampire watched his friends talking feeling great peace in his soul. His eyes stared at his son, amazed to hear again the genuine laughter of the golden-haired man after so long time.

Smiling softly, Soma allowed himself to dive into a distant memory that suddenly started to return to him...

…

Walking slowly through the corridors of their home, the vampire enjoyed that moment of tranquility next to his wife, who at his side, embracing his arm and waist and with her head lying on his shoulder, sighed in contentment as her hair was gently stroked by her husband's hand. With so many things to do and to attend to, moments like this where the Lord of the Eternal Night and his Lady could walk in peace completely alone were rare and they used to enjoy every second they had.

"So..." His voice suddenly broke the silence. "What are you two up to?"

"Why do you think so, my dear?" Lisa asked innocently.

"Because you look very suspicious." The vampire give her with an observant stare.

"Mathias..." The woman laughed softly and stroked his arm. "Do not be boring and please collaborate with the little surprise your son wants to make for you."

"Surprise eh?" The man muttered without much belief that a boy with only five years old could do something that would really surprise him.

"Yes." Lisa smiled. "You will see it soon."

They continued walk along the hall that would led them to the Throne Room in a few minutes, and as they entered their destination Mathias stood in the doorway, his golden eyes unconsciously wide with genuine surprise.

His little blond-haired son was sitting on his throne, watching him with his small smiley face flushed and filled with mischief. Around his neck the fusion of Ebony and Crimson Stones glowed brightly as if it were laughing at his shocked expression.

The man ran his hands through his long black hair and placing it both on his waist trying to look severe, but couldn't stop the smile that escaped on his lips.

"It cannot be... While I slept a new lord took over Castlevania and now rules in my place?!"

The boy began to laugh with his bright golden eyes fixed on his father.

"This is something I cannot accept!" Mathias exclaimed dramatically. "I will defy you to a duel and regain my honor and my throne!"

The vampire advanced.

"NO!" Adrian screamed, swooping down from the throne and starting to run around the room to escape the man at any cost.

"It's not fair to use your powers to 'defeat him,' Mathias!" Lisa called, her angelic voice echoed through the place, and the woman amused herself, unable to stop laughing hard while watching her husband run from one side to another trying to catch their son without much success.

Soon the boy started to get tired and the vampire took advantage of the chance, with a quick movement he grabbed the child, who shouted surprised, threw him over his own shoulder, carried him back to where he had been before, sat Adrian on the throne again and the man knelt down before him.

"Looks like you've beat me." Mathias said, laughing softly. "You sure know how to get someone tired."

"I don't want to take care of the castle, father!" The boy whined.

"Well, why not?" The man inquired, amused. "While you stay here doing all the boring part of giving orders to Death and to the other inhabitants of the castle, your mother and I could go out for a bit."

"I would love to do that." The woman with long blond hair as golden as the sun said, approaching them and placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Sounds tempting."

"It really is." He nodded in agreement.

"I don't want to!" Adrian exclaimed again, this time genuine concern filled his childish face. "Because the werewolves, the skeletons, the zombies, the minotaurs, they are all bigger than me! The witches find it funny and they tell me that everyone would obey me if I gave an order because I am a prince, but it is not true!"

"And why not?" Mathias asked, encouraging his son's childish ramblings.

"Have you seen the size of the Final Guard?! Death showed me them yesterday and they are huge! They would not obey me because their heads are so high that they cannot see me and hear nothing of what I say, and I would have to ask Death to fly up and down all the time to tell them what I want! They're even bigger than you, father!"

"Yes, they are, but they obey well." The vampire nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, you'll grow up soon and you'll be as tall as I am, and that throne will no longer seem so big to you."

"Really?!" The boy exclaimed anxiously.

"Yes, that's true," Lisa replied. "And I can imagine it, you know? He would certainly be a good sovereign."

"I don't want to." Adrian pouted; the vampire laughed lightly and stroked the short golden hair and the boy's face with affection.

"Maybe someday, my son..."

Mathias smiled.

~ END ~