The Castle

Clara woke with a start. Her head throbbed as she tried to remember what happened. The last thing she remembered was Isolde touching her forehead, and then... darkness.

She sat up slowly, blinking in the dim light. She was in a small room with walls made of gray stone. There were no windows, just a single wooden door with iron bands across it. The only light came from a torch on the wall that made shadows dance across the floor.

"Isolde?" Clara called, her voice bouncing off the stone walls. No one answered.

A thin blanket covered her, and she pushed it away. She still wore the same clothes, and the ring still hung around her neck. Clara touched it, hoping it might glow again or offer some clue, but it stayed cold and silent.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and two tall figures entered. They appeared human, but their skin was too pale, their movements too smooth, and Clara noted their sharp fangs.

"Come with us," said a woman with long black hair in a braid. "The Master wants to see you. " Clara pressed against the wall, realizing they were vampires. The second guard, a man with a scar, confirmed they were like Lord Ravencroft and warned her to follow their orders for her safety.

Clara considered running but realized that she would be trapped in the castle. Part of her wanted answers, so she chose to meet the "Master. " "Fine, take me to him," she said, unsteadily standing. The guards guided her through a dimly lit tunnel filled with strange artwork. Clara felt a strange familiarity with the place as she remembered details, whispering, "I've been here before. "

The female guard looked back, curious, but Clara quickly dismissed her statement. They reached a grand spiral staircase and noticed more vampires inside the castle, some watching Clara with hungry gazes. The male guard reassured her that Lord Ravencroft had banned anyone from hurting her. Clara asked why she was wanted, but the guards did not comment as they arrived at two large wooden doors with unusual symbols.

Clara traced one symbol and automatically said "Protection. " The guards traded looks before the female guard knocked on the door. "We've brought her, my lord," she declared.

A voice from inside ordered them to enter. The doors swung open to show a library filled with books. Lucien Ravencroft stood by the fireplace, watching Clara closely. He asked the guards to leave and inquired about Isolde and Erynn. Lucien explained Isolde was safe but keeping Erynn away for now.

Clara questioned the purpose of her presence there, and Lucien asked her to sit, suggesting the explanation would take time. Clara hesitated but obeyed, feeling a sense of familiarity with the chair. Lucien then described the castle's existence between worlds, and how it was located at the intersection of the human, vampire, and witch realms. Clara's head spun with confusion. "And Isolde said I'm... half witch? How is that possible?"

"Your mother was from a powerful witch family. Your father was human. But you are something even more special because of our bond." Lucien leaned forward. "Clara, do you really not remember anything from before?"

"Before what? I grew up in Blackwood Village with Aunt Meredith. That's all I know."

Lucien looked disappointed. He stood and walked to a cabinet, pulling out an old leather-bound book.

"This is your journal from 1745," he said, handing it to her. "Or rather, it belonged to Clara Thorne from 1745. She looked exactly like you, had the same name as you. She was you, in another life."

Clara opened the book with trembling hands. The handwriting inside looked exactly like hers, though the ink was worn and yellow with age.

Today I met Lord Ravencroft again. Though he tries to hide it, I can feel the goodness in him, despite what the village says about vampires. The locket grows warm when he is near, as if recognizing him...

Clara slammed the book shut. "This is impossible. I don't believe in past lives."

"And yet, you knew the sign on my door meant 'protection.' You knew where the wolf figure would be in the hallway. Your body knows this castle, even if your mind doesn't."

Clara stood up, backing away from him. "I want to go home."

"This is your home, Clara. It always has been." Lucien stepped closer. "Every hundred years, you are reborn. Every hundred years, you find your way back to me. And every hundred years, we try to break the curse that keeps us bound to this endless circle."

"What curse?"

Before Lucien could answer, the castle shook strongly. Books fell from shelves, and dust rained from the roof.

"She's back," Lucien growled, his eyes flashing silver. "Erynn is attacking the castle barriers."

Another shake, stronger this time. A crack formed in one wall.

"Who is she? What does she want?"

"She wants you, Clara. She needs your blood to finish a ritual that will merge all three worlds."

"My blood? Why?"

"Because you're special. Half witch, half human, with vampire blood from our bond across lives. Your blood is the key to breaking the barriers between places."

A deafening crash echoed through the house. The doors to the library burst open, and a vampire with a blood wound on his arm stumbled in.

"My lord! The east wall has fallen! They're inside the castle!"

Lucien grabbed Clara's hand. "We need to get you somewhere safe."

He pulled her toward a secret door behind one of the bookshelves. As it opened, Clara heard screams and fighting from somewhere in the house.

"Who's 'they'?" Clara asked, fear making her voice shake.

"Erynn's fans. Witches and vampires who want to see the worlds united, no matter the cost."

They hurried down a tight passage lit by strange blue lights. The castle continued to shake around them.

"Why would merging the worlds be so terrible?" Clara asked as they ran.

"Because humans would become prey, witches would lose their power, and vampires would lose their immortality. Chaos would rule, and millions would die in the fight for power."

They came to another door. When Lucien opened it, Clara gasped. Inside was a circle room with walls made of mirrors. Each mirror showed a different scene—forests, towns, oceans, strange places Clara had never seen before.

"These are portals to the three realms," Lucien stated. "We need to get to the witch realm. Isolde can protect you there."

Suddenly, the mirror showing a forest shattered. Through the broken glass stepped Erynn, her red hair flowing around her like flames. Her eyes were totally black now, and strange symbols glowed on her skin.

"Too late," she said with a cold smile. "The little witch is mine."

Lucien pushed Clara behind him and bared his fangs. "You'll have to go through me first."

Erynn laughed. "Gladly."

She raised her hands, and the pieces of broken mirror rose into the air, pointing at Lucien like daggers.

"Stop!" Clara shouted. Without thinking, she stepped forward and raised her own hands. The locket around her neck glowed blue, and a shield of light emerged in front of her and Lucien.

The mirror shards froze in mid-air.

Erynn's black eyes widened. "So, you remember more than you're letting on."

"I don't remember anything," Clara said, shocked at what she'd just done. "It just... happened."

"Your blood remembers, even if your mind doesn't." Erynn dropped her hands, and the mirror shards fell to the floor. "You've done this dance with us before, Clara Thorne. Many, many times."

Lucien's hand tightened around Clara's. "Don't listen to her."

"Ask him why he keeps bringing you back," Erynn said, her voice smooth and dangerous. "Ask him what happens every time you remember who you really are."

"What is she talking about?" Clara asked, looking at Lucien.

Lucien's face went hard. "She's trying to trick you."

"Am I?" Erynn stepped closer. "Tell her the truth, Lucien. Tell her what happens when you two fall in love. Tell her about the curse that kills her every time."

Clara's shield flickered as her focus broke. "What?"

Erynn smiled, seeing her chance. She lunged forward, passing through the weakening shield. Her hand closed around Clara's neck.

"Let's stop this cycle once and for all," Erynn hissed. "Your blood is mine!"

Clara felt a strange power growing inside her, something ancient and powerful. The locket burned against her skin. Her eyes began to glow with the same blue light.

"No," Clara breathed. "My blood is my own."

A blast of power burst from her body, throwing Erynn across the room. The force was so strong that all the mirrors cracked, except for one showing a moonlit yard.

Erynn hit the wall hard but got to her feet, laughing. "There she is. The real Clara is waking up." She looked at Lucien. "Better be careful, lover. You know what happens next."

Before either could react, Erynn vanished in a swirl of red mist.

Clara turned to Lucien, her hands still glowing with blue light. "What did she mean? What happens when I remember? What happens when we fall in love?"

Lucien's silver eyes filled with a sadness so deep it took Clara's breath away.

"You die," he whispered. "Every time you remember who you really are, every time we fall in love... you die."