Alucard emerged from the swirling portal, the darkness clinging to him like a second skin before dissipating into the shadows of the world he now found himself in. The transition from the hellish domain of Mortem Rex to the mortal realm was jarring. The air was no longer thick with sulfur but was instead crisp and cold, biting at his skin. He stood in a barren landscape, where the earth was cracked and dry, with jagged rocks jutting out of the ground like the teeth of some ancient, long-forgotten beast.
The sky was an oppressive gray, with thick clouds swirling overhead, casting the land in a perpetual twilight. Alucard surveyed his surroundings, his senses heightened, as he reached out with his newfound power. He could feel it—a dark, pulsing energy emanating from somewhere nearby, a fragment of the essence Mortem Rex had spoken of.
This was his first step towards reclaiming the power he had lost, towards becoming strong enough to face Dr. Forge again. The thought of that confrontation sent a surge of adrenaline through him, and he set off in the direction of the dark energy without hesitation.
As Alucard made his way across the desolate landscape, the terrain gradually began to change. The dry, cracked earth gave way to dense, twisted trees, their branches gnarled and clawing at the sky. This forest was old, ancient even, and it carried with it a weight, a sense of foreboding that pressed down on him as he entered its depths. The further he ventured, the darker the forest became, until the only light that pierced through the canopy was a sickly, pale glow that did little to illuminate the path ahead.
The shadows in this place were different. They seemed to move and shift of their own accord, as though they were alive, watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake. Alucard kept his guard up, his eyes scanning the darkness for any signs of movement. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the silence was unnerving, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant, echoing calls of unseen creatures.
As he walked deeper into the forest, the dark energy he had sensed earlier grew stronger, more concentrated. It was close now, close enough that he could almost taste it on the air. But with it came a sense of dread, a feeling that whatever lay ahead was not something to be taken lightly.
Alucard's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword, his grip tightening as he pressed forward. The path wound through the trees, leading him to a clearing where the forest floor gave way to a small, circular pit. At the center of the pit was a large stone monolith, covered in ancient runes that glowed with a faint, blue light. The dark energy radiated from this monolith, pulsing like a heartbeat, filling the air with a low, humming vibration.
But Alucard was not alone.
As he approached the monolith, a figure stepped out from the shadows of the trees on the far side of the clearing. It was tall and humanoid, but its features were twisted, grotesque. Its skin was a mottled gray, stretched tight over its bones, and its eyes were hollow, dark voids that seemed to absorb the light around them. It was draped in tattered robes that hung from its skeletal frame like the rags of a long-forgotten corpse.
This creature, Alucard realized, was not just any guardian—it was a wraith, a powerful entity corrupted by the fragment it had been charged to protect. The wraith's presence was suffocating, and Alucard could feel the dark essence within him reacting to it, stirring with anticipation.
The wraith raised a bony hand, pointing directly at Alucard, and its hollow voice echoed through the clearing, cold and emotionless. "You seek the fragment of darkness, mortal. But you will find only death."
Alucard didn't flinch. He met the wraith's empty gaze with a determined stare, his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword. "I've faced death before," he replied, his voice calm, steady. "It doesn't scare me."
The wraith let out a low, menacing hiss, and in an instant, it was upon him, moving with a speed that belied its skeletal frame. Alucard drew his sword just in time to parry the wraith's attack, the force of the blow sending a shockwave through his arm. The wraith was strong, its movements fluid and precise, like a dancer weaving through the shadows.
But Alucard was no novice in battle. He quickly found his footing, matching the wraith's strikes with calculated precision. The clearing was filled with the sound of clashing steel and the wraith's eerie, echoing hisses as they battled. Each time the wraith struck, Alucard could feel the dark essence within him responding, feeding off the energy of the fragment that the wraith protected.
As the battle raged on, Alucard could sense that the wraith was drawing power from the monolith, using the fragment's energy to sustain itself. He knew he needed to end this quickly, before the wraith could fully tap into that power. With a swift, calculated move, Alucard feigned a strike to the wraith's left, causing it to shift its weight in that direction. In that split second, he pivoted and drove his sword through the wraith's chest, piercing the dark core that pulsed with the fragment's energy.
The wraith let out a piercing shriek as the blade connected, its body convulsing violently. Alucard twisted the blade, driving it deeper, and the wraith's form began to disintegrate, its skeletal frame collapsing into a cloud of ash that was quickly swallowed by the shadows.
Alucard stepped back, breathing heavily as he watched the wraith's remains scatter in the wind. The clearing was silent once more, save for the low hum of the monolith's energy. He sheathed his sword and approached the monolith, the dark essence within him resonating with the fragment's power.
With a deep breath, Alucard placed his hand on the surface of the monolith. The runes flared brightly, and the fragment's energy surged into him, filling him with a cold, electric rush. It was as if the darkness within him was being amplified, growing stronger, more potent. His vision blurred as the power coursed through his veins, and for a moment, he felt as though he might be consumed by it.
But then, just as quickly as it had begun, the energy stabilized, settling into a deep, steady pulse within him. Alucard withdrew his hand, his breath ragged as he tried to process the surge of power he had just absorbed. He could feel it—he was stronger now, faster, and the shadows that clung to him were darker, more substantial.
But with the power came something else—a creeping sense of unease, of a darkness that went beyond mere shadows. It was as if the fragment had awakened something within him, something that had been lying dormant, waiting for the right moment to surface.
Alucard shook off the feeling, focusing instead on the task ahead. This was only the beginning. There were more fragments to find, more power to absorb. And with each one, he would come closer to achieving the strength he needed to face Dr. Forge.
He turned away from the monolith, the shadows gathering around him like a cloak as he made his way back through the haunted forest. The path before him was long and treacherous, but he was ready for it. He would face whatever dangers lay ahead, absorb the darkness, and use it to fuel his vengeance.
As he left the clearing behind, the words of Mortem Rex echoed in his mind, a reminder of the path he had chosen. "The more you seek out this dark essence, the further you will be drawn into the abyss."
But Alucard pushed the warning aside. He had already been to the abyss, had stared into the depths of Hell itself. He knew the dangers, but he also knew what was at stake. There was no turning back now. The journey ahead was one of power, of sacrifice, and of inevitable darkness.
And Alucard was ready to embrace it.