Lullaby of Discord

Chapter Nineteen: Infinite Potential

Sara returns to herself in a place that is nothing and nowhere. Yet… it is almost pleasantly so.

She hardly remembers how she got to such a place, as her head is filled of a fog.

“Hello?” she calls into the nothing, but there comes no answer.

“Hello? Are any there? What place is this? How is it I am here?”

Sara Trantoul, states a voice which does not so much speak as is.

“Hello? Who goes there? How is it you know of me?”

Know of you?

The place which is nothing and nowhere seems to grow and diminish all of the same, reflecting and refracting millions of images of Sara herself, all back at her in each and every direction. Yet each reflection finds her different, if even ever so slight.

I am you.

And at once all reflections seem to freeze in their place.

And one turns to look upon her.

“You… how is it you can be… me? How is such a thing possible?”

All things can yet be made possible under the correct circumstances. But this is not the matter at hand. You find yourself in a place you’ve found yourself in many other worlds; sacrificing yourself, casting away your very life for the greater good.

Sara reels for a moment as her reflection seems to carry on as if entirely normal, as previous events unfold within Sara’s mind. She had stricken Walter with the spell Mathias had shown her, ending his life, and freeing they four of this accursed castle.

Ending his life, and, so it would seem, her own.

“Then… I no longer live?”

Another of the many looking-glass Saras turns her face at her to speak. She smiles, sympathetic.

No. Not as such. But you mustn’t lose hope.

Sara ponders this strange message for a time. “If I am to be dead… then what hope is there to keep?”

You no longer live, true, but you have not yet fully died.

This reflection passes, as another, above her, continues on.

Death has fled the castle in defeat, as you have bound your lifeline to the vampire’s, and as such he cannot raise Walter without also raising yourself. And therein lies no chance at victory for him.

This reflection, too, is relinquished, as this… being, this… other Sara, speaks from another.

And so you find yourself here.

“And what is such a place, exactly?”

A place between living and death. A world between worlds. A realm where all possibilities can be seen. Where your life, from your birth, to the moment you chose your life as a woman, to they day you met Leon, to now, all happen at once. And through such, all things are possible.

Sara sees all her reflections as they live, all in different manner of lives.

She watches as many take the place of Leon, instead herself being made into a creature of darkness as he tries to free her of the castle. She sees one which has lived far too long in this way, and kills with no remorse. She sees another, begging of Leon to slay her, to defeat Walter of his own, and watches as he protests, and protests ‘till it is so that he inevitably gives in.

She watches as some follow the path she remains upon of the current, wasting away without so much as hearing word of Leon, and far too many more killed in her path to save him, and one where she must sacrifice him to kill Walter.

She sees the moment she is born into this world, and the path which leads her to each of these many worlds

And, far too distant, far too improbable, she sees one in which this is all simply a terrible dream; where she and Leon wed, and live their lives together, and bear children together. This one, perfect life the two of them seem doomed never to share.

Yet however distant, all this, and more, remains possible.

“And I must… I must find my path forward through this strange place?”

No. There is but one way forward, if you are to live, and only you have the power to grant yourself this.

But know this. There are far too many worlds where your path leads only to death, by choices of those outside your own self.

And, as she speaks true, one-by-one, much too much of the reflections begin to perish, leaving but a small few standing. Their numbers dwindling more, and more.

This spell passed to you by this… ‘friend’ of Leon’s was intended to kill you, but 'tis your choice whether you decide to continue living, or leave the mortal coil to earn your eternal rest here.

There comes a long pause of emptiness. But Sara knows of what she must choose.

“What must I do?”

The alchemist, he showed you a ritual, correct?

“Rinaldo. Yes, he showed me how to bind Leon’s soul to the whip. But I shall never kill Leon—“

This matters not. This ritual can be utilized with the soul of any vampire.

Sara is taken aback. “But… Rinaldo said—“

True, 'tis productive towards your own longevity to bind to the weapon the tainted soul of one you trust, one who trusts you. But such a union is hardly the limit. Any vampire may ultimately be bound to the weapon should they agree to be bound as such, though it will be far more likely to pose great risk to you.

Sara considers this for but a moment. She had not expected such information.

Sara knows already the answer, and does not wish to hear it, but she must ask. “Which vampire would you have me bind to this whip?”

The soul of a vampire such as Walter Bernhard, while far more volatile, shall provide you more than necessary power to transform the whip, to unlock its complete form.

“I… have I no other choice?”

The force of your life has been bound, utterly, to this vampire. Allowing his soul to live on within the whip will allow yours, too, to continue its life without. However, so, too, does it mean that you will walk the earth, though still utterly human, eternal, should the force of your lives remain undisrupted by outside forces.

Sara balks at this. She would not wish to bind her continued existence to that of someone of Walter’s ilk, but…

…But she has come so far, has she not? She has spent months searching, making preparations. She fought her way through this entire castle, though it took great toll upon her, yet… only to fall at the very end?

No. She could not accept such a fate.

And Sara loves living. She has no wish to die, should there be a way to avoid such an event.

“Very well. I shall complete the ritual.”

You know what you must do, then?

Sara ponders back to the words Rinaldo imparted her, then continues.

“All becomes one in infinity. The tainted soul joins with my own. Undesired and cursed soul, my blood accepts your hatred—for the power to slay your kind!”

Sara pauses. Rinaldo had instructed her to strike Leon after such a recitation, but she sees no sight of Walter.

Yet… this very place, the 'other' Sara had described it as in between life and death, yes?

If she chooses life, has she any further need of this place?

Sara slashes, lashing at the reflections, as one by one, they seem to disappear, not only from her vision, but from existence itself. As if to show her she has chosen her path, and she cannot turn back.

She lashes at more and more, above, below, left, right, behind, until only one remains standing, and the other Sara leaves her with only one word.

Live.

And Sara shatters the last, and as it vanishes, she realizes she has struck Walter, completing the ritual.

She watches with wonder, as the whip appears to darken and blacken, an aura of violet surrounding the weapon, as she feels pure vile hatred and wroth seeping of it.

And with this, all seems to darken around her.

And Sara awakens.