Richter had to admit, he was impressed.  He knew not who this intruder was, but he had managed to survive this long.  By some stroke of luck, he made it farther into the castle than Richter would have guessed.  He’d deftly avoided all traps laid out for him, laid waste to all of his servants, and even survived the colosseum. 

After days, this outsider finally found the castle keep.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Richter announced at the first sight of his castle’s intruder.  It was a pity that someone so remarkable would soon meet his end.

“So, it is you,” said the man.  “Answer me.  Why is a Belmont planning the resurrection of Count Dracula?”

Richter scowled at this confirmation that he intended to stop him.

“Count Dracula rises but once every century and my role is over,” he explained.  “If I can resurrect him, then the battle will last for eternity!”

“… If those are your true feelings then so be it.”

With this declaration of battle, Richter called upon the power of the holy cross to get things started.  His opponent only narrowly avoided this summon, but was left stunned enough for Richter to attack with the Vampire Killer.  The other did his well to avoid the strikes.  His defense was flawless, but defense alone would not usher victory.

“Magnificent!” said Richter after the man dodged a flurry of attacks.  What he had planned next would not be so easily avoided.  “But now, feel my unbridled wrath!  Hydro storm!”

Richter pointed towards the heavens as he called out, unleashing energy to cause holy water to rain down upon his opponent.  The other swiftly turned to fog, averting the attack until the rain had dissipated.  Curiously, he did not attack back.  Richter thought it a pity.  He had expected more of a fight out of someone who had clawed their way through the depths of Castlevania.

Unbeknownst to Richter, Alucard had a different target in his sights.  He had received a pair of glasses that permitted him to see the truth, courtesy of the Belmont’s relative, Maria, who had also wound up in the castle seeking him.  Between dodging Richter’s attacks, Alucard managed to chip away at an evil orb that followed his assailant.  It was difficult to time his strikes as to not harm the human, but Alucard’s final promise to his late mother gave him the patience necessary to make it work. 

With one final strike, the orb shattered, releasing the Belmont of the spell that had controlled him for so long.  Richter fell to his knees as Shaft’s spirit escaped.

“You’ve defeated me!” said the dark priest.  “But all is not yet lost.  The resurrection of Count Dracula is at hand!”

Wicked laughter filled the keep before the spirit disappeared.

“No…”  Richter held his head in disbelief as his senses returned and the horror of what he had taken part of settled in.  He was unable to get up, paralyzed by shame.  “What have I done?”

That same instant, Maria rushed into the castle keep to meet the two men.  She was visibly relieved to see that both Richter and Alucard were okay.

“Thank you, Alucard,” she said.  “For saving Richter.”

Richter raised his head at the sound of the name that Maria spoke.

“Alucard!?” he exclaimed.  “The same Alucard who fought alongside my ancestor Trevor Belmont?  That was over 300 years ago!”

“No time for small talk.”  Alucard pointed out the window.  “Is the person who controlled you in that castle over there?”

Richter raised his eyes to look.  A second castle had appeared, inverted but otherwise identical to the one they currently occupied.  Though this was his first time seeing it, there was no doubt that it had to have been erected by the evil that controlled him.

“Yes,” he said with a nod.  “I think so…”

Alucard turned his attention from the window to Maria.

“Maria, take Richter and leave here,” said the dhampir.  “I’ll finish this.”

“All right,” she said.  “Good luck…”

With that, Alucard left to investigate the other castle.  Maria rushed to the side of his opponent.

“Are you all right, Richter?” she asked, helping the man to his feet.  “Can you walk?”

“Yes, I should be able to…  Alucard didn’t strike me directly.”

“That is fortunate.”  She took a moment to embrace him.  “‘Tis so good to see you again.”

“‘Tis good to see you too, Maria,” said Richter as he squeezed her.  “I’m truly sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused…”

“Worry not about that,” she said as she let go of all but his hand.  “Let us get out of here.”

“Wait…”

Richter stopped, brushed Maria’s arm away, and looked around.  His memories of his time in this castle were muddled, but one thing stuck out to him above all. 

Something was missing.

Not something.  Someone.

He searched the shadows at the edge of the keep for a pair of bright eyes, but only saw darkness.

“What is it, Richter?”

“I don’t see her.”

Maria tilted her head.  “See who?”

“Lady Gwen?” he called out.  “Gwen, are you around?  You can come out.”

“Richter, who are you…?”

“Gwendolyna,” Richter said to Maria.  His heart ached as he said her name, now hyper-aware of the fact that he had never respected her enough to call her by it.

“She’s…  She’s usually with me, or watching me, but she’s not here.  We can’t leave without her, Maria.  I have to save her.”

“There’s another person stuck in this castle?” she asked.  “I did not come across any other than Alucard.”

“I am certain she’s hiding.  I told her to hide, but I know not where she chose…  Whatever the case, we must hurry.  I don’t know how long it will take him.  She’s depending on me to save her…”  He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head in thought before snapping his fingers.  “The library!  She’s likely in the library.  Come, Maria!  Let us make haste.”

For the first time since stepping foot in the castle, the fog of his mind had cleared.  His heart was no longer hardened now that the wickedness that reigned over him had been purged.  With that clarity, he could proclaim the truth that his conflicted soul tried to fight for so long…

He had fallen in love with that peculiar little vampire.

‘Twas true.  He loved her.  He loved her just as much as he knew she loved him.

He loved her, and he refused lose another woman he loved.

All was not lost.  There was still time for Richter to do right by Gwendolyna.

He left the castle keep in search of her, and Maria followed along behind him.  He quickly learned he could no longer move freely through the castle as he had prior to the fight.  Now released from the curse, his immunity had vanished.  The monsters that had once served him now targeted him.  Armed with his whip and Maria’s familiars, they fought their way through the castle halls to the library.

Within, there were carcasses of monsters slain and a mess of scattered pages from books ruined in the crossfire, but no sign of the vampiress. 

“Gwen?” he called out.  His voice echoed through the roomy space.  He cautiously stepped through the debris as he scanned the area for her.  His eyes darted to the window he always saw her at, but she was not there.  “Gwendolyna, it’s safe to come out now.”

“The lady is not here.”

Richter spun around, seeing the elderly master librarian at his desk at the far end of the room.  He was startled by his presence.  Never before had the old man revealed himself to Richter.  He quickly closed the distance between himself and the desk.

“Have you seen her?” he asked the man.  “If you have, I beg of you to tell me what has become of her.”

“I do not give out information without a price, especially not to those who oppose the master,” the librarian said.  Richter’s brows furrowed and he gripped his whip tighter, but the other man continued before he had a chance to threaten him.  “However, I truly have no answers for you, young man.  Though, for Lady Gwen’s sake, I wish I did.  If not here, perhaps she is in the chapel.”

Richter’s posture relaxed and he responded with a nod of gratitude.  “I will check there.  Thank you, sir.”

The old man waved Richter off while chuckling to himself.  As he turned to leave, he heard the librarian say, “It appears that spell she sought must have worked.”

“Spell…?” Richter turned back to ask, before his face drained of color.  The memory of the sheet he once confiscated from Gwen returned to him, causing his cheeks to then flush.  “Oh…”  Richter rubbed the back of his neck.  “The lady did not require a spell to have her way.”

This caused the man to cackle.

“Spell?” Maria asked.  “What spell?”

“I haven’t the time to explain, Maria.  ‘Tis too long of a story for a time like this,” said Richter as he fought a blush.  “The chapel is on the far end of the castle.  We must hurry.”

He headed for the library’s entrance, leaving Maria standing near the desk.

“Be careful, sir,” Maria turned to say to the librarian.  “We fear this castle may soon be destroyed.”

“Worry not about me, miss,” the librarian said.  “I am as much part of this old library as the books.  Good luck to you and your friend.”

She nodded before proceeding to catch up with Richter.