Chapter 1

It was a strikingly cold and dark night in England. Although its immense space was used for tours, Alnwick Castle, would be host to a different sort of gathering tonight…

Raven walked the hill to the doors of Alnwick Castle, across the foggy laden field and up the stoned steps. She stopped to check the black and purple velvet letter.

Dear Creature of the Night
It gives me great pleasure to offer this letter, inviting you to my home. It will be a night of fine dining and musical entertainment. You may bring a friend if you wish, but perhaps it would be better if guests bring like minded company. I’m sure with your attendance, it will be a phenomenal evening. Dress accordingly.

UT

Raven folded the letter and knocked on the bronzed door knocker. The sounds echoed and for a moment, Raven thought there wasn’t anyone there. She turned and was about to walk away, when the doors swung open. Standing in the opening was a rotund pale man with jet black hair and cold eyes, “OHHHH Greetings, and welcome,” he said with a high pitched squeal of a voice. Raven smiled and stepped in, she unbuttoned her long coat and revealed a brilliantly detailed black gown complete with a Renascence hoop and bodice, and decked with a purple lining and trim. “I’m so glad you found the place alright, I’m Paul Bearer, I’ll be your butler for tonight,” Paul bowed and took Raven’s coat. Paul escorted her to the lounge, where there was a table arrayed with cheeses, cakes, sparkling water and wine.

Raven looked around and didn’t see anyone else,”Um, Paul am I the only one who has arrived?”
“Ooooh no Mam, we have one other,” he pointed to the corner that lay behind the lit fire place, so it was darkened. There stood silently, a young man wearing a long deep-blue-buttoned down-vest-jacket over a long sleeved black shirt black pants, with boots that came up to his knees, complete with silver clasps. He merely nodded and sipped a glass of wine.”Mr. X is a silent fellow, but he still talks more than The Deadman, hhuhh hmm.” Paul served Raven a drink and she accepted, “Will the Undertaker be joining us?” Raven asked and Paul answered with a nod “Oh yes. While you are waiting for the other guests to arrive, perhaps I can give you a tour of the castle.” Paul led Raven and X out of the lounge and down the marvelously furnished halls.

Chapter 2

The floors creaked as Raven and X was led by Paul through the castle’s numerous rooms. Paul Bearer “This is the Undertaker’s gallery” The room was enormous and every space had an artifact occupying it. Both X and Raven walked the room looking at the many pieces, while Paul stayed close to Raven. Raven was interested in the many vases and cloths, while X traveled into an area of the room that was set far off and to itself. “Taker’s soft,” X said, spotting a wall filled with framed portraits of woman all with flowers in their hair, from ceiling to floor. All were very different, except for their eyes, all the women had the same type of eyes. X turned and saw another portrait that wasn’t hanging on the walls, but sat on an easel like it was favored more than the others, it looked newer too. Paul Bearer saw Raven getting closer to the portrait, that X saw and nervously rushed them out of the room. Paul, “I forgot to show you this uh-uh room, ah here. The armor room” he opens the door and lets the two in before him.

When they had passed him, Paul dabbed the sweat beads from his brow and took a deep breath. There was armor dated back to at least the 15th century, with everything from chest plates to sabers. “I think you’ll find this room more manly,” Paul said as he heard a knock on the door. “Oh! More guests have arrived!” Paul scurried to the front door. Raven stood there staring at daggers, and asked X “Do you think he’s a collector, or does he just buy things because he can?” no answer came. Raven turned around and she was alone, “hello?…” Raven walked out into the hall and looked both ways, but she saw no one. She began to walk, looking for someone else, she was slightly lost. She ended up in a hall that was lit only by the moon light, through windows. She felt a presence behind her, and quickly turned “who’s there?” she turned the corner and something large, had just went by, all she could see was its right shoulder, it was scarred, whatever it was.

Raven moved closer and saw that it was a man, he was bending over a sack, when he heard her coming he grunted and grabbed a shovel that laid beside him, and turned and stood completely, revealing his full size and masked face, he grunted and gripped his shovel tighter as if he was about to swing it, “Ahhhh!” Raven screamed and ran. She ran as fast as her legs would take her. Then she came up to another figure and she screamed again, the screams doubled as the other person screamed too. “Oh, its just you.” shaken Raven said finally realizing it was another woman, who wore a rose ruched-satin gown with a boned-brocaded-edged-three-buckled-bodice . “Yes. its, me? why did you scare me like that?” she said also startled “I thought you were…this guy and he was, never mind…” Raven responded. “Well I don’t want to meet who ever you just met, my name’s Felicia,” she held out her hand and the two shook hands.

They were just about to walk on when a door slammed open and startled them again, “Ahh!” both Raven and Felicia screamed, but it was X who came stepping out. “Where did you go!” Raven flapped her hand at him, and Felicia regained her composure, X gave her a weird looked “Had to pee,” adjusted himself, buckled his belt and walked away. Raven rolled her eyes.

Chapter 3

Now in the ballroom: “I’m sorry, I didn’t come back to you, I had to check on supper,” Paul said. “Well we made it back in one piece, all is well,” Felicia said. The echoing sounds of the door knockers, broke the conversation. Paul went to open the door and in walked a brother and a sister. They both had hooded cloaks on and took them off at the same time. Felicia raised an eye brow at Raven and Raven shrugged, “This is just getting weirder and weirder,” she whispered. “I would like to introduce, Maria and Jacob Vaughn.” Paul said,and Maria and Jacob, gingerly walked the room and stopping to shake hands with all that were there, “Hello there, Jacob Vaughn, charmed I’m sure,” Jacob snobbishly said to Felicia “Felicia, nice to meet you,” she responded. “Hm I’m sure it is…nice to meet me,” Jacob said with a chuckle.

If Jacob was annoyingly snobbish, his sister was just as annoying, but in a slightly different way…”Hi! I’m Maria, but people call me Ria, I don’t know if you’d call two people ‘people’ but people are just plural forms of person, so yeah I guess you could. Anyway, it is nice to meet you Mr. ?” “X,” X responded, distancing himself from Maria. “Ha, Mr. X, that’s an interesting name.” She closes the gap that he was making. “No just X,” he said and and turned away from her, but she walked around him to face him again, “Wow that’s so cool to have, I mean it saves time on nicknames and on addresses and other commonly used forms of communications.” she stated. “Don’t care,” X stated. Paul Bearer opened a curtain and revealed a small band of stringed instrument players and a grand piano, he sat down at the piano’s bench and began to play, and the rest of the musicians followed. “That, wasn’t there before, was it?” Raven asked her self and Felicia answered “I don’t think so?” X was still trying to step away from Maria, but failing because of her persistent talking, “And that’s how my rabbit ‘Hopsy’ ended up with ‘lock jaw’ it was the weirdest childhood summer that year.”

Maria was naively unaware of X’s growing pained expression. When she finally heard the music “Oh lovely, would you like to dance?!” she said wide eyed. X responded “I don’t Dance.” but before he could get all of his words out, Maria pulled him to the open ballroom floor, “don’t be silly, everyone dances”
Felicia and Jacob reluctantly followed. Raven stood there and watched, part relieved it wasn’t her and part lonely…

Then the lights started to flicker, and then they snapped off, just as quickly as that happened, they were back on again, it was a blink of the eye. Everyone stopped what they were doing, except for the band. Raven stepped back and bumped into something, she turned and met the piercing gaze of the undertaker, whom came from nowhere. “Oh, um…uh, hello,” Raven offered her hand for a shake, but undertaker gentle turned her wrist and softly kissed it, “Welcome to my home, it’s wonderful to finally meet you. you all” he said while not removing his gaze on Raven. It was something about undertaker, even his presence was enough to calm and capture Maria’s frenzied style. X breathed a sigh of relief and walked away from her, as Undertaker was walking to the exit he said “Please, join me in the dining room.” They all filed out of the room.

Chapter 4

The group walked behind Undertaker, as his stride was wide through the corridors. Undertaker seated himself at the head of an extensive black table. Jacob was the first to step in, he shrugged and puffed out his chest as if to show that he was unimpressed by the ornamentation of the room and sat at the opposite end of where Undertaker was sitting. There was an unspoken competition from Jacob to Undertaker. Maria was next, she stopped in amazement, and stood at the door, mouth gaping. “Oh my, this place is grand,” grabbing X’s arm as he was walking in, “Would you sit next to me?” she asked, and pulled him along with her before he could answer. Raven and Felicia stepped in at the same time, as they were finishing a conversation, they were the most amiable of the group and had many common interests. “Raven, would you please join me here,” Undertaker motioned to the chair closest to him. Raven smiled and complied. Jacob sneered slightly and peered over his shoulder, “Felicia, dear, you must grace me with your presence here, I will not take no for an answer,” he pulled the chair next to him out for Felicia and she sat and gave an awkward smile to him. Raven glanced at Felicia and laughed a bit, and Felicia mouthed the words “not funny”.

Paul Bearer came fluttering in from the kitchen with a large tray in his right arm, he was so happy. He placed a plate down in front of everyone, “First salad with peanut dressing , delicious,” Paul said and was about to give Felicia her plate, but Jacob stopped him “No thank you Paul, she’s allergic,” Paul nodded and took it away. “How did you know that? I never told anyone,” Felicia said. “Oh, my brother does that often, he knows things about people he’d never met before, really interesting,” Maria said. “Yes, interesting indeed,” Undertaker said. “I’m sure a man with such an abode like this, can appreciate the abnormal,” Jacob said.

The table went silent and there was a heavy tension for some moments, that no one could explain, but it seemed Undertaker and Jacob had something to do with it. Raven finally broke the silence, “I saw your collection of art, it is very fascinating.” “Really, and what was your favorite piece?” Undertaker asked, “Well, I was interested in a particular vase, it was porcelain, I think and it was the most plain one there.” Raven answered, “Ah that one is from the Longquan kilns of Zhejiang Province,” he stated. “Zhejiang Province? That must have been The Song Dynasty then,” Raven thought out loud. “I do like a woman who knows her history,” Undertaker said while staring into Raven’s eyes. Raven blushed and looked away, she looked to Felicia who laughed and Raven rolled her eyes at her and laughed.

The group finished eating their salads and Paul came out with steaming bowls of soup, “Oh wait until the meal, It will send your taste buds on a journey!” Paul picked up the empty plates and sat down the bowls and went back into the kitchen. X was desperate to remove Maria’s attention from him, as she was staring at him for minutes now, “How are you, a wrestler, able to afford this place for an evening?” Undertaker took a sip of his drink and said, “There are ways to get what you want, when you want. And I have history here.” “Yes, it must be copious amounts of ‘history’ I’m sure,” Jacob said from the corner of his mouth. The friction returned after his statement and Undertaker and Jacob shot darts at each other for moments, Felicia and Raven gave each other worried glances…

Chapter 5 (supper continued)

“Cornish Game Hens in a Blackberry sauce!” Paul said in a lyrical exclamation. He sat the dinner plates down, each one with its own exquisitely garnished Cornish Hen. “This sure is a lot of food,” Raven said. “Yes, I think I am already full,” Felicia agreed. “Maybe after our meal, you could join me, we never finished our dance,” Jacob softly replied,as he gently lifted Felicia’s hand and caressed her palm. “Well, I- to be honest I,” Felicia searched for words to reject him nicely. “I know I can be, a bit forward and perhaps long winded at times, but I only do that, when I am in the company of a beautiful woman, and you my dear are the definition of the word –beautiful–,” Jacob said as he kissed each finger on her hand. “Oh, wow, I’m, flattered,” Felicia said deciding not to reject his request. They all finished there food and dessert was brought out. When they were finished with the courses, they all gathered again in the ballroom, where Paul and the quartet resumed playing.

Jacob bows to Felicia and they begin to dance. They twirl around the vast room with ease and Jacob leads Felicia to where Undertaker and Raven were standing and dips her, “I doubt any other couple could hold a candle to us my dear Felicia,” Jacob says and spins her. Jacob nods at Undertaker singling him out as an example, but it was Raven who accepted the challenge, “I’m afraid you’re wrong, ah Paul, Tango please.” The style of the music changed to that of a Argentinian Tango, and Raven offered her hand to Undertaker, “Are you going to let them win?” she said and he smiled, “Never.” Jacob and Felicia stopped to watch Undertaker and Raven dance the “Tango Canyengue”. Raven smiled and stuck her tongue out at Felicia in a playful way, and Felicia said “I’m sure what ever you two can do Jacob and I can do better.” The four dance the rhythmic dance and each couple expressed a playful passion in their movements. If Undertaker lifted Raven, Jacob did the same with Felicia and vice versa. The music began to swell as it was nearing the finale, Undertaker and Raven showed a zeal, that Jacob and Felicia just didn’t have, and couldn’t keep up with. When the music ended, Raven and Undertaker were held close to one another, and in that moment they seemed to be lost in each other’s eyes, they were about to kiss…when Jacob broke the moment by patting Undertaker on the shoulder, “Well done, you gave Felicia and I a run for our money.” Maria ran up to them in excitement, “That was so good, you all were like experts!”

The windows lit up from the thunder and lighting that signaled a sudden down pour of heavy rain. Paul wobbles up to the group, “It seems, visibility is very bad and there’s a large tree blocking the one exit/entrance to the main road from here,” Paul nodded. “Well perhaps our host can accommodate us,” Jacob said. “In fact I can, Paul go make the beds for our guest and make sure each of the room’s baths are furnished properly, I suspect that after the dance, the women would like to freshen up.” Paul nodded and scurried off.

They grew tired of dancing and resorted to conversations, so they decided to complete the night with coffee in the study. The study was very warm and cozy compared to the smooth but luminescent ballroom. “So I got a job on a cruise ship as a singing waitress, and I shared a room with this other waitress who was an avid, and I mean avid wrestling fan, and I got into it, out of necessity at first and then I started to really like it and here I am,” Felicia stated.

Undertaker raised his cup and said , “Welcome to the family.” Jacob sat his glass down and said, “Well you’re going to love, how I became a ‘creature of the night’, I was assistant–no– more like second in command to my boss, who had this company, well we were close chums him and I, and we had a lot of respect for one another. In fact you could even say he trained me…Well he made some foolish decisions, one’s I didn’t agree with and I left,” he picks up his cup and sips from it. “But wait, that doesn’t explain how you became a fan,” Maria said, and X squinted in thought “This seems familiar.” “I’ve been getting the feeling of deja vu, all night,I mean I know my way around this place and the only thing that is off, is that I feel I’m missing something with me,” Felicia added.

Undertaker raised his hand and waved all the silliness away, “It is because you all are tired…” he rings a bell, “Paul please escort everyone to there individual rooms please.” Paul complied and led everyone away, when everyone was out of the room Undertaker stepped over to the bookcase and rested a finger on a black and purple book, Jacob slipped back in and clapped his hands as Undertaker pulled the book away. “Well done, you always did have creative ideas, however short sided,” Jacob said while walking closer. “And you weren’t lying when you called yourself long winded,” Undertaker said while opening the book and pressing a button that lay in between the pages. The bookcase opened, “You ready?” Undertaker stated, “Lets get this over with,” Jacob responded and the two men vanished behind it as it closed again.

Chapter 6

Raven walked into her room. It was a lovely tone of lilac and smelt the same. Elevated on a platform was a four poster bed, with plush covering. On the foot of the bed lay a white u-necked ankle length night gown. Raven smiled and went to her bathroom that was next to the closet.

X lay shirtless in his bed looking up at the ceiling. He had showered but still couldn’t find sleep. The events of the night played in his head. He was sure that somehow, this night, this place was more than what it seemed on the surface. He was lost in his thoughts as a knock on his door brought him out of it. X crossed his room and opened the door. “Hi!” Maria said excitedly and X leaned against his door frame, “I asked Paul, what room you were in, I couldn’t sleep and wondered, did you want to go for a walk?” She said while twirling a strand of her hair. “No,not really,” X says and he goes to close to door in her face, but Maria stops it with her arm. “Now listen here, you-you, meanie!” Maria demanded and X stepped back. “Whew. I don’t know where that came from, I don’t usually yell, but in any case I’m glad I did.” Maria stands firm and continues “I have been nothing but nice to you this whole night, and you have treated me in an impolite way! I thought that you were just a guy with a tough outer shell and that inside was a nicer man, but I see I was wrong. Well you can just go ahead and be a that way, but don’t expect anyone to care about you!” Both Maria and X are shocked at her statement. X steps into the door frame again and Maria steps back defensively, “No one has ever, talked me like that before,” he states while looking straight at her, “I’m sorry, well, no, not really, it felt good.” Maria starts to walk off and X pulls her back and kisses her, they both back into the room and he shuts the door.

Felicia opens her door and lightly steps out. She walks down the long halls and back to the main floor, where the lounge and dining room were. She found the kitchen and poured herself some water. She heard a creaking sound that startled her and she turned to see what it was. She walked to the door of the kitchen and opened it. “Ahh!” she screamed. “Ahh!” Raven screamed. Both women were standing in the kitchen now, apparently both had wanted some water. “Okay we really need to stop doing that,” Felicia said, “yeah,” Raven agreed. Felicia laughed and poured a cup of water for Raven, “couldn’t sleep either?” she asked. “No. My room is comfortable and all, but I don’t know, it’s like my mind won’t rest or something.” Raven said. The two talked and Paul stood behind the door and listened. He snickered silently to himself and closed the door to the kitchen, and locked it. Inside the kitchen the women screamed, as Raven went to open it, “It’s locked.” “What do you mean? We’re stuck here?” Felicia asked. And the girls stood there not knowing what to do.

Underneath the foundation of the castle, in a dark shadowy lair, stood Undertaker and Jacob in a circle made of a blue dust. On a round table sat a golden urn. The booming thunder outside, were mere cracklings in the echoes of the room.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Jacob said. “And I longer,” Undertaker said. Just then lightning came surging through a silver dollar sized hole in the wall, it bounced off three mirrors and struck the bottom of the urn, which began to glow at its base. “And so it begins,” Undertaker said and the men locked arms and began fighting.

Chapter 7

Raven and Felicia still stood in the kitchen, unsure of what to do. “Well there aren’t any windows to climb out of,” Felicia said while looking around. Just then what felt like a small earthquake shifted the foundation of the house and the movement shook some boxes from a shelf, just missing the two women. “That was freaky,” Felicia said. “But hey, I bet you, we could fit through that,” Raven said while pointing to a vent that sat above the shelf. “But where does it lead?” Felicia asked, as Raven began to climb the shelf, “Out of this room, something’s wrong with Undertaker, I can feel it somehow” The two climb into the vent…

Back under the castle, Jacob towered over Undertaker, as the urn’s glow was up to the middle of it’s container. “Do you feel that? It’s the power of all the souls of the warriors, seeping out of you and into the urn, when it’s filled I will take it for my own, trust me!” Undertaker pushes up from the ground and knees Jacob’s chin at the same time. Jacob laughs, “You know what’s funny, they never chose to be your druids this time. Now if I were you I would have forced them, but…” Jacob punches Undertaker in the stomach and he barely moves, “The rules are that they must choose, and neither one of us can make them do anything. That’s the difference between you and I,” Undertaker said while grabbing Jacob’s neck and continued, “I obtained power not by trickery, or deceit. I earned it, you stole it from me!” he slams Jacob on the stone floor…

In X’s room, X and Maria lay in each other’s arms. X stirred a bit and Maria moved away while still sleep. X was stuck in a nightmare and squirmed in his bed “Annabel…Annabel…” he said and awoke with a startled look upon his face as he sat up. Maria woke and looked to X. “Are you ok?” She asked as X turned his back to her and sat on the edge of the bed.

“It was the most weird dream I ever had, it felt so real,” He began but stopped, “Oh?” Maria said encouraging him to go on. “There was this man, I mean it was me…I just didn’t look the same, but I was still me for sure…I was looking around for someone….a woman….Annabel….that was her name…I found her, in the arms of another man…I remember being filled with this anger a-a feeling of being betrayed, that man and me fought as she cried. The man, he pulled a knife out and intended to stab me with it…but he missed…” X looked down and Maria listened intensely, also looked down at her own chest and placed a hand over her heart, “And Annabel was stabbed,” she said and they both looked at each other, “She said…’I had to do it, I’m sorry…” Maria continued X’s story and started to cry. “I had such a dream, only I could never see all of it, and you had it too, what could it mean?” Maria asked. “I don’t know, but I know it happened here, I recognized the room it was in, the art gallery.” The two got dressed and continued to the art gallery…

Felicia and Raven still crawled through the spaces, “I think this could be a bad idea,” Felicia said. “Where’s your sense of adventure?” Raven said, “Back in my room, I think. Can we stop? I’m tired,” Felicia said and they stopped. There were grunts and movement heard towards their left. There was a sloping angled shaft that was dark as it went very deep. “You hear that? Come on lets go!” Raven said and started to move down the shaft feet first. “I don’t think we should, there’s no telling what’s at the end of this,” Felicia said. Raven was already starting to go and Felicia followed reluctantly. In the dark, they couldn’t tell, but the shaft actually split two ways and Raven went one way as Felicia went another. They both land in separate places. “Felicia?” Raven peered through the darkness but saw no one, but she could still here the sounds. She felt her way to a set of stairs and slowly followed them down. She found a small break in the wall and she peeked through. “What?” she whispered to herself, as she looked at Undertaker and Jacob hitting each other so hard but never knocking the other down.

“Raven? Raven? Where are you?” Felicia screamed as she stood from the floor. Just then she heard growling from behind her, and hot breath began to hit the back of her knees. She turned around slowly and looked down, as four pairs of cold dark eyes stared back at her…two large black dogs with fangs baring tried to bit her. Felicia screamed and ran for her life, but the ravenous beasts were still after her, right on her heels. She screamed as she felt a force scoop her up and she saw nothing but darkness as her eyes were closed tight, but she heard two big thuds and the sound of dogs slinking away in defeat. Felicia slowly opened her eyes, as she felt arms around her move tighter and saw that it was a large man, with a mask covering half his face and scars on his shoulder. She was scared for a moment, and pushed away instinctively. “Please, don’t hurt me, I didn’t do anything, I-” Felicia didn’t finish her statement, as the man was caressing the bruise on her face. The man seemed to find her familiar. Felicia started to feel comfortable as they stared at each other.

Chapter 8

“Who are you?” Felicia asked the man, as they sat in his wood cutting shop. He was quiet at first. “I am Kane,” he said and returned to his project. The shop was filled with beautiful carved chairs and other furniture. “Do you spend all your time here?” she asked and he didn’t respond, but he heard her. “If you want you privacy, I can go,” she said. “Stay,” he said simply. She sat back down and he handed her a wooden jewelry box, that had the name “Isabella” carved into it. “It’s lovely, may I open it?” she asked and he nodded. Inside there was an inscription that said, “To my dear Isabella, you are the true jewel, the box is my heart,” “I think I remember seeing this before, is it an art piece?” Felicia asked and he answered, “No, it’s yours”…

Maria and X crouched near to the floor of the gallery. “It happened here,” X said. “I have such a feeling here.” X and Maria looked at each other for a moment. Paul was listening from the door and waited until he saw the two step closer together and when they were standing on the same stone square, he flipped a switch and the two dropped. They finally landed in the room where Undertaker and Jacob were fighting. Raven saw this from the place she was and ran down the rest of the steps. “Are you two ok!?” she asked and X and Maria nodded. “What’s going on!” Maria asked, her attention drawn to the men fighting. The urn’s glow moved to 75 percent of it and Undertaker slowed down. Jacob seized this opportunity and hit him with both his arms, into his back. “Good, at least most of you are here,” Jacob said and the three ran up to the circle, but the urn let out a force that made a protective perimeter around the blue circle.
“What are you doing!” Raven screamed. “OH you still haven’t figured it out? All of the clues that you were given, well over time you all sure have become more dull witted” Jacob laughs. X moved forward “Tell us what’s going on!”

Undertaker stood and knocked Jacob in the head, rendering him unconscious…”I think it would be better if I explain…”

Chapter 9

“Ha, mine? Kane, I think I misunderstood you.” Felicia said. “There are things that are hard to explain, but still are true,” he said and held her hand. “In this life you are one person, same personality, but different bodies than other lives,” Kane continued and Felicia studied him, paying extra attention to his words. His words started to paint a time long ago and his words brought up images in Felicia.

“It was long ago in this very castle, you lived here. Certain people are in each others lives for a reason, there was an unbreakable connection between you all here, a bond so unbreakable, it spanned many lifetimes. The power that grouped you all together, made for a unique band of minions of sorts. ” Kane stopped speaking and Felicia came back from her imagination. “What? Go on.” Felicia desired to hear and understand more, but Kane shook his head *no*. “I cannot, there are rules.” Felicia lifted up her gaze, “Rules? What rules?”…

Back under the castle, “Wait, so we’re involved in something, that we all have been involved in for –centuries– but can’t be told all of it because?” Raven asked Undertaker, “Because each person has to figure out and choose, who’s side is correct, Jacob’s or mine, but to be fair, we can’t force you to be either of our druids. The power held in this urn, will be gained by the one who wants it the most, but it must be at its highest level of power in order to be activated, and that can only happen when all have chosen.” “But we know nothing of what happened before this life time, how can we choose?” Maria asked. “That’s why I invited you here, if you are in the place where it all began, long enough, memories will form and come back.”

Back in Kane’s shop, Felicia stood, “I don’t believe this, If I am her, how come you look exactly the same?” she ponders while looking at a locket that had a picture of her and him in it. “I can’t make you believe! you have to remember!” he said intensely. “I can’t!” she shouted. Frustration and passion arose in the silence, and Kane not knowing what else to do, took Felicia into his arms “You have to!” and kissed her…the kiss awoken something in Felicia and memories from her past life as Isabella came flooding in her mind. Images of Jacob, Kane, and Undertaker being friends, of her and her sister, even the fight that happened between Jacob and Kane. Felicia placed a hand to her head, “I remember, everything, you all shared a power that magnified when we were with you, we became your druids over the years, and-and-and Jacob wanted the power for himself and that drove a wedge between you. Undertaker wanted to keep the power from getting into the wrong hands, Jacob wanted to rule the world forever, but you…you just wanted me…and….I had a sister…Elizabeth! Undertaker gave her some of his power, so that he could always find her…Jacob tried to do the same with me, I refused….and he was angry and he began to hit me, and, you…stopped him…” she looked up at Kane, tears running down her face, as she pulled off his mask, “He did this to you…I’m so sorry…” she said. “Now that we are all together again, we must end this. If we don’t help Jacob get defeated, then he’ll take all of the power and the connection will die, and with it me and Undertaker’s immortality,” Kane said “Take me to them,” Felicia said.

“I get it,” X said… “That dream, the portraits, all of it, every twist and turn of this evening was meant for us to realize who we are. I think I understand somethings.” He walks over to Maria, “You were once Annabel,” he turns to Undertaker, “I think something is telling me that I was going to take Jacob’s place. That the power shared by you two, by us all, was going to take a major shift, but, why are we here now? Why not before?” “Because power can only be passed every 15 centuries and it took longer for all of us to find each other again,” Felicia said while she and Kane rushed to their side. ” I remember it all, even if some of you don’t,” Felicia began,just then Jacob stirred awake and and grabbed a loose stone from the ground and threw it at Felicia and although the barrier slowed it down it didn’t stop it, but Raven pushed Felicia out of the way, getting hit instead. “Raven! Raven!” Felicia yelled and held her, she was knocked out. Kane knelt beside the fallen Raven and a worried Felicia, holding her, “You know what to do, Isabella, you know.” Felicia thought for a second, “Elizabeth…listen to me, it’s me, your sister…you have to wake up, we need you, Elizabeth…” Undertaker was furious at seeing his love lying unconscious, and tried to break the barrier, but all it did was knock him down. Jacob laughed and stood. “Looks like somebody’s finally mortal. Let’s see how well the ‘deadman’ puts up a fight now,” Jacob stood over him and repeatedly punched and slammed Undertaker’s head and face…

Chapter 10

As Raven laid there, the voice of Felicia calling her by her past name, echoed in her mind. She awoke with all the memories of what had happened, and her emotions unlocked the power that Undertaker had passed to her. She sat up and Felicia helped her to stand. Raven saw what Jacob was doing and pulled Felicia with her to the sphere. “We need all of us at the same time to penetrate this field, come on.” Raven said, and everyone joined her at the perimeter. Raven was first and she grabbed Felicia’s hand and so on down the line. Raven reached her right arm out and pushed through the field. Jacob noticed and laugh, he thought it was too late for them to try to save their leader.

The urn became full of its power to the maximum level and blue circle turned to purple. The Undertaker’s eyes suddenly opened and purple strikes of lightning shot from them, as the group’s connection gave him a jolt of strength. The group went towards the urn and laid their hands on it. Undertaker sat straight up and Jacob jumped backwards as he stood. Jacob fought Undertaker and the moment had come for one of them to reach the urn and join the group, they both were tired but kept going. “You don’t deserve it! You’ll do nothing but waste what I would use to rule with!” Jacob screamed and charged after Undertaker. Undertaker caught him with a knee strike and Jacob fell to his knees. Undertaker then hit him with a massive strike to the left side of Jacob’s face. Jacob spent and dropped face forward on the ground. Undertaker dragged slowly to the urn and placed a hand on it.

When the circle of them was completed the contents of the urn was restored to all of them as it spewed out. The impact of it sent them flying across the room. “Isabella! are you okay!” Kane screamed and gets up to run to her. The house began to crack and move, and stones were falling, breaking under some unseen pressure. “GO!” Undertaker yelled, and all of them went running towards the stairway and into the halls. The walls bulged and broke as they ran by. Once they were outside the castle sunk into a crumbly pit and the ground swept over it. They stared as dust exploded and then withered away leaving an open field. It looked as if there was never an entire castle there to begin with. “What happened!” Raven spoke, “It’s over, for good. Now that the power is in rightful hands, the responsibility to guard it will left up to our bloodlines alone.” Undertaker said. They walk away from that evening at Alnwick Castle, coupled and with a feeling of weary relief, having found each other again after many lifetimes, what will the future bring them? Well let it bring what it will, they’ll face it, together.