Stinging last feelings

'VICTORY!' was Gabriel's first thought after the disgustingly deep, but well placed, bite in Dracula's shoulder making the Count gasp and drown in the thick black fluid in his throat, which normally coursed through his cold veins. As a bubble of the hell-blood came bursting out behind Dracula's lips, his body reduced itself into foul smelling dust with a staying stench, leaving his physical touch in both the room and in Gabriel's mouth.

As the sound of the last chime of a grandfather clock somewhere near, a roar came from behind Gabriel, making him, in werewolf shape, turn around with the most insane look in his eyes, which told Anna that this was her final hour, and that her hourglass spilled its last sand grains.

He lounged at her without knowing what he truthfully did. As he regretted his course of action, he felt a hard and immensely painful sting in his abdomen. His eyes widened shortly, but then brushed off the pain at the sight of his surrounding: Anna's crushed body against the blood-red velvet couch.

He got off her and stood watching her in a few seconds as his mind took in what his eyes told: Anna was lying down, perfectly still, and her eyes were empty and glazed with hollowness. As he finally stopped repeating to himself that his eyes were telling him a lie, he realized that he had been too late to regain his human sanity. She was long gone and the fault was his. He looked down and pulled out what caused his abdomen to pain slightly: the syringe with the antidote for werewolves.

Carl had just entered surveying Van Helsing with a fearful expression, but it changed to surprise and sorrow as he saw Van Helsing picking up Anna's limp body and holding it up his own. Within seconds he felt his blood freeze and his eyes widen as Van Helsing howled in pain over the loss of his true love, Anna Valerious.

As the call for mercy from God continued, Gabriel shed all of his fur, while also shrinking into his normal human body form.

"She's... dead," the friar stated calmly, clearly overwhelmed.

Van Helsing did not make a comment, nor did he turn to look at his companion. He felt his eyes fill up with tears that were not meant for a man of his person or status, and so on they were neither meant to be seen by any, even Carl.

"Oh, Van Helsing, I... What-...? How-?" he cut himself off and after thinking slightly about the consequence he asked cautiously: "How do you feel?"

Van Helsing took in a deep breath and sighed very deep and heavy, still holding Anna, glancing at her. "I... It feels like I just swallowed a chunk of snow or ice that was... too big for me, and now, now it's working on my internals, making my stomach twist in agony and shame... and loss," his reply came, while spitting out the word "loss", as he continued to looked down onto his chest.

Carl had hardly expected a reply, and even if there would come one, he surely wasn't expecting one as deeply felt as that. As he looked slightly surprised at him, he saw something as clear as crystal dripping from Van Helsing's face, which made Carl more confused by the state of his fellow companion and friend: he was crying.