Imagine Book 2

Shadows of the Heart- Richter Belmont (Castlevania Nocturne)

Fem Y/N

The moon hung low in the night sky, its pale light casting long, eerie shadows across the dense forest. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and the faint rustle of leaves. It was a night like any other, or at least it should have been. But tonight, something was different. The air was thick with tension, and every nerve in Y/N's body screamed at her to run.

But she was too late.

The forest that had been her refuge for so long had betrayed her. The once familiar paths seemed to twist and turn against her, leading her in circles until, finally, she found herself cornered. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her heart pounding in her chest as she looked up to see him—a silhouette in the moonlight, tall and imposing, with eyes that burned like blue fire.

Richter Belmont.

The vampire hunter, the scourge of her kind, and the man who had haunted her every step for weeks. His sword gleamed in the pale light, reflecting the cold steel of his resolve. She had escaped him before, but now... there was no escape.

"Richter, please..." Y/N's voice trembled, her hands raised in a gesture of surrender. She could feel the fear gripping her heart, a cold, merciless vice that refused to let go. "I don't want to fight."

Richter's eyes narrowed, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening. "You've killed dozens of innocents. You're a monster, Y/N."

She flinched at his words, the sting of them cutting deeper than any blade ever could. "I didn't choose this life. I never wanted to be a vampire. You have to believe me."

For a moment, there was silence between them, broken only by the distant howling of wolves. Richter's expression remained unreadable, his gaze locked onto hers as if searching for something—some hint of deception, some sign of guilt. But all he saw was fear. Genuine, unfiltered fear. It was in her eyes, in the way her body trembled, in the quiver of her voice.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Y/N continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "If you're going to kill me, just do it. I'm tired of running. I'm tired of being hunted. I just... I just want it to end."

Richter took a step forward, his boots crunching on the fallen leaves beneath him. "You think I'll just let you go? That I'll forget what you are?"

"No," she whispered, her voice breaking. "But I had hoped you would see me as more than that. More than just... a monster."

His heart wavered, and for the first time, doubt crept into his mind. He had always seen things in black and white—vampires were evil, and it was his duty to destroy them. But now, standing before Y/N, something inside him began to shift. There was something about her that he couldn't ignore, something that had kept him up at night, haunted his dreams, and made him question everything he thought he knew.

"I've seen what your kind does, Y/N," Richter said, his voice softer now, though still laced with pain. "You've taken so many lives."

"Do you think I wanted to?" she shot back, her fear momentarily replaced by a flare of anger. "Do you think I enjoy it? I hate what I am. I hate the bloodlust, the cravings... I hate that I've hurt people. But I can't change what I am. I've tried. God, I've tried."

She took a tentative step closer, her hands still raised in a plea. "But I don't want to die, Richter. I don't want to die at your hands."

Richter's sword lowered slightly, his gaze softening as he watched her. There was something in her voice, a raw, desperate vulnerability that tugged at his heart in a way he hadn't expected. He had never imagined that a vampire could feel fear, that they could feel pain, sorrow, regret... love.