Castlevania Nocturne: A Sneak Peak

Sneak Peak: The Third Soul

Richter woke up to Annette floating cross legged in the air. He nearly flipped from the chair he slept in startled out of his wits.

"She's been doing that for hours." Alucard watched Annette nonchalantly

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"What were you going to do?" Alucard inquired.

Richter paced like a caged lion, never taking his eyes on the floating body in a trance.

"You should tell her." Alucard said quietly.

"Tell her what?" Richter sat next to him.

"I'm pretty sure she loves you too."

Richter coughed bashfully and cleared his throat. The blush on his cheeks revealed everything. "Oh. Did she... say something?"

Alucard twirled a lock of his hair. "Yes, she confessed it when we were braiding each other's hair and talking about you."

"Funny." Richter shrugged. Now Alucard has a sense of humor?

Alucard chuckled fondly remembering how it felt all those years ago. "She laughs at your jokes. She debates your ideas. She understands what you have lost. You should tell her. Preferably before you get old."

"What are the chances we'll live that long?" Richter doubted.

"All the more reason to."

Richter settled in, hugging his arms. "When you fell in love with Amalie, how did you know?"

Alucard sighed a soft breath, thinking of his beloved wife ."I knew it when the castle I lived in had changed from a dark and desolate tomb into a home full of warmth and love. She radiated a light I believed had gone from this world forever. An unspeakable joy of someone experiencing the world for the first time and all its wonders. I never wanted to live without that light in my life, and when I realized that, I understood I loved her."

"Did you tell her soon afterwards?"

"No." Alucard said regretfully. "Not until after I nearly died saving her life. She saved mine, I wouldn't be here without her. I should have told her before. If the worst came to happen, she'd have never known," He smiled. "There was nothing to fear, Amalie felt the same way."

For so long Richter could never imagine how this man fell in love with an angel and had a child with her. Seeing him now, he completely understood.

"Show her who you are beyond the Belmont bravado. You said you'd be here. Make her feel it's true. That she can always come back to you."