As they finally left their ruined home in this gorgeous starry night, walking further away from their old residence in this lonely, spacious, snowy terrain, the snow of cold and ice that has blanketed the world area left them exposed to the harsh environment outside of the once place they used to call home.
Taking a glance from behind, Adam sees the destroyed gothic black castle of Bartham Keep, looking small in distance from where they are now, its dark, ominous shadow looming over the land in spite of this darkness surrounding them in a serene silence. For some odd reason, he feels an unidentifiable sensation coming from this scene before him, similar to deja vu.
Regardless, the exterior of the castle was seemingly unharmed, but when it comes to the interior, it's a different story. Being mercilessly stormed by a bunch of fanatics and thugs, he wondered if it was ever possible to rebuild this place again or perhaps use another alternative. Although this isn't something to dwell on for now, he should focus on getting far away from here before anyone else finds them and try to finish what they started.
Returning his attention to the path ahead, his eyes were focused on the frosted ground, unable to fathom the thought of a person being haunted simply because they were not human.
A rather stupid reason, in his opinion. What could possibly give them the right to act like dictators in this world? That is one thing he despises about mankind: their obsession with superiority and oppression against others.
Some people crave power and control, acting high and mighty with no consideration whatsoever, only seeking their own benefits and satisfaction from the suffering they bring others. They see themselves as special, thinking their rules apply to everyone else; they treat others as pawns in their grand scheme of taking everything for themselves, viewing them as below them and beneath their kind.
While he is no better, Adam isn't someone who wants power over someone, seeing that it only brings out chaos and misery instead. He knows deep down that having someone under their command can cause unnecessary trouble and problems. Rather than having that notion, he values the importance of individuality and independence in a person, believing that finding one's destiny in their life and then having someone else determine it for them is foolish.
It was inhuman to force someone to bend under their will when they had no respect for them as a person. No one has the right to make others comply with their terms as if they are superior to them or worthy of their obedience, for only those who earn the right to command others must be capable of showing leadership and responsibility. Otherwise, it will result in tragedy if this ideology is abused.
Sighing tiredly under his breath, he dislikes governments even though civilizations and society exist for a reason, as without them, humanity wouldn't develop. However, he detests those who use this system to justify their evil deeds or authority and treat others like dirt. Some will abuse their position to oppress others while pretending that they are doing so out of noble means, thinking it is acceptable as long as they are in power and making sure to not get caught to hide their true motives and selfish motives they had within their hearts.
But he supposed that was the price to pay for having too much power and allowing free will to dictate the choices they made with their own hands. Just like him, he is an example of a man who has made countless errors, doing horrible things that have brought him pain and suffering, causing him to reflect on his life and become more mature in what he does.
Adam had done terrible things before for the sake of survival and protecting those he cared about; it's a never-ending cycle that has continued on and on for years now. Even after living ever since he was born, he could never imagine himself erasing these guilt-ridden memories from his mind. He wished that he could, but it's impossible. Even though he regretted and was ashamed of the mistakes he had committed, he was determined to continue for the sake of it.
Call him whatever they want; it is his nature to choose whatever is going to happen to him next. To follow his gut instinct and do whatever is necessary to accomplish what he needs to do and achieve his goals. Being aware of the consequences that could come out of his actions or choices but still trying to keep himself alive while also saving those he needs to save
Ridiculous way of thinking, he thought to himself with disdain before chuckling dryly. "Foolish," he whispered to himself. In truth, he didn't know what else to do but laugh at himself and the pathetic predicament he was in. He is trapped between choices he should be avoiding or accepting, unable to find the right path to walk on.
And yet here he is, having lost count of how many times he got lost in his journey, unsure of which decision to take but knowing he will find one eventually, whether it is fortunate or unfortunate. Either way, he is going to make sure it ends with a good outcome on his own terms, not caring what happens after or how things turn out afterwards.
For now, he just wishes to find another shelter so they can rest properly with safety precautions in mind before continuing their journey later in the morning tomorrow. They still need to cover quite a lot of distance until they are out of this area completely, as more of them will be patrolling around in these parts.
Better safe than sorry, he mused at the afterthought while turning to look at Lilim, still holding his arm for dear life and oblivious to everything around them as usual. "Everything fine with you my daughter?" He asked her with concerned curiosity. Seeing her look at him with confusion, he nodded silently with a smile. With that settled, he returned his attention to their destination as they continued onward.
Looking at Alucard leading them somewhere far from here, the former psychologist noticed a melancholic display by the mere observation of her movements and facial expressions, seeing sadness in her eyes whenever her mind is lost in thought. At a quick glance, she appeared calm and composed, but he could sense the emotions boiling inside her heart. Adam didn't have to be a therapist to understand this.
She is in pain from losing her other home, the same way he has also experienced so many horrible things that led him to the situation he is in currently. However, unlike her, he believes she is feeling more hurt because of her attachment to the only place she considered a sanctuary.
He remembered those days when he was still a child, having not only lost one but multiple homes from all kinds of incidents that caused their destruction from fires and explosions; each of them burned to the ground from nothing but ashes and smoke, with burnt remains left behind. While he wasn't able to mourn the deaths of the people he cared for, he wanted to sob in secret from losing all the good memories and experiences he had in those places.
Only to have life force him to move forward, learning how to adapt to changes quickly while not looking back at the things he once knew, making it harder to break him emotionally. Yet even then, he couldn't help but still remember the faces of his friends and the adoptive father who took him in under his care, feeling an immense emptiness in his chest, knowing they were never coming back again.
It hurts to even think about it, and he always reminds himself that not only is his guilt a burden on his shoulders and back but also the deaths of his loved ones, which makes him hate himself even more than he already does. With enough hardship and misery he had endured, he would do whatever was needed to make amends for his mistakes and protect his family if need be.
"Alright, we can rest here for a moment." Alucard broke his thoughts as his attention snapped back open and he turned to see where they were. Trees were present in this forest, giving them coverage from anyone spying on their location from afar and providing a natural camouflage. There are a few scattered large rocks located around them that provide a place to sit.
Without hesitation, Garnet dropped the tied bags she was carrying the whole time: "Finally, I was super tired of carrying all this stuff! I feel like my entire day just flew away!" She happily exclaimed before allowing herself to fall onto the pile of stacked bags at her back, lying comfortably with her arms crossed behind her head.
The vampire scowled at her antics before shaking her head. "If only you were useful in our escape," she commented mockingly before turning her attention to her comrades, smiling at them with kindness in her eyes. "Now then, which of you is going to help me set up our camping materials?" The young mistress asked in the most polite tone possible.
Adam glanced at his daughter with indifference before motioning for her to let him go, resulting in Lilim reluctantly releasing her grip on his arm. While he may not show it on his face, he felt grateful to have a caring daughter like her and appreciated the effort she made for his safety, knowing that she meant well in her intentions.
Seeing her let him go, Adam approached Alucard, standing directly next to her ready to dig through the necessities of setting up camp: "We will discuss our options soon, but first, let's gather what we need." He told her firmly with a stoic expression plastered on his face, not wanting to waste any moment on this conversation.
Nodding, the vampire stared down at her tiny servant, "Garnet." She called her best friend out, and the pixie looked up at her with bored eyes, "Could you get off?" Her look of annoyance was evident on her face as the vampire rolled her eyes. However, Garnet stood up lazily with a big stretch.
"But mistress!" Garnet jokingly whined, "I don't wanna," she added with a pout on her lips before folding her hands together into a prayer gesture as she closed her eyes shut, "pleaaase?" Her mistress groaned loudly while letting out an irritated sigh before shaking her head and turning to glare at her with a stern expression.
"Now," she commanded, "Get up and stop messing around," narrowing her eyes at the childish pixie, waiting for an answer. It took a minute for Garnet to slowly open her eyes as she yawned quietly, "or else?" Playfully raising a brow at her mistress. Alucard narrowed her eyes into small slits while clenching her fists tightly.
"Or else I have to toss you to a nearby trash can," she told with a threatening gaze, crossing her arms on her chest and glaring daggers at Garnet, "and give you the punishment you deserve." Garnet visibly gulped at that before sighing and groaning loudly in defeat, "fine..." Sticking out her tongue at the girl before flying away to find a better spot to rest peacefully.
Rolling her eyes at her annoying little pixie, she turned to Adam with a smirk on her lips and said, "Well, shall we begin?" Adam nodded wordlessly, and both of them began working together to prepare their temporary home for the time being. It's been a while since he last had to set up a tent for an extended amount of time, but the task is neither entirely complicated nor challenging.
With some time and effort, they managed to finish constructing the structure of their abode within a couple of minutes, as Lilim watched with fascination while Garnet lazily watched them work in an uninterested manner.
