Archive of Our Own ^beta

Legundo had always seen things others didn’t.

It was typically a figure he didn’t recognize off to the side—however when he blinked, they disappeared. Upon asking someone else, they would claim not to have seen anyone. It had happened often in the war: a soldier pronounced dead seen lingering in the barracks or an enemy soldier in a place they didn’t belong.

He'd long learned not to talk about it; it freaked people out. They never did any harm, so he left them alone. Ever the skeptic, he always dismissed them as hallucinations or tricks of the light. He never had any reason to doubt that—until he arrived in Oakhurst, that is.

It started as it normally did: an unfamiliar figure wandering the streets, unacknowledged by any of the other townsfolk. Usually, that would be the end of it. However, this particular person kept appearing, lingering by the gates as if looking for something.

He was a taller man with long white hair that fell over his shoulder in a neat braid, adorned by a black bow. He wore a white blouse with ruffles lining the neck and sleeves paired with a deep red vest. Other than that, he wore a simple pair of black, high-waisted trousers. Legundo never got a good enough look at his face to make out any facial features, but he could have sworn his eyes glinted an unnatural red in the light.

One night—a few hours after his confrontation with Owen—Legundo sat at his makeshift desk, writing down his findings of the day. He rubbed his neck, feeling the bandage that covered a particularly suspicious looking wound, and set down his pen to stretch. As he leaned back, he met the eyes of the white-haired man, almost falling out of his chair in shock. His recognition seemed to catch the man off-guard as well, his red eyes going wide as a put a hand out to catch Legundo’s chair.

“Can you… See me?” The man asked, taking a step back.

“Yes? Who are you?” Legundo responded, taking note of how out-of-place his regal appearance was in Legundo’s shoddy cottage. “I’ve seen you around before, yet I’ve somehow never met you.”

“My name is Louis,” he said. “You are… Legundo, correct?”

Legundo’s face paled, now that he looked closer, the man matched Owen’s descriptions of his late lover word-for-word. “Mayor Louis? From 200 years ago?”

“Yes, you’re the only one who’s been able to see me thus far.” Louis remarked. “How odd.”

“So, you’re…” Legundo trailed off, praying he was wrong.

“A ghost? It would seem so.”

“Of course.” Legundo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Because if vampires are real, of course ghosts would be too.”

Louis chuckled, putting a hand up to politely cover his mouth. “I suppose.”

“I’m guessing you have unfinished business, correct?” Legundo said, closing his notebook. He likely wouldn’t be writing anything else tonight. “That’s why you’ve been around for so long.”

“Well, it’s more of a want—but yes.”

“If I help you grant that want, then would you be able to move on?” Legundo inquired, thinking through all the possible things Louis could have wanted to do. “That’s how it works in stories, at least.”

Louis sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s not so easy. You see, my hope was to marry Owen—before I was executed, of course.”

That was not what Legundo had expected at all. From Owen’s insistence that the revenge he was exacting on the town was what Louis would have wanted, Legundo had always perceived Louis as vengeful. However, it seemed that was an incorrect assumption. “That’s… Really sweet, actually.”

“I was hoping to propose once Owen had awoken, but I obviously never got the chance.” Louis mourned, a somber look gracing his face. “I had rings commissioned and everything.”

Legundo thought about that information for a minute, constructing a plan in his head. “If… If I find those rings and deliver them to Owen, would that be close enough?”

Louis cocked his head, “Elaborate if you would, please.”

“If I get the rings and tell Owen about the situation, would that fulfill your wish?” Legundo said. “I mean, it wouldn’t be the same, but it would at least provide some closure to you both.”

Louis hummed, eyes drifting around the room as he thought. “That’s not a bad idea; I know where the rings should be, as well.”

“Then in the morning, after some rest, I’ll head out and you can show me where to look.” Legundo stood up, placing the notebook and pen he’d been using in their rightful place on the desk before starting to remove his outer robe for bed.

“Goodnight Legundo.” Louis said with a final smile before vanishing when Legundo blinked.

“Goodnight Louis.” He muttered to himself before laying down in his bed and blowing out his lantern.

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He woke up to the usual clamor that filled the town nowadays, rubbing his eyes and the morning sun beamed through his window. He stepped out of bed and began preparing for his walk outside of the town.

Once he’d double and triple checked his bag, he stepped out of his house, walking past a gathering of people.

“Where ye be goin’ Doc?” Ren asked in his strange accent, pausing the conversation he had been involved in beforehand. “It be dangerous to go outside these walls alone, doncha’ know.”

“I’ll be fine, I’m just going to look in some of the nearby crypts for the last cure book.” Legundo waved him off, closing the gate behind him and setting off for the tree line.

“Louis? Are you there?” He asked once he was out of earshot, giving a subtle glance around him.

“Of course.” A voice came from his side. Louis walked beside him as Legundo entered the shade of the trees.

“Where should I look first?” Legundo asked, slowing his pace so Louis could walk in front of him.

“Well, I hid them by our favorite spot for picnics.” Louis said, walking confidently in the direction of the lake. ”I was expecting to bring him there and help him learn how to use his new abilities.”

After walking for a few minutes, the lake beacon came into view, towering over the murky water.

“It’s certainly not a picnic spot I would pick.” Legundo remarked, looking over the beaches that were tinted grey like everything else.

“It looks much nicer in the spring, believe me.” Louis explained. “In the fall and winter Oakhurst as a whole is rather dreary. We get a lot of fog from the lakes and rivers once it gets cold.”

“I can tell. Where are we going?”

Louis pointed to a clearing where the grass met sand. “Our spot was over by those trees; it’s certainly more overgrown than the last time I saw it.” He knelt down at the base of a tree and pushed the grass out of the way, revealing a small mahogany box wedged in the gap between the roots and dirt.

Legundo reached in and pulled out the box with some difficulty. It was in surprisingly good condition for how long it had been there. The wood was slightly rotted from water damage but overall was intact.

Opening it revealed two silver rings, though he assumed they weren’t actually silver. Both had rubies in the middle of clusters of flowers: one with violets, the other with lilies. The violet ring was smaller than the one with lilies, but they were both delicate and exceptionally well-made.

“They’re very pretty; I can only imagine how much they cost.” Legundo said, closing the box and carefully tucking it into his bag.

“Well, I wanted them to last for hundreds of years, so I figured a little extra money was worth the longevity.” Louis said, looking across the lake as if lost in thought.

“Well,” Legundo started, standing up. “I should probably look through some of the crypts nearby so my alibi makes sense.”

“You should.” Louis said with a sigh. “I’ll stick around here for a bit longer.”

“Take your time, I’ll see you tonight so we can figure out what we want to do next.” Legundo said, turning towards the nearest crypt.

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He’d only just entered the town when Avid and Drift came running towards the gates, Owen trailing close behind. He tucked the knockback book into his bag alongside the rings, sticking around to make sure neither party was injured.

“Doc, hey.” Avid called, walking over to him. “I, uh, I just ran into Owen, and he scratched my back pretty bad.”

Legundo sighed, “Alright come on in.”

“Thank you.” Avid said, following Legundo to his house. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be a bother its just—he nearly killed me out there.”

Legundo gestured for Avid to take a seat on the floor by his desk. Hardly a sanitary spot, but it would have to do. Legundo turned to his desk and grabbed all the materials he would need for stitches.

“I’m going to need you to take your shirt off; at least far enough so I can get a good look.”

Avid complied, revealing two large abrasions and two smaller ones. Legundo took his seat behind Avid, wiping off the blood from his back. The amount of blood made it look worse than it was so only the two larger injuries would have to be stitched. He handed Avid a clean rag to bite while he worked but Avid simply held it in his lap.

“Again, thank you. Uh, I had something else I wanted to talk to you about.” Avid started to explain, fidgeting with the cloth in his hands. “Have you ever come across, um—like a scratch or wound that like never healed and is like slowly seeping into everything?”

Legundo chuckled, assuming Avid was being metaphorical. “You’ve seen my face, right?”

“So, what caused that?” Avid replied, seriously.

He backtracked, noticing the change in demeanor. “Oh, this is just a bayonet, its fine, sorry. What were you saying?”

“A long time ago I was scratched and it just never has healed right; i-it’s why I have these bandages around my neck.” Avid explained, putting a hand up to his neck as he spoke.

Legundo hummed. “I was wondering. I thought you were just trying to pad your neck for vampires.” He said with a chuckle.

Avid laughed nervously. “It’s an added benefit, but I uh—don’t think it would stop their fangs if I’m honest.”

“Yeah, I don’t know how thick you have them wrapped around there, so I suppose that’s another question.” Legundo joked, reaching out to the bandages in question.

Avid flinched and Legundo pulled his hand back. “Don’t—Yeah it’s—”

“I won’t touch, it’s fine.”

“I know we have other things to worry about, but—yeah, it’s just something that I—maybe when we have time.”

Legundo finished wrapping clean bandages around his work and stood, wiping the blood on his hands onto one of the cleaner rags. “If there’s a bit of down time, and you would be willing to let me examine you, I’ll take a look.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Avid stood up, handing the unused rag to Legundo. “Th-thanks Doc.” His eyes gazed at where Legundo had placed both the ring box and the book.

“What’s this?” He asked, gently turning the box over in his hands. “It’s awfully ornate.”

“Just something I found.” Legundo answered, taking the box back from Avid. “It’s very old; I wouldn’t handle it too much.” He placed the box back on the desk, turning back to him.

Avid nodded in understanding, turning towards the door. “Thank you again, Doc. I really appreciate it.”

Legundo followed him to the door as he went to leave. “No problem. By the way you’re…” He trailed off, looking for the right words. “You’re a good person, Avid. I’m sorry that I gave you so much grief.”

“I’m sorry I was so freaked out the whole time.” Avid laughed.

He thanked him for the millionth time before closing the door behind him.

Legundo began to clean up the floor around where he had helped Avid. He tossed the, now blood covered, rags into a corner to be cleaned later. His gaze returned to the mahogany box on his desk.

He sat down at the desk, grabbing a clean cloth and opening the box. He pulled out the violet ring first, gently wiping the mildew from its shiny surface.

This one must be Louis’; it’s too small for Owen’s hands. He thought, wiping the inside of the ring. Looking at the inside of the band revealed an engraving: in aeternum. His Latin was a bit rusty, having not had to read it since college. He couldn’t remember what aeternum translated to, but considering Louis, it was probably something romantic.

Not wanting to pry into their love life too much, he placed the ring on the table off to the side. He pulled out what he assumed was Owen’s ring, the one with the lilies, and started cleaning it too.

If Louis can’t wear his anymore, where will Owen keep it? Legundo thought. As far as he could tell, Owen hadn’t taken to coven life like the rest of the vampires had, meaning he likely didn’t have a room in the castle’s crypts.

After thinking it over for a moment, he grabbed his work bag from under his bed. It was pretty much empty by now, all of the items inside having been moved to their more permanent residences. Now all that was left inside were a few personal items, including his broken monocle.

He had smashed the lens when he fell down the crypt and hadn’t bothered to try and fix it. He pried the gold chain off its hook and placed the monocle back into the bag, only interested in the chain.

Walking back to the rings, he picked up Louis’ ring from its spot on the table, looping the chain through it. Now Owen could keep it on him—even if he couldn’t wear it on his finger. He placed both rings back into the box, careful to nest them firmly to prevent them from coming loose.

He placed the box at the back of his desk for safe-keeping and tossed the used rags into the same corner as the bloodied ones. With one final look, he shut the door behind him as he left to continue his day.

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The rest of the day went by normally with the usual amount of drama. Exhausted, Legundo fell into his bed the moment he was able. He would’ve fallen asleep right then if it weren’t for his plan to talk to Louis.

As if hearing his thoughts, Louis materialized by Legundo’s desk. “Rough day?”

He sighed. “You could say that.”

He sat up and looked at Louis. He was wearing the same outfit as always, but Legundo could’ve sworn his eyes were rimmed with red as if he’d been crying.

He stood, walking over to stand by Louis and opened the box. “I put your ring on a chain I had laying around so Owen can wear it. I thought he’d appreciate that.” He pulled out Louis’ ring by its chain, holding it up for Louis. Its freshly cleaned metal gleamed in the red moonlight filtering through Legundo’s windows.

“Thank you…” Louis replied, looking like he was going to start crying again. “He’ll love that—as do I.”

Legundo placed the ring back in its box, closing it and returning it to its spot on his desk. “So, what’s the plan from here?”

Louis hummed, looking out the window at the blood moon. “I’m not sure. Owen may not trust that you’re being truthful.”

“So, I need a way to prove that you really are here.” Legundo said, leaning against the table. “Do you have any abilities that might be helpful? I don’t know how accurate books are, but I can think of a few things that could work.”

“Like what?”

“Well, my first idea would be possession. Then you could convince him yourself.” Legundo began. “Have you ever tried to do anything like that?”

“No, I haven’t.” Louis pondered. “How do you think I would do that?”

“Well, if you want to try it, now would be a good time. Maybe try touching me and pushing your consciousness into me?” Legundo offered. “That’s my best guess.”

“No harm in trying, I suppose.” Louis said, walking to stand in front of Legundo and putting his ghostly hands on his shoulders. It felt odd to be touched by a ghost. He could feel the contact, but it was faint and cold.

After a few seconds, he began to feel strange, as if the world wasn’t really there. It felt similar to how his episodes did, but less stressful. It could be compared to how it felt to be under anesthetics: where your thoughts get all mixed up, and your body doesn’t feel like yours.

He leaned heavier on the desk, watching as the edges of his vision went black.

“Are you okay?” Louis said quietly. “I can stop if you need me to.”

Legundo shook his head, words failing him. It would be fine; this meant it was working. He was no stranger to passing out so even if that was the outcome, he would deal with it.

A few seconds after Louis had spoken—or perhaps a few minutes, it was hard to tell—Legundo felt himself get pushed to the back of his mind. He was no longer in control of his body and Louis was no longer standing in front of him.

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Louis flexed the hands, watching as they complied. He felt slightly off kilter, but nothing he couldn’t already feel fading.

It felt strange to be alive again—to have blood running through his body. Even before death, as a vampire, his skin was cold to the touch, and he’d long forgotten how it felt to feel his heart beat.

“Did it work?” Louis heard a voice speak. It wasn’t present in his environment but instead it felt like it was inside his head.

“Yes, it did.” Louis said quietly, rubbing his eyes to remove the last bit of blur from his vision. “How are you feeling?”

Legundo paused. “Weird. I can feel everything you’re doing, but it’s distant.”

“I wonder how long this lasts. I’m not sure if it’ll wear off.”

“Only one way to find out I guess.” Legundo said. “Can you help me preform some tests while we wait?”

“Of course, it’s the least I can do for all your help.”

“Ok, grab the leather notebook from the stack there—the one with the bookmark.”

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Legundo awoke with a start, sitting up so fast it made him dizzy. He didn’t know how he got home and he didn’t particularly care; he was too busy trying to slow his breathing. He felt someone sit next to him and squeeze his shoulder, grounding him as best they could.

After a few minutes of this, the black vignette on his vision had dissipated and his ears had stopped ringing. Legundo looked up at the person next to him and found Louis patiently waiting for him to calm down.

“Everything alright, Doctor?” He asked.

“Yeah just… Memories, I suppose.” Legundo answered, taking one final breath before shrugging Louis’ arm off. “Scott got me.”

He looked down at the wounds on his arms, each patched carefully—likely by the person who brought him back to town. Whoever that was.

“I think it’s time we come up with a plan to get Owen to talk.” Legundo sighed, gazing at the wooden box on his desk across the room.

“I agree; if we don’t get to him soon, he may do something rash.” Louis nodded. “I overheard his threats to the town and the vampires within it.”

“Yeah, he’s definitely getting more violent as time goes on.” Legundo thought for a minute. Getting Owen on his own wasn’t difficult, he spent most of his time away from the other vampires as is, but getting him to stay long enough to talk would be the hard part.

“I may have an idea.”

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Legundo hammered the sign into the wood before trying to move it around, making sure it was firmly stuck. Once satisfied, he picked up the brush to start writing.

“What should I write, exactly?” Legundo asked, looking up the apparition watching him.

“Louis wouldn’t want you to be the monster they accused him of.” Louis said slowly as Legundo wrote it down word-for-word. “We don’t have to fight. I have something for you.”

He lowered the brush after finishing the final stroke, rinsing it in the water before tucking it in his belt. “I guess now we wait.”

“Yes, you may not want to tell the militia about this.” Louis said, gesturing in the direction of the town. “They may not take your conspiring with vampires lightly.”

“Of course.”

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As the militia discussed their next move, Legundo had other plans. It was night, meaning Owen was more likely to be out. Meaning it was the best time to try and catch him.

He felt a new presence next to him just before he heard Louis’ voice speak. “He’s there now. If you leave quickly, you will likely catch him before he leaves.”

“Hey, can you just follow behind me and give me a wide berth?” Once he got a good number of nods, he swallowed a bite of the sharp tasting garlic. He heard a few murmured questions, but he didn’t have the time to care if his vampiric disguise was ruined—not that he was trying very hard to keep it up anyways.

He rushed through the forest, glancing back a few times to ensure the group was still following him. Once he reached the edge of the clearing Owen was supposed to be in, he gestured to an outcropping of trees far enough they wouldn’t hear the conversation but could keep an eye on them and step in if needed.

He walked forward alone, glancing around the small pond. “Owen, are you there?”

He began to worry he was too late before a familiar voice spoke up in front of him. “There are too many people here, I can see them in the tree line.” Owen said. “Let’s talk at Ren’s house.”

Before he could leave, Legundo made a guess as to where Owen was, reaching out to grab him. Getting a handful of fabric he began to explain. “No, we are talking here. They’re too far away to hear us.”

“What exactly do you want?” Owen bit back, yanking himself out of the doctor’s grasp. “Why do you say his name so casually? It is not yours to invoke.”

“I have something to give you, something that should have been yours a long time ago.” Legundo started, resting his hand of the satchel that held the mahogany box. “But first, I have someone who wants to talk with you.”

Louis took that as his queue to possess Legundo, placing his hands on his shoulders. It went faster than the last few times, the familiarity of it making it an easier transition. Legundo barely stumbled as he felt himself fade to the back of his mind once again.

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Louis blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the darkness Legundo was unable to see through. He looked around and took in the earthy smell all around him; it smelt like home.

Before he could get lost in thought, he called out to Owen once more, turning to where he’d last sensed Owen’s presence. “Owen? Are you there beloved?”

Owen materialized in front of Louis, a confused look plastered on his face. “What? Are you playing a trick on me?” Owen’s face quickly morphed into anger. “I don’t take kindly to cruel jokes such as this.”

“It’s not a trick, Owen.” Louis said, stopping himself from reaching out to hold him as he wished. “I’ve been in Oakhurst for the past 200 years, just as you have. Only I haven’t been able to tell anyone until Legundo-”

“Prove it.” Owen snapped. “Prove that you’re really him.”

“And how do you wish for me to do that?”

“How did we meet?” Owen wasn’t meeting his eyes, but even him simply entertaining the idea was a step in the right direction.

“You came to my door in the autumn inquiring about building a new lumbermill. Your reasoning was that the recent population increase was cause to build more housing, therefore requiring more lumber to be produced.”

“What’s your birth name? The one you left behind.”

“Luanne. I confided in you a few months before your turning.”

“What color were your eyes?” Owen crossed his arms, still not looking in Louis’ direction.

“Red, of course.”

“What kind of red?” Owen bit back, piercing eyes meeting his for the first time.

“Darling… Why do you not want it to be me so badly?” Louis replied instead of answering the question. Owen was silent for a moment, looking away from him once again.

“…When was our first kiss?” He asked, much quieter than before.

“You were bedridden for a few days due to your illness, and I was helping you through it as no one else would. A day or two in, you asked me why I still stuck around you; you were worried I was going to fall ill just as you had.” Louis explained, not leaving a single detail out. “Instead of giving you an answer, I leaned in and kissed you. Does that suffice as an explanation?”

They stood in silence for a few moments as Owen began to shake. Soon, his knees buckled without warning and Louis rushed forward to catch him. He felt as Owen clung onto him, sobs racking through his body.

“Shh, it’s okay.” Louis murmured. “I’m here, my beloved.”

“W-why? Why did you let t-them do it.” Owen asked, his breathing hitching. “Why didn’t you f-fight back?”

“It was fate.” Louis justified, cradling Owen’s head. “It was my time to go.”

“Who says it was f-fate?” Owen argued, pushing Louis away, His tear-stained face on display. Louis could only hope the militia were far enough away; he wouldn’t wish such embarrassment on Owen. “Y-you could’ve stayed—for me at least.”

“Darling, I was already hundreds of years old by the time I met you.” Louis said, reaching a hand up to wipe some of the tears from Owen’s cheeks. “I’m lucky I was able to meet you at all.”

“I-I don’t understand; how are you still here?”

“I had something I wanted to do before I died, though I never got the chance.” Louis reached into Legundo’s bag, pulling out the box and placing it in Owen’s hands. “Open it.”

Owen looked up at him one more time before creaking the box’s lid open. He gasped, reaching a hand out to touch the delicate flowers so carefully set with rubies. “Are these..?”

“Wedding rings? Yes.” Louis grabbed Owen’s ring, holding it just above the box. “Would you marry me, Owen?”

Owen nodded wordlessly, his eyes flicking between Louis and the ring. Louis grabbed Owen’s marbled hand, gently sliding the ring onto his ring finger. “I can’t exactly wear mine, so I wanted to give it to you as well.”

He pulled his ring out, placing a kiss on the ruby before looping it around Owen’s neck, clasping it around the back. Pausing as he began to lean back, he cupped Owen’s cheek, wiping what was left of the tears with his thumb.

He pressed their foreheads together and for a moment, they were both alive, living as newlyweds in Owen’s forest cabin. He leaned in further, pressing their lips together one last time.

It only lasted a few seconds, but Louis cherished it just the same. They parted and looked at each other for a few more moments before Owen spoke for the first time in a few minutes.

“Does Legundo know you’re using his body for this?” He smirked.

Louis blushed bright red, looking away and covering his mouth with the back of his arm in embarrassment. “I may have gotten a little bit carried away; I’m sure he understands.”

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Abolish stared down at the clearing from where he was hidden in the trees. The rest had already left, and he was glad for it. This was hardly what he had been expecting when he followed Legundo into the woods in the middle of the night.

It honestly felt too personal to look at. Even so, Legundo brought him along for safety—even if the others clearly hadn’t gotten that message—so he would keep an eye on the pair in case there was a sudden change of heart.

He watched as they pulled away, Legundo helping Owen up before squeezing his hand one more time and stepping back. He said something to Owen before closing his eyes like he did before.

He stumbled slightly, putting a hand up to his head with a wince. Owen crossed his arms, gazing to the side of Owen where he seemed to see something that wasn’t there. He pointed at the empty air, a strange look on his face.

Legundo smiled, saying something else before walking towards where Abolish was hidden. “Where’d the others leave to?” He asked once he was close enough, ushering Abolish away from the clearing.

“They went to check out the tomb; they said they’d be back soon.” He answered. “What happened over there?”

Legundo waved him off. “Turns out vampires aren’t the only supernatural beings around. I was just helping Owen get some closure.” He said. “Let’s hope the rest of the militia don’t show up and ruin it for him.”

Not wanting to pry any further, Abolish nodded and they started the hike back to Oakhurst.

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Owen felt himself tearing up again as he laid his eyes on Louis. This was the most he’d cried in hundreds of years—he’d thought his tear ducts were dried up after all the sobbing he did during his ‘sleep’.

He’d accepted that he may never see Louis’ face again after what the town did to him. Even talking to Louis through Legundo, it wasn’t the same as before. If he had any doubt Louis was truly there, the ghostly apparition dispelled any of that unease.

He was vaguely aware of Legundo leaving to rejoin whoever he’d brought with him, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He didn’t reach out, for fear of ruining Louis’ perfect ghostly figure.

He looked just as he had that day: same white bouse, same red waistcoat, this time fully intact and free of any ash. Louis slowly closed the small distance between them, brushing his hand against Owen’s face.

“Why don’t you show me this castle of yours?” Louis remarked, grabbing his hand that held the ring and kissing his knuckles. “I’ve heard its very magnificent.”

Owen led him in the opposite direction of Legundo, letting his hand fall to the side as Louis threaded their fingers together. His ghostly touch was strange, but not unwelcome, allowing them to fall into a comfortable silence as they walked.

Eventually, Louis spoke first. “So, what’s your plan after all this?”

Owen thought for a moment before he answered. “I suppose I’ll massacre the town for what they did to you, then die somehow.”

Louis winced, looking at the forest around them. “Owen, I don’t want you to avenge me this way.” They stopped, Louis still holding Owen’s hand. “The people here were never involved in my execution—many of them have no clue it ever happened. They’re even more innocent than the women and children from 200 years ago.”

Owen went silent as he looked to his feet, not wanting to meet Louis’ eyes. “I want you to avenge me by using the gift I gave you to live your life to its fullest.” Louis continued. “Maybe one day, you’ll join me in the afterlife, and we can meet again. Though I can only hope that isn’t any time soon.”

They both paused for a minute, the forest seeming to follow their lead. It wasn’t a tense silence, but it certainly scared Owen. How was he supposed to live after all he’d done if it wasn’t for Louis? Until now, his only motivation had been to punish those who wronged the both of them; what was he supposed to do with eternity if it wasn’t for that reason?

Louis seemed to take notice of Owen’s hesitance, finally breaking the quiet. “Promise me you’ll live without hurting another in the way you’ve been hurt.” He requested, holding Owen’s hand up again. “Instead of living to avenge me, live to make me proud of what you’ve been able to accomplish.”

Owen chuckled, tears building in his eyes for the hundredth time that night. “How would I even start?” He asked. “I don’t have any other goals or desires other than to reunite with you.”

Louis thought for a minute, eyes finding the chain his ring was looped on. “What if you went with Legundo after all this is done? He’s a traveling doctor, no?” Louis leaned closer, their foreheads almost touching. “You could help those who are going through the same as you were.”

“Legundo wants to cure me.” Owen bit back. “I don’t want to lose the last bit of you I have left.”

“Legundo wants to cure the hunger.” Louis corrected. “I believe he’s already told you that being exceptional at something isn’t an illness. The hunger is the plague every vampire falls to, myself included.”

“You always were so persuasive, Louis.” Owen sighed, meeting his eyes once more. “I’ll try to stay with the Doctor, but the moment he passes, I’ll come join you.”

“That’s all I ask of you.” Louis said, smiling and letting Owen’s hand drop once again, this time letting him go.

“Louis?” Owen asked, moving to take Louis’ hand again, only to see that it was no longer there. “Louis, what’s happening?”

“You’ve granted my last wish so there’s no reason for me to remain here.” Louis said, giving a final look around the forest. His gaze returned to Owen’s, looking at him sadly. “Don’t cry, darling. I’ve been here much longer than I thought I ever would be. I’m just glad I got to see you again before I go.”

“But—Louis, please!” Owen called, the man dissolving in his grasp.

“I love you, my beloved. Enjoy the world for me.” Louis whispered before he faded into the trees as if he’d never been there at all.

Owen stood in the quiet for a moment, the forest’s usual sounds picking back up and filling the hole Louis had left. He broke down for the second time that day, but this time there was nobody to catch him as he fell.