Revived Heart

With Anna's screaming, they both tumbled into a substantial pit. Amid a fog of dust, Anna stared, wide-eyed, at her surroundings. Unbelievably, they were in an underground cavern brimming with a pool of water that appeared to be streaming in from other underground tunnels. The whole structure was interconnected, reminiscent of a labyrinth.

"What in tarnation is this place?" Anna demanded, her panicky looking to Keanu. "Where have you brought me?"

Keanu dusted off his clothing, scrutinizing the cavern as he responded, "Well, this should be an underground cave of Transylvania. Millions of years ago, this region was a hotspot of volcanic activity. A massive eruption was powerful enough to bury thousands of miles of land. However, during the solidification process of the chilling lava, pores would form from the air seeping in, giving birth to these kinds of caves. They are often grandiose in scale, stretching hundreds of miles. This seems to be one of them."

"I didn't ask for a geology lesson, I asked why the devil we're here...and how did you know about this place?" Anna's confusion was palpable.

"That's not the point," retorted Keanu. "What's important is that we have a friend here."

Anna was struck dumb, "Friend?"

Instead of replying, Keanu looks at the ground. There, in the malleable, dampened earth, a series of massive footprints, about 8 inches, were embossed. They led to a dark corner of the cave. Following the trail of prints, Anna could sense something colossal in the darkness.

"There's someone there!" She yelped, quickly brandishing her sword.

"Stay down. I mean no harm," a heavy voice erupted from the shadows.

"Step out. Show me your face!" Anna commanded, her voice resonating throughout the cavern.

Slowly, the figure came out of the dark. Bathed in the light filtering from above, they saw a monstrosity. A figure, standing almost 2 yards tall, was gruesomely and disproportionately deformed. It was entirely stitch-ridden, its body parts exhibiting a ghostly pallor typical of decaying flesh. This creature was an unnatural patchwork of numerous corpses. Where there should have been vital organs like a brain and heart, green-glowing contraptions instead carried out their functions.

Unable to suppress her terror, Anna shrieked, "Oh my God! It's… it's that monster!"

Indeed, this was no ordinary existence. The monster before them was a scientific anomaly personally created by Dr. Frankenstein in the renowned Van Helsing story. Stitched together with the remains of seven individuals, this demon was a testament to the godlike act of bringing life from death.

Haunted by a thirst for paternal love since inception, the creature grieved its creator's death, absconding with Dr. Frankenstein's corpse when the townsfolk targeted the mad scientist. But the doctor, preyed on by his investor Count Dracula, was consumed by angry townsfolk, leaving his creation to suffer. The glow of the monster's existence was supposedly reduced to ashes just like its creator during the raging mob. Who would have thought it had survived, taking refuge in an underground cavern?

Instinctively, Anna reached for her sword. "No, don't hurt it! It's not bad. Just a little 'rough around the edges' in terms of looks," Keanu quickly gripped Anna's sword-bearing hand.

"For what purpose did you summon it?" Anna asked, her voice tainted with a strain of anger along with her confusion.

Keanu fixed his eyes on the terrifying yet benign creature, slowly uttering, "This is our key to killing Count Dracula. This creature can lead your family towards the gates of heaven."

Upon their return to the village, it had already become awfully late. After what they had done, both were understandably tired, Keanu slightly less so due to his versatile attributes, while Anna was utterly exhausted.

While retiring, with her luminescent eyes partly shut, she looked at Keanu, "I don't know your motives, but I trust that you have your reasons."

"Thanks for being by my side," Keanu pecked her forehead and took his leave, leaving behind a little damsel nursing a tinge of sadness. Over time, Anna began noticing anomalies in her experiences.

She knew she had walked into Keanu's elaborate setup. Anna lay in bed, contemplating the ordeal she had undergone, convinced that Keanu deliberately led her to that forsaken ruin. How, she pondered, did he know of the arcane existence lurking beneath the rubble?

Intrigue shrouded Keanu, who arrived out of nowhere and abruptly dominated the town's leadership, killing the terrifying silver wolf leader and vanquishing the goblin chieftain, then found Frankenstein's monster. Anna found herself dumbfounded and intrigued by Keanu's puzzling actions.

During the foray into the cavern, Anna stood clueless as Keanu and the stitched monster engaged in hushed discussions. The monstrous entity initially resisted, but soon afterwards obediently bobbed its head as if acquiescing something. Devoid of Keanu's intended explanation, Anna was left agitated.

Being a cherished damsel of the Villares family, she felt her grasp on events slipping, as though she was being led by this man. Strangely, she found herself relishing this foreign feeling. The weight of responsibility was indeed exhausting. As she lay tossing and turning in her bed, unable to court sleep, her mind was captivated by Keanu's mystery. Only as dawn painted the sky, did she come to sleep.

※※※

Awoken by the uproar outside, Anna rushed to the window, finding the source of the tumult in the square. Keanu stood aloft, brandishing the head of the goblin chieftain, bellowing to the crowd. "Take a good look! This is the beast that held you in its grips of terror, enslaving you for centuries! Look at its face, its eyes. What do you see?"

An individual in the crowd yelled, "It seems… frightened."

Murmurs of agreement rustled through the crowd, combined with laughter.

"That's right! Fear!" Keanu exclaimed. "They can be fearful, they can be scared. They can be defeated!"

Someone in the crowd piped up, "But Count Dracula is much stronger than it."

Keanu's expression grew stern, "Three days ago if anyone told you that the damned silver wolf or this goblin chieftain could be slain, would any of you believe it?"

The crowd fell silent.

"No one believes that, right? Yes, no one. Just like many of you still fear Count Dracula. I'm not denying his power. His followers are a testament to his power and terror. I am not here to offer insipid promises or to lie. Neither do I believe that I am stronger than it."

Unsure of his intentions, the curious crowd could only wonder at Keanu's declarations. Their intrigue deepened. Keanu continues, "What I want you all to know is this. The silver wolf leader, goblin chieftain, even Dracula himself may seem overwhelmingly powerful, but they are not invincible. Their existence is merely a result of no one truly challenging them."

"I know. To survive you have to endure this oppression. But ask yourselves: is such endurance worth it? You can ignore your neighbor's plight, even your fate. But what about your children? Do you want their lives shadowed by vampires just like yours have been? Can you stand by as your young ones are snatched away, their blood drained until they breathe their last?"

"I know that at least half of you here have witnessed their loved ones being captured. Do you want to live like sheep to the slaughter? Even animals resist when they sense danger. Are we lesser than beasts?"

Behind the window, Anna watched Keanu in awe. His passionate speech resonated with every townsfolk, their eyes moist with unshed tears. It was as if Keanu was a born leader, quickly integrating himself into this aloof Transylvanian town, gaining their acceptance and obedience. He was shaping the broken town into a formidable force...

From the heart of the square, he thundered, "I was called by God. The mission He bestowed upon me was not to cleanse the world's evil by myself but to awaken your dormant hearts! Evil is like darkness—it returns. If you lack the conviction and strength to combat it, there's no salvation. Even if I were to vanquish Dracula today, when new evil rises, you'll still await external help. That's simply impractical."

"I am not a savior!" Keanu bellowed. "I am merely a guide! Citizens, relight the flickering fire in your veins! Wake your anger, ignite your energy, and awaken your cold, numb hearts! When Count Dracula descends with his entourage, they'll find we are no longer helpless lambs but hellhounds! We will stand, ready for a last stand! We may perish in battle, but in that moment of demise, we can tell our children we live up to our conscience, our responsibilities as parents, and to the valiant Transylvanian blood coursing through our veins. We are fighting for justice and survival, even if it leads to death! At that moment, we will answer God's call instead of becoming wayward souls wandering the earthly plane."

"This is war! Each one of us faces two choices - to hide and survive in submission, to die a coward's death, or to rise, take weapons in hand, and die a noble death! What is your choice?"

A unified uproar from the townsfolk echoed back, "A noble death!" United in voice and spirit, all were sparked into action by Keanu's words. They had realized that centuries of indifference could not alter their tragic fate. Resistance is their only way out.

"Take arms. Start building defenses," Keanu roared.

With newfound resolve, the townsfolk sprang into action.