Death is peaceful. Death is calm. Death smells like cherry blossoms.

Wait!

"Fuck, I cannot even get this right."

As I slowly open my eyes, I see what I suspected. I am very much alive; I tragically missed my heart by inches. Some will say it is luck, I, I say I am cursed. While Edward and Elloise seem to be relieved, I am slightly annoyed that I cannot accomplish one simple thing, such as dying. Yes, I do sound like a Vampire that is trying to commit suicide, which by all fairness is impossible. Maybe next time, I should consider asking someone else to kill me, or just not try to do it at all.

While it takes me a few minutes to retract the Ancient blade from my chest, it need not take me a second to see that my dear Anastasia is still very much deceased. Her frail body is lying next to me, and there is no sight of movement at all. Dare I even try to drive this dagger through my heart again? Guess in a way, we are like Romeo and Juliet, only Romeo is not dying, and Julliet is not waking up. Crooked fantasy or awful joke. Fate or pure damn stupidity.

It takes me several moments in silence before I finally find the courage to speak to Elloise and Edward.

"Well, that did not work. So what do we try next?"

"Sebastian, please," I hear Edward beg, for he knows more than anyone else that I am not about to give up yet. "Sebastian, I think we have tried everything that we possibly can."

"My dear Edward, there is always one thing more that one can try. Now Elloise, do you know of any such spell that can resurrect a human."

"Yes, Sebastian, like the undead."

"Not quite what I have in mind. What about transferring her soul in the body of another?"

"And have you look at a woman that does not look like the one that you fell in love with?"

Fair, I do see her point; I do not wish for any of these to happen to my beloved. I guess and do I even dare to say; there is nothing more that we can do. Fate has run its course. My heart is heavy and shattered. There is only one thing left to do.

"Edward, we shall take her to the catacombs, where she shall be given the farewell that her beauty deserves."

With that, I gently lift her body from the floor where she is lying. She is as light as a feather, and as her limp hand drops down, I am once again ripped to my core at the thought that she is no longer in the living with us. Her essence has drained, and all that is left is an empty vessel.

And as for the last time, I turn to Elloise to thank her for the effort that she has taken to save the life of a woman that she does not know. A woman that would have most certainly killed her should any of these spells have been successful. It is sad that all words that will be spoken when referred to my beloved shall now be that of the past tense.

Trying to hide the tears that threaten to burst its banks, I look at Elloise, where she is still seated, with clear shock on her face. "Elloise, I bid you farewell," and just as we are about to make our leave, I turn to Edward. "Edward, please collect the pieces of that book and make sure that every last page is burned."

As we step into the valley and make our way through all the cherry blossom trees, I know that this shall be the parting scent that I shall know my beloved as. But what moves me beyond the beauty of their pink flowers is the rows of fairies that bid us farewell as we leave. They, too, do not know my beloved, but my beloved is receiving their blessing into the world beyond. One small tear escapes my eye; I believe these shall become frequent for a long time, if not forever.

And forever is what it feels like as we make our way through the forest, the wet earth shall be a reminder to me of how she always stood her ground. Thick green brush, the abundance in heart. She carried so much love for so many. Many of those are Connor that we are approaching. He bows, and god knows why, but he gives my beloved the greatest respect that anyone shall know.

I have to swallow hard and deep as he walks up to me, "My dear Sebastian, I am a thousand times over sorry for your tragic loss."

"Connor, my friend, your words are kind. I am sure my beloved shall remember all that tightness around your body."

We cannot help but burst out in laughter. These sounds that will travel through every corner of this forest, the sound of the birds doing their chatter, the cackle of the tiny creatures living amongst the trees, they shall all be music to my ears in the days that I miss her the most.

After a few moments in silence, I bid Connor farewell, and Edward and I take our final steps out of the forest. The sun is sitting high with a few fluffy white clouds teasing the sky. The sun brings life even though life has been taken away. The way the rays glitter off her skin, it makes her seem, in her own way, to be alive again. I shall forever remember the brightness that she brought to my life. She taught me how to love, how to live.

All this, the earth, the sky, everything beyond I always wanted to give to her. She gave and never took. Even though I seemed quite selfish and set in my ways at times, she still saw past my stubbornness and loved me no matter what. The one thing, the one thing I failed is to give her something that she should have never excepted. Regret does always come too late, but common sense should have come first.

And she shall come first for, and do I even want to say; she shall come first for one last time as we make our way home. We shall take her body to the catacombs the instant that we arrive in the city. I shall rest her down, and return home to fetch Lilith and return where she shall help me to prepare Anastasia's body for the ceremony. Edward shall call upon all the elders and those that were dear to her heart, and yes, this does include The Vampire Hunter, but that shall be a call I will make myself.

But for this time being, I do not wish to say a single word; sometimes, grief is not a feeling that you wish to share. I do not, by all means, have any Vampire sit and feel anything but sorrow for Anastasia; there is no need to feel sorrow for me. I carry enough pain in my own heart; the loss in my heart is for no one to share. Do I want to be reminded by each Vampire how I have failed my beloved? That is between her and me. I can by all certainty, say if there is anyone that disrespects a single syllable of her name, they shall have my full wrath coming down on them.

After what seems to be a drive to hell and back, we arrive at the catacombs. These catacombs hold the bodies are many great Vampires; it is considered as a great honor to find your final resting place here. My beloved has proved herself over many occasions that she is worth the respect of every one of her kind. She shall receive the greatest honor of all and shall be put to rest in the same chamber where my own body shall one day be taken. It is true that she did not die as a Vampire, but that is quite frankly not the business of any but Edward, Lilith, and me.

As I place her down on the concrete slab, I place a gentle kiss on her forehead, and what shall be the last for anyone to see, I small tear drip down on her cheek. I kiss it away and whisper softly in her ear. "I shall be back shortly, my beloved."

With that, we make our leave and head home, where Lilith and Stefan are already waiting for us. I can see that Lilith's face carries a deep sorrow. Stefan, a little boy that knows all about loss, turns to me and with the most innocent eyes that speak a thousand words.

"Dad, she is going to heaven, please don't be sad; she will be okay. You must just look up at the sky at night, and you will see her there."

"My little Stefan, you are such a clever boy. Thank you, I think I will just do that."

Before I burst out in tears, I follow Edward outside. The very hole that we stood over with the Windchaser boys where we burned the bodies of the Ancients is the same hole where Edward tosses every single page of the Book of Spells. It only takes him one flick of his hand, and it is set alight. We stand and watch as every corner of every page is burned to asses.

Very strange, I do let out a sigh of relief, but once again, I scold myself. Why did I not do this earlier when I intended to do it. I guess I, too, was corrupted by the power it possesses. Anastasia's death is the price I have to pay to be something bigger and stronger than I already am.

With not many words spoken, Edward and I make our way into the house. It has now started to pour down; the rain is raging with force down onto the earth. It feels that it, too, is saddened by the loss of someone special.

"It seems that even the heavens are crying."

"Everyone and everything is feeling your loss, Sebastian."

While back in the kitchen, I wait for Lilith to go change into something more comfortable, for I wish to make my return to the catacombs; I decide that it is the perfect time to phone our dear Vampire Hunter. Yes, the man is going to kill me, but I think that he shall be more forgiving if he discovers that she has died like a human.

So I take my phone and with trembling hands, I dial his number. I wait for several seconds as it only rings at his end. Well, I guess he shall call when he is available. I shall not take away that he has to be present while we put his friend and let us not forget, the one he too does love; he has all the right to be there.

With all these thoughts, these consequences, the lives that have been touched and are now hurt, with all this pain, I sit and let it turmoil my mind. I do not think from here on end; I am going to be the same Vampire. Should I even deserve to be Vampire Master?

But I am soon ripped from everything that is plaguing my mind as my phone annoyingly starts to ring. As I stare down at the screen, I have no idea who is on the other side, for I do not recognize the caller. So very abruptly, I answer the phone, hoping that this person shall end the call and refrain from disturbing me at a time such as this.

"Yes." Is the only thing that I can utter. Then from the other end, a woman is yelling at the pitch of her tone.

"Sebastian! Why am I locked up in a hole?"