I remembered why this place was significant, despite the events here unfolding before the book even started. A vampire’s power is tied to the sacrifice they contract with. In exchange for everlasting youth and immortality the sacrifice gives their blood and freedom to the vampire. A sacrifice can make contracts with multiple vampires and vampires can have multiple sacrifices. The love stories in the novel were overly complicated due to this. A problem arose when a vampire took blood without this contract. They would lose vast amounts of magical power they had accumulated over the ages in an instant. A vampire who subsisted solely on uncontracted blood would slowly go insane, eventually becoming nothing but a beast.

The book never explained what mechanics allowed someone to find this door, only that there was one person to ever stand before it. I must be that unfortunate soul meant to slice Eclis’ power in half, dying in order for him to gain the strength to escape.

She had no name, but her golden hair caught his eye as she ran through his chamber. The chains cried out as he lunged and caught her. She died in his arms, her life’s blood giving him back some of the strength necessary to finally escape this hell… But cursing him to be a shadow of his former glory, half mad from a millennium of solitude.

The door was ten feet tall, made of a material I didn’t recognize, though it appeared to be some sort of metal. The insignia was etched proudly in the middle, though it was filled with dust and grime. If I hadn’t read the book, I wouldn’t know he was in there. I’d read the beginning several times by now but couldn’t clearly remember which side of the room his chains were grounded. To the right?

If I entered, I would die. That’s the fate of my character.

Then lets change this book.

Eclis faces many hardships ahead, barely overcoming each time. If he had his full strength, it would lessen his hardships and certainly would prevent all the injuries! My poor hubby lost an eye! And his right arm! He was just a prop to make the prince look good in his stead, ‘the man who can overcome obstacles even the great hero has difficulty with.’ But how could I change his fate?

To form a contract with a vampire one needed to use the words of power. An elder language that normally only the vampires know, simply speaking it would cause the world around you to react. To bend to your will. I wasn’t sure if I could remember the words correctly and even if I did, he may still kill me in the process. After all, my poor baby’s been locked in a dungeon for a thousand years starving and alone.

I sat with my back against the door. If I died here, would that be it, I’m just dead? Would my soul go back home? Am I even alive back there? Would it hurt? No that’s stupid, of course it would. I sighed. But… If I didn’t, who else would come to save him? They certainly wouldn’t know the words either and he’d be back to square one. The throbbing pain I’d felt reading that he’d died returned and I clutched at my chest. Tears threatening to spill.

The last thing I remember back home was wishing so deeply to change his fate… The door moved under the weight of me leaning against it. It was black as pitch inside, though the torches to either side cast a little light.

Steeling my resolve, I faced the darkness. Without his full power Eclis will never be able to attain the happiness I wished for him. It was the reason he ended up having to sacrifice his life to save her. Only for her to love another. I can’t replace her for him, but I can at least give him a head start in this world, right? That was what I wanted, I could only trust that he would have the strength not to kill me. Yeah, just like he did in the book. The sarcasm didn’t lift my spirts.

The stone wall was cold against my back as I slid along to the left. My heart was pounding I was so scared and the dirt and dust on the wall clung to my sweaty palms. I had moved halfway through the room by the time my eyes finally adjusted. The entire chamber was empty, but chains falling from the ceiling glinted in the soft light. Magical artifacts were considered perfect. They would never rust or decay and could not be destroyed by normal means. These chains restrained his strength and magic, though I pictured them coming from the far wall… Not from the ceiling… Wait. Does that mean he can reach me here?

The chains cried out a cacophonous laughter and a black shape rushed towards me. I cried out the spell, the last syllable rushing out of me, winded from the force of him slamming into me.

My neck was ripped to the side and a burning pain blossomed from the exposed side, scalding me as it traveled through my veins. The sound of it feeding was terrifying but I was too winded to scream. I tried to push it away, but it was like pushing a bronze statue. Tears streamed down my face as the fire reached my heart, spreading across my entire body. My energy was quickly draining, and the edges of my vision blurred. I’m really going to die like this. I closed my eyes. Did it work? My knees buckled but I didn’t budge, his arms were wrapped around me pressing me between him and the wall.

As the last of my strength faded my heart throbbed, please find happiness Eclis. I’m rooting for you. I let the darkness swallow me.