“You're a damn good liar.”

The speaker faced away from him, his figure shrouded in a long black coat that flapped gently in the breeze. As Eldrik walked slowly towards the man, he felt a sense of dread building within him. He stopped a few paces away and waited. The man turned around and Eldrik gazed as if at his own reflection; the man looked exactly as Eldrik had in his youth before he was turned, his hair still dark and his skin still warm. As if in response to Eldrik's thoughts, the man laughed harshly.

“I'm not you,” he sneered, “I'm Eldrik Brant.”

“I am also Eldrik Brant,” Eldrik replied.

“Are you sure?” the man asked skeptically.

Eldrik looked down at his hands to find them dripping with blood. The same sticky fluid dribbled from his mouth, coated his hair, covered his face. His shirt was drenched in it, the cloth sticking uncomfortably to his skin.

“Turn around. I dare you,” the young Eldrik said with a scowl.

From behind him, Eldrik heard the screams of men and women and children. He couldn't put a name or face to any of them but every scream sounded painfully familiar, causing him to shudder.

“Don't pretend you can't hear them,” the young Eldrik growled. When Eldrik refused to reply, he shouted, “turn around!”

“Get out of my way!” Eldrik shot back fiercely, “I don't need to look back!”

The young Eldrik seized him by the shoulders and turned him around. Eldrik stared in horror at the sight before him. Dozens of humans bodies hung suspended in the air, their faces distorted in pain and terror, blood pouring from rents in their flesh to form an ocean of blood that lapped at Eldrik's feet. The air resounded with their screams and the echo of his own laughter.

“You managed to fool that innocent girl,” the young Eldrik said softly, “and somehow you fooled even yourself into believing you're a good person.” His tone hardened and he growled, “but you can't fool me. This is what you are.”

Eldrik tried to turn away but the young Eldrik's grip was unbreakable.

“Do you really think Johanna would have fallen like you did?” the young Eldrik whispered. “Face it, do you?”

“No,” Eldrik sobbed, bloody tears welling in his eyes, “she would have died before she did what I did. She would never have given up.”

“Because she is a better person than you. Because you are weak and selfish, and insolent to believe that you deserve her forgiveness.”

“I don't deserve it!” insisted Eldrik, “but she gave it freely!”

“And you believe it's right to accept it?”

Eldrik sank to his knees, choking as a throbbing pain built in his chest.

“But... she forgave me,” he whimpered desperately, “I should accept it, shouldn't I?”

The young Eldrik kicked him violently and Eldrik crumpled to the ground.

“You deceived her. She thinks you're a good person, but you're not and you know it, yet you have the arrogance to pretend that any of it is real.”

Eldrik lay sprawled on the ground, the sea of blood lapping against his face.

“You tried so hard to prove that she was no better than you, so you could continue being the self-righteous monster you've always been. Now you think that she's proved you're good? All she's proved is that she is  better than you.”

Eldrik ground his teeth and pushed himself up on one arm.

“You don't know that,” he said fiercely, turning to look up at his younger self, “I don't know that.”

The young Eldrik booted him in the face, but Eldrik ignored the pain and rose to stand before his adversary.

“I'll show you that there's a point where even she turns her back on the ungrateful world she's sworn to serve. And she will say...” He smiled and drew in a sharp breath. “Eldrik, you were right.”

“You really think you can prove that?” the young Eldrik asked as he began to fade away.

*   *   *

Eldrik opened his eyes and sat up to find himself safe and sound in the darkness of the Gravedigger's hut. Beside him, Johanna lay fast asleep with a peaceful smile on her face. Eldrik put his face in his hands, sobbing quietly. Bloody tears seeped between his fingers and dripped onto his naked body.

“Pathetic,” he muttered as got up and pulled on his trousers.

He dressed quickly, wrapping his cloak about his shoulders before quietly opening the door and stepping outside. The sky above was a cold dark blue; the sun had yet to rise, heralded by a faint golden shimmer above the eastern hills. Eldrik pulled his hood up over his face and turned away, striding into the darkness of the forest.