Festive lights lit the huge Victorian manor filled with London’s most prominent families. Chandeliers glimmered like diamonds strung across threads of gold. They decorated the grand hall of the Sherwood Manor. Classical music played as couples graced the dance floor.  Men and women both old and young danced to the waltz with such dignity and finesse that made common men gawk in amazement. The profusion of colors made by the enormous ball gowns of the women was a sight to behold. Fabrics of velvet, satin and silk could easily be identified amongst the luxurious gowns.

            The smell of perfume and expensive cigar mixed in the air, while the clatter of wine glasses hitting each other could be heard. Laughter and amusing conversations about the current situation of the crown was often the topic of choice among the guests of the party.

            “I heard her majesty has given birth to another child.” a certain duke said as he talked to an earl.

           “Well at this rate we would not have to worry about the next successor!” another duke said jokingly.

            The air was filled with frivolity and good humor. They had been looking forward to this ball since it was a way for them to forget the domineering rule of the Queen and her German husband. She has recently band extremely luxurious parties for nobles; the Duke of Sherwood was an exception to this rule though since the good ole royal physician was favored by the two royals. Their host was renowned all over England for his knowledge in the field of medicine and also as one of the most outstanding scientist of their generation.

           The Duke of Sherwood looked at ease as he entertained his numerous guests. He wore a simple black suit that felt stuffy as always. It was tight around his midsection and become loose around the edges, a matching pair of pants completed the suit. His hair was parted to one side in a very sleek and smooth manner.

His wife the Duchess wore a simple white ball gown that was made of simple silk and lace. The gown mirrored the woman who wore it for she preferred simplicity over excessive extravagance. Her hair was made into a low chignon beside her nape, flowers were placed into it.

The Duke’s two children ages 7 & 6 were also present in the party though it was way past their bed time. The Duke’s son wore a similar suit to his, only in miniature while his daughter was dressed like a doll.

He wanted his family to be present when he unveils his greatest achievement in the field of medicine and science. He called it the serum of life. A serum which can cure almost any illness ad has the ability to regenerate dead body cells. He had worked on this project for almost half his lifetime. Together with his assistant the Earl of Greenhill, they were able to find a cure through a particular plant they discovered in the Americas.

It was a rare type of fruit barring plant that somewhat resembled a strawberry. They experimented with this plant along with the plant known as the fire flower that grew near mouth Kilimanjaro in Africa.

It has been 20 years since he started the project at the age of 23 and now all his and his partner’s efforts had paid off. They were going to share to the world their miraculous discovery.

       The clock ticked while the guests drank their campaign and the music continued to play. The Duke of Sherwood stood beside the Earl of Greenhill they got the people’s attention as they announced that it was time for the unveiling.

         “Ladies and gentleman it is our deepest honor to show unto all of you tonight our life long work. Twenty years of our tireless pursuit to make a change in our world…”

The Duke said as the Earl’s eldest son entered the room carrying the seal boxed that contained the precious vials. All eyes were on the young heir as he proudly carried his godfather and his father’s 20 years effort.

        “Twenty years we have toiled for this great day. This is the day that we would share to the world our discovery, the Serum of Life!”

The Duke said as they removed the small piece of cloth covering the box. It revealed a tight sealed metal box that had and intricate lock system developed by the Earl. Together they unlocked the metal box and gingerly lifted the vials inside. The small vials contained a purple colored liquid that behaved like a jelly from a bone marrow. The crowd applauded and the two gentlemen bowed to the crowd.

But the happiness was short lived for as soon as they unveiled the serum a massive explosion occurred within the great hall of the Sherwood manor. Smoke and blood filled the air while the bodies of the guest lay on the floor some beyond recognition while others were injured due to the extreme impact.

          Armand opened his eyes; all he saw was blood… blood! He searched his surrounding hoping to find his wife Serafine, as well as his two children Henri and Agatha. His whole body ached he could barely move, the impact of the explosion was too strong. Blood was oozing down his head while his throat ached from the smoke. His eyes drifted everywhere until he found her, Serafine was heavily bleeding her right side was badly burnt. Amidst his pain he stood up and ran to her side, she was dying he needed to save her. Upon realizing this he got up and painstakingly took out a vial and injected it straight into her blood stream. He waited the he heard a faint sound of a child crying out in pain. He saw his son Henri crying out in pain his left face had third degree burns but his daughter Agatha was not moving. Seeing his son in pain took out another vial and injected it into the boy’s blood stream. He search for a pulse in Agatha but failed to find one. He could not accept it, his little girl was not dead. Even though he knew it was useless he injected the same serum into his daughter’s body. He could only trust his own work to save his family… he waited and he prayed.

              The Duke of Sherwood stood beside his wife’s coffin as he said his last words to his beloved. He was crushed and broken, that was how people described him. His greatest work had failed him, his 20 years of labor was all for nothing. His serum of life did not save his family. His children’s coffin was placed beside his wife, little children barely even 8, never seeing the dawn of tomorrow ever again.

He said his last farewell with intense agony no one could comfort him. Many people were also suffering like he was. The crown vowed to find out who was behind the plot and to have them hanged, but in the Duke’s mind what would that do? Would their deaths bring back his family?

The Earl of Greenhill and his family also died, along with others who were good and honest people. The parliament was empty as the people put it. It was the worst tragedy that had ever befallen Britain since the Inquisition (Cleansing of non-Catholics).

The Duke visited the Queen and the Prince consort who offered him their condolences. Upon arriving home after the visit from Buckingham he immediately retreated to his bedroom and he locked himself in. He had blamed himself for everything, for the death of his family as well as the death of the others. He refused to eat anything.

              It was past midnight when he left his bedroom and entered his laboratory. In the darkness of the night he searched for the root of his despair. He found it still sealed inside its box just as he left it after trying to save his wife and children. The failed serum that caused everything! In his anger he burned all his research. He threw everything he had worked for in the furnace this carried on for days until he had burned every remnant of it.

He dismissed his entire household staff after he had finished his deed, giving each of them a seriously large amount of cash. After his servants left, he set his whole manor ablaze and injected all the serum into his blood stream. His neighbors had seen the fire and had called the firemen. They were able to put out the fire after it almost devoured the whole manor but it was too late for the Duke. He killed himself from chemical overdose.

Britain yet again lamented a terrible loss.

             The whole place was damp and dark yet the floor beneath him felt soft. Armand opened his eyes and found himself in this tiny compartment wearing what he believed was another set of stuffy clothes. He examined his surrounding and realized that he was inside a coffin! He panicked and tried to kick and squirm. He tried to lift the lid but something heavy was on top of it. What was happening why was he inside a coffin?

            He used all his strength and he was able to lift the lid causing something heavy to fall to the ground. He got out of the coffin was fell back again in shock. His senses they were so acute that it pained him. He could see almost every little detail, from the dust in the air to the miniscule engravings on the wall exactly 7 meters away from him. He could hear the small insects moving as well as smell the different scent around him. Everything about him has changed, his senses became so acute he swore he could even count the number of heart beats he had per second. His mind also became much more powerful, like they now contained things he could only dream of.

He scoured his surroundings, he knew he was in a tomb and he was certain it was his tomb because he saw his name engraved upon his sarcophagus. He was wondering what happened to him, why was he here? He tried remembering what happened to him. He recalled burning down his family manor then he remembered injecting the serum into his body. As soon as the memory flashed into his mind an intense pain shot through his system, a burning pain that reached his throat clawing its way to his heart, he crouched on the ground as he tried to calm himself. He had died that night he was sure of it but if he died why is he breathing and moving now?

His heart was still beating but his entire body felt cold, he could not explain it. It was as the blood that flowed through his veins was made of cold water from a frozen lake. Was he still alive? He laughed at the idiotic question he himself had made. He was no longer human that is for sure but if he was not human what was he then?

          He was still on the verge of contemplating his current situation when something moved from behind him. Slow chilling steps that were small in nature. He turned immediately at the sound and gasped when he saw a boy standing there just a few feet from him. His eyes widen in shock and in fear.

          “Henri.” He said calling the child’s name.

        “Papa?” the boy replied as it took gentle steps toward him. Armand moved backwards in fear. Should he be happy that his son was alive or should he be terrified since Henri had become one of the undead? Henri looked at him weirdly, he could not actually guess what expression it was then he spoke up.

         “Papa are you scared?” Henri asked.

         “Yes…” He answered stutteringly.

There were a few moments of silence then Henri started laughing. He was confused why was he laughing?

       “Papa, you are weird why would you be scared of me when you yourself came out of a coffin?” Henri said amidst his laughter.

The boy was right why was he scared he was also part of the undead now.

            He was hit with the realization that his serum of life actually WORKED! But there was a glitch though, the bodies were alive but they were no longer human…

            Armand rescued his wife Serafine who was so adamant about her decision to stay inside her coffin. She was scandalized at what she had become. Serafine was a religious woman and she could not accept the fact, as she put it, that they were now officially damned.

            “Oh darling come on, surely I can reason with you. Instead of thinking of this negatively, think of this as a second life, a second life that the Almighty Father has given you. The creator did create everything right so I am pretty sure he created that plant that I used for the serum.” He tried to tell her but she merely gave him the cold shoulder.

            “Papa I am hungry.” Agatha whined as the fat child rubbed her belly.

            “Alright then we will find something to eat.” He told her.

            “We will be back dear!” he told his wife but as soon as he told them this she decided to leave her coffin.

            Her white gown fell to the ground in voluptuous layers.

            “We cannot possibly go out!” Serafine argued despite her hunger as well.

            “But we have to eat! Look at the children!” he reasoned.

            He felt the stares of the people Serafine had insisted that they stay inside the tombs, so he decided to go out and search for food himself. Men whispered in hushed voices but he of course heard them.

            “Is he not the Duke of Sherwood?!!”

            “He is supposed to be dead!!”

            Upon hearing their statements he immediately quickened his pace. He needed to get away from the crowds. He was able to buy food by trading his gold watch. Then he realized that it was not safe for him and his family to stay in London. They were no longer human and he realized that no matter how marvelous his serum was, in the eyes of the people they were considered part of the undead. He got away from the city and reached the end of houses. He entered the dense forest where a small estate of theirs was located. It was a small land that they used as a place of residence whenever they stayed in London. He got inside the miniature manor and headed for the basement. It was a room that only he knew, inside the room was a huge vault where the rest of his family’s treasures where stored. There were jewelries that belonged to his mother’s family and jewels that belonged to the Dukedom of Sherwood. There were also a sufficient amount of bills stashed inside. He quickly took all that were valuable and fled.

            He was astounded at his speed and strength; it took him just 30 minutes to finish a travel that usually lasted for 3 hours. He arrived at the tombs and was shocked when he heard a scream. He raced towards Serafine’s crypt and saw the most hideous creature trying to force his way into his wife. He grabbed it by the neck and flung it to the wall. The creature bounced back and charged at him but he was quicker and punched it hard. His eyes flared a dazzling violet and he brought his strength down upon the creature crushing its head. Greenish blood oozed from the smashed head while the body sprawled lifeless on the floor. He backed away and Serafine ran towards him in fear.

            “What was that?” she asked sobbingly.

            “That was a ghoul.” He said seriously. He could not believe it. Ghouls were real. If they were real there was also a great chance that the tales that people told about monsters of the night were also true.

            They fled London and decided to move to Scotland where they were less known. Armand decided to change his identity and adapted the surname Sherwood, as an act of remembering his ancestors and the heritage that they passed on to him. They lived normally except for the fact that they were supposed to be dead. They ate and slept like humans, they maintained the emotions and the feelings of being human. The only difference between them and humans were their super acute senses, strength and their body’s ability to heal and regenerate itself at a very fast rate.

         Months passed since the day he received his second life when his daughter Agatha suddenly died due to uncontrollable fever. The cause of this was unknown but he had a hunch that it had something to do with the serum. He spent sleepless nights trying to figure out the cause as to why Agatha had died, only to realize the sad truth that his serum could not maintain the life of a person who had already died when the serum was injected.

He and his wife lamented this great loss and had decided to leave Scotland and move to France. It was in France where his son Henri and his wife ultimately died…