Castlevainia: Romanov Revolution

Prologue: Eyes

"There will be one who breaks tradition, and stains the symbol of love with the blood of their child. Those with sight will become blind, and go mad with power. Only Love can free the blind." I'd red the old script many times. Never really understanding. Our family feared the script like a curse and never spoke of it. Not even the Matriarch knew what it meant.

What fools we were not to 'see' this coming.

The Sight, as we called it, was coveted by the Romanov family. The ability to look into a person's very soul and be able to see if they were truly evil or not. We could see many more things, but that was the goal for the woman in the family. Thus, the women who are direct descendants of the Matriarchal line are highly coveted. Oh sure, our boys had plenty of their own abilities, inhuman strength or speed or what have you. But only the women had "The Sight". The boys are girls trained the same, but for us it was our brother's job to protect us. Sure, we had a good amount of strength and speed ourselves, but for some reason we were still weaker than our brothers.

We as a Family trained to both fight and protect what others called the Supernatural. Often times we either allied or butt heads with the Van Helsings and the Bellmonts. One of the times, the head of House Bellmont came with his son who wasn't much older then my brother and I. His name was Trevor and he'd been shadowing his father for training. I had been curious about the child who would be our family ally. So, despite being told not to get too close I peeked my head over the wall in the garden. He was taller than me, older too. With brown hair and striking blue eyes. As a young girl nearing well, THOSE years, seeing an older boy who WASN'T from the family had excited me a little.

I watched him as my mother and his father spoke, curious about him. Just when I started to get lost in those eyes of his I found them looking directly back into mine. I saw his soul that day. I saw the joy and pride, and also the pain and anger. We locked eyes for a long moment, my Sight allowing me to see his heart and soul in full clarity.

His father raised his voice, then the spell was broken. His eyes left mine and Valmar lost his footing and we both fell. Our uncle had caught us peeking and we were sent to our room. Despite being scolded I couldn't help the dumb smile on my face. His soul, I got to use my sight on someone who was so amazingly interesting. I felt so happy. That happiness, however, was short lived.

Mother had told Lord Bellmont the family secret, and this lead to him wanting nothing to do with us. Meaning I'd never get to look into those eyes, ever again. I went to bed that night next to my brother, crying my eyes out.

We Romanov's believe that not all who are born in the dark are inherently evil. We treat each being in their own respect as an individual experience. Sure, we take note of similarities between certain races and beings but we do our best not to judge them based on their race alone. For it was a heavily guarded secret, that the first Matriarch of the Romanov family fell in love with a demon. Their child, their daughter, they called her a symbol of love. She was the first to have "The Sight". I was always proud of that, proud of our family's legacy. Proud to have been born a Katiana. I wished others would feel the same.

The first Matriarch was Katiana I. Thirteen generations had passed since her time. Each new Katiana became the head of house, I was the Thirteenth Katiana. I was 12 at the time. So young, so naive. I had no idea what that script would mean.

Year 1464

There was blood, so much blood. The pain was, unbearable. I screamed, I wasn't sure weather to be afraid, or shocked or angry. One thing I did know, is that my heart was sliced open like my face had just been. I heard my brother's voice.

"Katja! Mother why!?" the anger in his voice, the main in my head, it wasn't a dream was it? No. I wish. But no....

"I will not give up my seat at the head of this family, not now, not ever! This power is mine and mine alone!" the older woman cackled madly.

There will be one who breaks tradition, and stains the symbol of love with the blood of their child.

Today was supposed to be the day Katiana XIII became the new head, but her mother had other plans.

"Sister!" other men from the other families poured in, tending to the women, both young and old whose eyes had been viciously cut out. Some, did not survive. Standing with the bloody knife holding some of the eyes in her bare hand was the head of the family, Katiana XII, standing next to her was the reason behind all this. Her Husband, their step father. She'd been blinded by the pain of watching man she loved die. This new man had promised her solace and her sight had been tainted by him, now this was all that was left, a crazed woman mad with power.

"How could you do this? They were you're family! You're neices and cousins!" Katiana's brother cried in anger at their mother.

Those with sight will go blind, and mad with power.

"I will never give my seat to you, NEVER!" her husband just smirked and wrapped his arms around their mother's waist before vanishing with her.

"One day I will come for your sight! Watch the shadows my dear child. Watch the shadows!" her mother's voice echoed eerily before finally leaving.

After that night, the entire family split up. Each immediate family taking their one sister and going deep into hiding. The ones who'd lost their sister would stick together with other groups to double their defense.

As for the Twins...They were all they had. Katiana XIII and Valdemar were they only children of their mother and late father. There had never been twins in their family, nor had there ever been a girl born right away. Usually they tried 8 or 9 times before they produced another female. But Kati and Valmar had been born first so their mother felt no need to keep going.

Of course their uncles, pained by their sister's betrayal, took in their neice and nephew. They would not let their sister steal the sight of what seemed to be the last child with Sight in their family.

"Valdemar, dear boy, you are only 12, but you have a great task ahead of you." his oldest uncle told him.

"I won't let her hurt Katja." he'd responded, he knew full well, even then, what was in store for him. His uncle smiled under his thick grey beard.

"Then we must get started, on both of you." His uncle looked to his niece who's face had been scared by his sister. His niece, who'd carved the roman numerals XIII into her left thigh in pure and absolute defiance to have her eyes taken from her.

Only Love, can free the Blind.

End Prologue