"The 17th century witnessed a violent and merciless battle against hideous, bloodthirsty creatures which the chronicles of that time called vampires." "Brothers found the courage to accuse their brothers, ...and fathers their children, ...so that the Earth might be cleansed of this horrible race of ferocious murderers." "But before putting them to death, ...human justice, anticipating divine judgment, ...branded forever the cursed flesh of those monsters with the red-hot mark of Satan." "Asa, from the lineage of the Princes of Vajda, ...the Sacred College of the Primates of Moldavia has declared you guilty." "I, the second-born son of the Princes of Vajda, ...in my capacity as Grand Inquisitor sentence you," "...and as your brother I repudiate you." "You have committed many sins to satisfy your satanic love ...for that servant of the Devil, Igor Javutich." "May God have mercy on your soul in this, your final hour." "Cover her face with the mask of the Devil." "Nail it down!" "May the cleansing flames reduce her to ashes so that the wind will obliterate all traces of her existence." "Griabby!" "It is I who repudiate you, ...it is I who curse you in the name of the Devil." "Go ahead, nail me down!" "You will never escape my claws, nor those of Satan." "The unchained elements of the power of darkness are ready to strike you." "Beware, Griabby!" "My vengeance will strike down you and your offspring because in the blood of your sons and the sons of your sons I will continue to live, immortal!" "They will restore to me the life that you now take from me." "I shall return to torment and destroy throughout the night of time." "As if by the Devil's command, ...the sudden fury of the elements extinguished the purifying flames." "The terrified people ran in flight from that cursed place." "And all night long the church bells tolled to keep away the spirits of evil." "When the wrath was spent, ...Javutich's body was buried in unconsecrated ground in the graveyard reserved for murderers." "And the corpse of the witch was placed in the tomb of her ancestors." "Coachman!" "How much further is it to the crossroads at Mirgorod?" "Six or seven versts, my lord." "Did you hear that, Professor?" "If we stop at Mirgorod, we'll never reach Moscow by evening." "It doesn't matter." "We'll spend the night at the inn at Mirgorod." "Good smoked salmon and excellent vodka!" "We'll get to the congress tomorrow." "But we'll miss the inauguration and Professor Blistanov of St Petersburg's speech." "That will be a real pity." "How long have you had your degree?" "Three years, Professor, and I've been assisting you for two." "When you've been in this profession 20 years, ...you'll learn the true value of all the small talk at these congresses." "Stop!" "Take the forest road, it's much quicker." "It's full of holes." "No one uses it." "I see." "You're afraid of the witch." "I'm not afraid." "I fought against Napoleon." "But to tell you the truth, ...I'd rather find myself face to face with that cursed Frenchman than with a ghost." "This will help you forget about the ghosts." "Come on, let's get going." "What's that strange noise?" "Nothing, just the wind in the trees." "What's going on?" "The trees are reaching out their branches to choke me." "Try not to choke yourself with all that vodka." "Come on, get moving." "Why is he going so fast?" "It's a combination of my tip and his fear." "What a mess!" "Dear heaven!" "What a place for this to happen." "Is it serious?" "No, no." "Fortunately it just slipped out of the socket." " I'll have it fixed in no time." " Good." "It certainly isn't very cheerful here, and then there's that sound..." "It's coming from there." "Let's see what it is." "That solves the mystery." "It's the wind in the pipes of this broken-down organ." "What's happening, my lords?" "It's nothing." "Carry on with your work." "More than a thousand years of conflicts, hates and loves." "Now there's nothing but dust in these tombs." "Only the memories of old exploits remain here." "The history of ancient Moldavia is carved in these stones." "Andre, come here." "This is the witch of the old legend." "Do you see this bronze mask?" "It was always placed over the face of a condemned witch so she would wear for all eternity her true face." "And why is that window there?" "They thought the witch might rise again and believed the cross visible through the glass would keep her nailed down forever." "My lords!" "My lords, where are you?" "I need someone to come and give me a hand." "My lords, if you leave me on my own I will walk away from here." "He's frightened to death." "Go and help him." " I want to have another look around." " Sure, I prefer it outside anyway." "There's no air in here and it's a bit gloomy." "Professor!" "Professor Kruvajan, what's happened?" " Why did you fire?" " Look here." "It threw itself at me like a wild beast." "That's very strange." "Usually bats shy away from human beings." "Let's go, Professor." "We'll be better off outside." "Otherwise the coachman will be convinced he is right." "Wait." "What are you doing?" "Almost intact after two centuries." "Professor, you've cut yourself." "You're right, I hadn't noticed it." "It must have been a splinter of glass." "It's just a few drops of blood, that's all." "Those empty eyes seem to be looking at us." "Come on, let's go." "Who are you?" "What do you want?" "I am Professor Choma Kruvajan and this is my assistant, Dr..." "Andre Gorobec." "I was walking in the park when I heard a shot." "What happened?" "I killed a bat that attacked me." "You must excuse us for taking the liberty of entering the chapel." "We thought it was an abandoned ruin and we couldn't resist satisfying our curiosity." "It's all so strange and mysterious here." "Everything is going to ruin." "My father, Prince Vajda, refuses to repair this old chapel." "This place, in his eyes, is cursed." "My lords, the coach is ready." "We can go now." "We're coming." "Please excuse us, Princess, but we have to go." "We still have five versts to go until Mirgorod." "We are spending the night there." "If you don't mind, I won't say goodbye to you." "I hope to see you again." "Thank you." "I trust you will spend a good night at Mirgorod." "Has she bewitched you?" "What sadness in her eyes." "What's this?" "A souvenir of the witch." "It stopped so suddenly." "Like a voice breaking off." "It's wolves!" "That's why I couldn't find any tracks of wild deer in the forest today." "No, it's a different kind of howling." "Those aren't wolves." "The griffin moved." " Constantine!" "Katia!" "Look!" " What is it?" " It wasn't painted like that." " What?" "It was alive and now it's dead." " What are you saying?" " I'm certain of it." "Father's right." "It wasn't in that position." "Katia, that portrait always has a strange effect on you." "It's because it looks just like one of your ancestors." "Can't you see that a mysterious secret life burns within it like a smouldering fire?" " Sometimes I'm afraid to go near it." " Katia!" "Perhaps Constantine's right." "My imagination has been playing tricks on me." "Let's not talk about it any more." "How cold it is." "A chill seems to come out of the fireplace tonight that penetrates my bones." "Why don't you get some sleep, Father?" "Your eyes are tired." "No, my eyes aren't tired." "But my spirit is." " You go." "I want to be alone now." " Good night." "Good night." " Good night, my lord." " No, wait." "You've served in this house for many years." "I was born here, my lord." "Today is the feast of St George." "You know about the curse that was placed on this castle, don't you?" "Two centuries ago today, two people were executed for witchcraft." "Princess Asa and her lover and accomplice, Prince Javutich." "The mask of the Devil was nailed forever to their faces." "A century later, an earthquake destroyed only the ancient chapel and the witch's sarcophagus was found split open, ...as if Asa had tried to break out and accomplish her revenge." "In fact, that same night Princess Macha mysteriously died." "Macha was beautiful..." "the very image of the witch." "She was 21 years old." "Like Katia." "And Katia is her living image." "It's as if the witch chose her victims and tormented them with her beauty before killing them." "It is this resemblance, this echoing vengeance of Asa that terrifies me." "I'm afraid, Ivan." "You mustn't be afraid, my lord." "The cross will protect you." "Even if what you said is true, ...these monsters are terrified of the sacred symbol of Christ." " Keep it near you and you'll be safe." " Yes." "You're right, Ivan." "It is the atmosphere surrounding this cursed day that has upset me so." "Drink, my lord, before it gets cold." "It's death!" "I've just seen death!" "It's a warning." "I'll defend myself." "They won't win." "They won't win against the symbol of Christ." " Everything all right, sir?" " Yes, thank you." "You were right, the vodka here is superb." "I feel as if I could conquer the world." "Start with the castle." "If I'm not mistaken, someone made quite an impression on you." "An excellent idea!" "Another glass or two and that's exactly where I'll go." "You'd be wiser to go to sleep." "Princesses are easier to conquer in dreams." "Besides, we must be up early tomorrow." "You're right." "I'll tell them to call us at five." "No, I'll do it." "I'll take a little walk and inform our hostess." " All right, good night." " Thank you." "And watch out for bats!" "Watch out for your head!" "No." "No." " Don't start all that again." " I don't want to go." "Who do you think should go?" "Me, with all I have to do?" "Excuse me, sir, isn't it shameful that a girl of her age is afraid to go to milk the cow in the barn?" "Your mother is right." "You didn't say that the barn is next to the old cemetery." "Don't be afraid of the dead." "They don't hurt anybody." "Hear what the gentleman said?" "I'm coming!" " Hurry up." "I'm busy." " I've been waiting for half an hour." "I'll go tonight, but tomorrow I won't." "Hello, Irina." "Javutich!" "Javutich!" "Rise!" "Rise!" "Be still, Irina." "Are you frightened too?" "What a storm!" "No!" " Father!" " No!" "Father, what's happening?" "It's me, Katia." "Look at me." "We must find a doctor." "But where?" "At the inn." "I met two doctors at the old chapel today who are staying at Mirgorod." "Hurry, Ivan!" "Go and wake the groom." "I'm here, master." "What's happening?" "Go to the inn and get one of the doctors." "At once!" " Dr Kruvajan!" " Yes?" "Princess Vajda sent me." "Her father is very ill." "She begs you to come to the castle." "I'll come, but I must tell them at the inn." "You won't need to." "I've already done so." "They told me where to find you." "Well, in that case..." "Kruvajan!" "Kruvajan!" "I've been waiting for you." "I need you again." "Look into my eyes." "Look into my eyes!" "Come closer." "Just a few drops of your blood brought me to life again." "All of your blood will give me the strength to accomplish my vengeance." "Come... kiss me." "My burning lips will transform you." "You will be dead to men, but you will be alive in death." "What's Boris doing?" "He's been gone so long." "He'll be back any moment now." "Be strong, Katia." "The griffin..." "The man in the painting..." " What's he saying?" " He's delirious." "Only the cross can save us on this cursed day." "Did you send for me?" "Thank you for coming, Doctor." "He seems in a very bad way." "We'll see." "You can go." "What's wrong with him, Doctor?" "Nothing serious." "He's just had a shock." "We were asleep when all of a sudden we heard him scream." "He was trembling, his arm outstretched, ...holding this cross as if he was trying to drive back some horrible apparition." "Hide it." "He mustn't see it again." "It might provoke another attack." "Eternity has been broken." "You were able to do it." "You tore me out of the earth that weighed on me like lead." "This time you are not alone." "I will bring you her body." "She will be your prey." "She was born for this fate." "She is your living image." "Destiny has its way, Asa." "In her you will live again, ...speak again and smile as she does." "And we will live once more, as we used to." "Go to bed, Constantine." "Father is calm now." "No, I'm not tired." "Go, both of you." "I will stay here." "Oh, my God, those dogs." "It's torture." " Ivan, try to make them be quiet." " Yes, my lady." "Go, Constantine." "I'll watch over him." " I'll call you if necessary." " As you wish." "What's the matter?" "Quiet now!" " Doctor..." " I thought you'd fallen asleep." "Why don't you go to bed now?" "I'll stay here and watch over your father." "But aren't you leaving tomorrow at dawn?" "Don't worry, I can stay here all night long." "He's much calmer now, isn't he?" "Yes, he'll have a peaceful night, you'll see." "You needn't worry." "Go and have some rest." "You must need it." "Doctor, I don't know how to thank you." "Call me if you need anything." "I'm sure it won't be necessary." "Your room is just opposite." " Good night, and thank you again." " Good night." "Katia!" "Katia!" "Katia!" " Poor Father." " No!" "Dr Kruvajan!" "Dr Kruvajan!" "Katia, wait!" "Don't go in there!" "Katia, no!" "Don't look!" "Dr Kruvajan?" "Dr Kruvajan?" "It's me, Andre." "Your friend isn't here." "He isn't here?" "Last night he was called to the castle." "Apparently Prince Vajda was taken very ill." "He hasn't come back." " Why didn't he take me with him?" " Maybe he didn't want to disturb you." "My daughter saw him get into the coach that came from the castle to pick him up." " Could I have a horse?" " Of course." "Come with me." "Be careful!" "If you knock the basket over you'll be in trouble." "Excuse me!" "Is this the shortcut to the castle?" " Yes, sir." "Take the road going uphill." " Thank you." "Curses!" "I told you not to play round here!" "A shirt!" "Good heavens!" "We've got to catch it." "Be careful you don't fall in the water too." "Dr Kruvajan!" "Who are you?" "What do you want?" "I am Dr Gorobec." "I was told that Dr Kruvajan came here last night." "Yes, that's right." "We called him to attend to my father, who was taken ill." "The doctor was left alone with him, but then he went away." "If he hadn't abandoned him, my father might still be alive." "I have to say I don't understand your colleague's behaviour." "You're right." "I don't know how to explain it, ...but I assure you I am more surprised than you are." "I know Dr Kruvajan very well, ...and I don't understand..." "Something serious must have happened, I'm sure of it." "It's very strange." "When I left the inn, he still hadn't come back." "He hadn't come back?" "Please, come up." "Oh, my God!" "It's Boris, the Vajdas' groom." " What's happened, Mama?" " Nothing." "Yes, it's him, and what a state he's in." "How did he end up here?" "The current." "Can't you see he's dead?" "Katia!" "Let's take her away from here." "Where is her room?" "Come." "Quickly, some water." "His face has completely changed." "It's scary." "It looks like the Devil's face." "It made me sick to see it." "It's as if the Devil had devoured him from within." "Speak quietly." "It's best if they don't know." " They're stricken by their father's death." " Ivan!" "What's this all about?" "They found Boris's body down by the stream, my lord." "Boris's body?" "Yes." "It's in a terrible state." "His eyes are popping out of their sockets, his teeth are bared, his hands contorted." "Where is he?" "We carried him into the sacristy." "The parish priest is with him." " You there..." " Me?" "Yes." "Come here." "Is it true that you saw the coach that came to fetch Dr Kruvajan yesterday evening?" "Yes, my lord." "I saw it on my way back from the stable." "When I heard the noise, I hid." "But it wasn't Boris driving the coach." "I know Boris well." "It was a stranger, a face I'd never seen before." " Are you sure?" " Yes, my lord." "I'm going to the village to see Boris's body." "And you come with me." "You must tell me everything." "Everything you know." "Do you understand?" " It's very important." " Certainly, sir." "I'll tell you everything." " Poor Boris." " Come on, go back to the village." "Something sinister is afoot." "It's him!" " Yes, it's him!" " Who?" "The man who came last night to get Dr Kruvajan." "I swear it, my lords, it's definitely him." "I'm certain of it." "I saw him clearly." "The moon was shining on his face." "Nonsense!" "Fantasies about a portrait of someone who has been lying dead for centuries." "We'll all end up going insane." "Calm yourself, Princess." "I need to go to the village, but I'll be back." "Gather your courage." "Why don't you stay the night here, Doctor?" "Yes." "I beg you." "We'll all feel much calmer." "Unbelievable." "The same horrible death as the prince." "The wounds on his neck look like the work of a wild beast, ...but one that punctures its victims' flesh without tearing it." "I am a doctor, and I only believe in science." "But this..." "And what about Professor Kruvajan?" "Can it be possible that a man like him could abandon a patient without saying anything?" "I passed by the inn, but no one had seen him." "What's more, the innkeeper's daughter swears that the man in the portrait at the castle is the same as the driver who came to fetch the professor." "I don't know how to explain it." "A man in a portrait, you said?" "Yes, the portrait near the fireplace." "A painting that's two centuries old." "Of a man in black with a silver griffin embroidered on his chest?" "Yes." "Why?" "Oh, nothing..." "Nothing." "Oh, Father." "Prince Constantine would like you to prepare the funeral for tomorrow." "Very well." "Everything will be ready tomorrow morning." "Go." "Help!" "Help!" "What's happened?" "Katia!" "What is it, Princess?" " There is someone in my room!" " Where?" " Behind the curtain." " Come on!" "Ivan, keep guard over the stairway." "Over there, behind that curtain." " There's no one there." " You must have imagined it." "No, I saw a hand reflected in the mirror." "You don't believe me, do you?" "But I saw it, Constantine!" "I saw it!" "I saw it!" " I'll go and get a sedative." " Believe me, Constantine!" "Professor Kruvajan, it's you!" "You frightened me." "Where have you been?" "I've been searching for you all day." "What is it?" "Go away, Andre." "Go away from here." "Don't get involved in things that could harm you." "I didn't hear anything from you so I brought your luggage here." "Look." "I was trying to decipher this inscription." "Professor!" "Krug!" "Brug!" "They're bleeding to death." "Yes... and I think that maybe..." "Come, quickly." "Carry everything into the salon where the coffin will be set up." "Take this." "Be careful." "So he fled from you as if he was possessed?" "Yes, the moment I showed him the icon." "He disappeared without any explanation." "It's very difficult to translate these ancient Cyrillic inscriptions." "We need to find the key word." "If you let me take it, I'll compare it with some texts I have in the library." "It's all yours." "Father..." "My sister has been suffering terribly over everything that's happened." "I would greatly appreciate it if you could urge her to leave the castle." "I tried to convince her, but in vain..." "Princess." "I hope I'm not intruding." "No, I just feel so desperate and alone." "I understand, but you mustn't despair." "You must always have faith in yourself, in life." "In life?" "What is my life?" "Bitterness and grief." "Something that destroys itself little by little, and no one can rebuild it." "Here is the image of my life." "Look at it." "It's being consumed day by day, just like this garden." "It's fading away, like my life, without any purpose." "But a condition like that can change." "It depends on you alone." "There is no reason why you should share the fate of this castle." "Go far away from here and you'll be happy again, Katia." "Forgive me if I call you by name." "And remember that I'll always be happy to help you." "You're very kind, Andre, ...but today everything seems so hopeless." "I'm filled with distress, a premonition of death that tortures me and doesn't allow me a single moment of peace." "If only I had your faith." "You mustn't give up, Katia." "At times everything must seem dark." "But even here, in this garden, ...the sun will reach into the darkest corners and chase away the shadows of the night." "Oh, Andre." "Help me." "I beg you, help me." "Without you, I wouldn't have known how to survive this ordeal." "In moments like these, it's difficult to find the right words, ...but when this is all over, Katia..." "Thank you, Andre." "Thank you." "I had to do it or else the whole place would have caught fire." "Strange..." "Who knows what on earth is behind there." "Doctor." "Ivan was putting out a fire that had started in a hanging and ripped through this canvas." " Look." " Be careful." "It's completely dark." "It's a secret passage." "Unbelievable!" "My father wasn't delirious after all." "His last words were, ..."The silver griffin..." "The man in the portrait..."" "This is where I found your dogs with their throats slashed after Kruvajan disappeared." "Let's go." "Stay here, Ivan, and make sure the door doesn't close." "Don't move." "Very good, sir." "It's the same face as the portrait in the salon." "It's the witch." "How did you know about her?" "I saw her when Dr Kruvajan and I went into the crypt." "Wait here." "Two days ago the sarcophagus was untouched and the witch..." "She looks as if she's just died." "Look!" "She's breathing." "This is a terrifying phenomenon." "I'm going to fetch the priest." "Go back to the castle." "Don't leave Katia." "Hurry!" " There's no time to lose." " You'll get to the stables quicker that way." "Ivan!" "Ivan!" "After all you have told me, there can be no more doubt." "We are facing the unleashed powers of the Devil." "The words on the icon explain exactly what must be done." "Hurry." "We must find the grave of Javutich before sunset." " Father!" " Yes?" "The mask of Satan." "Like the one I saw over the witch's face." "It's just as I thought." "We'll find him here." "Look!" "The earth from that grave has been moved." "Let's open the coffin." "It's Dr Kruvajan." "But last night..." "he was still alive." "I saw him." "No, he was already dead." "But it's impossible, Father." "He moved and even spoke to me before he ran away." "Sometimes Satan, with his great capacity for doing evil, ...even plays tricks with the dead." "You see?" "Here is the proof." "We have to find a way for his soul to rest in peace." "How?" "The inscription on the icon indicates the only way." "The spell is broken at last." "Poor Kruvajan." "We must take action." "Quickly, because everything is clear now." "The witch transformed your friend into a slave of the Devil." "Dead during the day but alive by night, ...so he could carry out the wicked orders of his master." " Then the prince too..." " Yes." "We have no time to lose, or the witch may come back to life." "How?" "By possessing the body of another young woman." " Katia!" " Yes, Katia." "Run to the castle." "It's already late!" "Before the sun goes down, you must pierce the left eye of the witch." "Go." "I will do the same to the body of Boris, ...which is still in the sacristy, and then I'll join you." "Constantine?" "Ivan?" "Ivan?" "Constantine?" "Is anyone there?" "Where are you?" "Constantine!" "Help!" "Help!" "Help!" "Where are you?" "Help!" "Constantine!" "Andre!" "Help me, Father!" "Help me!" "Don't leave me alone with all these horrors!" "Father." "Father?" "Father!" "I'm no longer your father." "My blood is no longer your blood." "The spirits of evil have broken that tie between us forever." "A cursed poison flows through your veins." "No!" "Constantine!" "Ivan!" "Open up!" "Your vengeance is at hand, Asa." "Now at last you will be free again." "Katia!" "Constantine!" "Where are you?" "Katia!" "Constantine!" "Katia!" "You did not know that you were born for this moment." "You did not know that your life had been consecrated to me by Satan." "But you sensed it, didn't you?" "That's why my portrait fascinated and terrified you." "You felt that your life and your body were mine." "You felt that you were destined to become like me." "A tormented soul in a lifeless body." "The love of a man was about to save you from this curse, ...but I was stronger." "Now my bite will destroy your life and give you a new existence, full of evil and hate, in me." " Constantine." " Don't worry about me." "Save Katia." "Don't waste any time." "Save Katia from the witch." "Katia!" "Katia, thank God I've arrived in time." "Yes, she wanted to kill me." "Quick, do something before it's too late." "I couldn't do it." "Quickly." "Yes, you're right." "We must destroy her." "Now I know how it can be done." "Don't look, Katia." "It's horrible, but there's no other way." "But this is your cross." "Katia..." "How is it possible?" "I don't understand." " Come..." " No." "No, I am not your love." "Your love is there, destroyed, lost forever." "With Katia my vengeance is complete because all of her family have been annihilated." "Look at me, Andre." "Look into my eyes like Kruvajan looked at me that night and, like him, lose yourself in my gaze." "You too will feel the immense joy of hatred." "Look at me." "Doctor." "It's her." "She is the witch." "Don't be deceived by her face." "You must look at her body." "She has transformed herself into Katia by draining her life's blood." "Take her!" "Two centuries ago, a storm prevented the flames from destroying the innermost soul of the witch." "But today purification has at last been accomplished." "Her innocent victims have broken the evil spell." "Why..." "Why was she taken away from me, Father?" "Katia's beauty will never be forgotten." "Katia." "My life is finished now too." "How can I ever forget her?" "How can I resign myself?" "I will never find peace again." "Look..." "her young body, destroyed." "Father!" "Katia."