[Alucard's lips withdraw from Sypha's arm slowly. The rest of him stays still, because Sypha's need for clarification forces his own thoughts into focus. What this about, what it's really about is his lack of control in the moment. The fear that always comes with it, how close he teetered to not being Adrian or even Alucard for the past week, but Dracula. Reborn and terrible and just as dangerous to the city for it.

So he tries to find words. What he settles on is something he hopes makes sense.]

Because in trying to protect you, there was harm brought instead. That...that is the long and short of it, in the end. I failed you.