X-X-X

"Byrgenwerth, Byrgenwerth… Blasphemous murderers, blood crazed fiends.

Atonement for the wretches… by the wrath of mother Kos.

Mercy for the poor wizened child, mercy. Oh please, atonement for the wretches.

Lay the curse of blood upon them, and their children, and their children's children for evermore.

Each wretched birth will plunge each child into a lifetime of misery…

Mercy… For the poor wizened child…

Let the pungence of Kos cling like a mother's devotion."

X-X-X

She passed the patients and slowly approached the winding staircase, a delicate hand running along the polished wood all the way up. As she walked, she could hear her patients begging her but she never stopped, her eyes set in front of her. Her mind felt heavy with the burden of the secret of the Healing Church, she had grown too weary for this.

"Ah, Lady Maria, Lady Maria, please take my hand." It was one of the more sane patients, one she still had hope for. "Please… help me. Don't let me drown." She chose to ignore them and closed her eyes briefly in her own premature mourning then continued on her way. It wouldn't be the first time she had killed an innocent. She supposed because of her curse, she needn't stop—her patients were doomed to their untimely fates anyway. All the help she could give could barely ease their pain and suffering.

"Oh, Lady Maria, save me please. I don't hear anything." It happened again. Another one of her patients, unable to hear the words of the Great Ones. All her hopes were gone again. Attempts to make contact with the Great Ones ended in failure once again. She knew if Gehrman knew about her endeavors, he would just laugh and laugh. There simply wasn't a way to contact them.

"Lady Maria, I'm a robin, will I ever curl up and become an egg? What say you? Lady Maria, Lady Maria, say something! Anything…" She said nothing, instead letting the sound of the heels on her boots echo through the air. Perhaps with this act she could truly atone for her sins and rid herself of her curse. She flexed her free hand gently as she walked passed them all, ignoring their cries and begging.

By the time she closed and locked the door to the balcony, she watched as one of the living failures caressed the flowers slowly, uttering noises to itself. She walked through the flowers and paused at the thick tree in the middle and briefly touched it, taking in a deep breath. It had been ages since she had been up this far and a hint of a smile played at her lips.

The lumenwood was dead. The lingering scent of its foul pollen remained in the air as she walked through the clock tower doors and closed them firmly behind her.

She let out a breath of air as she leaned against the door and looked up at the clock itself. She would remain here, she decided. None needed to know the secret of the Healing Church. They didn't need to know what atrocities happened in the fishing hamlet, nor did they need to know about Kos. She was sure Brador would take care of any trespassers who should happen to get past her. Bitterly, she walked up the stairs and dragged one of the many wooden chairs with her to the end of the room along the way.

Perhaps here, in the Nightmare, she could find peace.

She sat down and pulled out a long blade. The two-piece sword reminded her so much of her beloved Rakuyo, though the name itself brought a grimace of disgust on her face.

Part of her wanted to blame Master Willem for her curse, but another part of her knew no one should be cursed like she deserved. He had sent many of the old hunters on the mission based on a whispered rumor that spread among the students of Byrgenwerth and even Gehrman had inquired if his obsession was worth going all the way to a simple fishing village for a rumor.

What they had found was a dead Great One with child and she used her own blades to cut open the womb. She thought nothing of it at first, but after she aided in the murders and examinations of the village occupants, she grew to loathe her blades and threw them in a well. It had been fitting that it was raining that day and after she had gotten rid of them, she decided to stay in hopes of gaining an ability to contact the Great Ones and perhaps even apologizing for the Healing Church's gruesome acts. She stared at the blades through the naïve thought.

Such creatures wouldn't listen to a hunter like herself. They, the hunters, had done enough damage to the world. She rose the hand that held the blade and stabbed the smaller of the blades into her neck so fast, she couldn't even feel the pain as her last laugh echoed through the large room was the last thing she heard before her eyes closed themselves.

It was an undiscernible amount of time later when she felt something—a hand brushed against her gloved wrist. Were the Great Ones mocking her even in death? They couldn't give her peace afterwards, though she thought it fair. Kos' orphan could have survived had they not cut open the womb. Then she was struck with a horrying thought. Healing Church! Hide Kos!

Her eyes snapped open and her hand shot out then grabbed the forearm of the hunter before her. They were startled by the movement, she could see it in their nearly empty eyes. Briefly she wondered what kind of horrors this hunter had seen along their journey. "A corpse should be left well alone," she told them. Slowly she released the arm and the hunter took a few steps back as she stood up. She knew her duty—she needed to keep the secret of the dead Great One just that: a secret. Not even another hunter must know what the Healing Church had done, the fishing hamlet must remain hidden.

She took her time standing up and grabbing her cursed blades. She kept her eyes on the hunter as she took the middle part of the blades with both hands. "Oh, I know very well, how the secrets beckon so sweetly." The blade in her hands split into two and at the sound, the hunter before her rose their own defensively.

"Only an honest death will cure you now from your wild curiosity."

X-X-X

"Oh, good hunter. I can hear Gehrman sleeping. On any other night, he'd be restless. But on this night, he sounds so very calm… perhaps something has eased his suffering."