December of 2015. Annapolis, Maryland.

A white van bearing the insignia of the Fire Marshal sits outside the burned remains of Rosselini manor. Other than this new addition, the property is still, quiet and lifeless. A silver Mercedes pulls up in it's usual spot, and the Karina steps out, alone. Pausing in the yard, she watches Shardik approach. The bear keeps a set of eyes on an unseen guest, and as he nears his master, Alain drops his obfuscate and manifests into sight. He speaks in a low, anxious voice to the young Donna before disappearing from sight once more. Karina makes her way into the crumbling building. Statues and ruined sculptures on the second floor have crashed through the ceiling, leaving rubble on the first floor and twisted replicas across the Sudario. The wood planks of the floor are splintered and fragile. The young girl picks her way through to the Grand Hall, lead by the three headed bear.

At a broken table, Bernito sits in his customary white oak chair. Before him is a rotten buffet of molded and discarded food. Atop this ethereal table is a small evergreen, pushed through the realm of the living into the land of the dead. In the Shadowlands, he sits at the center of the table, with the spirits of four members of his family at either side of his seat. Karina steps into the room, unacknowledged by her uncle, as he merely sits peacefully with the now-silent young girl calls for her father's wraith, speaking brief instructions to the quietly apprehensive man. Benedict un-manifests and walks closer to Bernito. Healing his shorn tongue, he opens his mouth to speak to the elder Rosselini. His attempt at speech is interrupted by his scream of pain as Bernito torments the wraith. "Leave, you useless remainder of a more useless man. Leave, or be wiped from all existence." The wraith retreats from Bernito, and is dismissed just as quickly by his mistress. Karina doesn't seem perturbed at her uncle's reaction, she almost appears expectant. She steps up to the table opposite Bernito, reaching through the shroud to pull one of the whole, unharmed chairs into the Skinlands. As she sits across from him, Bernito looks to Karina, then back to his relatives and the newly dead man dressed in a neon orange safety vest. The young girl glances at the fire marshal and purses her lips. Once more, she calls one of her servants. After a moment, Cuthbert comes into the room. "Get rid of the van." she orders. He nods, and departs. Bernito continues to sit silently, no longer agitated by the presence of unwelcome wraiths in his vicinity. Karina stares, expression blank, at her Uncle. "Zio, vuoi parlar meco?" Bernito shows no sign of hearing her. She sighs lightly through her nose, leaning back in the chair, almost comfortably.

After some time, Bernito returns to looking similarly comfortable. He begins a conversation as if mid thought with the young man to his left. "I agree that it's been an eventful century, but that's no reason to think that the Proxy Kiss is antiquated. What is 10 years to someone that will be immortal at it's conclusion. I swear, you make me wish to rethink my position on childer." Karina takes in the sight of him, as he speaks to the deceased as if they continue to live. His hair and clothes are tattered beyond reasonable modesty. His thin form shows through rips and tears, with sunken and sallow muscle and skin hanging from bone. The smallest crease appears between Karina's brows, as she struggles to retain her impassivity. Bernito continues the conversation with the unresponsive wraith as his niece watches with gritted teeth. Her inner struggle subsides, and rashly, she gestures towards the wraith on the left of Bernito. Knocked out of it's stupor, the wraiths shudders and howls. In an instant, the elder Rosselini manifests into the physical realm.

The young girl has barely time to react as a bolt of energy knocks her from her seat. She gasps, more in shock than pain, and climbs to her feet. Shardik roars from the hall, rising on his hind legs. Before he can attack his master's assailant, Karina holds her hand out towards the bear, the single syllable spoken unsteadily, "No." She doesn't remove her glance from Bernito, standing her ground even as he heaves another lance at her. It strikes it's mark, and she falls to one knee. "Uncle." Her voice is expressionless as she expends the effort to heal herself. "Please." She takes another hit, now on both knees, severely weakened from her Uncle's attack.

His voice holds a chill as he speaks, "Lasciare la mia casa prima che ti divoro."

Karina looks to Bernito's sneering face with a mixture of pity, anger and fear. Struggling to her feet, she retreats hastily, Shardik following protectively behind her. Before she is out of earshot, she speaks, not turning back to the man. "You taught me to follow the ways of our family, but eschew them yourself. Per vergogna." What easily could have been a killing blow just barely misses her as she limps down the hall.

Approaching the door, Bernito steps from the Shadowlands, blocking her way. A tense growl comes from all three mouths of the bear at her side. Karina once more stares into Bernito's horrifying expression, unable to do anything but listen. "Take your bear corpse and leave this place. I will allow mercy, because you asked for it. When you wish to become a member of this family, you may return. Until then, consider yourself beneath your uncle's name." Her gaze doesn't waver, her only physical response is a slight twitch of her jaw. "Tell Renaldo that I need to meet with him here. If he isn't terrified of death, he needs to learn the new order of things."

She nods, unwilling to break eye contact. Her voice is almost as steady as his own. "I will do so." He doesn't reply, walking back to the table without looking back.

The girl exits the ruined manor, mostly supported by the three headed bear. The driver side door of the Mercedes is flung open, as Vincenzo makes to approach Karina. "Do not come closer." The ghoul stops, anxiety etched on his expression. She arrives at the car, placing a steadying hand on the door. Seeming to stare at her own reflection in the tinted glass, she spouts orders to the converging wraiths. "Alain, continue your watch. Do not be seen. Father.." she pauses, and the sound of Shardik pacing behind her can be heard. "Remove the beast from the grounds." She opens the door, collapsing into the seat. She closes her eyes as Vincenzo climbs into next to her. He starts the car and pulls away in silence. The ghoul's rapid pulse can be heard by the girl's keen ears. She grits her teeth, facing away from the sound as they drive without destination. After what feels like hours, but is less than half of one, Karina speaks. "Stop the car." Vincenzo pulls over, the car idling on the empty road. Once more, she calls her father, the wraith instantaneously manifesting as the young girl spends precious vitae. "Stay with Vincenzo. Neither of you follow me."

Her hand reaches for the door handle, as the ghoul tentatively speaks, "Miss Karina, what.." His words are cut off with a gurgle, as Karina leaps across the seat. Her fangs dig cruelly into the old man's throat as she feeds from the screaming ghoul. In the backseat, her father watches, an unseen look of smugness on his face. Just as quickly as she attacked, Karina pulls away, exiting the car while Vincenzo gasps in agony. He hastily searches through his pockets for something to staunch the bleeding, placing a folded handkerchief to his throat. When he finally looks towards the door, the young girl is nowhere in sight. Reaching across the seat to close the door, he places his bloody, trembling hands on the steering wheel. After a few moments, the Mercedes pulls away, directed towards the Don's haven.