Chapter 1: The Blind Memory

Plucking of the fire. The destruction of a cycle. And now blinded by the dark. Sitting on top a throne. Waiting for someone to save him.

My last clear memory was of my sodded foot, upon the skull of my own Fire Keeper.

Crushing. Trembling. Hurting. I knew not of my actions, for my sanity had drifted away.

My innocent eyes were gone. Only darkness.

All that I did was to regain time for the Age of Fire. Doing so because my lords, my twin prince's wished not to. Keeping such desires away from the ears of their own father.

So with all my heart… I had offered my own life.

I was something of a tool, viewing my life only to be devoted to their cause. I was willingly stripped of my rank and replaced. I made the track towards the Kiln.

One step at a time. I met with the wolf; Farron, to be one of the Undead Legion. Gaining their knowledge and growing in strength. With what was needed I renounced the title of Abyss Watcher to continue on. Meeting fellow Knights of other Kingdoms, those from Astora and Catarina.

And soon after, I had faced off with Soul of Cinder itself.

Failure was my only reward.

The easiest thing I could remember was being dragged. My amour of Lothric was destroyed and melted from fire I knew not of. Turned back into the ore it was smithed from. I was buried and unfit to hold Embers. To only be deemed and renamed as Ash.

My first death. My Dark Soul had been stripped from me, no longer able to Hollow.

After…

After turning over every rock of knowledge, taking every soul, delving into every mystical art imaginable, and tracking down every mystery that had been forgotten, I, the Ashen One, had struggled to keep my own existence and had finally succumbed to hollowing.

Killing the keeper of my own dying flame.

Offering up the last bit of light to the darkened sky.

Only seconds away from Usurping the Fire. I still struggled. Fought against it. The souls within me. Voices of millions, possibly billions, even trillions, screamed out at me.

They fought with my sanity to keep it away from insanity.

My fingers struggled and twitched.

The world which was now becoming barely inhabitable, meant only for humans, quaked. It shook. The last flame… waiting to be snuffed out… The battle within… It was cold.

I didn't want to continue this.

This age… needed to end.

And the cycle would now…

Be broken.

So as he sat upon his throne. Lord over humanity, and every beast to run along the plains. He sat. For so long. A world being crafted in a painters mind. She looked to him on his lap. The only soul he had yet to take. A soul not like the rest. But one of the Dark. A human. Not like himself.

"This… is what you created?" The words which were spoken had a deep imposing sound. The one who said such a thing was a man, without armor. His skin bare to the world. Velvet cloth, which was covering his legs all the way down to his bare feet. Some armor on his waist, over the cloth.

This man sat on a throne and on his lap, a young girl with pale skin. She was covered by an all white cloth. From her throat down to her own ankles and wrists. Her hair was extremely long. White in nature.

"Yes! Is it to your liking my King?" In his hands, his red eyes looked onto a canvas with splashes, and more splashes of colour.

On it… He smiled.

"I do." Was his response. He touched the girl's head. "I'll use this… as the baseline of the world. And you'll be the watcher. A goddess to this world's inhabitants."

The girl looked on. Her own scarlet eyes blinked once. Then twice. The shine. A blinding light. The throne was engulfed in this light.

"This world will be marked by a catastrophic event. And its inhabitants will be it's unbecoming. Be it the Ark or a single Knight. One shall take up the title to save it. Or destroy it. Let light take it's reign once more, or let this be another retelling of a story that died long ago."

Why was it so dark?

Why was it so cold?

"Doctor...?"

Who?

I felt nothing. I was covered by stillness and forced out. I can't keep asking why. But it's all I can think off. So… why?

"Doctor. It's alright to wake up. It's almost time."

I can't stop looking into the abyss. The dark is all I see. It hurts. This darkness. It's forcing me away from the light and the warmth. To lose myself… That abyss. It was pulling me in. Tangles of light. It sparked like lighting. Flying around the sky ridden blackness.

I was sinking deeper.

My limp heavy limbs were taken. Entangled and puncturing the skin. Sinking into my blood; turning it black.

Fire from the breath. Breath from a Lions jaws. Jaws of the Lion entombed into iron.

"Doctor please…"

What was that warmth? I was… forgetting something. My arms were begging to be released.

Blood of wolves running through those veins. All for one, One for All. Together. Never alone.

"Please…"

It was wiggling a way through my body. Towards my chest. Closer to…

"Wake up…! Please….!"

[Beep…… Beep…… Beep…...]

That blackness touched it.

The howl of a wolf retaliated. The Legion of Wolves empowered by embers, under one soul. Snapping and barking together.

My arms moved. My fingers broke free from its sticky touch. It tried latching onto my face, but I grasped it and it began burning.

I began pushing… My body began to ignite.

Chaos… fire...

I was able to see through the dark.

Fire… Burning the fodder. Fire not wanting to be put out. It desires life by any means.

To neglect myself. And to be someone new. I looked up. Around me… White lights. Endless in sight.

[Beep…… Beep…... Beep…..]

I… think I can see faces. Smiles. Glares.

I saw my own white light. It was small and punny. Alone. Surrounded by larger white lights.

"Doctor… I'll… Change…"

"My... Dark Soul…." I reached out to the white light. My white light. I won't wait. I'll be someone new. And I'll forget the me… that wronged so many.

Ash will… always seek Embers…

Blinding light shunned away my sights.

I felt my arms move to cover my face.

I opened my eyes again.

My full body flinched. I began to rapidly blink.

They needed to adjust.

They've must've been closed shut for awhile. Long enough to cause pain if a sliver of light even were to hit my retinas.

Unfortunate.

I couldn't see. Fact.

I could move. Fact.

I felt. Fact.

I can't speak. Another fact.

I can hear. Fact.

It was all dark even when I opened my eyes for a little, the only thing I could see was a bright light. Agitating.

I had moved my body and felt nothing. I… why…? 'feels like I'm forgetting so much. But I know so much. Nothing about myself but… how could I understand this better?

Let's say draw a line, from right to left. The right end is the "beginning" and the left is the "now". Now… the beginning is odd because there isn't anything in detail. From right to left nothing. However if I would go farther, passing the beginning, I'd see something and I can say that the "far right" is clear. Yet...

[Click!]

That sounded like a door opening.

That noise stopped all my current thoughts. I turned my head slowly to acknowledge the slow sound of the hinges of the door made.

"H-huh…?" I think whoever opened the door must be surprised. "Y-your a-awake?"

I… nodded my head. Yes. I was asleep. She could only be speaking to me. So that's why I nodded.

[Thud!]

I flinched at the noise. She must've fallen. Did she need help? Of course she would need help. I tried moving my legs. My arms were free.

"A-ah-" Right, I can't speak. What else could I do?

Move.

Make way to help. I believe I was sitting on a bed. No sight made it difficult. My legs had hit the speculated railing a few times. I even tried to reach out to grasp something. The thought was not, lean to far off course.

Falling made way into my mind.

Wait… if she had fallen, was she still conscious? She had yet to speak. Yet to say anything. Worrying. Now I began to worry. I felt something.

I fingered the object. Cloth. It was some sort of cloth. My fingers began to play with It. It wasn't solid. Air could push and pull it. I grabbed it and tugged.

[Shing! Shing!]

Whatever I pulled on, it was connected to something. No. I need something solid. The only thing I could use would be these railings on my bed.

Touching the cold metal pole I pushed my full weight up. It felt like I did this all the time. My muscles didn't sting. Nor did they seem to tense up. But again, I couldn't feel.

I pushed, and my butt lifted off the bed I rested on. Quickly, using my legs, I hooked them over and I believe my feet were bare.

Instantly, my ties came in contact with coldness. A chill of electricity flared up my spine and my heart jumped.

Cold…!

I didn't like that. Just as much as the dark.

[Creeeeeeekkk!]

"Ah! Gain ahold of myself! Quickly!" My mind flared and my hands reached out towards whatever I could grasp. My ankles jerked. The muscles in my thighs were like jelly. My hand that remained on the cold metal tightened.

Suddenly… I had fallen too. Just after grabbing the cloth from before, I'm pretty sure it came down with me. With another loud thud, and the sound of skin slapping, I felt I was on my back. Mostly my side. It doesn't hurt surprisingly. I found my eyes opened again. And I saw a black obscurity. Ringed with white.

"Aghhhh…."

[Ba'dump]

I could hear my heart in my ear. It was so loud.

[Ba'dump]

It was numbing out everything else.

[Ba'dump!]

I couldn't help but stare at the… At the ringed blackness.

"Do…..ta…"

[Ba'dump!]

I… saw a city.

"C….n….. Yo……… m……?"

I saw fire, a sword. It looked familiar…

[Ba'dump!]

I… saw…

"Doctor!" I was pulled back from a voice. Beauty was laced with painful care.

My head turned. It felt… slow. As if time slowed down. As I turned my head, colour began to far into my sights.

A light.

[Ba'dump!]

I saw… my shoulder, and a hand on it. I felt the warmth of that hand. On my bare skin it was a...

A... hand with it's fingers. On it's fingers were silver rings. On all of them.

More color. It began to lighten up. The dim lighting left. I saw clothing. A face. Hair brown. Blue in the eyes. A face of joy. The whiteness encased her all around.

I saw someone… She was… something to me. Close. Very close. But I saw something else.

"That… thing. You have. Give me… that thing… you call…" I didn't know I was speaking. I didn't know I could.

My eyes were wide in terror but I didn't know why. She only looked at me in… confusion?

"A Dark Soul…" Why did I want it?

The bright light around her faded. But I saw everything, and one, behind her. Faces of concern. And faces of confusion. We were but inches away from each other. Our faces close. Yet. So far apart.

"Doc...tor?" She spoke slowly. That confusion in her voice held a tremble. It faded away and I was engulfed.

Embraced by her.

"Don't die! Don't you ever die!" Such feelings.

I could taste the tears that rolled down my skin on my neck. I felt her embrace. She called me… doctor? She knew me? But I don't think I could say the same.

"Okay… I… won't die." But… who needs to know that? I reached up and placed my arms around her. Whoever she was… I couldn't apply pressure. She felt like fragile glass. Ready to burst into shards to be scattered in the wind, or thrown off a hill into a dark ocean.

She shivered, sniffled, trembled, and sobbed.

[Ba'dump]

The others stayed silent. Looking anywhere but at them. We stayed there. On the floor. In an embrace. I felt another pair of arms. Embracing the both of us. I glanced up with my eyes only. The one to do so was another woman. She held a similar build. But the colors were the opposite of the one who held me.

[Ba'dump]

Both were girls. They knew me enough to wrap their arms over myself in an embrace.

I wondered many things.

Especially on why every last person here… Held a Dark Soul and what that meant.

Sometime later...

I was once again in my bed, on my back. I was instructed to get more rest, and to ask for anything if I needed it.

By my bed was the one who embraced me first; Amiya. A name I decided not to forget after learning it. She sat in a chair looking at her hands, her droopy bunny ears hanging quite low displaying her current mood.

Saddened.

Right next to her and a bit farther away from myself, the one who embraced us both; Kal'tsit. She seemed more hidden in her expressiveness, and from the hushed tones I heard from what I can assume are the workers, was her first major show of outward emotion via body contact.

We were together, in silence. That was, until Kal'tsit had broke the silence.

"Are you hungry Doctor? Would you like anything specific to eat?" She had asked me with hard unreadable look.

I decided to reject the offer, but before I could, there was a flicker of pain that I spotted on Kal'tsit's face. Enough to force me to say yes, but I ordered more; which got a curious look from the one whose to fetch me food.

"I'm… not sure why, but can you tell me a few things while we wait?" I asked. Amiya, the bunny girl, had looked to me and her lips quivered.

"Yes, anything that you have a question for Doctor. We'll try our best to answer it."

"And if you can't?" My eyes caught them both and I had to withhold a of sigh when they both flinched.

"We'll do our best…" Kal'tsit was the one to refine that they could, albeit a bit careful.

Seems I'll have to take their word for it. Shifting in my place I couldn't help but think of a simple one, yet mostly the hardest question they'd not be able to take. But… if they did then I'd understand them more in the regard of mental and emotional fortitude.

"Then can you tell me, who I am?"

They looked at me, questioning what I said was serious or not. So I had to elaborate a bit. "I don't know... I don't remember you, or anything else. Not myself, nor the place we're at right now."

"Amnesia…" Kal'tsit said with a pained look while Amiya's an eyes shrank while getting a bit larger in shock.

"Doctor…," Amiya said while leaning back in her seat. "T-that'll be hard to piece together. Let alone where to start from."

So they did have the answers.

"Tell me how I ended up asleep then? Easier right?" Kal'tsit's eyes narrowed and she cupped her chin. I held in the desire to ask what caught her attention but I held it in.

Such questions didn't need to be verbal, as my own expression gave way the question itself to her. She didn't speak initially.

She held back.

Paused silence.

"Doctor," she began. "Your calm. And from the way of speaking, different and keen. Very different."

I can see you too are keen. I smiled. "Then can you please tell me, how the me from before ended up in the situation that gave way to me?"

"Doctor never smiles…"

That caught me off guard. I… didn't smile? My smile died, no. It was just killed and a frown replaced it.

That… I didn't like that.

I lifted myself up from my position and the bones in my body popped loudly, which caused Amiya to move to my side quickly. "Doctor please don't try to move! Not just yet at least…"

The care in her angelic voice… It bought my frown with cash and traded it for a smile. I reached out with my right hand and placed it on her head. I began to lightly rub her head and she instantly tensed up. Slowly I creased her head moving her brown hair, with my hand In-between her ears. "It's alright Amiya, I'm alright and fine. No need to get so… paranoid. I'm not cracked glass now."

She shivered to my touch. I could tell she enjoyed it and if she knew the old me from before, then this certainly was something I'd never do if the look from Kal'tsit was something to go off from.

"Now back to my question if you will. I'd really like to know what happened. It'll… set some thing's straight in my head that I'm slowly piecing together."

"R-right!" Ah, caught off guard I see.

"Yes!" You too I see?

Kal'tsit had straightened her posture. Her arms went to her back and she closed her eyes. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the stance she took. It gave off a formal feeling. Then… she began her lecture.

"Dr. Kalamet," I saw something. My vision got blurry. The world was shaking. My first thoughts, identifying that this was a fragmented memory and using my own will power to push whatever it was down, I had almost doubled over after forcing that down into the core of myself. 'Doctor… please…' It sounded like thunder striking my heart. I didn't make a move. I only nodded my head at the name. "-Ash, or as you we called you; Doctor. You have sustained brain trauma, severe internal bleeding in various areas running along both your arms, complete destroyed organs, and over several fractures running from your pelvic region; down all the way to your toes in both your legs."

I hadn't much time to think about it after hearing her speak those last word. That full analysis sounded shortened, and dumbed down to me, while sounding emotionless.

I couldn't hide my shock and stillness and Amiya had taken my hand. Feeling her warm hands had brought my mind out of that nothingness of shock. "Amiya…?"

I took in her softer yet serious features. That struggle of keeping in her sincerity and hurt. Realization again of how much these two cared for the old me, and by extension, me now.

"Doctor, you shouldn't be alive," she said this and looked down at our hands. "But you are. And I can't express how glad I am that you… somehow pulled through. I was worried, Kal'tsit was worried, and the staff were worried. You were our Field-Commander. You had the best tactical mind and gave us victory more countless times then everyone could have." I sat there listening to her. Sincerity and acknowledgement. Love and adoration. Respect. However I felt a but coming at the end of her speech. "But. I can't let what happened to you happen again. So I'll be restricting you from leaving Rhodes Island indefinitely."

"I can't agree with that." I said quickly. This… that expression. I grit my teeth and felt the intensity increase in the air.

Why wouldn't I expect such a thing? Just this small dissection into what could be hardly a sane conversation gave way to their personalities. It gave way to who he was and how much he meant to them.

But waking up as the me now, gave me some sort of identity crisis. Looking at them now, pained and hurt from an event I can't mentally remember, yet physically I can brought out a feeling that was a far cry away from a simple 'I understand'.

Yes.

My body shook in pain I couldn't register.

Pain I feel I've gotten used to far longer than I shouldn't have.

I was an unknown.

Everything that sent off a spherical connection to me after waking up like terms, names, and even those images paved way to my already advanced mind of a well kept secret.

My body increased in heat. I felt it. Like calling upon something else. Something that flowed in tandem with my beliefs.

Amiya…

Kal'tsit…

Taking them both into my sight, they both held guarded expressions. Amiya looking the worst for where and ready to deny anything worth saying.

I'm sorry.

But I won't let that happen.

"I can't and won't allow you…" hesitation from Kal'tsit. I felt my heartbeat for the first time. "To shield the me you both look at now, from the harshness of the cruel world. That won't happen and I won't allow it."

"W-what!? But Doctor-"

"When I'm released, I'm taking back my- the position, the me of before held. I'll do a better job then he could." There was determination in my low voice. "If I was the best you said I am, then I'll be better. So you won't have to save me Amiya, and you as well Kal'tsit." I could see it in both their faces. Shock. Unexpected shock and decisive action being taken by the one who wasn't even the leader.

"How can you make a promise like that?" Kal'tsit asked hollowly. A tremble in Her tone. Her stoic expression was falling. Her shoulders trembled and I glanced over to Amiya who still held my hand. She squeezed. Her bangs casting a shadow over her eyes.

Trying to be strong I see.

No… you are strong.

And so are you; Kal'tsit. I smiled at both of them. My eyes closed and my heart on my sleeve. "I can because, the me you look at now, just did."

Those words and the confidence that seeped and oozed from them confirmed one thing.

And it was something that both girls had to be slapped into realization to take note of.

Dr. Kalamet Ash, wasn't the same Doctor he was before the accident.

A ripple of pain had spread.

The build up was now overflowing and the gates to the dam that acted as a guardian for an ocean, had been opened.

Slowly. Sniffles could be heard.

Two sets of them. One held them back better than the other.

Amiya had her head on Kalamet's lap. Her fingers had gripped the blanket and her silent sobs were muffled into the Doctors lap. His hand on the back of her head lightly rubbing her head comfortably.

Kal'tsit had her balled up fists tensed, her knuckles going white from the stress she applied in her fists.

They shook.

She sniffles.

The tears were breaking through and staining her cheeks.

"Why are you so different? Why is it that I love you more now, then I did before?" Kal'tsit lamented in her mind. Her eyes locked on the mans hospitalized form, while Amiya had began to breakdown at his words. Kal'tsit had to… She had to be the one to…

She physically looked away. Reeling in hidden self-disgust at herself. Even so… this moment wouldn't last forever. This moment won't be the only one. So… She didn't worry too much.

Three weeks later...

Today was the day he'd take his first steps outside. Today was the day he'd sit in his office. Today would be the day for him to meet these; 'Operators'.

So as he walked back and forth.

Pacing.

The Doctor known as Kalamet Ash wore an attire that held a resemblance to the clothing the Kalamet of the past wore.

But… since this Kalamet wasn't the old Kalamet, he'd put a different spin on it. He disregarded the white gown for a white lab coat, keeping the jacket and baggy dark blue cargo pants.

But… He didn't wear a shirt or even shoes. Opting to go barefoot because, "It felt natural and I like it."

And he left out the helmet. Yes… The Kalamet of before, had donned a helmet to keep his identity a secret. But the Kalamet of now disregarded that and hadn't taken up the helm.

So as he paced in a circle around his bed, alone.

He had familiarised himself with terms, names, locations, important people and places, and the ones who he'd be giving orders to soon, some time ago.

Not much to do now.

He claimed he wasn't worried and indeed he wasn't, but there was just something about meeting people who were claimed to fear nothing.

As the Doctor changed directions over to his bed, he stopped by a desk, which was on the left side of said bed. Now, this hadn't been here when he had woken up, and on his second day awake and alive, Kal'tsit and a few of the larger muscled staff had installed the thing right next to his bed.

He liked it.

It has a nice shade of brown that seemed to glow when the light, any light, shined on it.

On it, was a lamp with various thick documents of paperwork. All were opened and systematically spread all over the desk.

Amiya had been the one to provide him the written reports of each, and every last thing he needed by the end of his first week awake. Kalamet wasn't going to deny that he had amnesia, but he had a heavily different kind of amnesia with him going blank on words like Lugmen, Originium, Ancients, Reunion and a few others, but retaining other bits of info about himself.

These things baffled and threw his mind out into the open waters of insanity.

He had to, on occasion, ask for a more clear examples of what he read and what he tried to understand. It wasn't until he began requesting more and more books, news articles, and any recorded material to catch himself up with the world. His academic skills and native researchers mind began to just absorb all the information. So even if he didn't understand something, or one, he'd highlight it for later search and development, interpreting it as best he could in the spur of the moment.

Either way, he kept studying and learning.

Picking up whatever knowledge while he was still hospitalized, and discussing future goals and short term objectives with Amiya whenever she had time to be near.

Kal'tsit would of, should of, been the one for him to ask the most. However four days after waking, she vanished from Rhodes Island, which had made the option of asking; void. At least to his knowledge, she had vanished.

He had gotten worried about her, after not seeing her on the fourth day being awake.

Dr. Kalamet sighed and picked up a closed document and held it in hand. Opening it up and applying his eyes on its many papers, and the picture inside, Kalamet was sure that this right here was his best example for what he meant.

Yes, because this file was on some Projekt Red. Information like birthplace and given-name were none or blotted out.

Personal categories weren't stated at all if not for a select few and that was by choice. Mostly, if barely anything was filled out, and Kalamet wondered how. How did Rhodes Island even allow these people to join?

But that's when it hit him. Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, had two faces.

The face of salvation, provided by a kind feminine face that could be so innocent, that even deadly dragons would bow to, and the second face which was his own. A face that was harsh, cold, deadly, remorseless, and overall a child of the devil.

He took up action to harm the wrong and it succeeded. He led soldiers against Reunion, and won. Losing many lives yet still winning.

Kalamet, wasn't supposed to be the devil. But Kalamet was the sin that tempted the devil. The pure painting of Aid-administers helping the need. The savage carvings of soldiers driving out the evil.

A Pharmacy, which was led and administered by Amiya herself.

And...

A Private Military, which is led and managed by Dr. Kalamet Ash himself.

And over both; Kal'tsit. The true leader of Rhodes Island, hidden in the shadows and planning for the betterment of Infected and Uninfected alike.

Symphonic in mindset; all of them.

Covering areas to better treat the word, and heal the wounds that began to worsen.

This caused the Doctor to smile. It could of went unnoticed, or even claimed, a simple coincidence. But Kalamet, this present one, knew.

And… He slowly pieced together the role he- the Kalamet before the incident had played.

But… he'd use this to get a better understanding on, all who worked within Rhodes. The general gist here was getting a hold on the personalities of his Operators, which the past Kalamet had already gotten done, and why it was important. What he read caused him to hastily become serious over the first two weeks of reading.

Specifically about the Infected, and the various beings called Ancients and how they grouped off into various different kinds of subspecies. Certain Infected had personalities that they wore on their sleeves. Giving away either anger, happiness, or a mixture of both.

Others hid their emotions, throwing up a facade by masking their hearts.

He gripped his chin and began to study two files in question.

Skadi, of Abyssal Hunter; Rhodes Islands' most dangerous Operator, both on and off the field. She embodied the guarded cold persona and this only made Kalamet, narrow his eyes further. She wasn't clear to go out into the field until her probation had reached the limit assigned to her. The reason for established probation?

Well…

She was the cause for putting him in the hospital and granting him Amnesia. Skadi held a notorious streak of rebellious action when working with a team. The Kalamet of before had been the one to crack down on her multiple times, knowing she could, by far, kill him. But that Kalamet didn't care as he apparently invaded, angered, and made it known that she held no say in anything on the field.

For the Kalamet in the now, and on his feelings of learning that feeling was mixed at best.

But at least when she was around, she made known to give the Kalamet of then, respect. Even if it was out of spite.

But… something else told him it was because of fear. Fear of him?

He… he didn't really know. At least now he didn't.

But all the reports he had read on confrontation between Kalamet of then and any other Operators, besides certain ones, was met with apprehension, and caution.

Speech would be silenced, and the brave hearted would become nervous, stuttering, and hesitant in word and action. Possibly seeing him as the true enemy in more a personal way.

Kalamet's heartbeat picked up, and his knuckles sustained a change in colour.

"This wasn't fair," Kalamet thought. "This isn't fair to be born into silent hate like this. To take the sins of another for what they've done with their own two hands." His teeth clenched and his jaw popped. His head shifted left in shame and he didn't like the position he was now in.

Forced into something like this because of another? Unfair in the eyes of Kalamet.

But what could he do? Look at a blind memory?

Foolish.

He'd make new ones, following a path not the same as Dr. Kalamet Ash before the accident.

But being both brutal and kind.

That's all he could do. He went still.

Then he began looking around his hospital room.

A chill going down his spin.

"Weird… I swear I thought someone was watching me." He said with concern.

End

Next Update: Stricken Madness