A/N: Alright, welcome everyone to chapter 8 of the story. Before we could do anything and get on to the story, I would like to say a few things.

One: I would be placing numbers on some certain sentences or paragraphs. Meaning that mark is basically an Author's Note on that specific sentence. Since I can't, and won't, be placing it during the story, I figure why not? That way, I can say something without bringing the story down.

Also, after this chapter, I will be going on a bit of a break from fanfics. The reason for this is that I felt a bit burned out and that I wasn't as motivated as before when I first started this story. So, I need to take a break for a bit. That, and I'm in college and I need to bring my A game to the table. Also A happy 2022 to you guys and I wish you all a great year ahead of you, and without any further ado LET'S GET TO THE STORY!

Third POV

Ethan let out a small groan as he wriggled around. Feeling his was nothing but a sack of rocks, his head erupting like a rolling cauldron of lava and earthquakes. His entire blood stream is as cold as winter.

"Fuck…" Ethan grumbled breathlessly, rubbing his hand on top of his head as his eyes flutter open. The first thing he noticed was a short flash of white in front of him, while his hazing vision started to clear up. He blinks several times, adjusting his vision as the sight of old wooden boards and stone greeted him.

So, sitting up, Ethan released a painful grunt while holding his stomach with one hand. Adjusting his position a bit, shaking his head a bit as he felt his entire head was being pounded with a fucking sledgehammer. He haven't felt this tired since his first year of training with Chris.

God, was that a rough year for him. He swears that his bones were either shattered or become non-existent like what happened to Harry Potter when Gildery Lockheart cast a spell on his arm. [1]

But, nonetheless, Ethan relaxes and endures it just enough for the pain to be bearable. Once he did so, realization kicks him as he notice that he wasn't outside the gate anymore. Looking around the area, he saw that he was in a room. The room itself is quite spacious, but wasn't wide enough to be larger than the average room. It has a lit fireplace on the left, a cabinet near to the door, and a small standing mirror. Turning to his left, Ethan saw that there were several items that laid there on top of a desk. A metal pitcher, two rolls of bandages, sheers, a used towel, and a candle.

Ethan wonders how he managed to get here. Closing his eyes, he felt the memories from the fight resurface within the caverns of his mind.

The Lycans...Leonardo and Elena...The rage...The fury...Him massacring the entire horde..

And Mercer…

He saw Mercer. Not like last time when he was unconscious, he didn't see any dark silhouettes of New York, nor those large, infectious strands of biomass and flesh-colored spores that had attached itself onto the buildings, nor would the deap lava-like skies that had plague above them.

No.

No, he saw Mercer -right there on the spot- when he was being eaten alive by the pack. Smirking at him with derision lace across his face. Igniting his rage even till now. But Ethan was too tired to even think straight, right now. So instead, he let out a deep sigh as he rubs his face with his left hand, thinking that he was under so much stress in the past few hours, that his mind was starting to turn itself against him. Once he calms down, he looks up when he hears the door of the bedroom open up, revealing the form of Elena, who stood there holding three logs, probably for the fireplace, while the shock, joy, and relief is written all over her face as she stares at him.

"You're awake!" Elena said in relief and astonishment, as she made her way to the fireplace, placing the logs down while Ethan let out a groan.

"How long was I out?" Ethan said, feeling his headache lessen a bit, but it still hurts like a bitch. Elena went beside the bed and sat down on a chair, giving him a soft look.

"Nearly four days, Ethan." Elena's response causes Ethan to whip his head towards her direction, completely in disbelief that he had been out for a day.

"W-what?" Ethan stuttered a bit, getting a nod in confirmation from the young girl. Leaving him a bit speechless.

"F-four days? No, that can't be right. I knew that I used the Blacklight's abilities in the same situation towards Josiah -and that is only for a few minutes or an hour at most- but four days?" Ethan thought in disbelief as he stared at the bed. "I must've went over my limit during the fight, than I thought. But I didn't think that it would cause me to go unconscious for THAT long." Ethan thought, grabbing his head as he felt the headache came back with a vengeance. Elena looks at the man with concern, hearing his groan of pain and frustration. Once he manages to settle down, the next thought sparks panic throughout his body.

"Oh God...Rose" Ethan's eyes widened in realization as he was out for far too long. His daughter was out there somewhere and he wasted too much time and energy on the Lycans. So without any warning, Ethan immediately starts thrashing around the bed, scaring Elena a bit as he pulls the covers off and gets off the bed.

"Ethan, wai-!" Elena warned him, but it was too late. Once Ethan's feet hit the ground and his legs stretches, pain erupted and scattered within his body. Making the blonde man shout in pain as he plummeted and curled beneath the pain.

"AHHH!" Ethan yelled, clutching down tight to his stomach in one hand, while his other held down his head. Eyes crashed shut. And teeth fastened against each other.

The pain was excruciating. That was the only way for Ethan to describe it. His entire being is nothing but a frozen state of paralysis in the sea of jagged daggers piercing through his flesh. Every single vein erupted with high-voltage electrical currents that ignited his flesh like molten magma from the depths of hell.

His muscles were hectic. His mind lost -unable to regain control of his body as the pain continued. His own mind convulsing erratically within the confinements of his skull, threatening to split open in half as Ethan's sealed gaze was beginning to be bombarded with memories of the deceased.

"Father! Mother, where are you!" Said a child, as he stroll through the dark passageway of the village. His fur coat hugged tightly around his little frame, a small oil lantern with a small ember igniting him within his journey through the bed of darkness and gentle snowfall. The gentle breeze tickled his skin, causing the child to hug himself further into the puffy coat. He releases a shaky breath, eye wandering around the houses and swaying silhouettes of the trees. Not noticing that he was being watched.

"They said that they would be back after church, they haven't come back since." The child mutters in worry. "Grandmother says I shouldn't go outside at night, and that they would come back home." He knew that he should've listened. He should've gone back. What was he thinking?

Doubts plague his mind as he was conflicted with

Suddenly, the boy stops. Hearing a quick snap of a branch from behind him. The child's breath was hitched within his throat as his fear spiking up as he went still as a board.

"H-hello? Is anyone there?" The boy stutters, hoping someone would answer. Only for him to hear nothing but the gentle breeze of winter and the distant howls of the wolves. Grabbing a hold of his nerves, he continued on his passageway before something had attacked him.

He got no time to act…

Not time to SCREAM…

He has no time as his little flame of life has been extinguished.

"GET BACK YOU BEAST!" An older voice rang in fury as he held the shotgun within his hands. The heavy sound of familiar growls and roars echoed through the house. The man's erratic and histeric expressions were visible as he began to shoot around the darkness of the narrow passageway of the village.

In the back of the man lay down a body of four humans. One was a woman, a girl, and a boy. Blood littered through their clothes as their intestines are rip apart, A small cry of a little infant- no older than a month- cried echoed within the facility. But the man did not care as his anger, and sorrow clouded his very being, not giving a damn about the child as he continues to shoot around the empty cabins and fences.

The man's head snap as he heard a familiar growl. A he turned around as a hollow smile came across his face. The sight of two to three lycans made his blood boil.

"You'll all pay for what you did!" The man roared, aiming his shotgun ad pulled the trigger.

*CLICKED*

The man's anger turned to shock as he pulled the trigger again and again.

*CLICKED*

*CLICKED*

*CLICKED*

If looks could kill, the Lycans' look at the man's expression of horror as he runs out of bullets with gusto. Their teeth bared as they enlightened their claws, before pouncing at the man. The man's cries and screams of pain and torment echoed within the facility as the monster rip him apart bit by bit as the cry of the infant strengthened before fading with the father's screams.

(Back with Ethan)

Ethan scouts as he begins to shake violently on the floor. His mind exploded by the barrage of memories.

Their screams…

Their deaths…

Their HELL…

It came to the point where foam started to come out from Ethan's mouth as his seizure-like state continued.

Elena didn't know what to do as stood there in panic, her head was racing to do something-ANYTHING to help Ethan, but it got nothing from her. Suddenly, Leonardo came in the room in a hurry. His entire expression was laced with panic and worry as he saw his daughter.

"ELENA!" Leonardo's voice rang into the room, making Elena look from Ethan towards her father. Leonardo saw Ethan's state and immediately put his daughter aside as he took hold of Ethan's state.

"What has happened to him!" Leonardo said as he struggled to hold Ethan's form as he looked at the man's facial expression. Grimacing as foam came running out like a waterfall.

"I-I-I don't know!" Elena said in a panic. "He just got up earlier and when he was about to get out of bed, he collapsed!"

"Shit…" Leonardo cured under his breath. He would tell Elena to get the medicine for the treatment, but everything from the village was scarce. Food, water, hell, even medicine.

"I could make some…" Leonardo thought, remembering his time as a doctor before retiring. "But we don't have much time nor the resources to make it. I just hope that the outsider can make it." Leonardo finishes, but considering the state Ethan was in, the older Lupu doesn't have such hope for the blonde foreigner.

Finally, Ethan's erratic behavior had died down. Foam had stopped as his eyes were starting to slowly close. The father-daughter duo could only look, as Elena held a look of worry and rising fear and panic as she looked at Ethan's near lifeless state.

"I-is he…?" Elena muttered, hoping that her fears were proven wrong as she looked at Ethan's lifeless-like form. Leonardo took a few moments before checking the man's pulse, placing two fingers on the wrist as he let out a sigh as he felt a pulse come through.

"He's alright. He made it" Leonardo said, gaining a smile from his daughter. "He must have strain himself until he captures a seizure. And a very serious one at that. He's lucky that he managed to recover from it, otherwise, he would have died." Elena breathes out a sigh, finding some form of relief that Ethan is alive. Weak and frail, but alive. But soon that relief turned to worry as she had taken a glance at the father's passed out state, finding it possible that Ethan could have another one if he is not being careful.

Leonardo grunts as he tries to lift the foreigner's body. Finding it surprisingly heavy for a man that should not be THIS heavy!

"Hold still, father." Elena said as she placed a hand on Leonardo's shoulder. "I'll get the others to help you."

"Thank you, daughter." Leonardo said with a small smile, as Elena left the room to get the other survivors. Once she's gone, the father looks at Ethan for a bit.

"I know that you can't hear me…" Leonardo said. "But… thank you for saving my daughter…Ethan Winters"

(Later in the evening)

Ethans groans as he rubs his head. His vision was a blur as he felt circling around the earth. No guidance, no direction, just rotating endlessly as squeeze his eyes shut.

Bad call.

Not only did it make it worse, but Ethan started to get nauseous as he felt acid reflux starting to come next. The man groaned as he forced himself NOT to regurgitate acid as he tried to make the headache stop.

Finally, after what it felt like hours, the pain has stopped. His stomach is starting to go back to normal and the headache subsided. Ethan can only give a groan/sigh as he flutters his eyes open. Now processing something warm, soft, and damp was pressed onto his forehead. His eyes blink a few more times as his blurry vision started to lighten up, revealing the warm smile of Elena Lupu.

"You're awake." Elena said softly, removing the wet towel from the foreigner's forehead as he coughed a bit.

"W-What happened…?" Ethan's tone was horsed, grimey, and low, the stinging remnants from the acid burning his throat as he grit his teeth. Elena gave a 'hmmm' as she put down the rag to the warm bowl of water, and went to the cabinet where the pitcher and a glass of water were sitting on the top.

Placing the bowl down, she turns her head to Ethan, setting herself to the edge of the bed as she gives Ethan a soft and reassuring look.

"Ethan," Elena said, making the man slowly turn his head to her. "I need you to sit up-if you can."

Ethan took a moment to get a response, but nothing came. Instead, he gives a somewhat confirmation nod to the girl. This caused her to place her hand on his shoulders before saying;

"I'm going to help, alright? I know that you're still weak from before, so don't exert yourself." Elena said as Ethan nodded.

"Ok, one…two..three!" Elena counted, and when she got to the end, she and Ethan-to some degree- got the man up to a somewhat sitting position. Ethan grunts and groans as he lifts his entire upper body as Elena's hands support him through the process. It came to the point where Ethan is prompted into a comfortable angle, his arms slightly bent as his hands kept him somewhat steady. Elena took one of her hands and reached for the glass of water, before turning back to the father.

"Here." Elena said, placing the glass near his lips, gently tilting it forward. "Drink. You need it."

Ethan gave an appreciative glance to the girl, not trusting his voice at the moment before taking a sip of the water. Coughing a little as his gag reflex kicked in-but manages to get control before finishing half of the water. Elena senses that Ethan had enough and gently places the water back before carefully lowering him back.

"Thanks…" Ethan managed to say as Elena gave him a smile. She placed the glass again as Ethan felt like his entire life force had been drained from his body.

"What happened to me?" Ethan managed to say, his voice was rasp and low, but loud enough for Elena to hear.

"You collapsed on the floor and had a seizure, Ethan. A very serious one." Elena said, making Ethan groan as remembered what he did.

And boy was it probably one of the worst decisions that he made.

The pain.

God, the pain that he experienced was undeniably unbearable. The vast amounts of raw emotions from the victims, the vast majority of memories of the villagers being slaughtered, hunted, devoured, it overwhelms Enthan's entire psychological being that he just couldn't take it. With every other memory-one after the other- Ethan couldn't help but stay there and let it take over him. It didn't help that Ethan didn't know which is which, or which they belong to.

Alexandra Moth?

Jonathan Burch?

Kane Omi?

He didn't know them-but at the same time, he did. As if he knew them their entire life. It also didn't help the fact that he almost forgot HIMSELF. With the Blacklight's abilities to give the wielder's memories of the victims, Ethan couldn't help but feel himself losing a mist within the chaos.

Ethan could barely even comprehend a single thought within his current state. His mind was fried, his body was somewhat unresponsive, and he felt like over-all SHIT?

"That was reckless of you, Ethan." Elena sent a hard look to the man, snapping the man out from his thoughts before Ethan let out a groan.

"I know…" Ethan groaned lowly, making Elena shake her head before getting off the bed and tending the fireplace. But not before sending a worried and stern look at Ethan's direction.

"Rest. Don't even try to move, ok?" Elena sternly said, before she begins poking the coals, singing a soft melody while Ethan is recovering from the pain. The two of them laid within the room in silence, save for the occasional humming from Elena, Ethan decided to take the time and do a quick reflecting on what happened to him when he first woke up.

Even though he should be getting answers on where his daughter's current location is right about now(or at least a lead), his body isn't reacting to the commands that his brain is viciously sending throughout. The amount of stress that happened to him with the Lycans had taken a tremendous toll on his body. Not to mention his mind.

God, how many did he consume back in the fight? Eleven? Fifteen maybe? Ethan has lost count. But it didn't stop him from the fact that he passed out from a literal memory-overdose. Ethan tried to think, only for the man to groan as he weakly grabbed his forehead.

Elena turned around from the coals as she saw Ethan weakened. I wave of worry wash over her as she places the poker away and goes towards the bed. She took one more quick glance to the man before saying:

"You must be famished." Elena said. "Wait here, I'll get something for you to eat." Elena said as she grabbed the bowl and got off from the bed. Making her way towards the door, she cast one more glance to the blonde father as she said:

"Please take some rest, Ethan. I won't be long." Elena said before leaving. Ethan can only release a sigh, finding nothing else better to do in his paralyze-like state. But one thing for sure, once he is good as new, then he-

"Well, well..didn't know you could move on so soon, Ethan." Ethan's eyes snapped open in shock, turning to the source of the voice, his eyes widened in shock as to who he saw.

Alex Mercer.

Sitting on the exact same spot that Elena occupied not too long ago. Ethan tried to move, but his body wouldn't obey him, his vocal chords suddenly became non-existent by the sheer shock that he was seeing Mercer right in front of him.

Ethan recoiled back in pain as Mercer's smirk grew.

"Surprised to see me?" Alex said rhetorically as he saw the panic, anger, shock, and disbelief lace within Ethan's facial features, making him chuckle as he cast a quick look around the room was in.

As he did this, Ethan can only look at Mercer with the same expression that the human-shaped virus deduces. All the while his mind is racing a hundred miles per hour.

How the hell is Mercer even here?

Did he get out?

No, no, no…Elena would've seen him.

This doesn't make sense at all, he wasn't in unconcious.

How is he here?!

How much of my mind had been damaged?

Am I going crazy?

This continues on and on for a few moments. Ethan's brain is wracking heavily with questions, his uncertainty and fear ascending further as his heartbeat begins to quicken in an incredible rate. Making Etha think (for a brief moment) that he would have a heart attack right then and there.

Finally, Alex turned his attention back to the blond father, his face lace with the same smirk filled with mockery and….a bit of …pride…?

"Calm yourself, Winters." Alex said. "Don't want to have a conversation with a person having a heart attack."

Ethan deliberately wanted to say "Fuck off" to him. Wanted to beat the ever loving shit on the man standing in the room, and most of all-

He wanted to swipe that asshole's smirk off his face.

But he couldn't. His body is still recovering and the best he can do is glare at the man. So reluctantly doing what he asked, Ethan took several breaths and sighs, before eventually managing to calm himself down. Alex hummed in satisfaction before looking Ethan directly in the eyes.

"Good." He stated. "Now, we have so much to talk about."

A/N; And that is it for the chapter today fellas! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this and I just want to apologize for the very, very, VERY late update. Yes ,I know you guys would be disappointed that this chapter isn't as good as the rest are, and that it is some sort of filler/cliffhanger.

I apologize for that, and that I have kept you guys waiting for so long only to be disappointed. I have been doing stuff for school, and some of the ideas that I wanted to place within the chapter, doesn't really add up the way I wanted it to go. It sort of clashes together and that it is lengthy-and not in a good way.

Originally, this chapter would be focusing more on Ethan and Mercer, and why Mercer is there in front of him. But at the same time, I wanted to take a breather from the action adn try to explore/ extend more of the story, I.E the villagers, the village itself, the Lords, and even Ethan.

But I decided that I would be placing that in a separate chapter, along with several cameos ( I won't tell who yet, but it would be a mixture of both characters in both of the franchises)

Oh and before I forgot, this: [ ], meant as an indicator for an author's note. It is a way for me to tell something to you guys without bringing the story down. It is also a way for me to expand a character's profile that I somehow didn't implement to the story for some reason.

But here is one of them.

[1]: Yes, Ethan Winters is, in fact, a Potter head. He watched the entire movie, and read the entire book franchise. It doesn't help the fact that he had bought a Gryfendor robe to boot.

Well, that is all for today, and I hope I will see you guys in the next chapter. PEACE!