Hello everyone and Merry Christmas! Hope you're all having a wonderful time this year. I also hope you enjoy this newest chapter. After the new year begins, HE may progress a bit slower due to work becoming more busy after my holiday break comes to an end. I'll keep you updated once I post the next chapter. Happy holidays and Happy New Year in advance!
Trigger Warning: For those who may be sensitive, this chapter will open with an abusive scenario.
HAUNTING EVIL
Chapter Nine
Fiona shut her eyes in a hysteric perturbation. Her breathing was close to hyperventilating. She lowered her head to avoid looking at Riccardo. She could not to bear to see his face. He squeezed her arms in a vice grip, not caring for any pain he was inflicting.
"I must say, I was not aware that you knew of the Mercury Ruins. How DID you get here?" he probed with an all-knowing tone, as though he was daring her to lie.
She didn't answer his question, too petrified to speak. The key was still tucked in her boot.
"What were you thinking wandering through this perilous place?" he kept on. "You know you shouldn't be putting yourself at risk in your condition."
She let out a sob before she could stifle it. Her body trembled in his clutches as her heart was beating so immensely that she could feel it pulsing in her ears.
Meanwhile, Leon and Hewie were heading in their direction. Both were positive they had heard Fiona scream. Leon hid at a corner hearing a man speak. Hewie was on edge. His fur bristled, baring his teeth with a deep growl. Leon's eyes enlarged when he peeked and saw a man pressing her against a cavern wall, snaring her between his arms. He was dressed in brown clothing with a hood over his head, concealing his identity. He recognised it from somewhere... as well as his voice.
A blurry vision of a hooded figure glaring down at him came back to him, followed by another memory...
"When you're done scouting, return Miss Belli to the mansion and see to it that you lock her in her chambers. I doubt she will be any trouble but now that the mutt is with her again, I do not want her to attempt another escape..."
It was him. The man from the entrance hall. He had completely forgotten about him and scolded himself for it. This was the one Krauser meant.
"Well? Answer me, Fiona!" the man demanded, shaking her harder.
Leon could see the terror all over her face, whimpering helplessly and twisting her head as far as it was capable of as her captor leaned his face in inches from hers. She was absolutely scared to death of him. They had to help her. Hewie's rage was growing as was the volume of his growling. Leon held his hand over his chest to keep him calm.
"Easy—easy there, buddy," he whispered. "This way."
Taking out his gun, he commanded Hewie to follow him and crept forward, sneaking behind every hiding spot they could use. If they stayed quiet, they could get the jump on this guy before he would know they were there.
Once Riccardo accepted that she wasn't saying anything, he released her. "Fine. If you will not talk now, you will talk later. We're going home."
Fiona, however, was rooted in her place. It was like she was paralyzed.
"I do have one more question, though..."
She dreaded to hear what it was.
"Why are you wearing the outsider's coat?"
She squirmed uncomfortably. The second she was finally brave enough to open her eyelids, he raised his hand and slapped her hard across her face, her head whipping fast as she fell. Leon was shocked witnessing it, hearing the clash the man's palm striking her cheek along with her cry as she dropped to her knees. Hewie snarled viciously and sneaked faster ahead of him.
"—Hewie!" he hissed, not wanting the man to be alerted sooner.
Fiona covered her stinging, red cheek, trembling harder than before.
"Initially, I presumed he forced you to abide by him because he snatched you from Krauser," Riccardo stated. "But now I see you are not as obedient as I thought. Must I remind you of what happened the last time you disobeyed me?"
The memories of all the bloodshed were oh so clear. "...no."
"Good. Now get up!"
Hesitantly, Fiona pushed her hands to the ground to stand with buckling legs. She lifted her head and gaped. Hewie and Leon were there and coming in fast. He noticed her reaction and turned.
Hewie prepared to launch himself at Riccardo but when he was within reach by a few feet, he picked up the scent he smelled from Krauser and the creature, making his paws skid into a halt. Riccardo leapt backward and the distraction was enough for Leon to pull Fiona up and behind him. It happened so quickly and her shock duplicated as he aimed a gun at Riccardo.
"Freeze!" he yelled.
She nearly stumbled over her feet at the sight, granted only a second of relief to see Hewie was well, peering past him to see what Riccardo would do. After composing himself, his shadowed face smiled beneath his hood. He was not bothered in the slightest having a deadly weapon directed at him.
"Hold it right there!" Leon threatened as he took a step forward. "Don't you know it's wrong to hit a woman?"
Fiona's hand covered her mouth. "He saw that...?"
"Who are you, anyway?"
The man laughed. "I am Riccardo, the keeper of Belli Castle. And you must be the 'Leon Scott Kennedy' I've heard so much about."
"Belli Castle?" he silently mused. "So you know me, huh?"
"Yes. Leon Kennedy: a special agent from the government of the United States. A survivor of the Raccoon City Outbreak, as well as the outbreak in South America..."
"Raccoon City?" marvelled Fiona.
"... and also the one who ended the reign of the Los Illuminados."
Leon's eyes sharpened. Obviously Krauser had been doing a lot of talking.
She stared at him in awe. Was it true? Had he really gone through such ordeals? She knew of the Raccoon City incident but had no idea that there were more. And Leon survived them all?
Hewie was itching to pounce on Riccardo. He caught him slowly trying to reach for something and snapped up at him in warning. The mocking amusement faded from his hidden features.
"Now, I do not know what business you have here but I despise uninvited guests. Hand over Fiona to me and your death shall be quick and painless."
"After the way I just saw you treat her?" Leon lightly shook his head in defiance. "Nah. I don't think so."
Fiona winced to his response. "Leon, it's okay. Take Hewie and go."
What she said caught him off-guard. "What?"
Riccardo's lips stretched again, full with a haughty arrogance. "It would be wise not to test my patience. She is my property. I have no time for the likes of you."
"Your property!?" Leon repeated, appalled to hear her being referred to in such a term. For him to say it with nonchalance like it was a simple fact.
Fiona gripped her temples. Her head was starting to swirl. "No, Leon. Don't listen to him. For God sakes—DON'T get involved!"
Unbeknownst to them, someone was approaching them. If it were not for Hewie's acute senses, they would have failed to pay heed. He spun around and barked. Fiona turned as Leon looked over his shoulder and saw Krauser striding towards them. He was momentarily stunned seeing his unscathed face.
"What the—!? How did you...?"
Krauser merely grinned smugly.
"Impeccable timing," spoke Riccardo.
The three were now sandwiched as the two waited for them to surrender. Hewie faced Krauser refusing to stand down. Leon kept his gun pointing at Riccardo, his eyes searching for a solution. There was the courtyard in the distance. He could make out the old water fountain. He then locked eyes with Fiona's anxious pair, who couldn't tell what he was thinking. The moment Krauser and Riccardo began to enclose on them, he quickly shoved his gun into his holster and flung two antimonies at their assailants in a flash, entrapping them in electricity. Grabbing her hand, he made a run for it before the sparks would give out.
"Hewie, come on!"
Sending Fiona in front, they bolted for the courtyard. The antimony's affect wore off for Riccardo who abandoned Krauser in order to pursue them. Leon encouraged her to keep going as they sprinted through the courtyard. They were left to choose one of the remaining paths and with little time to decide. In their haste, they ran towards a stairway west to the debris they climbed down after they arrived in the ruins. He made sure the others went up first. Riccardo was right on their tail. He wasn't as fast yet Krauser was no longer stunned and ready to join the hunt.
Leon rushed up the steps close behind his companions. At the top was a bridge over a deep chasm. A crack was heard beneath their feet as Fiona and Hewie ran across it. When Leon ran across, the bridge crumbled and broke apart. He felt emptiness under himself, limbs flailing, and was falling with the rubble.
"Leon!" she cried as she diverted back and dove to save him.
She caught his arm in time, his weight dragging her near the edge. Both felt the wind knocked out of them when she landed on her chest and his body collided against the rocky surface. A sharp pain rocked his head after his forehead knocked into it. Her muscles strained, gripping his hand for dear life as his arm slipped, trying her hardest to pull him up. He wasn't a large man but was heavy for her delicate physique. Leon grabbed one of the ledges yet it came loose and gave away, tumbling all the way to the spiky stalagmite below. He had to get up before he would plummet and end up impaled, and worse, bring Fiona down with him. Hewie yapped as she groaned whilst tightening her hold on him.
"FIONA!" shouted Riccardo.
The young woman gasped. He was standing on the opposite side of the destroyed bridge, staring in disbelief with an equally stupefied Krauser.
"What are you doing!?" he objected. "Just allow this worthless maggot to fall!"
Leon leaned his head up as he dangled. She was frightened. He feared she might actually do it but when she looked down at him, he saw something. She was not heartless. She couldn't let him die this way. Grimacing, she adjusted herself to her knees and tried harder to pull him up again.
"Fiona! Do as I say and let go of him!" ordered Riccardo.
Even this was unexpected for Krauser as they observed her attempt to rescue Leon. He was able to jump great heights but the gap was too far for him. There was nothing either of them could do.
Leon managed to grab another ledge and hook his feet onto other ones, making it easier to climb. Hewie shuffled behind Fiona and latched onto the hem of the jacket and pulled with his teeth. Gradually, Leon grabbed the top of the cliff and hoisted himself over to safety once he got his leg up.
Riccardo seethed furiously and seized his pistol out from his side. Fiona panicked as he lined it up at Leon's back, remembering the same gun aiming at the face of another. While Leon was recovering, she rushed to place herself between them to act as a shield, shocking Riccardo and forcing him to lower it so he would not shoot her by accident. Fear shackled her where she sat, keeping her gaze fixed on his looming glower, even from afar, flinching as Leon gently tugged at her arms to stand with him.
"Let's get outta here," he said.
Rage burned inside Riccardo's chest like a blazing inferno as he and Krauser watched them flee and disappear into the dark void ahead of them... Watched her run away from him with another man.
"YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER FROM ME!" he bellowed at Leon, his fury booming against the stalactites. "SHE IS MINE! THE AZOTH BELONGS TO ME!"
The deranged words disturbed them, sending chills to their cores even after they were long gone. They didn't stop until they took notice that the area differed to smooth, layered bricks like the castle. Far from their pursuers' field of vision, Fiona leaned a hand on the wall and the other on her chest to catch her breath. Leon stepped towards to her.
"You alright?" he asked, still troubled about Riccardo hurting her. He reached to examine her but reflex made her smack his hand away when it was right over her cheek.
"I'm fine!" she insisted, walking past him.
"Fiona, your face is still shining like a light bulb. It wasn't right of him to hit you like that! How long has this been going on for?"
"Leon—don't!"
Her head sunk as her shoulders scrunched close to her neck. Hewie could already see the tension rising, glancing between them warily.
"He called you his property!" Leon persisted, ignoring his pounding headache. "And what did he mean by 'Azoth' anyway?"
"Just stop it," she pleaded as her breath became hoarse. Her heartbeat was drumming against her ribs. Her skin flushed with pins and needles.
"You can't expect me to drop it like nothing happened—"
"Leon—ENOUGH!"
He and Hewie nearly jumped to her sudden outburst. Her hand clasped over her mouth, ashamed of herself for snapping at him. The air grew still with a disconcerting silence. She tried to dismiss the subject by walking on but only made a few steps when he spoke once more.
"Well at least now I know who gave you those bruises..." He knew he hit a bull's eye for she froze on the spot with a faint gasp.
Fiona kept her back to him, pursing her lips, not wanting him to see her on the verge of tears and he mentally kicked himself for it. It came out a lot harsher than he intended it to.
"Look, I'm just worried about you."
"You don't need to be...!" she quickly protested, detesting the betrayal of her wavering tone.
He exhaled heavily. He had been quiet about his knowledge of her long enough. It was about time he told her. "Fiona... I know you're the girl from the car crash."
She gasped again a little louder. "... H-how do you know about that?"
"You and your parents were reported missing half a year ago. Their bodies were eventually found in the remains of a car wreck but you were nowhere to be seen. Everyone's been looking for you ever since. It was all over the news."
Fiona couldn't believe what she was hearing. He knew of her all along? With no contact beyond the castle, it was impossible for her to know what was happening out there. "People have been... looking for me?"
"Yes," he replied, hesitating before giving her the whole truth. "Actually... the local authorities recently called off the search. They never had much to go on with little evidence and no suspects." He was aware of how disheartening it would be to learn the world had lost hope for her, so he added with confidence, "...but your family hasn't given up. They hired detectives to find you."
"My family? I haven't even met any of them," she confessed in confusion. "All except..."
"Huh?"
She never met her family? How was that possible?
"Leon," she sighed. "I know I haven't done much to make things easier for you... and for that I am sorry. It's complicated. Riccardo is... dangerous. He has no sympathy or remorse for his actions. It will be better that you to stay away from him. That is all I can say."
And with that, she carried on with a steady pace, proclaiming it as the end of the conversation. Hewie trailed alongside her, pausing momentarily to look back at him and returned to her side. Leon frowned as he watched them walk away. He thought of the picture of her and her parents. Of the way she was smiling with happiness.
"Fiona... What happened to you?"
What happened to bring her to this predicament? What had taken that smile away? He continued to walk behind them with his eyes on her.
"Fiona Belli and Belli Castle... No chance in Hell it's a coincidence."
He had no doubts, recalling what Riccardo had said...
"I doubt she will be any trouble but now that the mutt is with her again, I do not want her to attempt another escape..."
He was going to get to the bottom of this, he declared to himself. It was as his gut instincts were telling him since he discovered she was here... That car accident was definitely no accident. Riccardo had to be involved with it somehow. Whatever the reason was, he was going to get her out of this.
Wrong. It was all wrong.
Fiona didn't expect everything to go as she planned but this was the last thing she wanted. She had hoped to spare Leon from finding out about the horrendous things she was subjected to. And now that he and Riccardo met face to face, things were bound to get worse than she anticipated. Riccardo's wrath would go beyond his limits. What if he hurt Hewie because of this? She thought that if she complied with what he required, she could guarantee Hewie's safety. Yet for Leon, it was a different case. If they didn't find a way out soon, he was as good as dead.
She could still remember the crash so vividly. The screeching of the wheels as the car spiralled losing control off the road. The windows smashing as the vehicle crashed into a cold deck of logs. Her and her parents screaming as they were flung forward in their seats... It was awful. There was a time when she could barely remember it at first, making her head hurt whenever she tried to. Sometimes she wondered if it would have been better if her clouded memories of that night never unveiled themselves to her at all. God she missed her mother and father so much.
Leon couldn't help but feel concerned for Fiona. Neither exchanged a word as they travelled through a long, empty corridor and she was filled with a sense of turmoil. There must have been a million thoughts running through her. He wished there was something he could do to help. He opened his mouth to speak until she faltered her steps.
"Leon..." she spoke insecurely before slowly turning half-way to look at him with crossed arms. "If you knew who I was this whole time... why didn't you say anything sooner?"
He stared back and then answered sincerely. "Because I didn't want you to feel pressured into talking. I thought it wouldn't be fair of me to blurt everything out and throw a bunch of questions at you at once.
She remained quiet, taking in his response. "..."
"So... Since the ruins plan is a bust, what now?"
"I don't know. I'm sorry for wasting your time," she apologised shamefully.
"Hey, come on. It's not your fault. In fact, the ruins itself was actually insightful."
"...? Wha—"
Hewie barked, interrupting her and to show them what was ahead. They glanced at each other briefly before following him in suit. A soft light was seen coming from a neatly carved hole high in the ceiling of a wide circular room. Under the light were four globes identical to the set Leon saw in the shrine. They were also familiar to Fiona. These globes were connected to matching coloured tracks that ended around a round mirror stained with old blood on the ground. A piece of glass was wedged into it, which unnerved her.
"Looks like these can be pushed. Let's see what happens," suggested Leon who was examining one of them. He pointed to the blue and red globes that were the closest to her. "You take those and I'll take these two."
Fiona let her arms slip down going to the blue one first, still locked onto the mirror as she did so. They grunted as they began to push one at a time. He started with the green one as it had the longest track. She got hers to the other end first having the shortest and once it was in place, it, as well as the mirror, faintly glowed. She moved on to the next by the time Leon finished pushing his. The green globe lit up and the mirror brightened more.
"We're onto something, here," he beamed at her.
She didn't reply, slightly baffled by his cheery banter after their recent argument, and kept pushing. When they got all four in position, the five objects were shining as brilliantly as the light above. The mirror shifted and as Hewie stepped on it, it slowly began to rise as a platform.
"Hewie!" Fiona hurried to stand on it before it would become too high to reach.
Leon hopped on to join them. She bent her knees to check that the glass would not cut her dog's legs and almost lost her balance. He caught her waist and jabbed his foot against the glass so it was smaller and less of a threat. As he figured, she turned rigid with his hand on her, so he removed it to simply hover instead, prepared to catch her if need be.
She appreciated him being considerate for her yet it still felt awkward. When she glimpsed up at him, he gave her a supportive wink and a thumbs up, added with a dashing grin. He then peered upward towards the light the platform brought them to. It caught her off-guard, unable to understand why he was being so pleasant towards her after the way she acted. She never had an excuse for her behaviour. She didn't mean to be this way. It wasn't like her to lash out. Then again, she wasn't sure who she was anymore...
When they reached the top through the hole, Fiona's mouth fell open aghast to where they found themselves...
Four globes and tracks like the ones underground on diamond marble flooring stood at the end of an entirely blue hall. Atop it was a shattered glass dome, letting in a cold breeze and the dark night sky's pale moonlight that made every sharp edge shimmer. Fragments of them lay all over the floor. The walls were filled with tall cathedral windows. Small chandeliers hung under the ceiling. They were back in the castle.
Leon was certain he had seen this place before. Focusing at the piece of glass in the mirror, he was reminded of the photograph of a smiling, impaled woman. This had to be the room she died in. He was about to ask Fiona of it but was alarmed seeing her clutching her head. She looked like she was going to have a panic attack.
"Fiona? What's wrong?"
She couldn't hear him. Her head was ringing. Her lungs restricted painfully. She swore to herself that she would never come back to this room again. All she could hear was the laughter of a woman echoing in her mind; a maid with lavender hair who stalked her throughout the castle wielding a long glass sabre in her bloody hand. Her last taunting words were still clear...
"Blood... Flesh... Woman... You vile creature."
Hewie was distressed. Not even his cries could overcome the haunting memory of the maid.
"You lure the man into your filthy body again..."
Leon stood in front of her. "Hey!"
"...and AGAIN..."
The maniacal laughter distorted into wild shrills, imploding the dome. Raining glass merged with the shards inside the swerving car. She was trapped. Surrounded. The sabre swung to hack her.
"Fiona!"
A hand grasped her shoulder, making her jump and just like that, the memories vanished. Her lids fluttered and she was faced by Leon's piercing eyes boring into hers.
"Are you okay?"
"...Y-yes," she assured even though her shuddering voice did not convince him. "I just need to get out of here."
Dashed past him to a stairway with a damaged banister, Hewie was right behind her without the need to be prompted to. Leon looked back at the mirror shortly before catching up. Was she there when the woman died?
A door was open at the base of the stairs and Fiona was on the other side holding onto a railing, panting as she forced herself to settle. Standing beside her, he realised they were on the upper floor of the library. He lifted a hand to pat her back but stopped in mid-air, patiently waiting for her to recuperate in her own time.
She let out a lengthy sigh and stood upright.
"You cool?" he asked.
"I'm cool..." She went to apologise again, embarrassed, until she spotted a distinct red colour on his forehead. "-! You're bleeding."
"Hm?" He touched his head. A bit of blood was smudged on his fingertips after he withdrew them.
She hadn't noticed it before with his locks hanging over the side of his face. He had minor scratches yet this one looked bad with a thin trail blood trickling and tangling to his brow. It must have been from when he bumped his head against the cliff.
"There's an infirmary not far from here," she informed. "We could take a detour there and take a look at it."
"Good idea."
They walked along the balcony past a grandfather clock through another door and were greeted by the back of a tarnished knight's suit of armour carrying a crossbow. Leon went to go around it down a bridge with black and red hexagonal tiles, aligned with broken statues of women wearing loose, sheer robes, until Fiona lifted her arm to prevent him.
"Wait!"
At the back of the knight was a button and she pressed it. A clicking sound resonated inside the suit.
"This knight is rigged. Step on the wrong tile three times and that crossbow will fire. You're lucky I just deactivated it, otherwise you could have had an arrow in the back of your head by now."
His eyebrows rose, feeling incredibly stupid for almost waltzing straight into a trap. He should have known. "Whoa... thanks. That would have been dumb of me."
Once the bridge was safe to cross, they entered a building and which was the top of the spiral stairway they descended shortly after they met. They were on the second half of the steps, treading towards a door to the floor below.
The guilt for the maid was still lingering within Fiona, wanting to be strong. Hewie was keeping a close eye on her. There was no fooling him. She knew she should make amends with Leon. She owed him for taking care of Hewie in her absence.
Going through the door, Leon saw a strange device to the right. Judging by its pipes connected to the wall, it was likely a draining contraption. It notably had three cubes stacked on top of each other with circles varied with crossed patterns. She and Hewie preceded in front of him up some more stairs between a semi-circular corridor with another grandfather clock. Fire torches decorated the walls. One half were full of prison cells with rusty yet sturdy bars. The doors to them were half-sized, meaning any unfortunate prisoner would be forced to crawl under it. Leon saw her eyeing them until they came to a second, vaguely recognisable machine close to a desk and an arched doorway. Through that were red opaque windows leading towards a door at the corner of a longer corridor. It was the left of the area past the labyrinth of a staircase.
"Here it is," said Fiona who was opening the door.
A privacy curtain was drawn close, concealing what the room had to offer. To say Leon was surprised was an understatement after he pulled it out of their way. The infirmary was full of modern equipment. Metal shelves were stocked with chemical bottles. An X-Ray board was mounted on the wall and against another was a sink next to a stand with plastic containers labelled 'Ethanol'. Near them were propane tanks. In the corner was a storage cupboard. To complete the infirmary were surgical lights shining upon an old examination table in the centre. The whole room felt out of place compared to the rest of the medieval castle.
"How the hell did they get this kind of stuff?" he wondered aloud while she crouched by the sink.
"Maybe there's outside contacts other than Krauser?"
"That makes sense... What are you doing?"
She answered him by unwrapping something hidden behind it tied to the pipe. It was a pouch like the one she lost.
"You got another?"
"I made a few of these. There should be two or three more hidden elsewhere... That is if Riccardo hasn't found them."
Leon folded his arms, seemingly impressed. "Very resourceful. You're pretty smart."
Fiona could only blink, uncertain of what to make of his compliment. She was about to tie the pouch around her waist but the jacket was in the way.
"Oh, umm..." She took it off and gave it back to him. "Thanks... for letting me borrow this."
"No problem."
He placed it on the table while she secured the cord on herself. They started to check the infirmary for anything useful when out of nowhere, his radio emitted a loud noise, startling all three of them. Leon picked it up from his pocket. He and Fiona stared at each other in perplexity. Someone was trying to contact him. Who could it be?
Leon held the screen at face him level the call...
Hope you liked it. Yet another cliffhanger! Ain't I a stinker? xD
