Hello! Many apologies for this long delay! I was aware that work after the New Year would be busier than usual but I underestimated how exhausting it would be. But finally, after all this time, Chapter 11 is here. I thank each and every one who has been so patient and understanding waiting for this. I also must confess a lot of self doubt and insecurities went into working on this one. I don't think it's perfect, so I hope it's no bother for you all.
Enjoy!
Trigger Warning: Mention of suicide
HAUNTING EVIL
Chapter Eleven
Following the instructions given to them, Leon, Fiona and Hewie returned to the catacombs. Just as Lorenzo said, the mark of 'METH' was burnt into one of the walls to the far left of the door leading to the library. They knew it was not there the last time they passed by. He extended his arm to touch it.
"It's warm..." he commented, wiping powdered residue off his fingers against his jacket. "So, what did Lorenzo mean by 'send a Golem through'?"
"Precisely that," she answered as they turned and walked towards the front entrance, gesturing her hands in that location. "We have to guide the Golem—uh, that statue, by figuring the path to it."
Stopping at the first corner, she glanced back and forth between the tunnels.
"This would be the final direction... which is right."
Understanding, he and Hewie accompanied her to determine the route.
"Left," he noted at the next turning.
"Right," she added at the third.
By the time they exited the maze, they peered back into them.
"Right, left, right, right. We have to reverse the order," she concluded.
"Yeah. That would be..."
And simultaneously, they spoke in unison, "Right, right, left, right."
The two blinked and glanced at each other. He smiled in humour to the unexpected coincidence and saw in her cerulean green eyes that she acknowledged it too yet a smile did not reach her lips. Instead, she circled around him to go towards the typewriter, making him feel a little dejected, hoping that she would. He would have liked to see it.
As Fiona began to type the keys into the machine, he focused his thoughts elsewhere and spotted the stone tablet that the skeleton on the alter held. He tilted his head to read it...
'The Golem sacrifice must be offered to
the ever-burning wall of Hades that
hinders your quest.
Shepherd the beast to the land of METH by
etching your will into a string of
letter-based commands.
The primitive Golem follows but two commands.
In the simplest of terms they are:
The letter L moves the beast left.
The letter R movies it right.
The four letter combination RRRR will
open the path to the small garden.'
His brow crooked. "Pretty specific for an ancient inscription."
A sharp spring sprouting brought him away from the tablet. He saw her take a rectangular, metallic plate projected out of the slot of the typewriter into her hands. It was just like the plates tied to that bag with his belongings. Whoever gave them to him must have used one of these devices.
Remembering those heels he heard made him think of the third person in Lorenzo's note, as well as the anonymous individual who alerted the government about Krauser. Did they have an alliance? Were they here lurking somewhere? It made sense to him if they were rather than leaving everything to them. If so, who were they? Where could they be hiding? Why would they want the American government involved? What purpose was there to it? What did they have against Krauser?
On their way back to the catacombs, Leon enquired Fiona all she knew that was currently present in the castle. She seemed apprehensive, claiming as far as she was aware of for the last few months, it was just herself, Riccardo, Krauser and Debilitas. She confided feeling like someone was spying on her in the ruins after they were separated. If this person was wearing heels, then chances were that they were a woman. Could it be...?
Luscious crimson lips smirking in mockery flashed in his mind and he cut the thought off instantly, blocking out the unpleasant memory that came with it of a gun aiming at his head.
Fiona stretched on her tip-toes to insert the plate into the Golem's mouth. He moved around the alter to observe and when it was in, the 'beast' came to life, slowly standing erect from its slumped stance and slightly crumbled doing so. Tiny rocks tumbled off its body as it started to walk. They stepped out of the way before trailing behind it. The Golem sluggishly dragged its stumpy feet over the ground, leaving cloud of dirt with each stomp in its wake.
"You think whoever designed this considered it would get tiresome after a while?" he jested to which she shrugged to.
At every corner, the Golem would stop and steer itself to the commanded direction printed on the plate until it made its way towards the branded wall. It carried on marching and merged with the soil. They watched as the METH symbol faded amongst a thick, murky mist. Once it dissipated, the wall split and cracked, colliding to the ground. She urged Hewie away from the falling debris and behind the gaping hole, a new tunnel was revealed.
Leon switched on the flashlight clipped to his belt, casting its bright beam into the dark. Fiona gawked. She lost count on how many times she had gone in circles throughout Belli Castle. Before the days spent in that room, before learning about the Mercury Ruins, she believed she covered the entire estate. Now as she stared inside, she felt so... small.
He took the lead going in over the rubble. They ventured in, wondering what awaited them at the other end.
The serene stillness within a vacant hall was disturbed by a shift coming from a fireplace. The flickering flames diminished until there was nothing but smoke rising out of the cinders and ashes. The hearth and rear wall retracted, exposing a concealed stairway beneath the floor.
Riccardo emerged out of the dark with Krauser behind him. A heavy air of lividity filled the atmosphere after they returned from the ruins. The keeper of the castle came to a halt. His posture was stiff. His hands clenched into fists. Leon had antimonies and there was only one explanation to how he could obtain any... Fiona provided him with them.
He suddenly swung his arm, smacking a ceramic vase off of a side table. The mercenary remained calm, not even flinching as it shattered to pieces on the floor.
Riccardo's chest heaved, inhaling and exhaling deeply through his nostrils. How dare she disobey him? How dare she run from him with the outsider? She belonged to him and him alone. No one else could have her. Krauser said nothing while he vented his anger before slowly turning to him. His face could not be seen under his hood yet a dangerous rage was present beneath it.
"When those six intruders invaded my castle, you served me accordingly. So after one more slips through the crack like a filthy rat, I reward you with the opportunity to kill him however you see fit..."
Krauser became taut to where this was going, keeping a tight lip.
"Tell me this, Krauser... How is it that just one rat is able to make a fool out of you?"
He was not intimidated as Riccardo advanced towards him... but his temper was building up.
"Because of YOUR incompetence he has Fiona! He will corrupt her and everything I have worked for will be ruined!"
His left arm started to tingle.
"... Perhaps my judgement of you was misled if you could let him defeat you that easily."
That was the moment he had enough. A rush of fury almost unleashed when hefty steps interrupted the growing dispute. They glowered to the source of the sound and saw an anxious Debilitas come in. Noticing the crate he carried in his arms, Riccardo's tense muscles loosened.
"Ah... well done, Debilitas. Both of you—come with me."
The scent of the earth within the tunnel was richer to the three that travelled through it. Their footsteps crunched the rough, gravelly terrain. The singular track had twists and turns the further they hiked until a soft light paved into the end, welcoming them into a square-shaped entryway. Leon switched off his flashlight when it was no longer required, as burning torches illuminated the wide space.
Two plain wooden doors were at either side and they walked passed them to a plaque mounted to a dividing centre wall. The plaque had the same Archaic Latin text used in the ruins. Fiona took her queue to translate it.
"It's a warning. It basically says, 'doom beyond this point'."
He snuck a peep around the divider and saw nothing but a gate. "Well, we need to find Charles and the rest. Also this 'Prima Materia', whatever that is. So we have to keep moving forward."
Dolefully, she agreed.
"... Couldn't hurt to check these rooms first," he suggested.
The doors had no signs on them. Neither knew where to start. Opening one, they found nothing but storage. It was full of useless clutter and boxes stacked underneath dust and cobwebs. Not seeing anything of value or interest, they proceeded to inspect the other rooms. More clutter filled the next two and they expected much less going into the last yet inside was an old study. Desks and bookshelves were propped to the walls. The most eye-grabbing feature was a landscape sketch of the region pinned to the wall. It was outlined by drawings of trees and mountains.
In the middle was the whole castle. Leon saw houses at the lower left corner and recognised it as Versante. On the right was a large body of water with two buildings on top of it. One of them was a tower. It had to be the lake Fiona spoke of. Below the castle was what they figured to be the Mercury Ruins. It surprised them both to see how deep underground the cavern truly was. They barely scratched the surface during their time there. Layers and layers of antre descended the depths of the earth, almost resembling the nine circles of Hell. What also gained their curiosity were red crosses marked across the bottom half of the map. A majority of them were scattered along the ruins. A bell rang for him.
"I saw some 'X' marks carved in the ruins. Is it possible these represent them?" he pondered whilst pointing to them.
"It could be," she replied uncertainly. "I think I saw one too but I don't remember anything like this in the book I read about the Mercury Ruins."
"Maybe something here can tell us..."
Hewie sat down as the two began to search for clues. Fiona picked up a book from one of the desks. Leon combed over another opposite to her and when he glimpsed up to a framed picture above it, he frowned realising he had seen it before.
It was a landmark painting of knights and a group of noblemen. Green hills faded from colour the further the distance in the background under a cloudy sky. Amidst the crowd were two men. The one in front of the noblemen was on his knees wearing an ivory cloak. His face was concealed from view. The second before the knights was dressed like a king in robes of gold with a crown resting on his head. He was grasping the kneeling man's hands with his own as though he was humbly accepting gratitude.
The more he stared, the more convinced he was that had indeed seen it elsewhere. Twice even. The first time was inside an art gallery in Salazar Castle. He then came across an identical piece in a military island close to that castle, only at a more miniature scale. Why would there be a copy here?
"I've found something," said Fiona who was holding pieces of paper over the book.
He turned to her and took them when she handed them to him. The pages were tarnished from age, crumpled like it was torn straight from the cover. They were a part of a diary or documentation of sorts.
'21st December, 1954
My name is Edmundo Montagna. I am forbidden to write to anyone from the village.
And so I write this in hopes that by some miracle, should anything happen to me,
accounts of my presence here shall be known.
For hundreds of years, the Montagna family have been in the servitude of the Belli clan
of alchemists, charged with the responsibilities of Versante and yet we are cursed.
Cursed to preserve its secrets for the sake of others, not just our own. Now my time has
come. I have been summoned to the castle after receiving word that my brother Cedro
passed away and I must take his place, as our younger brother Teodoro will take mine.
I have no choice but to forsake my home, my family, in order to carry on Cedro's duties
in the name of Aureolus Belli. Like our father did and his before him.
As the second eldest son, I thought I would be spared of the burdens all first borns
must submit to. Would I have the strength to partake in such immoral sins? Did any of
my ancestors feel this dread? How will my beloved wife cope without me weeks before
our baby is to be born?'
"Alchemy, huh?" thought Leon.
He took note of the surname Montagna. Wasn't that Antonio's last name? He was also mindful of the name 'Aureolus Belli', recalling all those gravestones bearing the name. Was it an inherited name in the family? Even more compelling was the fact that it was Fiona's last name. There had to be a connection. Wanting to know more, he flipped the page to the next entry.
'22nd December, 1954
My introduction to Lord Aureolus Belli and his young descendants was held at dawn.
The striking resemblance was extraordinary. They couldn't be any older than Teodoro.
I was expecting my orders yet was given condolences for my brother. It was then that
I discovered why I was called so abruptly without a chance to say goodbye...
The Lord's followers have fallen ill. They are bedridden with sickly complexions, their
irises stained red. They were coughing blood when claiming to experience vivid
nightmares whenever they slept. And to my horror, my brother also contracted this
fatal infection, taking his life before it would attain completion.
Cedro... Words could not express the devastation that tore my heart.
Lord Belli says Las Plagas has somehow broken free from the seals in the Mercury Ruins
and is spreading in to the castle. There were no signs of obstruction in Versante, so it
is not too late. My duties are to be postponed and I am to aid their investigation to how
this has happened. We must prevent a second catastrophe and preserve Aureolus Belli's
legacy at all costs.
Maria, I will protect you and our child. I won't allow Cedro's death be for nothing.'
Leon felt for Edmundo, his brother and these people. He would never forget how terrifying it was being infected Las Plagas himself. To lose control of his body even for the briefest moments and how painful it was to resist.
'27th December, 1954
More and more are infected by the day despite all our efforts. The Mandragora's blood
is not enough. We are becoming pressures as we are low with options. Rumours have
stirred that the Salazar clan is to arrive within the fortnight in response to the
threatening crisis. My knowledge of their history linked with ours has engrossed my
fascination of the chance to meet them in person. After the first Castellan delivered
justice to the Los Illuminados, he led his army and sought beyond his homeland to
seek any remnants of the parasites of Las Plagas. Their journey was not in vain when
word reached Lord Aureolus Domenico Belli.
When Aureolus Belli discovered the blessings below his land, shrines, as well the castle,
was built by his followers, my ancestors, and he declared it as the Depths of Mercurius.
However, during the excavations over the span of decades, ancient fossils surfaced and
they became sick, turning savage into monstrosities that wrecked havoc without a
dominant host to cease the chaos. Everything was destroyed, as was the potential
Aureolus Belli had in his search for the Great Truth.
Fearing the abominations would taint his sacred waters, he accepted the Salazar's
assistance. Sacrifices were made, but by combining the strengths of both Houses, they
drove the parasites back from whence they came. The castle was saved yet the Depths
of Mercurius was lost, thus named anew as the Mercury Ruins.
From that day forth, an official allegiance was declared between the Bellis and Salazars,
safeguarding their secrets and sharing resources for them to last and thrive.
I can only pray the Salazars make haste before the castle does fall and Versante along
with it.'
'5th January, 1955
The sixth Salazar Castellan and his entourage are as regal and valiant as the stories
perceived. A gathering took place not a moment sooner after their arrival. All able
attendants from both clans stood together as one. When the Lord's successor of his
descendants was chosen to speak and present his findings, I sensed great hostility
from Riccardo. At first it was no surprise, given the rivalry they had, but for him
to display it so openly was alarming.
In the middle of the presentation, the successor announced he had completed his
research, inventing a new means of exterminating Las Plagas more efficiently, earning
the Castellan's interest. He calls it 'Salvator'. I was selected to assist with his
demonstration, euthanizing of one of the infected among the Lord's most devoted
followers. The miserable simpleton did not resist or even plea for his life. It was chilling
as the silence to the gruesome display was overtaken by the audience that roared with
cheer. The Lord and Castellan gave their approval, ordering more of this creation to be
made. For we shall storm the Mercury Ruins and put an end to this madness.'
Leon lowered the pages once he was finished. A new means of exterminating Las Plagas? He hadn't come across anything related to this 'Belli clan' in Spain. What could it be?
"I've... never heard of 'Las Plagas', the Salazars... or even the 'Los Illuminados'..." Fiona admitted and he turned to her.
Hewie rubbed his snout over her palm and she brushed it along his soft fur.
"But after reading all that... It worries me seeing how many crosses there are."
He was just as troubled, going over each one. She traced his line of sight to the village in the corner. All this time there was neighbouring civilisation by the castle and she was oblivious to it. His gaze was fierce focusing on the crosses in the vicinity of it. Thinking of that mutated creature that attacked them, recalling Riccardo talk about his past... If one creature could be that destructive... Before she could speculate any more of it, Leon tore the map off the wall.
"What are you doing?"
"My superiors need to know about this," he responded, unrelenting as he folded it into a smaller piece. "If this place is a hot spot for Las Plagas, then innocent lives are in danger. Riccardo and Krauser be damned."
She was about to speak but stopped herself. It was risky to take it but he was right. They already made that hole in the catacombs. Nothing could be done about it. He tucked the map into the journal with its pages and then pocketed it.
"Let's go."
They went back into the entryway and around the divider. The passage before them was dimmer in light, and they could see a barred gate at the back. Staring ahead, her hands tangled together, finding herself becoming reluctant. Insecurities and nerves were creeping up on her.
"You have no one to blame but YOURSELF!"
She shivered to Riccardo's words, her fingers squeezing tighter. Leon glanced over his shoulder, sensing her hesitation. Making eye contact with him, she nodded to ease any concerns he had for her. He gave her a reassuring smile as they made their way to the gate.
Decaying skulls, their teeth falling apart, rested on the loculi on either side. They were placed in neat rows, unlike the bones in the tunnels that were dispersed with negligence. Approaching the bars, they saw only a hallway turning left behind it. The gate had a clasp for a padlock, only the lock to it was missing. Nothing could be heard in the distance. He gripped the handle cautiously. Turning to his companions, he signalled with his hand for them to wait. Drawing out his gun, he pried it loose, having to put a bit of force into it.
He readied his gun peeking in. No imminent threats were detected. Hewie was calm, his panting even. Positive that things were clear, he opened the gate wider for them. Walking down, they came to an adjacent junction. A chandelier lit with candles dangled from the ceiling. Two passages were there for them to choose. While they were deciding which to take first, Hewie's wet nose twitched, sniffing the air in interest and barked. Fiona glanced down at him.
"Hewie?"
He kept on barking, suddenly taking off down the passage heading right, startling them both. Her heart leapt into her throat and immediately rushed after him with Leon right behind her.
"Hewie—wait up, boy!"
"No, Hewie! Where are you going!?"
The frightening memory of him disappearing as he leapt through bushes engulfed her. Fiona locked her sight on him, trying not to panic. What if something were to happen to him? What about the danger Lorenzo warned them about? She could not lose him. Not again.
"Slow down, Hewie," Leon called to him.
They tracked him all the way down until he came to a stop at a door. He scratched the wood with his claws when they caught up with him. She felt herself practically deflate as she sighed.
"Hewie...!" she lightly reprimanded
Leon rested his hands on his hips. "A little heads up next time, hey buddy?"
Hewie just ogled the door before them.
"You found something, bud'?" he asked the eager canine.
He barked again happily and his tail wagged. Perplexed, he opened it for them. Inside gave the impression of a medieval laboratory. Worktables were overcrowded by oddly shaped beakers, cylinders and retort flasks. Colourful stones and powders in trays and bottles were muddled beneath them. Parchments of paper with strange sigils were all over the walls. The only thing that looked out of place were tools, equipment and outdated machinery at one half of the room. The kind designed to manufacture weapons.
Hewie dashed passed their legs towards the back. He hoisted his front paws onto a table, stretching his neck to a chest. Leon shut the door behind them before they crossed between the other tables to him. On top of the chest, was a piece of paper that simply said...
'My gift to you,
Lorenzo'
Removing it, she pressed her fingers to the sides of the lid. She softened to see why Hewie was so keen for whatever was inside.
"... It's the Prima Matera."
The chest had velvet fabric and on a pouch was an unusual substance like pebbles that appeared to be both a solid and a liquid. He had never seen anything like it before. The interior of the lid had a card attached to it.
'The Prima Materia is the First Matter, the inner
star and source of all. It is the material beginning
and end. The seed of perfection.
Your righteous voyage begins here for the path
of the Godstone.'
He didn't know what to make of it. It was nothing but mumbo jumbo to him. As delicately as she could, Fiona fastening the pouch with care. Gazing down at Hewie fondly, though still frazzled from him running off, she petted him.
"Good boy."
Hewie, however, was still attempting to playfully take the Prima Materia from her. She had to firmly hold her free hand up to calm his excitement.
"He really seems to like this stuff," chuckled Leon.
"I don't know why," she affirmed when she finally got her dog to give in and settle. "He stole some from Riccardo once."
An amused grin twitched on his face, ruffling Hewie's head. "Sneaky little rascal, aren't ya?"
Hewie responded with a proud yap. Laughing lightly with him while she slipped the tiny pouch into the one tied around her, his eyes landed on something on the wall by the machinery. It was a sepia blueprint for a gun. Intrigued, he headed over to it. It resembled a flintlock revolver, only with a few differences; mainly the chamber for it that was slightly larger than average. Next to it on the diagram were vials in various colours, presumably to fit into it as ammunition. Below the weapon was a human figure with a flame in their chest and a creature in the centre of it... Las Plagas. The word 'Salvator' was written at the top.
Fiona joined him to examine it as well, drawn to the signed initials 'U.B.' in the corner. She was so immersed that she almost raised her hand.
"This must be the 'means of exterminating Las Plagas' from Edmundo's journal," said Leon, snapping her out of her daze.
Sure enough, on the table underneath it, more diary pages were found as if they were deliberately left there for them. He picked them up for them to read. It had Edmundo's handwriting, only shaky like he was stressed. Speckles were splotched on the page, presumably from tears or sweat.
'12th January, 1955
The Salvator has proven to be successful. Unfortunately, the castle has suffered significant loss.
The followers, the servants, the guests... They perished to the brink of near extinction. And
despite the high cost, after days of fighting, the battle is almost at an end. Order has been
restored. We were able to eradicate Las Plagas and contain the spread. Forced to perform the
same sacrifices as before, we pushed them back down deeper in the Mercury Ruins and fortified
the reformed seals in order to prevent another Versante are safe. I thought I would be relieved
writing my this yet I am anything but for I have beard witness something that has shaken me to
my very core...
While I was doing my part finalising the seals within the ruins, I stumbled across one of the
descendants. Because of their likeness, I could not tell which one it was. I was then mortified to
his intentions. He was sabotaging our seals. I went to make my escape but he caught me before
I could slip away. When I saw those scars I knew for certain... It was Riccardo. If only I was not
alone. He cornered me to ensure we were far from sight. I feared he would kill me right there.
Instead he smiled. In my stupor, I could scarcely hear what he was saying until he remarked
about my family, of Maria, knowing that she is expected to give birth soon... Even requested to
know the name of our child to be. To my utter shame, my mouth opened on its own accord. For
our son, we decided to name him after my father, Enzo. For our daughter... I could not think of
one. It terrifies me knowing what her inevitable fate may be. My answer pleased Riccardo. He told
me not to do anything I would regret and I felt something pierce my neck before he allowed me
to leave.
Maria, forgive me...'
Sympathy for the writer swept over them, digesting everything from his story.
"Didn't Hunnigan mention an 'Enzo' earlier...?" Fiona asked with a rueful expression that mirrored his own.
"... She did," he gravely verified.
Her head hung low to the confirmation. She was all too aware of what Riccardo was capable of but still it was loathsome. Why would he do something so terrible? Leon added the pages to the collected journal entries. There was a lot of information to process from them. One thing he knew was that Hunnigan was correct when she said things could add up. They then read a final page that had Lorenzo's handwriting.
'Fiona,
Now that you have the Prima Materia in your possession,
you can recreate the Godstone once more. I trust you have
memorised the order for this purpose. Take heed though.
Riccardo shall make this a greater challenge than before.
Remember my warning. Do not stray from this path.
Lorenzo'
Obtaining what they came for, they retraced their course back to the junction and took the other passage. As they pressed on, Fiona wondered if they getting closer to the area Lorenzo was so insistent for them not to go to. If it would lead them to the missing men. Would she have the courage to see it through? She did feel guilt for going against his wishes after everything he did for her but she already promised to help Leon. Besides, they were not the only ones she owed a debt to.
Her train of thought was broken when amber shades of the fire torches were replaced by cool white electronic lights of bulbs dangling by wires in a circular antechamber they entered through two pillars. At the back was another door with an astrology symbol. She identified it as the sign of Pluto. The room was empty aside from an alter with a skeleton similar to the first. They stood on either side. It was clear by the state of decay that the bones were old like the rest yet the condition was anomalously disturbing. Rags for clothes were torn from the upper half. The skull was severely fractured, as was the points connecting to the spine, slanting on the surface it lay on. Its jaw was missing. The ribcage was ruptured as though something had burst from the inside out.
"This poor soul," she pitied.
"You said it," he agreed.
"It must have been excruciating if they were still alive. What do you think could have caused this?"
He fell silent, reflecting on all the brutal mutilations he had seen in his experiences. "It's hard to say. I've got an idea in mind but I'd rather not jump to conclusions 'til I know for sure."
She nodded, understanding his reasoning, and then caught sight of a name plaque on her side of the alter. Her lips parted in shock, her eyes flicking back to him.
"It's Edmundo...!"
Leon's own mouth gaped. "Oh shit..."
Among the bones, they saw a leather cord with a key tied to it. It had a symbol matching the door. He glanced at her briefly before taking out his knife. Carefully, he used the tip of the blade to slowly lift the cord without disturbing the remains. She found it admirable seeing how respectful he was to the deceased.
After giving one last moment of condolence to Edmundo Montagna, the three unlocked the door of Pluto. Hewie's ears flattened once it was open and they cautiously stepped inside a long corridor. Multiple doors with a latch mechanism of levers connected to boards to keep them barricaded and faced one another in parallel, eight on each side upon counting. One stood apart from them at the far end without a board yet was more decorative with ornate iron.
Fiona held her hand over her chest as Leon gripped the levers of the nearest door. He twisted them from vertical to horizontal. She took a silent deep breath through her nose when he opened it. She saw him gape and leaned to look inside, faintly gasping. It was a morgue. As close to a morgue as it could get inside a crypt. There were a number of wooden tables with sheets covering something shaped like a human. Her breath faltered and she stiffened.
He treaded over to one of them. Had they finally located the missing team? When he removed the sheet and the body was revealed, they found something they least expected.
A nude humanoid being.
It didn't look like any zombie or Ganados to him but something about them clearly wasn't natural. Its eyes were closed, apparently male yet not entirely human, having bloated faces and lacked genitals. The skin was impossibly grey with dark visible veins. Stunned, he threw the sheets off from the other tables. They all had bodies, each one as motionless as the first. He took the wrist of one to feel for a pulse. The flesh was cold and he could not feel any signs of life.
"What the hell are these...?" he muttered, taking a step back to survey them.
"They're... called Homunculi. I've seen these before," Fiona confessed.
He saw her looking over them uncomfortably.
"I used to see them everywhere," she continued, gradually regaining her composure as she crossed her arms. "They were never in a right state of mind. They would stand idly and babble nonsense. I... saw one scratching its head, another head-butt a wall... There was one licking God-knows-what off the floor... But for the most part they were harmless."
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had noticed that they vanished from their positions but didn't think much of it. How could she when there were more important matters at stake at the time? Were these the same ones? What happened to them to end up here?
A realisation hit Leon. What about the other rooms? He seized his way into each one with determination, finding more of the immobile beings. They were becoming more increasingly disturbed as the numbers rose. There had to be at least forty in total by the time they had only three doors left.
The unique door had neither a latch, lock nor a handle. Not even a keyhole. It was completely inaccessible. A plaque on it read, 'Aureolus Belli, 1805—1955'. Turning to one of the remaining doors, they unlocked it and inside were only two bodies lying on tables, instead wrapped in a bag rather than a sheet.
Fiona's breath faltered going in. Inquisitive to why these were different, Leon locked eyes with hers, sensing they should brace themselves for whatever they were about to uncover. Taking a hold of the zip of one of the body bags, he pulled it down. Even while they were prepared, they could not prepare for a rotting smell that assaulted their senses. They were forced to back away, coughing and gagging. Even Hewie retreated, brushing his paw over his nose.
When the fowl stench subsided enough for them to endure, they looked again. Inside the bag was a corpse with a rusty nail impaled into its forehead. Its skin was mostly black, sunken to the bone. The eye sockets were empty and hollow. Leon pulled the zip lower, exposing a military green uniform. Stitched onto the chest was the name 'G. Newman'.
"God..." he uttered in disgust under his breath.
Holding his breath while Fiona kept her distance, her back pressed to the wall as her heart pounded in terror, he unveiled the second body bag. He squeezed his eyes shut for the second wave of the odour, grunting in discomfort. In the other body bag was another body with the name 'A. Fitzgerald'.
Her hand clutched to her mouth. Grief, remorse and guilt cut deep into her as the memory of Riccardo's voice taunted her once more.
"You have no one to blame but YOURSELF!"
Hope you all enjoyed this. I apologise if this chapter was a but of an 'information overload' for any of you. I contemplated a lot on how to space it out but also at least contain it into one chapter so it isn't dragged out. To make up for the word count the journal entries were taking, I decided to go over my limit for you all.
It was fun scouting the catacombs in HG to find an ideal location to create this new area that wouldn't cross into canon areas. I prepared a screenshots of a map to give an idea of where it is, as well as RE4 screenshots to show the paintings I took inspiration from found in the game. Unfortunately, is not so kind to links, so I highly recommend you check out my main upload of this story in Ao3/Archive of Our Own where you can find them in the Author Notes.
