Zoran stood on the same balcony where he had concluded his first meeting with Maria, trying to calm his raging heart. Part of him knew their arrangement would not last forever, but his naivety had gotten the better of him in the end. He had grown too attached to her, repeating the same mistake he had made with everyone else he had lost up until this point.

It was just another cycle he found himself unable to break.

But this wasn't like what he felt when he was forced to kill Gascoigne or when he realized that the people he had saved in Oedon Chapel had died because of his carelessness. This was something different, because as much as it pained him to admit it, he didn't truly know any of those people, only interacting with them for moments a time.

But he understood Maria and she understood him. They trusted each other with information they were unwilling to share with anyone else, even their closest friends. Overtime, he had begun to view her as a kindred spirit, someone who knew what it was like to lose everything and not being able to do anything to stop it. And he soon realized just what their companionship truly meant to him.

After she disappeared into her sanctuary and he found his path blocked by that accursed fog, he retreated into the Dream and made it to the small garden behind the Workshop before he completely fell apart. The Doll lay motionlessly in the spot where he had found her and so, he was left completely alone; no one left to comfort him and no one left to turn to. After he had calmed down some, he turned his attention to other matters; desperate as he was to avoid their confrontation. But it hung over him like a specter, following everywhere he went as he cut down foe after foe until there was almost nothing left.

As he leaned against the railing, he held out the brooch she had given him in his palm; proof of just how much their union had meant to her. He did not know how he could bring himself to fight her again. Every moment he wasted prolonged the suffering of everyone that was trapped here, but despite that, he wasn't willing strike her down just to satisfy his craving for any sort of purpose.

"What do you want, Simon?" He asked, not attempting to hide the contempt in his voice as he realized he was not alone.

"I only wish to talk. It has been long since we've last seen each other." Was all he said in response.

"If you came here to gloat, I do not want to hear it. Just leave me alone" He pleaded with his unwelcome visitor.

"Nothing of the sort, I assure you. I come with a proposition of sorts. You would do well to heed it." Simon replied, dropping all pretenses as to the purpose of his visit.

"I offer you the chance to spare yourself from further sorrow."

Zoran's head shot upwards, immediately understanding what Simon was proposing. He turned around to glare at the Healing Church hunter, hatred gleaming in his eye.

"You son of a bitch! You sulk in the shadows while watching me slowly destroy myself, eavesdrop on my conversations and now you dare come before me with such a deplorable offer! You were supposed to be my friend!" He snapped at his fellow hunter, restraining himself from gutting him right then and there.

"I tried to be, in more ways then one. The fact you are in the state you are now is proof enough of that." Zoran's rage was only kindled further as he realized what Simon meant. He had tried to kill Maria when he thought him incapable of doing so. He must have.

"I thought you had truly lost your mind, trusting that unforgivable monster that resided in that Clocktower. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands." At this point, Zoran had pulled his pistol from its holster, pointing it directly at Simon's head. He would have pulled the trigger right then and there if one question didn't remain.

"Then why is it she still lives?" He demanded through gritted teeth.

"Because I understand what passes between you."

….

Simon sat on the stairwell leading to the brass door of the Clocktower, his bow-blade placed next to him as he processed the scene that had just played out before him. He had decided to observe Zoran for a while since their last discussion, to judge whether his ally was truly lost. But he had seen everything he had to. It was time he took matters into his own hands.

He had planned to follow him to their next meeting and catch her off guard upon its conclusion; slaying them both, if need be. He had to wait for several hours before he got his chance, but Simon's time in Yharnam's alleyways had taught him the value of patience. Taking out a vial of Blue Elixir, he drank the strange concoction before ascending the stairwell to the Clocktower, expecting to see the two Hunters to be locked in either combat or conversation.

But instead he had found them in the last few moments of a waltz, appearing as if they were lifelong friends. The unexpected sight caused Simon to freeze in his tracks, the effects of the Elixir hiding him from their sight. At first, he was certain that Zoran had finally lost his mind and had been bewitched to Maria's side. Why else would he be so willing to let his guard down around such a despicable person?

When they suddenly concluded their dance, Simon looked on with bewilderment as the two simply stared at each other, still locked in the position they had been during their dance. From his distance he could not make out any distinct features on either of their faces, but he recognized that something about Zoran had changed. He seemed…happy?

Before he knew what was happening, the two of them were sharing a kiss; and it was clear to him that it was welcomed by both parties. Simon's could only look on in bewilderment, his grip on his blade slightly weakening as the pieces slowly came together in his head. Could it really be?

When Zoran finally broke away from Maria, he immediately began to walk towards the gate of the Clocktower, causing Simon to hide himself behind the giant doors to avoid being spotted. As he watched his ally walk away, he was certain he had seen a smile on his face. Waiting until he had faded away into the Dream once more, Simon finally decided to put his plan into motion. Downing another vial of Blue Elixir, Simon readied his Blade and peeked from behind the door at his target…

Only to see her holding a small box, with an expression that resembled a child's when they received a fascinating new gift. Even from his position, he could see the smile that adorned her face as she listened to the simple melody that came from the box; the same song he faintly heard during their dance.

Simon's resolve crumbled at the display before him and for reasons he did not understand, he began to walk away from the Clocktower to collect his thoughts. Throughout his time in Yharnam, he had scarcely seen any of its residents, hunter or otherwise, smile for even a few moments. Yet at the edge of the Hunter's Nightmare, he had laid witness to a display of what seemed like genuine happiness, from two hunters buried to their necks in emotional trauma.

Even when he first met Zoran, he remembered the tired look in his eyes when he attempted to persuade him to abandon the Nightmare, which he poorly tried to hide behind his mask even as his distress grew more and more obvious every time they saw each-other. Yet now, he looked like a completely different person, grinning from ear to ear as if nothing were wrong in the world. And from what he knew of Maria's past, it seemed hardly appropriate to have her smiling in the very place she had taken her own life. To an outside observer, it wouldn't make a lick of sense.

But he knew from experience what had truly transpired between them.

He remembered when he had been pulled from the streets, offered a chance to craft a new life for himself as a hunter of the Healing Church. It was a dreary and squalid affair, but through it all, he still managed to find happiness. He had found someone with whom he could feel comfort and solace, finding himself smiling and laughing even as the hunt began to weigh down on him.

To weigh down on the both of them.

"Oh, Ludwig…" He uttered, the pain he had felt when he was forced to put him out of his misery returning in full force.

It had become clear to him that he was slowly falling apart, especially after he had been forced to murder the Vicar of the Healing Church in order to maintain their upstanding image to the public. The only thing that kept him going was his "guiding light", as he had called it; enrapturing him to the point that he seemed to care about nothing else. When Zoran had discovered him, he almost immediately gave it away; not wanting anything to do with the force that so led and mislead him.

But he had been one of few who had laid eyes on it, gazing into the blade to as the cosmos themselves seemed to swirl within it. It was a truly captivating sight, one that Ludwig intended to be a show of trust; proving that he had nothing left to hide from him. And that he treasured their bond: their love, more then anything else.

And Simon did love him. Beyond reason and sorrow.

After Ludwig passed, hatred towards his benefactors; the ones that had spurred his fall through their insatiable pursuit of destiny, festered within his mind. His eventual discovery of the Hunter's Nightmare had inspired him to destroy it, to ensure that his beloved would finally rest and that no more would have to suffer because of the hunt.

And an all-consuming hatred it was. One that had come close to overtaking him.

Picking up his blade, Simon took one last look at the Clocktower, before beginning his trek back into the Research Hall. Despite everything, he still considered Zoran to be his friend. If he were to go through with this, he would carry his sorrow until the end of his days, and heaven knows what would become of him.

And he couldn't in good conscience let the hunt break another bond apart.

….

As Simon explained his actions, Zoran suddenly felt grief overwhelm him yet again. Sliding down to a sitting position, he buried his hands in his knees so as to hide his crying from his fellow hunter, who did not seem to move from his position at the door.

"She told you that the next time you met, it would be as enemies, correct?" Zoran began to question if Simon had been spying on him again, but it hardly seemed to matter anymore. He nodded halfheartedly.

"Do you love her?" He asked him suddenly, to which Zoran responded with another nod, seemingly unable to respond verbally.

"Does she know?" He nodded again.

"Do you think you can do it?" This caused Zoran to look up at his ally, hesitating to answer the question despite knowing his answer. Instead, he buried his head in his hands, his silence providing all the information Simon needed.

"Then listen to me very carefully. There is a symbol, etched deep within your mind; a dangling upside-down rune known as The Hunter's Mark. If you focus your thoughts on it, you will awaken anew, forgetting the Nightmare and everything within. You will hunt your beasts and think no more of the secrets of the night. It will all seem like one bad dream."

As Simon explained his proposal to Zoran, his mind only focused on one thing.

"What of Maria?" He asked.

"I will put her to rest. I promise you."

For a while, Zoran heavily considered the offer. It really seemed like the best possible compromise for his dilemma. Though he could not stomach the thought of killing Maria, he also could not in good conscious leave her trapped here. What's more, he would be free of the emotional baggage that had stunted his progress for so long, allowing him to finally accomplish what he had been striving towards.

But he knew that the things he was thinking now were selfish. Though he may forget his time in the Nightmare, Maria would remember every moment of it. As far as he knew, she still had the music box he had given her, along with the message he had left inside it. He could not imagine what she would think when she found out that he had sent someone else to do his dirty work, because he was too much of a coward to confront her himself. That he would choose to flee from his demons after she had spent so long trying to help him confront them.

"No." He finally responded to his fellow hunter, who seemed surprised by his answer. "I started this. And it's my responsibility to make it right." He said as he rose to his feet.

"Hmmm. I suppose you would not be here if you weren't so stubborn." Simon joked half-heartedly before, though his expression belied a sense of regret.

"I should have dragged you back to the waking world myself. I knew from the moment I saw you that this Nightmare would end up breaking you, yet despite all that, you kept dragging yourself back into this accursed landscape, which any other man would have abandoned long ago. I envy your perseverance, misguided as it may be."

"A time comes when one realizes they can't run from their mistakes anymore. She taught me that much." With that, he began to make his way back the lantern that had grown so familiar to him in his time in the Research Hall, intent on taking a quick detour before returning to the Clocktower.

"If you happen to reconsider, you know where to find me." Simon called out behind him.

"I know. But this is something I must do alone." He said in reply and just before he was about to leave, he turned to look at the former church hunter one more time.

"We'll put them both to rest. I'll see you on the other side."

With that, the Seeker of Secrets was left alone on the balcony. He truly did not expect Zoran to turn down his offer, but as he watched his friend walk away, he found an unexpected feeling washing over him. One he hadn't felt since he discovered the truth about the order he had pledged himself too. Pride in someone else.

"That's the Zoran I know." He said with a small smile.

…

Zoran stood outside the entrance of the Clocktower, seemingly unable to go any further. The conviction he had mustered on his way here had all but vanished, replaced by a feeling of dread and uncertainty. He knew that once he stepped through this doorway, there was no turning back. One of them was going to die. Tightly gripping his axe and pistol, he finally mustered the courage to traverse the fog obstructing his path, resigning himself to this fate…

Only to find Maria lying on the stairwell, seemingly unmoving. Suddenly forgetting why he was there, he began to sprint straight towards her, what he knew about her past leaving him fearing the worst. As he neared her, he quickly realized that she was not dead, but that she had somehow managed to fall asleep while he was gone.

As he looked at her now, he thought back to the first time he had seen her, how he had hardly seemed to care that she was dead. The shock he experienced when he had first seen her face, heard her voice; it all seemed so long ago now. Thinking he had once been so eager to see her dead made him realize just how much she had impacted him over so short a time, how quickly he had fallen for her once he discovered who she truly was.

Zoran began to ponder his next move. He could wake her and allow her to adequately defend herself, as any half-decent hunter ought to. Or he could simply leave and come back at a later time, giving himself some time to come to terms. But a third, far bleaker idea began to form in his head.

Looking down at his axe, he extended it to its full length and approached Maria's sleeping form as silently as he could. Despite the trembling in his hands, he hovered the tip of the axe just above her throat, before raising it overhead. All he needed was one clean swing and it would be over. She wouldn't feel a thing.

She stirred suddenly in her sleep, murmuring something he couldn't quite make out, before going still once again. This sudden action made Zoran notice something; that she was desperately clutching the music box he had given her and that a small slip of paper lay by his feet.

She must have found the ornament he had discovered in the Abandoned Old Workshop, close to where an abandoned model of the Doll within the Hunter's Dream was left. It did not take much time for Zoran to deduce that it had once belonged to Maria, which explained the pristine condition he had found it in. Gehrman made sure that it remained as such.

He had meant for it to remind her of the person she was beyond the endless slew of tragedies that have befallen her; to show her just how much she mattered to him. As he gazed at her pale face once again, he seemed to notice a small smile form on her lips as she slumbered. She looked as if she was at peace.

He began to back away from her, dropping his axe with a clang that echoed throughout the room as he realized what he was doing. She had shown him mercy at a time when he was most vulnerable and there he was, about to murder her in cold blood as if their time together had meant nothing at all; when it had meant the world to him. The least he could do was send her off with a proper goodbye.

Approaching her once again, Zoran reached out his hand in a vain attempt to re-enact the very first time they'd met. Several moments passed with no reaction, causing the hunter to drop to his knees and bow his head in sorrow, all while keeping his hand outstretched.

For reasons he did not quite understand, his mind drifted to a song he had sung numerous times in concerts with his ensemble. He never thought much of it, finding it a pleasant melody and nothing more. But as he began to softly recite the words in his native tongue, they seemed to take on a whole new meaning.

"Óči čjórnye, óči strástnye,

Óči žgúčie i prekrásnye!

Kak ljubljú ja vas, kak boyús' ja vas!

Znat' uvídel vas ja v nedóbryj čas!

Oh, nedárom vy glubiný temnéj!

Vížu tráur v vas po dušé moéj,

Vížu plámja v vas ja pobédnoe:

Sožženó na njom sérdce bédnoe.

No ne grústen ja, ne pečálen ja,

Utešítel'na mne sud'bá mojá:

Vsjo čto lúčševo v žízni Bog dal nam,

V žértvu ótdal ja ognevým glazám!:"

When he had finished, the same deathly silence that had gripped the room when he had started returned, crushing any hope he had left in him. Until he suddenly felt something touch his gloved hand. Raising his head, he found Maria sitting in an upright position, a sorrowful expression on her face as she gently held his outstretched hand. Having being so absorbed in the song, he must not have noticed her awaken from her slumber.

She heard everything. She didn't understand a word, of course, but somehow, she had recognized their meaning.

"You never learn, do you?" She said, forcing a small smile.

"I am right to presume you found it?" He asked.

"I did." She responded simply.

"And do you still wish to go through with your pledge?" The faint sliver of hope that remained within him pressured him to ask this.

"I never did. But I am afraid the die has been cast."

"We don't have to do this. There has to be another way." Zoran stated in a pained voice, despite knowing it was pointless.

"I wish there was. Truly, I do. But we both know it has to end this way."

As she tried to pull her hand away, Zoran tightened his grip on it. Though he knew there was no way to prevent this, he didn't want them to depart on such somber terms.

"May I have this dance?"

"Zoran, we can't." Maria affirmed.

"I know. But if this is truly the end, let's not have our fellowship end with a whimper." He continued to hold onto her hand, forcing a smile onto his face.

"One more time, Maria. That's all I ask."

Looking back at him with woeful eyes, her only response was a slight nod. Neither of them said a word as she released his hand and began to wind up the music box once again; placing it in the inside pocket of her coat instead of its usual place on the table. The two then repeated the ritual from their last dance, but this time they found themselves moving at a much slower pace, savoring every moment.

"I'm so sorry." Maria suddenly said.

"For what?" He questioned her in a quiet voice.

"I should have foreseen this. I didn't mean to place yet another burden on your shoulders." She replied, every word seemingly laced with guilt.

"Is that what you think this is?" He asked, unable to hide the hurt from his words.

"No, it's just…" She trailed off, seemingly unsure of what it was she wanted to say. "Fate has been so cruel to you. You deserve so much better than this." She eventually said, to which Zoran replied to with a quiet chuckle.

"Not much of an outsider after all." He said with a slight smile.

"You know that's not what I mean." She firmly stated, though Zoran was not willing to hear the rest.

"Don't say that. I meant everything I said." His tone changing completely as he said this.

"I know you did. I wouldn't have given you that charm if I didn't believe it so. But I was frightened; frightened of what our union would entail. I couldn't force you to remain here, trapped in this nightmare just so I could satiate my own desires. But another part of me remained skeptical, because no one could ever truly love me." She explained, averting her gaze slightly.

"I don't deserve it."

The two of them continued their dance in relative silence for the next few seconds, until Zoran felt the need to speak again.

"I used to think so too." Maria looked back at him in surprise, realizing he was trying to use her own words against her.

"When I first came here, I truly felt like I had nothing left to live for. Everyone I knew and loved was dead, my hands were stained with the blood of hundreds of innocents and through it all, I felt powerless. I had tried so hard to help even one person, but it always seemed like my efforts had been for naught; as if I were nothing but a pawn within a vast, cruel game. Oh, how I wanted to escape, to simply fade away into that ethereal embrace and never wake up again. And somehow, I was denied even that." He met her gaze once again before offering a warm smile.

"You saved me from that grim fate, showed me mercy at a time when I was at my most vulnerable. That one small act reminded me that I was not the monster I thought I was, that I still had a purpose in this seemingly unforgiving landscape. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally felt as if my life had meaning again, that I was actually striving for something worthwhile. And I will forever be grateful to you. For in this darkest of nights, you helped me see…the moonlight."

The clocktower suddenly went silent and the two hunters once again found themselves frozen in place. Maria appeared dumbstruck, as if she couldn't believe the words that were coming from his mouth. Dread slowly began to take him, realizing just what was about to happen.

"You know I'm sorry, too." He suddenly said.

"Whatever for?" She inquired in a quiet voice.

"I ventured this far because I wanted to tear this Nightmare apart at the seams. But ever since the day you chose to spare me, that desire all but disappeared from my mind. I could've ended this anytime I wanted and instead, I prolonged your imprisonment and those of all the other souls trapped here. All because…because I was afraid of loosing you." He explained as he lowered his head in shame.

"I'm glad."

This caught his attention, causing him to look back up at her with an unmistakable surprise on his face.

"My time with you has let me see just how misguided I had truly been, how my failure to confront my past had led to so much unnecessary suffering. But more then that, you made me feel more alive then I've ever been. That night when we shared that dance, when you bequeathed that box to me, was…it was the happiest day of my life." He looked back at her in surprise as she softly caressed his cheek, holding back the urge to cry.

"It doesn't have to end like this. You still have a chance to make things right." He desperately said to her, hoping that he could dissuade her.

"I've already done all I could…" She said in response.

"I don't believe that." He firmly stated, seemingly stopping any subsequent argument she could make. Forcing a soft smile onto his face, he placed one of his own hands on her cheek; his eyes never leaving hers.

"Go forth with me, Maria. Let us end this Nightmare…as one."

An uneasy silence settled over them as Maria looked back at him with a sorrowful gaze, seeming hesitant to respond to his proposition. That was until she placed a hand on his and gently lowered it, her own gaze falling as this happened.

"Zoran, I'm sorry, but…" She paused then, but even before she said her next words, he already felt as if his heart had sunk into his stomach.

"I can't. Even if I was able, I cannot give you hope where none exists…"

Zoran could feel the tears brimming at the edges, somehow knowing exactly what she was talking about before the words even left her lips.

"When I swore to protect this passageway, it was made so my very essence was bound to it, ensuring that it could not be opened so long as I draw breath. And even if that weren't the case, I am little more then a spirit; a marionette whose very existence is tied to this Nightmare. Once the ties are severed and it unravels, I will cease to be."

His throat constricted, not wanting to believe what he had jut heard. He wanted to beg, to somehow find a way for her to say that what she said wasn't true. But the words would not come out, because he knew she was telling the truth. No matter what he does, he would lose her all the same.

A few tears began to run down his face as Maria cupped his cheek, herself appearing to be on the verge of tears.

"No matter what happens, I want you to know that I treasured every moment that I was with you and that…I love you. More then anything."

She gingerly guided him into a kiss, with the two of them showing no sense of resistance nor desperation as they melted into their tender embrace, granting each-other one more moment of solace before the plunge. After their kiss had been broken, the two gently pressed their foreheads together and despite both of them finding themselves unwilling to break their hold on the other, a silent understanding passed between the two hunters as they wistfully gazed at each other.

The time had come to say goodbye.

They stayed like that for a few more heartbeats before they reluctantly broke their embrace and stepped back, silently bowing to each other as a sign of mutual respect. They then moved to retrieve their respective weapons and made their way to opposite ends of the Clocktower. As a brief moment of hesitation seemed to grip them both, Zoran took out the brooch she had gifted him and attached it to the shirt just below his neck, looking over to find Maria softly smiling at him.

"What happened to him? The boy with the horns?" She suddenly asked, hearkening back to the story he had told her.

"Well, he ended up loosing them for one. But after he is sent out, he eventually washes up on a beach. And as he awakens, he sees something lying in the distant sand." He revealed, with Maria recognizing what he was talking about.

"The girl." She acknowledged.

"Yes." He simply stated and even then, their hesitation carried on.

"So, they both escape in the end." She said, her voice soft and marred with sadness.

"In a way." He said in response. If only their story had ended up being more like theirs. But it was just that. A story.

"I wish we had met under different circumstances. Really, I do." Maria admitted after a brief silence and although it warmed him to hear her say this, he knew that what she described would most likely been impossible.

"On the contrary, I wouldn't have had it any other way."

The toll of the bell echoed through the tower as they began to slowly pace towards each other, tightly gripping their weapons as the memories of their past battles returned to them.

Maria made the first move, slashing at Zoran with her two blades, who managed to evade them both with little effort. She then swung her longer blade to her side, hoping to catch him as he evaded, but he blocked the strike with the hilt of his axe and pushed her arm away, swinging his own weapon at her. Luckily, she managed to dash backwards a safe distance before the blow could connect and just as quickly dashed forward with three consecutive forwards thrusts with her duel weapon, one of which managed to graze Zoran's side. Seemingly ignoring the pain, he managed to strike her across the chest with the tip of his axe's blade, but she managed to retreat before his follow up overhead strike could connect, though a small scar remained.

Quickly connecting her blades, she thrust the Rakuyo forward once again, but Zoran anticipated the attack and dodged to the side, extending his own axe in order to counter Maria's greater range. Hoping to maintain the upper hand, he swung his long-reaching weapon twice in a horizontal motion, though Maria rolled forward during his second swing and swung her Rakuyo in an upwards motion, slashing Zoran across the torso and causing him to stumble backwards. As he clutched his wound, he noticed that for whatever reason Maria hesitated in her follow up attack. Meeting her gaze for a brief moment, an unexpected thought crossed his mind.

"Just like a dance." He uttered.

"Indeed."

Raising her weapon to her side, she dashed towards him with blinding speed. Zoran just managed to block her incoming attack, though the resulting force caused him to slide back a couple meters as he tried to stand his ground. Pushing back with all his might, he managed to break their stand still, swiftly transforming his axe back to its base state only to swing it horizontally in order to take advantage of her broken guard, but all he managed to do was create a massive hole in the floorboards. Looking back up, he quickly maneuvered his body to the side to dodge a shot from Maria's Evelyn. Looking back at her, he found that she was holding up the smoking firearm, a resigned expression on her face. Zoran knew exactly what was about to happen.

Tossing her Evelyn away, Maria separated her two blades and swiftly plunged them into her stomach, before pulling them out with a yell, an explosion of blood erupting around her. She then leapt up into the air and descended onto the spot Zoran was not a moment ago, a forceful explosion sending several of the floorboards flying up into the air. She did not let up for a second as she swung both her blades in multiple diagonal motions, a stream of blood following each one; concluding in an X shaped slash that forced Zoran back. He ran towards her, dragging his axe along the ground as he did so and swung it upwards, before performing several more attempted strikes and yet another overhead strike, forcing Maria back. But instead of letting up, he used his other hand to fire a shot from his pistol towards where Maria had dashed to, which managed to hit her shoulder, staggering her briefly. Running towards her with a yell, he transformed his axe mid-thrust, the top of the weapon catching her in the chest and sending her flying backwards, though she managed to role off the ground upon impact. Taking up a stance, she swung her blood-soaked weapon overhead, the impact of which send Zoran tumbling across the ground even though he had successfully dodged it. As he sprung to his feet, he gave himself a silent reminder.

Only move after she has. It was a dance after all.

They continued on for a while, expertly maneuvering around each-other's strike in a dazzling spectacle of metal and blood, until Zoran finally managed to wear Maria down enough that she had to resort to even more desperate measures. Suddenly levitating into the air, she absorbed all of the blood that had been spilled throughout their duel and released yet another explosion. Zoran could only look on in dread as he remembered that he was entering uncharted waters. He had never successfully beaten her in this form.

Maria know left a jet of flame in the trajectory of her swings. The rules of the dance had been broken.

Cinders danced in the air as several of the old wooden structures of the tower burned, having caught fire as a result of their duel. Finding himself exhausted after the extended bout, he struggled to adequately dodge her attacks, growing sloppier every second the fight dragged on. As Maria dashed forward, he was unable to react before she had slashed across his chest with both blades, forcing him to his knees. Unable to defend himself, he could only watch helplessly as Maria approached him and drove her fist into his chest, a splitting pain spreading through his entire body as every limb seemed to go numb. She then pulled him close towards her, embracing his seemingly limped form. Putting her lips next to his ear she whispered…

"I'm sorry…."

She then removed her hand from his chest, letting him crumple to the ground. Carefully rolling onto his stomach, he forced himself upright with one hand and clutched the gaping hole in his chest with another, seemingly resigning himself to death once again as Maria hovered over him, ready to strike him down.

"So am I..."

He swiftly slashed Maria across the chest with a weapon she had not noticed on his person before then, causing her to stumble backwards in pain. Using the weapon to support himself, he rose to his feet and clutched it with both hands before driving it into his open wound. Pulling it out with a bloodcurdling scream, he held up the blood-soaked weapon, revealing it as the Chikage he had wielded in his time in the service of Cainhurst.

"We have always been honest with each-other, Maria. There is no use hiding who we really are anymore." He said, his resolve not breaking.

"Then it was not all in vain, after all." Was all Maria said in response before she dashed towards him once again.

The pace of the match had been evened out significantly, the two heirs of Cainhurst matching each other for every drop of blood that they burned away maintaining their forbidden art. Eventually, Maria dashed backwards once again, taking up a stance that was forever etched into Zoran's mind. She then fired a jet of blood towards him, a stream of flame following soon after, with the Vileblood dodging it successfully. Just as swiftly, she slashed her weapon diagonally…

But this time Zoran was ready.

Dashing through the flames, he rushed towards Maria with a speed she had never seen before. Before she could react, he had swung his blade upward, slashing her across the torso and quickly spun himself around, thrusting the blade past his side and stabbing her right through the stomach. Shock overtaking her, she began to stumble backwards, Zoran removing his hold on the blade and leaving it still impaled in her gut. Somehow managing to maintain her footing, she met her opponents' eyes, an unmistakable sadness present in her expression. But Zoran thought he saw something else within her eyes. Pride.

He did not have time to process this, as Maria suddenly let out an agonized cry and charged towards him once again, seemingly unwilling to give up even in the state she was in now. Anticipating the move, he managed to duck underneath her desperate swing and grab the Chikage impaled in her stomach, pulling it out as he did so, a torrent of blood beginning to erupt out of the wound. Finally spent, the Rakuyo tumbled out of Maria's hands and she collapsed to her knees as Zoran approached her, sheathing the Chikage as he did so. Grabbing her shoulder, she raised her head to look up at him, finding a regretful look on his face as he raised his hand.

"Thank you. For everything." Was all he said before he plunged his hand into her chest.

He had won. After all this time, he had finally bested her. And it had cost him everything.

Despite the severity of her injuries, Maria somehow managed to cling on to life, supporting herself on Zoran's shoulder as she struggled to stay conscious.

"It looks like you got what you always wanted." Maria managed to choke out.

"I didn't want this." Zoran replied, chocking back tears as he did so.

Suddenly, Maria wrapped her arm around Zoran and pulled him in close, so her head was resting on his shoulder before whispering in his ear.

"You stole my heart."

Despite the horrid situation they were in, he couldn't stop himself from softly chuckling. It seemed as if his humor had rubbed of on her.

"I knew you had it in you." He uttered more to himself then to her.

"Zoran, listen. My entire life has been spent trying to find a path I truly believed in, one where my talents could be put in the service of others. Yet, I always seemed to find myself as the centerpiece of yet another atrocity. Cainhurst, Byrgenwerth, the Church; I was complicit in the crimes of each and every one. I can put as much distance between me and the truth as I want, but there is no denying the amount of blood that is on my hands. The fact I am here at all should speak volumes as to the extent of my sins."

She pulled herself up and met Zoran's gaze, placing one hand on his cheek while supporting herself with the other.

"Yet against all odds, you managed to see something more in me. You helped me remember who I really was, beyond this wretched cycle that crushed my spirit so thoroughly. I treasured every moment I was with you, for you let me become what I've always wanted to be, even if for a little while. For once in my life, I don't feel like a failure."

She suddenly descended into a fit of coughing, blood escaping from her mouth. As Zoran continued to hold her close to him, he gently removed his hand from her chest and used it to further support her ailing body. Moving them to the staircase where they had spent countless hours together, he held her against him, supporting her as she struggled to sit up. He knew there was not much time left, but whatever he wanted to say to her wouldn't come out.

"Please. I need you to promise me something." She spoke in between pained breaths, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Once it is done; when the Nightmare finally comes to an end...promise me that you will put it all behind you. You may never lead a truly "normal" life, but I know...I know that you're so much more then just a soldier, more then just a hunter. The burdens you carry shouldn't define who you are. Instead, let them be what carries you...to the place you were always meant to end up in." She clutched him tighter then, not breaking his gaze for a moment.

"And whatever happens... know that I'll always be with you. Every step of the way..."

Zoran's felt his words catch in his throat, too overwhelmed by emotion to respond accordingly. Eventually, he managed to utter a simple reply.

"You have my word."

By now, Maria's grip on Zoran had begun to slip.

As Maria's breathing began to grow heavy, Zoran found himself unable to accept the scene playing out in front of him; to accept that she was about to die. Desperate to save her, he fished out his last remaining blood vial and attempted to inject it into her leg, but before it could reach it, Maria managed to catch the hand holding the vial. Zoran looked up to find her staring back at him with a comforting expression on her face.

"It's alright. You need to let me go." She said in a soothing voice, seemingly accepting her fate.

"No. Not like this. I can't fail you like all the others. Let me save you!" He pleaded with her as he found himself unable to hold the tears back any longer. He suddenly felt her place something in his lap, not needing to look down to know what it was.

"You already did."

Under the intensity of her gaze, Zoran felt the blood vial slip from his grip, shattering as it hit the ground. With trembling hands, he wound up the lever of the music box, allowing Maria to hear its familiar melody one last time as they shared a comforting embrace. What better use could there be for a lullaby?

"Farewell...my dear hunter." She said in a tender voice as her breathing grew labored.

"May you find your worth in the waking world."

Her grip on him suddenly gave way as a final, drawn out breath escaped her body. Lady Maria had passed away, receiving the peaceful ending she could not in her past live.

"Don't do this, Maria. Please, say something. Wake up. Don't let it take you. Not again. Please…I love you!"

Zoran desperately held on to her lifeless body, burying his face in her shoulder as the tears continued to flow. He found himself helplessly begging that she not leave him, not wanting to accept that she was gone. This soon devolved into incomprehensible blubbering that echoed throughout the decrepit and now empty tower.

He eventually found it within himself to pull away, gently cradling her body before he pressed his lips to her forehead. He continued this embrace even as he felt her fade away in his arms, her body fading away into nothing in short time. Hopefully this signified she has transcended to a higher plane, one where she could finally find salvation.

Despite this optimistic thought, Zoran felt empty. The only person he had ever grown to love had died by his hand. And now, he was truly alone.

Behind him, he could hear the gears of the clocktower slowly begin to turn, eventually revealing a narrow entrance into the depths of the Nightmare, where the true secret of the Healing Church lay to be uncovered. Looking at the music box in his hands, he gently placed it in the bag he had carried it in for so long, though the once innocent object now felt like an insurmountable burden on his shoulders. But it reminded him exactly of what he must do.

He was no longer without purpose. He made Maria a promise and he would see it through no matter what. He would shine a light on the dark past of the hunt and then bring its very foundations crashing down.

He owed her that much.

….

Zoran stood solemnly in the ruins of the Hunter's Workshop, where the roots of the hunt had taken hold. The Hunter's Dream contained a splitting image of the relatively small structure in front of him, down to every minute detail. It had been Gehrman's wish, no doubt; to ensure that his work would never be undone. But the ways of the Old Hunters had been lost and abandoned to time, much like the First Hunter himself.

But that was not the reason Zoran was there.

"Hello, Maria." He greeted solemnly, standing over what he now understood to be her grave.

"I made you a promise, remember? That I would put the sins of the Old Hunters to rest? Well, I've done it. Finally, I've done it." He said, pride filling his voice.

"It was the hardest fight of my life, as if the totality of the Hunter's sins were barreling towards me at once. But I overcame it and now, the child of Kos has returned to the ocean."

"I know I should not be here. Knowing now what the Old Hunters did in that Hamlet all those years ago. How they scoured the skulls of its residents for eyes. How they defiled the body of the Great One that washed up on that beach. What they did to its stillborn child. To learn that you were complicit in all those atrocities, was… heart-wrenching."

"But I know that's not who you really are. The Maria I knew was no blood-crazed fiend or blasphemous murderer; but perhaps the most compassionate and understanding person I have ever met. I thought myself a monster at one point, but I realize know that reality is never so black and white. Laurence, Ludwig, Gehrman; none of you were inherently evil. You were all people with what were originally noble intentions, driven to the brink by humanity's terminal ambition. And all of you suffered for it. Well no more. I hope you may all find peace at last."

Taking a knee before Maria's final resting place, Zoran dug into his bag and pulled out a Lumenflower he had picked from the vast garden outside of her Clocktower, placing it against her tombstone. He then brought out the music box he had gifted to her so long ago and wound it up, before placing his hand upon the tombstone and lowering his head to silently pay his respects, the soothing melody doing little to contain the grief he felt at that moment. After several minutes, he raised his head and rose to his feet, seemingly unwilling to leave.

"But my work is not yet finished. I promised you that I would free all hunters from eternal damnation. And to do that, I must put one more soul to rest." He glanced at his open palm, revealing a revolting black item oozing an unknown substance.

"And put an end to this accursed Dream."

Glancing one more time at the grave of his beloved, he felt the tears appear once again, but they did not flow as freely as they once did. It was her that helped him finally find a purpose in this seemingly endless night and for that, he would forever be grateful to her. Now he would snuff out this cycle of misery for good, no matter the cost.

"Farewell, Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower. Rest now, knowing that your past sins burden you no longer." As he began to make his way back into the Workshop, he stopped at the door and cast one more sideways glance at her grave, knowing this was the last time he would ever have the chance to speak to her.

"And that I will always love you. In this life and the next."

As he faded away into the Hunter's Dream for the final time, the eternal silence of the abandoned workshop settled in once again. Except for one singular source of sound, still echoing faintly through the decrepit remains of the once proud structure. On the earth of Lady Maria's grave, stood a tiny music box, left there as an eternal reminder of the bond she had formed with a lowly outsider in his darkest hour. And how her unexpected guidance helped them escape the grim cycle that befell them both.

As the lullaby faded, a thin ray of light broke through the clouds that had blanketed Yharnam's sky for so long.

The Nightmare was over at last. Now, Lady Maria would finally find peace.

...

Author's Note: Well, what did you expect from a story like this? A happy ending?

I ultimately only ended up expanding the dialogue between Zoran and Maria, as well as explaining Simon's motivations. What, you thought that throwaway line about Ludwig's "inclinations" wouldn't come into play again?

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read this little pet project of mine. I never expected it to get the attention that it did and it has truly helped me grow more confident in my capabilities as a writer. I would also like to acknowledge that I drew a lot of inspiration from Optimum Ace's "Last Crow of Yharnam" whilst developing this fic, so go and give it a read if you haven't already. The song used in the middle of the chapter is the original version of "Dark Eyes", as written by the Ukranian poet Yevhen Hrebinka.

And yes, that was a Hellsing Ultimate Abridged reference. Sue me.