After returning to the Hunter's dream and giving Eve a big hug, Bell was given the task of slaying a Great One called Kos. The hunter recalled the name, remembering how Micolash would babble on about Kos before Bell strangled him with his transformed threaded Cane. The Great One was located in what was called the Hunter's Nightmare, a place where hunters that succumbed to bloodlust resided in.
After being picked up by a lesser Amygdala, he was transported to the Hunter's nightmare.
The Hunter's nightmare certainly lived up to its name. Bell was constantly attacked by blood-crazed hunters and hideous beasts that he had never seen before. His first challenge was when he walked up a set of stairs leading to a cathedral that was nearly identical to the one in Yharnam, where he encountered Laurence, the founder of the Healing Church who was now a flaming Cleric Beast. It was certainly a tough battle that resulted in Bell nearly burning to death by the molten magma that leaked out of the flaming Cleric Beast.
The next monster that gave Bell a headache was Ludwig the Accursed, the most atrocious monster he had ever encountered. Its thin lower body sported four asymmetrical hoofed legs. Its upper torso was the manifestation of pure madness. Between its two long arms with large sharp talons protruded a disproportionate hunch that showed a circular maw with clusters of eyes and jagged teeth. Its face was a melted visage of crooked teeth and wrinkled skin, stretched over an elongated head vaguely resembling that of a horse.
The hideous beast was fast and relentless, but it wasn't anything that Bell hadn't fought before. However, that thought changed halfway through the fight. The horseman's deafening shrieks changed into actual coherent words and he summoned a sword capable of mass destruction, the Holy Moonlight Greatsword. The beast then changed its stance similar to that of a human being. Even his clothes changed from appearing like torn apart rags to that of an old hunter set.
The beast had done the impossible, it regained its humanity. It was then that Bell came to the startling realization that he was no longer fighting Ludwig the Accursed, he was now fighting Ludwig of the Holy Blade.
The beast- no, Ludwig's transformation increased the difficulty of the fight tremendously. It was after twenty deaths did the experienced white-haired hunter finally put down the old hunter. Bell paid his respects to the deceased hunter, grabbed his greatsword, and continued his journey.
After tearing a Church huntress's flesh apart with his Whirligig Saw and putting a bullet between the eyes of another, Bell discovered the Research Hall.
The Research Hall was littered with spiral staircases that appeared to be endless and insane patients with massive red heads that appeared to be pulsating. The thing that disturbed him the most was that their eyes were missing as if they were surgically removed.
The patients either being passive or aggressive was essentially a coin flip. It was a surreal and sorrowful experience. He still remembered all the patients calling out to Lady Maria. They even sometimes mistaken him for Lady Maria.
When he walked past a patient that was lying on the ground, she latched onto his leg as if he was her lifeline.
"Is that you Lady Maria? Please, just hold my hand. Even for just a second."
Bell, not wanting to cause the patient any more distress, knelt down and wordlessly offered her his hand. The patient grabbed his hand with a grip that actually made Bell wince in discomfort.
"Oh thank you so much Lady Maria! Oh how I've missed you! It's been too long!" The patient started to murmur about how happy she was. Although her grip hurt, he stayed there until she let go of his hand.
After slaughtering leftover hunters and comforting the patients who mistaken him for Lady Maria, he reached the top of the Research Hall. He opened a massive door that led to a garden with a tree in the center. What resided in the garden were massive, alien-like creatures known as the Living Failures.
When the experienced hunter annihilated the Living Failures (who certainly lived up to their name), Bell walked into Astral Clocktower which contained one massive room. The room was a rectangular chamber with a narrow set of steps leading up to a mausoleum at the far end.
However, what caught his interest was the woman sitting in a chair perched in the center of the room. Her left leg was crossed over the other and her hands rested on top of her left knee with her head tilted downward donning a cap that obstructed the view of her face.
Another thing that Bell noticed was how similar the lady's garb was to the Knight set that the knights of Cainhurst wore. The cap the lady was wearing doned feathers on the top just like the knight's wig and trousers that were nearly identical to the knight set. Despite that, there were also many differences too. There was golden embroidery along the edges of the garb. A pure white caveat hung from the woman's neck and there was a cape on the left side that was held in place with chains. The most alarming thing that Bell spotted was the massive sword that lay in her lap. It appeared to be a sword-knife hybrid, with a knife attached to the sword's hilt.
As Bell approached her, careful as to not make a sound, he heard a voice that was all too familiar to him.
"Hm… A visitor? How unexpected…"
The voice startled Bell, who took a step back and placed his hand on the hilt of his Chikage. The lady's head rose up to look at Bell and his eyes widened.
"Eve?"
The woman that sat before him was nearly identical to the doll that resided in the dream. Not only that, but her voice was indistinguishable too.
"Eve… I am unfamiliar with the person who you speak of but that is not my name. I am Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower."
Bell felt a chill run down his spine when she said that. He had learned of her existence when he was reading books in the Cainhurst library. Lady Maria was a citizen of Cainhurst and a distant relative of Queen Analise. She was also one of the first hunters that studied under Gherman and she quickly became one of the best hunters to ever partake in the hunt. In other words, the person standing before him was a living legend.
"If you are here… then the secret of the Church has been laid bare, right?" Maria said, still sitting in the chair and staring at Bell like a hawk.
The Research Hall was a hidden facility of the Healing Church that was dedicated to discovering a way to transcend humanity through the creation of kin. All the insane patients were the unfortunate casualties of this Healing Church's ambitious project.
When Bell confirmed her belief, her expression turned sad for a second before reverting back to its impassive countenance.
"Good Hunter, lost in the nightmare. What do you think of that beastly legend and those ailing wards of the church?... I know what you did to them... It's not your fault. The nightmare held them, and now they are free. But, what about you? Have you profited at all?"
"Profited? What do you mean?" Bell said with a confused countenance.
"I know what you seek. The secret of the nightmare beckons so sweetly, doesn't it?"
"Yeah… it does." Bell couldn't deny Lady Maria's assertion. The secret of the nightmare was calling to him and the call was hard to ignore. He had to find out what it was.
"I thought as much… Do you wish to tease some more from the depths of this nightmare? Even if it means my murder..." Maria said as she stood up from her chair.
"M-Murder?" Bell started to slowly back up.
"Yes. I know you are connected to the dream; cursed with immortality. It is only a matter of time before you best me. However, there is one thing I can promise you…"
A loud pang echoed throughout the room as Lady Maria gracefully separated the sword from the knife, holding the sword in her right hand and the knife in her left hand. A feeling of apprehension flowed through Bell as he stared into Maria's eyes.
"It will take a long time."
Lady Maria wasn't lying when she said that because she certainly lived up to her reputation as being one of the most skilled hunters ever known.
Although Bell was well versed in the various weapons he collected throughout the hunt, ranging from the saw cleaver to even eccentric weapons such as the Amygdala's arm, he prided himself in his skill with the sword. His pride was shattered because after dueling Lady Maria a couple of times, he realized he was hopelessly and hilariously outmatched.
Not only was Lady Maria proficient in the use of Bloodtinge, but her skill with a blade was also unmatched. Her level of swordplay was so beautiful that Bell actually died from admiring it. It took forty deaths before Bell felt like he made a smidge of progress in overcoming this nearly insurmountable adversary.
Bell abused his immortality and fought against Lady Maria for perhaps hundreds of battles to the death, each fight and death elevated his skill as a duelist. Whenever he believed he had the upper hand, she would abruptly turn the tables on him and end his life. There was something with the way she killed him that was so intimate. Whenever she plunged her sword or knife into the hunter, she would gently lay him on the ground or even embrace him, trying to make him feel as comfortable as possible as he felt life leave him. In addition, at some point during their countless battles, they developed a student and master dynamic. Every time Maria ended his life, she would give a subtle hint as to why he was bested. Each death crafted Bell into a swordsman that was only matched by Lady Maria herself.
When he reached her level of skill with the blade, she resorted to bestowing her weapons with the power of her blood, thus causing the cycle of countless deaths to repeat itself. Although Bell was adept at using his blood to enhance his weapons, if you compared his skill and technique to Lady Maria, it was like comparing the skill of a highschool track team's ace to an Olympic runner.
After what felt like an eternity, Bell was finally able to best her in combat. He disarmed her, pushed her to the floor, and pressed his Chikage to her neck with enough force to draw blood. Lady Maria, accepting that the student finally surpassed the master, closed her eyes and waited for her death. When a couple of seconds passed and nothing happened, Maria opened her eyes and looked at Bell, who appeared to be in a trance.
"What's wrong, my hunter?" Don't you desire to discover the secret of the Hunter's Nightmare?"
"I… I don't want to."
There was some force that was preventing Bell from plunging his sword into her neck. He couldn't bring himself to kill Maria. Whenever the thought popped into his head, Maria's clothes morphed into the clothes the doll wore.
Lady Maria raised her eyebrow at her statement.
"Does the secret not beckon your interest anymore?"
"No… not anymore."
Discovering the secret of the Hunter's Nightmare and killing the Great One Kos was not worth claiming her life. Bell couldn't stomach the thought of one of his master's dying again. The "training" he had with Lady Maria elevated his skill to a level that was unmatched by any other hunter. As a way to thank her, he decided to abandon his quest of discovering the Nightmare's secret.
"Oh, really? Well, that's a relief. Now you can leave this Nightmare." Although she still had an expressionless face that was identical to the doll, he could tell she was immensely grateful. The amount of determination she had to prevent Bell from discovering the secret was evident through her use of blood. Although she was of Cainhurst origin and had the ability to manipulate blood, she detested the ability and chose to hone her skill with the blade. The fact that she was willing to go that far in preventing Bell from advancing speaks volumes of how much she wanted to hide the secret of the Nightmare.
Bell held out a hand to help her up which she accepted and lifted her up. When she was back on her feet, Bell put his left hand below his right shoulder, stretched his right arm to the side, and bowed.
"Thank you for the training."
When Bell turned around to leave the Astral Clocktower, a voice called out to him.
"Good hunter."
Bell turned around to see Lady Maria holding out the Rakuyo, the sword that has claimed his life so many times.
"Take this as your parting prize. Let it serve you well, and return to the hunt, good hunter."
The white-haired hunter gratefully took the blade. When he took the blade, Lady Maria nodded her head.
"Good hunting, Bell Cranel." After saying farewell, Lady Maria walked back to the chair she was previously sitting in.
Bell bowed to her one last time and walked out of the Astral Clocktower.
As Bell walked to a lantern to return to the Hunter's Dream, he tried to recall the life he lived before being summoned to the Hunter's Dream. As the albino immersed himself in the hunt, it slowly became harder and harder to recall his life. This terrified him. He feared that if he somehow managed to escape this horrible dream, he would have completely forgotten who he once was. When he brought up this concern to Eva, she suggested writing everything that he remembered in the various books that littered the workshop. Although he was grateful for this suggestion, it did little to prevent the memories from leaving his hippocampus.
It started with minuscule memories such as forgetting the name of the village he lived in or the names of the girls that chased and teased him. It was when he tried and failed to recall the face of his grandfather he realized how far gone he was. All Bell could remember was the general shape of his grandfather and even that was blurry. How long has it been since he last had breakfast or shared a laugh with his grandfather?
If his memories of his grandfather were going to disappear, Bell resolved to do one thing for him: become a hero that would make him proud.
He tried to fulfill this goal. Bell would help whatever sane people he encountered and send them to Oedon Chapel. There weren't many; the number of citizens that were still sane could be counted on one hand, but saving these people would make him a hero. Right? It was going great; the chapel dweller was happy with the number of people he sent there and everyone was in good spirits.
It fell apart when the Red Moon rose into the sky. When Bell returned to Oedon Chapel after slaying Rom, he was greeted with a horrific sight.
Arianna, the prostitute he found in the Cathedral Ward, had her belly split open with her entrails all over the concrete floor. The chapel dweller was curled up in a ball, babbling to himself. Bell heard giggling outside of the Chapel and he walked toward the source of the sound. As Bell made his way out to the graveyard, he spotted the body of the old woman he found at Central Yharnam and Adella the Nun. Adella was giggling to herself hysterically as she repeatedly drove her knife into the old lady's stomach. When she noticed the white-haired hunter's presence, she lunged at Bell, knife held high with a mad grin on her face. However, she was no match for the experienced hunter who just sidestepped her clumsy attack and shot her in the back of the head with his pistol.
The pain didn't end there. Various hunters that he trusted met their end too.
The hunt had claimed the lives of hunters such as Alfred and Valtr. The one that hurt the most was Eileen the Crow, his former mentor who he found bleeding out on a staircase outside of the Cathedral ward.
Bell quickly made his way toward Eileen and crouched down in front of her, frantically checking if she was alright. The white-haired hunter noticed that she had her hand pressed against her side, trying and failing to stop the fresh blood from leaking out of her body. Sensing the presence before her, Eileen slowly lifted her head and let out a gasp.
"Oh, is that you again?" She asked softly.
"What happened?" Bell asked with a hint of urgency.
"I'm afraid I've made a bit of a blunder. I'm just going to have a short rest." Bell noticed that her head started to drift to the side as if she was about to sleep. He prevented this by gently grabbing her and shaking her gently, not hard enough to hurt her but enough to prevent her from sleeping.
"No. Falling unconscious is the last thing you want to do right now. Stay with me. Do you need a blood vial?" Eileen gently shook her head.
"Oh, don't worry, I've taken blood. Enough to save an old woman… No more dreams for me. This is my last chance. What a fool I am. I'll have to tread carefully."
Eileen then looked at Bell. Although her face was hidden behind her mask, he could tell she had an expression of determination.
"But that thing still lies in wait. Turn back. This is my score to settle."
He didn't listen. He knew that in her state she would be slaughtered. Although Eileen was an old lady and well past her prime, she was still a skilled hunter that shouldn't be underestimated. If this hunter was able to best Eileen, then they were quite the formidable foe. He picked up her trick weapon, the Blades of Mercy, and walked into the Grand Cathedral.
The Bloody Crow of Cainhurst proved to be quite the challenging and cunning fighter. His skill with a blade that Bell had never seen before was deadly. He used a powerful pistol that packed a punch and he even had what appeared to be a bone that allowed him to disappear and immerse himself in a shroud of fog. The battle lasted a long time, the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst was able to prolong the fight to the point that Bell had to use all of his blood vials before he was finally able to put him down.
"Don't you ever listen to your elders?" Although it was meant to be a rebuke, her tone was endearing. "No matter, you did save my life. I don't seem to be apt for this life anymore... My glory days were long ago now..."
Bell knelt down, grabbed her hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Although her response was weak, she squeezed back. Bell brought her trick weapon, intending to return them to their master, but she blocked him with her other hand. The albino gave her a confused look but she just shook her head.
"No. Keep them. They will serve you well. This too is hunters' work, but bears no honor. A burden you may choose to carry. The decision is yours and yours alone."
She brought her right hand to the back of her mask and started to fiddle with a strap. Bell helped her and he lifted the mask off her head to reveal the face of an old lady. Once the mask was lifted off her head, she let out a content sigh.
"It's been too long since I felt the breeze on my face. It feels good, doesn't it?"
Bell could only reply with a stiff nod. Eileen's head started to tilt to the side and her grip on his hand weakened.
"Ahh, my eyes grow heavy...let me rest a while...I'll be fine, just wait.."
Bell waited for the inevitable and held her hand the entire time. When her head fell to the side, Bell closed his eyes to stop the tears and leaned his forehead onto her hand. Although death was a common thing in Yharnam, it still hurts seeing someone he considered a mentor pass away. The only comforting thought was that she was in a better place; freed from the insanity and depravity of Yharnam.
After a moment of silence and recomposing himself, he gently lifted her body and made his way back to the cemetery. He grabbed a shovel he found leaning against the stone wall and began digging some graves for his fallen comrades. When Bell finished burying Eileen, a realization struck him, causing Bell's knees to give out as he collapsed to the ground.
Not only did his memories of his grandfather disappear, but he also couldn't even honor his memory by becoming the hero that his grandpa always wanted him to be.
This brought up a topic that the experienced hunter was afraid to address. Did he truly deserve a second chance?
He was a hunter that was only good at slaying beasts. He couldn't even become a hero that was worthy of his grandfather's wish. These thoughts nearly brought Bell to tears and he sought out the doll's comfort. Unfortunately, not even the doll's usually soothing presence helped Bell as his self-deprecating thoughts consumed him. After what felt like hours, the doll's comforting embrace brought some sense to Bell and he was able to pull himself together. He slowly got up to his feet and continued the hunt in order to pursue a goal he wasn't sure he was worthy of achieving.
As Eve watched Bell walk towards a gravestone to explore the chalice dungeons, she felt sad. She knew of Bell's past and his aspirations. During his many breaks from the hunt, he told the doll everything there was about him. He told her about his grandfather, his life from start to present, his aspirations, he even told her about his embarrassing dream of picking up girls in a dungeon. She used all the knowledge he bestowed upon her to help him when darkness threatened to consume Bell. She also used it to her advantage.
The hunt had been long. So very long. After what felt like an eternity, Bell finally found what was anchoring him to this awful nightmare. He found the source of the harrowing cry on top of the tower in the Nightmare of Mensis. The still-born child of Queen Yharnam was guarded by Mergo's Wet Nurse. After killing Mergo and the still-born child, the neverending crying that resided in Bell's consciousness finally came to an end. Bell let out a sigh of relief and returned to the Hunter's Workshop.
What awaited him almost broke him. The doll confessed something to Bell that caused his world to come crashing down.
The doll knew all along.
She sent him on a wild goose chase hunting Great Ones, collecting umbilical cords, exploring the Hunter's Nightmare, and conquering the chalice dungeons.
The doll had known how to free Bell from the dream this entire time.
The doll's confession brought Bell to tears and he nearly lashed out at her in anger and grief. Being ripped apart limb from limb or being burned alive was one thing. But being betrayed by the person he considered his friend and even a mother figure too made all the pain he experienced during the hunt pale in comparison. If she told him how to escape years ago, perhaps he would still be the same person he was before the dream! It took a while, but Bell was able to compose himself to hear the doll out. She looked like she genuinely regretted her actions and begged him to allow her to explain why she did what she did.
Bell called upon Queen Annalise's teachings and calmed the rage that was welling up inside of him and managed to demand the doll to explain in a clearly forced calm tone.
The experienced hunter was glad he didn't give in to the rage in his heart and do something that he would deeply regret later on. He learned that his goals aligned with hers. While the main reason for why hunting the Great Ones was to escape the dream, something occurred to Bell. Great Ones were known as beings that existed across multiple planes of existence. Was there a possibility that they would descend into Genkai? With that thought in mind and the risks involved, Bell fought the Great Ones to prevent this possible scenario from becoming a reality.
This was something that Eve wanted as well. She had seen many hunters come and go during her countless years of residing in the dream. Some made it out but were a shell of their former self, some just gave up, and some even lost their minds and succumbed to the thrill of the hunt, sentencing them to the eternal prison that was the Hunter's Nightmare.
But not Bell. Although he was at the beginning a naive and skittish boy, he had a sheer sense of will that was unconquerable. Because of his will to fight and escape the dream, he saved himself from succumbing to the bloodlust that sentenced many hunters to a fate worse than death.
Although he definitely wasn't the same boy he was prior to being summoned to the Hunter's Dream, Bell Cranel still remained true to himself even when facing all the horrors Yharnam subjected him to. When he stared into the abyss and the abyss stared back at him, he didn't blink.
There was also another reason as to why the doll sent him on all of those missions. It was to prepare him for what could be his final two fights.
Bell hugged Eve and believing this would be the last time he would see her, said farewell and made his way towards Gherman. Bell walked down the manmade path and walked up to the open gate that led to a beautiful field of white flowers. Bell took a deep breath and crossed the gate. Bell turned to look to his left and saw a familiar sight.
Below a massive tree was Gehrman sitting in his wheelchair. The man that Bell viewed as one of his many mentors.
Gehrman offered him the escape that he had been searching for; to be freed from this terrible dream. Bell almost said yes for the easy escape, to escape this horrible dream. However, he knew that if he took the easy way out, he would never forgive himself. So instead, he refused.
Gherman, believing that Bell had succumbed to bloodlust, was about to get out of his chair to forcibly free Bell until the albino said something that caught him completely off guard.
"No Gehrman, it wasn't the hunt, it wasn't the blood, it wasn't the horrible dream. I just want to give you peace."
Throughout his many visits to the Hunter's Dream, Bell would occasionally hear Gherman mumbling in his sleep; crying out to Wilhem or Laurence saying he wanted to be free from the dream. But despite that, Gherman endured the eternal solitude in the dream, saving all the previous hunters and sending them to return to their previous lives. He was quite possibly the most selfless person Bell has ever known.
Bell offered him the escape he knew Gherman always wanted, and for a moment it looked as if Gherman was going to accept before he resolved his will and pulled out his burial blade.
And so, the battle between the first and last hunter began, both fighting to save the other.
Unlike his previous battles, Bell knew that if he died, he would die a true death and he would fail in giving Gherman the peace he deserved.
Gherman, despite being well past his prime, was a formidable opponent that kept Bell on his toes the entire fight. Despite having a peg leg, his attacks were so fast that sometimes Bell dodged just by the skin of his teeth. However, because of his endless battles with Maria, the albino was too skilled for the first hunter. Gherman met his end when Bell exploited a weakness in the old man's defenses and plunged his blade through his chest. Bell gently laid Gherman's dying body to the field of flowers.
As Gherman's body started to disintegrate, two emotions hit Bell with a force that was equivalent to a nuclear bomb.
Sadness, having to battle his mentor in order to give him peace.
But he also felt happy. Although he would never be able to become the hero that he wanted to be, Bell was finally able to save someone.
The field of white flowers that was illuminated by the moon became obscured which caused Bell to look into the sky. The creature that was descending from the sky was the abomination Bell has been hunting for this entire time. It was the true source of the dream. It was the Moon Presence. The Paleblood.
The Moon Presence picked up Bell and embraced him in an almost loving way. The hunter felt the monster try to override his mind but he was able to repel the mental attack. The three umbilical cords that Bell collected throughout his endless hunt had granted him the ability to resist the Great One's mental attack.
Realizing that its mental attack failed, the Moon Presence threw the hunter across the field of flowers and let out an ear-piercing scream. Bell stood up and gave the monster a glare that was filled with fury and rage.
The battle between the white-haired hunter and the Moon Presence was a battle of attrition because it was perhaps the longest battle he had ever experienced. He had to exhaust all of his resources ranging from blood vials, quicksilver bullets, molotovs, beasthood pellets, fire paper, lead elixirs, and many other items.
The battle had been long and arduous, but Bell was able to deal the final blow when he drove his blood-enhanced Rakuyo into the Moon Presence's mouth. However, the final blow came at a cost as the monster was able to drive one of its claws into Bell's abdomen. When the monster disintegrated, Bell collapsed to the ground, the very same spot he had awoken an eternity ago.
As Bell lay on the ground, bleeding out and feeling his body go cold, he felt at peace.
Whether he returns to Genkai or is granted eternal rest, he did not care.
He was finally able to escape this nightmare.
His eyes started to feel heavy, his world began to spin, and it suddenly became harder to breathe.
Bell welcomed the darkness with a gentle smile.
Farewell, good hunter. May you find your worth in the waking world.
Holy crap we are finally done with the Bloodborne section of the story. I had a blast writing this part, especially the Lady Maria section. In the first draft Bell actually kills Lady Maria but I thought this scenario was better and more interesting. I also hope I portrayed Bell as a tragic hero well. I don't really know when the next chapter will be out. I'll just post it when it's ready.
Also, thanks for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews! I read them all and usually respond to them.