Authors Note:
One of my readers who dropped a review helped me narrow down Eve's accent which is "a slight Slavic accent, maybe polish or Romanian," so shoutout to them. I don't really know how to describe it in writing so if you are curious about what Bell sounds like when he speaks, look up video clips of Lady Maria's unused dialogue.
Hope you enjoy the chapter.
'I am a failure. A complete, utter failure of a hero. I don't even have the right to call myself one.'
These were the thoughts plaguing my mind as I collapsed to the ground after burying Eileen the Crow, my second dear mentor.
'I'm sorry grandpa, I'm so sorry.'
As I apologized over and over, I tried to form a picture of my grandpa in my head but like always, all that appeared was a general silhouette of a man. No face, no eyes, no skin tone, no hair, no clothes, nothing. Just a silhouette.
After just laying on the ground, staring at the massive red moon that plagued the sky, I rose to my feet and looked at the graves my comrades rested in.
'At least they are freed from this god-forsaken place.'
As I stared at the makeshift gravestones I made for my deceased friends, a name rose into my consciousness.
'Gilbert… I have to bury Gilbert.'
Gilbert was the first person I encountered in Central Yharnam that didn't call me a feind or wish death upon me. In fact, he gave him comfort and reassurance that I was in desperate need of. The fact that I forgot about Gilbert sickened me.
As punishment, I slammed his head against a wall until I felt disoriented and blood flowed down my face, obscuring my vision. After enduring the pain for a few moments, a blood vial materialized in my hand out of thin air and I injected it into my neck. The aching headache disappeared and the open wound on my forehead healed. After this, I immediately made my way back to Central Yharnam, obliterating any beast in my path. Gilbert deserved to be given a proper burial, not be eaten by starved beasts.
Once I reached the stairs that would lead me back to Gilbert's window, I froze. His window was broken, the bars that protected the window were strewn all over the ground, and I heard growling coming from within Gilbert's moon.
'D-Did a beast break into his room through his window while I was gone?'
I was filled with fury at this. Gilbert deserved to have a peaceful death, not being ripped apart and devoured by a beast. All other thoughts ceased and all I wanted to do was carve out the beast's spleen.
After I stomped my way up the steps and peered into his window, I spotted a beast that was facing away from the window. Just before I could leap through the window to carve out the beast's spleen, it turned around and I stopped dead in my tracks.
It was wearing a necklace with a heart that had the name 'Eleanor,' the name of Gilbert's deceased wife, engraved on it. It was his necklace. I connected the dots and sadness punched me in the gut.
When the Red Moon rose into the sky, any humans that still had their sanity either went mad or turned into a beast. Gilbert was a victim of the latter.
"Oh Gilbert…"
"Gilbert" leaped at me, seeking to feast on my flesh and I rolled to the side. I then back-stepped to avoid the swipe from his razor-sharp claws.
Why… Why did this have to happen to Gilbert? He didn't deserve this.
I have to give him a quick, painless death. It was the least I could do for someone that treated an undeserving person like me with kindness.m
When he leaped at me again, I crouched and when his head was directly above me, I drove my Blade of Mercy upward, piercing the behind of his chin and burying the blade into his brain. I gently extracted the blade and held his body in my arms. I gently swiped my fingers on his eyes, closing them.
Once I rose and stood up with his body in my arms and started to make my way back to the graveyard outside of Oedon Chapel, I recalled my last interaction with Gilbert.
"Are you absolutely sure you don't need me to do anything? Like, grab you some more blankets or pillows?"
I was sitting in a chair next to what I thought would be Gilbert's deathbed. He shook his head and responded in a weak frail voice.
"Ahh, you needn't concern yourself with me. I'm afraid I'm of little help now. But before I… Take this."
Gilbert reached for something underneath his bed and pulled out what appeared to be a weapon. It had a bulky canister that was attached to what appeared to be a long tube with a nozzle at the end.
"It's called the flame sprayer."
Gilbert feebly held out a weapon for me to take. As the name implies, it sprays fire that was powered by quicksilver bullets, the same bullets he used for his firearm. Even after all the time I spent in Central Yharnam and the Cathedral Ward I still didn't understand how these quicksilver bullets could power this flamethrower.
I shook my head and held my hands out, refusing to grab the offered weapon.
"No Gilbert-san I can't possibly take away your only weapon. What would happen if a beast burst through your window and you had no weapon? You would be torn to shreds!"
Gilbert had a small smile on his face and he continued to hold out the weapon to me.
"I made no use of it, but perhaps you could. Please, take it. It is quite heavy and my arms aren't as strong as they used to be."
I noticed that his arms were trembling as he held out the weapon to me. I hesitantly took the flame sprayer out of his hands and he let out a sigh of relief. He then looked at the massive structures that were across the Great Bridge.
"What inflicted me was incurable, but this town gave me hope… Their strange blood bought me time. I was most fortunate. Unharmed by the plague of beasts, I can even die human."
'I suppose that's a good thing.' In a hellhole like this, you gotta enjoy the little things. Even if it's something as morbid as dying.
"Are you sure there isn't anything else I can do for you?"
"No good hunter, you have done all that you could have."
I hesitantly nodded my head and made my way toward the window. Once I climbed out of the window, I looked at Gilbert one last time.
"Goodbye Gilbert… Thanks for everything."
"No need to thank me good hunter. I pray you find what you seek."
I closed the window and continued my hunt.
This nightmare is truly unforgiving. Gilbert wasn't even able to die as a human.
(Month 1 Day 2)
Bell's groggy eyes opened and he was greeted with a familiar ceiling.
'Out of all the things I could dream of, why did it have to be Gilbert?'
Bell continued to stare at the ceiling with a neutral expression. So escaping Yharnam really wasn't a dream. He half expected to wake up with his head resting on Eve's lap or on the cold stone floor of the Hunter's Dream. Hell, it even could have been a sick joke played on him by a Great One. But no, he actually escaped.
Bell brought his hands to his face and started to wipe his eyes in an attempt to get rid of the grogginess. As he wiped his eyes, the smell of… rust entered his nostrils. Even though this was a smell he quickly became accustomed to in Yharnam, the smell actually unnerved him.
Bell hastily brought his hands away from his face and his eyes widened.
There was fresh blood on his hands.
'Did I unknowingly cut myself last night?' Bell checked his hands and didn't find any cuts or open wounds. Where was the blood coming from?
Bell hurriedly got out of his bed and walked out of his room. As he zoomed down the hall to the bathroom, he unknowingly passed by a green-haired elf who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
The albino burst through the bathroom door and made his way toward the mirror. His shaking hands gripped the sides of the sink as he stared into it with a horrified expression.
There was blood all over his face.
He turned on the faucet and splashed water on his face to try to rinse off the blood but to his horror, not only was the blood still on his panic-stricken face but the sink was now filled with blood.
The taste of copper entered Bell's mouth and buzzing similar to that of hornets started to flood his ears. Oxygen suddenly felt sparse as Bell started to hyperventilate. He started to hastily scrub his hands with soap.
'Why… WHY WON'T IT COME OFF!?'
Bell's frantic scrubbing continued he heard a knock coming from the bathroom door.
"Are you alright?"
Bell hastily turned his head to look at the closed door. The buzzing in his ears slowly disappeared and oxygen became suddenly abundant. He turned back to face the mirror and to his relief, there was no longer any blood on his face or in the sink. He looked back at his hands to see that they were no longer covered with the color he became oh so accustomed to in Yharnam. He had a brief escape from the blood but who knows when it will come back. He needed to get back to his room.
The bathroom door opened to reveal a green-haired elf whose eyes widened. The boy before her looked like a complete mess. His hair was wild and unkempt, he had pale skin that was paler than usual, and his eyes were wide and wild.
"Are you ok?"
"Y-Yeah I'm fine… Thank you for asking. Please excuse me." Although he tried to say it nonchalantly, the elf could still hear a simmer of anxiety in the boy's voice. Bell abruptly walked back to his room, leaving behind a slightly concerned elf. Once he was back in his room, the troubled hunter hastily put his gloves back on his shaky hands. He then sat on his bed and closed his eyes.
'Calm down Bell Cranel. Just take a deep breath in… and out. In… and out.'
The troubled hunter listened to the mantra's instructions and after a while, his heart rate slowed down and he gained some semblance of calm.
Bell's wealth of knowledge that he built up from the countless books he read in the Cainhurst library allowed him to determine that he just experienced something that was similar to a PTSD episode. Considering the literal hell he went through in Yharnam, Bell should have expected this. He was honestly surprised he kept his sanity.
'Come to think about it, am I really sane?'
Bell was one of the more stable hunters in the dream, but perhaps being "sane" in Yharnam has a lower standard than being "sane" in Genkai.
He looked out the window and noticed the rising sun. The street that was overlooked by Bell's window was nearly empty with little to no adventurers or citizens walking insight, signaling that the city was still in the process of waking up.
'It must be early morning.' Bell put on his trench coat, hat, and bandana, he strapped his Rakuyo to his waist and walked down the stairs to the pub. The creaking of the wood caused the only awake waitress to look at the young hunter. The elf's broom stopped mid-swipe when she locked eyes with the albino. The two just stared at each other, not knowing what to say. Their brief encounter made the situation too awkward.
"...Morning," the hunter said, not knowing if breaking the silence was the right thing to do.
"...Good morning," the elf replied after a couple of seconds.
"...May I order breakfast?" Although Bell wasn't hungry, he was eager to try the breakfast options. The food was just too good and savoring the flavor of a good meal was a great substitute for the anxiety that was still lingering from his episode in the bathroom.
"Of course." The elven waitress walked behind the counter and set the menu in front of Bell who was taking a seat at the counter. As Bell read the items on the menu, he wasn't surprised that he didn't recognize any of the menu choices. He decided to take a gamble and pointed at a random choice.
"I would like to order this."
"Alright. May, I need one order of a sausage and egg muffin," the elf said to the chef in a neutral tone.
"Nya! Someone is up already?"
"Whether you like it or not he's up," she said with a stoic tone before turning back to the young man who was looking down at the counter as if contemplating something. His head then rose to look at the elf.
Now that he actually took the time to look at the elf, she was quite gorgeous. She had sky blue eyes and beautiful skin that was as white as snow. The only thing that caused the young hunter to raise a metaphorical eyebrow was the barely noticeable strands of yellow hair, causing Bell to suspect that she dyed her hair. Although it was strange, Bell wasn't going to say anything about it. It wasn't his business if some circumstance in her life forced her to do that. After a couple of seconds of admiring her beauty, he spoke.
"I…I apologize for that display earlier in the bathroom," the albino said with hesitation. The green-haired elf was a little surprised by this. She honestly expected the young man to pretend that incident never even happened.
"No need to apologize, we all have our demons," she said softly. She didn't plan on pushing for an answer but she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious. The awkward atmosphere dissipated which gave Bell the courage to force a smile on his face.
"Let's start over. My name is Bell Cranel. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
'That smile… it's fake.' Although it was a well-practiced smile, the elf could tell it was fake. In fact, a majority of his mannerisms are well-practiced. What perhaps disturbed her the most were his eyes. The eyes can tell a lot about a person. They gleam when someone is happy, they glisten when someone is sad, and they sometimes even redden when someone experiences rage. But his eyes? They were just completely empty. This saddened the elf. The boy that stood before her couldn't be older than fourteen years old. How can someone so young be so damaged?
"Well met, Mr. Cranell, my name is Ryuu Lion. Nice to meet you," Ryuu said, introducing herself.
"Likewise Miss Lion," Bell replied before looking around the room as if searching for something. Ryuu was confused by this until Bell asked his next question.
"What time is it?" Ryuu pulled out her pocket watch and looked at the time.
"It is 6:00 AM in the morning," Ryuu said before putting her pocket watch back into one of the pockets of her uniform.
"Thank you." Ryuu nodded her head and turned around to grab the plate of food and a glass of water. She set the plate of food and glass of water in front of Bell who was watching her like a hawk. Bell then began to inspect what Ryuu called the 'sausage and egg muffin.' It was similar to that of a sandwich. The hunter recalled that a sandwich was considered a meal where some food such as meat or cheese was put between two slices of bread. Between the two slices of bread was what appeared to be a slice of cheese and two circular pieces of food, one being that of some meat and a white/yellow substance that Bell could not identify. Was this what Ryuu referred to as the "egg?"
Ryuu watched Bell with slight amusement as he inspected the muffin. It reminded her of a rabbit sniffing a carrot before eating it. After inspecting the muffin, Bell picked it up with both of his hands and took a bite, resulting in a subtle but pleased moan leaving his lips as he chewed the food.
"It's that good huh?" Ryuu asked with a barely noticeable smirk. Bell looked back at her and nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep, it's the second-best thing I have ever eaten."
'Or, more accurately, the second thing I've eaten since arriving in Orario.' Bell thought in amusement. Even if this was his second meal in Orario, it was still delicious.
"I'll be sure to tell May that. She loves it when people compliment her cooking," the elf said. She was curious about the white-haired boy so she decided to keep the conversation going.
"I've been told that you are reluctant to become an adventurer, may I ask why?"
Bell tilted his head to the side as he pondered the question. "When I first made the decision to come to Orario I did want to be an adventurer. However, something… happened during my journey which has caused me to question if I really want to become one." Bell turned his head to look at Ryuu.
"Why did you want to know?" Bell asked with an inquisitive tone.
"My friend Syr, whom you have already met, was wondering so I decided to ask for her."
"Did she now…" Bell's eyes narrowed a fraction before returning to normal, something that Ryuu noticed.
'The only person that I told I wasn't sure if I wanted to be an adventurer was Mia, so how does Syr know? Did she talk to Mia or was she eavesdropping?'
"I was also curious because of that sword of yours. From what I could tell from its sheath, it must be well made and quite expensive, something that a new adventurer should not have," Ryuu said while glancing down at the sheath that was resting on the left side of Bell's waist.
"Why thank you. It truly is one of a kind and probably one of my most prized possessions." Bell detached the sheath from his waist and held it out in front of Ryuu. He put his right hand on the handle of the blade and looked up at Ryuu.
"May I?" After a couple of seconds, Ryuu nodded and Bell pulled the sword slightly out of its sheath. Not completely out but just enough for Ryuu to see the blade. The sword was truly beautiful. The blade was clean and slender, reminding her of a katana. There were intricate engravings near the sword's guard. What intrigued Ryuu the most was the pommel of the sword which was hollowed out in a way that something was supposed to be attached to the pommel.
"It truly is a beautiful blade," Ryuu admitted.
"You have my thanks," Bell said with a smile, one that Ryuu could tell was more genuine than the previous one. Bell put the blade back in its sheath and reattached it to his waist.
"I do find it odd that you were willing to show that blade to me, considering we just met," the elf said.
"Perhaps, maybe I just wanted to show it off to a fellow skilled combatant." Ryuu was perplexed by his statement.
"And what led you to that assumption?" Ryuu said with narrowed eyes. Bell casually shrugged before resting his head on his left arm that was propped up on the counter.
"My intuition is telling me that you are someone that has seen combat before. You also walk like a seasoned warrior, always being on the lookout and on guard. Oh, there's also the knife that's strapped to your right forearm underneath your right sleeve."
Although Ryuu was caught off guard, she hid it well behind her stoic expression.
"How do you know?"
"Last night when your friend Syr walked up to you, you were holding a tray of food with your entire right hand positioned under the center of the tray." Bell demonstrated and he held his right arm in the air with his hand bent back, having the palm of his hand face the ceiling of the pub.
"That caused the sleeve of your uniform to fall slightly, revealing just the tip of the handle of your blade," Bell said smoothly before taking another bite of the muffin.
Ryuu was speechless, she would have to be more careful around this boy because not only was he most likely skilled in combat, but he was also perceptive and observant. He was able to spot the exposed handle of her blade from across the room and she recalled him looking at both her and Syr for just a second before returning his gaze to the counter.
"Well, that was a great breakfast," Bell said as he scooted his chair back and stood up.
"Please give my compliments to May, I hope you have a good rest of your day Miss Lion." Bell didn't wait for her reply and just walked out the front door.
Ryuu continued to stare at the front door even after the white rabbit was long gone. She didn't really think much of Bell when she first laid her eyes on him last night, but after this morning and the incident in the bathroom, she began to understand why Syr found him intriguing.