Chapter XV: Satanic Stockholm Syndrome
{Background image for this chapter: Tarot card XV - The Devil}
We continue to stalk the Order. Father Giorgio is particularly interested in a certain psycho from the "Order" who goes by the name of "Vincent Cooper". The priest has an interesting theory: Claudia Wolf has Stockholm Syndrome 'over Evil itself': Her faith guides her to cause pain to others as if pain was inherently good but not just that: she goes to the point of effectively accepting the monsters' torment upon her very self over the belief that they will usher her "Paradise" through her pain - her faith is so blind that she actually accepts going to 'Hell' if that's the price for Paradise to be created. Together we did hear Claudia say once: "Abraham was tempted, and the price would be killing his son. He gladly accepted that price, but I ask: Would he still have accepted it if the price were for him to go to hell forever? - For only that would test the ultimate degree of selflessness. For the Ultimate Price let there be Ultimate Selflessness... When the time comes, I will not deny even this price, and so I will be the Ultimate Martyr". I must agree with Father Giorgio when he concluded Claudia is insane and has made herself a sad and wicked parody of Christ. "Have you ever noticed that only those who suffer can be good? Goodness is thus not something that comes from oneself but from suffering - Goodness is not inherent to us like we love to think but is rather inherent to Pain. To me this is the darkest truth of this world" – She said too. This woman likely has Schizophrenia… But she's not like you Ethan, not at all like you. You inhabit the body of a grown up, but you are a pure child, an angel, Ethan. You are not like Claudia in the slightest. People are more than silly labels...
Father Giorgio also assertively claims to be sure that Vincent Cooper's secret plan is to become himself a God. And, apparently, what amuses this Vincent person the most is that Claudia has 'Stockholm Syndrome over Evil itself' while him, on the other hand, wants 'Evil to have Stockholm Syndrome over him'… You should hear this through the priest's voice himself; I assure you it sound much funnier.
But jokes aside, I asked the priest if the danger is real and he said God (the Christian one, mind you) would never allow such horror to bear fruit, but stopping them was still in his hands (and apparently in mine as well). But before I freaked out, Father Giorgio calmly explained his plan to defeat Vincent: It is too dangerous for us to go and kill him ourselves, besides, Father Georgio refuses to commit murder, of course. But Vincent has in his pocket the Seal of Ophiel which he uses as a precaution against Claudia's dagger. He has foreseen that Claudia will try to stab him and he believes this Seal will summon the spirit of Ophiel when Claudia tries to stab him, and Ophiel will turn the dagger's steel into liquid mercury thus saving his life at the last moment! All we have to do now is replace the Seal of Ophiel in his pocket with a counterfeit one without him noticing!
Father Giorgio seemed so confident that I left him to do this on his own while I went to the Silent Hill Smile Support Society, which location I had finally discovered.