Castle Dimitrescu – February 9th, 2021

The morning had already come and gone, and there was still no sign of Ethan Winters to be found anywhere inside the castle. After a couple of minutes past twelve, the search was going nowhere. Cassandra was still on the task, but with repeated run-throughs across all areas, it seemed as though the man may have slipped by and escaped.

However, that still did not account for Bela.

The eldest daughter had to be in trouble, the brunette thought. There was no way she would have allowed herself to go missing for so long. If she wasn't trapped or gravely injured, then she had to be dead. It was a thought that sent shivers down her skin the likes of which the cold never could. Could Ethan have truly bested her? The broken window was a clear giveaway that something had gone wrong during their potential scuffle.

Cassandra tried not to think about it, but with each passing second, the lack of any turn-up made such a conclusion all the more realistic. What happened to them?

Alcina was already expecting another phone call from Miranda by this point. She had been waiting for when Cassandra would show up to her chambers with Ethan's head in her arms. That would have been a favorable outcome for right now, but with that man still on the run, she had nothing to show for it. Her mind began to wonder what he could have done to her oldest child. She feared how vulnerable Bela may have been to him in those moments, wondering how inclined he would have been to put his hands on her.

Pacing around her room beside the balcony, she felt the urge to snatch the dresser and hurl it across the room emerge again. It was so tempting to do so, but she had to withhold her anger. This was a situation that was about to slip out of her control. She could have gotten away with it had Ethan still been somewhere close by, but Miranda was not a patient woman in all aspects.

If she did not get an answer soon…

"Cassandra!" Alcina's voice lit up in a prolonged shout that called the brunette to her location within seconds.

"Yes, mother?" Cassandra remained sheepish in the way she approached her. It was clear that Ethan was still unlocated. The middle child's failure to retrieve him made the matriarch want to smash the entire room apart. She could not stand seeing her orders go unfulfilled, but there was a part of her that remembered how keen of a hunter the woman was.

If she could not find Ethan, then he was not there at all.

Alcina changed her mind at the last second, defaulting on her next concern. "Where is Daniela?"

Cassandra's brow furrowed. "She should still be inside the library."

Breathing a sigh, Alcina raised her brow as she glared at the brunette. She spoke somewhat calmly, as if the next phase had indeed been reached. There was no rectifying the problem at this point, only damage control. "Go there and stay with her."

Cassandra wanted to protest, as she was still too ashamed of what she had done to her sibling just days ago. The vicious beating that she had given Daniela had still not been apologized for. To be trapped in a room with her was not where the brunette wanted to be, but her life was always out of her hands, to begin with. "Yes, mother."

With that, she dispersed into a cloud of flies and left the room, leaving Alcina to her own devices. The woman's eyes gravitated toward the phone, anxiously awaiting the next ring that it would give. Miranda was going to want answers – and she had none.

"Yes, Mother Miranda…" Alcina bowed her head as she and the prophet stood together in the Main Hall; the blonde tyrant glaring at her through the bars of her mask.

"Trust my words when I tell you that you are not the only one searching this village for him," Miranda said as she turned her eyes toward the fireplace that was still well-alive. She could feel how close she was to resurrecting her dear Eva. The day was still young, and while her plans may have been set back, there was no stopping the woman. She would have what she waited a lifetime for.

"I am sorry that you have been torn away from your tasks due to my errors, Mother Miranda," Alcina spoke with defeat. She was like a disgraced child who yearned for their parent's acceptance. By keeping her hands together and her head bowed, she hoped that Miranda would shed some sympathy for her.

Sympathy was fleeting.

"I assure you that my tasks are still well at hand." Miranda paused as she listened to the crackles of the embers against the logs. "But, mind you, Ethan Winters is not someone who I want frolicking around while the ceremony is underway. If that man so much as disrupts anything –"

A vulgar, boisterous voice interrupted her, "Then we will grind him into paste." With the sound of heavy boots, out came Lord Heisenberg from around the corner of the entrance hallway. With his large, steel gear hammer across his right shoulder, the man casually breathed a heavy plume of smoke from the cigar clenched between his teeth. Miranda gave the interruption no extra thought as she awaited his next statement.

Heisenberg, sure enough, was quick with a follow-up, "That is what you deserve, isn't mother?"

Miranda's eyes would not leave him. His sly voice was a great cover for the many things that he felt, but his apparent eager-to-please attitude was useful in comparison to Alcina's depressed state. "He's already escaped from you once, Heisenberg. What will stop him from escaping again?"

"Because playtime is over." Karl removed the cigar from his mouth, tapping the stray ashes off it with his finger, allowing them to fall onto the tile floor below.

Alcina grit her teeth at the sight of it, but she knew that now was not the time to lash out. She already looked terrible enough in Miranda's eyes as it was. There was no ground to stand on when it came to getting angry.

"We've had our fun and games, but now, it is strictly business." He breathed that signature chuckle. "I have no need for him. No blood that I need to savor. I give you my word: the moment I lay eyes on him, my hammer will pulverize that little skull."

Miranda lifted her nose at him, though she admired his drive. "I've tasked Beneviento and Moreau as well with finding him. They're currently scouring their sections of the village for any sight of the man."

Alcina spoke up, offering what she hoped would be a constructive suggestion. It was not primarily aimed at aiding Miranda, but more geared toward making herself look good for giving it. "Wouldn't you prefer that they search the immediate area? That man could not have gone far."

"No." Miranda was quick to shoot it down. "I'd rather have them stay where they are. If everyone was pooled into this location, that leaves more areas open for him to slip by. If Moreau doesn't eat him, or Beneviento doesn't drive him mad, then he will surely be found by either Heisenberg or yourself."

She leaned in with one, final remark, "I expect you to tell me of his capture promptly, this time…"

Bowing her head once more, Alcina's confident voice was reduced to a whisper, "Yes, Mother Miranda."

The prophet gave no more words as she dispersed into a murder of crows and exited the room, leaving Alcina and Karl left to one another. The man continued to chuckle as he watched his sibling stand there in defeat. After their argument just hours ago, it was great to see that smug attitude of hers wiped clean.

"Responsibility is not welded to my hammer." He flipped the weapon around in his palm. "But…do you know it?"

Her claws immediately jutted out, but she kept her hands close by her side. Heisenberg only laughed at them.

"Oh, yes," he said. "I'm sure killing me will be just what Miranda wants. Maybe you will actually do her a favor for once."

"Leave!" Alcina screamed at the top of her lungs. Karl would only sigh, tipping his hat at her before he turned around. On his way around the corner of the hall, he stopped and gave her some parting words.

"Miranda has no room for failures, but, perhaps you don't know that."

Serpenmoor

Ethan awoke without cause. It seemed as though a sharp burst of energy was to blame, but whatever it was, his train of sleep was suddenly undone. His vision was quite blurry after he departed from the world of the comatose, but as the light sharpened around him, he could see the other two women in the room still very much at rest.

Bela was where she had last been: laying on her side in the corner.

Kyia had moved over to her bed, but it appeared as if her sleep was only semi-intentional. The brunette had likely gone over there to lay her head once she saw that he had slumbered away. There were no blankets on top of her, and her book was still close to her side.

She could never part with that thing, he thought.

Ethan peered down to see that he was still seated at the table. He remembered talking with Kyia and feeling tired, but that was it. Could he really have just dozed off like that so easily? After all the trouble that he and Bela had survived thus far, it seemed as though he could have.

The blonde was out cold. She was probably more exhausted than he was.

Yawning as he adjusted his chair, Ethan leaned forward as he prepared to rest his head again. That was when he felt a piece of folded paper move from under his hand. He lifted his head, curious as to what it was all about. "What the…?" He mumbled as he unfolded the scrap and opened it up.

Sure enough, inside was a handwritten note – courtesy of the Victorian woman who lay less than a dozen feet away from him.

"You know it is rude to fall asleep when someone else is talking, right?

In all fairness, I do not blame you. You have had quite the exhausting day. I'd rather not disturb you, so I'm writing this letter for you to wake up to, just in case I decide to rest as well. I'll be honest and confess that writing my thoughts onto paper is easier than speaking them. I struggle with such things, but talking to you is without difficulty. I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed our conversation, Mr. Winters. It is a shame that it had to end.

Rest well,

Kyia"

As soon as he finished reading the note, Ethan turned his head to gaze at the brunette as she lay on her bed. Even with her eyes closed, there was still that amusing look of annoyance on her face. It had to correspond with the way her baggy eyes set over her pale cheeks. Her smile would shine whenever she decided to show it, but she had to have been someone who frowned quite often.

A woman who liked to have fun, but found herself defensive in most interactions.

She was a quiet sleeper, not even making a sound as she breathed. Her chest slowly rose and fell beneath her white button-up shirt. He steered his eyes away as soon as he realized how much he was looking at her.

With a tiny groan, Ethan returned his eyes into his palms as he shook his head. He tried to remind himself that Kyia was there to help, and that her ambitions of life were different than his own. It had to be her kindness that drew him in. She was still that comforting factor that kept him sane in this world of chaos.

Glancing at Bela, he tried to remind himself of what the future had in store for him once they returned home. It seemed so feasible that the blonde would resume her mission of killing him. That was a possibility that never left his mind, no matter how much he tried to be on good terms with her. She had her obligations and they clashed with his need to rescue his daughter.

Surviving this mad city was the priority – for now. They had to work together to achieve that mutual goal. The problem was that trust could only go so far. He wanted to trust her, but the origin of their meeting prevented that confidence from reaching a reasonable height.

He decided that he would keep trying in the meanwhile. Maybe she would come around, he thought. There had been signs of promise before, and he didn't want to give up on her now. Everyone was capable of changing, weren't they? He didn't know for sure. All that he knew was that Kyia desperately wanted to escape this world as much as they did, and if his would be a suitable refuge for her, then so be it.

It was just the strange thought of what would happen to her once they made it back. Part of him wanted to help her out and take care of her. It was that desire that kept his mind in a state of unease.

Why did that reality seem so compelling?

By now, he was too awake to go back to sleep. Minutes would pass as he sat there allowing the thoughts in his head to settle. The lanterns in the room had been dimmed down, allowing for an orange glow to fill the room closest to them. It was a calm environment, which was unusual in a world of so much darkness and terror. He could imagine Kyia enjoying the atmosphere whenever she'd read her books.

It reminded him of the times when Mia would be found on their couch, enjoying a good story as she waded through the months of her pregnancy. It was a reprieve to take one's mind off the struggles of everyday life. She had never been so into books until they moved to Europe, but life had a funny way of creating new habits when times changed.

The more he thought about Kyia reading under the lantern light, the more he thought of his deceased wife. The head of brunette hair, dangling over the beige pages of a writer's mind. A woman who wanted to take a break from the world around her.

He cut his thoughts short the moment he imagined Kyia sitting on their couch instead of her.

A short-lived victory, as a subtle groan, brought his attention right back to that bed beside the wall. "Hmm…you're awake," Kyia spoke with a humble, yet tired voice. She would barely open her eyes, yet, a smile remained across her thin cheeks.

The thoughts came right back.

"Yeah…" He started with a laugh, sitting back in his chair as he did so. A sigh came out as he tried to drown out the way he thought of the woman. It wasn't even a crush, but a constant reminder of what once was. Bela made things simple – she was the total opposite of Mia.

He could thrive in being alone if there was no one to make him feel anything to the contrary.

"All good things must come to an end, I see…." Kyia tucked her pillow under her head, wanting to fall back into her dreams. Perhaps, she clung to the comfort it offered. It was a cute sight, but she did not commit herself to the act. Her green eyes started to open as she stared at him from not so far away.

"Unfortunately," he replied. "I don't even remember falling asleep."

"I could see it in your eyes." She slowly sat up until she was upright; her feet centered on the floor. Kyia's slender legs swayed as she dragged them along the stone ground. "You were growing more and more tired by the minute. I thought I was boring you, but…I hope not."

"No, no, no." He waved her concerns off with a smile before he rubbed his eyes. "I haven't gotten a good spell of sleep in the last few days. I guess my body wanted its fair due."

She tilted her head over her shoulder as her palms pressed against the edge of the bed. "I hardly sleep much nowadays, too. I'm always so worried about what is out there. I'm sure my eyes must be a dead giveaway by now."

"They are a little dark," he laughed.

"Hmm…" Kyia jokingly raised her left hand and tugged on the bottom of her eyelid. "I suppose I am correct, then. I've looked livelier in my younger days, I assure you."

"You still look young." He wanted to widen her smile. Ethan could see the road that he was heading on, and part of him want to veer off into the guardrail.

"My gratitude, but thirty-six years of living say otherwise."

"Well, I'm thirty-seven, so count me as old, too."

Her smile broadened. She closed her eyes with a slight giggle to carry her gleam along. "You are indeed old, Mr. Winters."

"Hopefully I get to grow older…"

She shrugged as her head tilted to the right. "All we can do is hope, can we not?"

"That's what's carrying me along – hope." Ethan could feel his thumbs rubbing against his forefingers. Rose was at the top of his mind. He wanted to be there to watch her live her life. There were so many years that she deserved in their world, and to be robbed of all of them was something he would give his own life to prevent. She was all that he had left, and the feeling of an existence without her was torturous.

"Then we are the same." Kyia chose to remain ambiguous as she changed the subject, hopping off the bed and walking over to take a seat beside him once again. "Are you hungry?"

"No thanks." He patted his hand against his stomach. "I'm still full from that last thing I ate."

"Not the most appetizing meal, I'll admit." Kyia cupped her hands together as sat with her back against the chair; in contrast to Ethan's slouched posture.

"I'd like to imagine that you willingly chose to give me the most unappealing dish you could find. I understand you weren't too happy with me earlier."

Kyia playfully covered her mouth, shooting him that trademark glare from behind the edge of her palm. "Accusations without merit are soulless, Mr. Winters."

"I'm just saying; you did take your time when I came to sorting through those cans."

"Perhaps, I was looking for something that I thought you would like, and you just didn't end up liking it. Shame on you for accusing me of such intentions," she replied.

"Then maybe I am an asshole." He bowed his head with a smile, chuckling as he went about it.

Kyia withdrew her hand from her mouth. "Maybe, or, maybe you were correct. Hmm…I guess you'll never know…" She ended with a giggle.

Bela's eyes opened, finding her body still lying on the floor inside that room. Her muscles were sore as ever; her bones aching with distress. Reeling from the comfort of lucidity, she turned around to sit up. It took more effort than she expected, but one prolonged nap wasn't going to undo everything that had happened to her so far.

Anything was better than still fighting for her life, she thought. This was a chance to recover and prepare for whatever was about to come next.

Her head was heavy, but there was nothing she could do. As her eyes moved to the table, she saw Ethan still sitting there by himself. Kyia was picking through some of the boxes that she kept around. The blonde wondered if the woman even knew what was inside them, evidenced by the curious look on her face as she opened each one.

Bela sat up, twisting her head around and cracking her neck. The pops took her by surprise, as she had never been able to do that before.

Still too human...

She rose from her spot, feeling a great stiffness in her spine as her body tried to support itself. A groan swam out of her mouth when she leaned backward to stretch. Ethan's eyes were already on her, but she already knew that he was going to question how good her rest was.

"Don't ask…" She warned him.

He curled his lip and gave a nod in response – a fitting outcome for a woman already tasked with her own pain.

She spared him a short glance as she stood there twisting her back. There was a slight pause in the blonde's eyes. She wanted to take in the way he was acting. Something was on his mind, as usual. There was no point in inquiring about what exactly it was right now.

Part of her began to wonder why she even cared to look at him. He had done enough for her since they arrived here to warrant some degree of acknowledgment, she decided. Even her closest servants in her castle were recognized as more than mere cattle in some ways. Luana and Sorina had been given a lot of her time, and towards the end, her curiosity about what they thought and their feelings did start to fester.

Friendship? She didn't believe in such things. They were more akin to pets, rather than people.

Bela and Kyia locked eyes for a moment as the brunette craned her neck briefly in her direction. There were no words spoken between either of them. No smiles, either. Both women presented a general expression of neutrality – mixed with a dash of animosity.

If neither of them lit the match, then there would be no fire.

What is it about this lady? Something just seems so off about her.

Kyia's attention returned to the box that she was currently digging through. It did not take long before she leaned into it, pulling out a few stacks of folded papers. They looked familiar to Bela, while Ethan was already attached to what she had just grabbed.

"Huh, more newspapers?" He asked.

Kyia peeked into the box, turning away her gaze once she realized she had collected them all. "It would appear so. So many odd things all gathered in here." She set the box down and moved it back to the edge of the wall with her foot, before walking back to the table and sitting next to him. Bela could not take her eyes off her.

Proximity is not her concern, I see…

The blonde slung her petty concerns over her shoulder and made her way back to the food bin. Kyia turned her head toward her as she watched Bela's hands start to sort through the cans.

"Please, pick something you know you'll like," she remarked.

She is already talking to me…

Bela bit her tongue, not wanting to lash out at her so soon. She was not used to someone else dictating her actions, or so it felt. Kyia was nobody to her; a woman not unlike any of the others that entered the halls of Castle Dimitrescu throughout the decades – never to leave.

She wished the brunette could have been under her charge. It would have been a field day to watch her suffer. If all of them did manage to survive this hellish nightmare, then she would gladly have her taken aboard as their newest servant.

The time for retribution would surely be grand, she imagined.

Bela grabbed the first can that appeared good to her, moving away from the box, as well as the two of them as she returned to her corner. She peeled the lid open, only to be greeted with the harsh smell of yet another repulsive dish.

Ugh! What do these people eat in this world?! You can't tell me that she's living off of this.

She set the can aside.

No wonder she looks so frail…

Ethan and Kyia had begun sorting through the newspapers that she had found. It was an insightful peek into the world that once was. The number of similarities between this place and those of the past was so uncanny. He had to stop himself from voicing every match to the nineteenth century that he could find.

Why was this place trapped in time?

Kyia brought her lantern closer to one of the pages that she was reading. Each release came as a folded sheet of one or two pages; nothing like the stacks of papers that were released together in his day and age. The font at the top was big and bold, and every drawing carried that old, aesthetic art style popularized during the industrial age.

"Ah…" She said with a curled lip as she skimmed her finger along the front headline. "The church…"

"You don't seem to like them very much," Ethan remarked with some perplexity in his stare.

"Terrible people hiding behind what they think is right," Kyia replied.

"You're not religious, I take it." Ethan was not devoted to religion of any form. His grandmother had taught him a lot about the bible during his younger years, but as he got older, his desire to learn more quickly faded.

"I have my beliefs," she told him. "I'm a very spiritual person, and I am not one to criticize the beliefs of others. The church follows their guidelines, but, sadly, their organized nature inflicts harm upon the people here."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "You would see a lot of that in any one of our history books."

She flicked her brow upward; remaining causal, if not dismayed. "It seems our worlds are not different."

"What does the church around here do?"

Kyia took a breath as she pushed the paper away from her and closer to the center of the table. She had already read enough of it. "They follow the beliefs of those that they call 'The Fabled Ones.' Figures of greatness whose origins are traced to stories of wonder; accomplishing feats that seem impossible. Four individual deities comprise their foundation, and each one seems to embody the nature of ourselves. The problem is: the church has a very strict set of rules, and not everyone in this city appears to follow those beliefs."

"What happens if you don't?" Ethan found a grim feeling looming over the conversation.

"You endure the consequences," Kyia said. "Stray from the rules, they come to collect. Those in charge send their hounds. You appear before their council. You are put on trial." A sarcastic chuckle trailed from her lips. "You're found guilty, and then, it is penance. My beliefs of other realms and worlds contrast with what they value. You imagine me as a docile lady; they see me as a vile criminal."

"What?" He couldn't believe his ears.

Kyia gave a tiny smirk as she pulled another newspaper closer to her. "You be the judge."

Bela's stomach was already starting to grumble. She could feel her hunger rising as she sat there. The once revolting can of food began to appear more appetizing as she stared at it. The need for sustenance suppressed her preferences. Her body demanded something to keep its strength up, and it would tear down her walls if it needed to do so.

Another loud groan from her abdomen sounded before she reached over to take hold of the container. Bela brought it up to her nose, taking another whiff before her face winced.

Still so disgusting, but, whatever…

She dug her finger into the tin, scooping out the first portion that she would eat. It went into her mouth and immediately triggered her senses upon arrival. She wanted to gag, but it was better than nothing. Chewing the portion as quickly as she could, Bela swallowed it down before she went for a second round.

It fell into her gut and relieved some of the emptiness inside. It was a start.

A glass of wine would make this all better right now.

As she sat there eating her meal, her eyes once again gravitated toward the duo as they sat together at the table. She had been taking note of how often they talked; noticing the way Kyia would sit as she listened to Ethan speak. She was never outwardly enthusiastic, or loud. Excitement was restrained at most times, but it was there.

The one thing that truly irked the blonde was how he did not even turn his head to look at her.

I don't care about what he thinks, but, am I not here? Do I not matter? What makes her so special?

Her brow pinched as she jammed another fingerful of gunk into her teeth. She hated not being the center of attention. Even if Ethan was someone that she could care less about, to see someone else shine above her was a painful sight. It was like whenever Cassandra or Daniela got recognition for something and she had to sit on the sidelines, listening to her mother praise them and not her.

It was gut-wrenching at the time. Even if she often found her head under her mother's hand, those rare moments when her sisters got it and she didn't were even more memorable. That feeling of not being good enough – it just hurt way too much.

She averted her eyes – lest her temper rose to a level that she could not undo. A slight huff burst from her nostrils; powerful enough to circumvent the awful taste of the food she ate. Part of her wanted to take what was left in the can and hurl it at Kyia's head, but that would not have done any good.

She was the eldest of the three daughters, and she was always expected to be level-headed. She could not slip up now.

As Bela combed through more of her food, a sound from outside the door caught her attention. It was alarming; given how the door that led to the room they sat in was already behind another door. How could something have gotten through?

She listened in for the noise. It sounded like a scratching tone – as if something was testing how strong the metal door was. Ethan and Kyia did not appear to have heard it, as the two were still talking by the time she stood up and waved her hands at them.

The man cautiously looked at her. "What is it, Bela?"

"Shh!" She tried to keep him quiet. The man's instincts already picked up on what was going on, as did Kyia's. The brunette had fear in her eyes as they fixated on the door, knowing that something wasn't right.

The sound of clawing could be heard as it traced up from the very bottom, slowly gliding across the sheet metal that made up the barricade. Ethan was already in the process of shouldering his shotgun by the time Bela looked back at him. The man glanced at her with his finger over his mouth, hoping to prevent any further sounds from coming out of their end. It was possible that whatever got through the first door may not have been aware of the occupants on the other side.

Possible – but very unlikely.

The intruder had to have heard their voices. The sound of Bela digging into the can. She was so close to the door, after all. Her anxiety was beginning to grow, multiplying by the second. She cautiously hurried over to where she had left her gun and sickle, picking them up as silently as she could.

Ethan turned to Kyia as he whispered into her ear, "Please tell me that there is somewhere we can escape from."

"There is!" The brunette pointed over to the assortment of boxes across the room. At first, Ethan had no clue what she was talking about, but when pointed over them, he was able to make out the very top portion of a trapdoor. It was the best shot that they had in case things went sideways – which is what was about to happen.

To their horror, they watched as the door slowly started to cave inward; the locks bending against whatever force was pressing against it. Clouds of dust began to funnel in through the cracks, which caused their hearts to sink the moment they saw it.

Vikcia.

"She knows we're here!" Bela broke her silence, seeing as there was no time to spare.

Ethan readied his firearm, expecting the witch to come in at any second. That was when he remembered that the gun was useless against a creature such as her, and he instantly went to transition to his flashlight. "You got to be fucking kidding me!" He withdrew the light, poised to aim it at her as soon as she entered.

Ethan turned to the brunette beside him. "Kyia, grab your lantern. Get that exit door open!"

The lady swallowed her fear, nodding as she made a mad dash toward the source of light that she kept nearby. As soon as she had it, she began her work on getting the boxes out of the way; scattering them about as she dug a path toward their salvation. The door was already about to break, and any second now, it was destined –

Snap!

The locks shot forward and instead of Vikcia, the first thing to enter the room was a grotesque being of large proportions. What remained of a man was few and far between as the maggot-infested beast barreled through the opened door. His bulbous flesh stretched the features of his face, swelling and pulling his skin to its very limits. Frighteningly enough; the man's jaw had doubled in size, allowing for a shark-like mouth that housed larvae and jagged teeth alike.

His frame was twisted and bent, but far from weak. He combed past the shelves and obstacles in his path like a rabid ape; determined to tear apart what was in his sight. With a heavy groan that preceded a powerful scream, he pushed past the table, knocking it over to the ground. Ethan and Kyia had to jump to avoid his impact, splitting as they parted ways. The infected man did not stop running and quickly collided with the stone wall ahead of him.

Kyia let out a scream as soon as she had the time to do so, while Bela was already in the process of aiming her gun at him. As soon as the front post of the gun's sights came over his back, the blonde soon noticed another creature speeding through the now-opening entrance.

Unlike the man; this being was much shorter. It had been so mutated that its face and body held no distinguishable features. It may have once been a child, or possibly an adult cut down from form. Its hands were nothing but splintered bones, while its legs were comprised of nothing but loose tendrils.

It made no sounds as it ran along, but the new threat made use of its small state, which allowed it to traverse at an incredibly fast rate of speed. Bela could barely catch a glimpse of its face. Something protruded from the center, but she wasn't sure what it was. Parts of its skin seemed to be jet black.

Eyes?

The appendage reminded her of a mosquito's needle, but the speed of the creature was too fast to visualize. All she knew was that it was looking for an avenue to strike, and if she wasn't quick, it would find one. "Ethan, watch out!"

Ethan glanced at the large man with confusion before he realized that the burly beast was not in her focus. He could hear the shelves and supplies toppling all around the room. That was when she swung his shotgun across – just in time to catch the infected thing that had just leaped straight at him.

Boom!

Buckshot obliterated the creature's face and deflected its path of travel, causing it to spin before it landed on the ground, dead. As soon as the large man heard the gunshot, he threw his body around, turning to face Ethan. A rack of the pump and the spent shell was ejected. The man roared at the top of his lungs, deafening the room in a thunderous burst.

Kyia covered her ears as she stood behind Ethan; who chambered the next shell and prepared to fire.

A loud blast overtook the rest of the noise as Bela pulled the trigger on her firearm, sending the large-caliber rifle round out of one of its barrels. The explosion ricocheted off the walls, vibrating the room as it propelled the projectile forward. The man's back erupted with a burst of blood that was shuffled out of his body via the intense kinetic energy of the bullet.

He stumbled forward, recoiling as the bullet changed direction and exited out of his right side in a fragmented state. Ignoring what should have been a fatal blow, he used what was left of his strength to charge at Ethan.

Unloading another round of buckshot his way, Ethan succeeded in dismembering his lower jaw; blowing the left side of it clean off. The bull-man stopped to cover his face, which had produced a shower of blood that rained down his torso. His stretched eyelids made the orbs behind them almost impossible to see, but Ethan was certain that he was still looking at him.

The infected man offered no cries of pain, as if he was so fueled by the plague within that all nerves deadened against the traumatic injuries that he was handed down. He stood tall, shaking as he took another step forward.

Bela fired a shotgun blast into his back; adding another layer of devastation to his previous wound.

The beast fell forward, gurgling through bloody bubbles as he fought to stand back up. Continuing the chain of defense, Ethan re-racked his weapon and prepared the next round.

As soon as the bolt closed – the man grabbed his shotgun.

The M1897 did not fare long as the assailant managed to compress the steel barrel and magazine tube in his hand. It crippled the weapon beyond all measure, but Ethan's knowledge of shotguns allowed him with one, final option.

It would never feed another shell ever again, but, it could still fire at least one more.

He pulled the trigger, ducking his head just as the barrel exploded and destroyed the man's right hand; reducing it to a red pulp. Stray pellets of 00 buck flew across the path of the gun, spraying parts of the bull-man's chest and shoulder. He lurched back, visibly stunned by the damage.

Ethan dropped his now-useless shotgun and prepared to withdraw his LEMI, but Bela was the one who beat him to the punch. As soon as their attacker tried to get back up – her sickle was already embedded deep into the top of his head.

It was lights out.

With a furrowed brow, Ethan stared at the ferocity on her face as she ripped the blade out. Her amber eyes moved away from the man under her as soon as she felt confident that he was dead. Joining those beside her, the blonde turned her attention toward the door, just as Vikcia made her grand entrance.

The shadow woman's face – what could be seen of it – seemed almost expressionless for a moment as she glared at them through her clouds of darkness. Once she breathed in the potent scent of death, her lips parted in an almost sensual display of ecstasy. It lasted for only a second or two before she lowered her head and huffed a drawn-out groan.

There was no time to test her playfulness, as there was none. Vikcia was a force to be reckoned with, and there could only be so many run-ins with her before everyone's luck ran out. Ethan kept his pistol in his hand, covering Bela as she began to reload her gun. Vikcia shifted ahead, stopping just mere feet away from them.

"Damn!" Bela shouted as she jolted back; the barrels of her combination gun finally cracked open.

Ethan withdrew his flashlight and pointed it at the witch's face. "Hey!"

A vicious grimace of rage appeared across her dark lips. With a raspy shriek, Vikcia stared him down, just as the beam of light came on.

As soon as it did – it flickered out.

"Fuck!" Ethan desperately fought to turn the device back on, but the way Vikcia looked at him proved that this wasn't a simple mechanical failure. The woman could distort the skies and the structures around her. Killing a measly little flashlight was nothing. Now that she was aware of it, there was no catching her by surprise.

Shadows arose all around her, filling half of the room in darkness as she began to summon her powers. A grin pulled along her deathly cheeks, bringing forth the emergence of maggots that trickled down from their corners. The demonic woman breathed a low giggle, followed by a subtle hum.

She was toying with them, yet again.

Her sharp claws at the ends of her fingers shined in the light of the lantern that Kyia held. It cast a small glint of brightness against her jet-black talons. Vikcia held her hands out at her sides, just like she would do before moving in for the attack. Ethan realized that he had to think fast.

Bela's gun may have been powerful enough to shake the witch off her feet, but that would only buy them all a couple extra seconds, and that was nothing if neither of them could escape soon. His flashlight was useless, and Kyia held no weapons.

She only had her –

Ethan snatched the lantern from her grasp, directing the shocked woman to begin opening the door. They only had one shot at this and there was no room left to gamble on any other options. Vikcia had to be stopped and she needed to be stopped now.

He hurled the lantern at the table in the center of the room. The burning oil quickly spread all around, taking its flames onto the bed nearby. The sheets and mattress immediately went up, creating a powerful fire that lit up the room.

The light was everywhere.

Vikcia covered her eyes as she stumbled back, though she did not scream like she did when he had shined his flashlight at her. The illumination offered by the blaze was enough to keep her away. Shifting ahead meant having to cross the threshold, thus, exposing her body directly to the element. She kept herself at a distance as she watched the trio open the small hatch in the wall.

Smoke rose from the blaze, piling into the ceiling. It filled the room with a deep, dark cloud that soon caused Vikcia to vanish within its confines.

Kyia was about to crawl through when all of a sudden she turned back to the table nearby. "My book!"

"Leave it!" Ethan shouted, pointing to the only way out.

"You don't understand, I –" She said no other words before she got back up and ran over to it, snatching it up into her arms. Smoke began to surround the brunette, blinding her view of the others.

"Kyia!" Ethan yelled, only for Bela to grab him by his shoulder.

"Let's go! Forget her!"

He pulled the blonde's hand off of him. "No! I'm not!"

"Then you will die too!" Bela coughed as the smoke entered her lungs. Her eyes were beginning to sting from the particles all around them. There was not going to be any more argument. If Kyia wanted to roast alive – then so be it.

Ethan could hear the sounds of her stumbling around the room, trying to find her way back. The inferno was growing more and more intense; taking everything in its path straight to Hell as it grew. The man could no longer see what was in front of him. The smoke had grown too thick. He could hardly tell whether Vikcia was still nearby or not.

The room was now enveloped in complete darkness. The dense clouds would burn his eyes if he opened them, but the heat told him just how close he was to the flames.

It was like Luiza's house all over again. He was going to have to listen to yet another woman be burned to death; all because she had to go back for something near and dear to her. Kyia was going to be the next soul that he failed to save. Everyone around him just kept dying, and there was nothing that he could do about it.

What made Elena any different from Mia? What made Kyia any different that her, either?

Bela would likely be the next one.

Why shouldn't Rose not join the ranks as well?

Determination boiled inside him. Rage took the wheel. He would rather die than fail. That was what this mission was all about. He had gone into the village to save his daughter. He knew the risks, even if he hadn't known the threat.

Serpenmoor was a city in another world, but the same principles remained. That gave way to the same regrets. They wouldn't go away once he crossed the realms and returned home. This was his only chance to undo what would surely haunt him forever.

Kyia's muffled coughs breathed out – and that was when Ethan sprang forward and grabbed her.

He could feel her thin arm in his hand; her body following without resistance as he pulled her back toward the other side of the room. She stayed as close as she possibly could as he led her to safety. The book she risked her safety for was pressed between the two of them as her arm wrapped over his shoulder.

Her soft, tied hair covered his mouth and nose. Beneath all the charred scents of this destroyed shelter, he could smell her. It was the scent of life.

She was still alive.

Ethan felt his way for the exit; remembering the layout of what was around them before the lantern was shattered. His hand went from the floor to the wall, eventually coming across the small square opening that would lead them out of there. "You first," he said to her.

Kyia coughed again, letting out a tiny whimper as she lowered herself onto her knees and went ahead. Just as her arm left his shoulder, it trailed down until their hands locked. Her fingers were so thin; her knuckles as boney as her shoulders. She gave a tight squeeze, not letting go until she couldn't hold on anymore.

The last one through; Ethan crawled in and did not look back. The only thing that was left behind him was the ruined remains of the only place where he could unwind from this nightmare – bordered by the angry growls of the harbinger of its vicious plague.

He crawled forward, hand over hand, knee before knee, towards an uncertain future. As they funneled deeper through the passage, he recalled when his grandmother would teach him about the story of Genesis. As a child, he was more interested in the serpent, rather than the upbringing of Adam and Eve. The elderly woman knew the stories inside and out, having devoted her life to her faith.

He had once asked what God had said to the serpent when he punished him – and her response was one that, for some reason, would not leave his head, even after all those years since.

"Because of what you have done, you are cursed. You will crawl on your belly, and eat dust for all the days of your life."

That was when his nerves froze, and he realized that his escape route was not going to lead him to any form of salvation. No other building could have been as safe as the one that they were all running away from.

Everyone in that small tunnel was about to enter the domain of darkness.

NOTES:

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long wait!

I was hoping to get this chapter out a little sooner, but the last month has been a mix of me working on Fragmented Flies, as well as getting some time to focus on other aspects of my life.

Nonetheless, this will be the longest period of waiting that you guys should ever have to endure. I hope you all enjoyed this newest chapter!

So, looks like everything has gone to hell. Kyia's little hideout was only going to be so good for so long. Now, our trio is going to find themselves back out into the darkness of Serpenmoor, where many new and unseen threats are still lurking. Supplies are low and it's going to take everything that they got to make it through the night.

I'm sure you're all also wondering: is this still a Bela/Ethan story? Yes, very much so. The only spoiler that I will drop will be that these two will grow closer as the chapters press on, discovering new pieces of themselves. Things have already been set in motion that will begin this process, but love will not be born through peace.

You can expect the next chapter on the 29th! Also, if you haven't read Fragmented Flies, do give it a look, as I am also about to drop three action-packed bombshell chapters tonight as well!

Hope you all have been doing well. I just wanted to thank you all for your continued devotion to this story and the praise you have given me along the way. I am honestly stunned by how much reception this story has gotten, which has only inspired me to continue my writing and deliver more content for you all in the future.

I know it's been pretty hot and gross on my end, but I hope you all have been getting by well enough. Please stay safe and healthy in the meantime, and wishing you the best! See you again soon! 😊