Bela could see the urgency in Ethan's eyes. Whether or not she was his enemy right now was irrelevant. She sensed the same dangers that he did; the atmosphere of this dark city growing ever more hostile by the second. They were outside, open to the watchful eyes of anything else that sought to harm them.

The giggling from inside the abandoned cathedral continued to play out. The beastly woman that they had just fought may not have been dead after all. Still, there was no inclination within the blonde to go back inside and know for sure. She heeded Ethan's instructions, forgoing all other concerns as soon as she saw him take off down the street.

The trio of suns – anomalies that she could not understand – were slowly falling from view as the orange glint to the clouded heavens deepened. Night had never arrived this quickly before, and she did not want to think of what would come out once it was in full swing. If such a savage creature could remain undetected in the dark church, then what would be free to prowl the streets once the light disappeared?

If she had her powers, that would be one thing. But Bela knew that such abilities had inexplicably been stripped from her being. She was without any aid of her swarm. Not a single insect to her call to take her away from this madness.

Those suns are going down way too fast. We're not going to get far!

It was like the sky was its own being – aware of the pair and taunting them with impending darkness. She knew evil very well, and this was it. At first, she marveled at the sheer size of this massive city. Now, she saw it as a killing ground inhabited by things outside the scope of her imagination.

Ethan was able to gain speed without much effort. The man had become fluent in escaping the horrors that surrounded him. A mad dash to any place where he could take shelter and prepare for the worst was in his blood. As he darted through the wide streets, his eyes scanned the buildings around him for the best source of supplies and cover.

At the same time – he kept watching for anything that may pop out from the shadows.

Bela was unable to match his pace, finding her heels and dress to be detrimental to her travel. The clicks that they emitted might as well have been a beacon of her position. The sound was so loud that she felt she was being followed. Something had to have been listening to her.

The duo had found themselves going straight down a wide-open street – likely one that had served as the main road for the inhabitants of this scorned place. The pathway was lined with various shops and other buildings; some boarded up to prevent entry – or escape.

Lining these streets were various discarded boxes, carriages, and other useless supplies. Nothing that would serve to help the two right now. The various lamp posts that bordered the sidewalks were absent of any glow. It seemed the only source of illumination in this place was the large clock tower in the far distance.

The face of the timetable carried a strong source of light from within, which allowed the hands to still be readable as they ticked along to whatever number or increment they were to move to next. Other than that – this world seemed at a standstill.

Such qualities only made the threat of attack more terrifying as the environment appeared to be preying upon them. The wind's soft, cool gusts echoed along the pitch-black alleyways; howling like a gleeful carnivore. Such detours were aplenty as they barreled down the street and the same sick call of the air repeated its song into her ears.

Over, and over, and over again.

Ethan was getting too far ahead and she found her footwear's long ends to be repeatedly caught between the cracks of the cobblestones under her. Those small snags impeded her rhythm, forcing her to pluck them out every so often. It slowed her down and dragged her further behind him. She never had to run in her life and found her outfit to be a literal Achilles heel. It wasn't meant for someone who was in survival mode.

I need to catch up to him!

A sudden snap found her right foot going off balance. Bela caught herself with her left, but when she tried to follow up with her other leg again; she found there was no more backing to compensate for her tip-toed stance. She stumbled to the side before tripping over her own ankle.

A hard drop onto the stone road was the first thing that followed. She managed to brace her hands before the fall. Her sickle landed a sharp scrape against the grey rocks as she slid forward.

Damn it!

With a loud grunt, Bela let her anger get the better of herself for a second. She was frustrated beyond all measure; furious that all of this was happening to her.

Why?! Why am I here?!

As soon as she went to stand up, she found her right foot hard to get back up on. Her long gown hung low and she had to pull it up to get a look. Just as she thought – the heel of her shoe had detached and was nowhere to be found. Instinct took over and Bela aggressively kicked off the now-useless article from her foot before she did the same with the left.

There was no time to compromise with them. They would only get her killed.

Giggling could be heard from down the street, but as she turned her head, there was nothing to be found. That woman had to be following them – or something else was. As soon as she looked ahead, she was met with the familiar blue hoodie and brown coat of the man she could not stand.

"Let's go!" He called out as he extended his hand to her. Bela took hold of him as he pulled her back up, her amber eyes meeting with his before the man turned his attention to the area behind her.

Clouds of fallen leaves fluttered around the empty streets, carried by the ever-growing wind. They heralded a sense of impending danger. Whatever was to follow; it would not be pleasant.

With a snarl, she sought answers, "Where are we going?"

Ethan looked around in all directions before his eyes shot up to the sky. Nighttime was imminent and the chance to think was over. His focus turned to the tall building to her left whose doors were slightly ajar. "There!" He gestured to the entrance. "We go here!"

"What?" She questioned his reasoning, believing it to be a poor choice as the many glass windows offered no suitable protection. If something wanted to find its way inside, it'd have no problem. Most of all, the fact that the doors were already open meant that such a threat could have already made residence. "Why there?"

"Look around." Ethan flagged the rest of the block with his shotgun. "They're all boarded up and we don't have time. We're in the open and something's coming. Now, let's go!"

Her lip curled into a heated dismay as she found no other option to be explored. As much as she hated it, he was right. They could not stick around.

"Fine!" Bela made a move toward the three-story squared structure, sprinting with all her might. The cool air filled her lungs as she pulled in heavy breaths; heaving out warm gusts of desperation as she drew closer to the door.

Ethan got there first and threw the entrance open, allowing Bela to pass through before he funneled in and sealed it shut, bolting the locks as he did so. The room was dark; absent of any light. She was only able to make it a couple of steps before her feet collided with a stack of boxes, knocking them over.

Ethan turned his head, whispering through his teeth while his hands checked the strength of the locks, "Watch it!"

Frustration piloted her response. Bela spun around and pointed her finger toward the insolent man, though the deep pitch of the shadows obscured most if not all of her body. "No, you watch it!" She kept her voice lower than normal, but the fire in her tone was more than clear. "I cannot see. Do not blame me for making that noise!"

Ethan let out a soft groan as he moved away from the door and turned on his flashlight, illuminating their surroundings. The room suddenly became visible under a bright glow, but the man's sudden change of mind prompted him to shut it off.

Bela approached him, angrily addressing him from mere inches away. "Why did you do that? It is dark again!"

Ethan fired back, just as annoyed. He could only listen to so much of her complaining. "There are windows everywhere! We need to hide. If this place lights up like a Christmas tree, then everything will know where we are. I don't know about you, but I don't want that!"

An irritated huff was all that she could give, as she understood his point. It was a sensible action, as the brief glimpse of the inside highlighted just how many windows there were on the lower floor. From what she saw during the flash; the building was decorated like it was an old work center. Desks were visible, alongside countless drawers and shelves; each of which was littered with papers and boxes. It stood to reason the things that she accidentally kicked over were just more of the same.

Where are we? What is this place?

She carefully stepped around; using her feet to feel for the next obstacle. Ethan moved forward slowly, the hard soles of his shoes making a distinct sound as they traveled atop the wooden floorboards. He used the barrel of his shotgun to interact with anything close by like it was a blind man's cane.

Bela stuck to the walls; her hands gliding along them as she maneuvered around the edges of the room. Such a tactic worked in the beginning, but as soon as she encountered the various desks and chairs littered around, the room proved to be too cluttered for said method. She diverted forward, following the sounds of Ethan as he seemed to be gaining some ground further ahead.

Why is he so good at this? It's so damn annoying…

"Hey," Bela whispered from behind him. "Do you see any stairs?"

"We have to be close," Ethan replied. "I saw the right corner of the wall take an L-shape when my light was on."

"Take a what?"

"Never mind that." He continued to move forward, moving his muzzle around until it tapped against the next thing. "Just follow the sound of my voice. I think we're almost there."

The journey to the third floor was time-consuming, but the pair finally managed to make it there. The darkness had obscured the two sets of stairs, which had also proved to be littered with trash and displaced items. The creaks of the stair boards were long, making their quiet movement toward the top anything else but that.

Ethan could recall the military training that Chris Redfield had put him through for the past few years. While his heart continued to flame with hatred for him murdering his wife, Mia, there was no denying the man was fluent in combat knowledge.

"When entering a dwelling, check your corners and cover all openings to the room you're in. Understand that if someone – or something – is in there and waiting for you, they're not going to make a sound," he would say during their training. "You'll never get the drop on them. The moment you enter, you can take the slowest, softest steps on the planet, but you'll still be making a fuckton of noise. Look, listen and look again. If you can't see – be ready."

As soon as they had made it up to the third floor, Ethan finally threw his light on the second he was able to shoulder his shotgun and swing it to the right.

Another flash of light – another set of large windows.

It was lights off immediately.

Bela saw the spark of light before it died out. Her impatience was mounting but she had to trust his judgment. He had the flashlight, after all. He had the gun. Neither of them could see in the dark under these conditions. If she still had her powers, the absence of light would have been nothing. She could have flown circles around this place without a second thought. She would have known if a pen rolled an inch across a table from the wind.

She would have been the apex predator, but here, she wasn't.

She was nothing more than a mortal woman in her eyes, and it agonized her to no end. All she wanted to do was sit down and figure out what she could do to help herself. There had to be a solution to this, she thought. There just had to be.

Ethan took note of what he had been able to glimpse once his light had come on. The room to his left seemed clear, though that didn't mean that it was. However, the room on the right was angled too awkwardly for the light's glow to shine in well enough, but from the looks of it, there seemed to be a general lack of windows.

"I think there's a bedroom over there. No windows," he whispered to her, realizing that he had just broken the silence. Chris had always gone over the importance of decision-making, and how not every decision was going to be perfect.

"Make a stupid decision and that's that. But, if you do, it's always better than not making any decision at all."

Ethan knew that they couldn't be caught on the stairs if something were to come at them. There was no room to escape and a tumble down below would only cause more injury. Ignoring the potential repercussions of speaking, Ethan slowly moved forward, guiding Bela toward the room he focused on.

As soon as they entered, Ethan shined his light one more time; aiming the beam toward the ground while drawing his pistol. He turned off the device the moment a window by the corner of the room caught his eye. Another drawback that he should have seen coming. Bela was more bothered by the sight of the glass; clicking her tongue with a swift groan as soon as the sight came into view.

She wanted to sit down for a moment and the sluggish nature of their advancement depleted what little remained of her patience. Ethan took note of her frustration; his own elevating at the thought of who he had to work with. The woman behind him was a liability in more ways than one.

If she wasn't going to kill him – she was going to get him killed.

They each took another step and that was when the pungent smell of death entered their nostrils. There was no mistaking it. The scent of pure rot thickened the air. Ethan lurched forward; fighting the urge to vomit. Bela covered her nose while the man gagged. To her confusion, she found the odor just as unpleasant as he did.

She was used to such decay – but this one did not command the urge to eat.

Ugh…that smells disgusting…

The moonlight offered from the outside provided insight into the source of the foul stench. Bela followed the rays all the way to the corner of the room, closest to the door. That was where the scent of the rot multiplied exponentially.

Sure enough – there sat the corpse of a grown woman.

The moonlight shined along the edges of her body, highlighting the red glow of her bloody neck and chest. Her throat had been slashed wide open. Dried splashes of sanguine fluid coated the edges of the old wound, reduced to flakes after the passage of time. Her gown had been coated in the mess, though from what the light offered, no visible chest wounds could be seen. Bela drew closer, while Ethan backed up toward the opposite corner, covering his mouth and nose.

"Oh, God…" Ethan coughed with shock.

Bela had beheld sights like these many times throughout her years. A woman with a cut-throat was nothing unusual. Many of her former servants had suffered the same fate at the hands of either her or her sisters. It was a quick death…usually.

Mostly – it offered a great show of blood.

Her amber eyes peered down, using the moonlight to gauge more about the dead woman's circumstances. Bela noticed various cuts along her arms and hands. Slashes in wild directions with no discernable pattern.

Defensive wounds? Huh…

"Interesting," Bela muttered to herself while she got up from her kneeled position. Ethan was still dry-heaving in the corner when she approached him. "Will you stop?"

One final lurch and the man cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, forgive me if blood and death are not my favorite things."

"You're acting like a child. It's not that bad." She glanced around the rest of the room. "I take it you're not going to want to stay in this room now?"

"No." He moved closer to the door, hoping to breathe in some fresh air. "We could try the next one. We'll just have to contend with the windows."

"So, no light?"

"Does it matter to you?"

Bela squinted her brow with a sharp glare. "No. I don't mind the dark. I'd rather not see your face, little man…"

"Whatever," Ethan said as he moved away. Bela's eyes caught the sight of a small journal that had been left nearby. It sat on top of the desk, in full view of the moon's light through the window. The man had to have been so preoccupied with the ghastly smell of death that he did not notice it.

She plucked the book from its setting and waved it close to his face. "You want answers, right? Well, maybe if you stop crying, you can help me find some."

"Shut up." He and Bela stopped to take one last glance at the deceased woman whose body lay down beside the closet. Ethan could only wonder if her killer was still somewhere inside the building. With his shotgun back at the ready, he prepared himself for just that.

The two of them moved to the next room. Thankfully, the smell of decomposed flesh was mostly absent. Whatever scent lingered had to have been what still remained inside their noses. The moonlight allowed the room to be visible enough without the aid of the flashlight. They could see two small beds that sat apart from one another against the walls. There was still plenty of space to sit, as the room held fewer commodities compared to the previous one.

Bela immediately glanced at the windows from afar, staring at the unusually large moon that floated over the sky. It was unlike one she had ever seen before. It was twice the size of any supermoon that she had witnessed back in her world. While such things on Earth were a rare occurrence; this may as well have been commonplace. The immense size offered enough light to gaze upon the vast metropolis in which they had found themselves.

However, the streets below were still dark and neither of them wished to be out there right now.

Bela took her place against the wall, near the edge of the bed next to her. Ethan did just the same on the other end; leaving the two to face one another as they rested. With the outside light allowing such an action, she began to inspect the diary that she had taken.

Ethan sat his shotgun up, resting it on the bottom of the buttplate while the magazine tube leaned against the bed frame. He tended to his injured arm, using a spare bandage wrap that he had found back in his home world to dress the wounds that were still bleeding slowly, with no sign of healing yet.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Getting answers," she replied. Bela angled the pages at the window; helping the entries become more legible.

"Seventh day of the Eighth Moon.

We haven't left since the madness began. I've lost count of the days, but it feels like it was yesterday. The black sky broke our city and tore the Sheer Orbs from view before everything went dark. The children keep asking us questions but we don't have anything we can tell them. I want to preserve their hope, but I'm afraid that we have none ourselves.

Jerdan keeps telling me to lie to them, but I can only do it so much. What we have seen out there is…troubling. The night lasts longer than usual now. I can hear them wandering around out there. People are screaming. Every night, the screams become less and less frequent. Blood is in the streets but there are no bodies.

I fear they are eating each other, but we do not know. Neither of us is willing to look out and see. I keep the girls away from the windows, lest they bear witness to the horrors that surround our once good home.

Oh, fabled ones. Carriage riders of the stars. Have mercy upon us."

Bela glanced at the location of the diary entry, noting that it was earlier on in the book compared to the rest of the pages that seem to have been written on. She flipped through, settling on a random one closer to the end.

"Nineteenth day of the Ninth Moon.

Jerdan hasn't come back. I keep telling the girls that he has found success in locating food but he will be coming back soon. Elise doesn't believe me, but she won't admit it around her younger sister. I'm trying my best to hold on to my composure, but I cry in private when my children are asleep. I cannot take this anymore. I have to be losing my mind.

Oh, fabled ones. Carriage riders of the stars. Please, bring my husband back to me."

Ethan glanced at the blonde as she sat there reading the book. "Anything yet?"

"No," she said. "Leave me alone."

"Of course," Ethan muttered as he began to look around. Bela skimmed through some more pages before she settled on the next one that she would read, noting the presence of blood on the bottom parts of the page.

"Twenty-sixth day of the Ninth Moon.

My girls and I are trapped inside this bedroom. Jerdan, my love, has become one of these monsters. He entered our home two nights ago and I found him walking around in circles. His words make no sense. He was rambling on to himself, quietly. His face when I saw him…horrible! What is it that has plagued our world?

He attacked me but I was able to take refuge before he could hurt me any further. I managed to take his knife. My arms are still bleeding but I've done my best to quell the flow. Penelope hasn't stopped crying. Elise is trying to calm her down but nothing is working. Jerdan is still standing outside our door as I am writing this. He isn't trying to get in. He's just…there. The Sheer Orbs will go down soon and night will come again. I pray that he will exit this building and venture back out onto the streets like he has been doing. Maybe one of the larger beasts will free him from this madness.

Please forgive me for wishing that. I don't know what else to do.

Oh, fabled ones. Carriage riders of the stars. Please, save us."

She turned the page over, finding the next diary entry to be the last.

"Twenty-seventh day of the Ninth Moon.

I put the girls inside the closet. I cannot bear to look at them any longer. Jerdan is back and I can hear his rambling, but he is still not trying to enter our room. I told him what I did, but he didn't address me. My husband is gone. My children are gone. There is no salvation in this life.

Elise woke up while I was tending to Penelope. I've never heard her scream like that. I'll never know what allowed me the strength to follow through and finish this, but I did it. I am a wreck. I am not a mother anymore.

I considered opening the door and letting my husband kill me, but I have decided against it. Not because I don't deserve punishment for what I have done to my beloved daughters, but because I wish to remember his face the way it was before he succumbed to the night. I am going to stay here, with my daughters. This is the way it will be. When the Sheer Orbs set, I will take my life.

I tried to be a good mother and a good wife. Solace will be taken in the knowledge that I spared my children from greater harm. My children, born into a world that no longer is. We have no place here anymore.

Oh, fabled ones. Carriage riders of the stars. Why have you abandoned us?"

Bela closed the journal and rested it on top of the dresser beside her. With the silver rays of the moonlight hovering over the man across from her, she could see the look on his face.

"Well?" He asked. "Anything useful?"

"The nights are long and there is danger outside. That's the most of it," she replied with a calm, almost emotionless voice. She had witnessed so much violence in her life that the sight of the dead woman had not stirred her at all, nor did the knowledge that the corpses of the children were mere feet away from them. Ethan may have stumbled at such imagery, but she couldn't let that stop her.

"There has to be more than that." Ethan was determined to get to the truth; not believing her for a second. "Toss me that journal and I'll read it myself!"

"Fine!" She threw it at him as if he was a demanding child and she was a mother at her wit's end. Bela groaned as she glared at him, watching him pick it up from the ground and open it up. "Happy?"

"Just be quiet," he told her. It sent a wave of hate up her chest. She wanted to cleave his face open, but she needed a partnership if she was to make it through this mess. As Ethan flipped through the various pages, Bela turned her attention away from the man. If she stared at him any longer, she'd lose what was left of her mind.

As her eyes shifted to the bed that she sat near, Bela spotted the corner of something sticking out of the edge of the mattress. While Ethan continued to scan the pages of the book he held, she reached over to pluck the object from under its hiding place.

Huh, another journal…

Bela opened the new book. Seeing it was mostly completed, she felt that more answers may have laid within its pages. The simplistic handwriting and location of the diary itself gave a clear answer of who its owner may have been.

"Second day of the Fourth Moon.

Penelope and I went out to play outside of father's shop. We enjoyed a game of Keep and Run, and joined Isaiah and Merial in a game of Stone Ring. I managed to collect the most rocks before the others made it back to the center. It was my first time winning and I was very proud of it.

Mother is preparing tonight's meal, while father is busy in his office. There are many people with him today and he wanted us out.

Today was fun."

Bela moved to the next page.

"Third day of the Fourth Moon.

Today, mother and I spent our day cleaning the building. Penelope was with father. I don't know what he needed. Tonight's meal will be shared with another family with whom my father works. Mother is going to have to gather extra vegetables from –"

Uninterested, Bela skipped ahead to the next couple of pages. Ethan's voice suddenly broke the silence that she had utilized to concentrate.

"Christ…" He shook his head at the page he had been reading. "That poor family. Something had to have done this to these people. They were all normal. I…hope her daughters made it out." Ethan brought his hand up to his forehead as he began to think about his own daughter. Bela simply ignored his remarks and continued to move through the pages of the journal in her hand.

"Twelfth day of the First Moon.

Mother wouldn't believe me when I told her about father. She said that he would never do what he has been doing to me. This has been going on for months, and it is only getting worse. I am worried about Penelope, as she is always with him these days. I love my sister, and I can see why she has been so quiet lately. She is confused.

I hate to think that mother believes that I am a liar. I'm even more scared to think about what father would do if he found out that I told her. My heart is strong as I write this entry. I must hide this book. I only say this because I hope one day, the right person will find it and understand that I was not lying.

I am not a liar."

A low sigh broke through Bela's parted lips as she closed the journal and held it close to her chest. She understood cruelty to its fullest. She could torture and main. Strip a human of all their flesh and devour it like a hungry dog. She savored the taste of blood to the very last drop.

The screams of her victims and the violence she inflicted on them were ravishing, though she was always more inclined to enjoy the fruits of her labor, rather than the labor itself.

She understood cruelty – but there were certain acts that even she could not stomach.

Ethan lifted his head up as he waved the journal that he held up in the air. "Well, this city does have a name," he said, much to the blank expression that she gave him. "Serpenmoor."

Bela said nothing, her fingers tightening around the spine of the book. She could care less about the name of this damned place. All she wanted right now was to murder Ethan and return home. She twitched her brow and uttered a small cough. "Well then, that's a start."

"Anything in that book you have?" He gestured to the diary in her hands.

"What?" She suddenly realized what he was talking about. "No." Bela gently laid the book on top of the bed. "Nothing. It's mostly empty."

"Damn." Ethan retrieved his shotgun and brought it against his side. "I wonder what could have happened to these people. They may have been normal, good folk, and something made them into monsters."

"That's subjective. Not everyone is good."

"What do you mean?" He asked for clarification.

"Ignorance is bliss."

The two found themselves in an odd staring contest. For some reason, as much as the man hated her, he seemed willing to socialize. "We need to find out more. What do you think?"

Bela shook her head, finding his attempt to converse with her more of an annoyance than anything productive. Being as out of her element as she was, the thought of being on the same level as this pathetic man drove her to madness. She didn't want to let her anger out at its fullest, but she wouldn't hide her feelings, either. "I think we need to stop talking. How about you stay on your side of the room, and I'll stay on my side? Sound good?"

Ethan groaned as he pressed his brow with his thumb and forefinger. "You know; I really don't understand you. You're not dumb, so, I don't know why you're not willing to work with me to figure this out."

"What is there to figure out?" Bela shrugged her shoulders. "What do you think we are going to do here? What do you think you're going to do? I don't know why my mother thought you were special."

Her comment brought out a sarcastic laugh from the man, much to her agitation. "Maybe the blood in her body wasn't making it up to her brain, since she is taller than life."

Bela's dark lips curled up to her nose as she grew tense. Her blood was practically boiling. She spoke through her teeth and her amber eyes broke through the dark shadows that tiger-striped her body. "Don't you ever talk about my mother."

"Are you her favorite?" He remarked.

I want to kill him so badly…

Bela did not utter a word, but her predatory glare would not subside. She had no patience for anyone who dared slander the Dimitrescu name. If he did not have that shotgun, she may have found herself losing control. Her sickle would have been in his throat before he could draw his next breath, and it would have torn a valley across his esophagus. She would have decapitated him on the spot; leaving his severed neck to function as a temporary blood fountain as his arteries pumped their final spurts into the air.

Such temptation that she was forced to control tested her will to its greatest ends.

Ethan sighed as he glanced at the window to his left. "Don't mention my daughter, and I won't mention your mother. Fair deal?"

"Deal." Bela kept her gaze for a little longer as she sought to bring her point across to him. She'd hold up her end of the bargain, but if he broke his, then she would consider collecting more than the simple reprisal of pride. Violence was at her fingertips and if he kept his mouth shut, she'd ball her fist for the time being.

For a little while, the two managed to exist in peace, avoiding any conversation as they sat in the darkness together. Bela pondered her circumstances; finally having found the time to do so. She could only imagine that the man across from her was doing the same thing.

Where did that light come from? I've never seen anything like it before. He shot out the window and let in the cold, but, could something else have entered as well? It's not possible. What could have brought us here? I remember the light originating out of nowhere. It was all over us and nothing else. Now, we're in a city that may be in a different world? It's all too crazy. Is this one of Donna's tricks? I don't know anymore…

Bela shot Ethan another glance as he sat there with his knees up and his elbows rested against his thighs. The man had to be thinking about his daughter.

You're not going to find her. Just stop looking already.

She took a moment to think about her family, seeing as how the man was so preoccupied with his own. While his worries and troubles were something to laugh at in the beginning when they first met; she could relate to him somewhat now.

I need to get back to my sisters. I know they're still in our castle. They must be worried about me. They're going to be searching everywhere and when they see that window...no. I need to get back. There has to be a way back. I am not dying here.

Bela could feel the skin of her feet chill as they glided across the floorboards. She wouldn't make this journey without a new pair of shoes. She'd need to find a replacement. That was the first step. As small and insignificant as it sounded, the thought of accomplishing goals and gaining progress lightened her spirits.

In her mind – it meant that she was getting closer to finding her way home.

Without a word to Ethan, she quietly stood up and went into the other room. Her abrupt departure nonetheless alerted the man, who was quick to challenge such action.

"Hey!" Ethan's head perked from its downward position. "Where are you going?"

She gave no answer. As Bela crossed the doorway to where the corpse of the former occupant lay, her attention turned to the closet dresser that the body sat nearby. The stench of death grew heavier as she stared at the closed doors. A sigh escaped her lips as she fixated on it for just a while longer – until the sight of Ethan emerging from the door frame occupied her concentration.

She turned her head and greeted him with an exhausted tone, "What?"

"We can't just walk around and make all this noise," he insisted. Bela uttered a soft groan as she looked away from him. She had no concern for his advice, nor did she want to listen to it, to begin with. The fact that he was persistent in his approach to this entire situation irked her pride.

Who was he to think he was in control? Sure, she thought, he may have proved handy in helping her, but that did not pave the way for any attempt at leadership. She wasn't foolish, either. Ethan was not her friend nor did he aspire to be. The man had made his intentions quite clear in the beginning.

Survival.

They could work together. Had to work together.

Such an arrangement would be better than them going their separate ways, or risking injury or death in trying to kill one another. Bela fancied herself as the most stable of the three daughters, and as such, she had to keep calm when needed. While screaming at the man was so deserved, she knew that making such loud noise might draw whatever it was that may be out there looking for them.

A small groan would be enough to voice her opinion – for now.

She shook her head as she knelt down and began to inspect the deceased woman's footwear.

Hmm…this may do.

"What are you doing?" Ethan asked as he watched the blonde wrench the soft, leather shoe off the lifeless lady's foot. "Are you serious?"

"What? Do you expect me to walk around barefoot in this disgusting, dirty city?" She turned to him; her head barely visible in the darkness. A small pause of silence between the both of them remained before she returned to the next shoe that she sought to take. "Away with you and your persistence."

"Have you no shame?" He argued.

I will toss this man out of the window before tonight is over…

Her groan evolved into a grunt as she bent her elbows and curled her fingers in the air. "Argh…do you ever stop?"

"I'm just saying that you can probably find shoes anywhere around here, but yet, you chose to take some from this person's body. Have some respect is all I'm trying to say." Ethan turned around toward the closet, unaware of how much the odor rose as he grew closer to it. His mind had to be wrapped around the dead woman at his feet. He reached for the closet door, only for Bela to quickly stop him.

"Don't…" She held her hand up before quickly pulling off the last shoe and standing up. "I have what I need. Let's just get out of this room. The smell is killing me." She hurried out of the area, pushing him along with her as they returned to the other bedroom.

Ethan was speechless with several questions already swimming around in his head, but he didn't seek to have them answered just yet. If Bela had insisted on vacating the room after retrieving what she needed, then there was no need for a fight. They had bigger problems to solve – and all of it was outside those windows.

Once they got back inside, he watched as she sat down and began to try on the shoes she had grabbed. Her thin feet were easily able to fit, though their looseness required extra tightening of the laces. After some effort, she was successful in getting them to seat well.

This will have to do for now.

She shot an amber-infused glare his way and the man couldn't help but think about just what it was that he had battled back in that castle. She looked so much like a normal woman – even an attractive one – but her qualities spoke of something inhuman. Her face was the husk of a corrupted soul. Her teeth that flashed through her dark lips were the re-purposed traits of someone who could've aroused a gleeful signal of happiness, only to use those teeth to tear through flesh instead.

He thought about how human she was compared to everything else that he had ever come across. His thought did not go in any particular direction, though he wondered just how human she could be. Unlike any of the monsters he had faced back in Louisiana, Romania, and this odd world – she was as normal and abnormal as they came.

"What are you looking at me for?" She inquired about his awkward observance.

Ethan decided not to beat around the bush on this one. He wasn't some teenager at junior prom. He could take her question and throw it over his shoulder like it was a bad note. "I just want to know what the hell you are."

She glared at him with some offense in her eyes. From what light the moon offered now, he could make out a scowl along her cheeks. "Wonder not about me and you will live to see tomorrow."

"If that's what it takes…" Ethan sat back and cradled his shotgun. While Bela rolled her eyes, his comment managed to inspire some more thought for her.

What happens when tomorrow comes? Do we just wait tonight out and try for the best? This is all happening so fast…

She reached over for her sickle and took hold of it, bringing the bladed tool closer to her side as she laid her back against the wall. It was the only thing she could count on for now, but without her powers, she questioned just how versatile she could be with it. She wasn't as violent as Cassandra, though the daughters hardly ever found themselves in combat. Even then – the stakes were non-existent.

Slicing apart helpless people and creatures never was a test of one's true potential.

As her eyes – concealed by the shadows – lifted from her hand over to the man on the other side of the room, she wondered about how much he could dish out when trouble arrived. He had managed to make it through her village, past Heisenberg's game, and out of her mother's chambers. No other man had ever been able to accomplish such an impossible series of events.

And yet – here he was.

How did you survive? Why are you still running around after my sisters and I impaled your legs? Something is not right about you.

She continued to keep her watch on him, studying his body in the areas where she had inflicted damage. His jeans sported some tears where her sickle had been placed, and there were even some blood stains to compliment it. However, there were no signs of any injury. She hadn't paid much mind to it back in the dungeons. For all she knew, his adrenaline would have been the main reason he was able to sprint away from her.

She wanted to know more – but that meant having to speak to him of her own volition.

Not a chance.

The two kept silent for what seemed to be an hour, resting in the dark as they watched the moon hang steady over the starless sky. Serpenmoor was indeed a truly strange city – in an even stranger world. Neither of them had ever seen a night sky like this before. The clouds that remained visible seemed to have no end, save for the breaks that the moon demanded in its presence. Bela could imagine the world being completely enveloped in an endless rotation of clouds, but what did she know?

What was expected from reality may as well have held no basis here.

Sleep would not come for either of them as they remained on high alert; waiting for the first sign of danger. Bela ran her hand down her chest, feeling her assorted jewelry shift around between her gloved fingers.

I miss you both so much. I am going to be back. Please just hold tight. I love you, Cassandra and Daniela…

A sudden thud from the streets outside acted as a starting pistol for both Bela and Ethan's hearts as they nearly stood up at the sound. The blonde observed the man across from her get on his knee and ready his shotgun; head tilted as he tried to get a decent view from the window without completely exposing himself.

"What was that?" Bela whispered – only to be shushed by Ethan. She wanted to throw her sickle at him as soon as she heard that, but her rationality kicked right back in. This was no time to squabble.

Ethan dragged his knees as he moved closer to the viewpoint. His voice spoke softly as he seemed intent on remaining quiet, "There's someone outside. I can see him."

She crawled on her hands and knees as she moved up, hoping to get a peek for herself. A distant mumbling could be heard from not too far. The words were jumbled; making no sense whatsoever.

"Alice…tidy up…wander around. Penelope…Elise…" The voice of the man suddenly rose to a heavy shout, "You've made a mess!" It fell back to a somber tone immediately after as he grumbled to himself.

Bela and Ethan stared out from the corner of the window, where they witnessed what appeared to be an adult male standing at the entrance to the building. His head faced the door, staring at it blankly from less than an inch away.

"Newspapers aren't printing fast enough. Too much ink in my throat…"

Ethan carefully whispered to Bela, "Does any of that make sense to you?"

"No," she replied, puzzled at what she was seeing.

The man took a step forward but stopped as soon as he bumped into the door. He stumbled back, only to return to the spot that he had previously stood in. "Children in the street…food for the birds. Birds…too many newspapers. This office…messy. Alice!" Bela and Ethan ducked their heads. "We're closed! Too many…bones."

Ethan rested his back against the bottom of the wall, checking that his shotgun was ready to go. Bela held her sickle on her lap, her mind putting the pieces all together.

Elise and Penelope? The diaries. That has to be…

She got up to peek over the window one more time. As soon as she did, the light of the moon shifted over and highlighted the face of the vicious father. The features on the right side of his face were rotted; bulbous in their design, as if he was inflicted with a terrible disease. Dozens upon dozens of pustules lined his enlarged right cheek, festering down to his throat. As her eyes gazed down at him, her horror rose as soon as she saw him turn his head around to look at her. His teeth were jagged and displaced, lining a mouth filled with maggots that festered upon unseen wounds. The same worms filled the perimeter of his right eye, squirming around as they fed on dead flesh.

His nose hung off to the side of his face, cleaved off from an unknown cause. A splash of dark blood signified the age of the injury, as he had likely had it for quite some time.

"We're closed…Alice…open this door!"

She ducked down immediately but it was too late. "It's Jerdan," she warned Ethan. "He's here!"

"Who?" Ethan begged for context only for his priorities to change the moment they heard the front door get met with a series of kicks. He readied his shotgun at the open door to the room, only for Bela to quickly direct his muzzle down as she went to close it. "What are you doing?!"

"He saw me," Bela said. "He knows we're in here." She closed the door and returned to Ethan's side. As soon as she got back down, the crashing of Jerdan's body could be heard from down below. For the first time in her life, she felt her chest shudder with fear.

They weren't alone anymore and there was nowhere to run. As she ran back beside Ethan, Bela readied her sickle as she watched him raise his shotgun toward the shut entrance. Slow, yet heavy; the sound of footsteps could be heard as they kicked the assorted papers and boxes around down below. It was only seconds later that the creaking of the stairs played out as the deformed man made his way up to them.

His angered, groggy voice called out to the pair, "No place in this world for bad children…"

NOTES:

Welcome back! Hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter!

Bela and Ethan are still at each other's throats, but that's always better than the teeth of what is waiting for them outside. There are a lot of things running around out there, and from what we have seen at the end – they all come in different forms.

Something terrible happened in this place. What exactly it was and why Bela and Ethan found themselves here will be explained, I promise. There is a big story to be told in this journey.

Without getting into spoilers, this is a Bela/Ethan love story in its own way. It will be considerably dark, but this is a romance in a city of horror. Expect a slow burn as these two are not jumping into each other's arms quite yet. In keeping with the game's canon, Ethan is grieving the loss of his wife and yearns for his daughter, while Bela is a violent killer.

Also, do expect flashbacks to Castle Dimitrescu that will take place before Ethan's arrival as we explore Bela's past with greater depth. In fact, expect one in the next chapter!

Follow this story on Archive of Our Own to check out the latest art that I created for it! There won't be any for the next chapter, but expect a faster release date, so 1-2 weeks! There will be tons of more art along the way though!

If you're interested, check out my other story, Fragmented Flies, where Cassandra is transported to a different world and made to face her own sins. It's a story of sisterhood and righting one's wrongs. While more lighthearted, it's still notorious for its dark and heavy content.

Leave a comment and let me know what you thought! Leave a kudos to show some love as well! Thank you so much for all the support that has been shown so far, especially since this story has just started! You all have been the best and I welcome all new readers with open arms, as you make it so worth it! I can't wait to pump out more content for this story and show you all what is to come! In the meantime, stay safe, and wishing you all a peaceful new year!