Kyia checked the oil on the lantern she kept on her small, wooden table. There was still plenty left and with more stored away in reserve, she and Ethan would be well set for now. The man sat at the edge of the table, watching the woman as she walked around the room.
She barely turned her head to him as she retrieved several food cans from a box near the wall. "From what you described; I'd say I'd much prefer your company as opposed to that Bela." Kyia stepped toward the table, looking confident in her opinion of the blonde. "She sounds troublesome, and I'd rather not have to contend with that."
She set the cans on the table. An immediate glare of annoyance formed along her mouth as she groaned and started to turn back toward the box. "I forgot the damn knife…"
"Here." Ethan withdrew his own, large blade from his coat. Kyia's gaze landed on the weathered implement, noting how much hell it must have been through. Nevertheless, she relaxed in her seat, opting to take it.
"Thank you," she said calmly, using the knife to pry open the first tin can.
"What's in there?" Ethan asked.
"I have no idea," she replied as she popped the lid off and brought it up to her nose. Her lips curled up to her left nostril and she set it down on the table, sliding it over to him. "Nothing delectable, I promise. It's better than nothing."
Ethan took hold of the can, staring down at the strange, solid brown and green mixture that was to be found inside. Cautiously, he went in to take a whiff. The smell wasn't pleasant, but after everything he had endured, food was food. At the very least – he was grateful that she was kind enough to even offer him some.
"So…" Ethan spun the can around. "You just stay here all day?"
Kyia had already opened a second can for herself and had brought it up to her nose by the time he had asked her that. In keeping with the seesaw that her moods seemed to ride on, there was a slight glare of irritation in her green eyes. The dark circles around them only accentuated her potential temperament.
"No." She shrugged her shoulder. "I sometimes come out to water my garden and feed the birds."
"Really?" He raised his eyebrow.
"Ugh…" Kyia shook her head. "No. That was a joke." She took a breath and set her can down, running her hand down her face. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to answer you like that. It's just – I'm stuck here. It's too dangerous to go leave at night and since Vikcia likes to juggle the sky, I never know when it is safe to come out."
"Is that why you were out there when you found me?"
"I opened the door to check the outside. Since I'm underground, I have to walk out to confirm whether or not the night is over. I only happened to hear you running and against my better judgment, I decided to rescue you."
Ethan offered a short laugh to keep the mood above water. He still wasn't sure where he stood with this woman. "Sounds like saving me was a bad thing."
Kyia pressed her lips. Her eyes opened wide briefly as she stared past him with a quick flip of her brow. "Well, on the account that you had just encountered Vikcia…yes. If she had been right behind you, she would have seen me and we would both be dead, or worse."
She leaned back in her seat, gesturing to the door with the side of her head. "I hate having to go outside. There is always a new body or two to be found. When I heard you running, part of me wanted to make a difference. However, it was foolish because I must consider my own safety."
Ethan respectfully nodded to her. "I understand that."
"But, it paid off," she said with a smile. "With all the craziness that is going on, your arrival has opened so many possibilities."
"In what way?"
"Look at you." Kyia took a scoop of food out of the can with her fingers and threw it into her mouth. She had to have been hungry, as the food went down with hardly any chewing. "You're not from this world. When Vikcia arrived, I knew this world's research on other realms was on the track. To see a confirmation of yet another inhabitant of a different universe is simply incredible."
There was a sudden sense of enthusiasm to be found in her. Excitement grew the more she answered him. "This is something I've dedicated my life towards, and everyone around me once told me how insane I was." She gave a small laugh of her own as she finished up, "Even though this world is dying, I'm just happy to know that I was right about something. It's cruel, but so is this place."
There were so many things that Ethan wanted to say. He could not find where to start, unsure of which avenue would best play on Kyia's good side. She talked herself up like she was knowledgeable, yet, also a loner. Her attitude was quick to turn to an aggravated state, but she could also be lively at the same time. He did not know her from a hole in the wall, but he could assume that all the time spent in solitude had to have affected her to some degree.
She was so weary of her own survival, but the thought of having someone else to share it with seemed to bring her some comfort. That wasn't to say she was so easygoing that she would have shared it with anyone.
The woman had not been too thrilled when he explained just who Bela Dimitrescu was. Despite his attempts at glossing over the blonde's violent, murderous lifestyle, the watered-down description of their encounters was enough for Kyia to not want her to come aboard.
He'd be lying to himself if he said she wasn't smart. However, the man still had more to learn about Kyia before he'd consider her a friend. At the very least – she was an ally.
He needed that.
"I'm sure everyone in this world must be feeling pretty dumb," Ethan replied. His mind ticked again, signaling just how stupid such a statement must have sounded. There was no telling how much family she had lost or friends who had died in the middle of this catastrophic turn of events. His heart rate picked up, ready for her to scold him.
"They did," Kyia casually replied.
Ethan settled down, deciding that he wouldn't press the matter further. If she had not reacted angrily, then he was okay. The woman truly must have been quite alone to begin with, he thought.
"So…" Ethan began to eat some of his food as well. The unknown entrée wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be, but as Kyia had said; it was not delectable at all. On any normal day, he would've tossed it in the trash. "You're a big fan of these realm theories?"
She paused to look at him again as if she was trying to figure out just where he was going with this. She wasn't sure if he regarded her as crazy, so she settled on a simple response. "Yes." Her eyes remained on him without a single blink.
Ethan reclined in his seat, hoping his posture would put her at ease. "Where I'm from, there is this whole multi-versal theory too. People say that other universes exist among our own. An infinite amount – even."
Kyia leaned in, becoming noticeably interested in what he had to tell her. "Go on."
"I'm not a believer in it," Ethan stated before doubling back on that comment. "Well – I guess I am now. Honestly, with the last few years, I really don't know what to believe anymore. I suppose anything is possible these days."
"What does your world know about other realms?" Kyia would not stop asking. She was like a kid at a toy store, glaring at the biggest doll they could find. "What is a multi-verse?"
"The idea that an infinite number of worlds exist as I said. Each one is a variant of the other. Like, for instance, here you are in this world. In another, there is another Kyia who may or may not look like you. There are some differences here and there, or maybe everything is different. Like I said; anything is possible."
She sat back in her seat, astounded at such a theory. However, it seemed like she had her own answer to counter it. "Well, I don't mean to spit on what your world believes, but from what I know, such things are impossible."
"How so?" Ethan asked.
"Infinite is a myth," Kyia stated with her forefinger raised in the air. She was engaged as ever in the conversation. "To believe that a number beyond numbers can be reached is taking the easy way out of solving a problem. What is infinite? How does it not end?"
"Maybe it rebounds?" Ethan told her. "Maybe, it comes around and reconnects?"
"Ahh," she smiled, admiring his logic. "That would mean that an ending could be definitively placed at any point, so long as you could still measure where the beginning is."
Ethan did not know what to say. He was making conversation more than anything else, while this woman looked like she was thoroughly locked in a scientific debate about things he could barely comprehend. Whether or not his theory was right or wrong was no concern to the man. All he wanted to do was get back to his world and rescue his daughter. At the same time, it benefited to hear whatever Kyia had to say about these other realms.
If anything – it offered a greater understanding.
And he needed that before he would totally lose his mind.
"What do you think, then?" He asked her.
"These realms are not multiple copies of the same exact universe. They are all separate ecosystems of what they have. There are no 'variations' of oneself, just other people. All these teachings – everything I've ever learned – has no repetition. There may be similarities, but these are all different places," she explained. "Take Vikcia's universe, for example. The entire realm is believed to be home to various infectious organisms. Her world is one of many like that."
"This place and everything in it is just like London during the industrial revolution," Ethan mentioned, prompting Kyia to immediately get up to pick up her book. The woman returned to the table before he could say anything else, scouring through the pages.
Ethan tilted his head as he ingested another helping of whatever it was that she had given him to eat. "What are you looking for?"
"That place you just mentioned, it was written in this book countless times in reference to your world. This 'London' must have significance! This revolution you mentioned must be related to the alleged depictions of war…"
He chuckled as she flipped along, eyes glued to each block of text. As soon as she heard his amusement, Kyia turned the book up to cover most of her face, leaving only her scrutinizing eyes and the top of her head to remain visible.
She regained that sharp glare she was such a pro at holding. Admittingly, he found it to be somewhat cute and playful, even if she was genuinely frustrated.
From behind the book, her words came out slow and forebodingly, "What is so funny?"
"London is not significant…well, actually, it is." Ethan re-adjusted his body as he sat up. "It's a city and the capital of England. The country itself is very historically significant, but so are America, Russia, and Japan, for example. That would be like me saying that New York is significant to the world, even though it is just a major city in the grand scheme of things."
Kyia merely kept her eyes locked on him, not even blinking. For a second, she seemed to have squinted, though he was a little too anxious to maintain eye contact long enough to be able to tell for sure.
A moment of silence did nothing to ease the awkwardness of the situation. It was only broken when Kyia set down her book and ran her hands along her curly, dangly locks. The woman was deep in thought, likely pondering everything that he had just said to her.
Ethan cleared his throat. "And, the Industrial Revolution is kind of what allowed cities like this to truly exist, I suppose. Mass production and all of that. It wasn't a war or anything."
Her eyes went back to him before she began to twirl the lock of her that swayed around her left temple. "Hmm…" She rested her chin atop her hands, elbows resting on the table. "So, your world is full of cities then, correct?"
Ethan shrugged. "Depends on where you find yourself."
Kyia looked somewhat disappointed. "I hate cities," she remarked. "I grew up in an open land where forests and animals surrounded me. All of this…advancement…it's just sickening."
He couldn't stop himself from chuckling once more, "A country girl, I assume?"
Her eyes narrowed. "What?"
"It's just a saying…for someone who grew up in a place like that."
"Oh," she said as her posture relaxed. "Sorry, I'm just not happy here. I never was. I miss my old home. I was just hoping that such places were only found on this planet. Now, I guess I was wrong."
"So, maybe my thing about the multi-verse may be true," Ethan smiled. Kyia was still not amused.
"You're referring to variations. There are no separate timelines from the ones that exist now. All these realms follow a linear sequence. Now, it is theorized that time moves about in a very unpredictable way between them, but each universe is locked within itself. There is no other Kyia out there who is in a better, same, or worse situation. There is no other Ethan Winters out there who is anywhere else besides here with me."
Ethan got quiet for a moment. "Do you believe that? Is that all true?"
"As true as I know," she said, seeing that he was now thinking about something that troubled him. Kyia sighed, lowering her head. "Look, I am sorry about the way that I can be. I am not trying to belittle you; I am just so used to everyone being against me. I always feel like I must prove a point. In the process, I get frustrated. It is one of my shortcomings."
He lifted his head, trying to play it off. "It's fine. Smart people are often cast aside when their truths aren't accepted."
A smile formed on her face, though she did not want his compliment to wash away what she had already seen. "You're thinking about your daughter, aren't you?"
His eyes fell immediately after she said that. "I've been thinking of nothing else but her."
"You're a good man," she said. "That is a rare thing sometimes."
Ethan did not say a word, but the glint in his eyes spoke for him.
Kyia continued, "I've seen men disregard the lives of their loved ones on so many occasions. Innocents left to suffer for no reason at all. You…you're different. You are trying to keep yourself together, even though you feel like breaking every step of the way. Such is the cost of love."
"Could we not talk about this?" Ethan's intact hand tensed against the top of the table. Kyia glanced at the torn section of his left, aware that his missing fingers had to have a product of his mission.
"That's fine," she told him. "I just wanted to tell you that I envy your commitment. I'll do what I can to help you get back, though, I admit, a world without men like you is a terrible world, Mr. Winters. It brings me comfort to know that there is still some good out there."
He stopped himself from lashing out at her. The mere mention of his precious Rose by anyone was enough to bring about a fiery reaction from the distressed father. He wanted to rescue her so badly and to think about how far away he was brought about nothing but helplessness. It was a terrible feeling – one that could bring a man to pieces.
On that note, her words were successful in lifting his spirits. He was glad not to be in this mess alone, as well as in the company of someone who wanted him to succeed.
"Thanks, Kyia. I seriously appreciate your help."
She tilted her head while it was still nestled in her hands, offering a grin along the way. "I'm not going to pretend that changing the subject will put an end to your troubles. But, if I may, could we talk some more about your world?"
"Yeah," he nodded, hoping it would help relieve the compounding images of his infant daughter being whisked away by that madman Chris Redfield and his goons. "What do you want to know?"
The wind had started to die down. Bela could no longer feel the cool breeze around her neck as she navigated the streets and alleyways of this forsaken city. Something about the currents had come off as animalistic – as if the wind itself was an entity all on its own.
The way it suddenly appeared at times made it seem like it was following her. The only problem was that she was not certain whether it was a threat or not. With so many things in this hell trying to kill her, she decided to not take any chances. Vikcia had to be the cause of it, she thought. The limits of that woman's powers had not been established, and the blonde would not have been surprised if the wind was likely at the tip of her fingers.
It's so quiet now. Too quiet, even. I haven't heard a scream or a growl in almost an hour.
Slowly, she crouched along the shadows of the next alleyway, eyes scanning around for any possible sign of shelter. The buildings were still mostly locked. She had previously attempted to enter several, but the doors would not give.
One door did – and the shuffling of multiple feet from the inside was immediately heard.
That door was promptly closed, and the journey continued.
I can't stay out here. I need to get inside. Argh…I don't even know where I am!
She huffed a tight breath. The frustration of her predicament was growing. With the rifle firmly in her grasp, she sat with her back against the brick wall of the building beside her. She wanted to fire off a shot just to chip away at her stress. She needed to scream. Let it all out.
I can't take this! Why am I here?
Lowering her head and biting her lip, Bela sighed away her thoughts, reminding herself to remain as alert as possible. She was still in the blender and the blades had barely begun spinning. Balancing the metal buttplate of the gun on the ground, she used her right hand to hold her sickle, resting it on the pavement.
My feet and legs are killing me. My body has never felt like this before. Soreness. Pain. What happened to me?
She could not make sense of why her powers had been taken from her. What kind of thing would have made such an outcome possible? The idea of being transported to a different world was already perplexing enough, but why did her powers not come along for the ride? Bela shook her head, knowing that she'd go insane if she tried to figure it all out on her own. The most she could do –
Splat. The sudden crash of a figure on the ground beside her stole the blonde from her thoughts as she jolted back.
Breathing rapidly, Bela shuffled further along the wall, eyes wide as dinner plates as she stared at the dark mass before her. The shadows were too great, and she could barely tell what it was that had fallen. Using the muzzle of the rifle, she tapped the shape.
Soft and firm, with a hard structure inside – a corpse.
Where did that come from?
She stared up at the sky, eyeing the building above her with an open window to the side.
Well…that explains that. Is this thing a person or…
With her intuition at the forefront of her actions, Bela resorted to the most straightforward means of getting her answers. Using the end of her sickle, she buried the blade into the center of the body with a strong chop, before dragging it closer to where some of the light was. As soon as the moonlight shined over it, Bela realized that the deceased bore no signs of mutation.
It was an older man with a slim frame. His face remained mostly intact, though the back of his cranium had been obliterated by the harsh landing. There were no signs of injuries synonymous with claws or bites. His body was broken, but nothing that wouldn't have been attributed to the fall.
His popped skull dispersed a hefty amount of blood, but the rest of him was dry. She had heard no sounds before his drop. Part of her wondered if she had been too engrossed in her assessment of herself that it may have drowned out the noise around her. She shuddered to think such a lapse in focus would have cost her such auditory awareness, as that man could have easily been another one of the creatures.
Looks like he ended his own life.
There was no question why such an action would have come to mind for him. She had no idea how long these people had to endure this plague. To die by one's own hand seemed more merciful compared to being killed by what was prowling the streets.
As she breathed, Bela noted how she could hardly smell his blood. There was no enticing aroma attached to the death. Her nostrils could not sweep in every fragment of crimson vapor as they did back at home. She had no yearning to devour the dead either. It was all just so strange.
Not considering the corpse any further, Bela opted to move from her spot. The sound was loud and surely would attract the attention of other things. She did not want to be in the middle of it all when that happened.
Bounding from street to street, she had lost track of her pattern of movement. The various turns and hooks had caused the once-straight path to shift into a random assortment of rights and lefts. The streets sometimes took strange patterns and loops that made no sense at all. It was like this city was a maze.
I don't seem to be any closer to that clock tower than I was when I set off. Damn it…I'm not. Those buildings up ahead look familiar. I must have circled back around.
Her eyes immediately picked up the corpse on the street just up ahead. Her heart flew into a fast rhythm, seeing it to be the dead body of one of the men who had ambushed Vikcia. His shredded remains were strewn all around, torn from limb to limb. It reminded her of the kind of mess that she and her sisters would leave behind whenever they feasted as a group. Blood was everywhere. Guts were thrown about like an afterthought as the muscle and arteries were the best sources of satiation.
She must be around here, somewhere. I can't believe I went the wrong way and ended up back here. I'm so stupid!
At that moment, Bela realized the potential that lay ahead of her. Near the corpse were some discarded items, alongside another gun. Quickly checking her corners, she decided to make a move and scavenge what she could. Two bullets in this rifle weren't going to be enough to keep her alive if this was the only option she had. She needed to source more ammunition.
With a mad dash, Bela sprinted to the corpse. She knelt beside it, eyeing the few pouches that he had on him during the attack. She set her rifle down and popped them open, discovering more cartridges inside. Her excitement picked up as soon as she took hold of the first shell, happy to know that she would be better prepared.
Bela grabbed her rifle and threw the bolt open, ejecting the round that had already been seated inside the chamber. As she moved to place the next one in, she realized that it was far too long to be inserted into the magazine.
Are you kidding me?! Why does this not fit?!
She tried to force the round into the chamber, but the diameter of the head was too wide for the barrel to accommodate it. It was a no-go.
Panic began to set in as she looked around. She was in the open and at any moment, Vikcia could come crawling back to where they last encountered each other. She had to be fast and find something useful. Sorting through the pouches, Bela uncovered more of the same kind of large rifle ammunition that would not properly seat into her gun. Alongside it were shotgun shells that would never stand a chance either. All hope seemed to be lost until she eyed the double-barrel weapon to the corpse's right.
How could I be so stupid?
As Bela went to go reach for the gun, she suddenly heard the shambling of an approaching being. Her head snapped to the left as the infected partner of the dead man came lurching back toward her. He must have stuck around the area, she figured.
His face was riddled with maggots, and blood smeared the small pockets of his mouth that were not covered by the mounds of larvae. He was still partially coated in the dust that Vikcia had breathed on him, as the grey debris covered the shoulders and front of his long-sleeve shirt.
Even if he had been human just an hour or two ago – he wasn't anymore.
"Great…" Bela muttered to herself as she snatched the new gun from the ground and stood up. The man's walking picked up in speed as he began to get closer, narrowing the distance between them to about twenty feet.
The blonde clung to her sickle as her main choice, not wanting to create any loud noise. The firearm in her hand would remain as a last resort like before.
The man's gurgling breath did not stop him from being able to form words, much like Jerdan from earlier. And like Jerdan, they made no sense at all. "Too many horses on the roads. You'll get trampled," he said as he continued to approach her.
Bela took a step backward, rearing her arm in preparation to swing her blade.
"Dead horses. They do not pull carriages." His hand rose to wipe off some of the maggots from his strained, red eyes. "We need more dead horses."
Just a little closer…
He was ten feet away now. Another step or two and she would bring her wrath down upon him. As soon as his leg rose to advance some more, Bela could hear the pattering of another creature from behind her.
Damn!
She spun around and was suddenly met with the sight of the long-necked girl that she and Ethan had encountered inside the cathedral. Crawling on the ground, the ferocious beast was still very much alive. Her snake-like neck was drenched in blood, but not enough to have rendered her dead. It appeared the injuries they had inflicted on her were not too deep. She'd have to try harder this time.
The blonde could not get a single thought out before the woman sped toward her. She jumped away as fast as she could, only to be grabbed by the infected man along the way. "Get off!" Bela shouted as soon as his hands clutched her arm.
The crocodile-woman collided with them both, sending the two to the hard ground alongside her. The beastly girl opened her large mouth and began to bite into the air, desperately trying to catch something within the snares of her many sharp rows of teeth. Bela fought with the man who continued to hold her down, maggots spewing from his eyes and lips as his ramblings persisted.
"Horses need food. We are low on food."
She threw her sickle down into his chest. "Shut up!" The blade had to be at least a few inches deep, but it did not force him to relinquish his grasp on her. Blood drained from the sides of the wound as she turned the sickle from side to side, wrenching it out from his torse and swinging it again. It clawed across his side, sheering his skin and muscle.
Just like the spider-head woman, he still would not be deterred.
The long-necked monster began to turn around. Her elongated limbs flailed across the ground, kicking the two of them as she staggered upward. Her drawn-out breaths carried a distinctive hiss as she set her sights on the woman who had evaded her just hours ago. She and Bela locked eyes, and the creature's jaws opened into a wicked smile.
Oh no…
The woman's neck shot forward, carrying her ravenous head along with it as she attempted to reach Bela's face. Her jaws spread, revealing the dozens of teeth inside that were ready to tear into her flesh. Bela ducked her head and quickly turned her body, using the infected man as a shield.
She felt him recoil forward with a sudden grunt. Scores of maggots fell on top of her as his hands tensed against her arm. She would ignore the festering larvae for now. All that mattered was escaping the fate that awaited her. She glanced up, watching as the woman's large mouth clamped down horizontally against both sides of the man's head. He stood frozen with an agonal gape to his jaw like any animal would be if ensnared by a larger predator.
She pulled her neck back, taking the man with her.
Bela hurried to a standing position as the woman spun around and crawled on top of her prey, using the powerful force of her neck and bite to skin the left portion of his face. She did not stop there, swallowing the flesh that she had withdrawn and biting down on his face again. Her teeth pierced the front of his skull, caving in his eye sockets and shattering his nose into a bloody fountain. The man's body convulsed under the violence and ceased all motion as soon as she ended his life with a rageful twist.
The scene was only a couple of feet away from her and she needed to escape. Retrieving her sickle from the ground, Bela was about to sprint away when the lady turned her blood-soaked head in her direction. Rising, the creature eyed her next target, giggling slowly as her spider-like arms and legs moved to rotate her body. Squared off with the blonde, she crouched down, ready to pounce.
With no weapon to use, Bela went to duck again, but the woman was too fast to avoid. Like a truck impacting her, she was swept off her feet and sent crashing against the unforgiving cobblestone road. Bela barely knew what hit her; left in a daze from the swift blow. Fortunately, the lady's jaws had failed to bite her during the launch, and it was her shoulder that had struck the blonde in her chest. The creature was not sluggish, even after all it had endured during their first fight. It was already kicking around; its long fingers scrapping against Bela's thighs and abdomen.
The pain was enough to propel her into fighting mode. She needed to get away from this thing as fast as possible. If she didn't, she would end up just like the infected man did. A demolished face was not what she wanted to receive in the next couple of seconds.
Scrambling around, the creature's body made it difficult for it to get back on its hands and feet when it was placed on its side. With Bela in the mix, she had to push to get just the right angle to re-direct her body weight. Her arms and legs may have been strong, but they were also too long to function well.
She's having problems getting up. This is my chance!
Without hesitation, Bela glanced down and spotted the woman's left leg trying to drag itself along the pavement. The limb was right over her own body, and the placement of her shin was perfect. It was time to cripple her.
With a kick, Bela sent her heel into the center of the lady's tibia, snapping it clean in half. The creature's leg folded backward, and the rest of her body kicked around in pain. However, that did not stop her from giggling, despite how distressed her response was. It was an unnerving reaction to see, and it only made the blonde question just how demented and resilient her enemies in this world were going to be. The level of terror in every encounter was extraordinary.
The lady's whip of a neck flew around in all directions as she sought to take a bite out of the woman who had just broken her leg. Bela quickly rolled away as fast as she could, narrowly missing the beast's jaws as she attempted to snag her. Reaching for her sickle, she was ready to have another go at slicing the crocodile-woman's throat, but the predator was able to immediately pry her body back up as soon as she had the space to do so.
The broken leg did not seem to matter anymore, as she was right back into that pouncing position. This was not going to end well if she succeeded in another jump. Bela knew she had to act and fast. The sickle would only get her killed as it could not deal a deadly blow in time. With no other option, she had to fall on her final resort. The woman jumped forward and Bela dived for the rifle. Her hands landed on the weapon, gripping the hardwood stock. She craned her torso around, just as the mutated lady's nightmarish jaws descended upon her.
Within a second, they locked on the middle of the rifle.
I got to shake her off!
Bela held onto the weapon for dear life while the woman thrashed around. The beast's teeth were already digging deeper into the gun, and she could only imagine what they would do to her. With the scales of the battle once again falling away from her favor, Bela had to decide on her next move.
She exchanged a precious second or two of the likely dozen that she had left alive to scan the area. The gun had been removed as the go-to weapon and her sickle was only a few feet away from her body. She had to reach it.
I need to get closer! Argh!
The monster continued to drag her around, crouching above her like a bear as it mauled its prey. The sickle would get closer, only to be brought further away as the blonde was thrown around. Bela opted to fight as hard as she could until the blade was within reach. It was going to be a long shot, but she had to give it her all.
Seconds went by and she could feel the rifle ready to slip from her grasp. The blade was not within adequate range at all, and at any moment, the woman was about to tear the rifle out from her grasp. She had to come up with a new plan.
Another second was exchanged for the opportunity to think, but the only product Bela received was muscle weakness. She couldn't come up with anything.
Another second and another harsh drag on the ground – nothing.
I'm going to die if I don't –
She let go of the rifle and made a break for the sickle. The creature's head swung off to the side as soon as the blonde had let go; the rifle still clenched inside its mouth. Bela crawled away as fast as her body would allow her, snagging the blade off the ground just in time for the woman to come running toward her.
Bela hooked the tip of the blade around the left side of her serpent-like neck and dragged the edge of the metal along her skin as she heaved forward. Red puddles erupted out from the newly-opened wound and the lady's mouth released the rifle. The blonde quickly added another strike that placed the sickle deep within her neck, burrowing straight through the middle of her throat.
It wasn't a killing blow, and it never would be.
There was only one way to end this for good.
Bela used her leg to drag the rifle toward her, and once it was close enough, she leaned forward to pick it up. The firearm was firmly in her hands once again, ready to be utilized. Her adversary was already in the process of recovering from the initial shock of the sickle's wrath, and her slender eyes had turned back to the person she was trying to kill.
Her jaws opened back up for the final time – and Bela pulled the trigger.
Boom.
The top of the crocodile-woman's head was blasted open after the bullet entered through the roof of her mouth and pushed through everything in its path. Her skull blossomed like a rose in a splash of defeat, sending droplets of blood into the air and around the area. She stumbled forward, brain, hair, and skin hanging all over her face. Her neck and head landed on top of Bela's legs, the crimson contents of her skull draining down along the side.
Bela kicked the creature's body away before she rose to her feet, breathing like she had been deprived of oxygen for her entire life. She couldn't fill her chest enough and there wasn't time to get all of it out, either. Her mind was still hot on survival, and she wasn't going to risk this creature rising back up. With the butt of her rifle, she battered the already obliterated woman's skull until her head was rendered into a pile of mush.
"Stay dead!" She screamed, throwing the rifle to the ground. Bela's fast breathing had not slowed down, but she would not stick around to relax. The gunshot and the subsequent screaming had already made plenty of noise for the rest of the city to trace back to her. She needed to get away – now.
The other man's gun was still nearby and the pouches along his body contained plenty of ammunition to keep it fed. She ran over the weapon and picked it up, removing the belt of pouches from the corpse's mid-section, which had already been mostly gobbled up – likely by Vikcia.
Strapping the stained belt around her waist, Bela withdrew a shotgun shell and rifle cartridge and popped open the firearm. Just like the bolt-action rifle, she was slightly familiar with the operation of a break-action, having come across a few over the years whenever the daughters would track and kill a hunter in the woods.
Cassandra was always so enthused about collecting the firearms as trophies, but hardly any of them ever made it back to the castle. The woman's boredom was always close by and more often than not, the guns ended up in the river.
Inserting the rounds into their respective chambers, she closed the action and utilized a sling that was attached to the gun to free up her hands. It was the best mode of travel for now, as the noise from this gun was even louder than the other one. Just like her previous rifle, it was a last resort.
Taking the sickle up off the ground, she hurried off into the shadows, noting the sounds of other creatures nearby.
I got to hide!
Kyia kept her elbows on the table, her cupped hands obscuring her mouth, leaving only her eyes to be seen as she looked ahead at Ethan. With a squint of her brow, she leaned in to ask a question that had been on her mind since he started describing the thing, "These 'computers,' you speak of: are they dangerous?"
Ethan laughed a bit, which did nothing to remove the immense concentration on the woman's face. She was quite the character, and he admittingly was having some fun watching her respond to everything he told her. "Artificial intelligence is pretty much a guessing game when you break it down. Skynet won't be taking over anytime soon, I promise."
"Who is Skynet?"
"Uhm…" His hand rubbed against the back of his neck as he tried to paddle around having to explain American pop culture to someone from an entirely different realm – especially one that mimicked an earlier time. "It's a thing from a movie about machines and computers taking over. All fiction. None of it was real."
Kyia pressed her hands against her mouth; her green eyes lowering to the table. "These movies, 'films,' as you call them…are they…fun?"
"Always! Well…usually. It depends on one what you watch," he replied with a shrug of his shoulder. "You seem like a historian, or perhaps a sci-fi enthusiast. There are a ton of movies that would fit your liking."
"Hmm." Kyia lowered her arms down under the table and turned her head over to her pile of books. "I do like history, yes."
"Maybe if you get me back home, I'll let you borrow some DVDs I had laying around."
"What is that?"
"It's a disc that…well…" He stumbled around having to explain everyday things. She was so normal but so different at the same time. A foreign culture not of countries – but of universes. Even though she looked like any other person, she was different and came from a different life. Part of him felt like he would never truly understand her.
In contrast to her usually serious attitude, Kyia offered up a small chuckle of her own as she watched him figure out his next response. "Your world is such an interesting place, Mr. Winters. Perhaps, I should take you up on that offer."
"You'd love Titanic," he remarked.
"Is that the one with Skynet?" She asked in return.
"No, but…" he laughed. "It would have still ended up the same."
Kyia's smile crept along her cheeks. Her teeth were pearly white, and her thin pink lips bordered them very well. Her soft cheeks stood out against her thin neck and narrow shoulders, but the curves at the corners of her mouth matched up with them perfectly. She was a thing of beauty in the face of all the ugliness that this world had to offer. While the woman may have been stern, she could also be very friendly.
Nonetheless, any beauty that she exuded would never overshadow the memory of Mia. No woman could compare to her. As soon as Kyia's brunette hair became the center of Ethan's focus, his mind reverted to the memories of his wife, reminding him of why he was here in the first place. It sent a chill across his heart to know that she was dead – regardless of universes.
He wanted to forget the pain of her loss, but that was impossible, as that meant forgetting her. He'd have to live with that for the rest of his life, as such was the cost of love. Kyia's attractiveness was merely a route to take his mind away from the death that Serpenmoor was home to. Ever since Chris Redfield invited a storm of bullets into Ethan's house, there was no taking his mind off death for good.
He could only pretend it didn't exist for the moment.
"Are you okay?" Kyia asked, eyeing him curiously.
"Yeah." Ethan snapped to, realizing how lost in thought he had become. "Sorry, I…" He fell on his words, once again not knowing which path to choose. He exhaled a breath and shook his head. "No. I'm not. I miss my wife so much. I'm trying to be strong and make it through this, but I just lost her right before I came here. I don't even know how to process it. Every time I get a break in this hellhole, I find myself struggling to understand what the fuck happened."
He rested his forehead on his hands, breathing slowly between his wrists. Kyia tilted her head with a dismayed expression before getting up from her seat and making her way over to him. Her thin hand landed on his shoulder before her left knee touched the ground.
He could hear her soft voice in his ear, "I have never lived a life like yours, Mr. Winters. But, I have endured things that still stay in my mind. I struggle with them too, even to this day. I want to cry, and sometimes I do. I've learned that none of it was my fault, and I had to stop blaming myself. That didn't make the pain go away for me, but I understood it. I'm still a work in progress, as are you."
He could sense her warm touch, which lifted his spirits just a little. "Thank you, Kyia. I needed to hear that."
"You're an honest man, Mr. Winters. I can sense it. At first, I was weary of you, but, well…I still am," she giggled. "However, you seem trustworthy, so, I trust you with that truth about me, as you trust me with yours."
"Seems only fair," he smiled back.
She sighed with her grin still intact. "That's all I've ever wanted: fairness in the world I live in."
He wanted to ask if the world was not fair, but he already knew the answer. It was just fitting that such a thing was consistent in a different universe. It seemed that no matter what, some things just never changed.
Ethan reached over his shoulder and briefly graced the back of her hand with his own. "I support that."
"I'm glad you do." She rose from her spot and picked up an empty glass from the table. "If you want something to drink, I can –"
A muffled shout from the outside caught Ethan's attention. He craned his neck to stare at the door, as did Kyia. The woman cautiously set the glass back down and her posture tensed up. She turned her eyes toward Ethan, observing just how fixated on the exit he had become.
The man got up from his chair. "That sounded like Bela."
"No!" She quickly approached him with a pointed finger. "Do not go out there. Whatever is happening to that person will happen to us if you open that door!"
He paused for a split second, anxious as ever. The hesitation only broke as soon as he heard the blonde's distinctive grunt. That bellowing heave of exertion only came out when she was engaged in a battle. Ethan had not given Bela so much thought lately, as he started to believe Kyia's assumptions that she was likely dead.
Hearing her outside sparked his natural sense to save others. He knew she was a loathsome murderer. Someone who stood in the way of him rescuing his daughter. Part of him wanted to abide by the instructions of the friendly woman who had just taken him in. She seemed intent on keeping him safe, unlike the woman he had arrived here with. He wanted to toss Bela away as a vile creature who was about to receive the just punishment that she deserved.
Only – he couldn't do that.
That was not who he was.
"Kyia, I need to save her." Ethan turned around and made a move for the door.
The brunette was fast on his trail and caught up with him, pressing her right hand against the door and using her other to scold him. With her finger an inch away from his face, her words carried intense scorn, "If you go out there, I will not let you back in!"
Ethan rolled his lips, lifting his chin up as he stared directly into her eyes. He didn't doubt her, but he wasn't about to doubt himself, either. "I would do the same thing if it was you out there." He said not another word before he grabbed the handle and turned it. The door flew open as he pulled it, forcing Kyia to step off to the side.
With wide eyes and parted lips, she waited until he closed it to clench her fists. "Argh! Damn it!" She ran her hands through her hair, unsure of what was about to happen next. With her back against the door, Kyia slammed her fist against the metal panel, grunting loudly as she did so.
Bela had already hooked the maggot-infested woman in the throat, swinging her body down to the ground. The infected lady had been following her for the last couple of minutes, and the blonde wanted to take this fight somewhere else besides the open streets. The alleyway was dark, but that did not mean the sounds would be lost in the shadows. As soon as she killed this thing, it would be another movement to the next best spot to stay.
The woman – whose right side of her face was completely engulfed in larvae – clawed like hell at Bela. She was more determined than the others, and her fast movements had been a great cause of concern. It almost made the daughter of House Dimitrescu miss the sluggish brutes she had encountered earlier. They were at the very least manageable. She did not want to think about what would go down if she encountered these faster infected en masse.
This wretched worm is so persistent! Die!
Bela pulled the sickle out from the side of her neck, severing her jugular and unleashing a fountain of blood across her left. Withstanding the trauma, the infected lady gripped her adversary's throat, compressing it as hard as she could.
Bela gagged under the pressure, realizing that her trachea could be crushed at any given moment. She raised her sickle in the air and used the bottom end to hammer the woman's forehead. The steel base of the weapon dented her skull, but it was not enough. She was still choking the life out of her.
"Argh!" Bela yelled as she struck her again and again, pulverizing the top of her cranium. Blood started to trickle out from the deepest recesses of the bruised skin, constantly trailing down the sides of her face. The red streams coated the maggots, who responded with additional squirming.
The assault continued, resulting in greater injuries to the infected local. Larvae splashed along the ground as her head was rocked in various directions. Bela bashed the sickle's handle against her so much that it wasn't long before blood covered the woman's entire face. Gurgling breaths bubbled out as her mouth became filled with crimson.
Another hit – her tight grip released.
Unwilling to fight this lady again, Bela threw in a few more slams just for good measure. The infected woman did not respond to the additional damage, and it was safe to assume that she was dead.
I can't take this anymore! How many are there?!
"Bela!" Ethan's voice caused her to look up in surprise. At the end of the open alleyway stood the annoying man-thing that she detested so much.
What the…how? How is he still alive?
She could barely see him in the dark, but she could make out the shape of him beckoning her to come toward him. She stood up, threw on her hood, and kicked the corpse before she retrieved her gun and set off. "Ugh, perfecting timing…"
"Come on! I have somewhere we can hide."
"Lower your damn voice!" She whispered. "You're going to bring the entire city over here!"
As soon as she caught up to him, his hand grabbed her by the arm. "I think you already did." He glanced over her shoulder, staring back at the fallen creature. "Jesus, did you do that?"
"No," Bela fiercely replied. "She was sleeping on the ground and I was just checking up on her – of course! Where is this place?"
"This way," he said as he pulled her along. She swatted his hand off her as soon as she could, leaving him a dissatisfied groan as a parting gift.
"Don't touch me. I can see you."
"Then let's go!"
With a low snarl, Bela said nothing else as she tagged along. She and Ethan trotted through the shadows as the man led her down a flight of stairs that seemed to lead to the basement of one of the buildings. The tight corridor was just as dark as the outside world was, and she found herself growing concerned as to just where they were going.
I hope he knows where he's taking me. I don't trust this man.
Ethan opened the first door and brought Bela in, shutting it as soon as she had entered. In the pitch-black darkness, she could hear him going for the next door – only to find it locked.
The man's voice suddenly picked up in elevation, "Kyia, I have her! Let us in!"
"Who is Kyia?" Bela's annoyed tone came out.
Is he already trying to make friends? I hate stupid men…
Ethan did not respond to her. He tugged on the door handle some more, pleading with whoever was inside, "It's just the two of us! We weren't being followed. I know you're in there listening to me, Kyia."
He began to pound on the steel door. "Don't let us die out here!"
The door swung open; the flash of light nearly blinded Bela as Ethan grabbed her wrist. Her face grimaced, "I said don't touch –" He hauled her inside as fast as he could. She stumbled across the room, nearly landing against a table in the center. As soon as her vision came into focus, her eyes spotted Ethan on one side of the room, and an aggravated brunette on the other.
Who is this?
Kyia glared at Bela before she turned her attention to Ethan. Like an angry mother, she stormed over to him and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. "You are so foolish! I told you not to go out there. You could have gotten both of us killed!"
In the face of all her anger, Ethan was more relieved than anything else. Bela looked on as the thin woman kept her eyes on him, waiting for what he had to say. Either she had expected an answer sooner, or was naturally impatient, as he was only given a second before she went off on him again, "There will not be a second time, I swear! You will stay out there for good!"
He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Thanks for all you've done. I'm not going to put anyone's life at risk. If there was something there, we would have gone elsewhere."
Kyia seemed to simmer down, but her breathing carried a low growl that stained the air. She averted her eyes from him, maintaining her tense posture as she picked up one of her books from the pile, holding it against her chest. "You're lucky the sound of your voice was too distracting for me to concentrate on my reading. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered."
Bela rolled her eyes. "She's a real treat."
Kyia's brows flicked up. "Excuse me?"
The blonde sat her gun down against the table. With a shake of her head, she glanced at Ethan. "So, this is where you've been this whole time?"
He gave her a nod. "Yeah, Kyia was kind enough –"
The brunette re-engaged the blonde across from her, "Don't pretend I did not address you. What did you mean by that?"
Bela tsked her lips and threw her hands up at her side. "Nothing. Feel better?"
Kyia eyed her from head to toe, noting the blood that had sprayed across her outfit – as well as the sides of her mouth. She did not like the look of Bela one bit, and she could already sense a sinister nature to the woman. This looked like someone who she would have never accepted the company of, and it was only by Ethan's impulsive decision-making that she was here in the first place.
"I do not like her, Ethan," Kyia glared at Bela.
He lowered his head, not wanting to deal with any of this. "Look, I'll take care of her. She and I had survived together up until this point. I wasn't about to let her die out there."
What? Wait, that's right. If he was in here the whole time, that means he came back for me. Why would he do that?
She watched as he and Kyia went back and forth about the matter. The brunette did not seem enthused to have her here. She gave him hell, not holding back on how much she was upset about the risks that came along with additional company. Ethan nodded with every swing she threw at him, and Bela could only find amusement in the whole show.
He really is so stupid. I would not have done any of that for him.
Eventually, Kyia grew exhausted from hounding him and felt like she had already made her point. In her heart, she knew she wasn't going to kick him back out, and removing Bela from the room was also not in the cards – as much as she wished she could. The slender woman simply sat on her bed with the book that she held and laid back, propping up her knees as a stand so she could rest whatever piece of literature it was that she was about to read on them.
Ethan stepped over to speak with her. As soon as he opened up his mouth, she lifted her hand up in his direction, eyes dead-set on the page in front of her. Whether she was actually reading it or not was up to debate. He sighed and moved away, turning his attention to Bela.
Bela's amber glare shifted to his own. Her fingers tapped the top of the table in a rhythmic matter; her own form of impatience beginning to grow. It seemed like this place would be the best location to formulate the next step toward escaping this place. At the very least, she finally had a moment to breathe. "So, what do we do now?"
Ethan took one more breath and sat down on the chair across from her. He picked up the tin can that he had previously been eating, motioning for Bela to take a seat as well. "We wait for daylight."
NOTES:
Another chapter further into this journey! Hope you all enjoyed it! 😊
Ethan and Kyia certainly have a dynamic between the two of them. She is a main character in this story, so don't worry about any impending Elena moments lol. She knows a lot about other realms, which is going to be crucial to him and Bela standing any chance of making it back home.
Speaking of Bela: another fight in the books. I wanted to bring back the crocodile-lady for one more go-around. She was one of the more drastically changed people in this city, and there are many others who mutated beyond the infestation of maggots. The city may be quiet, but that doesn't mean that there aren't some large creatures walking about. Our blonde at least got to finish one off for good, and so far, she's been holding her own. Will her luck last forever?
So, yeah, Ethan and Bela are reunited and Kyia doesn't seem to be fond of her new guest. Something tells me there will be some friction along the way.
What to expect in the chapter? Well, a flashback to Castle Dimitrescu! We'll see a little more of Bela's life before all this madness, which will help us understand her mentality. You can also expect some well-overdo bantering between her and Ethan, as she isn't going to be happy about him relaxing while she was fighting for her life.
That chapter should come along in another two weeks or so.
Also, hope you're all excited for the RE4 Remake that is set to come out next week! I know I'll be playing it!
Thanks for checking this chapter out and supporting this story in general. You guys have been awesome and I am so thrilled to see so many people excited about it! This is going to be a big piece of work, and even after seven chapters in, we've still just scratched the surface. Many more chapters are ahead, which means tons of horror, gothic settings, and Bela/Ethan! Thanks for making this all possible!
Leave a kudos if you wish. Drop a comment to let me know what you thought, didn't like, or would like to see. I'm always happy to hear from you all!
Wishing everyone a great time and stay safe! 😊