Well, this has been a long time coming, hasn't it? I always planned to do a follow-up to ASC, but I didn't think it'd take this long. As I'm working on some other projects (the same I mentioned in the Epilogue of ASC in fact, they're long stories), this one will probably update slower. But it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

It had been over a century since what was now known as the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Incident, when famed doctor and medical researcher Alfred Drevis was revealed to be a prolific serial killer responsible for countless disappearances in his hometown and the surrounding regions. Alfred was a renowned physician who pioneered many innovative medical treatments, medicines, and tools such as his trademark steam-powered chainsaw, all of which revolutionized medical science as the world knew it. While the killings themselves were gruesome enough to be of note, especially in a time where mad serial killers were a lesser-known phenomenon, it is the manner in which they were revealed to the public and the doctor's motivations that make the case known universally throughout the world.

Dr. Drevis had married into a line of strange occultists dating back many generations. This family possessed a strange magic capable of perfectly preserving human bodies in a porcelain-like form. These strange dolls, and the twisted spirits within, were seen by this family as the epitome of eternal beauty. Unbeknownst to Alfred, his wife Monika had deliberately sought a man with his inner nature for the sake of perpetuating her family's traditions. Alfred was one of the few on Earth with a similar obsession with preserving beauty in death.

Alfred became enamored with this strange process, just as Monika had planned. Soon abducting countless poor souls to operate on to perfect his skill in the craft of human doll making. Monika and Alfred were happy as could be in their twisted, unholy matrimony, relishing in each other's depravity.

Publicly however, the pair was a model couple. Alfred was a chivalrous and charming man known as a premiere example of a modern upper-class Gentleman. His wife had a similar reputation as a fine young lady with a kind heart who was friends with many of the townsfolk and a delight at social gatherings. None suspected that any of the strange disappearances could be attributed to such prized members of the community.

Eventually, the two had a daughter named Aya. An uncommon name in Germany to be sure, far more well-known in the Japanese Isles. The reason for this incongruity is often attributed to Monika's fascination with Japanese culture.

Aya was considerably less well-known to the townsfolk than her parents. She was a sheltered, introverted girl who only rarely interacted with the other children. Those who spoke to her described her as kind and well-mannered, but with an odd and occasionally off-putting demeanor.

In truth, Aya shared the inner darkness of her parents, be it due to inherited conditions or as a natural consequence of being raised in such an environment. She had an unhealthy fascination with gore and mortality, which often displayed themselves any time she acquired her father's chainsaw while his back was turned.

Young Aya was oblivious to the nature of her tendencies or her parents' practices. She understood the saw as a tool of healing, and aspired to be a doctor just like her father. The thrill of cutting into flesh and watching the blood and viscera pour out, to her this must have been what people talked about when they said it felt good to help people, even if her efforts to heal her patients were in vain. After all, her father always seemed rather joyous even after his patients failed to recover despite his efforts. It must have been the thought that counted.

Alfred, however, grew concerned with Aya's behavior. Her tendencies and habits mirrored his own at her age. He was a monster; he knew it well. It wasn't right for people to be like him. He didn't want his precious, innocent daughter to grow up like that.

So she simply wouldn't.

Alfred found a new purpose in his work, a concrete goal to work towards with his work. He would perfect his craft as Aya grew older, and at the peak of her innocent beauty, he would use his work to preserve her in her pure, untainted form.

Monika discovered Alfred's plans and was aghast. He'd planned to kill their daughter, and her family's legacy along with her. She could not abide it. She confronted the Doctor and his assistant Maria as soon as she learned of their plan. She was never seen again.

While the town mourned for Monika, there was little suspicion as to her cause of death. It was well known she suffered from consumption and was not long for the world. The town held a public service for her, respecting the Doctor's wishes to have a private funeral, and moved on.

Not all would move on so easily, however. On the one-year anniversary of Monika's death, the Drevis Manor came under siege by the vengeful dead. Countless victims from years of experiments broke through the veil to get their revenge for Alfred's crimes. Their leader was Monika herself.

The nature of the hauntings was revealed to Aya by a mysterious stranger who appeared in her room soon after the haunting began. The man was tall and wore a suit and top hat, like that of a Victorian businessman. Strangely, the man had sharp, pointed ears and strange crimson eyes. The man called himself Mr. Ogre.

Aya didn't know what to make of the man, but he didn't seem malevolent at least. He was, however, rather confused at Aya's insistence on saving her father. After all, she was not completely oblivious to his true nature. It seemed blood really was thicker than water. Nonetheless, he would offer some aid to her on her journey. He was rather interested in the nature of humans, in all their kindness and cruelty alike, and was curious to see what this girl's true nature would reveal itself to be.

Aya was a brave child, and surprisingly capable of holding her own against the horrors of the mansion. She vowed to save her father from the vengeful dead, whatever it took. No doll or restless spirit would stop her. Many of the restless dead and the foul dolls her father had unleashed with his experiments soon learned they themselves had reason to be afraid.

Not all the spirits were malicious, however. Some were passive, or even friendly. Others could be calmed and soothed. Some Dolls too rejected their wicked nature and aided Aya on her quest. The rest did not take kindly to this change of heart, and many kind souls were sent back to the afterlife in agonizing fashion. Others did not go so quietly.

The first of these friendlier spirits was a blond boy, who urged Aya to flee with him. He had no sympathy for the Doctor, but was determined to see that Aya came to no harm. Sadly, Aya caught sight of his mortal injury, which had left a gaping wound where one of his eyes should be. She fled, mistaking him for another monster. His journey had just become more complicated.

Among the dolls was a team of three toy soldiers. The trio were designed to safeguard the Drevis household, and Aya especially, in times of crisis. When the other dolls turned on Alfred, the soldiers remained loyal, and helped Aya traverse the increasingly dangerous household. Eventually, with their help, Aya eventually freed the upper levels of the house of the undead.

They could not accompany her forever, however. Struck by a mysterious affliction, the soldiers were forced to remain behind as Aya braved the depths of the basement alone. The countless terrors that lay in wait eager and hungry for blood. And so was Aya.

Soon, the dolls and dead found they had underestimated the young girl. With only a chainsaw and her family's prized dagger, she carved a swath through her foes. The more she fought, the greater her inner bloodlust grew. Soon, the dolls' numbers dwindled, and the dead less and less corporeal, until finally, she collapsed to the floor, exhausted.

When she awoke, she met a strange child, around her age. The girl was sallow and unearthly looking, with messy blond hair. She wore a plain, ratty dress for clothing and a mischievous smile for an expression. She appeared to be an urchin of sorts, or at least, the ghost of one.

Aya quickly realized the girl had stolen her mother's prized perfume, which she had brought with her for comfort and security. She gave chase immediately, racing down the dark, damp corridors after the urchin girl, finally subduing her near a rat-infested hallway. The girl seemed rather willing to part with it due to it deterring the rats, which most others would doubtlessly consider a positive.

Aya was uncertain to make of the urchin girl. She'd been a nuisance to be sure, but there was something else about her. She closely resembled a picture in a book she found listing her Father's test subjects. Both her and the tall blond boy with only one eye she learned was named Robin. Robin, she remembered now. He had been an assistant and sort of surrogate older brother figure to her when she was very young. This girl felt familiar too, but she couldn't figure out why, exactly.

She soon found herself in front of a massive gate. To Aya, it may as well have been the gates of Hell itself and it certainly looked the part. Its Cerberus was a tiny, unassuming doll in a chair in front of the gate. Somehow, the wretched little thing had conjured a barrier preventing access.

Unexpectedly, the strange girl offered aid. She claimed that the barrier was tied to the doll's very soul, and that by burning it in the furnace, she could pass. Neither the doll nor Aya knew what to make of this apparent shift in loyalties.

Aya's journey to the furnace room revealed that her home's basement was large, almost impossibly so, and contained many elaborate twists and turns. But when she finally reached the furnace room, from the door she heard a familiar voice. The urchin girl had beaten her to the entrance. There were other voices too, strange ones. Childish, but dripping with venom and cruelty. They threatened and berated the girl for helping Aya, and soon the sounds of a struggle could be heard as the urchin girl cried out in pain and fear.

Aya didn't waste a second, she burst into the room and was confronted by three dolls, one of which was poised to plunge a scalpel into the girl! She punted it across the room, shattering it against the far wall. She made short work of the others with her weapons.

The girl lay on the ground, covered in laceration and clearly in great pain. Aya hurriedly bandaged her wounds. Once she was treated to the best of her abilities, they made their proper introductions.

The girl's name was Ines. She was born to Spanish immigrants, and had lost her family to tuberculosis, the same disease Monika had supposedly died from. Alfred had found her shortly after a failed attempt to steal food from a street vendor, and took her in. She'd been introduced to Aya when she was only an infant, and learned to see her as a little sister. She'd bonded with the family for several months, especially the infant Aya, and believed that at long last, she'd found another family to call her own. That was until her time came.

Ines was vengeful towards the Doctor, just as the rest were, but she was unwilling to let Aya get caught in the crossfire. To her, she was still family. That was why she'd decided to help her. That was why she'd keep helping her. Her safety was more important than even justice for her death.

And so they made their way through the perilous depths together. The two found themselves facing increasingly more perilous challenges, and ever more deadly threats. It was not long before a bond began to form between them. There is something about working together to drop a large chandelier on top of a two-headed doll abomination that tends to bring people closer to one and other.

Ines found herself rather astonished with the rate at which Aya accepted her. She'd feared after their initial meeting, she'd alienated Aya for good. She was grateful that she'd given her another chance. Perhaps they could be a real family now, or something close to it, even if only for a short time.

Aya, for her part, held no grudge against Ines, and while the idea of a long-lost sibling was difficult to process, she found it none too difficult to accept Ines as such. After all, she'd been adopted into the family, if for unscrupulous reasons, and there experiences thus far was not too different from how siblings acted, as she understood it, albeit with more monsters and danger and bloodshed. She found that she was saddened by the fact that her new friend would soon return to the great beyond.

Before long however, it was time to confront Monika. Beyond the gates was a lab was a large device generating a sort of portal. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they had to do next.

It was then that they were greeted by a familiar strange man in formal attire, his head was bereft of hair and his ears were sharply pointed like that of an elf. It was Mr. Ogre.

Ines was familiar with the man as well. It was he who had greeted her upon her return to the land of the living, and it was he who delivered Aya to her old bedroom after she'd collapsed in the basement. She was just as unsure of what to make of the man as Aya was, and far more cautious.

Mr. Ogre informed them of what lay beyond the portal. It was The Other World. The afterlife where spirits dwelled. Ines knew it well. Aya was far less familiar. He warned that great danger lay ahead, and not of the sort they'd handled before.

Nonetheless, Aya insisted, and Ines agreed to follow. Ogre seemed pleased with this, and offered them a tool to aid them on their journey. A bottle of magic water, capable of banishing spirits. Should Monika prove unreasonable, it could serve as a last resort.

The duo realized that this was the final stretch of their journey, and they would have to part ways. They bid their farewells preemptively and vowed to meet again once Aya's time came. Steeling their nerves, they entered the portal to the great beyond.

The realm of the spirits was like nothing Aya had ever seen. An endless eldritch abyss that seemed bereft of solid ground save for odd platforms of solid light. It was on such a platform that they met Monika.

Alfred lay unconscious behind her, and Maria, who had earlier tried to rescue him, lay discarded to the side.

Aya demanded to know why she had done what she did. She had no qualms with Alfred's work. She'd told her that much years ago. The only thing she could think of was his affair with Maria. Monika admitted as much. The hauntings, the abduction, the legions of the dead plaguing the manor, all a ploy to get revenge on Maria, and to seal Alfred away with her in the afterlife forever, where no one else would ever come between them.

Ines was furious. They had all been tricked. Monika never intended for there to be justice for Alfred's crimes. There was no retribution or judgement to come for him. Whether the spirits would ever be able to move on or not from this purgatory made no difference to her. She'd thought Monika another victim, albeit less innocent than the rest. It seemed she'd simply been used as a pawn in a lovers' quarrel.

Aya was aghast at the suggestion that Alfred would have murdered Monika. What possible reason could he have had to do so? They were in love after all. And that was when Ines shared some insight as to Alfred's true nature. Of his obsession with the preservation of youthful beauty and innocence.

This enraged Monika, who began lashing out at the children. She cast them aside with the flick of her wrist, and prepared to take Alfred off with her to parts unknown.

Ines struck her with the blade. The same one her family had used to sacrifice countless others in the name of their twisted obsession. She was in turn struck and thrown to the floor. Monika prepared to finish her off once and for all.

And that was when Aya made her decision. She splashed Monika with the magic water, causing her to double over in pain and glow intensely as she vanished, seemingly for good. And with another bright flash of light, Aya, Alfred, and Maria were forced back into the realm of the living.

And so was Ines.

She did not understand the nature of her return, why she had been cast back into the land of the living. She didn't even know where exactly she was. All she saw was a strange room full of life-sized dolls and a doll-themed sarcophagus. And inside it… was Monika, perfectly preserved, her mortal wound from where Alfred had stabbed her clear as day.

Ines rushed off to find Aya. She had to know! Her search would not be a long one as she found Aya and Alfred in the very next room. And hovering above them, the ghost of Monika.

As a last resort to save her daughter, Monika chose to show her the truth of her demise. Aya saw everything. She saw the Doctor admit to his plans for Aya. She saw Monika confront him and Maria. She saw him plunge the knife into her gut, and her collapse to the floor as she slowly bled to death.

Aya fled from her father, up the room with Monika's remains now clear on display. Ines tried to lend her aid, but was restrained by one of the dolls.

Alfred began ranting about his experiments, his life's work, his desire to preserve Aya's beauty at all costs. So lost in his reverie was he that he couldn't even realize how terrified she was of him. He began to examine Ines, elated that a spirit had remained for him to study further.

Of course, human or no, dolls are rather fragile things, and frequently broken by children. It took one stab of a knife to free Ines, and soon she and Aya were running down the corridor, the crazed Doctor in pursuit.

Maria woke up elsewhere, just in time to see the girls fleeing down the hallway. The Doctor ordered her to catch them, and she hastily, though confusedly, obeyed. But the girls were clever, and managed to evade both of them.

For her failure, Maria was brutally discarded by the Doctor. She lay bleeding on the floor from a gaping chainsaw wound as the girls watched in horror. In an unexpected act of mercy, Aya and Ines chose to treat Maria's injuries to the best of their abilities. Betrayed by the Doctor and aided by the one she thought would hate her the most, she discarded her loyalty to him, urging the girls to escape while they still could.

Reluctantly leaving Maria, with the hopes that she would follow soon after, the girls made their way to the only route they had avaliable. The one to an underground chapel where Robin and the three Soldiers awaited them.

The soldiers quickly rescued Aya from a doll attempting to hinder her escape. The Doctor stormed in afterwards, demanding they take her back to the lab.

But they refused.

It was their duty to protect the family, even from each other, and that duty overrode their master's orders. The Doctor ranted and raved about the necessity of his work. About how Aya would inevitably become yet another monster as he had if something weren't done immediately.

Ines rebuked him, giving a passionate defense of Aya's character. She was staunchly convinced that after the events of that night, there was no way she would ever become like her father. She cited her compassion for his victims, how she had helped her after she'd stolen her prized possession, and of the world of difference in her character from that of either of her parents.

In a rage, the Doctor attacked, and was cut down in a hail of lead as his own creations turned on him. As the last shots were fired from their guns, he collapsed to the ground, dead or soon to be.

With Alfred gone, there was only one thing left that needed to be done for the spirits to be put to rest. The manor itself had to burn. Aya was greatly reluctant to see her home go up in flames, but Robin convinced her that it was the only way. Aya, Maria, and the soldiers would have to make a new life, away from that wretched place. A new beginning.

As the group readied to leave, Ines realized something about Robin. She'd never actually met him before, despite being well acquainted with most of the spirits. Robin was ultimately forced to admit his secret. He was no spirit. Monika had saved his life after Alfred's experiment on him. He returned to the manor of his own volition to save Aya, and repay his debt to Monika.

Ines insisted he tell her. Robin felt there was no place for him in what remained of the Drevis family, but Ines wouldn't budge. He had something she didn't. He was still alive; he had a chance to live a happy life with his adoptive family. It would be foolish to squander that chance.

Robin reluctantly agreed. He was rather surprised in the end at how well Aya took the news. He'd expected some hesitation to believe his story, at the very least. He certainly didn't expect Aya to offer him a place with her and the others wherever the built their new life together. Ines hadn't known Aya for long, but she knew her well.

With that final business settled, the manor was lit aflame. As it was engulfed, the end of an era was marked. The end of Alfred's reign of terror, the end of a long line of twisted occultists. And the beginning of a new era for the survivors. But the light of the flames illuminated a new mystery.

The group had noticed some strange goings on at the manor as they returned to the surface. Several of the animals who'd met their end in the manor had made themselves known as spirits in the house as well. But now it seemed they lingered as the hauntings ended… in a decidedly corporeal state.

Somehow, these animals had been brought back to life. Two cats, a bird, several rabbits, a murder of crows, and one no longer vicious or decayed dog were now present in the manor, alive and well. This phenomenon was certainly strange enough, and something of a logistical issue for transportation, but it seemed there was more to this mystery to be revealed.

In the light of the cleansing fire, Aya and the others noticed Ines no longer had her ashen, sallow complexion. Her ghostly features were no more.

Fortunately, Mr. Ogre made himself known and offered an explanation. Aya had been gathering several strange gems during her journey. These gems were actually a part of an experiment by Mr. Ogre's company. An experiment in necromancy. They'd revived all the lingering animal spirits once they'd built up enough energy but were insufficient for humans it seemed. Ines, however, was fortunate enough to have been in close proximity to their activation. She was now the first human to ever be successfully resurrected.

With that, Ines now had a new lease on life, and like Robin, Aya eagerly accepted her into her family. Ines's sheer joy at that moment cannot be overstated. She'd gone from being resigned to one last chance to know her sister for a brief moment, to being granted the life she was promised all those years ago, in the blink of an eye.

And so the Drevis Family set off to greener pastures. Aya would go on to start a free clinic, and use her family's knowledge of the occult to become one of the foremost figures in the field of medical science. What had once been used for the sick whims of a mad family, was now used to heal, to better the lives of countless individuals. And to push the boundaries of the human form to superhuman levels. The world could finally be said to be a better place because of the Drevis family. And as for her laten urges well… lets just say there are many more monsters like Alfred out there in the world, and any researcher needs test subjects.

There are many more stories to be told about the Drevis Family. The occult sciences can prolong one's life considerably, and they have not led uneventful lives. But all of them lead to this moment, where once again I must visit my old associates at that humble clinic in the forests of northern Germany, and reveal at last the secret I have kept from them for centuries.

"You mean my father is still alive!?" Aya exclaimed.

Mr. Ogre nodded, that uncanny smile of his plastered across his face.

"But… how?"

Aya was utterly stunned. It had been over a century since she'd seen her father, and the last time she had, he'd been riddled with bullets and left inside a burning building. The idea that he could yet live was difficult to process, even for the inventor of human immortality.

"It's not too dissimilar to your own process actually. I must say, I'm impressed you managed to so effectively reverse engineer the process for prolonging age."

"So you brought him back from the dead, huh?" Ines said bitterly. "Why would you do something like that?"

Mr. Ogre's expression turned somber. "I was… a different man back then than I am now. My interest in humans was, in essence, a hobby. A novelty. The way a child may observe the behavior of animals on television. I found both the kind-hearted heroes and vile villains of humanity equally fascinating."

"So you brought a crazed killer back to life so you could watch him toy with more people."

Mr. Ogre shook his head. "Alfred was never meant to leave the lab. The deal was that I would allow him to tinker and experiment away in my home dimension with the materials we supplied for as long as he so chose. He was not permitted a supply of live test subjects, nor was he particularly interested in procuring them. His research took a direction that did not necessitate such things. I thought perhaps the events of that night had changed him. Tamed him. It seems that I was wrong, however. As soon as his research concluded, he returned to his old ways. He grew restless in the laboratory we provided him with. I fear if something is not done soon, he may become an even greater danger than the curse itself."

"How is he going to hurt anyone locked up in that lab?" Aya said.

"There are… opportunities for him to escape during this event. It is difficult to explain but his laboratory is likely to, for lack of a better word, bleed into the school. One will likely be able to cross between one and the other with ease."

"And with all those kids inside…"

Mr. Ogre nodded. "You know your father well, Miss Aya."

Aya let out a sharp breath. She felt a tension in her body that she hadn't felt since that night. It was as though she were back at her childhood home, fleeing from her father once again, hearing the cries of rage and anguish from his victims.

"So what do you want us to do? You think… maybe we'll be able to get through to him or something?"

Mr. Ogre let out a sardonic laugh. "You never cease to amaze, Miss Aya. I can sense the fear you feel when you think of that man, and yet you still hold out hope for him, after everything."

Aya averted her gaze, only for Ines to meet it instead. Her expression was sympathetic, but resigned. She knew after all of this, Aya still couldn't bring herself to stop loving her father. But that didn't change who he was.

"Aya… I think your old man's beyond help."

Aya couldn't fault Ines for that. She had no words to say in his defense, especially not to one of his victims. She wasn't a child anymore, and she could no longer deny the kind of person her father was. She couldn't help but hope though, irrational that it may have been.

"Alright then. So what do you want us to do?"

Mr. Ogre smiled and clasped his hands together. "We'll need to be on our way soon. Miss Aya, I would appreciate if you made preparations with your soldiers and your assistant for a trip to Japan. I have already arranged a flight to Tokyo for the five of you. Here are your tickets, as well as the location of the school and instructions for after you land, with some essential information on the curse. You'll need to alert the local authorities and enlist their aid if possible. Alas, I cannot make these arrangements for you. I trust you have more than enough political clout to get them to listen. They will also need you in advisory capacity. The school won't be easily accessible by conventional means. You'll need to devise a way in. It shouldn't be too difficult." He handed Aya a manila envelope. She took it, still processing everything he'd just said.

"What about me?" Ines said.

"You, my dear, will be taking a more direct approach. You'll accompany me to the school. The curse will be in full effect by then. You'll have time to get acquainted with the situation there."

"You want her to go alone!?" Aya said aghast. "Why can't she just come with us?"

"Aya-"

Mr. Ogre shook his head. "Not alone. There will be others there capable of rendering assistance. I'm afraid, however, that at least one of you must be on the scene immediately. The Doctor is not the only threat those students will face. Not even the most severe in the short term. Your assistance in this matter could be the difference between life and death for many students."

"Then I'll go! Have Ines go with the soldiers!"

"Aya I-"

"I'm afraid that won't do. Your history of occult research will be far more useful in advisory capacity with the military and police forces than in a combat roll."

"Ines has tons of experience with the occult! She's worked with me on lots of stuff like this! She'll do fine!" Aya had a desperate, broken smile on her face now. One that didn't reach her pleading eyes.

"Aya, listen-"

"But she's not a researcher. In fact, I believe she has far more direct battle experience than you in that regard."

"That was one time! That only happened by accident, and she almost died! You can't expect her to-"

"AYA!"

Aya's head snapped in Ines's direction.

"It'll be alright."

Her eyes widened in horror. "Ines, you can't be serious! What if-?"

"Ogre's right, I'm the best fit for this. I've done this sort of thing before. I can handle myself."

"But I-"

Ines cut her off. "I know you're worried. Honestly, I am too, but we can't take half measures on this. We need the best working on this case and that's you. I'm no good with this science stuff. Fighting through a haunted building, well that's more my wheelhouse. I've done it twice as many times as you now."

Tears were flowing from Aya's eyes now. "I… I just…"

Ines gave her a hug. "It'll be alright. I promise."

Aya hesitated for a moment, then sighed in resignation. "Fine. But you better not get hurt in there, ok?"

Ines laughed. With their current appearances, it was easy to forget she was the older sibling. Sometimes she wondered if Aya forgot too.

"Ok, I promise."

Mr. Ogre gave Aya a moment to compose herself.

"Alright then. You two make your preparations. We have around an hour."

This is probably my first time recapping a story. Yet another milestone ig.