Chapter 2-3 Hilda

The child was forced to watch from the safety of the room she had hid in. It was a calm room with music in the background giving a sense of security. The child was forced to watch as the three daughters of Lady Dimitrescu had taken Alice away down the hallway. She shuddered as she was helpless, but knew she would be no match for them alone. As she checked around the room, she could see wooden shelves with papers of sorts lining up the walls, with a green rug on the floor. There was a table with some sort of contraception on top that resembled the castle itself. But the most noticeable thing was the familiar fat man behind a low legged desk with assortments scattered on the surface. "Oh-ho! We meet again."

"Duke!" Hilda smiled, glad to see a friendly face. "It's great to see you here!"

"Where there's coin to be made, I am not far behind. Though it would seem that your bodyguard was not so lucky." The Duke noted.

Hilda bit her lip. "I need to get Alice out of there, but I don't think I can do it on my own. Could you help me?" Hilda requested.

"Depends, what do you got?" The Duke asked. Hilda knew that in order to get something from the Merchant, she would have to trade. It was a good thing that she was a scavenger, and had a knack for finding certain treasures. She dug into her satchel, and took out a few of the crystal skulls that came from the monsters below. But the most treasured possessions were the golden lady statue taken from the crypt which led the two to the dungeons and the necklace of bones from one of the victims in the cellar. The Duke examined each one and whistled in amusement. "My, my, you certainly have a knack for treasure collecting."

"I learned from the best." She smiled while looking up at him.

"Then I have taught you well." He pocketed the treasures behind him as he looked at the girl. "I might have a few things that can help you." He reached under the desk, taking out a piece of paper and handed it to Hilda. "A map of the castle, of each and every floor. With location markers so you know where you are. This might help you locate the items you seek to get to the tower."

Hilda looked at the paper, seeing the details drawn there. The Duke sure was crafty in his art. "This is perfect!"

"Speaking of seeking, have you found Alice's brother yet?"

Hilda shook her head solemnly. "Not yet… he wasn't in the dungeon either…"

The Duke noticed the disappointment on Hilda's face, as he tried to change that. "Don't give up hope. The castle is big after all, and you have only seen parts of it. Though if he is truly here, the Lady of the castle would have kept Ethan Winters in her private chambers, would she not?"

"Private chambers?" Hilda repeated as she looked over at the map, seeing where it was. "From the Courtyard, to the second floor of the building!"

"You truly are a fast learner, Hilda. But you best be careful, now that the daughters know you and Alice are here."

"Ah, that's right!" Hilda jumped. "I need to go and get Alice out of there!"

"Before you go, take this with you." The Duke handed her a small tool of a wooden handle with a jagged iron pick at the end. "A lockpick, no doubt it will become useful to getting the more secure treasures. Though you will have a long way to go before you become the 'Master of unlocking'." He mused.

Hilda stashed her tool, as she looked at the Duke. "Thank you for your generosity, Duke!"

"Any time, sweet Hilda. You best be careful out there…"

The child nodded, as she looked around the rest of the room, noticing the castle diorama and a small chest which was underneath it. From the glass, she could see some sort of scroll inside. "Hey Duke, what's this?"

"Why, that's one of Norshteyn's Labyrinths."

"Norshteyn's Labyrinths?" Hilda repeated.

"According to legend, he was a craftsman of the late 19th century, who was branded a heretic in his homeland. He sought refuge in this village, and in exchange for food and shelter, the leader of this village had him craft four labyrinths to resemble the areas where the Lords resided. The Castle, the House on a Hill, The Water Wheel, and The Iron Tower." Hilda awed at the contraption, knowing this one had to be the Castle. "It was said after he completed them, he died in his sleep. A very abrupt but peaceful death I do hope. Each labyrinth is unique and requires its own special crafted metal ball to operate. Each one seems to contain a treasure of the Lord who rules that area."

"What kind of treasure?" Hilda wondered.

"There's only one way to find out, is there not? Securing goods is more important than anything. Anything, my child." Hilda couldn't argue with that. She would have to come back for this later, but for now she needed to get Alice out of where the daughters took her. Hilda hurried to the door on the other side of the Hall of Four. She went to the hallway where she saw Alice being taken, and kept a look out for any of the daughters. She soon found a wooden door which would no doubt lead to where the older Winters was. Unfortunately, she was unable to unlock the door from her side, which made her a bit upset. So Hilda had to find some other way.

She looked back at the map, seeing the hallway she was in and where she had to go: The Bedchambers. It would be through that door and then another set. She couldn't go in there from this door. According to the map, there did seem to be some sort of passageway between the hallway and the room leading to the Bedchambers. She checked the walls, trying to find any sign on where the passageway was. Her hand went to the wall, taking her time as she kept her eyes on the structure. The child noticed a statue that was pressed into the wooden prints. A craving of a woman holding a bundle that had a baby inside her arms. Her left hand, which was used to support the child's shoulder, had a golden ring with a maroon gemstone in the shape of an eye.

The child had a feeling about that ring, so she took it from the cold finger and placed it in her sack. When the band was removed, the child watched in anticipation as the statue turned. A small opening in the wall appeared, which made the child smile. Hilda pressed her body against the wall, moving through the small space. She found herself in a brick side room, with a wooden creaking floor. Some boxes and rusted buckets laid on the boards with chains on the wall and a lantern that shone next to a hole in the bricks. "Perfect…" Hilda whispered, going onto her hands and knees and began to crawl through the dirty passageway, seeing a few rats scurrying about and running across. She didn't mind the rodents, after all she didn't have to be scared of them. Taking a left, she found some small iron bars which took her to another room.

Hilda had to push using all her might until she stumbled through the doors and into a new room that was lit by candle light. She awed at the expensive décor, a large golden rug with black details covered most of the floor. A white stone table with golden legs sat in the center, having the same colored cushions as the table. Upon the surface were many cups of white and blue china flower pattern, with a platter of fruit in the center. Hilda noticed a shelf of books to her right in the corner, with a leather chair. Paintings of proper women were held up on the upper walls, showcasing the femininity of this castle. She saw the big white and shiny double doors, most likely leading to Alice. They had Lady Dimitrescu's crest: A flower with two swords with one on either end, handle on the top followed by the blade on the bottom. Heading over there, the child tried to open the door, only for it to be locked once more.

"Damn! Locked…" Hilda sighed as she rubbed her chin. There must have been a key that would open up the room, but she didn't know where to find it. Hilda decided to search, as she went over to the single door, unlocking it and heading down the hallway to get to the Hall of Four once more. She tried to determine where to go next, as she crouched down to keep a listen for the daughters. She slowly made her way to the flight of stairs to the main hall, standing against the doorframe as she could see one of them slowly climbing to the second level.

Hilda knew she wasn't a fighter, and didn't want to hurt the daughters since they were only being good to their mother. The child kept her eyes peeled, as she watched the flies scatter off once they reached the top. The young girl then cautiously headed up the staircase, looking over the banisters to be sure no one was following her. Once she made it to the second floor, she checked both sides of the hall for a clear coast. Her green eyes landed on a wooden door with a golden handle. On the door were engravings of a bottle and wine glass with grapes around the dining wear. 'Wine Room' was written below. The child quickly headed inside, thankful that the door was not locked. There were shelves lined with many bottles in wooden décor, with a table in the center and a note that she decided to read.

"The winemaking techniques of Castle Dimitrescu can be traced as far back as the 15th century, long before the current occupants of the castle. Alcina Dimitrescu uses this legendary, yet peculiar, technique to enrich the wine's flavor intensity and bestow it with a thick bouquet. Her best vintage is Sanguis Virginis, meaning "Maiden's blood." It is kept in a special ornate bottle decorated with intricate silver flowers."

Hilda chuckled as she read the note. "Well obviously, Lady Dimitrescu loves her wine. Though I could never replicate it for her taste." Hilda stated. Though as she read that note over, her eyes went wide. "Wait… Maiden's blood…" She reached into her satchel, taking out the red bottle that had the silver flowers plastered onto the glass. She looked over to a small alcove with a silver stand sculpted to resemble the same flower pattern on the bottle in front of the Dimitrescu crest. Putting the pieces together, she set the wine into the holder and waited. The stand sunk into the desk, and once the trapdoor was closed, the wall lifted up as it opened a small side room. Hilda scurried inside, it seemed like another section of the wine storage, but to her right she saw a small wooden chest that was reflecting off of the light from some candle sticks.

When Hilda went and opened it, her eyes lit up upon seeing a small chain with two keys on it. One of which was an iron key with simple holes at the head, but the other one was of a rose gold with a bit of blood on it, supporting the Dimitrescu crest at the motif. This was without a doubt the key she needed to get to Alice. Hilda quickly grabbed both keys, knowing they would come in handy during their search in the castle. She then rushed out of the room and began to head down the stairs. First she had to get to Alice and free her. Hopefully she was alright and the daughters hadn't eaten her yet.

"I'm watching you." Hilda jumped at the voice, crouching down as she knew one of the daughters of the castle was nearby. Hilda tried to be quick as she headed to the open doorway, only to gasp as she started running to the dining room just as the flies began to form Bela, the eldest daughter. "I didn't know we were letting kids into the castle. You don't seem big enough for a meal, but I'll take an appetizer." She cackled just as Hilda rushed into the dining room. She panted as she went to hide under the table, as she did not want to be devoured by this woman. She covered her mouth, while her eyes looked underneath the cloth to see black boots stomping around. "Come out, come out wherever you are…" Bela called, sniffing the air as if she was searching for the scent. "Hmm… no smell? Someone must have been rolling around in the dirt." Bela remarked. Hilda tried to remain as still as possible, as she tried to see where Bela would be going next.

For a split second, she thought there was enough distance between her and the daughter, so she stood up from the table and tried to head for the door. Only for her senses to tingle and she ducked down in time to avoid being on the blade end of the sickle as it jammed right into the door. Hilda gasped as she stepped back, watching Bela taking the weapon as she looked at the child. "Where are you going, little one?" Bela smirked as she turned her gaze to the girl. "Don't cause me trouble… I need blood. Warm, wet, bright red blood."

She sounded insane, and Hilda knew that she was going to be persistent. The child shuddered as she backed herself up against the window of the dining room near the courtyard door. She shuddered as she felt there was no place left for her to run. Even with the items she had on her, it would not be enough to keep this witch at bay. "Annoying, aren't you?" Bela mocked as she raised up her sickle. "Don't cause me trouble." Bela warned as she raised her weapon, diving right at Hilda. The child jumped out of the way, causing the blond mutant to crash through the glass of the window and into the courtyard. Hilda could hear the hissing of Bela, as she was outside with glass in her pale skin. What caught Hilda the most off guard was the fact that she didn't see the flies around the woman, in fact her clothing looked like it was being chipped away.

Bela held herself as she noticed the blood leaking from her cuts, all the while her body became flakey. "Damn you!" She cried, rushing through the courtyard and locating one of the doors on the other side of the building walls. Hilda watched until she left, taking note of how distressed Bela was. Did she not like the cold? Despite how intimidating she was, it would seem she didn't enjoy the outside. Did that trait apply to the other two? Hilda looked to the floor where the glass was, and noticed that something had dropped when Bela crashed through. The child picked up the red gem, examining it as she remembered seeing it in her collar. Thinking it was worth something, Hilda placed the gem in her satchel.

With no one else in her way, Hilda picked up her feet and ran out of the dining room, through the main hall, into the Hall of Four, down the corridor, right into the room next to the bedroom. The child quickly took out the keys and used the one with the crest to unlock the door. When she entered, Hilda could see the woman strung up by chains on the ceiling. "Alice!" The child called out.

The older blond looked down, seeing the smaller human staring at her with concern. "H-Hilda? You're alright!" Alice was relieved, she had managed to escape the witches and was here. The child ran over to the lever next to the firepit, pulling on it until it was in the opposite direction. Alice was not prepared for that and fell right on her face.

Rushing over, Hilda knelt down and helped Alice up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah… not the best situation I've found myself in, but not the worst either." Alice stood up as she rubbed her neck, wincing from the pain. "Ah… damn."

"Does it hurt?" Hilda asked.

"Those witches knew how to bite hard." Alice commented. Hilda whimpered as she looked around the area, seeing a small drawer with a crimson wine glass resting on the surface. She tried opening it, only to see that it was locked. Thankfully, she remembered the gift she was given by the Duke and made good use of the lockpick. When she opened the drawer, she managed to get some cloth and took it out. Then she reached into her bag and grabbed some other objects which Alice watched her do. She took out a small bottle of a strange smelling liquid, which Alice could only guess was alcohol though not of the wine variety, and some plants one was green and the other was red.

Hilda poured the strong-smelling liquid onto half of the cloth and motioned for Alice to come closer. The young Winters obliged, as she let the child do the work. "Hold still, this is gonna hurt." Hilda gave a warning before dabbing the wet cloth on Alice. She hissed in slight pain, but kept herself grounded as the child tended to her wound. Once she was done disinfecting, Hilda used the rest of the cloth to wrap around Alice's neck. "There… that should at least make it more tolerable."

Alice looked at the kid, giving a smile. "Thanks Hilda… " Alice sighed. If Hilda hadn't managed to get to her, who knows what her fate would have been.

The child went to the plants and started crushing them up, mixing the powder substances together and handed them to Alice. "Here, eat this up." Alice took the powder of red and green, though was hesitant as she looked at it then at Hilda. "They're herbs. The Duke taught me that they can be used to heal people. The green one is to restore your health, the red one is to increase your tolerance of pain for a while, and the blue one is used to cure toxins!"

"He taught you all of that?" Alice was surprised. Hilda nodded, waiting for her. Alice figured that if Hilda was confident, she would go along with it. The older woman scarfed down the powder, coughing a bit as she realized how dry it was. "Geez… that stuff doesn't go down easily."

"The Duke told me that the more bitter the medicine, the more effective it is." Hilda smiled.

Alice rubbed her neck as she sighed. "Well… I do feel slightly better. But, what about you?"

"I'm alright, it took me a while to get here. But I managed to get the main key so we can go to every door!" Hilda smiled. "And I even got a map from the Duke so we know where to go in the castle! I did have a run in with one of the daughters, but managed to evade them and got their gem!"

Alice couldn't help but chuckle at how proud Hilda was. Even though she was worried about what the child had gotten into, she was glad she managed herself. "You're a lot braver than I am." Alice praised.

Hilda beamed as she was happy with the attention. "And I think I know where your brother is! The Duke suggested that we should head to Lady Dimitrescu's private chambers!"

"And that would be…?" Alice questioned.

"Head out to the courtyard, take a right, up the stairs and find the white door with the golden crest." Hilda explained.

Alice adjusted her outfit as she checked her inventory, thankfully the daughters weren't smart enough to take away her weapons or supplies. "Come on, let's go there and hope he's still in one piece." Hilda nodded, as she followed Alice out of the bedchambers, down the hall and walked into the room with the four faceless angel statues. The young Winters decided to check the words written on each one, seeing the clues that were given to them. From the farthest of the Merchants room to the closest had these clues: "The angel of anger looks down in rage from on high." "The angel of happiness's visage looks on, words of wisdom by her side." "The angel of pleasure appreciates art best kept behind a gilded door." "The Angel of sadness weeps alone in a deep, dark place."

"Looks like they gave us some clues on where the masks could be… Hilda, can I see that map?" The child handed the parchment to Alice, who checked over the contents and details. "Let's see… 'Anger looks down in range from on high'... there looks like something here called 'Tower of Rage'. That must be where the mask of the angel of rage is."

Hilda was impressed with that conclusion. "And the angel of happiness mentions words of wisdom by her side. Maybe that means she's by books!"

Alice took note of that and noticed something on the second floor of this castle. "There is a library on the second floor in this main building… with a Hall of Joy next to it!"

"The Angel of pleasure enjoys art… but I don't think there's any galleries here…" Hilda noted as she scratched her cheek.

"No, but there does seem to be a Hall of Pleasure on the second floor… That might be useful." Alice stated, checking the map once more. "There seems to be a Hall of Sorrow in the Dungeons… but, it doesn't look like the ones we were in. I don't even know where this is…"

Hilda checked the parchment and blinked. "The dungeons are separated from the other chambers. I think those catacombs are under the courtyard…"

"Any idea how we can get there?" Alice questioned.

"Not off the top of my head." Hilda admitted.

Alice rolled up the map and handed it back to Hilda. "Let's focus on finding the Lady's private chambers and see if Ethan really is there. Then we can figure out how to get to the Tower." Alice suggested. Hilda nodded, agreeing to the idea as the two headed from the main hall, into the dining room and used the iron key to unlock the entrance to the Courtyard. Once outside, Hilda shuddered as the snow covered stairs and the morning breeze blew into her face. There was a veranda with iron patterns and structures, having a few dead vines on the top. There were three other doors, on the left, on the right and straight ahead. The two quickly made their way to the right side of the wall, seeing the familiar iron double doors.

The older woman pushed the doors open, grunting a bit as she peaked inside, seeing the gothic designs of the cream colored walls with wooden décor, a few stools and tables either holding lit candles or lushes plants. The most noticeable were the semi-spiral staircase hugging close to the wall. As well as seeing someone walking up those stairs in a white dress and holding a flame in her hands. Alice stayed still, watching the strange figure going up the flight of steps until she was out of sight. She didn't get a good look at her, but Alice could only assume that was…

"Lady Dimitrescu…" Hilda whispered, keeping her voice low.

"So she's the mother of those witches…" Alice quietly noted. "And the captor of my brother…" Alice was tempted to go up those stairs and confront that woman herself. But her mind wandered back to what Anastasia told her, that the Lords and Miranda were considered immortal and invincible due to the Mold, which was why she needed the samples to help weaken them. As the doctor stated, going up against these Lords and the main bad guy would be suicide. And even though she was willing to risk it, if there was a chance she would die, that would mean Ethan would be on his own, as well as Hilda. If she could avoid any unnecessary fighting, she would.

The two headed up the second floor, using the golden handrails to walk up. Once they were on the second floor, Alice looked around every corner to make sure the coast was clear. Hilda also helped by ensuring that there were no signs of Dimitrescu anywhere, which meant she must have been in another room. They turned down another corner, just as the two of them could hear an enraged, female voice. "What have you done to my daughter!?"

The other two jumped, staying where they were for a moment as they heard the anger in her voice. Alice turned back towards Hilda, remembering that she had an encounter with one of those fly ladies before she saved the Winters. The child merely shook her head, trying to state that she didn't physically harm Bela at all. The source of the voice came from a door made of mahogany with the golden crest of Dimitrescu engraved into it. No doubt the woman was on the other side, and even though Alice had the key, it would not be wise to go inside now. Hilda tugged on Alice's sleeve as the child led the older woman from the halls and into another cryptic room.

The first thing Alice noticed was a pool of metallic blood in the very center, with four stone statues of different people. An eloquent lady, a servant woman holding a bottle, three men carrying food such as grapes, and a lord on a horse. "Where are we now?" Alice questioned.

"This is the Hall of Ablution."

"This looks like a blood bath…" Alice remarked as she looked at the area. Seeing a few sinks, some chairs that had a bowl for a female lower part to fit into and even a small space with a place to rest. She noticed a golden plaque over a fireplace, which read: "Women are blind to male advances, but the poor shall take their chances to give their lord their bounty sown, so that soon the wine may flow."

Alice hummed as she turned back to the statues, wanting to test a theory. She went over to the three men, holding onto their frozen state and found herself turning them. A smile graced her lips as she managed to move them for their faces were looking at the one on the horse. "Hilda, move those statues so the servant and the lady are facing each other!" The child did as she was told, providing the strength in her to move the two female statues so they were looking at one another. Alice went over to the one on the horse and turned it so that it was facing the woman holding the cup. Once the statues were locked into place, the pool began to drain itself to reveal a floor. The center opened up with a bloodied stairway leading down. "Well, not the most promising in terms of looks, but can't hurt to check it out." Alice reached for Hilda's hand, who took it as the two walked down the dimly lit stairwell and into a stony exterior that looked similar to the chambers. They took a right and headed down a ladder.

Once they made it to the ground, they were greeted with more stone walls, a few lit torches hanging on the structures, barrels, cages, torturing tools, and a floor that was covered in more of the crimson liquid from humans. "It would be easier to count the rooms in this place that don't have any blood décor." Alice remarked.

"I think this is the Dis-celery." Hilda explained.

"You mean the Distillery…" Alice corrected. "It's a place where wine is made."

"Ooooh, so that's what that note meant about Maiden's blood." Hilda realized. "From the wine room on the second floor of the main hall."

"This castle really is checking all the marks of Dracula." Alice sighed as she jumped into the blood. "Ugggh…" Alice groaned as she had to trudge through the thick waters. She knew one thing for certain: After this experience, she would never complain about her menstrual cycles again. Because as tough as it was to deal with days of PMSing, at least it never got to this level! Hilda didn't seem to mind, being nonchalant as they headed through a small passageway, seeing knocked over shelves and barrels, with body bags hanging from the ceiling. Just how many victims were in these walls?

"Alice…" Hilda held onto her sleeve once more as she looked at the older woman. The child motioned to the blood, seeing some spots had bubbled over. Some of the monsters were probably hiding in the depths, waiting to ambush them. They stalked cautiously through the waters, going through a few narrowed areas to make it through. In a small space, Hilda pulled Alice back just in time for some jagged teeth to fling up and attempt to bite at Alice. Shrinking came from the monster wielding a sickle, as it tried to slash at Alice. But she was quicker, digging her knife into the neck, which made the corpse fall over and began to dissolve. Leaving a treasure of a crystal skull to be the only remains. Hilda picked it up and stashed it, then the two kept going. Passing by many more crates and barrels of wine and blood. More enemies came their way, but Hilda was able to point them out just as they were about to rise up. Alice took them on, getting a few cuts in the process, but nothing to complain about.

They kept going, turning around many other boxes, going through other narrowed areas, and taking down hidden enemies while collecting the items in that place. They headed up a staircase, getting out of the blood and to a stone flooring with what appeared to have been a lift of a wooden floor, some thin chains and a rope with a yellow rusty handle. "Going up?" Hilda questioned as the two were placed on the small square. Alice merely chuckled as she pulled the lever, finding themselves on a terrace overlooking the forest and the village. "Woah!" Hilda went to the edge, holding onto the railing as she looked around. "I've never seen the village from this high up before! It's beautiful!"

Alice joined her side, seeing the overview as she took in the serenity. "I do have to admit, aside from the crazy and bloodthirsty vampires and werewolves, it would be a very pleasant area."

"You should have seen it years ago! The village was bustling, everyone knew each other, and the community thrived. The Lords and Miranda always looked after us and ensured our protection. Sure, some of them needed certain sacrifices, but I would have considered it an honor to serve any of them." Hilda took in a breath.

Alice noticed how content the child was, liking the idea of wanting to be part of these Lords and Miranda. Though from what she had heard and seen so far, she didn't think that being part of this ordeal or village would have been good for her sanity or health. Then again, Hilda had lived in this place her whole life, so maybe there was something she knew? Or maybe she didn't know the truth and is just seeing things with rose-colored glasses. "Hilda-" Alice was about to speak, but her ears perked up at the sound of ringing. The two turned to their left, seeing a flaming torch on the other side of the terrace. Curiosity got the better of them and the two walked over, jumping a small gap of wooden boards and iron supports until they peeked inside a room of gold and cream décor. The nearest thing to the window was a metallic vanity with a large mirror and a snow colored stool cushion. On top of the vanity, was a vintage royal victor duke push button old desk phone, which was common in the late 1930's. No doubt that was where the ringing was coming from.

Alice and Hilda ducked further on the ledge as footsteps could be heard. They saw her, approaching the desk. Lady Dimitrescu, a woman who dressed fancy but had a bloody history. Alice couldn't take her eyes off of the woman, she must have been over nine feet tall! She towered over them easily, as she took a drag of a long, fancy cigarette. Her raven hair was short with curls to her ears. The skin was a pale color, nearly matching the same shade as her dress which showed off all of her curves. Yellow-amber eyes held so much malicious intent, and the dark-red lipstick could only be a sign of her bloodlust. Her main accessories were a large, black wide-brimmed hat and multiple pearl necklaces and earrings to match. Three black flowers on her left side to match her gloves. Once she blew some smoke from her cigarette, she promptly sat down at her vanity, took a deep breath and picked up the receiver while holding it to her ear. She stared at her reflection as she tried to keep her composure together though Alice could hear her speaking through gritted teeth.

"Mother Miranda. I regret to inform you that Ethan Winters has escaped that fool, Heisenberg." She began to speak as Alice listened. Perking up as they mentioned her brother. So he was taken by these Lords, but he managed to get away? How long ago was this? "On top of that, it seems he is not working alone…" Dimitrescu explained as she applied a layer of lipstick to herself while staring at her reflection. "Because I was told by my daughters that an outsider had entered my castle, and her little companion nearly killed one of them! I swear if I find either of them-" She paused in her speech as she was listening to what Miranda was saying. Alice wished she could have heard the other end of the phone. "No, Mother Miranda… Yes, of course I understand the importance of the Ceremony, which is all the more reason to worry!" Dimitrescu seemed to be arguing in her case. "Not only do we have this man thing wandering around, but we also have to deal with this crafty woman and her young child! I swear we are being infested with these pests." She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she explained.

She remained quiet for a few moments, until she responded when looking up at the mirror. "Yes, that young woman had a child with her, a little girl." Alice and Hilda looked over at one another as they heard what the tall woman had said. For a split second Hilda seemed to tremble a bit, though she was attempting to hide it. "No, I did not see what they looked like, hence why I was going to find them myself…" She explained, going silent once more as she placed her lipstick down. "I see… Yes, I understand. I will not let you down." Alcina placed the phone back on the stand, only to then slam her hand on the table as she grunted. "Damn that Ceremony! That's all Mother Miranda has talked about!" She seethed with venom, as her eyes glared at her reflection. She closed her lids, as her breathing became even after a few moments. "But, at least I will be able to make that woman pay for what she did. Once I find her." Lady Dimitrescu noted as she walked out of the room through the small door.

Alice waited until the footsteps receded before she slowly made her way to the door leading from the terrace to the chambers. She looked inside, holding onto Hilda as she checked the area. "She didn't look too happy." The child noted somberly as she fiddled her fingers.

"Don't beat yourself up, you didn't do anything to her or her daughters." Alice reassured her. She started to look around the room, searching for clues. Her eyes landed on a sofa with an open booklet laying there. She reached to grab it and looked it over. Judging from the tone alone, it would seem that this was Lady Dimitrescu's diary.

"We were all called by Mother Miranda to decide the fate of the child's father. In the end, he was given to my… urgh, "little brother". Just thinking of that "family" meeting makes me shudder. To think I am to be treated like a sister to some of those miscreants! Especially Heisenberg! That riffraff wouldn't know proper manners if they slapped him in the face! I would have sliced him to ribbons years ago if it wasn't for Mother stopping me. Why… Why does she treat me the same as them!? She gave me this castle, obedient daughters, everlasting life, and luxury to my heart's content! Am I not her favorite? Am I not special?

"Then again, she trusted me enough to put one of the flasks in my care. I made sure that it is secured in the chambers below the Tower of Worship. Even if those intruders were able to get inside by solving the Angel Statues, the only way to access the secret passageway to the chambers below the Tower is by using the gems which are guarded by my daughters. And they will not be so easily persuaded to give up the stones. For now, the stress is starting to get to me. I need a drink."

So Ethan must have been taken to these rulers to figure out what would happen to him. The child they were referring to was no doubt Rose. It would seem that her older brother was taken by this Heisenberg guy, possibly one of the four other court members? So Ethan wasn't in this castle after all. Alice was a bit frustrated by that, although the journal mentioned something about a flask in the Tower of Worship. She wasn't sure what it was, but maybe it could have been a clue about the whereabouts of either Ethan, Mia or Rose? It was all the more reason to investigate that Tower of Worship. But first they needed to find those Angel Masks, and the other two daughters.

Alice placed the diary back on the sofa, turning to Hilda who was staring at something in the corner next to the door. "Hilda?" Alice called out as she walked over, seeing the child was staring at a gold and white cushioned crib. Why was there such furniture in these chambers? Could it have been where Rose was sleeping? No… Rose couldn't have been here. The diary didn't mention that Dimitrescu had the baby anyways, especially if Miranda was more interested in her. The child still stared at the crib as her eyes traveled from the cushions to Alice again. "Hilda, are you okay?" Alice asked as she began to grow worried.

"Sorry… the more I look around, the more familiar this place is."

"Familiar?" Alice repeated.
The child nodded. "I feel like I've been here before… but, most of it is just feelings rather than memories." Alice pursed her lips as she wondered what Hilda was talking about. Although, if she truly had been in the castle previously, it would explain how she managed to find her way around certain areas much more quickly. Also explains why she is so worried about Lady Dimitrescu and why she holds the village and even the Lords to a high regard. The child turned over to see the vanity that was stationed near the window, but she focused more of the legs on the metallic stand. Hilda knelt down as she noticed the scratch marks on the wooden floor, which were noticeable and had been there for a while. Alice saw this as well, but only watched as the child began to push the vanity. She struggled since the object was much heavier than she first thought. Alice ended up helping, and with a lot of strength managed to get the vanity away from the wall.

Alice wondered where this was going, until she saw Hilda reach for an unlit candlestick against the corner of the wall, pulling it down. When she did, the wall began to shift, moving so an archway was revealed to show off a flight of stairs leading down. The Winters was surprised, gazing between the passageway and to Hilda. The child merely walked down, descending nonchalantly as she hurried to the lower level. Alice quickly went after her, being in a new area. Stone walls with some pillars, iron bars along with many barrels and planks. This area was brighter with plenty of torches aflame around every corner, yet oddly enough Alice didn't see any drops of blood around here, which was shocking to her.

"This must be the dungeon!" Hilda realized as she looked around while walking.

"You mean the one leading to the Hall of Sorrow?" Alice questioned. "So it was under the private room this whole time." Alice sniffed the air, but only managed to smell dirt and dust. "Huh… no traces of blood anywhere. This dungeon must not have been used in a long while."

"I wonder why Lady Dimitrescu doesn't use this place…" Hilda pondered.

"Let's not worry about that now, instead, let's get out of here." Alice suggested as they took a few twists and turns until they came to an iron barred gate with a yellow tapped lever. "Huh… this is almost too easy." Alice noted to herself as she looked over at the gate.

"At least we're making progress. We should be out of here very-" Hilda stopped mid sentence as her eyes went wide again while her body jolted. Alice noticed this and knew what it meant. The two quickly turned around as they heard footsteps approaching them, followed by a very tall woman.

"So, this is where you pests ran off to." Lady Dimitrescu smiled with her bloody lips.

"Holy… shit…" Alice whispered as she stepped back while holding onto Hilda. She didn't know what was more intimidating about this woman: her height, her voice, or her looks.

"Lady Dimitrescu…" Hilda stared up at the pale woman, both in fear and in awe.

"Look lady, we aren't here to deal with you." Alice stated as she tried to be serious. "In fact, we're just leaving, aren't we Hilda?" Alice began to back closer to where the lever was, hoping they could get out of this without a fight.

"You honestly think I will let you two get away?!" Dimitrescu became a bit angry as she raised up her right hand, silver claws coming out with a 'shink' sound. So much for casually walking away. "You will learn what it means to insult house Dimitrescu!" Raising up her claws, the tall woman attempted to slash right at the two girls. Alice grabbed hold of Hilda's hand, picking up their feet's as they ran away from the vampire woman. They put as much distance as they could between her and them, needing to figure out what to do. It was clear that the gate was the way out of this dungeon, but they had to open it. And that would be difficult with a nine foot, sharp bladed woman chasing them.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dimitrescu slashed towards them, missing but separating them in the process as Hilda went to the right and Alice to the left. Thankfully, the Lady was going after the older of the pair. Her claws slashed at the wooden crates and barrels, cutting them in half with ease. This monster was not playing around. Alice turned every corner, gaining speed as she put more distance between her and Dimitrescu. She was thankful she took track and field in college, because it was paying off!

As much as Alice wanted to keep running, she knew they would get nowhere at this point. She took her chances, loading up her handgun and aiming it right at Dimitrescu. Pulling the trigger, she shot two rounds straight at the woman, only for her to block them with her long nails. She cursed, dodging the attack in time as she turned a corner and attempted to hide. The footsteps of the Lady became louder as she tried to locate her prey. Her sharp fingernails running along the stone walls, sparks flew from the contact. The moment Dimitrescu was about to be face to face with the blond, Alice jumped out from her hiding place and managed to get a bullet into her head. The taller one threw her face back, grunting. "Ha! Take that!" Alice's victory was short-lived as Dimitrescu stood straight up and adjusted her hat once more. "Uh-oh…" Now she's done it.

Alice found herself running again, looking down each corridor until she was back at that gate with the lever, seeing Hilda there as the bars had risen up into the archway. Alice skidded to the child, as the two picked up the pace and headed down the hallway, through the archways, two flights of stairs all the while they tried to keep distance between them and the tall lady. They reached a door, which had an engraving of a pale faced woman holding three rose gold babies in her arms. She had one eye socket that was missing, and bloody tears coming down her face. Alice tried to use the key, but there was no lock for it, and she didn't know what to do. "Shit! We're sitting ducks down here."

Hilda looked at the woman with the pale face, mostly at the empty socket. The one eye she did have was of a dark shade of red… almost maroon. The child's own eyeballs lit up as she rummaged around her satchel, taking out the gemstone she got from the ring. She reached up and placed it in the eye, watched as crimson liquid trailed onto her cheeks. The doorway opened, revealing a circular room with candles on the floor and in the center was a statue of five women laying on a bed of roses. The one at the very top had a scarf over her head, as she covered the eyes of one of the three women holding weapons. One of them had a lantern in her free hand and the other was holding onto the fifth woman who was laying down, ready to be sacrificed. The two hurried to it, as Hilda noticed that the face of the one laying down seemed a bit… lose.

When she removed it, she held in her hands the head of a woman with her eyes closed and tear streaks running down her face. "The Angel of Sorrow! This is her mask!" Hilda stated in joy. The ground beneath them shook, as the platform they were on began to rise up. Lifting them from the room as the light from the outside began to shine on them.

For a brief moment, they were relieved and could breath. Only to hear the crackle of Lady Dimitrescu below them. "Running will get you nowhere!" She warned them. Despite that warning, at least they were away from the crazy vampire woman. Though Alice knew that it was far from over.