So, I got beta reading right now. I am unsure how it works, but please comment how it works.

Also damn, didn't mean to make a references to Dark Souls: Embers of Remnant and Caboose's Guide to make Friends in Hell. Hope anyone figured it out by now.

Oh yeah, there will be mentions of Mental Health and Suicide. So, viewer discretion is advised.

A Hunter's Guide For Running A Hotel

VIII

Thy Past wouldn't Leave Thee

Silence filled in the Hunter's Room as he sat on the edge of the room and stared at his weapon leaning against the wall while it was in its Cleaver form. He had his mouth cloth and tricone off to let him breathe properly. This helped him to easily contemplate on the actions he had taken earlier while he stared at his right hand. "You…You had to go that far, didn't you?" He cursed himself.

That Night in Yharnam had really changed him for the worse. Since in arrival in Hell three years ago, his wall of distrust was stiff as a diamond and every interaction he had with its inhabitant was nothing filled with doubtfulness and scepticism. Even now, it is the same.

Bringing a vial out that contains red liquid, the Hunter stared at it while holding the object on his cuffed leathered right hand. "This accursed blood brings nothing but misery." He stared to squeeze it, which started to crack the flask within his grip. "Whenever I find something good, my lust for blood and hunt always comes back to me." His grip got stronger that made more fractures. "This cost me away. First, my humanity. Then my mentor. And now, my chance to leave my past behind and start anew."

It seemed as though the Blood vial is about to be shattered in any given moment. It would have been like that if a knock had not distracted him, snapping the Hunter out from his thoughts. Pocketing it and putting back his tricorne and mouth cloth, he quickly walked to the door to open it. As he did so, he immediately spotted Charlie, who was still in her nightwear, looking at him with a concerned look. "Hey Hunter. I just wanted to know if you're okay?"

The Hunter already guessed if it has to do with what he did to Pentious. He shouldn't lie to her. "I would like to apologise to him, Princess. It was not necessary to go to such lengths where I could have killed him." Killed wasn't exactly the proper word he was looking for. But he wasn't clearly thinking right now.

Charlie recognised the state he is in, and she wanted to know why. "That is okay. I know you may be suffering something so traumatic, and I want to know what it is." Now her voice was full of concern.

The Hunter was unsure what to say. "I…" Paranoia soon started to plague his mind at the thought of telling her about the experience he had in Yharnam, and the Eldritch Truth. Eventually, he got the proper words to say. "I need some time to think about it. I am not entirely comfortable yet."

The Princess of Hell spotted the conflict he had in his eyes. She knew he was hiding something from her. But that wouldn't mean she would get her answers right away. "That's alright. Take as much time as you need before you tell me." All of a sudden, an idea popped in her head. "Say, what do you say you could take a week off before resuming back to the hotel?" It may have not be a good option. Yet, this was the only option she had when it comes for the sake of the Hunter's mental state.

Speaking of the individual, he nodded his head in confirmation. "That would be good, Princess. Although, I am unsure if it's the right time.

"Then how about we decide it tomorrow?" She suggested.

The Hunter quickly thought of it and responded to her. "Seems like a reasonable option to me."

That was all the Princess of Hell needed to hear. She let out a smile towards him. "Thank you for allowing me to talk to you, Hunter." She closed her eyes and let out a yawn while her right hand was close to her mouth. "Now, let's have some rest so we can continue our talk."

The Hunter calmly nodded at her proposal. "Of course." With that, she immediately walked away from the doorway to go back to her room where her girlfriend slept.

As he was left alone, the Hunter thought back to what she has told him. "Telling her what troubles me." He blew a raspberry

-THE HUNTER'S DREAM-

The Hunter entered the white flower fields where he fought Gehrman and saw his friend cleaning the tombstone beside the wheelchair. As he got closer, he stopped walking when the Doll turned around. "Ah. Welcome home, Good Hunter." She greeted him with her usual tone.

He bowed to her. "Hello, old friend. I have something to ask."

"Oh." She tilted her head at what he said. "And what is it?"

The Hunter looked down at his feet while thinking about what he would say. It took him a couple of seconds to come up with his question. "What would you do when someone asks about your past, and you are paranoid about it?"

Immediately, the Doll knew there was a meaning behind his question. "It isn't for me to answer, correct?"

He let out a slight nod to his friend. His red eyes were now full of conflict. "Yes. It seems I cannot adjust to my new life yet. The first was when I saw Angel's pet pig, Fat Nuggets, which gave me a flashback to that pig who killed that child." He shuddered at that. "Then and more recently, Sir Pentious. Although I fought him in the past, he seemed to go to the hotel to seek redemption. Unfortunately, that was a ploy, as he worked for the notorious Vees. For that, I gave him a violent beatdown. He tried to hypnotise me with his multiple eyes…" He looked at his cuffed, leathered right hand and his palm. "But I rested. I wanted to kill him for this trickery. However, Charlie and the others saw it, so I let them deal with him. Right after, the Princess of Hell checked on me to see if I was okay."

The Doll pondered what she heard. The Hunter was clearly scarred from the previous experiences he had gone through. She knew he feared it would only be worse for others around him. "Good Hunter…" She suddenly spoke. "If you are unsure what to say to the Princess of Hell, how about we reflect on that time you trusted Alfred."

The Hunter wasn't so sure where she was going but had a feeling why. " And why are you bringing that up?"

His friend began to recount that story to him. "Back when you met him near Odeon's Chapel, you immediately gained his trust due to having something in common."

"Yes, and because we were both Hunters." The Hunter remembered. "While I was a Hunter of the workshop, he was an Executioner for the healing Church to eradicate the Vilebloods from Cainhurst Castle." He looked back at the Doll. "Why are you reminding me of this?"

The Doll only stared at him. "I am saying this because you do not trust yourself after giving information to Alfred. All because you gave him an unwritten invitation that you have gotten from Queen Analise's Chambers." Again, that brought him a painful memory. The image of Alfred revelling at the mangled remains of the Cainhurst Queen before he eventually unalive himself to reunite with his Master, Logarius. "Are you afraid because you may repeat the same mistake with Charlie Morningstar?"

"I…" The Hunter opened his mouth underneath his mouthcloth before shutting it. His eyes widened in realisation as he thought of the Doll's question. Ever since that, he seemed to be sceptical of people's motives. He eventually lets out a grasp as he looks slightly. "You're right all along, my friend. That has traumatised me. Yet, that isn't always an excuse for being deflective."

He felt a pair of plastic hands lightly grabbing his right hand. He looked back at the Doll, who let out a small smile. "Good Hunter. I am glad you have recognised the reason behind one of your traumas. Although it hasn't fully healed you, you are starting to develop it. I'm sure Charlie would say the same, correct?"

The Hunter was uncertain about it. Still, he gave a response. "I am not sure, my friend. Though, there is one thing that I am certain. She will recognise the situation I am in."

His friend still saw that look in his eyes. She felt as though there are a handful of things that needed to be sorted. "Will that include the Eldritch Truth?"

He paused at that response as he remembered what hew said to her. True, it would lead to Hell's Princess an ugly truth. Yet, for some odd reason, he felt as though it was necessary to tell her. "I regret saying this; but she needs to know it to better understand in order for her to help me. I have a feeling that she may not be the only one who knows about it."

The Doll wasn't expecting that response coming from him. Yet, she knew why he had that thought. A question came to mind. "And how will you explain it to her, Good Hunter."

He replied by gently pulling his right hand off from the Doll's grasp and got his journal from one of his flack pockets. "I will be giving her this so she could read what I have been went through in Yharnam. It's…not exactly a good decision. But it'll be the only way to allow her what my problems are."

"Good Hunter." He looked back at his friend, who still had that calm, small smile. "It is entirely up to you. Though, if I were in your situation, that would be the only good object to give to her."

"I know." He spoke with acknowledgement while staring at his journal. He was aware by now how it had a mind of its own. His fears of it psychologically scarring the Princess of Hell seemed to dim. Though that was only due to how Niffty was able to tolerate holding his Saw Cleaver. All he had to think is how he will approach it. "I think I got an idea."

-BACK TO THE WAKING WORLD-

The Hunter exited his bed and immediately knelt to see the Messengers near his feet. These were not ordinary messengers, but spectral beings bound to him by a mysterious pact. "Let me remind you what your tasks were. Once Charlie reads my journal, there is a chance that it will go to someone else's hands. If she is unconscious, make sure you grab it and return it back to me. You all got that?"

They let out a happy, ghastly groan before disappearing. He grabbed his Saw Cleaver and Hunter's Pistol, which he holstered. Once his equipment was with him, he exited the room and quietly shut the door behind him. "Now, onto Charlie's room?"

He trekked for a little while until he went in front of Charlie and Vaggie's room. Just as he was about to knock, he breathed in while his eyes were closed. The Hunter was unsure if this was still a good idea. Nonetheless, he did what was clearly necessary for him and the Princess.

After some thought, the Hunter proceeded to knock on the door. As expected, Charlie opened the door, now wearing her usual outfit. "Oh, Hunter. I didn't expect you to be bright and early."

"Is it?" He questioned with a lace of dry sarcasm. "I'd like to apologise for that. I tend to be a person that likes to wake up early."

Charlie can't help but laugh slightly at his comment. "Oh. I never knew that." Her face turned serious as she knew why he had come to her room. "So, have you decided to take my offer?"

The man shook his head. "Yes. I would never refuse an offer from someone of high importance. Especially from you, who is the Princess of Hell."

Again, the Hellborn Princess chuckled at hearing her title. Never had she heard him being so formal. "Then that is our deal. You'll be having a week's break until you feel better. Is that clear?"

"Of course," The Hunter responded in his cold yet empathetic tone. He saw it as an opportunity to give his journal to her. "Say, I want you to have this." He handed his journal to her.

Charlie looked at the object in interest. She raised an eyebrow at that. "What's that?"

"My journal," He retorted back in his usual tone. "If you want to understand why I acted to Sir Pentious, you'll have your answers here."

"Oh…" She uttered in realisation. Without anything to say, she grabbed the Hunter's Journal and now carries it. As she did, she sensed something wrong with it. "I could already feel something heavy within here, Hunter. Are you sure you want me to read it? It may contain some of your personal secrets."

"As I said before, you'll get your answers as to why I acted maliciously to Sir Pentious," The Hunter assured her.

The Princess of Hell looked back at him before looking at the journal she was carrying. "I…see…" She shifted her gaze to the Hunter. "So, when do you want me to read it?"

"Whenever you feel like it, Princess." He told her with confidence. "But there is something I must warn you. Once you read through it, there will be many questions you want me to answer." That raises suspicions for Charlie. She wanted to ask that but felt she needed to do it once she read his journal.

"Um, sure. I can do that," She said uncertainly before she realised something she needed to tell him. "Oh, Sir Pentious will stay here while you're away."

The Hunter looked at her calmly. "Is that so?"

All Charlie could do was to nervously smile at his question. "Yeeep. I think you'll get used to it once you're back. For now, I should allow you to get going. I feel like I am wasting your time by talking."

"Then I should go," The Hunter said as he turned around and walked away, heading to the exit of the Hotel to go who knows where.

Charlie is now alone in the doorway. She can't help but think about what he said earlier before looking at the journal he gave her. It was rather strange for someone to do such a thing. Then again, this was the Hunter, and he tends to be vague. She looked at the book before looking over her shoulders to her empty room. Since Vaggie was busy doing some paperwork in her Office Room, the Princess knew she had some time to read his journal. She looked back at it but couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of dread and misery. "Just what kind of journal is this? Why does the Hunter carry this around?" She asked herself.

Ninety-One Days remaining until the Next Extermination

Well, it looks like the Hunter may or may have made a decision that he is going to regret or not regretting it by giving that Journal to Charlie Morningstar. I wonder how that would go.

Now, onto the decision as to why I went to this approach. The reason being that since this story is partially inspired by StaffSergeant's The Nighrt Unfurls, I wanted Charlie to peep through his journal. Although in that story where it was unintentional, the Hunter here purposefully gave it as he knows the only way she can understand him is by reading his journal.

Yeah, it is not a good decision to do. Then again, it is my story, and I shouldn't really be copying other's works. Which, I confessed and apologise, I've done before in the past. I am trying to this story's approach that I feel as though it is original.

Next chapter, oh boy. It's gonna be a heavy one. I wonder what Charlie is going to read about the Hunter's Experience in the Night of the Hunt. Will she be taken back by the sins he committed? The horrors that the Healing Church and other factions had inflicted to the Yharnamites? Will she be unconscious where she somehow ends up in the Hunter's Dream?

Who knows. Which got me thinking, what would you see from the Hunter's Journal. Like, give me some ideas before I can write it.

This chapter seems rushed. But that was only because I got some energy drinking alcohol and up late.

Oh, and this story is finally the same length as my other Hazbin Hotel story, Caboose's Guide to make Friends in Hell. Now, I need to decide of which one should I write first. I am actually excited to write the next chapter. I mean, come on, it's Caboose and chaos seems to always find him at the wrong moments.

Speaking of the two stories, there are many things I can compare. Like, how this one is dark, but the other is somewhat dark but is mixed with comedy and Caboose's idiocy. Another is how both Caboose and the Hunter contrasts in terms of personality.

I apologise if there were any Out Of Character Moments or any lore I fucked up, but I want to satisfy those who wants to read it by making a chapter the best I could while checking for any errors. Please feel free to give me a constructive criticism to make further improvements.

With that said, I will see ya all in the next chapter, motherfuckers!