Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10

Chapter 34: With Brace of Sunflowers

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

Jericho, California; 1981…

It was a balmy June night as everything was quiet while still celebrating the first year of Reagan in office. To one man who was bringing home the bacon, he was eager to return home and spend time with his family while drinking an ice-cold beer as he was driving after another work shift. By the time he returned home, he noticed the house eerily quiet as he heard the sound of Led Zeppelin playing over the radio. When he searched for his wife and children, they weren't there as he looked into the rooms to see them empty, but he had a gut feeling that something was wrong. When he saw his wife getting out of the bathroom, he saw her white dress soaked as if she got shoved into the water the moment she was showing more than just rage, for there was also contempt in her eyes as well.

"What happened, Connie?" he asked. "Where are the kids?"

"You won't see them again, Joseph," she said. "After what I heard, you were busy cheating on me with one of the waitresses who works at the diner!"

"It was just one fling…"

"Just one fling?! That waitress really loved to hang around you just to add more than just tips!

"Yeah, Connie; for the record, I'm a man and I have needs in which I can't just stick to one and done!"

"How could you do that to me?! After all I gave for you, you betrayed me in which this is unforgivable, so I did something that could wreck you for the rest of your life!"

"What the hell?! What have you done?!"

Joseph ran towards the bathroom as he saw his children dead as if they were submerged in the bathtub. Both of them were lifeless as he was devastated at what happened in which he wanted to confront his wife for doing such a horrible deed. The scorn in her eyes said it all as she had nothing but disdain for him the moment she heard of him cheating on her, for it was too late to reconcile or forgive after what had happened. By the time he saw her leave the house, he noticed her running towards the bridge as she was standing near the edge. Rage boiled over as he wanted to take her into the police station, but she was glaring at him with cold eyes that burned in his soul on that fateful night.

"Constance!" he cried. "Don't do this!"

"No…, I can't ever go home again…," she said as she was ready to die.

At that moment, Joseph saw her jump off the bridge as he was feeling more devastated in which he lost his entire family in a single night. As for what followed next, it was just the beginning of what was yet to come as the events about the Woman in White would soon resurface, for that was another story that would soon come to pass…

Present day…

Younhee was discharged from the hospital as he was returning to work in which he had to adjust to the new normal that was brought in front of him. When he was returning to his house, he was eager to allow Tavrani and her children to adjust with him as he didn't want to be tethered to the loneliness that he was used to. When he was ready to go towards the Sunflower House to see Tavrani, he noticed someone watching him as it was a woman he hadn't seen before. He instantly brushed it off as he decided to go towards the Sunflower House as planned. When he got there, he saw plenty of orphans that were busy thriving as they were also playing in the warm weather to the brink of summer approaching.

The sight of the trio that accost him made him both cautious and aware as he noticed the one with the scar on his face trembling with fear the moment he saw him. The other two boys were also scared of him as they were more than likely to be running away until he got out his medical bag and began to treat their ills one at a time. Starting with the boy that had the facial scar, he changed the bandage as he cleaned the wound with an alcohol towelette. By the time he placed a clean bandage on the boy's face, he later got out a lacquer box as he displayed some gimbap that he made, for he was trying his best to make an effort in changing himself instead of losing his temper all the time.

"I thought you were gonna kick our asses again…," said the boy with the facial scar.

"I'm not, but I have to make an effort in caring for my patients again," said Younhee.

"At least you're not kicking and jabbing us," said the boy who got kicked.

"I've been through the ringer, but there was also a time that I cared about my patients until I saw what happened to Haruko. Now that I'm with my new wife by proxy, I'm making up for lost time after not paying attention to Moira and Madeline."

"Thank the gods…," said the boy who got jabbed.

Younhee was mainly taking pride in his work as a doctor in the Medical Corps as he later went to check up on Moira, who was busy playing with Sona. Both girls were there with their dolls as they also loved to spend time together, for they loved playing with their toys. Younhee also spotted me scolding Madeline earlier as I wasn't about to let her get away with the behavior she displayed, for she had to make an effort in catching up on the lost time that she didn't get with her father.

"You're there because you keep disrespecting your father," I said as Madeline was sitting in the corner. "You can't just cut him out like that after he saved your sister's life."

"Screw you, asshat!" she cried.

"Hey! Watch your mouth!" yelled Younhee.

"Do you have to keep coming here?!"

"It's my job as both a doctor and a father. I lost so many years not seeing you and Moira growing up in which the Clergy kept me away from you. I'm trying to improve, okay? I know that I should've been there for you, but I was watched all the time by the same people who keep defending a bad person who can't keep it in his—"

"Younhee…," I said cautiously. "You mustn't tell too much in which Madeline is too young to hear of such talk." I look at her as she was still facing the corner. "I know that you bear resentment towards your father, but you should also give him a chance before you judge further."

Madeline didn't say another word as she got out of the corner and looked at Younhee. Like him, she was also hurting as she didn't have a father's love despite the fact she was overlooked and invisible to the public. Just as she was about to give him a chance, she saw the woman from earlier standing in the distance as she was a remnant of what happened in the Elder Days. The woman herself was glaring at Younhee as she vowed to do her worst in which Madeline began to hear what she was saying, for it wasn't very pleasant at all.

"I'm watching you, Younhee," the woman said as she vanished.

Madeline never heard such malice from outside before as she was now fearing for Younhee's safety after seeing and hearing the woman who was staring in the distance. After so many years of resentment, she had to step up and notify anyone who would listen to her as she rushed outside to search for what she was looking for. When she looked to where the woman stood earlier, she was ready to tell an adult as she later saw Reiko coming forward with a basket of muffins she baked earlier. She had to warn someone as she also didn't want anything bad to happen to Younhee at this time.

"I know that she was here," she said as she was looking everywhere in the same spot.

"What are you looking for?" asked Reiko.

"There was a lady here earlier and she's stalking my dad. She said that she's watching him and I don't want her to hurt him. She also says that she could never go home again after what happened centuries ago."

"What lady?"

"She was human with black hair and she wore a white dress that looked too old."

Reiko had a gut feeling that the woman that Madeline described was haunting the Sunflower House. She knew of her to be part of the lore in the Elder Days as she had to alert me in which she had to tell me right away. Still, she sensed the presence of someone who was supposed to be dead for centuries as it now posed a possible threat to Younhee in general, for the spirit itself was someone that was brushed off for a while until now…

Donovan was in a holding cell as he had a pair of handcuffs on his wrists. After his long service in the Clergy, he was mainly in the doghouse after what happened yesterday. When is day was about to get worse, he noticed a High Elf enter as he was accompanied by an interpreter in which he was eager to grill him far worse. The High Elf in particular was tall and muscular as he had the same red hair and blue eyes like Yokose while sporting a pair of glasses and wearing Sindar clothing in which he wasn't intimidated so easily. He even brought evidence in a box as it contained stolen witching tools in which Donovan was shaking while being shackled, for he would soon go away for a long time for what he did.

"Kunihiko Stauber," he said. "It seems that you came here to mock me, but it's a shame that you can't hear me. If you were born normally, your mommy would accept you further."

"I'm not so easy to intimidate, Donovan," said Kunihiko's interpreter as she interpreted his sign language. "From what I gathered, you were not only blackmailing Younhee just to get back at him for nearly killing Zbigniew, but you threatened to poison his youngest daughter, only for Reiko to pull a fast one on you."

"He should've never gotten with Tavrani in which I wanted him to suffer for what he did to one of our brethren. I had to keep him away from her and those two little whelps in which he deserved to suffer from losing his beloved Haruko!"

"The evidence is clear when I looked into what you stashed. There had been some witching tools that were stolen in which the Vesper Guild wanted them back, but you refused to hand them over."

"That's just it… I warned Younhee that if he blended his family with Tavrani's, he was labeled an adulterer in which the spouse is married to the significant other even after till death do they part! So, I invoked a spirit in the form of a scorned woman who lured faithless men to their deaths in the Elder Days. She's out and about, for she will haunt Younhee to the point of 'taking her home.' This is the wrath I told him about and now, he reaps what he sows. If he hadn't saved that whelp, none of this would've happened! I kept him away from Tavrani for ten years just to punish him for what he did to Zbigniew because it's the fact that boys will be boys. Your sister is gone, Kunihiko, for she is never coming back."

Kunihiko grabbed at Donovan as he simply glared at him. He may be born deaf, but he read lips so sharply for a High Elf in which he knew what they were saying instead of misinterpreting what was there. His rage was silent, but firm as he had to put Donovan in his place, for he didn't want him to disrespect the dead, especially his sister.

"Don't you dare talk about Haruko like that," said Kunihiko's interpreter. "You don't know her grief, but you defend her rapist in which Younhee had the gall to nearly kill him on that day. When she found out that she was carrying his child, she wanted to terminate it, but your people refused to let her in which you wanted that bastard's progeny to germinate. It broke her when she took her own life when Younhee found her hung in the storehouse. Mom and I wanted to bury her in the Stauber crypt, but her remains were buried near that tree. Younhee was distraught in which he kept vigil over her grave in the past ten years while being apart from his new wife that was widowed. You kept him away from her because your handlers demanded him to suffer and the 'miracle child' you protect still remains at large, but on Alecrast as one of Jacob Doran's toadies. As for what you tried to pull yesterday, you now have a charge of attempted murder hanging over your head. You can't call for help from your friends this time, for they have been banned from coming to Stauber land."

It wasn't long until Yokose burst into the interrogation room as she was ready to strangle Donovan for what he said earlier. The hatred towards the Clergy was mutual as they were a threat to not only those who feared them, but the Order as well. Still, Yokose was eager to deliver the smackdown on Donovan as she was more than likely to be putting him in his place, for she wasn't about to go away quietly when it came to matters all over Stauber land. When she saw the evidence of the witching tools that was on display, she wasn't about to let Donovan walk away scott-free as she wasn't there to go forward quietly, for she hated those who dishonored the dead.

"You have some nerve to show up here," she said to him. "Even though your friends at the Clergy got an eviction notice, you stayed behind just to remind Younhee not to be with his current wife, whom he was barred from seeing by your buddies ten years ago." She notices Donovan snickering as he was staring at her with a smirk on his face. "What's so funny? What the hell did you pull?!"

"Younhee doesn't know that I summoned a spirit to punish him further," he said as he grinned like a crooked snake oil salesman. "Serves him right for clinging to his so-called 'wife' and a pair of affair babies, but Constance will see to it that he'll do the right thing and 'take her home.'"

Yokose saw one of the witching tools glowing as she recognized it to be a wishing talisman, which was banned by other witches in the Vesper Guild. It was a summoning talisman that was deemed restricted as it once belonged to someone, but was stolen like any other witching tool that was easy pickings. When Donovan tried to steal the talisman back, Yokose took it away as she didn't want him to do much worse in which she wasn't about to let him off the hook, for she sensed that he still has Younhee tethered to the whims of the Clergy.

"The Clergy will never let go of their victims, despite the fact that they try to get away," he said.

"My son-in-law is not your concern," said Yokose.

"Younhee is still tethered to us, can't you see that? We kept him away from Tavrani for ten years in which a man or woman must remain committed to their spouse even after they died. What he did is a grave sin by being wed to that Draaza widow who lost her husband to stage four colon cancer."

"One person can't ever be lonely forever because it doesn't work," said Kunihiko's interpreter as she interpreted his words. "I can see through the Clergy's lies in which it's about time that they left this land for good. They've been keeping those living on my mother's land living in fear for a long time in which most of them have had enough of their lies and fervent cruelty. In other words, you reap what you've sown and you've also paid the price for ruining a man's life by not letting him blend his family with the widow that was chosen to him."

"No…, it's Younhee that'll reap what he's sown all because he nearly killed one of our brethren!"

"Zbigniew will get his comeuppance in which he'll be losing more than just his arms!" yelled Yokose. "Yes, I got word that he acquired prosthetic since the Skald Island incident, but there will be others who will tear them off! And another thing, the Clergy's got no place here anymore in which they did more than just keep their flock in check! They've been siphoning off the people living here in which they've been enjoying the high life for years! As for you, you're going away for a long time in which there will be others who will do more than just whack you in the goody bag, so I suggest that you buckle up and enjoy the ride!"

Donovan was still reeling from where Sona hit him with her Patchwork Emma doll filled with something heavy as his crotch felt the sting of the blow he sustained. Still, he may have been detained, but he still had one huge trump card up his sleeve, for he was wanting to keep Younhee tethered to the whims of the Clergy…

I was busy with the orphans in the Sunflower House as I saw them playing with their dolls and other toys. I noticed Sona looking at her Patchwork Emma doll as she unzipped the compartment in the back the moment I noticed her with a large sphere that looked like a pokéball, but metallic. When she opened it up, she had plenty of pellets made from wrought iron as they were made to expel spirits possessing unsuspecting people. Still, she was young, but she was also starting to be more of a hunter at her age in which I was impressed to see her armed with what she had.

"You're very eager to be a hunter, but you have a lot to learn once you get older," I said.

"I hear Gyatso telling me that ghosts aren't into wrought iron or salt," said Sona. "At least this doll that Moro gave me holds plenty of space to keep my pellet sphere in there. I would've brought some salt, but was I could only take one canister with me."

It wasn't long until Moira hobbled over to where we were as she was happy that we were here to help out with the other orphans. When I noticed Sona showing off the Patchwork Emma doll to her, she was astonished to see a rarity in the form of a rag doll with a pair of button eyes and a stitched dress. Even though it was heavy, Sona didn't mind it as she was glad to put Donovan in his place yesterday, for she was mainly armed with her dolls.

"I never saw a doll like that before," said Moira.

"It's a Patchwork Emma doll," said Sona. "It's a rarity, but big enough to put my sphere of wrought iron pellets in it."

"She looks like a chubby Raggedy Ann."

"It's because she has a compartment that holds heavy things in which I went and hit that guy in the goody bag."

"Goody bag?"

"I think that you should leave this conversation for the grown-ups," I said as I was embarrassed to hear what Sona said earlier. "Besides, you can't hear stuff like that until you're older anyway."

It wasn't long until Reiko burst into the room as she had Madeline in tow the moment she was concerned about Younhee's safety. The very news about Constance Welch haunting the Sunflower House sent alarm bells as there would soon be a reckoning for Younhee in which I had a gut feeling that his blackmailer wasn't bluffing this time, for I had to reach him before it was too late.

"We have to find my dad," said Madeline as she was desperate.

"What's going on?" asked Younhee as he entered into the building.

"There's a spirit that's been watching you, but she's persistent," said Reiko. "As for whoever summoned her, he's walking on thin ice in which he's afraid of losing power over you."

Younhee was concerned as he rushed outside to see the image of Constance standing near the cliff near the ocean. For a while, he brushed it off, but his ignorance ended up giving him a warning as he had to do his best to protect his new blended family. Just as he was about to get back to the Sunflower House, he saw Constance standing in front of me with a pair of cold brown eyes staring back at him, for she warned him time and time again for not being faithful to his late wife.

"You disobeyed Haruko again, didn't you?" she said to him.

"She's been dead for ten years and I can't just live in the past forever," said Younhee.

"Haruko is angry with you, Younhee…, can't you see that?"

"Haruko wouldn't have wanted me to be tethered forever in which she suffered after being raped by that fucker who now pals around with the Zenith Vectors! Sooner or later, he'll get his ass handed to him in which—"

At that moment, Constance pushed Younhee onto the grassy ground as she had him pinned and unable to get up. She was eager to keep him tethered to his late spouse as she was summoned here by Donovan to keep him under the thumb of the Clergy. It wasn't long until Younhee felt his throat closing as he was finding it unbearable to breathe in which Constance was holding sway over his fate until he heard gunshots pelting her with salt rounds the moment she disappeared for now. Getting a chance to breathe again, Younhee got up on his feet as he saw Reiko armed with a shotgun as she had a pouch of salt rounds with her in which she had to do her best to keep the Woman in White away from him. A hugh moment of relief swept him as he was glad to be saved the moment he had to get some protection from the spirit that Donovan summoned, for he also had to watch his back when it came to a vengeful spirit wanting to keep him tethered to the Clergy's thumb.

"Did you have to shoot at close range?" he said.

"The spirit who haunted you has been repelled for now, but if I were you, I suggest that you find some salt and use it as protection," said Reiko.

"That bitch in the white dress really is true to her word, but I can't let her ruin the life I'm trying to rebuild after ten years of being apart."

"We should be careful in which this Woman in White will stop at nothing to ruin your life just to keep you tethered to the Clergy according to what Sammy told me."

Younhee was concerned about the safety of his blended family and the orphans who lived here in the Sunflower House as he didn't want Constance to interfere with his life. He had to act fast as he couldn't let anyone else fall victim to what the Woman in White had in store, for he didn't want to be tethered to the whims of the Clergy and their constant form of emotional blackmail at this time…

Tavrani was busy handing some lunch to the orphans in her care as some of the younger ones were wanting their usual peanut and butter and jelly sandwiches. She loved the orphans who lived with her family as they were taken in during the time of the Second Galvanic Uprising that ended last year. By the time she was finishing her rounds, she went towards the nursery as she saw one of the drop-off babies crying in her crib the moment she felt a sensation creeping over her as if a sense of malice overwhelmed her. The drop-off baby that was crying was an orphan girl as she was also in dire need of getting cleaned up the moment Tavrani picked her up and went towards the bathroom. Turning on the water in the bathtub and leaving the plug in, she placed the baby onto the changing table as she took off her diaper and onesie.

"It's time to give you a bath…," she said. "I hope you don't mind the deep end…"

Tavrani was ready to place the baby into the water that was filled to the brim after turning off the faucet earlier. Just as she was about to do so, she heard footsteps rapidly approaching as she felt a wrought iron chain wrap around her while holding the baby in which an Elf girl was standing behind her while a malevolent presence left her body. Even though Tavrani was back to normal, she saw the bathtub filled to the brim as she felt guilty while holding the drop-off baby in her arms. When the Elf girl drained the water from the bathtub, she noticed Tavrani shedding tears as she felt guilty for nearly putting the drop-off baby into an early grave, for she never saw it coming when she ended up being possessed by a ghost earlier.

"I'm so sorry about all of this…," she said.

"It's a godsend that I made it in time," said the Elf girl.

"Madeline was right about ghosts…, but possessing me?"

"You were possessed by a Woman in White and she had a habit for luring unfaithful men and later killing them in the Elder Days."

"You've been steeped in those books that ofter pop up in train stations, haven't you?"

"Those popular Supernatural books delve into the lore, but the incident about Constance Welch worried me and we all know what she did to her children after she found out about her husband's infidelity."

Tavrani looked at the drop-off baby as she was still in the buff smiling with only a few first teeth on her bottom gums. She nearly tried to drown the innocent orphan as she didn't have the courage to forgive herself for trying to do so. Still, she felt unworthy of what she displayed earlier as the Elf girl was eager to keep her from getting depressed in which she also felt concerned about the presence of Constance Welch haunting the Sunflower House, for she had to be exorcised before it was too late.

"You shouldn't dwell on it too much, Mom," she said.

"I nearly tried to drown Rumiko just now, Melissa," said Tavrani.

"You were possessed. At least I thought about the wrought iron chain that Dad forged before he lost his life to cancer. He was a good hunter for an Ironblood, but he could never get past the disease that plagues other humanoids."

Tavrani saw the presence of what possessed her earlier as it was lurking in the corner before it went outside. Still holding Rumiko, she decided to dress her up with a fresh diaper and onesie as she took her out of the bathroom and back to the nursery where she saw Reiko looking at the orphans. Even Melissa was in the nursery as she was glad that Rumiko and the other drop-off babies were safe for the time being, but she had to take drastic measures to protect the Sunflower House from the wrath of Constance Welch. She had a gut feeling that the vengeful ghost wasn't done haunting Younhee and those around him as she had to do her best to protect everyone, for she had to do so in order to have peace of mind after this.

"I'm thankful that the little one is safe, but the spirit who possessed you is waiting to trap Younhee," said Reiko. "The ancient spirit is known to lure unfaithful men to their deaths, but she was stopped once in the Elder Days."

"Where is the spirit now?" asked Talvari frantically.

"She's biding her time, but we must salt the windows and doors to keep her out."

It wasn't long until Melissa fished out a salt canister as she opened it up and began to salt the windows. She wasn't messing around as she aware of what was haunting the Sunflower House due to what happened earlier. Even Reiko was concerned as she also had to tell me about the presence of Constance Welch, for the spirit itself wasn't about to let go quietly. When she looked out the window, she saw the Woman in White glaring from outside as she was waiting for her next victim, for she was also waiting for the right moment to trap Younhee the moment he enters into the Sunflower House…

I was in the main hall as I was seeing some of the orphans playing with their toys and doing their daily hobbies and activities. The sight of the children playing normally was a sigh of relief as I also noticed Moira reading a book the moment she was feeling much better than anticipated, for her life was precious just like the rest of us who lived and breathed. It wasn't long until I noticed Younhee burst into the main hall as he was scared out of his mind the moment he was worried about everyone who was living in the Sunflower House. He was fearing the wrath of Constance as he was ready to make an effort into protecting the vulnerable in which he stared at Moira with such strong determination, for he didn't want her to go without a father again. Yes, I was also on high alert, but I had to do my best to protect Younhee from the Woman in White that was stalking him, for she was eager for him to "taking her home" in order to kill him afterwards.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Do any of you have salt in the house?" asked Younhee.

"Mom has some table salt in the kitchen. She says that she uses it just to balance the food we have in the pantry."

"Thank the gods."

"You're worried, aren't you?" I said as I dug out a salt canister from my pocket.

"Damn you, Donovan! You just had to pull a fast one me just to keep me tethered to your sick religion all 'cause I nearly killed your 'miracle baby' when he raped Haruko ten years ago!"

"We need to take proper precautions. The children also need to go into the nursery so we can salt the doors and windows."

"I've got some salt," said Sona as she took out a canister of it from her satchel and handed it to me.

"We'll handle this… We also have a spirit to get rid of right now."

Sona, Moira, and the other children obeyed as they rushed towards the nursery in which Younhee and I salted the doors and windows in which we were ready to confront Constance in which she was waiting outside the Sunflower House. With a ring of salt around us, we were glancing all over the main hall as we later noticed the doors bursting open. The sight of Constance Welch standing at the doorway unnerved Younhee as she glared at him the moment she stood there. Anger flooded her as she noticed the salt line on the floor where the doorway was as she wanted to kill Younhee for "not being faithful" until she spotted me with clear malice. She knew of what my past self and Dean's did as they once stopped her in her old home in the Elder Days.

"It had to be you of all people, didn't it?" she snarled as she glared at me.

"The Sam Winchester who helped to bring you to an end died centuries ago," I said.

"And yet, you protect an adulterer who cheated on his wife and even saved his affair baby from going into an early grave."

"Younhee was faithful to his late wife because your handler tethered him to the emotional blackmail he endured for ten years. For the record, he won't 'take you home' and neither can you possess anyone to convince him otherwise."

Without warning, we saw Constance step over the salt line as she was walking slowly towards us due to the power that was a certain ingredient. She was more than likely to destroy the salt circle we were in as we noticed her being pushed back the moment she felt a burning sensation engulf her body. She wasn't the type to give up as her wrathful gaze eyed us with a huge moment of malice, for she wasn't about to let us off the hook.

"Younhee was a lot of things, but he wasn't faithful to his wife after her passing," she said. "As for my own predicament, I was happy in my home in Jericho with my husband and my children. We had a good life complete with a house that was ours. Joseph was everything to me when I tied the knot with him, had his children, and safeguarded everything as a housewife enjoying the traditional apple pie lifestyle. One day, I got a call that changed everything. I answered it from Penny Jacobs, who worked at the diner in which she confessed to me that she had an affair with my husband and even expecting his baby. It was the last straw in which I wanted to punish him for his infidelity by killing our children by drowning them in the bathtub. I showed no shame, but when I saw Joseph coming home, he saw our kids dead as planned as retaliation for fucking that waitress behind my back!"

"And yet, you took your own life after your husband went after you, only to jump," I said. "I also know of you being a Woman in White while you lured faithless men to their deaths, only to be stopped."

"I came across your past self twice! After I was dragged into Hell, I was brought back by Chuck of all people just to punish the Winchesters of Old for going against Him. Still, I was back in Hell, but was summoned by Donovan Langford to punish Younhee for being unfaithful to his late wife over the ten years of what he endured."

"I endured so much after Haruko died," he said. "Even though I was wed to Tavrani by proxy, your handler saw our tryst as a threat, so he tethered me in retaliation for nearly killing Zbigniew for what he did to Haruko. As for what you're trying to pull, you and your handler won't tether me to the Clergy's whims anymore 'cause I'm done being apathetic!" Constance feels her arms burning as she was trying to attack us. "And what about you?! You took a page out of an ancient Greek play in which the hero who took the Golden Fleece got his comeuppance when his wife killed their sons out of spite once he got with another chick who later died. You can't escape your crimes and neither can you attack us."

Without warning, Constance dispelled the salt circle as she seized Younhee by the scruff of his labcoat and later pinned him to the wall while I was thrown against a table. Anger bubbled over her as she was pressing her fingers into Younhee's skin the moment he screamed in pain. He was overwhelmed by the Woman in White's wrath as there was no escape until someone else intervened on his behalf. Constance felt something pull at her body as she was tossed against the wall in which she stared at the savior who came in and saved the day. What she didn't expect was that the spirit of Haruko was standing in front of her as she wasn't about to let her harm Younhee, for she couldn't let him suffer under the weight of being tethered by those who were loyal to the Clergy.

"Get away from him!" she cried.

"He was unfaithful and you defend him?!" screamed Constance.

"He was never unfaithful, but when Zbigniew violated me while he was gone, I was angry at the outcome I had. When I carried my rapist's baby, I wanted to terminate it, but the Clergy refused to let me in which it was too much when I took my own life and left Younhee alone after he confronted him when he nearly killed him. The rest everyone knows about in which when he was wed to Tavrani to fill the void after she lost her own husband, only to be blackmailed in retaliation for nearly killing Zbigniew. And yet, you were summoned by Donovan Langford just to keep Younhee tethered, only for him to be apathetic and bitter."

"He had it coming…, for—"

It wasn't long until I got up and used my raw power to drag Constance back into the bowels of Hell as I noticed her struggling to break free. It wasn't long until I saw Reiko burst in as she aided me into putting the Woman in White in her place in which we had to save everyone in the Sunflower House. We both dragged Constance down into the bowels of Hell as we ended up saving a life and averting a possible threat against Younhee. With the worst over, we saw Haruko walk towards Younhee as she ended up punching him in the face the moment she was ready to give him a piece of her mind, for she didn't want him being tethered forever by the loss he endured.

"What was that for?!" he yelled.

"That was for not being there for your new wife!" she yelled. "You can't just be tethered to the past forever in which you need to move on from this mess!"

"You didn't have to punch me!"

"After what happened to me when I ended my life, you were distraught, but given a chance to move on, only for you to blow it by caving into emotional blackmail. Still, you weren't the only one who suffered, for I was also suffering in which it crippled us the most. You need to move on, Younhee! You can't have this excess baggage for the rest of your life in which your current wife also suffered a loss. It's time to heal and to let go or else you'll never be able to move on. You're a good man, Younhee, for it's what you're good for in the end…"

Haruko disappeared as she returned to the Grey Havens in which Younhee broke down sobbing. Even though he missed her, he had to stay strong as Reiko and I decided to comfort him in which he had so much baggage to unload. By the time everyone else burst into the main hall, they noticed Younhee run towards Tavrani as he hugged her warmly in which he didn't want to lose anyone else, for he had to move on for Haruko's sake…

The next morning, I paid a visit to the Sunflower House as I noticed the children safe and unharmed, but with Younhee spending time with Moira. The sight of them playing a game of Sorry was a first step in the right direction as I was happy to see everything back to normal. Even though he was spending more time at the Sunflower House, he wasn't about to cave into despair as he noticed Moira beating him at the board game they were playing, for she was also getting better after what she went through.

"You got me!" I heard him yelling as he was busy putting away the board game in its case.

"Madeline and I always played Sorry," said Moira.

"You should also thank her for pointing out the Woman in White who tried to kill you yesterday," I said. "If it wasn't for her, you would've been dead by now."

"Thankfully, I can't let myself get tethered to the past so that Haruko won't clock me again," said Younhee. "I have so much to catch up on, but I have to move on. As for the bastards who kept me tethered through emotional blackmail, they can suck it! I have my own life to live and I won't be chained to the past again!"

It wasn't long until Yokose arrived to see what was going on in the Sunflower House. Even though everything was back to normal, there was also the scrutiny that followed as I had to know what was going on, for we had to deal with what was left of the Clergy. Still, they were a proverbial thorn in the side to the Stauber Clan as they mainly believed their ideal motives to be righteous and good, but everyone proved that they were another religious organization who thrived on misery while living on the whole hog. I also had a grudge against the Clergy as they put Younhee through the ringer, for their presence left scars.

"I know how the Clergy still kept tethering Younhee and here's the proof," said Yokose as she showed me the witching tool. "This was what Donovan used to summon Constance Welch with as retaliation for what happened ten years ago."

I examined the witching tool carefully as I noticed it to be from the Vesper Guild. Even Younhee was aware of it as he once heard of a lecture from the Clergy telling their flock not to delve into witchcraft as he found it laughable to their double standards being exposed. When I gave Yokose back the witching tool, she gave me a letter as I opened it up to find it to be a summons of a crucial importance. Younhee also noticed it to be from the Order as he also had a gut feeling that I would be going on a mission, for he was aware of the threat of eternal winter looming.

"They're not messing around, are they?" he said.

"No…," I said. "According to the letter, we don't have much time left. Dean must be warned of this anyway because he's ready to fight for the throne that was vacant for so long."

"It's not gonna be easy, Sam," said Yokose cautiously. "We have to be careful if we're gonna go back to Alecrast and give your brother the backup he needs."

I walked outside as I saw the fresh snow falling on the ground. The eternal winter wasn't just coming towards Alecrast, but to Drakonus, Westeros, and Valinor as well as I had no other choice but to pull my weight in this battle against the Stewards and the Zenith Vectors, for this was crucial to prevent a freezing effect in the long run…

To be continued...