Alex and Heather were in the archive room of Brookhaven Hospital. The reason was that Alex wanted to find the folder containing the document that would indicate exactly which room Alessa had been kept in before she turned into Dark Alessa.
The moment Alex found the right document and Heather saw the folder, memories connected to Alessa flared up inside her again—memories from the time when Alessa had lain in this very hospital. Only this time, instead of a headache, Heather was struck by intense pain, as though she were being burned alive. Unable to endure such agony, Heather lost consciousness.
In that brief moment of surging memories, Heather experienced everything Alessa had gone through in the past: from the pain of being burned alive to such torment that death seemed like mercy, yet something kept her clinging to life. And when that pain eventually gave way to hatred for everyone who had hurt her, deceived her, or betrayed her. All those feelings crashed over Heather in a single wave. Alessa had endured them in the past, and those memories were buried deep within Heather's soul—because Brookhaven Hospital had been Alessa's final refuge.
Seeing this, Alex quickly caught Heather in his arms and laid her on the table to let the girl recover. After placing her down, Alex looked at her—her face clearly showed severe pain. Alex fully understood what had caused Heather's condition, and all he could do was wait until she woke up.
"The closer you two get to each other, the stronger your connection becomes. The memories she was supposed to strip away from you still came back to you too," Alex said, gently stroking the unconscious Heather's hair.
Alex knew no one would answer him, so he simply talked to himself while looking at the unconscious girl. He understood that Heather would need time to come around, so he decided to look at Alessa's medical file. Before doing so, Alex went and locked the archive door to make sure no random monster wandered in. After securing the door, Alex grabbed a chair and sat down beside Heather.
Looking at Alessa's medical file, Alex didn't want to open it—he didn't want to see what was inside. Staring at the file, Alex lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and with a grim expression opened the first page. The early pages covered Alessa's birth and her early life, including ordinary childhood illnesses—colds or allergies. But when Alex reached the middle, his hand froze as he noticed the corner of a photograph sticking out.
Narrowing his eyes, Alex carefully pulled the photograph free. What he saw made his teeth clench. It was a photo of Alessa's burned hand, taken by the doctors. The burn was so severe that the skin had blackened and formed a thick scab. But what enraged Alex even more was the Order's symbol on the back of the photograph.
Alex's expression darkened, and the photo in his hand burst into flames. He knew there would be even more such photographs of Alessa's injuries taken by the doctors. And he was right. In addition to the doctor's reports, the file contained photographs of every injury inflicted on Alessa's body after they had tried to burn her alive. Looking at the full-body photo of Alessa with blackened, charred skin, Alex could only grit his teeth in rage. Yet even through the photograph, he could see in Alessa's eyes overwhelming pain and hatred.
Unwilling to let such filth continue to exist, black flames erupted from Alex's hands, and Alessa's medical file burned to ashes in his grasp. Once the file was gone, Alex slumped in the chair, covering his eyes with one hand.
"I've changed my mind. I'm not going to kill them… Death is too easy an end for people like them… I wanted to erase everything that tied Alessa to this city. I thought I'd send only Dahlia and Claudia to the Red World… But now everyone will go there," Alex said, lowering his hand from his eyes.
At that moment Alex's gaze was extremely dark as he stared straight ahead. And it wasn't just Alex who felt overwhelming rage—his entire family, watching the broadcast, felt the same fury upon seeing what had been done to Alessa. None of the girls in Alex's family could believe a mother could treat her own child this way.
Seeing the photographs of what had happened to Alessa—and what Alessa had ultimately become—filled the girls with both sorrow and intense anger. They had heard Alessa's story from Alex himself, but hearing it told and seeing it with their own eyes were two completely different things.
Alex continued sitting in the chair, staring grimly at the wall while waiting for Heather to regain consciousness. The only thing keeping him in place at that moment was Heather, who was still unconscious. Otherwise, he would already have gone looking for Dahlia to have a little "chat" with that woman about how to properly care for a child.
Alex smoked one cigarette after another, rhythmically tapping his foot on the floor while using mana to scan the entire hospital. The only thing holding him back from completely destroying the city right then and there was the thought that death would be far too merciful for every single bastard in the Order, including Dahlia and Claudia.
Alex could see every creature in Brookhaven Hospital, including one presence on the third floor at the very end of the corridor. Realizing it might be Dahlia, Alex smirked faintly and flicked his cigarette to the floor, crushing it under his boot.
At that moment Heather began to stir. Her eyelids trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes, still feeling lingering phantom pain throughout her body from the flood of memories. Feeling that pain, Heather began to shiver—until she felt familiar warmth on her head. In that instant the pain began to recede, replaced by calm.
"How are you feeling? Memories again?" Alex asked with a gentle smile, stroking Heather's head even though he already knew the answer.
"I… I saw what they did to her… I felt all that pain… I heard what the doctors said… to Alessa… It hurt so much, and she was so alone. Dahlia's words are still ringing in my ears when she did it. Why did they do that to her… to me… to us?!" Heather said, her words gradually turning into a desperate cry.
Tears of pain and despair began streaming from Heather's eyes as she clutched Alex's sleeves, staring at him. Alex could only wrap his arms around Heather and pull her close, letting the girl release all the pent-up emotions. Heather hadn't simply seen Alessa's memories—she had literally lived through every moment of them, feeling every shred of pain Alessa had endured during those parts of her life.
Heather clung to Alex's clothes and sobbed loudly. Alex stroked her back while she continued crying. Alex didn't know how much time passed before Heather finally stopped. But when she lifted her head, her eyes were swollen from tears—yet grief had given way to anger, rage, and a burning desire for revenge.
Seeing that look in Heather's eyes, Alex narrowed his own and pinched her nose.
"Don't even think about giving in to those emotions. You know perfectly well where that leads. Your desire for revenge—I'll take it on myself. There's no need for you to dirty your hands with that filth," Alex said calmly, still holding her nose.
"But…" Heather began, frowning even harder.
"No buts. Or have you suddenly decided to have a child in the form of an evil entity? Like I already said—I'll handle it myself. All you need to think about is finding your father. And I'll simply guide you to the very end of this path," Alex said with a light smile.
"Promise?" Heather asked, looking straight into Alex's eyes.
"I promise. I already said I'd protect both you and Alessa. And I always keep my word. Now wipe your eyes—it's time to finish your adventure once and for all," Alex said, handing Heather a handkerchief.
Heather took the handkerchief from Alex's hand and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. And Heather fully understood the reason behind Alex's words: if she gave in to negative emotions, she would meet the same fate as Alessa—become an incubator for the God's child, which Heather desperately wanted to avoid. Heather now understood why Alessa had so insistently urged her to leave this city—but there was no turning back. She was already nearly at the end of her journey.
Having wiped her tears, Heather looked at Alex and nodded, showing she was ready to continue. Smiling faintly, Alex offered Heather his hand to help her down from the table. Alex walked to the locked archive door and opened it. Stepping back into the corridor, Alex headed toward the stairs to go up to the third floor. Heather followed behind Alex, trying not to dwell on dark thoughts so they wouldn't completely consume her.
Reaching the staircase, Alex and Heather saw nurse monsters frozen in strange poses on the landing, blocking the way down. Ignoring them, Alex began climbing the stairs to the third floor of the hospital, listening to the sounds around them as he went. And the moment Alex and Heather climbed one flight of stairs, the clumsy sound of heels on the steps echoed behind them. Heather peeked over the railing—and the nurses immediately froze in yet another strange pose.
"Looks like now they're following us instead of attacking," Heather said, turning her head toward Alex.
"Are the nurses doing a cosplay of the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who or something?" Alex asked with a hint of amusement, looking over the railing.
"Doctor Who? Angels? What do angels and a doctor have to do with anything?" Heather asked, giving Alex a strange look.
"Yeah, Doctor Who. Old series. There's this guy called the Doctor—he travels in a police box that's actually a time machine. And there were monsters called Angels. They looked like statues of weeping angels, and they don't move as long as you're looking at them. How have you never watched that series? It's a classic," Alex said, looking at Heather in surprise.
"I never really had the time—especially when you're constantly on the run and can't even make friends or go to a normal school before you have to move again," Heather said, giving Alex a blank look.
"Well, after all this is over, you'll have time to make friends and do all that stuff. Or at least try to live a normal life. That's up to you. Now let's go. But first—let's deal with these persistent stalkers," Alex said, looking at Heather.
Heather looked at Alex and nodded slightly, thinking that after everything she'd been through, returning to a normal life would be difficult. And right now she was curious how Alex planned to deal with the nurse monsters following them.
Alex pulled a grenade from his backpack and yanked the pin. He tossed the grenade down at the nurses' feet and immediately pulled Heather back so she wouldn't get hit by shrapnel after the explosion. In the next instant the grenade detonated, and half the nurses were blasted onto the stairs. Heather winced slightly at the sight of what remained of them.
Alex peeked over the railing again to make sure they wouldn't be followed, smirking faintly when he saw what the grenade had done to the nurses. Heather also wanted to look, but Alex once again placed his palm over her face and pushed her back so she wouldn't see what she didn't need to see.
Heather wanted to remind Alex that she had already seen something similar back at the school when he wiped out all the Grey Children and turned them into one giant meat ball—but Alex calmly ignored her and continued climbing the stairs to the third floor.
Reaching the third floor, Alex noticed there wasn't a single monster here. While the other floors had been dark with no light, this floor was lit by dim lamps that barely illuminated the already gloomy, abandoned hospital corridor.
Looking around, Alex led Heather toward the far end of the corridor—to the very last room. Alex stopped in front of the room and looked at Heather.
"Whatever you see in there—keep your emotions under control," Alex said, looking at Heather.
"Who's in there?" Heather asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"The one you both hate. And no matter what happens inside—the most important thing is not to worry," Alex said calmly.
"Dahlia…" Heather said through gritted teeth, anger rising.
"Yes, Dahlia is in this room. We need to cut off every tie that binds you and Alessa to this city. And Dahlia is one of them," Alex said, looking straight into Heather's eyes.
"You're going to kill her?" Heather asked, grabbing Alex's sleeve.
"Worse. Much worse. Death is an escape from pain. She will experience everything she did to Alessa," Alex said in a grim tone.
Heather was momentarily frightened by Alex's gaze, which had lost its former brightness, leaving only emptiness behind. With a gesture telling her to stay quiet, Alex opened the doors to the room that resembled a ward for the mentally ill.
Alex pulled the iron doors toward him, and daylight struck his eyes. Despite the darkness that reigned in the hospital, Dahlia's room was bright. Stepping inside, Alex saw a thin woman in her fifties with long, tangled gray hair, wearing a straitjacket. The most noticeable feature was the iron collar around her neck with a chain attached to the wall, restricting her movements.
"Come to laugh at me again, Claudia? After sending me here? Or did you come once more to take out your anger on me because you're such a failure and nothing ever works out for you? You took my place as head of the Order. But you were a failure then, and you still are," Dahlia said in a calm, quiet voice without turning her head, continuing to stare out the window at the foggy Silent Hill.
Seeing Dahlia with her own eyes, Heather gripped her pistol and immediately wanted to shoot her. Before she could raise the gun and fire, Alex grabbed Heather's hand and shook his head. Heather clenched her teeth—the desire to kill Dahlia only grew stronger as she stared at her.
Dahlia, hearing no response from her visitor, slowly turned her head—and her eyes widened when she saw Heather looking at her with eyes full of rage. Dahlia didn't even glance at Alex—her gaze was completely fixed on Heather.
In that brief moment, a flood of emotions flashed through Dahlia's eyes—from simple guilt to sorrow—until finally all of them gave way to indifference. Looking into Heather's eyes, Dahlia saw only the same rage she had once seen in Alessa's eyes. Dahlia knew Alessa hadn't killed her not because she couldn't—but because she wanted Dahlia to experience everything Alessa herself had gone through.
"Long time no see, Cheryl. Looks like you ended up here again. So? Did you come to kill me? Decided to finish what she couldn't? Or did you come for revenge? Which one is it?" Dahlia said calmly, staring at the furious Heather.
In response Heather clenched her teeth even harder—she broke free from Alex's grip and aimed the pistol at Dahlia. Dahlia didn't react at all—she simply closed her eyes, showing she didn't care whether she lived or died.
Seeing Dahlia like this only fueled Heather's anger even more. If not for Dahlia—none of this would have happened. If not for the Order—Alessa wouldn't have suffered. Heather wasn't even thinking about the fact that without this chain of events she wouldn't have been born from a part of Alessa's soul. Right now all Heather felt was rage directed at Dahlia—the one responsible for everything that had happened in Silent Hill.
And when Heather's anger reached its peak, she pulled the trigger to shoot Dahlia. Dahlia, eyes closed, had already accepted her fate—but felt nothing. Opening her eyes, Dahlia saw a bullet frozen right in front of her face—held by someone.
Dahlia shifted her gaze to the man who had come with Heather and finally paid attention to him. Alex calmly crushed the bullet in front of Dahlia's eyes and looked at Heather with a calm expression. Meeting Alex's gaze, Heather immediately lowered the pistol, realizing what might have happened if she had actually killed Dahlia.
"What are you? You're not human…" Dahlia said, staring at Alex.
Instead of answering Dahlia's question, Alex calmly looked at Heather—who also raised her eyes to him. Alex snapped his fingers—and a chair appeared beside him, which he immediately sat on. Alex lightly tugged at the edges of his black coat, and all the dirt and blood that had soaked it instantly vanished. Alex calmly brushed his hair back and looked at Dahlia, who began to feel uneasy under his gaze.
"Who I am doesn't matter, Dahlia Gillespie. What matters is what you did—and what awaits you for it. In your twisted understanding of love, you doomed Alessa to suffering. What Alessa did to you was a gentle punishment for a woman like you," Alex said calmly, spinning the Ring of Death on his finger.
"You don't understand. I did everything right. That was the only way to save her—to save everyone. Alessa was chosen for a great purpose. None of those other girls even came close. Only Alessa was special," Dahlia said in a fanatical tone.
"Ah yes, how could I forget. By your order women were kidnapped to become incubators for your god—until you realized Alessa was the perfect vessel. You destroyed so many lives, Dahlia, and you still talk about salvation. That Alessa was chosen, that only she was worthy—all that nonsense. But no parent would ever use their own child as a vessel for some pathetic god," Alex said, looking at Dahlia with eyes completely devoid of emotion.
"Our God! He descended to us to extend His hand and save us! How dare you insult our Savior! All she had to do was obey me! If she had listened—none of this would have happened! And then we would have reached paradise!" Dahlia shouted, trying to reach Alex, but the chain around her neck and the straitjacket prevented her from doing so.
Alex watched Dahlia, who in her fit of rage tried to reach him—but the chain around her neck and the straitjacket cut short every attempt. Heather, standing behind Alex, couldn't understand how Dahlia had suddenly changed from someone ready to accept death into a raving fanatic willing to tear out the throat of anyone who insulted her faith.
Heather simply couldn't comprehend that Dahlia's behavior stemmed from having lost everything. Everything Dahlia had desired and everything she had possessed had been taken from her in an instant, and now all she could do was remain in this room in solitude with no way out. Where her only visitor was Claudia, who occasionally came to remind Dahlia what a failure she truly was—unable to finish what she started and condemning them all to eternal imprisonment in Silent Hill, where their nightmares had taken form. And that had quickly driven Dahlia mad—turning her into what she was now.
Dahlia continued shouting, trying to reach Alex. Alex himself slowly spun the Ring of Death on his finger, watching Dahlia's furious face. Alex stopped spinning the ring and in the same moment kicked Dahlia in the chest. The blow sent Dahlia flying backward—she crashed back-first into the barred window of the room, her face contorted in pain.
Dahlia fell to the floor and with difficulty raised her gaze to Alex, feeling dull pain in her chest from the kick.
"If I said your cult's god is pathetic—then he's pathetic. Paradise? Don't make me laugh. Not a single creature like you or your former followers will ever reach paradise—not even hell. No, no, no. You're headed for a fate far worse than being locked in Silent Hill under the protection of your so-called god," Alex said darkly, staring at Dahlia.
"Our god protects us. We won't die under His protection. She can't do anything about it. She's trapped here just like us… and she always will be," Dahlia said, looking at Alex with a face full of pain.
"That's only while Alessa can't leave. But not for long. Soon your Order and this city will cease to exist. And Alessa will gain the family she deserves. And you, Dahlia, and every member of the Order will end up in the hands of the one who will show you what true hell and true despair are," Alex said calmly, standing up from the chair.
Dahlia didn't understand what Alex was talking about, but in that instant she felt the temperature in the room drop sharply—her breath began to fog in the air. Even the windows became covered in frost. But along with the cold, Dahlia felt an overwhelming fear that seemed to squeeze her heart.
Alex walked over to Heather and covered her eyes with his palm so she wouldn't see what was about to happen. Dahlia raised her terrified gaze to Alex and saw his shadow beginning to spread in all directions until it completely engulfed the entire room, plunging it into thick darkness.
In that same instant panic seized Dahlia. She tried to open her mouth to say something, but the moment she did—she realized she had lost her voice. Dahlia looked at Alex in horror—the fear she felt was impossible to compare to anything she had experienced before.
In response to Dahlia's gaze, Alex calmly raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. The feeling of fear pressed down on Dahlia harder and harder—until she began desperately trying to break free from the straitjacket and tear the chain from her neck. But Dahlia couldn't do anything, and in the next moment she froze when dozens of eyes opened in the shadow that covered the entire room—staring straight at her.
"Welcome to the Red World, Dahlia Gillespie. A place of pure terror and curse, a place where there is no hope and no false gods… She's all yours, my love. Give her the nice vacation she deserves," Alex said calmly, turning his head slightly to the side.
Trembling with fear, Dahlia followed Alex's gaze. The moment she did—she froze in place. Dahlia saw a woman in a blood-red dress with dark, grim eyes and long black hair. If Dahlia hadn't remembered the moment she gave birth to Alessa, she would have believed the woman who appeared was Alessa's true mother—because of how closely they resembled each other.
And looking into those cold, rage-filled black eyes, Dahlia felt that her fate would be far worse than she could even imagine. Without giving Dahlia a chance, black strands of Zhang Ya's hair wrapped around Dahlia's body and began dragging her into the darkness.
When Dahlia was fully consumed, Zhang Ya turned her gaze to Alex and gently touched his cheek with her palm before sinking back into his shadow, returning the room to its normal appearance. Alex smiled faintly, knowing Zhang Ya would personally take care of Dahlia—and all Alex could do was wish Dahlia luck in not losing her mind too soon.
"How long are you going to keep your hand over my eyes? Maybe you could explain what just happened?" Heather asked, trying to move Alex's hand away from her eyes.
"Oh right, I almost forgot about you," Alex said, removing his hand from Heather's eyes.
"Where's Dahlia? What happened here after you covered my eyes? And why didn't I hear anything?" Heather asked, noticing Dahlia was gone.
"Dahlia? Well… let's just say she reached her tragic end. She's been sent somewhere with no way out," Alex said, rubbing his chin lightly.
"Where?" Heather asked doubtfully, tilting her head slightly.
"To a place far worse than Silent Hill. And that's enough questions. I'm not going to tell you anyway. All you need to care about is that Dahlia's finished. Period," Alex said, preparing to leave the room.
"But…" Heather began, looking at Alex's back.
"No buts. Let's go—we still have work to do. I need the second part of the Metatron Seal, and you need to find your father. And if Harry isn't here—we'll have to storm the Order's church," Alex said, stepping back into the corridor.
Heather opened her mouth and immediately closed it, letting out a heavy sigh. Despite trusting Alex and despite all his help, she still couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something very important.
Casting one last glance at the spot where Dahlia had been moments before, Heather left the room and followed Alex into the corridor.
Back in the dark corridor, Alex saw Alessa's silhouette at the far end, watching him. Seeing Alessa, Alex gave a small wave—which Alessa returned by raising her hand, pointing in a direction, and then vanishing.
Seeing Alessa's actions, Alex shook his head slightly and walked forward, leading Heather—who held the flashlight and illuminated the dark corridor. Reaching the spot where Alessa had been, Alex saw elevator doors that opened the moment he approached.
Looking at the arrived elevator, Alex understood everything and calmly stepped inside without a word. Heather followed. The moment they were inside, the doors closed, the elevator jolted slightly, and began descending somewhere below.
"We're almost there, Cheryl. Just a little more. Soon it'll all be over, and we can go home," Alex said, rocking slightly from side to side.
"You're right—just a little more," Heather said quietly, staring ahead.
Alex reached out and stroked Heather's hair, understanding that she was worried about whether Harry might not be in the hospital. Alex also hoped Harry was there. But he also understood the chances were slim—Claudia wouldn't let such an important piece like Harry slip away when he could be used to influence Heather's state.
A few moments later the elevator jolted to a stop, and the doors began creaking open. When they fully opened, a strong smell of blood and medicine hit Alex and Heather's noses. What surprised Alex was how unnaturally bright the alternate hospital appeared despite its grim atmosphere.
Stepping out of the elevator, Alex scanned the corridors and confirmed once again how overly bright it was.
"Looks like we're back in the alternate world again. So where should we start? Where to look for Leonard Wolf and your father?" Alex said, rubbing his chin and looking in every direction.
"No idea. You're the one who said you know how to navigate these places. You've been leading the way the whole time," Heather said, looking up at Alex.
Alex looked at Heather and rolled his eyes slightly. He was about to use his usual method to find the right path when he suddenly noticed that behind Heather, arrows made of blood began appearing on the floor, pointing in the direction they should go.
Seeing that he was literally being shown the way, Alex smiled faintly and walked in the direction the blood arrows indicated. Heather also noticed the arrows and looked at Alex with a silent question—should they really follow arrows drawn in blood?
Alex nodded with a serious expression. With no other choice, Heather followed Alex as they once again wandered through the maze of corridors.
Alex and Heather continued following the blood arrows until they reached the doors leading to the psychiatric wing.
"Looks like we weren't tricked. Well, that's a plus," Alex said, turning to Heather.
"So we could have walked straight into a trap or somewhere else?" Heather asked, giving Alex a heavy, irritated look.
"To be honest, this place isn't as big as the prison—so even without those arrows we would have ended up here anyway. And if they're keeping your father and Leonard anywhere—it's here. Now let's go," Alex said, pushing open the doors to the psychiatric wing.
Hearing Alex's words, Heather perked up slightly, already thinking she would soon see her father. The moment they stepped into the psychiatric wing, Alex and Heather froze at what they saw.
Along the entire corridor lay the corpses of nurse monsters—some sliced into pieces, others torn apart. And seeing the marks on the corridor walls, Alex realized only one creature in Silent Hill could have done this—Pyramid Head.
"Looks like Alessa wants us to reach the end faster too," Alex said, lighting a cigarette and walking down the corridor littered with corpses.
"She sent those creatures to clear the path for us?" Heather asked doubtfully.
"No one but her can control them. And if you look on the bright side—I won't have to get my clothes dirty again after I just cleaned them. Despite all her love, even my wife wouldn't hug me if I smelled like blood and sewage," Alex said, continuing toward the target room.
"What's your wife like? I mean—how will she feel about you wanting to adopt Alessa?" Heather asked, looking at Alex.
"Hmm… My wife is super cute and beautiful. And she definitely won't mind me adopting Alessa. She even supports the decision. Actually, I think she'd kick my ass if I didn't do it," Alex said, chuckling lightly.
"You really love your wife…" Heather said with a faint smile.
"Of course I do. Who else would put up with my madness and accept me as I am?" Alex said, still chuckling lightly.
Heather smiled, watching the expression on Alex's face—he seemed like a completely different person when talking about his family. And despite the grim atmosphere around them and the literal corpses of monsters underfoot, Alex and Heather were having the most ordinary, everyday conversation—completely unrelated to Silent Hill.
To be continued…
(I'll be honest, by this point I was already hoping to get the second piece of Metatron's Seal and, during a small event, explain what it is, its importance to the plot involving Amara. But then everything started spinning again, and here we are. So, next up is getting the second piece of Metatron's Seal, and then heading to the Church to finish it all off. Or maybe not the Church, who knows. All I know now is I'm going to eat, and bon appétit to you, too.)
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