Hôtel Les Saisons Ramenées a popular hotel in empress borough know for it's amazing cuisine. This was also the hotel Leon and Eli were staying at. It had four floors each with ten rooms. It was owned by an intisian arms dealer known as Gaston Bénet, who's also known for being a serial cheater.
The hotel had night and day servants, the day servants would be here from 8AM to 9PM, while night servants were there from 10PM to 7AM. They were constantly ready to treat the people staying at the establishment. Staying here would cost you 1 pound a night, assuming you are by yourself, as you have to pay a pound per person.
While Leon and Eli were sat in the room, a torrential rain was covering the streets of Backlund. A heavy fog had obscured the streets, it was so thick in fact you wouldn't be able to see an meter infront of you. The two men inside the room couldn't sleep, not after what they saw. It was simply too stupid to sleep after that!
Leon took deep breaths and examined the room. The bed next to his which currently belonged to eli, the table at the corner next to window, a small drawer next to the bed with a Kerosene lamp on it. The room was normal, but now quiet.
Leon knew it wasn't any illusion. It couldn't have been. Not when one knows about the world of mysticism. After finally relaxing he turned to Eli Cooper who was sitting up on his bed. He had already pulled out a pendulum and closed his eyes, soon the pendulum began spinning anti clockwise.
Eli had done divination in an attempt to figure out whether they were in danger. Clockwise indicated yes and anti clockwise indicated no. But Eli couldn't trust his divination anymore, something he's grown so confident in.
Divination was not all powerful.
"Do not fall asleep, we might be in danger."
Eli spoke firmly this time, there wasn't a smile on his face nor was he as leisurely as before. Eli stood up and slowly approached the window with careful steps until he stood right infront of it. The window itself was almost the size of the average man. When Eli got closer he noted that there was nothing wrong with the window, only the torrential rain that drummed against it. The rain didn't seem to calm down, instead it was only getting more powerful.
Maybe a storm is going to brew up. I need to calm myself.
"Im going downstairs, want to come with me?" Leon suggested going downstairs to ease their worry, and maybe grab a drink. Eli who was still standing by the window nodded with a melancholic look on his face. The two left their room and climbed the stairs down to the first floor. Leon glanced at the reception desk and saw that no one was behind it.
Eli quickly approached one of the servants standing by the kitchen and asked for some coffee, when the servant left Eli approached Leon and lead him towards the lobby. The two of them sat sown by a plush red couch and soon got their Fermo coffee.
Leon blew on it and then took a careful sip, the coffee had a rich aroma but the taste...
Bitter!
Still, this was made with high quality coffee beans from paz valley. It was better not to waste it.
"Should we... leave?"
"No, there are no carriages outside at this time, and with that rain I doubt any soul will actually be thinking of even going outside."
Leon's suggestion was quickly shut down by Eli with a firm tone. This was no time to be going outside.
I can understand you though. Eli inwardly muttered, he could understand Leon's worry. He wasn't sure if they were safe in here.
Tick, Tick, Tick.
The grandfather clock in the lobby ticked away. Leon quickly took down his drink while Eli was taking it slow. Servants walked around now and then, either asking if the two men needing anything or cleaning up.
Eventually an hour had passed. The rain outside didn't let down, it was still the same as before. It rained frequently in backlund, but the fact this rain hadn't changed even a bit from 1 hours ago stressed out Eli, after seeing Warren Lee by their window he was worried this was caused by some beyonder powers or a ritual.
Twenty minutes later the two retreated to their shared room, at first they expected to find it in a mess but it was just like they left it. Leon let out a sigh of relief and sat on his bed. As the night progressed he slowly drifted off to sleep while Eli was still awake.
When his eyes fluttered open he found himself back in that same town he dreamt off!
This time though it was different, there was a faint fog outside, the green house he was in was now a mess, broken pots lying on the porcelain floor. The painting depicting a shaman was now gone aswell. There was nothing left for him here. He left the green house and stepped outside to see the gray sky, the sun was now gone. There flowers growing on the road, but upon closer inspection the petals were made from human flesh!
He took a step backwards and then one forwards. The buildings were still intact and it was basically the same as before. Only slight differences were there.
What happened to this place?
By now he knew this wasn't just a simple dream, but something that was related to him. He decided to keep exploring this town instead of staying in one place. The gray sky didn't have a single cloud in it. The world was being faintly illuminated by a white light in the horizon. Leon kept walking around until he reached what was supposedly the town square. There was a tall cathedral which was atleast ten meters tall. In the middle of the town square was a massive crater that hogged up all the space. As he Leon got closer he began hearing faint murmurs, people chanting.
...Lord...
His head felt like it was about to explode at any moment, Blood clots marred his skins and slowly his fair began falling out. A strange chaotic sea stood right infront of him, but it was too much. He couldn't understand anything further. Maggots began wriggling beneath his skin and burrowing outwards, his stomach was torn open and a fully grown man fell out of it.
Leon let out a loud shriek as his eyes popped out of their sockets. Madness and corruption began filling his mind, he was too feeble to withstand any of it. His own body had its own will and began trying to choke him.
Darkness was all he could see until everything dissapeared. Once he awoke he was back inside the hotel room, it was almost 6AM. Eli was sleeping soundly next to him. The rain outside kept pounding against the window.
Tick, Tick, Tick.