Nicolas closed his eyes and tried to calm his rampaging thoughts.
Ever since the events in the guest house and the subsequent journey back to the library. He could not maintain consciousness for more than an hour or two at a time, and he felt weaker and weaker each time he woke up.
He could no longer tell what was happening in dream and what was happening in reality. Marianne had been killed, but not by his hand nor any of his followers, as far as he knew. She had apparently committed suicide just like Rosetta. They had even seen her corpse, smashed against the ground near the library. Then there was his encounter with Dean. During that time he had feigned being in control, that this was part of some grand plan just like Maria had suggested. The truth was that the situation had developed beyond his control. Had his prophetic speech really been true? Was he really the one responsible for killing these people, or was something else at play beyond his control?
In one of his dreams, Maria had gone insane and stormed the guest house, killing everyone inside before turning the gun on herself. Waking up believing that was true, he had rushed to her side and almost began bawling his eyes out after confirming she was alright.
In other dreams, Addi and Rosetta came to save him from Dean who had gone mad. No, it was Matin who had gone mad. He strangled Maria to death after his mother died. Maria was dead, and with her, the last ray of light in his life.
He could no longer trust his own mind.
"Nick! Hey Nick!"
Nicolas opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was a pair of green eyes staring directly at him.
"Looks like you dosed off again. You really have gotten lazy all of a sudden."
It was Maria. How was she still alive? Matin had broken her neck, he...
Nicolas leapt from his chair and embraced her. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he sobbed.
"Guess you had another bad dream? Man, you feel cold as ice," Maria said as she gently stroked his hair.
Nicolas didn't reply. He couldn't. His throat was dry, and he knew it would hurt to talk. He merely continued to bask in the comfort she offered.
Maria managed to separate herself from him. She looked at him with sad eyes before handing him a cup.
"Don't worry, it's water this time."
He gratefully took the water and downed its contents in one go. He hadn't realised how thirsty he had been. Maria patted his back when he began choking on the liquid.
"You're spending too much time asleep." Maria explained. "No wonder you're thirsty, poor thing."
Nicolas took a moment to catch his breath and calm down. After a while, he looked up at Maria.
"I was dreaming again. Can you remind me what's happened?" He asked.
This had become a common question over the last day or so. He relied on Maria to tell him what was happening in reality. It was the only way he could keep himself from losing his grip on reality.
"Well in short, Marianne is dead. She was pushed off the roof. Which means we only have Methaeus to go after. After him, we'll have killed everyone in charge of the monastery, and it'll finally be ours. Only thing is Methaeus has been difficult to get to. Also, our idiot lackeys have grown restless and have attacked the guest house and orphanage a couple of times."
Nicolas' breath caught in his throat, and he cast a sharp look towards Maria.
"They attacked the orphanage?" He asked, his voice cold.
Maria bit her lip and looked to the side to avoid his stare.
"Well, uh, yeah. They were growing antsy being cooped up here, so I had to let them out for a while. They've grown a little bit fanatical over the last few days and feel like anyone who isn't with them is against them."
"There are only children and Layota at the orphanage, for the Goddess' sake Maria!" Nicolas shouted.
He winced as a sharp stabbing pain erupted in his throat.
"I know, I know. Don't worry, I punished those involved and, uh, sorry, but I might have killed a girl in the process. Hit her too hard on the side of the head," Maria said with a weak smile, as if she were apologising for spilling some water.
Nicolas sat down in a nearby wooden chair and covered his face with his hands. They were currently in a private study room, and the noise of the ever-partying youths could be heard outside.
They had been quiet for a while after the first gunfight at the guest house. Two or three had been killed, but after a couple of Maria's drinks, they were all back to their loud, violent selves.
"Hey Nick?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think Addi's happy with what we're doing?" Maria asked, her voice was low thoughtful.
"She is. She told me herself..."
No, Addi was dead. That had probably been a dream.
"I'm sure that's what she would say if she could." He finished.
"Yeah, that must be it." Maria agreed. "Fucking hell. Why am I having second thoughts now? This is all your fault, you know."
"What's it got to do with me?" Nicolas asked.
She sat down beside him.
"If you weren't around, I would've just had my killing spree and had everything over and done with by now. One way or another."
"You probably wouldn't have been able to get at Methaeus like that."
"Nah, but I'd be dead, so it wouldn't worry me much."
Nicolas remembered the very dream where that had happened and shuddered. He didn't want to think of her dying. His chest grew tight, which caused him to cough repeatedly, unable to stop. Maria patted him on his back and looked on with concern.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally caught his breath again.
"Sorry about that. I'm good now." He whispered.
Maria just looked at him for a moment. She then stood up and made her way towards the door.
"I'll end Methaeus before this gets any worse for you, I promise." She told him before leaving him by himself.
With nothing else to fill his time. He sat back in the chair and closed his eyes, doing whatever he could to keep the visions from assaulting his mind.
*
The news came about an hour later.
"Methaeus is in the cathedral. He says he wants to talk to you two," Ruth said.
"Oh, lucky us!" Maria proclaimed loudly. "Finally, he's crawled out of his bunker. It's just like you foretold, my savior! Let's get going!"
"Wait, Maria, it's probably a trap, right?" Nicolas said, grabbing her by the wrist.
She shook her arm a little and grabbed hold of his hand.
"Who cares if it is or not? We don't have much time, right? We've gotta do this. For Addi and Rosetta, yeah?"
Nicolas bit his lip. She was right. There was no meaning in just waiting around the library. If Methaeus was going to hand himself over like that, who were they to refuse?
"Ok, let's go." He said.
With Maria lending him her shoulder, they made their way over to the cathedral to end a man's life. Behind them, the cult members followed, all armed with Oscar's weapons.
When they entered the cathedral, the found Methaeus at the altar, praying. The door had been opened loudly, so there was no way he didn't notice them entering.
"Hey old man. Forget your hearing aid or something?" Maria yelled, lowering her rifle and pointing it at the back of his head.
"No, I can hear you just fine, Maria," Methaeus said calmly as he slowly got to his feet. "Forgive me, I was occupied with my prayers. Surely you can allow an old man this one boon before his journey to the next life?"
Methaeus looked old with his bald head and liver spots, but his voice rang clear and hale.
"Oh, cram it up your arse." Maria responded. "So what are you up to? Find it hard to believe you'd just walk straight up to us. Got some buddies hiding in the shadows to take us out?"
Methaeus shook his head.
"To do so in the Goddesses holy house would be sacrilege. I hope you'll offer me the same respect and do your deed outside?"
Methaeus' voice didn't tremble, and his face was as impassive as ever. He might as well have been having a discussion over dinner with old friends.
"Well, then if that's not it, what is it? Why did you come out here alone?" Nicolas asked, unable to hide the frustration in his voice. It couldn't be this easy. Not after all they went through at the guest house.
Oscar may have been the highest authority when it came to politics, and Marianne was incredibly wealthy in her own right, but the responsibility for the everyday workings of the monastery was nestled squarely upon this man's shoulders. There's no way he didn't know about the horrible things that happened here.
"You're after my life, correct? With Oscar and Marianne now gone, it falls to reason that I would be next, no?"
Maria barked out a laugh.
"So what? You gave up on resisting and decided to have it all ended quickly?"
"No. The situation at the guest house has changed. In light of your recent actions, Layota has decided to move the orphans over there instead of the orphanage. I didn't want to involve them in this any further, and so I have come."
"Is this because of the attack on the orphanage?" Nicolas asked, casting a sidelong glance at Maria.
"Yeah, about that..." Maria said. "Turns out some of our helpers got pissed after their friends died and attacked the orphanage for some reason. I gave them a good thumping, so don't go thinking that they did that on our orders, old man."
Nicolas winched. They really had gone off the deep end. Attacking an orphanage was something even Maria couldn't condone.
Are we truly any different from those lunatics?
Nicolas ignored the comment coming from his other self. This delusion didn't fade even while he was awake. It clung to him like his shadow, always whispering evil things into his ear.
"Tell me, how did Addi die?" He asked the old man quietly.
Methaeus closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly.
"The Priestess' death was a tragedy. I dearly wish I could know who did it so I could bring justice upon them myself."
"Bullshit." Maria spat. "You were in charge of the festival activities, including the construction of the effigy. There's no way you wouldn't know."
Methaeus turned to Maria.
"Maria, we're in the house of the Goddess. I'd ask you to behave respectfully."
Maria spat on the ground, but Methaeus ignored her and continued on.
"Lying in the Goddess' house in an unforgivable sin. I can only speak truths to you here." He said.
"So what you're saying is that Addi just climbed in there by herself?" Maria asked incredulously.
She was growing infuriated, and Nicolas believed she wasn't too far off from pulling the trigger.
Methaeus bowed his head but said no more on the subject.
Sensing Maria was about to pull the trigger, Nicolas spoke up.
"What about everyone who was old enough to leave the orphanage? Why did you force them to stay here?"
Many who had grown up in the orphanage were supposed to spend the young days of their adulthood working for no pay at the monastery. What was essentially slavery was explained away by saying it was to repay the monastery for raising them. This had built up a lot of resentment toward Oscar and Methaeus. He and Maria had taken advantage of their hatred to take them down.
Methaeus nodded.
"While Oscar was the head patron of the orphanage, I did indeed have a part in its day-to-day operations and the management of those who had graduated from it."
His expression didn't change as he continued speaking.
"It has been tradition for those raised in the orphanage to remain at the monastery in order to pay back the cost of raising them."
"That's exploitation!" Maria shouted.
"And murder as revenge is forgivable? I don't believe you have the right to criticize, Maria."
Maria gripped her gun tightly and almost growled at the old priest.
"I will be honest with you two. Without the former orphans, the population of this once vital monastery would collapse, and everything we've built would fall to ruin. We needed a young population to prevent that."
"Well, looks like you failed in that regard." Maria said. "We've taken over, and after you're dead, we'll be free to leave whenever we like."
Methaeus didn't respond. Calmly, he walked towards one of the pews. He looked down towards a seat that was slightly hidden from Nicolas' view. He followed out of curiosity and found Methaues looking at an unconscious black haired young woman.
For a reason unknown even to himself, he felt a sudden surge of anger towards the young woman. Did he know her? Perhaps she had bullied him in the past? It was difficult to recall all those who had tormented him. Yes, that was probably it.
Nicolas didn't understand. He was sure he had never met this person, and yet her presence caused him discomfort. He didn't want her here.
"I'm ready."
Methaeus spoke, but Nicolas could barely hear him.
This girl. She should not be here. Why did she have to exist and ruin everything?
"Who is she? Why have you brought her here?" Maria asked, her voice trembling.
Methaeus turned back towards Maria.
"This girl needs to be punished."
That was all he said. After that, he went silent and would not speak another word no matter how much they prodded.
"Fine, then die." Maria growled, aiming her rifle right at the old man's face.
"Maria wai-" Nicolas said, holding up his hand but too late.
A loud bang echoed, and the inner parts of Methaeus' head painted a nearby column.
There was blood, so much blood.
Hey! That is hardly fair. We wanted to make him suffer more.
Nicolas could only agree with the intrusive thoughts. The violent death had triggered something in him, and he felt his vision waver. He gripped his knife hard and approached the dead abbot. He wasn't finished with him yet.
Yeah, that's it. He doesn't deserve to rest in peace.
"Woah, Nick, what are you doing?"
He ignored Maria's question. His mind was a blur, and time passed faster as he did his work. He no longer knew if he was in full control of himself. All he felt was the satisfaction of using his knife. Raise it up, bring it down, raise it up, bring it down. Over and over again, all to feel a hint of satisfaction..
After some time at work, he paused and looked down at himself. His hands felt wet, and his clothes were soaked. And then, an awful smell reached his nostrils.
He fell to his knees and dry heaved unconquerably for some time before he managed to get a breath in. Despite his fears, he looked up.
Methaeus, or what was left of him, was nailed to the tree at the back of the cathedral. His stomach and chest cavity had been torn open, revealing the inside, and his arms and legs were slashed to ribbons.
"Wh-wh-wh what have I done?" Nicolas wailed.
Behind him, his other self laughed uncontrollably, his urge for revenge completely satisfied.
Nicolas felt himself shiver. Once he managed the catch another breath, he scuttled away from the corpse. It was then that he noticed somebody standing nearby.
The black haired young woman. She was staring at Methaeus but turned to look at Nicolas when he moved. There were tears in her eyes.
"Are you ok, Nick?" She asked. Despite the tears, her voice was calm and controlled. She sounded so innocent, so pure.
Nick? Why was she talking to him so familiarly? They didn't even know each other.
"Shut the hell up!" he shouted.
The young woman flinched but said no more, returning her sad gaze to the dead abbot.
Nicolas decided to do the exact opposite and look away from the altar. He spotted Maria standing near the entrance. He hurried over to her.
"Maria, what happened?"
She looked at him with a hollow smile and empty eyes
"Hey, he really had a number done to him, didn't he? Almost feel sorry for the old man."
"What..."
Maria's voice sounded forcibly cheerful, but he could hear a well-hidden tremble.
"Why didn't you stop me?" He asked after swallowing.
"And rob you of your chance of revenge? We did it Nick, we're finally free. You had a right to celebrate," Maria said simply.
"But how..."
"Man, but it's getting smelly in here. Why don't we head back to the library?" Maria said, interrupting his questions.
She walked over to the black haired girl.
"You'll be coming with us." She said. "I feel like I need a punching bag, something to de-stress with, ya know?"
The black haired girl hesitated, looking between Maria and Methaeus.
"But Dean should be waking up soon. I need to go back to him."
Maria grabbed the girl and forced her arms behind her back. The girl gasped slightly but didn't resist.
"Sorry, hun, he'll have to wait a little longer."
"I see..." The girl responded quietly. "Maria, are you ok? Your eyes... are you in pain?"
"Shut up and don't talk to me," Maria hissed back.
Nicolas walked over to them, careful not to look at Methaeus. He felt that if he did so, his mind would spiral further away from his control.
"Why are we bringing her?" Nicolas asked.
He didn't want to be in the same room as her. He couldn't explain why, but that was the simple truth. Something about the young woman filled his heart with hatred.
"I know she's an eyesore, but seeing what you did to that old man's got me curious, so I want to have a little go at it myself. She'll be perfect for that." Maria said. "Besides, we've finished what we set out to do, right? I deserve a reward, don't I?"
She was right. They had done it. Everyone who'd been in charge of the monastery was now dead. Maria had gotten her revenge, and Nicolas would now be considered the true owner of the monastery.
Feels pretty empty though, I bet?
His inner self mocked him as they turned to leave. As for the girl, Nicolas didn't care what Maria did to her as long as he didn't have to interact with her himself.
As they approached the entrance to the cathedral, they discovered yet another surprise. A young girl, one of the orphans by the looks of her, was hiding behind one of the marble columns. She looked at Nicolas and Maria with hatred and disgust.
"Heretics, traitors!" She yelled, though her voice was trembling with fear.
"Hey Nick, do you know this noisy brat?"
Nicolas shook his head.
"I think I might have seen her in the orphanage before, but I'm not sure."
"Huh." Maria responded.
Ignoring the trembling girl, they both left the cathedral. As they did, Nicolas noticed that they were being followed.
"Hey, put her down, you crazy witch!" The girl called.
"You should go back to the guest house." Nicolas told her.
The girl shook her head, refusing to elaborate further. However, she kept looking up at the black haired girl with concern.
"Should we just put her out of her misery?" Maria asked nonchalantly.
"No, don't." He replied quickly.
He hoped Maria was simply making an empty threat. The very thought of killing a child was enough to make him feel feint.
He sighed and turned towards the child once more.
"Look, girl. It's dangerous where we're going. Just go back to the guest house."
"No. And my name is Joan. Don't call me girl! I'm the future priestess. Wherever Cait goes, I go. And besides, I need to keep an eye on you two. Your souls need a lot of cleansing."
Nicolas grimaced. Maybe she would fit in just fine at the insane asylum that used to be a library.
Cursing under his breath, he followed Maria back towards the library. The kid following closely behind. He neither had the energy nor desire to stop her. They had done what they had set out to do and, as such, nothing else really mattered.