When came the afternoon on the sixth of March, the ladies met other nuns inside the White Church - with some bearing the same age as them.
Sister Rebecca, being the Abbess of the White Church in the village gave the first order: "Alright ladies, it's time we go back to our duties. Sister Sena, may I ask that you lead these two lovely ladies on their way to the infirmary? Also, please teach them basic first aid and I will see to it after sorting what the peddler gave to the Church."
"Yes, Abbess." The nun then bowed before turning her gaze to the two. "Right this way please."
While they traversed the monastery's hallways, Edea thought that it was more of a clinic than a place of worship. She saw that it was booming with people - running on and about with their task, being the priority of helping the needy. When they arrived at the infirmary, there lie a division: one for the injured and the other for the sick. Rosemary hid behind Edea when they caught a glimpse of cold bodies covered in white blanket along the section of the sick. Those affected by an unknown sickness were confined to their beds while showing symptoms similar to rabbies and thier withdrawal with water. And some evident changes were as observed: their eyes were bloodshot, veins popped out, and pale skin with noticeable rash along with blisters coloured in midnight purple. In addition, to those severe in cases had their mouths foaming uncontrollably, and their reasoning were slowly replaced by carnal instincts.
"Please don't mind the sick, we are administering medicine for them as you can see. You are to help the injured and I am to teach you the basics of first aid. The sister insisted.
"Please do, sister." Edea agreed.
They were then assigned patients and learned first aid on different cases with which they enjoyed interacting with the nuns and patients; but one stood out from the rest for Edea. He was the headmaster of an orphanage who lost his sight, including his right hand and feet when he was flattened by the old building they used as it eventually fell during the storm. She inquired for details and found out his story. Out of pity, she requested the help of Rosemary to call forth the orphaned children that survived.
With the busy ambience of the infirmary, clamour filled the room with lively interactions. Edea sat beside the said man and talked to him in private. "I see that you're silent even on a lovely day such as this. I heard you saved alot of children from a collapsing building; which some are named after Edea."
"... If I were a little stronger, I could've saved more of them... Forgive me Biel, Bailey, Blair, Bela, Brianna, Brie, and Bea... If only your Headmaster was stronger, I could've saved you all..." The man blamed himself for their deaths while Edea found it a miracle that he saved many more.
"May I ask if you believe in the All Father?" Edea suddenly asked.
"I do, and I pray that He welcomed them all home. In his Name, I ask for forgiveness as this humble servant failed them." Visibility, his expression warped in despair.
"As willed by the All Father, you are forgiven. So please, open your eyes and see for yourself the result of your devotion." Edea then lifted his head and wiped his hollowed eyes - not knowing that her necklace and birthmark glowed faintly in doing so.
"There are people who wants to see you - children who seek your presence as the father to the Edeas of Kraman Village."
His vision, now veiled in darkness, saw figures of the seven - appearing out of nowhere with bright light at their behind and muttered words familiar to him. Their silhouette blinded him for a brief moment and after the light faded, tears began to drench the cloth that covered his eyes as they were the ones he yearned in his despair. Out of his recklessness, he removed the cloth that covered his eyes abruptly. Blinding light came to greet him but to his surprise, he saw silhouettes turn into detail and there stood the
children he saved. After his eyes brightened, they swarmed him like flies; and there he finally saw hope, love, and forgiveness - the very elements that gave him his vision back.
The Abbess saw the incident and was silenced even before arriving at the scene. On all fours, she grovelled without muttering a word; then everyone did so followed. Edea, surprised by their sudden obeisance tried to lift their heads, but was met with awe instead; as if blessed by the presence of the Anointed - a Saintess, carrying the light of guidance. However, sister Rebecca was filled with dilemma as the appearance of a Saintess ment that darkness lurks around the corners as per written in their Bible - a broken record, forced to repeat itself.
Meanwhile, Layne and Anthony dug inside the cave at their leisure. Anthony found a pocket watch - covered in silver, which he hid from Layne while muttering to himself. "Hehehe.. Finder's keepers." A grin ear to ear, along with cautious eyes wrinkled on the face of an innocent child.
"...Sure, sure, it's all yours until I retrieve it in your grave." Layne jokingly muttered behind his back.
"Tch! You'll die first as you're older than I!"
"I'm just saying it's yours, kid. Knock yourself off with a broken pocket watch." Layne added.
"Just wait and see. You'll see this watch working as it was before! Only when I get enough coin to repair it." Obsessed, Anthony declared it his property.
With a rough tone, Blue let out a curious "Ruff!", alerting both Layne and Anthony before digging profusely. "What is it boy? Is it coins?" Anthony greedily asked, ready to claim whatever treasure it might be.
By a meter deep, Blue pulled out an antiquated stick with a black metal handle and rings attached to it. Like a dog finding its plaything, Blue wrestled it out of excitement. It let out a Clinking sound which resonated with Layne.
"Blue! Give it!" Anthony took the cane and in obedience, Blue sat down - waiting for his master's command. "Is this yours, Layne?" In his disappointment, he then asked Layne.
With the cane presented to him, Layne froze as he stared at the unfamiliar, and yet familiar object in front of him. When he held the cane in his hand, the world suddenly became silent with his surroundings filtered into black and white as if time had stopped, but only to him. Muffled by the overwhelming aura emanated by the mysterious cane, Layne was unaware of Anthony's struggle. His vision tunneled as if taking on a bird's perspective - airborne and flew faster than an eagle. It came from a dark place before soaring swiftly into the blinding sky. After reaching its apex, it descended aimlessly.
"LAY-... SN-..... IT!" Anthony shouted in the background.
"GRR!!... RUF!!.. AR.!!" Blue Snarled at something.
Layne stood motionless in his immersion from a vision that overwhelmed him. A moment passed and it stopped on a random mountain before turning sideways - as if finding for prey. Like lightning, it traversed the vast wilderness until it stopped at a flowing river under a plateau and there in Layne's eyes, reflected another and it was an eye that of no human.
"Foun~d.. YOU!" Layne instantly broke from his trance due to its sinister aura and was then alarmed by Anthony's raspy voice, repeatedly calling out to him.
"LA.....NE! ..B-BEHIND YOU!!"
With his senses slowly coming back to him, Layne turned his head as instructed by Anthony. But by then, a snarl came right behind his ears and followed a big "Crunch!". The sound echoed inside the cave, with Blue biting unto something sturdy - a bone that snapped for when its canines met and with flesh that gave off a succulent sound. It was then that Layne felt an unbearable pain on his left shoulder as muscles were scraped and bled like a tree sap inside a mouth that of an animal - seemingly thirsty for blood. To his surprise it was not Blue that bit him, but rather a stranger wearing a gentleman's suit coloured in marine blue with a matching fock coat - bearing the emblem of the Academy. The stranger bore the same symptoms as the ones described inside the White Church, but one peculiarity made it standout - it was without a doubt, a living corpse.
If not for Blue biting its foot, Layne would've died with his neck snapped by this monster's unhinged strength. Layne writhed in pain just before he was able to shove its face away from his shoulder, but the bite greatly weakened him.
While it was dazed, it suddenly spoke with an eerie gurgle coming from its throat. "It~s ...your ...fault!"
The two were petrified with such a monster appearing from the rubble and Layne observed that it was human not long after. At its back, he saw a hypodermic syringe - wedged between the shoulder blades. The said region bore mutations such as sharp bones - growing on the skin and pus filled spots that throbs in irregular successions. They stayed on guard with a shovel and a cane as weapons. It lurched in a swaying motion with the instinct to bite whatever came in front; but when it took notice of Anthony, it somehow changed its approach. With one foot bent, the other upfront, and on a crouching position, it boasted an explosive leap - reaching a few meters in an instant. Its jaws were wide open - aimed at the vulnerable child beside Layne. However, Layne staved off its lunge by shoving the cane inside its mouth. They in turn, plummeted to the ground with Layne layed flat, while the monster mounted on top.
He held dearly with his remaining strength to the cane that separates him from its bloodied and decaying teeth. In his plight, Layne commanded the child who's visibly shaken. "A-ANTHONY, NOW! BASH ITS HEAD WITH THAT SHOVEL!"
With fear, the boy was left still petrified but the dog's sudden aggression - biting the neck of the monster, gave Anthony a little courage. With adrenaline and survival instinct running your entire system, Anthony performed splendidly with a shovel in hand. Successive strikes were blown to its head, while accidentally grazing Blue's crown also. The dog then whimpered in pain before releasing its neck momentarily. By then, the monster shifted its focus on the child once more before softening its jaws from the cane that held it. With the opening Anthony made, Layne was given a chance to strike back. With all his strength, he pierced its eyes with the cane's tip - gauging its decaying eyes and damaging half of its brain in the process. It writhed in pain and swung its claws violently - injuring Layne's left forearm in the process.
Damaged with blood oozing from its pierced eye, it then receded before bashing its back to the wall where it finally lost its balance. It slouched on the floor with its head faced down - bleeding tainted blood with the guidance of a cane lodged in its gauged eye; visibly impairing its motor and command system.
With its dreary voice, again it muttered. "I-it's.. your.. faul~t... Mor~gan.."
Without a moment to spare, Layne swiftly struct the cane in succession before releasing a final blow that smashed its head entirely. Blood were splattered on their clothes and the boy was stained for life.
After it died once more, Layne fell on his back and was gradually loosing consciousness. On the corner of his eyes, a shadow - wearing the same outfit as the monster, stood still and watched him eye to eye as he collapsed.
The wound was fatal, enough for Anthony to be on his wits end. The boy put pressure on the wound knowing it's irrelevant but he did it anyway. In his agony and fear, he screamed relentlessly until his throat hoarsed - pleading for help. However, they were far enough in the plateau for wild animals to appear instead. After Layne lost his consciousness, the veins surrounding the wound started to swell and blisters began to form along with the rash that spread rapidly across his body. He then began to convulse erratically with his mouth foaming as if in withdrawal.
At the same time, shallow memories began to play in his head. There he saw himself creating a mixture of some sorts and tested it on a mice while observing its excruciatingly long progress. When the mice showed reactions to the vial, it succeeded in regenerating its lost limb but it died soon right after. Perplexed, he consulted a fellow and he suggested using another substance - a tainted blood of unknown origin. In his curiosity, he mixed it with his formula before doing the experiment all over again. After some time, the result was similar but this time, the mice lived. However, the fellow on his back secretly switched the mice with another. Convinced that he made a revolutionary step for humanity, he hastily presented his discovery to the Academy. Many were doubtful but few gained interest in this matter, about regeneration and immortality.
At a later time, he was then invited as an esteemed guest and there he unveiled his miracle potion to nobles and of course, to the Pope himself as well. He injected the mixture to slaves with missing limbs and after discussing for long, he scheduled for another demonstration and it was dated on the third of March of the year one thousand eight hundred forty-two; the same night where it all began.
On the night of the great reveal, nobility and the Pope stayed at the observation deck to witness the promised miracle. As he presented the same slaves they injected, the medicine worked in his favor by regenerating their lost limbs. It solidified his standing and the evolution his discovery opened for humanity. As he celebrated and the audience overcame with awe, a sudden storm errupted out of nowhere with earthquakes strong enough to fell an elephant to its knees. Lights flickered momentarily and stabelized right after but this time, madness broke out when all test subjects began to mutate while their behavior became rabid. Indiscriminately, they attacked anyone on their path but the nobles including the Pope vacated in haste. Left in terror, He ran as fast as he could to avoid the abominations he created. Chaos errupted on a secluded laboratory and the few that lived, used the sewers to escape the mayhem. As soon as they saw the moonlight shining across the pipes, they were struck down one by one. And it was no other than the same fellow that gave him the blood sample.
"H-hehe... ha-HA~.. HAHAHA~A!" The fellow laughed hysterically with visible lapses in Layne's perspective.
"Y-you! ...MORG...! Wha.... to....formula?!" He asked the fellow but was yet again inaudible to Layne.
"I gav~..... mater.... missin... piece." The fellow answered before smiling in pleasure.
"I-IT WAS Y~....!!! MORGAN!! ...ALL....UR.... FAULT!" He screamed in despair.
"No.. it... as... YOU." The fellow then struck him with the same vial at his back before twisting his neck which made a loud Snap! - ending his life.
His body then flowed with the river when water rose due to heavy rain. The current then carried him along with a tree trunk that inevitably jammed itself to a cave below a plateu with his body sandwiched in between.
In the meantime, Anthony withdrew and held the shovel in his arms tightly - again he stayed on guard, waiting for a sudden reaction coming from Layne or the monster that is yet to arise.
Parallel to their circumstance, Edea fell on her feet due to an acute pain in her heart, and a scorching sensation behind her neck. It came surging at the same time when Layne started to convulse and his mouth foamed. It baffled the audience of the two - Anthony and everyone present at the White Church left them to worry.
As Anthony accepted the worst, Layne's body continued to consulve without stop. But this time his veins soften, skin started to regain colour, and the rash halted on its spread. His body began to heal but was left with the mark of the bite - staining his shoulder with its aftermath. Another however, changed and it was a portion of his hair that turned white in the process.
Moments after, Layne woke up in tatters and was greeted by a severe headache that forced him to regurgitate. He then rested his back on the wall before coincidentally locking eyes with Anthony (De javu) and was relieved that the child was fine.
With tears shooting like bullets, a snotty nose, and a shovel in hand, Anthony screamed and swung the shovel with his eyes closed towards Layne. "D-DIE! DEMON DIE!"
"W-wait Antho-" *SMACK!
"IT'S ME!" *SMACK!
"FOR GOD'S SAKE!" *SMACK!
"IT'S ME! YOU NUMBSKULL!" Layne shouted with all his might and finally catched his attention.
"I-is it really you, Layne?" With teary eyes, Anthony asked for confirmation.
"..Ouch! Yes, I'm alive. No thanks to you." Layne answered with visible lumps on his head.
The boy then cried on his chest while embracing him dearly. Layne responded by patting his back as comfort, but intrusive thoughts won him over as he wittingly snarled behind his ears and then gnawed on the boy's crown - immitating the very monster they killed.
"AHHH! DON'T KID WITH ME, PLEASE!?" Anthony then jabbed at his shoulder before continuing to cry in displeasure.
"Yeah, yeah. I promise." Satisfied, Layne answered with a grin on his face.
The two grew a little closer by the incident that occurred - with Anthony finally trusting Layne and Layne developing love for the boy as an older brother.
On the other hand, The Church was in an uproar with the appearance of the Saintess and her sudden collapse. The Abbess spoke with the village chief and his wife to confirm a few suspicions: firstly, the lady is from Denovan - a neighbouring kingdom with religious jurisdiction while carrying a separate power other than their king. Second, she is of noble birth with features belonging to the De Garde Dukedom - with whom in history, the previous Saintess belonged. And lastly, she is a fugitive with a hefty bounty on her head along with the man she escaped with.
"R-Robert, what shall we do with the child?" Elder Margaret asked in worry.
"... I don't know, but one thing comes to mind and that is to hide her identity for her own good."
Sister Rebecca then sighed profusely. "I agree with Robert and it is for the best. I pray that she lives her life with freedom, but it's inevitable that she is the Saintess of this era. With her true name being Charlotte De Garde explains it so; but what worries me the most is what will come after."
"What could be worse than her being subjected as a tool of the Church that you're so afraid off, sister?" Elder Margaret curiously asked the nun.
"It's that light comes with darkness - the brighter the light, the bigger the darkness is cast." The nun spoke in riddles but the two elders understood without muttering another word. Something evil is coming.
But before meeting the two elders, the Abbess silenced everyone present at the time and adviced them to keep it for themselves as she assured them to trust in her words. Everyone agreed and followed the sister's will; but another was present at the scene. Outside the window of the monastey, Ethan Hill while in hiding - witnessed it all.