Meanwhile, the heavy rain poured down, soaking Sarah's body—mixing with the blood of her mother that covered her. Drop after drop splashed against her face, making her slowly open her eyes. Cough…! Cough…! She let out a weak cough; her chest still throbbed in pain, the bullet wound not yet fully healed.
But once her senses returned, she realized what had happened. She was lying in the arms of her mother's corpse.
"Mom! Mom!... Please… wake up," Sarah cried, shaking her mother gently. But her mother's body lay limp, drained of blood. Sarah even tried pressing her hands against the wound on her mother's chest as if she could stop the bleeding.
"Mom, wake up… please, Mom!" Sarah begged through tears, her voice trembling in the middle of the pouring rain. But it was useless… her mother's eyes would never open again.
Sarah kept trying with all her strength to stop the blood pouring from her mother's chest, even as their home continued to burn violently behind her. In the middle of her helplessness, Sarah also felt a deep, burning hatred toward the people who had done this to her family. She remembered one thing clearly—that man had claimed to be the new pirate king of Bilgewater. And Sarah silently swore in her heart that she would avenge what had happened here.
But amidst her grief, pain, and helplessness… she heard voices.
"What exactly happened here?" Jill asked as she floated gently through the air alongside Raviel and Excella.
"I heard someone earlier… Jill, are you sure you want to check what's going on here?" Excella asked, sounding unsure.
Meanwhile, Raviel said nothing. She seemed to sense something about what had just happened, and instead drifted toward the back area of the burning house.
"Raviel, wait!" Jill called, realizing Raviel must have found something.
And she was right.
There, behind the burning home, they saw a teenage girl with blood-red hair—around the same age as Excella—holding the lifeless body of a woman in her arms.
"Oh my God… what happened here…" Jill whispered, feeling a sharp pang of sympathy for the girl.
Sarah, startled by the sight of three girls floating in the air, quickly grabbed a rock to defend herself. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" she shouted, her voice tense and full of caution toward the strangers.
"Hey, calm down. We're not here to hurt you—we came to help," Jill said gently, trying to soothe the terrified girl.
But of course, Sarah wouldn't trust them that easily.
"You say you're here to help… don't lie to me!" Sarah snapped, shielding her mother's body with her own.
Hearing that, Jill slowly landed on the ground and raised both of her hands. "Look—we're not even carrying weapons," she said as she took a careful step forward. "We're here to help. Is… is she your mother?" Jill asked softly, her eyes filled with sympathy as she saw the girl's condition.
Excella and Raviel also landed, moving closer to Jill.
"I'm a healer. Maybe I can help," Excella said, finally speaking up. She chose that word on purpose—if she said "doctor," the girl might not understand. After all, they were in another world, so she tried a term that might be easier.
Sarah's eyes widened a little upon hearing that one of the girls claimed to be a healer. A faint spark of hope flickered inside her.
"You… you're really a healer? Can you save my mother? Please… I'll do anything to pay you if you can save her!" Sarah begged Excella desperately, tears streaming down her face.
"Okay, let me check your mother's condition first," Excella said as she slowly stepped closer to the girl. Jill and Raviel followed behind her, trying to calm Sarah down.
"Are you alright?" Jill asked, noticing the wound on Sarah's chest.
"I'm fine. How's my mom?" Sarah replied quickly, her eyes fixed on Excella, who was now examining Abigail's body.
But Excella only shook her head. "I'm sorry… but there's nothing I can do. She's already lost too much blood."
"NO! You're lying, right?! Please—do something!" Sarah cried, trying to lunge toward Excella as desperation overtook her. But Jill held her back.
"Calm down," Jill whispered, keeping her steady.
Then Jill turned her gaze toward Raviel. "Raviel… you must have a way, right? You can bring her back?" Jill asked, hoping Raviel could do something. She remembered that Raviel was a goddess—reviving someone should be easy for her.
But Raviel only tilted her head at Jill. Ugh, why am I the one being dragged into this? she thought.
"Well, I can do it," Raviel said. "But why should I?"
It was clear her mind was elsewhere—helping strangers wasn't something she would just do casually, and Sarah wasn't one of her sisters.
"Raviel… are you serious right now?" Jill said in disbelief, shocked that her sister would say something like that in a situation like this.
"Yep. Why would I help a stranger for free?" Raviel said, her voice calm—too calm. "Besides, she's not like you. She isn't one of my sisters."
There was no hesitation. No pity. Nothing. Raviel spoke as if a child begging for her mother's life was nothing more than a passing breeze.
Excella stiffened. She understood instantly what Raviel was doing… and why. The moment Raviel called the others her "sisters," Excella knew she was deliberately setting the stage. Testing the girl. Setting terms. Or perhaps… claiming something for herself.
"Please… I'll do anything," Sarah whispered—her voice trembling, soaked from rain and tears. "Just save my mother."
"Oh?" Raviel leaned in slightly, her crimson eyes narrowing with wicked curiosity. "Anything? Even if you must sell your body and soul to me?"
"Raviel! Enough!" Jill snapped, horror flashing across her face. "She's just a child!"
But Raviel did not even spare Jill a glance. Her attention was fixed solely on Sarah—cold, sharp, and merciless.
"So, little one… do you accept?"
Sarah's fists tightened. Her shoulders shook. But there was no hesitation. Only desperation—the kind that stripped away fear and pride.
"Yes," she breathed. "I'll do anything. If you save my mother… I'll give you everything."
A slow smile curved on Raviel's lips—dark, knowing, victorious.
"Fufufufu… Very well. Then speak your name, little girl. And swear your allegiance to me."
Jill stepped forward to stop her—but Excella caught her arm, shaking her head.
"This is her choice," Excella murmured.
Sarah swallowed hard, lifting her head despite the trembling in her legs.
"My name is Sarah Fortune," she declared, voice cracking but resolute. "And I swear… I will become your follower if you save my mother's life."
Raviel raised her hand.
"Good."
Snap.
The air trembled—ripples of divine power spreading like a silent thunderstorm. A glowing script formed out of nothing, swirling around Sarah like chains of light and shadow. The contract wrapped itself around her soul, sealing her vow.
Then—
A soft radiance enveloped Abigail's body.
The rain around her seemed to pause for a heartbeat—then parted around the rising glow. Wounds closed, blood vanished, and breath returned as if life itself had been rewound.
"M-Mom!" Sarah choked out, falling to her knees as her mother's chest rose again. She threw her arms around Abigail, sobbing into her revived warmth.
Her mother lived.
And Sarah… had just sold her soul to a goddess who smiled in the rain like she had won a game no one else knew they were playing.
"Let's get some rest. The weather's getting worse," Raviel said as she snapped her fingers once more. A modest little house materialized on the small island, rising from nothing as if reality were bending to her whim.
"You should bring your mother inside and let her rest," she added, already stepping through the door without waiting.
Sarah nodded, tightening her grip around her mother's limp body. She tried to lift her on her own, but her arms trembled from exhaustion.
"Here—let me help," Jill said, rushing in to support Abigail's weight. It wasn't much, but it was all Jill could do for the girl right now. Even so, she kept glancing at Raviel's back—disappointment flickering in her eyes. But there was nothing she could say or do to change what had already happened.
The moment they entered the house, Sarah's breath hitched.
The interior was far larger than the tiny cottage suggested from the outside—warm, spacious, and impossibly vast.
For someone who had never witnessed magic before, it was like stepping into a dream.
"Is… this what magic looks like?" Sarah whispered under her breath.
"Yep. You could call it that," Raviel replied casually. "Feel free to pick any room you want. Make yourself at home."
"Thank you…" Sarah murmured quietly before choosing a room. With Jill's help, she brought her mother inside to rest properly.
Excella slipped away as well, selecting a room of her own—she was exhausted and eager to wash off the day in a hot bath.
A short while later, Jill returned to the main room.
Raviel sat comfortably, legs crossed, a book resting in her hands while the sound of heavy rain hammered against the world outside. The dim, warm light inside the conjured house illuminated her silver hair like a quiet halo.
Jill approached her slowly.
Raviel didn't even bother to look up.
"Still mad at me, Jill?"
Jill exhaled and sank onto the seat beside her.
"Why did you do that back there?" she asked quietly—hurt and confusion woven into her voice.
Raviel finally closed her book with a soft thump, turning her head slightly toward Jill.
"Listen to me, Jill," she said, her tone calm but firm. "Do you think bringing someone back from the dead is something I can just hand out for free? If I revive one person so easily, others will demand the same. Word spreads. Expectations rise. And suddenly, I'm responsible for undoing every tragedy in this world."
Her eyes softened, but her voice carried weight.
"Besides… I interfered with the balance between life and death today. That isn't something I can do recklessly."
Jill's shoulders relaxed as understanding washed over her.
"I… I'm sorry. I guess I overreacted."
Raviel smiled faintly—almost teasing, almost sisterly.
"Go get some rest. We'll continue our journey tomorrow."
Jill nodded, rising to her feet.
"Good night, Raviel."
She walked down the hallway, choosing a room for herself. Raviel reopened her book, the sound of turning pages blending with the distant rumble of thunder.
...
Meanwhile, we return to Raccoon City that morning, at Allen's apartment. The doorbell rang, and since the other girls were still asleep, Allen was the one who had to open the door this time. When he opened it, Aphrodite and Hera immediately hugged him.
"Darling, we missed you," Aphrodite and Hera said at the same time.
"I missed you too," Allen replied — he had also missed his wives after almost two months apart. And now, their stomachs had grown a little from their pregnancy.
"Come on, get inside first," Allen said, letting them in. They had come accompanied by Christine Yamata.
"This city looks a little gloomy lately, darling," Aphrodite said, who clearly already knew the reason behind it.
"Yeah, well, what can we do? A few monsters have started appearing on the outskirts of the city. Oh, how are Annette and the others?" Allen asked.
"They're doing fine. And Athena… she's been a little excited these days and ordered a ton of stuff to start renovating the nursery for the babies," Hera said.
"Oh really? I can't wait to see what that room will look like," Allen replied, his hands gently touching Hera's and Aphrodite's stomachs.
"Oh? Are you curious about the room?" Aphrodite asked.
"Of course."
"Well, if you're that curious, why don't we just leave this place now and head back home to L.A.," Aphrodite suggested.
"Well, I can't leave just yet," Allen said. "Umbrella is probably still keeping an eye on me, and there's something I need to do here — at least to help a few people so they can escape the city later."
"It's alright, darling. We understand, and of course Aphrodite and I will always support you," Hera said as she hugged Allen.
"Well, we can help with that too if you want to get people out of here. I think it would be pretty easy for the two of us," Aphrodite added.
"Thank you, but I don't think that's necessary. I don't want you two to do that right now," Allen replied. He didn't want his pregnant wives helping him with something like this.
Yeah… he was extremely protective about this, and he didn't want anything happening to them. Especially since their current bodies were just normal human bodies without any magical energy to support them.
Not to mention that they are not fighters like Athena and Artemis.
******
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