at did you just say?"
Ethan's voice trembled as he stared at Duke. Inside this flask? He turned to Eveline, searching her face for answers. Did she see it? Was it true? Her blatant refusal to meet his gaze was answer enough.
"Look closely," Duke urged.
"Why do you know about this?" Eveline snapped, glaring at him.
Heart pounding, Ethan fought hyperventilation as he scrubbed the white grime from the flask. The label read: HEAD and Rosemary W. His hands shook, and the flask slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground. No way. It couldn't be. Not really.
"Ethan, don't drop it!" Eveline cried.
"The head's inside that bottle, it seems," Duke said calmly.
"No… that's… how…?"
With trembling hands, Ethan picked up the flask from the dirt. Someone, please, say it's a lie. His daughter, barely six months old, torn apart? It had to be a lie. It had to be.
"Lady Rose is…" Duke began.
"I know it's hard to believe, but she's really in there…" Eveline's voice was small.
"Shut up for a second!"
Ethan's shout echoed in the plaza. Duke didn't flinch, but Eveline recoiled, drifting back as if scared. That wasn't what he meant—damn it, that's not what he meant at all. But why? How? His thoughts spiraled, refusing to settle.
"No… this can't be real. Tell me it's a lie. Come on, Duke! Eveline!"
"Regrettably, it's the truth," Duke replied.
"I saw it with my own eyes," Eveline murmured. "Crystallized, but it was Rosemary."
Their words hit like a sledgehammer. Ethan stood frozen, clutching the flask. Mia was gone. Now Rose, too? He'd failed—failed as a father, failed to protect anything. While he was bumbling through the castle with Eveline, Rose was…!
"Who did this?!" Ethan roared. "Mother Miranda? Dimitrescu? That creepy black-robed loner? The mama's boy freak? Heisenberg?! Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
"Ethan…" Eveline whispered.
"Your daughter isn't dead," Duke said. "She has… special abilities."
"What?"
"No way," Eveline scoffed. "Chopped up like that? Even I'd be dead!"
"There's a way to save her," Duke continued.
"Save her? What are you talking about? Explain!"
"It's a lie! He's trying to trick us!" Eveline shouted, then faltered. "…Is it true?"
Ethan looked up at Duke, perched on his cart, nodding with infuriating confidence. He glanced at Eveline, her eyes searching his. Was there hope?
"There's a house with a red chimney on the west side of the village," Duke said. "Find the man there. We'll continue this conversation after."
"Don't mess with us!" Eveline snapped.
"Stop stalling! Tell me now, or I'll blow you away right here!" Ethan growled, aiming his sniper rifle at Duke without even looking through the scope. Eveline's anger seemed ready to morph his arm into something monstrous again. Yet Duke's smile never wavered.
"You don't have to trust me. Shoot if you like—though I'd mind the wasted bullets. This is for your daughter's sake. The choice is yours, as always, dear customer."
"…If you're lying, you're done for, you bastard."
"If you're tricking us, I'll shove my hand down your throat and rattle your molars!" Eveline added.
Ethan slung the rifle over his shoulder and reached to stow the flask in his sack, only to remember Dimitrescu's bulky crystallized remains taking up space. Annoyed, he decided to sell them to Duke.
"Hey, buy this. It's in the way."
"Oh, Lady Dimitrescu! Even in death, such beauty! That waistline…" Duke mused.
Ethan and Eveline's icy glares silenced him. Seriously? Lusting over a corpse? Ethan felt guilty for selling it, but still.
"…Ahem. My apologies. That aside, a sack might not be safe for your daughter. May I suggest a dedicated case?"
"…Fine. I'll buy it with the money from the sale."
"A wise choice!"
Ethan acquired a sturdy trunk-like case, transferred the sack's contents, and carefully placed the flask inside. Using the winged key to unlock a gate, he set off toward the red-chimney house, Eveline sticking out her tongue and jeering "Bleh!" at Duke as they left.
"Hey, was it smart to buy that thing? Didn't Duke just con you into more baggage?" Eveline asked as they trekked through the village.
"Nah, it's cushioned inside, so I can toss it during fights. It's surprisingly light and tough—could bash something with it if needed."
"Don't forget Rosemary's in there."
"…I still can't believe it. I trust you, but if it was just Duke saying this, I wouldn't buy it."
"Still, it's the only lead we've got."
"Yeah."
As they talked, they entered a small church with fresh footprints in the snow, suggesting recent visitors. Unlike their last visit when they'd found a crest, the place now held a laptop and equipment. Ethan stepped outside to check for threats, confirmed it was clear, and returned to inspect the laptop. A file labeled Operation Log was dated February 9, 2021—today.
"Logged by NH… don't know that name," Ethan said.
"Look here," Eveline pointed. "EW and RW not found at the crash site. Only EW's traces in the village. Kinda funny."
"…Says here Captain R went solo to a factory on the village outskirts."
"R for Rosemary? Did she time-travel to save us, like in Terminator?"
"This isn't a sci-fi flick. R is Redfield—Chris's last name."
"That gorilla…! Still pissed he took Rosemary!" Eveline fumed.
"Same here."
So, Chris's team was at odds with Mother Miranda's group? Maybe. Nothing else stood out, so they left the church. The question was how to reach the red-chimney house.
"I could backtrack and scout the path," Eveline offered.
"Do it. I'm counting on you."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Can't-Handle-His-Daughter."
Eveline zipped off with a grin. What's it like to fly freely, Ethan wondered? He'd pass on another aerial fight with Dimitrescu, though. Since Eveline could track his location, he rummaged through a nearby house and found a memo with a familiar name.
"'Heard screams from the house across the chimney. Going to check, but debris forces a detour through the village. The hole in the stable wall came in handy.' …Eveline, I found the answer!"
"Would've been nice if you found it sooner! I already did!" she called back.
"Listen to this: 'If I'm not back by morning, go to Luiza's mansion alone. Leonardo.' Leonardo… Elena's father. This must be Elena's house."
"No time for nostalgia. Let's get to the chimney house. Oh, watch out for Lycans on the way."
Guided by Eveline, Ethan headed to the stable, shoving aside a shelf blocking the hole. A Lycan lunged from the side. Instinctively, Ethan swung the case full-force, its sturdy frame slamming into the creature's face. As it staggered, he dropped the case, jammed his handgun into its mouth, and fired, blowing out its brainstem. The Lycan crumpled.
"Tell me when they're that close! I nearly jumped out of my skin."
"That was not a startled guy's reaction," Eveline said, exasperated.
With Eveline in tow, Ethan hurried toward the red-chimney house, determined to find answers.
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