The soul catcher steps toward the wagon and examines the corpses with a detached gaze. The villagers move on with their rituals of burying the dead.
Hours pass. It's already way past the sunset and the cold gloomy darkness has taken over. The soul catcher rests near a bustling campfire. He rolls the cigar in his hand and lights it up. He has been waiting for his sister to arrive but it's getting too late. He takes an impatient drag from the cigar then decides to proceed with his work.
He steps into the forest with a burning torch in his hand, a rifle with an unusually large barrel strapped on his back and a heavy axe in his off hand. The moonlight pierces the dense canopy, illuminating patches of the path in a ghostly ethereal glow. The leaves rustle in a symphony as the Soul Catcher makes his way through the bushes.
Inside the village church, a priest is winding up with his prayers. Isabella stands near the wooden gate. Her face appears pale and drained of all life.
The priest notices Isabella and instantly recognises her as the missing girl. He calls a few villagers to inform them, they all are surprised by the return of the girl after two days. The blacksmith was an apprentice to her father, his face lights up a little on seeing the girl is safe.The priest was a family friend to Alex so he reassures the girl and takes her to meet her mother. Alex's hovel was just a few houses away from the church.
They reach Alex's hovel, the walls are cracked and the pavement under the door is covered in thick moss. The priest knocks the door but there is no answer. He gets a little creeped up by the unusual vibe emanating from the surrounding. Finally, the priest pushes the door open with a slow creaking noise. His breathing his heavy as his heightened senses catch a sniff of something unholy.
Inside hangs the lifeless corpse of the mother, teetering from the wooden beam. A drop of urine slips from the tip of her toe and falls into the growing puddle on the wooden floor. The priest stumbles back in dread but then out of nowhere a hysterical almost inhumane laugh rings through his ears. He looks down to find out it's coming from Isabella.