Alex stood in the graveyard located behind Oedon Chapel. He was sitting on an old tombstone, slowly smoking a cigarette, while a black cat slept peacefully on his shoulders, lazily swinging her tail in time with the blowing wind. Alex's gaze was fixed on Father Gascoigne, whom he had recently saved.
After fighting Gascoigne, Alex had partially confirmed one of his theories: for the cycle to continue moving forward, he only needed to kill the Beast that served as the prey for the hunt. And fortunately for himself, Alex remembered that another unique monster would appear on his path, on which he could test this theory.
Exhaling cigarette smoke, Alex moved his finger slightly, and the corpse of Gascoigne's wife, lying on the roof of a small building in the graveyard, began to slowly levitate. Moving his finger again, Alex transported the body of Viola — as far as he remembered, that was her name.
While moving the body, Alex quickly created a simple wooden coffin using magic. Placing Viola's body in the coffin near her husband Gascoigne, Alex sighed heavily. He perfectly understood that as soon as Gascoigne woke up, a whole flood of memories of what he had done would crash down on him.
Exhaling another puff of cigarette smoke, Alex could only mentally pity Gascoigne for what he had committed. The realization that he had killed his own wife with his own hands — even if it had happened in a fit of blood madness — would haunt him until the end of his life.
Alex did not know what the real relationship in Gascoigne's family had been like. But even seeing that Viola had gone out more than once to bring her husband back from the hunt, knowing that he fell into blood madness, said a lot. And even Vivian was not afraid of her father — she only worried about his condition and feared that he might forget them again. All of this made Alex understand that the Gascoigne family truly cared for one another.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Alex reached for a new cigarette, continuing to watch the unconscious Gascoigne. He didn't keep track of how much time had passed, but a small pile of cigarette butts had already begun to accumulate at his feet. After finishing another cigarette, Alex noticed Gascoigne's eyelids twitch slightly — he was starting to come to. Alex deliberately did not wake him, giving him time to regain consciousness on his own.
Gascoigne's eyes slowly opened, and he began to rise slowly, as if there was no strength left in his body. Sitting up slowly, Gascoigne stared blankly ahead at the destroyed graveyard. Gradually, his eyes began to clear as memories of what he had done crashed down on him in one heavy wave.
Gascoigne slowly raised his gaze to the sky, where the pale moon hung. His shoulders began to tremble slightly, and then he burst into loud laughter. But it was neither mad nor joyful laughter. It was the bitter, broken laughter of a man who had killed with his own hands the woman he loved deeply.
Gascoigne continued laughing bitterly as tears streamed down his cheeks. He remembered everything up to the last moment: how he had fallen into madness again during the hunt, how Viola had tried to bring him back to his senses, and how instead he had killed her with his own hands. Stopping his laughter, Gascoigne lowered his gaze and looked at his own hands. It was with these very hands that he had killed the woman he loved with all his heart.
"What have I done…" Gascoigne muttered, staring at his hands.
Tears slowly dripped onto his rough, calloused palms, which had formed from going out to hunt and kill monsters every night. Like many before him, he had come to this city for one purpose — for medicine for his wife. But obtaining it had not been easy.
That was why he had gone through so much, and in the end he had joined the Healing Church, where he had earned the title of Father for everything he had done. Night after night he fought those into whom the residents of Yharnam were transforming. He did it only for his family. Even when blood madness began to consume him, he believed that all the sacrifices were worth it. But in the end, it had all been in vain.
At one point Gascoigne stopped crying and laughed bitterly again, pressing his hands to his face and clenching his teeth in rage directed at himself. He had done so much for his family, and in the end he had destroyed everything with his own hands.
"I didn't come here only for medicine for my wife… I wanted to protect them. From all this madness. From those who began to transform… And in the end I became worse than all of them," Gascoigne said, continuing to laugh bitterly.
"Keep crying, priest. Your tears are proof that you are still human… Because when a man stops crying and his tears finally dry up… he becomes a monster… becomes something completely different… So keep shedding tears over your grief, priest… Because you are still human," Alex spoke in a quiet, calm voice, looking directly at the crying Gascoigne.
Gascoigne slowly turned his head upon hearing the unfamiliar voice nearby. Turning, he saw a young man in black hunter's clothing sitting on a stone tombstone and looking straight at him. Seeing Alex, Gascoigne immediately remembered who he was. Even in the midst of blood madness, he had not forgotten the one he had fought on this graveyard.
Gascoigne clearly remembered that he hadn't even been able to touch Alex while his mind was still clear, and the rest of the fight had been like a blur to him. The fact that Alex was unharmed and his hunter's clothing was almost undamaged served as clear proof: it had been a one-sided battle. But none of that mattered now. Gascoigne was interested in only one thing — why he had been saved. Why his life had been spared and he had been forced to go through all of this.
"Why didn't you kill me, young hunter… Why are you making me go through this? Doesn't someone like me deserve to die?" Gascoigne asked in a hoarse voice, looking straight into Alex's eyes.
"Before saying something like that, Gascoigne… have you asked yourself whether you really have nothing left worth living for?" Alex replied calmly, leaning forward slightly.
Hearing the question, Gascoigne paused for a moment, and the faces of his two daughters with smiles on their lips flashed before his eyes. In that moment he remembered that he still had daughters he needed to take care of. If he died here, no one would look after them, and they too would become victims of this cursed city. Gradually, the sad thoughts were replaced by determination.
But all that determination instantly shattered when he remembered what he had done. He did not want to, and was afraid to, meet his daughters. He didn't even know what he would have to tell them about what had happened to their mother. Gradually, Gascoigne's heart filled with fear as he imagined his daughters' frightened eyes upon learning the whole truth.
Alex, who was watching this, sighed heavily, seeing the struggle and fear in Gascoigne's eyes.
"If you want to blame yourself — blame yourself until the end of your damn life. But don't forget that she would not have approved of you abandoning your daughters. Keep living for them. And instead of grief, remember your wife's smile every single damned day until the end of your life," Alex said, extinguishing his cigarette on the tombstone and looking directly at Gascoigne.
"Why are you helping me? Any other hunter in your place would have killed me. What do you gain from this?" Gascoigne asked, raising his gaze to Alex while still sitting on the dirty graveyard ground.
"I promised Vivian that I would bring her parents home. And I always keep my word… So get up, Gascoigne, and say goodbye to your wife one last time, as you should," Alex said, approaching Gascoigne and standing beside him.
Gascoigne lowered his gaze. A bitter smile appeared on his face, and he shook his head slightly. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he raised his gaze to Alex again and nodded. Alex extended his hand to help Gascoigne stand. Seeing the offered hand, Gascoigne had not expected that in this cursed city there would be someone like Alex who, because of a promise given to a child, was willing to save even a monster like him.
Grabbing Alex's hand, Gascoigne slowly stood up and straightened. Even while standing, he still felt the weight of guilt on his shoulders. But he understood that he would have to live with this feeling until the end of his days, and he was ready to carry that burden in order to protect his daughters.
Seeing the determined look in Gascoigne's eyes, Alex lightly patted him on the shoulder and pointed behind him. Gascoigne turned his head and finally saw his wife. Tears welled up in his eyes again when he saw her lying in the coffin. The feeling of pain and sorrow once again began to fill his heart.
Carefully approaching the coffin, Gascoigne knelt down and gently took Viola's hand in his rough palms. He pressed his forehead to her hand, shedding tears.
"Forgive me, Viola… I told you so many times not to come looking for me… But you never listened… You were always afraid that I would completely lose myself… Forgive me… I couldn't keep my promise… I… I no longer have the right to say such things… But I will protect our children… Even if I have to burn this city down to take them away from here… I swear, Viola… When this night ends, we will leave," Gascoigne said, crying bitterly and squeezing his wife's hand one last time.
Alex stood behind Gascoigne and watched as the man said goodbye to his wife. He placed a hand on Gascoigne's shoulder to offer at least some support in this difficult moment. Gascoigne felt the comforting warmth on his shoulder and turned his head slightly toward Alex. Nodding in gratitude, Gascoigne released his wife's hand and touched her cheek with his palm one last time.
Running his hand over her cold skin, he once again felt a sharp pain in his heart. But now he no longer shed tears — he knew that Viola would not have wanted that. Even back when they had arrived in this city, she had asked him not to cry if something happened to her. And he intended to keep that promise.
Carefully lowering his wife's hand, Gascoigne rose from the ground to bury her properly. Closing the coffin lid, he looked at Viola's face one last time and quietly said goodbye. Taking the ornament from her head, Gascoigne closed the coffin. He was going to dig a grave for his wife with his own hands.
"Here. This is what you're looking for… I'll help," Alex said, handing Gascoigne a shovel.
"You don't have to do this, young hunter… You've already done too much for us," Gascoigne replied, taking the shovel and noticing that Alex was holding another one.
"I just want to help you, old man," Alex said, shaking his head.
Gascoigne said nothing more and simply nodded, not intending to dissuade Alex. They began digging the grave to bury Viola. While they dug the earth, neither of them spoke a word — only the sound of shovels plunging into the soil echoed across the quiet graveyard.
After digging a sufficiently deep grave, they carefully lowered the coffin into the ground. Gascoigne stared at it, gripping the shovel and continuing to feel the heavy bitterness of loss. Alex, standing nearby, stuck his shovel into the ground, lit a cigarette, and folded his hands together for a short prayer. In moments like this he felt strange — after all, he was the son of the Creator. But that did not stop him from occasionally doing such things.
"Et lux perpetua luceat ei. Amen," Alex quietly recited a short prayer for Viola.
"What do those words mean, young hunter?" Gascoigne asked, turning his head toward Alex.
"I am praying for your wife, that she may find peace and eternal light that will never fade," Alex replied, lowering his hands.
"Thank you…" Gascoigne muttered, nodding slightly.
Hearing the words of gratitude, Alex smiled faintly and patted the man on the shoulder. Gascoigne said nothing more — he simply looked at the coffin in the ground with sorrow, feeling as if he had lost a part of his soul. Suppressing the remnants of grief to remain strong for his daughters, Gascoigne gripped the shovel tightly. With a heavy heart, he began slowly filling the grave.
In this methodical action, Gascoigne sank into thought, realizing that this Night of the Hunt was radically different from all the previous ones. Now that the madness had passed and his thoughts had cleared, he understood that something had begun to happen in Yharnam that should not be spoken of aloud. As a member of the Healing Church, he knew some of the internal history of what had occurred long before his arrival in the city.
"I hope I'm wrong…" Gascoigne muttered as he finished filling his wife's grave.
"What about, old man?" Alex asked, tossing the shovel aside.
"This Night of the Hunt… It's different. Not like the ones before. The moon tonight is different, more ominous. And this smell of blood hanging in the air — it's thicker. Even here it can be felt," Gascoigne said in a heavy tone, looking directly at Alex.
"Ah, you mean that… Yeah, you're right. Something is indeed happening, and this is only the harbinger of madness. It will only get worse soon," Alex said, shaking his head with a faint smile on his face.
"You're right… It will only get worse soon," Gascoigne nodded with a serious expression.
"Alright, enough about what hasn't happened yet. We need to find a safe place to take your daughters. Staying at home is very dangerous," Alex said, deciding to change the subject.
"Oedon Chapel. We can take shelter there… The incense protects this place… I specifically sealed the entrance so that no creature could get inside," Gascoigne replied, taking out the key to the gates from his church coat.
Alex lowered his gaze and saw the copper key in Gascoigne's hands, then nodded, showing that he agreed with the decision. Seeing the agreement, Gascoigne put the key back in his pocket, indicating that they needed to go. Before leaving, Gascoigne glanced at his wife's grave one last time and quietly said his farewell.
Taking his Hunter Axe and blunderbuss, Gascoigne prepared to leave the graveyard to return home and pick up his daughters. Before leaving, Alex took out a Moonflower and placed it on the grave. Slipping the Kirkhammer onto his back, he detached the silver sword from the stone hammer and followed Gascoigne.
Descending the steps, they walked straight onto the bridge without stopping. Walking beside Gascoigne, Alex raised his gaze to the sky where the moon was rising. Crossing the bridge, they entered the elevator that would take them upward. Standing in the elevator, Alex noticed that Gascoigne had already switched into hunter mode and had become very focused, noticing everything around him.
"We still need to pick up the grumpy old woman… I promised her I'd come back," Alex said, turning his head toward Gascoigne.
"Ah, her… She became like that after losing her son…" Gascoigne replied, nodding slightly.
"Was her son a hunter or was he simply unlucky?" Alex asked, adjusting his hunter's hat on his head.
"Few people are lucky in this city, young hunter," Gascoigne said, lifting the brim of his hat with the barrel of his blunderbuss.
Alex nodded understandingly and said nothing more. After all, he perfectly understood that Yharnam was not a place where dreams came true. It was a city of death, blood, and madness, where there was no room for hope or luck. When the elevator reached the top, Gascoigne was the first to step out, gripping his Hunter Axe in case any maddened residents were nearby.
Alex followed, and together they headed to the street where Gascoigne's family home was located. Once again, the familiar scene appeared before Gascoigne's eyes, and he was about to take the usual route. But Alex led him along a shortcut where no one would stand in their way.
Following the same route he had taken to reach Eileen, Alex climbed through a hole in the fence that opened directly into the courtyard with the fountain. Gascoigne jumped in after him and quickly headed toward his house. Seeing that the house was intact and the light inside was still on, Gascoigne felt genuine relief. Approaching the door, he froze in place, afraid to enter.
Alex stood behind Gascoigne and slowly smoked a cigarette, listening to the mad laughter and crying of Yharnam residents coming from the houses. Scratching his ear with his finger, Alex wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible — all these sounds were already starting to irritate him. After hesitating for a few moments, Gascoigne entered his house to pick up his daughters and take them to a safe place.
Seeing that Gascoigne had gone inside, Alex exhaled cigarette smoke and turned his head back upon hearing a crash behind him. Lazily turning around, he saw that the boarded-up gates, which had been closed, had been smashed open by a mini-giant with a brick. And behind the mini-giant stood a furious crowd of Yharnam residents driven mad by blood and the hunt. Seeing this crowd, Alex tiredly exhaled cigarette smoke and tossed the cigarette aside.
"You really picked the wrong time. I just want to finish all this already… Well, fine. Let's make it quick," Alex said, connecting the silver sword to the stone hammer's handle.
Grabbing the Kirkhammer with one hand, Alex rushed forward toward the crowd of maddened Yharnam residents who were holding weapons and blunderbusses. Pushing off a abandoned carriage, Alex jumped. Spinning the Kirkhammer in his hands, he struck the mini-giant's head with the stone hammer, killing him first.
Turning the mini-giant into minced meat smeared across the ground, Alex landed in the center of the furious crowd. Before they could attack him, Alex grabbed the stone hammer's handle and delivered a circular kick, knocking the nearest opponents away from himself. Using the momentum from the spin, he began swinging the Kirkhammer, sending the nearest enemies flying.
Dodging a strike to his back, Alex delivered a wide swing to the head of a Yharnam resident holding pitchforks. And during the strike, he detached the silver sword from the stone hammer. Grabbing the hammer's handle with his other hand, Alex began using both weapons at the same time.
By the time Alex had killed the last maddened Yharnam resident, Gascoigne emerged from his house, carrying his younger daughter Vivian in his arms. Hearing the noise on the street, Gascoigne had quickly grabbed his daughter and come out, only to see Alex single-handedly dealing with more than thirty maddened residents.
"Oh, you're fast. Hello again, little Vivian… Where's your older sister?" Alex asked, shaking the blood off his sword and hammer and putting them behind his back.
"Thank you, Mr. Alexander," Vivian said, waving her hand slightly while sitting in her father's arms.
"Violetta went looking for us… When we reach the chapel, I'll go search for her. If she returns home, I left a note for her to wait for me," Gascoigne said in a calm voice, holding his daughter in his arms.
"I see… I think your older daughter knows what she's doing. Since she went out onto the street at a time like this," Alex said, nodding slightly.
Gascoigne said nothing and simply nodded. After all, he had indeed taught his daughter how to behave at such times and what she could and could not do. Without saying another word, they moved on to pick up the lonely old woman. And the moment Alex knocked on the door, she launched into a long tirade about how she had waited so long and had nearly died of old age. But when she stepped outside and saw Gascoigne, she launched into an even longer angry tirade.
Gascoigne maintained a cold expression and stood to the side, completely ignoring everything the old woman said. All that concerned Gascoigne now was the safety of his daughters. The lonely old woman only stopped talking when Alex began carrying her on his back so as not to waste any more time. But even in that situation she managed to complain that Alex smelled of blood and sewers.
Entering the elevator, Alex began to feel a strong headache and ringing in his ears from the lonely old woman's voice. He was sure that if he told his wife Alucard about this, she would only laugh at him and remind him that he himself had chosen to be kind and save those who were nearby.
When the elevator descended to the bridge, Gascoigne set his daughter down on the floor and was the first to step out to check the surroundings for danger. A couple of minutes later he returned and picked up his daughter again, showing that the path was clear. Crossing the bridge, they returned to the graveyard behind Oedon Chapel.
Passing through the destroyed graveyard and climbing the steps to the closed gates, Gascoigne took out the key to open them. Opening the gates, Gascoigne walked forward, still carrying his daughter in his arms. Alex followed behind him, glad that the lonely old woman had finally stopped talking.
Passing through a small alley behind the gates, they entered the flooded cellar beneath the chapel. Looking around, Alex saw only soaked sacks of grain and a single staircase leading upward. Gascoigne shifted his daughter onto his back and began climbing the steps.
Alex followed, carrying the lonely old woman on his back. After climbing up, Alex saw a small library with books. Gascoigne was already ascending the next set of stairs. Following up the circular staircase, Alex saw that Gascoigne was already opening the heavy wooden doors.
The moment the doors opened, a strong smell of incense hit their noses. Grimacing slightly at the sharp aroma, Alex stepped through the doors after Gascoigne.
Once inside Oedon Chapel, Alex realized that it was no different from old churches: a high ceiling, narrow stained-glass windows through which light entered, and elegant candle stands. And the only difference between Oedon Chapel and other churches Alex had ever visited was that this chapel had been built in honor of one of the Great Ones named Oedon.
Lowering his gaze, Alex saw mysterious statues resembling people in hooded robes who hid their faces behind masks, and dozens of ceramic vessels from which the smell of incense emanated. Right in the center hung a large incense lamp from which gray smoke slowly drifted, spreading throughout the chapel. While Alex was looking around, the lonely old woman climbed down from his back, holding her lower back, and walked forward. Gascoigne meanwhile was busy talking with his daughter Vivian.
"Hm? Oh, you two must be hunters," a surprised voice sounded nearby from Alex.
Hearing the voice, Alex remembered that there was another person in this church. Turning his head, he saw a man wrapped in a red cloak, his face hidden by a hood. He had long, thin arms with blackened claws, a dark face, and white blind eyes. Alex knew that this man was very kind and wanted to help people, but because of the condition of his body he could not leave Oedon Chapel.
"Yes, sorry for entering like this without asking," Alex said, addressing the Chapel Samaritan.
"Sorry I didn't notice you right away — the incense probably masked your scent. Excellent. I was waiting for someone of your kind," the Chapel Samaritan said with an ugly smile on his face.
"Do you need help?" Alex asked, lighting a cigarette.
"Yes… yes, I do. Because of the hunt everyone has locked themselves in their homes. They're waiting for it to end… It will definitely end, it has always been that way. But the end will not be good this time," the Chapel Samaritan said, trying to sound as peaceful as possible.
"So you also understand that this night is different from what came before," Alex said, squatting down next to the Chapel Samaritan.
"Even some of those sitting in their homes are still going mad. The screams of women, the smell of blood, the growling of monsters… All of this has already become familiar. Yharnam is finished, I tell you," the Chapel Samaritan said in a sad tone, extending his withered hands toward Alex.
"So what do you need from me?" Alex asked in a lazy tone.
"If you meet people… who are still in their right mind… tell them about Oedon Chapel. They will be safe here. The smell of incense repels monsters. Tell them… let them come here. If it's not too much trouble…" the Chapel Samaritan said, his voice full of hope.
"Alright. If I meet anyone, I'll send them here. Or bring them myself," Alex said, nodding and standing up from his squat.
"Thank you, hunter. I have nothing to pay you with for your help… But take this tool. It has been gathering dust in this place for a long time. But it might be useful to you," the Chapel Samaritan said, extending a small object toward Alex.
Taking the tool from the Chapel Samaritan's hands, Alex realized that it was the Blood Gem Workshop Tool — a special tool used by hunters to insert blood gems into weapons. Alex had not expected to encounter something like this in the real world.
After all, he had not even fully figured out how to upgrade weapons using Blood Stone Shards yet, and now he had another tool in his hands that he would have to work with. Sighing, Alex shook his head and put the Blood Gem Workshop Tool into the satchel behind his back.
The last thing he wanted right now was to think about something he didn't need at the moment. Stopping his conversation with the Chapel Samaritan, Alex approached the Messenger lantern standing in the center and lit it. Alex noticed that no one else had seen this lantern except him.
Passing by Gascoigne, Alex descended the steps and prepared to go outside to look around. After all, he was now in the Cathedral Ward, and he would have to spend some time exploring this area. Stepping outside, Alex grimaced slightly at the sound of the bell and slowly turned his head to the side, raising his gaze upward.
Alex saw an Amygdala clinging to the wall of Oedon Chapel and looking directly at him with its almond-shaped head. The Amygdala was an incomprehensible creature with an almond-shaped head and four pairs of crooked, elongated arms of different sizes. Looking at this incomprehensible god that was everywhere in Yharnam, Alex lazily yawned and raised his hand.
"Go fuck yourself," Alex said, giving the Amygdala the middle finger.
The Amygdala did not react to Alex's gesture in any way and simply continued to watch him with its many eyes, blinking one after another. Slightly shuddering from the attention of such a god, Alex stepped back inside Oedon Chapel.
After all, he definitely did not want to deal with the Amygdala right now. But they would meet soon enough when the time came. Approaching the Messenger lantern, Alex sighed and placed his hand on it to return to the Hunter's Dream. At that moment Alex wanted to rest a little and drink some coffee. Before the Messengers pulled him in, Alex noticed that no one had seen what was happening to him, and he smiled slightly before the Messengers dragged him into the ephemeral puddle.
While being pulled by the Messengers, Alex thought about what he had managed to accomplish in Central Yharnam and what he still had to do in the Cathedral Ward. And while Alex was thinking, the list of his tasks instantly grew. He understood that in addition to hunting unique monsters, he would also have to take care of a couple of side tasks.
"But first, rest. Everything else can wait," Alex said after returning to the Hunter's Dream.
Upon returning to the Hunter's Dream, Alex lazily stretched and instantly relaxed, feeling that Alucard was still asleep. That meant he still had a little time to rest before starting work on the weapon.
Before heading up to the Hunter's Workshop, Alex approached the Bath Messenger and tossed them the Saw Hunter Badge. After dealing with the Messengers, Alex began climbing to the Workshop. The moment he reached the top, he saw that the Doll was looking straight at him.
"Welcome home, good Hunter," the Doll said in a gentle tone.
"Yeah, I'm back," Alex said with a light smile on his face, removing the stone hammer from his back and his hunter's hat.
To be continued...
(So, here's the new location, and then we have some other places on the list. Next up is Alucard's awakening, another unique monster or two. Who knows? We'll see. Anyway, I forgot what I wanted to say, but yes, Gascoigne's daughter is now saved, and the old one will soon be saved too. The girl who was destined to die no matter what I did was saved by my own hands. I'm so proud of myself that I'm going to buy myself something sweet. And now, peace, love, and what are you staring at, Amygdala?)
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