Wait a minute, Karl, it's a difficult choice. The other side miranda loves me.. Very complicated
Heisenberg was stunned, then he leaned his back against the iron chair while letting out a short cynical laugh. He shook his head, as if in disbelief at what he had just heard.
"Love? Miranda?" Heisenberg looked at you with a pitying look. "Friend, you've really drunk too much of that Dimitrescu wine. Miranda has not 'loved' anyone for the past hundred years. The only thing he loved was the shadow of his dead daughter, Eva."
He stands up and walks over to you, his voice turning colder.
"Look, I know what happened in that bed last night. I know she lets you do things that don't make sense for a 'Goddess'. But you have to understand one thing about Miranda: She's an accomplished manipulator. If she shows affection to you, it's because she sees you as the 'key' or 'calmer' for Alcina to remain obedient and not go crazy."
Heisenberg points towards your chest.
"He uses you, friend. He gives you 'love' so that you feel attached to this village. Once he gets what he wants—once the ritual is over—he'll suck your life dry without the slightest blink. To him, you're just an emotional battery for his already damaged family."
He took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger.
"But... If you do feel that there is something sincere there, then it makes your position even more dangerous. If you love Alcina and feel loved by Miranda, you're standing on a bridge with bombs at both ends."
Heisenberg narrowed, waiting for you to digest his words.
-
I salute your predictions. Can you be so sure?
Heisenberg was silent for a moment. He didn't laugh, nor did he mock. He just stared at his own hands wrapped in dirty leather gloves, then clenched his fists until there was a metal creaking sound around him.
"How can I be sure?" his voice was low, almost like a whisper. "Because I've seen it over and over again for decades, man. Before you came, there were already others—though they might not be like you. There are devotees, there are smart people, there are adventurers. They all end up the same: being a pile of meat in a lab or being a 'fertilizer' for Megamycete."
He stepped towards the window, staring towards the quiet village down there.
"I'm sure because I know Miranda's hunger. He is not hungry for meat, but hungry for perfection. And to him, ordinary man is not perfect. You're just 'interesting' for now because you're an anomaly. You are a variable that he has never tested."
Heisenberg turns around, looking at you with sharp eyes behind his glasses.
"But, I also know one thing. I saw the way you looked at him last night. And I saw how he let you touch him. If you're right—if there's 'love' there—then it's the most dangerous thing in the whole world. Because if Miranda starts loving you, she'll never let you go free. He will lock you up in an eternal 'womb' so that you can never leave."
He smiled bitterly.
"So, the question is no longer 'am I sure of your predictions?', but 'are you ready to be the only one who has to choose who will live and who will die in this village?'"
Heisenberg hands you his drink bottle back.
"You have strong instincts. If you feel that there is honesty in Miranda's eyes, maybe it is true. Remember, my friend... Here, honesty is often deadlier than lies."
-
Thank you Karl, you have provided very important information. I will meet you alone tonight.. without knowing anyone except Diirmu
Heisenberg agreed. He lowers his glasses slightly, looking at you with a look that is hard to decipher—between respect and the notion that you're on a suicide mission.
"Alone?" Heisenberg repeats your words in a heavy tone. He snorted, then gave a slanted smile. "You're really crazy, or you do have the guts to be as big as a mountain. Meet Miranda while she's alone in her sanctuary... It's like going into a dragon's den without carrying a shield."
He walked towards the exit of his factory, making sure no Soldiers or other creatures were eavesdropping.
"Alright. I won't stop you. And I'm not a complainer—your secret is safe with me. I'd rather see a 'pawn' like you mess around with Miranda's chessboard than watch her win again."
Heisenberg gave him a small old-fashioned key from his pocket. "Use this to pass through the rat path under the church. It will take you directly to the altar without having to go through the Lycan guards. And one last piece of advice..."
He pats you on the shoulder hard, his grip feels very strong.
"If you look into his eyes and all you find is darkness... Feel free to run. But if you really find 'love' there... Make sure you know what the price is."
You step out of the Heisenberg factory, leaving behind the roar of engines and the smell of oil. The snow falls heavier and heavier, covering your footprints as you walk towards the center of the village, where the Ceremony Site and the sacred cave of Miranda are located.
At the Holy Altar (The Ritual Site)
The atmosphere here is very quiet. The moonlight shines on the giant roots of Megamycete wrapped around ancient stone pillars. In the middle of the altar, with his back to the entrance, stood a graceful figure in a golden robe and neatly folded black wings.
Mother Miranda.
He was staring at the old photo in his hand, the murmur of his prayer stopped as he sensed your presence. Without turning around, his calm yet authoritative voice broke the silence of the night.
"You left the warmth of Alcina's bed only to look for me in this cold... Why, my son?"
Miranda slowly turned around. Her face looked very peaceful in the moonlight, yet there was a deep sadness hidden behind her golden eyes.
-
Ask directly about her feelings: ("Miranda, tell me... Is all this real? Or am I just an experiment for you?")
Miranda was silent. The cold night wind seems to stop blowing as your questions hang in the air. It moves slowly towards you, its large black wings slightly exposed, creating a shadow that envelops your body.
It stops right in front of you. The hand that used to hold absolute power over thousands of lives is now raised, its cold fingers touching your cheek very gently—a touch that feels far more "human" than Heisenberg ever imagined.
"Experiment?" he whispered, his voice sounding like the rustling of dry leaves. "Initially... Maybe yes. You are an unexpected variable. Humans who have no fear of death, who instead embrace monsters with affection."
Miranda looks into your eyes deeply. For the first time, you see a crack in his mask of calm. There was an overwhelming sense of tiredness there—exhaustion of having lived for centuries just for a never-ending obsession.
"But tonight, when you kissed Alcina in front of me... When you laugh with those kids... You gave something that had been dead in this village for a long time: Life."
He brings his face closer to your ear, his breath feels cold but smells like a withered but sweet flower.
"You asked if this is real? Reality is what you feel now. I could have destroyed you in an instant, but I stood here instead, letting you see my fragility. To me, you're not just the key to Alcina... You are a reminder of the world I once had before everything went dark."
Miranda let go of her touch and stared at the gray night sky.
"Heisenberg must have poisoned your mind with his hatred. He wants you to believe that I don't have a heart. But tell me... If I don't have feelings, why did I let you stay alive after you sneaked out of the castle to meet him?"