Alex was reviewing footage from the helmet cameras of the Bureau of Control agents guarding the perimeter around Silent Hill. These were the people who most often had to confront the creatures inhabiting the fog-shrouded town.

Agent Fernandez, who was in charge of the Silent Hill surveillance mission, pointed out obvious details as they watched and explained what exactly was happening at any given moment. What interested Alex the most was the cultist on whom one of the creatures had spat an unknown substance.

Without unnecessary words, Fernandez handed him a folder with photographs and the autopsy report. Alex carefully flipped through the materials and only grew more confident in his suspicions: the substance turned out to be acid. More precisely, bile acid, as indicated by the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy and examined the cultist’s body.

The damage was catastrophic. After that, Fernandez showed Alex other photographs—blurry, unclear images of creatures that the agents’ helmet cameras had managed to capture. Alex recognized most of them almost immediately.

However, one photograph caught his particular attention. The picture had been taken near the road barrier blocking passage, right next to the sign that read “Welcome to Silent Hill.” The photo showed a girl about seven years old with black hair, wearing a school uniform.

Alex recognized her instantly. Alessa. Unfortunately, it was the only clear shot—on all the others she either vanished into the fog or the image was distorted by interference. The remaining photographs once again showed blurred shapes of monsters, many of which Alex had already encountered.

Saga, standing beside Alex and Fernandez, watched as he flipped through the pictures, occasionally nodding. Having been assigned to this mission, she had familiarized herself in advance with all available materials on Silent Hill and understood what was happening there. What the so-called Order had done—especially to children—sent a chill straight through her. Finishing his review, Alex closed the folder and gave a slight nod, setting it down on the table.

“Agent Fernandez, what about the helmet camera recordings from the two teams that went missing near the city?” he asked. “Were you able to access them, or is it a dead end?”

“Smith has been working on data recovery,” Fernandez replied, turning toward the operative. “Smith, play what you managed to pull from Alvarez’s camera. Let Agent Voldigoad see it for himself.”

Smith nodded and quickly began typing on the keyboard. A few seconds later, a restored recording appeared on the screen. Alex leaned closer and began carefully watching the footage on the monitor. At first, he heard the conversations of the group of agents moving along the barrier, until one of them noticed a suspicious noise.

Alvarez, the team leader, gave the order to check the source, and the squad stepped beyond the perimeter. At that very moment, fog began to thicken around them, becoming dense and viscous, and an instant later all ten agents found themselves in the very center of Silent Hill.

Alex thoughtfully stroked his chin, considering why the city had “let them in” in this way. When the group tried to move toward the road leading out, the agents noticed a person standing inside one of the shops and decided to investigate.

The moment they entered, the image began to distort, heavy interference appeared, and the recording cut out. Even through the static, Alex caught a calm male voice mixed with a child’s— a child calling for their mother, and an adult man saying that “everything is finally falling into place.”

“Smith, rewind a little,” Alex said calmly, placing a hand on the agent’s shoulder. “There was a silhouette in the shop. Stop it and zoom in.”

Smith nodded and began rewinding the recording frame by frame, returning to the moment Alex had pointed out. Fernandez and Saga leaned forward slightly, trying to see exactly what had caught his attention.

Within a few seconds, a barely discernible silhouette of a man appeared in the frame, standing behind the display window of a dark shop. At Alex’s request, Smith began zooming in on the image while simultaneously removing interference and distortion.

When the frame became clear enough, the silhouette gained definition. The man had light blond hair that fell just below his chin, a faint stubble on his face, and streaks of dried blood running across his skin. He was wearing a blue coat, soaked in places with dark stains. Alex recognized him instantly, and that was exactly what caused irritation and confusion.

He couldn’t understand what the hell this man was doing in Silent Hill, but he quickly came to a logical conclusion: it wasn’t the man himself, but an echo of Walter Sullivan’s memory, still bound to the city. The Ritual of the Twenty-One Sacraments had literally stitched Walter into the very structure of Silent Hill, and his memories and sins had become intertwined not only with this town, but with Ashfield as well.

“Do you know this man?” Saga asked, noticing the familiar thoughtful look she had already seen on Alex’s face during their work in Bright Falls.

“Walter Sullivan, a serial killer and fanatic raised by the Order of the Holy Mother,” Alex replied, pointing at the image on the screen. “The situation in Ashfield is directly connected to him.”

“I’m more interested in why Walter Sullivan ended up here,” Fernandez frowned. “His ‘habitat’ is the apartments in Ashfield.”

“Because it isn’t him,” Alex explained calmly, stroking his chin. “It’s an echo of the past. Silent Hill forgets nothing. If Alvarez’s group disappeared after entering the shop, then they fell into Walter Sullivan’s personal nightmare.”

“Am I understanding correctly, Agent Voldigoad,” Fernandez уточнил, “that Alvarez’s group was transferred into an alternative version of Ashfield?”

“That’s right,” Alex nodded. “But the Winchesters have already been sent there. I’ll pass the information on to them and ask them to look for any trace of the group. I’ll say right away—it won’t be easy. Alternative Ashfield is multilayered; they could have been thrown onto any level. But if they’re alive, Dean and Sam will try to find them.”

He was already typing a message on his phone when Fernandez let out a heavy sigh and took out his own.

“I’ll contact Agent Gray,” he said. “I’ll pass him all the materials on Alvarez’s group so he can forward them to the Winchesters. Even if the group is dead, let them at least recover the recordings or the dog tags.”

Alex nodded in understanding and looked back at the screen, signaling Smith to continue. Smith started the next restored recording. This time, the video showed only a single agent who had ended up in a dark location. The camera was operating in night-vision mode, but even so, the environment looked oppressive.

Alex listened closely to the surrounding sounds, trying to determine exactly where the agent was. The last thing he heard was a sharp alarm sound, after which the image began to break apart into static and the connection was lost.

Alex immediately realized that the agent had been thrown into the other side of Silent Hill — the rusted, distorted world. After finishing the recording, he nodded to himself, deciding that he would try to find the missing agents anyway, even if the chances of their survival were almost gone. At that moment, his phone vibrated — a message from Dean had come through, confirming that they would try to take on the search.

Fernandez had just finished his call and, looking at Alex, gave a firm nod.

“Are you ready to head out, Agent Voldigoad? Do you need anything else?”

“Not yet,” Alex replied with a faint smile. “There’s only one more person I need to talk to — the one who is the key to everything happening in Silent Hill.”

“You mean that teenage girl Casey detained while she was trying to get into the town?” Saga frowned. “Why is she the key?”

“Because she’s Cheryl Mason,” Alex said calmly. “The one the Order wants to use to resurrect their god.”

Fernandez slowly nodded, as if fitting the pieces together.

“Cheryl Mason… According to old records, she and her father managed to escape Silent Hill many years ago, breaking free from the Order. The cultist we interrogated called her the vessel of their god. Now everything makes sense. But as far as I know, her father was killed by members of the Order.”

“He wasn’t killed,” Alex corrected. “He was dragged back into Silent Hill. They can’t bring Cheryl back by force. She has to return voluntarily. It’s a symbolic act of consent to become the vessel. They waited until she turned eighteen — the beginning of a ‘new life.’ All of this is part of the ritual to give birth to their god.”

“I see where you’re going with this,” Saga said coldly. “But I hope you’re not planning to use an innocent girl to stop this nightmare.”

“Agent Anderson,” Fernandez cut in sharply, “this is outside your jurisdiction.”

Saga ignored him and kept her eyes on Alex. He met her gaze calmly.

“You know what kind of person I am,” he said. “I want to sever Cheryl’s connection to Silent Hill. This city follows her wherever she goes. Look at the report on the shopping mall incident — dozens of people were pulled into a distorted world. As long as that connection exists, this will keep happening. And it can only be broken inside the city itself. Does that answer satisfy you?”

Hearing Alex’s words, Saga slowly nodded, fully understanding what he meant. She knew the kind of man he was and what he was capable of: even both of her grandfathers treated Alex with respect, and to her he had always been the embodiment of reliability and quiet strength. That was why she had no doubts.

Noticing that Saga understood, Alex gave a faint smile, patted her on the shoulder, and left the mobile base. Saga and Fernandez followed him, heading toward the tent where Casey was watching over Heather.

Casey himself was clearly irritated — he openly disliked playing babysitter for a teenager who either snapped back at every question or stubbornly kept silent, refusing to explain anything. Alex, as if ignoring the tension, calmly poured himself a cup of coffee and tea into another mug.

Approaching the tent, Alex entered without haste and immediately looked at Heather. Her hands were cuffed and secured to the table so she couldn’t escape. Alex nodded to Casey, silently thanking him for his patience.

In response, Casey merely rolled his eyes slightly, making it clear that this was definitely not the kind of job he had signed up for. Fernandez and Saga stood a little to the side next to Casey, intending to listen without interfering.

Alex sat down on the chair opposite Heather, maintaining a soft, almost friendly smile, and placed a cup of hot tea in front of her, clearly hoping it would help her calm down a bit.

Heather looked warily first at the tea, then at Alex. Seeing him for the second time, she noticed an important detail: he looked fairly young, almost her age. That only deepened her suspicions. Noticing her attentive gaze, Alex simply smiled and gestured toward the cup, offering her a drink before they talked.

Still trusting no one, Heather took the cup with both hands and cautiously sniffed it, clearly showing her wariness. After taking a small sip, she shifted her gaze to Saga, Casey, and Fernandez standing behind Alex. It was obvious that he was the one in charge here, despite his age, and that realization only heightened her anxiety and the sense that the situation was far more serious than it seemed.

“So, I see you’ve calmed down a bit, Cheryl. Now we can talk. First, I should introduce myself. I’m Alexander Voldigoad, Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Control. We deal with paranormal phenomena. I won’t go into all the details, but our responsibilities are extensive,” Alex said in a calm and friendly tone.

“I’m not Cheryl. I’m Heather,” the girl replied, frowning.

“No, no, no. You are Cheryl Mason. Daughter of Harry and Jody Mason. You lost your mother at the age of three — Jody died from a serious illness. When you were seven, you went to Silent Hill with your father. You remember almost nothing from that time — and I understand that. You returned to a normal life, and even if you forgot everything, your father remembered every detail. When you turned thirteen, a burglar broke into your home, whom you thought your father had killed. In fact, it was a member of the Order, and it was that member who kidnapped your father. Should I continue?” Alex said, taking a full dossier from under his coat and placing it on the table.

“If you know so much, why didn’t you do anything about the Order before? Why do these monsters keep appearing? Or does your ‘cool Bureau’ exist only in name?” Heather asked sharply, her voice clearly laced with irritation.

“See, Cheryl, the Order doesn’t rule Silent Hill. In fact, they’re prisoners themselves — trapped in a nightmare they created with their own hands, literally giving birth to the one who craves revenge. And the Order needs you, and it needs something that you currently have. If you don’t mind, take that item out of your pocket,” Alex said calmly, folding his hands on the table and interlacing his fingers.

Heather looked at him and demonstratively tugged at her hands, reminding him they were still in handcuffs. Alex gave a faint smile and reached toward Casey, who immediately began grumbling under his breath. With the keys in hand, Alex easily unlocked the cuffs. Heather rubbed her wrists, which were marked with red impressions.

Alex fully understood her distrust. Considering everything she had been through — constant running, hiding from the Order, about which Harry Mason had not told her a word — she had long believed they were hiding from the police.

Only recently had the truth begun to surface: after meeting a strange private detective in the shopping mall who told her about the Order hunting her. Not believing him, Heather returned home and saw the wreckage and a single word written in blood on the wall: “Silent Hill.”

She learned everything about the town from the same detective, who had been hired to find her. Before heading there, Heather found a box with her father’s records: a diary, newspaper clippings, and a strange circular golden plate of unknown purpose, which she decided to take with her.

Already approaching Silent Hill, the detective vanished without a trace — she woke up in a hotel and realized she was alone. Without waiting for help, Heather continued on her own until she was caught while trying to sneak through a hole in the fence.

Now she sat across from Alex — the man who knew about the plate, about the past, and about what was really going on. He had removed her handcuffs and spoke as if he had seen the whole picture.

Heather began to understand that he knew far more than she did, and perhaps he was the only one capable of helping her save her father. Yet in her eyes lingered hesitation — the fear of trusting an agent of the Bureau, someone she had never even heard of before.

Alex noticed Heather’s hesitation and, without rushing her, calmly extended his hand, palm up, clearly showing that he could be trusted and that he truly intended to help. Heather still hesitated, internally resisting the urge to trust a stranger, but she understood perfectly well — she simply had no other choice.

After a short pause, she reached into the inner pocket of her vest, took out the round golden plate, and carefully placed it in Alex’s palm.

Alex gave a slight smile and examined the artifact closely, immediately recognizing the Seal of Metatron. Fernandez frowned and stepped slightly behind Alex, studying the strange object intently. Alex slowly ran his finger over the engraved symbols, fully understanding their true meaning.

What interested him most was that the inscriptions were in Enochian. It surprised him so much that he took out his phone, photographed the seal, and immediately sent it to Castiel. Alex felt an echo of Chuck’s power in the artifact, which made him smile faintly.

“Agent, if I understand correctly, you know what this is,” Fernandez said, glancing at Alex, who remained calm.

“It’s the Seal of Metatron. An ancient artifact once used by the Order. Or rather, in their hands it was no more than a symbol. Its true power only reveals itself to someone ready for self-sacrifice and pure of heart. Thanks to it, Harry Mason was able to leave Silent Hill for the first time… But if you look closely, it becomes clear: the artifact is incomplete. The second part is missing,” Alex explained calmly, pointing to the fracture.

Fernandez nodded silently — even without words, he understood where the missing part was. Heather, however, could not hide her astonishment. The man sitting across from her knew far more about the artifact than her father, who had never been able to unravel its nature and had called it merely “a thing the Order needs.”

Alex, of course, did not mention that the artifact had been created by Chuck — in his usual puppeteer’s style, loving tragedy and self-sacrifice, as with the lives of Dean and Sam. Alex knew all too well how much Chuck enjoyed tormenting people, so he was not surprised by the existence of such an object.

What interested Alex far more was another question: whether Metatron himself was directly connected to this seal, or if this dwarf, who once attempted a coup in Heaven, was only indirectly involved. While Alex pondered this, he received a message from Castiel.

He promised to extract all the answers from Metatron — from the artifact’s origin to how it ended up in the hands of the Order. Still, Alex already suspected that Chuck had deliberately scattered such artifacts around the world purely for his own amusement, and Metatron probably only knew the technical side of their creation.

Looking at the Seal of Metatron in his hand, Alex also remembered that Alessa had wanted to use it to destroy not just the town, but herself as well. Harry Mason’s intervention had destroyed it all — largely because Dalia Gillespie, Alessa’s mother, obsessed with giving birth to a god and a key figure in the cult, had manipulated him.

The thought that Alessa had been willing to make such a sacrifice just to end it all filled Alex with a quiet sorrow for the fate of the girl who had simply wanted to live a normal life.

“All right, Sherril. Let’s go,” Alex said, tucking the Seal of Metatron into his jacket pocket.

“Where?” Heather asked, frowning and looking at him warily.

“Where else? We’re going to save your father, Sherril. I’m not going to leave a girl tied to Silent Hill in this place. Or do you want to stay bound to this cursed town forever? Hiding your whole life, being hunted by monsters, never having a normal, peaceful life?” Alex asked, looking at her with a steady, confident gaze.

Heather stared at him in shock, then glanced at Fernandez, Saga, and Casey. None of them looked surprised by his words. She had sincerely thought they wouldn’t let her into the town and had already been planning how to escape and search for her father on her own. Even with Alex’s words, she didn’t want to trust strangers, believing she could handle it herself.

Meanwhile, Alex had already stepped out of the tent with Saga, Casey, and Fernandez. The first thing he did was grab a large military backpack — stolen without a shred of guilt — to carry everything he might need and keep his inventory hidden from Heather. He quickly found a crowbar, chain cutters, and a fire axe, knowing these tools would definitely come in handy. Alex preferred using practical tools rather than relying on brute force, especially when it could be done quietly and efficiently.

For him, Silent Hill was more of a nostalgic return than just another mission. He was concerned not only with rescuing Alessa and sending the Order’s cult to the Red City but also with returning to this place itself. After gathering everything he needed, Alex approached his motorcycle, the Fenrir, mounted it, and looked at Heather, who was still in a mild daze.

“Sherril, hurry up. I have a lot to do, including saving your father. We don’t know where he is or what awaits us in the town,” Alex said, adjusting the backpack on his shoulders.

Heather snapped out of her stupor, quickly climbed onto the motorcycle behind Alex, and paused for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to hold onto so she wouldn’t fall. Alex shot a quick glance at Fernandez and nodded, signaling that he was ready to move.

Fernandez responded with the same short nod, silently wishing them luck — not only in Silent Hill but also in finding the missing agents. Alex waved goodbye to Saga and Casey, started the engine, and waited for the gates to slowly open. As soon as the way was clear, he set off at a slow pace.

Passing the sign that read “Welcome to Silent Hill,” Alex barely smiled and gave the throttle a little twist. Within moments, the motorcycle, carrying Alex and Heather, disappeared into the thick fog, and the gates slowly closed behind them.

Moving through the dense white haze, Alex squinted ahead, noting even the slightest changes in his surroundings. Heather held on tightly, trying to make out anything in front of them, but could see only endless fog and a strange sense that she was returning to the place where she was meant to be.

Alex deliberately avoided using his powers, preferring first to enter the very essence of Silent Hill itself. Only after a couple of minutes did he catch a glimpse, out of the corner of his eye, of Alessa’s silhouette standing by the roadside. The vision vanished just as quickly as it appeared, and Alex didn’t stop — he knew he would encounter her later.

He had begun to wonder when this foggy road would end when the mist ahead slowly started to clear. Visibility improved, and soon pine trees lining the road became visible. Alex took the bend and rode a bit further until he saw a familiar building that took his breath away for a moment.

Slowing down, he stopped and parked at the observation point. Turning off the engine, Alex immediately recognized the place — this was where James Sunderland had begun his journey in Silent Hill, receiving a letter from his dead wife.

Heather also climbed off the motorcycle and began looking around, trying to figure out where they were, while Alex’s gaze settled on a car that shouldn’t have been there. The only explanation that came to mind was that Silent Hill itself had preserved the memories of James’s time in this spot.

With a heavy sigh, Alex turned to Heather, who had already approached the binoculars and was leaning over them, trying to make out anything through the fog.

“Heather, don’t wander off too far. I’m not going to look for you all over the town,” Alex shouted.

“All right!” Heather called back, not lifting her head and keeping her eyes on the binoculars.

At that moment, Alex suddenly noticed a strange feeling — he felt like a father to a teenager. Of course, he already was a father, and his own daughters were little gremlins, but now he fully understood that he would need to watch Heather particularly carefully to make sure nothing happened to her.

Getting off the motorcycle, Alex adjusted the backpack on his back and walked over to James Sunderland’s car. He knew that James’s fate had multiple possible outcomes, and it was impossible to tell which path he had taken in the foggy town.

Pulling the handle, Alex opened the door and peered inside, looking for anything useful. Finding nothing except a map of the area, he headed toward the restroom where James had washed up before setting out into the town.

Entering, Alex pinched his nose and looked around until he noticed a white envelope lying on the edge of the sink. Curious, he opened it and saw a letter from Mary addressed to James, promising to wait for him in Silent Hill.

Slightly surprised, Alex tucked the envelope into his pocket, realizing that his collection of such items in this town was likely about to grow. Smirking at his reflection in the mirror, he stepped outside.

“You couldn’t have gone to the restroom before we arrived?” Heather asked, noticing him.

“I was just looking around, nothing more,” he replied with a faint smile.

Heather simply nodded. Alex lit a cigarette, walked to the observation point, and looked toward the city, hidden in fog and out of sight. He closed his eyes for a moment, and it even seemed to him that he could hear a familiar melody he had listened to for countless hours. Opening his eyes, Alex smiled and inhaled the smoke.

“The road ahead is blocked. We can only go that way,” Heather said, pointing to the single path down.

“The road is completely blocked. Even behind us,” Alex replied, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

Heather didn’t immediately understand what Alex meant. Frowning, she stepped onto the road and saw fallen trees where just a few minutes ago they had driven past easily. She slowly turned her head toward Alex, clearly unsure what it all meant.

In response to her look, he merely gave a small smile, thinking that Heather had little reason to be surprised given everything she had already seen in her dreams, experienced in the mall, and the monsters she had encountered. But Alex also understood something else — for her, all of this still looked like a nightmare or the result of sleep deprivation, something unreal and terrifyingly strange.

When Alex, without giving any explanation, headed forward, Heather immediately followed, trying not to fall behind. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, he was the only person nearby who truly understood what was happening and knew where to go.

Descending the steps, they came out onto a narrow trail leading into the forest. Heather stayed close to Alex, just in case, while he listened carefully to the surrounding sounds, hoping to finally see the first monster with his own eyes. As they continued along the path, they passed a well filled with murky water. Alex cast it only a brief glance and moved on without slowing down.

Soon they reached an iron gate. Alex pushed it slightly, and it creaked open. Beyond the gate lay a cemetery with rows of old gravestones. Standing there, Alex couldn’t help but think of a girl whose fate was as tragic as many others’ and wondered if he might still be able to save her if they met. Seeing no one among the graves, he quietly sighed.

“Looks like we’re at a cemetery. Now where do we go?” Heather asked, looking around for a way forward.

“Maybe you have some clues?” Alex replied, glancing at her. “Otherwise, we’ll have to comb through every corner of this town, hoping to stumble across an answer.”

Heather crossed her arms and paused for a moment.

“There was a strange woman. Her name is Claudia. She said I need to remember my true ‘self,'” she said. “And there was a man… He spoke in riddles and called Claudia an old bitch a couple of times. That’s it.”

“Remember your ‘self’…” Alex murmured, staring thoughtfully into the distance. “I think I know where we need to go. But first, we need a map of the town.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Heather frowned. “Are you going to speak in riddles too?”

“Even if I told you everything right now, you wouldn’t understand,” Alex replied calmly, meeting her eyes. “You’re connected to this town far more than you realize. By visiting the right places, you’ll get the answers. Just like I will.”

Heather held his gaze and slowly nodded, understanding that Alex didn’t know everything, but he wasn’t hiding anything from her either. Meanwhile, Alex was considering where to start their journey, knowing there were many locations ahead, each potentially offering important clues. Lighting another cigarette, he gestured for Heather to follow him, and they continued along the rain-softened path.

Walking between the graves, Alex kept an eye out for anything useful, beyond the worn names on the tombstones. Reaching the end of the cemetery, he pushed open another gate and went through first. Heather followed, and soon they continued past a field of long-dried corn. A little further, wooden gates appeared, leading to a barn, but Alex saw no point in going there and led Heather onward. Soon the path ended at a set of closed iron gates.

Heather approached and pulled on the doors.

“Closed. Can you give me a boost? Or maybe the key’s in the garage?” she asked, pointing to a nearby building.

“No need to waste time looking for keys,” Alex said calmly, taking a crowbar from his backpack. “I have my own key for any door.”

He gently moved Heather aside and pried the gates with force. The metal groaned, and the doors gave way, opening a passage forward. Instead of pointless key hunting, which might have been futile anyway, they passed through the gate without issue.

Once on the other side, Alex looked around, trying to decide the best way to proceed toward the town. After a moment’s thought, he patted Heather on the shoulder, and they continued, relying on intuition and his memory of the town to guide them.

After walking a bit further, they reached a boarded-up passage under a bridge, which immediately caught Alex’s attention.

“I hope you’re not planning to squeeze through there?” Heather asked, peering into the darkness behind the planks. “There’s another passage further ahead.”

“No,” Alex replied. “I just want to see what’s there. Here—take this flashlight, just in case.”

He pulled two flashlights from his backpack and handed one to Heather. Taking it in her hands, she immediately turned it on and began shining the light through the boards and the pile of debris. Alex did the same, slowly scanning the area around them.

The reason for his sudden stop was simple: according to his memory, it was right here that James first encountered a monster inhabiting Silent Hill. However, seeing neither the creature nor even a hint that anything unusual had ever occurred here, Alex switched off his flashlight and calmly moved on.

Passing under the bridge, Alex and Heather ventured deeper into the town. Despite the thick fog blanketing everything like a dense veil, Alex walked confidently and unhurriedly, completely unconcerned about what might be lurking in the milky haze. He knew that none of the local creatures posed any real threat to him.

A little further on, they reached a fork in the path. One of the routes was completely blocked and swallowed by an even denser fog, as if the town itself were making it clear that there was no way forward.

Alex briefly activated his magical vision to see what lay beyond and smiled slightly when he realized that the fog concealed nothing but a sheer drop. He didn’t tell Heather—soon enough, she would begin to understand what Silent Hill really was.

Continuing along the only accessible trail, Heather noticed a stand ahead with a city map.

“Look, there’s a map! That’s exactly what we need right now,” she said, pointing at the stand and immediately running forward.

“Sherril, don’t run like that. We need to be careful,” Alex said, shaking his head as he watched her rush ahead.

“Okay, Dad,” Heather replied, not even noticing how she had said it.

Alex let out a quiet sigh and shook his head. He understood perfectly why she had said it. Her father had always protected her, and that reflex was deeply ingrained in her—she simply hadn’t realized her words because Alex behaved the same way. At that moment, he even thought of a comparison to Joel, who had to guide Ellie safely through a dangerous world.

Smiling at the thought, Alex approached Heather and stood behind her while she carefully examined the map. Unfortunately, it was incomplete—the stand only showed the southern valley of the town. But even that was enough to reach the right location without wandering blindly through the streets, hoping for luck.

“Seems like this isn’t the whole map. So what do we do?” Heather asked, looking up at Alex.

“This will do for now. Trust me, in places like this, it’s not hard to find the right way. The town itself will guide you where you need to go,” Alex replied with a faint smile, gently taking the map from her hands.

“You’ve been to places like this before? Because it feels like you know exactly where to go and what to do,” Heather asked, curious and slightly doubtful, studying him closely.

“Yeah, I’ve been around. Or do you think Silent Hill is the only cursed town? Believe me, there are plenty of places like this,” Alex said, shrugging slightly.

“Maybe you’ll tell me about them?” Heather asked, her curiosity no longer hidden.

“I’ll tell you along the way. We need to visit a few specific locations—those are the places where we’ll find the answers to our questions. Including the answer to when and where you need to remember your true self. But for now… it’s time to start our journey through Silent Hill—in search of the truth,” Alex said, giving Heather a gentle pat on the shoulder and smiling warmly.

Heather nodded, agreeing with his words. All these riddles had long troubled her, especially her father’s disappearance and the words of a strange woman named Claudia, who claimed that Heather needed to remember who she truly was.

Her thoughts were tangled, anxiety lingered, yet Alex’s presence somehow brought a sense of calm—as if her father were nearby, the father she so desperately wanted to save from the Order’s grasp.

She stole another glance at Alex’s profile. Feeling her gaze, he turned slightly and gave a faint smile, silently letting her know that everything would be alright.

To be continued…

(So, hello there, here’s Silent Hill. I’ll certainly try to show the storylines, including their interweaving. Yes, yes, I understand that some things are difficult to show. Including James’s storyline, but without James himself, I believe the man should have a happy ending; all Alex will find are echoes of James’s past in Silent Hill. Alex’s journey will mainly involve searching for Alessa and burning down all the places where Alessa was bullied. Fuck the Order.)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep