Alex and Heather walked along the burned hospital corridor. A thick, suffocating stench of smoke hung in the air, biting into the nose and causing sharp, unpleasant sensations. But the most revolting smell among it all was that of burned flesh—so unbearable that nausea rose in Heather’s throat. From the very moment she found herself in this corridor, memories connecting her to Alessa began to surface again in her mind.

She remembered this place down to the smallest detail, even though in her memories the corridor had been clean, neat, and well maintained. Heather covered her nose with her hand, trying not to inhale the horrific smell, while fragments of Alessa’s memories flickered before her eyes like pieces of someone else’s life.

Alex walked beside Heather through the scorched corridor, doing his best to keep his thoughts under control and suppress the inner tension over what he was about to see. He understood perfectly well what Alessa wanted to show him—and why. She wanted to know, and perhaps even see with her own eyes, how Alex would react to what had happened to her in the past.

The hospital room… Alessa’s final refuge, the place where she had spent long years suffering and sinking deeper and deeper into darkness, unable to die and put an end to her torment. But Alex calmed himself with the thought that soon it would all be over, that Alessa would finally find the happiness and family she deserved, and that she would no longer have to suffer. And the more firmly these thoughts took root in his mind, the stronger his resolve became to see the truth through to the very end.

At the same time, Alex understood that an even more difficult task awaited him—to heal the souls of Heather and Alessa. After all, both of them were parts of a single whole: Heather carried the light part of the soul, while Alessa bore the dark. Alex already had a plan for how to fix this, and all that remained was to put it into action.

“Alex… I wanted to ask…” Heather said quietly, stopping and lifting her gaze to him.

“What is it, Sherril? What do you want to ask?” Alex replied, stopping as well and looking at her attentively.

“Alessa said that you would have to choose one of us… Is it really true that we’ll have to become one person again for all this to end? I got what Alessa wanted so badly. And if I remain… she’ll stop existing…” Heather asked, looking at him with a heavy, anxious gaze.

“Oh, Sherril…” Alex sighed softly. “I already told you I would solve this problem. You, just like Alessa, are asking the wrong questions. I promised to save you both. You should have asked whether you truly need to become one again. For someone else, that would be an impossible task… but not for me. After all, I’m not human,” he said, smiling faintly and gently stroking Heather’s hair.

“What do you mean, ‘not human’? I understand that you’re different from others… but not human?” Heather asked in confusion, looking up at him.

“Exactly that. Because in truth, I am Death,” Alex said in a light, almost casual tone.

“Death?.. Like, with a scythe and a black cloak?” Heather asked cautiously.

“Yep. Here’s the gloomy cloak…” Alex said, pointing at his black coat. “And here’s the scythe,” he added—and in that very moment, a scythe appeared in his hand.

Heather stared at Alex with wide eyes filled with shock. The instant the scythe appeared in his hands, she froze in place, unable to believe either her eyes or his words. Her mind desperately tried to accept the new reality: all this time, from beginning to end, she had been walking her path through Silent Hill in the company of Death itself.

Dozens of questions swirled in Heather’s mind—from why Death would pretend to be an agent of a secret Bureau, to why he even needed to come to this place at all. She opened and closed her mouth, unable to utter a single word. Yet at that very moment, it became clear to her why Alex knew so much, even without being a direct participant in all the events that had taken place in Silent Hill.

“If you’re Death… why do you do everything so… humanly?” Heather asked uncertainly, not taking her eyes off him.

“If I start explaining everything, it’ll take far too long,” Alex replied calmly. “There’s such a thing as the natural order of things. And it shouldn’t be disturbed, because that can lead to some very unpleasant consequences. I can’t tell you everything—you understand, secrets of the universe and all that. Including why I have to work the way I do. Formally, I’m Death, but in practice, my job is carried out by another me…” Alex fell silent for a moment, then added, noticing her expression, “And judging by the look on your face, you didn’t understand anything just now.”

Listening to Alex’s words, Heather could only nod, showing that she understood nothing. Seeing this, Alex smiled faintly and gently ruffled her hair, as if to let her know she shouldn’t overwhelm herself with questions. What mattered was something else—he had already shown that he could save both her and Alessa, and that they wouldn’t have to merge into one again. Lifting her gaze and looking into Alex’s eyes once more, Heather involuntarily rethought everything she had ever believed about Death and how it was usually portrayed.

Now, in her mind, Death in Alex’s form felt more like a caring older brother who had supported her throughout the entire journey. The thought that Alex was Death didn’t frighten her—on the contrary, it brought a strange, unexpected sense of relief. Taking a deep breath, Heather decided to trust Alex completely, no matter what awaited them next. Now she knew that with his help, she would definitely save her father, and that Claudia would not succeed in carrying out her plans.

In Heather’s thoughts, Death was Death—and therefore a powerful being. Finally regaining her composure, she glanced once more at Alex’s profile and couldn’t help thinking that Death, in theory, should have a bony, frightening face, not one as handsome as his.

“Before we reach Alessa, you can ask one more question,” Alex said without turning his head.

“Then… this face of yours…” Heather began hesitantly. “I mean, isn’t Death supposed to be skeletal, with a scythe and all that? And you’re… like you stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine,” she added shyly.

“I was born this way,” Alex replied calmly, thoughtfully stroking his chin. “My older brother is handsome too. Though, to be honest, I think all my brothers are pretty attractive. You could say it runs in the family.”

“Who are your brothers?” Heather asked, forgetting that she had been allowed to ask only one question.

“That’s a secret. Maybe I’ll tell you another time…” Alex said with a light smile, then nodded toward the end of the corridor. “And it seems we’ve arrived. And they’re even waiting for us.”

Heather followed Alex’s gesture and saw the burned double doors leading into a hospital room. On either side of them stood Pyramid Heads—like silent sentinels guarding whoever was inside.

Heather immediately understood that they had reached their destination, and that very soon everything would come to an end. And what comforted her most was the thought that the finale would be a happy one—for both her and Alessa. No matter how much she tried to deny it, Heather didn’t want to part with her life.

She knew her thoughts were selfish, yet she still wanted to continue living with her father, despite the fact that this life had essentially been given to her by Alessa herself. Clenching her hands, Heather moved forward beside Alex.

She felt her palms grow damp with anticipation before the coming encounter, but her anxiety quickly gave way to calm when she once again felt a familiar warmth resting on her head. Taking a deep breath, Heather gathered her thoughts and prepared to move on.

When Alex and Heather approached the doors, both Pyramid Heads lowered their heads, as if acknowledging their presence. The next second, they turned, grasped the door handles, and began to slowly open them. The doors swung wide with a long, drawn-out creak, and when they fully opened, a blinding white light struck Alex and Heather in the face. Once their eyes adjusted, they saw what looked like an ordinary hospital room, from whose depths came the monotonous sound of working medical machines.

Stepping forward, they entered and saw tall white curtains with a small window. Pushing aside all unnecessary thoughts, Alex moved closer to see what was hidden behind the screen. Peering through the small window, he saw Alessa—the way she had been before everything that happened in Silent Hill.

Her skin was burned beyond recognition, covered in a blackened crust and cracked in places from the unbearable heat. Alessa’s chest rose heavily, and every breath clearly spoke of indescribable pain, from which she, despite all her wounds, convulsively gripped the hospital bed with her hands. Seeing her like this, Alex, for the first time in a long while, could not hold back—he began to cry. Blood flowed from his eyes, dripping onto the white floor. Heather, standing beside him, was crying as well, feeling Alessa’s pain in full, for she was a part of her.

Without hesitation, Alex pushed the screen aside, approached the bed, and, kneeling, gently took Alessa’s hand.

“You were in so much pain and so alone… You suffered for so long… You didn’t deserve such a life… You, like everyone else, just wanted to be happy…” Alex said quietly, lifting Alessa’s burned hand to his face.

Alessa touched his cheek with her scorched hand, slowly running her fingers over the skin down which bloody tears were flowing. The touch was warm—the very warmth she had so desperately longed for. Even his tears felt surprisingly warm to her. Alex felt the roughness of her burned skin, but felt not a trace of revulsion—only a deep ache in his heart for everything Alessa had endured.

He knew all of this, had seen it through screens and recordings, but standing beside her, seeing her so close and in such a state, he finally broke. He could not hold back his tears—just as the members of his family would not have been able to, seeing the hell she had been trapped in.

Alex understood that the Alessa whose hand he was holding had long since ceased to exist—this was only an echo of the past, of the time before she was split into two. But even knowing this, he felt sincere, profound sorrow, gently squeezing her hand, trying not to cause her any more pain.

“When you are tormented for so long… fear and pain turn into hatred. And then I appeared…” came Alessa’s cold voice from the other side of the room.

Hearing Alessa’s voice, Alex suddenly realized that he no longer felt the hand he had been holding. The once blindingly white hospital room warped and changed into a dreadful, dark, scorched version of itself. He slowly rose from his knees and wiped the bloody tears from his face, then looked at Alessa, who stood on the other side of the charred bed, staring at him with empty, black eyes.

Heather still could not come to her senses after what she had seen. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks, and she helplessly wiped them away with trembling hands. She already knew what Alessa had gone through, knew the pain she had endured, and that it was precisely this pain that Alessa had kept for herself, giving Heather the most precious thing she had left—the remnants of light that had not lost a single shred of hope for something better, for a normal life without suffering. The sight of the burned Alessa struck Heather far harder than she could have imagined.

“This is the place where Alessa died. And this is the place where we were born,” Alessa said coldly. “I took all of her pain, suffering, hatred, and desire for revenge on those who wronged her. And she gave you, Cheryl, everything that remained of the light and hope. That final ray, which could have gone out at any moment. After everything you’ve seen…” her gaze locked onto Alex. “Are you still ready to keep your word?”

Instead of answering, Alex strode over to Dark Alessa and hugged her tightly, without hesitation for a single second, clearly showing that he was ready to accept her and make her part of his family. At that moment, Alessa felt an even stronger warmth from his touch, spreading throughout her body. She didn’t know how to react.

The being she had become didn’t know how to receive such affection. Originally, her desire had been not only to take revenge on those responsible for her suffering but also to find her own happiness—the very thing she had dreamed of for so long. Feeling Alex’s warmth, Alessa became flustered, and then, giving in to a sudden impulse, she carefully hugged him back, as if afraid to scare away the feeling.

In her memory, four girls she had recently met appeared. They had said that their father would save her and give her what she so desperately wanted. Nyaruko, Anya, Tina, and Jinx spoke of a large, loving family, of laughter and warmth surrounding them. At the time, Alessa, because of her nature, decided they were just boasting, but deep down she too wanted to be part of such a family—somewhere she would be truly loved.

Now, everything she had wished for was terrifyingly close, and she didn’t want to lose it. Alessa clutched Alex’s coat tightly, as if afraid that this was only a fleeting dream she would soon wake from.

As she gripped his clothing, she felt a hand on her head—cold, yet simultaneously warm. Alessa turned her head and saw a woman in a red dress, with black hair and equally black eyes. Her face held no emotion, but in the depth of that intimidating gaze, warmth and care could be read.

Heather, standing aside, did not intervene. She understood that Alessa deserved her happiness, and this moment belonged solely to her. Even the presence of the unknown woman did not disturb Heather—there was nothing she could do but wipe her tears and genuinely rejoice for Alessa.

“I told you I would save you. And I will. Only the final steps remain,” Alex said with a soft smile, looking at Alessa.

“What are you going to do?” Heather asked, shifting her gaze to him.

“It’s time for you to finally become separate individuals. The way you split in the past was imperfect. It’s time to do it properly. Are you both ready?” Alex first looked at Alessa in his arms, then at Heather.

“We won’t be connected anymore?” Alessa asked, raising her eyes while still clutching his coat.

“Yes. Each of you will have your own life. Two souls. Two bodies. And to start… Diërga,” said Alex, and a magical circle flared beneath his feet.

Alex knew that after casting Diërga, Heather and Alessa would eventually merge again over time, but the reason for his action was different. When Alessa had split her soul, she separated light and darkness, creating two personalities—which meant the division had been imperfect. With Diërga, Alex intended to evenly distribute the light and darkness between Alessa and Heather, so that they could become truly whole. He knew how to avoid the spell’s side effects without using time magic or drawing Chuck’s attention due to interference in the timeline. To achieve this, he would need another spell.

When the magical circle flared beneath Heather’s feet, she tensed slightly but remained in place. The bodies of Heather and Alessa glowed with a soft light, and both felt as if the missing parts of each that the other had were now within themselves. When the light faded, Alessa no longer felt the old darkness and weight—as if everything inside her had finally fallen into place.

“This is how I separated you. Now, the final step for both of you,” Alex said, looking at Alessa and Heather.

“What final step?” Heather asked, adjusting to the new sensations in her body.

“Rebirth. You are still parts of a whole, but after rebirth, you will have two souls and two bodies. And now… the final step. Azheb,” Alex said, and the magical circle flared again beneath his feet.

With the Azheb spell, Alex ensured that Alessa and Heather were reborn as two completely separate individuals. After that, they were no longer bound to each other as they had been before, and their incomplete souls finally became whole. Alessa’s and Heather’s bodies once again glowed softly, then faded a moment later. Alex left Heather human, while Alessa was reborn as a demon princess—just as Anya once had been.

When the light vanished, Alessa looked at her hands and realized that something important had happened to her body, though she couldn’t yet comprehend exactly what it was. What she did feel clearly was her bond with Alex—and along with it, the understanding that she now had a family she had dreamed of for so long. For the first time in many years, a sincere smile appeared on Alessa’s face, long forgotten, as she looked at Alex.

Heather, meanwhile, felt that what she had been missing had been restored within her, and that nothing tied her to this city anymore. The realization brought her immense relief—she smiled, as if she had finally found the long-awaited freedom.

What neither Alessa nor Heather saw was the small, pulsating ball of flesh in Alex’s hands. It was the God’s embryo—the very one that had been inside Alessa and had served as the source of her power. Now, it rested in Alex’s grasp.

By itself, the embryo possessed no power and granted none to its bearer—it only plunged the soul deeper into darkness, corrupting it and revealing the true nature of whoever dared to use it. The power of the embryo remained within Alessa’s body, while the embryo itself became nothing more than a tool. Alex already knew what he would do with it: he intended to feed it to Claudia, forcing her to finally reveal her true face.

“So, we’re done here,” Alex said, lifting Alessa into his arms. “All that’s left is to take revenge on every member of the Order… and finally destroy this rotten city.”

“And save my father,” Heather reminded him, looking at him.

“I remember your father,” Alex nodded. “He’s with Claudia. They’re all in the church right now. Everything’s in one place, so it’s time to go. Are you ready, little one? It’s time to say goodbye to this city once and for all,” he added with a smile, holding Alessa in his arms.

“Yes. It’s time for this nightmare to end… and for them to pay for everything they’ve done,” Alessa said confidently, nodding.

Alex grinned broadly, stepped over to Heather, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Before she could understand what was happening, the world around them trembled—and the next moment, they were standing at the entrance of Brookhaven Hospital. Heather blinked in shock, looking around and realizing that they were once again on the foggy streets of Silent Hill.

She looked at Alex and suddenly remembered everything that had happened just moments ago. Compared to the recent events, the sudden teleportation seemed almost harmless. With a sigh, Heather glanced at Alex, who was carrying Alessa in his arms, while Alessa hugged him around the neck.

“Now, the church. We’ll go in through the main entrance,” Alex said cheerfully, gently rocking Alessa. “I want to see the looks on the parishioners’ faces when they realize that their worst nightmare has calmly walked into their sanctuary.”

Alessa looked at him with a slightly blank stare, becoming more and more convinced that her new father was a rather strange individual. Yet there was something in his words that made her smile. In the past, she had been unable to enter the Order’s church because of their so-called faith, which rejected her as a creature of darkness. Otherwise, she would have taken her revenge long ago.

Keeping that smile, Alex carried Alessa in his arms and led Heather down the foggy street of Silent Hill toward the Order’s church. His mood was excellent: he had gained another little princess.

Alex loved all his daughters and knew he would love Alessa just as fiercely—even if in the future she turned into a real gremlin. If his daughters were happy and enjoying life, that was his own happiness. Still, he decided to give Alessa some time to adjust to everything before introducing her to the rest of the family.

“Alessa, what happened to those two? I completely forgot about them,” Alex said, suddenly remembering the Pyramid Heads.

“They’re here. For some reason, I can still control them,” Alessa replied, looking him in the eyes. “But the other monsters—I can’t. They don’t obey me anymore.”

“To hell with the other monsters, they’re creepy anyway,” Alex chuckled. “And since your guardians still obey you, that means you’ve got some extra protection,” he added, lightly tapping Alessa on the nose.

Alessa nodded slightly, still not fully understanding why she hadn’t lost her powers. However, she wasn’t about to ask questions yet—she already knew from her new sisters, who had visited her earlier, that her new father was incredibly strong. Hugging Alex tighter around the neck, Alessa decided to leave things as they were and just focus on the main point: now she had a family.

Heather, walking beside them, genuinely felt happy for Alessa. She ignored Alex’s question about the Pyramid Heads that Alessa could still control, pretending not to have heard it. They continued walking at a calm, unhurried pace through the foggy streets of Silent Hill.

Alex no longer rushed—his victims were already trapped, which meant he could afford to enjoy a normal stroll with his new daughter. Holding Alessa in his arms, he kept smiling and quietly humming a cheerful tune, until his gaze caught a long, bloody trail stretching ahead.

“Did we miss something in this town?” Alex said thoughtfully.

“I don’t think so. But if you want to check—go ahead. I have no chance of stopping you, Mr. Death,” Heather shrugged, making it clear she didn’t care.

Alex looked at Alessa. She merely tilted her head slightly, clearly signaling that the decision was his. Despite her desire to save her father as quickly as possible, Heather understood that as long as Alex was around, nothing would happen to him. That realization brought her unexpected calm.

Satisfied that neither of them objected, Alex moved forward, following the bloody trail.

Soon, the fog revealed the outline of a figure lying ahead. As they approached, they saw a monster with gray skin: its legs fused together like a fin, a bald head crowned with a vertical mouth covering the entire face filled with sharp teeth, and instead of hands, it had mutilated stumps ending in jagged scythes. Examining the Lurker’s body, Alex noticed clear claw marks—as if a wild beast had attacked the monster.

“And what the hell is a Lurker doing in Silent Hill? It’s supposed to be in Shepherds Glen hunting there,” Alex raised an eyebrow.

“Look, there’s another one… but different. Looks like a human with a hammerhead,” Heather said, pointing.

Alex turned his gaze and saw a second monster with the same gray skin, but with an elongated head ending in a vicious blade. Its mouth ran across the entire head, cutting it vertically. Alessa also recognized this creature. The wounds on its body looked like bullet holes. Piece by piece, Alex began to form a clear understanding of what was happening.

He led Heather further along the trail of dead monsters. One looked as if it had been poisoned by a powerful toxin. Another had a gaping hole in its chest, as if someone with monstrous strength had ripped out its heart. With every new body, Alex grew more certain of his suspicions and quickened his pace. Soon, they arrived at the motel.

All the monsters along the way had been killed in different ways, yet each one was painfully familiar to Alex.

“Looks like we’ve come to the right place,” he said with a faint smile.

“Do we really have to go in there? What does it matter who killed these monsters, especially from another town? Maybe we should just keep going?” Heather asked, doubtfully.

“Trust me, we need to enter this motel,” Alex replied, keeping his smile.

As they approached, he used a magical sonar to confirm his suspicions. Feeling the familiar presence, Alex fully committed to his decision. Heather could only sigh resignedly, comforting herself with the thought that there was nothing to fear with the embodiment of Death beside her.

Alex stepped onto the motel grounds, still holding Alessa in his arms, following the sensation given by the spell. Only one thing made him uneasy: instead of the expected five presences, he sensed six. The sixth was barely perceptible, weak—as if someone teetered on the brink of death. However, Alex didn’t dwell on it. Right now, he cared about something else—he wanted Alessa to meet her new family.

Climbing the stairs to the second floor, Alex stopped at the farthest door. Muffled moans and female voices came from the other side.

“Excuse me, do you have a moment to talk about our god and savior—the magnificent and all-knowing Flying Spaghetti Monster?” Alex cheerfully said, knocking on the door.

The moment Alex spoke, the voices on the other side fell silent. Heather stared at him, stunned, unable to say a word, and in the next instant, the door swung open.

Heather immediately turned her head and saw a girl with white hair and a colored streak falling to the side of her face. But what caught her attention most wasn’t her appearance—it was her gaze: tired, heavy, as if she had been carrying hours, maybe days, of unrelenting tension. In response, Alex only smiled even wider, as if the situation genuinely amused him.

Lucina looked wearily at her husband—the man who somehow managed to joke even in moments like this. But as soon as she noticed Alessa in Alex’s arms, her expression softened, and a warm, almost maternal smile appeared on her lips.

“Well, come in, idiot,” Lucina said with a faint smirk.

“That’s harsh,” Alex drawled, looking at her.

“I don’t care. We’re all exhausted. And by the way, this is your fault,” Lucina replied sharply, reaching out and grabbing Alex by the collar.

Alex barely had time to realize what was happening before Lucina kissed him on the lips, then gently stroked Alessa’s hair. Heather opened her mouth in surprise but quickly shut it, realizing immediately: if there’s a kiss, then this must be his wife.

Lucina fully opened the door, and Alex saw the other girls. Alice reacted first—she vanished from her spot and in an instant was beside him, quickly kissing Alex on the lips.

At that moment, Heather was completely flustered. This was already the second girl to kiss Alex right in front of her eyes. But Alice almost immediately shifted all her attention to Alessa, who watched the scene with obvious bewilderment.

Samantha and Enid also stepped closer, taking turns kissing Alex, then stared at Alessa with the same curiosity. Alessa looked just as stunned as Heather, who had completely lost any sense of what was happening. Alex, meanwhile, scanned the room quickly, clearly searching for someone with his eyes.

“You’re so cute,” Alice said cheerfully. “Come to me. I’m your new mom now.”

With that, she gently took Alessa from Alex’s arms.

“She’s so much like Wednesday… from her clothes to her gaze. A tiny copy,” Enid remarked in surprise.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d even think Alessa is Wednesday’s daughter,” Samantha nodded.

“And where is Wednesday herself?” Alex asked, looking around.

“Over there. Chatting with some guy we caught… What did she say? Oh, right: ‘Give me five minutes, and I’ll find out everything,'” Enid said, mimicking Wednesday’s tone in an exaggeratedly cold voice.

Alex turned his gaze to the locked door and finally understood why he had sensed six presences instead of five. From the adjacent room came a stifled moan of pain, abruptly cut off by a sharp slap—as if someone had been struck.

Heather looked at the same door, trying to process what she had heard and make sense of who this Wednesday was, the one everyone spoke about so calmly.

A moment later came the click of a lock. The door creaked open, and Wednesday appeared on the threshold. Her hands were covered in bloodied medical gloves, her black apron stained with blood, and Thing sat on her shoulder as if it were nothing unusual.

Behind her stood a chair, to which a man was tied. His condition could only be described as pitiful—the marks of their “conversation” were obvious.

Seeing the girl and the living hand, Heather completely lost touch with reality. And at the same moment, she realized why Alessa had been called a mini-copy of Wednesday.

“I’m done,” Wednesday said calmly, removing the bloodied medical gloves. “The secret passage to the fanatics’ church is under the amusement park.”

Wednesday lifted her gaze and saw Alex, Alessa cozily nestled in Alice’s arms, and Heather, who was experiencing yet another, probably not the last, shock of the day. Wednesday’s brow raised slightly when she noticed Alex’s arrival. And before she could say or process anything, Alex was already beside her, hugging her and rubbing his cheek against hers in a childlike gesture of affection.

Without changing her expression and entirely unimpressed by the display of affection, Wednesday, with her usual motion, placed her hand on his face and pushed him back. Alex only smiled wider in response, pulled her close again, and quickly kissed her. Wednesday rolled her eyes for a moment, but strangely said nothing—this kind of behavior had long since become routine for her.

Smiling, Alex led Wednesday to the others, finally deciding to introduce Alessa to her new family. When Alessa realized that all these women were her new mothers, a strange and slightly unsettling question formed in her mind: exactly how many mothers did she have now? But she didn’t voice it. Family is family—especially when they welcome you so warmly and sincerely.

Heather, hearing Alex casually call Lucina, Alice, Samantha, Enid, and Wednesday his wives, looked at him as if he were a complete playboy. Alex, in his usual manner, completely ignored the look and continued the introductions as if nothing unusual were happening.

“And… where’s your… companion?” he asked, glancing around.

“If you mean that annoying guy, we left him,” Wednesday replied indifferently. “He was in the way.”

“In what way ‘in the way’?” Alex raised an eyebrow.

“Well…” Enid scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. “He didn’t really understand what was going on, started demanding answers… Basically, Wednesday zapped him with a shocker, tied him up, and threw him in the shed.”

“Oh… poor Alex Shepard,” Alex sighed, then immediately changed the topic. “What about the ritual?”

“Speaking of the ritual,” Enid said with a kind but suspiciously wide smile, “Alex, can I have a word with you for a second?”

“What is it?” he asked cautiously.

“Why didn’t you tell us we’d be dealing with huge, terrifying monsters?!” Enid suddenly exploded, grabbing the collar of his jacket. “First, some weird, incomprehensible abomination, who knows what it even was! Then that giant porcelain doll—I’m now scared to even look at porcelain dolls! Then… that centipede with a hundred rear ends! You didn’t tell us anything! I thought we were just saving children’s souls, not fighting nightmares! And don’t even get me started on the places we had to crawl through! I stink of sewage and blood!”

Enid’s anger flared instantly—wolf ears and a tail sprouted, and her claws noticeably lengthened. She shook Alex, venting everything that had been building up since their arrival in Shepherds Glen.

Lucina watched the scene with a smile—Enid had been holding her emotions in for far too long. Alice and Samantha quietly chuckled, as they themselves were frustrated by all they had been through. Enid vented everything: from the very beginning of their journey in Shepherds Glen up to the present moment. Alex patiently let her blow off steam, fully aware it would take time—and that later he’d have to calm her down, maybe even take her somewhere so she could relax.

Alessa, sitting in Alice’s arms, watched with mild amazement. Gradually, she realized that this was exactly what the family she had dreamed of looked like: a family where everyone supported each other, could get angry, shout, and argue—and still loved one another. Watching her new mom shake her new dad, Alessa smiled with genuine happiness.

Lucina noticed the smile and gently stroked Alessa’s hair.

Heather, observing Enid’s ears and tail, finally realized that Enid was definitely not human. But the scene itself—Enid shaking Alex by the collar—was so absurdly domestic that Heather couldn’t help but quietly laugh, swept up in the strange but warm family atmosphere.

To be continued…

(Now Alessa is finally saved and has met her new family. It seems like what follows is supposed to be the full conclusion of the events of Silent Hill. Where we’ll go after these events, I don’t know yet. But I have time to think about it. Whether it’ll be Hellsing or another storyline, I don’t know yet. But I’ll choose something. So, peace, love, and rainbow ponies.)

Early access to chapters on my patreon: p*treon.com/GreedHunter

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep