Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Beneath the city of Yharnam, in the depths of the earth, lies a gigantesque network of underground galleries. A real labyrinth carved by the ancient civilisation of the Pthumerians, now extinct. It was their home but also the tomb of their gods.

It is said that the Pthumerians were superhuman beings who unleashed the wisdom of eldritch truth. Traces of this civilization can be found in many regions. After the disappearance of their gods, they began to name and crown themselves their own leaders. They built their capital in the middle of this gigantic maze, just below the heart of actual Yharnam.

But one day something terrible happened, all the different Pthumerian civilisations begin to disappear one after the other. Diseases, natural disasters, wars, monster attacks, mysterious disappearances... they seemed to be plagued by many calamities. 

More than a century ago, a war broke out between the last great Pthumerian civilisation and the surface. Neither side came out victorious. Only a few warriors sent in the depths of the earth ever returned. Those who still got their mind, reported that all the Pthumerians had gone mad, they were deformed and much stronger and faster than an ordinary human. They had become monsters.

After that, the labyrinths under Yharnam were sealed, and the last of the Pthumerians with it. These impressive constructions are nothing but ruins now. All that remains of the Pthumerians and their knowledge are the few relics who were brought back to the surface. 

A few decades later, in the city but also in its surroundings, new catacombs 

leading to these ancient complexes were uncovered. With them came many new artifacts. Scholars, brilliant minds, families from noble birth, but also much more modest people  who wanted to discover the secrets of this vanished civilisation. 

 "How did the Pthumerians become so powerful ? What did they discover ? Why did they disappear ? Did they really manage to make contact with the gods ? How could all this knowledge be used for a common purpose ?”

A unique place of knowledge and learning was needed to answer all these questions, to make the best out of it and to put them into practice. This is how the University of Byrgenwerth was founded.

One day, a group of scholars made an extraordinary discovery in the ancient labyrinth. They assimilated the eldritch truth and brought back a sacred medium with exceptional properties. It was said to be the blood of the gods. With the goal of ascending humanity and reconnecting with the great ones, their thirst for knowledge drove them to go further and further. However, their wild curiosity also leads them to repeat the same mistakes as their predecessors. This is how their dreams turned into a nightmare. 

Hundreds of bones and skulls covered the walls of the ancient catacombs. These dark, cold and moist galleries where a few drops of water drip down and where silence seemed to reign forever. However, the echoes of footsteps began to be heard, they grew louder and louder. Behind the faint glow of a light piercing through the darkness, two shapes appeared. 

Fortunately, they were ordinary, normal humans. With their brown uniforms and long black robes they had to be students or members of Byrgenwerth.

One of the two finally broke the cold silence and spoke softly to his comrade. "Are you sure it's this way? " 

"Yes, it's this way. We went there the other day with the teachers" answered the one leading, a young blond man. After a few moments he stopped walking. Scratching and squeaking echoed in the tunnels. He asked his companion: "Do you hear that? "

His follower, another student with short brown hair, had stopped behind him and looked worried: "Is that..."

"Probably a rat, yes."

"It's very noisy for a simple rat, don't you think? "

He thought for a few seconds before answering. "Maybe there’s just a lot of them?"

His friend looked at him puzzled, but before he could answer, he added with a laugh. "They're pretty big too. You should have seen the one we saw the other day! "

Imagining such a thing just made him shiver. He just quickly answered him. "What are we going to do now? I don't want to get bitten or get sick because of them! "

"Don’t worry, we can make a detour over there. We're not too far anyway." 

After a few minutes of walking, they finally arrived at their destination. They found themselves in front of a huge double door, several meters high. Their lanterns could barely light up the whole thing. In addition to the imposing arch above it, numerous bas-reliefs decorated the imposing stone door. It seemed very heavy and far too dense to hear from the other side. There was no lock, handle or anything that could be found on an ordinary door.

"This is the entrance to one of the ancient labyrinths! According to Master Willem and the other teachers. You know, the ones that were sealed long ago." He paused briefly. "I needed to show you."

"That's impressive!" marvelled the second.He pointed at the door. "Have they managed to open it yet?"

"Not for now unfortunately. No one ever managed to move it."

"These ornaments are so beautiful and detailed!" he exclaimed in wonder.

"That's true... You know, from what I've heard, they're going to ask some of the clerics in town if they can borrow their chalice to try to open the door. But I don't see how a simple cup could open a door. It's not a key for what I'm aware of..." He raised an eyebrow and looked at his comrade in anticipation of an answer from him.

"That's true but... look at the engravings. You can see the Pthumerians putting uh... various substances and materials into the chalice. It looks like they're performing some kind of ritual with it. Perhaps it's a clue? "

"Yes indeed, they seem to be putting some sort of liquid in it..."

They stared at the door for a few more moments in silence.

"Alright, shall we go back up now? " He asked him gently.

"Already? Are you scared? " 

"No, but I don't want us to get into trouble, you know."

"At this hour there's no one around here" Normally "But yes, I showed you what I wanted, and it's done. You know, in the worst case we'll just run into one of the school guards and improvise! "

"Yes, like always!" The two burst out laughing.

"By the way, thank you for agreeing to come with me..." he muttered as he turned away from his friend.

"Of course! Thank you for showing me the entrance to the labyrinth" he replied warmly.

And so, they decided to go back to the surface. After a last look at the huge door their eyes were again greeted by the dark ground and the bones. But after a while, another pair of footsteps seemed to be heard. They both stopped to listen.

"Can you hear that!? "Whispered the worried brunet over his friend's shoulder.

"Yes, I hear it!" He managed to say in a low voice, trying to keep his composure.

The footsteps continued for a few seconds before stopping completely. They looked at each other puzzled, but before they could say anything, intelligible whispers reached their ears. They now stood motionless, both holding each other's arm. 

After a few minutes the murmurs were still going. They seemed to get louder and louder, but it was impossible for them to understand anything. 

Once both had calmed down a bit, they wondered if they should try to make some noise and signal their presence. It could only be one of the university staff or another student defying the rules. They were still in Byrgenwerth grounds, it couldn't be a tomb robber, right?

After a while they decided to try to call out the mysterious voice. They got no answer and the murmuring continued. They moved forward very slowly and then noticed that the whispers were coming from one of the side galleries connected to the main path.

They stared at each other in the eye. Despite their fear they had been bitten by curiosity, so they decided to go in the side alley. They only stopped a few dozen meters further, that's when they saw it. It was a very tall, naked humanoid with pale, almost blue, skeletal skin, it’s back turned to them. It looked like an undead corpse. 

The two young men were left stunned. The brown haired one stammered to his friend, "Is... is that a... a Pthumerian? Isn't… it ?! "

The blond, trying to articulate, replied: "I... I don't know... I thought they had all disappeared. Shit! What do we do?"

"We can try to-" 

"To what? Talk to him?! "

"Well... we can always try... can't we?! "After a few long seconds of silence, he began in a faint voice: "Are you one of the watchers of the labyrinth?" No answer. The being continued to mumble in its corner.

His friend decided to continue, but in a slightly louder tone. "Oh, proud and brave Pthumerian, guardian of the gods, have you come to share your great wisdom with us? "Still no answer.   

The other picked up a small stone and threw it against one of the walls in the hope of attracting his attention. The murmurs stopped but still no reaction.The two students looked at each other without really knowing what to do.

The blond decided to call out to him, "HEY!!!" Still nothing but silence and the crackling of lanterns. The two of them were whispering to each other that it would be better to leave now, hoping the others would believe them when suddenly the figure slowly turned its face to them.

Its eyes were completely black, no one could discern whether it really had eyeballs in the darkness. His facial features reflected the deteriorated state of the rest of his body. His mouth was wide open, gaping and as black as its orbits. 

Both were unable to move, staring at what was in front of them. Suddenly the creature let out a student scream and took two steps forward. One of them dropped his lantern, then as quickly as they could while screaming as well, they ran as fast as they could to the surface. 

Contrary to what everyone had thought for many years, the Pthumerians were still there, hiding in the depths of the earth, patiently waiting for curious minds to reveal all their secrets.

Outside, the moon was already high in the sky when the teachers and guardians of the university finally finished securing the entrance of the excavation and its surroundings. They were now awaiting the next instructions from their superiors and were struggling to clear out the growing number of researchers and students who were crowded in front of them. 

No one had been able to miss the scream echoing across the campus of the two students who had returned terrified from the underground. Everyone wanted to know if they had really witnessed a Pthumerian!

The staff and the higher-ups at the school doubted it, but after questioning the students and seeing how horrified they were, they realised that it couldn't be just a prank coming from them. Them who are usually so fearless... Something was definitely wrong.

Besides, with the mysterious disappearances that happened occasionally in the city's catacombs, they couldn't take this kind of thing lightly. Whatever they saw, they needed to make sure it wasn't dangerous. They couldn't risk bringing people underground and continue their studies in these conditions.

They really hoped that it was just a misunderstanding. Perhaps their sight tricked them or maybe it was just a bad joke from another student. But it could also be a dangerous tomb robber... and if it was really a Pthumerian, then this discovery would be crucial for the progression of their research.

Master Willem, the Provost of Byrgenwerth, decided to send some of the supervisors of the school to investigate. Once they returned to share what they had found, he would advise. Many of them seemed terrified to go, while others seemed a little too... enthusiastic. He offered the task to three people who were among his most loyal and resourceful subordinates. People who were quite capable of ensuring the security of the establishment and to find someone (or something) very quickly while keeping their composure.

Therefore, the small team was composed of :

Liam, the gatekeeper of the main entrance. He had a lantern and a rifle with him.

Dores, the guardian of the cemetery and the area just outside the college. She was armed with a thin butcher knife and a small saw.

Finally, there was Gehrman, the groundskeeper. He was in charge of maintaining and guarding the grounds of Byrgenwerth. He had brought with him a lantern and a hunting knife, but what was more noticeable about him was the scythe he was holding. He usually used it to mow the long grass but in the general confusion it was probably the first thing he could have got his hands on.

Willem also instructed that all the students and the crowd be sent back to their dormitories. As asked, many of them returned to where they came from, but some of them were still waiting quietly in front of the delimited area. Perhaps they hoped to get more information or even a glimpse of the mysterious entity. To make matters worse, some latecomers arrived to take the place of their comrades who had just been dismissed.

The mysterious creature was supposed to be near the large sealed door and only the lost lantern could be used to locate it. It might take a little while to go investigate it, then return.

Once these three had gone underground, those left behind waited for long minutes in an almost suffocating silence. Only a few people were still whispering among themselves and only a handful were still enthusiastic. Some were pacing back and forth or rubbing their hands nervously, while others had a worried expression.

After a couple of dozen minutes, Gehrman emerged at the surface, alone. He looked worried, even troubled. Several people immediately wanted to question him. He began simply by announcing in a calm voice that the others were fine and waiting for them further in the catacombs.

Before any more questions were asked, Willem took him aside. The young groundskeeper then whispered in his ear what must have happened. The Provost thought deeply, holding his hand on his chin. After a moment, he announced that they were going down into the catacombs. A dozen people, with at least one weapon each, would come with them. Those remaining would have to wait outside at the entrance of the excavation.

Once the group was formed, they began their descent underground. After reaching the complete darkness, the group stopped, then Willem and Gehrman explained to them the situation. It seemed that our guardians and the two students had indeed found one of the watchers of the ancient Pthumerian labyrinths. 

Among those who had the privilege of accompanying the Provost, a newly appointed teacher had managed to slip into the group. With his small stature, much closer to the one of a foreigner than an ordinary Yharnamite, he might have thought he would go unnoticed. However, his friend had no difficulty spotting him. 

While Willem was doing another lecture about the Pthumerians, their civilization and the ancient gods to the rest of the group, Gehrman came to stand right next to the promising scholar, staring at him for a few seconds before starting the conversation.

"I hope you asked Master Willem to come at least... Laurence ?" 

"What question my dear friend, you know I always follow the rules" a man with dark brown hair replied calmly, a slight smile on his face. 

Gehrman nodded with a little grin before adding, "And... Do you  have a weapon at least ?"

"Of course, I always have my scalpel with me." He pulled a small silver surgical scalpel from his sleeve with a satisfied look. "And there's enough old weapons here if we need." There were indeed a few rusty swords and spears scattered among the bones, but they were completely useless.

"Oh everything’s alright then." Replied Gehrman sarcastically. Laurence then looked at his scythe, then he pointed at it before asking in an amused tone. "And is this effective at least ?"

"Like a big stick with a sharp iron tip at the end. I supposed..."

"Have you ever used it against someone ?" asked Laurence energetically. "Or something ? "

His friend looked at him confused, so he went on to cut the long silence between them.  "Hm who knows..." Then his smile grew larger and he put his improvised weapon in Laurence's hands. " Here, why don't you try it for once.” 

Laurence just nodded. "Very good" he announced, satisfied. Gehrman then went to the front of the group to guide them.

After some time, they finally reach Dores and Liam. They looked particularly nervous and were located a bit ahead to where the groundskeeper remembered to have left them.

Turning their heads towards the bottom of the tunnel the group finally saw it, the Pthumerian. He was curled up on the ground at the far end of the corridor.

Gehrman looked very surprised. "Uh...are you alright ?!"

Willem looked equally stunned, this was not the situation that was described to him. The watcher was supposed to be alive, not lying dead on the floor.

Liam was the first to answer, hesitating. "The Pthumerian he uh..."

Dores continue. "He just fell on the ground !"

"Yes he took his head in his hands, then started screaming and fell." 

"We didn't even touch him! And he hasn't moved since..." Even Dores seemed worried, something very unusual.  

"Is he... dead?" asked one of the scholars.

The two guards stared at each other before looking at the group with a gaze indicating how uncertain they were. They didn’t know.

Despite the concern of some of the scholars, many were fascinated.  "A true Pthumerian..."

 "In any case, we can't leave him here. We need to get him back !"

"This discovery is crucial !" added another. 

Master Willem agreed. "We will learn a lot from it and maybe we will finally be able to break the seal of the ancient labyrinths!"

But there was still one problem to solve, they needed to make sure the Pthumerian was really dead. If he was alive their plans need to be a bit modified, then they could bring him back with them.

The Provost looked at his staff members one after the other, the professors did the same. Most of the pairs of eyes finished by laying on Gehrman. He looked around at everyone staring at him before taking a deep breath and retrieving his scythe from Laurence's hand. 

In the silence, only the sound of his prosthesis tapping against the ground as he slowly approached the curled form could be heard. All the discussions had stopped and everyone was now looking at the same thing.

He observed the watcher from different angles before trying to move his foot with the wooden handle of his tool. No reaction. He then tried to gently move his torso. Still no reaction. Finally, he gently turned his head which was face down... nothing. He didn't even seem to be breathing. Gehrman turned back toward the group then nodded.

Master Willem decided to approach, the others stayed behind him at some distance but the three guardians stayed close to him.

He knelt down to watch the Pthumerian, completely fascinated. He looked at his head then lifted his skeletal elbow. He could feel a very weak and slow pulse, but without warning the being that seemed dead just a few moments ago violently grabbed the Provost's arm.  Gehrman quickly stepped in and managed to push away the growling creature who was now moving frantically. Liam held the creature at gunpoint as everyone was starting to panic.

"Wait! We need it in one piece !" shouted Master Willem at him and waved the others to stay back. The Pthumerian began to gather speed to jump on them, but just before he could, Dores stepped in front of the others and punched the assailant straight in the face. The latter stepped back immediately, disoriented by the hit. The staff and researchers were now all ready to retort if necessary, but the Pthumerian turned around, walked a few meters down the corridor and then knelt on the ground, his back to them. 

He held out his arms, doing a perpendicular angle with them. Then began to mutter some sort of prayer in an ancient language. The group was even more disconcerted by this unexpected reaction. No one was moving anymore. After a few instant that felt like an eternity, he brought his arms back then collapsed to the ground, dead. Really dead. Everyone was completely stunned by what had happened. They were simply stunned, transfixed, wide-eyed, some were even shivering.

His body was brought back afterwards to the surface.

Behind closed doors, some of the scholars had the privilege to witness the first medical examination of a Pthumerian in over a century. This first operation taught them many things.

The nervous system and the arrangement of his brain areas were unusual, which signify a great knowledge and an important arcane power. It was this knowledge that had given the Pthumerians great wisdom and enabled them to grow closer to the gods. They also discovered that his blood possessed remarkable self-healing and regenerative powers. 

It was thanks to this blood and the chalice of Pthumeru that the scholars finally succeeded at unlocking the great door leading to the Pthumerian labyrinth. A new era of research, exploration and experimentation had begun.

An era that would change Yharnam and its inhabitants forever.

Chapter Text

After the door was unlocked, the first level of the Pthumerian labyrinth was fully inspected and the second level reached. Despite the help of many people, a lot of them never saw the light of the day again.

However, this sacrifice was not in vain, the knowledge acquired was immense. Over the next few months, many tests were done over arcane and the old blood. The results were still quite mixed but very promising so far.

While waiting to find a safer way to explore the second level, the prospectors looked for the entrances of the other labyrinths while the scholars were allowed to go to areas already discovered and secured to complete their studies.

One afternoon, a small group of researchers and some of their students had ventured into the catacombs and the first level of the labyrinth. They were accompanied by one of the guardian of the university, one who survived the expedition of the first layer. A simple security measure, put in place because of the dangerousness of the creatures they had to face during the exploration of this first layer. All the teachers also had a small firearm with them.

After passing two hours underground, it was almost time to return to the surface. Professors and researchers began to return to the front door while gathering their students, scattered all over the place.

As a good teacher, Laurence did the same. He returned on his steps in the labyrinth and asked the students he encountered to rejoin the other teachers. If he was right, only one student remained, he seemed to him they went backward a little earlier.

The light from his torch illuminated a large bas-relief to his left, this place marked the true beginning of the labyrinth, it had been baptized “the chamber of the seal”. He continued a few meters towards the next room. Just before the door with the two statues, he saw two figures staring at the block in front of them. He immediately recognized his friend lighting the wall with a torch.

It was Gehrman who accompanied the scholars on this day. He was not wearing the standard Byrgenwerth uniform but one more suited to exploration. In appearance it was rather normal outfit, apart from the long thick black cape over his shoulders and the dark tricorn on his head. In his other hand he held a very rough blade. It was similar to a sickle or billhook, but it was as long as a sword. A weapon found here that he had modified a little so that a human could use it.

Laurence had no trouble to recognize as well the student drawing in a notebook that was standing right next to the groundskeeper. With messy red hair sticking out of their hood, it could only be the young Caryll.

“So, are you two making any interesting discoveries ?” Laurence exclaimed behind them. Gehrman turned to him with a faint smile as a seemingly surprised Caryll jumped in place before doing the same. Laurence also smiled at them before continuing more calmly. “We will have to go soon.”

Gehrman was the first to reply, “We must be the last then, I was just waiting for Caryll to finish they're sketch."

The student nodded. "Oh, I just wanted to take a better look at the rune you mentioned briefly a bit earlier.

Laurence looked more closely at the wall. “Ah yes the rune…” The young student had copied in his notebook a strange Pthumerian symbol engraved in the stone: a large vertical bar separated at the bottom into three branches. These three extremities meet almost at the same point but without ever touching. Just below them a small round point.

“I was explaining to Caryll that we haven't found its exact meaning yet. Except that it looked a bit like a hanged man, the type hanged by the foot with its head down. I think.” Added Gehrman

"Yes, it looks a bit like a hanged man..." Caryll thought an instant before continuing. "Could this perhaps represent blood flowing from a hanged body ?"

"Oh, that's very interesting !" retorted Laurence enthusiastically. "That's what master Willem first deduced." He paused before continuing. “The problem is that we can find this symbol on a lot of tombstones too, so it could indicate some sort of ritual or as we think for now, a type of “rank” given to some Pthumerian warriors. “

The three pairs of eyes were all fixed on the strange mark as Gehrman mumbled to himself. “A rank…”

The young professor spoke again. “To know its true meaning I am afraid it might take a little while, but I'm sure that mystery will be solved one day."

Caryll was contemplative as Gehrman nodded before asking. “By the way, you said we were going back up ?”

“Yes, the other teachers are trying to gather all the students…”

“Alright, I'll go join them then and help them, don't be too long.” He replied with a smirk before walking away. He was well aware of the lengthy explanations that the young professor used to make.

This remark almost made Laurence laugh, he just answered with a big smile. "See you soon.”

Ironically, even though Gehrman himself was much more reserved than his friend, at times, he did sometimes give long speeches on subjects that fascinated him. Especially with good acquaintances because it would have little interest or would even be seen as rude in common conversations with strangers.

After waving goodbye he walked away, the young student then turned to his teacher. “Uh, I had a question for you, Mister Laurence.”

“Oh, Caryll, I'm only a few years older than you. You don't need to speak to me like this." His first official course year at Byrgenwerth was more than 5 years ago. He hadn't become a teacher since a long time, but he was still taking a few classes and conferences in parallel in order to complete his second course of study.

by just hearing one of his students call him sir or mister, he could feel his hair and sideburns stand on end. It was rather rare to address young professors who only received their master degrees in this way, but it was true that Caryll was younger than the vast majority of the first-year students.

That made him think of Gehrman, only a few years older than him but over a decade apart from his youngest pupil. The poor man felt even more embarrassed when a student called him sir. He wondered if Caryll had done the same...

“Oh, my apologies… So, Laurence, has a date been set for the exploration of the second layer of the labyrinth?”

"Don't worry it's alright and that I don't know unfortunately." But I would really like to know...

They approached the opening with the statues which overlooked on a huge cavity. There was a ladder to get down and one on the other side to get back up. On the other side was an opening very similar to the one they stood on, with the same statues, but with the difference that it has a lifted grid.

Laurence pointed at it. “You see, over here it leads to the second layer, but for the moment it’s forbidden to go beyond the open gate. The prospectors closed the door when they left anyway. With what we found at the first layer, it would be too dangerous to send anyone without preparation.

“Was it complicated to open the gate? They needed to activate a mechanism, right ?

“Finding and activated the mechanism in itself wasn't very complicated …” He paused briefly before continuing. "It was more the monsters and the enemies guarding it that caused troubles.” 

"And there was no other way to open it without the mechanism ?"

Laurence thought for a few moments before answering. “Hm…well Dores tried to break down the door but was unsuccessful. Gehrman and others nearly got their arms stuck through the bars…”

Caryll looked surprised and amused. " Really ?!"

"Yes, that's what he told me at least."

Another question suddenly came to the mind of the young student, pointing to the corridor as well, behind the open gate. “The weapon he had… Is it the same as the big monster discovered over there ? The one who guarded the access to the lower floor ?”

“Ah yes that… this one caused a lot of troubles... There are a lot of people who unfortunately did not survive this encounter…”

Caryll looked a bit sad. They had been told about the incident of the first expedition. Although the details were not known by everyone, all Yharnam was aware of this misadventure. The monster's corpse had even been brought back to the surface and a few sketches of it could be found scattered all around Byrgenwerth. “Yes, I understand…but…what was it exactly ? It couldn't be a simple Pthumerian, could it ?”

“Well, it was a sort of undead giant. Instead of hands he had two huge blades, and he should have been dead a long time ago… They had to be three to put him down. Gehrman retrieved one of his blades to use as a weapon.”

“Oh, I understand better now.” This explanation seemed to satisfy the young pupil. Laurence was reassured, he didn’t want and didn’t have the authorization to tell all the atrocious details of this story. He neglected to mention that most of the prospectors who died in the exploration of the first level were largely done by this creature and it was Gehrman who finished it off. There were also a lot of bones with old armors and weapons all around it's room.

“Now come, we need to join the others.” After this, they started walking towards the exit. Laurence feared that he might have cut off the conversation a bit too abruptly. In turn, he decided to ask a question as well. “So, did you enjoy this little excursion ?”

Caryll exclaimed with a big smile. "Yes ! It was so interesting to see in real life what we learned in class since the beginning of the year! I hope we can do more outings like these.”

"I'm glad to hear that ! Well, we must stay moderate but I also hope that we can go back there very soon.” Answered Laurence. He was always very enthusiastic everytime they could go there.

Then, they arrived at the entrance of the labyrinth. However, there was no one there and the place had regained its usual calmness. The student wondered: “Shouldn't the others be there ?"

Laurence was left equally perplexed, but the answer had to be quite simple. “They must have begun to come back without us, they can’t have got really far, let’s continue.” 

After having traveled only ten meters, Caryll abruptly stopped. Laurence also stopped, taken aback by his student reaction. "What's wrong ?"

"Uh... is this new ?" Their voices were shaky and their eyes were staring fearfully at one of the walls. There was a trail of blood against it, it was fresh. Laurence glared at it, the stream was still running down, Caryll’s face had turned pale.

"What the-'' Laurence didn't finish his sentence and quickly grabbed Caryll's arm. "Come on let's get out of there !" What happened ? Where are the others ?! The professor gave them his torch and instead took the small pistol at his belt.

Just a little further on, there was even more blood and a Pthumerian lying dead. Next to him was a bloody ritual knife, the signature weapon of most watchers. There was no doubt anymore, the group had been attacked by Pthumerians. The young teacher was very confused, the area was supposed to be safe. How was this even possible ?! There was no time to think about it, they needed to get out of here as fast as they could.

Caryll looked terrified at the sight of the corpse… the first year’s students were not invited to dissections held in the lecture hall. Anyone seeing a corpse in these conditions for the first time would be equally terrorized.

They continued at a faster pace but slowed down not long after when they heard the very faint tinkling, like the echo of a bell ringing in the distance. Not having the time to understand where this chime was coming from, they began to hear a grumbling voice approaching. A few seconds later a Pthumerian appears, right in front of them, holding a ritual knife as well.

Caryll was frozen in place. Laurence aimed his weapon at the creature then fired. He hits him the first time but misses his second shot, the Pthumerian hits him and pierce its knife in his other arm. Laurence managed to push it away, but he was now in a bad position. Then, Caryll managed to hit the creature with all their strength in the head with the torch, but the watcher counterattacked and hit them in the face.

Laurence managed again to shoot it twice in a row in the head. The creature fell to the ground. He shouted out, panicked. “Are you alright Caryll?!” They answered him in a low voice and with their hand on their eye and left cheekbone. “I think so…I’m not really sure…”

They had no time to lose, a group of three more Pthumerians arrived behind them. One was similar to the ones lying on the ground while these two companions wore some kind of "clothes" composed of torn hoods. One of them even had a spear.

Laurence yelled. "Listen to me Caryll ! I'll take care of them, you, you run as fast as possible to the surface ! He took the torch from them and positioned himself in front of the watchers.

Caryll tried to mumble something. "But…"

"Now !!!" Laurence had never raised his voice like this, but he had no choice.

Caryll seemed to have a second of hesitation as they stared at their professor and then at his bloody arm, while still holding the left side of their face. In the dark, it looked like a tear of blood was flowing down their cheek. The student ended up running away while Laurence was going to fight against the watchmen, alone.

At first, he alternated between shooting and striking with his torch. The Pthumerians seemed to hesitate or wait out of range from his firing. Laurence didn’t have much experience in combat, he knew the basics, but he only got a very little chance of beating his three opponents on his own.

He fired a burst of bullets at them, it made them retreat and he took the opportunity to flee as quickly as possible, but the Pthumerians followed him close. His wound was superficial, but it was slowing him down a lot. Probably because of the stress and his injured arm, his vision was getting blurry and his ears started ringing.

Could this be how it all ends? Killed by the watchers while trying to save one of his students ? Master Willem and everyone else would probably be proud of him. If they were still there, his parents would have been proud too. No. Laurence couldn't allow himself to end up like that. His dream had always been to become a great doctor or an important priest. Someone who could help others...

He didn’t get the time to get more lost in his thoughts when a shadow passed right next to him and crashed on his attackers, knocking them down one by one. Laurence's vision had blurred, he wasn’t feeling well. All he could perceive in the semi-darkness was a black shape with a large silver blade. Could it be one of the lesser demons of death, come to take him away? Or could that be…?

His vision fuzzed even more, and he couldn't hear anything anymore. He fell to the ground and closed his eyes for a few seconds. He thought he vaguely discerned a voice, but it seemed so far away. It seemed worried and was getting louder and louder. “Laurence! Laurence !!! Laurence, please wake up!” He realized that he knew that voice.

He opened his eyes and after a few seconds of adaptation he managed to recognize the figure in front of him. It was Gehrman. He mumbled at him. “Gehrman… we were attacked…”

He replied in a panicked tone. "Yes, I know!  Before you came back we were ambushed by Pthumerians! I had to take the others out of there … Oh I'm so sorry !” He put his friend back on his feet before asking more calmly. "Are you alright ?"

"Uh yeah I think I’m feeling a little better…" He took the opportunity to take out a small bandage. It wouldn't be enough to cover his entire wound but it was better than nothing.

"Are you sure?! And your arm?!”

“Oh that ? It's just a superficial injury, it's nothing really. Nevertheless, that coupled with the stress, it really made me lose my balance…”

“I went to get you when I saw that one of the watchers had turned back. Oh, I'm really sorry Laurence…”

“No, don’t worry, you did well to get the others to safety. Is everyone safe ?"

"Some are a little injured but nothing serious."

Laurence was reassured to learn that the other students and teachers were not seriously injured or worse… Byrgenwerth didn't need to have those kinds of problems again. After a few seconds of thinking, he suddenly cried out. “Oh, please tell me Caryll is okay !?”

Gehrman reassured him. "Yes, they seem to be fine, I crossed Caryll and indicated to them the right direction to take, you weren't there so I continued.” He then helped his friend put on the bandage as best as he could.

The young professor was relieved. Now they needed to get out of here as soon as possible. "Do you have any bullets left ?"

"I have some."

"Give me the ones made of silver or mercury, they are more effective against them."

"The standards ones don't do much to them anyway...well that's all I have left." His friend took them and begins to reload his gun.

“Tell me Gehrman, did you heard anything unusual ? Like hm… some kind of bell ?”

“Ah, it was not my imagination then. Yes, just before they arrived I thought I heard a very weak chime. I'm afraid it's coming from much further down the galleries, or even from the second layer..."

"In any case, it’s not good."

 "Indeed…"

They began to ascend rapidly towards the surface when Gehrman stopped and motioned to Laurence not to make any noise. Running footsteps and growls echoed behind them. Nothing to do with the usual groans of watchmen. "Oh tell me it’s not true..." "Oh no..."

It was a beast, a kind of big wolf but with a morphology close to a human being. Prospectors had seen only a few of them so far, they were extremely fast and aggressive. Both men could hear it getting closer and closer.

Gehrman whispered. "Laurence, can I count on you to distract it and shoot it down ?" He nodded in agreement.

The creature's eyes appeared in the darkness, it was approaching slowly and growling. Gehrman walked towards it, weapon in hand. Barely a few steps from the beast, it got up on its legs, ready to attack. Gehrman dodged the sharp claws then struck several blows, he then managed to pass behind it and Laurence was able to fire on it.

The creature was not in a position of strength, it looked to each side, grunting. The guardian was about to attack again when Laurence noticed a large shadow behind his friend. The next second he recognized two glowing eyes that could only belong to one thing…another beast.

Laurence tried to warn him as best he could. “Gehrman watch out!” He had also noticed what was right behind his back. He tried to dodge the attack but it was too late, he wasn't fast enough. The beast's claws fell on him and tackled him to the ground.

He pushed her away as best he could and she decided to attack his “right leg”. Some of his claws had dug into his thigh but the jaw of the creature seemed more interested in what served him as a "feet". "You fool... that's not a real leg!" He managed to land a blow in its face which made the creature retreat.

However, the other beast took over and threw itself on him. There, a strong pain and feeling of heat invaded his chest, the teeth of the monster had closed on his torso and some of his claws were tearing his layers of clothes as well as his skin. He couldn't suppress a cry of pain. To make matters worse the other creature came to join the attack and its fangs dug into its flesh once again.

Laurence was horrified. The situation had degenerated far too quickly, he needs to react quickly. He fired bullets at the creatures while being careful not to hit his friend. The first let go and turned towards him with bloody teeth.

He then focused on hitting the other beast in the head, releasing Gehrman with a loud growl. The groundskeeper managed to gather his remaining strength to retrieve his torch and deliver a violent blow to the creature's face, while remaining on the ground. It screamed even louder and then disappeared into the darkness.

The first beast was now approaching the young teacher, he tried to shoot again but he had no more bullets left. He tried to throw his weapon at it but it was ineffective, so he attempted to use his torch. The creature grabbed it and broke it in half. It was about to reach him when he pulled out a scalpel and stabbed it as hard as he could in the cheek.

This seemed to enrage it even more. The monster threw itself on him, it was going to touch him but was stopped by the giant's blade who had cut his side. The blow had been so strong that the tip of the blade broke. The beast fell to the ground, defeated.

Gehrman now stood in front of Laurence, clutching his bloody chest. Laurence stepped over the body of the monster and came to catch up his friend who was about to collapse. He made sure he was stabilized before yelling. “Gehrman you are alright ?! "Do you think you can walk ?"

He replied in a low voice, grimacing in pain. "I should be fine… If you help me I should be able to… and you how are you?"

“Are you really asking me that ? Alright, let's not waste time." He sighed then took his left arm and put it over his shoulder, he also put his arm around his friend to keep him upright.

Besides Gehrman limping, their size difference certainly didn't help. They both wanted to go faster but Gehrman was losing a lot of blood, too much to not worry. In their wake, a constellation of crimson drops scatters the stone. In some places, there were even fine trickling streams.

Laurence's concern grew more and more. With the medical knowledge he possessed he could not remain serene.

He needed his friend to stay conscious and keep moving. "Don't worry, we're almost there…. You will see we’ll get you back on your feet very quickly, you have almost nothing…”

Gehrman noticed the growing anxiety of his friend, he was not stupid and knew well that his injuries were serious. “Laurence…I would like to thank you and the others…if I don’t…”

Laurence cut him off. "Don’t talk such nonsense ! We'll take care of you and you'll be fine!" After a short pause, he took on a calmer voice. “Yes, I know sorry… but save your strength okay ?” He nodded.

Laurence could not support such thoughts. Since they had become friends several years ago, they had always been here for each other. He even felt like Gehrman sometimes thought of him as some sort of surrogate brother. They had both lost their families in the last important epidemy after all…

After a long and difficult ascension, they finally reached the surface, night had fallen and the pale moon shone through the trees. The silence was heavy, none of the other students or teachers were there, they had surely found refuge at the university. There was no one to wait or help them. Unless…?

Seconds later, running noises coming towards them echoed in the forest. The two men began to grow anxious, but their fear was soon dispelled when they saw the light of a lantern speeding towards them.

A voice called out. “Gehrman? Laurence?! Oh, bless the great ones, you're alive !” The man moved closer to them, illuminating them completely then abruptly stopped. He looked at them for a few seconds before shooting. “By Odeon what happened to you two ?!” He had just noticed that both were bleeding.

Laurence was finally able to better discern their interlocutor, it was Patches, one of the facility’s janitors. “Patches, listen to me, you need to go get help as soon as possible!”

"But…"

“Gehrman needs to be transported immediately to be healed !” The groundskeeper was grimacing in pain and trying to keep his eyes open as much as possible.

“Yes of course, stay here ! The others must already be on their way, I'll go get them !” He ran away even faster than he had come, his reputation preceded him. Laurence put Gehrman on the ground and tried to contain the bleeding as best as he could, you could see that he was getting weaker and weaker.

A few minutes later, Laurence heard the jingling of a bunch of keys, it was becoming louder. He only knew one person with that many keys on him, Liam. Although he was the main gatekeeper, he also possessed almost all the keys of the campus. The way he always seemed to know which one to use was quite impressive, he appeared holding a lantern. Dores was at his side and Patches was right behind them.

They helped Laurence while asking him to explain the situation. He quickly describes what had happened as the urgency was growing. Dores and Liam then approached Gehrman to check his condition. Dores gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder, asking if he was okay. He smiled weakly before adding that he was not feeling very well. They were now more worried and seemed to understand that the situation was very serious.

Laurence asks them to take him as fast as possible to master Willem, he would certainly know what to do. They nodded and stood on both sides of their friend to be able to carry him. Just before running off, they asked Patches to stay with Laurence, the two tried to follow them but they disappeared quickly into the darkness.

As they walked very quickly, the young teacher asked Patches if everyone else was safe, he confirmed that from what he had heard, everyone seemed to be present. He also asked if Caryll was with the others. Patches didn't really know what to answer, he didn’t really had time to learn the names of the students, but after Laurence described them to him, he was able to confirm that the young student was indeed being treated. This took a small weight off Laurence's shoulders.

However, he couldn't contain his growing anxiety. Gehrman was in really bad conditions and was still losing a lot of blood. They didn't really have ordinary blood bags left to heal important bleeding anymore, but they have old blood... He considered the idea greatly at first, thinking that maybe it was the best thing to do and that Master Willem would certainly have the same idea if his state continued to worsen.

After all, the tests made with it had proved themself… to a certain degree at least. This miraculous substance left behind by the Pthumerians (and the great ones) had extraordinary healing properties. Only, it had to be injected in a much more refined form than the one found directly in the labyrinth and in small quantities to hope to witness its full potential. In a raw form, it could cause a significant burning sensation and produce side effects close to poisoning. It could also provoke strong hallucinations.

Small amounts were much more bearable but didn't cure completely either. With larger amounts, subjects seemed to recover from their initial illnesses or injuries but later suffered from the severe side effects. Their bodies seemed to reject the blood. Therefore no "important" transfusion carried out until today had worked and all the subjects had died within hours. The poor souls had all been very weak for a while and were on the verge of death. But Gehrman was strong and healthy, maybe this time would be the one if they were to come that far...

Some researchers, including Laurence, were working to develop a more effective formula with reduced side effects and as bearable as possible. It was difficult, they were failing test after test... They were missing several clues, and many thought they would find answers by experimenting more or going deeper into the labyrinth, but it was impossible. Faults to reduce budgetary and human resources.

Eventually, they might need to be completely desperate to use this method. Hopefully they'll just close his wounds and everything will be fine.

Laurence didn't have time to torment his mind more when they finally reached one of the main buildings, the one with the entire medical sector. He rushed in, leaving Patches behind and headed towards the operating rooms. In the corner of his eye, he just had time to see the other students, including Caryll and the teachers who were being taken care of by the medical staff, he would go see them later.

Next to one of the doors he saw Dores and Liam sitting on a bench, they both looked anxious. Liam had one of his hands on the Dores’s shoulder who looked mournful, they whispered in low voices. They noticed Laurence and invited him to enter. There, several doctors and Willem were around Gehrman and were trying to stitch up his wounds while injecting him with painkillers.

Willem approached Laurence and asked one of his assistants to tend to his injured arm. He started to protest that it wasn't urgent but Willem reminded him that if he wanted to help he needed to be taken care of as well. While they applied a clean bandage, he briefly re-explained what had happened.

Gehrman's condition had worsened, he was still bleeding and beginning to cough up blood, he seemed to be struggling to stay awake. Master Willem was very thoughtful, worried even. Laurence wondered if he was thinking the same thing as him. They seemed to be at a dead end… He turned to the provost asking him what he intended to do. He explained to him that Gehrman was going to die if they didn't do something quickly.

The idea of a transfusion was perhaps the best thing to do in the end. He asked Laurence what he thought of it. He hesitated greatly but in view of the situation, which was getting worse every minute it was the last thing they could do. Therefore, they began to prepare the procedure and Laurence put himself in the catheter.

Willem put a hand on Gehrman's shoulder and spoke as clearly as possible. “Gehrman you have to listen to me carefully, alright?” He responded with a weak nod. "We're going to do a transfusion of old blood."

He answered with a weak voice. “But master Willem…” He knew that the experiments with the old blood were still going and for the moment no transfusion like this had ever worked out.

Laurence came to stand right next to the provost. He was not serene but tried to reassure his friend as best he could. "It's going to be fine Gehrman, just relax, it's going to be okay… We're all with you, we're not going anywhere...”

Willem continued. "You need to stay strong. I know you are capable of it. You might see things...creatures that aren't real...you will need to fight them, you mustn't be afraid of them! Don't sink into the darkness, go into the light if you see one, you hear me ?" The hallucinations could be in some cases quite violent and weaken the patients even more, Willem couldn’t bear to lose another member of Byrgenwerth like this, and surely Gehrman.

“Laurence… Master Willem… if it doesn’t work… please… don’t let me agonize for hours…” The two exchanged a look before answering at the affirmative. Then, they injected his blood into his veins while the doctors held him down on the table.

All his muscles began to tense and he soon felt like he was burning inside. His vision blurred and he couldn't understand anymore what the scholars were saying. He only just had time to see Laurence praying with a strange shadow behind him, it looked almost like the beasts that had attacked them. He couldn't see more of it, the next second he fell into darkness...

Chapter Text

When Gehrman opened his eyes, the room was filled with darkness. There was no one and no noise anymore. He tried to move but he could barely turn his head. He was unable to shift the rest of his body, all his limbs felt numb. His vision was still blurred but he could understand that something was off, the ground seemed strange...

His vision cleared and he saw the floor covered in blood, the volume seemed to increase little by little. Then, a creature emerged from the reddish substance, it looked like one of the beasts that had attacked him, but instead of the thick dark fur there was only scraped skin covered in blood. It approached Gehrman, slowly, very slowly.

He was still unable to do anything, like a mere spectator of the scene that was happening in front of him. When the creature’s bloody claws were going to reach him, it stopped abruptly, just inches from his face. The monster seemed to have taken an attack just before being able to touch him, as if a blade had come to slice its neck. The beast howled, suddenly combust, then collapsed to the ground before disappearing.

Gehrman was quite shocked by what he just witnessed, but he was still unable to move. In the dark, something began to glow faintly all around him. Small pairs of hands appeared, followed by the small creatures they belonged to. Very pale, skeletal and with a deformed face. Although they seemed to share some physical similarities with the Watchers, they did not express an ounce of aggressivity and looked relatively harmless. They waved at him or just clung to him.

It seemed that he had already seen these little beings somewhere… but where ? He didn't have time to think more about it before dozens of them overwhelmed him and he was once again greeted by darkness. Or almost…

After a while an image revealed itself in the dark, it was the rune they observed earlier in the labyrinth, the "hanged man". It was the only thing that seemed to exist in this strange, black, endless space.

After what seemed like an eternity, blood began to flow from the rune and stars appeared all around it. A bright light then took their place. It was the Moon. The lunar disk was gigantic, pale, and bright. Its presence felt heavy. Then, it disappeared and the darkness welcome him again.

If he had another dream after this one, he keep no clear memories of it. That strange, amalgamated nightmare would have been so indescribable that it would drive anyone crazy. That’s why the last thing he remembered was the Moon and the rune, forever etched into his mind…

Gehrman finally woke up, the room was dark, but a thin stream of golden light passed through the shutters, indicating it was daytime. He managed to straighten himself up directly, he was no longer in the operation room. He looked around in panic before calming down, realizing he was in one of the treatment rooms. He was alone, his clothes had been changed and his prosthesis removed.

He still had many bandages on his chest, but it only hurt a little. To his surprise, he managed to stand up. Balancing his weight on one leg, he should be able to manage things out, but he still grabbed a crutch that was lying against the wall next to his bed.

He felt like he was thrown back over a decade ago, to the day after his very first operation. The one where his leg had been amputated, because of his sick tibia, eaten up by disease. At least this time, he was much less in pain and was now able to move more easily.

He put those bad memories aside and opened the door. He needed to find the others at all costs, tell them he was fine and find out if it was the same for them. He also had to deal with this horrible beast that still lurked in the catacombs.

The hallways were very quiet, no one was in sight. Weird, it’s supposed to be daytime and no one is here. Could it be the weekend ? No, there’s always people here… He had completely lost track of time and wasn't sure how many days he could have slept. Just one night to recover so effectively seemed way too short. If it was the case, then the old blood was truly a divine gift. To finally be able to witness its full potential was nothing completely amazing if not terrifying.

The building was huge, he wasn’t used to go there often. He just hoped not to run around in circles for too long and find someone quickly. At the corner of a corridor, he finally notices a person, the man seemed to be mopping the floor. Gehrman began to approach him and the sound of the crutch caught his attention.

He stopped what he was doing then stared at the groundskeeper for a few long seconds, completely stunned, as if he was seeing something quite unexpected. He then rushed towards Gehrman, he almost shoved him off but stopped right in front of him before shouting. “Gehrman, my friend! You cannot know how happy I am to see you again! But… how can you already stand up ??”

"Oh...hello Patches..." He never really thought that of all the possibilities, Patches would be the first person he'd see after escaping death. He first met him a long time ago, way before he joined Byrgenwerth. He can't say he was very enthusiastic when he showed up here a few years after he did... In any case, he could surely manage to get some information from him, to find the others more quickly.

"I can't believe you're back ! Everyone thought you would never wake up…”

"Oh really ?" What ?

"Yes ! They all thought you were lost for good…that our favorite reaper was gone forever…but I knew you would come back !”

Gehrman was taken aback, how could the others already consider him nearly dead? Unless Patches was just overdoing it, like usual. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. The fact that he seems to act so nicely didn't reassure him either and was potentially hiding something. Had he tried to steal something from him while he was asleep ? If the others considered him dead…Well he would solve this problem later, there were more important matters. “Uh thank you but… tell me where are the others ? Are they okay ?”

The janitor raised an eyebrow. "Uh what do you mean ? ”

“Well, the other injured. Shouldn't they be around too ? After what happened… And usually, shouldn't there be a few more people hanging around the treatment rooms ?”

Patches looked a bit surprised by the question. “Well…they've been out of care for a while now and Byrgenwerth is running at slow motion since the incident. There’s Laurence who comes to see you but in this wing there’s almost no one anymore.”

"What are you talking about ?"

"Ah yeah you can't possibly know… After the Provost banned anyone from going back to the underground except for Dores and Liam, classes were canceled and many scholars went home. News travels fast and the administration has a lot of problems to take care of.”

Gehrman was very confused. “Wait, Patches, how long has it been since the attack ?!”

He froze, looked away, then started to mentally count. "Oh well uh… it's been a while actually… You… don't you want to see this later ?" Gehrman glared at him angrily, Patches gulped then continued his explanation. You know how I am, right ? Really forgetful… I'm not completely sure but uh... it's been almost hm... 2 weeks I think... A dozen of days maybe ?

"What… almost 2 weeks ?!" Gehrman couldn't believe it, had he really spent so much time unconscious ? Patches' strange speech made a lot more sense now, as his initial surprise to see him. It also explained why some thought he would never wake up... “Patches, I need to go see the others. Now."

“HOLD ON, wow, you stay right there, okay ?! They’re going to kill me if anything happens to you ! I'm going to go get Laurence, I think he's having a class not too far away, don't move, ok ?" He rapidly left, leaving all his cleaning belongings behind as well as Gehrman who found himself completely alone once again.

Despite Patches recommendations, he wasn't going to sit here waiting. Master Willem, Laurence and all the others must have been worried sick if not desperate not to not see him wake up. He didn't want to keep them waiting any longer…

This morning, Laurence was indeed giving a physiology class in a small room on the ground floor, one of the first since the terrible misadventure in the labyrinth. His arm had almost completely healed and he desperately needed to do something else than wander with no goal into the corridors of the university.

Nevertheless, his mind was always elsewhere and he wasn’t really focused. That's probably why he was supervising more of a paper exercise that the few students who had kindly accepted to come were doing at their own pace. He had too much on his mind to be focused on a big lecture and the students wouldn't probably pay too much attention to it as well.

A knock on the classroom door snapped him out of his reverie. The door opened a bit and a head barely stuck out of the opening, waiting for Laurence's approval to enter, the teacher was a little surprised but above all annoyed when he saw who it was. "What is it Patches ?"

“I need to tell you something really urgently !” He had straightened his posture and had one hand behind his back, he was waiting in the doorway.

"And it can't-"

"No."

“I'll be back in two minutes…” Laurence huffs to his students before going out, closing the door behind him. "I hope it's important Patches, I'm in the middle of a class if you hadn't noticed...!"

"Gehrman is awake."

"WHAT ?!" The students must have heard this powerful injunction from the inside of the classroom.

"Yeah, I know it's crazy ! It took me a few seconds to make sure I wasn't hallucinating or that he wasn't a ghost or something ! He was jumping around on one leg near the treatment rooms ! Unless he ran into someone else, only us know about it.”

Laurence couldn’t believe it. "Wait, how can he be already up ?! Where is he now ?!”

“Well normally at the same place I left him…not too far from the treatment rooms-”

He barely had the time to finish his sentence that Laurence was already starting to go in that direction. Patches interrupted him "But what about your class ?!" The young teacher stopped, turned around, opened the door of the classroom and addressed the students, “I have an emergency, I need to go immediately. Finish your exercise then you’re free to go. Watch them while they finish Patches.” Then, he ran off and disappeared in one instant.

He couldn't believe it, Gehrman was awake, he seemed to be fine, it was a real miracle. It was still a bit early to tell, but the transfusion seemed to have been a true success ! Or maybe the daily prayers and daily care had helped. He had been so worried...

After long minutes of searching through the entire building, Laurence finally found him. He was leaping on one foot, the few people watching him pass by were quite confused or surprised, he seemed very determined to see the others again.

As soon as they saw each other, they rushed towards one another and nearly fell under the force of their embrace.

"I'm so happy you're fine Gehrman...I really thought..."

"Me too Laurence... I'm glad you're alright."

Laurence checked his friend's conditions before bringing him to Master Willem. He seemed to have almost perfectly recovered, still they moved slowly to avoid any complications. Laurence uses this time to explain what he had missed (and what Patches had already begun to explain to him).

No one was allowed to go into the catacombs or the labyrinth now, except Dores and Liam, Willem had already sent them several times to find out how the Pthumerians and the monsters had surprised and attacked them. The Provost had even accompanied them once. The two guardians were also underground today, they should return a little later.

Many classes had also been canceled to manage the emergency. Things were just beginning to calm down. Gehrman then asked if everyone who had been present in the labyrinth was okay. They had all recovered quite well with only minor injuries remaining. They were all exempt from classes or other activities for a few weeks but should come back soon to it, for the ones desiring it, but an exception was made for one...

They finally arrived at the Provost's office. He was not present but another person also seemed to be waiting for his return. It was Caryll. The young student took a few seconds to notice their presence and was delighted to see that Gehrman had finally woken up. He was also very relieved to know that Caryll had been able to leave the catacombs without complication and seemed to be doing well despite the small bandage on their face.

Caryll reassured him that their injury hardly hurt anymore, but Laurence later explained to Gehrman that this experience had deeply troubled the young student. During the first week after the accident, Caryll had violent panic attacks and very strange dreams which seemed to have given him a great understanding of the Pthumerians arcane.

Their condition had since improved, however Master Willem recommended rest, to wait and to observe, which unfortunately for our young student exempted them from classes probably until the end of the school year. Laurence and the Provost had reassured them about that, explaining that they would take care of everything and that in any case a few more sessions were not a bad thing in the world of research. This rest time might even benefit Caryll given his young age.

Gehrman then explained that he too, experience a strange dream after his transfusion. He wanted to wait for the Provost to tell it in detail. He also remembered that he had indeed already seen the strange little pale beings from his dream. Small statues of them were scattered all over Byrgenwerth and Willem's office. They had been brought back from the underground and were supposed to represent some sorts of divine messengers.

So, he just mentioned some details as well as the strange rune they had observed in the labyrinth and which had reappeared in his dream. At this Laurence retort. “Oh well, while speaking of the rune…it looks like Caryll has managed to transcribe its meaning.”

"Really ?"

"Yes, even Master Willem still can't believe it..."

The student nodded before explaining themself. “Yes, I also saw it in my dreams and after thinking about it I think that I might understand its meaning. When we were in the labyrinth, we concluded that it looked like blood flowing from a hanged man, right ? Well, Laurence also explained to us that the scholars had concluded that it was also some kind of "rank" given to Pthumerian warriors. So, it seems logical to me that this rune actually symbolizes the action of spilling blood from a hanged man. In short, someone performing a ritual whose mission is to "spread it" or at least, responsible for collecting blood. Perhaps an offering to the great ones ?

Gehrman couldn't believe what he just heard, it was just amazing how Caryll was able to come to this conclusion on their own. When thinking about it, the explanation worked well. This symbol had been discovered for a while already, but no one ever had such a precise idea of what it could mean. It was really impressive how Caryll seemed to have deciphered its meaning so easily. As if it had come naturally to them.

Laurence was now staring at Gehrman, as if to make his friend understand how impressive that was. They had all been very surprised when Caryll randomly told them this one morning.

“Then… have you finally found a name for this famous rune ?” Gehrman asked the two of them in a friendly manner.

Caryll answered him first. "I think they're still thinking about it, aren't they ?"

Laurence continued. “Yes, I think it will be named after this famous function exercised by the Pthumerians carrying this rune. I believe Master Willem called them-”

"The hunters." A voice interrupted him, it was Willem who had just arrived. "That seemed to me the most fitting. "Alongside him were Dores and Liam, they threw themselves on Gehrman as soon as they saw him.

Dores took him in her arms and lifted him off the ground. “You’re awake !”

Gehrman let out a gasp of surprise, she was quite strong.

"Easy Dores, he had some broken ribs I remind you." Laurence told her, more amused than worried.

“Ah yes sorry…” She put him back on the ground more delicately.

"How are you doing, buddy ?" Liam asked, hugging him back before releasing him.

"Well, oddly enough, pretty well."

Master Willem then speaks again. "As soon as we got there, Patches ran into us and told us what had happened." He walked over to Gehrman and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're fine ?"

“Yes, I feel good… at least I think.”

“I checked quickly and indeed he seems alright. The transfusion seems to have been a true success. But, he did have very strange dreams too…” Laurence added.

While Willem was thinking, Gehrman also noticed that contrary to him, his two friends looked very tired and Dores even had a new scar on her face. "And you, are you alright ?! Dores, your face…”

“Oh that? Pff it's just a little scratch."

“You know how Dores is…” Liam whispered quietly.

“Oh, you can say…” replied Dores with a smirk.

"It's true that the descents to secure the labyrinth have been quite exhausting lately." added the Provost.

“Did you go with them today, Master Willem?” asked Caryll.

“Yes, at least just the first level. Now tell me about that strange dream you had Gehrman.”

They all sat down and Gehrman told them in detail what happened in his strange dream after his transfusion: the bloody monster, the messengers, the rune, the Moon… it was all very intriguing and they all thought a moment about what it could possibly mean. Transfusions could cause violent hallucinations, like the bloody beast he had seen, but the rest was nothing they ever observed on previous patients. After that the guardians and the Provost told him what they had found while going back into the labyrinth during the past few days.

Liam began. “We did find some of the bodies you left behind, but it seemed some of them went missing based on Laurence's description, and we have not found the other beast that attacked you yet. We assume they went down to the second level.” 

Dores continued. “Yeah, those who attacked you seemed to come from the non-exploring parts of the catacombs. They might have been called by Pthumerians from the 2nd floor. It's that damn bell that probably called them... it kept ringing when we went there, it was unbearable !” She gritted her teeth.

"But how come we didn't notice them before, if they came from the catacombs ?" Gehrman asked.

It was Laurence who answered. “The most likely hypothesis is that they actually came from the second level. They would have found a way through and went to the upper galleries when no one was there…”

Willem nodded as Caryll hugged their books closer to their chest. The Provost and Laurence reassured the young student who had nothing to fear here.

Once done, Liam continued his explanation. “There are a lot of watchers on the second level, much more than we thought. They gave us a lot of trouble… we had to go back without being able to go very far… Since then, we can only do little scouting on the first floor and in the catacombs towards the surface to secure everything.”

"That's correct and you won't go any further for now." said Willem. "It's too dangerous just for you two and I don't want to lose anyone else... We need to find an effective way to secure the first level so that this kind of accident never happens again."

“But, if I go with them, we could go further, right ?” suggested Gehrman.

“Gehrman, you just woke up…” whispered the young professor.

"Yes, I know but... I don't know, I feel like I need to go back there... It's strange...  Besides, I have a score to settle with one of these damned filthy beasts."

“For now, you need rest. Besides, I don't think we can explore all future labyrinths this way. We need more means and more people capable of fighting what is hiding in the depths of the labyrinth.” declared the Provost.

“But Master Willem, do you really think we’ll be able to convince investors ? After what happened with the first expedition, the city of Yharnam doesn't seem to want to help us with it anymore.” Explained Laurence with a sulky tone.

“That is correct, but as you know our annual visit to Cainhurst is approaching…”

"Them ? Funding us to explore the Pthumerian labyrinth ? They're the last ones who would do such a thing..." huffed Liam.

Dores seemed equally unenthusiastic. “It's not like they were of any help last time…”

"Yeah, and it's been many years since they've personally sent anyone to explore Pthumerian ruins all over the world." added Gehrman.

The provost answered calmly. “You are mostly right, but you forget one thing. Thanks to the progress and concrete results we have finally obtained, we may succeed this time. And even if we don't manage to convince them to grant us funds for this, we need to recruit new students. So in any case, only time will tell.”

Master Willem was right. If anyone was as highly interested and intrigued by the Pthumerians just as the scientists of Byrgenwerth, it was the nobles of Cainhurst. Being the closest descendants of the ancient civilization, they were highly invested in it. Plus, there was a good chance that the new results with the old blood would particularly interest them. Finally, as every year, it was necessary to obtain new funding for other areas of research and try to recruit new students. The first application letters had just arrived and turned out to be really interesting…

Chapter Text

The little stagecoach was rolling for a while when it stopped abruptly in the middle of Yharnam. Laurence gave a surprised look at his companions.

"Ah, the crowded streets of Yharnam in the morning!" Gehrman exclaimed. "It shouldn't last too long…normally."

"You understand now why I wanted to leave early?" asked Willem with an annoyed look.

"Yes, master Willem!" nodding, the two replied in unison and nodding.

"I hope it won't take too long…" continued Laurence, "We have another carriage at Hemwick after this."

"At least we won't have to wait for it. Cainhurst and their transports are punctual at least." Willem said while looking at him straight in the eye. Gehrman, listening to their exchange, tried to hide a smile with his hand.

"My sincere apologies for this mishap, Master Willem." he glared at his friend. "But you understand, we are going to Cainhurst and as you asked, I intend to make a good impression."

All three had put on their best outfits for the occasion. The Provost wore a loose white and blue robe with many floral motifs. Laurence had a similar but much simpler attire, one closer to priests and adorned golden patterns. His dark brown hair contrasted well with this light garb. As for Gehrman, he was dressed in an elegant dark three-piece as well as a black top hat and a red tie. 

"I hope so… Speaking of good manners, I'm counting on you two to have an exemplary attitude!"

"Of course, Master Willem! You know we aren't like that, we're here to make good figures." Laurence replied, while Gehrman nodded.

"I can't be more serious Laurence. You're a master at attracting a little too much attention... I'm counting on you to make a good impression! I can't do anything for any of you if you annoy one of the nobles."

 "Yes, I understand..."

"Alright." he then turned to Gehrman, "I know you'll behave as well, Gehrman, but I still have to warn you of one thing. I really doubt it will happen but I implore you, if one of the knights asks you to have an amicable duel with them…by the gods, don't cause a tragedy." 

The man was quite surprised by this statement. "It wasn't my intention! To do a duel or anything of that matter anyway..."

"But master Willem, if Gehrman comes with us, it's to show them the miracles of the old blood and his new faculties, isn't it?" asked Laurence.

"Yes, it's a great part of that. But with luck, they will just ask him to show them the handling of a few weapons or nothing at all. But you can never know with them... I prefer to be cautious."

"But you know very well that I have trouble controlling my strength and my speed now!" Gehrman retorted. "I'd like to avoid causing any troubles and not confronting anyone in the first place!"

After his transfusion, it turned out that Gehrman had gained a lot in strength, speed, agility, and stamina. Enough to be able to face the monsters that lurked in the Pthumerian underground with a disconcerting ease. He still needed time to get used to these new abilities.

The stagecoach finally started to move again and Laurence tried to take the conversation towards a lighter topic. "I was wondering, Gehrman… Usually, when we go to Yharnam you wear your other prosthesis, right? Why wear this one today?” Then, after a very short pause, he added, "It looks really great, by the way!"

He had a simple peg leg made of a golden metal as a prosthesis. Very visible, with the bottom of his pants tucked in. Outside of Byrgenwerth, Gehrman often wore a prosthesis with a morphology much closer to a real foot. One he could more easily hide. Not that it bothers him or his close friends, but sometimes he just preferred not to attract too much attention.

"Well, you know, a lot of ancient Cainhurst knights had prostheses."

"Yes, they had many war veterans."

"Right, and there's this legend that one of the first knights of Cainhurst was missing a leg. You know the one with the spear?"

"The same who rode a giant monster-looking horse? Yes, I think it reminds me of something now." replied his friend. Willem just nodded.

Gehrman continued his explanation. "You see, at Cainhurst it would be a huge disrespect to hide that I have a prosthesis." For once, he thought. "The ones who have something of the sorts do put them forward. It's an honor that must be respected and since we're not here to get into trouble…”

"Ah yes, I understand better now! It suits you well!"

Their carriage would soon approach Hemwick Charnel Lane. It was Laurence again who started the conversation. This time he asked Willem a question. "Do you think you can convince them to support us? For the labyrinths and our research, I mean."

"Well, it would be a shame to be left empty handed." Snapped Gehrman.

The Provost replied in turn, "I hope so, Laurence. It won't be easy but now, I think, we finally have the assets to obtain their support. After all, it's Cainhurst, the Pthumerians specialists! They carried out and funded many expeditions long ago themselves, all around the world."

"Yes, it's true, it was mainly them who went to fight there centuries ago. But it's been several decades since they stopped going, right? Didn't they send mercenaries more recently?”

It was Gehrman who answered him first: "It's already a miracle that they accompanied us when we opened the labyrinth... I think the last time they’ve sent their people... it was, hm... at least fifteen years ago?"

"That's right, they had sent mercenaries to Loran, only a few came back. And besides sending us a few people to supervise the opening of the ancient labyrinth, they never refinanced anything after the death of the queen… It's a chance which is offered to us today, do not forget it." Specified the Provost.

"The mercenaries at Loran… that was just before the start of the epidemic…" whispered Laurence.

"Yes, that's correct." replied Willem sensibly. The coach had become very quiet. Perhaps today wasn't the time to remember such painful memories. "You know why we are here. We'll need all the help we can get to find the old gods. We need more means and more qualified people. I will be alone in front of their council but I am sure your presence alone will help me greatly in some way."

"Of course, Master Willem! It's a great honor!" exclaimed Gehrman.

"After everything you did for us, that's the least we can do! It's a great honor, yes." Laurence smiled at him.

Their carriage stopped at Hemwick crossing. They got out and witnessed that a second stagecoach was already waiting for them, it bore the coat or arms of Cainhurst: gules with two golden beasts, back-to-back, their tails intertwined. This coach was much larger than the one they just exited. Two large black horses were also pulling it. The group got inside and soon, they were carried across the imposing viaduct leading to the castle.

On their arrival, they’ve respectfully greeted the servants and especially the nobles who welcomed them courteously. Other scholars from Byrgenwerth, but also foreigners, were also arriving. All had been invited and hoped to obtain the favors of the royal court.

The entrance of the imposing castle was resplendent, luminous with an enormous red carpet. Some servants were busy completing the final preparations.

Master Willem and Laurence began the discussions with their hosts while Gehrman initially remained silent. He simply listened attentively, until someone addressed him directly. He got asked if he was, indeed, the one who fought against the giant in the Pthumerian labyrinth. The young groundskeeper was quite surprised that people showed interest in him. The news spread fast, especially at Cainhurst. He would explain as best as he could to the people that gathered around him how the first expedition of Pthumeru went. How they ended up there and how they defeated the imposing monster. 

After these pleasant explanations and exchanges, the guests were led upstairs to the banquet hall. It was a large room with splendid tablecloths. Candlesticks were placed on them as well as various dishes and appetizers disposed on silver trays. Traditional Yharnam meals could be distinguished, but also some recipes specific to Cainhurst, and there were even exotic treats originating from a distant foreign region. The same country where one of the knights' weapons was created: the famous curved sword imbrued in blood from the East, the Chikage.

Laurence and Gehrman approached one of the tables and the young professor picked an interest in one of the meals. "Have you ever tasted this?" he pointed towards the small food coming from that foreign land, in which Cainhurst had close ties with. It was rice wrapped in seaweed with pieces of raw fish in the middle. Next to it, there were orange and pink slices of raw fish placed on small beds of rice. 

"Never. And you?"

"I haven't had the opportunity yet. Do you think it's good?"

"I don't know, but I don't see how it could be that bad."

Laurence had a mischievous look, "Shall we try?" He couldn't resist giving this kind of challenge. He always has such ideas... The two men then seized one each.

"Alright Laurence, but you have to eat it in one bite, I think!"

"Let's do it!"

They both swallowed their pieces and began to chew vigorously, but suddenly slowed their pace. They even stopped chewing and remained still, with their mouths full. Laurence sought the support of his friend. He seemed in great trouble and displayed a deep expression of disgust and pity. Gehrman took a quick look around the room and saw Willem and a few other people staring in their direction. He turned around and motioned Laurence to continue to chew. After a long masticating, they finally ended up swallowing.

Gehrman then took a sip of water before addressing his friend. "It's, hm…quite particular but… it's alright. I guess we're just not used to it…"

Laurence didn't seem to have enjoyed it as much as him. “You know what… even their snails taste better. I'm going to go get one of their beef carpaccio. It'll be edible at least.” Laurence then walked away while Gehrman chuckled.

After they finished their meal, the meeting Willem needed to attend was about to begin. The three men were escorted by two knights who led them to another building in the castle. Cainhurst was truly gigantic, it took them several minutes to reach the next building. The long stone corridors were decorated with paintings of former nobles and former knights, some of the last things that kept these figures from falling into oblivion. Furniture, old armors, statues, heavy carpets and even hunting trophies were also displayed at some places. The best way to embellish these empty, cold, and dusty spaces.

When they reached the section within the next building, three people were waiting for them under a stone arch. On the left of this trio was a knight, no, a royal guard rather. He wore a full silver armor, characteristic of the royal guards, close protectors of the royal family. A helm with a pointed tip, engraved with floral motifs and without visible orifices. The lower part looked like a skeletal jaw and pale silver hair fell on his neck, hanging from the base of the helmet. Behind his left shoulder, a black cape hung by golden chains and at his belt, a long-curved blade in a decorated sheath, wrapped in a scarlet fabric. The famous Chikage.

At the center, in front of the other two, was an elegant young woman with a pale face who stood straight up. She had auburn hair tied in a bun and was wearing a lovely blue dress with fine feathers on the collar. She also had a large silver necklace, adorned with precious gems. She waited patiently, one hand on the other, her gaze piercing towards the newcomers.

Finally, on the other side and a little behind her, stood another young lady. She was smaller and younger than the previous one, probably the same age as the Provost's daughter. She wore a dark and claret dress, contrasting with her pale skin and blonde hair. She also had a brilliant emerald pendant, flower shaped and highlighting her silvery green eyes.

As they approached, the knights accompanying them stopped, knelt, and while they saluted, they announced "Her Highness, the Princess Annalise of Cainhurst." The doubt was no longer allowed, right in front of them was the very dear heir to the throne of Cainhurst. The guests of Byrgenwerth bowed respectfully in their turn.

The princess addressed them. "Provost Willem, ‘tis a pleasure to greet thee within our walls once again. I do hope thy travels went well and that ye were properly welcomed."

"Of course, the pleasure is all ours, your highness. We are very honored to be present today. Allow me to introduce you to my dear Laurence, doctoral student, seminarian and new teacher at Byrgenwerth."

He greeted her again "Your Highness."

"And here's our best prospector, the one who has saved us time and time again, Gehrman." He had taken off his hat in respect and was holding it against his chest while saluting again.

"A great honor to meet ye, gentlemen." She gestured towards the knight next to her. "This is Vledemyr, our latest addition to the royal guard." The knight saluted them without saying a word, then stood perfectly straight. "And let me introduce ye to damsel Maria, she is the one who applied to study at Byrgenwerth this year."

The young woman greeted them in return, "Gentlemen, it is an honor to meet ye."

"We have received your admission letters, damsel, Laurence will be the one to talk about it with you." Willem explained to her.

Afterwards, they continued their way. Only Annalise and Willem exchanged a few words while the rest of the escort remained silent. Only furtive glances were exchanged. At the end of another long corridor, they finally reached one of the castle's libraries. The Cainhurst collection was gigantic, dozens of bookcases, filled with books beyond counting. The building even had an equally well-furnished floor, servants were busy arranging and ordering shelves while nobles scattered around the huge library were reading or studying. 

It was here that the group parted ways. Annalise, Master Willem, and the armored knight continued to their meeting, while the others remained in the library. The two other knights who had accompanied them, their task accomplished, went back to where they came from.

Laurence and Gehrman were impressed. Byrgenwerth largest library was certainly stunning as well, but their entire collection was scattered in smaller buildings all around the campus. At Cainhurst, there were several libraries as large as the ones in front of them, scattered through the castle.

After attentively observing the two men, the young noblewoman addresses them. "Gentlemen, in the meantime, is there anything I can do for you?

Laurence turned around. "Well, that's very kind of you, but don't we need to discuss your application?"

"Yes of course, but it may take a while you know. You could take the opportunity to take a look at some books from our collection."

"In that case…" Laurence hesitated for a moment, but gained confidence to ask anyway, "Do you have any books on the Pthumerian blood rituals?"

"Oh, we probably have something have it. How about you, sir?" She was now speaking to Gehrman; he had been caught off guard by the question and was still thinking.

"Oh well...I was talking to one of your gunsmiths earlier. I was told they might be able to lend me a worn Reiterpallasch for the afternoon. Otherwise, just a book about the old Cainhurst weapons will be enough."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do, it shouldn't take too long." She went to exchange a few words with one of the librarians before the two lost sight of her.

After glancing at a few shelves full of books, the two men sat down at a large table. Gehrman took off his hat, while Laurence pulled out papers and what he could use to take notes. A few minutes later, one of the librarians left them some books on the subjects they had requested before leaving.

"I can't believe you really asked for a Reiterpallasch…" Laurence said. 

"Well, what? It was the gunsmiths and the knights who offered me! And it's not every day that you can have your hands on one of those!" Gehrman justified himself, trying to not sound too loud.

"Alright, that's true. But I would have thought you'd ask for other book subjects at least."

"I would have liked to take a look at their wardrobe and how they make their costumes, but I need inspiration to create a new weapon for the prospection!"

"Ah, I see."

"And you? Rather classical with your request on blood rituals?" Gehrman asked with a smirk.

"Well, it's the occasion! If there's a place to find old books, very specific, on the Pthumerians and their customs, besides Byrgenwerth, it's truly Cainhurst."

"You're not wrong. And by the way… the young woman with us, she's a future student, isn't she?"

"Ah yes, that's what I need to discuss with her." He rummaged through his papers and put one aside. "According to her application letter, she seems very interested in joining our course as a first-year student."

"And is she the only new student from Cainhurst?"

"It seems like it…the ones who are already with us will likely pass in second year or in higher grades, for the first year we only have her for now. But who knows, maybe Willem will manage to convince them to send some knights to help us in our research."

"I hope so…"

Afterwards, they start flipping through their books. Soon, the young woman returns with the famous weapon in question. "Here's your Reiterpallasch! Is there anything else you need?" She presented the weapon to Gehrman, he took it in his hands and thanked her warmly, "I have everything, thank you very much!"

"You are very welcome." She answered back.

He then began to examine the rapier closely. The model she had given him had its blade dull and the point broken, an old weapon who's not used anymore. The Reiterpallasch is quite unique. It has the particularity of combining an elegant silver rapier with a firearm, fused at the hilt, and stick to the blade. You need to activate a small lever to unstick it and retract the blade.

While Gehrman scrupulously inspected it and searched the corresponding page in his book, the damsel took her place around the table. Laurence put aside his book and took the letter from the young lady, it seemed to him she was eager to be able to talk about it. "So, dear miss Maria, as you must have already received by letter, you are eligible to come study at Byrgenwerth. I would like to know if you are still enthusiastic about joining us or if you have chosen another path."

She started a little timidly. "Yes, professor. I do confirm this is still my wish to come learn at Byrgenwerth."

"Oh, perfect! Was that your first choice?"

"Yes, indeed. It will always be more practical and much less complicated to move to the other side of Yharnam than to cross the continent or the ocean to travel to the far East."

"Oh, you were planning to go to the cousin region of Cainhurst, in orient?"

"Only if I couldn't go to Byrgenwerth, but my family isn't as enthusiastic about sending me this far to study."

"Really?"

"Yes…they would prefer me to stay here, at Cainhurst. But I still have time before I become a knight and I would love to be able to learn and discover as many things as possible."

"Yes, that's completely understandable." he didn't have the time to say more when his friend interrupted him and asked the young noble a question.

"So, you're training to become a knight?" This detail didn't go unnoticed. It surprised him a little and he certainly wanted to know more. That the young maiden in front of them could be part of the powerful Cainhurst fighters is something that was not obvious at the first glance. Indeed, not all nobles are knights, especially women who tend to lead the knights in question. They generally occupied more important positions. Her profile was becoming even more intriguing.

"Yes, this is correct, in a few years I will officially receive the title. She turned herself and looked at a clock hanging to one of the walls. "Besides, I might have to leave a bit later. I do have a training lesson. And training doesn't wait. My apologies, I should have mentioned it earlier."

"Oh, I see… and no need to apologize, that's normal, thank you for taking this time with us." She just smiled at him before he resumed, "Sorry, Laurence, you can continue."

"No problem." he could only smile at that, almost making him laugh as Gehrman began to try to disassemble the rapier. "Now tell me, you were interested in a first year in natural sciences, is that right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She answered in a calm and assured voice. "Yes, that's correct."

The professor searched for his words. "It's quit, hm…"

"Unusual?" She seemed to have expected such a commentary.

"Interesting, I would say." It was uncommon for someone from high nobility or from Cainhurst to choose this type of course. Even Gehrman looked a little surprised.

"Yes, I know this well, others usually choose studies in politics, economics, law, history, military technique or even art. But those don't interest me as much. Also, there isn't too much place left in archaeology. As such, the natural sciences seem all suited. It is a subject I appreciate very much as well.”

"I see. Well, we'll be delighted to welcome you in this field! The world forgets too often the importance of science and all the possibilities it offers."

"I can only agree." the young woman then thought for a few seconds before demanding, "Can I ask you a question, professor?"

"But of course!" replied Laurence enthusiastically.

"What subjects do you teach?"

"Well, mainly human biology, medicine and theology."

"Oh, fascinating! Do you teach first year's students?"

"Yes, I do many classes for the first years. We may see each other often."

“Very well. And uh… are we going to explore the old labyrinths?” The famous question that many students and future researchers ask themselves before arriving at Byrgenwerth

"Do you wish to go down there?"

"Yes."

"Well, for now, we're not taking any more students underground for security reasons. There have been a few… incidents."

The young woman seemed disappointed. She must have been very motivated by the idea of setting a foot in the tombs of the ancient gods.

"But we're going to put in place new measures or training to be able to venture there and perhaps bring new students. As well as to go more in depth." Laurence added.

She seemed a little reassured. "Yes, I understand."

"Do you have any other questions?"

She thought for a few moments before asking. "How should we make the final inscription in order for me to officially integrate Byrgenwerth?"

"We are going to send you several documents with all modalities, which you will have to complete and send back to us. Without forgetting all the signatures and seals requested!"

"Ah yes, of course…"

There was indeed a reason Laurence highlighted this detail. A few signatures and seals were missing on the young woman's application papers. It wasn't that big of a problem, and besides, it wasn't required all the time for most students. But, usually, Cainhurst repeatedly checks the letters of their candidates before sending them to Byrgenwerth. The future students must have their letter approved by their family and certain council members. Probably a simple omission...

"Anything else?"

"There's one thing I'd like to discuss but it's unrelated. I just have one or two questions for your hm… associate?" She turned towards Gehrman. "If you don't mind, of course."

He was completely frozen, except for his gaze shifting between his interlocutor and Laurence. His friend gave him a steady look, urging him to answer quickly. The poor man had been taken by surprise in his reading. "Hm, yes of course! It will be my pleasure to answer your questions..."

"But Professor Laurence, my apologies! Perhaps you have other questions for me?" Maria suddenly remembered.

The young professor took a few seconds to reflect while scratching one of his sideburns. "Ah, yes, I would have one, but nothing related to our current subject."

"Oh, please ask."

"I just wanted to know how long the audience granted to Master Willem will take."

"I cannot say… It can be quick or take a lot of time as well. I'm sorry that Provost Willem must negotiate with these old ha-" she stopped abruptly before continuing. "I mean that mediating with our noble elders is not always easy. I hope everything goes fine."

"Is it that complicated…?" wondered Gehrman.

"The council is mostly made up of Cainhurst most influential great ladies, as well as a few lords." she answered him.

"Is the king a part of the council?" Laurence wondered.

"If his majesty is present, I fear that the council will only listen to the recommendations of our dear king consort. Fortunately, Annalise is there. She still has a certain weight in the decisions that are made now." And yet, it remains far too weak for the moment...

"Yes, I imagined it must be tricky…. Thank you very much, I have no other questions for the moment." With that, Laurence put his book back in front of him and continued his reading.

"So… you had a question?" ask the Byrgenwerth groundskeeper to the young lady.

"Indeed, you're a prospector for Byrgenwerth aren't you? I heard of your exploits in the Pthumerian Labyrinth."

"Yes, you could say that uh… I only did my duty." Despite being a little embarrassed, Gehrman managed to articulate himself.

"Were you hired specifically as a prospector? For your combat skills perhaps?"

He relaxed a bit and answered this time less awkwardly. "Oh no, not at all, I've been working for Byrgenwerth for a few years now. I wasn't originally hired as a monster hunter to begin with. Fortunately, it's not the only task I do."

"Alright, please tell me what your other assignments are then?" She seemed to be really intrigued and curious to know more about him.

"Well, I'm one of the guardians of the Byrgenwerth. I watch and check that everything is to assure security. I'm also in charge of maintaining the university ground and a couple of other things... "

"What do you mean by maintaining the grounds?"

Gehrman pondered on how to twist his answer to embellish the thing as much as possible. Even Laurence doubted how his friend could make it sound impressive.

"Well, I uh…remove the tall herbs, the thorns, what bother… I take care of the plantations in the spring… that kind of thing…"

"A bit like a groundskeeper or a gardener?"

Laurence and Gehrman exchanged an anxious look. A prospector who plants flowers. Not sure everyone will find this picture grandiose… “We can say that…”

"I understand better now! You know, some of our knights, our honorable servants of Cain are groundskeepers as well."

"Really? Oh, okay…Uh, can I ask you a question in turn?"

"Of course!" declared the young lady.

"Please tell me, the Reiterpallasch, you must be used to handling it, aren't you?"

"I use this weapon a lot, this is correct, but I don't know exactly how the mechanism works though. I just learnt how to disassemble and reassemble the main parts, my apologies…"

"It's alright, you don't own an apology and it will be more than enough. Would you look at it with me?"

She then turned to show him how to disassemble the weapon. In the meantime, Gehrman explained to her in detail how the mechanism connecting the three parts of the weapon operated. Afterwards, they discussed for a while the history of the rapier but also the one of the Chikage, the traditional pistol of Cainhurst, the Evelyn and other of their old weapons.

Laurence was just reading quietly, taking a few notes, until he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" He exclaimed.

Maria and Gehrman answered at the same time. "What's it is?" "Yes?"

"I have a message from one of my students for you, miss."

She wondered who in Byrgenwerth would want to greet her. She was not very close to those who had already left to study there. "Oh really? Who is it?"

"Charles, send his regards. To you, the princess and lots of people I think."

A big smile appeared on her face "Yes, Charles! How is he?"

"He's doing fine! Do you know each other well?"

"Yes, indeed! He and his family do not live in Cainhurst, but Charles is an old childhood friend. We see each other from time to time, much less than before, sadly. He is not too much of a problem, I hope? He was a champion for being quite a troublemaker when we were children."

"Not really, he has a lot to say and a strong character for sure, but he's a good student. Some people cause much more problems than him."

"Ah I see, could you say pass my salutations for him?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it."

Gehrman had turned around and was looking at something, the other two did the same and saw a royal guard in a corner of the library, looking for something. Or someone.

"Oh, Vledemyr has returned!" shouted the young woman, a huge smile on her face.

The two men besides her wondered how she could possibly recognize him under his helmet. Probably out of habit, or maybe their armors aren't that identical.

The knight finally spotted them and started walking towards them. However, when he reached halfway, he stopped and motioned for the young lady to come towards him.

"Oh, excuse me…" she got up from her chair and went to him. "What is it, Vledemyr?"

"Is…everything alright, Maria?" At the timbre of his voice, he sounded young. Probably close in age with the princess, however, Laurence and Gehrman were too far away to fully understand their conversation.

"Yes, everything is fine, why? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you."

He didn't have time to continue as she asked another question. "Is the audience over?"

"Not quite, they're currently deliberating." He paused, before demanding, "Maria…why do our guests have a Reiterpallasch in their hands…?" He seemed quite concerned, even a little offended.

"The gunsmiths agreed! And it's broken anyway." she was justified.

"Perhaps, but it's still a weapon!"

"But you would need to be crazy to ever think of attacking us! And even more to lay a finger on someone within our own walls! "

"Yes, I know…" he sighed.

"You worry a little too much I think…and you put yourself under too much pressure."

"Maybe..."

"And what about Annalise? Is she alright with the council?"

"Oh, you know, like usual. It's not her favorite moment but it could be worse. But tell me…" He looked at one of the clocks in the library. "Don't you have practice soon?"

"Hm… I was just about to go!" She came back to the table. "Gentlemen, thank you very much for this discussion. I will unfortunately have to leave you. I hope the wait will not last very long."

"Of course!" replied the young professor. "It was a pleasure to meet you, I hope to see you again at the start of the new academic year."

"Yes, thank you kindly." Added Gehrman, tilting his head.

"I hope so as well, thank you. I wish you both to enjoy the rest of the day with us." She granted them a farewell bow, then left. The knight had approached the table and addressed the two men.

"Gentlemen, did everything go well with Maria? Sorry again for the wait."

"Yes, we had everything we needed, thank you." replied Laurence. "It was very interesting and pleasant to discuss with her."

"She really possesses a lot of knowledge! It was very informative." added Gehrman.

"I'm reassured knowing that everything went well. She's my young cousin, you see."

"Yes, that's totally understandable. Can I ask you a question hm… sir?" inquired the young professor. 

"Lord." Corrected the royal guard, now facing Laurence.

"Lord…Do you know how much more time the council might take?"

"They’re in full deliberation, it shouldn't take too long."

They were reassured to learn that it was going to end promptly and that Master Willem would come back soon. Hopefully, he has been successful.

"Lord Vledemyr, was it?" added Gehrman. "You've been a royal guard since not too long, right? It must be great recognition."

"Yes, indeed. It's been two years now. I hope to be an honor for Cainhurst!"

The two men from Byrgenwerth exchanged a quick look.

"Of course! You seem to be doing a very great job."

"Indeed! It is admirable!"

"Thank you." replied the knight simply.

They didn't have time to ask for more when the doors of the library swung open on several people. Master Willem was among them. He had a very serious expression on his face and seemed preoccupied…

"Wait, you want me to do what ?!" Exclaimed Gehrman, completely stunned.

"But Master Willem, this is madness! There must be another solution!" Laurence protested.

"I sincerely wish it was the case!" replied the Provost sharply, trying to calm them down.

All three were now in a small private room. Willem was explaining to them how the long council had gone and what had been the response to their request.

It had been decided that Cainhurst would not send them knights to help them explore the labyrinth. On the other hand, they were ready to finance a part of their research as well as to cover certain costs so that Byrgenwerth could hire new prospectors by themselves.

To grant them this favor, they asked for several things in return. First, to have reports regularly on their advances but also to see for themselves the effects of the old blood. Not for its healing properties, which they had scrupulously read the different files on, but for the superhuman faculties it could bring. Among other things, they wanted to test the abilities of a person who had received a transfusion of ancient blood.

Gehrman continued, "So… if I understand correctly. I must go down with them into their catacomb and bring back the heads of some bloodlickers, gargoyles or whatever so that they give us their full support?"

"That's right…" confessed Willem, pained.

"The Old Blood saved Gehrman! And it will save so many more! And isn't that enough for them?" snapped Laurence in exasperation.

The Provost himself seemed very annoyed by the situation. "Seems like it’s not enough… Listen, Gehrman, if you really don't feel like going, I'm not going to force you. Who knows what other creatures they have down there… But I'm afraid this is our last option."

"Actually…I don't mind going out and killing a few monsters that much." Gehrman intervened. "But I'm a little apprehensive about the bloodlickers… I haven't faced many of them, and the last time Dores got hurt! Liam and I had to go through so much to get rid of them…"

"Yes, but that was before your transfusion, wasn't it?"

"It's true, you could have a chance!" Laurence added.

"Maybe yes…"

Either way, the final decision was up to him. Gehrman thought deeply. Staring into space, a hand on either side of his jaw. Eventually, a confident expression appeared on his face. "Alright!"

Determined, he changed into more practical clothes. He was accompanied by knights into the depths of the castle. The young royal guard also left with him. They were only there to escort him and observe. They would eventually intervene if they deemed it necessary.

Many people were waiting in the courtyard. Members of the council, the king consort, the princess, nobles, servants and even young knights and future knights. All eagerly await their return.

The wait seemed endless. It was particularly stressful for the guests of Byrgenwerth. After almost one hour, that felt like an eternity, they finally came back. Gehrman was covered in blood. It was not his own, he only had a few visible scratches. He held the heads of two bloodlickers in his hand, his fingers hooked into their long greyish hair. The other knights were holding an extra head as well as parts of gargoyles. He had a triumphant smile across his face.

Chapter Text

Heavy metallic footsteps echoed against the cold stone corridors of the castle. Vledemyr, the young royal guard, was looking for Maria to announce the good news. She would be leaving for Byrgenwerth in a few weeks and her family, as well as a few other nobles would like to have a word with her.

"Obviously not here..." She wasn't in her quarters, of course. But where could she be? If anyone could possibly find her, it was him. However, both were far too old for this kind of game now and she was expected.

As he walked to his next destination, the library, he recalled the other places where she was most likely to be.

He didn’t find her in the main library, and in a smaller room next to it, a study where she used to read and work. No one as well. He continued to search.

The armoury? Likewise. The stables maybe? Neither. The garden?! Still no one. She couldn't possibly be in the crypt… He thought for a moment and had an idea to try to locate her. He climbed one of the high watchtowers, took a pair of binoculars and… got it!

________________________

The young woman was sitting on a rooftop. Her blond hair against the slate-coloured tiles, watching the sky dotted with a few clouds and the many crows flying all around the crow tower. Some circled in the sky, while a few had come to rest next to her. She seemed almost in a deep silent conversation with them. She wore a pair of riding boots over her brown training pants, a white shirt, and a dark and gold waistcoat.

"Ah, there you are at last," sounded a familiar voice below her.

As she came out of her reverie, she got up and faced his direction, with a big smile. "Oh, hello Vledemyr!"

"Hello, Maria," he replied with a smirk. "Spending time with crows I see."

"Yes indeed, it's you who asked me to take care of them after all." She descended from the small roof and stood just in front of him.

"Maria, taking care of the crows is my job, I just asked you to help me once in a while now that I'm a royal guard."

"Yes, that's what I said." She paused briefly, looking at the birds and then back to her cousin before continuing. "I like spending time with them, you know, their presence is soothing in a way."

"Yes indeed, crows are truly incredible beings." Vledemyr must have been one of the few in all Cainhurst to understand that. He also used to spend a lot of time with them, especially when he was a teenager. He talked to them, taught them tricks… Then, he whistled and several crows came to rest on his shoulders or close to him, emitting caws to greet him. "Hi you." He stroked their heads before turning back his gaze towards Maria, "And what were you talking about?"

"Oh, not much. Were you looking for me, by the way?"

"Yes, that's right-" he interrupted himself, suddenly remembering. "Do you know, everyone is looking for you?! I've been looking everywhere!" He took on a much more serious tone, frowning.

She widened her eyes, a little surprised. "Ah uh, my apologies…" She hadn't expected him to lose his temper so abruptly. "What did I do this time?" she asked, turning her head away.

He made the crows fly away and looked at her with a smile. "Oh, I assure you, you have nothing to be reproached for, " he told her in a calmer manner.

"Ah? What is it, then?"

He burst out laughing. "That's funny coming from you, aren't you the one who asks us almost every day if we received the letter from Byrgenwerth?"

Her eyes widened, she was left speechless for a few seconds. "No way, you received it?!"

"That's right."

"And so?! What did they say?! " She asked, almost jumping on him.

"Well, I have the great privilege to announce to you that you are indeed leaving to go study at Byrgenwerth."

She threw herself into his arms and they both laughed, soon separating again.

"I'm so proud of you! Excited?" 

Her eyes were shining. "Yes, a lot!"

"Good, and you will remember to go thank everyone, alright?"

"Yes, of course! Obviously. I will thank everyone very warmly. My parents, the council… even the great aunts…"

"Come on, tell yourself you're not going to see them for a while afterwards."

"It's true!" Suddenly, she faltered, truly thinking about the situation, then looked at him in the eye with a slightly sullen expression. "And what about you… are you going to be alright?" Vledemyr cared a lot for her, Maria knew that prolonged absence could potentially worry him. After all, she was also supposed to be his squire, she blamed herself a bit for not being able to continue to assist him.

"Of course, I'll be fine, I'm the one who should ask you this question. Even though I probably already know the answer."

"Are you saying you're not going to miss me? Not even a bit?" she retorted teasingly.

"Hmm, I'm not sure… Of course, I'm going to miss you! But you know we'll see each other on vacations, and if you give me news from time to time it should be fine."

She nodded with a simple "Hm". 

"Look, I know it's not your style to send letters every two days to me or your parents, but I think they would really appreciate it if you gave us news a little more often than usual, alright? And if you don't do it for them or the others in the family, at least do it for Annalise… She is very happy for you, but our dear cousin will really miss you, you know."

"Ah yes, of course." Maria knew that Annalise had spoken a lot in her favour so she could go study. She was having more and more responsibility towards the court and her subjects, which was not without weighing on her. Spending time with Maria or Vledemyr really allowed her to unwind. Having grown up and spent many years together, Annalise was almost like an older sister to her. If anyone was really going to be affected by Maria's prolonged absence, it was her. "Besides, you'll watch over everyone, won't you? And if something happens, will you let me know?"

"Yes, of course! It's my duty, after all."

"Yes, it's true...” Maria chuckled, “And will you watch out for little Leo? Oh, and Lupin as well. You know those two tend to bicker a lot..."

"Count on me."

"And you'll be keeping an eye on our dear friend Lady Svetta too, won't you?"

"Yeah, of course-"

He stopped in surprise and stared at his younger cousin. She had a smug face with a big smile. "Maria, I don't really like what that smile seems to be implying. You know it's not like that…" He sighed, annoyed.

"Yes, forgive me." She tried to contain her little giggles. She knew that the two were particularly fond of each other. But maybe she just misunderstood.

He decided to quickly change the subject. "And are you going to be alright there? Aren't you apprehensive?"

"Huh, me? Yes, yes, it will be fine, you know how I am!"

"Yes, that's why." He crossed his arms and waited patiently for her to say more.

"I'm really happy to be leaving but I'm going to miss you all of course... Let's say that I don't know many people there... I just hope it's going to be fine... but there's no reason it won't be, right?"

"Maria, I'm sure they'll all like you a lot! Be kind, polite and stay open, it will be fine, they're not some savages, right? And besides, some students come from Cainhurst or from families who have ties with us, you shouldn't feel too out of place."

"Yes but… Apart from Charles, you know very well that I can't stand them for too long…"

He sighed, "Yes, I know… But see, Charles will be there! In his last letter he said you could count on him, right?"

"Yes, I'm very happy he's here, you can't even imagine! But we won't see each other all the time since we won't be in the same classes anyway…"

"That’s true…but look on the bright side Maria, okay? You know at least one person you rely on in case. But hey, don't get caught up in his messes, okay?"

"Pfff, he's not a child anymore, you know! He became much more mature and serious over the years and doesn't get in that sort of troubles anymore."

"Oh, really? This is not what you told me the last time you saw him, though."

She pretended not to remember, "Oh, really?"

"Well, in either case, I think you can count on the teachers, and we are never very far if you need anything. You know very well that I would come running at the slightest problem!"

"Hehe, it's true."

"Well, we should go now, the others will be waiting for us."

"Yes."

He put a friendly hand on her shoulder and the two walked back into the castle.

Maria therefore presented herself to her parents and the members of the council to thank them greatly in their decision to let her go to Byrgenwerth. They seemed proud of her and very courteous, which surprised her positively. They of course reminded her to behave accordingly and to respect all the rules of proper etiquettes. She agreed to all their requests; although she found some of them quite annoying, she was willing to honour them regardless. After this long discussion, from which she emerged pleased with herself, she was told that "His Majesty King Richard of Cainhurst" would like to have a word with her. Probably to congratulate her and remind her again of her duties as a future knight.

__________________

The king was not in the main throne room of course. Since the queen had left them, this great hall was now only used for knighting ceremonies and important events, remaining empty most of the time. The king therefore spent most of his time in what is known as "the royal chamber". It is akin to the throne room, but a secret one, created during the construction of Cainhurst to bring the royal family to safety during an attack or in trouble times. This place was not easy to access and among the many residents of the castle, only a few could go there without proper indication.

Maria had already been there a few times and remembered the route to take. The main path through the building was left accessible, it could be blocked if necessary. There were also other ways to access it, but none of those alternatives were possible to use at that time. The first was to go through the roofs but it could be dangerous. There was also a secret passage somewhere, hidden in the walls. The young woman was simply aware of its existence but had no idea where it was exactly or did not remember. It was therefore necessary to take the road in the building among all the corridors and the stairs. Fortunately, the few royal guards who visited the king had greatly simplified the access.

Maria finally arrived at the entrance of the chamber, in front of her was a very large staircase. On either side were numerous statues of knights on their mounts, holding spears and dressed in silver and gold armours. Even the horse statues possessed heavy war armours. Some of the remnants of Cainhurst's glorious past. There was also a rather intriguing detail about these statues, one that wouldn't surprise an inhabitant of the castle but would surely surprise someone from the outside much more: all statues of knights were missing their lower right leg.

Maria took a deep breath, exhaled, then began to climb the stairs. The staircase was long and climbing it in one go was not easy for everyone. It was to wonder how long the king took to climb them. Didn't he ever grow tired of it?

After a good minute or two, she finally reached the top. She took a few moments to catch her breath, then straightened up and readjusted her hairstyle and clothes. She then followed into the large, dark room, lit only by the light streaming through a stained-glass window straight ahead of her and a few candles. The sound of her footsteps was muffled by a large, dusty red carpet, she looked on both sides of the room. There were only big columns and old statues. She continued towards the end of the room and that's when she saw him, on her right, near a wall. The king, seated behind a dark desk.

He looked focused but a little tired, with one hand resting on his grey beard. He wore his traditional clothing: dark coloured and gold with a bit of red. He had a dagger at his belt and on his head the crown: the Crown of Illusions, a large seven-pointed golden crown, adorned with many precious gems. Many years ago, Cainhurst had a second crown just like this, but it was lost in one of the Pthumerian underground ruins a long while ago. It is said that these crowns had the power to show visions to their bearer and dispel illusions. If so, the crown the current consort possessed had long since lost such power.

When Maria approached, he put his papers in order and waited patiently. The young woman knelt and bowed respectfully before him, one knee on the ground, her left hand on her chest and her right arm outstretched on the side. "Thou wished to see me, your Majesty?"

"That is true indeed, damsel Maria." He stood up with a bit of difficulty, repositioned his chair, then approached and motioned for her to get up. "Come walk with us for a while." 

And so, they pace quietly through the castle, the king walking at a slower speed. He congratulated her on her admission and encouraged her to give her all, while reminding her to ensure a good image of Cainhurst. After that, he questioned her. "And so, you would have three or five years in total, correct?"

"That is correct, your Majesty. I don't know if I will make it to the master's degree, but I would appreciate it."

"Very well, and… what are you going to do next?"

Obviously, he needed to ask this question. "I'm not entirely sure…"

The king stopped and waited patiently for her to answer. She couldn't just leave it at that, but she couldn't say what she really wanted either. "In a little less than two years I'll be knighted, won't I?" Maria finally continued.

"Indeed, you will have to come back to continue some training at the same time as your studies… Do you feel capable of it?"

"Many knights have already done it, it's not impossible. Besides, I would like to at least obtain a diploma before taking up my duties as…" she hesitated for a moment, "royal guard…"

"And is it really what you desire? To become a royal guard."

"I was always meant to be one, wasn't I?"

"Yes, that's what they say."

Nearly all her family, since she was little, has been telling her this, over and over again. Nearly to the point of making her sick.

Maria admired the prospect of becoming a royal guard, but a part of her couldn't help feeling repulsed by the mechanical and cold aspects as well as the dark secrets that it could entail... But she could not bring herself to admit it. "Above all, I wish for Princess Annalise to be safe and to serve her. I want to serve within our walls but also outside of it. We need representatives, today more than ever."

"We understand." Cainhurst hadn't been at the height of his glory for a long time, they were losing more and more influence and the king knew it very well.

In truth, Maria was still a little lost on what she intended to do later in life. It was only natural at barely eighteen years of age. Despite her status and her path which seemed already traced, it was not always easy to comply with the demands of her relatives and elders without having tons of questions.

The king understood her concern very well, he was not going to force her to reveal what she was really thinking, even if he could have a guess. He had always tried to be considerate with her, he tried to reassure her. "Well, after all, you still have time to think about it, myself at your age I would never have thought of arriving where I am today."

"Really?" She got surprised.

"Yes." He answered softly.

 She discerned some melancholy in his voice, she could swear. Maria sometimes felt sorry for the wise old king. He no longer held a lot of power within Cainhurst. Their dear consort was there more to perform official ceremonies than to make important political decisions. And if she resented her elders who had the greatest influence in Cainhurst, she knew that the king had to support them as well without being able to do anything against them.

Surely, he hadn't imagined things to end up this way decades ago. However, he remained devoted to his subjects and tried to fulfil his role as best he could, despite looking increasingly tired and in poor health. He had been concentrating mostly lately on preparing Annalise to succeed him, although he was considered too soft in his methods. His daughter was what mattered the most to him, he wanted her to be ready to take on the responsibilities and duties of the queen in due time.

"Thank you, your Majesty." She bowed. He smiled at her, and they started walking again.

Night had fallen and the first stars began to shine in the dark sky. Through the clouds, the faint moonlight cast the shadow of the castle onto the water. Most of the lights were turned off, but certainly not in the apartments of our dear Maria. She was still preparing her suitcases for her big departure the next day. She had already carefully selected what she needed to pack, like most of her possessions and clothes. It wasn't that simple, she was now struggling to put everything in, but the space was limited. Some choices and compromises would need to be made. 

She would have liked to take many books and other personal effects, as well as both summer and winter outfits. The end of summer was approaching, but it was still very warm in Yharnam compared to the Isle of Cain and the northern regions where she used to live for many years. Moreover, she probably won't be able to return before the start of winter, toward the end of the year… She couldn't bring her entire room, so she needed to take only what was strictly necessary.

At least she didn't have to think about getting and preparing her weapons. Personal arms were prohibited within the walls of Byrgenwerth, or they needed to be stored in an armoury and would be carefully checked. It felt a little odd to not be able to take them with her, but it was better than risking having them stolen or an accident.

Lit by candles and a few oil lamps, her apartment consisted of a small living room, opening onto a bedroom with a large double bed and leading itself to a small bathroom. The living room included in its middle a couch and armchairs, padded or with floral motifs. On them, a few pillows and a fur plaid, half lying on the floor. There was also a table, a desk, a wardrobe as well as a stone fireplace against the wall. The shelves were full of many objects, paintings and a few frames containing flowers, butterflies and other naturalised arthropods, hung on cream walls with a patterned wallpaper. 

She whispered to herself, "Mother was right, I should have done it even later…" she sighed. Looking on the bright side, she was almost done and the clothes she would wear tomorrow were already prepared. While she was still deep in thought in front of one of her wide-open suitcases, soft knocks beat against her door. She turned her head toward it while wondering, "Who could it be at such an hour?" She quickly picked up the few books scattered on the floor and put them in a more orderly way, then distinctly replied, "Yes, come in!"

The door opened and it was none other than the Princess of Cainhurst who entered the room. She wore a long night gown and her long hair was hung down her back. She only had a candle in her hand, which she put on the table after entering.

"To what do I owe the honour of thy late visit, dearest Princess Annalise?" greeted Maria while bowing.

The princess replied with a curtsey, "Can I not come and see thee when it does suit me, damsel Maria?" 

They looked at each other for a few seconds, then the two young women began to laugh. 

"So, are you still packing your belongings?" Asked the oldest with auburn hair, after returning to a calmer composure.

"Indeed, you crossed path with Vledemyr, isn’t it?"

"Yes, he told me you were almost done. That was a few hours ago already."

Maria was speechless for a few seconds, then turned away with an embarrassed look. "I'm almost done..."

"What do you have left to prepare? Can I help you?"

"I just have a few books to pack." She gestured to the pile of books on the floor. "But I doubt you came here just to give me a hand, what is it?"

"Oh, I just wanted to talk to you a bit. Before you go… If you don't mind."

"No, of course not! I'm very glad you came."

The two young women already had the opportunity to discuss Maria's departure a few times, but there were still certain details that they had not been able to speak of and even less in private like this.

The princess picked up one of the books. "Ah yes, the novel series of the adventures of Lady Evelyn! Are there really no books in Byrgenwerth that you need to bring that many? I always thought they possessed quite an impressive collection."

"Yes, but I don't know if they have those, Anna! And you understand, I must take these masterpieces of our heritage with me!" She then added, whispering, "And some science books."

"It is true that we all have read the works of our dear relative here, but I am not sure they are still popular today in Yharnam. Maybe they are a little too old fashioned for them..." 

"But it's just from the generation of our grandparents and that's why I want to take them with me. If I make friends, I could recommend these classics to them! But I'm afraid they won't all fit in my suitcase…"

"Why don't you just take the first one and a couple of the most popular? What do you think?

"But they're all excellent! The Adventures of Lady Evelyn, The Eastern Lands, The Haunted Castle, The Sea of Mist, The Polar Expedition, One way and back, The Lost Weapon, The Treasures of the Crown and so many others!" She paused a few seconds looking at her older cousin who looked concerned. "Ok, yes, you are right..." She then took only a few books from the pile and tried to fit them in the case. Only having managed to fit a couple inside, she would have to carry the others by hands. She returned the remaining volumes back on her shelf.

Annalise then asked her, "Alright and otherwise are you not too stressed about your departure tomorrow?"

"Hm, impatient I would say. I received the program for the first few days, it looks very interesting. For the rest, I hope it goes well…"

"I see, I'm sure it's going to be fine. Also, I was wondering... aren't you going to miss it a bit here? I mean…the way of life, the place itself and everything…" questioned the princess. She knew very well that Maria only wanted one thing, and that was to get out of here, to discover the wild and vast world, into the unknown. 

"Well, I won't have my dear room anymore… but it shouldn't be too bad, apparently. It's an unfamiliar environment, but you know how quickly I can adapt. I guess I might still miss it here, yes, as well as a few people of course, but right now, I'm not too sure. Ah, yes of course I can't take my crows and my horse with me too…" She looked a little sad thinking about it, but she knew she would see them again soon enough. 

"You know we'll take good care of them!"

"Yes, I know! Oh, I just remembered something…"

"What is it?"

"I…I won't be able to go to the crypt for a while…but you'll all take care of it, won't you? You and Vledemyr…and the others."

"Yes, of course, Maria, don't worry about this," Annalise smiled weakly at her and took her hand in her own. 

The young blonde woman thought for a bit. "And, by the way, Anna… will you be alright? I will miss you of course and I promise to send you news often." She was sincere and squeezed her fingers back.

"Yes, don't worry, I will be fine..." she seemed a little pained, then she let go of her hand.

"Are you sure? I know you tend to put a lot of pressure on yourself and if it's not you, it's the others who take care of it..."

"Thank you, Maria, I'll be alright. We'll miss you, so you be careful, alright? And take care of yourself first." she admitted.

 "Oh Annalise…yes, I promise you. You'll see it will pass quickly." In public, the princess tried to always show the noble and strong part of her character. But in private, with only a few people, she sometimes expressed a much more sensitive and more insecure side.

"Yes, I suppose." She gave her a slight smile. "Well, do you have everything you need?"

"Hm, yes I think so?" Maria looked at all her belongings as well as the clothes she had prepared for tomorrow. She took a step back and mentally listed what she was taking. She jumped a few seconds later, "My brooch!" She looked around, then walked all around the room. "Oh no I can't leave without!" 

"Calm down, we'll find it." While the youngest was vigorously rummaging through her wardrobe and drawers, visibly stressed, Annalise observed the living room more calmly, then went to the bedroom, looking for it. Seeing nothing, she returned to the living room and looked on the couch where were placed the clothes that Maria had planned to wear the next day. She lifted some of the pillows and…

She took the jewel and presented it in front of her. "Look Maria, it's right here."

 She closed the drawers and came to take the green flower pendant delicately, her nerves soothed greatly, she really cared about it. "Thank you, Annalise, I don't know what I would have done without it.”

"You're welcome."

She put it prominently on the top of her clothes pile. "This time it's good, I think I have everything." She turned back to Annalise who was watching her, holding the back of her hand in her other, waiting. They looked at each other.

"It's getting late…" Maria added. "See you tomorrow?" She timidly extended her arms towards her cousin, palms slightly towards her. Annalise moved closer to her and took her in her arms, hugging her tighter than Maria expected, she returned the embrace. They stayed like that for a little while, before separating at last.

Annalise retrieved her candle and returned to the door, opening it lightly. She turned with a smile, "Good night, Maria."

"Good night." she replied, returning the smile.

The door closed, she was gone. Maria checked that everything was in order, she then went to lock her door, turned off the lights and then slipped under her blanket, trying to fall asleep. Tomorrow will be an important day. 

The next morning, after getting ready, her bags were taken down and she went to greet everyone before leaving. Her family of course, but also other nobles, knights, and servants. She also had the opportunity to go around a few places before the departure. After yet another goodbye to her relatives, she finally got into the carriage. 

She watched Cainhurst Castle growing smaller and smaller as they crossed the viaduct. This did not leave her indifferent and gave her a slight heartache. She reminded herself of what awaited her and of the immense opportunity she had obtained. A new page was being written and she couldn't help but smile at the life that was about to begin.

Chapter Text

After almost two hours of travel, the carriage from Cainhurst finally arrived at its destination. The sun was shining alongside pleasant breeze on that beautiful morning. One of the entrances to the campus, the one where the stagecoach stopped, was shaded by numerous trees. Once the car halted, Maria got out and looked around. In front of her stood the campus of Byrgenwerth with its large and beautiful buildings and in the distance was the immense lake. Behind her was the dense forest, the further you looked, and the less rays of sunlight could be seen piercing through the canopy. It was difficult to see Yharnam from here.

The coachman got down and brought the young woman's belongings to the entrance. The two then talked for a few minutes, saying their goodbyes before he left. Maria appreciated him. The older man was a former rider and a very good driver who always arrived at his destination, whatever the conditions.

She then passed the entrance where she was expected. Master Willem himself was present and at his side was a man with a small moustache, wearing glasses and a top hat. There were also a few students further back, but certainly not from first year. They must be there to help with the arrivals. Maria's family had arranged the departure of her trip so she would arrive before the crowd.

Willem and Maria greeted each other and shook hands. He welcomed her and asked if the trip went well, to which she replied affirmatively. He hoped that she would enjoy her stay and told her she shouldn't hesitate to request help at the slightest problem. He also explained that she would be taken to her dormitory shortly after, then apologized for not being able to stay longer. He had to go prepare himself for the speech in front of the newest students and the staff.  “At 11 a.m. at the lecture building!” He revealed to the young woman a large structure in the centre of the campus that was visible from where they were.

She thanked him again, "Thank you very much Provost Willem." They saluted each other again and then he left. Maria couldn't believe that Master Willem had come in person to welcome her! It was the least to do, but it made her very happy that he took the time with his busy agenda to come greet her.

The man who was next to the provost introduced himself as Mr. Liam, one of the guardians of Byrgenwerth. He was responsible most of the time for the main entrance. He even carried several sets of keys hanging from his belt. 

There was a small table next to him with a huge register. He asked for her complete name, having only heard her first name. She introduced herself simply as "Maria Cain", a diminutive of her full name which had been used for her registration. Like all Cainhurst names, hers was far too long and complicated to fit on almost any administrative papers (except the ones from Cainhurst of course...as well as their bank documents).

He looked carefully at his register then wrote something in it. He took out some papers and made her sign them. It was her lease for the year. He kept one copy and gave her the other. He then asked her to follow him and gestured to a student to join them to help, probably a 2nd or 3rd year student who arrived early. The start of their year began the next day for the other classes. The young man in question had a short blond bob and dark eyes.

Maria took one of her bags on her back, her coat on the shoulder and her books under the arm while Liam took one of her suitcases and the student lifted the other two. She asked them if they would prefer to take something lighter and her something else. She realised it must be awfully heavy. She also apologized for the number of things she had brought with her. The other two smile and told her not to worry. They explained that even if most scholars were bringing far less, some people had already shown up with far more! And not just teachers or researchers. Sometimes they had the impression some students brought their entire home! They took much more than needed.

On the way to the dorms, Liam explained what the various buildings they passed next to were but didn't go into too many details because the new students would have a visit to the campus in the afternoon. 

Afterwards, they arrived at the student dormitories: Two large twin buildings, as well as a smaller building perpendicular to them at the end of the path. They all were on three levels. On the other end, the two buildings were linked by a stone arch, creating a portal. It had a bell on top. It opened onto a park with benches, a few small trees, two old wells and a wash house.

The smaller building was reserved for certain scholars but especially students preparing their master's or doctorate degrees. The teaching staff, university administration and other researchers lived in another building a little more in the centre of the campus. For the rest of the workers: guardians, janitors, cooks, gravedigger, and the newly hired prospectors...they were mostly in small houses on the edge of the campus.

It was also pointed out to Maria that some students and employees did not live in the campus but in Yharnam or in surrounding villages. Many students also went home on weekends. The weeks' ends would be quieter at Byrgenwerth. But this was not the case for Maria who had insisted on trying to stay the entire semester, returning only on holidays. It was also much more convenient than making a lot of trips back and forth through the congested city.

They entered the building on the right and went up the stairs. While passing, Liam indicated where to find the concierge as well as cleaning supplies in the basement. It was also here that the central heating was, but students were prohibited from entering without authorization. Arriving on the top floors they placed the suitcases in front of one of the doors. Maria thanked the student, then he left after greeting her.

The floor was almost entirely empty, they had only encountered a few students settling in. Before opening the door, he showed her around the floor, pointed where the bathrooms were. He also explained that although there were also boys in the building, the floor should only have girls. He then looked at one of his sets of keys and removed two of them, giving one to Maria in the process. The keys had engraved numbers, matching those marked on the door handles. With his key Liam unlocked the lock.

"Here we are Miss!"

In front of them was a typical student room: a bed, a large desk, a wardrobe, a few shelves on the walls, a carpet, a double window with a thick curtain. There were also some supplies on the desks as well as lamps and candles but otherwise only the essentials. Several uniforms were laid out on the bed, and others were in the wardrobe along with a few towels. Through the window could be seen a small part of the campus, the forest, and the lake.

Maria found the room rather pretty despite the few small cracks visible at the bottom and corners of the walls. Of course, Byrgenwerth's rooms would never be as big as her own room at Cainhurst but… she found it very small, with not much furniture compared to what she expected. She asked the gatekeeper if he was certain it was her room. Just to be sure. He also seemed a little surprised while observing the room. He checked his papers and confirmed it was the right one.

After they brought her belongings inside the room, Maria asked Liam what the other bedrooms were like. Out of curiosity. He replied that this room was a little larger than most "standard" ones but that some were more spacious and comfortable. Maria wondered if her parents and family made an error. Unless... they did it on purpose... maybe it was just a simple mistake from the Byrgenwerth administration? Well, she would see that later.

In the meantime, Liam began to explain some of the rules here. He spoke about the noise, visits from other students, where to eat, lights out times, problems that could occur if damages were noticed and how to report it, as well as the punishments incurred in cases of serious violations of its rules. He finished by adding that the provost would review the regulations himself later. Thene asked her if she had any questions.

She thought for a few seconds before asking, "You showed me brooms and mops earlier, how does it work here for cleaning rooms and washing our belongings? Sheets, clothes, and everything else. Does anyone take care of it?"

"Well, that's up to the students themselves to take care of it, except for the uniforms which can be washed by the staff. There is everything you need downstairs and there is the laundry outside or large basins for washing clothes. Sometimes someone comes to clean the shared areas, but the place must be kept fairly clean at all times by the tenants."

“Ah uh alright...” Maria was a little taken aback. It kind of makes sense that the students would take care of it on their own when she thought about it, but Maria had never done anything like this before. She knew how to dust furniture and quickly sweep a broom, but she had only been able to observe from afar how the servants cleaned from top to bottom or washed sheets and clothes. She had never been able to practice these tasks on her own before and it's not like she had been given permission to do so... "Shit I should have asked the servants how to do it before leaving..." she thought.

Liam felt that something seemed to be bothering her. “Hm, will everything be alright Miss?”

“Um yes of course, that should be fine.” At worst she will do like the others and copy what they do, it couldn't be that complicated.

“Good, I'll leave you in that case. And don't forget, 11 a.m. at the lecture building! And in uniform!”

“I will be here! Thank you.”

Liam greeted her one last time then left, leaving Maria alone. She had a few hours ahead, but she didn't waste any time, and opened her suitcases to place her belongings: her books, her clothes... She took out a watch as well, a pocket watch and an alarm clock that she kept nearby and a small knife she put in her desk.

She then changed into her uniform. She hesitated to put on her brooch but ultimately, left it in a drawer, not wanting to attract too much attention. Finally, she tied her hair into a small and high ponytail. Once prepared and most of her things were put away, she went out and locked her door. She still had quite a bit of time left ahead, so she decided to go for a walk around the campus to scout out the place and greet the newcomers she would come across.

She couldn't arrive late too and if there were already people there, she wanted to have the best seat to listen to the welcome speech.

Meanwhile, at the border of the campus, not far from the homes of the prospector team.

Gehrman was at the side of his shack, working on a wooden workshop. He was polishing a large and curved piece of metal. It was very similar to the now-broken giant's blade that he had obtained last year. In the workshop were also some tools and firearms that had already been cleaned or were waiting to be cleaned.

He heard a noise behind him and stood still. Just after he heard a familiar voice with a slightly sarcastic tone, “So, working hard?” Laurence had come to meet him.

“Yep.” His response was brief, and he continued what he was working on.

Laurence therefore gave him time to finish what he was doing. After putting the weapon back on the table, Gehrman turned towards him. His friend continued the conversation. “The new students are arriving.”

"Oh, you must be pretty busy then? Preparing everything I bet huh?" he asked the young professor.

"Oh, you know, I don't have much to do really. Willem is the one who's taking care of the welcome speech after all. It shouldn't be long anyway. That's why I came to get you."

“Ah, it's time already?” He wiped his hands on a cloth and glanced inside the wooden house, at the clockface. It indicated 10:30 am. “Ah yes, it's pretty soon indeed!”

“We still have a little time left, it won't be right away anyway and you know that nothing ever starts on time!”

“Hehe that’s right!”

“So, how is this weapon progressing?” Laurence had moved closer and looked carefully at the blade that Gehrman had made during the summer. He even gone to Hemwick to forge it. The groundskeeper turned the curved sword towards the scholar so he could take a better look. It was silver colored but did not shine with a bright metallic shine. The finishing touches were lacking. It closely resembled the blade of the Pthumerian giant but it looks more like the blade of a scythe or a billhook, but much bigger.

"It's just a prototype you know, I'm going to test it and if it suits me, I'll make a blade with the same design but with much better materials. Otherwise, I'll change my plans, again…" He had spent the last few months testing different weapons and made adjustments. Lately, he had spent almost all his free time trying to design this "perfect weapon", capable of being used in any situation while remaining very effective and practical against the unknown and the mysteries that lurked beneath the surface, in the tombs of the gods...

Although Gehrman was concerned by the time and effort that scholars put into researching Pthumerian arcane and the old blood, Laurence was downright baffled at the amount of time his friend spent on his work and the precision he put into it. In addition, Master Willem had entrusted the dear groundskeeper with leading future expeditions into the tombs and supervising the new prospectors that Byrgenwerth would hire. We can say he took his work at heart.

"It looks pretty good, you know. You seem worried, what would you find wrong with it right now?"

"Oh no, it's obviously very well but I don't know...I was thinking I should maybe attach it to a handle. To have a greater reach you know? But this size is very good too." He muttered, "But I can't afford to make 2 weapons with the final materials I have in mind...Perhaps I should make something that would allow me to swap the two…"

“I'm sure you will find a solution! And with what materials did you make that one anyway?” Laurence questioned, looking more closely at the blade.

“Oh, an iron and zinc alloy and tin… it’s mostly to test the shape and how I can manipulate it in combat.”

"I see. And what are you planning to make the final weapon? We said that gold and silver weren't worth it and let's not even talk about putting mercury in a sword. We have to use something that works on anything found in the Pthumerian labyrinths."

“Well, in this!” Gehrman took out from his collar a pendant which was hung around his neck by a black cord. It was a small, strangely shiny piece of metal with engraved writing on it. It fit in the palm of a hand and t had the same scythe shape as the larger blade.

“You’ve had this for a while now…you told me it was made in iron, right?”

"Siderite! Not just simple hematite or magnetite."

"Yes, but it's... Ah... I know what you're going to tell me: 'No, Laurence, it's not the same thing!' I thought the three were iron, right?" Laurence was jaded, what else did he say again...But he's a doctor not a geologist! How could he know?

Gehrman continued promptly, “These minerals are all composed of iron, yes. To explain it simply. But guess where this siderite comes from!”

“Um… well I don’t know… a rock?!”

“It's an iron meteorite ore, Laurence!” he replied in a firm tone.

"Ah okay... You could have just said it came from a meteorite from the start. I would have understood you know..."

"Ah yes maybe... but you know that I prefer to be precise about that. Hm, does it look nice huh?"

"Yes, it looks great."

Gehrman cleared his throat, "It would be more powerful than simple metal and in addition we can even use the Pthumerians' arcane on it. And it's believed to bring good luck in some sense... Well, not just like gold, copper or I don't know which other trinkets, but according to some legends it would protect the souls of the dead, or something like that."

“Yes, Gehrman I understand.” There was a slight silence between the two men before Laurence asked him a new question. “Did you make it from your old meteorite fragments?”

"Yes." He looked proud, while he gazed carefully at the small piece of metal in the palm of his hand.

Yharnam and its surroundings have a rich and very interesting geology. We can find both sedimentary and magmatic rocks, rich in minerals. It's one of the reasons that the Pthumerians first established themselves in the valley between the large hills, where the modern city is built. The old town is in this same valley. The region is also known to have had numerous meteoritic impacts over the centuries. Even today, many small meteorites still fall in the region. As a child and teenager, Gehrman always had the habit of trying to collect the ones he could find. He had amassed quite a collection over the years. It must remind him a lot of his past and his family, hence why it seemed to mean so much to him.

Once out of his reverie, he turned back towards Laurence. “Well, we better get going.”

"Yes." He put his hat on, picked up the tools and weapons to put them away. Laurence helped him then they headed towards the lecture building in the center of the campus.

Maria finally arrived at the lecture building. It was very large, with one floor above her head. There were several laboratories, some offices and conference rooms within. The most impressive was the two large amphitheater classes. In the main hallway, large crystal chandeliers lit the interior and numerous stone columns adorned the walls.

She had no trouble finding where the speech was going to take place, many students were at the entrance of a room with hundreds of seats. Some even went upstairs, to the mezzanine above the class. She wasted no time and entered the amphitheater. There were still many empty seats, and only about fifty students were already there chatting among themselves.

She selected a seat near the center but slightly to the side, as it would allow her to have a good view of the stage without being completely in front. A professor seemed to be arranging papers on the large desk in front of the board. Maria didn't sit down yet. Instead, she remained leaning on the chair in front of her while waiting for the room to fill up. She observed the new students around her and those who were arriving.

Among the crowd of brown, white, and black uniforms she was unable to recognize anyone. They were all complete strangers to her. Some seemed to know each other well and to be friends, but many seemed quite lost and probably didn't know anyone, just like her. She chatted quickly with the students nearby but nothing too sophisticated other than greeting each other and asking when it was going to start.

After a few dozen minutes, it was finally time. However, they had to wait another quarter of an hour. Most of the students who came with the huge black capes had taken them off and some with the long-sleeved brown jackets had taken them off as well, the room was already quite warm. The class seemed full and all the seats looked occupied, some students even stood on the side or sat on the floor. Maria wondered how many students were there. A couple of hundred she could guess.

Finally, the professors and scholars entered, followed by Master Willem and members of the school staff. Maria recognized Laurence who placed himself not far behind the provost and Mr. Liam who was with other members of staff, a few meters away. Even the famous Gehrman was there.

But… since when does he have two feet?! Maria was taken aback. It was impossible. When she met him several months ago, he had a metallic peg leg. Come on, legs don't grow back like that! There must be an explanation...

She looked more closely and observed that he was not walking quite properly and he wasn't putting too much weight on his right leg. But yes of course, he's probably just wearing another type of prosthesis! She thought herself foolish for a few seconds.

After this little reflection on herself, the Provost tried to begin his speech by making a sign to his audience. However, there were still many people talking and it was creating a huge din. "Please-"

“Silence in the room!” A professor shouted, but it wasn't of any help. That's when a huge boom echoed throughout the room, surprising everyone. A woman with a blond bun, presumably a member of the staff, punched against one of the walls next to the board. Most of the students immediately fell silent and there were only a couple of whispers left. The woman returned to her place with her arms crossed while the disconcerted teachers quickly glanced at her.

“Thank you, Dores.” the Provost murmured before regaining his composure. He cleared his throat and began loudly. "Welcome everyone!" Immediately, everybody stopped making noise and listened attentively. "I am Willem, Provost of the University of Byrgenwerth. On behalf of all my colleagues, teachers, scholars, and everyone who works here, we welcome you to this place of knowledge and learning. We hope the years you will spend with us will be enriching and favorable to your future!”

He continued for several more minutes, thanking all the new students for choosing Byrgenwerth for their education. He also recounted how the university was established decades ago. Then, he recalled various rules to respect: no physical or moral violence towards anyone of course. Do not damage any equipment, be punctual, not miss classes on purpose, etc.

Finally, he mentioned with apprehension the expeditions into the catacombs beneath the city and the forest. He knew that many students were highly interested in the subject and hoped to be able to go. “Regarding visits in the Pthumerians tombs, with the events of last year, the administration and I have decided, as a safety measure, to continue the suspension of visits within the classes programs.”

Many protests were heard as students really hoped to be able to go down there. The Provost continued, “For now!” At first, it will only be our prospectors and the new ones that will be hired very soon who will be allowed to go down there... We want to continue our research and bringing back only relics from the tombs is not enough. This is why some scholars will have to go down there at some point, one way or another, but not without rigorous preparation. As for the students... We will see about setting up a special training program, in addition to your classes. They will be done over several months for those who already have combat experience or are doing the military program. As for the rest, that will be set later."

Many whispers arose in the room. Maria thought intently about what she had just heard. She could surely participate in these training sessions! The news filled her with joy.

“These training sessions will be given in small groups, alongside our dear prospectors.” He turned to his staff members, including Gehrman, who seemed a little lost. It was mainly to him that Willem had assigned this task and having never trained young students in combat, he was very apprehensive. "In addition, for the time being you are all prohibited from approaching the excavation site or going underground without authorization or approval from the administration. Any student, scholars or unaccredited person caught in the act will be severely punished! They will go to the disciplinary council. I want to remind everyone that the pthumerians' labyrinths are extremely dangerous and it's death you are risking."

He paused slightly before continuing. "Besides, we also have a curfew put in place. You might already know that you can't make noise after certain hours in the dorms and that most buildings will be closed. I mean by this that the school doors will be closed and that unless there is a problem, or emergency, no one will be able to walk around the campus at night after 11 p.m. and until 5 a.m. However! It is possible that exceptions will be made during the year, depending on how things develop."

Many huffed and complained about this news. It was certain that the evenings and parties in the campus were going to be more complicated now. Maria wondered why such measures were being taken now. Perhaps had been too many excessive parties during the previous years? Or was it linked to the Pthumerian ruins? Did the monsters come out at night? The Provost assured the students that nothing like this had ever happened before. Perhaps he wished to be precautious in case it was to become reality.

After this, Master Willem presented the afternoon program. Repartition of students, distribution of timetables as well as the school materials: textbooks and other manuals, compasses, rulers, protractors, and other geometry tools will be given out. Then, they would have a visit to the campus and finally a dinner in the school's large ballroom. Tomorrow they would be free in the morning, but in the afternoon, they will be introduced in more detail to their respective courses in a smaller group.

Finally, he indicated that after the collation which would be distributed to them shortly after, they would find the class in which they will have to go, displayed outside. He thanked them for listening to him, that he will see them again very soon, and they were free to go.

The afternoon went smoothly.  Maria was able to easily find the class she was supposed to go. She received the rest of her things and her schedule. After a short presentation made by an elderly professor with a grey beard, the students left to have the campus visit. They were shown the main buildings with the classrooms, the studies, the laboratories, the ballroom where they would go later, the medical section as well as those of research, the different libraries and where to find the teachers outside of class.

Then, they could admire Byrgenwerth's most famous building, the lunarium! At its summit there was a large observatory dome with a telescope facing the lake. This one had been used very occasionally lately. The building also housed a library and could sometimes be open to students when the Provost and his associates weren't working there.

After the visit, the students were able to return to their rooms. Maria took the opportunity to put away the rest of her things and start getting to know the students sharing her building and her floor.

Afterwards, the students were all invited to the large party room where large tables had been set up for dinner. The Provost and some teachers said a few words before they could all start eating.

Although the meal was nothing very special and was quite different from the luxurious banquets at Cainhurst, the chicken with vegetables was still good. Maria was happy, she was no longer going to eat the same thing all the time. She wouldn't need to eat rare and blue steaks every two days!

She was also able to chat more with the other students at her table. She found that a few were from noble families as well. She even knew some of their last names. Others came from bourgeois families and the majority from more modest families. There were also a few students who came from foreign regions and countries for their studies. Maria listened without judgement and asked them a few more questions, curious to learn more. They were a little surprised to learn she was from Cainhurst and asked her a few questions in return. Some of their questions seemed strange to her but she tried her best to answer. She didn't say too much of course. But just enough to suit them.

Looking around her, Maria was astonished by the table manners of some of the students. She understood taking a chicken thigh or leg by hand, but taking pieces of breast and flank with their whole hand and biting into it directly concerned her a lot. She was reassured to see that she was not the only one to be shocked by this strange spectacle. The rest of the meal nevertheless passed without any incident, no broken glasses, or overturned dishes, just a few cutleries falling on the floor.

After the end of the long dinner, when they were allowed to leave, it was already late. Maria stayed outside a bit with many students who were chatting among themselves. But not knowing anyone closely and starting to feel tired, she ended up returning to her room.

Before going to bed, she considered starting to write a letter for her family but she resolved herself to write it tomorrow. She would have even more things to say with the experiences of the next day. The young woman was very satisfied with her day and she fell asleep, her head full of ideas, looking forward to the day ahead of her.

The next morning.

The sun was already high in the sky, the weather was beautiful, like yesterday. Maria was walking by the lake in the company of a young man with brown hair and golden highlights.

"So, Charles, tell me about this trip! How did it go?" she asked with a smile.

“Well, apart from the delay with the unexpected incident and the fact that the journey was long, it went pretty well I would say.” He returned a smile.

“Yes, you come from a long way after all, but what kind of incident did you encounter?”

"I didn't get everything…there were merchants arguing with each other, they had a problem with their carriage, I think. They must have a broken part. It took us a long time to get through..." he sighed, "And fortunately it's summer. In winter it's way worse to take the road with the snow... and way much longer."

“Oh, I see you’re already looking forward to coming home in several months!” She said with a more mocking expression.

“Don't even bring that up…” he breathed strongly. 

“I understand now why you want to spend the holidays in Cainhurst this winter. Me who thought you really wanted to come see us and spend time alongside us!” She retorted in a dramatic tone and with a touch of sarcasm.

He protested promptly, "Hey! Of course, I'd rather go to Cainhurst with my family to come see all of you! It's been so long since I've been there..."

“That’s true, yes… and how are your dear parents?”

"They're doing pretty well! Father even started training me to become an executioner after him. It's a little stressful but it's going well. Oh, and they told me to send their salutations to you." 

Charles and his family lived in Cainhurst back when he was a child, but they now resided in a small seigneurial manor in a region at the north-west of Cainhurst, one travel day away. A few years ago, Maria even passed a summer over there. The father of the young nobleman is also one of the royal court executioners.

“Ah I see and that’s very kind of them, will you also pass them my regards? When you will write to them.” Maria asked.

"Of course! And how are yours and the rest of your family? Are things going better with your parents?"

"Yes, it's better, I'll say…. They let me study here after all. But yes, they're fine, they all send you their regards as well. My cousin and Annalise are doing very well too. As for the rest of the family, you should know by now, other than arguing over casualties and looking for something to pass their days, nothing too special. The king is still a little tired but... he should be fine."

"I see… and I'm very happy that you were able to join Byrgenwerth! You won't hesitate if you need anything alright? I know I'm not the best example of punctuality or hard work but I can still try to give you some advice about some classes. But otherwise, I think I'm pretty good if you need to talk." he placed a friendly hand on her shoulder.

“Yes of course, thank you very much.” She nodded.

"You're welcome, it's natural." He withdrew his hand. “So, how was this back to school?”

"Oh, it was amazing! I'm very happy with it! I still must get my bearings, it's so huge here! and I don't know many people..."

"Ah yes, it's easy to get a little lost at first but you'll see, you'll find your way very quickly! People here aren't bad really, but you know how it can be."

“Yes, it’s just the manners of few that need to be deplored.” She explained the situation that happened at the last supper.

“Oh really?! I'm afraid it’s nothing yet!” The two giggled.

They continued walking between the shade of the trees and the shore. Many other students were also at the edge of the large blue and green water.

Another question passed Maria's mind, "Hey, do students ever go swimming? Is that allowed?"

“Hm…” He thought for a few moments then replied abruptly. " Oh, are you not aware?!"

She seemed confused, "Aware of what?"

"Don't you know that students tend to throw the newest into the lake to welcome them?! If I were you, I would be very careful!"

"WHAT?!" Maria was completely stunned. How could such a barbary happen in Byrgenwerth?! She knew that kind of the experience was far from pleasant. What an odious way to welcome newcomers. She turned her frightened look to Charles but she calmed down quickly when she saw he was holding back his laughter. She huffed angrily and slapped his arm with a vengeful grin. "You, I swear!"

"Ouch, I'm sorry Maria but you should have seen your face!" he burst out laughing.

“Yes, okay, I admit that your joke was funny.” She joined the laugh as well and after a few seconds they calmed down.

Charles continued, "Alright, more seriously, this still happened a few years ago apparently but it caused problems so it was banned. On the other hand, at the end of the year, after the exams and the results, the students really throw each other into the lake! Especially those who receive a diploma. It's quite funny to see! Otherwise, some swim normally if the first weeks are warm enough. It happens more often towards the end of the year too."

"Ah yes alright... Well, we'll see who gets thrown into the lake then hehe."

"Yes ahah. Anyway, have you already saw the others, Maria?"

"From Cainhurst? No, not yet."

“Well, we could all meet up later to catch up with everyone perhaps? Now I will have to go, you have class this afternoon as well, right?”

"Yes, until 3 p.m. or a little before, we can meet up with the others afterwards."

“We should all have finished around 4 or 5 p.m.”

"Perfect. Well, I guess you're going to get a little welcome speech as well? You'll tell me how it went?" she asks with a smirk.

He already looked exhausted just thinking about it. “Yes, you can count on me…”

Maria was waiting and leaned against the wall, right next to the entrance of a closed classroom. She was half-listening to the discussions behind her back among the large row of students. Suddenly, a young woman, visibly out of breath, appeared right in front of her. She looked distressed and shouted at the noble girl, “Is this room n°24?!” She was shorter than Maria in height, had curly brown hair tied in a bun and glasses over her blue-grey eyes.

After a few seconds of surprise, Maria looked at the door, it had the same number written on it. "Uh… yes?"

The young woman in front of her seemed reassured. "Oh, thank you." Then, she tried to open it but it was locked. “Ah, it’s closed…” She stayed here for a few seconds staring at the door before walking to the end of the row formed by the students, leaving behind a very confused Maria. It should have been obvious to wait for the teacher to arrive to open the classroom. Maria found what had just happened a little strange, but she told herself it was probably the stress of the new academic year that must have destabilized the poor student.

A few minutes later, Laurence arrived and opened the door and apologized for his slight delay. He greeted Maria who greeted him in turn before entering. She sat down towards the center of the class, took out a notebook and something to take notes, then waited for everyone to settle down. She noticed the girl from earlier, who seemed a little lost in the middle of the room, probably looking for a place to sit. 

Just afterwards, a pale young man with short tousled black hair arrived next to the girl with glasses, “Ah, there you are!” he put a hand on her shoulder and showed her the front seats. They greeted Laurence who also greeted them with a big smile before sitting down.

Laurence therefore lectured them about the general sciences and biology courses during their first-year program. He explained to them that it would be better to come to all their classes and if possible, to do all their homework if they didn't want to find themselves in difficulty later. He explained the university could be tough but if they worked often everything would be fine. To support his point, he insisted that he was at their place just a few years ago.

He added that despite this they shouldn't stress too much or make themselves ill because of it. They shouldn't hesitate to talk to him, another teacher, or other students. He knows that many students are far from their home and family, which was far from easy.

Finally, he spoke in more detail about his program and the courses he was going to teach: physiology, introduction to medicine and theology. He spent a good additional hour between his explanations and the many questions from the curious students.

After this introductory class, which she greatly appreciated and motivated her even more, Maria returned to her room and began to write her letter. She had two hours to spare before going to join Charles and the others. She hoped to take advantage of this free time to start writing. She was very happy with her first days and hoped to reassure her relatives and share with them her happiness and motivation for the future.

She took from her desk a very beautiful writing quill, a crow's feather with a gold tip, engraved with floral designs, and an inkwell with the coat of arms of Cainhurst on it. Finally, she took a paper and began to write.

Chapter Text

BANG!

Loud gunshots rang on the shooting range. It was not the prospectors' training this time, but the students', on this October morning. Gehrman and Liam were in charge. After doing a small demonstration of their shooting talents and after carefully explaining all the rules to properly handle firearms, it was the students' turn to practice.

The two guardians had been very clear that no transgressions or jokes would be allowed. Still, they were shooting with blank bullets for now. The goal was to see their level, not to shoot your fellow classmate in the foot. This training wasn't intended for beginners anyway, but for those who already knew at least how to shoot. But even though they were all supposed to have combat experience they didn't necessarily all have that much experience with firearms.

However, given the few students present, less than twenty, Gehrman allowed those who weren't very comfortable with firearm handling to practice and explained to them in more details how the weapons worked.

As for Maria, she was extremely comfortable with the discipline. The exercise seemed remarkably simple to her. Load, aim, shoot. Reload, aim, shoot. A child's play. However, this didn’t bother her, quite the contrary. It was a very welcome distraction after the first weeks of classes. She needed to think of something else.

Not that classes weren’t going great, no. She did more than honorably, but the adaptation was a bit... complicated. Especially with others. The training made her think of something else and it reminded her of the ones she did at Cainhurst. Although the military rigor bordered on amateurism, it did not bother her and she found this simplicity rather pleasant.

To her left was her friend, Charles. He had a bit more trouble with the rifle, being much more skilled with a sword. Next to him was a young blond man, the one who had helped Maria with her belongings the day of her arrival. She learned that his name was Damian. Like Charles, he was in his second year, the young men still shared a few classes but they were not in the same majors.

To Maria's right was a young man with black hair who was doing quite well with his weapon. He came from a small old noble family of Yharnam apparently. He was in the same class as her in theology as well as a few other classes. It seemed to the young woman that she did meet him several years ago already. When she was much younger, her family was often invited to many places by the most influential families or those desperate to renew some of their lost glory. She thought she might have crossed paths with him more than once but she couldn't remember many details. 

In addition to his surname which seems familiar to her, she remembered him mainly because of the physical particularity he possessed. He had heterochromia. The left eye was brown and dark and the right eye, green with some light blue reflections. But she couldn't recall his first name though. Ludovic perhaps? Or something similar.

She wondered if he recognized her. He didn't seem to have made the connection and hasn't mentioned it either. She told herself it was for the best considering the attention she was receiving from some of her classmates and which she would prefer to avoid.

After some time and a few more explanations from the prospectors, the students who wanted to leave were free to go, while those who wanted could stay a bit more and shoot at targets with small bullets. More than half put their weapons back after cleaning them and left. Charles also stopped while Maria stayed and the two bid farewells.

Liam went to prepare the targets and Gehrman handed small bullets to the remaining students while reminding them to be very careful again. Either way, he kept a close eye on them. The remaining students were quite comfortable. On his orders, they charged, took the time to aim and then fired. The bullets whistled and struck their target. The smell of powder in the air was even stronger.

Afterwards, Liam and Gehrman went to look at the targets and then brought them closer to congratulate them. Then, they gave them ways and tips to improve more. After that, they moved back the targets so they could try again.

They passed next to each of the students to see their technique. Gehrman positioned himself not far from the young black-haired youth and watched him shoot. He shot extremely well and most of the bullets were towards the middle of the target.

The groundskeeper then asked him a question. “Tell me lad, what’s your name again?”

The young man was a little surprised but ended up responding quickly. “Uh, Ludwig.”

Maria thought about what she had just heard "Ah yes, Ludwig… obviously." She will try to remember it.

"Well Ludwig, you’re really good at it you know!"

“Thank you, sir.” He had no more bullets to fire so he began removing the shells from his rifle and cleaning it.

Gehrman then approached Maria to watch her shoot. She was also very skilled and most of her shots were concentrated towards the middle. She got into position, took aim and then fired. They hadn't really had the chance to talk since they met several months ago, but when they crossed paths, they didn't hesitate to salute each other quickly.

While observing her shots, he noticed something. "Hm, that's not bad at all! But why are you doing this?"

“Doing what?” She turned towards him, pretending not to know.

"Well, you know that you slightly move the tip of your gun just before firing? That's an easy thing to correct, you know. Do you have any bullets left?"

"I don't think so, no." She was impressed that he could see such a small detail. He was right, she just deflected her shot a little, just before shooting. It was stupid, she was more than capable of nailing it, she had done it many times before, but she didn't want to draw too much attention to herself for an exercise like this. She wasn't at Cainhurst.

Gehrman then handed her a bullet. She took it and loaded it into the barrel. She positioned herself, aimed precisely, held her breath for a second and fired.

Gehrman then moved towards the target to bring it back while Maria cleaned her weapon. “Well, you see when you want!” He had a big smile, she hit right in the center. She then returned the weapon to him without saying anything.

Gehrman tried to find something else to say to her, after a few seconds he wondered something. “With which other types of weapons are you used to handle?”

“Oh well, rifles, muskets, pistols, bayonets and the firearm on the reiterpallasch.”

"I see, good."

“When is the next session scheduled?” she asked in turn.

“Oh well…” He turned to Liam but he was busy a few meters away, chatting with Damian. “In two to three weeks, I think? You will be advised about it.”

“Very well, I’ll be there, thank you.”

With that, all the students left and the guardians finished putting away all their equipment.

“Well, that went pretty well!” Liam exclaimed positively.

"I wish so… I hope I didn't come across as a clown…" Gehrman sighed.

"Pfff you're kidding, I hope? You're very pedagogue you know! They seem to appreciate your explanations as well."

"I'm far from being a teacher Liam and you're better placed than me for that."

"Hm, maybe, but more for a traditional class, not that. And hey, it allows you to test things for the training of future prospectors!"

“Yeah… I hope it goes well…”

“I hope too, my friend.”

“Alright, time to go fix that damn door now.”

"Ah the one with the broken handle that Dores 'found' huh?" He smiles.

“Well at least it’s not a hole right in the middle of the door this time!” sighed Gehrman with a smirk.

"Ah you know how it is! And then the handle was malfunctioning after all, it should have been changed at one point or another!"

“That’s right, that’s right… well see you later, Liam,” Gehrman smiled, waving his hand.

"See ya!"

Gehrman went to one of the buildings, taking a toolbox on the way, and went to repair the handle of a door to a storage room. When he finished checking that everything was in order, someone came and stood right beside him. It was Laurence.

The two men hugged each other. “So, Laurence, how are you?”

"I’m doing great my friend! What about you? Oh, are you still occupied?”

“No, I just finished.”

“Ah, perfect! So, this training with the students? How did it go?”

"Well, it went pretty well! I think? No one was hurt!" he joked.

“Ah, it’s uh… it’s not bad indeed… Were there a lot of people?”

"Ah, around twenty. That's more than enough! There were a few new students but more older ones I think."

"Ah I see. I suppose our dear new student from Cainhurst must have joined?" Laurence asked with a smile.

"Yes indeed! Um about that Laurence…could you remind me of her name please?" He looked a little embarrassed to have forgotten.

Laurence stared at Gehrman for several seconds. “Gehrman come on…”

The groundskeeper defended himself as best as he could, "Hey you know very well I'm bad with names! I must have heard it just twice 6 months ago! And I'm not the one who has her in class several hours per week!”

The young scholar still had a jaded look on his face. “And can’t you just ask?”

“Well, uh…”

Laurence exhaled deeply. “Alright, alright, her name is Maria.”

"Oh yes! Of course."

“Ah about her…”

"Um, yes?" Gehrman was a little surprised, he was waiting to see where his friend was going with this.

"Tell me, was anything unusual about her? How was she doing?"

"Oh, well she seems, ok? I think? She’s very talented with a gun! But I could see she was trying to hold back from shooting too well. Maybe to not brag too much! "

“Oh, that’s humble I suppose?”

"Yeah...she was a little cold too? But hey, maybe she's just not a morning person. Why?"

“I see… well I’m not sure but maybe I’m worrying too much…”

“Ah, what do you mean?”

"I don't know, she seems less motivated than a few weeks ago and doesn't seem to have any friends in the class...Although it's quite quiet in my classes, I hear things in the corridors too. I don't know how the other classes are going for her. Being from Cainhurst, she doesn't really go unnoticed, you know? And it's certain that adaptation away from home can be complicated. But yes, it reminds me a little of...well anyway..." Laurence seemed worried. He remained quite evasive about his doubts but Gehrman quickly understood that it probably reminded him of his best friend's own difficult times at the start of his own scholarship. He imagined very well that some things weren’t easy for the newcomer.

“Have you tried talking to her about it?” Gehrman asked.

"Yes, I told her that if there was anything, she shouldn’t hesitate to talk about it. But she told me it was fine. Well, she changed the subject... I was thinking, you might have more chances if you ask? Or at least just keep a close eye on what's going on."

"Ah, well I can try, I suppose. You know, I always try to be attentive to the needs of our fellow student friends. To check on Caryll, our dear Rom and her two friends when I can. But I would say it's more you who take care of them I think!'

"Yes Caryll, Rom and Micolash and Damian are in some of my classes. I do what I can to make sure everything goes well! But unfortunately, I'm not omniscient and I don't share my entire schedule with them!"

"It's true. And Damian was at the training with us this morning. He seems to be doing well!"

“Oh excellent. Well, shall we do like we conclude then?”

“No problem, count on me.”

The sun was slowly beginning its descent towards the fiery horizon. Most classes were over for the day and the dormitories were teeming with people. Some just arrived to drop off their belongings and were getting ready to go back outside with the classmates that had joined them. Others stayed inside in the common areas to chat or play various board or card games for example. Some others joined in the rooms to work more quietly.

However, some students preferred to stay alone, at least to finish their work.

The door opened, Maria entered, then closed it. She dropped her bag on the floor then collapsed into her chair, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. She took a deep breath then exhaled. She repeated this cycle several times before reopening her eyes and straightening up her posture.

The day had been long. She had gotten used to this routine for over a month now and she had known worse. Luckily, she didn't have much homework left to do, it wouldn't keep her occupied the entire evening. She'd probably read a book to keep herself busy while putting back the redaction of the new letter she was supposed to send to her family.

She wanted to tell them everything was fine, she adapted well, met and made new acquaintances with a lot of people, maybe even made some friends! That it was the right thing to do to send her here! But... she knew if she wasn't sincere, they would end up finding out. She was tempted to ask her cousins ​​for advices, but she didn't know if she should really do it...

The classes were going very well, she found them very interesting. She discovered new things every day! However, she felt a bit alone. She’s having a hard time finding her place with so many different people.

She always found the exercise complicated and did not particularly like being forced to meet new nobles with her family and to always put a good impression in front of them. Over the years, she nevertheless had got used to it, but here it was different. She did not have all the codes and customs yet.

She tried to be friendly with everyone but she could see that those far from the nobility had some misconceptions about her and she quickly understood why.

A good part of the students from the aristocracy were simply insufferable. The kind of people she already cannot stand in normal times. They looked down upon others a lot.

She tried to spend some time with the few students from Cainhurst that she knew and her friend Charles. However, their schedules were quite different and they spent a lot of time with the same noble students she had a hard time to appreciate.

But what bothered her the most must have been those stupid questions people kept asking her when they learned she was from Cainhurst! She tried to stay polite but it was starting to really get on her nerves. She would have understood if this kind of questions came from an ordinary Yharnamite or a foreigner who had heard some rumors, but she didn't understand how brilliant minds, students at Byrgenwerth, could ask her such questions:

"Do they drink blood in addition to eating raw meat at Cainhurst?

s your castle haunted?

Is it true that you are all cousins?

Do you take blood baths?

Is it freezing in winter? Where do you find all that wood to heat everything?

Do you always display bloody heads of monsters and animals?  

(...)" 

And so much more. She shook her head instinctively, just thinking about it.

Besides those kinds of things, the worst about the last few weeks must have been the few "mistakes" she has done. She made a list in her head:

• Do not bring a cup of tea in class. High risk of getting called out by the teacher…
• Do not spend too much time in the showers or humming too loudly in your room. However, avoid getting involved in other people's arguments because of noise.
• Oh yes… and try using the right brushes and the right washboard for sheets and clothing.

Washing her bedding for the first time had been a real challenge. She had almost torn apart her sheets. She still had a lot of trouble with basic housework tasks. Others seemed to do them with a remarkable simplicity and those who didn't know how let others take care of it or paid them. But it was out of the question for her.

But all of this was nothing compared to what happened one or two weeks ago. If trying to make friends was complicated, then making a bad impression seemed much easier in comparison.

Maria had made a derogatory comment to a student in one of her classes. The girl she had encountered on the first day of school and who seemed a little lost.

During a group exercise, Maria lost patience while trying to explain a mathematic exercise to her and how to solve it. After repeating the same thing a few times, without the girl seeming to understand anything, she asked her if she was stupid or something. The young woman seemed a little disappointed at this remark but it was especially her friend, a thin and pale boy with disheveled black hair who seemed to have taken it the worst. He was not there when it happened but Maria could see the dark looks he gave her the following days. To most of the other students too, it seems...

Maria realized her mistake only afterwards. This young woman with curly hair and large glasses was in fact the daughter of the Provost, Roma, or Rom as she had heard too. Despite her shortcomings and school difficulties, she had managed to be accepted at Byrgenwerth just like the others. Maria blamed herself after learning of it. She tried to reassure herself that it wasn’t that awful compared to what others were saying.

Some people talked a lot behind the Provost’s daughter's back, saying a whole bunch of very mean criticisms. How she didn't belong here or more rude remarks... She might not be very smart and have difficulties, but she kept going despite it. Maria didn't really understand why there were so many negative comments about the poor girl. She was probably already stressed, no need to add this kind of thing… 

Maria didn't know how to fix things after that. Was it really worth it to go see her to apologize? Would she even want to give her a chance to explain herself? 

She took another deep breath before finally picking up her bag and starting to take out its contents on her desk. She'll find a solution. With time, things would probably get better… At least she hoped so.

Chapter Text

Night had fallen. The gates had just closed. Curfew.

Gehrman made his night round, a lantern in his hand and a rifle on his back. The dark sky was clear with a light breeze that made the dead leaves on the ground shiver, but also the colored ones still hanging from the trees. They threatened to fall at any moment.

Everyone seemed to have returned to their quarters. A few students were probably still outside at the dormitories, but it wasn’t a problem as long as no one wandered around the campus without a good reason.

The other day, several students had returned very late from the city or the forest. They had climbed one of the gates to get back in. Gehrman had surprised them and asked them not to do it again. He wasn’t there to lecture them, but they were the same ones who had ventured into the catacombs last year… he just didn’t want them to get into any more trouble. The two students were quite frightened to have been caught, they apologized and left.

It was true that the night watches were calmer now. At least, it was a change from the time when he had to find and pick up students from the bushes after too many drinks... However, it’s true that the college seemed completely dead now. Some would not feel comfortable in this silence and emptiness in the middle of the night, but it didn't bother him that much. He just thought it was a shame that there were no more nighttime activities like before. Rather quiet things like walks or meals outside in small groups, night conferences or going to listen to scholars working late at night...

After a few minutes he noticed a faint light coming from the Lunarium. Probably an omission, but he would still need to go check in any case. He deviated from his route and approached the building. But before entering it, he first approached the edge of the lake.

He stopped in front of the stone balustrade and looked into the distance. The full moon reflected perfectly on the Moonside Lake. The body of water and the starry sky illuminated the landscape. He stood there for a moment, his gaze fixed between the sky and its reflection in the water. Something drew him, hypnotized him almost. The soft glow of the moon on the calm water had something comforting, with a bit of mystery.

Since his transfusion of old blood, he had very strange dreams and in the Pthumerian tombs, he thinks he sees or hears things that should not be. In some of those dreams, he remembered that the most normal thing he’d seen was probably the full moon. Although he had the impression that something was calling him or watching him, most of the time looking at the silver heavenly body was somehow a bit soothing.

He slowly came out of his reverie and felt a presence very close to him. He even heard a very faint breathing that was clearly not his. He just hoped he wouldn't be taken for a madman staring at the lake for several minutes like this. Oh, and does it matter? It's not like anyone would really care about this anyway…

He turned his head to the side and was startled a little. It was Caryll who was standing there, just a few meters away from him, without moving, their gaze also fixed on the lake, their blue eyes wide open but lost in thought.

He stammered, "Caryll?! What are you doing here at this hour?!"

The student, simply dressed in pajamas and the black robe of their uniform, answered very calmly, barely turning their head away. "Oh, good evening, Gehrman. Well, I can't sleep."

"Oh okay... is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sick perhaps?"

"No. I just thought getting some fresh air and walking around would help me fall asleep. Master Willem said if it wasn't long and if I didn't go too far, I would be allowed." Their eyes finally met Gehrman sight. "Is that okay?"

"Uh yes of course... no worries." If Gehrman was having strange dreams, one couldn't say less about dear Caryll. The poor young student was finally able to return to class this year but was experiencing very disturbing and incomprehensible dreams. Gehrman understood well that in case of insomnia, staying lock a dormitory wouldn't help a lot. Getting some fresh air here wouldn't hurt anyone.

Gehrman asked them another question, "Since when are you here, looking at the lake?"

"Oh, I don't really know... I got a little lost in thoughts and the lake is very beautiful tonight. Did you come to look too?"

"Yes, it’s a very beautiful sight indeed...  But tell me Caryll, are you the one who turned on the light in the Lunarium?" He pointed at one of the windows in the building behind them.

"Oh, no I didn't go there this evening. But... I think I saw someone pass by one of the windows? I'm not sure."

"I see... probably someone else who didn't see time pass... I hope... Well do you need me to walk you back to your dorm or will you be fine?"

"I'd like to stay a little longer. But not too long, I promise! I'll go back after."

"Hm... alright. I'll go take a look around the building and see what it is and either you go back yourself or when I come back later, I'll escort you back, okay?"

Caryll smiled, "Okay."

"Very well, and don't hesitate if you need anything, I'm not too far."

Caryll nodded and Gehrman walked away towards the building then went inside.

It was very dark but he could notice the faint light of an oil lamp upstairs. He slowly climbed the wooden stairs who creaked under his feet.

He wondered who it could possibly be. Not Willem for sure. The Provost would surely be out on the balcony at this hour or warned that he would be coming here. Maybe a scholar or a professor working? He wouldn't be surprised to find Laurence or someone else looking for something at this late hour. Or could it be a student perhaps? In any case, if it wasn't an ill-intentioned snoop or a troublemaker, he would probably just give them a little reminder of the rules.

Arriving at the top, he headed towards the source of golden light then stopped for a few moments and observed what was in front of him. A student was sitting at a table, many books open with sheets of paper to take notes. She had her eyes closed, with one elbow resting on the table, her hand supporting her head. He was a little surprised to discover this dear prodigy of Cainhurst, Maria.

He wondered for a few seconds if she had fallen asleep. Her eyelids were closed and she didn't seem to have heard him arrive. However, he quickly realized this was surely not the case, the fingers of her other hand were tapping against the table. He took a few steps and knocked on the guard rail of the floor to get her attention before giving her a simple "Good evening."

She spontaneously opened her eyes, removed her hand holding her head and looked at him visibly confused. "Oh, uh... good evening."

"It's not a bit late to study here don't you think?"

She was confused for a few seconds, she looked around until she found a clock and realized with horror that it was almost midnight. "Oh, I'm really sorry I didn't see the time pass! I will go, let me put everything away!" She mutters something under her breath but Gehrman could still make out a few words "... I never do anything right this cannot be..." She started to close the books frantically but was a little lost on which ones were hers and which ones were from the library.

"Hey, wait I'll give you a hand." He put down his gun and lantern and approached, he looked at the books and was able to help her separate her textbooks from the other ones but he couldn't do much more. The table was much tidier now. After this, she lowered her head. Something was wrong.

He could feel it, why look so depressed just to have been caught studying late? Unless for her it was that bad? He tried to reassure her "Hey look it's not too serious you know. I'm not going to reprimand you or anything. It can happen to everyone, you know. And you weren't doing anything bad."

"Really?"

"Yes, and it's not like you were doing something seriously wrong or it was the 5th time already! There's really no problem."

She seemed surprised. "Oh, uh thank you… I'm sorry, it won't happen again…"

"Oh, it's okay. And if it can reassure you, if all the students we found outside at this hour were just sitting quietly in a library, that would be absolutely amazing!”

This made her smile a little and raise her head while Gehrman continued, "Well, what could your teachers have possibly given you to work so late huh? They'll never learn…"

"Oh no, it's been a while already since I finished all my homework. I was just…" she stopped for a few seconds, thinking. "I was looking at other things to uh… learn more? To have something to do… maybe we'll have an assignment on that later…"

"Alright…" In truth he wasn't very convinced by her explanation. It seemed more like she was looking for an excuse for hanging around here without a valid reason. There had to be something else. And then… He also remembered his discussion the other day with Laurence… he had to try to talk to her!

"Lost in your thoughts huh?"

"You could say that."

He tried to bring the subject up as best he could. "Are... classes going well so far?"

"Uh yes, classes are going well, I'm not too lost."

"Do you miss your family maybe? I know for many students it’s not easy to be far from theirs at first."

"Strangely, I don't miss them that much. It's more the adaptation here I would say..."

"To adapt here huh?"

"Yes..."

"Do you get along with the teachers and other students?"

"It’s alright..."

So that's the problem. "Do you... want to talk about it?"

She lowered her head hesitantly, "I don't really know...you must have better things to do anyway."

"Oh uh... not really right now."

She then looked at the clock. "Well, I should go I think..."

"Ah, you have class early tomorrow? "

"No, just later in the morning."

There was a long silence between them. Maria waited because Gehrman was about to say something, he thought a moment about what to say. "Hey, if you have a minute, would you like to see something really nice outside?"

"What is it?"

"It's a full moon tonight! The lake looks really beautiful! From the balcony we must have a breathtaking view of the sky! Do you want to see it?"

Her eyes lit up, "Yes why not- " she suddenly stopped in her tracks and stared at him, as if she had just realized something.

He remained confused for a few seconds. Why did she seem suspicious suddenly? That's when he realized. It was late and they were alone in the building. It wasn't the first time someone was suspicious or even scared of him and he didn't know what kind of absurd rumor she could have heard. He felt a little stupid for his wording... Seeing him so confused and lost Maria understood that he had no ill intentions.

He managed to collect himself. "Well, listen, uh, I'm just going to go open the door, it's right there, ok? And uh there's Caryll outside normally! Downstairs. I don't know if you know each other, they’re a first-year student too."

"Oh yeah, we do have a few classes together but... what's Caryll even doing here?!"

"Oh, just a little night walk to help with sleep. Caryll has the Provost's permission. A special case."

"Alright…"

"But look, if you want to go back right away to the dorms there's no problem, okay?"

"No, it's good."

He went to the door, leaving behind his rifle and his lamp. He unlocked the lock with one of the keys he took out of his pocket. He then crossed the threshold and stopped in the middle of the balcony, looking behind him. Maria finally arrived a few moments later, "Wow!" She seemed impressed by sight as well. "It's very beautiful indeed!" She already seemed more reassured. Gehrman looked down and saw Caryll who haven’t moved. The man whistled to attract their attention and waved at the student. Maria imitated the groundskeepers by making a small gesture with her hand. The redhead youth turned around and made a big sigh with their arm while smiling before turning back.

Gehrman then sat down on the ledge and waited a few seconds, he turned around and beckoned the young woman. She approached slowly and stood not far behind him. "Alright now tell me, what's wrong?"

"…"

"If you want to talk about it of course… Otherwise, we can talk about something else..."

She exhaled deeply before coming to sit next to him. A few seconds passed and he waited. "Can I ask you a question sir?" she asked.

"Uh… yes of course. And no need to address me formally, just call me Gehrman, I'm not a professor. Besides, should I refer to yourself with your titles or huh?”

"Oh no not here, just Maria is fine."

"Alright Maria. So?"

"Oh yes so... you do night guard here?"

"Among other things. It's not really complicated. I've been doing it for a while."

"You go around the entire campus?"

"Mainly... sometimes the buildings too. Either I do the whole night or just part of it. You get used to it quickly."

"Alright and... no sorry, I don't want to bother you more with my questions."

"Oh I don't mind!" He thought for a few seconds. "Hm well if you want if you answer mine, I'll answer yours! Well, I mean if it can be answered..."

She agreed. "Yes, very well."

“In that case... what's troubling you right now?" he asked her. "If you're willing to talk about it…"

"Well... fitting in is a little more complicated than I thought..."

"You don't really have anyone to spend time with?"

"I have a few friends and acquaintances from Cainhurst but we don't have the same schedule at all. And well, apart from a few, they always find themselves in trouble or looking down on everyone and it's...exasperating, a bit."

"I see, and no new people you met you could pass some time with?”

"Well, sometimes I chat in the dorms but quickly. And in my classes, it's complicated all because… we really have such a good reputation when you’re noble and from Cainhurst!" she seemed really annoyed when she said this but quickly calmed down by taking a deep breath.

"Oh really?! Have you talked to the teachers about it? If they insult you or cause you trouble, it's not acceptable!"

"No, it's not going to that level at all, I know how well to defend myself if that ever come to this.."

"I'm willing to believe that!"

"They don't really bother me, it's just that apart from asking me very cliché questions and judging me on it, they ignore me more than anything else... and by trying to go with the flow, I... I haven't been very nice to some people with whom I could have talked more probably... it wasn't even mean! Others say much worse..."

"Ah..." Gehrman thought for a few seconds. “…and you apologized in the end? "

"Well…I don't get the impression that they want to talk to me, I don't know if that would do much…"

"Well at least you'd start on the right foot! Afterwards, no one will be able to blame you for trying! You should do it if you have the chance."

"Hm, that's true. I blame myself for it... yes I will try."

"Good! And what’s the nonsense they come out with huh?"

"Oh, some rather foolish questions about Cainhurst, our habits, all of that."

"Ah, like on your customs and about this dear haunted castle? Or about a whole bunch of poor horror stories and myths huh?"

"Yes, you could say that. I told them that if they ventured in the castle and weren't careful, they might be attacked by a ghost! They didn't all like my joke it seems. I wonder why."

"I think it's funny!" Gehrman answered. He began to whisper in a joking tone. "And is it really haunted then?"

"Who knows..." She chuckled a little and seemed more relaxed. "Well, this is fine. But sometimes it can be really insulting and hurtful..."

"Well, they're idiots, Maria."

"What?!"

"Well, if you try to be nice and answer their stupid questions as best you can, and they don't make an effort either... well forget it, they're idiots. They don't deserve any attention. And I can tell you, I've seen a ton of idiots already!" He had refrained himself from using a more familiar language.

"Yes... and well when it's not the students, it's the teachers!"

"What do you mean, the teachers?!"

"Well, with my origins, they almost expect me to know the entirety of Pthumerian history by heart! A chance I’m not studying to become an historian!”

"Yeah, it's not very nice, yes... but ignore them, they'll understand. You also told me that adapting here was complicated?"

"Yes, I'm not very good with house tasks, let's say... Everyone knows how to do 'simple' things, but I really don't find it easy..."

"Like what...?"

"Washing and hanging out your sheets? Cooking simple things?" She was a little embarrassed.

"Well... you've never done those before on your own, right?"

"Yes..."

"Oh well... you can learn it, you know! It's like everything! And you can't know if you never been taught!"

"Yes, it took me a few tries at the wash house... I almost tore them apart... I feel like I don't know how to do anything compared to the others... They know how to clean lots of things, cook, fix things... Simple... normal tasks..."

"Hey, it's not really your fault if you were never taught either. And if it can reassure you, I wasn't born knowing everything I can do today! I was lucky that my family taught me many things when I was little. And... you know, there’re a lot of people, if it’s not their mother doing it, they don't know how to do it either."

"Ah, I see. But in comparison you seem to be very resourceful for sure."

"Oh, you're not going to tell me you can’t do anything. I'm sure you can do lots of things that others can't! Hey, you can shoot with a rifle! And you're pretty good at it!"

"Thanks…"

"Come on, tell me some things you can do! You know swordfight well I suppose?"

"Indeed. I’m very good at it, I would say. I can also ride a horse?"

"Yes, very well! What else?" He encouraged her to continue.

"I know a couple of things about music?"

"Can you read music sheets?"

"Yes, I know my solfege well. I can sing a little and play a few instruments."

"Oh, what instruments?"

"Cello, harpsichord, piano... "What about you, do you know how to play an instrument?"

"Oh, wow that's impressive! But me? I tried the violin a long time ago but uh I'm not very good at it. You can play chess too I bet?"

"Yes indeed! Also, checkers, shogi, the go game and lots of card games too."

"Well, you see! You can do lots of things that others can’t! Nobody knows how to do everything after all. Everything can be learned and you must start somewhere!"

"Yes, you're right." They both looked at the starry sky for a while afterwards

"Stars and space are fascinating, aren't they?" asked Gehrman.

"I agree, there is still a lot to learn and discover! I love reading astronomy books. Do you know a lot on the subject?" the student asked.

"A little, yes. I know a few star constellations. It's impressive to observe the universe like this... the other planets... it's a little scary too but... it's fascinating."

"Yes indeed..."

Gehrman thought for a few seconds before removing his metallic pendant from under his shirt to show her. "That’s siderite! It comes from a meteorite for example."

"Oh really?! That’s impressive! Where did you find it?"

"Oh, I made it myself! Ever since I was little, I've loved picking up chunks of meteorite! Recently I found some, I extracted the iron ore from it and I did this..."

"Oh, I see! It looks very nice!" Gehrman was surprised to see her genuinely interested in the subject. As for Maria, she was even more intrigued to learn that he knew so much on the subject."

"Can I ask you another question uh, Gehrman?"

"Of course."

"How... How did you end up working for Byrgenwerth? If it's not huh...too intrusive?"

He really didn't expect that kind of question, "Oh, that’s not a problem."

She looked at him and listened very carefully when he began "Well... when I was younger, I didn't think I'd end up doing what I do now! But when I was your age I... I unfortunately ended up all alone, on my own... and I didn't have much left..."

"Oh, I'm sorry... How long ago was it?"

"Oh, a bit less than ten years ago... I was sick too... I got treated at Byrgenwerth. Willem wasn't provost yet, if I remember correctly. After my convalescence, I left. I went to work in some neighboring regions and abroad for a few years. I didn't really know what to do, but I decided to either find something that suited me or come back later and take some classes at Byrgenwerth! I worked in quite a few different fields. It wasn't always easy, but I learned a lot."

You could hear a slight emotion in her voice, it didn't seem like an easy subject. So, she gently pushed him to continue after a pause. "And then?"

"Well, I came back to Yharnam. I worked a little more and when I got enough economy on the side, I enrolled at Byrgenwerth."

"I see, and did you get any degree?"

"Kinda yes, but just a little bachelor done a bit more than three years. It's not really of any use to me anyway..."

"I think that's already very admirable! And what subjects did you study?"

"I did general sciences at first, a bit of engineering but I specialized in geology in the end. Not that I use it every day but... I'm the one who made the new maps of the campus!"

"Really? It's amazing!"

"Thanks... it's during those years that I met most of my colleagues, and Laurence too. One day Willem came to see me. My studies were going mostly well but I lacked funding and I was going back and forth between here and Yharnam a lot. I had to work in-between and I skipped a few classes... So, he offered me this job here! It was a bit easier then. And afterwards I stayed here! And now I help to explore the ancient tombs and ruins under the city!"

"Wow, that's quite the story! It's really admirable!" Maria was really impressed and empathetic with his journey, she wanted to ask him more questions but she didn't want to bother him by reviving painful memories. Asking him more details or even how he lost his leg wouldn't be correct. She tried to pull herself together and restrained her curiosity by thinking back to what he had just said. If he had succeeded, despite all the difficulties he had gone through, there's no reason why she shouldn't succeed either. "I... yes, I think I will be able to make it too then."

"Are you afraid of not succeeding at Byrgenwerth? You?" Gehrman had a grin on his face.

"No, this is fine... it's just that I don't really know what to do next after here…"

"Oh really...?" He hadn't expected that answer.

"Well, I do have several very interesting options in Cainhurst but... I'm not sure I really want to do that..." A young noble like her probably has all her life mapped out already, but it doesn't seem to please her.

"I know it's not easy to project yourself but if it can reassure you, I still don’t know what to do with my life either afterwards!" Gehrman replied.

"And is that supposed to reassure me, really?" she said in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"You got me there... Alright I know I’m not the best example but what I mean is that... Life offers many possibilities. Sometimes they just come to us, you have to know how to seize these opportunities."

"I see, yes..."

They continued to chat a little about everything and nothing after that. About books, history, culture etc for a few dozen minutes until they noticed it must be very late. It would be wise to go. Even Caryll seems to have left a while ago. They went inside to get their belongings and turn off the lights. Gehrman locked the whole building and they left in the direction of the dormitories. They walked in silence the whole way.

Then, they finally arrived in front of the entrance to the two twin buildings. "Well, here we are!" exclaimed Gehrman.

"Thank you for walking me back. And my thanks for talking with me Gehrman." Maria replied.

"You're very welcome, it's quite natural. Well anyway, try to not do that again if you don't want to get into trouble and have a good night, Maria."

"Thank you, good night as well."

Gehrman walked away quietly, he had a round to continue for a few more hours. He was delighted by the discussion they had and was relieved to have been able to help the newcomer from Cainhurst.

Maria, for her part, went back up straight to her room and quickly slipped under her blanket. Before falling asleep she thought back to the discussion they just had and what had happened. Eventually, maybe things were really going to turn out for the best and with that in mind she could finally fall asleep peacefully after many days.