|| 𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 || [𝙆𝙖𝙧𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙜]

Part 1

The carriage stopped.
"Alrightee ther' miss. We've reached th' village."

Aless looked at the man who announced their arrival. Her green eyes glistened in the sunlight. She picked up her luggage and stepped off.
She tipped him 1300 lei.
"Thank you." She said, dipping her head respectfully. Her voice was smooth and low, yet quiet.
The man chuckled.
"Anytime, miss. Ya best get goin' now. It's almost dark out."
She waved him goodbye as the horse dragged the carriage away into the distance.
Turning around, she gazed at the village. She hadn't been there in such a long time.
The crisp air filled her lungs.

///

Her hair was longer now, reaching her waist and tied in a ponytail with a bow. Her warm black sweater kept her from feeling the cold air, covering her long white dress. It wasn't enough to keep her cheeks from becoming red and bitter from the wind though.
She'd missed the village. The houses, which were becoming old and showed signs of wear, lined the streets. Horses and pigs neighed and snorted in around the fences.
She began to walk to her old house, her heels crunching the snow below her. Her grandmother was the only one who stayed in the house, although she was long dead by now. The house was being passed down to her, as she was the sole heiress of the family. She had no siblings, her parents refused to go back down there because of the monsters. Nobody but herself to live with.
Oh well, she thought, at least I get peace and solitude.
When she reached the small house, she saw an altar. She set her bags upon the ground and walked over to pray.
Her hands clasped together, and her eyes closed, she muttered a few prayers, before finally whispering to herself,
"In life and in death, we give glory to Mother Miranda."
She opened her eyes.
She was so used to just going up to the altars and praying, it was like instinct. So much so, she didn't realize there were new pictures places on the altar.
Photos of 4 people adorned the altar, with Mother Miranda in the middle.

///

Aless cocked her head in confusion. They were never there before.
Another villager came up to the altar to pray. When they did, she approached them.
"Um, who are those people?" Aless queried, pointing to the new photos.
The village looked at her in shock. "Are you new here, ma'am?"
Aless shook her head. "No. I was here - used to live here, but I moved away. I just came back. They were never-"
The villager laughed. "Ah, I see."
They gestured to the photos. "The woman with the hat, that's Lord Dimitrescu. The one with the doll, Lord Beneviento. The mutant is Lord Moreau. And that, " the villager pointed to the last framed photo, "is Lord Heisenberg."
Heisenberg.
Heisenberg.
Heisenberg..?
Aless raised her eyebrows. "Oh"

She thanked the villager for their time, let them pray, and when they walked away, she looked at the photos once more. Especially Lord Heisenberg. The name was.. familiar.
She narrowed her eyes. The photo was of a man with sunglasses and a hat.
That's not him. Impossible, I must say. He's dead. She pondered.
She went back into her house, and made herself at home.
She dusted the furniture and made the bed. She also started a fire in the fireplace, as it was cold and dreary. It needed a sense of warmth.
The familiar walls spoke to her, and reminded her of happier memories in that house.
When she went to her room, indeed it was her old room. She still had the framed photo of Mother Miranda on the wall. Through the window, in the distance, she could see the Factory.
She was exhausted.
She exhaled as she sat on her bed.

///

That night, she ate and went to bed. when she woke up in the morning, she got dressed and went out. People were bustling outside, rushing to get their things done. She prayed at the altar, then went to take a walk in the forest. The wind was still a bit cold, but luckily she brought her sweater with her. She wrapped it around her shoulders, and snuggled tightly into it as she walked.
Her mind was whirling a thousand miles per minute. She was pondering about the house, the people, how much had the village changed since she left? And who exactly are the Lords?
More specifically, who is Lord Heisenberg?