Village of sorrow ~ Ethan Winters x Reader

Candles, Coffee And Rest

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Chapter XIX.
Wordcount: 8105

20 minutes later// Location: Carriage.

"Duke!" You panted, walking over to the carriage with your friend leaning over your shoulder.

The jolly man narrowed his eyes while taking a puff of his cigar, watching the both of you thread towards him through the thick snow and soft rain.

"Ah, there you both are!" He coughed and relit the piece, puffing out a big smoke cloud. "I hope things went well."

A blizzard was on the rise, the thick grey desaturated clouds hovering over the village.

You catched your breath as you came to a stop in front of the carriage. "I can't say it went well," The exhausted blonde looked down at you as you squeezed his hand from the arm that was slumped around your shoulder. "-But we made it. Fortunately."

Ethan hummed and stared at your wet skin from the soft rain, eyebags serving as crescent moons under his grey eyes.

You wondered how long it would take for him to regain the lost sanity, but knowing him and what he had gone through already, you had faith.

"The positive attitude fits you well, Miss Lunafrey."

You gave him a nod and watched as he reached over to a small woven basket next to him. "Thank you."

The Duke's attention shifted towards the silent blonde, who used to be the more outspoken and direct one out of the two of you.

"..How are you doing however, Mr. Winters? You don't look too well." He lifted a small doll up. "...Does this look familiar to you?"

Ethan's breath hitched besides you as his bandaged hand gripped your shoulder tighter. "Yeah. Could've fucking warned us." He sneered between gritted teeth.

A small smile mixed in with a frown played on your face. Glad that he was finally talking again, but also frowning at the bitter tone. You turned your attention back to the Duke. "You... knew about this? What awaited us at the house?"

He dropped the doll back in the basket and shook his head. "I've heard many tales, but I was never filled in on what happened there exactly. Donna used to tend to people by making them hallucinate, which was used for good in the beginning."

He grabbed a few purses and filled them up with coffee beans. "But that all changed after people stopped returning from the place."

So her name was Donna, and she used to make people hallucinate for the greater good? The letter that was stuffed in your satchel came to mind briefly. Was William one of the first that didn't come back? Or one of the many others, given how she stated how she 'couldn't bury him.'

"You know, you are the first to make it out of House Beneviento by entering without any memories. I'm surprised you didn't suffer from a heart-attack."

"Why a heart attack specifically?" You queried with squinted eyes. Two drops had fallen in already, dark clouds starting to thunder from above ever so quietly.

The man opened another coin purse and tossed it over to Ethan. "What would happen if you got caught by one of the illusions that chased after you?"

You merely shrugged. "No idea."

"Well, if something can't physically kill you." He took another puff of his sigar and blew the cloud out into the snow. "It will do so mentally."

Ethan scoffed and flicked some snowflakes away from your cheek- which had a flush rise to the skin from his warm touch. You looked at eachother for a little while, both processing the information before the blonde turned his head back at The Duke. "So she'd have killed us with her little powers if we didn't get away from those imaginary monsters?"