Several disappearances and unexplained events have been registered shorty after the commercialization of an ancient statue linked to some legends from a mysterious place called "Reich der Finsternis" in eastern Germany, there is no know route leadin...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The queen's crown
Chris and Bernard kept their eyes on Liz; the thought that Steffi had already informed them about her unholy mark did nothing to ease her nerves. The oppressive silence, broken only by the occasional stirrings of wildlife, weighed heavily on them. Despite everything, Liz remained firm in her decision not to reveal her secret to Florian. However, the gnawing anxiety of uncertainty gripped her chest like a burning ache, driving her to press further.
"And once you're part of the ritual..." Liz's voice caught in her throat, her breath faltering. "Is there any hope for those who are defiled?" she asked, trying to mask the desperation in her tone, craving a hopeful answer.
Florian hesitated. "Well... according to my mother and grandmother, there is a way." Liz struggled to keep her face neutral. "But I don't really know the details. You see, this ritual of transference—it's something new. It's not very common in the central areas of Reich der Finsternis. No one's ever escaped from Holzmann's madness since he showed up here." He paused, glancing at the towering trees as if they were listening in. "But according to legend, there's a purification process. If that information exists, it would probably be in the library—assuming these lunatics haven't destroyed it already." He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "But that place is heavily guarded. Nobody gets in without the duchess or one of her kids. Trying to enter alone is... suicide."
"Like everything here isn't already," Liz muttered, her voice hardening. Florian responded with a half-hearted laugh.
His words sparked a small glimmer of hope in Liz, though she tried not to get too carried away. She knew if Herr Holzmann had discovered such information before they did, he might have destroyed it. The fact that the library was so heavily guarded was what concerned her the most.
Florian's story confirmed some of the intel Nick had shared with them. While the idea of risking their lives for information that may not even exist seemed far-fetched, it was clear they had no choice but to make their way there.
"So," Liz said, trying to keep the impatience from creeping into her voice as her thoughts swirled in chaos, "do you know how to get there?"
Before Florian could respond, Chris interjected for the first time since their skirmish with the hunters.
"We're looking for a crown," he said, his tone flat, "in Queen Holzmann's cavern. Do you have any idea where that might be?"
Florian recoiled at the question, his frown deepening. They had expected him to react with fear and refuse to share such information, but instead, he crossed his arms, visibly irritated, showing just how much he resented their request.
"You said you weren't here to loot!" Florian snapped, jabbing a finger at Chris. "It's those damned objects that drove the Holzmanns mad! Haven't you caused enough damage?" he shouted, his anger building.
Liz stepped back slightly, raising her hands in a calming gesture, trying to de-escalate the situation.
"Hey, calm down," she said defensively, her own frustration bubbling up. "Yes, we're looking for it, but we're not here to steal it. We want to take it away from those maniacs—and destroy it, if possible!"
"As if that's any different," Florian retorted, his laugh a mixture of anger and bitterness. "I know where Anneliese's cavern is, but we don't even know if the crown is there. Assuming it is—and that we can survive the traps that witch set up—if the duchess finds out we took it, she'll drag us to the courthouse, skin us alive, and hang our hides in her castle! And believe me, I'm not exaggerating," his voice rising with each word.
"We've been investigating for a while now, and we believe something terrible will happen if Herr Holzmann gathers all the relics the Warrens stole. We're just trying to slow down whatever he's planning." Liz raised her hand as if swearing an oath. "I give you my word."
Florian scrubbed his eyes roughly with his fingers, clearly signaling that the agents' plans didn't sit well with him. All around, the air seemed to thicken, as if a dark omen hung over them.
"Anneliese's cave isn't far from here," the villager said, "but if that damned crown is really there, you can't just take it. Word would reach the duchess fast. If you've really got a plan to take down the Holzmanns, it better be something that actually works." Florian's voice grew more urgent, his disbelief evident as he spoke faster.
The American agents exchanged uneasy glances, unsure how to convince him to help when even they lacked a solid plan. Chris stepped in, breaking the tension. He began speaking to Florian in his native tongue, explaining all they'd uncovered so far. They both stood by the lake, their eyes scanning the calm waters that seemed to hold an unspoken menace. Beneath the surface lay an aura of danger, as if diving in meant confronting the darkest of horrors, a death waiting to claim them. And yet, fish and salamanders still swam to the surface, oblivious to the fear the water stirred in the humans.
Florian, noticing the dread on Bernard's face—and, to a degree, on Liz's—regarding the river's current, spoke softly.
"Don't worry," he murmured calmly, "the Hausmännin eater doesn't harm anyone outside the river."
"The eater of... what?" Bernard asked, his voice tinged with discomfort as he struggled to pronounce the name.
"Hausmännin," Florian replied, stepping toward the bridge. "This river was named in honor of a woman who, according to legend, was one of Anneliese Holzmann's closest mentors and friends." He leaned against the bridge's stone wall, turning his back to the water. Liz and Bernard listened intently as he continued. "Her name was Walpurga Hausmännin—one of the bloodiest witches of her time. She was born in Bavaria, around the same time as Anneliese. Despite her power, she didn't survive the witch hunts in Dillingen, condemned years after the Protestant Reformation had begun." Florian walked forward again, beckoning the agents to follow. "She was infamous. Anneliese, on the other hand, kept a low profile during that time, which allowed her to accumulate power that no human has dared to challenge. Of course, this is all according to legend. I imagine the library has more concrete information on her."
As they moved on, the agents were left with one undeniable conclusion: the only place that might hold the answers they needed to end Friedrich Holzmann's reign was the library. But they still didn't fully grasp why people like the Holzmanns would keep such dangerous texts around. Each new revelation seemed to lead to more questions and more tasks to complete. So much weighed on their minds that they had almost forgotten the original reason they had split off from the rest of the team: the search for Max.
Their mission now centered on finding the crown. Everything about it felt like a trap, but they were determined to take the risk—anything to stop the Holzmanns from gathering the relics. Liz knew it wasn't just her soul at stake but the souls of thousands suffering daily from the blood plague, not to mention the American citizens she was there to rescue. That thought alone kept her resolve strong.
The urgency to resume their search was clear—they needed to make the most of the daylight. Just then, a memory flashed through Chris' mind, unsettling him.
"Sounds like an interesting plan," Chris remarked, "but we'll be slow getting anywhere without transport."
Florian coughed quietly, jerking his thumb toward the hunters' horses. The animals were still milling around, nibbling at the few bushes that had fresh leaves.
