"Enough already!"
"Wow, Ethan's cool!"
Dodging a mummified maid's swing, I jam my gun under its jaw, blow its head off, and kick the body into others.
"Ethan, look! Something cool!"
"Pipe bomb? No clue why it's here, but eat this!"
Grabbing the bomb Evelyn points out, I block a halberd from a jeweled mummy, shove the bomb in its mouth, and kick it into the others. It stumbles, topples them, and explodes. Bits scatter; a necklace rolls to my feet. I pick it up. A name's engraved.
"Ingrid…?"
"From the document. The one who occasionally woke up."
"Damn you, Dimitrescu."
Pocketing the necklace, I climb stairs to the surface. The air shifts—bugs swarm. Them!
"Cassandra's screw-up caused this mess… Tell me, what'd you do to make her lose it?"
"Here's Bug Bitch with no name!"
"No way I'm telling, Bug Bitch!"
Bugs form one of the three sisters, charging with a scythe. I block with my handgun's barrel and try to kick, but the bugs scatter. Tricky!
"How dare you speak to Bela Dimitrescu like that! I'll teach you, human!"
"Go ahead! Ethan's blood comes with a cute girl bonus!"
"Shut up!"
"Healthy man's blood… I can't wait! Don't make this hard!"
Bela, the eldest sister, is sharper than Cassandra. I offer my neck; she bites. Second time's easier.
"Blood! Fresh! Human… warm!"
"Glad you like it!"
"I'm so happy to meet you."
Evelyn's voice from behind makes Bela turn. I bolt for the exit. Invisible horror show this time.
"Who!? Where…!?"
"Where you looking? Here."
"What… a voice so close, but no one's there!?"
Probably from the floor or ceiling, I think, climbing stairs to a boarded dead end. As I smash it, Bela grabs my shoulder, yanking me around. How!?
"Going somewhere, boy?"
"Ethan, sorry! She's calmer than Cassandra!"
"Hallucinations? Need more blood! Warm, fresh, red blood!"
Bela shoves me through the boards into a cold room. Bright—windows! Perfect. She lunges; I fire wildly, bullets passing through.
"Think bullets work on me?"
"Not aiming at you—the window!"
"What!? AAAH!"
The window shatters; a blizzard's cold air floods in. Bela's blown back, frozen, unable to disperse into bugs.
"Damn you, human! I'll slit your throat and stuff it with worms!"
"Sis, behind you."
"You!?"
Bela turns, spotting Evelyn floating at the window's edge, seemingly radiating cold. She swings her scythe at Evelyn, but it passes through, lodging in the frame. My chance!
"Take this!"
"Gah! I'll never forgive you… What did you do!?"
"Don't ignore me."
"You showed yourself! I'll kill—argh!"
Bullets hit Bela square. She yanks the scythe free, charging, but Evelyn pops from her chest, laughing. Bela swings at her, misses as Evelyn vanishes, stabbing her own chest. She staggers, self-inflicted. Evelyn emerges from the floor, laughing. Dark hobby, girl.
"You dare defy us!? Who are you!?"
"Me? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I hahahahaha!"
"Eek!? Gah!? Ugh!? My body… crumbling! Why, me…!?"
"This ends now."
"Nooo! Me!?"
Evelyn's eerie laugh spooks Bela. I unload my handgun into her face. Her body calcifies, hardens. I throw the empty gun, shattering her. She collapses, fragments scattering. Did I… win?
"Nice one, Ethan! How was my scare?"
"Honestly, kinda creeped out."
"Aw, mean!"
I grab my gun, belt it, and pick up a torso-like object from Bela's remains. Sellable. I bag it. Now what?
"Hey, Ethan, look…"
"Hm?"
In a kitchen, Evelyn points to a blood-soaked pot with an ornate wine bottle—Sanguis Virginis, the one Dimitrescu carried. Bad taste. Human flesh hangs nearby. Best not think about it.
"She held it like it was precious. Could be useful."
"Yeah, but carrying it's risky—it might break."
Carefully holding it, I unlock a door, reaching a hall with the sisters' portrait. Upstairs, a wine room. Placing Sanguis Virginis on a stand slides a wall, revealing a courtyard key. More paths open. Heading down, I spot a familiar figure in a room I missed before. Evelyn and I exchange glances, rushing over.
"What!? How!?"
"Duke! Why're you here…?"
"Ho ho ho. We meet again."
I glance at the door we closed, then Duke's massive frame. How'd he get in?
"Business knows no bounds. Found your daughter?"
"Nope… just crazy women."
"If she's here, the castle's master's room is your best bet, no?"
"Duke's the shadiest."
"Dimitrescu?"
"Indeed. Her room might hold answers. Need anything?"
"Hey, sell the torso and necklace? Just dead weight."
"Yeah, this torso and Ingrid's necklace—can you take 'em?"
"Of course! A lady's torso, quite valuable. I'll buy it high."
"Thanks. Oh, and this wine glass…"
I sell the torso, necklace, and glass, restocking bullets and meds. Sitting, I sigh. One sister down. Two more, plus the stronger Dimitrescu. Long road ahead.
Notes: Bela's death scream is a voice actor gag. Ethan wouldn't sell the necklace, but it's just baggage. Hope you enjoyed! Feedback, ratings, or typo reports fuel my writing speed!