Sometime after Dominic left, Wendy had gotten me some blood. I could tell she didn't wish to take from the supply she kept, but nursing me back to health was a larger concern. Later than that, a bell rang near the front of the clinic. Wendy went to see who it was that arrived. I was left to myself for the moment, thinking over tonight's events and last night or so, I thought.

"So Alexander... it appears you've taken the first step at getting your revenge," Pandora snickered in my ear. "Gathering allies is important when trying to accomplish your goals."

I'm just stuck with you now. My grip tightened on my sheets as I remembered Pandora speaking, not Francis. "What are you supposed to be, a devil on my shoulder?"

"That's rude," she pouted, "I'm more of a friendly guide to aid you." Even though I couldn't see her, I was sure Pandora would be floating around me like a little fairy who wanted to play tricks. I wasn't in the mood for her games right now.

"Look, I can guarantee that I'm not in any rush to let people know I exist. So take solace in the fact that I am not a body-snatching harpy. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do with your manhood." The prospect of an old evil Sorceress being baffled at having male parts made me chuckle, much to her dismay.

Wendy returned with Walter behind her. "Alexander!" Walter shouted as he saw me. His eyes widened as relief eased his heart. "You're alive... when we didn't find you or Francis at the warehouse, we feared the worst." Walter made his way over to me, sitting in the chair the detective sat in. He looked worn out, like he'd been up even during the day.

"Im alright, Walter... took good care of me." I wanted to tell him about what happened to Francis. The words, however, got stuck in my throat. Walter seemed to take notice.

"You... don't have to say. Sister Uriel informed me of Francis's passing. I'm sorry that this happened. You can be sure we will seek justice for her murder." On that, we very much agreed. I peeked behind Walter at the door and noticed Yayoi and Penny standing there. Walter turned to see them, too.

"It's quite alright," said Wendy, "I'm sure you've all been worried." As soon as Wendy gave her ok, Penny ran toward my cot. Brushing past Walter, she nearly jumped onto my cot, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"My God, I've missed you. Do you have any idea how worried I was? How could you just up and disappear like that, you colossal asshole!" 

"I... missed you too, Penny," I groaned. Returning to her embrace, I felt a little joy knowing I was missed.

Penny didn't let go of me entirely. She just pulled back, making a portion of my cot her seat while holding my hands. "My Goodness. Those blood psychos did a number on you. I hope you killed them all. because if not, we'll finish the job."

"There are probably more out there. But the ones that attacked us are dead. I made sure of that." This brought a smile to Penny's face, but it didn't last long. I looked at Yayoi, who was still standing at the door. Her arms were crossed, and she looked annoyed, but not her usual way. It reminded me of how I felt standing around at one of the family's dinner parties, uncomfortable and out of my league.

"It's alright, Yayoi," I said. "You don't have to stay over there." Her face lit up momentarily, but her eyes darkened just as quickly. She lowered her arms to her side and clenched her fists. "It's not ok... it's my fault... if I had been paying better attention. I could've stopped her."

I could see the tears begin to well up in her eyes. She was fighting them back vigorously, almost as if she wasn't crying out of sadness but out of rage. Rage against herself. Letting go of Penny, I tapped my sister's shoulder, telling her to move. Swinging my legs out, I tried getting to my feet. It was easier than I thought. As I tried approaching her, Walter stood to help me, holding my arm as my brace. As we made our way to Yayoi, I held my hand toward her.

"Francis is... was a crafty girl. She always had something up her sleeve, no matter the situation. There wasn't a thing you could've done to stop her. Believe me." I felt like I was trying to convince myself more than Yayoi. I wanted to know if there was something I could've done to prevent what happened. If I had acted faster, I'd not have brought her along. But she did save my life. If not for her, I'd have been in a grave.

"How's Yasuo?" I asked to take her mind off of Francis. "I see you made it out in one piece, but what of him?"

"He's been beside himself since your disappearance. He's been using all of his resources to find you. When we got a tip you'd been at this clinic, he and your Father would come here themselves."

Now that would've been a sight—my old man visiting me in a clinic. I'd pay to see that. "I think I need to return to the Estate," I said, turning to Wendy. "I need to make sure everyone knows I'm alive."

"That's quite alright, Alexander," Wendy said with a smile. "I'm sure your family is worried about you."

Walter and Penny went to the car while Yayoi and Wendy helped me prepare. I'd been wearing some black trousers that Dominic had left me and some socks. The official story behind the leftover trousers was that a patient forgot them, and they'd luckily been my size.

While collecting my wallet, Wendy brought my Mom's jacket to me. The sleeves had been cut short, but the rest of the jacket remained intact. It was even cleaned thoroughly. "I hope you don't mind the alterations," Wendy said as she handed it to me. "Your sleeves had been torn to shreds and covered in blood. So I did my best."

"No... you're fine. It's just something I'll have to adjust to." I let her put the jacket over my shoulders, but I wouldn't fit my hands through the sleeves.

"By the way, Sister," said Yayoi as she stared at my arms. "Why are Alex's arms all wrapped in Heaven's cloth?" Wendy seemed very inclined to answer, but I held my hand, barring her from speaking.

"Look, Yayoi... something has changed. I don't want to talk about it now. But I will need you to do me a favor."

Yayoi's brows raised, and her worry about what I might say became strikingly apparent. I checked my jacket pocket to see if it was still there. I found the small medal still tucked deep into the pocket. Taking it out, I held it up for Yayoi to take.

"It's probably going to be a lot to ask. But could you take this to Queen Jeanne... tell her we need to talk." A sudden wave of understanding hit Yayoi the moment she saw the medal. As she took it into her hands, she quickly examined it as if checking if it were real. Wendy's eyes widened as she saw it, and then her gaze seemed to dart between the heaven's cloth on my arms and the medal.

"I'll give this to her as soon as possible," Yayoi promised. She then tucked the medal in her sash and then went outside.

"Thank you, Wendy," I said. "I'm sure we'll be in touch soon."

"You needn't thank me, Alex. It is my duty as God's servant that I care for his creations. Even though you were born of evil, that too is by his benevolent will." Wendy approached me, taking my hand and holding it up for me to see. "This cloth is very special. It will keep your power in check while maintaining the form of your lost arms. Just give the cloth a gentle tug, and you should be able to use your powers."

"You know, of all people, I wouldn't think an Acolyte would be ok with a Sin Factor having the key to his collar." I would've thought she would've tried to keep me in check because of how dangerous it was. She and Dominic were the only ones to see it in action.

Wendy shook her head. "This power is a part of God's will. If he did not want it to exist, then it wouldn't. Besides, it is part of you. What you do with it is what you will. Besides... I know you'd only use it for what you think is right." I couldn't understand why Wendy would trust me this much. I wasn't a good person. But to question such trust was the same as an insult or disrespect. Neither was an option. So I nodded, and Wendy let go of my hand. Waving a not-so-final goodbye to her, I left the clinic.

The ride home was pretty decent. It didn't help that Walter and Penny mostly talked to each other the whole ride. I think they were getting the car ready. Yayoi had left ahead of us. She'd been driving one of those new motorbikes  I'd once seen in Europe. An Indian Scout, I heard it was called. I almost wanted to take it for a spin to see how it rode. But I had more pressing things to care for, like letting everyone know I was alive.

When we arrived at the estate, it'd been a bit past midnight, meaning the estate would be lively. Walter and Penny walked with me to the front door, and as I went to knock, it opened before I could even strike the wood.

"Alexander Murcielago! Do you have any idea how worried I've been," Judith shouted as she hugged me tightly, her voice sounding so hoarse you'd think she'd been screaming all day. "You stupid, reckless boy. I wouldn't know what to do if I'd lost you. Are you hurt anywhere? Are you hungry? Do you need more cigarettes?"

"No, yes, and yes," I answered quickly, "Slow down, Jude. I'm alive." She pulled away from me momentarily and started pulling on my cheeks. She then saw my arms.

"My sweet Alex," she said in a shaky breath. "What have they done to you?" If she'd seen where my actual arms were, then she'd be even more horrified to learn what happened to my arms.

"He's fine, Judith," said Jules as he approached the door. "Come on, let them through. Father wishes to see him." It was good to see Jules still his usual self.

"Fine," Jude pouted, "but I will ensure you get plenty of food and blood later." She leaned close to my ear and whispered, "I've found another carton for you too." Judith rose to her feet, smiling at me. She turned around and returned to the house. Walter and Penny followed Judith to the dining room, I told them I'd join them as soon as possible. Going up the stairs, I headed straight for Father's room. But I would only get there with resistance.

Coming out of Father's study was Mother. She didn't seem so surprised to see me. She wore her usual devilish smile, and as usual, it was unsettling. "So you lived? You are a tenacious bastard, I'll give you that."

"I won't blame you for thinking I was gonna die," I said, throwing my hands into my pockets. "You don't have to sound so disappointed about it, though."

"You may be your Father's bastard, but it doesn't mean I want you dead." Mother crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "I did hear your little shaman lover didn't make it." For once in the many years we'd known each other, I felt my anger boil. I never cared what she said about me, not once. Mother had every right to despise me as the bastard child born between my father and some woman that wasn't her. I couldn't jump to conclusions, so I kept calm and heard her out.

"I am sorry that she died," Mother sighed. Wait, that wasn't right. I thought she might've said something different than that. There was no way she was feeling sorry for me at this moment. Maybe she was saying that to mess with me. "I know you probably can't believe my words, but I mean it," she continued. "Penny told me a bit about your relationship with her. How she loved you reminded me of my younger days with your father. I can't help but feel responsible since I was the one who suggested she be a concubine." Mother's sly smile vanished, and she approached me with her arms held out. For once, I didn't know what to do. I froze up. She wrapped her arms around me in a soft embrace, her left hand rubbing my back as if to soothe me. 

"I've been doing some thinking. I believe it's time I start calling you by your name from now on. I realize you are only a product of your father's adultery, and he seeks only to use you as a pawn. Yet seeing you all battered and broken like this. It... just feels wrong to torment you any further." She pulled away from me, placing her hands on my shoulders. As our eyes met, I could see something in her gaze I'd never seen in her. Emptiness... The deep blue of her eyes seemed devoid of all happiness and joy. There was only raw bitterness in a sea of nothing. "No matter what happens from now on, Alex. Be better than your father. His obsession with the family name has driven too deep of a wedge in this family. No matter who he ruins in his wake, he gets to do as he pleases." Mother's grip tightened on my shoulders as the bitterness in her gaze became dark and grotesque. "Do what you have to do for the people you care for. No matter who stands in your way." 

We stood in the hallway for some time after Mother spoke. The silence between us allowed me to hear the crescendo of our heartbeats. After a full minute of Mother being overwhelmed by her emotions, she took a deep breath. The devilish smile tugged at her lips again, and she let go of me. "Alright... Now that we've had that little heart-to-heart, Aleksander, you can forget that last part." 

"Aleksander?" I repeated, confused as to why she pronounced it like that. "It's Alexander." The color from her face drained completely. She made another expression I was unfamiliar with, at least with her, complete shock. It only lasted a moment as she recoiled back into the smile she wore. "That's right," she said as she shook her head. "I'm being silly, a slip of the tongue. Go on now, Alex. Your Father is waiting." 

Mother quickly darted toward the staircase before I could even get another word out. It was for the best, though. I could believe she would be nicer to me. "Be careful, boy," Pandora warned, her voice ringing in my ears. "It seems like you've changed more than she expected." I hadn't known what she was going on about, and quite frankly, I didn't care. However, it did sound good that, for once, I made the terrible Beatrix Murcielago retreat. Turning back to Father's study, I knocked on the door. Father's maid opened it, and he'd been sitting at his desk scribbling away at a paper with a candle lit with his shadow flame. The strange red light brightened the dark room.

"Ah... The prodigal son returns. I almost believed you were dead for a moment. Come in... sit." I entered the room, sitting on one of the chairs across the table. "The Isoarashi's spoke highly of your service to them," Father continued, "Yasuo especially was deadset on locating you when your corpse didn't turn up."

There were so many things I wanted to say to him at that moment. The first was to joke about how I was raised from the dead. Another would've been to mention his nonchalant attitude upon my return. But something far more critical was brewing at the forefront of my mind.

"She's... she's gone, Dad... Francis is gone..." Father's writing came to a sudden halt. He closed his eyes briefly and then placed the pen down. He finally meets my gaze. His hands were steepling near his chin. "I'm sorry to hear that, son... she was talented. It's a shame that such talent is lost now. But such loss comes with our way of life."

"That's it? Just sorry. She was good at what she did. Oh well?" Taking hold of my chair's arms, I clenched them tightly.

"Yes... at least now you'll be able to focus on Isoarashi Yayoi. Such tragedies are inevitable, as I've just told you. If you take such offense, it is only natural to blame yourself for bringing her to such a dangerous place."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew it was my fault. She'd be alive if I didn't allow her to accompany me. If I'd done a better job of ensuring she got away, she'd still be here if she hadn't loved me so much. Then she wouldn't have wanted to save my life. "I know I shouldn't have gotten her involved. I even tried to get her away. But she came back to save me. She died to make sure I lived. I thought you'd understand... since you loved Mom."