"My daughter committed a grievous sin." She humphed.
"She dared request for the Father to kill Bruno's wife. She did not give anything in return. What do you expect? Should Father do her request for free? Noo. When he informed her he would take her child in return, she did not hesitate to escape. Seriously, so inexplicably foolish. I can't believe I have a daughter like her." She flipped her long black hair aside. Eyeing Lucien strangely.
Lucien felt goosebumps in his skin. She did not look at him like he was a living being. More like a maggot squirming and slandering others with its puckered tongue.
"What about Bruno? Why did he die too?"
He stole a glimpse sideways. He found Aiden ushered the other five children into the hole. One by one, slowly but surely. Because of the big closet and the dark surroundings, their small figures are not that obvious.
He knew they wouldn't be able to get out until forty eight hours had passed. But those children needed a place to hide. Lucien absentmindedly touched his shoulder wounds.
He just need to last long. Can he do it? No. He had to.
"It was my prayer to the Father to take my daughter's family. I believe she needed a chance at that time. As always, the Father obliged. He consumed both the baby and that man, leaving nothing except a lump of black charcoal in my daughter's womb and an empty vessel of Bruno."
"Needed a chance? Or you needed a new sacrifice?" Lucien cut her off. Vanessa fell silent. But her eyes are shooting daggers at Lucien.
"To keep your youth, you must be required to offer sacrifice on a regular basis. That must be why the demon ate Bruno too. And you were happy about that, because he became your sacrifice. To misdirect your daughter's grief, you brought her to this town. And you incite their hatred of witches, forcing your daughter to succumb to her own wrath. Leading to her and this town's destruction."
This time the nun laughed uncontrollably. A mix of emotions was displayed in that laugh. Mockery, contempt, rage, and incredulity. Nevertheless, Lucien did not stop. His eyes met Aiden's, and Aiden nodded at him. Lucien's heart settled with ease. He already knew Aiden would never leave him. As long as the children are in a safe place and out of reach from this evil woman's grasp, then it's all good. He can protect the little protagonist.
"You must be so happy to see the whole town fall into chaos." He said.
"So what if I do? If you refuse to obediently come to me, then I'll use force to make you. "
Vanessa snapped her fingers. And all the children march towards Aiden. While the townspeople surrounded Lucien. Aiden only had the steel door as his weapon. He could whack the children's head with it.
Lucien has the whip. Against the townspeople, he must use it to the best of his capabilities.
"Take them. The Father is coming. " Vanessa's voice rang out before the trouble erupted in the basement. Lucien darted to the right. Mercilessly lashing out at the hands that are trying to capture him.
He went in the direction where Aiden was. One hand managed to catch the whip of Lucien. He was almost pulled off of his feet. Yet, this time, the whip does not want to separate from him.
It seems it caught on to Lucien's attempt to save the protagonist, it cooperated wonderfully. Whatever hands that caught the whip, will have their skin lashed out with its bony slick body.
Lucien was optimistic about this. He dodged and leapt in the air, successfully landing where Aiden was. He thought the little protagonist would not have a hard time going against the children.
He was wrong. The children's bodies are as tough as steel. No matter how much shoving and slamming Aiden did with the steel door, the children remained unfazed. Lucien swung his whip horizontally and managed to fling all the children away. With one hand, he picked up the protagonist and carried him on his shoulder. In the other, he used his whip to clear the way.
Their position made their force unstoppable. With the protagonist in his arm, the whip is more energetic and cooperative. Its slick, bony body became deadly. It could only lash out skin before, but now it can rip off one limb with a single hit.
Lucien noticed the black blood dripping on the ground. With the puppets fazed and their forces momentarily weakened, Lucien did not waste any more time and chose to run towards the stairs.
Vanessa screamed for her puppets to chase them down.
"Where are the children?! Get them back! Don't let them escape you fools!"
"They won't get the others." Aiden silently murmured on Lucien's shoulders. The little protagonist wrapped his arms around Lucien's neck and nuzzled his shoulders.
"Where are they now? Did the hole lead you outside?"
Lucien felt Aiden shake his head. "No, but it was the way to a big underground cave. The entrance was small and easy to block from the inside. Nothing can get in to take them unless they open the entrance themselves."
"I see. Good job." Lucien honestly praised. He ran towards the entrance of St. Loius Church. He wasn't trying to get out. He just wants an open space for his whip to do its work.
The townspeople and the children came pouring out in every direction.
"They are a nuisance," Aiden murmured. Lucien couldn't hear him properly because of the growling sounds.
Lucien put Aiden down and defended him. Putting considerable distance between him and the puppets. The townspeople can't approach them because of the whip. The children can't sneak in because of Aiden.
Vanessa was sitting in one of the chairs beside the window. Silently spectating from the side. Lucien kept throwing deadly lashes with his whip, but as time passed by, the distance Lucien set was getting shorter.
Aiden shot Vanessa a look. So that's it. She was waiting for Lucien to lose strength. No matter how strong the whip is, Lucien will be exhausted swinging it for hours.