章 14: Robert
Bell approached the mirror and touched its surface with his finger. A ripple spread out from the point of contact as if the surface was made out of water instead of glass. As he pushed a little, his finger sank into the mirror.
Looking at the bizarre scene, Simon shrank back in fear. The words written in blood were already too much for him to take. "Professor, Mr. Bell, I trust you two will be able to deal with this situation. Me and the others aren't of much help so we will stay back. I wish you luck."
Vincent cursed at the shrewd man in his heart and looked at Bell. He was sure a spiritualist could easily gauge the level of danger. All he had to do was wait for the hired expert to refuse to go in. That way, he would be able to maintain the image he had built and get out of the situation.
"I understand. Then professor, let us go in." Contrary to Vincent's expectations, Bell agreed at once and gestured for Vincent to go in.
Left with no choice, he prepared himself and walked into the mirror. As he passed through, it felt as if a thin film of liquid was obstructing him. When the strange sensation ended, he found himself in the same room, except it wasn't old and dusty. Everything was kept in their pristine condition and the lighting made the basement look homely.
Bell walked out soon after and looked around curiously. Ascertaining that there was no immediate danger, he turned to the hooded figure and spoke seriously. "Let's go, we need to end this as soon as possible."
"When we don't know anything? I say we should investigate further."
"Investigating won't change anything. The spirit invited us here, that means he wants something from us. As for us, we need to deal with the problem. Everything will be clear once we meet him for ourselves."
Vincent turned to Bell and tried to discern his intention. While he didn't know the spiritualist personally, according to the research he had done, Bell had a good reputation. Most of Bell's clients were satisfied with his methods and results. Even among the circle of people who dealt with spirits, he was known for being cautious and thorough.
For him to suddenly behave this way, Vincent could tell that something wasn't right. "There's no need to rush. Let's take things slow."
As soon as his words ended, Vincent rushed at spiritualist and tried to grab him. Bell was startled by the sudden attack and tried to move back. But the mirror surface he had just passed through no longer behaved as it had before. Now, it was exactly like glass and he found himself stuck between the mirror and a palm covered in electricity.
No longer able to dodge the attack in its entirety, he put his arms up in defense. His forearms glowed with golden light and protected him from the crackling electricity.
Vincent was surprised at the means the spiritualist used to neutralize his attack. But he didn't let it hinder his actions. Increasing the amount of mana he was outputting, he caused threads of electricity dancing on his palm to grow more violent.
The light dimmed and went off completely in just a few moments. Left with no protection, Bell's body convulsed in shock.
Seeing that Bell wasn't putting up a resistance anymore, Vincent stopped the spell and began searching for ropes or clothes he could use to tie the other.
"What are you doing?" Bell asked weakly, still unable to muster any strength.
"Don't worry, the possession is still incomplete. I will tie you up for now. Once I deal with the evil spirit, you will be back to normal."
Bell's face was painted with an expression that was a mixture of disbelief and anger. "I am not possessed. Help me up right now."
"But you are acting very reckless. I think you haven't realized it yet, but you truly are under the evil spirit's control. It's basic knowledge that the evil spirit possesses the weaker member of a party to backstab the stronger one. What kind of ghost expert are you, to not even know such a thing."
"What nonsense! Who taught you that?"
Listening to the rage filled words of Bell, Vincent began wondering if he had misjudged the situation. "Then why did you not want to investigate?"
"Because we are already inside an isolated world made by a spirit. There's no point in investigating. The only thing we will come across are the things it wants us to come across. Are you even an ecclesiastic? How do you not know such a simple thing."
"That.... that's because I am still undergoing my training." Vincent made the first excuse that came to his mind.
Bell sighed helplessly. "I guess that makes sense. You sound young as well. To be a silver ranker already, your teachers must be overprotective of you. Is that also the reason for that fake name?"
'What's wrong with my name?' Vincent quipped in his heart. But looking at how the man was laying on the floor because of his electric shock, he decided to play along. "That's right. I am actually Stan Hellsing."
"I will give you an advice kid. Next time, think of a fake name that sounds a lot different than your own."
Vincent nodded once and waited for Bell to recover. After a couple of minutes, the duo finally approached the only door present on the room. Vincent placed his hand on the doorknob and turned to his companion.
Bell indicated that he was ready and Vincent finally opened the door, fully prepared to engage in combat at a moment's notice. The room was dimly lit and decorated with elegant furniture. Beautiful patterns painted with vivid colors adorned the wall, giving a fresh and playful look. A few toys were scattered around messily and in the very centre of the room was a chair.
Seated on it was a little girl. She was wearing a frilly blue dress with pink ribbon. Her cheeks still had baby fat and her hair reached up to her shoulder. If not for the vacant look in her eyes, she would have looked adorable.
But what caught Vincent and Bell's attention the most wasn't the girl. A human shaped stuffed toy was nestled on her arms. The stitch that ran across its face looked especially menacing. It raised its head and stared directly at the two newcomers.
"Welcome. I am Robert." The girl spoke in a mechanical manner, almost as if she was just a puppet.
Listening to the girl's voice, Bell lost his cool immediately. "She is still alive. What have you done?"
Vincent was shocked. The girl was most likely the manor's original owner's daughter that disappeared. That was at least a couple of years ago. And in the scene that had been played in the room upstairs, the girl was about the same size. For her to be still be alive but yet not grow, he could only think of a couple of methods, each one more sinister than the other.
"Kekekekekeke." A maniacal laughter sounded out from every direction. The doll raised its hand and moved it animatedly as it continued. "She is my masterpiece. Isn't it amazing? To be able to take an inferior life form with limited lifespan and preserving its body perfectly in a quasi alive state. Unfortunately, it's still unable to act as my vessel completely."
"You fiend! Do you realize the magnitude of your crime? Once word gets out, your spirit will be subjected to the cruelest of punishments. Let her go this instant." Bell shouted hysterically as he pointed at the doll. His voice was overflowing with hostility and his face flushed red in fury.
The corner of the girl's lips rose in a mocking manner. Standing up, she walked closer to Bell. "And how exactly will they know of this? You two will become a part of my collection soon enough. As for the people outside, hmmmm let's see... while I don't have a use for them, it wouldn't be a bad idea to turn them all into ghosts. It was fun when I did that the last time."
As soon as her words ended, the entire room began quaking violently. The two men struggled to stabilize their footing while the girl approached them with an eerie smile.
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