"Ethan Winters… and that kid Cassandra mentioned. Thought it was nonsense, but you're real," Dimitrescu sneers.
"Hello?" Eveline squeaks.
"Let… go!" I choke, slammed to the floor by Dimitrescu's grip. This is bad.
"Leave Ethan alone!" Eveline cries.
"No, little girl. Adult talk. Ethan Winters, you brought her? A filthy rat sneaking into my castle, daring to touch my daughters!" Dimitrescu roars, slamming me again. The floor cracks.
"Stop! He won't come back!" Eveline pleads.
"Stealing what's mine? No way!" Dimitrescu lifts me once more, smashing me through the floor. I plummet to the basement, hitting stone. Head pounding, body aching. Dungeon?
"Wait there! I'll tear you apart in hell's depths!" Dimitrescu taunts.
"Say what you want… damn it," I groan.
"You okay?" Eveline asks.
"Does this look okay?" I cough.
"I'll find an escape!" Eveline darts off.
Forcing my battered body up, I work a lever and advance. Lit, unlike the last dungeon, and no mummies—small mercy. Eveline returns, guiding me to a levered door.
"Out this way!" she says.
"Thanks."
As I reach for the lever—
"Ethan, no!" Eveline panics.
"What?"
Pain sears my right wrist—my hand's gone, blood spraying. Sliced clean.
"Damn it!" I scream.
"Your hand's wrecked again!" Eveline wails.
"Thought you'd escape?" Dimitrescu laughs, her long claws gleaming.
Grabbed by the neck, I'm hurled, smashing my back. This is bad.
"I'll carve you up before you see your kid!" Dimitrescu snarls.
"Ethan, hold on!" Eveline cries.
"You're next, girl. You drove my daughters mad!" Dimitrescu hisses.
"I'm a hallucination! Your nightmare!" Eveline retorts.
"Who's a big old hag!?" Dimitrescu snaps. "I'm a lady!"
"No way!" Eveline taunts.
Eveline dances near Dimitrescu, dodging claw swipes, faking a solid form. Gotta stand… live. Dimitrescu shoves Eveline aside, spotting me rise.
"No escape, Ethan Winters. You'll pay for ruining my castle!" she growls.
"Borrowed castle, huh?" I pant.
"Die!" she roars.
"Why rile her!?" Eveline scolds.
Dimitrescu slices iron bars, closing in. No escape. Done for?
"Ethan, thrust your right hand at her!" Eveline urges.
"Call me lady, brat!" Dimitrescu snarls.
"What?" I blink.
"Now!" Eveline insists.
"Uh, okay…" I thrust my stump forward. Black mold surges, forming a fist like a Molded's arm. It slams Dimitrescu's gut, sending her crashing through a crate, vomiting blood.
"What…!?" she gasps.
Ignoring her, I stare at my hand. Molded arm, like Eveline's allies three years ago. Eveline smirks smugly.
"What did you do to me?" I demand.
"Saved you in a pinch. Be grateful… don't be mad. Only way to keep you alive," Eveline says, deflating.
"Fine…" I sigh.
Eveline wilts, so I drop it. Approaching Dimitrescu, I grab her shoulder with my left, raising the molded fist.
"You're family!" I shout, mimicking Jack Baker's punch from three years ago, as Eveline echoes.
WHAM! The blow to her face knocks her out. Immortal, but she'll sleep.
"Now, Ethan!" Eveline urges.
"Damn it!" I curse, grabbing my severed hand, unlocking a door with a key from earlier. A grieving stone statue moves a platform upward.
"You'll pay! I've unleashed Moroaică!" Dimitrescu's voice echoes.
"She's up already?" I groan.
"I'll fix it, Ethan," Eveline says.
My hand reverts to its bloody stump. I douse it with healing liquid, reattaching it. Good as new.
"Nice," I mutter.
"How's that heal? Creepy!" Eveline shudders.
"Your fault!" I snap.
She looks guilty, so I ease off. "So, Eveline, I'm still infected, huh? That's why I see you—your hallucination?"
"Not quite…" she hedges.
"Whatever. You saved me. That's fact," I say.
"Really? Haha, saved your life! Be grateful!" Eveline puffs up.
"Don't get cocky," I grumble, rubbing her face with my healed hand.
"Stop! Gross!" she squeals.
"Gross!?" I retort.
The platform reaches the courtyard's center. Supposed to be safe…
Growls above. Multiple mummies—Moroaică, Dimitrescu's minions.
"Eveline," I say.
"What?" she asks.
"Can you reinforce my left hand's fingers?"
"Tricky, but I'll try."
Black mold forms on my ring and pinky fingers. I draw my handgun and Samurai Edge. Dual-wielding, finally.
"Let's do this!"
Eveline's new power: molding Ethan's limbs. Mechanism later. Enabled dual-wielding.
Hope you enjoy! Ratings, feedback, typo reports welcome—more feedback, faster I write!