* “I thought you knew that since our first interaction.”

* “Oh yes, yes indeed. Then would you do me a kindness? If you find any survivors, tell them to seek Iosefka’s clinic. Upon my Hippocratic Oath, if they are yet human, I will look after them. Perhaps, even cure them.”

‘This is convenient, too convenient in fact… What’s changed?’ thought Surgit.

* “How come you changed your mind about letting people in?” Surgit started having doubts even regarding the nice lady who had helped him since the beginning of his adventure in Yharnam.

* “This sickness, these beasts… they are not to be feared. This time, the night is long.” She said, in a strange voice that didn’t resembled Iosefka at all.

* “I’ll see what I can do, if I come across any survivors, I will send them your way.”

* “I may be trapped here but I should do something to help. I’ll even offer a reward for your cooperation.” She finally said.

She sounded a bit different to Surgit so the latter decided to end the conversation at that point and head outside. He left the clinic. He couldn’t help but think of the last interaction he had with the doctor. How come the doctor who was so adamant about letting anyone inside her clinic was now willing to admit survivors? He was ready to beg her to let the little girl and the old woman in but now, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

He had to go see the little girl first and announce the bad news. He would worry about choosing a safe place for her later. The matter that presented itself to him now was how was he to announce to the little girl that she was now an orphan. He made his way through the empty streets of Central Yharnam, towards the girl’s house. The city seemed deserted and silent. Without the beasts that roam the streets, Surgit felt uneasy and extremely lonely. Only the sounds of crackling fire and smoke coming out of the sewers were to be heard. He still wondered at what caused these nights of the hunt to occur.

The fact that hunters were scarce and that he was the only hunter he knew of in the city also haunted his thoughts. Information was rare to come by and the people capable of speech in the city either didn’t know a thing or concealed what they knew from him. If there was one thing he learned during his time in Yharnam, it was that he’d always need to be on his guard; that the ones who speak could be more dangerous than the ones who attack him. At least he knew what his enemies wanted from him.

He reached the house and called out from the window where he first spoke to the little girl. “Hey little girl, are you in there?” He heard some footsteps in the distance and soon after the girl spoke to him. “Yes mister hunter. Have you found my mum?” The question wrenched Surgit’s heart as he struggled to find the courage to announce the news to her. “I found her yes, and I think I found your father too.” He felt himself speaking those words mechanically, as if reciting something he had learned by heart beforehand. “Your father had unfortunately lost his mind, even the music box wouldn’t bring him back to his senses…”

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Surgit stopped for a while, trying to catch his breath and tell the girl about what happened between him and her father. He decided to tell her the truth, as he knew that children would always appreciate it better than elaborate lies made not to hurt their feelings. The little girl spoke first: “You had to dispose of him, didn’t you mister hunter? I understand, my father had become a danger to everyone. What about my mum? Was she there?” Surgit was surprised at how calm the little girl was regarding the decay of her father’s mind. “Yes I had to fight your father and set him to rest. Your mother was there too, I recognized her from the brooch I found on her hair.”

He took out the brooch from his pocket and knocked at the window with it. The little girl opened the window and took it from Surgit. The look on her face saddened him greatly. Tears streamed down her face and as she looked at Surgit with her innocent crying face, she couldn’t retain her sobs. “Mister hunter… was it really her? Mummy… Mummy… Don’t leave me alone… I’m alone… I’m scared… it’s not fair…” As the girl continued crying, Surgit remained there observing the sad scene.

The girl had a beautiful white ribbon on her head and she wore a nice beige dress. She managed to take care of herself even though her mother wasn’t at home. The hope that she would return to her and bring her father back with her had kept her going. Surgit was sure at that moment that the little girl shouldn’t remain alone in the house. He had to decide about a safe place for her, and fast.

“I don’t think you should stay here alone little girl. Do you know of Oedon Chapel?” The girl was still crying but he didn’t have much time to spare. “Yes… mister hunter… is it a safe place for me to stay?” The girl said in between her sobs. “It’s the safest I could think of. There is enough incense to spare in there and beasts will not come near you.” For some reason, Surgit’s instincts told him not send the girl to the clinic. “Thank you mister hunter, I love you as much as mum and dad… and granddad.” said the girl in the end, cheerfully. Surgit left the girl alone in the house and made his way towards the old lady.

He told her about the chapel too then decided to take the aqueducts and head towards the graveyard, then to Oedon chapel. As he came close to the ladder which took to the secondary bridge, he heard that horrifying noise that came from the tunnel again. He still felt uneasy at the thought of what lurked down there and decided to leave it alone. ‘No one in their right mind would go in there after hearing such a noise…’ He thought as he climbed the long ladder up. He reached the graveyard where he fought Gascoigne then he noticed the lamp he hadn’t activated before. He was with Karla and he didn’t want to check it in front of her. The last time he inspected the lantern, Karla and Francis looked at him as he had lost his mind. They couldn’t see it and he didn’t want Karla to know about the dream. He still had some more time to spare before meeting Karla. He inspected the lamp and felt his body losing its senses, as if he was about to go unconscious. He came to and found himself in the garden, facing the old house and the doll.