Chapter 9: Midnight Correspondence

When Lumière had returned home to the monastery, he was weary with fatigue, but he still made time to check in on the children of the monastery. Tired from their daily affairs of cleaning around the church, they had already fallen fast asleep in their room. As Lumière watched over them with a warm gaze, he let out a sigh and closed their door, continuing down the hall of the upper floor towards his room. As he passed Sister Alinde's room, he peered through the opening of her door, but she too had already fallen fast asleep.

'Goodness, they really are creatures of the day, aren't they?' Lumière smiled warmly. Of course, Lumière didn't bother to glance towards the far end of the hall, where Father Benedict's room was. He already knew that the Father was still awake, likely sifting through countless stacks of paperwork that were required of him by the main Cathedral in the middle borough. Managing the monastery was already enough for him and Sister Alinde, and the children had not yet grown up enough to assist him. If Lumière weren't such a half-believer, he could have likely forced himself to lessen their burdens.

'Giving them money is all I can bear to do…'

Lumière opened the door to his room, shutting it behind him and sighing. After stepping inside his room, Lumière immediately noticed the chill that bit at his skin. The window to Lumière's room was open, letting the midnight air seep in. His heart froze, and his gaze shot over to his bed in the corner of the room, sensing the presence of the gaze within the darkness that stared back at him.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it, Lumière Croft?"

Lumière immediately recognised the voice. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the shape of the tall figure dressed in an outfit reminiscent of a bygone era. It was Thomas Hawthorne, the servant of the Lord Sinner who had brought him the evil Deity's contract in order to survive.

"How did you make it in here?" Lumière asked, his eyebrows furrowed. His hand hovered over his waist, where his sword had remained. Having been influenced by the attack of the human amalgamation, he had retained his blade after fighting Artis Faulkner in the Fencer's Association as a matter of precaution.

"The window was unlocked." Thomas shrugged.

"We're on the second floor."

"So we are." He laughed.

Lumière reached into his interior pocket, procuring the blade that Thomas had thrown to him that day. He grasped it by the blade, extending it towards Thomas. "Your blade."

"Keep it. It was prepared for your use, anyway." His expression was calm, unmoving. "Who knows? You may find use in it once more, soon enough."

Lumière pulled a chair from the corner to face Thomas, sitting down. He couldn't bear to stand much longer. He was already far too exhausted. If it came to a fight against Thomas Hawthorne, he had no mind to fight back. There was no hope in survival. Although, Thomas had already mentioned that he would arrive soon after the fight against the human amalgamation, so his appearance was already something Lumière had mildly anticipated.

"Why does the Lord Sinner take interest in me specifically? I know you said it was because I was the type of person he's interested in, but aren't there so many more terrible people in this world? Why me specifically?"

Thomas shook his head, laughing. "You don't understand how special of a person you are, do you? Of course, how could you understand how your skill is most suited to our Lord?"

Thomas leaned forward, his expression growing serious.

"You don't need to know of our Lord's intentions. That's the contract you signed in order to survive. Even I don't know what he wishes to do."

"Will our Lord request anything of me?" Lumière asked, curious, a little apprehensive.

"From time to time, the Lord's Emissary brings us word of a task he wants us to complete in order to further his plans. However, when that time comes, we're only to complete the task, and not ask any questions as to its relevance or meaning. After all, how can we manage to comprehend the thought processes of such a supreme being?"

Lumière nodded his head. It all made sense. However, there were still several things that didn't seem to make sense.

"Why was that creature in Leiden- the middle borough no less? With so many Peacekeepers constantly patrolling there, how did such a monster manage to make it into the world of the living?"

"The world of magic is incredibly diverse, Lumière Croft. There's no telling what you will encounter day-by-day, especially now that you've accepted our Lord's power." Thomas maintained his relaxed posture once more. "Those beasts, they hide within the facades of others. One person you know may no longer be the person they once were. The only moment you'll find out whether its one or the other is when you're fighting for your life against them. One moment they will be man, the next they will be monster."

Still, this didn't appease Lumière's anxieties in the slightest. If anything, it only exacerbated them. "When using the Lord's power, I was able to sense the origin of the fear of that monster. It was human."

Thomas nodded his head.

"Those creatures, they're parasites. The servants of a bloodthirsty Deity, they are. That fear you feel, its the remains of the person they once were—— living, but forced to spectate horror. That fear you sense, it's the innate human fear that all people possess, some strange sort of primal instinct necessary to survive. It does not fade, and the parasites cannot erase it. That fear is determination, it is what they call the unbreakable human spirit. Does this upset you, to kill what is essentially still a living person?"

"I thought I would hate myself more, given time, but it almost seemed inevitable. By killing what was once one person, I saved two. Am I terrible person for weighing lives against one another?"

"You're here because you're a terrible person, Lumière Croft." Thomas chuckled, resting his chin on his folded hands. "There's no point in debating that fact. If you're having trouble actualising your regret, then I'm not quite the person to talk to. I'm not the type of person that regrets killing others, even if it serves me no purpose at all."

"Will there be more killing to be done in the future?"

"Inevitably."

"Then I'll steel my heart to it." Lumière determined. "Some thing have to be done to enact change."

"Well put. Still, the future remains to determine whether or not you'll be able to go through with such things. I wish you the best of luck in those matters, magician."

Lumière refused his face to twitch. Of course, he had surmised that Thomas Hawthorne had already known of his affiliations. That much was inevitable, knowing his name. Being a direct servant of a Deity, it was sure that Thomas was privy to easier access of information. He was prepared to understand that Thomas knew every bit of himself, and so he remained wary in that regard.

"So, what actions do I need to undertake now?" Lumière asked.

Thomas looked over to the side, his gaze furtive, and procured a satchel of coins from his pocket. He tossed them over to Lumière, who caught them with a surprised expression. "Go buy all of those wretches some food. This is courtesy of our Lord. Welcome to his service, Lumière Croft."

Lumière's gaze trembled, and his thoughts raced. 'Courtesy of the Lord Sinner? Is this something an evil God should be doing?' He smiled nervously, but also humorously. 'How is it that an evil Deity is doing more for struggling people than their own Goddess does? Isn't reality laughable?'

Lumière bowed towards Thomas, genuine, heartfelt respect in his movements. "Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne. They will appreciate this, truly."

"They will appreciate you." Thomas smiled coyly, pressing a finger up against his lips. "It might go without saying, but mentioning you're in the service of a Deity with our Lord's such alignment is a death sentence for you. I pray you pretend that this is your deed alone. Anything else would incur suspicion."

Indeed, Lumière had thought of such a thing, but he had to ascertain Thomas's thoughts on the matter. If he were to mention that he had been gifted the funds by an evil Deity, he was sure to be killed, so that much was obviously not an option. If he were to mention that it had been gifted by a donor who wished to remain private, the origin of the funds would fall under suspicion. Every Dwindler on Cobbler's Street knew of the ties it had with the criminal Blackfeather Group. While the starving might not mind eating off of illegal money, other such onlookers, including Father Benedict, would be averse to it.

The best option was indeed to pin its origin on himself. After all, he could always lie about how it had been obtained. However, the most likely lie presented problems.

"I haven't performed at the show hall in several days. Won't this incur suspicion? When would I have had an opportunity to raise the funds for such an event?" Lumière's eyes widened as he spoke, coming to a realisation.

Seeing that Lumière had solved the issue, Thomas smiled.

"You've figured it out?"

Lumière nodded his head. "Earlier today, I went to the show hall in order to secure my payment for a previous show. This gives me the basis of having been there, as well as a basis for obtaining money. I can always say that it was the result of a good performance that brought the Madame to reward me extra for my efforts. It's extremely unlikely that anyone who notices the event of the Dwindlers being fed extravagantly would question the Madame directly. Even if they sought conference with her, she's too busy to grant it to them…"

Thomas looked amused, leaning his head on his hand. "I think you're thinking far too much for something so simple."

Lumière shook his head. "No, I'm not thinking nearly enough. Once you start a lie, you can't leave any holes. An illusion can easily unravel."

"You're right. I admire your consistency." His gaze looked serious, and he furthered their discussion with a question. "Do you plan on growing stronger, Lumière Croft?"

Lumière nodded. "It was to be my next question. I had the thought that with magic, I could finally try and make things better for the people. However, what good is the ability to control shadows and sense fear in others?" Lumière glanced towards Thomas as he spoke.

Thomas grinned madly, the corners of his lips spreading to the edges of his cheeks. It was an inhuman look, an evil look. It made Lumière's entire body tremble. Thomas's pupils collapsed like ink, filling his iris with stark-black colour. "You're still wary of me, I understand it. But you don't need to be scared, at least not in this way. I already know the abilities you possess. You're not the first person that Lord Sinner has chosen to support in their goals, after all. You're just one of many. Although this time, I suspect you've been chosen as a desperate measure. He hopes you won't fail him like the rest."

As Lumière's thoughts raced, knowing his tricks had been discovered, Thomas continued.

"That's to say that there's no use in trying to hide your abilities from me. Although I commend you on your creativity, shadow control is most definitely not part of your skillset. If that were truly the case, then I would be forced to consider that you have alternate alignments with other Deities or Demons that you haven't shared with me, and I would have to consult our Lord on how you should be handled as a two-faced contractee." He still had a general sense of villainous about him, and his unnerving smile wouldn't dissipate. "Besides, being as wary as you are with me is pointless. Even if I had ill intentions towards you, there's nothing you could possibly do about it. If you are a little dove that has just hatched with the help of our Lord, then I am the dragon he has raised over centuries of effort. I hope this analogy puts it into perspective for you. I am not a threat in that a threat implies you have an adequate coping mechanism, of which you do not. So, your only option is to consider me a friend. You would be wise to do so. After all, I came all this way to help you."

Lumière let out a sigh. He had made several good points. Even if Thomas Hawthorne was his enemy, if he wasn't able to do anything to stop him, then it made fearing him pointless. Almost in the way that a bug cannot hope to avoid the unknowing steps of a person as it crosses the road. It can only hope that it is not crushed by chance—— by fate. Lumière grinned, finally understanding that much. "You're right. It was pointless for me to be wary. After all, you're a comrade."

"Precisely." Thomas Hawthorne stood up from where he had been standing. The window behind him cast him in lilac-coloured moonlight, revealing that his monstrous expression had faded. Now, he resembled a human as much as Lumière did, and he couldn't figure out if he had been imagining it or not. "I've left a package on your desk. Inside of it, there are two things of note. The first is a silver flute. If it is played at any point during the midnight hour, you can alert me of your need to meet. Of course, I would hope you would refrain from interrupting me during the weekdays. These are the days when I am most likely to be undergoing a task for our Lord."

Lumière's eyes widened. 'Such magic is possible? So, now that I consider him a 'comrade', he's willing to give me such an avenue for aid. It really was foolish to consider that he might be an enemy, at least in that regard. Of course, his intentions towards me might still be underhanded, but for the time being I can consider him sincere.'

Lumière nodded his head. "And the second"

"The other item of note is an invitation. It is sealed in an envelope, marked with the seal of the Lord Sinner. This invitation, once opened, will allow you to travel to his domain, although it is single-use. It will burn away into embers once opened."

"Is this intended for use at any time?"

Thomas shook his head. "No. It should be opened ten days from now. Of course, the reason why will become obvious to you. For the same reason, even if you play that silver flute in the next ten days, I will not answer, and I will not assist you. Good luck, Lumière Croft."

After tipping his hat, Thomas stepped out of the open window, disappearing into the night. As Lumière watched him go, his thoughts continued, fueled by their conversation.

'He mentioned that I had predecessors… and that they all failed. Why did that occur? Is the 'exchange' that the contract demands is a harsh task? Will the Lord Sinner ask something impossible of me?'

'However, because I had lied to him, he didn't answer as to whether or not I can grow stronger, and to what extent I need to go to make that happen.' Lumière's gaze drifted over to his desk, where a box bound by twine had suddenly appeared. 'Ten days from now, I can ask him… but what was he talking about before? In the next seven days, I need his good wishes? What could be coming?'

——

Thomas Hawthorne stood at the top of the towering city structure known as Etten-Leur, overlooking the entirety of the sunken lower borough. It was a hell of swampish, hilly terrain, only fueled by the slanted slope structure that separated the middle borough from its lower predecessor, causing all rainfall to fall down into the valleyside.

In the air beside Thomas, an eyeball suddenly opened up. It looked around for a time, before settling on the cloaked man. Then, noticing its appearance, Thomas smiled.

"Good day, Emissary."

The eyeball blinked, before looking away.

{"Messenger."}

Thomas's expression sunk slightly. "Why do you always treat me so coldly? Would it hurt you to smile a bit?"

The voice replied, its sentences fragmented. {"With- what mouth?"}

Thomas sighed. "Never mind, forget about it. So, what are you here to talk about? Does our Lord have another task for me?"

{"I- wish to- know why you didn't- tell that Lumière- Croft about- that man."}

"I didn't think it necessary. Even if I were to tell him of the dangers, of what will happen soon, do you think it would have changed its inevitability? He will still face the danger."

{"He could have- prepared better."}

"No one could have prepared better. Not with this little time."

Thomas turned to face the Emissary, his expression serious.

"That man with the inhuman expression… do you think he's associated with 'that' organisation?"

{"Likely."}

"But then… what could the Phantoms wish to do at this time? Is this another of that man's plots? How much will they continue to interrupt our attempts at raising a beacon?"

Thomas let out a sigh, his gaze returning to the harsh landscape.

"Lumière Croft, if you can survive this, then perhaps you will finally be the one. You will be the one to fulfill 'his' goals." Thomas grinned, his smile spreading to the edges of his cheeks inhumanly.