Chapter 9: The Journey

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The morning sun stretched over the snow-covered landscape, casting a golden glow over the untouched white. The storm had passed, leaving the world silent and still, as if the night's violence had never happened. Snow weighed heavy on the branches, bending them under its weight, while the road ahead remained half-buried, its path uncertain.

Theo stood at the entrance of the mansion, staring out at the world before him. The air was crisp, sharp with the lingering bite of winter, but beneath it, there was something almost peaceful. The land had been reshaped overnight—blanketed in white, smoothed over as if trying to erase the chaos that had torn through it just hours before.

Beside him, bundled in a thick cloak, Theo—his body, his name—stood silent. He had barely spoken since the attack. His defiance had dulled into quiet wariness, his sharp eyes watchn.

The events of the previous night hung over them all. The storm had raged through the house like a living thing, winds howling, snow piling against the windows. But the real storm had been inside. Shadows lingering in doorways, whispered warnings that didn't quite make sense, the unshakable feeling that something had shifted in the world.

Lily's voice cut through the cold air. "We should get moving."

She stood ready, her dark cloak pulled tightly around her, though exhaustion still clung to the edges of her expression. Gregory joined them last, adjusting his gloves, his gaze flicking toward the path ahead with that usual air of casual confidence, as if none of this unsettled him in the slightest.

Theo nodded. "Let's go."

Their boots crunched through the fresh snow as they set off. The path would take them through dense forest before reaching the village, winding through the quiet, untouched world. Though the sun had risen, the air still carried the icy grip of last night's storm, the cold seeping through their layers.

They walked in silence at first, the only sound the wind whispering through the trees. There was an eerie stillness to the forest. Birds had yet to return, and the weight of snow dampened every sound, muting the world around them.

Then, Theo spoke, his voice quiet but firm.

"We're going there because of me, aren't we?"

Lily answered first. "We're going because we need answers."

Gregory let out a huff, shaking his head. "More like because that old crow can't help himself."

Theo glanced at him. "You don't trust Father Emmanuel?"

Gregory smirked. "Oh, I trust him. More than I trust most people. But that doesn't mean I can't call him a meddling bastard."

Lily shot him a look. "Gregory."

"What? He is. Always digging into things, always acting like he sees straight through people." He scoffed, but there was no real bite to it. "Man thinks he's some divine messenger, but half the time, I swear he just likes the sound of his own voice."

Theo studied him for a moment. There was something familiar in Gregory's tone—not bitterness, but something almost playful.

"You like him," Theo said simply.

Gregory rolled his eyes. "Of course I like him. If I didn't, I wouldn't waste my time taunting him."

Lily sighed but didn't argue.

They continued through the snow-laden path, branches bowing under their frozen weight, ice glistening where the sunlight touched.

After a while, Theo spoke again. "Do you think he'll say something is wrong with me?"

Gregory didn't hesitate. "Oh, definitely. Something's wrong with you."

Lily turned to glare at him, but before she could scold him, he continued, his voice softer, steadier.

"Something's wrong with all of us." His usual smirk had faded, replaced with something more thoughtful. "Life breaks us up, twists us around, makes us into something we weren't before. Doesn't mean we're any less real."

Theo stared at him. The words settled deep, like stones dropped into a still lake, rippling outward.

Lily's glare faded. She stared at Gregory for a long moment, then sighed. "When did you become so smart?"

Gregory smirked. "It comes in bursts. Usually when I'm not trying."

The wind howled through the trees, carrying the distant toll of church bells. They were close now.

Theo exhaled, glancing toward the sky. The storm had passed, but something told him the real trial was still ahead.

The journey had only just begun.