Chapter 81: The Promise

Lilith woke up because someone was screaming.

This was not unusual.

In fact, it was probably one of the more normal ways to wake up in the Nightmare Hotel.

She rolled over in bed and blinked sleepily at the ceiling.

The scream echoed through the hallway.

A few seconds later another scream followed.

Then a loud crash.

Then what sounded suspiciously like someone shouting:

“WHY DOES IT HAVE TEETH?!”

Lilith yawned.

“Sounds like Chomper found another one…”

She pulled her blanket over her head.

In the darkness she watched as a disheveled person stumbled down the stairs.

The  view changed as she switched vision to another one of her raven summons.

The person turned the corner to see a toy soldier standing in the hallway.

“Sir… do you….”

The person kicked the soldier as hard as he could.

The soldier flew up and grabbed onto the chandelier. 

“Rude…”

The masked person looked down and saw the front door.

They were almost free.

From above the soldier made a sharp whistling sound.

“They are… Over here… you idiot!”

A few moments later, hurried footsteps thundered, as they ran past Lilith’s side of the hallway.

Lilith watched as a rather graceful armoire pranced to the edge of the banister.

Chomper switched back into his monstrous chests form as he jumped off the top floor.

The chest made a cheerful sound as it landed roughly on the cultist’s head.

There was another scream.

Then…silence.

Lilith smiled.

The mimic had apparently found its breakfast.

Satisfied everything was back to normal, Lilith rolled out of bed.

The small girl stretched until her back popped.

Fluffy lazily raised one of his three heads from beside her bed.

The massive black Cerberus yawned.

One head licked her face.

Another stayed peacefully asleep.

The third seemed offended that morning existed.

“Morning, Fluffy.”

The middle head barked.

The left head sneezed itself awake.

The right head yawned her.

Lilith nodded.

“Good prep talk.”

She hopped out of bed and got ready for the day.

Grabbed her favorite hoodie.

Collected her emergency cookie stash.

Then headed into the hallway.

The Nightmare Hotel was already awake.

Workers moved through corridors.

Guests wandered around.

Students hurried toward school.

A pair of townsfolk argued about whether the haunted scarecrow in Town Three was technically a tax-paying citizen.

Lilith had no idea.

Nor did she care.

She was busy eating breakfast cookies.

⸻

Her first stop was always the kitchen.

The Haunted Chef greeted her immediately.

“Good morning, Miss Lilith.”

“Morning!”

The chef was already working.

Pans floated through the air.

Vegetables chopped themselves.

Fire danced between burners.

The smell was incredible.

Lilith climbed onto one of the stools.

The chef smiled.

“Breakfast?”

“Always.”

Several minutes later she was happily eating pancakes.

The French Cart sat nearby.

The cart and chef were discussing sauces.

Lilith didn’t understand most of it.

Apparently they were debating whether one sauce qualified as a soup.

She wasn’t entirely convinced either of them were sane.

The chef eventually placed another pancake on her plate.

Lilith immediately forgave him for making vegetables yesterday.

⸻

After breakfast she headed toward the school.

Children from the nearby towns were already arriving.

The school had become one of the busiest places in Mystic Blood Valley.

What had started as a small building was now a thriving academy.

Mother Sarah ran it with terrifying efficiency.

Nobody skipped class.

Nobody talked back.

Nobody fought.

The one student who had attempted all three ended up apologizing to a wall after Mother Sarah stared at him for thirty seconds.

Nobody knew what happened.

Nobody wanted to know.

Lilith entered through the front doors.

Children immediately waved.

“Lilith!”

“Morning!”

“Did you bring Fluffy?”

Lilith grinned.

“Maybe.”

Instant excitement.

Several children cheered.

One little girl handed Lilith a flower.

Lilith happily accepted it.

Then placed it behind one of Fluffy’s ears.

The Cerberus looked confused but accepted the nose tickling gift.

The children thought it was adorable.

The mighty hellhound was utterly powerless against small children.

⸻

Class started shortly afterward.

Mother Sarah floated at the front of the room.

Today she looked mostly normal.

Mostly.

The blood tears were still present.

And occasionally her shadow moved independently.

But otherwise normal.

Lilith sat near the back.

She wasn’t technically a student.

She just liked being there.

Mother Sarah began today’s lesson.

“History.”

Several students groaned.

Mother Sarah smiled.

The groaning immediately stopped.

Lilith watched with amusement.

Mother Sarah possessed a supernatural ability to terrify children into learning.

The lesson itself was surprisingly interesting.

Stories about the founding of Mystic Blood Valley.

The first towns.

The merging of Gene and Selene’s worlds.

How civilizations developed.

Even Lilith found herself listening.

Eventually class ended.

The students scattered.

Lilith lingered.

Mother Sarah approached.

“You appear distracted.”

Lilith blinked.

She hadn’t realized it showed.

“I’m fine.”

Mother Sarah stared.

Lilith sighed.

Mother Sarah always knew.

Eventually she admitted it.

“I want to get stronger.”

The ghost nun remained silent.

Waiting.

Lilith looked down.

“Everybody keeps getting hurt.”

Her voice grew quieter.

“Cassian.”

“Lyra.”

“Gene.”

“Selene.”

She hugged herself.

“The cult.”

“The Hollow King.”

“The scary mountain.”

Mother Sarah listened.

Lilith rarely talked about serious things.

But lately…

The world had become frightening.

Not the fun kind of frightening.

Not haunted-house frightening.

Real frightening.

People died.

Worlds died.

Entire realities vanished.

And for the first time Lilith understood that.

Mother Sarah finally spoke.

“You are afraid.”

Lilith nodded.

“A little.”

The nun surprised her.

Instead of correcting her.

Instead of giving advice.

Mother Sarah nodded too.

“So am I.”

Lilith stared.

Mother Sarah?

Afraid?

The terrifying ghost nun floated quietly.

“I fear losing my children.”

Lilith blinked.

Mother Sarah continued.

“The students.”

“The hotel.”

“The family we have built.”

Her glowing eyes softened.

“I care for all of you.”

Lilith suddenly understood.

Even Mother Sarah worried.

Even the strongest people worried.

The realization helped.

A little.

⸻

The rest of the day passed peacefully.

Lilith helped feed giant sheep.

Played games with children.

Accidentally convinced the mimic to wear a hat.

The mimic immediately ate the hat.

Then tried to eat another hat.

Nobody knew why.

The mimic didn’t know why.

Life continued.

Normal.

Happy.

Safe.

At least for now.

But even while laughing with everyone.

Even while playing.

A thought remained in the back of her mind.

What if someday she couldn’t protect them?

⸻

Night eventually arrived.

The hotel quieted.

Guests slept.

The halls emptied.

The lights dimmed.

Most people headed to bed.

Lilith did not.

Instead she grabbed her cloak.

Called Fluffy.

And headed underground.

Far underground.

Beneath the hotel.

Beneath the laboratories.

Beneath the church.

Beneath almost everything.

Gene’s newest facilities stretched deep beneath Mystic Blood Valley.

Training areas.

Containment zones.

Research sectors.

Artificial environments.

One section had been converted specifically for combat practice.

Lilith entered alone.

The doors sealed behind her.

The room was enormous.

Stone walls.

Training dummies.

Obstacle courses.

Combat arenas.

Artificial forests.

Everything designed for improvement.

Mother Sarah waited inside.

Floating silently.

The ghost nun nodded.

“You came.”

Lilith smiled.

“Of course.”

Mother Sarah gestured.

“Begin.”

⸻

The first exercise involved speed.

Lilith ran.

Jumped.

Climbed.

Dodged.

Again.

And again.

And again.

The obstacle course constantly shifted.

Walls moved.

Platforms collapsed.

Shadows attacked.

Mother Sarah controlled everything.

At first Lilith performed well.

Then the difficulty increased.

Then increased again.

Then increased again.

Soon she was struggling.

Her breathing grew heavy.

Her muscles burned.

Still she continued.

Because Gene never quit.

Because Selene never quit.

Because the Caretaker never quit.

Because Jesse Belle never quit.

So neither would she.

⸻

Hours passed.

Combat training followed.

Fluffy joined.

The massive Cerberus battled alongside her.

Mother Sarah summoned shadow creatures.

Dozens.

Then hundreds.

Lilith commanded ravens.

Fluffy tore through enemies.

The shadows kept coming.

The training grew brutal.

Every mistake punished.

Every weakness exposed.

Several times Lilith found herself knocked down.

Several times she almost quit.

Each time she stood again.

Mother Sarah watched quietly.

Eventually she spoke.

“Why?”

Lilith blinked.

“What?”

“Why do you wish to become stronger?”

The answer came immediately.

Without hesitation.

“To protect everyone.”

Mother Sarah nodded.

“Good.”

Then she shattered the floor beneath Lilith.

⸻

The training became significantly less enjoyable after that.

Lilith fell.

Rolled.

Recovered.

Then immediately had to fight.

Mother Sarah showed no mercy.

Not because she was cruel.

Because she cared.

The ghost nun understood something important.

The enemies they faced wouldn’t hold back.

Neither could training.

⸻

Several more hours passed.

Finally Mother Sarah called an end.

Lilith collapsed onto the floor.

Sweating.

Exhausted.

Sore.

Fluffy flopped beside her.

All three heads panting.

The room fell silent.

Eventually Mother Sarah floated over.

“You have improved.”

Lilith smiled.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

The compliment felt nice.

Especially coming from Mother Sarah.

Lilith looked toward the ceiling.

Far above.

The hotel slept peacefully.

Safe.

Protected.

For tonight.

She thought about Gene.

About Selene.

About Emily.

About Lyra.

About everyone.

The people who had become family.

The people she loved.

The people worth fighting for.

One day stronger enemies would come.

The cult.

The Hollow King.

The nightmares.

Whatever waited beyond the mountain.

Lilith knew that.

But she also knew something else.

She wouldn’t face it alone.

And she wouldn’t stay weak.

Not anymore.

Mother Sarah followed her gaze.

Then quietly asked:

“What do you see?”

Lilith smiled.

“The future.”

The ghost nun tilted her head.

“And?”

Lilith’s smile widened.

“I’m gonna be really strong.”

For the first time all night.

Mother Sarah laughed.

A soft laugh.

Almost motherly.

“I believe you.”

Lilith closed her eyes.

Satisfied.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges.

New dangers.

New adventures.

But for tonight.

Everything was safe.

And that was enough.