The Ghost (before battle)
Ugh...
<Are you okay, Heathcliff?>
... It's that classic Nelly technique, eh... Her secret technique to send us hurtlin' into the dreamlands. ... Been a while.
I am terribly sorry, Heathcliff. I was hoping to avoid having to use the 'sleepy smack' on you, and not after a reunion like this...
…….
Is it true, Nelly...?
Is Catherine really... gone?
Yes.
And Miss Catherine...
... wrote your name into her will.
…….
... Her will, huh? We should at least give it a listen to hear why she mentioned Heathcliff.
Heathcliff sat down wordlessly.
So... was this manor Miss Catherine's?
Well, it used to be Young Master Hindley's, once. Then...
... Catherine, that shrew. She stabbed me in the back.
Why don't you elaborate on that injustice, Linton? Share the tale of how Catherine and Linton Edgar stabbed me in the back! How the pair of you destroyed me!
There was no injustice. It was done in a perfectly legal manner; bring the case to T Corp. courts if you wish. It will change absolutely nothing.
An Öufi Association Fixer carrying a piece of paper stepped in between Hindley and Linton as two men continued to growl at each other.
The allotted recess has expired. We will now proceed to the inheritance bequeathment will-reading.
This is the will of the deceased. It has been verified via multiple tests and screenings that no counterfeiting or tampering of a similar nature has occurred.
If they're verifying if it's a counterfeit or not, who verifies if they're not just straight-up lying about it?
Good question.
Maybe it's just a standard industry practice?
Miss Catherine has requested that this letter be read in audience of the three attendees...
... before the bequeathment of personal property commences.
I will now read the full contents of her will.
At last.
You are all gathered here.
My only wish is that my words will be met with respect, without hostility among you.
I hope that none of you become incensed during this occasion. It's my one and only funeral, after all.
I am at peace; there is no pain, no suffering where I am.
So do not consider my death a tragic one.
Because by the time you are hearing this, I must have reached my own heaven.
This is not to say that you mustn't let sorrow into your hearts.
Weep, if you will.
So that I may feel your grief and know that you have all truly loved me.
Wuthering Heights. An old and desolate manor.
I have always been afraid of this place. Fear and nightmares would consume me every night.
... But now that I stand before the end of my life, I have come to accept this manor for what it is.
This manor, which I will leave...
... to my husband, Linton Edgar.
Keep this manor, and remember me by its presence.
…….
What the fu - Dammit...!
And my brother, Hindley. My one and only brother.
Right...! I knew I'd be in there somewhere...!
Hindley's legs began to shake nervously. So did his voice.
I heard that you are mired in quite the heavy debt.
And that you have been spending most of your days drinking and gambling.
So I...
Come on, Catherine. Give me something, anything...
... signed you up for the 'Abyss Trauma Correctional Facility' at M Corp.
If you don't visit the facility within 1 week after attending this will-reading...
... they will come to take you in.
Wha... what?
I truly hope that your heart will be healed, dear brother.
NO! That's absolute nonsense...! How the hell am I even supposed to get to M Corp. in a week?!
Of course, I have already prepared a WARP train ticket to M Corp. for you, so please don't worry about the travel fees.
No, this is a load of shite!!!
Should another instance of disturbance to the execution of this will occur...
... we will take forceful action without warning.
H-how dare you, you plebs...
And you, Heathcliff.
…….
Welcome home.
Cathy, I'm...
…….
Once the seventh strike of lightning falls upon this manor...
... my Golden Bough shall be yours.
... Huh?
The mere mention of the Golden Bough...
... suddenly intensified the sensation I felt earlier. I definitely sensed that the Golden Bough was located somewhere within this manor.
<…….>
But I already figured that the Golden Bough was somewhere in here. I've known that ever since we stepped foot into this manor.
Yet, I couldn't quite pinpoint its exact location, because...
I will leave my Golden Bough to you, Heathcliff.
The Golden Bough... was her personal property? Not even her estate's or her family's? Just her?
Seventh strike of lightning? What do you think that means?
<It's not 'a' Golden Bough...>
What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? What...!
There's more than one here.
Dante. Are you all right?
<There is... a second Golden Bough in this manor.>
No... this isn't at all what I... I...
Come back, Cathy. Please...
Hear my voice just this once, Cathy!!!
I'm serious! Oh Nelly, this room is haunted! I saw a ghost!
Again with this, Miss Cathy? What did I say? I told you I would thrash that evil ghost and hang them to dry on the rack.
Ghosts aren't real. She's such a big liar.
I'm not lying!
I'm sorry, children. Have you been waiting long?
Dad, where's my violin?
What about my X Corp. all-purpose wrench?!
Again, I'm sorry. I did not have the room for the violin or the wrench.
What room...? Ugh, what's that?
What's that dirty rag? Eww...
I found this child dying alone in the streets. He was without parents or a home... the boy would surely have died in a weather like this.
So what? I don't want that gross, dirty kid living here.
Yeah! I want my violin! Throw that thing out...
... What are you gawkin' at?
…….
Violin! I want! My violin!
... Papa, why was he all alone? In the streets?
Because there wasn't anyone to take care of him. Poor child...
There are other children like him in the Backstreets. No parents or relatives to look after them, no homes to shelter them...
Then... what does he have now?
Well, Cathy, now he's got us to look after him. And this place as his home.
NO! I don't want that ugly thing.
So you're saying that you don't wanna have him... right?
Wind's howling. I can hear something wailing; its cry is echoing through the manor halls.
I hear it too, miss. Close the windows; there is a nip in the air outside.
Do you remember still? As a child, you were terribly afraid of these howling winds...
That you're seeing ghosts...
Nelly. I see them still.
Miss. You've grown far too weak ever since Heathcliff departed the manor. That is why you are seeing things.
That is all right, Nelly.
I no longer fear the ghosts.
Because all fear stems from the ignorance of its origin.
... Where do you suppose he is? Heathcliff.
Miss...
He doesn't have anything left. I am everything he has...