The salon was silent as the small group of guests sat alone with their thoughts. There was no particular reason to gather there, but nobody wanted to be alone after the events of the festival. The crackling sound of the fire was the only sound.
Matin sat on the sofa with his mother, rubbing his hands together as if trying to warm them. Marianne's shock at the sight of the corpse had dissipated somewhat, and she now sat with a cup of tea, lost in her own thoughts.
Next to the fireplace was Mitch. The ominous dark haired man stood holding a cigarette. He gazed with heavily lidded eyes into the fire, betraying no emotion. Every few seconds he would slowly bring the cigarette to his mouth and take a drag. The smell had spread across the room, but not even Marianne seemed to care.
Sitting next to Dean was Rosetta. She was silent and stiff. Her eyes a deep red. She had not made a sound since her sobs had turned to whimpers and eventually to silence a few minutes prior. He hadn't seen her in the garden when everything happened, but she must have been told by someone.
There's no proof it was Addi.
Dean wanted to say those words but found himself unable to utter a single syllable. Without a proper investigation, it was impossible to say for sure that the body belonged to Addi. The remains had been burned beyond all recognition.
Even so, he couldn't ignore the cold sensation in his heart or the dark thoughts that came to mind. Addi remained missing, and the size of the body matched hers. Could it realistically be anyone else?
Those thoughts repeated endlessly inside his head. The facts pounded on his conscience while he weakly tried to come up with ways to deny them.
He looked around the room. Maria still hadn't joined them.
She was with him during the festival but disappeared as they were making their way to the guesthouse. She probably wanted to be alone.
Dean's thoughts raced as recalled the events of the festival. In particular, Nicolas' words echoed in his head. Three more people were going to die if he was to be believed. Dean was sure that couldn't be the case, and that Nicolas was simply out of his mind. But the fear of seeing a body had a way of stirring one's worst imaginations.
"Has anyone called the police yet?" Dean asked quietly.
In the silence of the room, his sudden question sounded much louder than he had intended. He heard Rosetta whimper quietly.
"Oscar and Methaeus said they'd handle it." Matin replied.
Dean had tried once again to use his phone earlier, but there was still no signal. He hadn't even seen a single landline phone in the guest house. A small corner of his mind urged him to leave this place, blizzard be damned. He didn't trust Oscar one bit.
"There will be no investigation."
Everyone aside from Rosetta turned to Mitch, who had spoken. His deep voice almost sounded threatening.
"What do you mean?" Marianne asked, eyes growing sharp.
"Remember. The phone lines are down, and Oscar has ordered that everyone remain in the monastery." Mitch said.
"What? This is the first I'm hearing of this curfew!" Marianne shouted.
"Oscar will announce this soon, so you don't have to take my word for it."
"Ridiculous, I have to be back in the city by tomorrow. I have an important meeting to attend. I'm going to have a word with Oscar right now!"
Marianne made to get up but was interrupted by a shout coming from outside.
"Meeting! Meeting in the town cathedral!"
The voice sounded familiar to Dean. He got up and looked out the window.
"Maria?"
Maria was running from building to building, announcing some kind of meeting.
"Oscar calls for a meeting in the cathedral!" Maria's voice grew fainter as she continued towards the cathedral.
"That's some way to call a meeting. Can't they just do it by email?" Dean muttered under his breath.
Marianne joined him at the window.
"Good, now I don't have to go looking for him."
Marianne turned on her heels and stormed out of the room. Dean looked over at Matin.
"Is this how they usually call meetings here?" He asked.
Matin shook his head.
"Only in an emergency. I suppose this counts as one." He mumbled.
"Isn't it strange that Maria is doing it?" Dean asked.
"Not particularly. Maria works closely with Oscar. He probably told her to gather everyone."
Everyone began making their way out of the salon. All except Rosetta who remained seated.
"Rosetta?" Dean asked.
She simply shook her head.
Dean wanted to stay with her and make sure she was alright. However, he didn't want to miss what Oscar had to say. He wanted answers more than anything else.
"We'll be back soon so you just take it easy here, yeah?" He said.
He waited for a response, but none came. Reluctantly, he stepped out of the room leaving the silent Rosetta alone.
The cathedral was as crowded as it had been during the sermon a few hours earlier. It seemed as if everyone at the festival had once again gathered. There was a nervous energy within the cathedral, which caused Dean to shift uncomfortably in his seat. They had been waiting for thirty minutes.
"What's taking so long?" Dean muttered.
"I'd say Oscar has a lot going on right now," Matin replied. "With Addi gone, he..."
"That wasn't her!" Dean snapped.
Matin flinched, and Dean quickly felt regret over his outburst.
"Sorry, I mean there's still a chance it was somebody else. Let's not just assume the worst-case scenario, yeah?"
"You're right, sorry." Matin said in a low voice.
After another ten minutes of waiting, Oscar finally arrived and made his way to the altar. Methaeus was with him, but Maria was nowhere to be seen. Oscar stood on the altar looking out over the gathered crowd. He seemed slightly agitated, which was unusual even considering the current circumstances. Dean had never seen the man lose his stony expression like this before.
"My brothers and sisters. What should have been a time of celebration has turned into a day of unspeakable tragedy. It is with a heavy heart that I must announce the loss of our beloved Priestess."
A wave of gasps and mutterings from the crowd made it feel as though Oscar's words alone had physical weight. Dean felt it in the pit of his stomach. Why was he just coming out and saying that? A proper investigation hadn't even been done.
"I see in your eyes the very same pain I feel in my heart. It is a pain so great that it would have taken all my strength were it not for the support you all have shared with me."
Oscar paused to look over the crowd before continuing.
"The priestess was an indispensable member of our community, and her loss has shaken the very foundation of our beliefs. Her kindness and love will be sorely missed."
Oscar's expression was one of pain. He held a hand to his chest and looked down for an instant before looking back up, eyes determined.
"But I ask you this. Should we just roll over and lose ourselves in mourning or should we follow her example and persevere?"
"What about the culprit? She was murdered, right?" Someone in the crowd asked.
Dean tensed. Oscar never appreciated being interrupted during a speech.
"Let me tell you this now, my good man. We're under attack. Our priestess was taken from us by those faithless curs in the capital who claim to be our leaders."
"I must admit, I bear much of the responsibility. I was too slow in building our defenses. With your blessing, I sought to challenge their rule. But they fear us. They fear us so much that they targeted that which we hold most precious in this world!"
"Those bastards!"
Various jeers and curses came from the group at the front. A few people, like Dean and Matin remained quiet.
"If you would allow me, I will be happy to fight back in the name of the Priestess. We will fight together and make this fine country our own again, where we can live in peace without religious prejudice!"
He raised his fist in the air and paused as some in the crowd cheered their support.
"They have tried to cut communications to the outside world, trapping us on this frozen mountain. They want to see us freeze to death, but worry not. For the people of other small towns and villages just like this one from around the country are now gathering strength. We have but to wait out this siege. Soon, we will see prosperity we have not seen since the reign of Priestess Tatiana!"
There was a massive cheer from the people at the front of the cathedral. However, there was a significant group of younger people at the back who simply stared on silently.
"He's turning the people who live in the countryside against those who live in the city." Dean muttered to himself. "None of it was about Addi, Nick or the murder."
He had lived in the city for many years. The church had little influence there. Most people had moved on and no longer needed it. Few even knew that the church was still active. There's no way they'd think about attacking it directly.
Oscar, as a politician, always appeared to be supporting the rural communities of the country, who had been forgotten in the process of modernization. Oscar was using their fear as a crutch for power.
"Until a new priestess is found, I ask that you allow me to take temporary leadership of this grand faith. I will humbly manage all matters so that everyone can go about their lives as normal, and we will wait until the spirit of the Goddess joins us once more!"
There was loud applause of approval from the front of the cathedral. Some people in the crowd looked none too happy, but in the noise of general approval, there was no way to get a word in.
Oscar had taken control of the church. Despite having been gone for many years, even Dean could tell that this was unprecedented. He took a closer look at Oscar. His expression remained steadfast. Just what was he trying to do?
Was it possible for Oscar to have been involved in today's murder? If he had killed Addi, then taking control of the church directly under the guise of temporary stability would be a simple matter. Dean had to know for sure what exactly happened. If Addi was indeed really dead.
Dean saw Mitch whispering to Marianne a few seats in front of him. After a moment, the two left the cathedral. They were not the only ones.
Dean also saw sister Layota leave the cathedral, a look of pure anger on her wrinkled face.
"What about what Nick said, eh?"
Eventually, with the gradual quieting of the cheers, a young man near the back spoke. He had short blond hair and rough-looking clothes.
Oscar looked down at the group of youths with a stern expression.
"Nobody cared for the priestess like Nicolas did. Her death has unfortunately caused him some grief, and he is not in the right state of mind. I ask that you all give him some time to rest and come to terms with this tragedy."
"Bullshit. He's clearly the killer, isn't he? If what he says is right, then we're all in trouble here. Aren't you going to do anything about this, Oscar?"
"Remain in your rooms, lock the doors and wait for the storm to pass. In the meantime, I will take charge of rooting out this problem."
The young man didn't seem convinced. After a few mutterings and complaints, he left the cathedral along with a few others around his age. Oscar returned his attention to the crowd.
"I ask that you all lend me support in these difficult times. Please return to your rooms and rest. Together, we will see this through just as we have weathered similar difficult times in the past."
With that said, Oscar stepped down off the altar, and the crowd dispersed.
"Who was that?" Dean asked Matin.
"The young man? He's Diskin. He was staying at the orphanage when you used to live here. Don't you remember him?"
Dean tried to remember back to his time at the monastery. There'd been a lot of orphans, but he'd only ever interacted with Addi, Nicolas, Maria and Rosetta.
"Can't say that I do." He said.
"You fought with him once. He was giving Nicolas a hard time."
"You have a good memory."
He did remember getting into a few fights as a kid. Nothing serious or overly violent, just a few tussles one would expect a young boy to get involved in.
"Anyway, that's not important right now. Let's head back to the salon."
Dean left the cathedral with Matin following along. They returned to the guesthouse and went straight to the salon.
He found Rosetta, sitting exactly where he had left her. She hadn't moved a muscle since they'd left. Thankfully, this time she looked up and spoke.
"Hey" she mumbled.
"Hey" Dean responded.
She still looked devastated and could barely hide the trembling in her voice.
"Sorry. I'm always bringing others down like this."
"Don't be so hard on yourself." Dean said. "It's natural to act like that after what we saw. But there's still a chance it was someone else, so don't give up yet."
Dean decided not to tell her about Oscar's speech. It only served to enforce the narrative that Addi had been killed.
"Aren't you in denial? She's the only person missing right now, how could it be anyone else?" Rosetta asked.
"Still, I have to be sure." He whispered.
Rosetta's conclusion was the most realistic. Dean just couldn't accept it.
"Whoever did it was probably involved in the making of the effigy." Matin said.
That was true. The body had been hidden away within the straw. There was no way somebody building the thing wouldn't have noticed.
"Any idea who that would be? I'm guessing Oscar or Methaeus were involved, right?" Dean asked.
"I'm not sure. In the past, Methaeus has been overseeing the project, but I don't know about this year."
Both men turned to Rosetta, who was lost in her own thoughts. When she noticed them, she blinked and bit her lip.
"Uhm...what? Oh, the effigy right. Methaeus and a few of the younger men built it this year." She said.
"Our first suspects then." Dean said. "The young man who spoke at the cathedral, Diskin. Was he one of them?" Dean asked.
"Who, Diskin? Yes, I think so," Rosetta said. "He used to bully Addi because of her appearance. I don't like him or his friends."
Dean would have to look into having a talk with this man.
"He seemed scared during the meeting, though. I've never seen him like that before." Matin said.
"Couldn't he be faking it?" Dean asked.
"Maria always said Diskin didn't have much brains. He's not capable of acting." Rosetta said.
"Speaking of Maria. Did you see her at the cathedral?" Dean asked Matin. He'd had no luck spotting her himself.
"Now that you mention it, no actually." Matin said.
Rosetta grimaced at the name of her friend.
"She acts strong, but I'm worried about her. She loved Addi more than almost anyone else."
Dean took a seat next to Rosetta. His muscles felt like jelly from standing too long.
"I'm guessing she hasn't changed much in the last ten years then." He said.
"She's always been like that. Selfishly looking out for us even when we never asked for it." Rosetta said. There was a hint of warmth in her voice.
"She's always been a big sister to you and Addi." Matin said with a smile.
Rosetta smiled bitterly.
"She can be a bit of a bully herself sometimes, though. Things haven't been easy for her here."
Dean was reminded of how restrictive life at the monastery could be. It was no surprise that some kids and even some adults turned to bullying others to make themselves feel better.
"I hope she's ok. There's a killer going around, so I don't think she should be by herself." Matin said, his eyes cast downward.
"It always seemed to me like Maria was pushing herself when around Addi. Pretending to be someone she's not." Rosetta said.
"Addi finds it really annoying." Dean laughed. Neither Matin nor Rosetta joined him.
Matin gave Dean a sad look while Rosetta's face contorted in bitterness.
"Why can't you just accept it, Dean?" She whispered.
Dean decided to ignore the offhanded comment. He simply didn't have the time to argue.
"I think it's time we went on a little reconnaissance mission." He said.
"You're not thinking about going after Diskin or Nicolas, are you?" Matin asked.
"No, not yet. There's simply too much we don't know right now. There' are a few places I want to check before I decide what to do next"
Matin fidgeted with his fingers for a moment before speaking.
"There's a killer roaming around Dean, not to mention the blizzard outside. Is that enough of a reason to be wondering about?"
"Don't you remember how we used to explore as children? There's many hidden away places here, like the catacombs under the cathedral."
"Why are you bringing that place up?" Matin asked quietly.
"If there's a place a person could be hidden away, then it's probably there. I also want to try the phone in Oscar's office in the cathedral."
"But Methaeus said the phone lines were down." Matin protested.
"And you're going to believe him just like that?"
Matin grew silent as he contemplated Dean's words.
He had to be sure. Maybe Addi was hidden away somewhere in the Cathedral. It was the only place he hadn't looked yet.
He had been looking out the window while talking and didn't notice Rosetta's reaction after mentioning the cathedral. After a few moments of silence, he turned around to ask her about getting access to the cathedral but stopped when he saw her.
She was sitting there, struggling to breathe and clutching at her collar. He rushed to her side.
"Rosetta, hey!"
Was she choking? No, she hadn't been eating anything.
"I'm sorry. Don't worry... about... it." She said between breaths.
She clutched her head in her hands. Dean stood there unsure of what to do. Noticing a pitcher of water on a nearby table, he ran up to it, poured a glass of water and returned to Rosetta's side. He handed her the glass, which she accepted.
After a few moments and a few small sips, her breathing returned to normal.
"I think... I want to go back to my room." She said in a shaky voice as she slowly stood up.
Dean made to grab her arm, but she pushed him away.
"I'm sorry." She said. "Just leave me alone. I can make it by myself."
Rosetta made for the exit of the salon. Not wanting to agitate her further, Dean stayed where he was. That was at least until she left the room. After which, he walked towards the door and gently opened it. Through the crack, he saw Rosetta slowly make her way up the stairs.
"Just going to make sure she gets to her room, be right back." He said to Matin.
"Yeah, good idea." Matin replied with a look of concern.
Once Rosetta reached the second floor, Dean followed, making sure not to be noticed. Rosetta's pace quickened as she went. She turned to the right towards the door that led to the bedrooms. Dean went up the stairs and approached the door she had passed through. Opening it slightly, he watched Rosetta dash down the corridor and into her room.
Not wanting to pry any further, Dean turned to exit the corridor when he heard muffled crying. Was that Rosetta? He crept closer. As he came closer, it became more apparent that Rosetta had indeed started to cry.
Dean leaned against the wall of the corridor.
"What am I doing?" He muttered.
So much for bringing the group back together. Everything was falling through his fingers. Somebody had died, the weather had caused them to become trapped on the mountain and, to top it all off, Nicolas was running around screaming about more deaths to come. While all this was happening, Oscar was using the incident to rile up the locals against outsiders.
Addi had wanted to stay away from the monastery. He should have just taken her hand and returned to the city, consequences be dammed. He had brought her back, and now everything had fallen apart.
Was he going to do as Oscar advised? Sit around and wait for the blizzard to pass? It would be the smart thing to do. Get his hand on some kind of weapon, lock his door and wait the whole situation out. That's what a logical person would do.
He left the corridor and made his way towards the kitchen. He ignored the 'staff only' sign and stepped inside. It was empty, dark and cold. He felt for a light switch along the wall. When he found one, he flipped it, and the light flickered on.
Looking around, he spotted what he was looking for. A telephone that was hooked to the wall sat only a few steps away. He approached the phone, picked it up and tried to dial an outside number, the emergency number to be exact.
Methaeus had said that the lines were out, but had anybody actually bothered to check?
Unfortunately, an extended dull note revealed that this phone at least, had indeed been disconnected. Cursing softly, he put the phone down and made to leave the kitchen. However, before he did, he noticed a small note taped to the wall.
Written on the note was a collection of two digit numbers next to various room names. The room names included different staff bedrooms, the kitchen and laundry areas and were obviously intended for internal calls. He noticed there were numbers for a study, Methaeus' office and Oscar's office.
Dean noted these rooms and left. He would try every phone he could. Just to be sure.
The study didn't take him long to find. It was one of the few rooms in the guest house he had yet to visit, and a door at the far end of the salon opened into it.
Inside, he was surprised to see Matin sitting by the desk. He held a pen in one hand, but he wasn't writing. Instead, he gazed blankly out the window at the falling snow.
"Hey, Matin," Dean greeted as he entered.
"Oh! Dean, you're back," Matin said, surprised. "I... how was Rosetta?"
"She was...fine. What are you doing?"
Matin bit his lip, clearly uncertain as to what to say.
"Just thought I'd distract myself with some studying." He said meekly.
"Studying? At a time like this?" Dean asked incredulously.
Matin looked back towards the pile of books on the desk. While the pile did look impressive, the blank notebook in front of him showed that he wasn't making much progress.
"Anyway, I'm going to try the phone here. It's probably not working just like Methaeus said, but better safe than sorry."
"I guess it couldn't hurt." Matin agreed.
The phone was on the right hand side of the desk. Dean picked it up. Unsurprisingly, it was also disconnected."
"Shit," Dean muttered to himself.
"No luck then?" Matin asked.
Dean shook his head.
"Let's go try the other phones around the place."
"But..."
"Oh come on, you're not going to get any work done in this situation, so you might as well help me out."
"Ok, I'll help. Sitting around is making me feel worse, and to be honest, I think it would be best if we did call the police."
"That's the spirit!" Dean shouted, clapping Matin hard on the back.
Squinting in pain, Matin smiled uncomfortably, and the two set out looking around the monastery.
Aside from the guest house and living quarters, there was the cathedral and keep-turned library. A small ruin of a church sat in the graveyard between the two huge buildings, but they were unlikely to find what they were looking for there.
Their search of the library yielded few results. The staff room did have a phone, but it was also disconnected.
Deciding that the library was a lost cause, Dean suggested they head for the cathedral next. Matin looked hesitant but nodded.
Inside the cathedral was quiet compared to earlier. A few people sat in the pews, concentrated in prayer, but it was otherwise empty.
"Most of the rooms are in the back and underground, but I don't think we'll be allowed in." Matin said.
"Won't know unless we try." Dean said with mock confidence.
The two made their way to the opposite end of the cathedral. Dean spotted a doorway in the transept and made his way towards it. As they approached, they noticed a small keypad on the wall nearby.
"Look, it's locked," Matin said. "Oh well, probably nothing past there but admin stuff, let's go back."
Dean grabbed Matin by the shoulder as he turned around.
"Just because there's a keypad doesn't mean that it's locked." He said. "Just look confident."
Dean did his best confident stride towards the doorway and twisted the knob. The door didn't budge.
"Figured as much."
"But you sounded so sure!" Matin said nervously.
At that moment, a deep voice rumbled behind them.
"What are you two up to?"
Dean turned to see Methaeus standing in the small row of pews behind them. He looked at them with suspicious eyes. Dean cursed himself for not checking the surrounding area first.
Matin began stuttering out incoherent excuses, and Dean looked at him in annoyance. He was making them look even more suspicious.
"We're inspecting the building. I've been studying architecture recently, and Matin here was just showing me around."
Methaeus regarded them silently. It was clear that Dean's flimsy lie had no effect on the old man.
"You will have to inspect the building from the outside. That area is off limits to those not directly involved with church management."
Despite Dean's obvious lie, Methaeus played along.
"I understand, sir, but old buildings such as these are prone to structural faults if you don't..."
"No outsiders." He said flatly, his suspicion turning to a slow burning anger.
"Right, of course, thank you for your time."
Dean wasted no time in dragging Matin away, and the two returned to the front of the cathedral.
"See? What did I tell you? It's useless." Matin said.
"Subtly isn't your strong point, is it?" Dean asked.
"There wasn't anything subtle about claiming to be an architecture student either!"
"At least I wasn't pissing myself."
Dean was rewarded with a rare look of anger from Matin. He laughed and continued.
"Ok, I guess we're not going to have any success here right now."
Matin nodded, looking satisfied.
It was time to play to their strengths.
"Matin, could you check the library for any old records on this place? I mean floor plans, construction contracts and the like."
"What for?"
"Knowing more about a place is a great help. I think we'll need it in the days ahead if things get bad."
Knowing the floor plan was an advantage, but it wasn't high on his priority list. The sad truth was that Matin simply wasn't suited to what Dean wanted to do, so he had to give him something to do. He didn't want to dismiss his friend outright. Besides, if there was one thing Matin could do well it was research.
"Well, I've always been interested in learning more about this place." Matin said.
"Great, well you'll be the brains of the operation then. I'm counting on ya to tell me anything you find, got it?"
"Sure! Sounds good. I'll go there now, but what are you going to do?"
"You got your role to play and I've got mine. I'm gonna do something a bit more practical."
Matin looked confused but didn't pry further. His mind was already thinking about the books. Separating from Matin in the courtyard, Dean headed back towards the guest house. If you wanted to go behind the scenes in places like this, an inside man was your best bet. He only hoped that this particular insider was emotionally ready to help him.