Chapter 20: The Harlequin and The Good Doctor

Chapter 20: The Harlequin and The Good Doctor

Val had no idea how long she’d been lying there when her eyes finally flickered open. Above her, a jagged hole in the ceiling revealed the sky beyond, dense fog still pouring through like smoke from an open wound.

As Val slowly regained consciousness, she became aware of every breath burning in her lungs and every nerve screaming in agony. With great effort, she tilted her head to one side, her vision swimming from the slightest movement. Beneath her, the cracked stone floor was coated in a thin layer of dust, still rising in lazy spirals from the crater where she lay. The surrounding walls were solid stone, lit by wall-mounted torches that flickered dimly in the gloom.

Wincing, she turned her head the other way—and froze. In the distance stood the old man, the Doctor, his form silhouetted by flickering torchlight. To his right loomed the Harlequin, one hand resting protectively on the shoulder of a small figure standing beside him.

Val’s heart lurched. “Sam…” she whispered, voice thin and broken. She tried to sit up, her arms trembling as she pushed against the shattered stone, but her legs refused to respond. Panic crawled up her spine.

She managed only the slightest lift before a sudden force slammed her back down. Pain erupted through her chest as long claws drove deep into her flesh. Gasping, she looked up to see the second gargoyle towering over her, its eyes black as coal, its monstrous frame pinning her beneath it like some ancient nightmare given form.

Battle Damage

Name Val Health 10% → 5% Source Daemon Claw

“You again,” the Good Doctor said, his voice laced with irritation. “Looks like I’ll get my dissection after all.” His tone turned greedy as he stepped toward Val, who lay broken—blood pooling in her mouth, her head pounding with searing pain.

“Oh, don’t die on me yet,” he muttered, crouching beside her. “First, I want your helm.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” the Harlequin said lightly, almost amused.

“Shut up!” the Doctor snapped, turning on him with sudden fury. “We wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you!”

Without another word, he reached down and placed his hands on the helm, fingers curling around its cold surface.

And then he screamed.

His hands locked in place as if fused to molten iron. Veins bulged in his arms, his skin blistering, eyes wide in agony. Val screamed with him, the pain from the helm surging through her own shattered body, a current of torment that made her vision go white.

It was taking her—just as it had taken Ellie. She could feel it devouring her from the inside, clawing through her soul. She was losing herself. She couldn’t hold on.

Val’s eyes blazed with white-hot light, flashes searing behind her vision. The gargoyle recoiled, stumbling back and yanking its claws from her chest as if burned by something divine. And for the briefest moment, Val felt something… something solid in her hand—a sword, heavy and familiar. But then it was gone, and all that remained was pain. Her body seized violently, every nerve screaming as the Doctor's howls of agony echoed above her.

She could see him now, his form trembling uncontrollably as he clutched the helm. Blood streamed from his eyes, thick and red, until, like a blown circuit, his skull burst with a wet explosion, splattering her face with gore. The Doctor collapsed lifeless beside her, his twisted hands still smoking.

Battle Damage

Name The Good Doctor Health 100% → 0% Source Helm of the Valkyrie

Clutching her stomach now, Val felt as though her insides might follow him, ready to rupture, to burn her alive from within. But Val held on. She summoned every memory she could. She thought of her family, of the people she’d lost, of the choices that had shaped her into what she was. She thought of Thomas and Ellie, fighting to survive just to give Sam a future. She remembered the promise she’d made.

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She thought of Sam.

Trembling now, blood dripping from her ruined body, Val felt herself grow weightless—lifted by unseen hands. Arms outstretched, she hovered above the cracked stone floor, locked in a battle of will with the helm’s monstrous energy. Power surged through her, desperate to consume, but she resisted. Her eyes blazed pure white, outshining the gloom of the chamber, as if her very soul burned to keep control.

Through the blinding light, she could just make out the Harlequin, standing silently in the shadows. Unmoved. Unshaken. His gloved hand rested over Sam’s eyes, shielding him from the horror unfolding before them.

Seeing Sam again, she steeled her resolve. Val bit down hard on her lip, anchoring herself as the blinding pain began to dull, just enough for her to push back. She felt it then, the tiniest shift, like her soul clawing its way back from the brink. Her mind cleared, her limbs steadied, and her grip over the helm’s power began to strengthen.

But the helm wasn't finished. As if in one final act of defiance, the agony returned, sharper than before. Val screamed as brilliant white light erupted from her body, silk-like tendrils of radiant light unfurling behind her, twisting and curling until they formed magnificent wings that filled the chamber. Then, with a final burst of raw, incandescent energy, the power within her detonated outward, a shockwave pulsing through the stone halls of the castle like a divine thunderclap.

Battle Damage

Name Val Health 5% → 1% Source Helm of the Valkyrie

Name Greater Daemon – Gargoyle Health 100% → 0% Source Helm of the Valkyrie

Val collapsed onto the cold stone floor, her limbs refusing to move. Every ounce of strength had drained from her body, leaving her motionless. But the unearthly pain was gone, burned away in the storm of power she’d just unleashed. In the flickering haze of her vision, she caught sight of the crumpled remains of the gargoyle in the corner, its eyes burned out, its body limp and smoking.

Footsteps echoed softly against the stone floor, measured and unhurried, drawing closer. She couldn't speak, couldn't lift her head to see who approached. All she could do was lie still, helpless. Then, a voice, smooth and intimate, spoke out behind her.

"I knew you had it in you, my love. I always knew you were the one."

The Harlequin knelt beside her and gently turned her head, guiding her gaze until his masked face filled her view.

"But our time together is nearing its end… at least for now," the Harlequin said softly, his voice almost tender. "I don't want you to worry about Sam. He'll be safe with me. And when the time comes, you'll be reunited. We'll all be reunited."

Val wanted to scream, to fight, but her body wouldn’t respond. She could only listen as he reached into his robe and pulled out an old silver stopwatch. With a flick of his thumb, he wound it once, then gently turned her head toward Sam, who was now quietly crying, his small body trembling.

The Harlequin rose, walked over to the boy, and wrapped a calm, almost paternal arm around his shoulder.

And then, in the blink of an eye, they vanished.

Val’s lips parted, her voice barely a whisper. “No…” A single tear traced down her cheek as darkness took her again.

End of Chapter Stats

Name Val Occupation Combat Medical Technician (CMT) Health 1% Hunger 80% Thirst 70% Gear Helm of the Valkyrie, Light Clothing, Lighter Weapons None Ammo 9mm – 16 rounds Skills Battlefield Medicine, Standard Weapons Trained, Enhanced Strength Kills 22

Name The Good Doctor (Terminated) Occupation Unknown Health 0% Gear Lab Coat

Name Greater Daemon – Gargoyle (Terminated) Occupation Unknown Health 0% Weapons Daemon Claws