[ a/n; i know you don't meet the doll at this point but it's fine i'll do it anyway lmao. ]

All bones and muscles aching, Park stayed still on the rugged hospital bed. It's sheets were slowly turning yellow, despite smelling of sanitizing chemicals. Normal every day items such as bleach, are so bleak now. So scarce.

The sound of a woman's scream, brought the white haired girl to immediately jolt up. There was a crash, a growl, and a whimper. Recklessly, Park had thrown herself out of the private room, catching the attention of the unfamiliar beast in the middle of the clinic. Mai had backed against the wall, the beast's sage eyes, flickered.

It's hair, covered in it's own blood. Fangs, dripping with the covet for more. It desperately wanted to sink it's teeth into something. The only overthrown bed in the room, was Atsuya's. He was no where to be found.

It's the disease.

Frustrated with the interruption, the beast that was once man, had screeched; ear splitting. It cornered Park, as the female carefully watched her opponent. Without making any attempt, she'd let the beast pierce skin, and shred her corpse apart.

". . . Hunter."

". . . Hunter, please wake up."

The constant shifts of reality, was exhausting. The white haired girl couldn't even depict which one was real, and which ones were just figments of her imagination. Fluttering her lashes open, the hazy image of someone hovering over her had met with her sight. She blinked a few times, before forcing herself to sit up - despite wanting to stay in place. She'd love to stay in the dirt, and rot away with the plants. To be consumed by nature, and no trace left behind.

Park's somber expression had worried the other, the young man that had awakened her. His aquamarine hair fell silky, straight over the left side of his face. A single amber eye had fixated on the young girl, as she surveyed the area.

This wasn't the decimated streets of Yharnam.

It was beautiful, a dreary, gray, beautiful.. Tombstone alters lit up by a plethora of candles, among the low mist. The stone pathways, edged with green grass and flowers. It'd been forever since she'd seen flowers. . .

Park returned her gaze to the male, his skin looked almost porcelain. If it weren't for everything, she'd have skin quite the same. A living doll, they both may as well be. His clothing was dark, a beautiful red scarf around his neck, almost like a ribbon. The collar of his dark brown cloak, adorned with dark red roses. . .

"Are you alright?" He asked, with a soft voice.

Park had simply nodded, with not enough energy to speak. Frankly, she'd no energy to stand either. So the young man had sat in the grass with her, and took hold of her hand, in both of his own.

"This is the Hunter's Dream." He'd started, "long ago, this was a safe haven for hunters, in the midst of all the madness. Now it has become nothing. . ." The teal haired male continued, his voice slowly trailing off. "No one has been here for ages, until you. . ."

She hadn't given him much of a response, but merely tilted her head to the side.

"I'm sorry, you must be so lost right now." He let out a very brief, breathy laugh. "My name is Kazemaru Ichirouta, and welcome to your haven, good Hunter." He clasped her hand, and lowered his head, as if he was praying.

He was. Praying for her well being, praying she will come back, praying that she could save him, and everyone else as well.

"Please feel at home here." As gently as possible, Kazemaru helped the girl stand up along with him. "These are the messengers. At any of their lamps, you'll be able to visit the dream."

He'd pointed towards the 'messengers' with his eye. They were little skeletons, burrowing out from the ground. Multiple of them, about seven or so. They were such little, fragile things. They looked as if they were pleading, or if they were mourning. They could be lost souls, desperate souls.

Crouching, Park reached her shaking hand out towards them. They'd gladly all taken hold of her hand. Gentle little things they were. From down the pathway, more of them had come over, but they couldn't walk. They could only crawl, struggle, to make their way over.

"They're excited to see you." Kazemaru muttered, a gentle smile on his face.

Strangely concerned for them, Park scampered over to the little creatures. They'd offered her a gift.

A weapon. A saw cleaver.

And garb. Clothing of possibly a past hunter. Completely in black, the cap would cover her eyes- so others couldn't see.

"You are our only hope." Kazemaru slowly padded towards Park. "Please."

"You have my word." Finally, she had let her voice out as she bowed, a hand against her chest. This was a voice that almost didn't belong to that of a hunter, a voice that only sounded sad.

The messengers had brought her back to the real world, back to the bloody mess that Yharnam was. They'd brought a lamp with them, and nodded to Kazemaru's order of staying there for her. 

While it felt as if she was gone for a while, it was only a few mere seconds. Emerging from the same room she had woken up in, was the exact scene as before. The outcome would be different, though.

The beast had immediately darted his eyes towards Park, as if he could smell her intent. He'd lunged towards her, recklessly. With one swift, clean movement, the cleaver in her right hand had slashed right through his throat. The thought of mercy hadn't crossed her mind, but at least she could still feel guilt for that.

The monster at her feet, spilling discoloured blood, was not man.

Wiping some of the red off of her cheek with the back of her hand, Park approached the doctor in the corner of the room. Her boots sounding against the wooden floor.

"Are you alright. . . ?" Quietly, Park asked, crouching in front of her.

Mai had stared at the ground, her hands over her head.

"I knew he was infected. . ." Her voice was weak. "I knew he was doomed to die, but I wanted to save him." Slowly, she brought her hands down, tightly holding onto them. She was trembling, but not from fear - from hurt.

"I wanted to save him so badly." The purple haired woman lowered her head, as if she was trying to hide tears that weren't there.