~Night~

That night, Olivia found herself in a dream. She was outside in the field, though in the distance she could see a figure. The red ghost that had come after her the night before. It was pointing left in Olivia's perspective.

She suddenly jerked awake in a coughing fit. Sitting up, Olivia took notice of the spot of blood on her pillow. Did she cough it up? Why would that have happened? She sat up and glanced at her fingers to find blood on those, too.

"Loki?" She asked, but once again, her husband was nowhere to be found. Again, she stood up and went for her candles. Gripping the candelabra tightly, she stepped out into the middle of the room.

"If you're here with me, give me a signal." Olivia whispered out in the darkness. She raised her hand up in an almost offering gesture. "Touch my hand."

Olivia walked around the room, just a little bit, finding no response for a moment. Then, she felt something jerk her hand down, dragging her to the floor. She hit the ground, her candles blowing out from the rush.

Before she could collect herself, she heard the sounds of a man screaming from her bathroom. Water was splashing and there were even louder screams. Then, they stopped with no warning, like they were cut off. Cautiously, Olivia stood up and walked to her bathroom door. She opened it, finding, to her surprise, a red ghost in the bathtub. But this one was different from the first one. It had a huge meat cleaver stuck in it's skull.

The ghost twitched and started groaning. It slowly stood up in the deep red water. It stepped out of the tub and Olivia again panicked. She ran out of the bathroom and out of her bedroom into the hall.

"Leave here now." The ghost seemed to hiss.

"Loki! Loki!" Olivia called out desperately. The ghost inched ever closer to her, moving stiffly.

"Olivia, his blood will be on your hands." The ghost whispered ominously.

"Olivia!" Loki called from the end of the hall.

"Loki! Come quick!" Olivia screamed, running towards his voice. They met at the second landing of the stairs, Amora close behind Loki.

"Olivia, what's the matter?" Loki asked with concern.

"A man in the corridor, there!" She replied frantically. Loki looked down the hall where Olivia had gestured, but finding nothing.

***

~Bedroom~

"There was such a hatred in his eyes-- and intelligence. He knows who I am and he wants me to leave." Olivia said desperately. She was sat on her sofa in her room, the fire roaring in the fireplace next to her. Loki sat next to her as a comforting presence while Amora made tea on her tray.

"Nonsense, my dear. You're not going anywhere. You had a bad dream, you were sleepwalking." Amora tried to say in a calm tone.

"No! I'm afraid I shall go mad if I stay." Olivia protested.

"My dove, you're imagining things." Loki said comfortingly. "Tomorrow, why don't we go out? Uh... To the post office. I think some fresh air will do you good."

"No! I have to leave. I have to get away from here." Olivia said shakily as Amora handed her the tea.

"Olivia, this is your home now. You have nowhere else to go." Amora said softly, though Olivia found no solace in her words.

***

~Post Office~

The snow was picking up as Loki and Olivia entered the post office. Once Loki signed some papers, some men presented him with the parts he had been waiting to pick up.

"This is a valve controller I had fabricated in Glasgow. This could make all the difference." Loki explained to Olivia. "Think lucky thoughts, Olivia. The mines might reopen if this thing cooperates."

"Mr. Laufeyson?" A man asked.

"Ah, excellent, thank you." Loki said, following the man aside with more things to look at.

"You're Lady Laufeyson, then?" Another man asked Olivia. "Forgive me, but there's a few letters for you. Two of them are certified letters from your solicitor." He handed Olivia the letters and a pen to sign for them.

"Thank you." She replied.

"Uh, and there's another one that comes all the way from Milan, Italy." The man added, handing her another letter.

"I don't know anyone in Italy."

"Respectfully, Your Ladyship, it's apparent that you do."

"Olivia, the storm's picking up, we ought to leave soon, otherwise we won't make it back to the house." Loki said, coming over.

"If you need to stay the night, Sir Loki, we have a small room downstairs." One of the men offered.

"Why not?" Olivia asked.

A night away from that god awful house might be a good thing.

***

~Spare Room, Night~

"This fellow Cavendish, your hero, there's a darkness to him, I like him. Does he make it all the way through?" Loki asked, reading more of Olivia's manuscript.

"It's entirely up to him." Olivia replied, fluffing the pillows on the small bed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, characters talk to you, they transform. They make choices."

"Choices." Loki repeated.

"As to who they become." Olivia added as Loki tossed an extra pillow onto the bed.

"Well, this is rather dismal, I'm sorry to say. But at least it's warm." He said, sitting down on the bed. Olivia laid down next to him so she was looking up at him.

"Oh, I like it much better." She said.

"Better than what?"

"Better than the house. Why don't we leave?"

"The house is all we have."

"I left everything I was behind. Everything I had. We could live anywhere you want."

"Anywhere?"

"London."

"London?"

"Paris."

"Paris is beautiful."

"Milan." Olivia carefully slid in. Loki seemed to look off into the distance. "Have you ever been to Italy?"

"Yes, I have, once." Loki replied with a sigh.

"The past, Loki. You're always looking to the past. You won't find me there. I'm here." Olivia whispered.

"I'm here, too."

Loki leaned down and started kissing her gently before it started to get more passionate on both sides. Loki pulled Olivia over so her head rested on the pillows, never breaking the kiss. Loki crawled on top of her, gently stroking her hair as they broke for air. They dived back in barely a moment later.

They spent the rest of the night in a similar manner, finally consummating the marriage after such a long time.

***

~Allerdale Hall, The Next Morning~

Loki and Olivia exited the carriage that brought them home, sharing a loving kiss before Olivia entered the house.

"Amora? Amora, we're back." She called. Olivia started for the kitchen, realizing that the eggs on the stove were burning. She moved the pot off the burner hastily.

"I was making breakfast." Amora's voice emerged from the other side of the kitchen, startling Olivia.

"It was burning. I moved it." She replied, moving out of the way so Amora could put more coals in the oven.

"Where were you?" She asked.

"We, uh-- we got snowed in." Olivia explained.

"You didn't come home last night."

"We spent the night at the depot."

"You slept there?" Amora asked, a deadly expression on her face.

"What's wrong with that, Amora? He's my husband." Olivia asked with a clipped tone. Amora reacted quickly, slamming the pot full of eggs down on the table. Olivia jumped back in utter shock.

"This is all a game to you!" Amora snarled. "I was frantic."

"What are you talking about?" Olivia asked with a scared tone.

"You two-- alone-- in the storm. I didn't know if you had an accident." Amora started picking up the spilled eggs off the table with her bare hands. "I was all alone. I can't be alone. Are these from America?"

Of course, Amora meant the letters Olivia had picked up with the bank statements.

"I don't feel so good." Olivia muttered, her hand at her stomach.

"I'll make you tea." Amora said, going over to the kettle. While she wasn't looking, Olivia noticed a key on Amora's keychain. "Ophelia" it read. It must be the missing key to the suitcase in the basement. Slowly, cautiously, she started to remove it from the keychain as the wind picked up.

"That dreadful noise. The more the house sinks, the worse it gets. We must do something about it." Amora mused as Olivia hid the now free key behind her letters.

***

~Living Room~

Olivia sat at the small table next to the window to open her letters. The first one was from Clint Barton.

My dear Olivia,

Please be advised that the first transfer of your father's estate has been completed. Now, the final transaction for the remaining sum will require your signature on the document enclosed.

Yours very truly,
Clint Barton

Olivia uncapped then pen her father had gifted her and hovered it over where the signature was supposed to go. However, her attention was caught by the mysterious letter with her initials and married last name from Milan.

Curious, she took a letter opener and pulled out the paper inside. The language was Italian, but the name on the opening she could read.

"Ophelia." Olivia whispered. Making up her mind, she took the stolen key and made her way to the elevator shaft. Descending to the basement, she scurried over to the suitcase. She inserted the key into the lock and turned it. Opening the suitcase, she found an assortment of things inside.

"A gramaphone player." Olivia said in wonderment. Those were incredibly hard to come by. She placed it on top of the suitcase as she continued digging. Next, she found three fat envelopes with different names and cities on them. "Milan. Edinburgh, London..."

Olivia suddenly remembered something her father had said when she first met Loki.

"You've already tried- and failed- to raise capital in London, Edinburgh, Milan... And now you're here."

Figuring she had better head back upwards, she collected the envelopes and the player and proceeded upwards. Cautiously, she stepped out into the hallway to head to her room.

"Olivia?" She heard Amora call from the foyer.

Oh no. Olivia just started running in the direction of her room. She could hear Amora close behind her, repeatedly calling out her name. Once she made it to her room she quickly shoved her items under the sofa and casually sat down on it. Amora was right around the corner when Olivia noticed her yellow dress had a red stain from the clay on the bottom hem. She threw a blanket over her lap and put her hand on her forehead to feign a headache. That's when Amora came in.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior this morning. I was concerned that--" Amora started, before cutting herself off. "You didn't drink your tea."

"I don't feel so well. Would you mind bringing me some cold water?" Olivia asked. Amora put on a smile and left her keys behind.

"Of course." She said, leaving the room. Quickly, Olivia got back up and started re-afixing the key to Ophelia's trunk back onto the keychain.

"Have you had the chance to read your letters?" Amora called from around the corner.

"Yes, just some papers for me to sign from my lawyers to finish the transfer of funds." Olivia called back. Once the key was back on, she returned to her previous "pained" position as Amora came in with the glass.

"I should let you rest. You'll feel better soon." She said, before taking her keys and leaving. Olivia forced herself to hide a smile as she had not been caught.

***

~Night~

Returning to the closet where the wax cylinders were, Olivia took the whole case with her, as well as her earlier finds. She made her way to the living room so she could play the recordings in secret; she didn't want to disturb Loki. The moonlight poured in from the window as Olivia started assembling the player. Once that was done, she pulled the first cylinder out of it's case.

"Let's see what we have here." She said, afixing it onto it's little stand. Olivia flicked a switch and the gramaphone whirred to life.

"This is Brunhilde Upton, testing the wax cylinder recording bought in this most jubilant year of 1887." A woman's voice said. Finding the corresponding envelope, Olivia started leafing through the papers inside. "Loki, speak into the horn. Say something."

"It's a beautiful machine, Brunhilde, but no, thank you, I'd rather not." Loki's voice came from the machine next. Olivia looked at various pictures of a foreign woman that the envelope held.

"Say something, Loki."

"What do you want me to say, exactly?"

"Say... That you love me."

That got Olivia's attention as soon as she found the couple's mini portrait of the woman and Loki.

"Darcy Lewis." Olivia said, looking at the next envelope as Loki's voice said some old rhyme in the machine. She pulled out more pictures of Loki and a different foreign woman. Once the first recording was finished, Olivia put in another one. It was still the Brunhilde woman's voice, but it sounded more... Urgent. Olivia found the last envelope and read the familiar name.

"Ophelia Lazzari. O.L." She realized.

"We had plans to leave, but I can't. All they want is my money to work on that infernal machine of his. That's all they care about. I will hide these cylinders away in the linen closet." Olivia pulled out pictures of Loki and yet another foreign woman. In another one, the woman held the very same dog that Olivia had loved so dearly since she had arrived. "Should anyone find them, let it be known that they did this."

Brunhilde was cut off by a coughing fit before continuing.

"I must stop recording now, I can hear them coming."

"A baby?" Olivia asked in bemusement once she found a tiny portrait of a little baby girl in the stack of photos. Did Loki have a baby with another woman? Where was it?

"To whoever finds this, know that they are killing me. I'm dying. The poison is in the tea."

Olivia paused with a coughing fit of her own, drawing back once she realized that she had coughed up blood again.

"Find my body. Take it home. I don't want to die."

Olivia left the gramaphone there as the recording ended. Getting caught be damned, she was in danger. Serious danger. She didn't really allow the thoughts to process about what she had found out about Loki and Amora. All she needed to do was get out. Now.

"I have to get out of here." She said, running for the doors. She threw them open, attempting to step out into the blizzard that had accumulated. No, she would most certainly die out there far quicker if she left. Shutting the doors again, she practically limped over to the bottom of the stairs, still coughing as she passed out at the bottom of the stairs.

***

~The Next Morning~

Olivia woke up in her own bed, covered neatly by the blankets. She could swear last night must have been a bad dream. But that seemed unlikely.

"You're awake." Amora's voice said from the door to the room. And, of course, she had that God Forsaken tea tray with her. "We found you at the bottom of the stairs. Do you feel better?"

"I need to go to town. See a doctor." Olivia whispered weakly as Amora plopped down next to Olivia.

"Yes, of course. But I'm afraid we're snowed in." Amora replied, attempting to get Olivia to drink the tea. Olivia turned her head away.

"No." She declined. Amora gave no inclination that she was perturbed by the refusal. She took the small bowl of porridge instead and got some onto the spoon. She dragged it along the rim of the bowl, creating a squeaking sound.

"Then you must eat. You must get stronger." Olivia took the spoonful of porridge. She was rather hungry, after all. "I tended Mother in this bed. Father was a brute. He hated Mother. Broke her leg. Snapped it in two under his boot. She was bedridden for a long time. But I... Cared for her. Fed her, bathed her, combed her hair, rubbed liniment on her scars. She never recovered, however. She died after a long while, leaving us with only Father... I'll not do the same with you. I'll make you better."

Amora again offered Olivia the tea, but Olivia turned her head away to avoid it again.

"May I have a moment alone with my wife?" Loki asked, having entered the room with the old wheelchair. Amora pursed her lips before handing Olivia the cup and leaning down.

"You'll be out of this bed soon." She whispered ominously. "I promise."

Amora stood up and marched out of the room, shutting the doors behind her. Once he was sure that she was gone, Loki went over to Olivia's bedside and took the tea away from her.

"Don't drink that. Ever."

***

~Night~

Leaning over the sink, Olivia coughed up even more blood than she ever had. She felt awful and couldn't do anything about it other than reject the tea. But who knows how long it'll take for Amora to notice?

Olivia wiped her mouth and sat back into the wheelchair. Carefully, she wheeled herself in the direction of her room in hopes that she may get some sleep.

She heard the distinct sound of a baby crying at the other end of the hall in the direction of the foyer. Turning around, Olivia followed it.

There, floating above the stairwell in front of Olivia was the first red ghost she had seen when she arrived. It held an equally red and drippy looking baby in its arms. This time, Olivia was unfazed by their presence because she knew their story. And she felt sorry for them.

She stood up out of her wheelchair, minding her condition and slowly moved to the railing to steady herself.

"I know who you are." Olivia said. The ghost looked at her, though it's constant pained expression seemed softer this time. "Your name is Ophelia Lazzari. Tell me what you want from me."

Ophelia didn't say anything in response. Rather, she pointed to the left of her in the direction of Amora's room. Olivia hadn't ever gone in there before.

Being very careful as she moved up the stairs, Olivia spotted more and more moths as she passed by, the wall almost covered in them. The area was even more decayed compared to the rest of the house. In the halls, Olivia heard what sounded like Amora singing. It was loudest behind one particular door. Curious as to what it was, Olivia opened the door.

Immediately, she wished she hadn't.

To her utter shock and horror, Olivia saw Loki and Amora on Amora's bed, clothes half ripped off as Loki pressed kisses along her collar bone region, oblivious to the world around them.

Well, until Loki looked up and saw Olivia's horror-stricken and betrayed expression. Sobbing, Olivia limped out of the room and went for the elevator, shaking. She heard Amora come up behind her.

"It's all out in the open now. No need to pretend. This is who I am. This is who he is." Amora almost taunted as Olivia tried to walk away from her to the stairwell.

"I knew it!" Olivia hissed as the sound of someone knocking at the door was heard.

"Amora, don't do it! Someone's at the door!" Loki yelled from the stairs below as Amora backed Olivia up to the railing.

"I knew it." Olivia repeated. "You're not his sister."

"That's delightful." Amora mused, painfully yanking the ring off of Olivia's finger. "I am."

"Don't do it!" Loki screamed as Amora shoved Olivia over the stairwell. Her back crashed into the railing on the second flight of stairs before she hit the ground hard. She miraculously landed on the pile of snow from the hole in the roof. But she was utterly unconcious.

***

~The Next Morning~

Olivia awoke this time in a large chair in the living room. Someone was dressing a wound on her left foot. Her eyes focused.

"Hello, Olivia." Thor greeted warmly. "Try not to move or talk yet, you are heavily sedated. I needed to sedate you to set your leg. You're going to be fine."

Olivia looked over Thor's shoulder to see Loki and Amora standing there with blank expressions, Loki holding a little more guilt.

"Forgive me for dropping in unannounced." Thor added to the siblings.

"Heaven-sent, as it turns out." Amora said smoothly. It took everything Olivia had to not lash out at her.

"I should have sent a wire but... I thought you wouldd enjoy the surprise."

"It's a miracle. We didn't know what to do. She's so ill. Delerious. Then she fell down the stairs."

"She spoke to me." Olivia whispered to Thor.

"Who spoke to you?" Thor asked in response.

"My mother. She was delivering a warning. Crimson Peak."

Thor took note of the bruise on Olivia's ring finger where her wedding ring should have been.

"Delerious, you see? Poor thing." Amora cut in.

"Yes, I see." Thor said, taking the teacup off of the tray to hand to Olivia. "Here, try to drink."

"No, not that." Olivia said, weakly pushing the cup away. "Not that."

"You will stay here with us, won't you?" Amora asked with what Olivia knew was fake kindness. "Wait for the storm to pass?"

Thor noticed how Amora wore the ring that Olivia had been wearing at her father's funeral. Her wedding ring. He pretended not to notice.

"If you insist." He said. "But now, I need a moment alone with my patient."

"We'll leave you then, Doctor." Amora said as she and Loki swiftly exited the room. Thor made his way back over to Olivia and leaned down next to her so only she could hear.

"Olivia, listen to me. I am here to take you away. You hear? I am taking you with me now." He whispered. Thor carefully attempted to hoist Olivia out of the chair. "Show me you can stand up."

Olivia managed to get to her feet as Thor held her steady. He lifted her up to carry her so she wouldn't have to walk. Really, she couldn't. She was injured, poisoned... It was a miracle she was still alive.

"I will not let them harm you." Thor assured as he carried Olivia out of the living room and to the foyer. The little dog eagerly followed them out. Thor stopped at the stairs and put her down. "I am going to find you a coat."

"Don't go." Olivia whispered once she saw Loki and Amora behind Thor.

"I will be right back."

"Things are getting a bit emotional, I see, Doctor." Amora said cooly.

"She is exhausted. She is showing signs of anemia. I am going to take her to a hospital." Thor said.

"That won't be necessary."

"I am afraid it is. You have been poisoning her." Thor pulled an old piece of paper out from his back pocket and passed it to Olivia. It was a newspaper clipping. "Olivia. Front page. The Cumberland Ledger. Lord Odin was murdered in the bathtub. One brutal blow almost split his head in two. No suspect was ever arrested. There was no one else in the house at the time, only the children. The truth was too horrible to consider."

"Doctor, stop it." Loki finally spoke up.

"You did this." Olivia hissed weakly.

"No-"

"Loki, you were only twelve at the time. After questioning by the police, you were sent to boarding school. As for Amora, at 14, her story is less clear. A convent education in Switzerland, the news account says, but I think a different kind of institution." Thor continued before turning back to Olivia. "Loki is already married. He married a Miss Brunhilde Upton."

"Darcy Lewis, and Ophelia Lazzari, O.L.--" Olivia added, Thor needing to hold her back.

"Olivia, you don't know--" Loki started.

"Olivia and I are leaving." Thor said, holding his arm out to keep Loki back.

Amora suddenly drew a knife and stabbed Thor under his exposed arm. He stumbled backward, letting go of Olivia in shock and in pain. He cautiously yanked the knife out and stemmed the bleeding with his hand. Olivia tried to go after him, but Amora shoved her back onto a nearby chair.

"You stay there." Amora hissed.

"Olivia." Thor groaned as he laboredly forced open the doors to the house, the snow blustering in at an immense volume.

"You should do this. Get your hands dirty." Amora said, shoving Loki forward with the knife in his hand. The dog started barking incessantly to Amora's annoyance. "Come here, doggy. Little shit." She hissed before she snapped the poor little dog's neck to Olivia's utter horror.

Loki was still approaching the defensive Thor with his knife drawn.

"If I don't do it, she will. But listen to me. You're a doctor. Show me where." Loki whispered. Understanding, Thor directed the knife to a non lethal part of his ribs. Taking a breath, he sucked in and braced for the pain as Loki buried the knife in the specified spot.

Olivia of course didn't know what Loki had done, all she knew was that he had stabbed and possibly killed Thor, her close friend. She cried out in horror, sobbing at the sight.

"No! Thor!" She cried, before directing her attention to the siblings. "You're monsters. Both of you!"

"Funny. That's the last thing Father said, too." Amora mused.

***

~Amora's Room~

Amused, Amora had Olivia's manuscript in her hands. She opened her furnace, reading the first page of the story.

"You thought you were a writer. With your ghosts." She said calmly before turning to the dejected Olivia at the table with the papers from the bank in front of her. "What are you waiting for? You have nothing to live for now. Sign."

She took a pause.

"All the women we found-- London, Edinburgh, Milan--"

"America." Olivia added.

"Yes, America." Amora said, tossing Olivia's manuscript into the fire. "All had what was necessary. Money, broken dreams, and no living relatives. No one ever looked for them. Mercy killings, really."

"Is that what I'm going to be?" Olivia asked. "What about the Italian woman? Ophelia. You killed her baby."

"I did not." Amora sneered as she cut a long lock of Olivia's brown hair. "None of them ever fucked Loki. Don't you understand? It was mine. It was born wrong. We should have let it die at birth, but... I wanted it. And she told me she could save it. She was determined. She lied."

Amora started braiding the long lock of hair as the conversation continued.

"All this horror-- for what? The money? To keep the mansion? The Laufeyson name, the mines?" Olivia asked.

"The marriages were worth the money of course, but the horror-- the horror was for love. The things we do for love like this are ugly, mad, full of sweat and regret. This love burns you and maims you and... Twists you inside out. It is a monstrous love, and it makes monsters of us all. You should have seen him, as a child, Loki. He was perfect. So from all his small infractions... From our father's cane I protected him. I took so many beatings." Amora put the braided lock of hair in a small drawer with a few others just like it. "And when he found out about us, well... The only love Loki and I ever knew was from each other in these rotting walls. Hiding."

"That's not true, you suffocate him." Olivia said. Amora inhaled sharply before pressing a small letter opener to the paper.

"Sign your name!" She hissed. Olivia uncapped the pen and stared at her. "Sign your bloody name!"

Finally, Olivia carefully signed her name on the line (as Olivia Iridottir, of course) as Amora dragged the letter opener lightly along the paper.

"My father... Who killed him?" Olivia asked with a sour expression.

"Such a coarse, condescending man. He loved you. You should have seen his sad face when I smashed it on the sink." Amora mused. Olivia lightly growled in the back of her throat as Amora looked over the papers.

Jumping into action, Olivia held up her pen and stabbed it right into Amora's collar bone area, causing blood to stream out of the wound. Amora stumbled back as Olivia, with a burst of adrenaline, left the room in a hurry. She ran for the elevator and pressed the button.

As it came up, Loki stood inside. Defensively, Olivia held up her bloodstained pen at him like a weapon.

"You! Don't come near me!" She snarled.

"Listen to me, please, Olivia--" Loki started.

"You get away!"

"Olivia, please. Listen, Odinson is still alive. He's still alive."

"You lied to me!"

"I did."

"You poisoned me!"

"I did."

"You told me you loved me!"

"I do!" Loki said sadly. Olivia started to calm down as he pulled her close. "Olivia, please. Please trust me one more time. You can leave if you want or you can wait here for me. I'm gonna get those papers back. I'm gonna finish this."

Olivia sighed sadly as Loki went for Amora's room. She decided to wait for him.

And wait.

And wait.

***

Marching into his sister's room, Loki located and scooped up the legal papers that had been discarded and crumpled on the floor. Flinging open the burner, Loki threw the legal papers inside, effectively destroying any chance of Olivia's estate being transfered over. It was a sacrifice, but Loki would rather lose that than have Olivia lose her life like the other women.

"You burnt them..." Amora said weakly, heaving herself off the floor with a huge gash in her chest. Loki remembered Olivia's bloody pen, figuring out how she had gotten away.

"Amora..." He started.

"You burnt them." She repeated.

"Yes, she will live. You are not to touch her."

"You're ordering me?" Amora was shocked. For all their lives, she had been the one in control. Loki biting back was a small, but significant act of rebellion.

"We can leave Amora, leave Allerdale Hall." Loki continued.

"Leave?" Amora asked as Loki continued to approach her.

"Think about it, we could start a new life."

"Where?"

"Anywhere, it doesn't matter. We'll let the Laufeyson name die with the mines, we'd let this edifice sink into the ground. All these years holding these walls together. We would be free. Free, Amora." Loki said, Amora pulling him close with her hands on his face. "We could all be together."

Amora suddenly puller back as if Loki's face had burned her.

"All?" She asked. Loki realized too late that it was the exact wrong thing to say. Amora started backing him up, fear on her face. "Do you love her?"

Loki had to be honest with her, however dodging the question. "This day had to come."

"You promised."

"We've been dead for years, Amora, you and I in this rotting place."

"Do you love her more than me?"

"Look at what we've become!"

"You promised you would not fall in love with anyone else!" Amora cried as she had Loki backed against the wall.

"Yes, but it happened." Loki finally said. For a moment, Amora did nothing.

Then, she pulled the knife out of Loki's pocket and stabbed him in the chest. He groaned and stumbled back as Amora stabbed him again, sobbing hysterically as she did so. "Amora..." Loki whispered, before she stabbed him in his left cheek. He hissed in pain as Amora stumbled back, leaving the weapon stuck in Loki's face. He stumbled over to a small chair in the room.

Shaking, Loki pulled on the knife in his face, painfully taking it out. It scraped against the bones in his face, pulling his flesh with it. Once the bloodied knife was free, blood spurted from the wound.

"No, no, no, no..." Amora whispered, crawling over to Loki once she realized what she had done in her fit of madness. Loki reached out for her as bloody tears leaked down his face. All three wounds together spelled certain death.

"Amora..." Loki whispered, almost inaudibly. Like many said, his life flashed before his eyes. His painful childhood, his regrets, his few joys in life. Loki saw Amora in front of him, but he thought of Olivia. He hated that it had to end like this, but he silently hoped to whatever God was above that she could go on without him, make it out safe. He loved her too much to imagine the alternative.

She didn't deserve that.

With that, the baronet Sir Loki Laufeyson slumped over into his horrified sister's arms, dead.

***

Olivia had heard arguing from Amora's room between the siblings before a few beats of silence.

And silence.

And silence.

She heard a cry of agony come from Amora's room, and it sounded like Amora. The cries devolved into sobs. Olivia cautiously stepped out from the elevator.

"Loki?" She called uncertainly.

Rather than Loki coming around the corner, it was the blonde hair of a bloodsoaked Amora, tears in her eyes and a knife in her hand. As soon as she caught sight of Olivia, she shrieked like a banshee and charged for her. Olivia sought refuge in the elevator, shutting it before Amora could reach her. She started to descend as Amora fled for the stairs.

Olivia could hear her screams as she ended up in the kitchen. Frantically, she emptied the drawers in search of a knife, hopefully a large one to defend herself.

It didn't take long for Olivia to put two and two together, but her heart still ached. At the end of the day, Loki had loved her and he paid the ultimate price for it. She would mourn later, but she had to save her own skin first.

Amora had burst into the kitchen as soon as Olivia had found a suitable knife. She fled to the elevator again, but Amora prevented the gate from closing. She swung her knife at Olivia haphazardly. In an effort to get her away, Olivia cut at Amora's fingers to get her to let go.

Her face got too close and Olivia got a nice sized cut on her right cheek. She slammed the gate on Amora's shoulder, causing her to reel back and drop the knife. It gave Olivia enough time to hit the lever to descend to the basement.

Lucky for her, Thor was in the basement next to a vat of clay and bleeding heavily. She went over to him with concern as she tried to help him up.

"Shh, she's coming. I'm going to get us out of here. I will get help. You have to trust me." Olivia said quickly, sitting Thor on the edge of the vat. "I will come back for you, I promise I will. Shh. Hide."

Once Thor was situated, Olivia hid behind the vat of clay he was behind before. Once she heard Amora come down, she barely dared to breathe. She heard Amora move something close to the ground with labored breaths.

"Before they put me away, I kept a little souvenir... For Father." Amora chuckled, revealing the meat cleaver she had killed her father with.

Cautiously, Olivia reached back over for her own knife, just barely being able to reach it from her position. Now that she was armed, Olivia stepped out from her hiding spot to face Amora down. Amora hissed at her to startle her before she started backing Olivia up to the clay mining device that led to the surface. Then, Amora charged for her.

Olivia climbed up the rickedy scoopers to get to the surface, the light from the cloud covered sun reflecting on the thick fog of snow. She jumped down onto the hard ground once she heard Amora climbing up from below her. Olivia's leg was still badly wounded, so it hurt like hell when she landed on it. Her adrenaline was pumping so she had barely noticed it before she jumped. The rush came back so she could hide behind the machine as Amora broke to the surface.

"Olivia?" She called. Olivia barely poked her head out to make sure Amora was gone, emerging from her hiding spot. Keeping on high alert, Olivia brandished her knife as she looked around for signs of danger. The clay on the ground was staining the nightgown she was wearing so it looked like it was covered in blood.

Olivia spotted a twist of metal and went to hide next to it, still looking around. Her heart was pounding a million miles a minute.

Amora let out a cry as she appeared behind Olivia, trying to hack away at her. She merely sliced off a few of Olivia's hairs, but other than that, no damage. And jusf like that, Amora was nowhere to be seen.

Olivia heard movement behind her, but when she turned around, there was nothing there. Though, the mining machine did start up, indicating Amora had probably turned it on so Olivia couldn't hear her movements. Olivia flanked around it, looking every which way.

Amora yelled as she came up behind Olivia. She heard, so Olivia managed to intercept her, holding the meat cleaver away from her while Amora gripped the blade of Olivia's knife. Slowly, Amora dragged her hand along it, blood pouring from her hand until she had enough grip to yank the knife from Olivia.

Finding a shovel nearby, Olivia raised that in defense. Amora tried to hit it away with the cleaver, but Olivia bounced back.

It was a face off between the two bloodsoaked women in the middle of a snowy field stained red.

"I won't stop until you kill me or I kill you." Amora snarled.

Olivia noticed something behind Amora just then. And she was never happier to see it.

"Help me." She said.

"There's no one here to help you." Amora replied.

"Yes, there is! Look at him! Turn around!" Olivia snarled. It finally seemed to register for Amora, who's murder face melted into one of shock and sadness. She turned around cautiously.

For standing there was the white but bloodied ghost of Loki. His black hair was now a pure white, his eyes yellow and black. There was a hole in his cheek with a misty looking red substance that looked like blood.

"Amora." Olivia said. Saddened, Amora turned around only to be met with Olivia swinging the shovel to connect with her face. Amora hit the ground before trying to stand back up.

"I won't stop... Until you kill me... Or I kill you." She repeated.

Swinging hard, Olivia connected the shovel with the top of Amora's head. She fell to the ground, lifeless. Olivia planted the shovel into the ground with a huff.

"I heard you the first time." She said. Collecting herself, Olivia approached Loki's ghost cautiously. He watched her, but didn't, or probably couldn't, say a word. Olivia raised a hand to his face, cupping his cheek comfortingly with tears in her eyes. Loki leaned into it, shutting his eyes comfortably. Olivia pulled her hand away, some of the misty blood coming with it. They made eye contact again for the last time.

"I love you." Olivia whispered. Loki's ghost seemed to smile as it faded away into nothing. With a grim expression, Olivia stared at the spot where he once stood.

She managed to recover Thor from his hiding spot, finding blankets for the both of them. Supporting each other, they limped to the front gate where miraculously, some of the people in the local town had gathered to take them home.

Olivia took one last long look at the decaying Allerdale Hall, silently hoping Loki, and even Amora, could one day find peace in it's sinking structure.

***

"Ghosts are real. This much I know. There are things that tie them to a place, very much like they do us. Some remain tethered to a patch of land, a time and date, the spilling of blood, a terrible crime. But there are others-- others that hold onto an emotion, a drive, loss, revenge... Or love. Those-- They never go away."

Olivia shut the cover of her brand new published book, satisfied with how it turned out. She finally got her love story with a ghost in it. She ran her fingers over the red title with remembrance. Some things good, others not. But still, she remembered. And she always would.

That title?

Crimson Peak.