"Inside. Now."

Annette's body dutifully marched into the house, as much as she tried to fight against it. The pale man followed behind her, closing the wooden door behind them.

Immediately making himself at home, he hung his dark coat up and sat opposite his new prisoner, leaning into the gentle light from a nearby oil lamp. Annette got her first good look at the man who looked oddly familiar to her, but she couldn't place it... He must have been in his mid-40s with medium-length salt and pepper hair accompanied with a faint stubble, dressed in a grey waistcoat over a tight-fitting white shirt.

He silently looked at her for a while with piercing blue eyes along with a slight smirk before eventually speaking...

"Interesting... You don't recognise me, do you? I suppose it's not too surprising, it must have been about 8 years ago when I sought help from the village Priestess - your predecessor - to save my beloved Claire after she fell ill.

8 years ago... when Erena let her die."

His eyes narrowed at her, the cocky smile now completely removed, before turning around and leaning on the back of a chair. He looked to the ceiling and continued...

"Perhaps the false goddess thought as little of me as the village people did. An occupation such as mine... to execute those who the law had deemed unworthy to co-exist within our society. I never truly understood it, but I had certainly grown used to it. Worshippers like you saved lives with your healing magic, whereas I took lives with steel... But to punish a contrasting existence on someone close to me... someone as beautiful and as kind as she was... Claire deserved the world and more.

For that wretched healer to give assurances that she was completely healthy, it took but three days before I returned to her lifeless body."

Facing back towards Annette, he snarled...

"Such cruelty is beyond anything this repulsive village has experienced tonight - but do let Erena know I shall do my best to reciprocate."

Annette, desperately wanting to scream about all the ways this misguided murderer was mistaken, found herself literally speechless, whatever spell was cast onto her, she could do nothing but try and make sense of it in her head - Erena wouldn't ever forsake someone to die, especially someone who could see the good in everybody, no matter the reputation. No Priestess could be so evil as to do such a thing either. Perhaps this 'Claire' had been the target of a curse that had gone unnoticed...? There were so many possible causes but this man seemed hell bent on blaming her deity.

Snapping his fingers at Annette, he pulled her focus back to his words.

"We have a long night ahead of us, Priestess. By now, my colleague is likely mopping up the stragglers in the village with her raunchy, rotten friends and that lumbering oaf outside stalled me long enough that I worry everyone will be waiting on me. Having said that, I am nothing if not a gentleman. I shall run a rather special bath for you to enjoy...

...while I take great pleasure in desecrating your beloved chapel and liberating this region from that deceitful witch."

Annette fought against herself, mentally thrashing around trying to break whatever hold his magic had on her, but only about managed to succeed at flittering her eyes. She tried to call out to Erena but that did nothing but inflict some kind of unnatural interference on her that briefly felt like a sharp headache.

"Oh but where are my manners, I haven't formally introduced myself yet! You can call me Thorne... what is your name?"

Thorne sarcastically motions at her for a response with wide eyes and open palms for a few seconds before relaxing.

"Hm? - Ah, but you're somewhat... preoccupied at the moment. You will have to tell me later, but for now allow me to get you out of those clothes..."