project: eden | leon kennedy

▪︎ Chapter 16 ▪︎

Thea pushed open the wooden door with her free hand, the other aiming her pistol ahead. She couldn't trust any fucking door in this fucking village, always someone or something lurking behind it and giving her a heart attack.

She hated how now with every door in her way, she had to steel her nerves to push it open. She swore to kick down the next one she came across, hoping to scare anyone who waited on the other side. If the villagers found it funny to scare them, it was only fair if she gave it back. To fuck with politeness.

The brunette barely took two steps inside when Leon pushed her out of the way, taking the lead. It seemed like he was incapable of having a woman lead him anywhere and it boiled her blood. She wasn't a damsel in distress or some random woman who needed his protection. If anything, it was the other way around.

However, her fury was short-lived.

Just as Leon went to check out the door closest to their left and pushed the door open, he jolted back with a step. Thea's eyes widened with alertness as she tightened her grip around the pistol, but before she could even move a muscle, Leon had already pulled the trigger twice.

The sound of gunshots was followed by a loud thud, the body collapsing on the floor. Thea quickly stepped beside Leon, catching a glimpse of a bearded, middle-aged man lying with one wound on his chest, the other leaving a gaping hole in the middle of his forehead. The pale tiles of the small bathroom behind him got painted with his blood, weirdly darker than it should be.

The girl's eyes narrowed as she took a closer look at the man, she noted the pale complexion and bloodshot eyes of the man. All the village people sported a similar look and condition to him, making Thea wonder what was happening here.

"What happened to these people?" Thea asked softly, her eyes stuck on the man's face. It seemed like he was already dead for a day or two before Leon put a few bullets in him. It was disturbing, to say the least.

Leon ignored her question. Maybe because he had no idea, or he exactly knew who or what was responsible for it. Whatever it was, he chose not to share it with the girl squatting beside the body.

"Let's look around," he said instead, already turning on his heels and heading deeper into the massive house.

Thea stood up with a sigh, leaving the man in the little, barf-colored bathroom. She was eager to get out of there anyway.

As she followed Leon inside, she couldn't help a low whistle as she looked around. The house was indeed massive, and quite beautiful. Inside there was a huge kitchen and dining area, with a small couch positioned in front of a full-length window. The walls were a lighter shade of gray and the furniture was dark wood with some accents of burgundy and gold mixture on them. In the middle of the room, the dining table was already set with beautiful fine china, a bowl of fruit still waiting on the table.

The huge chandelier was a show-stopping piece, hanging above the table. It looked like dozens of beautiful crystals were hanging from the ceiling in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

A huge wooden staircase led upwards, and Thea was really interested in the second level. If the first floor looked so good considering the conditions of the village, she was curious to see how the owners did upstairs. However, her thoughts were shut down soon enough.

"I'll check upstairs, you stay here," Leon glanced at her, and before she could have the opportunity to argue, he was already taking two steps at a time as he hurried up.

"I hope you trip," Thea said to his back, but it didn't reach his ears.

Releasing a sigh, the girl turned around with her hands on her hips, looking around the ground level more. She wanted to imagine a happy family sitting together after a long day to enjoy a dinner together, but she struggled to form the picture in her head.