Salvatore's Suicide Letter
Salvatore Estate, the 13th of the 2nd Moon, 728
My dearest child,
The recent events have been more than I can endure. I do not have the strength or will to continue with this farse. My pride and joy faded away when that explosion doomed this family. When I doomed this family.
I was consumed by greed when we found that damned entrance in the mines. The words perched above it rang constantly in my mind:
“Turn back. This place is not for you. This place is for the Mists alone.”
I hired bands of mercenaries. Rugged men that, IF came back, came in tears and completely despaired. I dared not go in by myself, and cowardly I hid behind men-at-arms. And soon I realised my sinful behaviour, albeit it was too late. Most of the workers had either contracted The Rot or perished. Those years of digging blinded me to the true horrors of my doing and I had to end that nightmare.
I ordered the place to be closed with a sturdy a wall as we could raise. And before the workers could come back… I collapsed the mines on them.
I will never forgive myself for it. But you… You were never supposed to be there! Why, oh why were you in the tunnels that day?! I told you were forbidden to go there! I told you: evil lurked in those tunnels!
“The innocents pay the price for our regrets.”
You might be too young to understand all of it and in my regret, I tried to be a better person from that point on. And dedicate my life to saving Luca and helping the commoners of the region.
But now, my beloved Luca is dead. And all these years of pain and suffering, in vain. And the guilt is eating me, like The Rot ate those poor men’s flesh.
What you’ve done out of love is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed, Ariadne. Your dedication and resilience are truly unique. But I do not possess such qualities, for I am a coward and I failed to save your mother. I failed to save those poor workers. And I failed to save Luca. And I shall not give chance to fail you, my dearest.
I don’t expect your forgiveness, but I hope you understand me and in time, forget the tragedy that I brought upon our family.
“That which has been forgotten, shall never have existed.”
With all my love, farewell, Ariadne
Your father, Nicolo Salvatore
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