Dearest daughters,

• I write this to give you some important instructions in case of your mother's death while I am abroad. I am very sorry for your loss. When I come to know of it, I will feel that too, but I will also feel a relief, because her suffering has ended. I do not refer so much to the suffering from her wounds sustained in the accident, of which you know; rather, there have been things about your mother that we have not discussed with you. At first it was because of your age. We both felt it would be better for you not to know about these matters as children. But as time went on, we realized that we did not want to burden you with it at all, and hoped that some resolution might be found that would enable us to avoid this discussion altogether. Unfortunately, if you are reading this, that has not come to pass, and my searches in the New World have been, at least, too late to save your mother, if not altogether in vain. I will explain more in person as soon as I can. Make sure to try to reach me as soon as possible, spare no expense in doing so. Your mother was struggling with an unusual disease. Perhaps it would be as accurate to call it a curse. It changed her in a way that no physician or occult expert has been able to explain. We are not sure what the ultimate outcome would be. The illuminations seemed to arrest the progress of her metamorphosis and, as of my writing this, her condition has been stable for some years. But it has always been in our mind, that this might not be the case forever. If your mother has apparently died, you need to ascertain if this actually represented the completion of her disease, or if it was unrelated. Euphemism fails me here, I will be blunt. If you don't find the great majority of her body, you should know that, most likely, whatever she became is going to attempt to come to the New World. This must be prevented at all costs. Do absolutely anything you need to do to prevent this being from reaching the Cenote of the First Light in the Qidnaha Democratic Republic. This is vital for the future of, at the very least, the New World.

This thing is not the woman we knew. It is an ancient being of shadow. It pains me to write this, but you may have to act decisively to destroy it. I am sorry that I cannot explain more now, and I am sorrier yet for the mistakes of the past that lead to the present situation. I ask your forgiveness.

• With love and regret
  • your Father