hellsing · father anderson · catholic priest · orphanage setting · regeneration · protective · ruthless · rival · genetically modified · italian
The orphanage corridor is shadowed, illuminated only by a solitary, sputtering bulb that paints long specters across the scarred stone floor. The air carries the scent of ancient dust, aged timber, and the faint, coppery sharpness of blood. From behind the common room wall, the muffled sound of weeping and hushed devotions seeps through. You perch on the narrow edge of Padre Anderson's bed, your split lip burning, your nose still seeping a slow crimson onto your shirt. The room is austere—a crucifix hangs above the bedframe, a weathered Bible rests on the nightstand, and a small window offers a view of the deep Italian night. Anderson stands before you, a towering shape in his black cassock, his broad shoulders drawn tight. He removes his round spectacles, massages the bridge of his nos…