Grimm : Evolution System

Chapter 19: La Llorona and the Legend

The air was heavy, not with the usual Portland mist, but with a profound, aching sadness. It clung to the old bridge, where the latest victim's distraught parents stood, their faces etched with despair. Another child, gone. Abducted. And the only clue was a chilling, mournful wail that echoed through the night.

"La Llorona," Adam whispered, his voice grim, as he stood with Nick, Hank, Monroe, and Rosalee. "The Weeping Woman. A legend. But this time, it's real. And she's not just a ghost story. She's a Wesen, driven by an ancient, unbearable grief."

Nick's brow furrowed. "A Wesen who abducts children? What kind of monster is that?"

"Not a monster, Nick," Rosalee corrected, her voice soft but firm. "A victim. The legend says she drowned her own children in a fit of despair, and now she wanders, eternally searching for them, taking other children to replace what she lost. It's a tragedy, not malice."

Adam nodded. "Rosalee's right. She's not evil, just broken. And that means we can't just fight her. We need to understand her. We need to find a way to give her peace. Without, you know, letting her abduct any more kids."

He knew the canon version of this case. It was a heartbreaking, difficult one. But with his knowledge, and Rosalee's expertise, they could find a better way.

"We need to find her lair," Adam continued. "She'll keep the children alive, at least for a while. She'll try to 'mother' them, in her twisted way. She'll be drawn to places of water. Rivers, lakes, old wells."

Rosalee, meanwhile, was already consulting her texts. "There are ancient rituals. Calming potions. Ways to soothe a grieving spirit. If we can get close enough, if we can make her understand…"

Monroe looked uneasy. "But she's still dangerous, Rosalee. A grieving Wesen is still a powerful Wesen."

"Which is why we'll be careful," Adam said, his voice firm. "We're not going in guns blazing. We're going in with a plan. A compassionate plan. And if that doesn't work, then we'll resort to plan B: Grimm beatdown."

They tracked La Llorona to an abandoned boathouse by the Willamette River. The air was thick with the scent of damp wood and an overwhelming, soul-crushing sorrow. They could hear it now, a low, mournful wail that sent shivers down their spines.

"She's here," Nick whispered, his face etched with empathy.

They entered the boathouse cautiously. La Llorona, woged into a terrifying, skeletal figure with flowing white hair and eyes that wept endless tears, was hovering over three terrified children, murmuring to them in an ancient, sorrowful tongue.

"La Llorona," Adam said, his voice cutting through the wail, resonating with a deep, profound empathy. The Aura of the First Grimm flared, not with aggression, but with a gentle, comforting warmth. It reached out, touching her ancient grief. "We know your pain. We know your sorrow. But these are not your children. You cannot keep them."

La Llorona turned, her eyes, filled with centuries of tears, fixed on Adam. She snarled, a sound of anguish, and lunged, not with malice, but with a desperate, possessive fury. She was trying to protect what she believed was hers.

Nick and Hank moved to intercept, but Adam held up a hand. "No. Let me."

He stepped forward, his aura enveloping her, a wave of pure, understanding sorrow washing over her. "We can help you find peace," Adam said, his voice soft, yet commanding. "Release them. Let your soul rest."

Rosalee, meanwhile, quickly uncorked a small vial, releasing a calming, fragrant mist into the air. The mist, combined with Adam's aura, began to subtly soothe La Llorona's agitated spirit.

La Llorona hesitated, her woged form flickering. The desperate fury in her eyes slowly began to recede, replaced by a dawning confusion, then a profound weariness. She looked at Adam, then at the children, then back at Adam, as if finally seeing the truth through the haze of her grief.

"My… children…" she whispered, her voice cracking with ancient pain.

"They are gone," Adam said, his voice gentle. "But you can find them. In peace. Not in this endless suffering."

With a final, heart-wrenching sob, La Llorona collapsed, her woged form dissolving, leaving behind a frail, unconscious human woman. The children, released from her trance, immediately ran to Nick and Hank, sobbing in relief.

[System] Wesen Defeated. Wesen Type: La Llorona. Extracting... Alchemical Vial Created: La Llorona Potion.

[System] The La Llorona Potion grants a minor increase in empathy and a slight resistance to emotional manipulation.

A new vial, shimmering with a pearlescent, tear-like quality, materialized in Adam's hand. He pocketed it, a sense of bittersweet triumph.

Nick, holding one of the children, looked at Adam, his eyes wide with emotion. "You… you didn't kill her. You helped her. That was… beautiful, Adam."

Rosalee, wiping a tear from her own eye, nodded. "You truly have a gift, Adam. To connect with their pain. To offer them peace."

"Sometimes, the greatest battles aren't fought with fists, but with empathy," Adam said, a tired but satisfied smile. "And this La Llorona Potion? Might come in handy if we ever need to win a crying contest. Or just, you know, understand why my coffee machine is always so moody."

Another life saved. Another soul given peace. And a new understanding of the Wesen world. This is what it's all about. Not just hunting monsters, but understanding them. And sometimes, even healing them.

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