There’s a grainy open. But as it clears, we see Luther Grim, sledgehammer in hand, demolishing a building from the inside-out. Although it isn’t The Mortuary, it looks strikingly similar.
“Dependence is a double-edged sword. It can be the source of strength, a beacon of power, or a well of resilience. But it can also be a weakness, a chink in the armor, a vulnerability waiting to be exploited. Dependence, in its essence, is a tether that binds us to the very thing that gives us life, that gives us meaning. For you, Tombstone, that tether is your mortuary.”
“You see, Tombstone, you draw your strength, your power, and your very essence from that mortuary. That cold silent place is more than just a mere building to you. It’s an extension of who you are. It’s your fortress, your sanctum, your throne. It’s where you reign supreme, unchallenged and unthreatened. It’s where you wield the power of life and death like a god.”
“But what is a god without his temple, Tombstone? What is a king without his castle? A ferryman without his river? Without the mortuary, you’re but a man, devoid of power, devoid of purpose. You’re as mortal and as flawed as the souls you’ve lorded over.”
Luther continues to take to the decrepit building, smashing in old stain-glassed windows and crushing old wooden fitments.
“You see, Tombstone, your dependence of the mortuary is a point of weakness as much as it’s been a point of strength. In that, it has been your sanctuary, your source of life. It has granted you the ability to command death’s domain with an air of authority. And yet, without it, you are left powerless, adrift in a world that doesn’t bend to your will.”
“You are bound to the confines of death, to the sterile halls and cold chambers. Your expertise lies in the stillness of the tomb, but venture beyond those boundaries, Tombstone, and you are exposed. You are vulnerable. And it is in that vulnerability, and in that dependence, where I will claim my victory.”
Luther crushes one final fixture in the arcane building before dropping the sledgehammer. He chuckles, wiping his hands.
“Because you see, Tombstone, the destruction of your mortuary won’t be just the loss of a building for you. It will be the annihilation of your identity, the erasure of your essence, and the unraveling of your very being.“
“And in that moment, Tombstone, you will find your end. In that moment, you are going to feel as human and as fallible as ever. No longer will you wield the power bestowed to you from your mortuary. No longer will you find solace in the dead. Because I am going to strip away the very thing that defines you, Tombstone. You will be left to face the truth; that you are nothing more than a man who wishes he had power. And come Sunday, I am going to see to it that you have eternal rest.”
“It’s hunting season.”