Daylight

*Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light...**This article is about The Dark Pictures Anthology's third installment,* ***House of Ashes***
***.***

## Both Cuts

### Time(s)

0549 HRS
0552 HRS

### Location(s)

Caves
Target LZ

### Depth(s)

629 FT.
0 FT.

## Chapter Guide

**Daylight** is the seventh and final chapter of Act 3 in *House of Ashes* and the twenty-third overall.

The player controls Rachel and Eric and Nick and Salim and Jason as the protagonists move through the caves and reach the surface, only for an eclipse to put them in danger one last time.

## *Caves, 0549 HRS, 629 FT.*

The remaining protagonists make a break for the ropes in an opening with waterfalls. After an earthquake, the protagonists reach the ropes and climb on them. One of the protagonists looks at the waterfall, suspecting something. After another protagonist confronts them, they decide to climb up the rope. Everyone but two of them makes it up.

* If Rachel is not a vampire and Clarice died by being shot by Jason or caught in an explosion, the protagonists will continue to climb without interruption.
* If Rachel is not a vampire and Clarice wasn't killed by Jason or caught in an explosion, a vampiric Clarice will break through the waterfall, screeching at the survivors.
* If Rachel is a vampire...
	+ She will break through the waterfall if she was killed and infected in The Assault or The Horror, screeching at the survivors.
	+ She will climb out from the depths if she escaped the group while infected in Strange Aeons, screeching at the survivors.

The two protagonists look at the vampiric woman with shock.

* If only two protagonists are alive, vampire Clarice/Rachel will climb up one of the ropes. The protagonist on the same rope will cut loose the lower half of the rope, causing the threat to plummet into the depths.
	+ Eric/Nick will hesitate to cut the rope if Rachel is a vampire but will still cut it.
* If there are more than two protagonists alive, two of the protagonists will confront vampire Clarice/Rachel.

* Clarice
* Rachel

The possible combination of protagonists confronting Clarice; Protagonist 1: Eric/Jason/Nick with Protagonist 2: Rachel/Nick/Salim. Clarice will charge at Protagonist 2, in which they can complete a QTE to block the attack.

* If QTE is failed, Protagonist 1 must complete a QTE to stab Clarice with a knife.
	+ If QTE is failed again, Clarice will rip Protagonist 2's throat out.
	+ If QTE is completed, Protagonist 2 must complete a QTE to kick Clarice into the depths.
		- Failing it will result in their throat ripped out.
* If QTE is completed, Protagonist 1 must complete a QTE to hold Clarice back.
	+ Failing the QTE will result in the same scene where Protagonist 1 must complete a QTE to stab Clarice with a knife.
	+ Completing the QTE will result in the same scene where Protagonist 2 must complete a QTE to kick Clarice into the depths.

If Clarice is kicked into the depths, each protagonist makes a different comment before moving on. If a protagonist is killed, another protagonist will briefly mourn their death.

The possible combination of protagonists confronting Rachel; Protagonist 1: Nick/Salim with Protagonist 2: Eric/Jason. Rachel charges at the protagonists. Protagonist 2 pulls Rachel by the leg and can complete a QTE to punch her.

* If QTE is failed, Rachel will attack Protagonist 2. Meanwhile, Protagonist 1 carries a boulder and can complete a QTE to bash Rachel's head.
	+ If QTE is failed, Rachel will rip Protagonist 2's throat out.
	+ If QTE is completed, Protagonist 1 will smash Rachel's head multiple times until she stops moving. When getting up, they notice Rachel's corpse with a parasite intact on her head. Protagonist 2 then kicks Rachel's corpse into the depths.
* If QTE is completed, Protagonist 2 has to complete another QTE to stab Rachel.
	+ Failing the QTE will result in the same scene where Protagonist 1 carries a boulder and can complete a QTE to bash Rachel's head.
	+ If QTE is completed, Rachel will back away. As Rachel charges at Protagonist 2, Protagonist 1 can complete a QTE to throw Rachel into the depths.
		- Failing the QTE will result in Protagonist 2's throat being ripped out.

The remaining protagonists will lament/make a comment about Rachel before moving on.
The protagonists run through the main hall of the temple. Outside, they notice a hole opening up. All of the survivors climb up the statue's hand, with one of them throwing a grappling hook.

## *Target LZ, 0552 HRS, 0 FT.*

The scene focuses on a shot of the sun, before the surviving protagonists come out of the hole. After all the protagonists get up, any protagonist (except Salim) will contact air support through their radio. The protagonists make some happy and relieved comments before noticing the eclipse, much to their fright. A vampire flies through a hole to the sky, after which said vampire lands on the ground and screeches at the survivors, before more vampires rise up.

The protagonists retreat into the nearest hut of the farm as the vampires swarm them. Inside the hut, the protagonists set up defenses while discussing about the eclipse. As the vampires start assaulting, the protagonists fend them off. Meanwhile, Jason/Nick/Salim will be ambushed by a vampire through the roof.

* If there are only two protagonists alive, the ambushed protagonist will dodge the vampire.
* If there are more than two protagonists alive, a QTE can be completed in order for the protagonist to break free.
	+ If QTE is failed, the vampire will grab Jason/Nick/Salim to the sky, after which it drops him onto the ground.

The protagonists continuously fight the vampires before realizing they are running out of ammo. A protagonist notices two supply crates in the corner and opens them up, revealing them to be flares. The protagonists proceed to take the flares and light them up as they are ready to fight the vampires.

* If The Ancient One is still alive, he will break through the hut and fight the protagonists, to which the protagonists need to complete several QTEs to fight the vampire.
	+ If QTEs are completed, The Ancient One will be killed.
	+ If QTEs are failed, The Ancient One will kill one/two protagonists. If the Ancient One kills two protagonists and there are some remaining survivors, the vampires will finish them off.

Regardless of whether The Ancient One is killed or is already dead, the vampires will break through the hut, in which each protagonist needs to complete QTEs to fight the vampires. Each protagonists get one unique sequence of their own where they must complete two QTEs, with failing either of them resulting in one more QTE that kills them if failed or allows them to survive if succeeded. One protagonist then gets a general sequence that is similar to the unique sequences except if Eric called air support and Merwin fixed the radio, failing the sequence will not kill the character as air support saves them.

* If all protagonists are killed, the vampires will roar in victory, before dragging the protagonists' bodies underground with them.
* If at least one protagonist survives the general sequence, the vampire knocks them over and prepares to attack, and...
	+ If Eric called air support and Merwin fixed the radio, helicopters arrive and shoot into the hut, driving away the vampires.
	+ If Eric did not call air support and/or Merwin didn't fix the radio, sunlight shines through the hut, driving away the vampires.

The rest of the vampires burst into flames and retreat underground as the living protagonists are relieved.

* If Salim is alive and Merwin didn't fix the radio and Eric did not call air support, he returns home.

Air support arrives, if it didn't already, and the helicopters survey the scene.

* If there are no survivors or Salim is the only survivor and he went home, the operator states he can't detect any movement and all friendlies are KIA. As the operator describes the situation as FUBAR, the helicopters leave. The operator suggests they should contact CENTCOM.
* If Salim is the only survivor, but didn't go home, the marines will arrest him and bring him into the helicopter. The operator states all friendlies are KIA, but they got a PW. As the operator describes the situation as FUBAR, the helicopters leave.
	+ This also happens if Salim survives with Rachel and the two are on bad terms.
* If there are survivors other than Salim, a protagonist will comment in relief. The helicopter will escort them and the operator briefs the amount of survivors (which can also include Salim as PW). Inside the helicopter, the survivors show their happiness and relief.

Regardless, the helicopter flies away from the mountains into the distance.

## *Meeting The Curator*

The player then meets The Curator before the latter quotes Milton's "*Paradise Lost*" once more.

* If all protagonists survived, the Curator will say "*the mind is its own place and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.*" After that he'll clap, congratulating them on their "charges" having emerged from their own "Hell" in one piece, although he will also add that this ordeal will continue to haunt them for the rest of their lives.
* If any protagonist(s) is/are dead, the Curator will say "*freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell.*" Then he will sympathize with the player, saying it's not a bad outcome and survival often comes at a great cost, which others sometimes must pay.
* If all protagonists died, the Curator will say "*this horror will grow mild, this darkness light.*" He'll also note that it's turned out to be a mess and at least the "charges" cannot suffer any longer, "not in this life".

The Curator can also make an additional comment if there's only one surviving protagonist.

* If Eric is the sole survivor, the Curator will say he's impressed since Eric is still alive and kicking. He then says the mission was a disaster and lives were lost, but the man whose bright idea it was walks out in one piece, before ending his sentence with "*isn't that always the way*".
* If Nick is the sole survivor, the Curator will say Nick managed to hold his nerves and focused on staying alive. He then adds Nick could have easily surrendered to the nightmare hunting him, but Nick proved he had the "right stuff".
* If Rachel is the sole survivor, the Curator will say the player has kept her from falling into the darkness. He then claims Rachel had to dig deeper than most to survive, before mentioning the quote "*that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.*"
* If Jason is the sole survivor or he's alive with Salim...
	+ If they have a high relationship, the Curator will mention the quote "*the enemy of my enemy is my friend.*" The Curator will comment that Jason was a revelation who had finally made peace with the demons he had been carrying with him and forged the unlikeliest of friendship.
	+ If they have a low relationship, the Curator will mention the quote "*never can true reconcilement grow where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep,*" words which Jason lived by as he added. The Curator then says that he never learned to see eye-to-eye with Salim.
* If Salim is the sole survivor...
	+ If he left for home, the Curator says Salim survived to fight another day. He then adds that Salim couldn't accept being separated from his son, so he fought his way back to the light, before remarking how touching it is.
	+ If he was captured by the military, the Curator says Salim escaped "one hell" only to end up in another. He then says it will be a long time for him to see his son again, but at least he escaped with his life, if not his freedom.

The Curator can comment on the relationships of Eric and Nick, if they are only survivors.

* If they have a high relationship, the Curator will say it's encouraging to see them accept the past and make peace. He then suspects that's more agreeable than having to bury one or the other, before ending his sentence with "*friends... if only out of respect for Rachel's memory.*"
* If they have a low relationship, the Curator will say it seems both Eric and Nick will never see eye-to-eye. He then says they both loved and lost under the Arabian sands, in which their choices drove a wedge between them that can never be lifted, before adding they'll always be enemies until the last.

The Curator then will claim to be looking forward to the next encounter with the player, stating that he might choose a story that is a little more "homely", somewhere the player is guaranteed a "decent night's sleep", claiming that wherever it is, they'll find it "extremely hard" to leave. Finally, he bids the player farewell, claiming they know the way out of the repository.

## Deaths

### Determinant

Eric

* If Eric fails to fight Rachel in the caves, his throat will be ripped out.
* If Eric fails QTEs to fight the vampires, he will be impaled/his head will be crushed.
* If The Ancient One is alive and Eric fails to fight him, his eyes will be gouged out.

Jason

* If Jason fails to fight Rachel in the caves, his throat will be ripped out.
* If Jason fails to break free from the vampire grabbing him through the roof, he will be dropped from the sky.
* If Jason fails QTEs to fight the vampires or two other protagonists were killed by The Ancient One, his head will be crushed.
* If The Ancient One is alive and Jason fails to fight him, his eyes will be gouged out/throat will be ripped out.

Nick

* If Nick fails to fight Clarice in the caves, his throat will be ripped out.
* If Nick fails to break free from the vampire grabbing him through the roof, he will be dropped from the sky.
* If Nick fails QTEs to fight the vampires, his eyes will be gouged out.
* If The Ancient One is alive and two other protagonists were killed by him, Nick's head will be crushed.
* If The Ancient One is alive and Nick fails to fight him, his eyes will be gouged out/throat will be ripped out.

Rachel

* If Rachel fails to fight Clarice in the caves, her throat will be ripped out.
* If Rachel fails QTEs to fight the vampires, her throat will be ripped out/head will be crushed.
* If The Ancient One is alive and Rachel fails to fight him, her throat will be ripped out.

Salim

* If Salim fails to fight Clarice in the caves, his throat will be ripped out.
* If Salim fails to break free from the vampire grabbing him through the roof, he will be dropped from the sky.
* If Salim fails QTEs to fight the vampires or two other protagonists were killed by The Ancient One, his head will be crushed.
* If The Ancient One is alive and Salim fails to fight him, his eyes will be gouged out/throat will be ripped out.

The Ancient One

* If The Ancient One is alive and any protagonist succeeds to fight him, he will be burned with a flare in the mouth/impaled by his spear.

Several vampires

* If the protagonists survive the 6 minutes of eclipse, several vampires will be burned by the sun.

## Trivia

* This is the seventh chapter for Eric, the fifth for Rachel, and the second for Nick, Jason, and Salim in which they can die.
* The Wilhelm scream can be heard when a protagonist is dropped by a vampire.