Catherine/Story
Background
Childhood
Catherine was raised in Wuthering Heights. A sheltered child, Catherine often claimed to see ghosts, particularly that of her late mother, much to the Butler Nelly and her brother Hindley's disbelief and annoyance.
One day, Catherine's father, Mr. Earnshaw, returned home from a trip to the City with an unexpected new addition to their household—Heathcliff, an orphan he had found alone in the Backstreets. Mr. Earnshaw announced that the boy would be staying with them at Wuthering Heights from that day forward, much to the initial displeasure of Catherine, and her brother, Hindley. However, her resentment towards Heathcliff was short-lived, as the two quickly became inseparable.
At some point, Mr. Earnshaw passed away, leaving the ownership and inheritance of Wuthering Heights to Hindley, making him the heir to the Earnshaw family and estate. Following this, one day, as Catherine and Heathcliff were playing together, Catherine was wounded by the hounds of a neighbouring mansion, and subsequently taken in by the owners, the Edgar family, to tend to her injured ankle, while Heathcliff, overwhelmed by remorse for Catherine's injury and consumed by feelings of inadequacy in the face of the Edgar family's wealth, fled back to Wuthering Heights. Catherine stayed at the Edgar family home for five weeks, forming close bonds with Linton Edgar and his younger sister, Isabella. Meanwhile, Hindley's abuse towards Heathcliff reached new heights, leading him to order Nelly to neglect Heathcliff's care entirely.
As a result of the incident, when Catherine returned to the mansion recovered and sought out Heathcliff, she was shocked to find him miserable and unkempt due to neglect. With Heathcliff feeling a deep sense of alienation and jealousy, Catherine's comments on his appearance were misconstrued by him as mockery, prompting him to flee in tears and refuse her company.
This marked the first true fracture of their bond, which Hindley was proud to have brought upon them. Hindley's abuse towards Heathcliff and cruel treatment of his sister persisted throughout the two's teenage years, with Hindley frequently locking Heathcliff outdoors as punishment, beating him and disparaging him together with Linton Edgar, and relishing in seeing Catherine's pain over it. As a result, Catherine would often inquire about Heathcliff even during Linton's visit to Wuthering Heights, wishing for her old friend's company, as Heathcliff would avoid her whenever Linton was around.
Later years
In the years, the fracture in their bond led Catherine to believe Heathcliff would one day leave her, something she resigned herself to and began preparing for quite early, deciding to decorate her room with heath flowers as a way to remember him.
One day, Catherine confided in Nelly about her intention to marry Linton Edgar. She expressed her belief that Linton's future affluence, particularly after the departure of his eldest brother, would secure financial and social power for her. When Nelly inquired about Heathcliff, Catherine dismissed the idea of marrying him, fearing it would lead to their mutual degradation and destitution.
Unbeknownst to Catherine, Heathcliff overheard their conversation from another room. Heartbroken by her words and determined to prove himself worthy of her, Heathcliff resolved to leave Wuthering Heights in pursuit of becoming a man of significance and value. As Catherine continued, expressing her belief that marrying Linton would provide her with the means to support Heathcliff emotionally and financially, Heathcliff's decision to depart had already been made.
After Heathcliff's departure, Catherine initially clung to the hope of his return, but as days turned into weeks, she gradually lost faith in his eventual comeback. In a moment of frustration captured in her diary, she confessed to wishing he never returned. As time wore on, Catherine's grief over Heathcliff's absence consumed her, resulting in severe physical and emotional deterioration and causing her to become extremely ill. Catherine refused to eat or rest, with Linton's attempts to comfort and coax her back to health proving futile. The family grew increasingly concerned about Catherine's condition, fearing they may need to make arrangements with a mortician prematurely.
Nelly recalled that Catherine's illness came to an end when she received a golden flower from Linton, a gesture that, to her, seemed more self-serving than genuinely meant for her, as it was, while very expensive, not her favorite flower. However, the true catalyst for Catherine's recovery was Nelly's gift, a mirror given to her by N Corp. Director Hermann. Nelly presented it as a magical mirror capable of reflecting the deepest desires of the viewer's heart. In reality, the mirror revealed alternate realities: Mirror Worlds, where countless variations of oneself and others existed simultaneously.
Upon gazing into the mirror, Catherine witnessed the recurring pattern of her presence in Heathcliff's life leading to his misery and demise. She became obsessed with the mirror, driven by a desperate longing to discover even a glimmer of possibility where she and Heathcliff could find happiness together. Her relentless pursuit would lead her to gaze into the mirror until she would cry tears of blood.
After countless agonizing moments, Catherine encountered the most desolate and wrathful version of herself: Every Catherine, a Catherine who was Heathcliff's murderer in her Mirror World. Every Catherine, similarly burdened with witnessing Heathcliff's suffering across multiple realities, exposed her truth to Catherine: that her mere existence was the root of Heathcliff's anguish in every universe. Confronted with this revelation, Catherine began to question if her own erasure could bring happiness to every Heathcliff in every world. Every Catherine confirmed her suspicions, urging Catherine to invite her into this world to carry out the deed, thus wiping herself out of existence entirely.
The prospect of her own demise marked a profound shift in Catherine's illness. Driven by the unwavering conviction that her sacrifice could bring solace to Heathcliff across the Mirror Worlds, she appeared to be healing, while instead having completely fallen under the mirror's influence, and subsequently Hermann's.
In preparation for inviting Every Catherine into their world, Catherine devised a plan with Nelly's help. She asked Linton's hand in marriage, which would put a considerable wealth at her disposal; then, leveraging Nelly's connections in the Backstreets, Catherine orchestrated Hindley's downfall, rigging a card game and leading to his financial ruin and eventual bankruptcy. With no other option, Hindley was forced to put Wuthering Heights up for auction in order to salvage his finances, and Catherine purchased the house.
Having been accosted by Hermann of N Corp., Catherine planned a radical transformation of the basement of Wuthering Heights with the assistance of the Director, and her researchers from The Ring. Together, they converted the basement into a secret laboratory concealed behind the fireplace, while Linton began collaborating with the Ring to procure test subjects from within the Nest. The laboratory's purpose was to facilitate the transfer of consciousness of alternate individuals from the Mirror Worlds, creating perfected Identities. However, this experiment came at a heavy cost. Each Identity required a 'dough'—a corpse or an empty body devoid of 'dregs', allowing for the application of any Identity, regardless of its origin. As payment for her collaboration in the experiment, Hermann requested Catherine allow her researchers to create one such dough.
The experiment necessitated the use of two distinct Golden Boughs as energy sources. Linton invested a significant portion of his vast wealth in acquiring one of the Golden Boughs, while Hermann provided the second one—a branch stolen from the Sinners in Branch D-02: one of the Boughs would be placed on the rooftop to act as a lightning rod, attracting and harnessing the merciless strikes of lightning and transforming them into a potent form of energy, while the second would be placed inside Catherine's coffin to power the summoning. Hermann specified that when Catherine's heart broke, a lightning strike would resonate, activating the Golden Bough atop the rooftop. This activation process required seven lightning strikes to fully empower the Golden Bough.
Before Catherine entered the coffin, she wrote her will, outlining her final wishes for three specific individuals: Linton, Hindley, and Heathcliff. In her will, Catherine designated Linton as the inheritor of Wuthering Heights. Hindley was directed towards rehabilitation at the 'Abyss Trauma Correctional Facility' in M. Corp for his gambling, extreme debt, and alcoholism, arrival ensured with a free WARP ticket. As for Heathcliff, after the seventh lightning bolt struck during her funeral, he would be bestowed Catherine's Golden Bough.
Developments
With the preparations in place, Catherine entered her coffin to initiate the ritual the summoning of Every Catherine, while Nelly proceeded to send out invitations to the three guests, requesting their presence at Wuthering Heights.
Unbeknownst to Catherine, Hermann harbored a deeper agenda beyond the simple exchange for a 'dough'. Her true ambition laid in harnessing the primordial power of the River of consciousness flowing beneath Wuthering Heights. Hermann sought to manipulate this potent force to craft a perfected version of Heathcliff—one with unparalleled strength, which would wreak havoc across Mirror Worlds.
Catherine would also learn shortly before her coffin's sealing that the River underneath Wuthering Heights might arrest her consciousness, allowing her to see the events that would later transpire. As the three guests arrived, this turned out to be true: even while stuck inside her coffin, unable to communicate her presence, which was nonetheless felt by Heathcliff upon reaching Wuthering Heights, she helplessly watched over the events that took place in the manor, with her voice only resounding through the static moments recorded in her diary, and her grief being expressed through the lightning that continued to strike the manor. A first lightning hit the manor before the funeral began, following Heathcliff's claim that he had never been content inside Wuthering Heights.
Afterwards, the seven lightning bolts, representing the seven times Catherine's heart broke, would strike for:
- Heathcliff's cry for her upon finding out about her death;
- Linton's claim that she would have grown tired of Heathcliff, and Heathcliff's following reaction;
- Hindley's death;
- Heathcliff's own heart breaking;
- Linton's death;
- Nelly's cruel disparaging of Heathcliff following her defeat;
- Heathcliff stabbing himself with the Golden Bough, having understood her feelings, and telling her he'd come home.
At the seventh bolt, the summoning ritual was completed, and Every Catherine's Identity was overlaid over Catherine's. Despite this, having finally heard Heathcliff's true feelings and understood the futility of her plan, Catherine began fighting back against the summoning, vying with the Identity for control of her body. Upon seeing the Sinners unable to fully defeat Every Catherine and the Erlking, Catherine was able communicate with Dante, whose PDA allows them to speak even with different Mirror Worlds, requesting them to use her Golden Bough to erase her existence, and free Heathcliff from the cycle of tragedy. The conversation was interrupted by Heathcliff himself, who refused to let Catherine go without talking to her again. Following this, Dante carried out her request, and Catherine departed by finally confessing her love for the Heathcliff she has shared her world with, over any other.
The Golden Bough thus erased Catherine's existence, wiping the memory of her, similarly to the function of a concept incinerator, from all but Dante and Heathcliff, who continues to remember her and carry traces of her presence in many Mirror Worlds. Her coffin was then collected by the LCCA. Following this event, Heathcliff remains determined to retrieve the Golden Bough Catherine had meant for him, and restoring her existence.
Relations
Heathcliff
Catherine's first impression of Heathcliff was negative, mainly due to their young age and her privileged upbringing, and initially, her condescending attitude towards his origins and blunt demeanor strained their relationship. However, as they spent more time together, her opinion quickly shifted, and they formed a remarkably close bond in a short period. Despite her assertive nature, both as children and young adults, Catherine took great pleasure in showing Heathcliff around Wuthering Heights, playing with him, and spending hours sitting by the fire and talking with him, with the memories of their friendship being the ones she would always treasure the most. Catherine enjoyed challenging Heathcliff with riddles, although she grew frustrated when he quickly solved them.
After Mr. Earnshaw's death and the incident with the Edgar family's dogs, their relationship became strained. Heathcliff, now even more heavily mistreated and degraded by Hindley, who ordered Nelly to neglect his care, believed Catherine to be repulsed by him and instead prefer to spend time with Linton and Isabella. As a result of this, and with constant instigation from Hindley, who relished in pushing him away from his sister, he often avoided them altogether. Catherine, perplexed by Heathcliff's sudden avoidance, sought direct answers to no avail. Catherine's fondness for Heathcliff remained evident as she continued to speak of him to Linton during his visits. Heathcliff's emotions following Catherine's injury were marred by extreme self-loathing and regret for not protecting her. Conversely, Catherine did not harbor resentment towards Heathcliff for the incident, only expressing disappointment at his subsequent retreat.
Much like Heathcliff was not able to show his fondness, Catherine herself struggled with communicating her own feelings, being unsure of whether they were returned. In an attempt to make him understand them, she would once again resort to riddles: one day, Catherine led Heathcliff to a field of violet heath in the Wuthering Heights garden, and confessed her love for the flowers that shared his name, her very favorite, admiring their resilience and their ability to thrive through desolation, blooming amidst barren moors and rugged cliffsides and maintaining their vibrant color. Catherine shared her plan to dry the heath and decorate her room with them once Heathcliff left, and used them to fashion a ring for him.
Despite Catherine's attempts, and despite Heathcliff's claim he wouldn't leave her side, neither of them was open about their feelings towards the other. This would lead to a deep fracture when Heathcliff overheard Catherine discussing a potential marriage with Linton Edgar for financial gain, a conversation in which she seemed to dismiss her affection for him, leading to Heathcliff leaving the manor.
Heathcliff's absence took a severe toll on Catherine, reducing her to a mere shadow of her former self, rendering her reliant on her diary for solace, and later, on the Mirror gifted to her by Nelly. During this period, Catherine's physican and mental state would worsen, alternatively expressing her rage at Heathcliff for having left and claiming she didn't want to see his face again, and worrying for his well-being, believing he had no other source of support outside of her and Wuthering Heights.
After receiving the mirror from Nelly, Catherine's depression deepened as she was faced with innumerable Mirror Worlds that ended in tragedy. However, her despair reached a climax when she encountered her most furious and sorrowful Mirror self, Every Catherine, who convinced Catherine that her very existence was the cause of Heathcliff's anguish in every universe. This revelation overwhelmed Catherine, prompting her to contemplate the possibility of erasing herself from existence to bring happiness to every Heathcliff across all worlds.
This goal is finally realized during the finale of Canto VI: 6-48, when she contacts Dante directly through their device through the power of the Golden Bough and asks them to delete her. While Catherine intended to carry this out quickly and hide her love and devotion from Heathcliff forever, Heathcliff instead accesses Dante's device and converses with her directly for the first time in the Canto, finally confessing his feelings for her. After thanking him for his courage to approach her at last, she realizes, finally, that she doesn't love Heathcliff in every world, but loves the Heathcliff of her world, the way he is now.
With Catherine's erasure, Heathcliff and Dante stand as the sole bearers of her memory. Heathcliff's purpose undergoes an alteration, shifting from a desire to make Catherine regret to a fervent determination to restore her using the power of the Golden Bough.
In each world, they are inexorably drawn together, yet their union is fraught with sorrow and tragedy. Heathcliff acknowledges that his inability to openly communicate with Catherine was the catalyst for their shared misfortunes, a burden he carries with profound regret.
Linton Edgar
From the moment Catherine was brought into the Edgar family home for her injured ankle, she captivated everyone's attention, including Linton's. His fascination with her was palpable from the start. Visits to Wuthering Heights became a regular occurrence for Linton, driven by his infatuation with Catherine, despite Catherine's thoughts circling back to Heathcliff even in Linton's presence.
Ever since they were children, Linton exhibited a cruel streak towards Heathcliff, openly showing disdain for his origins in the Backstreets, often joining Hindley in disparaging him. Linton would provoke Heathcliff, leading to physical altercations between them, that would inevitably result in Heathcliff being punished by Hindley, a cycle that deeply troubled Catherine, who would vehemently reprimand him for his actions and urge him to cease his devious behavior.
Upon Heathcliff's return during the Canto, their antagonistic dynamic reprises. Upon discovering Heathcliff's feelings for Catherine, Linton resorts to further provocation, boasting about his marriage to Catherine and claiming that Catherine would never have reciprocated Heathcliff's feelings. This claim would cause a lightning bolt to strike the manor, signifying Linton's cruelty and falseness towards Heathcliff once again breaking her heart.
Beneath the façade of Linton's claims lies the blatant reality: it was unhappy and overwhelmingly one-sided. Catherine entered into marriage with Linton without feeling romantic affection for him, instead seeking the advantages it brought —such as his family name, financial wealth she wouldn't be able to secure otherwise, and career opportunities— and wishing for the attention and comfort of a person who loved her, especially after Heathcliff's departure and the decline of her health. Linton's devotion to her remained unwavering throughout their union, and he spared no expense in his efforts to support Catherine's endeavors. He expended a considerable portion of his fortune to get the Golden Bough for her Mirror World experiments and to facilitate the transformation of the basement into her laboratory.
Even still, his adoration of Catherine always remained something detached and superficial. Much as he refused to acknowledge and often disparaged the object of her affections in childhood, during their marriage he had not grown to know her enough to even gift Catherine her favorite flower. Following Catherine's illness, and her convalescence after being deeply affected by the Mirror, Linton proudly claims to have never bothered to ask her about her wishes, only carrying them out unquestioningly.
After witnessing Heathcliff's ability to access Catherine's diary, which he himself could never do due to the absence of genuine love between them, Linton comes to realize Catherine's true feelings and the standing of Heathcliff in her heart compared to him. When confronted by the Sinners in Catherine's laboratory, Linton laments this fate, describing his struggle to earn a place in Catherine's heart, likening his efforts to incessant knocking, hoping that one day she would open the door and allow him entry.
Still, he harbored no regrets as he faced his imminent demise, and instead hoped his passing would bring sorrow to Catherine: when Catherine's grief manifested in the form of a lightning strike, Linton was consumed by a mix of madness and joy, interpreting her tears as a sign of her affection for him. In sacrificing himself, Linton became a vital component in the Mirror World technology, providing the necessary energy to facilitate the summoning of Every Catherine.
Hindley Earnshaw
Hindley's relationship with Catherine during their childhood was marked by tension. He often dismissed Catherine's claims of seeing ghosts in the mansion, accusing her of lying and casting doubt on her experiences. This constant skepticism made Catherine defensive and irritated, especially since she genuinely believed in the supernatural occurrences she witnessed. This friction only worsened after Heathcliff's arrival, who was seen by Hindley as nothing more than a Backstreets vagrant, unworthy of the affection and attention he received from their father, while Catherine had forged a close bond with him, and disliked seeing her friend subject to such a treatment.
After their father's death, Hindley took possession of their inheritance and of Wuthering Heights. At this point, Hindley's mistreatment of Heathcliff, through cruel and unjust punishments, often aimed at hurting Catherine by extension, fueled Catherine's anger and resentment towards her brother. She witnessed firsthand the injustices inflicted upon Heathcliff, as well as Hindley's violent behavior fueled by his alcoholism, and grew increasingly frustrated with her brother.
As adults, Hindley's resentment towards Catherine only deepened, particularly after she acquired ownership of Wuthering Heights, a feat Catherine achieved by purposefully bankrupting her brother. He harbored a profound hatred towards her for what he perceived as stealing his rightful inheritance. At Catherine's funeral, Hindley's lack of grief was apparent, as his thoughts were consumed by the hope that she had left him something valuable in her will. When Hindley discovered that Catherine's will entailed a commitment to a rehabilitation program to address his gambling, drinking, and debt issues, his reaction was one of bitter disappointment and anger. He cursed Catherine's name in spite of her recent passing, unable to reconcile his resentment towards her with the reality of his circumstances.
While distorting, Hindley views Catherine as a traitor, likening her to Linton and Heathcliff, whom he perceives as opportunistic individuals seeking to exploit him for their own gain. He also contemplates whether Catherine harbored hatred towards him even as she passed away.
Despite Hindley's venomous accusations and bitter words, Catherine maintains empathy towards her brother, recognizing the deep-seated envy that has fueled his actions. While she does not regret her actions towards him, Catherine reflects on their past, acknowledging the anguish Hindley endured and the destructive ways in which he wielded it against others, including herself and Heathcliff. Regardless of Hindley's hostility, Catherine expresses a genuine desire for his redemption.