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When I was a boy, I watched my mother die in front of me. She sacrificed herself so I could come to this country safely. I carried the guilt of her death with me until I couldn't go on anymore... but then I remembered what she wanted for me, what she gave up! And I fought back until I found myself again! Fight back, Xavier! I know you can find yourself too! My mother gave her life for me, and I'll give mine to save my daughter if I have to!
—Eric snapping Xavier awake


Alonso 'Eric' Hernandez is one of the main characters in Silent Hill: Ascension. He's the loyal husband of Rachel Hernandez and Faith's father, living in Hope's Junction, Pennsylvania, where he works operating the King Wash laundromat. When the town is plunged into the Fog World, Eric questions his allegiances and his own resolve in order to protect his daughter at all costs. He's an initiate missionary in the Foundation, the religious cult operating in Hope's Junction.

History[]

Background[]

Eric was born in an Hispanic family outside of the United States. For unknown reasons, his mother and him had to flee the country illicitly, while his father had to stay behind. Eric had promised him that he would take care of his mother, but things wouldn't turn out that way as, while crossing the border, Eric's mother was tortured for hours by assailants. Having watched his mother slowly die, Eric was deeply traumatized by the experience and was plunged into a deep depression despite having made it safely into the country. [2]

Eric would eventually fight his depression while growing up, using the memory of her mother's wishes of giving him a better life. He would manage to "find himself again", and get control over his future in the country. He settled in Hope's Junction, Pennsylvania, place in which he, at an unspecified point, met Toby Cirelli, a man with his own struggles and someone who would become one of the first people that Eric would call a friend. [3]

As an adult, Eric worked at Hope's Junction's steel mill along with Toby. During that period, he developed feelings for the mill's manager Rachel, a strong-willed and assertive woman, who in turn liked Eric's soft-spoken and sensitive nature. They formed a relationship together and eventually married. While Rachel was apprehensive about having a baby, Eric's wishes for a family convinced her. The day Rachel found out she was pregnant, Eric told her that he knew it would be a girl, and wanted to name her Faith, after his hope for things will get better, no matter what had happened to him in the past. [4]

As the mill's profits died down, Rachel and the other owners unsuccessfully tried to sell it to other companies. To make the mill look more appealing as an investment, overtime was pushed on the workers, stressing both the personnel and machinery.

On the night of the accident, Eric was one of the workers doing overtime. A commotion followed after the furnace temperature reached dangerous levels, to which he was sent to the control room by his coworkers to contain the emergency. Once there, he found Toby, the worker in charge of overseeing the furnace, had passed out drunk on his chair. Feeling the pressure of the situation, Eric tried to operate the machinery himself despite not knowing how, which worsen the situation and kill many workers. As he watched them "melt before his eyes" upstairs, many others succumbed to the fire while trying to free themselves. Unbeknownst to him, Rachel had locked the Mill to prevent any personnel from leaving early, having lied to him about being out of town trying to sell the property. [4][5][6]

Both Eric and Toby survived the accident. Due to him being drunk at the scene, Toby received all of the blame for the deaths that night, with Eric suffering personal guilt over his actions worsening the fire. While they still considered each other friends, Toby and Rachel's relationship deteriorated, trapping Eric in the middle. This was further hindered when, at an unspecified point, Rachel joined the Foundation, the cult operating in Hope's Junction, and subsequently encouraged Eric to join the organization as well. Meanwhile, they opened the King Wash laundromat in downtown, where they would work together again.

Silent Hill: Ascension[]

Early days[]

Eric A Blessing or a Curse

Eric hugs Rachel after learning the news.

Following the death of Joy Cirelli (Toby's sister) during a Foundation ritual held by Rachel, Eric was visited at the laundromat by his worried wife. He learned of Joy's death, but was prevented from asking any details about the circumstances by Rachel despite his immediate emotional support. He then wondered about Toby and how to break the news to him, suggesting Rachel to send him money to cover the funeral costs as well. Instead, Rachel had him send Toby a Foundation prayer.

Eric Toby Punch

Toby punches Eric.

Meeting at the Silver Pines bar, Eric cautiously approached Toby and broke the news to him, being met with denial. He tried to reassure Toby that both Rachel and him deeply cared about Joy, but as he reluctantly handed him the prayer and said that Rachel thought Joy would've wanted him to have it, Toby became angry and punched him in the face. Eric didn't retaliate, and left the bar while Toby stayed to think about the situation.

Eric Fighter Shadows Creeping

A Fighter appears behind Eric.

Upon returning home, Eric walked into Rachel experiencing visions of her arms burned. After validating her choice of sending Toby the prayer, Rachel started to tell him the truth about Joy's death, before being scared by the vision of a Fighter inside their house. He was then ordered to get Faith to spend the night at the Foundation's building under Xavier Candless' protection, despite his hesitation at abandoning their home in the middle of the night.

After spending the night at the Foundation, Eric returned to work at the laundromat with his family. He noticed that Rachel was still troubled about something, but she wouldn't tell him about her visions. As Rachel firmly told him to stop asking, he gave up and apologized to her. [7]

Eric Spill

Eric encounters Toby in the laundromat.

The next day, after Rachel chose fellow Foundation member Krista Lee to perform a ritual with her, Eric found Toby waiting for him in the laundromat. Toby asked him about information regarding the aforementioned ritual, resorting to begging Eric once he hesitated to answer him. After telling him the time when the ritual would take place, Toby abruptly thanked him and left the laundromat, leaving Eric worried and confused.

Eric Rachel The Withering

Eric is unaware of the Otherworld.

The Ritual of Clarity took place the following night, with Eric attending the ceremony. As he watched Krista slice Rachel's wrists, Toby suddenly barged into the ritual room and threw a molotov cocktail in it, causing Eric to rebuke him in shock. Rachel then lost consciousness, and everyone present in the room shifted to the Otherworld, except for Eric himself. He went to check on Rachel and helped her get up once she woke up, declining having seen anything Rachel did. Eric then lashed out at Toby for almost killing them, but was ignored as Toby threatened to expose the Foundation for what he believed to be a monster's summoning.

Eric wanted to learn what happened in the ritual that night, but when he asked Rachel, she confronted him about how Toby learned of their plans. He confessed that he wanted to help him because of the bad place Toby was in and his own wish to return to the days before the mill accident, which Rachel warned was what made Toby dangerous, saying he was using Eric. Seeing him saddened by his inability to decline such things, Rachel then asked him to talk with Toby and make him back down from the pursuit of the Foundation.

Eric Toby With Friends Like These

Eric tries to make Toby back off.

Eric met Toby back at the bar, trying to reason with him that Toby's actions could result in the deaths of innocents, such as Faith. Toby refused to, putting their friendship into question due to Eric not quitting the cult after they killed Joy. Their talk escalated into an argument over Rachel's control and Toby's attempt to manipulate Eric, with Eric being told to quit the Foundation before he's hurt in the crossfire between them and Toby. Eric stopped for a moment on his way out, but left the bar without replying. [8]

Eric Toby Walk Away

Toby tries convincing Eric again.

The argument continued into the next day, when Toby suddenly visited Eric at the laundromat to warn him about Rachel again. Eric bitterly admitted that he initially thought Rachel was exaggerating about Toby, but that his constant insults of Eric's family were proving her right and that he, ultimately, would chose Rachel over him. Toby left the laundromat in frustration.

That night, Eric found out that Rachel had been tasked by Xavier to recruit Toby into the Foundation, which she failed to do. Despite Eric siding with Rachel earlier, he talked to her about her secrecy regarding Joy's death, hesitating over Toby's warnings and wondering about the health of their marriage. Seeing that Rachel was more focused on her failed mission with Toby, he admitted that he felt like Xavier should own up for what their family had been through.

Eric Rachel Needle Bearer

Trying to reason with Rachel.

Upon Krista's success at recruiting Toby, Foundation elder Barbara asked Rachel to give Faith the "needle bearer" role in Toby's induction ceremony, which Rachel noted would be difficult given Eric's wish to not involve Faith in the cult's deeper affairs. As expected, Eric refused the request when Rachel brought it up to him. He tried to make himself politely heard, but Rachel became exasperated and demanded that Faith had to take the role, with her yelling drawing the attention of Faith. Faith, in a bad mood from the argument, ordered Rachel to play with her due to being so absent, refusing Eric's offer to play with her instead. Growing angrier and calling out Rachel's manipulative behavior, Faith ran away into the basement, while Rachel stopped Eric from going after her. [9]

In the end, Rachel gave up and decided to decline the needle bearer offer from Barbara, as Eric wanted. The induction ceremony was carried out without incidents, although Eric approached Toby to warn him that, even though he was surprised to see Toby joining them, he hadn't forgiven what he told him about Rachel.

Eric Toby Rock Bottom

Eric abandons Toby.

Although he was resentful over Toby's actions, he was surprised by Rachel later requesting for him to not meet with Toby ever again, so soon after his induction. Unbeknownst to him, Toby had been determined to be the source of the Withering in town and needed to be free of all attachments before sacrificing. Rachel asked Eric to trust her despite being unable to explain the situation to him. Eric reluctantly agreed to trust her, but was made to swear it on Faith's life, much to his shock. When he came across Toby by chance the next night at the bar, he tried to completely ignore him, only to be cornered in the bathroom. Toby, in a very drunk state, began rambling about Rachel's control on him, before falling over and letting Eric leave indifferently. [3]

Becoming involved and Faith's disappearance[]

Eric Last Rites

Eric realizes that Toby might be gone.

While he was working at the laundromat the next day, the door's bell rang on its own. His phone rang, and he received a call from Toby giving instructions to find an envelope with money behind a washing machine, asking Eric to make a spiteful toast at the bar in memory of him. Remaining silent but growing in fear as he realized the call was a suicide note, he attempted to call Toby back but was met with distorted noises. He took the envelope and headed to the bar immediately, unaware that Toby had already died hours ago in a severance ceremony.

Eric A Toast to You

Eric delivers Toby's sendoff.

Upon arriving at the bar and learning that the bartender hadn't seen Toby either, Eric paid for the next round of the customers and announced that Toby would not be coming back, as well as delivering his sendoff message: "go fuck yourselves." One of the clients promptly insulted Toby and blamed him for her cousin's death, causing Eric visible guilt. On his way out, he found Krista Lee drinking, offering to return the favor. Dismissing the short exchange, Eric returned to the laundromat.

Laundromat Otherworld

Eric sees the Otherworld for the first time.

Back at work, one of the laundromat's lights began to act strangely and abruptly blew up in front of him. Surprised, but not thinking much of it, Eric started to clean it up while a Hanger threatened him from the ceiling, which neither him or the arriving Krista could see at the moment. Disinterested, Eric asked her what she wanted. Krista told him that she wanted to tell him the truth of what happened to Toby, but as Eric asked for her to tell him, the laundromat shifted to the Otherworld, allowing Eric to see it for the first time. He quickly got trapped in the Hanger's grip, forcing Krista to attack the monster with the broom until it let go of him. [10]

Eric Confession

Waiting for Rachel at home.

Upon returning from the Otherworld, Krista told Eric that Toby sacrificed himself to stop the Withering, but that it clearly hadn't stopped. As she left the laundromat to warn Xavier, she told Eric to ask Rachel for answers instead. Eric waited for her at home while making calls, but no one would answer. When Rachel arrived, she was upset with Eric for his absence during the day, ignoring his explanations, and angrily told him that Toby's dead and their daughter had gone missing. Trying to think in the midst of Rachel's anger at him and the Foundation for failing them, Eric kept a calm demeanor and had both of them go back in town to search for her.

Eric Rachel Ring the Alarm

Eric asks Rachel to not shut him out.

After searching the streets with townspeople for some time and realizing that phone calls stopped working, Eric and Rachel stopped by an alley to rethink their approach. Rachel wanted to consult Xavier for guidance, which made Eric apprehensive. He complained about being shut away from Foundation discussions due to his initiate status, and asked her to vouch for him to be allowed to listen to Faith's matters. This was one of the first times that Eric raised his voice to make himself heard.

Eric Rachel The Schism

Eric and Rachel argue at the Foundation.

At the Foundation, they met with Krista and Barbara. Rachel and Krista vouched for Eric to stay despite Barbara's adherence to rules, giving up and breaking the news of Xavier going missing. As proposed by Barbara, Rachel believed that Xavier took Faith to protect her and placed great hope on that possibility, while Eric held doubts on whether that was the case. Eric grew angry as Rachel decided to stay in the building and wait for Xavier's return, feeling that it was key to go back outside and continue the search. Lashing out and calling out inconsistencies in Rachel's trust on the Foundation and her demands to control Eric, he abandoned the building and left Rachel behind.

Eric Krista Looking

Eric fends off a Stinger.

Back outside, Eric left more missing person flyers at the convenience store, where he came across Krista. Having calmed down from his outburst at the Foundation, he ignored Krista's ill comments on Rachel and attempts to appeal to him, saying that Rachel was just doing what she thought to be right. Krista saw through his lie and asked him to be honest about her, but he maintained his position. Failing to move in that way, she offered him company while they search, which Eric accepted. They continued looking for Faith together on the foggy town streets, calling her name. In the middle of it, their yells caught the attention of a Stinger, which latched onto Krista and Eric had to fend off with a nearby branch. Krista explained to Eric that those are the Withering's effects and that they were caused by Rachel, prompting denial from Eric. Krista called out Rachel's poor treatment of him, told him that he deserved better, and encouraged him to say how he truly felt about things. [11]

Saddened, Eric admitted that he deserved better and that no one had cared about his thoughts and feelings for a long time, although he stood distant of Krista's romantic advances. Their bonding was interrupted by a group of Fighters, a sudden shift to the Otherworld, and the appearance of the Entangler, who restrained Krista and dragged her away into the fog.

Eric Xavier Breakthrough

Eric tries to wake Xavier up.

Eric continued to wander the Otherworld for a while, before being surprised by coming across Toby's corpse on the ground, missing a finger. Nearby, he heard Xavier's voice muttering verses to himself, finding him unresponsive to his voice or his warnings of incoming monsters. He desperately tried to ask him for Faith and to return to the Foundation, but nothing could break Xavier out of his state. Eric, hoping he could hear him, told him of his immigration story and of his mother's death, encouraging him to overcome whatever was happening to him like Eric did. As the Wanderers drew near, Eric became more and more affirming about his goal of saving Faith, until the monsters caught up to them. Both Eric and Xavier promptly woke up in the Foundation building, with Xavier regaining his consciousness and recognizing Eric as his savior.

In the library, Xavier told Rachel, the returning Krista, and other members that Eric healed him. After requesting a minute alone with Eric, Xavier praised him and told him that he was gifted, potentially being able to help fighting the Withering. Claiming that he could help him find Faith, Xavier asked for Eric's complete support, and asked him what his true allegiances were. [2]

Connecting with the Foundation[]

Eric Xavier Picking Sides

Eric and Xavier discuss their pasts.

Xavier summoned Eric to the meeting room some time later, having thought about what Eric told him to make him wake up. Although Eric's first instinct was to apologize for being out of line, Xavier thanked him for what he did. Xavier praised his survivor spirit, confiding in him that when he was a child, his father was murdered in front of him as well. Eric's suffering-turned-strength was praised, despite him still feeling guilt over being unable to protect his mother. When Xavier asked him for his true allegiances again, Eric replied that his reason for being at the Foundation was to find Faith and that he believed in saving her, even though Xavier believed she might have been lost to the Withering.

Eric Prying Eyes

Trying to make Krista talk.

With their conversation interrupted by Xavier being summoned to the library, Eric walked into the ritual room and came across Rachel disoriented, talking about a woman she had just met and things being bigger than just their family. Eric tried to help her and understand what she was trying to say, but Rachel cut him off and left the room. Then, he met with Krista outside the library, and took the opportunity to ask what happened to her when the Entangler took her. She avoided telling him and instead deflected to Eric's admission of deserving better, but it didn't stop him from asking further. He eventually said that he wanted to know because he cared about her, accidentally leading her on. Recognizing his mistake, Eric walked away from her.

Rachel Eric Outreach

Rachel presents the ritual to Eric.

While waiting outside of the Foundation, Eric got a glimpse of Rachel unusually hiding behind a corner. He went after her, but it became a Wanderer as he turned the corner and fell to the floor. Running back, he found the real Rachel holding a book, and tried to warn her that the outside wasn't safe anymore. Rachel instead talked about doing something to find Faith, and that the rest of the Foundation wasn't trying to find her anymore. He warned her about being taken like Xavier and Krista, prompting a jealous response from Rachel, who had eavesdropped on their talk earlier. She then told him about Astrid Johansen, a woman from Norway that she met in the Otherworld, and a ritual from a forbidden book that promised true sight in exchange for an eye from either of them. Eric, scared of her behavior, was doubtful about both of her claims, but she declared that she'd go through with it with or without him.

Eric Atonement

Walking out on Rachel.

When the time for her ritual came, Eric, Xavier and Krista entered the ritual room right after Rachel had gouged out her own eye. He stood silently behind Xavier while she was berated for her actions and breaking the trust within the community. After saying that she had to be judged by a tribunal, Xavier and Krista left the room, leaving Eric behind just for a few seconds. Giving only a slight glance at Rachel and no words, he left the room shortly after. [12]

Eric Xavier Forward

Xavier tries to convince Eric about the merge.

He waited outside of the Foundation building while Rachel faced judgment. In the fog, Eric got a short glimpse of the Smotherer stalking him, turning into an illusion of Faith running away. Taken aback by what he saw, Eric didn't pursue the vision before Xavier left the building and approached him to break the news: Rachel quit the Foundation without Eric. His lament of losing both Faith and Rachel from his side was taken advantage of by Xavier, who said that the Withering drove them apart and that they needed to form stronger connections to resist it. Eric was proposed to form a "merge" with Krista to strengthen their bond through sex, leaving him hesitant but not surprised at Xavier's offer.

Still unsure about Krista's thoughts on the matter, Eric approached her later to discuss Xavier's request. He found her in the ritual room, distressed over a vision of the Otherworld that she had just received. After calming her down, he told her about the conversation with Xavier and she explained that it was, indeed, a part of their beliefs. Expressing doubt about his conviction, Krista told him that she felt positively about it, but didn't want to go through with it unless Eric wanted her. [13]

Eric Krista New Beginnings

Eric declines merging with Krista.

As they met the next day, Eric declined the request and told Krista that he didn't feel right having sex with her, while still married. Although disappointed, Krista respected his decision, but warned him that Xavier would be unhappy about it. Eric spent the next day aimless in the Foundation, having visions of Krista and him kissing, until she finally found him again. She tried to convince him to have pleasure in the cult as well, casting doubt on whether Rachel would have declined the merging in his position and implying that she knew more about it than she had told Eric.

Eric Intimacy

Xavier asks him to take part in the ceremony.

At the library, Eric apologized to Xavier for declining the request on terms of it not feeling "right," which had him harshly admonished by the leader regarding definitions of right and wrong, seeing as to how the Withering had everything at stake. Xavier offered Eric a second chance to help them against the Withering, through a group Merging Ceremony: a long-held tradition involving a ritual orgy between high-level members of the Foundation. The idea of Rachel knowing and participating in them took Eric aback, which Xavier avoided delving into. Eric was offered to take the role of the Satyr, the main figure in the ceremony, in exchange for clarity and enlightenment. Questioning Eric's convictions once again, Xavier left him to consider the proposal.

In Flagrante Delicto

"Rachel" taunts Eric to open the door.

The idea of Rachel being part of the merge traditions took a heavy toll on Eric's trust on Rachel. Before the conversation with Xavier, Eric heard nonexistent moaning in the Foundation's library, and while he was thinking about the role in the ceremony, someone started knocking on the library's door. From the other side, Rachel's voice tried to make him open the door, claiming that she was allowed back in the Foundation and had to see him. As he questioned the veracity of her words, Rachel became more aggressive and taunting, teasing him with her experiences at the merging ceremonies. Eric resisted the temptation to open the door, making her even more direct about her unfaithfulness to him and making fun of his loyalty for her. Having cast heavier doubts in Eric's mind, "Rachel's" voice left the door and Eric remained alone. [14]

Eric Rachel About Us

Unsure of staying with Rachel.

As he went outside at night, he found a delirious Rachel cradling a Crawler in her arms, singing a lullaby to it. Seeing her panic over allegedly abandoning "Faith" at home and failing a test of being worthy of being a mother, Eric's worry turned to a stern expression and he told her that, despite her protests, she never wanted to be a mother and he "had" to convince her to be one. Sitting and calming down, Eric confronted her about cutting her eye out and abandoning him and the Foundation, causing her to worry about him still loving her. Eric tiredly told her to get help and to decide if she was stable enough for them to stay together, before returning to the Foundation.

Merging Ceremony

Eric becomes the Satyr of the ceremony.

After talking to Krista some more about the importance of the Merging Ceremony, Eric presented himself to the ritual room and was received by Xavier, meeting with Krista and the rest of the members that would take part in the ritual. As Xavier wanted, Eric offered to be the Satyr of the ceremony and was brought to the altar, where the merging itself took place among the people present. The ritual was carried out successfully, and Xavier ordered the participants to accompany Eric outside. As they left the building, they came across Rachel, waiting for them.

Faith's Return

Faith is brought back.

As soon as Rachel demanded to speak with Eric, Xavier told everyone else to ignore her and treat her as a heretic, but the potential altercation was interrupted by the sudden return of Faith, accompanied by an unknown woman. While Eric rushed to hug Faith after her being missing for so long, Rachel confronted the woman and Xavier tried to have everyone taken into the building. Despite Rachel's protests, Eric supported having Faith taken inside upon noticing that she was scared and aggressive towards her mother. He realized that Faith only wanted him and the unknown woman, Nora Jackson. Rachel eventually conceded and allowed them to take Faith inside, with the condition of her being allowed to stay with her.

Nora's Story

Meeting Nora Jackson.

Inside, Xavier was unhappy with Eric not protesting against Rachel being allowed inside, which he justified as her being Faith's mother and needing to be there. He then presented Eric with a new problem: Nora's arrival. Having locked Nora up in a room, Xavier tried to convince Eric that she was not to be trusted and that she could've been Faith's kidnapper. He warned Eric of other forces working against the Foundation, but refused to elaborate on them and instead requested for him to interrogate Nora. He did so the next morning, managing to ease her into speaking about how she found Faith and the story of how she arrived in town, but she grew impatient and demanded to be let out, making Eric leave the room saying that the decision was not up to him. [15]

Working with Nora and Faith's return[]

Rachel Eric Divorce

Rachel separates from Eric.

Taking his family home, Eric tried to reason with Rachel that the Foundation was trying to help them, despite Rachel feeling hostility coming from them. His feelings of doubt still not controlled, he felt out of place back home and intended to return to the Foundation, not before seeing Faith show Rachel an unsettling drawing of the Bruiser giving Faith something unknown. Faith's strange behavior continued into the next night, where she refused to follow Rachel's orders but gleefully obeyed Eric asking her to go to bed. After sending her away, Eric was met with Rachel's sudden request to separate as a marriage, before their relationship degraded further. Eric was shocked, feeling that he couldn't walk away when she needed help, but she declined needing it and decided that, even if they separated, they could still be good parents to Faith. He conceded and left the Hernandez house.

Eric frees Nora

Eric frees Nora.

As Faith's father, he still visited the house afterwards, and became progressively worried about her odd behavior after returning. While discussing the topic with Rachel, they heard Faith recite the verses of a bloodletting ceremony, which she told Eric was taught to her by "the Lady in the Woods." He told Rachel that they wouldn't get anywhere by pushing her, and was worried about the identity of the person Faith mentioned. Following Rachel's suggestion, he went to interrogate Nora again, who didn't have any ideas about the Lady either. Instead, she offered to prove her innocence by taking Eric to where she found Faith, if he let her out of the room. He followed through with the offer after asking a few more questions, and freed her from the Foundation with the intent of following her. [16]

Eric Nora The Girl and the Mill

Eric finds the Heralds' book.

Eric followed Nora to the steel mill ruins, where she caught notice of him and led him to the spot where she found Faith. In the middle of a circle of candles, Eric found a book titled "The Agony and Ecstasy of the Heralds." He questioned the convenience of Nora stumbling into the mill ruins, but she managed to convince him with her story once he learned that Nora's brother, Jeremy Jackson, died in the mill accident he helped cause. Eric withheld his connection to the incident and instead got Nora to accompany him back to the Foundation, in order to get her help regarding the phantom of her brother. Taking the book he found, they returned to town.

Eric Submitting Evidence

Eric presents the book to Xavier.

When they arrived to the Foundation, Eric walked into Xavier and Barbara in the meeting room. He announced that he had discovered where Faith had been, surprising Barbara and allowing Nora to enter and present the Heralds' book to them. Unbeknownst to both of them, they had just exposed Barbara, a member of the Heralds (a splinter sect of the Foundation that welcomes the Withering). After kicking Nora from the room, both Xavier and Barbara continued to plant distrust on Nora's intentions and ignored his questions about the book he found. Xavier ordered him to keep Nora close, but by the time he left the meeting room, Nora was already gone.

As Xavier set out to kill Rachel as the source of the Withering, Faith escaped to the Foundation and was found by Krista, and Eric afterwards. Faith called herself an Aspirant, with made Krista panic as it meant that Xavier had given up on fighting the Withering. With both Rachel and Xavier missing at the time, Eric left Faith in the care of Krista and left to find them. [17]

Against the Heralds[]

We need to talk about Faith

Faith threatens Krista.

When he found Rachel on the streets, he told her that Faith was safe with them at the Foundation, while he learned that Xavier had attempted to kill Rachel. She also explained more about Astrid Johansen to him, including the strange behavior shown by her son being similar to Faith's. Suggesting to ask Barbara about the prayer Astrid's son recited, they returned together to the Foundation, where Eric walked into Faith threatening Krista with a knife. He stood a few meters away to not endanger her, and watched as Faith exerted mental influence over Krista and almost made her cut her own eye out before Eric snapped her awake. Faith went back to drawing innocently while Krista lashed out at Faith's controlling behavior, threatening with intervening if Eric didn't. After leaving to pray, Krista received another hopeless vision showing Eric's dead body in the Otherworld, as well as all the other people around her.

Eric Krista offer

Krista wants them to Ascend.

When Rachel joined them, he tried to explain what had happened between Faith and Krista, but Rachel missed the point and became angry over Krista's attempt to discipline Faith. Shifting topics, Rachel told him about Barbara's warnings of the Heralds, and how they must have been the ones that kidnapped Faith in the first place. She then left to find Nora for interrogation, asking Eric to take Faith home and wait there. While he was packing their things, Krista barged into the room, defeated after the last vision. She told him about what she experienced after she was taken by the Entangler days ago, meeting the Collector. Overwhelmed by hopelessness, Krista told Eric that they had to perform the Ascension ritual to escape the Withering and start their next life together with Faith. Knowing Rachel was not in the plans, Eric doubted about taking her offer, but she was firm on the Withering being unstoppable.

While Eric was at home with Faith, Rachel attempted to expose Barbara as the Herald behind the events that transpired. She failed to make a concrete case, but knowing that the three of them were in danger, she tried to call Eric to lock the house and protect Faith. The call was cut before Eric could know what was happening. [18]

Eric Krista paradise

Eric and Krista discuss Paradise.

Unaware of the scope of the danger threatening the family, Eric returned to the Foundation for Faith to relax drawing. He asked Krista about the paradise they'd reach through Ascension, learning that not even Paul Radcliffe, the prophet whose writings inspired the Foundation, knew much about it besides glimpses in dreams. Eric questioned Krista's claim that Rachel would be unable to reach Paradise, and reassured her that her attempts to save the people in town wouldn't be for nothing.

Eric's Alignment

Eric rejects Ascension.

Upon returning home, Eric and Faith talked about her dislike of Krista, with her believing that Krista wanted to hurt and replace Rachel, causing him to get angry at her accusations. Rachel came up from the basement and heard Faith's opinion of Krista, becoming upset with Eric and making him leave the house, not before Eric pointed out that Rachel was hiding something from him. He then returned to the Foundation and told Krista that he wouldn't take part in Ascension, choosing to search for another way to help Faith outside of the Foundation. In response, Krista warned him that he was making a mistake, and they would never see each other again once she Ascended.

Eric By Hallowed Blade

Threatening Barbara.

As Eric returned home that night, Rachel questioned him about Krista's purposes, to which Eric answered that he had already rejected her plans on grounds of them not including Rachel as Faith's mother. With her concerns under control, Rachel admitted to Eric that she found Barbara to be Faith's kidnapper, and that she restrained her in the house's basement. Eric became enraged and tried to make his way to the basement to interrogate her, but Rachel stopped him warning that torture might be Barbara's goal. Powerless, he took Faith out of the house for a few hours until Barbara was dealt with, but nothing was done in that period. He confessed to Rachel that Faith could be turning into something else, before hearing giggling coming from the basement. They found Faith being indoctrinated by Barbara, sending Eric into a rage in which he threatened to kill Barbara with a knife. Stopped by Rachel, Eric threw the knife and demanded to take Faith out of the house, defying Rachel's protests. As he left, Barbara taunted him to Rachel, mocking that him "growing a backbone" would be his demise. [19]

On the run from monsters[]

Haven

The group arrives at the bar.

While they waited for Rachel to get Barbara under control, they were met by a panicked Krista, escaping the escalating aggression of the monsters. With the Silver Pines bar being the only safe location nearby, Eric forced his way in against the guard's wishes, finding a group of survivors sheltered inside under the watch of Nora, who explained the situation to him. Having learned that Eric was a worker at the mill and a friend of Toby, she confronted him for hiding crucial information for her search.

Safety in Numbers

Escaping the Entangler.

Seeing how unstable the survivors were due to constant shifting to the Otherworld, Krista grew unsafe and warned Eric to be careful around them, making him pull Nora aside to talk things out. He attempted to make her leave the anger against him behind and to work together in order to protect Faith, but as Nora accepted to help him, the bar was attacked by the Entangler, slaughtering the people present with ease. Losing Krista in the escape, the group managed to make a run for the main door and onto the street, with the monster still after them. With Nora, they reached their last safe haven: the King Wash laundromat, where a lone survivor recognized Eric as part of the Foundation and had to be knocked down when he tried attacking him. [20]

Eric Stay with Us

At the laundromat.

Having calmed the survivor down, Eric tried to convince Nora to stay with them instead of continuing the search for her brother. By then, he had understood that monsters were actively hunting for his daughter, and wanted her to feel safe with Nora around. As they continued to argue, Faith suddenly claimed to hear the monsters' scared voices, bringing the arrival of the Entangler to the laundromat. While it broke inside through the back door, the group had to make another escape onto the town streets.

Follow Orders

Eric refuses to kneel.

After wandering and sneaking past the monsters around town, Eric finally met again with Rachel. Their reunion was short-lived, as a Foundation member came after her warning that they were attacked as soon as Rachel left them. They found themselves cornered by monsters of all types gathered in the street, and the sight of Faith exerting control over them. Eric rushed at her, but stopped in shock at her commanding of the creatures. When Faith demanded him to kneel before her, he refused and stepped forwards, causing Snarlers to attack him and maul his legs. Believing herself to be protecting Eric as well, she then commanded monsters to attack and kill other people accusing her of being a demon, forcing him to kneel and beg for her to stop the massacre as she accused him of allowing it to happen. [21]

Against Faith's Fanatics[]

Trapped in place by the monsters surrounding him, it was up to Rachel to comfort and calm Faith down. As she did so, Eric was let go and the monsters vanished from sight. Finally at peace and with the four of them safe, the group headed back to the Hernandez house for protection. However, the massacre didn't go unnoticed, and witnesses of it quickly formed a cult around the figure of Faith as a savior. Upon meeting them in the way to their home, Rachel and Nora stood behind to deal with them while Eric took Faith home.

Eric kills intruders

Eric murders the intruders.

While they waited for Rachel and Nora to arrive, Eric watched Faith continue drawing more sigils on paper. Then, voices from outside alerted him of people coming after them, and despite Faith believing she could protect them, he locked both of them in the master bedroom upstairs as the intruders broke into the house. Cornered and with the intruders drawing closer, Eric decided to not let Faith use her mental powers for her own sake, and instead prepared a pistol for the fight. He opened the door as one of them tried to unlock it and shot her in the chest, killing her immediately. The second intruder arrived and tried to explain that Faith had to be stopped and that Krista sent them. Upon learning that, Eric shot and killed him as well, with Faith saddened by his choice.

Nora Eric The Ones Responsible

Nora attacks Eric.

Knowing that they couldn't stay, he and Faith began to pack up their things and prepare to leave town. Rachel arrived and they explained to her that Krista and the Foundation wanted to take Faith, while she told Eric about the new faction formed around worshiping her. The conversation was interrupted by a furious Nora, who had recognized the Hernandez house as her childhood home and, according to her investigation, it proved Rachel and Eric were behind her brother's death. Nora started to question Eric about the night of the steel mill accident, but as Eric continued to deny remembering anything, Nora grew violent and physical with him, causing Faith to scream in anger and force the four of them to shift to the Otherworld.

The Innocent

Eric carries Faith in the Otherworld.

In the Otherworld, the group found itself surrounded by monsters in all fronts, so Eric asked Nora to trust him despite her anger over the mill accident in order to survive. They came across another few survivors praying Foundation verses to a twisted tree, making Eric and Rachel wonder about their allegiances. Krista appeared from the fog and told them that those were people who abandoned the Foundation, but Eric immediately confronted her about sending the intruders to kill Faith in their home. [22]

SHA The Key episode

Taken by the Fanatics.

Faith, angry at the sight of Krista, called the Entangler to kill her as she begged for her life, but Rachel allowed her to come along under the threat of hurting her if she attempted anything against Faith. Eric then took Faith in his arms and ran away with the group from the monster, eventually coming across Astrid Johansen. There was no time for them to talk, as the Fanatics surrounded them and took them to the steel mill. In there, their "leader" explained their beliefs and how Faith needed Rachel's finger to open a gate. As Rachel and Krista tried to make them doubt their beliefs to stop them from killing them, Faith forced Eric and everyone else away through the fog.

Nora Eric Harsh Truths

Recounting the accident.

Hearing Toby's final words in his head and having a vision of the Collector standing before him, Eric woke up near the gas station alone with Nora. He tried to immediately go to search for Rachel at the Foundation, but Nora stopped him demanding to finally know the truth about the steel mill accident. Unable to hide it any longer, he sat down on a bench and began recounting the traumatic events to her, as she stood speechless at the imagery described. Eric, however, wasn't completely honest, and neglected mentioning that his faulty input on the machinery caused the explosion that killed Jeremy.

Eric Rachel Redo

Rachel convinces Eric to help.

On seemingly better terms, they returned to the Foundation together, where they untimely walked into Rachel cutting off the fingers of one of the Fanatics. Eric freaked out at her actions, fearing retaliation from them. He expressed uncertainty at the ability to save Faith from them in the steel mill, being lower in numbers and disarmed. When Nora and Rachel suggested using the machinery to recreate the mill accident to kill the Fanatics, Eric became angry and stormed out of the room. Clearing his thoughts outside, Rachel joined him to reminisce about how he picked Faith's name, and how he's never been weak. Encouraging him a little more, he agreed to help out with the plan despite still having doubts. As she went back to the library, he asked her where she was when the mill accident happened, to which she lied saying that she was out of town.

Eric Krista Drawn Together

Eric confesses he's not ready.

Meeting with Krista later, he helped her calm down from a vision. He confessed to her that he wasn't fully convinced by Rachel's encouragement, and how he hadn't overcome the trauma of causing the original mill accident in the past. Krista reminded him that Rachel might still be unable to Ascend, and that if they continue, he'd have to go without her. Eric was still reluctant of continuing with Krista's plans without Rachel, making her sad about his continued support of the wife that never treated him right. [4]

Steel mill rescue and death[]

Krista asked him again the next day for who he loved, to which he answered that he loved Faith and would keep Rachel in his life as Faith's mother, noting that he never made any romantic advances on Krista. Rachel then arrived to prepare for Faith's rescue, but before leaving, Eric asked Rachel to promise that she'd take care of Faith if he were to not survive the mission. She simply told them to get going.

Steel mill Linger

The group arrives at the mill.

Upon arriving to the steel mill, Rachel pulled Eric aside to assert that they'd leave together as a family once they were done. Bitterly, Eric reminded her that there was nothing between them together anymore, and that he'd just save Faith and potentially part ways. Rachel attempted to protest, but he told her to listen to his feelings, for once. Going into the workshop, they found Faith right away in the middle of the room, allowing Eric to tell her that they'd always be a family, even if Rachel and him couldn't be together, before kissing her forehead and leaving with Nora to the machinery control room.

Eric and Entangler

Eric is ambushed by the Entangler.

In the control room, Eric's inexperience with the panel showed as he couldn't figure out how to begin overheating the furnace. Nora noticed that it was inconsistent with his story of trying to shut down the operation during the accident, and realized the truth: Eric's poor working of the control room caused the explosion that killed her brother and the other workers. Furious with him for hiding his role in the accident and for allowing Toby to take all of the blame, she insulted him and abandoned the mill, leaving him crying alone in the control room. Unable to follow through with the plan as Rachel wanted, he warned about the furnace's instability over the speakers, making Rachel, Krista and Faith escape by themselves while the Fanatics refused to leave, thinking it to be a trick. While he was overwhelmed by his actions, the Entangler ambushed him, shifting to the Otherworld.

Eric neck snap

The Entangler snaps Eric's neck.

Finding himself in the middle of the workshop, an apparition of Faith confronted him about the people he got killed, showing him the bodies of the Fanatics dead in the intentional machinery blast. As he tried to reach out and say that they could indeed still be a family together, Eric's world shifted to the Silver Pines bar, where Toby waited for him at the counter. Eric, overjoyed at seeing his dead friend, rushed to hug him. After catching up and commending Eric's commitment to his family, Toby frowned at Eric's heartfelt apology for allowing him to take the blame for the accident through all those years, and not standing up for his friend. With a deep sigh, "Toby" suddenly strangled Eric blaming him for ruining his life due to his cowardice, revealing himself as the Entangler trapping Eric in its vines, finally killing him with a snap of the neck. The Collector promptly arrived to take his finger to make a key, while Faith watched from the side.

Dead Eric corpse

Eric's dead body.

Meanwhile, Rachel and Astrid ran into Zayn Davies in the Otherworld, who led Rachel to see Eric's death from a different point of view. The way she and Astrid saw it, Eric was never in a bar, and was killed by the Entangler in an exterior field. [5]

When Rachel eventually succeeded fighting the Entangler in their final encounter, she and Faith survived the Withering and returned home safely. As she explained to Faith, who had lost her memory, that Eric was gone, she reminded her daughter that Eric loved her and always looked out for her no matter his flaws. While leaving their home together, Rachel looked back to stare at a family picture for a minute, showing them as a happy family in the past. [6]

Behind the scenes[]

Eric Hernandez. 25 to 35 years old; Hispanic, Mediterranean, Mixed Ethnicity, North African; man. A good natured, caring, and capable. He's a survivor who doesn't like to bring up his past. He doesn't like the spotlight, and prefers to keep a low profile. Eric Hernandez immigrated to the United States when he was about 6 years old. The path was long and dangerous and frightened him deeply. Throughout his life, Eric's always looked for direction from others. He can be vulnerable but isn't ever whiny. He spends a lot of his time taking care of Faith, the light of his life, and fixing up automobiles while he saves to open his own auto-repair and customization shop. He's timid, but strong. Cares deeply for his family.
— Casting call[23]

Eric Hernandez first appeared in the interactive television series Silent Hill: Ascension as one of the six ensemble protagonists,[24] voiced by Ian Guerra.

Gallery[]

Silent Hill: Ascension[]

Promotional material[]

Live event[]

Notes[]

  1. The name "Alonso 'Eric' Hernandez" was featured in promotional material. It was also present in his official description on the official website and mobile app. However, after a few weeks it was completely removed and replaced by "Eric Hernandez".

References[]

v · e · d
Characters
Major Characters
Astrid Johansen - Brit Johansen - Eric Hernandez - Karl Johansen - Rachel Hernandez - Toby Cirelli - Xavier Candless
Other Characters
Aurora - Barbara - Eva Johansen - Faith Hernandez - Ingrid Johansen - Joy Cirelli - Krista Lee - Lejo Kant - Mette Dahl - Nils Grønbekk - Nora Jackson - Olivia Haugen - Orson Johansen - Zayn Davies
Monsters
Crawler - Fighter - Hanger - Snarler - Stinger - The Bruiser - The Collector - The Entangler - The Immolator - The Smotherer - Wanderer
Locations
Hope's Junction - Stilledalen
Terms
Monster - Fog World - Otherworld - Paul Radcliffe - The Foundation - The Heralds - The Purifier - The Withering
Archives
Episodes - Story Branches - Cameos - Arcane Library - Soundtrack
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