Night fell over the village like a heavy curtain.
No laughter.
No chatter.
No movement.
Doors were shut tight.
Windows sealed.
Lights dimmed early.
Fear had settled in.
Sora sat outside the small house they were given, leaning back against the wooden wall, arms resting on his knees.
"…This place feels like a damn graveyard."
Johan stood a few steps away, eyes scanning the dark streets.
"…They're afraid."
Sora let out a quiet breath.
"…Yeah. I noticed."
Silence stretched between them.
Not comfortable.
Not peaceful.
Heavy.
Johan finally spoke.
"…The chief."
Sora tilted his head slightly.
"…What about him?"
Johan's gaze didn't move.
"…He knows more than he said."
Sora scoffed lightly.
"…No shit."
Johan continued.
"…He wasn't surprised."
"…Not by the creatures."
"…Not by the core."
A pause.
"…That means this has been happening for a long time."
Sora stared up at the dark sky.
"…Then why keep quiet?"
Johan's voice lowered.
"…Because it's personal."
That made Sora glance at him.
"…What do you mean?"
Johan didn't answer immediately.
"…I don't know yet."
Sora clicked his tongue.
"…You and your half-answers."
Before Johan could respond—
A scream tore through the night.
Sharp.
Desperate.
"…HELP—!"
Both of them moved instantly.
Sora was already on his feet—
"South side!" Johan said.
They dashed through the narrow paths—
Villagers' doors slammed shut as they passed.
Another scream—
cut short.
Then—
Silence.
They arrived.
A small open area near the edge of the village.
And there—
something stood.
Low to the ground.
Twisted.
Its body was lean, almost skeletal—
but its limbs were too long.
Its skin—
dark.
Veins glowing faintly beneath the surface.
And its eyes—
locked onto them.
A villager lay on the ground behind it—
bleeding.
Still alive.
Barely.
"…The hell is that…" Sora muttered.
Johan's eyes narrowed.
"…It's different."
The creature didn't charge.
Didn't growl.
It just…
watched.
Like it was thinking.
"…Move," Johan said quietly.
Sora didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward—
hand gripping his sword.
Flames flickered to life.
"…You picked the wrong place to show up."
The creature tilted its head.
Then—
it vanished.
"…Fast—!" Sora reacted—
CLANG—
Metal met claws as Sora blocked just in time.
The force pushed him back.
"…Tch—!"
Johan moved—
his hand raising slightly—
The air shifted.
Pressure built.
"…Don't rush it," Johan said.
The creature darted again—
But this time—
the ground beneath it cracked—
Stone rose—
locking its movement for a split second.
"…Got you."
Sora lunged—
Flames surged along his blade—
A slash cut through the air—
The creature twisted—
barely avoiding a fatal hit—
but its arm—
was severed.
It didn't scream.
Didn't react.
Instead—
it stepped back.
Calm.
Too calm.
"…That's not normal," Sora muttered.
The severed limb—
moved.
Twitched.
Then—
dissolved into aether.
Johan's eyes sharpened.
"…It's stabilizing itself."
The creature's body pulsed faintly—
and the wound—
closed.
Sora blinked.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
It moved again—
faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
Now—
it wasn't testing.
It was fighting.
Claws clashed against flame—
Air pressure redirected its attacks—
But every time they adapted—
it adapted too.
"…This thing's learning," Sora growled.
Johan stepped back slightly—
observing—
calculating—
"…No."
A pause.
"…It already knows."
The creature suddenly stopped.
Mid-motion.
Its head turned—
slowly—
toward the center of the village.
Toward—
the chief's house.
Sora noticed.
"…Oi."
Johan did too.
"…Why is it looking there…?"
For a moment—
everything froze.
Then—
the creature stepped back.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
its body began to distort.
"…Wait—!" Sora shouted—
But—
BOOM—
A violent burst of aether exploded outward—
forcing both of them back.
Dust filled the air.
Silence followed.
When it cleared—
It was gone.
Sora clicked his tongue.
"…Damn it."
Johan stared at the empty space.
"…It chose to leave."
Sora exhaled sharply.
"…Yeah. I noticed that."
Behind them—
the injured villager groaned.
Still alive.
Sora turned slightly.
"…We'll deal with that later."
Johan didn't move.
His gaze remained fixed—
on the direction the creature had looked.
"…It wasn't random."
Sora followed his eyes.
"…You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Johan nodded slowly.
"…Yes."
The chief's house stood quiet.
Unchanged.
But now—
it felt different.
Heavier.
Like it was hiding something alive.
Sora stepped forward.
"…Let's go."
Johan didn't stop him this time.
The door opened before they knocked.
The chief stood there.
As if he was expecting them.
"…I heard," he said.
Sora's eyes narrowed.
"…Yeah. I bet you did."
Johan stepped slightly forward.
"…A creature appeared in the village."
The chief nodded slowly.
"…Then it has begun."
Silence.
Sora's patience snapped.
"…Alright, enough of this shit."
He stepped closer.
"…You're hiding something."
The chief didn't react.
"…And whatever it is—"
Sora's voice lowered—
dangerous—
"…it's already hurting people."
Johan spoke next.
Calm.
Sharp.
"…The creature."
A pause.
"…It looked toward your house."
The air shifted.
Just slightly.
But enough.
The chief's expression—
changed.
For the first time—
cracked.
"…You noticed."
Sora's grip tightened.
"…Yeah. We did."
Silence stretched.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Then—
the chief turned away.
"…You should leave this village."
Sora's eyes widened slightly.
"…What?"
"…This is not your fight."
Johan's voice cut in.
"…It already is."
The chief stopped walking.
His shoulders tensed.
"…If you stay…"
His voice lowered.
"…you will die."
Sora smirked faintly.
"…Then we'll just have to prove you wrong."
Silence.
Long.
Then—
the chief spoke.
"…You don't understand."
Johan stepped forward.
"…Then make us understand."
The chief didn't turn.
Didn't move.
But his voice—
carried something heavier now.
"…Some monsters…"
A pause.
"…are not meant to be killed."
Sora frowned.
"…The hell does that mean?"
The chief finally looked back.
His eyes—
were no longer calm.
They were tired.
Broken.
"…Because even if you kill them…"
His voice barely above a whisper—
"…you lose something you can never get back."
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Unanswered.
And somewhere—
far beyond the village—
a faint glow pulsed once more.
Watching.
Waiting.
The hunt had already begun.
And this time—
they were no longer the hunters.