The village did not sleep.
Not after the attack.
Voices filled the air long after the sun had risen.
Whispers.
Arguments.
Fear.
The injured man from the night before lay inside one of the houses, barely conscious. Blood had soaked through layers of cloth, and the healer's hands trembled as she worked.
Outside—
the tension was worse.
"…This never happened before they came."
"…That thing came for them—!"
"…We were fine before—!"
Sora stood a few steps away, arms crossed, jaw tight.
"…Say that again," he muttered under his breath.
Johan stood beside him, unmoving.
"…Ignore them," Johan said quietly.
Sora scoffed.
"…Hard to ignore idiots when they're loud."
A man stepped forward from the small crowd.
"…You brought that monster here!"
Silence fell.
Sora's eyes snapped toward him.
"…You serious right now?"
The man didn't back down.
"…Things got worse when you arrived!"
Another voice joined.
"…My brother hasn't come back since yesterday—!"
Johan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Since yesterday?" he repeated.
The man hesitated.
"…He went out… before the attack… to check the outer fields…"
Silence.
Heavy.
Sora's expression hardened.
"…And you're just saying that now?"
The man clenched his fists.
"…We thought he just stayed somewhere else—!"
Johan turned away slightly.
"…Sora."
"…Yeah. I know."
Another disappearance.
Before the attack.
Which meant—
"…It's been moving before last night," Johan said.
Sora exhaled sharply.
"…So we've got more than one problem."
They stepped away from the crowd.
Toward the quieter edge of the village.
"…Say it," Sora muttered.
Johan didn't hesitate.
"…The chief."
Sora nodded.
"…Yeah."
Johan continued.
"…The creature last night."
"…It didn't attack randomly."
"…It observed."
"…Adapted."
A pause.
"…And it looked directly at his house."
Sora scratched the back of his head.
"…You think he's controlling it?"
Johan shook his head.
"…No."
A slight pause.
"…But he's connected to it."
Sora frowned.
"…That still doesn't explain everything."
Johan's voice lowered.
"…No."
"…But it explains enough."
Silence lingered.
Then—
"…Let's ask around," Johan said.
The villagers were reluctant.
Avoiding eye contact.
Speaking in half-truths.
But eventually—
someone talked.
An old woman.
Her voice quiet.
"…The chief had a son."
Sora and Johan exchanged a glance.
"…Had?" Sora asked.
The woman nodded slowly.
"…A good boy."
"…Quiet."
"…Too quiet, maybe."
Johan stepped slightly closer.
"…What happened to him?"
The woman hesitated.
Her hands trembled slightly.
"…He changed."
Silence.
"…Changed how?"
"…He stopped talking to people."
"…Started going into the forest alone."
"…Stayed out longer… every time."
Her voice dropped further.
"…Then one day… he didn't come back."
Sora frowned.
"…And that's it?"
The woman shook her head.
"…After that…"
A pause.
"…things started dying."
Silence.
Johan's eyes sharpened.
"…Animals?"
"…Animals first," she said.
Her gaze lowered.
"…Then people."
A long silence followed.
Sora exhaled slowly.
"…That's not a coincidence."
Johan didn't respond.
But his expression said everything.
They left shortly after.
The air felt heavier now.
More real.
Sora kicked a small stone as they walked.
"…So."
A pause.
"…The chief's son goes missing…"
"…And suddenly monsters start showing up?"
Johan nodded slightly.
"…There's a connection."
Sora looked ahead.
"…Yeah."
His voice lowered.
"…I just don't like where it's going."
Evening came faster than expected.
The sky dimmed—
and with it—
the village grew quiet again.
Too quiet.
Sora sat up this time.
Not relaxed.
Not joking.
Waiting.
Johan stood near the edge of the village—
eyes scanning the darkness beyond.
"…It's coming again," Johan said.
Sora stood.
"…Yeah."
Then—
A scream.
Closer this time.
"…NORTH SIDE—!"
They moved instantly.
Faster than before.
More prepared.
They reached the area—
But—
No creature.
No attacker.
Just—
an open space.
And something on the ground.
"…What the hell…?"
Sora stepped closer.
Johan followed.
There—
etched into the dirt—
was a mark.
Deep.
Burned.
Like it had been carved with something unnatural.
A symbol.
The same one—
from the core.
Sora's expression darkened.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
Johan crouched slightly.
His fingers hovered near it—
but didn't touch.
"…It's intentional."
A pause.
"…This wasn't random."
Sora glanced around.
"…Where's the person who screamed?"
Silence.
Then—
Johan noticed it.
A trail.
Faint.
Dragged.
Leading—
toward the forest.
Sora clenched his fists.
"…Another one."
Johan stood slowly.
His eyes cold.
Focused.
"…No."
Sora looked at him.
"…What?"
Johan's gaze shifted back to the symbol.
"…This time…"
A pause.
"…it wanted us to see it."
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Unsettling.
Sora exhaled slowly.
"…So this is a message."
Johan nodded.
"…Yes."
"…A warning."
Sora's grip tightened on his sword.
"…Or a challenge."
The air felt colder.
The forest—
darker.
Like something was watching them from within it.
Waiting.
And somewhere—
deep beyond the trees—
a figure stood in silence.
Watching.
"…They're starting to understand," a quiet voice murmured.
The faint glow of a core pulsed beside him.
"…Good."
A pause.
"…Let's see how far they're willing to go."
The light flickered.
And the forest—
remained still.
But no longer quiet.