Alice wasted no time.
The moment Leo finished outlining the situation, she had already reached into her satchel and pulled out her worn leather notebook. With practiced ease, she dipped her quill into a small vial of ink and flipped to a blank page.
"I'll gather all the information I can about the attacks on the villages," she said quickly, her eyes already scanning the notes she had written earlier. "Patterns, eyewitness accounts, unusual behavior—anything that might give us a clue."
Her quill hovered over the page, ready to write.
Leo nodded approvingly.
"Perfect," he said. "If there's a pattern to these attacks, you'll find it."
Alice gave a determined nod.
"Leave it to me."
Leo then turned his attention to Ethan.
His tone shifted slightly—still calm, but more direct.
"Ethan."
Ethan looked up from leaning casually against a pillar, a confident smirk already forming on his face.
"I want you to investigate the city itself," Leo continued. "Look for anything out of place. Any strange movements, magical disturbances, unusual activity—anything that feels wrong."
Ethan crossed his arms, clearly pleased with the assignment.
"If something's hiding in this city," he said with a grin, "I'll find it."
Leo held his gaze for a moment.
"If you see something suspicious, report directly to me. Don't engage alone."
Ethan gave a mock salute.
"Relax, commander. I'll behave."
Helmond chuckled quietly under his breath.
Leo then turned to the remaining two members of the group.
Helmond.
Rein.
His expression became more serious.
"The Village of Willow is our only solid lead right now," Leo said. "The last confirmed sighting happened there."
He paused briefly before finishing.
"You two are coming with me."
Rein immediately met Leo's gaze.
For just a moment, a spark of anticipation flickered in her eyes.
"Understood," she said.
Helmond simply shrugged lightly, though the faint grin on his face betrayed his interest.
"Well," he said casually, "sounds more exciting than wandering around the city."
Leo gave a short nod.
"Good."
Then he looked at all of them one last time.
"Let's move quickly," he said firmly.
His voice lowered slightly.
"Before it strikes again."
A brief silence followed.
Everyone understood what that meant.
Another village.
More destruction.
More lives lost.
None of them intended to let that happen.
Within minutes, the team began moving.
Alice headed straight for the royal archives and witness records, already flipping through pages of her notebook as she walked.
Ethan disappeared into the bustling streets of Dichondra, blending into the crowd like a shadow on a mission.
And Leo, Rein, and Helmond prepared for their journey.
The air felt heavier now.
More urgent.
Everyone knew that whatever had attacked Willow was still out there.
Waiting.
Two soldiers from Dichondra volunteered to guide them.
Without wasting time, the group set off toward the outskirts of the city, leaving behind the peaceful glow of Dichondra's magical streets.
As they traveled deeper into the surrounding forest paths, the lively sounds of the city slowly faded.
The road narrowed.
The towering trees thickened overhead, their branches forming a natural canopy that dimmed the sunlight.
The journey grew quieter.
Only the soft rustle of leaves and the distant calls of forest creatures filled the air.
No one spoke much.
Each step carried an unspoken weight.
Rein walked beside Leo, her staff resting lightly against her shoulder.
Helmond followed just behind them, his eyes scanning the surroundings carefully.
The soldiers led the way silently.
Three hours passed like this.
Step by step.
The further they traveled, the heavier the atmosphere became.
And then—
They arrived.
The Village of Willow.
Or what was left of it.
The destruction was immediate and unmistakable.
Buildings lay half-collapsed, their wooden frames splintered and blackened by scorch marks. Broken stone and shattered beams littered the streets like the aftermath of a violent storm.
Smoke stains still clung to several rooftops.
Yet something felt… strange.
Not everything was destroyed.
Some homes stood completely untouched, as if the destruction had passed around them deliberately.
The damage wasn't random.
It was selective.
Villagers wandered the streets slowly, their faces pale and exhausted.
Humans.
Elves.
Beastfolk.
Even smaller magical races.
All of them shared the same expressions.
Grief.
Fear.
And beneath it all—
Anger.
Leo didn't hesitate.
He walked straight toward the nearest group of villagers.
"We're here to help," he said calmly, his voice steady and reassuring.
The villagers looked at him uncertainly.
One elderly man stepped forward first.
"What… what do you want to know?" he asked nervously.
"Everything," Leo replied.
One by one, the villagers began sharing their stories.
Some spoke quickly, their voices shaking.
Others struggled to form words.
Leo listened carefully, absorbing every detail.
Rein stayed close beside him, silently observing each witness as they spoke.
She noted inconsistencies.
Similarities.
Anything unusual.
Meanwhile, Helmond moved further through the village.
His sharp eyes studied the destruction with careful attention.
He examined broken walls.
Burn marks.
Shattered debris.
And then—
He found something.
"Leo," Helmond called out.
His voice was calm, but serious.
Leo excused himself from the villagers and walked over.
"What did you find?"
Helmond pointed toward a building nearby.
Deep claw marks carved through the wood like knives through paper.
But that wasn't all.
Black scorch marks surrounded them, as if intense heat had accompanied the attack.
Helmond crouched down, studying the patterns closely.
"The way this thing moves…" he muttered.
Leo examined the marks beside him.
Helmond traced one of the long gouges with his finger.
"These strikes are precise."
He pointed to another destroyed structure nearby.
"And powerful."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"This feels familiar."
Leo looked at him.
Helmond stood up slowly.
"Kharous Raine," he said quietly.
The name hung in the air.
Leo's jaw tightened immediately.
Whoever—or whatever—had done this was no ordinary monster.
Helmond folded his arms.
"Whoever attacked this village isn't just strong," he continued.
"They're controlled."
"Precise."
"Ruthless."
Leo remained silent as he studied the destruction again.
Something about it bothered him.
He stepped back slowly, scanning the entire village.
Burned houses.
Shattered buildings.
And then—
Untouched homes.
Completely untouched.
Leo frowned.
"That doesn't make sense," he muttered under his breath.
Helmond glanced at him.
"What?"
Leo pointed toward the untouched houses.
"Look at this."
Helmond followed his gaze.
Leo's voice lowered.
"Some areas were destroyed completely."
He gestured to the wreckage.
"But others weren't touched at all."
Rein joined them, her brows furrowed.
Leo continued.
"Why would something this powerful attack without reason?"
He looked around the village again.
"If it wanted to destroy everything…"
His voice trailed off.
"Then everything would be gone."
Rein looked thoughtful.
Her eyes slowly moved across the village.
The survivors.
The destruction.
The untouched homes.
"Maybe it's testing them," she said quietly.
Helmond raised an eyebrow.
"Testing?"
Rein nodded slowly.
"Or sending a message."
She gestured toward the pattern of destruction.
"But whoever did this deliberately left survivors."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"That doesn't match random destruction."
The three of them stood there in silence for a moment.
The mystery grew heavier with every passing second.
Behind them, villagers watched nervously.
Hope filled their tired eyes.
Hope that these strangers could somehow fix what had been broken.
Leo clenched his fists slowly.
His eyes burned with determination.
"We'll find out who did this," he said firmly.
The promise carried weight.
"And when we do…"
His voice hardened.
"We'll stop them."
Later, Leo and Rein moved toward one of the partially destroyed structures.
They crouched behind a crumbling wall, using it as a temporary workspace.
Rein placed her staff beside her as Leo pulled out a small notebook.
They began writing down the details they had gathered.
Around them, the village had grown quieter.
The initial chaos of investigation had faded into a tense stillness.
Leo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"So from what the villagers described…" he said slowly.
He glanced toward Rein.
"This thing is about my height."
Rein blinked.
Leo frowned.
"That's… not much to go on."
Rein tapped the end of her staff lightly against the ground.
Her expression remained thoughtful.
"Yeah… it's frustrating."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"But they were very clear about one thing."
Leo looked up.
Rein's eyes grew serious.
"It carries a sword."
Leo froze slightly.
Rein continued.
"A sword capable of cutting through anything."
Her voice lowered.
"Buildings."
"Trees."
"People."
She looked back toward the destroyed structures surrounding them.
"Nothing seems to stop it."
Leo slowly exhaled.
That single detail made the situation far more dangerous.
Rein's grip tightened slightly on her staff.
"That alone tells us something important," she said quietly.
Leo glanced at her.
Rein finished her thought.
"This isn't just a monster."
Her voice carried quiet certainty.
"It's something far more dangerous."
Leo exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as he stared at the notes scattered across the broken stone beside them.
"If it's using a sword like that…" he said slowly, his voice tight with thought, "then it's not attacking randomly."
Rein glanced at him, sensing the tension in his words.
"Someone with that kind of skill doesn't just kill for fun," Leo continued. "There's a purpose here. A reason behind the destruction."
His eyes moved across the ruined buildings of the village.
"And we need to figure it out before it hits another village."
Rein nodded, though concern lingered in her expression. She bit her lip slightly as she thought back to the villagers' stories.
"And there's nothing else?" she asked. "No distinguishing features? No armor, no marks? Anything that stands out?"
Leo shook his head slowly.
"Nothing concrete," he admitted. "Just that it's tall… about my height. And the sword."
He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as if replaying something in his mind.
"But I can feel it."
Rein tilted her head.
"Feel what?"
Leo's voice lowered.
"Whoever this is… I've fought him before."
Rein's brows furrowed.
Leo continued, speaking slowly as he pieced the thoughts together.
"There's something familiar about the way it moves. The way the villagers described the attacks… the precision, the speed."
His gaze hardened.
"And that sword…"
He clenched his fist slightly.
"It feels almost alive."
Rein's eyes widened just a little.
"Alive?"
Leo nodded.
"Like it's not just a weapon," he said quietly. "Like it's part of him."
A brief silence followed.
Then Rein spoke the thought both of them were circling.
"You think it's… Kharous Raine?"
Leo's jaw tightened immediately.
"I don't know for sure," he admitted.
He glanced toward where Helmond had been investigating earlier.
"But Helmond sensed the same energy I'm feeling."
Leo's expression darkened.
"If it is him… then this isn't just a village problem."
He looked back toward the ruined streets.
"It's personal."
Rein stepped closer and placed a hand gently on Leo's shoulder. Her grip was firm, grounding him.
"Then we handle it the way we always do," she said calmly.
Leo looked at her.
"Together."
Her voice held quiet certainty.
"We'll find him. And we'll stop him."
Her eyes were steady.
"No matter what it takes."
For a moment, Leo simply looked at her.
Then a faint smile finally broke through the tension on his face.
"Yeah…"
He nodded slightly.
"Together."
A quiet wind passed through the broken streets of Willow, carrying the faint scent of smoke and ash from the destroyed buildings.
Leo and Rein had moved slightly deeper into the village, crouching behind the shattered remains of a collapsed wall. It gave them a clearer view of the surrounding damage while keeping them out of the villagers' worried stares.
Leo ran a hand through his hair again, his brow deeply furrowed.
His thoughts had been turning over something again and again.
Finally, he spoke.
"Rein…"
His voice was quieter now.
"Based on the descriptions we gathered… this isn't Kharous."
Rein blinked in surprise.
Leo shook his head slowly.
"I've never seen him wield a sword before," he explained.
"He fights with that metal ball… the one with the eyes and chains."
Rein nodded immediately.
"That's right…"
Leo continued.
"That thing is his signature weapon. Every time we've fought him, that's what he used."
He looked back toward the ruined buildings around them.
"And Kharous… he's taller than anyone here."
Leo lifted a hand to illustrate.
"Almost seven feet."
Rein's eyes widened slightly.
"There's no way this thing is him."
A moment of silence followed as the realization settled in.
Rein finally spoke.
"Then… if it's not him…"
She looked toward the forest beyond the village.
"Who is it?"
Leo's jaw tightened.
"I don't know."
There was unease in his voice now.
"But that means something worse."
Rein turned back to him.
"What?"
Leo's gaze darkened.
"Kharous isn't here."
The words hung heavily between them.
"He's still in the Land of Luminous Flame," Leo continued quietly. "Waiting."
Rein felt a chill run down her spine.
Leo looked toward the distant horizon.
"Watching."
His voice lowered further.
"And probably hoping we split up."
Rein's eyes widened.
"So he can strike without dealing with all of us at once…"
Leo nodded grimly.
"Exactly."
Rein placed a hand gently on his arm, steadying him.
"Then we have to be careful," she said softly. "Stick together. Anticipate his moves."
She gave him a small reassuring smile.
"We've faced impossible odds before."
Leo nodded slowly.
"I trust Eryndor and Sol…"
But his expression grew darker.
"…but this raises the stakes."
Rein could hear the concern in his voice.
Leo clenched his fists slightly.
"If Kharous plans to take them down first, he could easily overpower them."
His voice tightened.
"And if he's that strong…"
He shook his head.
"I don't want anyone getting hurt."
He looked toward Rein.
"Not you."
Then toward the village where Helmond was still investigating.
"Not Ethan."
"Not Helmond."
Rein squeezed his arm reassuringly.
"We'll handle it, Leo."
Her voice was calm but unwavering.
"Together."
She smiled slightly.
"We always do. Right?"
Leo exhaled slowly, letting the tension leave his chest for a moment.
His eyes scanned the ruined village once more.
The destruction.
The mystery.
The unseen enemy.
His fists slowly clenched again.
"Yeah…"
His voice was quiet, but resolute.
"Together."
Then his gaze hardened.
"But we have to be smart."
The wind moved through the broken buildings again.
Leo's voice dropped to a serious tone.
"This enemy… whoever it is…"
He paused.
"And Kharous…"
His eyes narrowed.
"They're both going to test us like never before."