The kingdom had changed overnight.
Fear spread faster than fire through dry grass.
By morning—
Every major road carried the sound of galloping horses.
Royal guards dressed in black and silver armor rode rapidly across the country under imperial orders.
Their destination—
The villages where people had disappeared.
No one understood how over two hundred people could vanish in a single night.
No bodies.
No blood.
No footprints.
Only empty homes.
And grieving families.
—
The First Village
The first group of royal guards arrived at a small village near the western mountains.
Usually the village was peaceful.
Simple.
Quiet.
But now—
The atmosphere felt broken.
Women cried openly in the streets.
Children clung to frightened parents.
Doors remained tightly shut even during daylight.
The moment the guards entered—
Villagers rushed toward them desperately.
"Please find my daughter!"
"My son disappeared!"
"My husband vanished during the night!"
