The academy carriage rolled steadily across the eastern roads of Valerion.
Hours turned into a full day of travel.
The towering walls of Solareth disappeared behind the horizon, replaced by endless forests, rocky hills, and fields of black volcanic stone. The air gradually became warmer as they approached the eastern border.
Inside the carriage, the three companions sat in silence.
Liliya looked curiously through the window.
"So... this is my first time leaving the capital."
Rin smiled.
"Mine too. I never imagined our first mission would take us this far."
Akira quietly studied the mission scroll once again.
Location: Crimson Ashen VillageObjective: Investigate the disappearance of villagers during the night.Threat Level: Unknown.
He frowned.
Unknown... That's what worries me the most.
Arrival
As the sun began to set, the carriage stopped before a large wooden gate.
A faded sign stood beside the entrance.
Welcome to Crimson Ashen Village
The village rested beneath the towering Crimson Volcano, whose peak released thin streams of smoke into the evening sky.
Unlike the lively villages Akira had seen before...
Crimson Ashen was silent.
Too silent.
The streets were nearly empty.
Windows remained tightly shut.
Even children were nowhere to be seen.
Only a few guards patrolled nervously with spears in hand.
"This place feels..." Rin whispered.
"...wrong."
Akira nodded.
"Everyone looks frightened."
Meeting the Village Chief
An elderly man approached them with several villagers.
He bowed respectfully.
"Welcome, young mages."
"I am Chief Rowan, leader of Crimson Ashen."
Professor Kaelthas had informed the village that academy students would be arriving, so the chief wasted no time explaining the situation.
"It started about a month ago."
"Every few nights..."
"Someone disappears."
"No screams."
"No signs of struggle."
"No bodies."
"They simply... vanish."
Liliya looked around uneasily.
"Has anyone seen what took them?"
The chief slowly shook his head.
"No."
"Only strange sounds carried by the wind."
Akira exchanged a glance with Rin.
Neither of them spoke.
The Empty House
The chief guided them to the home of the latest missing villager.
The wooden door hung slightly open.
Inside, everything remained untouched.
Dinner still sat on the table.
A lantern had burned out long ago.
The bed was neatly made.
There were no signs of forced entry.
Akira slowly knelt beside the doorway.
His fingers brushed across the floor.
"...Mana."
Rin looked at him.
"You can sense it?"
"A very faint trace."
"It isn't human."
Liliya's expression became serious.
"So... it really wasn't an ordinary kidnapping."
Akira nodded.
"No."
"Something came here."
"And it wanted someone."
A Strange Discovery
As they continued searching, Akira noticed something outside the house.
Near the edge of the forest...
Several footprints.
They weren't human.
Each footprint had long claws pressed deep into the hardened volcanic soil.
Rin crouched beside him.
"Monster?"
Akira examined them carefully.
"No..."
His expression darkened.
"They're too organized."
"It walked."
"It didn't hunt."
Liliya felt a chill run down her spine.
"You mean..."
Akira stood.
"...Someone intelligent made these."
The Warning
As darkness slowly covered the village, Chief Rowan gathered every villager inside the meeting hall.
"Once the sun sets..."
"No one goes outside."
"No matter what you hear."
One frightened child asked,
"What if someone calls for help?"
The chief's face turned pale.
"Especially then."
The room fell silent.
Akira noticed the fear in everyone's eyes.
This wasn't the fear of monsters.
It was the fear of something they couldn't understand.
Night Watch
Akira, Rin, and Liliya volunteered to patrol the village.
They split into three nearby positions so they could respond quickly if anything happened.
The moon climbed high above the Crimson Volcano.
The streets became completely silent.
Only the sound of the wind echoed between the empty houses.
Then...
Akira heard it.
A faint whisper.
"...Help..."
His eyes widened.
The same voice.
The one he had heard at the academy.
It was back.
Akira slowly turned toward the dark forest beyond the village.
At the edge of the trees...
A pair of glowing crimson eyes opened.
Then another.
And another.
Dozens of them.
Watching.
Waiting.