A heavy silence followed. Jack's eyes narrowed, searching Arthur's face for any hint of recognition, while Kevin forced a strained smile, his heart pounding. Though Arthur acted as if nothing was amiss, the air between them had shifted-thick with unspoken suspicions.
Arthur set the deer down carefully, his movements steady, almost too steady. As Kevin reached for the wood to start the fire, Arthur's gaze lingered-just for a moment-on the amulet resting against Kevin's chest. His lips curved in the faintest trace of a smile, gone as quickly as it appeared.
"The night will be cold," he said softly, his tone unreadable.
Neither Jack nor Kevin replied, but both felt it-the unsettling certainty that Arthur's presence carried secrets far heavier than the stag he had brought.
After the strange tension that passed between them, none of them dared to speak of it. Instead, they turned their focus to roasting the small stag, their words limited to a brief discussion of Arthur's last remark.
By the time the flames had dwindled to glowing embers, a silent decision had been made. They would turn back toward the nearest village, to gather food and drink before continuing their perilous yet thrilling journey.
Yet, as the smoke curled into the night sky and the forest grew still, an unspoken truth lingered in the air: the road ahead would not only test their strength but unravel secrets none of them were ready to face.
After agreeing to head for the nearest village, they set out at sunrise, having eaten and packed their belongings-most of which had been damaged during their clash with the phantom soldiers.
They had decided to avoid the Valley of Wolves and the lake, choosing instead to walk in the opposite direction.
The path they had chosen sloped gently upward, lined with a variety of flowers that released a pure, soothing energy as they passed. This quiet vitality eased the tension that had earlier gripped them.
Above, the clouds were clear and beautiful, and the air carried the soft touch of a mild spring day.
Jack's pov
I do not know if it is Arthur's doing or some nameless force, yet an unease coils within me with every step we take.
Though the hill is draped in beauty, the sky serene, and the silence almost tender, I can taste the storm on the wind-a storm that will tear apart something fragile, something that has not yet had the chance to bloom.
And still, the road offers no mercy. There is no turning back now.
Kevin's pov
A heavy feeling haunts me, one I cannot quite put into words. Fear grips my heart, and I sense that whatever is about to unfold will be because of me-an act that will haunt me with regret for the rest of my days.
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As night deepened and the little moon vanished behind a veil of sorrow-laden clouds, their silent tears drifting down like whispered secrets upon the earth, something long dormant began to stir-breathing life into shadows where none had been before.
After the heavy rain poured down, they sought refuge in a secluded nook of the hill, waiting patiently for the dawn of the next day.
The next morning, after the earth had been refreshed by rain and the sun rose to breathe calm into weary souls, three children came playing and laughing on the hill-awakening Kevin and the others with the joyful sounds of their merriment.
One of the children, a little girl, approached Kevin and asked, "Hello, sir, are you alright? Do you need any help?"
Kevin smiled at her kind question and said, "Yes, little one, can you take us to the village?"
The little girl replied with surprise, "What village?"
Kevin murmured to himself, realising they did not live in a village, but rather scattered houses across the hill. He then asked her, "Can you take us to your home?"
She smiled warmly and said, "Follow me," before running toward her friends. They eagerly stepped forward toward their homes, with Kevin and the others following closely behind.
The houses were exactly as Kevin had imagined-scattered across the hill, small and cosy, resembling hobbit homes surrounded by flowers and gardens.
The little girl ran to embrace her father and told him that three men needed help.
As they approached him, they bowed respectfully, and the man welcomed them warmly, inviting them into his home for food and rest.
After inviting them to eat, the man introduced himself as Dorian, a simple farmer living on this hill.
They spoke of their journey and the hardships they had faced by the strange lake.
Filled with sympathy for their struggles, Dorian told them they could rest for the night, and he would try to find mules or donkeys to ease their journey ahead.
As shadows fell, Kevin woke with a pounding head, no one beside him, and the house so silent it felt as if no soul remained within.
He decided to step outside to search for Arthur and Jack, and to see where Dorian and his daughter had gone.
As he stepped outside, he saw everyone gathered around something, whispering with fear and tension about what they were surrounding.
The candles in their hands cast flickering light around them, but Kevin couldn't make out what they were whispering about.
A chilling unease gripped Kevin, weighing heavily on his heart as he stepped forward toward the strange object nestled within the groups of whispering people.
His hand clenched over his heart, pounding fiercely as a cold wave of dread washed over him. Before his eyes lay the brutalized form of his only friend, Jack-his body cruelly torn, limbs twisted unnaturally, and crimson blood pooling thickly around him, staining the ground like a dark wound on the earth itself. The whispered murmurs of the crowd only deepened the horror, but Kevin could barely hear them; his world had narrowed to the devastating sight before him, shattering every ounce of hope he had left.